XX-level Hokage

At lunchtime, Minato had already returned home. After confirming Mashiro's condition with Kushina, Minato knocked on Mashiro's door. "Izumi-san, lunch is ready."

Hearing Minato's voice, Mashiro got up from the bedside and pushed open the door.

After the New Year's Eve dinner, Minato said to Mashiro, "Izumi-san, you should rest well today. I'll take you to see the Hokage tomorrow." Mashiro nodded, indicating that she had no objections.

Just as the two were preparing to clear away the dishes, Mashiro suddenly spoke up: "Lord Minato, I'd like to look around Konoha this afternoon. Can Kushina come with me?"

Upon hearing this, Minato and Kushina exchanged a glance. After receiving a nod of approval from Kushina, Minato nodded and said, "That's right. You haven't visited Konoha yet. Let Kushina go with you this afternoon. You can also buy some things you need while you're at it."

"Thank you, Lord Minato, and Sister Kushina," Mashiro said obediently.

Looking at the well-behaved and adorable Mashiro, Kushina couldn't contain her affection. Who wouldn't love such a sweet and adorable little sister? "Izumi-chan is so cute," Kushina said, hugging and nuzzling against Mashiro.

Seeing that the two were getting along well, Minato smiled and continued clearing away the dishes. That afternoon, Kushina brought Mashiro to the streets of Konoha.

Mashiro observed her surroundings. Although the general framework remained the same, the scenery was quite different from what Mashiro remembered. "Kushina-neechan shouldn't be from the Land of Fire, right?" Mashiro suddenly said.

Kushina was taken aback by Mashiro's question, and then asked in return, "Why do you say that, Izumi-chan?"

"It's nothing. I just saw Kushina's bright red hair and couldn't help but think that she must be a member of the Uzumaki clan. As far as I know, there is no Uzumaki clan in Konoha," Mashiro said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Kushina was initially puzzled, but then, recalling Minato's words about the girl before her, she suddenly understood. She nodded and said softly, "Izumi guessed correctly. I am indeed not from the Land of Fire. I come from the Land of Whirlpools, from the Uzumaki clan. For certain reasons, I came to the Land of Fire, to Konoha."

"Does Kushina really like Konoha?" Mashiro asked.

"Yes, I like it very much. Although I suffered a lot at first because of my red hair, I met friends and a lover in Konoha. The bustling village eventually made me feel at ease," Kushina said slowly, touching her bright red hair.

Kushina herself didn't know why she was willing to talk to the girl in front of her like this; perhaps it was because the girl gave her a subtle sense of warmth and approachability.

If Mashiro knew what Kushina was thinking, he would definitely shake his head with a smile. Affability? Maybe, but what's more important is Mashiro's continuous use of "Illusion Art: Mind Words".

"Red hair, very pretty, suits you perfectly," Masashi said with a smile.

"Thank you, I think so too. It's just that when we were kids, apart from Minato, those guys didn't know how to appreciate it." Kushina smiled as she read the response.

"By the way, does Izumi-chan know any other people from the Land of Whirlpools?" Kushina asked curiously. "Minato should have told you that I came from the past, right?" Mashiro asked. Kushina nodded, though she had never really believed it.

“I once met the head of the Uzumaki clan, Uzumaki Kazuya, but back then there shouldn’t have been a Uzushiogakure or a Uzushiogakure village. Oh, and he had a grandson named Uzumaki Ashina,” Mashiro said with a smile.

Whirlpool, Ashina Uzumaki?!

Kushina remembered very clearly that he was the head of the Uzumaki clan and the village chief of Uzushiogakure. Kushina had met him once when she was a child.

If Izumi wasn't lying to her, then Izumi was practically an ancestor to her. "What's wrong, Kushina-neechan?" Mashiro asked, her eyes wide.

"No, it's nothing, Izumi. You can still call me Kushina." Just in case, Kushina decided to treat Izumi as an equal for now. Mashiro's lips curled into a meaningful smile.

