Qingyu's Future!?

What are you doing?

Queen Sara looked up, puzzled as to why Qingyu had suddenly lifted her hat.

Anrokuzan tampered with your hat.

"Impossible!"

You'll find out soon enough.

Qingyu lifted Queen Sara's red hair with her hand, and then she could see some very tiny devices between the strands of hair.

These devices are only two or three hairs thick, and resemble some kind of signal transmitter.

"This puppetry technology—"

Qingyu narrowed her eyes.

It seems that Anrokuzan became incredibly powerful after obtaining the Dragon Vein Chakra.

If this technology were modified and turned into a listening device, it would be virtually unbeatable for infiltration.

Great, Han is in!

Qingyu put the devices into his Ninja Tool Pouch without hesitation, intending to take them back for research.

Queen Sara, watching Qingyu's actions, changed her initially confident tone to one of doubt.

"This was taken from my head?"

"There's more than one."

Qingyu then took out two more identical miniature devices.

"These devices are connected to towers throughout the city via Chakra Threads, then converge at the central point of the underground Dragon Vein. They continuously inject foreign Chakra into your body, interfering with your mental perception and keeping you in a state similar to a mild Genjutsu for a long time, affecting your selective reception and judgment of external information."

Tsunade stepped forward, picked up a device, and examined it closely with her fingertips.

Her brown-gold eyes narrowed slightly, and her expression darkened.

"This is a product of the combination of Puppet Technique and Medical Ninjutsu. The device's tentacles secrete a toxin that mimics the body's own neurotransmitters, causing the host's brain to become dependent on it. If worn for a long time, it can be life-threatening."

"The person who designed this thing has a very deep understanding of Medical Ninjutsu; this is not something an ordinary puppeteer could make."

"Tsunade said."

Qingyu wasn't surprised by Tsunade's words.

Anrokuzan was able to use puppets to gradually replace his own body; if Medical Ninjutsu hadn't been effective, he would have died somewhere long ago due to this self-modification.

Even in Sunagakure, only highly skilled puppeteers would make some partial modifications to their physical bodies; the majority of their bodies remained flesh and blood.

Becoming a complete puppet is a highly taboo area.

Currently, it seems that only Anrokuzan succeeded by using the Dragon Vein Chakra.

Even the scorpion retains a portion of its flesh and blood, which is called the "Regeneration Core" to supply itself with Chakra.

If the "Regeneration Core" is destroyed, the scorpion will also die.

Sara looked at the miniature devices.

"So—all these years I've been living under Anrokuzan's control. My trust in him, my judgment about my mother's cause of death, even my understanding of the current situation in Rōran —all of these were instilled in me by these devices?"

Queen Sara suddenly fell into self-doubt.

Tsunade was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Sister Tsunade, I have a suggestion: let's take Queen Sara with us."

Qingyu said.

Tsunade frowned.

She glanced at Sara, whose color was gradually returning, then turned to Qingyu, somewhat puzzled.

"Why? Queen Sara isn't a ninja; it's too dangerous there."

"If Anrokuzan has already activated the power of the Dragon Vein, then the puppet's regeneration speed and power will far exceed those of ordinary puppets, making it difficult to completely defeat him using only physical destruction. Furthermore, the Dragon Vein is an extremely vast source of Chakra, practically inexhaustible."

Qingyu paused, then looked at Sara.

"Only the Queen of Rōran knows the location of the Dragon Vein Nexus. If we want to sever Anrokuzan's connection with the Dragon Vein, we must find the central node of the Dragon Vein. If we release Sara, Anrokuzan's puppets will definitely attack her after we leave."

Upon hearing Tsunade simply nodded.

"Okay, take her with you."

She turned to look at Sara.

"Queen Sara, the road ahead will not be safe, but we will do everything in our power to protect you."

Queen Sara had no choice but to accept this.

She's feeling lost and doesn't know what to do.

Qingyu knelt down in front of her, turning her back to Sara.

