The Final Act

Queen Seraam led the group toward the entrance to a hidden passage deep within the palace.

The heavy stone door slowly opened with the sound of mechanisms turning, revealing a deep staircase leading downwards.

"This is the secret passage leading to the core of the Dragon Vein." The queen's voice was weary, but even more so resolute. "Anrokuzan — Mukade, he must be down there."

Taiichi nodded, signaling Kakashi and Rin to guard the Queen on either side, while he, Yamato, and Naruto formed a triangle formation to clear the way ahead.

Naruto was eager to try, his blue eyes burning with fighting spirit. "Finally, I'm going to find that bastard Mukade! This time, I'm going to beat him to a pulp!"

Yamato patted him on the shoulder, signaling him to stay calm.

However, this peace did not last long.

Just as the group descended to a relatively spacious underground hall, a strange change occurred.

"Crack! Crack! Creak!"

A sickening metallic scraping sound suddenly shattered the silence underground.

The palace guard Puppet, which had stood like sculptures on both sides of the passageway and at the four corners of the hall, suddenly had a crimson light shining from their eye sockets!

The weapons in their hands were directly aimed at Taiichi and the others.

"Enemy attack! Protect Prince An!"

Kakashi's sharp shout rang out almost simultaneously with the sound of the Puppet activating. He instantly drew his Short Sword, stood in front of the Queen, and watched the Puppet's every subtle movement.

Taiichi's eyes sharpened slightly. "He really made a move!" He had long anticipated that Anrokuzan would not sit idly by and wait for his death.

The next moment, dozens of Puppet seemed to be pulled by invisible threads, rushing towards the crowd from all directions with lightning speed! Their spears gleamed with a cold light, and all the weapon ports on their bodies were opened, clearly driven at full power to tear the intruders apart!

Wood Style · Wood Locking Wall.

Yamato reacted extremely quickly, slamming his hands into the ground in a hand Hand Seals. Thick wooden vines burst forth from the earth, instantly weaving together to form a massive semi-circular wooden shield, firmly protecting the Queen and Rin in the center.

Bang bang bang!

The Puppet's spear and charge slammed heavily against the wooden shield, producing a dull thud and sending splinters flying.

"Damn it! These guys are even stronger than the ones above."

Naruto roared, creating more than a dozen clones. His main body and clones simultaneously formed azure Rasengan and charged towards the horde of Puppet surging from the side.

Multiple Rasengan Barrage.

With a deafening roar, several Puppet were struck in the core by the Rasengan, instantly exploding into countless fragments and twisted metal parts.

Kakashi, like a silver lightning bolt, weaved through the group of Puppet.

His Short Sword flashed, each parry and thrust precisely hitting the Puppet's joints or the connection point of its energy core.

"Sizzle!"

A flash of lightning, Chidori's cry! Kakashi's arm, crackling with blinding lightning, pierced the core of a heavy Puppet's chest like a hot knife through butter, utterly paralyzing it.

Lin stayed close to the Queen, Kunai her sword to deflect incoming arrows, and whispered to the pale-faced Queen, "Your Majesty, please trust us!"

Queen Seraam witnessed the fierce battle before her, watching as those she once thought were loyal and reliable "guards" now attacked her protectors with madness, shattering her last shred of hope.

Her nails dug deeply into her palms, her voice trembling with extreme rage, "Anrokuzan — Mukade! You demon! You usurper! It really was you! You betrayed Rōran, you betrayed everyone who trusted you!"

Taiichi did not join the battle immediately. His figure moved at high speed along the edge of the chaotic battlefield, his senses fully activated, like an invisible radar scanning the entire battlefield.

He not only saw the Chakra Threads connecting the Puppet, but also grasped the overall situation of the battlefield.

He hadn't forgotten that this mission also served the purpose of training Kakashi and Rin.

At this moment, his Kunai flashed, precisely severing several Chakra Threads attempting to bypass Yamato's defenses and ambush the Queen. Simultaneously, he calmly commanded, "Kakashi, three o'clock, three high-speed types! Naruto, coordinate with Yamato to clear the left flank! Rin, protect them! They're trying to divide you."

"Understood!" Kakashi responded and moved, and the cry of Chidori rang out again.

"Leave it to me!"

Wood Style: Tree Binding Eternal Burial

Yamato Hand Seals again, and several thick vines emerged from the ground like giant pythons, instantly entangling the Puppet attempting to flank him from the left.

"Oh my god! Watch this!"

Naruto's main body and clones immediately changed direction, and the Rasengan's light shone once more.

The battle was intense but brief. Although these guarding Puppet were numerous and fearless, they were quickly dismantled into pieces under the Teuchi.

