"The God of Muscles in Uchiha" Chapter 332: The New Sannin and the Bliss Box
Chapter 332: The New Sannin and the Bliss Box
Land of Grass.
Originally a tiny country sandwiched between the Fire and Earth nations, the Land of Earth later annexed it during the Fourth Great Ninja War.
However, the Grass Ninja Village, under the jurisdiction of the Land of Grass, managed to survive.
The reason lies in the famous "Hozuki Castle."
Hozuki Castle is a prison on a small island near the Grass Ninja Village. Surrounded by sea on all four sides, it is named after the Hozuki fruit that grows abundantly on the island.
What makes this prison special is that it was commissioned by the major nations during the war and built explicitly by the Grass Ninja Village to incarcerate serious criminals.
So, what allowed Hozuki Castle to gain the trust of the significant ninja villages and incarcerate criminals from all over the ninja world?
Besides its unique terrain, the more significant reason is that the prison's overseer possesses a sealing technique known as "Fire Release: Heavenly Prison."
This technique embeds chains of chakra-restraining locks into the bodies of prisoners, preventing them from gathering chakra or performing any ninjutsu, rendering them no different from ordinary people.
Should any prisoner attempt to escape, the sealing technique inside them manifests as chains of flames, burning them alive.
Even if someone manages to escape without chakra to aid them, the likelihood of surviving the treacherous seas infested with sharks is practically zero.
Since its establishment, Hozuki Castle has garnered praise from the significant ninja villages, all of whom dump their headache-inducing criminals into the castle to serve sentences lasting several decades.
For the prisoners, it is a one-way ticket to hell.
Only one person has escaped Hozuki Castle: Kaku of the elite Taki Village shinobi, who once attempted to assassinate the First Hokage.
However, Kaku swiftly dealt with its leadership before Taki Village could criticise the prison.
Since then, security at Hozuki Castle has been tightened, and there has not been a second escape attempt.
In summary, the prison's purpose is to house the most notorious criminals in the ninja world, keeping these individuals together to prevent them from ever seeing daylight again and posing a threat to the ninja world.
Thus, despite the demise of the Land of Grass, the Grass Ninja community survives, continuing to oversee Hozuki Castle and manage prisoners for the significant ninja villages.
Late at night.
Clack, clack, clack.
The crisp sound of footsteps echoes down the corridors of the prison area, where two guards arrive at a cell.
"Prisoner Meimina, the Lord of the Castle wishes to see you."
One guard, expressionless, announces as he unlocks the cell door. The other guard taps the pillar of the cell with his baton, urging the prisoner to come out quickly.
"... Yes, sir."
A timid voice responds as a young girl with golden hair tied in twin ponytails, clad in a brown prisoner's uniform, cautiously steps out of the cell barefoot.
Crunch.
She is shackled and escorted by the guards through the prison area, eventually reaching the central office of Hozuki Castle.
The Lord of the Castle, Mui, is absent from the office.
The guards exchange a glance, and one walks confidently to a bookshelf, finding the third blue-covered book from the left and pulling it out.
To Meimina's surprise.
Boom.
The bookshelf slowly slides apart as mechanisms activate, revealing a hidden door.
Behind the hidden door lies darkness, with stairs descending into the unknown depths, seeming to lead to an abyss emitting a cold, dark aura.
"So this is where it's hidden. No wonder we couldn't find it."
Meimina murmurs, her eyes flashing.
"What are you mumbling about? Move!"
One guard nudges Meimina impatiently, looking fierce.
"I know, but you don't have to be so mean." Meimina pouts, seemingly trying to be cute even at such a moment.
The idiot does not realise the end is near.
The guards exchange cold smiles and then escort Meimina down the dark staircase.
After about ten minutes.
At the bottom of the stairs is a door faintly emitting light, accompanied by whispers.
Creak.
As the guard pushes open the door, Meimina's gaze sharpens as she witnesses a bizarre scene.
Before her eyes is an old operating room with a blood-stained operating table in the centre and various instruments and jars lining the sides.
Most strikingly, the wall of the operating room is engraved with a giant human face, its gender indistinguishable but wearing a deeply sorrowful expression.
At this moment, a group of ninjas in black cloaks and bull and horse masks stand in a row, chanting prayers devoutly at the giant face on the wall, seemingly performing a solemn ritual.
