Year 50 of Konoha!
"Lingxiao, look! Minato... he really has become the Hokage!"
"Isn't it wonderful!"
Uzumaki Kushina excitedly pumped her fist. Her iconic red hair, hotter than flames, seemed to burn with a fire called "happiness" under the warm Konoha sun.
In her deep blue eyes, the reflection of the new face just beginning to take shape on the Hokage Rock in the distance was visible.
The face of her beloved was about to be forever carved into the peak of the Village.
Joy, like honey about to overflow, was so sweet that every cell in her body seemed to be bubbling.
Gu Lingxiao stood half a step behind her, wearing a standard Jonin vest and a plain white mask that revealed only a pair of calm, dark eyes.
He felt like an old computer being forcibly turned on; unfamiliar memories and data flooded in as his soul underwent a glitchy fusion with this body named "Gu Lingxiao."
Konoha, Hokage, Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, Uzumaki Kushina...
These 2D characters were now washing over his newly awakened memories of his past life in an incredibly real way.
Had he transmigrated?
No, he had awakened the memories of his past life!
He had come to this Ninja World, which appeared bright and brilliant on the surface but was already rotting to the core within.
And his identity was the personal bodyguard of the Fourth Hokage's wife and Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Kushina.
A high-risk profession, the ultimate cannon fodder for the Nine-Tails Incident.
"Yes, Kushina-sama."
"Starting today, under Minato-sama's leadership, our Konoha will surely become even more prosperous!"
"No other Village will dare to look down on us anymore!"
Beside Kushina, another Jonin also responsible for her protection spoke with a fanaticism born of shared glory, his gaze toward the Hokage Rock filled with blatant admiration.
Kushina's smile grew even brighter. She turned back to look at the silent Gu Lingxiao, wanting to get some validation from him as well.
"Lingxiao, you think so too, right?"
[Think what?]
[Just a puppet Hokage pushed to the front by the higher-ups. What's there to be so happy about? Real power is still in the hands of old fossils like the Third Hokage and Danzo.]
[Heh, still too young.]
A few cold and mocking words exploded in Uzumaki Kushina's mind without warning.
"!"
The smile on Kushina's face froze slightly. She instinctively looked around, her eyes full of confusion.
Who? Who was speaking?
But there was no one else around except for her and the bodyguards.
Moreover, that voice... it seemed to ring out directly from inside her head.
Was it Genjutsu? She quietly gathered her Chakra but found nothing unusual.
Her gaze finally landed on the silent-as-iron Gu Lingxiao behind her with a hint of uncertainty.
He had a tall and straight build, his silver hair tied back and shining in the sun. Even through the Jonin vest, one could see his extraordinary posture.
Because of this, the white mask that was supposed to hide his identity and look plain now seemed like the most conspicuous disguise to Kushina, exuding a heart-palpitating eeriness that was completely at odds with his dignified aura.
Was... was it his voice?
But he hadn't opened his mouth at all!
This was... inner thoughts? I can hear his inner thoughts?!
[Hmm? Why is she looking at me? Am I wrong?]
Another thought came through, confirming Kushina's suspicion.
Boom—!
As if a thunderclap had exploded in her mind, Kushina felt her heart being violently squeezed.
She could actually hear his inner thoughts... then...
Puppet Hokage?
Minato... is a puppet?
A puppet... pushed to the front by the Third Hokage and the higher-ups?
This term made her more angry and flustered than any curse.
She had watched Minato's journey and knew how much he had sacrificed for the position of Hokage! Those were military achievements and glory earned with his life!
How could he be a puppet!
"You..."
Kushina's lips trembled. An uncontrollable rage surged in her heart. She wanted to interrogate him, to make him explain himself, to make him pay for insulting Minato!
Kushina's lips trembled, an uncontrollable rage surging in her heart.
She stared intently at Gu Lingxiao's mask and took half a step forward, her voice suppressed with anger as she was about to demand: "You just..."
However, just as she uttered those three words, a terrifying pressure originating from the depths of her soul, enough to instantly turn her to ashes, tightly choked her throat!
It felt as if a pair of invisible hands had seized her heart, and a supreme rule in the shadows was warning her: Do not speak, do not ask, do not reveal to anyone that you heard his "inner thoughts"! Otherwise, die!
[Hmm? What's with this woman's reaction? Her face suddenly looks so pale...]
[An outsider Jinchuriki and a commoner-born genius—without the support of the Hokage faction, how could he have reached this position? It's a pity she still naively believes it's all pure love and glory.]
