The terrifying water column not only blew away the giant monster 'Satori' but also plowed a trench several meters deep into the solid underground rock walls of Hozuki Castle. Groundwater mixed with seawater poured in, making a splashing sound.
Dust filled the air as rubble rolled down.
Amidst the ruins, black feathers lay scattered everywhere, looking quite pathetic.
"Cough... cough cough..."
Muffled coughing came from deep within the rubble.
Satori staggered to its feet.
Its current appearance was wretched; its originally jet-black, shiny wings were half-broken. On its hideous bird face, half of its beak had been knocked askew by the water column, revealing jagged teeth and gums flowing with black blood.
Its crimson beast-like pupils stared fixedly at the mountain-like purple toad before it. The playfulness and arrogance in its eyes had finally vanished, replaced by an emotion called 'fear.'
It couldn't understand.
It truly couldn't understand.
This massive creature before it clearly thought about 'pulping it into a meat patty,' yet the punch it threw was wrapped in energy it couldn't perceive.
It felt as though it saw the opponent swinging a wooden stick, only for it to turn into a red-hot iron rod when it hit.
"What? Not squawking anymore?"
Gamakon's massive webbed hand patted his bloated belly, making a dull thudding sound. His mouth split into a grin, revealing a deep, abyss-like maw. "You were pretty capable just now, weren't you? Come on, dance for this Sage Sovereign again."
Satori took a step back.
Its heel crushed a piece of rock.
As a monster birthed from the Box of Ultimate Bliss, it possessed extremely high intelligence.
It realized that with just its current physical strength and mind-reading ability, it was no match for this toad that had mastered Sage Arts.
To win, it needed a larger amount of chakra.
Its gaze suddenly shifted to the group shivering in the corner—Mui, and the hundreds of prisoners and wounded he had forcibly dragged along.
Fear.
What delicious food.
And the chakra contained within those fresh bodies...
"Roar—!"
Satori suddenly let out a shrill shriek.
Instead of charging at Gamakon, it turned abruptly, its broken wings flapping frantically to create a foul wind as it lunged toward the defenseless humans.
At the same time, the Box of Ultimate Bliss, which had been standing quietly in the center of the arena, seemed to sense the monster's call.
The four distorted human face reliefs on the box suddenly lit up with an eerie red glow.
Click, click, click...
One side of the box slowly cracked open, like a greedy, wide mouth.
A visible black suction force erupted from the opening, instantly enveloping the prisoners.
"What's happening!"
"Help! Something is sucking me in!"
"No! Stop!"
Screams rose one after another.
The prisoners discovered in horror that the chakra within their bodies, and even their life force, was turning into red mist, flowing uncontrollably from their orifices toward the Box of Ultimate Bliss and Satori in the air.
In just a few seconds, the prisoners at the very front shriveled up at a visible rate. Their skin turned ash-white like paper, and their eye sockets became deep pits, looking like withered wood that had been instantly drained of moisture.
Supplemented by this life force, the wounds on Satori's body began to writhe, and its broken wings actually started to regrow.
"This is bad!"
Jiraiya, standing on a distant stone pillar, changed expression. "It's absorbing their life force to heal its wounds! We have to stop it!"
He formed hand seals, preparing to launch a ninjutsu to intercept.
"I know, old man."
Gamakon's massive voice echoed in the underground hall. His tone wasn't panicked at all; instead, it carried a hint of expected calmness. "Even a cornered dog will jump a wall. This beast can't win, so of course it's running back to its kennel."
Jiraiya blinked. "You were prepared?"
"This Sovereign was waiting for this move."
Gamakon's golden horizontal pupils narrowed slightly. His massive body didn't seem clumsy despite its size.
Just as Satori was about to pounce over the crowd to gorge itself...
"Get back... here!"
Gamakon suddenly opened his massive mouth.
Whoosh—!
A purple afterimage instantly tore through the air.
It was his tongue.
A long, pink tongue strengthened by Sage Chakra, as thick as a giant python and covered in powerful adhesive.
Its speed was faster than the water cannon just now, even faster than Satori's flight.
Slap!
A crisp, wet sound.
Satori, greedily sucking life force mid-air, suddenly felt a tightening around its waist.
It looked down in terror to find a long purple tongue wrapped tightly around its abdomen. The mucus secreted not only restricted its movement but was even corroding its feathers, producing sizzling white smoke.
"Gah?!"
Satori let out a strange cry and frantically swung its claws, trying to cut the tongue.
But the tongue was incredibly tough. Its claws only left a few shallow white marks, and the counter-vibration actually hurt.
"Trying to run?"
Gamakon mumbled indistinctly. His limbs suddenly exerted force, and the rock beneath his feet instantly shattered.
"Get over... here!"
Massive power transmitted through the tongue.
Mid-air, Satori was like a fly snapped back by a rubber band, pulled flying backward without any resistance.
