https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-500-Ninjas-Have-Limits-Leyang-Muyu-I-m-Not-Human-/12558750/
Chapter 499: Unsealing the Bliss Box (5k)
Chapter 499: Unsealing the Bliss Box (5k)
Kakashi and his team diligently worked to gather evidence.
Ryuhi contacted the higher-ups in the Grass Flower organization to prepare for the impending turmoil.
Yokokawa Osamu remained unaware that he had been marked for death in the eyes of Grass Flower.
Osamu Yokokawa was feeling agitated and frustrated.
Lately, Grass Flower had been causing him trouble like a rabid dog, leading him to suspect that there might be a leak within his camp. He wondered if Grass Flower had gotten wind of something through a traitor in his midst.
However, it was too late to turn back now. Even if Ryuhi came to question him in person at the Grass Ninja Chief's office, Osamu would not halt his plans.
He had come too far, and with the entire Grass Ninja Village already embroiled in the war between Konoha and Iwagakure, extricating himself was impossible. The only way out was to unseal the Bliss Box.
"Get in touch with the front-line troops and have them send the next batch of chakra as soon as possible," Osamu said after some thought. He felt the need to open the Bliss Box as soon as possible to prevent further complications.
A Grass Ninja ANBU by his side quickly nodded and set out to carry out the order.
Still feeling uneasy, Osamu summoned his most trusted subordinate, Mu Chang, to discuss the next steps.
"Given Flower's performance, they might have already learned about our collaboration with Iwagakure. It's unclear if someone defected to their side or if they discovered it through their own investigations," Osamu said.
He personally leaned towards the existence of a traitor, as he believed that if Grass Flower had found concrete evidence on their own, Ryuhi would have confronted him with it by now.
"We've come this far, and even if Flower knows, we can only continue. Once the Bliss Box is opened, everything will be fine," Mu Chang replied in a low voice.
Osamu nodded in agreement.
"Since Flower has already caught on, there's no point in hiding anymore. Let's halt the regular operations of the Grass Ninja Village. Have all the ninjas focus on refining chakra and channeling it into the Bliss Box to expedite its unsealing," Mu Chang suggested further.
Osamu furrowed his brows, contemplating Mu Chang's rather aggressive proposal.
Such a move would essentially be a declaration of war against Grass Flower, and it would also alienate some of their clients.
"Indeed, as people age, they tend to become less daring. Fortunately, you're here, Mu Chang. You're right; the most important thing now is to open the Bliss Box. Everything else is secondary," Osamu said, patting Mu Chang's shoulder in approval and flashing a smile.
Aggressive? That's what the Grass Faction is all about! Osamu truly felt that his efforts in grooming Mu Chang as his successor hadn't been in vain. Not only was Mu Chang exceptionally talented, but he also possessed an even more aggressive mindset than Osamu had in his younger days.
"This is a life-or-death political struggle. If we, the Grass Faction, do not act, then a calamity will befall us," Mu Chang said sternly.
"It's not exactly a matter of life and death. After all, we are all Grass Ninjas," Osamu said, feeling that Mu Chang was being a bit too extreme.
Although their ideologies differed, they were all working for the betterment of the Grass Ninja Village, and it wasn't a matter of survival.
"If the Bliss Box remains sealed and our village's strength doesn't improve, you, Yokokawa Osamu, will have to take responsibility and resign. And if Konoha gains the upper hand in the upcoming war, they will hold our village accountable as well..." Mu Chang continued, his face grave as he laid out the potential challenges ahead for the Grass Faction and the Grass Ninja Village.
"Gather the elders," Osamu said, his mind made up as he prepared to take immediate action.
He was well aware of the risks he was taking, but Grass Flower had uncovered the truth much faster than he had anticipated, leaving him with less time than he'd originally planned.
...
In the end, Ryuhi proved to be faster in the race to gather evidence. He and his team completed the task before Kakashi's group.
After collecting the evidence, Ryuhi first handed it over to Mu Yue, then, following her instructions, he headed to the Grass Ninja Chief's office with the proof in hand.
