"We can't allow it to continue destroying like this!"
On the battlefield, while having Kushina provide him with chakra, Minato Namikaze called out: "Everyone, try to restrict its movement—so I can land my Flying Thunder God mark on him!"
"Understood, let's do it!"
"Everyone move! Drive it toward the southeast! Minato, prepare to intercept!"
"Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!"
"Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Jutsu!"
"Wild Shuriken Barrage!"
A chaotic medley of ninjutsu was unleashed towards Satori, attempting to force it into a position where Minato's Flying Thunder God kunai could reach.
The ninjutsu was immense, with dozens of Konoha ninja attacking simultaneously. The vibrant techniques even filled the sky with colorful light.
Yet Satori—as if reading their minds—laughed cruelly and surged higher, abandoning low-altitude combat. Then, like an aerial bomber, he began unleashing chakra bombs downward.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Ninjutsu collided with the chakra orbs, causing violent chakra explosions. The shinobi worked tirelessly but couldn't even touch a single feather of the creature.
"Damn it..."
Minato's face tightened. "We can't let this continue—Gamabunta, toss me over!"
"Alright!"
Without hesitation, Gamabunta used his massive arm to hurl Minato toward Satori's direction, like launching an arrow.
Satori dodged easily, his massive chakra wings flapping to destroy the kunai mid-flight.
"Kyahahaha!"
A mocking laugh pierced the air. Feathers, sharp as arrows, whipped down on Minato's location—forcing him to instantly teleport back beside Kushina using Flying Thunder God Jutsu.
"Impossible… this thing sees through my combat style, and with such high mobility, I just can't get close!" Minato's complexion grew darker. With no way to land even one seal, his offensive options were gone.
Shisui, hidden in the trees, calmly observed and assessed, "He's a chakra composite similar to a tailed beast; attacking with body blows, feather barrages, even tailed-beast-bomb–like chakra spheres.
His destructive output is slightly below a typical beast, but he possesses a special sense—able to dodge nearly everything."
Yoru's voice echoed in their minds, "He reads intentions—sensing all hostility. Crazy... I didn't expect Konoha to deploy such a monstrosity. Desperate times call for desperate measures."
"Should we intervene?" someone asked.
"We can intervene, but whose side do we help?"
Yoru chuckled softly: "This thing has some research value, but there's no need to rush. While they're allies, we can't exactly work for free, can we?"
"Also—don't forget the souls. With this thing around, soul generation must be skyrocketing." Jūzō Biwa, Kushimaru Kuriarare, and others nodded—soul-collection devices were already near full.
Shisui, hearing Yoru's voice, stood calmly in place, his gaze indifferent.
Just a few months ago, he would have been unable to contain his emotions at the mere mention of something detrimental to Konoha. Yet now, watching so many Konoha shinobi die tragically before him, he remained unmoved.
Perhaps this was why he was chosen by Yoru to become the Second Squad Captain.
"No one can defeat Satori head-on—this is the Sage of Six Paths' ultimate weapon!" Gamabunta growled. "But... maybe you can attack elsewhere."
"What?"
Minato looked from the laughing Satori toward the Bliss Box below.
"Bunta, you mean the Box of Ultimate Bliss?"
"Satori himself isn't the real threat—this Box, which absorbs everything, is the real danger.
It looks quiet now because Satori hasn't activated it. But once it's triggered—nightmare begins.
Your kunai might not reach him, but surely hits the Box. And Satori is linked to it—if you teleport the Box, he should follow. Even if not, at least the Box is no longer the biggest threat."
Gamabunta nodded thoughtfully. "But Satori and the Box of Ultimate Bliss are intertwinned—you can't act without him sensing it. You'll need someone with strong presence to mask your intent."
Orochimaru's raspy voice cut in: "Let me. I'll use a snake swarm to distract him—then you strike."
"Got it! My Flying Thunder God mark is sealed on the Box—As long as Lord Orochimaru assists me, I can transfer it to another location!"
"Then prepare to go."
"Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes"
Orochimaru's hands rapidly formed seals, his chest swelled with a large amount of chakra, and then he powerfully exhaled.
Countless long snakes surged from Orochimaru's mouth, seemingly endless. In moments, they formed a dense, swarming mass. This horrifying snake horde then swept like a tide towards the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
"Attacking the Box of Ultimate Bliss?!" Satori's mocking laughter echoed.
It made no unusual movements, continuing to fly in the sky, evading the ninjutsu attacks from other Konoha ninja, casually dropping several chakra energy spheres that caused booming explosions.
Below, the snake horde reached the Box of Ultimate Bliss—but just as they touched it, all four doors—Joy, Anger, Sorrow, Pleasure—popped open.
A terrifying suction erupted. The snakes were swept in and vanished instantly.
