Meanwhile, deep underground within Roran.
This place was filled with dense purple Chakra, the air thick with intense chakra energy fluctuations and a cold, metallic scent.
Countless purple light cables, composed of Ryumyaku Chakra, extended from the ground like the roots of a giant tree, connecting to the densely packed, flickering precision instruments around the room, emitting a low hum.
Right in the center of the room was a raised platform, upon which lay a bed made of unknown metal.
At this moment, lying on the bed was a slightly plump middle-aged man dressed in white desert noble attire.
His eyes were tightly closed, with several thin purple Chakra Conduits connected to his forehead, and faint purple lines seemed to flow beneath his skin's surface.
He was the current de facto ruler of Roran, Anrokuzan.
Or rather, Mukade, who had arrived here via the Ryumyaku from another parallel spacetime!
At this moment, Anrokuzan's tightly closed eyelids trembled slightly, then snapped open!
His pupils actually shimmered with purple light, the same source as the Ryumyaku Chakra!
Through the Chakra Link Network established with the humanoid combat puppets spread throughout the city, the combat images from the battle that just occurred in that forest of towers had already been transmitted into his brain via Chakra Data Streams.
He saw that blond-haired, blue-eyed, sun-like boy Naruto, and also saw that familiar black-haired youth.
"Shura…" Anrokuzan's dry lips moved slowly, uttering this name that had once struck fear into his heart. His voice mixed with wariness, hatred, and a trace of excitement at finally finding his target.
"You… did indeed also come to this era…"
Ever since accidentally landing here from his original time due to the Ryumyaku's rampage, Mukade, adopting the name Anrokuzan, had been lying low in Roran.
On one hand, he used the Ryumyaku's power to become a minister of Roran, rapidly developing Roran's puppet technology and gradually taking control of the country. On the other hand, he desperately searched for information about Shura.
He wanted to kill Shura while he was still young, before he grew powerful.
However, no matter what means he used or how much effort he expended, he couldn't find any information about Shura at all.
It was as if that man who stirred up storms in his world simply didn't exist in this one!
This puzzled Anrokuzan endlessly… it made him think that Shura hadn't been born yet.
Such conclusion also made Anrokuzan even more vigilant.
"But…" The purple light in Anrokuzan's eyes flared brightly, his maliciousness almost overflowing: "I'm not unprepared either!"
He slowly sat up from the metal bed, the purple Chakra Conduits automatically detaching as he moved.
A savage, confident smile appeared on Anrokuzan's face.
"I've long since turned the entire city of Roran into an impregnable war fortress! The city holds reserves of over ten thousand of the newest model combat puppets! Their energy cores are directly connected to the Ryumyaku, possessing nearly limitless combat capability! This technology… is all the essence 'borrowed' from your Land of Stars!"
He seemed to be boasting to an imaginary enemy in the air.
As he spoke, Anrokuzan reached out and pressed a red button on the control panel by the bed.
Click—
Clack clack clack—
The smooth wall on one side of the secret chamber suddenly slid open to both sides, revealing a hidden compartment.
A figure slowly walked out of the darkness.
It was shockingly another 'Anrokuzan'!
The same slightly plump build, the same white attire, even the expression on the face was eerily lifelike.
But upon closer inspection, one could see slight seams at the joints, and the eyes lacked true vitality.
This was an extremely sophisticated puppet!
Anrokuzan looked at this puppet, the smile on his face growing even more smug, even carrying a hint of madness: "And this! A puppet clone made using another 'me' I found in this era, combined with the latest puppet technology and Ryumyaku Chakra! It possesses nearly identical combat instincts and Chakra Control abilities as me!"
He clenched his fist, purple Chakra faintly rising around him. His tone was full of ambitious determination: "As long as I thoroughly kill you here, Shura! No one will ever be able to stop me from using the Ryumyaku's power to dominate the entire Ninja World! Hahahaha—!!"
Mad laughter echoed endlessly within the Ryumyaku Chakra-filled secret chamber.
