Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

Chapter 917 The Prison Silver Successfully Infiltrated

"Old An, as long as Mother lives, I am still a princess. Do you think the dragon vein will truly answer my call?"

After regaining her freedom, Sarah was taken by An Lushan to a pre-arranged dragon vein summoning ritual inside the tower. Looking at the tightly closed dragon vein eye, she rubbed her fingers together, her face full of uncertainty.

"You have the most noble blood of Loulan flowing through your veins, and this old minister believes that you will surely succeed."

Seeing his years-long plan succeed, An Lushan was overjoyed, but his expression remained serious.

"Ok."

Recalling the dragon vein summoning incantation her mother had taught her, Sarah clasped her hands together, knelt before the dragon vein, and murmured something.

"I command you in the name of the future queen!"

"You, connect with the torrent of the dragon veins, unleash your power!"

Feeling the warm energy surging from the spell beneath her feet, Sarah slowly closed her eyes and guided the energy outwards.

"The power of the dragon vein, heed my command! So be it!"

"boom!"

"Ok?"

The Queen, who was confronting the "Bandai" puppet below, looked up as if sensing something, and her expression suddenly changed when she saw the purple energy rising steadily on the high platform not far away.

"Oh no! The dragon vein has been activated."

"Centipede, you still won't give up!"

Naruto glared at the two Chiyos standing opposite each other, unable to distinguish which one was the real Chiyo for a moment. He could only shake his neck and curse coldly.

"You have no control over the power of the dragon vein."

“Idiot brat, if I really wanted the power of the dragon vein, I only needed to think about it.”

Chiyo glanced at the boisterous Naruto, then slowly turned her gaze to the puppet in front of her that looked exactly like herself, her eyes filled with displeasure.

How dare An Lushan create a life-size puppet of her without her permission? He's getting bolder and bolder.

"Crack!"

Just then, a faint purple light flashed across the body of the "Bandai" puppet, which had been silent for a long time after landing, and its fair hands slowly rose, pointing directly at the crowd.

"Be careful, the two of them combined are not easy to deal with."

Thinking Chiyo was about to attack, Naruto immediately shouted a warning to the others. However, before he could finish speaking, he was surprised to see that the puppet Chiyo opposite him was actually throwing several sharp projectiles towards its master.

"Bang—Bang—!"

A piercing metallic clang rang out, and Chiyo raised her hand to deflect all the hidden weapons. Queen Sana, who had escaped death, stared grimly at the "Bandai" puppet that had tried to kill her. Clenching her fists, she retreated behind the guards.

"Bandai, it's up to you now."

"Yes, my queen."

Chiyo nodded to Sana, her fingers slightly curling, and the last scroll on her person made a grand entrance.

"Bang~"

"what?"

As the smoke from the spiritual connection dissipated, everyone present stared at the three identical Chiyo figures in the arena and fell into a deep silence.

Why are there so many Chiyo?

"Let me test your craftsmanship."

With a flick of her finger, Chiyo Hideko's puppet figure vanished from its spot.

When it reappeared, it was already behind the "Bandai" puppet on the other side, with several poisoned blades protruding from its long joints, gleaming with a chilling light in the sunlight.

"Humph~"

An Lushan, who was absorbing the power of the dragon vein inside the tower, snorted disdainfully, and his ten fingers, hidden behind his back, began to move rapidly.

Under his skillful manipulation, the "Bandai" puppet deftly dodged the attacks and engaged Chiyo's puppet in battle.

His puppetry skills are among the best in Sunagakure. Before his defection, he was recognized by the village as the second best puppeteer after Elder Chiyo. How could this Bandai, whose name he had never even heard of, possibly be his match?

And so, the three Chiyos were locked in combat, and the whole scene suddenly became quite bizarre.

Report!

I saw Chiyo being manipulated and beaten by Chiyo!

"What's going on? Aren't they all in cahoots?"

Naruto stared at the two identical puppets in the midst of the chaotic battle, his small eyes filled with immense confusion.

Could it be that the puppet has awakened its own consciousness and begun to rebel against its master?

"You Konoha ninjas are truly despicable. You have already accepted my commission, yet you still serve that traitor."

Taking advantage of the moment when everyone was distracted by the battle, Queen Sana led her guards in a menacing manner to demand an explanation, leaving the Konoha ninjas of this timeline, led by Minato, completely bewildered.

"Your commission?"

Sana nodded with a displeased expression and recounted the details of her request.

"That's right. We also specifically emphasized that the enemy is an experienced puppeteer, and the team members who carry out the mission must have the corresponding counter-ability, plus an additional ninja who is proficient in sealing techniques."

The ability to counter a puppeteer?

Choza Akimichi, skilled in physical combat, and Shii Aburame, an expert in insect manipulation, exchanged a glance, then looked at Minato with a puzzled expression.

A ninja skilled in sealing techniques?

For the first time, a rare look of embarrassment appeared on Minato's usually confident face.

