Mui was originally a jōnin from the Hidden Grass Village. Although he held considerable authority within Hōzuki Castle as its warden, his combat ability was far from Kage-level—at best, he was an elite jōnin. Against Kimimaro, especially with no need to worry about protecting Karin, Hōzuki Castle was no real obstacle.
"Death doesn't threaten me," Mui said flatly, trying to remain composed.
"Is that so? Then you have no desire to see Muku again?"
Mui's expression twitched. "What… did you say?"
"You heard me. You've been using the Box of Ultimate Bliss all this time for one purpose—reviving your son, haven't you?"
"You… What do you know about Muku?"
Kimimaro's tone remained calm. "That's irrelevant. What matters is that I want to see the Box of Ultimate Bliss with my own eyes. We're not enemies—you sent Mujin to capture me, and he died for his mistake. That should be enough. Let's not escalate this further. If you want your son back, I propose we work together. Tell me how you intend to open the Box."
Mui's eyes wavered, the emotional pressure cracking his defenses.
"We were planning to capture a jinchūriki and feed their chakra to the Box," he confessed quietly. "But it's not enough to just capture one. We need someone to impersonate a jinchūriki and commit a major crime so that the actual village voluntarily surrenders the real one. Only then will we have the necessary conditions..."
Suddenly, Mui blinked and bit his tongue sharply. His expression sharpened. "Wait—what did you do to me? Why did I just say that?"
The tomoe in Kimimaro's Sharingan faded.
"When your mind was overwhelmed with emotion, it wasn't hard to plant a suggestion," Kimimaro said plainly. "I told you—this castle means nothing to me. Don't worry. Since I said we'll cooperate, I'll keep my word."
Mui's voice was bitter. "What do you really want?"
"I told you—I'm interested in the Box. But before I consider using it myself, I want to see how it works. Show me the process once. That's all—for now."
He knew it was a poor excuse, but Kimimaro couldn't fabricate a better one in the moment. Still, under the oppressive difference in power, Mui dared not press further.
"I hope you're not lying," Mui muttered. "We're currently contacting someone known as the shapeshifter Huashan. Once we have him, we can frame a jinchūriki for a crime. Preferably one with low standing, impulsive, not too intelligent..."
Kimimaro's lips twitched. So that's how Naruto ended up here later. It all makes sense now.
Leaving his communication method behind, Kimimaro offered a final warning. "Stay in touch. Lord Mui, you're a pragmatic man. If this place ever becomes too dangerous for you, I might consider taking you in."
He turned and walked off.
"Take me in?" Mui wiped sweat from his brow. "He says it like he owns everything. But with that strength… it's not arrogance, it's fact. A few months ago, he was only jōnin-level. How did he get this strong so fast…?"
Mui had no moral conflict over striking a private deal with Kimimaro, keeping it hidden from Grass Village elders. His only goal was reviving Muku, and having someone like Kimimaro assist only increased the chances of success. As for Kimimaro's ultimate goal with the Box, Mui didn't care.
But what he didn't know was that Kimimaro had no interest in resurrecting Muku. He was watching and waiting—for the creature sealed within the Box to emerge. Had his ability to absorb life force reached a higher limit, Kimimaro might have stolen both Mui and the Box already.
It was said only those of Mui's bloodline could open the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
Returning to the forest edge where Karin had been hiding, Kimimaro sensed something off.
"Karin?"
No response. But he had planned for this.
He activated his Byakugan and used the Wood Release seed tracking. "Five hundred meters ahead, to the left… and there's another chakra signature?"
In several body flickers, he arrived on the scene.
"Karin, what are you doing here?"
Karin waved enthusiastically. "Kimimaro, you're back. I made a new friend—this big sister's name is Fuka. I think she might have a bloodline similar to mine."
She winked subtly.
Kimimaro instantly caught the signal. So Karin had seen through her too.
