I Am Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 398 - 398 Assassination

After Menma left, only Naruto, Minato, Choza, and Shibi remained on the high tower platform.

The atmosphere seemed to relax somewhat, but there was also a subtle sense of awkwardness.

Especially between Naruto and Minato, this pair of father and son.

Naruto scratched the back of his head, trying to break the silence. He turned to Minato with a natural curiosity on his face and asked, "Oh, right, speaking of which... what was your mission again? I almost forgot to ask!"

Minato looked at Naruto's sunny, cheerful smile and listened to this overly familiar yet somewhat scatterbrained question. A drop of cold sweat couldn't help but slide down his forehead.

Compared to the thoughtful and meticulous Menma from earlier, this kid in front of him... even though he was also his child from a parallel world, he seemed even more troublesome to worry about!

However, this straightforwardness and lack of defenses also gave him a sense of warmth and familiarity.

He smiled wryly and patiently explained, "Our mission is to protect Princess Sara of Roran, ensure her safety, and escort her to Konoha Village if necessary. Because a week ago, the former Queen of Roran secretly commissioned Konoha, claiming a possible coup within the country and hoping Konoha could provide sanctuary for her daughter."

"However, right after the commission was delivered, we received news of the Queen's assassination. And the minister holding the reins of power, Anrokuzan, the Mukade you and Menma mentioned, we were already very suspicious of his stance and motives. We judged that during today's princess coronation ceremony, he would most likely make a move against Princess Sara, attempting to completely control Roran. So, our actions must be swift."

After explaining, Minato looked at Naruto's clear blue eyes, feeling inexplicably somewhat self-conscious.

He asked gently, "Naruto, for the upcoming action, can you temporarily follow my arrangements?"

Hearing this, Naruto's eyes instantly lit up.

He nodded vigorously without hesitation, a brilliant smile blooming on his face as he said loudly, "Of course! I'll cooperate with all my might!"

This feeling of being entrusted by his father made Naruto feel an unprecedented excitement.

Minato looked at Naruto's energetic appearance, and the slight self-consciousness in his heart dissipated, replaced by a warm, kind smile that spread across his handsome face like sunlight.

"Hmm, then... let's go, Naruto."

"Right!" Naruto responded with full spirit.

"We're heading out too." Choza and Shibi also nodded.

Swish swish swish—!

Four figures shot out from the high tower platform. With several swift leaps and bounds among the complex tower structures, they quickly reached the top of a tall building located in the central area of the city.

There was a semi-open viewing balcony here with an excellent view.

Looking down from the balcony, the huge central square of the city was fully visible.

At this moment, the square was packed with a sea of people, a dense, dark mass almost filling the space.

Ornamental floats decorated with streamers and flowers slowly passed by, and dazzling fireworks constantly exploded in the sky, sprinkling down colorful light fragments. The noisy cheers and music surged in waves like the tide, creating an incredibly lively scene.

Shibi pushed up his signature small sunglasses and pointed at the most towering and imposing tower on the side of the square, whispering, "That tallest tower is the palace of Roran. Look, the ceremonial platform has been set up, right at the mid-section of the palace, decorated very conspicuously. According to the procedure, the new queen should appear there to 'receive homage' from the populace."

Naruto followed Shibi's pointing finger and saw the ceremonial platform wrapped in various gorgeous curtains and decorations.

He then looked at the dense, seemingly quite synchronized crowd below in the square, his brow unconsciously furrowing as a strange sense of dissonance crept into his mind.

"Somehow... it feels a bit weird," Naruto murmured, stroking his chin. "But I can't quite put my finger on what exactly is strange..."

At that moment, Minato's eyes suddenly sharpened, and he said in a low voice, "Attention, the target is appearing!"

Everyone's gaze instantly focused on the palace ceremonial platform.

They saw the heavy curtains behind the platform being drawn aside, and a figure slowly walked out.

It was a red-haired girl who looked only about fifteen or sixteen years old. She wore a luxurious purple gown that trailed on the ground, with a white high crown symbolizing royal authority on her head.

It was Princess Sara of Roran.

On her left and right stood two humanoid combat puppets more exquisitely crafted than the ones from before, like the most loyal guards.

Guarded by the puppets, Sara slowly walked to the edge of the ceremonial platform railing.

She took a deep breath, trying to appear composed, then raised her arm and waved gently towards the massive, cheering crowd below in the square.

"Queen Sara!"

"Queen Sara!"

"Queen Sara—!!"

The cheers below instantly reached a crescendo, rising and falling, roaring to the heavens as if the entire city of Roran was boiling over for the birth of the new queen.

However, right at this moment of universal celebration, something unexpected happened!

The ceremonial platform beneath Sara's feet suddenly collapsed in one spot!

And it was exactly where she was standing!

"Ah—!" Sara let out a short, sharp scream, instantly losing her balance and plummeting straight down from the ceremonial platform over a hundred meters high!

The purple hem of her gown spread out in the air like withering petals.

"Not good!" Minato and the others all tensed up simultaneously.

'It happened after all!'

'Anrokuzan had made his move!'

"Leave it to me!"

Almost the instant Sara fell, Naruto shot out from the balcony like lightning!

Relying on incredible explosive power and the instinct to save someone, he charged directly towards the falling Sara!

Naruto adjusted his posture mid-air, spread his arms, and caught the falling Sara precisely in a standard princess carry!

The huge impact force made him grunt, but he clenched his teeth, exerting strength from his core and arms simultaneously, forcefully stabilizing his form.

Then, he pushed off hard with both feet against the rough wall of a nearby high tower!

Thump!

A circle of cracks appeared on the wall. Using the recoil to change direction, Naruto, holding the terrified Sara, glided like a large bird towards a verdant park area on the other side of the square, away from the palace.

"Follow! Protect the target!" Minato ordered in a low voice. He, Choza, and Shibi immediately followed, catching up to Naruto in a few flickers and landing together on the relatively open grass in the center of the park.

As soon as Naruto steadied himself holding Sara, before he could even catch his breath, he looked down at the girl in his arms and just said, "It's okay, you're safe..."

"Yah—!!!"

The terrified Sara suddenly snapped back to reality. The sight that met her eyes was the face of an unfamiliar boy with whisker marks, and she was being held tightly by him!

Extreme fright, fear of strangers, and the panic from the fall all mixed together, making her react on instinct.

She screamed, swinging her arms like a windmill, slapping Naruto's cheeks left and right!

Slap! Slap! Slap!

Several crisp slapping sounds echoed through the park.

Clear red palm prints were left on both of Naruto's cheeks.

"Ow ow ow! That hurts, hurts!" Naruto, caught off guard by this sudden 'thanks', saw stars. His hands loosened, and Sara seized the chance to break free from his hold, staggering back a few steps and falling to the ground.

Naruto covered his face, shouting indignantly, "Hey! What are you doing?! I just saved your life! Even if you're not thankful, why are you hitting me?!"

Sara sat on the ground, panting. Looking at Naruto's pained, aggrieved expression, she realized she might have overreacted.

A flash of panic and apology crossed her face. She lowered her head and whispered, "I-I'm sorry... I was too scared... Th-thank you for saving me..."

Seeing her apology, Naruto's anger subsided mostly. Rubbing his face, he muttered, "Forget it, forget it. It's fine as long as you're okay."

He then remembered the earlier accident and asked curiously, "Oh, right, how did you fall from up there? Was the ceremonial platform not sturdy?"

Sara, upon hearing this, was taken aback. She looked up towards the tall palace ceremonial platform in the distance, a flash of lingering fear and confusion in her eyes. Recalling the feeling from earlier, she said uncertainly, "It felt like... someone... pushed me hard from behind..."

"What?!" Naruto immediately widened his eyes. "So it's true! Someone wants your life!"

But Sara seemed stung by this conclusion, shaking her head vehemently in rebuttal. "Impossible! I am the new queen of Roran! Did you see the people in the square just now? They were all cheering for my coronation! How could anyone want to harm me?!"

Just then, Minato, Choza, and Shibi landed around Naruto and Sara, forming a triangular formation that subtly protected Sara in the center.

Minato stepped forward, looking at Sara with a gentle yet serious gaze. He asked, "Princess Sara, it seems you are not fully aware of the true situation in Roran currently, is that right?"

Sara looked warily at these three strangers who had suddenly appeared, especially the forehead protectors on their heads.

She forced herself to stay calm and asked, "You... who are you? Why are you in Roran? Who sent you?"

Minato didn't answer directly. Instead, he took out the mission scroll from his pocket and handed it to Sara, saying in a calm tone, "We are Ninjas from Konoha. About a week ago, your mother, the former Queen of Roran, secretly sent someone to Konoha to issue this mission commission."

"The content of the commission was to request we escort you to Konoha Village for political asylum. The commission letter clearly mentioned a coup crisis within Roran and that your life was in danger."

Sara, half-believing, half-doubting, took the scroll, her fingers trembling slightly as she unrolled it.

When she saw the familiar handwriting belonging to her mother on the scroll and the official mission seal of Konoha, her pupils contracted sharply.

She read line by line, the worry, helplessness, and plea her mother conveyed between the words, her voice unconsciously choking up. "This... this is indeed my mother's handwriting... But... why... How could there be a coup crisis in Roran?"

Her words were filled with confusion and unwillingness to believe.