Before the words fell, the elders of the main battle faction of Kusagakure activated the ancient mechanism on the altar, inscribed with esoteric sealing jutsu.
With the grinding rotation of the gears, a deadly concoction of toxins—derived from Hanzo of the Salamander's poison—was released from concealed pipes, spreading in all directions. Within ten seconds, the shinobi positioned on the altar grimaced in agony, their bodies convulsing.
After Kakuzu and Hidan inhaled the poison, they sensed their bodies shutting down and collapsed to the ground.
As for Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame, they employed their unique methods to feign death. It wasn't that they lacked the resilience to withstand the poison's invasion, but rather, they wished to observe Kusagakure's next move.
In the world of shinobi, intelligence dictated survival.
If there were no contingency plans, how could Kusagakure dare provoke the Akatsuki?
As time passed, the intricate sealing array linked to the Box of Ultimate Bliss began siphoning chakra from the fallen shinobi.
After devouring the chakra of over a dozen victims, the ominous box radiated an eerie purple glow, exuding an oppressive aura reminiscent of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
But soon, the Bliss Box's activity abruptly halted.
Upon witnessing this, the elder of the main battle faction furrowed his brows. Despite sacrificing prisoners from Hozuki Castle and the formidable Akatsuki operatives, the chakra collected remained insufficient to unseal the box.
Could it truly require chakra on par with a Tailed Beast?
Casting a glance at Jōnin Wuwei, the elder's voice turned impatient. "Wuwei, how much chakra do we need? I grow weary of waiting."
"Elder, patience is crucial. The Box of Bliss takes time to fully absorb chakra."
"Hmph… very well."
The elder nodded, but the next instant, his expression froze.
A kunai embedded itself in his heart—his assailant, none other than Wuwei. His eyes widened in disbelief. "W-Why? Aren't we working toward the same goal?"
"I'm sorry, Great Elder, but the Box of Ultimate Bliss grants only one wish. Rather than elevating Kusagakure's status in the ninja world, I'd rather use it to revive my son, Wugou."
"Wugou perished due to your reckless experiments—it had nothing to do with me!"
"Perhaps, but the chakra requirement to unseal the box still needs one final sacrifice."
Without hesitation, Wuwei shoved the elder backward.
Losing his footing, the elder plunged into the altar's abyss, crashing upon the sacrificial seal. His body and chakra were instantly devoured by the Bliss Box.
The moment his corpse disintegrated, Wuwei performed a complex series of hand seals, activating the sealwork on the box.
The Akatsuki members' expressions darkened. They had barely uncovered Kusagakure's scheme when its leaders had already descended into internal betrayal.
Itachi's gaze remained fixed on the now-quaking Box of Bliss. This must be Kusagakure's trump card.
He didn't fully grasp the true nature of the box, but the malevolent presence seeping from it made his Mangekyō Sharingan pulse with unease.
The energy within was even more sinister than the chakra of Shisui Uchiha's Kotoamatsukami.
"Kisame, Hidan, Kakuzu… drop the act. Whatever's inside that box… it's dangerous."
Before Itachi could utter another word, a monstrous force burst forth.
With a deafening crash, the entity sealed within the Bliss Box kicked open the ancient doors. A shadowy mass surged forward, its movements impossibly fast. It zipped past Hidan and Kakuzu, then shot skyward toward the opening of the underground chamber.
"ROOOOAR!"
The reverberating roar sent tremors through the cavern, nearly shattering their eardrums. The chakra it emitted was overwhelming.
"A chakra volume on par with a Tailed Beast… Is this Kusagakure's secret weapon?"
Kakuzu's face twisted in frustration. He had already lost one of his five hearts, leaving only four remaining.
Kisame turned to Itachi. "So? Do we finish our mission, or do we take down this thing?"
Itachi remained silent, weighing their options.
Above the altar, Wuwei's expression flickered between triumph and terror as the beast barreled toward him.
His wish had been to resurrect his son. He had sacrificed hundreds of shinobi for this moment.
Yet, the creature before him…
This wasn't Wugou.
His son was no monster.
Despite Wuwei's desperate pleas, the beast ignored him. It erupted from the underground chamber, laying waste to Kusagakure as it ascended. Homes crumbled, villagers screamed—the entire village was being reduced to rubble.
Inside the chamber, Itachi and the others prepared to leave, but before they could move—
Dark, humanoid figures poured from the Bliss Box, lunging at them with unnatural speed.
Their bodies were impossibly durable, their wounds mending instantly.
They bore the same regenerative ability as Hidan's Jashinist immortality.
The second floor of an izakaya.
Naruto Uzumaki sipped on a cup of milk tea, his cerulean gaze fixed toward Kusagakure's hidden base.
The moment the Box of Bliss had been opened, he had sensed the chakra of Satori. The darkness within it rivaled even the Nine-Tails' former hatred.
Still, the power of these so-called "world-ending" creatures always seemed exaggerated in these scenarios.
For all their destruction, they always had glaring weaknesses.
Sealing techniques would be the key.
Naruto had mastered sealing arts, thanks to Jiraiya's training and the remnants of the Uzumaki Clan's knowledge. A being on the level of a Tailed Beast? That wasn't outside his capabilities.
Yet, he was more intrigued by the origins of the Bliss Box than its destructive force.
"Nine-Tails, have you ever heard of this Box of Ultimate Bliss?"
The great beast inside him scoffed. "A 'gift' from the Sage of Six Paths? What nonsense. That box reeks of the Ten-Tails' remnants. For weaklings, it's nothing short of a catastrophe."
Naruto smirked at Kurama's disdain. "Maybe, but in the eyes of us Tailed Beasts, aren't humans the real disasters of this world?"
Kurama narrowed his eyes. "Heh. And yet, you're still going to save them."
Naruto didn't answer.
The Nine-Tails already knew him too well.
Despite everything, Naruto would still fight to protect the people who once shunned him. Even if he had no love for those who wronged him, he would never let innocents suffer.
He tilted his head toward Karin. "Before we act, you should see this for yourself. Watch how Kusagakure is consumed by its own unrealistic ambition."
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