Chapter 140 - Chapter 140: Didn’t You Say You Wanted a Shooting Star?

One year had passed since the Chūnin Exams, and the once-devastated Konoha Village had slowly begun to heal. The dark shadow cast by Orochimaru's attack was finally lifting.Under the capable leadership of the Fifth Hokage, Senju Tsunade, Konoha had fully recovered.Of course, while Konoha's resilience and hidden strength played a major role in the village's revival, credit must also be given to a certain super-wealthy queen who spent money as if it were nothing—Fūka Koyuki, the Queen of the Snow Country.> "Naruto-kun said he wanted to leave the Snow Country… but he didn't say I couldn't follow him to Konoha!"In the past year, Fūka Koyuki had made frequent trips to Konoha, issuing high-paying missions—each one specifying Uzumaki Naruto by name, even though he was still officially just a Genin.Tsunade had initially wanted to decline the requests. After all, it was obvious to everyone that the Queen of the Snow Country wasn't there to assign missions. She was blatantly coming to date Naruto!Naruto was now one of Konoha's core assets. Not only was he a powerful young ninja, but he was also the host of the Nine Tails—a living weapon and a critical deterrent against the other Great Nations. He absolutely couldn't be allowed to fall under the influence of outsiders.And yet... every time Tsunade saw the price tag attached to Queen Koyuki's missions, she simply couldn't bring herself to say no.The queen was rich. Ridiculously rich. She handed out money like candy.More importantly, the Land of Fire was currently going through an intense development phase and was in desperate need of funding. How could Tsunade, as Hokage, reject such a financial boon?> "I can't speak. I can't even find an excuse to speak!"What shocked her even more was how rapidly the Snow Country had progressed under Queen Koyuki's rule. Within five months of her coronation, they had successfully developed a floor heating generator—yes, floor heating! Thanks to this, the Snow Country, once frozen year-round, now bloomed with spring in all four seasons.Their agricultural output skyrocketed, and more surprisingly, they began producing high-tech ninja armor, which was soon sold all over the ninja world!The biggest buyers?The warrior clans of the Land of Lightning, and the samurai of the Land of Iron.These armors gave even ordinary warriors the ability to fight on equal footing with trained shinobi. This unexpected development had begun to shift the power dynamics of the ninja world.Mifune, the leader of the Iron Country, saw his forces significantly empowered. Once thought obsolete in the age of ninja dominance, the samurai were now making a stunning comeback.The balance maintained by the Tailed Beasts among the Five Great Nations was beginning to wobble.And the mastermind behind all of this?A mysterious figure the Snow Country citizens had dubbed "Frankenstein."> "Who the hell is this guy?" Tsunade muttered in frustration."Why doesn't the Land of Fire have such a genius?"She was more jealous than she'd ever been while gambling.It was said that this so-called Frankenstein was a friend of Fūka Koyuki and the true force behind the Snow Country's rapid modernization. He didn't show his face, refused interviews, and seemed to interact with no one other than the queen herself.Rumors started flying…---Meanwhile, in the Shinobi World Broadcast Group Chat:Hatake Kakashi: "If I'm not mistaken, that Frankenstein…"Sarutobi Hiruzen: "Orochimaru, you bastard! Instead of studying the First Hokage's cells, you ran off to the Snow Country to stir up trouble?"Orochimaru: "You misunderstand, Hiruzen-sensei. Even I can't defy that version of Naruto in that world. He's far too powerful."Hiruzen: "Don't pretend! This is exactly the sort of thing you would do—help the Snow Country, empower its military, destabilize the balance of power, and cause chaos!"Orochimaru (smiling): "Isn't it wonderful, though? The current structure of the ninja world is stagnant. All the Kage positions are practically hereditary now. I believe this kind of shake-up is exactly what the world needs."Jiraiya: "You lunatic. If this continues, we'll end up in a Fourth Shinobi World War!"Orochimaru: "So what if we do? You and I were born from war, Jiraiya. You of all people should understand how fleeting life is. Power… truth… those are the only things that endure."Tsunade: "And your 'truth' is just another excuse to chase immortality."Orochimaru: "Heh… Call it what you like. My pursuit of the ultimate ninjutsu knowledge is something you short-sighted fools could never comprehend."Senju Tobirama: "Wait a second... is it possible Orochimaru is actually an undercover Uchiha? I must investigate this immediately!"Uchiha Itachi: "???"Akimichi Chōji: "Forget all that. I'm more jealous of the Naruto in that world. Riches, freedom, and probably all-you-can-eat barbecue!"Nara Shikamaru: "Women… so troublesome."Nara Yoshino: "Shikamaru! You won't be eating dinner tonight!"Shikamaru: "Wait, Mom's in this group too? Seriously?"Temari: "Ugh, men like you are the worst. Nara men are such a pain."Kakuzu: "So you're telling me there's a way to make money like this? Interesting…"Hidan: "Kakuzu, with your face? Better not."Konan: "Actually, I support Mr. Kakuzu. As long as it's for money, I'm in."Ōnoki (Third Tsuchikage): "You morons still don't get it. Everything the Snow Country is doing is clearly Naruto's plan from the start!"Fourth Raikage (A): "Tch. I knew that! The issue is, none of us can beat that Naruto!"Ōnoki: "Hmph…"---Back in Konoha, Fūka Koyuki's fame continued to grow. Not only was she a former film star and now a reigning queen, but her appearance in the village drew crowds of fans—civilian and shinobi alike. Even Tsunade found it difficult to meet with her directly.As for Yamanaka Ino and Sakura?They were fuming with jealousy.> "This outsider sees Naruto every day! Doesn't she have any shame?"---One Quiet Night…It was late at night, far away from the hustle and bustle of the village, atop a quiet mountain just outside Konoha.Swish! Swish!Two figures landed on the peak—one with unmistakable golden hair that glowed faintly under the moonlight. Beside him was a graceful woman with long, flowing black hair.It was none other than Uzumaki Naruto and Fūka Koyuki, the rising power couple of the ninja world.> "Naruto-kun… why did you bring me all the way out here? Do you like the outdoors or something?"Koyuki's cheeks flushed red. She wasn't opposed to a romantic moment under the stars, but this was so sudden… and in the wilderness?Naruto didn't answer immediately. Instead, he raised his eyes to the night sky, where a shooting star flashed across the heavens.Without hesitation, he raised his arm toward the fading meteor and softly said—> "Universal Pull."In the next instant, the meteor, which should have vanished into the distance, was sucked downward—drawn into the spiraling gravity vortex Naruto had created.Koyuki gasped as the glowing rock grew larger and larger above their heads, lighting up the sky like a second moon.> "Didn't you say during one of your missions that you wanted to see a meteor shower up close?" Naruto asked, smiling faintly."Well… did you see it clearly this time?"> "???"