Swish, swish, swish!
Somewhere in the dimly lit streets of Rōran, Minato and his group reappeared, a blur of motion as they came to a halt. The tense silence of their surroundings seemed to press in on them as Minato took a quick glance at Kushina, exchanging a knowing look before they each formed a series of hand seals. After securing the area, Kushina turned to Minato, her voice quiet but probing.
"Minato, you exposed yourself deliberately. You must know something you haven't told us." She watched him closely, her words laced with the trust and understanding that came from years together. She was well aware that everything Minato did was calculated, each step a move in a larger plan. But what was he planning this time?
Minato gave a slight chuckle, nodding, then turned his attention to Sara. "Anrokuzan is using the power of the dragon veins to forge some kind of armor, isn't he?" he asked, his tone both direct and gentle. "His plan is to form an army for self-defense, correct?"
From his observations and the battles thus far, Minato had pieced together his opponent's strategy. This Mukade, a figure from a future era, seemed to have ties with Sunagakure. The way he manipulated the dragon vein's power to command the giants resembled the Sunagakure puppetry techniques he was familiar with. It was possible Mukade was a puppet master from Sunagakure, but Minato couldn't be entirely sure. A name surfaced in his mind, someone whose vendetta with Konoha ran deep. He knew all too well that the deaths of certain figures connected Mukade to both his own past and that of Hatake Sakumo.
Sara's face tightened at his words. "I won't tell you anything," she retorted, her voice defiant. Her stance was rigid, but Minato had anticipated her resistance. He didn't waver, continuing in a calm, steady voice.
"Your Majesty, future Queen of Rōran, doesn't it strike you as odd? The minister who has claimed to protect you and Rōran's future was actually a giant created by the dragon veins' power, ready to attack you." His words were intended to pierce through her defenses, to plant seeds of doubt.
Sara's eyes narrowed, her tone sharp as she replied, "He attacked you only because you foreign ninjas were holding me hostage. He was trying to rescue me!"
At that, Kushina stepped forward, her gaze unwavering as she looked directly into Sara's eyes. "Think carefully, Sara. In that situation, if we had been the enemies, maybe we could have fled, but you—without protection, you wouldn't have survived," she said firmly. "Anrokuzan has never seen you as anything other than a pawn. He's been deceiving you from the start!"
Sara turned away, her expression conflicted. She raised her voice in protest, as though the louder she spoke, the more it might reassure her. "That's not true! Anrokuzan is loyal! Without him, Rōran…"
Yet even as she spoke, her voice faltered. Memories of the recent battle replayed in her mind. Under the giants' ruthless assault, it was Kushina and Naruto who had shielded her, not Anrokuzan. He hadn't shown himself, hadn't fought to protect her, hadn't even made an attempt to ensure her safety. He had remained hidden, leaving her alone with those he deemed a threat.
Minato glanced at the window beside him, where the setting sun cast an eerie glow over the city. "Your Majesty," he said softly, "look at Rōran now. Take a good look at what it's become."
Rōran had once been a thriving oasis, a kingdom with roots deep in ancient civilization. It might not have been bustling with activity, but it should have been a place of life and prosperity. Now, there was only desolation. As Minato scanned the area, it became clear that Sara was the only person left who appeared… normal.
The silence and emptiness of the place were unsettling. Minato's mind had already begun piecing together the truth of Rōran's fate. Where were the people? What had happened to the civilians? His gaze hardened, blue eyes narrowing as he contemplated the situation.
Sara turned to the window, her eyes widening as she took in the sight outside. A thick layer of dark clouds moved overhead, casting an ominous shadow over the city. For a moment, Rōran looked even darker, eerily silent and desolate. The city she remembered was nothing like the bleak scene before her now.
Minato's voice was gentle but firm. "Your Majesty, how long has it been since you last saw your people?" He looked at her intently, his words stirring a distant memory.
At his question, something shifted in Sara's expression. Her eyes widened, realization setting in. "Where… where are they?" she whispered, horror dawning in her voice. "Why is there no one here?"
Minato let her words hang in the air for a moment, allowing her to confront the truth. "That's precisely what I wanted to tell you. Under Anrokuzan's rule, Rōran has become a place of deathly silence," he said.
Sara's eyes narrowed as she clenched her fists. Her memories drifted back to the time after her mother's death, when Anrokuzan had kept her secluded in the palace, supposedly for her safety. Yet the Rōran she'd known had been lively, full of people and voices. Now, in a matter of months, that vibrancy had vanished, replaced by an unsettling quiet.
"I understand that you want to protect Rōran," Minato continued, his voice steady and kind, "but Rōran is not simply these buildings or its walls. Rōran is its people, the citizens who lived here."
She looked at him, her gaze pained, doubt warring with belief. For a young girl of twelve or thirteen, Minato's words were not easy to accept. They unraveled everything she had held true, every belief she had clung to since her mother's passing.
"I… of course, I understand that," she whispered, as if reassuring herself. "Rōran is its people."
Minato met her gaze, his tone gently probing. "But your people are gone. Don't you want to know where they are?"
The thought gnawed at her, and she found herself grappling with Minato's words. He was right. She had never questioned Anrokuzan's influence, had never even thought to look beyond his promises. Her heart sank as realization struck, her trust in Anrokuzan slowly eroding.
Minato continued, his expression serious. "I suspect that the citizens of Rōran were forcibly taken. They've either been turned into these armored soldiers or used as laborers in a production line for that armor." Naruto had mentioned something about the strange appearance of the armored guards, suggesting they might not be entirely… human. Minato's suspicion was that Mukade was using the citizens of Rōran to manufacture his monstrous army.
Sara's expression hardened as she digested this, but after a moment, she turned to Minato with resolve in her eyes. "You've observed so much from a silent Rōran. If you can piece together this much…" She hesitated, then took a step closer to him, her voice barely above a whisper. "Please… help me find them."
Minato felt a twinge of surprise as Sara bowed deeply before him. Kushina and Naruto exchanged glances, and though their expressions were initially stunned, smiles soon softened their features. This act of humility from a young queen was unexpected but showed the depth of her courage.
"Of course," Minato replied, his voice reassuring. "But there's something I need from you in return. I need to know where the dragon vein's convergence point is in Rōran."
If he were to counter Mukade's use of the dragon vein, he needed to locate the core—the place where the dragon vein's power was strongest. But only Sara, as Rōran's queen, would know such a guarded secret.
Sara's gaze wavered slightly, conflicted. This knowledge was a closely guarded secret, a part of Rōran's legacy. She had been taught never to reveal it to anyone. Yet as she glanced out at the desolate city, weighed down by the emptiness and the unnatural silence, the balance within her shifted. Trust, for the first time, tipped in Minato's favor.
After a tense pause, she lifted her head and nodded. "Very well. I'll show you the way."
Minato exhaled, relief washing over him. His entire plan had hinged on Sara's realization and her decision to trust him. Now that she had agreed, they had a real chance of understanding Mukade's plans and stopping him.
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