Jiraiya left. Naruto lay in the temporary hut, his consciousness sinking into the Nine-Tails' lair. While stroking the fox, he pondered what to do next.
First, the Box of Ultimate Bliss. Fake Mui had already abdicated several days ago, so it was time to bring the box out for a stroll.
Tenrō Kaken (Heavenly Prison Fire Sword). This move was cooler than his Fire Short Sword, so he had to learn it.
Go to the Valley of the End and fight Sasuke once.
Oh, right, he also needed to deal with the Tailed Beast chakra within Hōichi the monk.
"Purrrr."
"Brat, you're going too far." The Nine-Tails looked down and said. If you want to pet me, then pet me. What do you mean by pulling?
Naruto looked at the fox fur in his hand, distracted. Hmm, it's getting cold. I should knit Hinata a scarf. By the way, can Nine-Tails' fur be knitted into a scarf? How would I take it out if I did?
Should I use the Wind Release one?
But the Wind Release fur didn't feel as good as Little Lingtong's. Should I try knitting a sable fur scarf?
Hmm, alright. Hinata's birthday was in two months, perfect for a return gift.
Ugh, I feel like there's so much to do... Never mind. I'll call my Senior Brother first and ask him if he can bring Senior Sister to celebrate my birthday.
He grabbed Little Lingtong, who had a strong sixth sense and was about to escape, and held him in his arms. While checking his shedding, Naruto used his ring to call Nagato via the Body Flicker Technique.
However, perhaps Orochimaru's past debts were too high. Naruto's purchased ring couldn't get through.
No problem. If it doesn't get through, just keep calling. Chakra is free anyway.
Naruto stopped after making dozens of frantic calls to Nagato.
Since you won't answer, don't blame me for celebrating my seventeenth birthday with a nuclear bomb.
He held out a piece of dragon meat to Little Lingtong's mouth: "Come on, eat more. Your fur isn't enough."
On the other side, after hitting Jiraiya, Tsunade felt completely refreshed, the accumulated gloom of many days swept away. She was just missing a post-smash cigarette.
She returned to her seat, poured a small cup of sake, and looked at the bruised and swollen Jiraiya. She rummaged in a drawer, pulled out a pre-prepared ice pack, and threw it at him, asking, "What, not convinced?"
Jiraiya was speechless at the ice pack. So you've been wanting to hit me all along?
I'm innocent.
That must be the good deed of that ungrateful disciple.
"I know who did it," Tsunade chuckled, glancing at the seat opposite. "He's good. Even Dog and Ryuji couldn't sense him. Come on, tell me, how did he do it?"
Ryuji could be entrusted by the Third Hokage to monitor a Jinchuriki, so his perception ability was undoubtedly good.
"I don't know." Jiraiya said, depressed, while applying the ice pack.
Ever since leaving the village, this child had been running around like an untamed wild dog. Who knew where he got his tricks from.
"Look, look, you're negligent, punish yourself with a drink."
With that, Tsunade took out a stack of documents from the drawer: "Two days ago, we received intelligence that Mui announced his abdication and disappeared. Plus, Tenten was pulled away by him a few days ago, so it's certain that he got the box. Good job."
Although the process was a bit messed up, ninjas don't care about the process when completing missions. In this operation, Naruto first determined the target, then quietly got the box out of Hozuki Castle. Tsunade affirmed his ability.
Perhaps when he returns, I can give him some challenging missions?
Thinking this, Tsunade asked again, "So, the question is, where is Mui?"
"I don't know..."
"Another drink."
After three rounds of sake, Jiraiya, eyes hazy with drink, looked at Tsunade, shaking the sake in his hand, and said, "It looks like... you're skipping work again?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Got an opinion?"
"No, but as Hokage, you need to consider the big picture. Always like this..."
"Thump!"
A delicate hand slammed heavily on the table, bouncing the oil lamp. The oil lamp drew a few circles in the air, flew past the candle on the wall, ignited, and landed steadily.
Tsunade pointed at the oil lamp: "Get out!"
When the clone rejoined Jiraiya, Naruto was holding a sealing scroll.
As soon as he exited the teleportation gate, Jiraiya asked, "Naruto, do you remember what I told you a few days ago about getting into trouble and not mentioning your master?"
"I remember, why?"
"Then why did you impersonate me to deliver meat to the orphanage!?"
Naruto was startled and replied, "But I didn't cause any trouble. That was a good deed."
Good deed, my ass. You might as well not have done it.
Jiraiya quickly formed hand seals and chuckled, "Good deed, huh? You ungrateful disciple, prepare to die! Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
Seeing him form hand seals, Naruto was already prepared. He used his Cloud Stepping Heaven Ascent to leap high, dodging the swampy ground, and chuckled, "Old man, the same move doesn't work on me twice."
"Is that so?" Jiraiya rubbed some gum blood from his mouth with his hand and slapped the ground. "Summoning Jutsu: Crushing Street Vendor Technique!"
White smoke exploded in the sky. A huge toad figure descended vertically.
Naruto looked up at the toad.
