Kushina's body stiffened slightly.
"Lord Third..."
She recalled Gu Lingxiao's cold evaluation: "A puppet Hokage pushed to the forefront by the higher-ups; real power is still held by those old guys, the Third and Danzo."
Her heart sank, little by little.
She remained silent for a moment, trying to make her voice sound normal, and asked tentatively: "Minato... then, what about Danzo? And his 'Root', how do you plan to deal with them?"
She waited nervously for Minato's answer. This was her last hope. As long as Minato was wary of Danzo and Root, it meant he wasn't a "puppet" and had his own judgment!
Minato chuckled upon hearing this and replied in a relaxed tone: "That? I asked Lord Third about that too."
Lord Third again!
Kushina's heart felt like it was being gripped by an invisible hand.
"The Third said that although Danzo's methods are a bit extreme, the 'Root' he created is a 'necessary evil' that silently protects Konoha in the darkness. There must be shadows beneath the light. As Hokage, I must understand and trust everything he does for the Village."
Minato's voice remained gentle, full of expectations for the future: "So, I will respect Lord Danzo's work. I believe we are all doing this for the good of Konoha."
Boom—
Kushina's mind went blank.
His words, his sunny smile, his gaze full of trust—they perfectly overlapped with the "brainwashed" and "naive" image of him in Gu Lingxiao's mind at this moment.
Her last hope was shattered.
So... it was all true.
Her husband, the Fourth Hokage of Konoha, the hero revered by all, was really... just a puppet kept in the dark.
A bone-chilling cold rushed from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. Kushina felt her world collapsing, inch by inch.
"I... I understand." She heard her own voice ring out dryly, "You've been tired all day, go take a bath and get some rest."
"Alright." Minato didn't notice her abnormality, kissed her cheek, and turned to walk toward the bathroom.
Watching Minato's disappearing back, Kushina felt all the strength drain from her body.
[Strange, why is there no movement inside? I don't know why Kushina's emotions are fluctuating so violently, but her mental state must be terrible. I hope nothing happens...]
Gu Lingxiao waited outside the door, muttering to himself.
Out of caution, he gathered a trace of Chakra at his ears, listening carefully to the movement inside the room.
Sure enough, he caught the sound of extremely suppressed and chaotic breathing, followed by the faint sound of wind caused by a loss of balance!
[Not good!]
The huge shock left her unsettled, with black spots dancing before her eyes.
She wanted to get up to pour a glass of water, but as soon as she stood up, her legs went weak, she lost her balance, and fell heavily toward the coffee table beside her!
"Careful!"
At that critical moment, the door was slammed open with a "bang"!
A silver figure rushed in like an arrow released from a bow. The moment Kushina was about to hit the corner of the table, he lunged forward, stretched out a powerful arm, and steadily supported her crumbling body from behind.
It was Gu Lingxiao!
His palm, separated by the thin fabric, gripped her arm.
At the very moment of contact, a majestic, warm energy full of life force surged from his palm into Kushina's body!
This energy was like the warmest sunshine in winter, instantly dispelling the fatigue and dizziness in her body. It was even more like holy light, shining into the depths of her heart, which had been accumulating gloomy emotions for years due to her status as a Jinchuriki.
The restlessness, unease, and coldness accumulated over the years due to the Nine-Tailed Chakra were washed away by this power. While not completely eradicated, they were strongly suppressed and smoothed out, allowing her to experience a long-lost, soul-deep tranquility and peace.
Her body and her spirit received unprecedented comfort and healing.
This... what kind of power is this?
It was nearly a miracle!
Kushina widened her eyes in shock, subconsciously wanting to turn back to look at this man, to feel the source of this incredible power.
However, before she could move, Gu Lingxiao's inner voice exploded in her mind!
[My goodness, did she calculate that I would be guarding outside and throw herself into my arms voluntarily?]
[Hehe, well, I won't be polite then! I can feel the amazing elasticity even through the clothes... This waist, this touch... tsk tsk, what kind of fortune did that kid Minato Namikaze cultivate over several lifetimes!]
[I'm definitely taking advantage of this today!]
On one side was a holy, warm current that washed the soul like a gift from the gods.
On the other side was a lewd inner monologue like that of a street thug.
These two extreme and distorted feelings collided violently in Kushina's body and mind at the same time, forming a sharp contrast strong enough to drive her insane!
"Boom!"
A scorching hot current, even more intense than the one caused by anger just moments ago, rushed from her heart to her limbs, finally gathering on her cheeks.
Her face turned as red as if it were about to drip blood.
Shame, anger, and a trace of instinctive physical dependence after being soothed by that warm energy... all sorts of complex emotions intertwined, making her almost go crazy!
This bastard!
This scum in human skin!
He used power like a god, yet his mind was filled with the most vulgar and shameless thoughts!
"Get away!"
Kushina finally broke free from the contradictory vortex. She jerked her arm away, using all her strength to break free from Gu Lingxiao's embrace, and stumbled back several steps as if dodging a plague.
"Who told you to come in!" Her azure eyes burned with two raging flames of anger, glaring at him fixedly, her voice trembling violently with shame and indignation.
Gu Lingxiao's reaction was astonishingly fast. The moment he was shaken off, he immediately took a step back, knelt on one knee, lowered his head slightly, and replied respectfully in a flawless, apologetic tone:
"A thousand apologies, Lady Kushina! My subordinate heard the noise in the room from outside and was worried about your safety. I overstepped the rules and barged in out of desperation! Please punish me!"
His posture was humble to the extreme, and his tone was so sincere that no one could pick a fault with it, as if he were truly a loyal guard concerned for his master.
But looking at him, Kushina only felt a wave of nausea.
Just then, a cold mechanical voice, audible only to Gu Lingxiao, sounded quietly in his mind.
[Ding! Detected that the host has made physical contact with the check-in target "Uzumaki Kushina". Unlocked an extra new check-in mode: In-depth Check-in]
[In-depth Check-in: The host can obtain a random talent, Bloodline Limit, Ninjutsu, or bloodline from the target by engaging in deeper contact.]
[(System prompt: Please interpret what "in-depth" means for yourself.)]
Gu Lingxiao knelt on the ground, the corners of his mouth under the mask couldn't help but curl up slightly.
[Oh ho? There's such a good thing? In-depth check-in? Sounds like there's a lot to be done here...]
[Obtain talent, Bloodline Limit... Isn't the most valuable thing about Kushina her Uzumaki Clan Sage Body, massive Chakra, and that masterful Adamantine Sealing Chains? If I could check those in...]
[However, this 'in-depth'... exactly how deep does it need to be? Could it be... what I'm thinking? Hehehehe...]
"In-depth?"
"What he's thinking?"