…
Back on the high tower platform.
When Menma said the words 'I am the eldest son of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato', the atmosphere on the platform also froze to an extreme.
The usually steady Minato, at this moment, felt his mind shaken, fine beads of cold sweat appearing on his forehead.
Choza and Shibi looked at each other, seeing the same shock and bewilderment in each other's eyes.
'The eldest son of the Fourth Hokage… Namikaze Minato…?'
However, they recalled the scattered intelligence gathered while investigating Roran and the Ryumyaku's legends.
The rumors about the Ryumyaku possibly possessing the ability to interfere with space-time.
If all this was true, then the possibility that these two youths before them came from a 'future era' didn't seem impossible.
'Only… the future Fourth Hokage, it seems, wasn't too…'
"Ni… Nii-san?" Naruto was so shocked by Menma's words that he became incoherent.
He widened his eyes, staring fixedly at Menma's face, which bore a startling resemblance to his own, his mind in complete turmoil.
But soon, he shook his head vigorously and loudly refuted:
"No! That's impossible! The Fourth Hokage… he already sacrificed himself! To protect the village! The Hokage of Konoha now is the Fifth Hokage, Granny Tsunade! I… I've never heard about having any older brother!"
Menma looked at Naruto's agitated and confused expression, a complicated smile mixing helplessness and gentleness appearing on his face.
"My foolish younger brother…" He gently shook his head, his tone carrying a kind of guiding patience.
"Haven't you realized it completely yet?"
He raised his hand, pointing to the towering, futuristic towers around them, pointing towards the vaguely visible desert edge in the distance, slowly saying:
"Here, is not the era you are familiar with. Here… is Year 47 of Konoha Calendar. The era on the eve of the outbreak of the Third Ninja World War."
"Year 47… of Konoha Calendar?!" Naruto's whole body trembled violently, as if doused with ice water. He whipped his head around to look at Minato beside him.
Minato met Naruto's questioning gaze, his expression complicated as he nodded, confirming Menma's statement: "What he says is correct. It is indeed Year 47 of Konoha Calendar now. I am Namikaze Minato, a Jonin of Konoha. The current Hokage of Konoha is the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen-sama."
Confirming this point, Naruto felt the world spin around him.
'Traveling through time?'
'Was it the power of the Ryumyaku?'
Naruto remembered the last scene he saw before losing consciousness… the Ryumyaku Chakra, unsealed by Mukade, swallowing him and Yamato.
Minato refocused his gaze on Menma, his eyes filled with solemnity and inquiry.
He slowly asked the biggest question in his heart: "If you truly come from the future, then everything you have done since arriving in this era—"
"Helping the Akatsuki in the Land of Rain, changing the landscape of Amegakure, even possibly causing the death of Hanzo the Salamander… these actions undoubtedly drastically alter the course of history in this era."
"Aren't you worried… about causing serious consequences? Aren't you worried about disturbing, or even destroying, the 'future' you came from?"
This was precisely Minato's longstanding concern.
After initially confirming Naruto's possible identity, he chose to remain silent and observe, precisely due to concerns about temporal stability.
He didn't understand why Menma, also from the 'future', acted so recklessly.
Faced with Minato's questioning, Menma simply shrugged indifferently, spreading his hands, his tone as relaxed as if discussing the weather:
"Very simple. Because the results I've verified indicate that Naruto and I are not from the 'future' of your timeline. We come from a different 'parallel future era' that exists alongside your world."
He gave an analogy: "Like different branches growing from the same tree. They may look similar, but the directions they grow, the sunlight and rain they experience, even the fruits they bear, can be completely different. Our timeline is another story line, independent of your flow of time."
Hearing this, a flicker of understanding passed through Minato's eyes, followed by a grave nod.
As a genius proficient in Space-Time Ninjutsu, he could understand the possibility of the 'parallel universe' concept better than most.