"What's going on with you all? You look like you haven't had a good night's sleep," Ryuhi remarked as he entered the office building and noticed the lack of enthusiasm among the ninjas he encountered.
"How can clients have confidence in our Grass Ninja capabilities if they see you looking so listless?" Ryuhi chastised them.
While other departments could be excused, client missions were the core of a ninja village.
"Apologies, Elder Ryuhi. I had insomnia last night," a Grass Ninja offered as an excuse.
Clients? Osamu had ordered that no client missions were to be undertaken until the Bliss Box was unsealed.
Ryuhi frowned at their attitude but chose to let it slide for the moment, as he had more pressing matters to attend to.
When Ryuhi reached the door of the Grass Ninja Chief's office, an ANBU guarding it stopped him.
"The chief is handling important matters. No one is to enter," the Grass Ninja ANBU said expressionlessly.
"Step aside. Regardless of what he's doing, I must have an explanation from him today!" Ryuhi snapped, showing no deference to the ANBU.
The ANBU remained silent but didn't budge.
Ryuhi didn't waste any more time and struck out at the ANBU with his palm. Believing that Osamu had made a grave mistake, he suspected that the ANBU under Osamu's command might also be implicated.
The ANBU tried to stop Ryuhi, but he was no match for him. Already weakened from repeatedly channeling chakra into the Bliss Box the day before, the ANBU was quickly knocked to the ground by Ryuhi's attack.
Bang!
"Yokokawa Osamu, you dare to secretly join the war and then hide from me?" Ryuhi kicked down the door to the Grass Ninja Chief's office and shouted.
As the wooden door fell, Ryuhi saw that the office was empty.
Ryuhi's face darkened as he realized something was amiss. The fact that the chief wasn't in his office during the daytime, coupled with the lethargic state of the ninjas he had encountered, gave him a foreboding sense of unease.
"Where did Yokokawa go? Take me to him before he makes an irreparable mistake," Ryuhi commanded the ANBU.
Seeing that Ryuhi had already discovered their plan, the Grass Ninja ANBU dropped the pretense.
"Elder Ryuhi, please don't hinder our leader any further. Only he can lead us, the Grass Ninja Village, to prosperity and strength," the Grass Ninja ANBU tried to dissuade Ryuhi from opposing Osamu.
Ryuhi was left speechless. Was he trying to hinder Osamu? Konoha's Mu Yue had already infiltrated the Grass Ninja Village.
"Do you think that only I am aware of your actions? Konoha's ninjas have already caught on, they're just biding their time," Ryuhi knew he couldn't change the minds of Osamu's subordinates with a few words, so he brought up Konoha.
"Mu Yue is currently in the Grass Ninja Village, and apart from him, there may be other Konoha ninjas lurking. Now, the best way to minimize losses is for Yokokawa Osamu to take the initiative and confess."
"Mu Yue is in the village?!" The confidence on the Grass Ninja ANBU's face vanished, and his pupils dilated.
Mu Yue was the formidable shinobi who had once slain a jinchuriki on the eastern battlefield of the Fire Country. Even with the help of a ninja squad, it was a testament to his terrifying strength.
"How could you not report such important information to the leader, Elder Ryuhi?" The Grass Ninja ANBU imagined Mu Yue wreaking havoc in the Grass Ninja Village.
"I also want to ask Yokokawa Osamu why he didn't consult me about such a crucial collaboration with the Rock Ninja Village!" Ryuhi retorted impatiently.
He wasn't foolish. By informing on Osamu, he would be offending Konoha completely. If Konoha decided to take action, they could easily send a ninja squad to raze the Grass Ninja Village to the ground, dooming all the Grass Ninjas.
"Hurry up and tell me where Yokokawa Osamu is. Don't waste any more time."
The Grass Ninja ANBU shook his head. "Once the leader opens the Bliss Box, even if it's Mu Yue or another Yellow Flash, the Grass Ninja Village will not be afraid."
"Elder Ryuhi, don't waste your efforts. I truly don't know the leader's whereabouts," the ANBU insisted.
