One minute later…
Naruto's figure reappeared—right on the border of the Land of Fire.
This was the closest Flying Thunder God marker Minato had left near the Land of Grass.
> "First time leaving home in this life."
"Getting out of that place so full of malice… it feels good. Like, really good—from my cells to my hair follicles, everything feels relaxed."
Away from Konoha, Naruto's mood was sky-high.
He took a few deep breaths. The fresh scent of grass filled his nose, leaving him invigorated and refreshed.
> "Let's see… where am I exactly?"
Naruto looked around curiously. Ahead stretched endless grasslands; behind, a lush, dense forest.
He slowly closed his eyes, using his qi to sense the surroundings.
Only after a long moment did he reopen them, eyes locked northwest.
> That's the direction where the most intense and abundant energy is concentrated.
That's probably where Kusagakure—the Hidden Grass Village—is located.
---
About the Land of Grass
The Land of Grass lies between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth.
To the south is the Land of Rain, and to the north is the Land of Waterfalls.
Among them all, the Land of Grass is the weakest.
The Land of Fire has Konoha, and the Land of Earth has Iwagakure—no need to elaborate.
The Land of Rain has the legendary Hanzo the Salamander, a warlord strong enough to attempt founding a "Sixth Great Nation." He waged war on the Land of Iron, Konoha, and Sunagakure, sparking the Second Great Ninja War. He lost, but his strength and Rain's ambitions were undeniable.
The Land of Waterfalls, while low-profile, possesses the Seven-Tails, making it the only non-Great Nation with a Tailed Beast.
Compared to all that, Kusagakure is a background prop at best.
No famous ninja. No notable power. At most, they were known for copying other nations' jutsu—basically, good at studying.
As for the Land of Grass itself?
The daimyō was a corrupt hedonist, obsessed with pleasure and indulgence. The nation was so corrupt that its gambling industry rivaled even the famous Tanzaku Town in the Land of Fire.
But none of that mattered to Naruto right now.
---
Something Feels... Wrong
Naruto followed the trail of energy, soaring through the skies using Bukūjutsu.
He hadn't paid much attention to his surroundings until now.
Only when he reached the source of the energy did he realize—
> Something was off.
By any normal logic, ninja villages were built inland.
And Kusagakure definitely shouldn't be an exception.
But what was in front of him?
> A vast, endless ocean.
In other words…
He'd gone too far.
Before him stood a towering fortress on an isolated island.
White walls, slanted roofs, narrow windows—all surrounded by cliffs constantly battered by waves. The design gave off an oppressive, grim feeling, further enhanced by the overcast sky.
Only this patch of sky seemed perpetually frozen in gloom, thick clouds pressing down like a blanket, while just miles away, the weather was sunny and bright.
No sunlight here—barely even ambient light.
> "This is not Kusagakure."
Naruto frowned.
He had followed the strongest energy signature in the Land of Grass straight to this fortress.
So what did that mean?
Kusagakure wasn't the most powerful force in the Land of Grass?
This island fortress was?
---
The Stench of Blood
A salty sea breeze swept across his face, tinged with a faint metallic scent.
Naruto, with his hyper-sensitive senses, picked it up instantly:
> It was blood.
Fresh blood.
Hovering above the fortress, Naruto noticed its unusual design—tall towers, square layout, inward-facing defenses.
> "This place isn't designed to keep enemies out... it's designed to keep people in."
One word popped into Naruto's mind:
> Prison.
That's when it clicked.
> He'd ended up at Hōzuki Castle—not Kusagakure.
---
Welcome to Hōzuki Castle
Hōzuki Castle was a prison built by Kusagakure at the request of various nations, used to detain ninja criminals.
Located on a remote island in the Land of Grass, surrounded by sea, the name didn't come from its architecture, but from a sour red fruit called hōzuki that grew on the island.
But the inmates here weren't the typical missing-nin or rogue criminals.
No—this place held political prisoners.
The kind of people you couldn't afford to keep in village jails—like criminals tied to daimyō or sensitive political cases.
---
Who Really Runs the Shinobi World?
Here's a dirty secret about the ninja world:
The five great countries aren't ruled by the Kage—they're ruled by the daimyō.
The Kage, and by extension the villages, are technically just contractors.
That's why the Wind Daimyō once slashed Suna's funding and nearly caused a war between them and Konoha.
Daimyō are like the non-suicidal version of the Celestial Dragons from One Piece—entitled, political, dangerous.
That's why some prisoners can't be held in regular facilities.
---
A Familiar Feeling...
"This place… feels familiar."
Naruto scratched his head.
He didn't know the prison well—but the setting reminded him of one of the movie arcs.
He hadn't watched many of the Naruto films—just the later, more iconic ones.
But this one? He remembered the plot beats:
> Naruto gets framed.
Naruto gets arrested.
Big twist.
Naruto gets beaten.
Naruto goes berserk.
Naruto wins.
He didn't remember the characters, but he did remember one artifact.
> A so-called "ultimate weapon" of the Sage of Six Paths.
What was it called again?
> "The Box of Bliss"?
Naruto mentally autocorrected that to:
> "The MILF Box."
(So dirty…)
Supposedly, the box could grant any wish to whoever opened it.
But in truth?
> It didn't grant any wishes—only summoned destruction.
Sounded familiar, didn't it?
> Kinda like a certain Holy Grail from a certain city called Fuyuki.
---
With all those thoughts swirling in his head, Naruto slowly descended into the ominous fortress.
> "Well… I'm here now. Might as well not leave empty-handed."
He grinned.
> "Maybe I'll grab that 'Box of Bliss' and give it to Sasuke as a gift."
> "He'd probably love it."
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