Chapter 22: The Box of Ultimate Bliss
Yugito looked at Neji, her expression a mask of confusion. A person's values are largely formed after a few years in the world; they can't be changed with just a few words.
Neji didn't quite know how to explain it to her either. He rubbed his temples. "I'm just not in the right headspace. Let's try another day."
The casual, dismissive tone was obvious to anyone.
A flash of annoyance crossed Yugito's face. She pinned him down, her voice sharp and direct. "Neji, what are you so hesitant about? Don't you want to?"
Neji's body tensed. He was silent for a moment before answering just as directly. "I do. It's not like it's a loss for me, right?"
But if it was just for the sake of the Byakugan bloodline, the Raikage didn't need to sacrifice Yugito for it. To resort to such methods... how was that any different from Konoha? Yugito was a hero of the Hidden Cloud. She was young and beautiful and didn't deserve to be treated like this. Besides, if he went through with it, while Yugito might not resent him, it would inevitably plant a thorn in her heart. That wasn't a situation Neji wanted.
Neji's last comment made Yugito burst out laughing. She then looked at him, her confusion returning. "Then why... could it be that you..."
She made a vague gesture with her hand, then glanced down at herself, opening her mouth to say something but not knowing how to phrase it.
Neji gritted his teeth and explained, "My dear Captain Yugito, what you're talking about and what I want are two completely different concepts, okay?"
"But... there doesn't seem to be a difference. Isn't it all the same thing in the end?"
Neji turned his head away and closed his eyes in exasperation. "If you only look at the result, then yes, there's no difference. But if you consider the entire process, the difference is huge."
"When it's just for the sake of procreation, or as a transaction, both parties skip the build-up and go straight to the final step. Especially the man."
Yugito stared at him, dumbfounded. It was the first time she had ever heard such a thing. Instead of sounding crude, it actually made a strange kind of sense to her.
Of course, Yugito didn't really care about the reasoning. The mission was paramount; she just wanted to complete it. But if Neji wouldn't cooperate, forcing the issue seemed impossible.
"Alright, fine. We'll forget about it for now," she said, taking a deep breath to calm herself.
Neji felt a wave of relief. "Then you can get off me."
"Neji, let's compromise. We'll share a room, but not a bed."
"Okay."
Neji thought that was for the best. To refuse any further would just be rude.
Early the next morning, Neji was groggily pulled from his sleep.
Yugito, dressed in a form-fitting black short-sleeved combat uniform, stood over him, her mouth full of grilled meat. The sight, instead of being comical, was strangely cute.
Neji glanced at the clock on the wall.
6:10 AM. He'd woken up late.
"Your portion is on the table. Be quick about it. We have a mission after we eat."
"A mission?"
Neji paused in the middle of getting dressed, looking at her in confusion. "Hasn't the mission already ended?"
Yugito gave him a mysterious smile. "Neji, you're the precious Byakugan, and I'm the Jinchūriki of the Two-Tails. Do you really think a mere C-rank mission is worth us traveling a thousand miles for?"
Neji froze.
Thinking about it, she had a point. But they hadn't accepted any other missions, which meant this one had been given to them privately by the Raikage. Recalling the Hidden Cloud's typical methods, a theory began to form in his mind.
After breakfast, Yugito took out a scroll and handed it to him.
Neji opened it. It was a map of the Village Hidden in the Grass.
A red line divided the map down the middle, separating the village into northern and southern districts. In each district, a cluster of buildings was circled in red.
Yugito crossed her arms, her expression serious. "Do you know the history of Kusagakure?"
Neji shook his head, feigning ignorance. "Not really."
"Good. Then you need to remember every word I'm about to say." Yugito's lips curved into a slight smile as she assumed the role of a proper Jōnin leader, ready to educate her subordinate.
"Thousands of years ago, a divine artifact known as the Box of Ultimate Bliss appeared in the shinobi world. It was said to have been left behind by the legendary Sage of Six Paths, and that opening it could grant any wish. The Village Hidden in the Grass once opened the Box and nearly conquered the entire world."
"Does the Box of Ultimate Bliss really exist?" Neji interjected. "I mean, the Sage of Six Paths is just a figure from myth and legend."
The Raikage can't be sending us to steal the Box of Ultimate Bliss, can he? Neji thought. At this point in time, the box should be in Hozuki Castle.
"Myths and legends are built on a foundation of historical truth," Yugito explained. "Our village inherited several of the Sage's divine artifacts, so we are certain the Box of Ultimate Bliss is real. And it's most likely in the possession of the Hidden Grass."
"Our mission is to steal it. An artifact of such power must be in the hands of the Hidden Cloud."
The legendary Gold and Silver Brothers, known as the "Two Lights of the Cloud," had inherited five of the Treasured Tools of the Sage of Six Paths: the Kōkinjō, the Bashōsen, the Benihisago, the Shichiseiken, and the Kohaku no Jōhei. Decades ago, the Cloud had attacked Konoha, starting the First Great Ninja War, but they had been soundly defeated by the Second Hokage. Under pressure, the Second Raikage had signed a peace treaty. The Gold and Silver Brothers, who were fighting on the front lines, were enraged to hear of the surrender and launched a coup. Using the Treasured Tools and the power of the Nine-Tails' chakra, they had assassinated both the Second Raikage and the Second Hokage. But the brothers were eventually brought down by the Cloud's ANBU, and the Treasured Tools had belonged to the village ever since.
"I will search the southern district. Your mission is to infiltrate the northern district and investigate this location." Yugito pointed a slender finger at the red-circled buildings in the north.
"Oh?" Neji raised an eyebrow. "Is there something special about these two places?"
"Many years ago, the Hidden Grass split into two opposing factions. One is the 'Fruit of the Grass,' which wants to restore the village to its former glory. The other is the 'Flower of the Grass,' which advocates for peace."
"These two circled locations are their respective headquarters. If the Box of Ultimate Bliss is in the village, it will be hidden in one of these two places."
Neji took a deep breath. He didn't ask what they should do if the box wasn't there. Instead, he asked, "When do we move?"
Yugito glanced at the clock. "We have the entire day for reconnaissance. Tonight, at midnight, we move in simultaneously. We only have a thirty-minute window. Remember, whether you find the box or not, you must withdraw from the village immediately."
Neji thought for a moment. "I suggest we retreat back to this inn instead," he proposed. "Then, tomorrow morning, we can walk out of the village in plain sight."
Yugito's eyes lit up. "The most dangerous place is the safest place. Good. We'll retreat here."