"Is everyone alright?" Taiichi quickly scanned the crowd.

Kakashi was slightly out of breath; the repeated use of Chidori had depleted his Chakra, and his breathing beneath the mask was somewhat rapid.

Naruto wiped the sweat from his face, but was full of energy. "Absolutely no problem! This is a piece of cake!"

Yamato withdrew his Wood Style, and Rin and the Queen were unharmed.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?" Lin asked with concern.

Seraam took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. The fear in his eyes had been replaced by a burning rage. "I'm alright. Thank you. Now, more than ever, I know I must stop him! The Dragon Vein must not fall into the hands of this madman! We must move on!"

Without further delay, the group, guided by the Queen, sped down the secret passage.

They encountered several more waves of Puppet along the way, but they posed little threat to the well-prepared group and were quickly eliminated.

Finally, they passed through the last narrow passageway, and a bright and open space appeared before them!

An unimaginably vast underground space unfolded before them. At the center of the space stood a tall altar, with a stone statue standing at each of the four corners.

They collectively guarded a half-open, eye-shaped protrusion in the center of the altar.

Inside, a vast yet tranquil energy flows silently—this is the Dragon Vein! The ultimate convergence of the earth's power and Natural Energy!

At the edge of the altar, on a complex control console constructed of countless metal pipes and platforms, stood a figure.

It was Anrokuzan, or rather, the Rogue Ninja Sunagakure ninja, Mukade!

At this moment, the feigned humility and kindness on his face had completely vanished, replaced by undisguised greed and smugness.

He spread his arms wide, as if embracing the vast Dragon Vein energy, and laughed wildly, "Hahahaha! Seraam! And the insects of Konoha! You've finally come! Too bad, it's too late!"

His gaze swept over the Queen and the others, finally settling on Naruto and Yamato, a flicker of surprise crossing his face, but quickly masked by a deeper madness.

"Oh? Another unexpected surprise? The little mouse from the future timeline has also come? Perfect! Saves me the trouble of searching for you! Today, you will all witness how I, Lord Anrokuzan, wield this power of creation!"

"Mukade! Cease your madness immediately! Releasing the power of the Dragon Vein will only bring destruction!"

Yamato shouted sharply, his hands already prepared to form Hand Seals.

"Destruction? No! It's rebirth!" Anrokuzan roared fanatically.

"Behold this power! How vast! With it, I can create an endless army of Puppet that can sweep across the Ninja World —the Five Great Nations, the Kage Level shinobi, will all tremble beneath my feet! Rōran? This is merely my beginning! The entire world will prostrate itself before my will!"

"Wishful thinking!" Naruto roared, pointing at Anrokuzan, "You bastard! You killed so many people for your own ambition! Today I'm going to beat you to a pulp!"

"You lot?" Anrokuzan grinned maliciously. "Before the Dragon Vein, your power is as insignificant as ants!"

I'll show you what true power is!

He slammed down a huge button on the console!

Buzz!

The entire underground space trembled violently, and the power of the Dragon Vein became unusually active.

From within the Dragon Vein, tangible Chakra was drawn out, twisting, extending, and reorganizing in the air like a giant python!

Finally, they frantically coiled around Anrokuzan's body, as if recharging him.

"Aaaaaah----"

Amidst Anrokuzan's agonizing roars or excited bellows, his body rapidly expanded as if inflated! Metal components covered his limbs and bones, Chakra channels became his new blood vessels and energy source.

In just a few seconds, a gigantic monster Puppet, tens of meters tall and composed of countless metal pipes, armor plates, spinning blades, and menacing cannon muzzles, appeared before everyone!

At its core, one can still vaguely see Anrokuzan's twisted and crazed face!

Feel the despair, you ants!

The giant Puppet Anrokuzan let out a deafening roar, raised its huge metal arm high, and fired Senbon down at the crowd below.

"Scatter!" Taiichi's pupils constricted sharply as he shouted sternly!

The battle instantly intensified!

Kakashi's Chidori Cry transformed into a bolt of lightning that tore through space, piercing straight at the Puppet's weakest point in its joints!

Naruto's Rasengan roared and slammed into the Puppet's other supporting leg.

The enormous Puppet's legs broke off, its upper body lost its balance, and it fell heavily to the ground.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Yamato Hand Seals, Yamato the Tree Binding Death summoned several thick branches that tightly bound and squeezed the Puppet.

Lin stood at a safe distance, protecting the Queen, and nervously observed the battle, ready to provide support and treatment at any time.

Queen Seraam gripped Lynn's arm tightly, her eyes filled with grief, indignation, and resolute determination as she gazed at the terrifying monster that her once trusted minister had become.

