The Kidnapped Stark

In a hidden Hydra base, several holographic projections flickered to life.

"It's been a month. Have we figured out why Baron Strucker's base self-destructed? Did Nick Fury catch wind of something and pull the strings?"

"Probably not. If Nick Fury had found out, I'd know immediately. He's been busy with his Avengers Initiative—was discussing it with me yesterday, asking me to help secure funding from the Security Council."

"What did the survivors say?"

"They only received the base's defense orders before the explosion. Nothing else."

"Let's set this aside for now. Maybe it was an issue with those enhanced individuals he was studying—someone used a special ability to trigger the self-destruct. I've said it before: don't waste effort on useless ventures. We should be fully focused on Project Insight. Once it succeeds, all of us in Hydra can step out of the shadows and rule the world!"

"Hail Hydra!"

"Hail Hydra!"

"Hail Hydra!"

With that brief meeting of Hydra's high command concluded, the screens gradually dimmed.

The room's lights came on, and a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties slowly rose to his feet. He paced back and forth a few times, then pressed a button: "Ward, come to my office."

This man was none other than John Garrett, one of the Hydra leaders who had previously dealt with Baron Strucker.

He had once been an exceptionally skilled S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, but a mission had left him with organ failure, facing certain death. During that time, he joined Hydra's Deathlok enhancement program to temporarily extend his life. To escape the threat of death and become a superhuman, he betrayed S.H.I.E.L.D. and embraced Hydra, becoming a double agent.

It was his dual identity—both S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and Hydra operative—that allowed him to cultivate a loyal faction of his own.

Earlier, having learned that the globally popular Power Pill could strengthen the body with long-term use, he had struck a deal with Baron Strucker, the head of Hydra's Sokovia base. In exchange for a partial list of enhanced individuals he had access to within his S.H.I.E.L.D. authority, he was to receive Dr. Smith, the inventor of the Power Pill, along with the formula.

But just as he received word of the transaction from Strucker, before he could even reach the location, news came of the Sokovia base's self-destruction.

Now that Dr. Smith was dead, if he wanted the Power Pill formula, his only option was to target the chairman of the Li Group.

"Garrett, what's the mission?"

A moment later, a handsome, cold-eyed young man pushed open the door and entered.

Garrett nodded at the young man: "Good, Ward. You're shaping up nicely. Take a look at this."

He handed a dossier to the young man named Ward.

Ward took the file and glanced at it. The top page showed a photo of a smiling Chinese man, with detailed information below.

Name: Li Chuan. Age: Twenty. Chairman of the Li Group.

"Get the Power Pill formula. Find out where it comes from. Simple as that," Garrett ordered.

Ward tucked the dossier away and nodded: "Understood."

As a top-tier agent capable of dismantling a nuclear bomb, this task was child's play. The target was just an ordinary businessman, at most with a few decent bodyguards.

Early morning, Sokovia, the Li family's private airfield.

"Uncle Li, I'll leave the business here in your hands for now. Contact me anytime if there's an issue."

After a brief exchange with Uncle Li, Li Chuan boarded his private jet with his wife Wanda and brother-in-law Pietro.

With the new drug already in production and Jack's preparations in New York nearly complete, it was time to move to New York and claim the six-month Minor World time.

If he remembered correctly, the Chitauri alien invasion of Earth was supposed to happen in 2012—only a few years away. Relying entirely on the Avengers without boosting his own strength wasn't a wise choice.

Besides, his presence had already caused significant butterfly effects. Who knew what the future would look like now?

The Scarlet Witch had become his wife instead of joining Hydra, and the Sokovia base from Avengers: Age of Ultron had been blown up ahead of schedule.

Now, heading to New York to complete tasks and earn rewards, he had no idea how much more he might change. But he believed it was all worth it—only by becoming strong could he seize the initiative. He couldn't keep pinning his hopes on others.

Seven hours later, the moment the plane touched down, a mission notification chimed in Li Chuan's ear.

"Side quest 'Settle in New York' completed. Six months of time have been granted, usable to enter any Minor World for six months of living."

"Finally, I can train again!"

While he could practice ninjutsu in the Marvel World, it was highly inconvenient. Without a base, he risked being discovered. And training in martial arts or ninjutsu was the same—practicing alone would never make him a master. He needed real combat to improve quickly.

That was why the Monk Ninjas of the Fire Temple were so weak—they just trained in isolation within the temple.

Look at the ninjas from the Great Ninja Villages. Every skilled one had fought through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, surviving brutal wars. Even the younger generation honed themselves with high-difficulty missions.

Li Chuan could find no one in the main world to train his ninjutsu against; aside from Chakra, his other aspects weren't improving quickly.

"Once I get to the new home, I'll head straight to the Naruto world to train."

On the way to the new house after getting off the plane, Li Chuan listened to Jack's report on the situation in New York while silently making up his mind.

But just then, he happened to glance at a display screen on a building outside the car window, which was broadcasting a news story:

"Breaking news, breaking news. According to the latest information, Stark Industries CEO and playboy Tony Stark has been confirmed missing in Afghanistan. As of two o'clock yesterday afternoon, Tony Stark..."

"For further updates, stay tuned to the Daily Bugle. I'm your favorite host, J. Jonah Jameson."

"Didn't expect to see such good news right after arriving in New York."

Wanda, sitting next to Li Chuan, also noticed the news report outside the window at that moment, and her mood instantly lifted.

Even though she had let go of her hatred for Stark by now, hearing this news still made her unable to resist a bit of schadenfreude.

But at the same time, a new side quest prompt rang out in Li Chuan's ears.