Gu Lingxiao muttered to himself, completely unaware that his inner thoughts, which were enough to cause a magnitude 12 earthquake in Konoha, had been heard loud and clear by the subject.
He was feeling quite annoyed right now.
Starting on Hell difficulty, being Kushina's bodyguard was equivalent to standing at the epicenter of the Nine-Tails Incident.
With his current bottom-tier Jonin strength, never mind saving anyone, surviving three seconds longer than a random extra would be a miracle from the system.
I must find a way to become stronger!
Just then, a cold mechanical voice rang out in his mind.
[Ding! Detected that the host's soul has completely stabilized; past life memory activation complete.]
[God-level Check-in System officially bound!]
[This system is dedicated to assisting the host in reaching the peak of the Ninja World, uncovering all hypocrisy, and mastering all truths!]
[The host can Check-in at any location or near any person that contains special energy or possesses special significance. The first Check-in can trigger a critical hit reward!]
[Detected that current conditions meet the first Check-in criteria. Location: Konoha Village. Character: Nine-Tails Jinchuriki · Uzumaki Kushina. Perform Check-in?]
It's here! The essential cheat for transmigrators!
A wave of wild joy surged in Gu Lingxiao's heart as he suppressed his excitement.
With a system, everything would be much easier!
Just survive? That's too small-minded! What he wanted was more!
"Lingxiao!" The Jonin "Goshawk" next to him, who admired the Fourth Hokage, immediately frowned and scolded in a low voice, "Kushina-sama is feeling unwell. As a bodyguard, why are you so distracted? The Hokage-sama has entrusted Kushina-sama's safety to us. Is this how you respond to his trust?!"
Goshawk's tone was full of superior condescension. In his view, a guy like Gu Lingxiao with no background was purely lucky to get such a plum job.
Beneath his mask, the corner of Gu Lingxiao's mouth curled into a cold smile that no one noticed.
[Hilarious. Being a dog for a puppet Hokage and actually feeling superior about it?]
[Minato Namikaze himself is caught in a web he can't escape. What trust is there to speak of? This blind loyalty... his brain is comparable to a Ninja hound's.]
Even more vicious complaints crashed into Kushina's mind, word for word.
Her body swayed, and she almost couldn't stay on her feet.
On one hand, her beloved husband was being wantonly slandered as a "puppet," making her so angry she wanted to tear Gu Lingxiao's mouth apart immediately.
But on the other hand, the unease in her heart was growing wildly like vines, strangling her until she could barely breathe.
This man... who exactly was he? Why did he think this way? What right did he have to say such things?
What did he know?
She didn't know.
She only knew that the man in front of her was hiding secrets she had to dig out!
Words could lie, but inner thoughts would not!
"I'm fine, Goshawk."
Kushina took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the stormy waves in her heart. Her voice carried a hint of subtle hoarseness.
"I'm just... a little tired."
She waved her hand. "You all may leave for now. Just having Lingxiao accompany me is enough."
"But, Kushina-sama..."
Goshawk wanted to say more, but Kushina swept a cold glance over him, and he instantly shut his mouth.
Goshawk could only glare at Gu Lingxiao unwillingly before leaving with the other bodyguard using the Body Flicker Technique.
For a moment, only Gu Lingxiao and the distraught Kushina remained on this sun-drenched path.
[Check-in!]
Gu Lingxiao muttered in his heart.
[Ding! Successfully checked in beside "Nine-Tails Jinchuriki · Uzumaki Kushina"! First Check-in reward critical hit!]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining the reward: Healing Body!]
[Healing Body: The host's body has been reshaped, possessing extraordinary self-healing abilities and immense vitality. The blood contains life force, which can accelerate wound healing; the essence blood is the essence of life and can save someone from the brink of death (only one drop can be condensed per year). At the same time, due to the continuous dissipation of life energy, a unique life field will form around the host, which can subtly soothe the emotions of living beings and relieve mental fatigue. This effect is particularly significant for those with keen perception (such as practitioners of Senjutsu or Jinchuriki).]
Boom!
A warm and majestic wave of life energy instantly erupted from Gu Lingxiao's limbs and bones! He felt every cell in his body cheering, filled with an unprecedented sense of power.
At the same time, a faint scent, like fresh grass after rain mixed with sunlight, quietly drifted from him and into Kushina's nose.
Kushina, who was feeling distracted and uneasy, smelled this strange fragrance, and her racing heart actually calmed down somewhat for some reason.
She furrowed her brows in confusion and looked at the masked man beside her, her gaze becoming increasingly complex.
The secrets he carried were... far more than she had imagined!