The Lost Tower (Part 2)

They found the princess, and a mob surrounded her.

"If you wish to kill me, have the courage to leave the shadows and do it." She said.

"Return them." One of them said.

'She's probably the leader.'

"Naruto, it's best if we stick to the shadows for a while.

We need to find out what's going on, they don't look like shinobis, just regular people, we can take them out before they lay a hand on her."

He nodded.

"If you don't, who knows what will happen to you?"

They raised their pitchforks to intimidate her.

"Let's go." Ryuu and Naruto teleported in front of the queen.

"Get away from her!" Naruto said as he took out his chakra blade.

"I know you're all not bad people, but if you touch her, I will burn you all into absolute nothing."

Ryuu said as he activated his Sharingan.

"Please don't kill me, I don't want to die!" One of them said he had covered his face, but from his voice, you could tell he was just a child.

"Don't worry, as I said, I know you're all not bad people, so there's no need to fear me or my friend here, but if you dare harm the girl you'll force my hand."

They switched on the light.

"Who the heck are you guys?"

Naruto asked.

The person who was afraid to die stepped forward and unmasked, turns out he was just a kid.

"My name is Sarai."

"And my name is Masako, I'm sorry, please forgive us."

The leader bowed, she was a woman probably as old as Minato.

"We just wanted Queen Sara to hear our plea, and we couldn't get her to talk to us."

'We left the room and went outside through the sewer, they insisted because they didn't want to get caught.

We went into the streets where the people were still celebrating, but the thing is, they were all puppets and the Queen didn't know it, maybe I should tell her.'

"How beautiful!"

"Huh? I think you're missing the-"

She interrupted Naruto.

"It's so beautiful to see the town from here." She said to Naruto.

"A while ago, Anrokuzan started this celebration in my honor, I was still grieving over the sudden loss of my mother so he and my people tried to cheer me up." She said.

"You know that's kinda funny."

She glanced at Sarai.

"And what is so funny about that?"

She frustratedly asked.

"All of your people just make fun of you and call you the puppet princess."

Sarai's words took her by surprise.

"What? Why would they call me that?"

Masako grabbed Sarai by the ear.

"Hush now, not another word from you."

"OK." He said as he closed his eyes stubbornly.

"Please, you have to forgive Sarai, your majesty, but still, I don't blame him for speaking what's on his mind.

All of us have had close family members taken away from us, and all because of the orders you gave." She said.

"Wait, is that true?" Naruto asked.

"No, it's a lie, I would've never given such an order!" She said.

"Masako isn't lying to you! I know it's happening cause my brother and dad were taken."

Sarai said, as he frowned and remembered them.

"It's rumored that somewhere in our land, the captured people are being used to manufacture weapons, so we have no choice but to make a direct appeal to you."

"My dad said the same thing."

Naruto added.

"So? it's still a lie! If what they were saying was true, then why would all my people be so happy and continue to cheer me on like they do?"

"Enough! I've allowed you to take your time and try to listen and reason with us but you won't listen, nobody here is happy to see you, they're all puppets, I wanted you to find out for yourself but you kept on refusing to listen, and now you dare call my friend a liar in front of me!"

Ryuu said as he entered Phoenix Flame.

"Big brother, calm down!"

Ryuu burned all the chakra threads connecting them and everyone celebrating fell.

"What?" She was stunned.

"Naruto, show her." He nodded and directed chakra to the puppet, it revealed strings that were connected to a pipe.

"See those chakras threads coming out of that pipe out there?" Naruto asked.

"Energy from the ley line flows through that pipe to bring power to the entire city."

She said,

"So that pipe must be where the chakra is delivered from, it's powering all of the puppets," Naruto added.

'Looking at Naruto and it seems he also thought the same thing.'

The music started playing louder and three more puppets came from above.

They all looked like the princess and her guards, she was waving to the dead crowd of puppets.

"What is that?" She asked.

"You already know what it is, puppets your friend Anrokuzan has made puppets of you." Ryuu coldly replied.

"No, I don't believe it! He would never do such a thing!"

She ran off.

"We can't let her go, let's try to convince her!" Naruto said as he ran after her.

They found her in an alleyway, singing a song.

