My Journey as Fourth Kazekage

In the dimly lit underground factory, the air was heavy with tension. The Queen of Rōran trembled, her entire body stiffening at the unexpected intrusion. But despite the fear creeping into her veins, she quickly regained her composure. Her face hardened, determination flickering in her eyes. She slowly rose to her feet, her gaze firm as she turned to face the direction of the spiral staircase exit.

At the entrance stood a thin man with a contemptuous smile—a smile so insidious that anyone who saw it would immediately feel revulsion. With him were two puppets, their mechanical limbs twitching in a hauntingly lifelike manner. In that moment, it seemed as though he, not the Queen, was the true ruler of this land. The Queen of Rōran appeared as nothing more than a prisoner in her own domain.

The Queen placed her right hand on her chest, steadying herself as she gathered the strength to speak. Her voice was resolute, loud enough to cut through the tense atmosphere.

"Anrokuzan, I am the queen of this country. Do I really need to explain myself to you?" s

Anrokuzan's cold, cruel laugh echoed through the chamber, chilling the Queen's resolve.

"Hehehe! Your Majesty, you don't owe me any explanations about where you're going, but why did you re-seal the Dragon Vein? That, I believe, is something you need to explain to me. After all, everything that Rōran is today—the prosperity, the advancements—it all stems from my technology and the power of Rōran's Dragon Vein. Without its chakra, Rōran will come to a halt. You can't be so reckless!"

The Queen's brow furrowed deeply, her expression shifting to one of icy contempt. She took a step forward, her voice unwavering as she spoke.

"Stop lying to me, Anrokuzan. I see through your intentions now."

She pointed at the puppets surrounding them, each one unnervingly still, their lifeless eyes watching her every move.

"You aren't using the Dragon Vein's power for the good of Rōran. No. You've been using it to create weapons of war. These puppets—they are the weapons you've made."

Anrokuzan's expression shifted, a slight flash of surprise crossing his face. But it quickly morphed back into his usual sinister smile.

"Ha! So, you've figured it out. You're not as easily fooled as I thought. I knew this day would come... though I didn't expect it to be so soon."

The Queen's heart sank, her stomach twisting with unease as she saw him so easily admit to his treachery. Her eyes tensed in suspicion.

"Why? Don't you even want to maintain the pretense anymore?"

Anrokuzan's eyes gleamed, the smile never leaving his face.

"No... there's no need for pretense anymore."

With that, Mukade took a few steps forward, his eyes gleaming with a dark satisfaction as he watched the Queen of Rōran's stunned reaction. She instinctively took a step back, fear creeping into her expression, but then, as if gathering her resolve, she clenched her jaw and raised her head high.

"Anrokuzan, are you planning to kill me here? Without me, you won't be able to open the seal again."

Mukade sneered disdainfully, as if the Queen's words were nothing more than an irritation to him.

"Your Majesty, sometimes you're surprisingly clever, but other times, you're shockingly naïve. Why do you think only you can open the seal here?"

The Queen's eyes widened, and she staggered slightly, a sense of dread flooding over her.

!!!

She quickly recovered, her mind racing as she thought through the situation, and then, with more confidence, she retorted.

"It's useless. That child Sara may have the same power as I do, but she doesn't even know how to break the seal."

Mukade's smile deepened as he watched her. He found her self-righteous confidence almost amusing. He stepped closer, savoring the tension in the air.

"Is that so? Well, let me tell you a secret, Your Majesty,"

He said, his voice carrying a sinister undertone. The Queen's heart skipped a beat as she looked at him with suspicion and rising dread.

"My name is actually not Anrokuzan. I'm Mukade and I'm not from this era, but from the future—18 years ahead!"

"18 years into the future?!!!"

The Queen's voice cracked in disbelief, and she took a step back, almost unable to process his words.

"That's right. In my time, Rōran was already destroyed due to war. But I was fortunate enough to discover the Dragon Vein in the ruins. I found a way to break its seal. Unfortunately, when I was about to do so, I discovered another layer of sealing—one placed by the Fourth Hokage of Konoha using his Flying Thunder God kunai. This was something I couldn't open. But I didn't give up. I studied the seal, and found a way to unlock it: through the space-time jutsu embedded in the Fourth Hokage's kunai. By using the Dragon Vein's chakra, I sent myself back to the past, before the Dragon Vein was sealed. Now, I can completely take the power of the Dragon Vein for myself."

The Queen of Rōran stood frozen, processing the magnitude of Mukade's revelation. His words revealed new information, but the key point was clear—Mukade knew the secret to unlock the Dragon Vein's power.

Meanwhile, on the other side, hidden in the shadows, Rasa had been eavesdropping on the conversation. His mind was racing as he pieced together the puzzle.

So, Mukade didn't come to the past using the Dragon Vein's power after all, Rasa thought. He used the curse mark on the Flying Thunder God kunai to travel back in time. If that's the case, then the Dragon Vein chakra itself doesn't hold as much value for him as I thought.

Mukade seemed to enjoy watching the Queen of Rōran's disorientation, continuing his sinister laugh.

"I could have dealt with you a long time ago. After all, you're smarter, but that little girl is easier to control. However, I've discovered some interesting things that made me have to keep you around a little longer."

The Queen, though terrified, felt a flicker of hope—perhaps she could still survive this. But Mukade's next words quickly extinguished that faint glimmer of hope.

"What a pity. I didn't plan on explaining anything. Your Majesty, you can go to another world with your doubts. I'll take good care of that child. Hehehe!"

As he finished speaking, the two puppets that had been standing quietly behind him suddenly sprang to life. Their long, razor-sharp blades extended from their arms, glinting menacingly in the dim light. With frightening speed, they flew toward the Queen of Rōran.

"It's a pity you won't see the moment when I use the Dragon Vein's power to rule this land!"

At that moment, the Queen of Rōran's eyes widened as the tips of the twin blades, gleaming coldly, seemed to inch closer to her. It felt as though the blades were about to pierce her, ending her life in an instant.

But suddenly, as if time itself had come to a halt, the puppets that had been rushing toward her froze mid-air, completely motionless.

!!!

Mukade, caught completely off guard, stood frozen in disbelief.

The Queen of Rōran, who had resigned herself to death just moments ago, stood dumbfounded, unable to understand what was happening.

"What's going on?"

She muttered, her voice tinged with confusion and fear. Mukade, too, was lost. He tried to control the puppets with his chakra threads, but to his shock, they did not respond at all. He poured more chakra into them, his face contorting with frustration, but there was no effect.

Wait—something was happening.

The puppets, once so agile and powerful, now seemed to rust in midair. Their joints struggled, creaking and groaning under the strain.

Creek...creek...

The sound filled the air, adding an eerie atmosphere to the otherwise still room.

At that moment, fine grains of sand began to seep out from the seams of the puppets. It was a strange, almost magical sight, as the sand flowed out in slow, deliberate streams, completely capturing the attention of both Mukade and the Queen of Rōran.

The Queen still didn't understand what was happening, her mind racing to catch up with the situation, but Mukade's eyes widened in shock and fury.

"How... how is this possible, could it be... Gaara..."

His voice was low, trembling with disbelief. He immediately started scanning his surroundings, his sharp eyes darting around, searching for the figure he feared.

"Dammit... Gaara, you monster, come out!"

Mukade snarled, his temper flaring.

Then, as if the very air had turned thick with dread, Mukade's eyes widened in fear, and his body trembled. A presence he had never wanted to face, materialized before him.

"No... impossible... Kazekage-sama..."

Rasa, the Kazekage of Sunagakure, stood before him.

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