"Intruder!"
The people present were no ordinary people. The moment they saw Naruto, they reacted instantly, rising to their feet and preparing for battle.
Chains shot toward Naruto, while several Kusagakure Ninjas raised their hands, attempting to immobilize him.
However, in a flash of golden light, Naruto's figure vanished from his spot. All their attacks landed on empty air.
Puff!
The sound of a blade piercing flesh echoed through the chamber. At this time, Naruto had appeared behind one of the Kusagakure Ninjas, a longsword in his hand, directly piercing his heart.
"So fast!"
The Kusagakure Ninjas were shocked. Before they could even adjust their stance, golden light flickered, and the only person left alive in the room was Mui.
Kusagakure was a weak village, with its only notable skill being its diplomatic maneuvering. The high-ranking officials of Hozuki Castle present here were of varying strengths, with some even being Chunin.
"Y-Yellow Flash!?"
The scene before him shocked Mui greatly. The way Naruto had instantly killed twelve Kusagakure Ninjas reminded him of the time he had witnessed the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, slaughter fifty Iwagakure Ninjas on the battlefield. He had been observing that battle from afar.
"With strength like this, you think you can become one of the Five Great Ninja Villages?"
Naruto flicked the blood off his sword and turned to Mui.
Mui's nerves tightened instantly. The fact that Naruto had killed all the high-ranking officials present but left him alive suggested that Naruto had some ulterior motive.
Hōzuki Castle had always been a neutral force in the ninja world, and Kusagakure was extremely weak. Although the village had a poor reputation, no one took it seriously. The only thing that could attract outsiders' attention was one thing.
Mui forced himself to remain calm, his expression unreadable as he looked at Naruto. "Is your target the Box of Ultimate Bliss in Hozuki Castle?"
"The Box of Ultimate Bliss was indeed my original goal, but now I have a new target."
Naruto was quite satisfied with Mui's composure. At least his mindset was solid.
'The Land of Waves would need a place to detain criminals. As the population grew, there would inevitably be troublemakers. A prison would be a good solution.'
'This Mui had been the warden of Hozuki Castle for a long time and had extensive management experience. Additionally, the two Jutsu he mastered were suitable for managing powerful criminals. Most importantly, he has a weakness.'
Naruto's gaze made Mui feel even more pressure. He had already gathered chakra within his body, ready to flee at any moment, while also keeping an eye on his surroundings to avoid being ambushed.
"You don't need to be so afraid of me. If it weren't for me, your talented, ramen-loving son Muku would probably be dead soon."
"Muku? What does he have to do with this?"
Hearing his son's name, Mui grew even more nervous. Beads of sweat appeared on his tense face. He was afraid Naruto would harm his son.
"Why so serious?"
Naruto chuckled and slowly approached Mui, "The Box of Ultimate Bliss isn't a wishing machine. It's a cage for a monster. If it isn't satisfied, anyone who provides it with Chakra will be devoured. Similarly, anyone who makes a wish to it will also be devoured and turned into a monster. With Muku's meager Chakra, it wouldn't even be enough to fill the monster's teeth."
"T-that's impossible?"
Mui's forehead was drenched in sweat. If what Naruto said was true, then he had almost sent his own child to the monster's mouth. However, he couldn't just believe Naruto's words.
"Are you lying to me?"
Just as Mui was about to question Naruto, he noticed three tomoe spinning in Naruto's eyes. His mind went blank, and he fell into a daze.
'Talking was too troublesome. It was better to let him see the monster for himself.'
---
A corner of Hozuki Castle.
A towering tree stood here, its branches lush and full. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Beneath the tree, various flowers swayed gently in the breeze, their colors vibrant. A few butterflies flitted among them, creating a stark contrast to the dark, oppressive atmosphere of the rest of Hozuki Castle. It was hard to believe such a place existed within the prison.
And under the tree, two small figures sat.
A white-haired girl sat cross-legged, her Kusagakure forehead protector visible. Her pale purple eyes, peeking out from her hair, glanced furtively at the boy standing in front of her, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
The black-haired boy, also wearing a Kusagakure forehead protector, was experimenting with a Jutsu.
Bright flames rose from the ground, floating in the air and gently swaying around him. With each wave of his hand, the flames danced according to his will.
He turned to the white-haired girl with a slightly proud smile on his face.
"Ryu, I've mastered the Demon Lantern Technique."
"Hmph, it's just the Demon Lantern Technique. It's nothing special."
Ryuzetsu couldn't help but pout, but soon her expression returned to one of worry.
Muku noticed Ryuzetsu's bad mood and sat down beside her.
"Ryu, why have you been so down today?"
Faced with Muku's question, Ryuzetsu hesitated before speaking. "I heard from one of the elders yesterday that they want to use your chakra to open the Box of Ultimate Bliss..."
"Oh, that."
Muku's face showed no concern. He didn't think using his Chakra was particularly dangerous. As the warden's son, it was his duty to bear the responsibilities that came with it.
He wore a proud expression. "Once we open the Box of Ultimate Bliss, Kusagakure's strength will definitely rise to a new level!"
"But... I feel like the Box of Ultimate Bliss isn't a good thing. Otherwise, why would the village have never opened it before?"
Ryuzetsu voiced her concerns. If the Box of Ultimate Bliss was truly so powerful, Kusagakure wouldn't have split.
"Is that what you're worried about? Don't worry. If I'm the one to open it, my father will definitely be there too. With him around, there won't be any problems."
Muku was full of confidence. He believed in his father. His father was the warden of Hozuki Castle and the strongest Ninja in the entire prison.
"Quite confident, aren't you? But your confidence might be a bit too blind."
"Huh?"
An unfamiliar voice suddenly came from above them. Before they could look up, they saw a pair of crimson Sharingan with three tomoe. Then, everything went black, and they both fell unconscious.
At the end of the chamber stood a massive box, its surface adorned with a terrifying demonic face.
This was the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
In a daze, Mui woke up.