The old man had plenty of combat experience. His positioning was impeccable, but unfortunately... I'm not a street vendor.
Naruto flung a scroll, then slapped with his other hand, silently muttering: "Summoning Jutsu: One-Layer Box of Ultimate Bliss."
"Boom..."
A huge box lay horizontally between the toad and the swamp. Naruto hung from the side of the box, waiting for the toad to descend.
Ten minutes later, Jiraiya, several meters away, felt waves of evil aura emanating from the box. He controlled his emotions, then looked at Naruto, who was pulling people out of the box with a teleportation gate, and felt his head swell.
You really know how to play. Using teleportation to pull people out of the Box of Ultimate Bliss, how did you even think of that?
Jiraiya really wanted to open Naruto's head and see what was inside.
Until evening, Naruto had pulled out over three hundred people, finally emptying the box.
This is an Akatsuki specialized prison. Why stuff so many people in? And all together? Don't Akatsuki care about their reputation?
Good idea, but seeing the people sprawled all over, Naruto scratched his head. These people... what to do with them?
"Send them to Konoha Hospital," Jiraiya suggested.
It wasn't wartime now, so the hospital wasn't as short-staffed. Mental trauma was rare in the ninja world, so these many people could just serve as experience for Konoha Hospital.
And even if a few anti-humans with mental problems emerged, Konoha had the strength to suppress them.
"Alright." Naruto was very obedient. He released a clone to send the people and walked to the box himself.
Now that the Box of Ultimate Bliss was empty, if he made another wish, would another Wu emerge?
And since it was empty, it would certainly require more chakra. So... it would be perfect for a liposuction for the Orange Pig.
The Nine-Tails, like a young lady from a good family, never left the house, so getting it to lose weight through exercise was impossible. So Naruto thought of liposuction.
He just didn't know how much chakra this box would need.
Naruto was about to step forward when Jiraiya grabbed him and said, "I know what you're going to do, but I advise you to think carefully. Do you really have a wish you want it to grant?"
"No." Naruto truly had no wishes. He was perfectly content, without desires. "I just want to play."
"Think again." Jiraiya continued to persuade him. He was truly afraid that Naruto's mind would suddenly snap and bring disaster to the entire world.
"Alright." Naruto spread his hands. Who told me I'm an obedient child?
The next afternoon, Naruto returned from his cultivation, bit Karin, and the chains extending from his back bound the Mo Xie Precious Brick and the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
He took a step forward, nearly face-planting from the pull.
The two massive items' self-weight, plus the friction with the ground, made it feel like he couldn't pull them.
Jiraiya took out a map and looked at the sea behind him, comparing positions. He turned back and asked, "Can you do it? If not, I'll seal it and send it back to Konoha."
"I can," Naruto replied without hesitation. This wasn't something I picked up in the Land of Fire; why should I hand it over to Konoha?
According to its location, it should be handed over to Kumogakure.
He bent down, lowered his center of gravity, exerted all his strength, and stomped a pit in the ground. Only then did Naruto take one step forward.
After four consecutive steps, Naruto put his hands on his hips, panting.
The two walked and stopped, and it wasn't until dusk that they covered less than two li (a traditional Chinese unit of distance).
But Naruto didn't care. As long as he could move, the rest was easy. He would get used to it eventually.
During dinner, Naruto lay sprawled like a dead dog, shoving food into his mouth. After eating, Naruto, as if having believed in Sakura, revived to full health.
His recovery ability was just that abnormal.
He walked to the Box of Ultimate Bliss and channeled Nine-Tails chakra.
Jiraiya's liver trembled. He thought about what wish Naruto would make and how to stop him.
Two hours later.
Jiraiya was dumbfounded. The Nine-Tails' chakra... was actually this abundant!
Two hours of continuous input, and it hadn't stopped once?!
Suddenly, a white light shot straight into the sky. The dazzling white light made Jiraiya squint. It also once again blinded the Wind Release's dog eyes.
After the white light, the four masks representing joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness fell off the Box of Ultimate Bliss, initiating the wishing phase.
Before Naruto could speak, Jiraiya spoke first: "If you still want to carry it later, to prevent anyone from making a wish while we're unprepared, why not seal it before you make a wish...?"
Jiraiya was truly afraid that Naruto would do something crazy.
Naruto interrupted him: "Then if I make a wish that it can never fulfill, wouldn't no one else be able to make a wish?"
"How can there be such a wish!" Jiraiya felt Naruto was being fanciful. No matter what wish it was, it was conceived by humans.
Legend said the Box of Ultimate Bliss was created by the Six Paths Sage. That immense power, he could feel a trace of fear rising in his heart just by standing nearby. How could it be something that could never be fulfilled?
"Why not?" Naruto formed hand seals according to the method Mui described, linking with the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
"Box of Ultimate Bliss, tell me, what is pi equal to?"
Jiraiya: "..."
Nine-Tails: "..."
Just as the two's minds stalled, suddenly, a mechanical, electronic voice came from the box. The voice, like a grand bell, resonated for several kilometers, lingering endlessly, as if it had no end.
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