"Kyahahaha! Delicious, delicious chakra! I will devour everything!" Satori cackled—until he stopped, staring in disbelief at the now-empty field.
"How is this possible, my Box of Ultimate Bliss!" he shrieked.
"I almost didn't make it back..."
Minato Namikaze's disheveled figure appeared. He sighed in relief, looking at Satori flying towards the southeast.
For a moment, he had felt as if his entire being would be swallowed by the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
Fortunately, the Box of Ultimate Bliss hadn't been fully activated yet, and he had reacted quickly. Otherwise, he would have been devoured like those snakes.
And...
"What's wrong?"
Kushina cast a concerned gaze, clearly sensing something amiss with her beloved.
"No, nothing."
The instant he touched the Box of Ultimate Bliss, even for that brief moment, countless images had surged through his mind.
Ice, death, powerlessness...
And the figure wearing the Fourth Mizukage's ceremonial robes...
It was a fear hidden deep within his heart, something he dared not recall, dared not face, but it had been fully triggered the moment he touched the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
"Well done, Minato!"
"If it weren't for you, this could have been a huge problem!"
"Almost caused a disaster, thankfully we had you, Minato."
Satori flew away, and everyone present breathed a sigh of relief, speaking to Minato.
Facing such a cunning and tricky monster, if Minato hadn't been there, they truly wouldn't have known how to deal with it.
"It's nothing, Lord Orochimaru's cover was excellent. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have been able to get near the Box of Ultimate Bliss."
Minato Namikaze forced a smile. Orochimaru nodded indifferently, saying nothing more.
A moment later, Danzō and Torifu arrived, somewhat belatedly. Looking at the surrounding devastation, Danzō spoke grimly: "Minato, where did you send the Box of Ultimate Bliss?"
"To the Kannabi Bridge, which has been occupied by Iwagakure."
Minato Namikaze said softly: "I left a Flying Thunder God mark there, so I directly teleported it."
Back then, his belated arrival at Kannabi Bridge had cost him a disciple, which led Minato Namikaze to leave numerous Flying Thunder God marks there during the subsequent war with Iwagakure.
Even after Kannabi Bridge was occupied by Iwagakure and thoroughly cleared, some still remained.
"Kannabi Bridge, huh. In that case, it's effectively being used against Iwagakure."
Meanwhile, at Kannabi Bridge...
"Be careful—that Box eats people!"
"Damn it, Demolition Corps! Blow that box up!"
"No, it's impossible! Both ninjutsu and weapons are absorbed by it! We can't destroy it at all!"
A massive suction constantly erupted from within the Box of Ultimate Bliss, turning the entire Kannabi Bridge into utter chaos.
The Iwagakure shinobi stationed there only saw a giant box suddenly appear, and then their lives vanished.
Followed by pandemonium!
The Iwagakure high command immediately realized something was wrong, but their countermeasures were utterly futile.
The terrifying suction seemed to devour everything around it – people, trees, ninjutsu, even the surrounding fortifications and the very earth were constantly being sucked into the Box of Ultimate Bliss!
That seemingly few-cubic-meter box was like an unfillable black hole, devouring everything.
But the most terrifying thing was that a moment later, a terrifying monster roared through the sky, descended, and then, carrying the Box of Ultimate Bliss with it, assailed the Iwagakure lines!
Wherever it passed, it was as if a natural disaster had struck, leaving desolation, not a blade of grass remaining.
Left with no options, Iwagakure had to deploy the Jinchūriki of the Four-Tails and Five-Tails, attempting to use the power of 'Tailed Beasts' to defeat this monster.
But unexpectedly, even the Tailed Beasts were helpless against the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
"This is the Box of Ultimate Bliss," spoke the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, from within Rōshi. "Born with Satori, moves with Satori, ends with Satori. To shut the box, you must destroy Satori. But as long as the box continues to consume, destruction will escalate, and the number of people who fear Satori will grow, making Satori stronger and stronger. Eventually, this world will be reduced to nothing."
"And defeating Satori isn't easy either."
"Satori grows by absorbing emotions like fear and possesses the power to discern hearts and sense malice."
"I don't know how you found this Box of Ultimate Bliss and activated it, but I know you're in for a world of trouble!"
Four-Tails Son Gokū's words were quickly proven true.
The box devoured even Tailed Beast Bombs—techniques that could level towns. Ordinary ninjutsu were meaningless.
Iwa shinobi tried targeting Satori, but it anticipated every move, dodging with ease. Against sealing or barrier jutsu, it simply ascended, giving no opportunity.
Then it bombed them with chakra spheres—nonstop.
Even when the Lightweight Rock Technique gave the Jinchūriki flight, allowing for kamikaze strikes, the creature simply healed using the box's power. In mere seconds, Iwagakure's sacrifices were nullified.
