Naruto, my father's name is Uchiha Madara.

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The astute Minato Namikaze had already deduced a surprising yet all-encompassing possibility.

Beneath the mask, he probably already wore a bitter smile.

He raised his hand and gently interrupted Naruto before he could speak.

His voice remained steady, but carried an indescribable complexity: "It seems that something unexpected has happened."

He paused, as if choosing his words carefully, and then slowly said, "However, it's best not to tell me about 'those' things."

Naruto desperately tried to explain, "But! Dad... I..."

He almost let something slip again.

"The continuity of spacetime is more fragile than we imagine."

Minato from this timeline spoke softly, his gaze seemingly able to pierce through the mask and see into Naruto's deepest desires.

"Once past perceptions are altered by future information, even a tiny thought can trigger unpredictable chain reactions."

"The future may gravitate toward a better direction, but it is also possible that... it could slide into an even worse abyss."

His tone became unusually serious: "In the absence of a predictable outcome, maintaining the 'current' trajectory may be the greatest responsibility we can take to the 'future'."

"The best course of action is to leave things as they are. Do you understand?"

Naruto stared blankly at the young father in front of him.

Listening to his calm and wise analysis, I felt a great sense of loss and bitterness.

But at the same time, a sense of understanding slowly began to emerge.

He understood his father's concerns and deeper meaning (regardless of the time or place).

He sniffed hard, forcing back the tears that were about to spill from his eyes, and finally nodded heavily, his voice a little hoarse: "Yes... I understand."

Minato, behind the fox mask, seemed to breathe a slight sigh of relief, and his eyes softened a little.

He reached out and gently patted Naruto's shoulder, a natural and warm gesture: "Let's go, let's get out of here first. This place won't be peaceful for long."

He didn't ask Naruto's name, nor did he pursue any further questions about the future.

That unspoken understanding that transcends time and space, along with a profound sense of responsibility, has already been silently established between the two.

Naruto glanced one last time in the direction of the underground factory, temporarily suppressing his worries and doubts, and followed the golden figure, disappearing into the desert night.

This brief encounter between fathers of this era is destined to become an unspeakable secret, hidden deep in their hearts.

Chapter 314 The Increasingly Bizarre Loulan

The desert night wind carries a chill, blowing across the dunes and swirling up fine grains of sand.

Naruto stood behind the sand dune, his heart still pounding from the harrowing experience in the underground factory and the sudden appearance of the person before him.

He stared blankly at the blond youth beside him, whose face bore a striking resemblance to his own, yet was more mature and resolute.

It appeared exceptionally clear under the moonlight.

Kushina: "Oh my! Minato is still so handsome!"

The husband standing nearby remarked, "Praising someone else in front of your own husband... Uh! That person seems to be myself!"

Nine-Tailed Fox chuckled mischievously from the side: "How does it feel to be cheated on by yourself?"

Minato didn't seem to pay much attention to Naruto's overly direct and complex gaze.

He quickly surveyed his surroundings and only breathed a slight sigh of relief after confirming that it was safe.

Turning to Naruto, his tone was gentle yet carried a hint of routine seriousness: "Are you alright? It was very dangerous down there just now."

"No...it's okay!"

Naruto snapped back to reality, shook his head frantically, his voice trembling with excitement.

Minato smiled slightly, a smile as warm as the sun, dispelling some of the chill of the night: "No need to be polite. As fellow ninjas of Konoha, it is only natural for us to help each other."

His gaze fell on Naruto's headband, a barely perceptible hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes.

However, Minato did not ask any questions. He carefully examined Naruto's face, especially his golden hair and blue eyes.

But he nodded in the end, not delving into the meaning of the name, and instead got to the point: "The place you just infiltrated is extremely dangerous. It's a highly classified underground area of ​​Loulan, heavily guarded."

At that moment, two other Konoha ANBU members wearing animal masks also quietly appeared behind Minato using the Body Flicker Technique.

One of the unusually tall and burly ninjas looked at Naruto, then at Minato, and said in a deep, gruff voice, "Hey, is it really okay to say this to these people of unknown origin?"

His tone carried the vigilance expected of someone in the secret service.

Minato remained calm, shook his head, and said confidently, "No problem."

His gaze returned to Naruto, his wise eyes seeming to see through many things: "Moreover, I believe his presence there was not accidental, but perhaps related to our mission objective."

He paused, then decided to reveal some information to Naruto, both as an explanation and a test: "We were ordered to come here to investigate Loulan. In fact, something unusual has been happening here for about three years."