To prevent leaks, Osamu changed locations daily with the Bliss Box, and only the ninjas tasked with sending chakra for that day knew his location.
However, those ninjas could only leave at dawn, so Osamu's whereabouts were practically impossible to expose.
Seeing that he couldn't get any useful information from the Grass Ninja ANBU, Ryuhi gathered all the Grass Flower ninjas to search for Osamu and informed Mu Yue about him.
As they reached the final stage, Mu Yue used the Flying Thunder God Technique to halt Kakashi's team and the Nara Suzaku team, who were still investigating, signaling that the intelligence-gathering phase was complete, and they could proceed to the next step.
"In other words, Teacher Mu Yue, you've gained the support of the conservative faction in the Grass Ninja Village. Now, we just need to eliminate the radical faction led by the Grass Ninja Leader," Kakashi analyzed.
Kakashi never expected that Mu Yue, acting alone, had silently accomplished something so crucial.
Following Mu Yue's plan was far better than indiscriminate revenge; it reduced their workload and brought greater benefits to Konoha.
"Then let's go find Yokokawa Osamu. Once we defeat him, our mission will be complete," Obito said, feeling more confident now that they had reached a stage that played to his strengths.
While he struggled with intelligence-gathering, he excelled in combat with his powerful attacks.
"Shiki, can you sense the location of the bugs on Haruno Flower?" Mu Yue turned to Aburame Shiki.
Hearing Mu Yue mention Haruno Flower, Kakashi's eyes lit up as he realized why the Grass Ninja Leader had kept her.
Although he didn't know what the Bliss Box was, it required chakra, and members of the Uzumaki clan had abundant chakra.
Once again, Kakashi appreciated Mu Yue's meticulousness. If it weren't for Mu Yue's concern for Haruno Flower's safety, which led to Aburame Shiki placing special bugs on her, they might not have been able to find Yokokawa Osamu so easily.
Aburame Shiki gathered his chakra, performed a series of hand seals, and then nodded, leading the way.
...
Underground Base.
"Everyone, give your all in refining chakra and inputting it! Every bit of chakra you contribute will become the cornerstone of the Grass Ninjas' rise!" Yokokawa Osamu encouraged the Grass Ninjas as he fed the corpses into the Bliss Box.
As the sacrificer, Osamu could distinctly feel the growing power of the chakra within the Bliss Box.
It was almost ready to be opened; just a little more was needed.
As time passed, one by one, the Grass Ninjas collapsed from excessive chakra exhaustion, gasping for breath. Soon, most of them were spent.
Meanwhile, Osamu's supply of ninja corpses was also dwindling, yet the Bliss Box remained stuck at that awkward bottleneck.
Osamu maintained his calm and didn't panic. He had made thorough preparations for opening the Bliss Box, and he was confident there would be no mishaps.
"You arrived at the Grass Ninja Village at such a critical moment. Perhaps it's destiny," Osamu said, smiling as he looked at the unconscious Haruno Flower.
If it weren't for her presence, he might not have been able to open the Bliss Box before Grass Flower discovered his plan.
As he felt the chakra within the Bliss Box rapidly strengthening, Yokokawa felt incredibly pleased. He even thought that if he had a granddaughter in the future, he could name her Hanabi as a way of thanking her for her contribution to the Grass Ninjas, although Hanabi's involvement was not entirely voluntary.
"They came so quickly?" Yokokawa was a little surprised that his well-kept secret had been discovered so soon by Grass Flower, his longtime arch-nemesis.
Yokokawa increased the speed of the sacrifice and prepared to feed Hanabi's entire body to the Bliss Box.
"Mu, go out and intercept them. This is a critical moment, and I don't want any interruptions," Yokokawa instructed his subordinate.
It was the most crucial step, and Yokokawa didn't want any mishaps.
However, something shocking happened. Mu seemed to ignore his order, not even glancing at him as he continued to examine the Bliss Box.
"Mu!" Yokokawa yelled, thinking that Mu might not have heard him.
He couldn't fathom Mu's betrayal, as Mu was his chosen successor, and their interests were aligned. Mu should have had no reason to betray him.