Just as Konoha had struggled—Iwagakure now faced the same despair.
Left with no choice, Iwagakure could only constantly retreat, simultaneously using the Reverse Summoning Jutsu to immediately transmit this intelligence to the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, far away in Iwagakure.
"What, the Box of Ultimate Bliss?!"
Listening to the intel from the front lines, Ōnoki's face was filled with shock and bewilderment.
A moment ago, he had been planning how to coordinate with Cloud Village for a major offensive against Konoha, but instead, the front line delivered him a surprise.
"A monster that grows by devouring human fear, an ultimate weapon that devours everything..."
"No! We've worked so hard to corner Konoha. This is our moment!"
"I don't care what this Box of Ultimate Bliss is! No one will stop us from crushing Konoha!"
"Reverse summon me there! I'll deal with it!"
"Yes, Lord Third!"
The Third Tsuchikage at this time was not the hunched-over old man prone to back pain he would be ten years later.
Although Ōnoki was not young, he was only in his fifties, completely at his peak. He was definitely one of the strongest individuals standing at the apex of the ninja world.
Upon receiving the message, Ōnoki temporarily arrived at the front lines through the power of the Reverse Summoning Jutsu.
But unfortunately.
Even the power of Kekkei Tōta seemed so powerless before the ultimate weapon.
His Dust Release, capable of disintegrating anything into atoms, merely landed on the Box of Ultimate Bliss and was devoured as chakra.
Attacking Satori...
Malice perception, discerning hearts.
Even before Ōnoki finished charging his jutsu, Satori was already dodging.
By the time the Reverse Summoning Jutsu's duration ended, Ōnoki hadn't even managed to land a single hit on Satori. The results he achieved were even less than what the two Jinchūriki managed.
Helpless, Ōnoki could only return to the village with reluctance amidst Satori's mocking cackles, simultaneously issuing the retreat order.
They could only retreat. Continuing the battle would only lead to more casualties.
No one had expected that this war between Konoha and Iwagakure, which had lasted for several years, would end in such a manner.
But.
Iwagakure's retreat could not stop Satori's consumption.
This monster, born of fear and destruction, actually followed the retreating Iwagakure forces!
The Box of Ultimate Bliss devoured everything in its path, and Satori's piercing, grotesque laughter grew even more rampant amidst the panic and terror of the retreating Iwagakure shinobi...
"What in the world do we do?! What kind of monster is that?!"
Back in Iwagakure, Ōnoki felt like the sky was falling.
Just moments ago, the tide of war had decisively turned in Iwagakure's favor. With Kumogakure entering the fray, the entire battlefield's balance had shifted—victory was within their grasp.
But no one could have foreseen the nightmare that followed.
"Satori is trailing us… and it's bringing the Box of Ultimate Bliss with it," a shinobi reported, voice strained with dread. "Our casualties are mounting by the second. The front-line forces don't even dare retreat to the village—they're forced to lure that thing into the desolate wastelands of the Land of Earth, just to keep it away from civilians."
An elder advisor gripped the latest intelligence scroll, his expression dark.
"And there's no telling how long Satori will keep pursuing our forces," he said gravely.
"If it ever abandons the shinobi and turns toward the cities… this won't just be a military disaster—it will spell ruin for the entire Land of Earth."
"What about sealing jutsu? What about barrier ninjutsu?"
Another advisor elder said unwillingly: "Is there truly no way?"
"Third Tsuchikage, this absolutely cannot continue! Think of something!"
"I know! I know!"
Ōnoki's head throbbed.
He had personally fought that monster, and precisely because of that, he understood just how difficult it was to deal with.
Even Dust Release couldn't touch that guy, let alone any sealing jutsu or barrier ninjutsu.
Without killing Satori, the Box of Ultimate Bliss wouldn't stop devouring.
But Satori could sense malice and read minds. Forget killing it, they couldn't even touch it.
Even if it sustained minor injuries, it could recover its power through its connection to the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
No wonder the Box of Ultimate Bliss was called the ultimate weapon from the Sage of Six Paths' era.
Facing such an almost unresolvable, even unfair power, unless Satori chose to self-destruct by crashing into something, who could possibly defeat it?!
The vast Tsuchikage's office fell into dead silence. These people, who controlled Iwagakure, and even the Land of Earth, standing at the pinnacle of power in the ninja world, were now utterly helpless.
"Hmph."
A sudden sound resonated in the Tsuchikage's office.
Including the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, everyone present felt their hairs stand on end, a chill running down their spines. A figure clad in a pale haori had appeared in the Tsuchikage's office at some unknown point.
As the Tsuchikage, Ōnoki's reaction was incredibly swift.
Although he didn't know how this person appeared here, it didn't prevent him from making the correct judgment.
Without even needing hand signs, his large hand slammed onto the ground, and the floor beneath the office suddenly swelled. Thick rock spears erupted from the ground, attacking the figure.
