"Big brother, I still don't know your name," Karin finally spoke as Naruto and she journeyed north until they no longer sensed Pain and Kakuzu's chakra.
"I was wondering how long you'd let me tease you," Naruto replied playfully. "Don't you think I'd call you grandpa by now?"
"Ha! It's not so easy to fool me," Karin patted her unremarkable chest with confidence.
"You can call me Uzumaki Naruto. If someone else's around, just call me Uzumaki."
"So you really are of my clan?" she asked.
"Yes," Naruto reassured her, and they chatted casually as he winged through the sky. Soon they arrived back at Hozuki Castle. Before entering, Naruto handed Karin a smaller version of his hood and mask.
Sniffs "Smells like big brother… heh."
Karin embraced the hood, breathing it in greedily.
My cousin's gotten really strange... help! she thought.
"Lord Mui," Naruto announced as they entered the courtyard. "It's time to fulfill your promise."
Naruto had barely been gone half a day; he'd returned with Karin well before news of Kusagakure's destruction had time to spread. Suzuki Jirō hadn't reappeared yet, either.
Mui stared at Naruto, expressionless. "And the offering?"
'Hey Kurama, you got any chakra to spare?' Naruto had whispered.
'I'll give you some, but don't call me that,' Kurama had replied.
Naruto sighed. "Here."
A swirl of crimson chakra coalesced in his palm.
Mui's eyes widened: that was definitely bijū-level chakra. Had Naruto stolen from Kurama? Or did Kusagakure host a tailed-beast? His estimation of Naruto's power shot even higher—maybe this time, they could finally open the Purest Bliss Box.
"Come with me." Mui ushered Naruto and Karin to the grand black cube in the plaza.
"Summoning Jutsu!" he stamped his staff in the ground, and clouds of steam surrounded the box—nearly two stories tall, carved with four masks representing joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.
"It's kind of ugly," Karin whispered.
"Hand me the chakra, please," Mui said.
Naruto gently pushed forward with his palm, enveloping Mui in the Nine-Tails chakra cloak and manifesting three tails behind him.
"How…?" Mui stared, stunned. Naruto could buff anyone with tailed-beast chakra, just like sharing ki.
"Is this enough? Any more and you'll lose your mind."
"Should be enough."
Mui placed his hands on the box—but after two seconds, the chakra cloak dissipated.
"Not enough!" Naruto dosed him again—this time pushing further, chakra spreading until a seventh tail emerged. Only then did the box begin to absorb steadily.
"It's finally ready…" Mui panted, kneeling before the box, drenched in sweat—his eye hair untidy in the chakra cloak.
"Purest Bliss Box, hear my wish!" he cried.
Naruto smirked, finding his ritual oddly reminiscent of summoning some ancient demon.
Then—Psshht! The box's steam burst, and one of its faces slid open, revealing a dark void.
Inside something moved. Faint whispers echoed—too fast and jumbled to understand, echoing with a dark magnetism.
"Uzumaki… something's very wrong in there… it's almost out." Karin's voice was tense as she gripped Naruto's cloak, trembling from instinct rather than fear.
All sounds in Hozuki Castle ceased—even the sea breeze stopped.
Clack, clack… footsteps approached. A young man, shirtless on one side, emerged slowly from the box's black opening.
"Mu—Muku."
Mui's face lit with joy. "My son… I can finally see you again."
But Naruto and Karin saw it differently. Emerging wasn't the real Muku—it was something in his shape and form, but not him. It was a monster spawned from inside the box—a creature called Go, birthed by the Purest Bliss Box.
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