Wind whistled in its ears.
Satori discovered in despair that it was getting closer and closer to that terrifying giant purple mouth.
Was the opponent going to eat it?!
No!!!
It had only just come out...
It had not enjoyed itself yet...
It had not...
Gamakon had no intention of swallowing it into his stomach.
His tongue suddenly flicked.
Just like swinging a meteor hammer.
Boom!
Satori let out a wail, and the bird was shot like a cannonball, accurately into the open crack of the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
Thud!
The massive impact made the box shake violently, and then it tipped backward.
"Since you like this box so much, then get the hell back inside for me!"
The moment Gamakon's tongue let go, his hind legs kicked off hard, and he landed on top of the Box of Ultimate Bliss, suppressing it.
"Now! Jiraiya!"
Gamakon roared.
No reminder was needed. Jiraiya, who had been prepared for a long time, instantly flickered in front of the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
"Ninja Art: Sealing Jutsu: Four-Limb Heavy Seal!"
"Ninja Art: Sealing Jutsu: Five Elements Seal!"
Jiraiya's hands slammed heavily onto the slowly closing crack of the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
Black incantations like chains instantly covered the surface of the box.
Indignant roars and slamming sounds came from inside the box, but under the suppression of the sealing jutsu, those sounds grew smaller and smaller until they completely disappeared.
The box, which had been glowing red, quickly dimmed, returning to its state as a dead black iron hunk.
"Whew..."
Jiraiya exhaled deeply, wiping sweat from his forehead.
He looked at the massive box, then at Gamakon, who was rapidly shrinking back to the size of a palm, a trace of complexity flashing in his eyes.
That sequence of actions was seamless and perfectly coordinated.
Before, he might have needed to summon the two Great Sages to handle a monster of this level.
But now, this toad could handle it alone...
"Mission accomplished."
Gamakon, back to his small toad form, hopped onto Jiraiya's shoulder and yawned. "This thing looks scary, but it's actually just all bark and no bite. Not even as durable as that snake Manda."
In the distance.
The prisoners and wounded who had escaped death collapsed on the ground, gasping for air.
They watched the monster that had treated them as food be stuffed back into the box, then looked at the white-haired ninja who looked like a god descended to earth, their eyes filled with relief and awe.
"Is... is it over?"
Mui knelt on the ground, staring blankly at the black box.
His son...
The son for whom he had sacrificed countless lives and even his own conscience to bring back...
In the end, he had turned into a man-eating monster and was then sealed back up.
It all felt like an absurd nightmare.
"Lord Mui."
Jiraiya turned, looking down at the despondent man with a cold tone. "The Box of Ultimate Bliss is not something you can control. Your wish was a lie from the very beginning."
Mui trembled but said nothing, burying his head deep in the dust.
Just then.
A series of steady, rapid footsteps came from above.
"Quick! Treat the wounded!"
"Lock down the scene! Don't let those prisoners riot!"
Dozens of ninjas in black tight-fitting clothes leapt down from the shattered ceiling, instantly occupying various vantage points in the underground hall.
At the lead was a man wearing a deep blue clan uniform, with the corner of a combat suit peeking out underneath. The uchiwa crest on his back was particularly striking in the dim light.
Fugaku Uchiha.
His face was cold, and his crimson Sharingan scanned the scene, finally resting on Jiraiya and the massive box.
Although he had been guarding the outside, the commotion underground had been too great. That heart-palpitating chakra fluctuation had made him uneasy even through the thick layers of rock.
Seeing Jiraiya unharmed and the purple toad perched on his shoulder, Fugaku felt a secret sigh of relief, while simultaneously feeling a deeper wariness toward the strength of the 'Sannin.'
A monster of that level was actually resolved by a single summoning beast?
"Clan Head Fugaku, you're late."
Gamakon sprawled on Jiraiya's shoulder, teasing in a lazy tone. "The fight's over, and now you show up with your people to clean the floors."
Fugaku ignored the toad's teasing and walked quickly to Jiraiya, bowing slightly. "Lord Jiraiya. The Grass Shinobi on the perimeter have been cleared out. Most of the Hozuki Castle guards have surrendered. According to the Fourth Lord's instructions, we are publicly announcing that higher-ups within the Grass Village summoned a monster through forbidden jutsu for power, leading to it going out of control."
"And Konoha, out of humanitarian concern, came to assist in suppressing the rebellion."
Fugaku glanced at Mui kneeling on the ground and then at the surviving prisoners. "These people are all witnesses."
"That kid Minato really plans everything perfectly."
Jiraiya curled his lip and pulled out a massive scroll from his robes, sealing the Box of Ultimate Bliss inside. "Fine, since we have witnesses, I'll leave this place to you to handle. Remember, the matter of this box is classified as S-rank."