What she just said was obviously false, but there was some truth in it. Uzumaki Kazuya was indeed the patriarch of the Uzumaki clan. She had met him when she was still a soul wandering around. However, in terms of seniority, Uzumaki Kazuya was not Uzumaki Ashina's grandfather, but at least his great-great-great-grandfather.

"Are Kushina and Minato a couple?" Mashiro asked.

“Yes, Minato is a very, very good person,” Kushina said with a happy expression. “Not married yet?” Mashiro asked.

"Not yet. Although the Third Shinobi World War has ended, it could break out again in the near future, so we plan to wait a while longer," Kushina said.

"I see. Well then, congratulations in advance," Mashiro said with a smile.

"Why don't you stay in Konoha? I'll send you a wedding invitation when I get married," Kushina said with a smile, linking her arm with Mashiro's.

Chatting with Izumi always gave her a very relaxing feeling, a comfortable feeling that made you unconsciously continue the conversation. Mashiro didn't respond to this.

"By the way, has Izumi ever been in a relationship? You sound like you're quite familiar with it," Kushina asked curiously. "I'd say I've been in one, maybe a dozen or so times," Mashiro said with a smile.

"Izumi really loves to joke." Kushina laughed at Mashiro's words and lightly punched him. "Oh dear, nobody believes the truth these days," Mashiro said helplessly.

“If it’s true, then Izumi has had more than a dozen boyfriends,” Kushina said with a smile.

"Pretty much," Mashiro said seriously. Even considering their past lives, this number was rather small, except that they weren't boyfriends, but girlfriends. Kushina still didn't take it seriously, thinking Mashiro was joking.

"So, how did Kushina and Minato get together?" Mashiro suddenly asked, changing the subject.

Mashiro's words made Kushina reminisce. She said softly, "When I first arrived at the Ninja Academy, I met Minato."

However, as a child at the time, I didn't have any good feelings towards Minato. In my opinion, he was a person who was neither trustworthy nor interesting.

When the teacher organized the students to talk about their dreams, I didn't want to be looked down upon and I wanted to leave a deep impression on my classmates, so I declared that I wanted to become the first female Hokage.

But my classmates weren't buying it. They thought it was ridiculous for a girl from another village to be so eager to become Hokage. So the boys started teasing me and gave me the nickname "Tomato."

Kushina said, a nostalgic look on her face. It was something that made her sad when she was a child, but now it seemed quite interesting. "And then?" Mashiro asked.

"Then I accepted the nickname 'Tomato,' but those boys still wouldn't let it go. I got so angry that I followed them and beat them up one by one. So I got a new nickname: Blood Red Pepper."

That's why I used to hate my red hair so much.

At that time, I didn't have a very good impression of Minato. When he gave his speech about his ideals as a new student, Minato said that he hoped everyone in the village could recognize him and that he could become a great Hokage.

But I've always thought that someone as silly and eccentric as him could never become Hokage.

Until an incident occurred, because I am from the Uzumaki clan and have special chakra, I was attacked by the Hidden Cloud Village. They did it silently.

They broke into my house and kidnapped Vortex. I was terrified that Yunren, who was escorting me, wouldn't notice, so I secretly plucked out a hair from my head and threw it on the road as a marker, hoping someone would find it and rescue me.

As I approached the border, still no one came to my rescue. Just when I was beginning to despair, Minato appeared. He defeated the Cloud Ninja and rescued me. Then he smiled at me and praised my beautiful red hair.

He held me in his arms then, his golden hair dazzling in the moonlight, and that's when I fell in love with him. "Kushina said with a smile. "What a romantic story," Mashiro said with a laugh.

But deep down she thought to herself, "Looks like I need to change my plans."

Chapter 115: Father

The next day, Minato brought Mashiro to the Hokage's office as promised.

