Chapter 287: I, Uchiha Itachi, Can Do This
"Eh? It's that effective?"
Mizuki wore a shocked expression—as though these two shills weren't arranged by him.
"But this still doesn't make sense!"
"The Land of Grass has such a treasure. Why don't they keep using it?"
"They just need to open the Box of Ultimate Bliss again and make another wish. Couldn't they return to being a great nation?"
"It's not that easy." That major clan ninja explained: "According to records, the Box of Ultimate Bliss has extremely harsh opening conditions requiring massive amounts of chakra."
"The Land of Grass simply has no powerful shinobi, so naturally they have no way to open this treasure."
"However, I recently heard that the Land of Grass is frantically capturing people and sending them to Hozuki Castle prison specifically to extract their chakra in preparation for opening the Box of Ultimate Bliss."
"I see!" Mizuki's brows furrowed tightly. After carefully pondering for ages, he ultimately shook his head. "I still feel this thing seems somewhat improper. If it truly proved that beneficial, they'd definitely have found ways to use it long ago. It's impossible they'd go so many years without a single usage record."
"I estimate this Box of Ultimate Bliss most likely has drawbacks unknown to outsiders like us."
"Let's not consider this thing for now. Everyone continue searching ancient texts to see if other usable items exist."
After listening, everyone temporarily set aside the Box of Ultimate Bliss matter, discussing information their families had uncovered.
It must be said—these families' generations of inheritance meant their intelligence proved quite abundant. Such careful searching truly revealed numerous useful items.
Like Takigakure's "Hero Water," the Tsuchigumo Clan's forbidden technique "Fury of Heaven," and such.
However, though these things proved powerful, most possessed difficult-to-remove side effects.
After repeated discussion, everyone unanimously agreed—these items posed no problems for desperate struggles, but proved difficult to use as regular tactics.
The fear was starting combat here while enemies fled. Then after your lifespan depleted, they'd return—that would be a devastating loss.
So ultimately they decided to first obtain these items. Whether to use them could be discussed later.
Even if not used temporarily, they could completely serve as the village's foundation!
The only problem lay in how to obtain them.
In the past, why waste words? Simply issue a mission, dispatch several jonin squads to secretly steal or seize items. Who dared settle accounts with Konoha Village?
But not now. Current Konoha Village had repeatedly failed. How much deterrent power remained in those small nations and villages' hearts proved uncertain.
If things went poorly—failing to obtain items while instead forcing others to use them against Konoha Village—that would prove utterly humiliating.
After consulting for ages, the group found no good methods. Ultimately they could only "discuss later."
After the meeting adjourned, quite a few clan members remained, privately wanting to communicate with Lord Mizuki, hoping he'd show leniency and prioritize their clan members for "trials."
Mizuki naturally delighted in doing such favors, smiling broadly while arranging everything satisfactorily for everyone.
Itachi sat alone in the corner, watching those clans revolve around Mizuki. His heart felt utterly desolate.
He wasn't stupid. He saw very clearly—these clans currently only cared about how their families could obtain more and stronger Wood Release ninja. Absolutely no one devoted thought to seeking solutions for powerful enemies.
Or rather, these clans had already completely despaired, fundamentally not believing Konoha Village could resolve Uchiha Yasushi and Hyuga Neji. Their hearts fully focused on opportunistically extracting clan benefits.
As for what to do when external enemies attacked later? Deal with that when it comes!
Live day by day. Why consider such distant matters?
"Sigh!"
Itachi sighed quietly, lowering his head while walking out the door.
Coincidentally, two jonin were chatting privately not far from the entrance. Their voices drifted directly into Itachi's ears on the breeze.
"Lord Mizuki is still too conservative!"
"Such a powerful weapon as the Box of Ultimate Bliss—how can he abandon it over some possible side effects?"
Another jonin retorted:
"Seems your clan's records must be incomplete. You probably don't fully understand."
"My clan's records suspect that side effect involves using living people as sacrifices to successfully use the Box of Ultimate Bliss."
"Living sacrifices?" The previous jonin immediately curled his lip disdainfully. "How hard is that?"
"Our Konoha Village has so many captured criminals, rogue ninja and such. Just offer them all as sacrifices."
"No no, you misunderstand my meaning." The other explained: "This living person must be willing, and must be the powerful ninja opening the Box of Ultimate Bliss. Outsiders cannot serve as sacrifices."
"So that nearly omnipotent 'wish' mechanism fundamentally trades one powerful ninja's life to make the Box of Ultimate Bliss release some exaggerated forbidden technique capable of affecting the entire shinobi world."
"The stronger the willingly sacrificed ninja, the greater that forbidden technique's effectiveness naturally becomes."
"I see!" The previous jonin finally understood, sighing: "With such side effects, no wonder Lord Mizuki isn't willing."
"In the village, powerful shinobi willing to sacrifice for the village all died in past wars long ago. Where would such people still exist now?"
"Exactly!" The other also sighed regretfully. "Even if such people truly existed, Lord Mizuki couldn't bear letting them risk such danger!"
"Though ancient texts write this, after so many years, who can say whether this Box of Ultimate Bliss still works properly?"
"Wasting a powerful ninja for a possibility—Lord Mizuki definitely wouldn't agree."
"Pity my strength proves insufficient. Otherwise I'd secretly steal that Box of Ultimate Bliss back, open it in the village, and wish to the Box of Ultimate Bliss for the village's eternal peace and tranquility."
"Oh, well said! Brother, you truly embody the Will of Fire! Tonight you're coming to my place for several drinks—no arguments."
"Then I won't be polite."
The two walked away with arms around shoulders, laughing and chatting. Scattered words still drifted over faintly.
"Sigh, I'm just afraid once the Land of Grass successfully opens the Box of Ultimate Bliss, their primary target will be our Konoha Village!"
"What can be done? We already have Uchiha Yasushi and Hyuga Neji anyway. What difference do a few more enemies make?"
"Our Konoha Village—always feels like it's finished..."
Watching the two depart, a ripple suddenly stirred in Itachi's heart.
"Who says the village has no powerful shinobi willing to sacrifice for it?"
"If this Box of Ultimate Bliss truly can function as a 'wish-granting machine,' then this willing sacrifice—I, Uchiha Itachi, can do this!"