It described large numbers of unidentified people entering Land of Hot Water, traced back to a joint exploration by Kumogakure, Konoha, and Iwagakure of the underground Underground Palace. Several survivors had taken powerful unknown Ninja Tool, and once the news leaked, countless seekers driven by Greed swarmed in like vultures to carrion. Land of Hot Water could not seal the area, and explorers found only a massive stone statue and nothing else.
Behind the statue, however, they discovered a strange door embedded in the rock, suspected to lead deeper into Underground Palace. Attempts to force it open or probe it with Chakra all ended the same way, as anyone who approached had their Chakra drained and their body wither into ash in moments. The door was now called the Man-Eating Gate, and though its treasures tempted many, no one dared go near it anymore.
"A gate that feeds on Chakra and flesh," Muei repeated slowly, his voice dry and hoarse. To others, the report might only sound strange, but to him it felt all too familiar. Beneath his feet, under Hozuki Castle, there existed something that also fed on Chakra and flesh.
That was the legendary Box of Ultimate Bliss, said to grant any Wang of the one who opened it. Kusagakure had taken control of Hozuki Castle precisely to abduct prisoners and drain their Chakra into the Box of Ultimate Bliss, in order to fulfill a wish to restore Kusagakure. The similarities were striking, both exploiting human desire to lure lives and Chakra as offerings.
"Could that Underground Palace be something like the Box of Ultimate Bliss?" Muei wondered, his eyes flickering as he weighed this guess.
In the dead silence, a thunderous explosion erupted. The entire island seemed to be slammed by a gigantic hand from the sea. The heavy stone desk jumped, files were ignited by the oil lamp and scattered like a storm, and the ceiling groaned as dust and Gravel rained down.
"What is going on?!"
Caught off guard, Muei braced a hand on the desk to steady himself and stared out the window into the darkness. The scale of the blast made his thoughts race. Something was very wrong.
"Lord Muei!"
At that moment, a figure burst into the room, face pale with fear, shouting, "An at, an attack…"
Before the subordinate could finish, alarms rang in Muei's mind. He abandoned the intelligence report at once, rushed out of the office, and roared, "Enemy attack! Highest alert!"
Outside the door, the corridor was unrecognizable, with parts of the walls collapsed and rubble blocking the passage. Smoke and dust filled the air as piercing alarms echoed through the prison. The ground was still trembling from the impact.
Amid the smoke, surviving guards ran in confusion, shouting without direction. Their voices mixed with the mad howls of prisoners and the screams of those crushed by falling debris. The noise battered the ears from all sides.
Along the way, the interior of the prison lay in ruins, with many key facilities destroyed. The defense system that Hozuki Castle had relied on for years had crumbled in an instant, as fragile as paper under that single strike.
"Do not panic! Maintain order, and do not let the prisoners escape!"
Suppressing his shock, Muei's firm tone brought a measure of control back to the chaos. He grabbed a dust-covered guard who staggered toward him and asked in a low voice, "Where is the enemy?"
With such a massive impact, there had to be many attackers, yet none were in sight. The absence was unsettling.
"N no, Lord Muei!" the guard replied, his voice twisted by fear as he pointed into the dark sky. "Three people. Only three people…"
What?
Just three people had torn through the defenses of Hozuki Castle?
Muei's pupils shrank as he followed the direction of the pointing finger. Through the gap left by the collapsed wall, he finally saw the enemies.
Cold, pale moonlight fell like a vast spotlight on three figures floating in midair. Two of them wore Black Red Cloud Cloak, and one had an arm extended, palm facing forward. The earlier impact had clearly come from him.
"One person caused all that?" Muei's heart sank.
At that moment, the figure seemed to sense something. Those purple eyes turned without emotion and locked onto Muei's face.
"You are Muei?"
Nagato's cold voice reached his ears, and Muei instantly realized the attack was directed at him.
"Who are you?" Muei demanded.
"We are here to invite you to join 'Akatsuki.'"
Looking down at Muei, Nagato spoke as if stating a fact. "Your Ninjutsu is impressive, and we have use for your strength."