Seeing that Anrokuzan's legs had been dislocated as soon as he appeared, and that he was now entangled and unable to move, it seemed that victory was in sight.

Before everyone could breathe a sigh of relief, the giant Puppet, disregarding its own injuries, forcibly tore its own body off and broke free from the Tree Binding Death spell.

Parts were scattered everywhere, and severed limbs flew about.

However, all of this was reversed by a strange force, as if time had turned back, and the damaged parts flew back to the body, where they were pieced together again by the power of the Dragon Vein.

Not only that, its already enormous body grew even larger, becoming twice as tall as before.

Its original two feet became six, and its two arms became four, with sharp blades inlaid at the tip of each arm.

The battle has begun again.

The giant Puppet's strength and defense have been further enhanced. The Chidori and Rasengan, which could previously inflict heavy damage on it, can now only leave slight marks, and these wounds can be quickly healed.

"Taiichi, this can't go on! Its energy is practically limitless!"

Kakashi used Chidori to slice open another metal arm, but the severed limb quickly reattached, and he gasped for breath.

"You hold this monster back, and I, as the Queen of Roran, can sever the power of the Dragon Vein."

Seraam then displayed her queenly aura, shouting to Kakashi and the others on the battlefield.

The Queen's action clearly provoked Anrokuzan, who ignored Kakashi and the others and charged straight at Seraam.

Kakashi and the others were not about to let him have his way.

Wood Style: Tree Binding Eternal Burial

Lightning Style: Lightning Blade.

Big Ball Rasengan.

Three deadly moves, some entangled, some attacking, firmly bound Anrokuzan to the spot. Although they couldn't kill him, they made it impossible for him to move an inch.

Just as Seraam was about to step onto the altar, Anrokuzan let out a deafening roar.

"Seraam, look!"

Its chest armor suddenly split open to the sides, revealing a core compartment that had been protected by multiple layers!

Inside that cramped cabin, a young girl dressed in the royal attire of Rōran, unconscious and bound, was being held captive.

"Sara!" Queen Seraam screamed in anguish.

"Hahahaha!" Anrokuzan's maniacal voice echoed throughout the space.

"See that, Seraam? Your precious daughter is right here! Take one more step and I'll kill this noble princess."

As she spoke, a sharp blade reached out towards Sara, pressing its edge firmly against her fair neck, a trickle of blood slowly flowing down the blade.

We must be careful not to harm the innocent!

The immense threat brought Kakashi, Naruto, Yamato's attacks to an instant halt. Rin's heart leaped into her throat. The Queen nearly fainted.

"Sara —my daughter—no—" the Queen whispered desperately.

The atmosphere in the entire underground space froze. Only the cracking sounds of the Puppet struggling to break free from their restraints remained.

Anrokuzan's twisted smile looked exceptionally ferocious on the Puppet, but he didn't care at all, as if he had already taken control of the whole situation.

At this critical moment, everyone's eyes turned to Sara, who was being held hostage.

A figure appeared inside the giant Puppet without warning.

It's Taiichi!

In the previous battle, many parts of the Puppet were scattered in all directions. He then secretly Flying Thunder God Mark on many of these parts, and now his mark has spread throughout the Puppet's interior.

"What!"

The sinister smile on Anrokuzan's face instantly transformed into utter horror and disbelief! He had no time to react at all!

Taiichi's speed is at its absolute limit!

He condensed Chakra in one hand, transforming it into a giant Chakra Blade, and directly severed the blade that was held across Sara's neck.

With his other hand, he tore off the chains binding him and picked up the unconscious princess.

Heavenly Foot of Pain begin.

With a crack, the giant Puppet's chest shattered into pieces, and Taiichi used the recoil to carry the princess away from the Puppet.

"Rescue successful! Now!"

Taiichi's voice clearly reached the ears of his companions below. His figure, carrying Sara, vanished in mid-air in a flash, and the next moment he appeared beside Lin and the Queen.

"Rin!" Taiichi handed Sara to Rin, "Check her out!"

"Understood!" Lin immediately began first aid.

"A perfect opportunity!" Kakashi's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and his long-suppressed killing intent and Lightning Style Chakra erupted without reservation!

Lightning Blade.

He transformed into a blazing white lightning spear that pierced through the heavens and earth, his target aimed directly at the large hole that Taiichi had trampled out.

Not to be outdone, Naruto conjured an unprecedentedly massive Rasengan with both hands, and with a will to destroy everything, he followed closely behind Kakashi and slammed it down on the Puppet's head!

Yamato exerted his power once again, with numerous trees extending to severely restrict the Puppet's movements, creating the perfect opportunity for Kakashi and Naruto to deliver their fatal blow!