The Box of Paradise had shut itself voluntarily.
Though this thing acted like it 'picked on the weak and feared the strong,' it probably had no real intelligence or consciousness. It was most likely external damage that triggered its self-preservation mode, causing it to shut down on its own.
If this box truly had self-awareness, Shimoku would be over the moon!
That'd practically make it an [Artificial Intelligence]—letting you do just about anything!
After all, something like artificial intelligence…
Was way more convenient than a mere "tool-being."
Not only could it be exploited forever,
But you wouldn't have to feed it or pay it a salary!
Any capitalist would kill to get their hands on one!
Of course, for now, Shimoku could only dream.
The true condition of the Box of Paradise would need careful study once he got it back.
Meanwhile, with the Box of Paradise sealed shut,
Outside, the beast Satori—who had lost the chakra supply from the box and could no longer heal his wounds—was utterly defeated.
Soon enough, the Dao Hun Kun Beast bit him mercilessly,
Tore off his wings, yanked out his massive fangs…
And molded him into a black ball, toying with him in the city square like a cat toying with its prey.
After resolving the issue with the Box of Paradise, Shimoku quickly arrived at the square, recalled the Kun Beast,
And sealed the critically injured beast Satori inside a scroll.
Honestly speaking,
Such a monstrous beast seemed quite similar to the Tailed Beasts.
Both took physical form from chakra—and were nearly immortal…
The only difference was one relied on the Box of Paradise,
While the Tailed Beasts roamed freely, except those sealed within Jinchuriki…
Of course, the exact relationship between these ancient beasts and the Tailed Beasts still needed research.
If one could truly decipher their essence and discover a way to breed them in large numbers, that would be even better.
Whether they were tool-people or tool-beasts—if they could get the job done, Shimoku welcomed them all with open arms!
Seeing that terrifying monster finally subdued,
The previously chaotic Hozuki Castle gradually returned to calm.
The Grass ninja responsible for guarding the prison leapt into action,
Suppressing the criminal ninja and cleaning up the aftermath.
At the same time, the last two elders of the Hidden Grass Village and survivors among the delegations from smaller villages like the Hidden Waterfall Village also stepped forward.
They gathered around Shimoku respectfully, expressing heartfelt gratitude.
"Thank you, sir, for coming to our aid!"
"Sir, your might is incredible—you've actually subdued such a terrifying monster!"
"May we ask where you're from?"
A cacophony of flattery, praise, and subtle questioning filled the air.
None of these survivors were fools.
No matter who this young man was,
Whoever could defeat such a horrifying beast was definitely not someone they could possibly offend!
Moreover,
This teenager wasn't wearing a forehead protector from any of the Five Great Hidden Villages—he likely wasn't from any of the Five Great Nations.
Which made him more friend than foe, and someone worth trying to win over.
Otherwise, those timid old foxes wouldn't dare show their faces...
"Cut the crap."
"What have you been doing here? What secrets are you plotting?"
"I honestly don't care."
"I'm not from the Five Great Hidden Villages either, so I won't massacre you all."
"You're all perfectly safe..."
"However, there are two conditions you must fulfill for me..."
Shimoku stated directly.
At the same time, he made no effort to conceal his chakra.
Even just a fraction of the pressure emanating from him was enough to make their hairs stand on end and fill them with dread.
"Merciful Lord!"
"We'll fulfill whatever demands you make!"
The elder wearing a bull-headed mask quickly chimed in.
Shimoku glanced at the thick night sky and calmly instructed:
"I'll be staying here tonight."
"Prepare food for three people and bring it over immediately."
"If you feel like poisoning it, go ahead and try..."
"N-no! We would never!"
The elder replied respectfully with great anxiety.
Then he quickly turned to his subordinates behind him and ordered:
"Did you hear that? Hurry up and prepare the dinner. The best quality!"
Shimoku: "Also, bring me the girl named Ryuzetsu from your Anbu division."
Grass Elder hesitated slightly: "This..."
Shimoku: "Any objections?"
Grass Elder: "N-no no! It's just that... There is no one named Ryuzetsu among our Anbu forces!"
Shimoku: "Oh! Then she probably hasn't joined the Anbu yet. Regardless, bring me the girl named Ryuzetsu from your village!"
