But Ghost User Makiya remained uneasy. Having experienced countless cycles of illusions, he had a bit of PTSD. He feared this was another trick of the Disc Seller Ghost, designed to make him sink forever so it could seize control of his body.
But if everything before him was an illusion... it didn't feel right. Ghost User Makiya could clearly remember his past and present lives. After sharing memories, he could recall images buried deep in his mind. The scenes of his past life were crystal clear, and his sense of self remained unaffected.
"I am Makiya. I'm that unlucky guy who crossed over during the research group dinner. I am me. All of this is real, not an illusion..." Ghost User Makiya kept muttering to himself, causing Wizard Makiya to shake his head.
The poor kid. Crossing over into the desperate world of Mysterious Revival, his mind had been toyed with by the ghost possessing him until it was on the verge of collapse, making him exceptionally fragile and sensitive.
If he hadn't entered the mysterious space and unlocked this cheat, Ghost User Makiya would have eventually lost himself to the backlash of the Disc Seller Ghost. He would have completely succumbed to the world of illusions, his body and soul turning into nourishment as he was erased from existence.
In a way, Ghost User Makiya was lucky. With the cumulative power of multiple Makiyas, his body and soul had instantly become peerlessly strong. The side effects of the Disc Seller Ghost likely wouldn't be able to affect him anymore.
Just then, a large group of people and beasts emerged one after another from their respective tunnels. Seeing the newcomer beside Wizard Makiya, they were delighted and swarmed around him to share memories.
After understanding the newcomer's situation, everyone engaged in a heated discussion, some offering comfort while others brainstormed plans.
Seeing the concerned eyes around him, Ghost User Makiya quickly regained his composure. To have repeatedly broken through the Disc Seller Ghost's memory blocks and rejected various beautiful illusions, he was inherently a person of strong character.
Tabby Cat Makiya sat on a stool and pondered for a moment. Suddenly, a bright lightbulb seemed to pop up next to his head. He pulled out a large amount of base spirits and various sundries from behind his back. At some point, he had donned a waiter's vest and began mixing drinks.
After a sequence of flashy moves, a cocktail shimmering with seven-colored light was finished. Tabby Cat Makiya confidently pushed the glass in front of Ghost User Makiya. "Have a drink. You'll feel much better after this."
Ghost User Makiya hesitated for a second before picking up the glass and draining it in one gulp. He instantly felt light, as if he had cast aside many burdens, and grew much calmer.
Ninja World.
The fires of the Third Great Ninja War had spread across all nations. By this stage of the conflict, calls for harmony had begun to surface within the countries. Public discontent was boiling, and signs of unrest were appearing.
Voices calling for an end to the war and the pursuit of peace rose from everywhere. Everyone was fed up with the bitterness of life-and-death partings and only wanted to return home to lick their wounds in silence.
Faced with this situation, the Kages of the various hidden villages had no choice but to follow the public will and gradually withdraw their forces—except for the Hidden Mist Village in the Land of Water.
Recently, the Hidden Mist had gone mad, sending elite units to engage Konoha in a stance that suggested they would fight to the bitter end.
But Konoha was no pushover. Once the other fronts quieted down, a large number of troops were redeployed. After a brief rest, the main forces marched to the eastern border, driving back the Mist's front-line units until they could only rely on warships for naval maneuvers.
Peace seemed to be on the horizon. Under these circumstances, Konoha initiated the selection process for the Fourth Hokage.
Jiraiya had withdrawn from the election, and Orochimaru's whereabouts were unknown. Among the candidates, Minato Namikaze was the most suitable. His role as a front-line commander had earned him vast connections and prestige. In the Jōnin confidence vote, Minato won with an overwhelming advantage, securing the election as expected.
Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage of Konoha, took office in a grand ceremony. Konoha's rock-carving specialist received the new order and immediately began work on carving Minato's face onto the Hokage Rock.
He was the typical craftsman whose one big job every few years could sustain him for a long time.
A new leader brings new changes. Due to the scandals involving Danzo and Orochimaru, the entire leadership team of Hokage advisors had been replaced. Now, Minato found himself in a position with few people to rely on, desperately needing to expand his own influence within the high-ranking officials.
After all, the retired Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, still held the title of advisor. To guide Minato in taking over the Hokage's duties and ensuring a smooth transition of power and the normal operation of various departments, Hiruzen would likely have to continue contributing at the top for some time.
However, this caused a certain level of trouble for Minato. To put it mildly, Hiruzen Sarutobi's words carried more weight in the Hokage's office than those of the Fourth himself.
From the head of Anbu and the director of the Konoha Hospital to the vice-principal of the Academy, the core group of power-holding figures had all been promoted by Hiruzen Sarutobi. While they were outwardly respectful of Minato's orders, they would secretly consult Hiruzen first and only proceed once they received his confirmation.
