"Konoha's ninja, welcome to Loulan."
"I've already heard roughly what happened before. I can fully understand your desire to rescue your companions."
"But I'm sorry."
"Rules are rules."
Queen Sally sat calmly upon the throne, leaning back against a cushioned backrest. Facing the four ninja representing Konoha, there wasn't a trace of fear in her eyes.
"Can't we compensate financially?" Jiraiya pressed on. "We're willing to pay appropriate reparations—if only you could release Minato and the others ahead of time—"
Before he could finish, Sally shook her head decisively.
"No."
"This is the regulation. Please wait patiently."
"..."
Her stance was unyielding. Jiraiya could only sigh inwardly.
But then he noticed something strange.
Tsunade hadn't spoken at all.
He turned his head—and froze.
Tsunade looked oddly… shy. Her gaze kept drifting toward Kaito.
Uchiha Mikoto was the same.
Meanwhile, Kaito stood there calmly, meeting Sally's eyes. When he noticed Jiraiya looking at him, he offered a faint smile—then immediately returned to his neutral, bystander-like expression.
Wait—what the hell happened to you people this past week?!
Jiraiya's mind filled with questions, but at this point, with the Queen's position made clear, there was nothing more he could say.
"I understand, Your Majesty."
"Then, do Konoha's envoys have any other matters to discuss?" Sally smiled lightly.
"If not, I must return to my work."
"…No."
The meeting ended.
Afterward, Mikoto handed over a sum of cash to compensate for the damages caused a week earlier. Only then did the four finally leave the central inner city area and step outside.
"Finally free," Kaito stretched lazily.
"Seven days locked up nearly suffocated me."
It was his first real experience with prison life.
Only downside—no meat.
"Hmph." ×2
Blonde Tsunade and black-haired Mikoto both crossed their arms and snorted coldly.
Jiraiya: "..."
"…So," he asked carefully, "what exactly happened to you three this past week? Where were you detained? Same place as Minato?"
Jiraiya had behaved extremely carefully during this time, afraid that one wrong move would land him in prison too—then no one would be left to report back to Konoha.
He'd been staying at an inn in the northern outer city, recommended by Nawaki himself.
"Uh… we stayed… sort of… somewhere similar," Mikoto replied, face burning red, words stumbling.
Tsunade's cheeks flushed. She said nothing.
Kaito clapped his hands.
"Alright then—let's go find something to eat. I'm already sick of prison food!"
With that, he vanished down the street.
Jiraiya stood there, staring at Kaito's retreating back, expression stiff and troubled.
Something definitely happened. Something big.
Konoha — One Week Later
Information delivered by toads finally reached the Hokage Tower.
Hiruzen Sarutobi unrolled the scroll and quickly understood why Minato's team had gone missing.
"So chakra is completely forbidden in Loulan's inner city…"
"Using chakra earns only a fine."
"But ninjutsu—or intrusion—means immediate arrest."
"One month of forced labor."
"And that's assuming no damage was caused."
"…By that count, Minato's already done over half a month of hard labor. Poor kid."
Setting the scroll aside, Hiruzen frowned.
What exactly was Loulan guarding against with such extreme internal security?
Could it be that after the massive battle three months ago, that All-Knowing Minister—the one whose power surpassed the Five Kage—had been gravely injured?
Or was something even more critical hidden within the inner city?
Whatever the truth, further infiltration was nearly impossible.
Even Minato—who had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique—had failed.
Then Hiruzen's eyes landed on another record.
"White Cross… Ninth Seat… Tree."
"…So Nawaki betrayed Konoha."
The betrayal of the Senju clan head struck him completely off guard.
And worse—
"Sage techniques… and Wood Release…"
"He went from being suppressed by Kaito to overwhelming a fully serious Tsunade and Mikoto."
"Does that mean—"
"Nawaki now possesses power beyond the Five Kage?!"
Yet according to intelligence, he ranked only fifth within White Cross.
"If the All-Knowing Minister is first… then who are the other three ahead of him?"
Hiruzen exhaled heavily.
Five individuals beyond Kage-level…
Loulan might dominate the shinobi world for a very long time.
Bang!
The Hokage Office door slammed open.
Danzo strode in.
"Hiruzen. I've heard everything. Loulan arrested Minato, Nawaki defected—is that correct?"
Hiruzen frowned. How did Danzo get this intel so fast?
"You want something?" he asked flatly.
"Of course. We capture a Loulan operative."
"Extract their memories with Yamanaka techniques."
"Find out how Loulan became this strong."
"Enough!" Hiruzen snapped.
"Our people are still in their hands."
"Besides—why do you think our ninja can defeat a Wood Release user?"
"…."
Danzo fell silent.
After all, Konoha's own Wood Release experiments had failed entirely—while that surgeon had succeeded with Nawaki.
"…If you handed Kaito over to me," Danzo muttered, "the project would advance much faster."
Bang!
"Don't even think about it!" Hiruzen roared.
"Kaito carries the Will of Fire. He will become an outstanding jōnin. You have no authority over him!"
"Leave."
Danzo scoffed and turned away.
Aftermath — The Return
After release, Minato's team rested briefly in Loulan's outer city before returning to Konoha with Tsunade, Kaito, and Mikoto.
Soon after, Naruto and Sai were released as well.
"I'm finally out…" Sai muttered tearfully as he stepped beyond the gates.
"Behave yourself," a Loulan guard warned. "Don't come back."
"Hey! Sai! Over here!"
Naruto waved excitedly.
Once reunited, the group prepared to depart.
As they talked, shocking truths came to light.
"The Dragon Vein beneath Loulan provides infinite chakra," Jiraiya said gravely.
"And it allows time travel," Minato added.
"To the past—or the future."
Then, finally, Minato spoke the words he'd held back.
"Naruto… you might be my son."
"…What?"
History was unraveling.
Mikoto's promotion.
The survival of Uzushiogakure.
Nawaki's defection.
Jiraiya's voice grew solemn.
"Then the variable that changed the future…"
"…is probably Kaito."
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