"Take action? How arrogant!"
Orochimaru's face twisted into a cold smile as his hands rapidly formed seals.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Countless small snakes slithered out from Orochimaru's sleeves, lunging at the necks of the Kusagakure Ninjas.
"Fire Release: Demon Lantern!"
The Kusagakure's leader, who had been on high alert, immediately activated a Ninjutsu the moment he saw Orochimaru forming seals. Several ghostly flames appeared around him, barely managing to repel the snakes attacking him. But the area around him was already filled with screams of agony.
Seeing the Kusagakure Ninjas collapsing around him, the leader's face turned pale with fear.
"H-how is this possible? Just one jutsu... You're Orochimaru, the S-Rank Missing-nin from Konoha?"
Watching the snakes retreat, the Kusagakure's leader finally recognized his opponent. The Legendary Sannin had rarely appeared in public since the Third Ninja World War, so it was no wonder the leader only realized who he was after seeing the Jutsu.
"Hehe, you managed to block one attack. Not bad."
"H-how is it possible!"
Just as the Kusagakure's leader finished speaking, Orochimaru's voice came from behind him. Before he could turn around, he was knocked unconscious.
Orochimaru couldn't help but lick his lips as a small snake retracted into his sleeve. He looked down at the unconscious Kusagakure's leader with a curious glint in his eyes.
"This guy seems to have a unique Kekkei Genkai."
"A unique Kekkei Genkai? It's probably the Dragon Life Reincarnation Technique, a Jutsu that allows the user to share their life force with others. However, the user dies after performing it."
Kakuzu, who had been idling, looked at the white hair of Kusagakure's leader and guessed the answer. Since the Land of Grass bordered the Land of Waterfalls, the two small villages often clashed. Additionally, Kakuzu had once been imprisoned in Hozuki Castle, so he had some knowledge of Kusagakure's secrets.
"Exchanging one's life for another's? That's quite an interesting Kekkei Genkai."
Orochimaru grew even more intrigued and couldn't help but glance at Naruto, who was treating Kaho, and asked: "Master, can I study this guy for a while before killing him?"
Naruto merely glanced at the Kusagakure's leader and said: "Fine, but don't let him die too easily."
"Understood."
Orochimaru summoned a large snake, which swallowed the Kusagakure's leader before disappearing.
"S-sir, thank you so much for helping us. My name is Kaho, and this is my daughter, Karin. May we know your name?"
Kaho spoke with deep respect.
Thanks to Naruto's Chakra treatment, although Kaho's vitality was still severely depleted, her consciousness had fully returned, and she could now move somewhat normally.
Naruto smiled at Kaho. "Don't worry, we won't harm you. My name is Uzumaki Naruto. You might not know this name, but you should recognize Uzumaki Kushina, right?"
Kaho's face showed surprise. Looking at Naruto's blond hair, she hadn't expected him to also be from the Uzumaki Clan. She said in astonishment, "Kushina? I remember she went to Konoha... So you are?"
Naruto didn't answer Kaho's question directly. Instead, he said, "Come with us. Your vitality is too depleted. Even with my treatment, you probably only have a few days left."
"This..."
"C-can we?" Before Kaho could respond, Karin eagerly spoke up, her eyes glistening with tears as she looked at Naruto with hope. "Can we really leave this place?"
"Of course."
Naruto couldn't help but pat Karin's red hair. Though rough, it felt nice to the touch.
"Karin..." Seeing her daughter like this, Kaho's heart ached. She then turned to Naruto and bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Naruto-sama."
"Thank you, Naruto-sama!"
Karin followed suit, mimicking her mother.
"No need for such formalities. As fellow members of Uzumaki Clan, we should help each other."
"In that case, you should take a good rest first."
Naruto helped Kaho to her feet, then turned to Orochimaru and Kakuzu. "Protect these two. I'm going to Hozuki Castle."
"Understood."
Both nodded solemnly, their attitudes serious. After all, this was a direct order from their boss.
Just as Naruto was about to leave, he suddenly thought of something and said, "In this Kusagakure, clean up those who deserve to die."
After saying that, Naruto vanished.
---
In a secret chamber in the Hozuki Castle.
The room was dimly lit, with only a few faint lights illuminating the long table in the center.
Around the table sat thirteen figures.
At the head of the table sat Mui, the warden of Hozuki Castle.
Beside him, six figures wearing eerie masks sat on each side. The masks represented the twelve zodiac animals.
"Warden Mui, we must make plans for the Box of Ultimate Bliss soon."
The person wearing the tiger mask spoke, his voice low but urgent.
"Right now, Sunagakure and Konoha are facing off in the Land of Rain. It's only a matter of time before they declare war. When that happens, Iwagakure will surely join the fight. Once the Fourth Ninja World War breaks out, Kusagakure will become a battlefield between Konoha and Iwagakure. "
"We must use the power of the Box of Ultimate Bliss. For Hozuki Castle, for Kusagakure, we must use its power."
"Exactly! Right now, Konoha is severely weakened. They won't be able to withstand the combined forces of the other four great villages. With the power of the Box of Ultimate Bliss, Kusagakure might even have a chance to replace Konoha and become one of the Five Great Ninja Villages!"
As the tiger-masked man finished speaking, three others chimed in, their words stirring excitement among the group.
Especially when they heard the possibility of Kusagakure becoming one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, the room's atmosphere grew tense with anticipation.
After all, Kusagakure had once nearly become the ruler of the Ninja World.
Only Mui, seated at the head of the table, remained stoic. His expression didn't change, and his eyes held a cold indifference.
"Opening the Box of Ultimate Bliss requires a massive amount of Chakra. Who do you think should be the one to open it? And who should be the one to make the wish?"
Mui's words caused the faces of these people to light up with joy. They had finally managed to sway him.
The tiger-masked man spoke again. "I've observed your son, Muku. His Chakra Reserves are exceptionally vast, with the potential of a Jonin. He would be the most suitable to open the Box of Ultimate Bliss. As for the wish, it should be made by you, Warden Mui. As long as it benefits Kusagakure, we will accept it."
"Exactly. Muku's Chakra Reserves are indeed among the highest in Hozuki Castle. His Chakra should be enough to open the Box of Ultimate Bliss."
"And if Warden Mui is the one to make the wish, we have no objections. "
The others began to echo the sentiment, as it was just a matter of moving their mouths.
This time, Mui's expression shifted slightly. Thinking of his exceptional child, his eyes softened, 'If it was Muku, it should be fine.'
"In that case, tomorrow we'll have Muku..."
"Hehe, relying solely on Muku won't satisfy that monster."
The thirteen were still chatting amiably when they suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice. They immediately grew alert, all looking up.
A figure in a white robe was standing upside down on the ceiling.