This configuration seems to be referring to them.

"What, are you too ashamed to speak, you guys who are hired by An Lushan?"

The thought of her daughter being held hostage by An Lushan made Sana's face grow increasingly grim.

Is this the reputation of a top-tier ninja village in the ninja world?

Why haven't the Konoha ninjas she hired arrived yet?

"Your Majesty, as far as I know, the village should not have sent any more ninjas."

Embarrassed, Minato scratched his head and cautiously began to speak.

"Who said there isn't?" *2

"Uh?"

Upon hearing the simultaneous rebuttals from the two voices, one large and one small, everyone present turned their gaze to Kakashi and Yamato, who had spoken.

"Kakashi, what nonsense are you talking about?"

Minato frowned. He had specifically confirmed with the Third Hokage before coming that their team was the only one on this mission.

"I'm not lying, Obito's cousin is here too!"

Obito's cousin?

Upon hearing this, a huge question mark simultaneously appeared above everyone's heads.

"The Obito you're talking about, is he your classmate from the Ninja Academy? The one from the Uchiha clan?"

Although they hadn't met many times, Minato had some impression of Obito's carefree personality and had even commented that Obito was an Uchiha who didn't seem like an Uchiha.

"Yes, Obito's cousin is very close to my father. Don't you know him, teacher?"

Kakashi looked at Minato, who was frowning in thought, his eyes almost overflowing with doubt.

"That can't be right, you don't recognize Senior Yin?"

Yamato, who was standing nearby, also came over at the opportune moment, looking at the future Fourth Hokage with a surprised expression.

During his brief period as a prisoner, Uchiha Gin, a master of deception, successfully established himself in Yamato's mind as a noble and virtuous senior Uchiha.

Not only did he not suspect that Uchiha Gin was also a time traveler, but he regarded him as an unsung hero who was carrying the burden for the village in this era, and the admiration on his face seemed genuine.

Silver Senior?

Minato racked his brains searching for any named and powerful members of the Uchiha clan, but couldn't find a single person who matched his description.

But Yamato from the future would never lie or deceive herself; this Gin-senpai must be a historical figure.

Do you know this person?

Completely taken aback, he turned to look at his two teammates and saw the same bewildered expression on their faces as he did.

Choza Akimichi scratched his head and said sheepishly,

"Minato, you also know about our relationship with the Uchiha clan."

Aside from the timeline where Uchiha Gin resides, Konoha in other timelines is implementing an isolation plan against the Uchiha under the leadership of the evil white-haired man, and the members of the Shinobi Alliance would never willingly befriend the Uchiha.

What are you talking about?

Just as Minato and the others were deep in thought, Chiyo, who was controlling the puppet and fighting against the "Bandai" puppet, twitched her ears, turned her head, and her usually cold and aloof face showed a hint of excitement and anticipation. "Obito's cousin is naturally Uchiha Gin."

Although Uchiha Gin, who had successfully infiltrated the group, didn't formally introduce himself, the clever Kakashi had already guessed his real name and nodded his little head seriously.

Is this what Kakashi looked like when he was a child?

Naruto, standing to the side, curiously observed the precocious Kakashi, his shifty eyes darting back and forth over Kakashi's rear end, as if selecting the perfect angle for penetration.

"You're still a genin, aren't you? You need to show at least some respect to your seniors, you know?"

Noticing the malicious gaze from Naruto, and confirming that he was wearing a genin headband, Kakashi's face hardened, but instead of looking dignified, he looked rather comical.

At this moment, Chiyo was still in shock from Uchiha Gin's intrusion. Her movements were disrupted by her chaotic state of mind, and An Lushan, lurking in the shadows, seized the opportunity to launch a fierce counterattack.

Glancing at the damaged puppet, Chiyo's expression brightened, and she regained her composure. While operating the puppet, she asked Kakashi for confirmation.

"Is he a dead fish-eyed, curly-haired guy?"

"Huh? How did you know?"

Seeing Chiyo's expression change several times before finally revealing a strange sense of emotion, Kakashi and Yamato, who had previously interacted with Uchiha Gin, exchanged a glance, their faces full of vigilance.

"Bandai, that Gin guy, could he be one of the Konoha ninjas we recruited?"

Queen Sana seemed to have guessed something, and covered her full, rosy lips in surprise.

Recalling Uchiha Gin's monstrous strength and the miraculous sealing technique that allowed him to easily control the power of tailed beasts, Chiyo nodded with a complex expression.

"In a way, he does meet all the conditions we need."

"Damn it, how dare they look down on me!"

Meanwhile, Chiyo and the others' casual conversation completely enraged An Lushan, who was seriously engaging in a puppet competition with her. Seeing Sara's delighted expression after unleashing the power of the Dragon Vein not far away, he completely dropped his pretense.

"Old An, what's gotten into you all of a sudden? Hurry up and praise this princess!"

