In a state of constant shock and awe, everyone reached the vent where the town's entire dragon line converged.
"This is it," Sāra said seriously as she moved aside the manhole cover and pointed down into the shaft. "The convergence point of the dragon veins lies beneath here."
"I'll go in first to check things out." With that, Seiki jumped down through the opening.
Thick white mist filled the area below, with hot vapor rising everywhere, giving the feeling of being inside a steaming basket. The place looked like a massive factory.
After confirming no immediate danger, Seiki climbed up the shaft wall to report back.
Following the direction from which heat rose, they proceeded downward along the path. After jumping through five consecutive levels, they finally reached the bottom and saw the base's true appearance.
In the center stood a massive boiler, surrounded by groups of prisoners wearing shackles pushing it forward continuously.
White mist drifted all around, rising directly from the boiler itself.
There were also puppets circling the boiler working in an assembly line fashion.
When she saw this scene, Sāra tightly gripped the railing in excitement. "Why did this happen? Everyone really was captured!"
Seiki replied grimly, "Unfortunately, this is the reality."
Sāra turned to face Seiki and bowed deeply in apology. "I'm sorry… I'm too foolish to be queen. It's embarrassing, but please help me rescue everyone!"
"Don't worry, that's exactly why we're here." Seiki smiled and bit his finger before forming hand seals. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
In an instant, a medium-sized Katsuyu appeared behind them.
"Katsuyu, I need you to split again."
"Got it!"
Looking at the summoned creature, Naruto muttered to himself, "Isn't this Sakura and Lady Tsunade's Katsuyu?"
Asuma glanced at him. "Seiki is Lady Tsunade's disciple."
"Lady Tsunade's disciple!" Naruto couldn't help sighing. "Too bad Sakura isn't here—then she could meet her alternate world senior apprentice brother."
As they spoke, Seiki distributed smaller Katsuyu to everyone after they had separated from the main body. "Later I'll seal the puppet guards. Use this time to rescue people. Prioritize those civilians in worse physical condition for emergency treatment by the Katsuyu. As for Sāra Queen, you explain everything to the rescued citizens."
"I understand!" Everyone nodded except Naruto, who still looked confused about how the sealing worked.
Seiki swiftly formed hand seals and pressed his right hand onto the ground.
[Ice Release: Ice Age!]
Starting from Seiki's palm, layers of icy coldness rapidly spread outward. In the blink of an eye, the entire facility was encased in ice—except for the exact spot where the civilians were, which remained untouched.
"So amazing!" Yamato and Naruto were both left speechless by the spectacle.
Though they'd heard many times about Seiki's immense power, it was hard to grasp without seeing it firsthand.
Now, seeing the entire base instantly freeze solid made Seiki's overwhelming power unmistakable.
As for Sāra, she was even more astonished. Although she hadn't understood most of their earlier conversation, what was happening before her eyes was perfectly clear.
Looking at Seiki, Sāra murmured, "So are all the ninja from the outside world this powerful?"
Seeing Naruto's astonished expression, Asuma couldn't help but tease him. "Already amazed? Seiki once froze an entire sea a year ago!"
"Froze the sea?" Stars sparkled in Naruto's eyes as he thought to himself: If Seiki Aniki had been with us when we captured the Three-Tails, things would've definitely been much easier!
"Stop wasting time! Let's move!" After saying that, Seiki jumped forward toward the platform.
There, a fat man was roaring angrily. "Who is it?! Who dares ruin my plan?!" roared Anlusan.
Anlusan was raging in helpless fury when suddenly a cold light flashed.
"Huh? What was th—"
Crack!
Before his words could finish, Anlusan's body was cut clean across at the waist.
Seiki stood slowly from behind him, holding a kunai.
"What? He's already dead?" Naruto, busy rescuing civilians, couldn't quite believe his eyes. Had it really been that fast?
"Minister Anlusan," Sāra said sorrowfully. Yet the next moment, seeing Anlusan's horrified reaction, she too looked on in shock. "What is happening?"
Before her eyes, Anlusan—who had been split into two halves—revived, his body reconnected by Chakra Threads.
"Hahaha! Fool! I long ago transformed my body into a puppet. And at this place where Dragon Veins converge (the source of ancient chakra energy), my power is limitless. No matter how many times you destroy me, I can always rebirth..."
He hadn't finished speaking before Seiki blasted him point-blank with a Rasengan, tearing him to pieces.
But quickly, those scattered fragments fused back together just as he claimed. "Fool! Can't you understand speech? I told you already—I possess infinite power within Loulan!"
More than that, the puppets frozen around the area broke free from their ice prisons and merged into his body, forming a super massive Gatai (Fusion) Puppet Beast.
"Now you've seen it—this is the power of the Dragon Veins! Once mastered, even the five great nations can be easily destroyed!"
Below, Yamato found it hard to believe: this minor character they'd relentlessly chased until now had actually become this powerful!
"That damned Baizu!" Hearing Baizu boast about possessing the power to destroy the Five Great Nations, Naruto took his words at face value and instinctively used [Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu]. "Aniki Seiki, let me help you!"
Asuma quickly grabbed him. "Don't go mess things up. This level of power is nothing to Seiki!"
Naruto scratched his head confusedly. "But Baizu did say this was the power to destroy the Five Great Nations!"
Asuma gave an exaggerated eye roll. "You believe everything he says?"
In the middle of the battlefield, Seiki leaped into the air and smashed his foot down onto the top of the giant puppet's head.
With a thunderous crash, the platform supporting the puppet collapsed instantly. The giant puppet formed from Anlusan was hammered directly into the ground.
Witnessing this, Naruto shivered instinctively. "So scary... Seiki Aniki is even more violent than Sakura-chan!"
"Aaargh! I'm furious!" The giant puppet revived again, roaring furiously as it rose from the ground.
"Still angry? Stay down!" Seiki pressed one hand on the puppet's forehead and punched downward like hammering a nail, driving it deep into the ground.
"You bastard!"
"I'm going to kill you..."
Boom!
"Darn it..."
Boom!
This puppet's regeneration ability might seem more intimidating than Sasori's at first glance, but to Seiki, the threats they posed were nowhere near the same level.
A low-tier Puppet Master relying on infinite Dragon Pulse Chakra to churn out endless puppets—without intricate machinery, deadly poisons, or a decisive trump card, not even capable of properly controlling his own power. Such an enemy was hardly worth fearing.
If Sasori had gained access to this seemingly infinite Dragon Pulse Chakra, he would have been slightly more concerning.
"Your Majesty, Queen Sāra, Sāra..."
Seeing Seiki mercilessly pounding a puppet dozens of times his size, Sāra's expression gradually turned blank.
She only came back to her senses after Seiki called her name several times.
"Ah? I'm here!"
"This puppet may be weak in strength, but its infinite regeneration is indeed a bit troublesome. So, please shut down the source of the Dragon Veins temporarily."
"Yes, I understand!"
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