"Are you Hyuga Izumi?" the Third Hokage asked, looking at Mashiro and Gege. Mashiro glanced at the Third Hokage, who looked much younger than she remembered, and nodded slightly.

"So you're the person Minato mentioned who traveled back from the past? That's incredible," the Third Hokage said with a smile.

"If you still have doubts, Hokage, in a few days, you can send someone with me to Loulan, and I can demonstrate the time travel process," Mashiro said softly, looking at the Third Hokage.

The Third Generation fell silent, staring into Mashiro's eyes as if trying to discern something from them.

"Would you like to see the Hyuga clan as it is today?" said the Third Hokage. "With pleasure," replied Mashiro with a smile.

"Hey, come here. Take Izumi to the Hyuga clan and tell them we're honored guests. Tell them to give us a proper welcome." The Third Hokage tapped on his desk, summoned an Anbu member, and said to him.

"Yes, Hokage-sama. This way, Izumi-san." Ang respectfully pointed Mashiro in a direction. Mashiro looked at the Third Hokage, nodded in acknowledgment, and then followed Ang out of the office.

"Third Hokage, do you now believe in time travel?" Minato asked curiously. The Third Hokage took out his pipe, took tobacco from his pipe, put it into the pipe, and lit it.

"Yesterday I asked Hiashi for the Hyuga clan's genealogy. After searching through it, I found that there was indeed a person named Hyuga Izumi. He existed during the war, and disappeared when he was eighteen years old while carrying out a clan mission."

These circumstances largely matched her description. Hyuga Izumi wasn't well-known within the Hyuga clan; unless one had seen the clan genealogy, outsiders wouldn't know her name. Besides, she said she could demonstrate the time-travel process for us later, so I could only assume she was telling the truth for now. "The Third Hokage exhaled a puff of smoke and said.

The name Hyuga Izumi was not something that Mashiro made up at random. As the head of the Hyuga clan, she had naturally looked up the clan's genealogy. She paid special attention to the name Hyuga Izumi because it was the same as Mashiro's first incarnation's name, and it just so happened to come in handy here.

Meanwhile, Ang had already brought Mashiro to the Hyuga clan.

Because Ang had sent other secret agents to deliver the message in advance, Hiashi was currently leading his men to greet them at the gate.

Hiashi was also a little hesitant. Subaru was the Third Hokage's personal bodyguard, and suddenly someone came to tell him that a distinguished guest was coming to visit. A distinguished guest? Could it be someone from the Daimyo's side? Why would he suddenly think of coming to the Hyuga clan?

Thinking this, he spotted Ang and a young girl in the distance. As they drew closer, Hiashi's expression turned serious. That was... Hyakume?!

"Lord Hiashi, this is the guest the Hokage spoke of," Ang said to Hiashi as they approached the gate.

"Head of the Hyuga family, hello. I've come to see Hyuga Izumi." Mashiro smiled at the incredibly young "father" before her and extended her hand. Despite her many questions, Hiashi still smiled and shook hands with Mashiro.

"Hello, my name is Hiashi Hyuga. Welcome, esteemed guest. Lunch is ready."

Then two Hyuga clan maids led Mashiro through the gate, and Hiashi looked at Subaru and asked, "What's wrong with her? Does the Hokage have any further instructions?"

Ang told him about the matter, and seeing Hiashi's surprised expression, Ang continued, "The Hokage does have a special task for you. Ask Hyuga Izumi about the Thought Clan and see if her identity is fabricated."

After saying that, Ang used the Body-Following Technique to leave.

Hiashi composed himself, concealing his surprise and confusion, and then walked into the clan.

In the Hyuga clan's reception room, Hyuga Hizashi, Hyuga Ayano, the three elders of the Hyuga clan, and all the high-ranking members of the Hyuga clan had gathered together. After all, they were distinguished guests mentioned by the Hokage, and the Hyuga clan had to put on the proper pomp and circumstance.