Among the high-ranking officials, it was actually Fugaku Uchiha, the head of the Konoha Military Police Force, who was relatively more cooperative with the Hokage's work—which was quite ironic.
But Fugaku was currently on the Mist front, seemingly locked in a rivalry with the Hyuga clan. Both sides claimed to be the strongest family in Konoha and were determined to outdo each other in military achievements.
Minato wasn't a man with a great lust for power, and he had a very mild temperament. However, even the best temperament couldn't ignore these issues, so he considered injecting fresh blood into the leadership.
And so, he thought of Makiya.
"What? You want me to be a Hokage advisor?"
In the Hokage's office, Minato poured a cup of hot tea and placed it before Makiya. Looking at the shocked Makiya, he said with a smile, "Yes. With your strength, contributions, and reputation in the village, you are more than qualified to be an advisor."
"No way, no way. I'm definitely not becoming an advisor." Makiya shook his head vigorously. Being a Hokage advisor sounded prestigious and was indeed a high-power position, but for Makiya, he would rather go into Sage Mode and fight all five Great Hidden Villages than be trapped behind a desk.
The hidden base he had established in the Land of Hot Water, Seireitei, was developing very well. However, Makiya acted as a hands-off boss there too, dumping all the trivial matters onto Nono Yakushi while only occasionally stepping in to manage the general direction.
The position of advisor in Konoha held immense power. From mission assignments and the village's finances to civil governance and foreign affairs, everything was decided by a few individuals.
"Minato, you know me." Makiya shook his head again. "I hate trouble more than anything. I'd rather spend that time training. I heard you've been practicing Sage Mode lately. How's the progress?"
Minato gave a bitter smile. "Don't even mention it. After becoming Hokage, I realized this seat isn't easy to sit in. I have to deal with a stack of documents as tall as three grown men every day. Where would I find the time for Sage Mode?"
Makiya looked curious. "I heard Lord Third is helping you. Why is there so much work in Konoha? Can't the two of you handle it between yourselves?"
Minato fell silent for a moment and smiled awkwardly. "Lord Third is training my abilities, so currently I process everything once, and then the documents are sent to him. He corrects my mistakes and processes them again."
This process sounded reasonable on the surface, but the result was that many decrees were invalid with only Minato's signature; they had to carry the Third Hokage's name as well to be effective.
Makiya understood instantly and looked at Minato with sympathy. "When I was out shopping a couple of days ago, I happened to run into Kushina. She didn't seem to be in a very good mood. What's wrong? Are you ignoring your wife because you're too busy with work?"
Minato scratched his head. "That's part of it, but Kushina hasn't been feeling very well lately either. She's always vomiting."
"Vomiting?!"
"Yes." Minato looked worried. "At first, we wondered if she had eaten something bad, but I didn't have any reaction at all..."
Kushina's physical condition was exceptional. The powerful life force inherited from the Uzumaki clan meant she rarely got sick, and even when she did, her symptoms were far milder than most.
Makiya looked thoughtful. "Did you take her to the Konoha Hospital?"
"We went. The doctor didn't know the cause either, so he just told us to stick to a light diet for a while and see." Minato sighed. The Hokage's job was already mentally draining, and now he was eating bland food; it was enough to make anyone feel miserable.
"Didn't you think to visit the obstetrics department?" Makiya shook his head with a sigh. In the years since Tsunade left, Konoha Hospital had declined so much. The quality of medical ninjas had deteriorated to the point where they couldn't even tell Kushina was pregnant?
Makiya had only run into Kushina twice on the street, but after careful observation, he was certain she was pregnant. He had intended to wait for Minato's official announcement before preparing a gift, but he hadn't expected the couple to still be in the dark.
Minato's eyes widened. Being as smart as he was, he instantly understood what Makiya meant. Connecting it with Kushina's recent vomiting, he immediately deduced the possibility. "Are you saying..."
His lips trembled slightly as a mix of emotions flooded his heart—shock, excitement, panic, and confusion. Various thoughts raced through his mind, and even his Hokage duties were completely forgotten.
"Yes, I think Kushina is pregnant. To be safe, you should take her to the hospital for a check-up," Makiya said with a nod.
Swish!
In the next second, Minato vanished.
Makiya: "..."
He was left all alone in the vast Hokage's office, with the tea before him still steaming. As the owner of this office, Minato had just up and disappeared. If word got out that an Uchiha was sitting alone in the Hokage's office, imagine how that would sound.
Shaking his head, Makiya walked out of the office.
Just as he stepped into the hallway, Makiya looked up to see a few people chatting and laughing as they walked down the corridor. The old man leading them looked very familiar.
It was Hiruzen Sarutobi and a group of high-ranking Konoha officials!
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