"Excuse me, Queen Sara, time is of the essence, let me carry you."

Sara looked at Qingyu's shoulder and paused slightly.

As the queen of Rōran, she had never been so closely approached by any man since childhood.

The palace maids would take care of everything for her, while the male ministers would always keep a distance of more than three steps when bowing.

But this is clearly not the time to concern oneself with etiquette.

She took a deep breath, leaned over and climbed onto Qingyu's back, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Red hair slipped from her shoulders and fell across Qingyu's chest.

Qingyu supported her thighs as she stood up, the touch beneath her palms soft and elastic.

He adjusted his posture to distribute Sara's weight more evenly on his back, then nodded to Tsunade.

Sara lay on Qingyu's back, feeling Qingyu's firm back and warm body temperature.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she quickly suppressed the strange feeling.

She rested her chin on Qingyu's shoulder, her long red hair blowing wildly in the wind as she ran, leaving a vivid trail of flame behind her.

Hinata Hyuga followed at the back of the group, her white eyes fixed on Qingyu's back.

She had been observing everyone's reactions since the beginning.

Lady Tsunade, Hyuga Ginka, Kakashi, and Qingyu.

The Lady Tsunade, but Hyuga Ginka was completely different.

They seem to have become more immature.

And none of them recognized themselves.

Just now in the main hall, the way Lady Tsunade looked at her was exactly the kind of look one would give a stranger.

Hyuga Ginka, too, had only doubt in her identical white eyes, devoid of any warmth from reuniting with an old friend.

Dragon Vein Chakra affects time.

Hinata Hyuga frowned slightly.

Before she set off, her teacher warned her that the power of the Dragon Vein was extremely special, and its Chakra fluctuations could distort spacetime, potentially causing time travelers to be thrown into different points in time.

She had initially thought this was only a theoretical possibility, but the scene before her eyes had proven everything.

So this is what teachers were like when they were young.

So young, so vibrant, even—somewhat adorable?

Hinata Hyuga was startled by the thought that popped into her head, and quickly lowered her head, her face slightly flushed.

The procession passed through the palace's corridors and rushed down the stairs to the lower levels.

As they went deeper underground, the surrounding environment became increasingly quiet.

There were no living people at all, only the occasional scattered puppet limbs.

The sounds of battle ahead grew clearer.

The clanging of metal against metal, the roar of exploding Fire Release, the shrieking of Lightning Style fire tearing through the air, and the shouts of humans in the heat of battle blended into a chaotic symphony.

Then, Qingyu saw the battlefield.

It was a vast underground space.

The dome hangs tens of meters above, with several huge spheres of light powered by Chakra emanating a cold white light that illuminates the entire space.

In this space, Minato Namikaze is engaged in a fierce battle with hundreds of puppets.

The puppets varied in appearance; some retained a human form, with limbs and torso proportions identical to Mahito.

Some have been completely transformed into bizarre fighting machines, equipped with giant drills, rotating saw blades, or multi-barreled launching devices.

But regardless of their form, they all share a common characteristic: even if part of their bodies is destroyed, the remaining parts continue to fight.

A Humanoid Puppet, whose legs had been severed by Minato Namikaze's Flying Thunder God Kunai, was crawling on the ground with its two remaining arms, its five fingers transforming into five sharp short blades, rapidly crawling towards Obito's direction.

Minato Namikaze's figure flickered continuously among the puppet horde.

Each time a golden light flashed, a puppet would be severed at the joints by the Flying Thunder God Kunai.

His speed was so fast that he left dozens of lingering yellow afterimages in the air, as if a dozen Minato Namikaze were fighting at the same time.

Even he had to keep moving to prevent the puppets from closing in.

Kakashi's vest had several tears, and a large piece of the left sleeve had been torn off, revealing his bleeding arm underneath.

Obito stood on the other side of Rin Nohara, a bloodstain on the corner of his mouth.

It's clear that a considerable amount of Chakra has been used up.