Mu turned to look at Yokokawa and then nodded before walking away.
Just as Yokokawa resumed the sacrifice of Hanabi, something unexpected happened.
Bang!
As Mu walked past Yokokawa, he suddenly threw a punch, sending Yokokawa flying.
Yokokawa crashed into the sturdy Bliss Box, his eyes filled with anger and confusion as he couldn't understand why Mu would betray him at this moment.
Whether it was from a standpoint of interests or emotions, he couldn't find a valid reason for Mu's betrayal.
The only explanation he could barely accept was that he had misjudged Mu, who was not truly loyal to the Grass Ninjas and had his own desires that he wanted to fulfill.
After punching Yokokawa, Mu didn't pursue him further. Instead, he turned to heal Hanabi.
If Yokokawa had been allowed to continue the sacrifice, it might have caused irreparable damage to Hanabi's body.
Mu's actions left Yokokawa even more bewildered. Why would he betray him and then not finish him off, instead choosing to heal Hanabi?
A ridiculous thought crossed Yokokawa's mind—perhaps Mu had fallen in love with Hanabi at first sight and couldn't bear to see her die, so he betrayed him.
Yokokawa was stunned. Regardless of the reason, he felt that he had misjudged Mu, and he questioned his choice of successor.
"Mu, how could you betray the leader! Your current strength and status are all because of the leader's mentorship," a nearby Grass Ninja shouted in dismay.
If he hadn't been exhausted from chakra depletion, he would have fought Mu despite the odds, unable to tolerate such disloyalty.
Many other Grass Ninjas didn't even have the energy to shout, but they glared at Mu with angry eyes.
With so many Grass Ninjas present, Yokokawa had granted Mu the privilege of not having to input chakra, and yet Mu had still betrayed him.
Mu remained unmoved by their accusations, as they were directed at him, not at Mu.
Seeing their reactions, Yokokawa silently channeled all his remaining chakra into the Bliss Box, filling up the last bit that was needed.
He didn't have time to think too much now; once the Bliss Box was opened, everything would be fine.
Whether it was Ryuhi, who opposed him, or Mu, who had betrayed him, he would have many options to deal with them then.
Boom!!
After absorbing enough chakra to activate it, the Bliss Box unleashed an incredibly powerful chakra. A column of energy shot up from the underground base, breaking through the ceiling and reaching for the clouds.
Kakashi and his team, who were already nearby, quickened their pace. Ryuhi and the other Grass Flower members also hurried over when they saw this display.
"Bliss Box, open!" Yokokawa stood before the box, his gaze fixed on Mu, and through the connection of the sacrifice, he conveyed his intentions to the box.
Boom!!
Accompanied by a tremendous roar, the Bliss Box, which had been sealed for who knows how long, began to shake. Some parts of the human face mask fell off, and the mouth opened wide like a demon's maw, revealing a darkness so deep that one couldn't see the end.
Yokokawa couldn't see inside the box from the opening, and he felt that there seemed to be an endless dark world within, despite the box appearing to be just a large container.
"Make me strong, extremely strong!" Yokokawa said in a deep voice.
This had been his plan all along. He wanted to become stronger than even Monju, the ninja who had defeated the demigod, Sosuke. With his newfound strength, he could protect the Grass Ninja Village and the Grass Country, ensuring their peaceful development.
Yokokawa didn't know how to use the Bliss Box, but as the box opened, he felt an intuitive sense of how it worked. The box seemed to have a consciousness of its own.
As the one who opened the box, Yokokawa believed that the Bliss Box would grant his wish.
Hoo Hoo!
Suddenly, a powerful suction force emanated from within the Bliss Box, and Yokokawa, who was closest to it, was pulled inside.
Mu held onto Hanabi and moved a little further away, then he sensed his Flying Thunder God mark and realized that, unlike Naruto, he could still perceive his surroundings while inside the Bliss Box.
PS: Today's chapter is 5k words. I think it shouldn't be a problem to get back to 8k words tomorrow with some extra effort.
(End of Chapter)
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