Chapter 69: The Weasel, Anrokuzan
The sudden, deadly ambush left Sarah gasping for breath, her fair cheeks flushed from the adrenaline and near-death scare.
Liumu crushed the puppet that had lunged for her and moved to her side. Before he could speak, a new puppet, dressed identically to Sarah, appeared by the window of a pavilion overlooking the main hall.
"See that?" Liumu sneered, glancing back at Sarah. "Now he's even planning to turn you, the queen, into one of his puppets."
From behind the throne's ornate screen, several thin, emerald-green threads of chakra shot out, reconnecting the puppets Liumu had just shattered. Energized by the purple energy surging through the overhead pipes, the broken puppets twitched and began to rise again.
"So… a Konoha shinobi," a voice remarked with feigned surprise. A man in a military-style uniform stepped out slowly, his sharp eyes sweeping over Sarah and Liumu. "You are Anrokuzan? No, wait… you should be called Mukade," Liumu said, taking a step forward to shield Sarah.
"Mukade…" The man's expression flickered, as if dredging up an old memory. "That name… hasn't been spoken in a long time." Anrokuzan chuckled, then his face twisted into a snarl. "But my name is Anrokuzan now! Loulan's… An! Ro! Ku! Zan!"
With a flick of his wrist, the puppets that had quietly encircled Liumu and Sarah lunged, their blades aimed at the two young hearts.
"You think you can be arrogant with just these pieces of junk?" Liumu's voice was cold. He stomped his right foot down. The blue stone tiles shattered, sending a spray of sharp gravel into the air. Liumu's eyes flashed like lightning as he kicked out, sending every single stone flying.
BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!
A rapid-fire barrage. Anrokuzan's puppets were reduced to nothing but sawdust and splinters, scattered across the floor.
"A fine trick!" Anrokuzan raised an eyebrow, a mocking sneer on his lips. "But human strength has its limits. There will come a moment… when your fist can no longer swing."
As he spoke, a stream of brilliant green light, emanating from the statue behind the throne, flowed along the energy pipes and seeped into the sawdust. Before Liumu's eyes, the splinters reassembled themselves, the puppets reforming as if they'd never been touched.
"That's the power of the Dragon Vein," Sarah whispered urgently from behind Liumu. "Besides the Queen, Anrokuzan can also draw on the Dragon Vein's energy."
What exactly is the Dragon Vein? Liumu wasn't sure. He only remembered someone saying it contained nearly limitless chakra. But how could chakra restore physical matter? And why could Anrokuzan, a mere subject, wield the Dragon Vein's power as freely as the Queen herself? Only Anrokuzan likely held those answers.
The puppets couldn't be permanently destroyed. So, Liumu fixed his gaze on the man himself.
"Listen," he said quietly to Sarah. "It takes time for the puppets to reform. I'll smash them again in a moment. Find an opening and escape. Leave the rest to me."
Sarah nodded firmly.
But just as Liumu was about to launch his attack, several figures in black masks dropped from the ceiling.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
"Partial Expansion Jutsu!"
"Insect Jutsu: Insect Cloud!"
…
"You guys are just arriving now?" Liumu watched, a bit exasperated, as the newcomers unleashed their techniques.
A torrential downpour of shuriken clones hammered into Anrokuzan's position, churning up a massive dust cloud. A ninja from the Akimichi clan swatted aside four puppets near Liumu with one giant hand. As for the swarming insects…
"Ugh, my eyes! I'm getting trypophobia just looking at this!" Liumu covered his eyes, turning to the yellow-haired figure beside him. "What's the deal, Minato? Why are you only showing up now?"
Minato pulled off his mask, landing beside Liumu. "It was my first time using that Reverse Summoning variation. I misjudged the chakra amount. The spatial coordinates were… off."
"Luckily you had the kunai I gave you. That's how we tracked you here so fast."
Liumu: "…"
"Lucky the deviation wasn't worse. What if you'd ended up a few thousand meters in the air…?" He shot Minato an annoyed look and left the thought unfinished.
"Get the Queen to safety," Minato instructed, replacing his mask. "We'll handle this." His gaze was fixed on a massive silhouette emerging from the settling dust.
"Sarah… you must DIE!" The shriek, like a death god's wail, echoed through the hall. A colossal head appeared, followed by a puppet giant tens of meters tall, breaking through the debris to stand upright, its hollow eyes locked on Sarah behind Liumu.
"Rasengan!"
Minato's voice was calm. A fist-sized, swirling sphere of chakra bloomed in his palm. In a yellow flash, he shot toward Anrokuzan's chest.
But to everyone's shock, the puppet's torso split open like a vortex, instantly swallowing Minato's Rasengan whole.
"Seriously?! Ninjutsu absorption is that common now? Is this guy a raid boss or something?!" Liumu had forgotten most of the movie's details. Seeing Anrokuzan absorb the Rasengan's chakra left him both surprised and irritated.
"I've got this!" Seeing ninjutsu was ineffective, Chōza Akimichi pulled a green pill from his pouch and tossed it into the air. He leaped, swallowing it in one gulp, his hands already forming seals. A surge of immense chakra enveloped him.
"Ninja Art: Super Multi-Size Technique!"
"Human Bullet Tank!"
His body ballooned dozens of times in size. He curled into a ball and began spinning with terrifying speed, churning up the stone floor. The air itself seemed to scream as the human cannonball smashed into Anrokuzan's puppet form.
BOOOOOOM!
The explosion was deafening. The resulting shockwave nearly knocked Sarah off her feet.
As the dust cleared, they saw Anrokuzan's puppet body was mostly shattered, covered in a spiderweb of cracks.
Before relief could set in, the green energy from the throne flowed forth again, adhering to the puppet. It began to repair itself at a visible rate, soon restored to its original, imposing state.
"Hahahaha! In Loulan, I, Anrokuzan, am the true king!"
"That green energy… it must be from the Dragon Vein," Sarah said, her voice tight. "As long as that power flows, Anrokuzan can keep regenerating. I am Loulan's Queen. I'm the only one here who can operate the Dragon Vein's control mechanism."
"Liumu," Minato's voice was firm, his eyes never leaving the giant puppet. "Take her there. Keep her safe. No matter what."
(End of Chapter)
✨If you're enjoying this story, consider supporting me on Patreon —
Patreon.com/TofuChan
💕Patreon members get early access to chapters, bonus content, and voting power on future ideas.💕
Every bit of support helps me write more and faster. Thank you so much for reading! 🥰
Bonus Chapter For Every 100 Power Stones
Lets hit the goal of 200 Patreon Members now for 5 Extra Chapters 💕