"Excellent... it's finally signed."
Ning Feng nodded in satisfaction.
Only now did he feel completely at ease.
After all, Satori was a being born from one of the Sage of Six Paths' treasures.
Its strength and abilities were exceptional.
Whether used on the battlefield or stationed in Amegakure as a deterrent, it would be a tremendous asset.
A monster with Satori's abilities was a strategic weapon no matter where it was placed.
"Master..."
Having signed the contract and witnessed Ning Feng's Rinnegan, Satori understood that its new master had likely reached an unimaginably terrifying level of power.
Throughout history, only a handful of people had ever awakened the Rinnegan—the eyes of the Sage.
Calling him the second Sage of Six Paths wouldn't be much of an exaggeration.
The power of the Rinnegan was simply too overwhelming.
"Let's start with this."
Ning Feng got straight to the point.
"After awakening the Rinnegan... how does one obtain the summoning contract for the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path?"
This was the question that had been troubling him the most.
Only after obtaining the Demonic Statue could he truly begin touching the realm of the Sage of Six Paths.
Right now, he was merely a candidate.
And another candidate existed as well—
Uchiha Madara.
"The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path?"
"Do you mean the shell of the Ten-Tails?"
Satori looked down at Ning Feng in confusion, absentmindedly rubbing its head.
What exactly did this guy do...?
Ryūzetsu stared in disbelief.
That terrifying monster had actually signed a contract with him so quickly?
"By the way, your body..."
Before Satori could continue thinking, Ning Feng placed a hand on one of its arms.
"You still haven't fully adapted to this body."
"I'll give you some chakra. That should stabilize things."
As he spoke, Sage Chakra flowed continuously into Satori's body.
"Mmm..."
An involuntary sound escaped Satori's mouth.
The sensation was indescribable.
It felt like being frozen stiff in the depths of winter—
Only to suddenly immerse oneself in a steaming hot spring.
Every muscle relaxed.
Every bone loosened.
Even the nausea and discomfort lurking deep inside gradually disappeared.
"Th-thank you, Master!"
Satori said gratefully.
At the same time, the black feathers covering its body began converging inward.
Its enormous form rapidly shrank.
Eventually, it transformed into a ragged but handsome young boy.
"Muku?"
Hidden nearby, Ryūzetsu immediately recognized him.
It was the same Muku who had entered the Box of Paradise.
So that monster can transform back?
"You've regained your sanity, haven't you?"
Ning Feng looked at the boy, who was now shorter than him, and patted his shoulder.
"Thank you..."
Muku bowed deeply.
Without Ning Feng's Sage Chakra helping him suppress the chakra implanted by the Box of Paradise, he would likely have remained trapped in that nauseating state forever.
He would have continued existing only as Satori.
Yet Ning Feng's Sage Chakra had broken the control.
"Don't celebrate too early."
Seeing the joy appearing on Muku's face, Ning Feng shook his head.
Young people were always easy to read.
Everything they felt practically showed on their faces.
Perhaps it was because Kusagakure was so isolated.
Most shinobi matured far earlier than normal children.
Even Nagato and Yahiko had never been this transparent at Muku's age.
"Really...?"
Confusion appeared on Muku's face.
If Ning Feng could only help temporarily...
Then he would have no choice but to remain near him from now on.
"Only after I become a true Sage of Six Paths will I be able to completely free you from this curse."
Ning Feng shrugged.
Even the fact that Sage Chakra could temporarily suppress Muku's condition was something he'd only learned through the system.
Permanently curing him required becoming the Sage of Six Paths.
"So you'd better think carefully about how to obtain the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path—"
Before he could finish—
A figure suddenly rushed forward and threw herself at Muku.
"Muku!"
"You're alive! Thank goodness!"
"Ryūzetsu..."
Muku caught the girl securely in his arms.
A smile appeared on his face.
In such a short period of time, aside from some torn clothing, he looked almost unchanged.
Ryūzetsu let out a relieved breath.
"Good thing this guy showed up."
"If he hadn't, you might've been trapped inside that strange box forever."
"Maybe you would've actually died..."
"See? I told you before. Your father really was—"
Suddenly, Ryūzetsu's face turned pale.
She looked toward Ning Feng.
Ning Feng had killed Muku's father, Mui.
Muku didn't know that yet.
And Mui was the person Muku respected most.
What would happen if he found out?
"My father?"
To Ryūzetsu's surprise, Muku let out a cold laugh.
"Heh."
"If only he knew how hopeless it felt in there."
"I'd like him to experience it himself."
As he spoke, he slowly pressed a hand against his chest.
"That feeling..."
"The fear swallowing everything."
"Anything that enters that box gets consumed."
Was it really that terrifying?
Ryūzetsu stared at Muku.
The boy before her felt strangely unfamiliar.
What kind of horror could make someone who had always revered his father develop such hatred?
"That won't be necessary."
"I already killed him."
Ning Feng spoke casually.
At the same time, he subtly nodded toward Ryūzetsu in approval.
She had instinctively avoided mentioning the most sensitive issue.
The girl was sharper than she appeared.
"Eh?"
Ryūzetsu blinked.
She noticed Ning Feng's approving look.
Did I do something?
"Pack your things and leave."
"This village isn't worth staying in."
Ning Feng looked at both Muku and Ryūzetsu.
"You're... telling us to become missing-nin?"
Ryūzetsu stared at him in disbelief.
"A village that casually uses its own people as experimental subjects..."
"Do you really want to continue living there?"
Ning Feng shook his head and sighed.
The girl looked clever enough.
Yet she still couldn't tell good from bad.
"That's..."
Ryūzetsu froze.
Kusagakure really had treated them horribly.
This time it had been Muku.
Next time, it might have been her.
Without Ning Feng stealing the Box of Paradise away, she might have eventually suffered the same fate as Muku.
Ning Feng turned toward the silent boy.
"What about you, Muku?"
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