People from the Future

Rōran Royal Palace.

Anrokuzan wore the magnificent robes that signified his status as a minister, and his face bore his usual humble smile.

As he had done countless times before, he bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, you do not appear to be in good health today. Should we discuss this missing persons case today?"

His voice was calm, and his gaze naturally swept over the queen on the throne before settling on Kakashi and Rin, who stood on either side of the queen.

When his gaze fell upon the conspicuous Konoha Headband on their foreheads, the kind and benevolent expression he had maintained for four years froze instantly.

A very subtle crack, almost imperceptible to the average person, appeared in his smile. His pupils contracted to the size of pinpoints in an instant, and an intense sense of panic surged from the deepest recesses of his eyes!

Konoha ninja! What are they doing here? So fast?! Queen—when did you contact Konoha?

Moreover, the ninjas sent by Konoha infiltrated the palace silently and even stood beside the queen!

What does this mean?

This means that the Queen may have already revealed everything to them!

This means that his plan—which he had painstakingly developed for four years and was on the verge of success—had failed at the last minute!

A tremendous sense of crisis instantly gripped Anrokuzan's heart. Almost instinctively, he forcefully suppressed his almost out-of-control expression.

No! We can't just sit here and wait to die! He still has a backup plan! It's in the center of the Dragon Vein! As long as we get there, he still has a chance to turn the tables!

"Minister Anrokuzan," Queen Seraam's voice rang out, tinged with undisguised weariness, "You've been investigating the missing persons case for almost two weeks, and still haven't found any concrete leads? The people of Rōran cannot continue to disappear without a trace."

Anrokuzan snapped out of his daze, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace. His speech quickened. "Your Majesty, we have a lead! We're investigating it with all our might! However, it involves some complex circumstances that require further verification! I will immediately oversee the process and ensure Your Majesty receives a satisfactory reply as soon as possible!"

His eyes darted away, he dared not look at Kakashi and Rin again, and dared not linger there any longer.

He gave a hasty bow, almost impatiently turning to leave. "Your humble servant takes his leave! This matter is urgent and cannot be delayed!"

Having said that, without waiting for the Queen's response, Anrokuzan retreated from the hall with a slightly hurried but extremely fast pace, as if being chased by a demon, and his figure quickly disappeared outside the hall.

Queen Seraam watched Anrokuzan's somewhat flustered retreating figure, a hint of doubt on her face.

Anrokuzan's performance today was far below par, which made her suspicious.

Her exhaustion prevented her from thinking more deeply; all she wanted now was to rest.

Kakashi had witnessed Anrokuzan 'Anrokuzan behavior firsthand, and as an observer, he immediately noticed that something was amiss.

He silently marked this person in his mind, intending to tell Taiichi about it when he returned.

Lin also said with a solemn expression, "Your Majesty, you need to rest. Leave the rest to us."

Just as Anrokuzan fled the palace in panic and headed straight for the center of the Dragon Vein, Taiichi's figure had already appeared in Rōran City.

He wasn't just patrolling aimlessly; last night, while treating the Queen, his senses detected unusual fluctuations in the Dragon Vein.

At first, he thought that Anrokuzan had discovered their whereabouts and prepared a backup plan, which caused the Dragon Vein to move.

However, based on what I just perceived of Anrokuzan's behavior when he met the Queen, this speculation is clearly inconsistent.

This unusual fluctuation is quite interesting. Dragon Vein is the condensation of the earth's power. Without interference, it is like the earth itself, rarely moving for many years.

Taiichi didn't believe that the previous fluctuation was just a coincidence!

With the Queen's authorization, Taiichi can now operate openly and legitimately in Rōran.

He wandered through the streets and alleys of Rōran, observing the distribution of the city's residents, and quietly leaving his Flying Thunder God Mark in various hidden locations.

Things haven't gotten to the worst point yet; perhaps time hasn't been enough, and the city's residents haven't been mostly replaced by Puppet as in the original story.

The situation is actually a little better than what we observed yesterday, which is undoubtedly good news for Taiichi right now.

At least this way, we don't have to deal with a city full of Puppet.

Just as Taiichi was about to go and check on the location of the Dragon Vein, his keen senses detected an unusual Chakra fluctuation coming from the distant cluster of buildings.

He stopped in his tracks, his Chakra Perception surging overwhelmingly towards the direction from which the fluctuations originated.