When the ritual concludes, the guards cautiously speak up:
"My lord, we have brought the person you requested."
"Hmm?"
A middle-aged man with long black hair and a cold, stern face turns around, his sharp gaze falling upon Meimina.
He is Mui, the lord of Hozuki Castle Prison.
He is also the current leader of the Grass Ninja Village.
Other high-ranking Grass Ninja Village officials are accompanying him, all dressed in black cloaks and masks.
"Then, let's begin."
Mui withdraws his gaze, saying calmly. Immediately, the black-cloaked figures move towards Meimina, surrounding her.
"What are you going to do?"
Meimina's face is filled with fear as she faces the predatory stares of the group. The guards then press her onto the operating table, restraining her wrists and ankles with cuffs.
"Be quiet."
Mui frowns slightly, taking a syringe from the guard, finding Meimina's vein, and injecting the contents into her body.
Meimina stops struggling, paralysed throughout her body, including her tongue.
Phew~
Mui takes a deep breath, leaning over the operating table where Meimina lies, his gaze piercing as he says:
"You possess the most astonishing chakra among these prisoners and are the prime offering we've been waiting years for. I hope this time you won't disappoint us."
Hearing this, Meimina's eyes widen in horror and despair.
Meanwhile, the high-ranking Grass Ninja officials around Mui burst into sinister smiles, filled with fanaticism and excitement.
After the laughter subsides.
"Attack!"
Mui shouts sharply, swiftly forming seals and infusing his chakra into the giant face on the wall.
In the next moment.
The face slowly opens its large mouth, a hurricane-like suction suddenly surging forth, acting upon Meimina.
"Ugh..."
Meimina's throat emits a muffled scream as chakra pours wildly from her abdomen, forming a stream of purple energy that flows continuously towards the giant mouth.
During this process.
The face, having absorbed Meimina's chakra, emits a dazzling light, seeming almost to come to life.
Just then.
"Quick, save me! Don't just stand there!"
Meimina, on the operating table, suddenly shouts into the darkness.
Huh?
Mui furrows his brow, staring at Meimina, questioning: "Who are you asking to save you?"
Before he finishes speaking.
Shoo!
A ninja sword wrapped in blue electric currents flies in from outside the door, cutting off the purple energy flow between Meimina and the giant face, forcing this sacrificial ritual to halt abruptly.
"Who?!"
Instantly, including Mui, all the high-ranking Grass Ninja officials brandish their weapons, looking towards the operating room door.
In the realm of Uchiha, God of Muscles:
"Who would have thought, the true purpose of Konoha Village building a prison in Hozuki City was to use prisoners as batteries, harnessing their chakra to open the Pandora's Box from ancient times."
"I heard the lord of this city sacrificed even his own son to open that box. Compared to him, my detestable old man seems like a saint."
Two voices, one male and one female, spoke successively.
Amidst the perplexed gazes of Wuwei and others, Sasuke and Marisa entered the operating room.
Before they could react,
"Darn it, if there's another mission like this next time, I'm definitely not going to play prisoner again. It's too much suffering."
Complained Minako on the operating table. Just as she finished speaking, a massive surge of chakra suddenly erupted from her, knocking Wuwei and others back on the spot.
Crack.
Easily breaking free from the handcuffs on her wrists and ankles, Minako jumped down from the operating table, returned to Sasuke and Marisa's side, and then transformed with a "pop."
From a chaotic beauty, she turned into a blonde-haired, blue-eyed youth—Naruto Uzumaki.
"Hehe, who let you lose at rock-paper-scissors."
Sasuke smirked teasingly.
"Naruto-niisan..."
Marisa stared at Naruto, saying earnestly, "Honestly, you looked pretty good as Minako. Maybe you should change back."
"..."
Naruto twitched his face, showing a vein.
"You guys, could it be..."
A high-ranking Grass Ninja pointed at the three, trembling, and stammered, "Are you... the new Sannin of Konoha?"
Upon hearing this, Sasuke reached out, and the Ten Tails' sword embedded in the wall immediately whizzed back into his hand.
"Why does it have to be called the new Sannin?"
He sighed and turned his head to glance at his two companions. "We are much stronger than the Sannin of the past, right?"
"Of course."
Marisa raised her fist, eyes scanning the Grass Ninja, eager for a fight.