But he gritted his teeth and continued to use Fire Release to repel the puppets that tried to get closer.

Rin Nohara crouched between the three, her hands simultaneously covering Kakashi and Obito's wounds with medical Chakra, her forehead covered with fine beads of sweat.

Her Chakra was almost depleted.

Just then, a low laugh came from the highest point of the space.

Everyone looked up.

At the top of that steel frame woven from Chakra channels, a figure looked down at the crowd.

Anrokuzan.

He looked no different from the wealthy ministers in Roran City, wearing a magnificent robe, with a dignified face and a polite smile on his lips.

His ten fingers were slightly spread apart, each finger wrapped with purple Chakra Threads that extended into the core of each puppet below.

"Queen Sara, you've arrived."

Anrokuzan spoke.

Minato Namikaze and the others also turned around to look at Qingyu and her group as they approached.

Sara dismounted from Qingyu's back, stood on the ground, and looked up at the minister she had once trusted so much.

Her hands were clenched into fists.

"Anrokuzan, my mother and I trusted you and entrusted you with the management of Rōran's Dragon Vein, and this is all you've given us in return?"

Queen Sara pointed to the surrounding fragments of puppets struggling to reassemble, her voice finally tinged with barely suppressed rage.

She was very puzzled.

Anrokuzan clearly provided Rōran with valuable technology and even offered him access to the Anrokuzan Dragon Vein. Their cooperation led to Rōran's prosperity – wasn't this a win-win situation?

But Anrokuzan wanted to break this balance.

Meanwhile, the Rōran people, who were hiding in the distance, trembling with fear and responsible for assembling the puppets, heard the familiar voice and quickly looked over.

"Your Majesty!"

"It's Her Majesty!"

"Her Majesty the Queen is still alive!"

A rustling sound came from deep within the underground space.

The enslaved people of Rōran peeked out from the gaps in the pipes.

Their faces were covered in grease and dust, their clothes were tattered, and their bodies were hunched over from long hours of hard labor.

But the moment they saw Sara, their lifeless eyes lit up again.

Anrokuzan looked at Queen Sara, his smile unchanged.

"Sara, you're still too young."

Anrokuzan shook his head and walked towards where Sara was.

A Humanoid Puppet rose from the ground, Earth Flow his side, knelt on one knee, and lifted the hem of his robe.

Do you really think I'm doing all this for Rōran?

Queen Sara's face turned grim.

Anrokuzan admired her expression, and his smile grew even brighter.

"From the very beginning, my goal was to create a puppet army. The power of the Dragon Vein is too immense, immense enough to drive an army that will never tire, never betray, and never die."

"What I lack is simply a base capable of reliably extracting Dragon Vein Chakra, and enough manpower to build my puppet production line."

"And Rōran perfectly meets all my needs."

He raised his right hand, purple Chakra Threads dancing in the air, causing the puppets below to raise their heads in unison, their empty eye sockets pointing in Sara's direction.

Your mother is a smart woman.

Anrokuzan Road.

"She quickly discovered that I was secretly extracting the power of the Dragon Vein for puppet experiments, and told me that the Dragon Vein must never be used for war, so I killed her."

Sara's body stiffened, and she looked at Anrokuzan.

"What did you say?"

"I said, I killed your mother."

Anrokuzan said calmly.

"She's a smart woman, so she had to die. If she were alive today, my plan would have been exposed long ago, and as for you..."

He looked at Sara, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.

"You're too young, too easily manipulated. All it takes is a few small devices on your head, and you'll obediently trust me, depend on me, and treat me as your most loyal subject. You've never even doubted me, have you?"

Anrokuzan!

Queen Sara looked furious.

"Anrokuzan! You have abused the power of the Dragon Vein, imprisoned my people, and murdered my mother. In the name of the Queen of Roran, I command you to immediately cease all puppetry and release everyone!"

"Idiot."

Anrokuzan snorted coldly.

Then he looked at Qingyu and Hinata Hyuga.