"three years ago?"

Naruto's heart stirred, remembering that Sara had said the great changes in Loulan had also begun about three years ago.

Minato nodded solemnly: "According to limited intelligence, about three years ago, it seems that a person... or rather, a 'being', traveled here from... another time and space through the power of the Dragon Vein."

Naruto held his breath. Just as he thought!

Minato continued, "We still haven't been able to fully determine who this person is or where they come from."

"He (or she) is extremely mysterious and almost never appears in public."

"But he possesses knowledge and abilities that we cannot comprehend."

"It was under his (or her) guidance and assistance that Loulan's technology underwent a leapfrog and miraculous development in just three years."

"From a backward little country struggling to survive on the edge of the Land of Wind, it has become what it is today... a sight that is both amazing and unsettling."

Ding Zuo added from the side, his voice low: "Especially those mechanical puppet technologies, their development speed is abnormally fast."

"We suspect that the time traveler likely possessed technological knowledge far exceeding that of the current era."

Naruto was deeply moved.

Everything is connected!

That time traveler is very likely Orochimaru!

He used his knowledge of the future to bewitch the high-ranking officials of Loulan, and even supported a minister named An Lushan as a puppet, secretly developing military power here!

Looking at Naruto's ever-changing expression, Minato seemed to become even more certain of something.

But instead of pointing it out, he offered advice: "Alright, that's all the information we have for now."

"Your current status is special, so it's not advisable for you to act with us. It would be too risky to alert them. You should continue exploring within Loulan City, but be extremely careful."

He emphasized, "You should... know how to use the Flying Thunder God Technique, right?"

He could roughly guess what was going on based on Naruto's reaction when he rescued him.

Naruto paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously: "I know a little!"

Minato gave Naruto one of his Flying Thunder God kunai, saying, "This is my Flying Thunder God kunai. Different people use different Flying Thunder Gods. Keep this; I can help you if necessary."

"I understand!"

Naruto took the kunai, held it tightly in his hand, and felt the familiar chakra patterns on it, a warm current and power welling up in his heart.

This is a father's care and protection, even in this time and space, even though they cannot recognize each other yet.

"And what about you guys?" Naruto asked worriedly.

Minato put the tanuki mask back on his face, concealing his handsome features.

Only a pair of calm and determined blue eyes were visible: "We need to continue searching for clues on the outskirts, trying to pinpoint the true identity and exact hiding place of that mysterious time traveler."

"Please keep a close eye on the situation inside the city."

After saying that, Minato made a hand gesture to his two teammates.

The three of them vanished from the spot in an instant, like ghosts, leaving only faint footprints on the sand, which were quickly buried by the quicksand blown by the night wind.

Naruto stood still, took a deep breath of the cold air, and carefully put away his father's kunai.

Without further hesitation, he immediately used the Flying Thunder God Technique, sensing the mark he had left in the hidden corner near the guest room. With a flash of golden light, it also disappeared.

The next moment, he silently returned to the window of the guest room.

Inside the room, his shadow clone was lying on the bed pretending to be asleep, everything seemed normal.

Naruto deactivated his shadow clones, his memories returned, and he was somewhat relieved to find that no one had come to investigate him while he was away.

The sheer volume of information and the exhaustion from the battle left him feeling somewhat weary. He decided to rest for a while to recover his strength and chakra in preparation for tomorrow's challenges.

He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, his father's words echoing in his mind—

"The time traveler from three years ago"

"Rapidly developing technology"

"The Mysterious Minister An Lushan"

All of this points to a massive conspiracy. And he must uncover it.

The next morning, the sun shone brightly on Loulan once again.

Sara, just like yesterday, came to find Naruto with great enthusiasm, wanting to take him on another tour.

Naruto had something on his mind, but on the surface he still pretended to be curious and excited.

He followed Sarah, but his mind was already elsewhere.

In what appeared to be casual conversation, he deliberately steered the conversation toward the technology and development of Loulan.

"Sarah, the mechanical puppets of Loulan are amazing! Were they all invented by that minister An Lushan?" Naruto asked, feigning innocence.

Sarah, unsuspecting, beamed with admiration for the minister: "Minister An Lushan came to Loulan three years ago. He is like a guardian deity bestowed upon us by the dragon vein!"

"He brought so much amazing knowledge and technology! The Queen Mother trusts him completely!"

Naruto felt a chill run down his spine; the time had come.

He followed Sarah to the palace again to meet the Queen.