Naruto quickly made his way back to the Umbrella Organization, heading straight for the experimental wing. Inside, he found Orochimaru deeply engrossed in his latest research—this time concerning the Star of Hoshigakure.
Tsunade's recent breakthroughs with the Hashirama Cells had freed Orochimaru from some responsibilities. Now, his attention shifted toward mysteries he had yet to unravel—and the Star was a perfect subject. In his view, its true potential was far from fully explored.
Seeing Naruto rush inside, Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed in curiosity.
"Naruto-kun… has something happened?"
Naruto didn't waste a second.
"Yes. I need the Star to complete the construction of Sky City."
"The Sky City Project…" Orochimaru hissed thoughtfully. He had heard whispers of this grand plan—one of Umbrella's top-secret developments.
By now, Orochimaru was privy to most of the organization's inner workings. In truth, even if he wanted to leave, the current state of the Shinobi World made that unrealistic. Beyond that, the feeling of being supported—having an entire network supply resources to fuel his ambitions—was intoxicating.
Yes, Orochimaru still had the Sound Village. But its scale, manpower, and research capabilities could never rival a colossal entity like Umbrella.
Once upon a time, he worked alone with only a handful of assistants. But Naruto had gathered experts from every discipline—scientists who initially knew nothing of chakra, but whom he trained personally so they could conduct more effective experiments.
Even so, Orochimaru remained one of the foremost authorities in biological research—especially in genetics—while Tsunade leaned toward medical sciences.
Naruto wasted little time explaining his situation. Orochimaru's expression shifted instantly—interest flaring in his eyes.
He spoke without hesitation:
"I'll accompany you to the Dragon Veins."
He had learned the basics of the Sky City Project before, but now he would witness its execution firsthand. He had already traveled to Rōran with Naruto once—now they would finally tap into the power hidden beneath it.
"In that case… let us depart."
Naruto nodded and grabbed hold of Orochimaru as he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, teleporting them instantly to Rōran.
Shisui noticed their arrival, his expression brightening for a moment. Orochimaru allowed himself a subtle, eager smile.
Shisui greeted him politely, "I didn't expect Orochimaru-sama to be interested in the Dragon Veins as well."
Orochimaru chuckled lightly.
"Shisui-kun, you always see through people so clearly. You must already know what kind of man I am."
Naruto didn't join their exchange. He strode directly toward the sealed Dragon Veins.
With intricate hand seals, he released the protective barrier—and a massive surge of chakra erupted skyward, wildly shaking the ground beneath them.
At once, Naruto produced the Star, channeling the raging power of the Dragon Veins into it. However, the Dragon Veins possessed a will of its own. A fierce resistance pushed back against him.
Naruto's expression hardened. Layer after layer of sealing formula burst to life at his feet, extending across the cavern walls. Slowly, the Dragon Veins' furious chakra began to calm.
As the Star absorbed more and more energy, Naruto felt excitement rush through him.
It worked.
The Star could serve as a viable container for the Dragon Veins.
Sealing this power was infinitely more complex than subduing a Tailed Beast—yet one by one, every obstacle fell. Under Naruto's unshakeable mastery of sealing techniques, the mighty Dragon Veins were successfully bound.
The overwhelming power of the Dragon Veins was now fully sealed within the Star. What once looked like an ordinary meteorite had transformed—gleaming pure white and vastly larger than before.
Naruto could feel the immense energy thrumming inside it—thousands of years of chakra and natural energy fused together into a single core.
The turbulent winds and chakra finally calmed. Orochimaru approached, eyes glittering with curiosity as he examined the transformed Star. At this point, "Star" didn't seem fitting anymore.
Dragon Veins Core—that was what it had truly become.
Naruto glanced at him sharply.
"Don't get any ideas. This Dragon Veins Core is essential for the Sky City Project."
He then turned toward Shisui.
"I'll leave it in your care."
Naruto placed the core carefully in Shisui's hands—despite knowing full well the thing could probably withstand a direct smash from a boulder.
Orochimaru couldn't quite hide his disappointment, but he knew better than to argue. The Sky City Project was the heart of the Umbrella Organization's future.
"Let's go, Shisui. Show us Sky City."
"Please, follow me," Shisui said, his expression steadfast yet proud.
He led them toward a specially constructed spatial transit point—one even Naruto hadn't known about until now. It could only be activated through unique chakra authorization—matching identity as precisely as genetic markers.
The portal activated in a flash of light—and the three vanished.
They reappeared within a brilliant radiance, so intense they had to blink several times before their eyes adjusted.
Clouds drifted beneath their feet.
It felt like standing inside a divine realm.
A grand steel city stretched across the sky, suspended far above the ninja world. Though much smaller than Konoha for now, it pulsed with modern power—an advanced stronghold decades ahead of anything the world had ever seen.
Naruto sensed the presence of hundreds of elite shinobi stationed here—alongside countless engineers, researchers, and construction crews working tirelessly.
This was the future.
A fortress in the heavens.
A feeling of pride surged in Naruto's chest—tinged with a strange sense of awe. Even he had never set foot here before now, having left much of its development in Shisui's hands.
A squad rushed forward to greet them. The excitement in their faces when they saw Naruto warmed him more than he expected. Shisui had clearly built up his reputation here.
Naruto gave a small nod in acknowledgment—and they straightened with zeal.
Shisui stepped forward, unable to fully hide his enthusiasm.
"Welcome to our war fortress—Sky City."
"This is our future headquarters. Half of our research divisions have already been relocated here."
He pointed outward, toward each horizon.
"North, south, east, and west—we've installed the latest chakra orbital cannons. They can strike any surface location in the ninja world… even the moon, if necessary."
"Based on your combat power index standards, the firepower already reaches Super Kage-level. A single blast could level a small town."
He then gestured toward the massive structure at the city's center.
"That is the Lord's Manor. Around it, we've built specialized research complexes, each protected by multiple layers of barriers. But it would be far better if you—Naruto—could reinforce the defenses personally."
Finally, Shisui placed a hand over his heart.
"To build all this, I quietly mobilized two hundred thousand workers. We pushed the limits to reach what you see now."
His excitement was visible—an achievement he could finally display proudly.
Naruto nodded, deeply satisfied.
Shisui had exceeded expectations.
Sky City wasn't just a dream anymore.
It was real. It was powerful.
It was the Umbrella Organization's future.
...
TN:
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