On the other side of the city, the sounds of fierce fighting and the clanging of metal clashing echoed continuously. Occasionally, there would be a violent burst of Chakra.

As the view zooms in, two figures dressed in Konoha -style vests can be seen struggling to maneuver through the city.

One of them, with dazzling golden spiky hair and azure eyes filled with indomitable fighting spirit, was shouting "Damn Puppet!" while vigorously swinging his Kunai attacks coming from all directions.

It's Naruto Uzumaki!

The other person, looking somewhat dazed, wore Konoha Headband and rapidly Hand Seals.

Wood Style · Wood Locking Wall.

A hemispherical wooden barrier instantly rose up, blocking several deadly Chakra beams.

This is Yamato!

They were surrounded by a dozen or so well-designed and swift Puppet Soldier.

These Puppet were clearly far more advanced than the "imposters" inside the city.

The wind they created as they moved made the leaves on the roadside trees rustle.

"Naruto! Don't be impulsive! Conserve your energy! These Puppet are stronger than the ones we've encountered before!" Captain Yamato anxiously reminded him while maintaining his Wood Style defense.

"Damn it! How much is left?!"

Naruto gritted his teeth, condensing a Rasengan in his palm and smashing it to pieces against a Puppet that lunged at him, but immediately more swarmed in.

They seem to have gotten bogged down in a war of attrition.

"Naruto and Yamato, they're actually here?"

Countless thoughts flashed through Taiichi's mind in an instant.

"It seems that the previous Dragon Vein disturbance was caused by the two of them when they traveled here. However, the timing of this event is different from that in the original story, whether it's Mukade or Naruto."

It seems that my arrival has not only affected the people and things around me, but has also caused disturbances in the unseen spacetime.

Realizing the perilous situation the two were in, Taiichi didn't hesitate any longer and used Flying Thunder God to appear at the nearest marked point.

He needed intelligence, and he also needed to control the situation.

"Call out!"

Taiichi's figure suddenly appeared near the battlefield. Before either side could react, he activated his Body Flicker, moving so fast that even Yamato Jonin clearly.

He didn't Hand Seals; he simply raised his hand and threw a punch casually, his Chakra Enhanced Strength amplified.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Simple movements, yet containing terrifying power.

His fists seemed to vibrate through space, each strike precisely hitting the core of a high-speed moving Puppet.

The hard metal shell and energy core were like paper in front of him, instantly pierced and shattered!

In just a few breaths, the dozen or so elite Puppet that had been so aggressive and forced Naruto Yamato to fight back were reduced to a pile of wreckage.

"Wh-what?!"

The Rasengan in Naruto's hand dissipated without his notice, stirring up a gentle breeze.

He stared dumbfounded at the tall figure that had suddenly appeared and instantly ended the battle, and at the pile of wrecked parts on the ground; his jaw nearly dropped to the ground.

Those Puppet that had just given him and Captain Yamato a run for their money were dismantled like toys in front of this person?

Yamato also put away the Wood Locking Wall, his face filled with shock and vigilance.

He immediately noticed the equally prominent Konoha Headband on Taiichi's forehead, which made him breathe a slight sigh of relief.

But the terrifying strength the other party displayed and that excessively young face, even more immature than Naruto's, filled him with doubts.

Such a young Jonin? And his strength is so ridiculously high? When did Konoha have someone like this? He was certain he had never seen anything like it before!

Naruto, however, didn't think much of it. Seeing the Konoha Headband and realizing that the other party had helped him solve a big problem, he immediately threw his vigilance to the wind.

He Earth Flow to me with a casual, sunny smile, and greeted me familiarly, "Wow! That's amazing! Thank you! Are you a Konoha ninja too?"

My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and this is my Captain Yamato.

What's your name? You look so young! How are you so amazing?

He rattled off a string of words, his eyes filled with curiosity and undisguised admiration.

Yamato patted Naruto on the shoulder, abruptly cutting him off as he was about to continue. He was afraid that if he hesitated any longer, Naruto would reveal all their secrets to the other party.

Taiichi looked at the two people in front of him and felt quite curious.

Time travel! Although he had known about it for a long time, seeing it actually happening before his eyes still amazed him. What kind of power and principles would be needed to achieve this miracle?

But----

"Come with me. This isn't a place to stay. Let's find a safe place to talk."

After saying this, Taiichi gestured to the two of them, then Body Flicker disappeared.

"Captain Yamato, we—"

"Keep up, let's figure out the situation first."