Only this explanation could make sense of why Menma and Naruto would appear, and why Menma seemed unconcerned about changing 'history'.
"Parallel… universe?" Naruto listened to the increasingly deep conversation between the two, feeling his brain had turned into complete mush. He scratched his blond hair vigorously, his face clearly spelling out 'I don't understand at all'.
"What are you guys even talking about? What parallel future? What different tree branches?"
Then, he looked at Menma again:
"You say you are my older brother… but, in the world I grew up in, no one ever told me I had an older brother! Whether it was the Grandpa Hokage, or Pervy Sage, they never mentioned it! What on earth is going on?"
Minato also cast an inquiring look… he was equally curious.
If Menma was a visitor from a parallel universe, then in Menma's timeline, what exactly happened?
Menma looked at the clear yet deeply confused blue eyes of Naruto and sighed softly.
He thought for a moment and decided to use a more direct method to answer their questions.
Menma raised his right hand, clenched it into a fist, then turned the knuckles towards Minato and Naruto.
"Words are sometimes pale. So, want to 'see' it for yourselves?"
His gaze swept over the two: "Take a look, at what happened after Namikaze Minato became the Fourth Hokage in the 'parallel future' I come from, and how it differs from Naruto's world."
Naruto hadn't fully grasped the meaning of this gesture… at this point, he hadn't reconciled with the Nine-Tails or shared memories through touching fists. But Minato, almost without hesitation, raised his own right fist as well.
As a father, he longed to understand the past and future his children might have experienced, and as a Ninja, he needed to judge the truth of Menma's words and what exactly happened in the 'future Konoha'.
Seeing Minato's action, Naruto, though not fully comprehending, also subconsciously, with a hint of curiosity and expectation, clenched his fist and raised it.
Three fists, belonging to father, older brother, and younger brother respectively, gently pressed together.
The next moment—
As if a switch was flipped, a silent torrent instantly swept through Minato and Naruto's consciousness!
Menma did not fully open up the core secrets about the [Limited Tsukuyomi World] or his own complete origins, as those were among his deepest secrets.
He utilized the power of the Red Moon Scroll he possessed, combining some real memory fragments, weaving them into a 'scene' like an immersive movie, and transmitted it to Minato and Naruto.
Instantly, Minato and Naruto's consciousness was pulled into a narrative torrent constructed of light and shadow.
First was the Nine-Tails Attack.
A delivery room with soft lighting, yet subtly tense.
On the bed, Kushina's face was pale, filled with exhaustion, yet carried the gentleness and satisfaction of a first-time mother. Beside her were two swaddled babies. Minato was holding one of the children joyfully but clumsily, his face radiant with immense happiness.
However, this warmth was instantly torn apart!
A mysterious man wearing a tiger-striped mask that revealed only one Sharingan appeared out of thin air, killed the midwife, Sarutobi Biwako, and another female Medical-Nin, and with lightning speed, snatched away one of the infants!
Minato wanted to snatch the child back but hesitated because he held the other baby in his arms.
The masked man used the infant as a hostage to force Minato, then a huge explosion occurred within the delivery room!
Minato decisively used his Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport away with the baby in his arms.
The scene shifted. Minato hastily placed that baby in a hidden safe house, his face filled with anxiety and resolve, then activated Flying Thunder God Technique again to return.
The masked man had already abducted the weakened Kushina and the other child.
Immediately after, the terrifying scene above Konoha village: the suddenly appearing Nine-Tails let out a sky-shaking roar, wreaking havoc in the village, its claws and tail bringing destruction with every swing.
Countless Ninja threw themselves forward but struggled to stop it.
Minato skillfully maneuvered and battled the masked man using his superb Flying Thunder God Technique, ultimately successfully repelling him.
But the crisis was not over.
The Nine-Tails' rampage continued. Minato, arriving at the critical moment, used Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport it out of the village.
To seal the Nine-Tails, Minato held the dying Kushina and the infant Naruto.
