"Hmph!"
Seeing that Naruto was completely ignoring him, Mui gave a cold snort and clenched his right hand in midair.
The crimson markings on Naruto's body suddenly lit up.
And then…
Nothing happened.
Naruto merely felt a slight tension throughout his body—as if something had tried to restrict his chakra. But with a light flex of his muscles…
> The markings vanished as if they'd never existed.
"...?"
Mui's brow twitched slightly in confusion. His technique had been broken—without him even noticing.
Fire Style: Heaven's Prison was a fusion of fire release and sealing jutsu, a secret technique exclusive to the Warden of Hōzuki Castle. It sealed off all of the victim's chakra instantly.
Without chakra, even a ninja was no more than an above-average civilian.
Wuwei had full confidence—even a jinchūriki known for vast reserves of chakra shouldn't have been able to break free.
And yet, the technique was undone… effortlessly.
'So, not a taijutsu user...' Mui silently studied Naruto's physique and continued his internal assessment.
First, taijutsu-focused shinobi usually had much bulkier builds—denser muscle, more defined physique. Naruto's lean frame didn't fit the profile.
Most importantly, it was impossible for even a taijutsu specialist to physically break free from Heaven's Prison.
> Conclusion: Not a taijutsu user.
"Probably not a genjutsu user either."
Second, genjutsu practitioners rarely engage in direct combat. Other than the Uchiha clan, few dared to go head-to-head using illusions.
Third—he'd just broken a high-level sealing jutsu in an instant.
'Most likely… a top-tier ninjutsu user skilled in sealing arts,' Wuwei concluded.
---
Meanwhile, Naruto casually patted the box.
"So how exactly does this thing work?"
He tapped the smiling face among the four carved expressions on the sides of the Box of Ultimate Bliss, producing a loud thud-thud-thud.
He vaguely remembered something about it needing to absorb a large amount of chakra to activate.
---
Seeing this, Wuwei's eye twitched uncontrollably.
That was the Box of Ultimate Bliss—his only hope of bringing back his son!
Gone was the warden's usual cold restraint.
He snarled, casting a jutsu as he growled out a warning:
> "Step away from the Box!"
---
"Nice speech. But I'm keeping it," Naruto replied, clapping his hands and ignoring the threat entirely.
Mui's jutsu was already complete.
> Fire Style: Great Fire Heaven's Prison!
Several larger and more vividly burning chains of flame shot toward Naruto.
This was the enhanced version of Heaven's Prison—Mui's ultimate technique, the very move that had brought even well-known shinobi to their knees.
> 'There's no escape this time,' Mui thought.
'Just give me your chakra willingly…'
Naruto didn't dodge.
He stood motionless as the blazing chains wrapped tightly around his body.
> 'Yo, Kurama—what do you think of this move? Kinda flashy, huh?'
Kurama lazily cracked an eye open and scoffed.
> "Tch. You're impressed by that crap? It's nothing compared to Kushina's Adamantine Sealing Chains."
He could already tell Naruto was eyeing the technique for himself—but with Naruto's terrible ninjutsu aptitude, there was no way he could learn it.
> "Fine. I'll teach it to Sasuke instead," Naruto muttered.
"This kind of flashy stuff's right up his alley."
---
Just as Wuwei began to feel smug…
Naruto, now wrapped in flaming chains like a tied-up roast, calmly extended his right hand…
And slapped himself.
A sharp gust of wind surged out.
> The fire chains instantly shattered into glowing fragments and vanished into thin air—like someone snuffing out a candle.
---
"Too bad," Naruto said, flexing his hands.
"This stuff doesn't work on me."
He shrugged.
> "Go ahead—show me what else you've got."
---
Many shinobi could counter Heaven's Prison.
But to completely ignore Great Fire Heaven's Prison?
That was already rare.
To just slap it into oblivion?
> That was beyond absurd. That was criminally outrageous.
> If that hand had slapped a person...
---
"...What exactly do you want?"
With even his trump card proving useless, Mui's tone softened. His hostility faded.
He hadn't even fully fought Naruto yet, but the way he'd been casually neutralized twice was more than enough.
There was no longer any doubt.
> This man was on an entirely different level.
---
Once again, reality proved a universal truth:
> If your fists are big and hard enough, everyone suddenly becomes very polite.
---
"This…"
Naruto pointed to the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
"Mine."
"…Alright."
Mui stared at him for a long moment, then agreed.
Naruto squinted behind his mask, fox-like grin curling on his lips.
> 'That easy? Interesting...'
If it were him, faced with a total stranger demanding a national treasure, he wouldn't believe them for a second.
---
"But I have one condition," Mui added quickly.
Seeing that Naruto didn't reject it outright, he continued:
> "Help me open it—just once.
If you can do that, the box is yours."
---
> Even one more glimpse would be enough...
Six years ago, Wuwei had lost his son trying to open the box.
Now, six years later, he was willing to strike a deal with a total stranger—one whose identity, appearance, strength, and intentions were completely unknown.
All just to open the box… and see his son again.
---
Naruto wasn't the first person he'd offered this deal to.
Plenty of others, especially from Kusagakure, had come for the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
Mui had made them all the same offer.
And every one of them had ended up becoming chakra fuel for the box.
Naruto saw it all.
> Mui missed his son too much.
---
But Mui's chakra collection methods were far too slow.
At this rate, it would take him years to gather enough to awaken the box.
> And Mui didn't have that kind of time.
If it meant seeing his son again—just once—he'd make a deal with the devil himself.
---
> Humans were strange like that.
They took things for granted when they had them.
Only after losing something did they learn to treasure it.
And that sense of loss often grew into guilt and regret.
Even someone as cold and emotionally distant as Wuwei… was no exception.
---
Naruto thought it over. Sure, he could just take the box by force, but…
He was curious.
He wanted to see what kind of monster Satori—would emerge when it was opened.
He needed to assess whether it was strong enough for what he had planned next.
---
He'd once heard someone joke about wishing the box could recite pi to infinity, locking it in a loop so it could never open again.
> That would've been such a waste.
This was supposedly a weapon created by the Sage of Six Paths.
Using it just once as a WMD? Lame.
No, Naruto had bigger plans.
---
Since their goals temporarily aligned, Naruto nodded and said:
> "Alright."
And just like that—after a few words exchanged in the dark—
> The ownership of Kusagakure's most sacred relic was decided.
For now, the tension between them eased.
Of course, this was just a verbal agreement.
Wuwei didn't fully trust Naruto.
But if Naruto could open the box and let him see his son again, he'd hand it over willingly.
In terms of principle, Mui was at least far more honorable than a certain someone in Konoha who tossed people aside after using them.
---
"What do I need to open it?"
"Chakra. A huge amount of chakra."
"At minimum… tailed beast level."