Grass Elder: "Yes yes, I'll arrange it right away."
"Alright, that's all for now."
"If I don't see her before sunrise tomorrow, none of you will live to see another day..."
Shimoku waved his hand dismissively and stopped paying attention to the surrounding crowd.
He went back to the broken conference room.
Taking Shinyu with him, he went to find new rooms to rest.
Leaving only the confused crowd there, exchanging shocked glances.
Of course, none of them dared defy Shimoku's commands.
Unless someone was really looking for a death wish.
Soon, the Hidden Grass Village strictly fulfilled Shimoku's first demand.
They prepared new resting rooms for Shimoku and his companions and delivered an exquisite and abundant dinner.
Needless to say, there was no poison involved.
Nobody actually thought those cheap tricks could take down a supreme expert.
Besides, Shimoku wasn't even their enemy...
In fact, he had essentially saved their lives.
Although this savior clearly looked terrifyingly intimidating.
As a result, they didn't even think about touching the Box of Paradise or rescuing the former City Lord Mui, who remained bound to the spot.
Because right now,
they had far greater threats demanding priority handling!
Half an hour after the battle, deep into the night.
Inside another hidden chamber within Hozuki Castle.
Once again, two elders from the Hidden Grass Village and the remaining village representatives had gathered here, arguing fiercely.
"We must send someone immediately to hunt down those two Konoha ninjas!"
"There's absolutely no way we can let them slip away!"
"Damn it! Are you out of your mind? Hunt them again? Didn't you see just how powerful that white-haired Konoha ninja is? He summoned a giant beast—do you really think you can take him down?"
"That's right! And that kunoichi defeated Lord Mui with just a couple of punches. We're clearly no match for them!"
"The two of them might very well be the legendary Sannin from Konoha!"
"Don't forget just how terrifying the Sannin are!"
Indeed, the reputation of the Konoha Sannin was extremely formidable.
The moment this was mentioned, the atmosphere in the room turned tense. Everyone fell silent, their faces stiffening.
After a long pause,
Mezu, the Grass elder wearing a horse mask, finally spoke up:
"Friends and colleagues, we have no choice but to move forward..."
"No matter whether they truly are members of the Konoha Sannin or not, we must act!"
"After all, if they report back to Konoha about our secret alliance and forbidden artifact usage—our plans to resist the Five Great Nations—"
"Then all of our villages will face an unstoppable wrath, from Konoha, or even the Five Great Hidden Villages themselves!"
"Bullshit! This whole mess is entirely your Hidden Grass Village's fault!"
"It was your stupid idea for this ridiculous alliance, and you're the ones who unsealed that evil artifact..."
"If anyone should take responsibility, it should be you!"
Mezu did not argue back. Instead, he coldly continued:
"Do you really believe the Five Great Nations care about any of that?"
"Will they show mercy to you?"
Once more, the village representatives stayed silent.
"...".
They all knew deep down, even if the Hidden Grass Village bore primary blame,
The Five Great Nations would never consider reason—they were used to acting with brute force, and would never spare any of them...
"But even combining all of us, there's no guarantee we can beat them!"
"No, there's still a chance!"
"The female Konoha ninja has been struck by Lord Mui's Sealing Technique. Her chakra must now be sealed, leaving her extremely weak..."
"And that white-haired Konoha ninja is preoccupied with caring for her—his strength must have greatly declined..."
"If we go all in and throw every last Jonin we've got at them, we might just take them both out!"
"...".
Hesitation filled the air.
Seeing this hesitation, Mezu urged more forcefully:
"We can't afford hesitation—we must act now!"
"If we actively pursue them, we still have a small chance to cover up everything..."
"If we give up now, the Five Great Nations definitely won't spare us either!"
"Friends and colleagues...we have no choice!"
"All right! I support this plan!"
"I agree too!"
"Me as well!"
Soon, village leaders who decided to gamble everything on this desperate attempt,
Together with the entire Hozuki Castle forces,
Immediately deployed all remaining Jonin forces.
They set off chasing in the same direction Jiraiya had fled,
Determined to kill the two before they could return to Konoha—to erase all evidence of their smaller villages' crimes.
As a small Ninja Village, this was a decision they had no choice but to make for self-preservation!
...
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