But an astonishing scene unfolded.
As the rock spears were about to strike him, they were instantly shattered by an invisible force, falling to the ground.
Ōnoki's gaze sharpened. He instantly gathered his hands, launching a small, almost instantaneous Dust Release towards the pale figure.
However, facing the Kekkei Tōta capable of disintegrating all matter into atoms, the pale figure merely slowly raised its palm, and the Dust Release was completely absorbed, leaving no trace.
"The Box of Ultimate Bliss?!"
The sight before him immediately reminded Ōnoki of his earlier attempt to attack the Box of Ultimate Bliss with Dust Release.
This guy actually wielded the same power as the Box of Ultimate Bliss. Was he the master of the Box of Ultimate Bliss?
No, that's not right. It must just be a method of devouring chakra!
Though Dust Release was powerful, at its core, it was still ninjutsu. As long as its chakra was devoured, the technique would dissipate.
This kind of ability is rare, but not unheard of in the shinobi world. Several secret techniques—even certain Kekkei Genkai—are capable of the same effect.
For example, there's 'Dark Release' (Meiton), which Ōnoki was aware of—it possesses similar chakra-absorbing power.
After just a single clash, Ōnoki couldn't yet determine the true nature of this individual's power.
But when the man effortlessly absorbed his Dust Release and made no move to counterattack, Ōnoki held back as well. Instead, he narrowed his eyes, studying the stranger closely before speaking in a low, measured voice.
"Who are you, and what is your purpose?"
"As expected of the Third Tsuchikage, to calm down so quickly." Shisui spoke calmly, his altered voice not particularly pleasant to hear.
Ōnoki snorted coldly: "I don't have time to beat around the bush with you. State your purpose."
"Naturally, I've come for the Box of Ultimate Bliss."
"I can tell you who activated the Box of Ultimate Bliss, and I can even help you deal with this thing that's causing you immense trouble, if you're willing to pay a price."
"What?!"
Shisui's voice was very flat, but it struck right at the hearts of Ōnoki and the other advisor elders.
The devastation wrought by the Box of Ultimate Bliss on Iwagakure was immeasurable.
Its sudden emergence hadn't just stolen away a near-certain victory in the war—it now loomed as a threat to annihilate not only Iwagakure itself, but the entire Land of Earth.
"And why should I believe you?!" Ōnoki snapped, his voice sharp and laced with suspicion.
But Shisui remained calm, his tone steady.
"Because I believe the Tsuchikage will see the truth for himself. Right now, the one being destroyed… is Iwagakure. The one being devoured… is your homeland. And I may be the only person capable of stopping it."
"...What do you want?"
"The chakra ratio for Dust Release."
As soon as the words fell, Ōnoki and the other advisor elders present all had a drastic change in expression.
They had prepared for an outrageous demand, but they never expected such ambition, to directly ask for the secret of Iwagakure most powerful weapon!
"That's impossible! I cannot hand over Dust Release!" Ōnoki roared.
"Is that so?" Shisui replied coolly. "Even if Satori razes all of Iwagakure… even if the entire Land of Earth is reduced to ash… will Lord Tsuchikage remain unmoved?"
"Are you threatening me?!"
"No," Shisui said, voice calm and measured. "It's not a threat—just a reminder. After all, I wasn't the one who unleashed Satori."
He took a step forward, tone unwavering.
"Dust Release is indeed formidable. But sharing the chakra composition data alone doesn't mean the technique itself has been compromised. After all, as it stands, you—Lord Tsuchikage—are the only one in Iwagakure who's ever successfully mastered it… isn't that right?"
"Exchanging a bit of data that hardly constitutes a real loss… in return for averting a full-scale catastrophe—any way you look at it, it's a deal well worth making."
"..."
Ōnoki fell silent.
Although Dust Release was a Kekkei Tōta above Kekkei Genkai, this power could be learned and mastered.
He had inherited this supreme power from his teacher, Mū. And just as this mysterious person said, in the decades of his reign, he had tried to select individuals with Wind, Earth, and Fire chakra natures to learn Dust Release, but without exception, all attempts failed.
It was clear that mastering Dust Release not only required knowledge of its various intricacies but also absolute talent.
But it was better to be safe than sorry.
The ninja world never lacked geniuses. Once he revealed the secret of Dust Release, then in the future, individuals capable of mastering this power would undoubtedly emerge.
At that point, Iwagakure would lose the advantage of Dust Release.
The most terrifying thing was, what if after his time, Iwagakure still had no one capable of mastering Dust Release...?
"Lord Tsuchikage, all your concerns are built on the premise that Iwagakure still exists, aren't they?"
"If Iwagakure cannot even overcome this current disaster, what meaning do any of your concerns hold?"