Konohagakure, atop the Hokage Tower.
"Please take it from here, Fourth."
Sarutobi Hiruzen, dressed in the ceremonial robes of the Hokage, wore a solemn expression as he handed the Hokage's hat to Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage.
Minato nodded with unwavering resolve. "I am willing to give my life to protect the Leaf Village."
Then, he stepped forward to face the villagers and shinobi gathered below. The crowd erupted into cheers and applause as he accepted their acknowledgment.
Among the clapping crowd was Hakusei Tōya.
He was genuinely happy to see Minato become Hokage. Tōya believed that if Minato was given time, he could build a very different kind of Konoha.
They had enrolled in the Academy together, sat in the same classroom, and naturally formed a strong friendship.
At first, maybe he just wanted to cling to a rising star, but as time passed, he came to truly admire Minato. They had become genuine friends.
'It's a shame... the Nine-Tails rampage happens next year, and Minato will die because of it.'
As Tōya looked at Minato's sunlit smile from above, countless thoughts raced through his mind, desperately searching for a way to break the cycle of fate.
Even though he had transmigrated, he hadn't been lucky enough to be born into the Uchiha, Senju, or Hyūga clans—just an ordinary civilian.
Despite his relentless training and use of some "foreknowledge" and modern knowledge, his current strength only reached that of a jōnin. A strong jōnin, yes, but still just an elite among jōnin.
Against a true powerhouse like Minato, he probably wouldn't last even three minutes.
So if he wanted to change fate with sheer strength… forget it.
And he couldn't exactly walk up to Minato and tell him everything either.
Explaining the source of his information would be impossible. If anything, it might get him hauled off to the ANBU or even ROOT. There was no way Hiruzen or Danzō would believe his story, especially not when it involved a Jinchūriki. That topic was far too sensitive.
Just as Tōya was wracking his brain for a solution, a mysterious voice suddenly echoed in his mind. A blue panel appeared before his eyes.
[Congratulations, Host. You have successfully bonded with Konohagakure.]
[Everything about you is now linked to the fate of the Hidden Leaf.]
[The stronger and more prosperous the village becomes, the greater the rewards you will receive. If the village falls or declines, it will negatively impact your body—and even your lifespan.]
Tōya's face darkened. No one would dare cast a genjutsu during a public event like this, so this had to be real.
He was starting to panic. His expression grew grim.
This wasn't a bond with Konoha—it was a kidnapping!
Who didn't know how tragic Konoha's future was? Forget Pain's eventual invasion flattening the whole village—next year alone, the Nine-Tails would wreak havoc. And then there was the Konoha Crush plan waiting down the line.
Tōya took a deep breath to calm himself and focused on the panel.
[Current Binding: Konohagakure]
[Current Status: Average]
[Prosperity Level: 1234]
[Suggestion: Recently out of war, the village is in recovery. Focus on rest and reconstruction.]
Tōya massaged his temples.
The village's current state was indeed just average. After all, in the Third Shinobi World War, Konoha had fought all four of the other Great Nations—it was no wonder the village was still wounded.
But the worst was yet to come.
Soon, Orochimaru's research would be exposed, and he would defect.
The more he thought about Konoha's timeline, the more his head hurt.
Before, he could still lay low and quietly develop in the shadows. But now? His life was literally on the line! The Nine-Tails incident was next year—who knew how much of his lifespan would be deducted?
[Host may now bind to a character template. The stronger and more prominent the bound force, the more powerful the available templates.]
[Based on the current state of Konohagakure, you may choose one of the following three templates:]
[Golden Lion Shiki – Post-Impel Down Escape]
[Whitebeard Edward Newgate – Marineford War Arc]
[Railgun Misaka Mikoto – Level 5 Esper]
"Bind Edward Newgate, Whitebeard!"
Without hesitation, Tōya chose the Whitebeard template.
Even at Marineford, plagued by age and illness, he was still Whitebeard—the man known as the strongest in the world.
With even a fraction of his strength, smashing the Nine-Tails would be easy.
[Binding successful. Current Fusion Rate: 40% (System Gift). Fusion rate can be increased by spending points or becoming more aligned with the template.]
[At 100% fusion, the template will fully merge with the host's body. Please work hard to increase fusion rate.]
Tōya rubbed his chin. He had thought he'd receive the full strength right away, but clearly that was wishful thinking.
To truly master Whitebeard's power, he had to gradually increase the fusion.
But what did it mean to "become more aligned"? Did he need to look more like Whitebeard? Grow a crescent-shaped mustache? Start recruiting "sons"?
Tōya shook his head. All of those ideas felt ridiculous.
'Still…'
He clenched his fist and smiled, feeling an overwhelming surge of power.
'Even at just 40% fusion, I'm already Kage-level.'
He had trained for 23 years, and now, with the system's boost, he had finally reached Kage-class—and not at the bottom either.
[A new Kage-level shinobi has emerged in Konoha. Prosperity increased. You've earned 50,000 points.]
Tōya blinked in surprise.
So the system gave him points for becoming stronger, and those points could then make him stronger?
Wasn't that an infinite loop?
But then he looked at how many points it took to boost the Whitebeard template further… and gave up on that idea.
The inauguration ceremony soon ended, and everyone returned to their homes. Tōya lingered a while, then made his way up the Hokage Tower.
A good friend becoming Hokage—just clapping from below wasn't enough. He needed to offer congratulations in person.
When he knocked and entered the office, he saw Kushina excitedly pounding her little fists on Minato's chest.
"Guess I misjudged Old Man Hiruzen. He really had good taste, picking you as the next Hokage."
Wow. First thing he saw was the Hokage's wife roasting the former Hokage.
"I thought that geezer would cling to the position till he dropped dead. But it turns out you're just too brilliant, Minato."
"Ahem!"
Watching Kushina go on and on, Tōya had to cough twice to remind them he existed.
"Tōya's here," Minato said, smiling warmly, while gently rubbing his aching chest. Having a strong wife had its downsides...
Kushina grinned, unfazed. "Relax, it's fine. Tōya's one of us."
Minato gave her a helpless, affectionate look.
Feeling thoroughly third-wheeled, Tōya quickly cut in, "Congrats on becoming Hokage, Minato. I won't disturb you two. I'll be going now."
"Tōya, wait."
Minato called him back.
"There's something important I want to ask you."
Tōya paused mid-step, turned around, and met Minato's serious gaze.
"I hope you'll join the ANBU and become my right-hand man. Will you, Tōya?"
It wasn't a command. It was a sincere invitation.
Minato had known Tōya since their first year at the Academy. He dared say—no one knew Tōya better than he did.
Even though Tōya had always kept a low profile, graduating late and rising slowly through the ranks, Minato saw through it.
That mediocrity was a deliberate mask.
Beneath it was an extraordinary genius—whether in politics or jutsu development, Tōya could talk circles around others.
It was a shame only he and Kushina had ever seen that side of him.
And now, he wanted to give Tōya a chance to truly shine.
Together, they could make Konoha stronger than ever.
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter