Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 362 "The Crowd"

The crowd's outrage subsided with Naruto's sudden arrival. This clone had been following them at a respectable distance, and seemed somewhat pleased when he realized there were other living people around. However, the Queen was also a victim in some way; she couldn't die unjustly before the culprit was brought to justice.

"Could you please turn on a light, or perhaps we could talk in a brighter place?"

Naruto's appearance was so sudden that even his utmost friendliness startled the other person, who covered their head and screamed, "Don't kill me!" When the lights were actually turned on, he realized it was understandable, because the people standing opposite him were all women and children—the kind of people who are easily frightened.

I should have just opened the door and come in.

Fortunately, among the trembling crowd, there were two relatively brave individuals. One was named Masako, and the other was her child, Salai. Ms. Masako calmly apologized to the Queen and then reiterated their demands.

“Our family members have all been taken away. We have no other choice but to come and beg you.”

Facts always speak louder than words, and there's no better way to persuade someone than by presenting evidence. Considering that this group consisted mostly of women and children, making movement difficult, having them wait where they were might be the best option. Naruto left a Flying Thunder God mark in the room, instructing them to wait there, and then set off alone with Masako.

Masako's child, Salai, wanted to come along, but Naruto wasn't sure how risky the trip was, so how could he allow a child to take such a dangerous risk? He firmly refused.

By the time the two sides reached an agreement, it was already dusk. Adding the time spent hastily eating to replenish their strength and traversing the various tunnels, by the time they returned to the surface, it was completely dark. The outside world felt somewhat disconnected; the square was brightly lit and bustling with activity, while the area outside was deathly silent and shrouded in darkness.

"How beautiful!" Sarah, though queen, was still a young girl in the prime of her life. Dazzled by the colorful lights, she didn't notice anything amiss. "Watching the grand parade here is especially beautiful."

Naruto sighed silently to the side. He even saw a tiny bit of his former self in the girl. Is it a common problem for children to be easily deceived by appearances?

Sarah, oblivious to the fact that An Lushan had arranged this grand parade, said, “It was organized by An Lushan and his people to encourage me, who was deeply saddened by the sudden death of my mother.”

Naruto caught a glimpse of Masako, who seemed to want to say something but hesitated, and finally decided to take on the role of the villain himself.

“Sara, why don’t you take a couple of steps forward and go into the crowd?” Naruto knew this decision was cruel, but it had to be made. “Didn’t your people just tell you that their families were taken away? Those people couldn’t have been kidnapped to participate in the parade, could they?”

At this moment, Masako mustered her courage and said, "I am very sorry, Your Majesty, but our families were taken away one morning. I heard it was Lady Sara who gave the order..."

“Don’t lie, I didn’t give such an order!” Sarah’s tone became stern without her realizing it; she still couldn’t bring herself to doubt the minister who had been her life partner for six years.

Naruto sighed for real this time. He raised his hand and gently slashed, and a wind blade silently passed over the heads of the "crowd." The "crowd" suddenly lost their ability to stand upright and collapsed in droves, creating a particularly eerie scene.

"Step forward, Your Majesty. This is something you should have done long ago. How can you hear the voices of the people if you stand so far away from them?"

Sara was so shocked she could barely stand; those few steps seemed to crush her. But no one came to her aid, neither her people nor Naruto, who had rescued her from danger.

Naruto did this on purpose.

He knew exactly how chaotic the world had become twenty years ago, and he knew that Loulan was now a ruin. Undoubtedly, the power of the dragon vein had finally subsided, and he didn't want to speculate on the worst-case scenario regarding the lives of the people here. If someone had to lead the people out of the chaos, Sara, with her protective heart, was a good choice. The question was how she would traverse this beautiful, illusory dream and step into the real world.

Sarah started walking, her steps quickening until she stopped when she saw the rows of human figures lying on the ground. What did she see? A group of puppets dressed as human beings, lying down silently, while those standing mechanically waved their arms and opened and closed their jaws, "enthusiastically" "cheering".

There are no subjects here, only puppets.

As the ceremonial music began, the three looked up. The tower, a symbol of supreme power, opened its doors and released a puppet dressed in the queen's attire. As Sarah often did, it raised its hands to welcome the cheers of its "subjects."

This is no country of men; it is a paradise for puppets.

Sarah finally couldn't take it anymore. She rushed into the group of puppets and was soon overwhelmed by the "crowd".

"Your Majesty!" It wasn't Naruto who was the first to panic, but Miss Masako. She almost chased after him, but stopped when she saw Naruto standing still. "Aren't you the Queen's guard? Are you just going to watch her run off alone?"

Little did she know, for safety's sake, after recalling the first batch of shadow clones, the main body released another batch, specifically to protect the Queen and escort the people away. While it appeared there was only one Naruto in the plaza, people were actually positioned in every direction, ensuring they wouldn't be in any danger.

He wasn't worried about Sarah's safety; he was more curious about something else: "Miss Masako, do you still believe in the current Queen?"

Masako's expression changed slightly, with wariness and suspicion taking over. Naruto knew his question was somewhat offensive, so to allay Masako's concerns, he casually remarked, "Allowing ministers to harm the people and ruining such a beautiful place as Loulan like this, she doesn't seem like a competent queen at all..."

“That’s because Her Majesty the Queen was deceived!” Masako retorted emotionally, then added earnestly, “Everything Loulan has now was brought to us by the previous Queen. She left too early, leaving behind the young prince who was still too young to understand. It’s not her fault.”

Naruto was silent for a moment, then asked, "Do the people who follow you think the same way?"

“I don’t know, but no one has any intention of harming His Majesty. I am also a mother, and I absolutely do not want my child to be bullied by the people I have helped after I leave.”

Meeting those resolute eyes, Naruto knew he had worried unnecessarily. The blessings of his predecessors could indeed protect their descendants, and the people still held a certain degree of tolerance for their leader.

Sarah should be able to seize this opportunity, right?