"Understood," Fugaku nodded.
He turned and waved. The Uchiha elites immediately stepped forward, beginning to systematically control the scene, treat the wounded (primarily to keep them alive as witnesses), and escort Mui away.
"By the way."
Jiraiya stopped after two steps, looking back and giving Fugaku a thumbs-up. "This mission, you guys did a very 'nice' job."
A trace of imperceptible relaxation finally appeared on Fugaku's tight face.
...
Three days later.
Konoha Village, Hokage's Office.
The massive Box of Ultimate Bliss was placed in the center of the office, almost occupying half the space.
Orochimaru was circling the box, his golden snake pupils sparkling with a fanatical light. From time to time, he stuck out his long tongue to lick his lips, letting out a hair-raising laugh.
"Hehe... Subarashii..."
Orochimaru's fingers lightly stroked the human face reliefs on the box. "This material... it doesn't belong to the current shinobi system at all. This is indeed a product of the Sage of Six Paths' era."
"And..."
Orochimaru pulled out a pair of gold-rimmed glasses and put them on, carefully examining the Box of Ultimate Bliss. "Inside, I sense a very peculiar chakra fluctuation. It's not just the monster's chakra, but also... something like lingering soul fragments."
Seeing the glasses Orochimaru was wearing, Gamakon's eyes lit up.
"Can those glasses see power levels?"
Orochimaru smiled at the toad. After this point from Gamakon, he seemed to have some new thoughts.
But just as he was about to say something, he heard Minato's question.
"Can it be analyzed?"
Minato put down the documents in his hand, fingers interlaced under his chin, his gaze calm.
"I need time."
Orochimaru turned to look at the Box of Ultimate Bliss. "This thing can devour chakra and emotions, then convert them into physical matter. That monster called 'Satori' is actually a collection of countless people's fears and chakra."
"If its operational principles can be cracked..."
Orochimaru's voice became somewhat hoarse. "I could perfect the container rejection issue of 'Living Corpse Reincarnation,' and even... touch upon the realm of soul reconstruction."
"Soul reconstruction?"
Tsunade frowned and set down her teacup. "Orochimaru, don't play with fire too much. This thing is too dangerous."
"Danger often accompanies opportunity, Tsunade."
Orochimaru smiled dismissively. "Just like that Uzumaki woman you brought back. Her life force depletion is indeed hard to handle with conventional means. But if we can use the box's principle to convert chakra into pure life energy and feed it back to her..."
"So, you want to use it as an energy converter?"
Gamakon, sprawled on Minato's desk, suddenly spoke. "Good idea. But this box is currently one-way. If you want it to spit things out, you'll have to learn how to control it first."
"Therefore, I need to apply for a specialized laboratory."
Orochimaru looked at Minato. "I'm not enough on my own. I need manpower and resources."
Minato didn't agree immediately; instead, he looked deeply at Orochimaru.
Until the atmosphere in the Hokage's office grew increasingly heavy, he then pulled out a pre-prepared approval document and stamp it with the Hokage's seal. "The former Root base will be your exclusive research facility from now on. I'll have Shikaku coordinate the funds and personnel for you. However, Orochimaru-senpai..."
Minato's gaze suddenly became sharp. "You should know where the bottom line is."
"Also, keep the research on the Otsutsuki in mind."
"Of course."
Orochimaru took the approval, a satisfied smile appearing on his face. "Before a world-ending disaster, all other research must give way, mustn't it?"
He finished speaking, formed a single-hand seal, and summoned a giant snake that coiled around the Box of Ultimate Bliss. He then turned and left, not wanting to stay a moment longer.
Watching Orochimaru's departing figure, Jiraiya sighed.
"Minato, is it really okay to give that thing to him?"
"Don't use those you suspect, and don't suspect those you use."
Minato stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the prosperous Konoha. "Besides, with Mr. Gamakon watching, Orochimaru-senpai won't be able to cause any trouble. Konoha needs power now. Not just the power of ninjas, but the power of technology."
"Technology?" Jiraiya scratched his head, clearly unfamiliar with the word.
"Exactly."
Gamakon hopped onto the windowsill, looking at the commercial street being built in the distance. "The shinobi world is progressing, old man. Relying solely on kneading balls and forming seals will eventually be obsolete. That guy Orochimaru might be a pervert, but he's smart. As long as you point him in the right direction, the changes he can bring to Konoha will be far greater than you imagine."
"For example?" Tsunade asked curiously.
"For example..."
Gamakon grinned. "Regrowing limbs? Traveling thousands of miles in a day? Or... building a chakra cannon that can blow up the moon with one shot?"
Tsunade and Jiraiya looked at each other, both seeing shock in the other's eyes.
Before, they would have thought this was madness.
But after everything that had happened and looking at that purple toad, they suddenly felt...
Perhaps this really wasn't a dream.
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