Once character fragments were successfully redeemed,
The system would assign a random identity to the character for the balanced world.
Uzumaki Kushina was the previous Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails.
But after the system's assignment, she would appear in the Naruto world with a new identity.
Furthermore, everyone in the Naruto world would only remember her new identity.
As for the deceased Uzumaki Kushina, she no longer existed.
This current one could be described as pure and innocent, those who understood, understood.
Hinata.
Sumu searched dejectedly for Kushina's figure on the village streets.
"What identity did the system arrange for her?"
"How long will it take to find her?"
There were hundreds of nearby villages alone.
Sumu's head was spinning.
At this moment.
A certain village.
Hundreds of villagers were in heated discussion in the village chief's courtyard.
Inside, the village chief was consulting with several clansmen about recent events.
They all made a living by prospecting for gold in the ancient ruins.
But recently, the appearance of a centipede had thrown them into a panic.
Many villagers had inadvertently become the centipede's prey.
At a critical moment, a woman suddenly appeared and saved them.
The village chief had found her in a basement within the ancient ruins.
She didn't even know her own name, but she clearly remembered a man called Sumu.
"Village chief, that centipede was only injured, not dead!"
"If it recovers and comes back for revenge, what will we do then!"
"That's right! It's possible there's more than one centipede; recently, many small centipedes have appeared in the houses! I'm so scared!"
The villagers bickered back and forth, making the village chief's head ache.
"Alright, alright! Quiet down!"
"You all go back first, I need to consider this matter further."
The village chief took a puff of his pipe and waved his arm, signaling everyone to disperse.
But the villagers were not willing to leave.
As long as the centipede was alive, no one would dare to prospect for gold in the ancient ruins.
But if they didn't, they would starve.
Their families were waiting for money.
An old man with a sharp and sour demeanor slowly walked up to the village chief: "Before, when we prospected for gold there, everything was peaceful. Nothing like this ever happened."
"Perhaps it was because of that woman's appearance. After she showed up, the centipede started attacking the villagers."
As soon as the old man finished speaking.
A group of villagers voiced their agreement.
"In my opinion, she disturbed the centipede's life!"
"We could have coexisted peacefully with the centipede. Now that she's injured it, how can we explain ourselves!"
The village chief sighed with a troubled expression: "But she saved you all."
"Saved us?"
"Village chief, are you getting old and muddled?"
"The centipede only started attacking the villagers because of her appearance. We are innocent, how can you call this saving us!"
The previously sour-faced old man walked out from the house with his hands behind his back.
Standing before everyone, he declared, "There is only one way to resolve our current predicament."
"Sacrifice the woman to the centipede. Only by appeasing its rage can we continue to prospect for gold in the ancient ruins!"
The village chief was shocked and quickly stepped forward, waving his hands vigorously: "This is absolutely not permissible! You must not do this!"
But the villagers, eager to continue prospecting, would no longer listen to him.
"I think this idea is good. Tonight, we'll go to the back mountain and tie her up!"
"Perhaps, if the centipede is pleased, it might even point us to where the good stuff is!"
"Village chief, you brought her back, you have to support us!"
All the villagers now agreed with the sour-faced old man's plan.
No matter how much the village chief tried to persuade them, it was useless. In the end, they forced him to go to the back mountain.
After Kushina was brought back by the village chief, she was housed in a building in the back mountain.
As everyone deferred, the village chief took a box of food and entered the house.
"Village chief, you're here."
Kushina inside was staring blankly into a mirror.
Upon seeing the village chief, she quickly got up and took out a stool.
The village chief's expression was somewhat hesitant, but due to the urging of the villagers outside, he was helpless.
After all, everyone lived by prospecting for gold.
Not just those villagers, but he himself also needed to prospect for gold.
Thinking of this, the village chief no longer hesitated and directly placed the food on the table.
"You must be hungry. I had nothing to do, so I came up specifically to see you today."
"This is the meal I specially made for you, eat it while it's hot!"
The village chief opened the lunchbox with a smile, and a rich aroma wafted out.
Kushina couldn't help but swallow, she hadn't eaten for a whole day.
"Then... then Village chief, I won't stand on ceremony!"
Kushina smiled happily at the village chief and then picked up her chopsticks, eating heartily.
She thought the people she saved could be trusted, and Kushina didn't realize the villagers' plot at all.
Outside the window, a group of villagers peered into the house through the gaps.
"She's eating! She's eating!"
"Great! Starting tomorrow, we can resume prospecting for gold!"
In the crowd, a few villagers took out thick ropes for binding from nearby sacks.
"Jindao, you take one, and Matsushima and I will take one. Just in case, this woman is a ninja!"
Everything was ready.
Inside the house, Kushina was enjoying the delicious meal when she suddenly felt her head grow heavy and drowsy, her vision beginning to blur.
*Crack!*
The moment the rice bowl shattered on the ground.
All the villagers rushed into the house.
"Tie her up! Take her to the ancient ruins immediately!"
Several villagers took out the pre-prepared ropes and quickly bound Kushina.
"Remember, we still need to bring some offerings later, preferably chickens, ducks, and livestock."
The sour-faced old man came out and reminded everyone again.
The village chief looked at the scene with a helpless sigh: "I hope your method is correct, otherwise, it's a human life!"
The sour-faced old man let out a cold laugh: "Your days as village chief are numbered. The lives of so many villagers who died, do they not count?"
The ruins of Loulan Ancient City.
The villagers tied Kushina to a wooden stake.
Next to Kushina, a cage held three ducks, five roosters, and one large goose.
"We're ready, light the torches!"
At the sour-faced old man's command, the villagers simultaneously lit their torches.
A foul wind blew, making everyone tremble.
From the depths of the ruins, a hissing sound slowly emerged.
The loose stones on the ground suddenly vibrated and shook.
The villagers' hearts were in their throats.
Kushina suddenly opened her hazy eyes, coughed uncomfortably, and then looked at the villagers around her.
"What are you doing?"
Everyone averted their gaze, no one answering Kushina's question.
Perhaps out of guilt, the village chief walked over and explained the situation to her.
"Young lady, I represent all the villagers in apologizing to you."
"But we truly have no choice, everyone needs to live!"
"You shouldn't have appeared here..."
Kushina looked at the villagers blankly: "Do you know why there is so much gold in this place?"
"That is because the Dragon Vein of the Loulan Ancient Tower was once beneath these ruins."
"Every so often, the Dragon Vein would transform some broken stones into rare gold ore."
"And that centipede was actually trying to find the location of the Dragon Vein to devour it and evolve!"
The sour-faced old man stepped forward and pointed directly at Kushina's nose: "Nonsense!"
"This problem never occurred here before. After you arrived, the centipede followed!"
"I want to ask you properly, what are your intentions! Why are you trying to harm us!"
Kushina shook her head slightly: "This is not my problem. The reason I am here is to wait for someone."
At this moment, a villager suddenly spoke, "I think the village chief mentioned someone, named Sumu?"
"Who cares what his name is! He'll end up the same way!"
"You are the scourge! Become food for the centipede! As long as it eats you, we can continue prospecting for gold!"
The sour-faced old man interrupted the villagers and walked to a safe distance.
"He will definitely come to save me."
"My master..."