"You were singing that song the first time I saw you," Naruto said.

"I remember how my mother used to sing it to me all the time.

It was Anrokuzan who convinced my mother to use the power of the ley line for the good of all our people.

Through my mother's ability to control the ley line, and Anrokuzan's engineering skills, Roran was transformed into a city of a thousand towers in practically no time.

But then my mother died before all our hopes for our city could be realized, when my mother died, I had no one left besides Anrokuzan."

"Even though I have my father now, he wasn't always there, he got hurt badly and for most of my childhood, he wasn't there.

My mother died right after I was born, and the only person who was always there for me all this time was Ryuu."

Ryuu's eyes widened.

"Kushina…" he whispered.

"Ryuu raised me and taught me what it is to be a shinobi, even when everyone was against me.

Ryuu was always there for me.

He taught me to be a gutsy ninja, like my parents and pervy sage.

He told me tales of her, she also believed in never giving up no matter what's in your way! And I bet your mother left you something, too."

She nodded.

"Yes, she did." She stated.

Ryuu teleported away.

"Kushina, she's dead?!" Ryuu was panting and his blood was boiling.

"Cough!" Ryuu coughed out and held his chest.

He covered his mouth with his hand.

'When I looked at my hand, there was a mixture of blood and Ash and I could feel myself getting lightheaded and hotter.

This hasn't happened in so long.'

"But… That can't be, I must save Kushina, but how? Minato erases all memories after this mission. Then how will I remember to save her?"

He asked himself as he teleported back to Naruto.

"Oh, there you are, Sara was about to make a plan."

Ryuu frowned and nodded.

"As queen, I'm able to sense the power of the ley line, if I follow the power of that pipeline, maybe we'll learn something."

Ryuu nodded.

"Let's do it!" Naruto said.

Sara led the way.

"This exhaust pipe leads down to the central cord, which leads to the ley line."

"Don't worry, if we find your families, I'll rescue them."

Naruto said to Sarai and Masako.

They nodded, then Ryuu, Naruto, and Queen Sara climbed down the pipe.

'The place was full of steam and enclosed, leaving none of it outside, but I could hear a grinding sound and chains and I could sense people beneath us.'

"What is this?" She asked, she sounded horrified.

"I need you to get me down there, and quickly, Naruto." He nodded.

"Give me two Kunai," Ryuu said to Naruto.

"Here."

'I took his Kunai and activated my Sharingan, then I threw the first one and used the other one to deflect it, making it land on the platform.'

"Alright, now use flying Raijin to get there, and don't worry, I'll cover you both."

He nodded and teleported away with queen Sara.

Ryuu teleported to Naruto and watched as the queen took out the ley line.

She kneeled on the platform and enchanted some words.

Then purple energy formed through her hands.

She placed her hand on the platform, sending some strange power around.

'I saw it ripple surrounding the platform, she closed her eyes, and the pattern spread, revealing a new pattern that glowed on the floor.

It stopped glowing and became smaller and soon all the chakra flowing through the machines stopped and everything was off.'

They ran to her.

"There it's all shut down, the energy from the ley line flowing into the factory has ceased completely."

Ryuu nodded.

"Wait to go, Sara, ok, now is our chance."

As soon as Naruto said that, the ceiling above started pouring down some chakra threads and gave the puppets power and footsteps could be heard.

"That's Anrokuzan." She said.

He bowed as he entered.

"I stopped the flow of the ley line, I will not allow its power to be used for warfare!"

He remained silent as she shouted at him.

"As your queen, I order you to stop production of these puppet soldiers and to release these unfortunate citizens that you have captured and forced into labor!"

She said,

"I see… so you know that much of what I've been doing, well if that's the case, Sara, then I can't allow you to live."

Ryuu folded his fist.

"A puppet will be a good enough replacement for you, and besides, my army is already finished, I do not need the power of the ley line you cut out anymore."

From the fog, some puppets marched towards them.

"Go, and remember to take everyone with you, Sara."

Ryuu said as he took his sword out.

"What about you two?"

Naruto took out his chakra blade.

"We'll capture this idiot!"

Naruto said, and the Queen left them to take care of the captured.