Husband and wife looked at each other, their eyes filled with reluctance and endless love.
They performed the Sealing Technique, Dead Demon Consuming Seal and Eight Trigrams Sealing Style.
The massive Nine-Tails was forcibly torn and split. Half, along with Minato's soul, was devoured by the Shinigami. The other half was sealed into that infant's body.
The light faded. The life force of Minato and Kushina extinguished like candles in the wind. With their final strength, they left behind words of longing and blessing for the baby in the swaddling clothes…
"Mom…" Outside the scene, Naruto unconsciously murmured, tears already streaming uncontrollably down his dust-stained cheeks.
He stared fixedly at Kushina's gentle yet strong face in the scene, as if wanting to deeply imprint this face of the mother he had never met but who gave him life and sacrifice into the depths of his soul.
"This is… my mom…"
Beside him, Minato, immersed in this 'future', felt his heart similarly wrenched.
He saw his and Kushina's sacrifice, saw that child crying in swaddling clothes after the Nine-Tails' sealing, and saw the other child taken by the masked man, his fate unknown…
An indescribable heaviness and grief almost suffocated him.
The scene changed, shifting to the Konoha Orphanage.
Sunlight streamed through the windows into a slightly shabby room where children were playing.
In the corner, a little boy of about two or three years old was particularly noticeable.
He had hair that was half blond, half black, and was playing with building blocks by himself, standing out from the surrounding bustle.
The kind orphanage director, Yakushi Nono, walked over, crouched down, said something gentle to him, and curiously gently touched his hair, which was gradually turning pure black.
Both Minato and Naruto recognized that solitary child. His features were extremely similar to Naruto's as a child, yet somewhat different, his demeanor calmer, or rather, colder.
'Was this… the child taken by that mysterious man?'
'The young Menma?'
And in the unnoticed shadow behind Menma, a small, dark red fox phantom, petite but with lively eyes, quietly appeared.
The scene entered Menma's mental world. This wasn't a dark sewer, but a vast grassland. This dark red Nine-Tails was like a playmate and mentor, accompanying the young Menma, teaching him to control Chakra, playing with him.
Because of this, Menma, at just three or four years old, displayed astonishing Chakra Control and learning ability, mastering many basic and even advanced Ninjutsu.
"Nine-Tails? Another Nine-Tails?" Minato and Naruto's hearts simultaneously churned with huge waves.
According to the sealing scene they just saw, half of the Nine-Tails should have been sealed inside Minato and taken away by the Shinigami, the other half sealed inside Naruto.
Then where did this dark red Nine-Tails that accompanied Menma's growth, seemingly completely under his control, come from?
The Chakra it emitted felt completely different from the one that wreaked havoc in Konoha.
Time passed, within Konoha Village.
The young Naruto began living alone.
Walking on the street, the gazes cast upon him weren't curiosity, but disgust, fear, and avoidance.
Shopkeepers seeing him would immediately hang [Sold Out] signs, children were hurriedly pulled away by adults, whispers like poisonous snakes drill into the ear:
"Look, it's that child…"
"The monster that caused the Fourth Hokage's death…"
"Stay away from him, he's the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox!"
"I really don't understand why he's still allowed to stay in the village…"
The little Naruto lowered his head, tightly clutching the hem of his worn clothes, walking alone on the empty street, his back bleak and lonely.
Minato watched this scene, his heart feeling as if clutched by an invisible hand, the pain almost suffocating him.
'Why was it like this?'
'My child…'
'The child I sacrificed myself to protect, why is he treated like this?'
'The village… didn't it fulfill its promise?'
A mix of anger, sorrow, and deep self-blame churned in his chest.
As for Naruto himself, looking at that lonely, weak 'him' in the 'scene', his expression was complex.
These memories were all too familiar to him, almost his daily childhood life.
Seeing it again still made him sad, but more so it was a kind of long-accustomed numbness, and a subtle attention to his father's reaction at this moment.
However, the next scenes brought a turning point.