Every city lord of Hozuki Castle came from a clan capable of using Fire Release to create the Heavenly Prison. By implanting this ninjutsu into a prisoner, it prevented them from gathering Chakra. As a result, there were no fierce ninjutsu battles here, only raw physical violence, mental torment, and silent suffering.
Without the ability to use Chakra, and with seas full of whirlpools surrounding the island, no one could swim away alive. Ninja stripped of their power were like tigers without claws or fangs, left to cling to life in cold cages through endless time. In Muei's view, this was the most fitting punishment for such inhuman lunatics.
Of course, Kusagakure accepted this commission for reasons far from benevolent.
Muei reached the end of the corridor and pushed open a heavy door, its hinges letting out a dull groan. Inside was his office. He told his subordinate to leave if there was nothing else, then stepped in and closed the door behind him.
Compared to the damp chill outside, the room was merely dry, but it blocked out the disgusting sounds and stares beyond the walls. An oil lamp cast a wavering glow over a massive desk and shelves piled high with files. Muei took off his outer robe, draped it over the chair, and sat down with a faint sigh of fatigue.
His gaze fell on the scroll at the corner of the desk. It contained the routine monthly intelligence, the only way to learn about the outside world from this isolated island, though the information was always delayed. He opened it and skimmed through, finding mostly trivial matters.
Then the next report made his eyes tighten.
It described large numbers of unidentified people entering the Land of Hot Water, traced back to a joint exploration by Kumogakure, Konoha, and Iwagakure of the Underground Palace. Several survivors had taken powerful unknown ninja tools, and once the news leaked, countless seekers driven by greed swarmed in like vultures to carrion. The Land of Hot Water could not seal the area, and explorers found only a massive stone statue and nothing else.
Behind the statue, however, they discovered a strange door embedded in the rock, suspected to lead deeper into the Underground Palace. Attempts to force it open or probe it with Chakra all ended the same way, as anyone who approached had their Chakra drained and their body wither into ash in moments. The door was now called the Man-Eating Gate, and though its treasures tempted many, no one dared go near it anymore.
"A gate that feeds on Chakra and flesh," Muei repeated slowly, his voice dry and hoarse. To others, the report might only sound strange, but to him it felt all too familiar. Beneath his feet, under Hozuki Castle, there existed something that also fed on Chakra and flesh.
That was the legendary Box of Ultimate Bliss, said to grant any wish of the one who opened it. Kusagakure had taken control of Hozuki Castle precisely to abduct prisoners and drain their Chakra into the Box of Ultimate Bliss, in order to fulfill a wish to restore Kusagakure. The similarities were striking, both exploiting human desire to lure lives and Chakra as offerings.
"Could that Underground Palace be something like the Box of Ultimate Bliss?" Muei wondered, his eyes flickering as he weighed this guess.
In the dead silence, a thunderous explosion erupted. The entire island seemed to be slammed by a gigantic hand from the sea. The heavy stone desk jumped, files were ignited by the oil lamp and scattered like a storm, and the ceiling groaned as dust and gravel rained down.
"What is going on?!"
Caught off guard, Muei braced a hand on the desk to steady himself and stared out the window into the darkness. The scale of the blast made his thoughts race. Something was very wrong.
"Lord Muei!"
At that moment, a figure burst into the room, face pale with fear, shouting, "An at, an attack…"
Before the subordinate could finish, alarms rang in Muei's mind. He abandoned the intelligence report at once, rushed out of the office, and roared, "Enemy attack! Highest alert!"
Outside the door, the corridor was unrecognizable, with parts of the walls collapsed and rubble blocking the passage. Smoke and dust filled the air as piercing alarms echoed through the prison. The ground was still trembling from the impact.
Amid the smoke, surviving guards ran in confusion, shouting without direction. Their voices mixed with the mad howls of prisoners and the screams of those crushed by falling debris. The noise battered the ears from all sides.
Along the way, the interior of the prison lay in ruins, with many key facilities destroyed. The defense system that Hozuki Castle had relied on for years had crumbled in an instant, as fragile as paper under that single strike.
"Do not panic! Maintain order, and do not let the prisoners escape!"
Suppressing his shock, Muei's firm tone brought a measure of control back to the chaos. He grabbed a dust-covered guard who staggered toward him and asked in a low voice, "Where is the enemy?"
With such a massive impact, there had to be many attackers, yet none were in sight. The absence was unsettling.
"N no, Lord Muei!" the guard replied, his voice twisted by fear as he pointed into the dark sky. "Three people. Only three people…"
What?
Just three people had torn through the defenses of Hozuki Castle?
Muei's pupils shrank as he followed the direction of the pointing finger. Through the gap left by the collapsed wall, he finally saw the enemies.
Cold, pale moonlight fell like a vast spotlight on three figures floating in midair. Two of them wore black cloaks with red clouds, and one had an arm extended, palm facing forward. The earlier impact had clearly come from him.
"One person caused all that?" Muei's heart sank.
At that moment, the figure seemed to sense something. Those purple eyes turned without emotion and locked onto Muei's face.
"You are Muei?"
Nagato's cold voice reached his ears, and Muei instantly realized the attack was directed at him.
"Who are you?" Muei demanded.
"We are here to invite you to join 'Akatsuki.'"
Looking down at Muei, Nagato spoke as if stating a fact. "Your Ninjutsu is impressive, and we have use for your strength."
On the way here, he had already learned of Muei's special traits from 'Shadow.' The special ninja clan that controlled Heavenly Prison could use Fire Release·Heavenly Prison, a role somewhat similar to the Uzumaki Clan.
Once marked, a Ninja's Chakra would be completely sealed and could not be mobilized at all. Any attempt to forcefully break through the Sealing Technique would trigger the mark, turning it into flames that burned the body. Even moving too far from the caster could activate it.
Most importantly, it was effective against Jinchuriki. According to Shadow, even the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki would be unable to break free for a short time once marked. Nagato did not know how Shadow had obtained such precise intelligence, but his trust in Shadow's abilities left him with no doubts.
With such a unique power, Muei would be extremely useful to Akatsuki's future plans to collect the Tailed Beasts. He was worth recruiting.
"Akatsuki? I have never heard of such an organization."
Muei's face hardened as he looked up at the three figures. He tried to apply pressure in the name of the Five Great Nations. "This prison was jointly built by the Five Great Nations. I advise you to leave at once, or else…"
"So it still comes down to a fight?" Nagato's companion, Kakuzu, said flatly.