"Hinata Hyuga, I thought this time travel would finally rid me of you, but I never expected you to follow me all the way here."

Hinata Hyuga stared coldly at Anrokuzan and said, "Our teacher is nearby. Once he arrives, your death will be imminent."

Upon hearing this, Anrokuzan suddenly burst into laughter.

"Your teacher? You mean Qingyu?"

He pointed to Qingyu, who was standing next to Sara.

"You're right. In the future, with his power, dealing with a ninja of my level will indeed be effortless."

Hinata Hyuga frowned.

Of course she knew how strong her teacher would become in the future; she had witnessed that strength firsthand, far exceeding the comprehension of ordinary ninjas.

But why did Anrokuzan say these things?

Unfortunately—

Anrokuzan's voice suddenly rose, and he suddenly spread his arms. At the same time, the Chakra channels behind him burst out with dazzling purple light, illuminating the entire underground space as bright as day.

"This was more than ten years ago, haven't you realized that?!"

Hinata Hyuga's body jolted violently.

She subconsciously looked at Qingyu, at that face that was so much more youthful than she remembered.

Although she had suspected it beforehand, she was still taken aback when she heard the fact directly from Anrokuzan.

"Since you've delivered yourselves to my doorstep, then I'll just kill you all, and no one will be able to stop me from unifying the Shinobi World!"

"Anrokuzan, what exactly are you talking about?"

Queen Sara found Anrokuzan's words to be too absurd for her to comprehend.

He's talking about time travel.

Qingyu said calmly.

He looked at Hinata Hyuga was standing not far away.

"Hinata, you came from the future, right?"

Hinata Hyuga stared at Qingyu's Sharingan, which had turned crimson red.

She took a deep breath and nodded.

"Yes, I traveled from the future to the past."

She looked at Qingyu's face, hesitated for a moment, but still didn't say the word "teacher".

In the current timeline, Qingyu doesn't know her at all.

Using this term rashly will only make the situation more chaotic.

Obito there, stunned.

He had been trying to process Anrokuzan's words since the beginning, but the amount of information was too much for his brain to keep up with.

"Wait, wait, what did you say?!"

He pointed at Qingyu, then at Hinata Hyuga.

Is Qingyu going to be very powerful in the future?

Then he pointed to himself, his face full of anticipation, and asked, "What about me? I'm also a genius of the Uchiha Clan, and I've even awakened the Sharingan. I'm sure I'll be amazing in the future!"

Anrokuzan gave him a cold glance.

"I don't know him."

Obito's expression froze instantly, his finger pointing at himself hanging in mid-air.

"----ha?"

"Obito Uchiha? Never even heard of him. In my memory, there's no one like you on the future stage of the Shinobi World."

Upon Obito, Obito was struck dumb.

Qingyu has a very strong future, but he is nowhere to be found.

Tsunade's brows furrowed tightly, and a look of realization flashed in her brown-gold eyes.

No wonder she didn't recognize her; it turns out she doesn't belong to this era.

This is a ninja from the future.

This completely overturned Tsunade's understanding of the world.

But there's no time to marvel at this discovery now, because Anrokuzan has already made his move.

Hyuga Ginka was equally shocked. The person of her clan standing next to her was actually from the future.

Anrokuzan seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the various reactions of the crowd.

He stopped speaking and manipulated hundreds of puppets to launch a simultaneous attack.

All the puppets that had been stationary suddenly came to life.

The Humanoid Puppet wielding spears charged ahead, followed closely by the alien puppets equipped with giant drills. The airflow generated by the high-speed rotation of the drills carved trenches into the ground.

Qingyu concentrated the Chakra of "Strength of a Hundred" into his fist and threw a punch.

Boom!

The puppet's breastplate shattered into pieces under the force of the punch, and the internal gears and drive shafts exploded and flew out, knocking over a row of puppets behind it.

Qingyu didn't pause; his left fist followed immediately and slammed out.

His figure moved swiftly among the puppets.

Sizzle!