The two nodded to each other and immediately Body Flicker up with Taiichi's steps.

Taiichi led the way, using his Body Flicker Movement technique repeatedly, and his speed increased rapidly.

Only when they realized that Naruto's speed was no longer increasing after reaching a certain limit did they slightly reduce their speed and maintain it within a stable range.

A few minutes later, the three stopped in a blind spot of a building. The area was surrounded by several buildings, making it difficult for the Puppet guards to spot them unless they were face-to-face.

"Hey, I've already told you my name, but you still haven't told me yours?"

Naruto was quite impatient, and as soon as he stopped, he eagerly asked.

"Taichi Matsushita, my name is Taichi Matsushita."

Yamato was deep in thought, while Naruto looked completely bewildered. Clearly, apart from a few familiar faces, he didn't know many people in Konoha.

You don't recognize me?

If you're going to put on an act, go all the way Taiichi said, feigning ignorance. Not only that, he also increased his vigilance, his aura gradually gathering and locking onto the two people in front of him.

This greatly surprised Yamato and Naruto. One was Jonin, and the other was a talented player, so they were naturally quite sensitive to the aura.

The immense aura locking onto them not only surprised them but also puzzled them.

So what if I don't know you? Why are you suddenly so hostile? Are you some kind of celebrity? Even if you are, that doesn't justify showing hostility.

"You're Konoha Ninja? Yet you don't recognize me?" Taiichi asked them again to confirm.

Naruto nodded frantically, "It's the real deal, why would I lie to you!"

As he spoke, he rummaged through his Ninja Tool Pouch and pulled out a Ninja ID.

"Look, this is my Ninja ID. I'm a properly graduated Konoha Ninja."

Yamato saw everything but did nothing to stop it.

To be honest, he was still a bit dazed. He remembered that before he lost consciousness, they were in ruins, not in this seemingly prosperous city.

Therefore, as long as Naruto's actions did not involve classified information, he would quietly observe and silently analyze them.

Taiichi took Naruto's Ninja ID and opened it for a perfunctory inspection.

"Ninja ID: 012607?" Taiichi looked at Naruto, his words full of doubt.

"Yes, is there a problem?" Naruto retorted without backing down, "How could this possibly turn into a fake?"

Taiichi examined the document several times, front and back, and then carefully checked it against the sunlight.

His actions Yamato on the other side.

As a former Anbu, he naturally knew that Taiichi was checking the Secret Rune on the documents. Anyone who could know these things was either Anbu or a high-ranking member, or at least one of their own.

Taiichi held Naruto's ID and looked at the two of them with great interest. The way he looked at them as if they were rare animals made Naruto feel very uncomfortable.

"Hey, Taichi Matsushita, have you finished looking at this? You suspect us, but I suspect you too. Show me your ID!"

Waking up to be chased by Puppet and now having his identity questioned, even the good-natured Naruto is starting to get impatient.

Upon seeing Taiichi's eyes suddenly ignited with a ghostly blue flame, and he activated his Soul Vision.

Yamato and Naruto were startled by this bizarre scene and took a step back, their faces full of vigilance. They thought Taiichi was about to make a move.

But seeing that Taiichi was just standing there quietly, showing no sign of making a move, he was filled with doubt again.

However, in Taiichi, three Light Sphere appeared on the two people in front of him, two of which were highly overlapping.

The crimson soul orb exuded rage and ominousness; upon closer inspection, one could even see the phantom of the Nine-Tails.

"Oh, interesting, Jinchuriki, and the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki at that!"

Though the words were spoken softly, they sounded like thunder to Yamato and Naruto.

Yamato instantly appeared in front of Naruto, drawing his Kunai and assuming a fully defensive stance.

"Who are you, and how do you know all this?"

Naruto clutched his stomach, staring at Taiichi in astonishment, never expecting that his identity would be recognized so easily.

At this moment, Taiichi completely withdrew his imposing aura, appearing quite relaxed. He tossed the documents back to Naruto and then said with interest, "This is truly interesting. I didn't expect this to actually be true. You don't need to be so serious; I roughly understand what's going on."

Even so, Yamato and Naruto dared not relax their vigilance in the slightest.

The identity of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is far too important to be known by just anyone.

Taiichi stopped teasing the two. If he really angered them and they started fighting here, it would be difficult to handle the situation.

"You suddenly appeared here, didn't you? Were you swept up by some unknown force and brought here directly?"