At this moment,
Wuwei, who had been silent since earlier, finally squinted and spoke:
"Are you sent by the Sixth Hokage? Heh, I didn't expect even the foremost figure in the ninja world, Uchiha Tatsu, to covet the Pandora's Box. It seems he also has wishes to fulfill."
Sasuke shook his head, revealing a disdainful smile.
Then, he pointed at the face on the wall and said to Wuwei:
"The face behind you is one side of a box. It has three other faces carved on it, representing the four emotions of humans: joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure.
This is the Pandora's Box of Konoha Village.
If someone can open this box, it can help them fulfil a wish—whatever that wish may be.
In the Sage of Six Paths era, Konoha Village almost ruled the entire ninja world with this Pandora's Box.
Wuwei, as the lord of this city, your family has been guarding it for generations. Now, in your generation, you finally have the opportunity to open Pandora's Box, but unfortunately, the final result may disappoint you."
Upon hearing Sasuke reveal so many secrets at once, the high-ranking Grass Ninja's faces all changed.
"How do you know all this?" Wuwei's gaze sharpened, staring at Sasuke, unable to maintain calmness in his heart.
"In this world, no secret can escape the eyes of the Sixth Hokage. His Rinnegan has long seen through everything."
Sasuke said lightly, filled with awe and admiration for his uncle from the bottom of his heart.
Just as he finished speaking.
"Get rid of these guys. We can't let them take the Pandora's Box!"
Wuwei shouted sternly, taking the lead in attacking Sasuke and his companions.
"Let's move."
Sasuke also coldly ordered Naruto and Marisa to engage in battle with the Grass Ninja immediately.
A thrilling battle unfolded in this cramped underground operating room.
Minutes later.
With starlight flickering in the night sky, the courtyard of Hozuki City Prison was empty. Occasionally, a few mice squeaked and ran across the ground.
Suddenly.
Boom!
A massive column of light shot up from underground, creating a hole with a diameter of over ten meters in the ground. The courtyard's surface also cracked and collapsed.
"What's going on?"
This huge commotion quickly attracted the corrections officers and awakened the sleeping prisoners.
Swish, swish, swish.
Sasuke and his companions emerged from the underground, one after another. Along with them, a strange box seven to eight meters high, with faces carved on all four sides, clanged heavily on the ground.
Then.
The lord Wuwei also crawled out from underground, but at this moment, he was covered in blood and wounds, clearly seriously injured.
Except for him, the rest of the high-ranking Grass Ninja were all killed by Konoha's "new Sannin."
Although they had heard of these three kids' fame, it wasn't until they fought them in person that they understood just how terrifying these three monsters were.
Unfortunately, Wuwei realised it too late.
"Is that... Lord Wuwei?"
"Lord Wuwei has been attacked! Quick, kill the invaders!"
The guards shouted, rushing towards Sasuke and his companions.
Swoosh.
Sasuke glanced back; his crimson Mangekyō Sharingan swept across the people, and all the guards shook violently, collapsing like cut wheat.
"This guy is quite tough."
Marisa saw Wuwei barely escape death and frowned, clenching her fist, ready to go over and finish him off, but Naruto held her back:
"Have you forgotten, Marisa? The Sixth Hokage said to spare Wuwei's life. After all, if he dies, the seals on the prisoners here will automatically be released, causing havoc in the ninja world."
Upon hearing this, Wuwei collapsed on the ground, showing a miserable smile:
"Haha, the Sixth Hokage is indeed... merciful. So, after he opens the Pandora's Box, what wish does he plan to make?"
After saying this, he looked towards the Pandora's Box beside him, his eyes filled with reluctance and unwillingness.
"You still don't understand the situation."
Sasuke walked up to Wuwei, looking at the Ghost Lamp City Lord with pity and slowly speaking, "The Sixth Hokage can effortlessly obtain whatever he wants without needing to wish for a box.
Moreover, the so-called Pandora's Box is just a ninja tool created by the Sage of Six Paths. Even he has been surpassed by the Sixth Hokage, let alone a mere tool made by him."
"Wuwei, open your eyes and take a good look at the cruel truth hidden inside the Pandora's Box."
Then.
In Wuwei's shocked expression, Sasuke approached the Pandora's Box and placed one hand on it.
Sasuke's chakra poured into the box like a raging river following a loud dragon roar.
Humming!
The Pandora's Box glowed brightly.
It was opened.
(End of this chapter)