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After repeatedly confirming that Hiruzen wasn't joking, Akio finally accepted the idea of the "Dragon Vein." However, he remained skeptical about the claim of it possessing "infinite chakra."

"What was the plot of this movie again?" Akio pondered. In his past life, he'd never paid much attention to the Naruto movies, dismissing them as cash grabs that strayed from the original storyline.

"Wait, if it's a movie, then Naruto must be involved!" His eyes widened as a flicker of memory returned.

"That's right! It was the one where Naruto crossed space-time and had a transcendent… father-son bond with Minato!" A grin slowly spread across his face. After years of anticipation, the thought of finally seeing Naruto filled him with a giddy excitement that caught even him off guard.

"Akio-sama? Akio-sama?" Hiruzen's voice snapped him back to reality.

"Hm? Oh, nothing's wrong. Is there an issue with the Dragon Vein?" Hiruzen asked with concern written across his face.

"No problem," Akio replied with a smile and a shake of his head. "I'm just very curious about it. Where is it located?"

Hiruzen hesitated. "According to legend, only the Queens of Rōran, passed down from generation to generation, can harness the Dragon Vein's power. I'm afraid you may not be an exception."

If that weren't the case, Hiruzen would have already sent a larger team to investigate.

"It's fine. I don't intend to use it. I'm just intrigued by the so-called 'infinite chakra.'"

Eventually, Hiruzen handed over the precise location of Rōran.

"Still within the Land of Wind? And they're allowed to remain independent?" Akio muttered, surprised. Without pressing Hiruzen for more details, he simply waved a hand and shot out of the Hokage Tower, heading straight for Rōran.

Back in the tower, Hiruzen gave a weary smile.

"Should I recall Minato's team? They'll probably arrive two or three days later than Akio-sama and may end up making the trip for nothing…"

He ultimately decided to play it safe and instructed Minato's squad as a backup plan.

Soaring through the sky, Akio flew at top speed.

As he neared Rōran, a twinge of unease began to stir within him.

"I've changed the course of the Naruto world so much… what if another ninja took on the Rōran mission instead?"

"Whatever. Sooner or later, I'll have to face the consequences. This is a good opportunity to see how the future storyline has shifted."

What would normally take a ninja three days, Akio covered in a single hour. When he arrived, the sight before him made him freeze in place.

A massive city surrounded by countless soaring towers pierced the heavens. Architecturally, it even surpassed the Land of Whirlpools.

"Built by puppets?" he muttered. Then, realizing something, his expression shifted—puppets were already swarming toward him from all directions.

Akio frowned and vanished with a Body Flicker. He didn't want to make a scene yet and decided to quietly investigate first.

Standing atop the highest tower in Rōran, Akio surveyed his surroundings. A few civilians had already noticed his presence. Although he wanted to keep a low profile, his body had other ideas—he preferred the simplest solution.

"Kagura Mind's Eye!" As the first step, he needed to locate the Dragon Vein.

"I thought the Dragon Vein was spread beneath the entire country, but it's just a single point? And they dare call that a vein?" Akio let out an amused snort and rushed toward the location.

He didn't bother hiding himself. Puppets emerged from all sides to intercept him, but none could keep up with his speed.

Finally, he arrived at a sealed cylindrical chamber and laid eyes on the so-called Dragon Vein.

Inside was an altar resembling an eye, with the Dragon Vein at its center. Complex sealing formulas surrounded it, regulating the flow of chakra and ensuring stability.

Akio's expression turned serious.

"These seals… they're about as advanced as mine. Who could've set this up?"

Then he glanced at the surrounding walls.

"What the hell are these seals supposed to be?" he muttered, shaking his head with a chuckle. The altar was sealed with expert-level techniques, while the wall seals were sloppy mid-tier designs, completely mismatched.

"Must've been set up by two different people. One probably sealed the Dragon Vein long ago… and the other, likely this 'Anrokuzan' guy, tried to hijack its power."

Just as he was about to approach the altar to examine the chakra, the door suddenly creaked open.

"Who are you?!" a girl's voice shrieked.

Akio winced.

"Just passing by. Thought I'd take a look—no need to be alarmed." He turned around with a smile, then paused.

"Red hair? Deep crimson?" He hesitated, then quickly added, "I'm not your father. Seriously."

He suddenly recalled the awkward incident when Chiyo brought Scorpion's father to meet him, mistaking him as kin.

The girl had instinctively turned to flee, but Akio's bizarre declaration made her pause. Coincidentally, she too had never met her father.

After a brief hesitation, she tentatively asked,

"Father…?"

Akio's face darkened.

"No. I. Am. Not."

At this point, Akio—who had been growing a year younger each year—was now down to 37. He was just the right age to be her father, unfortunately.

Before the girl could say anything more, someone else burst into the room.

"Princess Sāra, be careful! That man is an intruder. I suspect he's involved in the late queen's death!"

The newcomer was a middle-aged man with a round face and shifty eyes—his sinister aura practically screamed villain.

Akio agreed with that assessment and said flatly,

"Come over here. Let's stand side by side. Let her decide who looks more suspicious."

Sāra glanced between the two, her expression uncertain, which made Akio chuckle inwardly.

"Princess Sāra, don't be fooled by the enemy!" the man shouted. Just then, countless puppets swarmed in, only to collapse the moment they entered the chamber.

"This room's seals are designed to transmit the Dragon Vein's power outward. You can't use it inside." Akio offered the explanation helpfully.

"Princess, come with me!" The man hastily dragged the girl out. Inside the room, he was clearly hesitant to act recklessly.

Akio looked at the puppets crowding the door and smirked. In his sensory field, the man had chakra—and had even connected himself to the Dragon Vein's power via the surrounding seals.

"So that must be Anrokuzan. Guy looks like a classic villain, yet somehow became a minister of Rōran. Fine, you all stay outside—I'm going to examine this Dragon Vein properly."

Then, a voice from outside called out:

"Minister Anrokuzan, please let me in! The man inside… he might be my father!"

Akio let out a sigh.

"Heaven help me. I swear, I'm not…"

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