Sarah, who had spent considerable effort to unseal the dragon vein, looked at An Lushan, whose face had suddenly contorted in confusion, with a hint of displeasure in her voice.

"Hmph~ My princess, you're really amazing!"

Upon hearing this, An Lushan, his face grim, turned his head, his eyes filled with a sinister glint that Sarah had never seen before.

"You...you."

Sarah only then belatedly realized that the surging dragon vein power beneath her feet was actually flowing towards An Lushan.

"You only realized it now? It's too late, my princess."

Seeing Sarah's horrified expression, An Lushan's lips curled into a twisted smile. He couldn't wait to see the foolish princess's face filled with remorse.

"Old An, about the tonic, we can just lock that old hag up and punish her by not letting her eat red bean pudding for a week. You don't need to push yourself so hard!"

"Uh?"

An Lushan's expression froze upon hearing this, and his smug smile vanished from his lips.

What do you mean by that?

"Let's stop now before you've eaten too much, it's not too late."

Sarah nodded solemnly to An Lushan. In her eyes, An Lushan's forced absorption of the dragon vein's power was all to deal with that hateful old hag below.

Such loyalty is truly as clear as the sun and moon!

Staring blankly at Sarah, whose eyes were full of concern, for a long time, An Lushan's twisted expression gradually subsided, replaced by a strange look.

"Nonsense."

Slowly lowering his large hand that was trying to continue holding Sarah hostage, An Lushan uttered a single sentence before turning and jumping off the tower.

"Old An, don't be impulsive!"

Sara, clinging to the edge of the tower, shouted anxiously at An Lushan as he fell, but her voice was quickly swallowed by the desert wind.

"Someone else is coming down!"

Someone shouted, and the crowd, who were discussing the mysterious intruder Uchiha Gin, immediately looked up and quickly located An Lushan's whereabouts.

"It's that kind, chubby uncle!"

Naruto, who had met An Lushan once before, screamed and was about to fly to his rescue, but just as he was about to take off, he was kicked to the ground by Chiyo, who had a displeased look on her face.

"You really are a centipede."

"You idiot brat, look carefully before you speak."

Chiyo glared at the furious Naruto, then looked at An Lushan, whose entire body was enveloped in Dragon Vein chakra, her delicate brows furrowing tightly.

This guy still got his way.

I hope little Sara is alright.

"boom!"

"Heh heh heh~"

After landing in a very stylish manner, An Lushan let out the laugh befitting a powerful villain, causing Naruto, who was about to step forward, to frown.

Why does that laugh sound so familiar?

"An Lushan, where is my Sarah? If she loses even a single hair today, I'll strip you naked and parade you around in a carriage for three days!"

Looking at An Lushan, who was all alone, Queen Sana gritted her teeth and questioned him.

"That useless, stupid princess isn't even worth my time."

An Lushan curled his lip in disdain, raised one hand, and the "Bandai" puppet that was confronting the Chiyo puppet immediately obediently landed beside him.

"Uncle, you..."

Seeing this, even with Naruto's brain being almost the size of a walnut, he figured out who the mastermind was.

"Kids from Konoha, it's been a long time."

Having finally shed his disguise, An Lushan, believing he had the power of the Dragon Vein to be invincible, grinned and gestured with his chin towards Naruto.

"You're the centipede?"

"Centipede? I've long since abandoned that lowly name. I am now An Lushan, the future leader of this country—no, the entire ninja world!"

An Lushan, his face full of arrogance, shook his head, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the crowd not far away. He then straightened his posture slightly.

"Submit, or die."

"You're too naive to think you can be invincible just because you've obtained the power of the dragon vein."

Chiyo looked at the swaggering An Lushan with a strange expression. With just a Dragon Vein Card, you probably wouldn't even qualify for the Tailed Beast Rider War, let alone compete in the ninja world.

An Lushan considered himself a person from the future, possessing information unknown to these old fogies, and therefore never took them seriously from the beginning.

"You have no idea what power I have now."

Suddenly raising his hands, An Lushan, his eyes filled with madness, channeled the purple energy surging from his body into the ground under the guidance of his incantation.

"Boom!"

With a violent earthquake, countless ancient puppets emerged from the cracked ground, filling the entire sky in the blink of an eye.

"No, that's not how it is. How could An Lushan be?"

Sarah, who witnessed An Lushan's entire self-disclosure from the tower, collapsed to the ground. Even now, she still believes that her only loyal follower was actually the evil boss who enslaved refugees and attempted to overthrow Loulan.

pain!

It hurts so much!

Just as the light in Sarah's eyes was about to be filled with despair, a figure who had been watching the show for a long time quietly landed.

"despair--"

Before she could even see who it was, she felt a hard, rod-like object being forcibly shoved into her cherry-like mouth. Sarah, her eyes rolling back, nearly choked and passed out.

"Mmm mmm mmm"

"Hey, have one! I totally understand that feeling of being betrayed~" (End of Chapter)