Chapter 31: If I Had a Genius Son, I Would Surely Sacrifice Him to Open the Box of Ultimate Bliss
After listening to Shōshirō's account, Mui's brow furrowed. The Box of Ultimate Bliss was a great treasure of the Hidden Grass. He had thought their security was airtight. He had no idea how the information had leaked, let alone that it had reached the ears of Konoha.
"Hmph." The elder wearing the dog mask snorted, his voice filled with anger. "This is an outrage! An absolute outrage!"
"Mui," the elder in the ox mask said with a heavy sigh, "Konoha will not give up so easily. It's time to make a decision."
At his words, Mui's face stiffened.
A year ago, the "Fruit of the Grass" faction had made a breakthrough in their research. The four elders had concluded that by sacrificing Mui's son, Muku, there was a high probability they could open the Box. But Mui had been unwilling to sacrifice his son, and the matter had been delayed until now.
With Konoha now aware of the Box, it was only a matter of time before they returned. Mui knew he had to make a decision, but he was a father. What father in the world could be so cruel as to sacrifice his own son?
"Mui, the Box of Ultimate Bliss is the only hope for the revival of our village," the elder in the monkey mask said, his voice shrill. "If I had a genius son, I would surely sacrifice him to open it." He spoke with an air of righteous indignation, as if he truly had a son ready to be sacrificed.
"The three of you may go," the eldest and most respected of the four, the elder in the sheep mask, said, waving them away.
"Heh. Mui," the monkey elder said with a meaningful look before he left, "don't forget your responsibility as a leader. And don't forget that you're not the only one who has a say in this village."
After the others had gone, the sheep elder fell to his knees before Mui.
"Elder, what are you doing?" Mui said, rushing to help him up.
The old man waved his hand away, his face etched with grief. "Let me kneel, Mui. Do you know, I have never despised myself more than I do at this moment."
"A few months ago, when the other three came to me with their plan to use extreme measures against your son, I refused them. But now... I am wavering."
Hearing this, Mui coldly withdrew his hand.
"Mui, you must believe me. If there were any other choice, no one would want to take this path."
"So," Mui said, his voice icy, "what has my son done to deserve being sacrificed by you?"
"His only crime is to have been born in this village. His only crime is to be your son."
"..."
Mui closed his eyes in anguish. "And if I refuse, you'll dispose of me first?"
Shlick.
The sound of a blade piercing flesh.
Mui's head snapped around. He saw that the sheep elder had, at some point, produced a kunai and plunged it into his own chest.
Shlick! Shlick!
He pulled it out and stabbed himself twice more.
Warm blood splattered on Mui's face, leaving him stunned.
"I deserve to die, Mui. I truly deserve to die. And so do the other three."
"But I hope... I hope you will consider the bigger picture... Open the Box of Ultimate Bliss... destroy Konoha... and lead... lead the Hidden Grass to rule the shinobi world."
Mui stood frozen, staring at the body lying in a pool of its own blood.
After a month of travel, Neji and his group finally returned to the Hidden Cloud.
He temporarily housed Kana and her daughter at Yugito's place. After he and Yugito had formally completed their mission report, they went straight to the Raikage's office to give A a full account of their time in the Hidden Grass.
When he heard that opening the Box of Ultimate Bliss could grant a wish, the Fourth Raikage scoffed, saying the Grass-nin were daydreaming. But when he learned that Neji had rescued a mother and daughter of the Uzumaki clan, he was so excited that he smashed his desk with a single punch. Dodai, with a weary look on his face, ordered someone to bring in a new, reinforced iron desk.
After careful consideration, the Fourth Raikage classified the entire mission as a top-level secret, to be sealed in a file that only he had the authority to view.
"Neji," A said with a grin, "what do you want as a reward?"
Neji rubbed the back of his head, a little embarrassed. "I'd like a house... to settle the mother and daughter."
"Hahaha!" Seeing Neji's flustered expression, A burst out laughing.
Beside him, Dodai smiled and took out a deed, handing it to Neji. "This is a building that belongs to Lord Raikage. It's secluded and quiet. It's yours."
"Thank you, Lord Raikage. Thank you, Dodai-senpai," Neji said, gratefully accepting the deed.
The price of real estate in the shinobi world was notoriously high. In the original timeline, even after getting married, Sakura was still struggling with a mortgage, partly because Sasuke was never home, but mostly because property in Konoha was so expensive. The Hidden Cloud, built on a high plateau with scarce natural resources, was no different. If Neji had to rely on mission payments to buy a house, it would take him forever.
"The deed is a personal gift from me," A said. "This is your real reward from the village."
Neji was surprised. There was more?
The Fourth Raikage took out a scroll. With an infusion of chakra, an oval-shaped jade pot appeared in front of Neji.
"Is that...?!" Yugito's pupils contracted, a look of shock on her face.
"The Kohaku no Jōhei, the Amber Purifying Pot," A explained. "It is one of the Treasured Tools of the Sage of Six Paths, and the most powerful of them all. It is said to be the ultimate divine artifact, capable of sealing anything in the world. After the Gold and Silver Brothers died, it was put into storage. Now, it's yours."
"A fine prize," Neji said. He patted the side of the pot and stored it away. He was a little surprised that A would give him one of the Treasured Tools, but not shocked. Bringing the Uzumaki bloodline to the village was a great service, worthy of a precious reward. Besides, even the greatest of tools was useless if it just sat on a shelf. And, not to boast, but in his hands, the pot would be put to its full use.
"Neji," Dodai said suddenly, "be careful these next few days."
Neji raised an eyebrow. "Is someone going to cause trouble for me?"
A sighed. "Every family has its problems. Although I am the Raikage, I don't have absolute power within my own clan. A while ago, the clan head, Yotsuki Kazeki, came to me. He had selected a number of... partners for you. I politely declined on your behalf, telling him you had high standards and wouldn't be interested in the women of the Yotsuki clan."
The corner of Neji's mouth twitched. You call that politely declining?
He rubbed his temples. "So, the clan head is going to cause trouble for me?"
A waved his hand dismissively. "It won't come to that. I know Kazeki. He's not the type to bully a junior. But some of the hot-tempered young women in the clan are planning to teach you a lesson."
Neji breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."
"This is a matter between you young people," Dodai advised. "It's not convenient for Lord Raikage to intervene. If things get out of hand, you can come to me."
Neji grinned. "Don't worry, Dodai-senpai. I can handle it."
He knew A would prefer him to deal with it himself. If he had to run to Dodai for help, both A and Neji himself would be disappointed.