Konoha.
Research complex, underground laboratory.
The Box of Ultimate Bliss that Danzō had brought back from Kusagakure was placed here.
Hiruzen, Orochimaru, and Hiruko were waiting for Jiraiya's information.
As for this so-called "ultimate weapon from the era of the Sage of Six Paths"…
Orochimaru and the others had studied it for some time, but they had not made much progress.
Now that they had gathered together, they were thinking about the next direction for their research while waiting for Jiraiya's intelligence.
After the Box of Ultimate Bliss had been brought back, Jiraiya had gone to Mount Myōboku to ask for information.
However, recently the Great Toad Sage seemed to be in poor condition. Toads of status such as Fukasaku, Shima, and Bunta had all gone to guard him, so they temporarily had no time to meet with Jiraiya.
As for the younger toads, although they did not need to go, they also did not know the origin or secrets of the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
Until today, when Mount Myōboku summoned Jiraiya and told him that the Great Toad Sage urgently had matters he needed to entrust to him.
"Sensei, this thing is indeed no ordinary object…"
"No matter whether we invite ninja from the Hyūga or the Uchiha clan to observe it, they are unable to see the internal structure."
Orochimaru knocked on the outer shell of the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
"Its hardness is also astonishing. Ordinary ninjutsu cannot cause damage, and some chakra is even absorbed into it…"
Hiruko narrowed his eyes.
"This box is passively absorbing some energy into itself…"
"Hokage-sama, according to our calculations, even without using the unsealing formula to open the Box of Ultimate Bliss, this thing will still faintly absorb the chakra of nearby living beings…"
"It also absorbs some other things, but we have not yet detected what they are."
Hiruzen nodded.
He did not understand in-depth scientific research, but he trusted the data obtained through cross-verification by Hiruko, Orochimaru, and the research staff.
After a while, Jiraiya passed through layer upon layer of inspection and entered the underground laboratory.
The moment he saw Hiruzen, he said hurriedly: "Sensei, I brought the intelligence back! The Great Toad Sage told me everything…"
Hiruzen's eyes lit up.
"Good boy!"
Hiruzen had also sent Tsunade and Orochimaru to Shikkotsu Forest and Ryūchi Cave to inquire.
However, these two Sage Regions were significantly different from Mount Myōboku, which frequently involved itself in the affairs of the world.
The Slug Sage's approach was basically: a good temper, but knowing nothing. It almost never signed contracts with humans and spent its days lazily basking in the sun and sleeping.
It had finally encountered the lost Senju Hashirama, yet in the end they still did not form a contract…
Fortunately, Tsunade inherited it.
As for Ryūchi Cave, its temperament was extremely bad. It followed an animalistic jungle society and paid very little attention to intelligence.
By comparison, Mount Myōboku indeed seemed more like a proper organization.
"Teacher, this Box of Ultimate Bliss was created by the Sage of Six Paths for the sake of peace!"
The moment Jiraiya spoke, everyone's attention was drawn.
Hiruzen and Orochimaru exchanged a glance and looked at the Box of Ultimate Bliss, whose appearance could only be described as ugly. The corners of their mouths twitched slightly.
Peace… where exactly was the peace?
"According to the Great Toad Sage, back then the Sage of Six Paths believed that one major reason people could not understand one another and live in peace was that negative emotions would always arise in their hearts."
"So, if all negative emotions were absorbed into a single vessel, then there would no longer be conflict, and a peaceful world would naturally follow…"
Jiraiya pointed at the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
"At the very beginning, this box did not look like this. It had a jade exterior, somewhat similar to the packaging of our Sage Region Pills."
"But as it absorbed more and more negative energy, it was gradually stained into this appearance…"
"As for the claim that the Box of Ultimate Bliss can grant the wishes in people's hearts, that is a rumor used to tempt human hearts, spread by the monster formed from the accumulated and compressed negative emotions inside it."
"The monster sealed inside is called Satori. It possesses the ability to detect malice and has a powerful physique. Ordinary attacks have a hard time hitting it. Its destructive power is inferior to that of a Tailed Beast, but its mobility is exceptionally strong."
Jiraiya scratched his head.
"I also heard Fukasaku Sage say that, at the beginning, the Box of Ultimate Bliss seemed very effective, but later, the people whose negative emotions were repeatedly extracted became like walking corpses."
"So the Sage of Six Paths halted the plan to create multiple Boxes of Ultimate Bliss. Later, some unforeseen change occurred, and there was no time to deal with this box, but when I asked them what that change was, they would not say…"
"Sensei, why do you think it turned out like this?"