Several shattered puppets attempted to reassemble under the pull of the Dragon Vein Chakra.

The puppets continued to surge forward, but Qingyu was like a merciless meat grinder, crushing every puppet that approached.

Just then, familiar semi-transparent text popped up in front of Qingyu's eyes.

[D-Rank Trait detected: The Puppet Master's Art of Self has met the synthesis requirements]

[Should we synthesize it?]

"Synthesis."

Qingyu smashed the puppet that lunged at him with a single punch, silently chanting in his mind.

[C-Rank Trait: The Puppet Master's Art of Self]

[Effect: Enhances the Puppeteer talent by 60%.]

[Crafting: Defeating ten different Clay Puppet will upgrade to a higher-level trait.]

The upgrade requirements have increased from five to ten.

But this made things simpler for Qingyu, as Anrokuzan had countless types of puppets, with various shapes and functions.

Kakashi and Genma Shiranui were originally helping Qingyu clear out the small puppets on both sides of him.

But as Qingyu's killing speed increased, the two gradually realized that they could no longer intervene.

It wasn't that they didn't want to help, but Qingyu's advance was too fast. Before they could even lock onto their target, it had already been smashed to pieces by Qingyu's punch.

"What kind of monster is this guy?"

Genma Senbon, with a senbon dangling from his Genma Shiranui, watched as Qingyu punched three puppets away, and his lips twitched.

He abandoned the idea of participating in the siege and instead stayed by Rin Nohara's side with Obito, blocking the occasional small puppets that slipped through.

Not long after, Qingyu shattered five more puppets of different shapes.

[C-Rank Trait detected: The Puppet Master's Art of Self has met the synthesis requirements]

[Should we synthesize it?]

"Synthesis."

Qingyu silently repeated this to herself.

Anrokuzan sent so many different types of puppets; it was practically helping him farm special traits.

[B-Rank Trait: The Puppet Master's Art of Self]

[Effect: Enhances Puppeteer talent by 100%, granting unique Puppeteer abilities.]

[Crafting: Defeating 2,000 different Clay Puppet will upgrade to a higher-level trait.]

"Good."

Qingyu felt that if he wanted, he could start learning Puppet Technique now and quickly become a puppet master.

However, the path of a puppeteer was not what Qingyu pursued.

"Well done, Qingyu!"

Tsunade's voice came from the flank.

She also wreaked havoc among the puppets, turning a puppet into fragments with every punch she threw.

A single punch can often shatter an entire row.

Tsunade's fierce fighting style contrasted sharply with her delicate and beautiful face.

She blasted the three puppets that were trying to sneak up on Qingyu's back into dust with a single punch, then stood beside Qingyu.

"Anrokuzan, if you want to kill my brother and touch Qingyu, you'll have to get past me first."

Anrokuzan looked down at the siblings, his smile undiminished.

With a slight twitch of his fingers, the shattered puppet fragments were once again drawn together by the Dragon Vein Chakra and began to recombine.

"Tsunade, one of the Sannin, granddaughter of Hashirama Senju. I am well aware of your strength, but even you are no match for me here."

"The power of the Dragon Vein is inexhaustible. As long as the Dragon Vein exists, I and my puppets are immortal. In the end, it will only be you who die from exhaustion."

He suddenly raised his arms above his head, his entire body enveloped in a dense purple dragon Dragon Vein Chakra.

Purple cracks appeared on the surface of his skin.

Within seconds, Anrokuzan's figure vanished.

Instead, a gigantic puppet spider, as tall as a three-story building, was erected.

Its head lacks the mouthparts of a spider; instead, it has a ferocious human face with all its teeth exposed.

"Let me show you the power of the ultimate puppet!"

Anrokuzan laughed loudly.

He and Qingyu had met once when they were young, and eventually Qingyu left under Orochimaru's guidance.

Later, he kept hearing about Qingyu's strength.

Therefore, he plans to nip Qingyu in the bud now.

So-called geniuses are nothing but corpses if they're dead now!