On the way here, he had already learned of Muei's special traits from 'Shadow.' The special ninja clan that controlled Heavenly Prison could use Fire Release·Heavenly Prison, a role somewhat similar to the Uzumaki Clan.
Once marked, a Ninja's Chakra would be completely sealed and could not be mobilized at all. Any attempt to forcefully break through the Sealing Technique would trigger the mark, turning it into flames that burned the body. Even moving too far from the caster could activate it.
Most importantly, it was effective against Jinchuriki. According to Shadow, even the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki would be unable to break free for a short time once marked. Nagato did not know how Shadow had obtained such precise intelligence, but his trust in Shadow's abilities left him with no doubts.
With such a unique power, Muei would be extremely useful to Akatsuki's future plans to collect the Tailed Beasts. He was worth recruiting.
"Akatsuki? I have never heard of such an organization."
Muei's face hardened as he looked up at the three figures. He tried to apply pressure in the name of the Five Great Nations. "This prison was jointly built by the Five Great Nations. I advise you to leave at once, or else…"
"So it still comes down to a fight?" Nagato's companion, Kakuzu, said flatly.
Hearing this, Shadow stepped back half a pace and smiled. "You two handle things here. I will go take a look at this so-called Box of Ultimate Bliss."
Cold sweat broke out at Muei's temples and slid down his face. His last shred of hope shattered completely. These three were not just after him, they even knew about Box of Ultimate Bliss.
Kakuzu and Nagato paid no attention to Shadow's movement. Shadow's figure dissolved into the air like ink sinking into water, vanishing without a sound.
"Where did he go?" a guard beside Muei blurted out.
The next moment, Shadow appeared on the ground at the entrance to the dungeon.
"Stop him!" Muei roared, snapping out of his shock.
A dozen guards who had just gathered rushed toward Shadow without thinking. Shadow did not turn around, and something strange happened.
The deep shadow beneath his feet seemed to come alive. Like ink spreading across water, it surged and expanded, instantly forming a vast black domain. Human-shaped silhouettes rose silently from the roiling darkness.
The sounds of flesh being cut rang out in rapid succession. Blood sprayed into the night in vivid arcs.
The guards at the front felt a sudden chill at their waists. Looking down, they saw their upper bodies separated from their lower halves, momentum carrying them forward as they fell. Others were cut apart as well, and those not killed instantly crawled on the ground, screaming in agony with broken bodies.
Cries of pain and terror echoed as the dozen guards fell like harvested grain into pools of blood. Severed limbs, scattered blood, lifeless heads, and torn chests littered the area. The scene had become a brutal slaughter ground, the stench of blood overwhelming the smoke.
"What are those things?!"
As people stared at the shapes emerging from the shadows, fear spread across their faces. The figures were lean and swift, with blade-like claws for hands and sharp, conical feet. Their movements were fast and silent.
Black Shadow Legion, Piercing Blade Unit, Claw Shadows.
Unlike the "Ghost Shadows" that had appeared before Rasa, these Claw Shadows did not use varied weapons or serve multiple roles. They existed for one purpose only. Killing.
Their entire bodies were weapons, with terrifying close combat ability and extreme speed. Silent, swift, efficient, and lethal, they moved like executioners in the dark.
"Is that a Ninja Tool he obtained from the Underground Palace, or is it his own ability?" Nagato narrowed his eyes, surprise showing through.
It felt somewhat similar to White Zetsu. This was far more practical than something like Shadow Clone. From start to finish, Shadow had not lifted a single finger.
He simply stood there while the shadows beneath him became an open gate, from which the killers surged out and slaughtered more than ten lives in moments. Ignoring the stunned Muei and the remaining guards, he walked straight toward the deepest level of Hozuki Castle, where Box of Ultimate Bliss lay underground.
Seeing this, Muei finally recovered and instinctively moved to stop him. Box of Ultimate Bliss must not fall into their hands.
"Your opponent is us."
Kakuzu's calm voice reached his ears as an arm bound by Black Threads slammed forward.
Meanwhile, Shadow stepped into the underground passage, sensing the malice in the air. Under his hood, his eyes flickered faintly. Guards continued to pour in from ahead and behind, trying to block his path.