Jiraiya pondered.
"Clearly, once their negative emotions were gone, people became foolish…"
Hiruzen smiled.
"Negative emotions are also an important part of human nature."
"Many times, negative emotions are a stress response to external injustice and harm, and they are also part of the driving force in human nature that pushes people to strive upward. This cannot be ignored."
"Rather than saying negative emotions are trash that must be completely erased, it would be more accurate to say they are a kind of neutral emotion that should be guided and transformed."
"In essence, it is a form of castration…"
"Take you for example, Jiraiya. The lust in your heart affects your training, but would you cut off the root of your troubles?" Hiruzen said with a smile.
Jiraiya shuddered and repeatedly shook his head.
"So the Sage of Six Paths probably thought of this as well…"
Hiruzen pondered. He had caught several points in the information Jiraiya brought.
"A change occurred to the Sage of Six Paths…"
Combining this with the vaguely understood idea of "divine intervention," Hiruzen roughly had some idea in his mind.
A shinobi world that had external enemies, setting everything else aside, would also be unable to accept stagnation.
'An existence capable of bringing about a major change to the Sage of Six Paths?' Hiruzen frowned, and the sense of urgency toward training in his heart increased a bit more.
Although he was already doing his utmost to realize the steadily rising talent he possessed.
"As for so-called peace, everyone hopes to enjoy it as a complete person, not in a state after being castrated."
Orochimaru nodded in agreement.
If his desire to research and explore were gone, then even if he obtained immortality, it would merely be a body without a soul.
Who would want to become an unconscious thousand-year-old tree?
Hiruzen looked at the Box of Ultimate Bliss, thinking about something.
This idea of absorbing negative emotions through the Box of Ultimate Bliss gave him a strong sense of déjà vu.
"Orochimaru…" Hiruzen turned his head to look at his beloved disciple, a flash appearing in his eyes.
"Sensei, I understand what you mean…"
Orochimaru spoke in a low voice.
"This idea of the Sage of Six Paths actually coincides with that of the Second-sama!"
"The 'Zero-Tails' that absorbs negative emotions is essentially the same as the Box of Ultimate Bliss…"
Jiraiya looked puzzled.
"Huh?"
"Did the Second-sama also invent things like this? How come I've never seen them…"
"There are even stranger ones. Do you want to hear about them?" Orochimaru looked at Jiraiya with ill intent
"Then forget it. I want to preserve the glorious image of the Second-sama in my heart!" Jiraiya refused decisively.
"You mean that if the Second-sama did those things, he would no longer be glorious?" Orochimaru asked in return.
"No—damn snake, are you looking for a fight?!"
Jiraiya said angrily, "Why are you now like Danzō, seizing every chance to pin labels on people!"
Orochimaru chuckled.
"If you can't handle even that, then stop shouting about becoming Hokage. I'm doing this for your own good, idiot…"
Jiraiya's face twitched.
Did becoming Hokage also require learning how to pin labels on others and how to prevent being labeled?
That was far too complicated!
Hiruko watched the two of them bicker with a cheerful smile, completely unperturbed.
From Hyūga Hizashi, he had come to understand a principle…
Do not concern yourself with who the next Hokage will be, because no one can guess it accurately; there will always be unexpected turns.
The safest course was to stand firmly beside the current Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen—then one could not go wrong.
When the Hokage-sama supported someone to become the Fourth, he, Hiruko, would support that person as well.
There was no need to place bets in advance, gaining nothing while only getting oneself into trouble.
After all, he had only just become a "Konoha committee member" with great difficulty!
"Oh right, sensei…"
Jiraiya scratched his head.
"Speaking of Hokage, the Great Toad Sage has made another new prophecy."
"Another prophecy? The White Snake Sage told me the Great Toad Sage is just a senile old fool." Orochimaru smiled disdainfully.
"If prophecy were useful, then we might as well all do nothing!"
As someone who liked change, Orochimaru hated the idea that the future was a predetermined fact.
"This time it's different. The prophecy has changed."
Jiraiya took a deep breath and said in a heavy voice: "Sensei, it may be related to you!"
"And also… I made a mistake before."
"I privately took in three disciples while outside the village. One of them is a member of the Uzumaki clan and is suspected of possessing the Sage of Six Paths' Rinnegan. I did not report this to the village in time!"
Jiraiya knelt on one knee.
"Sensei, please punish me!"
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.
The Great Toad Sage's prophecy… was related to him?
And Jiraiya had taken in a disciple with the Rinnegan?
"Get up first and explain everything clearly," Hiruzen said in a deep voice.
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