"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Eager to show off the results of his training to his young father and teacher, Naruto stepped forward with excitement in his eyes. With a flash of smoke, several clones appeared around him. Drawing strength from their assistance, Naruto rapidly condensed chakra into his right hand.
A palm-sized blue orb formed, swirling with intense power.
"Rasengan!"
With a shout, Naruto launched himself into the air, leaping high above An Lushan's towering form. Then, with precision and force, he drove the Rasengan down upon the monstrous puppet!
Zzz–Boom!
The Rasengan—small compared to An Lushan's massive body—struck with immense rotational force, exploding on impact! The force sent the huge puppet crashing backward into the thick stone wall, smashing it into rubble.
"Hey, did you see that, Dad? Mr. Kakashi!"
Naruto turned, grinning from ear to ear, pointing proudly at An Lushan's crumpled form embedded in the wall.
"I'm already super strong now!"
But Minato's expression remained serious, his gaze locked onto the area where the puppet had fallen.
"Naruto, don't lower your guard. This guy… he's not ordinary."
Suddenly, the ominous sound of creaking joints echoed through the air.
Squeak–Bang!
An Lushan's giant puppet body began to twitch. Slowly, it pried itself free from the wall and collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, landing on all six limbs.
"Hehehe… Did you really think you could defeat me so easily?"
A chilling, hollow voice echoed from the puppet.
The strange human-faced spider puppet twisted its neck at an unnatural angle, fixing its gaze back on its enemies. At the same time, countless chakra threads burst from its body like webbing, latching onto nearby debris.
The scattered remnants of earlier puppet soldiers—including the mecha warrior that had restrained Kakashi—were pulled together by the threads. Metal scraped and groaned as the components reassembled, forming a monstrous, grotesque spider over fifty meters long!
Minato narrowed his eyes and quickly shouted, "Ding Zuo!"
"Leave it to me!" roared Akamichi Choza, stepping forward without hesitation.
"Partial Expansion Jutsu!"
His fist grew to an enormous size, and with a mighty yell, he charged toward the monstrous spider!
Boom!
Choza's colossal punch connected with the puppet, sending it hurtling into the wall once more.
"Zhiwei!" Minato called out again, not allowing An Lushan a chance to recover.
"Understood!"
"Ninjutsu: Bug Ball!"
Aburame Zhiwei extended both arms. Countless black insects swarmed out of his sleeves, forming a dense, living cloud. As he brought his hands together, the bugs moved with alarming precision, surging toward the collapsed spider puppet like a wave of hunger.
In a matter of seconds, the puppet's entire body was engulfed by the insects.
"What?!"
An Lushan's voice trembled with shock. His vision darkened, and the immense chakra that powered his form began to rapidly drain away.
"Aaaaaaah!"
He let out a pained scream, the overwhelming force of the parasitic insects rendering his limbs powerless. His massive puppet form buckled, then crashed through the floor with a thunderous rumble, falling to the level below!
Minato, Naruto, and the others quickly surrounded the crater, cautiously peering down into the dust and debris.
"Did that do it?" Naruto asked.
But just as the question left his lips, more chakra threads exploded from below—glowing like sinister wires in the dark.
It was happening again.
Naruto's jaw dropped.
"You've got to be kidding me… again?!"
Minato's face darkened.
"Let me show you the true power of the ultimate puppet weapon I've created!" An Lushan's voice echoed from the depths, this time even more oppressive than before.
Screeeech!
Suddenly, clouds of steam hissed out from the crater—thick, boiling jets that shot into the sky like a prelude to a volcanic eruption.
BOOM!
A massive shape burst upward from the pit, piercing through the rock and earth!
A colossal scorpion puppet, nearly one hundred meters tall, rose before the Konoha shinobi like a demon summoned from the underworld. Its gleaming metal tail, segmented limbs, and eerie faceplate made it even more terrifying than anything before.
On the other side of the battlefield, Sarah—who had just managed to unshackle many prisoners—was leading them back to the surface.
"Sarah!" An Lushan's voice echoed again, this time with venomous intent.
The scorpion puppet turned away from Minato's group and locked onto the queen.
Without hesitation, it lunged toward her!
"AHHHHH!"
"What kind of monster is that?!"
"We're dead! It's over!"
Just moments ago, the rescued civilians had tasted the sweetness of freedom. But now, as the ground quaked beneath the feet of the charging puppet, despair took hold again. People screamed, panicked, and collapsed where they stood. Some even wet themselves in fear, their legs too weak to move.
"Everyone, please don't lose hope!"
Sarah stepped forward, raising her voice above the noise. Her eyes burned with urgency, trying to rally the shaken crowd.
But despair had already crept in.
"It's too late to save her…"
One of the freed prisoners, still wearing a metal collar, approached Sarah with a hollow look.
"We should've stayed in the factory… at least we were alive there."
"No, we still have hope!" Sarah exclaimed, refusing to back down. "Look behind you—Konoha's shinobi are still fighting! They haven't given up! Why should we?!"
Now she truly understood the strength in Kakashi's eyes—the unshakable belief in survival despite the odds.
"I feel sorrow for your pain, but I'm furious at your surrender!" she shouted.
"But that monster… it's impossible…"
"She's right. We'll die either way."
"Maybe it's better to go back and kneel to Lord An Lushan. He might spare us!"
"Yeah, didn't he call out Queen Sarah's name just now? Maybe he'll be merciful…"
"How about we beg for forgiveness?"
Just as the crowd started to falter again—
"Shut up, all of you!"
A woman's voice cut through the air like a whip.
It was Masako, arriving with a group of women and children in tow. Many of them clutched kitchen knives, brooms, and farming tools—whatever they could find to defend themselves.
"Listen to yourselves! Are those human words you're speaking?!"
"Queen Sarah risked her life to free you! Instead of gratitude, you repay her with betrayal?"
"Are you even human?!"
Her words struck deep. Shame washed over the crowd. Men looked at their feet, embarrassed. Children looked up at their fathers in confusion and disappointment.
Unlike other nations, Loulan had lived in peace for years. Its people had forgotten the face of war and the necessity of resistance.
But now… something changed.
"Brothers! We're men, aren't we? How can we let our wives and children look down on us?!"
A voice roared from within the crowd.
It was the young man who had helped Sarah during the escape. His face was dirt-streaked, his eyes burning with defiance.
"If you've got a pair between your legs, then stand the hell up!"
The crowd stirred.
One by one, the defeated men found their courage reignited. The fire of resistance slowly began to spread.
Weapons were picked up.
Spines straightened.
Determination returned.
Sarah seized the moment.
"My fellow citizens! My people!"
"Now is the time! Everyone, follow me! We'll take shelter in the central square!"
"YES!"
This time, there was no hesitation. United by courage and pride, the people of Loulan surged forward behind their queen, ready to survive—not as victims, but as warriors.