Fuka smiled. "I sensed a familiar chakra nearby and came to investigate. Didn't expect to meet a charming girl like Karin. We really hit it off!"
Kimimaro didn't react. Hit it off? Sure you did.
He had been scanning the area earlier with his Byakugan. He knew this woman wasn't real.
With a quick glance, he now used his Sharingan to confirm it again: chakra flowed through her shell of a body, but there were no meridian systems—just mud and chakra threads.
A chakra-controlled puppet made of earth...
Red hair. Mud body. Chakra control. Recognition clicked.
In his previous life, he had read about every female character that interacted with Naruto, especially the seductive ones. This one stood out.
Fuka… The rogue kunoichi who could absorb chakra with a kiss, used earth clones, and targeted powerful shinobi. She even tried to seduce Naruto.
Of course she wouldn't be "just passing by" near a secure prison island.
Kimimaro's gaze sharpened. Whatever she's up to, I'll find out soon enough.
Mui was originally a jōnin from the Hidden Grass Village. Although he held considerable authority within Hōzuki Castle as its warden, his combat ability was far from Kage-level—at best, he was an elite jōnin. Against Kimimaro, especially with no need to worry about protecting Karin, Hōzuki Castle was no real obstacle.
"Death doesn't threaten me," Mui said flatly, trying to remain composed.
"Is that so? Then you have no desire to see Muku again?"
Mui's expression twitched. "What… did you say?"
"You heard me. You've been using the Box of Ultimate Bliss all this time for one purpose—reviving your son, haven't you?"
"You… What do you know about Muku?"
Kimimaro's tone remained calm. "That's irrelevant. What matters is that I want to see the Box of Ultimate Bliss with my own eyes. We're not enemies—you sent Mujin to capture me, and he died for his mistake. That should be enough. Let's not escalate this further. If you want your son back, I propose we work together. Tell me how you intend to open the Box."
Mui's eyes wavered, the emotional pressure cracking his defenses.
"We were planning to capture a jinchūriki and feed their chakra to the Box," he confessed quietly. "But it's not enough to just capture one. We need someone to impersonate a jinchūriki and commit a major crime so that the actual village voluntarily surrenders the real one. Only then will we have the necessary conditions..."
Suddenly, Mui blinked and bit his tongue sharply. His expression sharpened. "Wait—what did you do to me? Why did I just say that?"
The tomoe in Kimimaro's Sharingan faded.
"When your mind was overwhelmed with emotion, it wasn't hard to plant a suggestion," Kimimaro said plainly. "I told you—this castle means nothing to me. Don't worry. Since I said we'll cooperate, I'll keep my word."
Mui's voice was bitter. "What do you really want?"
"I told you—I'm interested in the Box. But before I consider using it myself, I want to see how it works. Show me the process once. That's all—for now."
He knew it was a poor excuse, but Kimimaro couldn't fabricate a better one in the moment. Still, under the oppressive difference in power, Mui dared not press further.
"I hope you're not lying," Mui muttered. "We're currently contacting someone known as the shapeshifter Huashan. Once we have him, we can frame a jinchūriki for a crime. Preferably one with low standing, impulsive, not too intelligent..."
Kimimaro's lips twitched. So that's how Naruto ended up here later. It all makes sense now.
Leaving his communication method behind, Kimimaro offered a final warning. "Stay in touch. Lord Mui, you're a pragmatic man. If this place ever becomes too dangerous for you, I might consider taking you in."
He turned and walked off.
"Take me in?" Mui wiped sweat from his brow. "He says it like he owns everything. But with that strength… it's not arrogance, it's fact. A few months ago, he was only jōnin-level. How did he get this strong so fast…?"
Mui had no moral conflict over striking a private deal with Kimimaro, keeping it hidden from Grass Village elders. His only goal was reviving Muku, and having someone like Kimimaro assist only increased the chances of success. As for Kimimaro's ultimate goal with the Box, Mui didn't care.