After a long wait, Hinata Natsumi brought Mashiro in.

Looking at the familiar and unfamiliar figures in front of him, Mashiro smiled and said softly, "Hello everyone, my name is Hyuga Izumi." After taking his seat, Hiashi also walked in a short while later.

An unusual banquet began. The other Hyuga high-ranking members originally thought they were welcoming distinguished guests, but unexpectedly, a stranger from the clan arrived.

Both Nobu and Hizashi looked at Hiashi, seemingly wanting to ask something, but Hiashi was also very conflicted at the moment. He was somewhat at a loss as to what to do while eating with someone who might be his ancestor.

Only Mashiro remained leisurely, quietly eating the food in front of her. This familiar taste truly lived up to the traditional cuisine of the conservative Hyuga clan.

Finally, one of the clan elders couldn't help but ask Mashiro, "May I ask who you are?" The others also turned their gazes to Mashiro.

Mashiro smiled, took a sip of tea, and said softly, "My name is Hyuga Izumi. If I had to say something, I should be considered your ancestor." These words immediately changed the expression of everyone at the banquet.

“Miss, you must also be a member of the Hyuga clan. Although I don’t know why Lord Mars treats you as an honored guest, please be careful with your words,” said an elder with a somewhat fiery temper. In his view, Mashiro’s words were a betrayal of their ancestors, which was absolutely unacceptable in the traditional Hyuga clan.

Mashiro didn't say anything more and quietly drank her tea.

Hiashi realized that it was time for him to speak up.

"Elder Yanmen, you too, please be careful with your words and show some respect to this distinguished guest," Rizu said.

Hiashi's attitude made the other Hyuga executives on the field look strange. Could it be...? No one spoke after that; they all ate their meals in silence, creating an awkward atmosphere. Suddenly, Hizashi looked at Makoto for a moment, a hint of doubt in his eyes, then looked at Aya. "What's wrong?" Hizashi asked.

“It’s nothing, I just think this distinguished guest looks a bit like my sister-in-law,” Hizashi said.

Hearing Hizashi's words, the others also looked at Mashiro. Hizashi looked over as well, because of Ang's words, he hadn't dared to look at Mashiro closely. Now, looking closely, they were indeed extremely similar, especially in their eyebrows and eyes. However, their temperaments were too different, and it was difficult to tell without careful observation of their facial features.

Huan Nai also noticed this, and when she thought about what Mashiro had just said, her expression suddenly became strange, while Mashiro remained calm.

After dinner, Hiashi asked Ayano to take Mashiro to the guest room first, then went to the study alone to start looking through the family genealogy. Hyuga Izumi, Hyuga Izumi...

Following the name, Hiashi began searching and finally found it in the clan records from the war-torn era. "Hyuga Izumi, eldest daughter of Hyuga Jun, went missing while on a mission to drive away wild beasts with Hyuga Yama, aged eighteen." Hiashi frowned as he looked at the record. Could it be true?

Then he remembered another of the Third Hokage's stories, and began to look up some important clan events from the war years. In the guest room, Mashiro and Ayano sat facing each other.

Mashiro observed Ayano with great interest, her young "mother." Ayano, however, avoided Mashiro's gaze somewhat because of Mashiro's identity.

"Miss Ayano is very beautiful, and her future children will surely be very beautiful as well," Mashiro said gently, praising Ayano while also subtly complimenting herself.

"Praising while hiding from view," Ayano said with a very gentle smile.

She really does resemble Hinata very much. "Looking at Ayano's expression, Mashiro couldn't help but sigh inwardly. A moment later, Hiashi came in, told Ayano to go out first, and sat down opposite Mashiro.

“Miss Izumi, you said you are our ancestor, and there are some things I would like to ask you,” Hiashi said respectfully.

Seeing Hiashi's expression, Mashiro suddenly laughed, looked directly at Hiashi, and said softly: "I cannot bear the title of 'father,'"

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