But what he didn't know was that Kimimaro had no interest in resurrecting Muku. He was watching and waiting—for the creature sealed within the Box to emerge. Had his ability to absorb life force reached a higher limit, Kimimaro might have stolen both Mui and the Box already.
It was said only those of Mui's bloodline could open the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
Returning to the forest edge where Karin had been hiding, Kimimaro sensed something off.
"Karin?"
No response. But he had planned for this.
He activated his Byakugan and used the Wood Release seed tracking. "Five hundred meters ahead, to the left… and there's another chakra signature?"
In several body flickers, he arrived on the scene.
"Karin, what are you doing here?"
Karin waved enthusiastically. "Kimimaro, you're back. I made a new friend—this big sister's name is Fuka. I think she might have a bloodline similar to mine."
She winked subtly.
Kimimaro instantly caught the signal. So Karin had seen through her too.
Fuka smiled. "I sensed a familiar chakra nearby and came to investigate. Didn't expect to meet a charming girl like Karin. We really hit it off!"
Kimimaro didn't react. Hit it off? Sure you did.
He had been scanning the area earlier with his Byakugan. He knew this woman wasn't real.
With a quick glance, he now used his Sharingan to confirm it again: chakra flowed through her shell of a body, but there were no meridian systems—just mud and chakra threads.
A chakra-controlled puppet made of earth...
Red hair. Mud body. Chakra control. Recognition clicked.
In his previous life, he had read about every female character that interacted with Naruto, especially the seductive ones. This one stood out.
Fuka… The rogue kunoichi who could absorb chakra with a kiss, used earth clones, and targeted powerful shinobi. She even tried to seduce Naruto.
Kimimaro, who had skipped or fast-forwarded through many parts of the original timeline, still retained a vague impression of certain female characters.
Fūka, for instance, had once fought Naruto and even kissed him—though it was less romantic than it sounded. In truth, she used the kiss to absorb his chakra.
She was a formidable kunoichi who could utilize all five basic nature transformations and change her body at will. In that regard, she resembled a lower-tier version of Kakuzu—versatile but not nearly as dangerous.
That was the extent of Kimimaro's memory. After all, he had glossed over that part of the original events.
What he did recall was that Fūka didn't act alone. She had accomplices and had been involved in grave robbing, likely alongside her partner Fūdō and their group under the leadership of Seimei.
"Since you're distant relatives, you should keep in touch more often," Kimimaro said casually.
"Yes, you're Karin's boyfriend, right? Then you should call me 'older sister' too—just like she does," Fūka replied playfully. With her back turned to Karin, she gave Kimimaro a quick wink.
Kimimaro smirked inwardly. This woman was clearly setting her sights on him—not romantically, but for his chakra.
He was beginning to understand why Fūka hadn't attacked Karin. While blood relation might have played a minor role, the real reason was likely more pragmatic: Karin's chakra reserves, though large, lacked quality. Fūka probably found no interest in absorbing chakra of inferior purity.
After exchanging a few words and realizing Karin wasn't alone, Fūka had likely chosen to wait. She didn't go around draining chakra indiscriminately; she had standards—and patience.
----------------
Author's Note – Regarding Fūka's Background and Role:
Whether Fūka possesses any Uzumaki bloodline was never confirmed in the original Naruto manga. However, she exhibits traits often associated with the Uzumaki clan, such as an innate ability to sense chakra and a notably large chakra reserve. For the purposes of this story, she will be treated as a distant relative of the Uzumaki clan.
Fūka is a highly versatile character with a unique combination of elemental affinities and body-switching techniques, making her capable of holding her own in battle. I believe she has great narrative potential that was underutilized in the canon. Therefore, I've decided to integrate her into the story earlier and more meaningfully—before her original arc unfolds—so as not to let such a character go to waste.
Visit patreon.com/ShiroTL to gain access to 40+ chapters