Ryou released Satori and told it the rules for its future survival in Hozuki Castle: it was forbidden from harming people, and if it wanted to devour negative energy, the prisoners would provide it.
It was strictly forbidden from flying off the island.
Satori agreed to each point, then, with Ryou's consent, reverted to its original form and flew toward the Great Tree of Takigakure.
"Alright, this trip was quite fruitful. Call Chomei, it's time for us to set off!"
After a short while, the Seven-Tails set off on the return journey, carrying only Ryou, Chizu, and Ryūzetsu.
A large group had come, but only three were leaving.
Because the remaining people expressed their willingness to stay and guard Hozuki Castle for Ryou, protecting the Great Tree of Takigakure and the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
In truth, the people from Kusagakure were being shrewd! They knew a great war against the Shinobi Allied Forces was coming.
With their strength, they would be nothing but cannon fodder on the battlefield, so they requested to stay and guard Hozuki Castle.
Ryou didn't agree at first, insisting on taking the Kusagakure Shinobi back to fill the ranks, but Ryūzetsu pleaded with Ryou.
Ryou's heart softened, and he let the Kusagakure people off.
The Kusagakure group included Shirakawa and Mui, both Elite Jonin, as well as 12 Jonin elders, plus some Chunin or Special Jonin.
Their strength was decent, but only relative to second-rate hidden Villages or small nations.
In the upcoming Shinobi World War, this force wouldn't be of much use; going would just be delivering heads to the Shinobi Allied Forces.
It was better to let them look after the Great Tree of Takigakure in Hozuki Castle.
Actually, it didn't really need any looking after.
However, Ryou planned to use Hozuki Castle as a base, along with the Box of Ultimate Bliss, which contained a pocket dimension about ten miles in radius.
Ryou gave the Ritual Formula for entering and exiting the Box of Ultimate Bliss to Shirakawa, hoping the other party could help him develop the space within.
Building a city and picking a hundred or so beauties to hide away in a golden house—how wonderful!
"Sigh... in the end, we got nothing!"
The Kusagakure people looked dejectedly at the dark cloud above—the shadow cast by the Great Tree of Takigakure—and Satori flying within it.
At this moment, Satori was very greedy for the Seven-Tails' Tailed Beast chakra, but seeing Ryou on the Seven-Tails' head, it didn't dare to make a move.
It could only perch on the walls of Hozuki Castle and take a gulp of the negative energy from the prison.
The Kusagakure people sighed in their hearts; the Box of Ultimate Bliss had been snatched, and even the Satori inside had been subdued by Ryou.
The Kusagakure people had come all this way and hadn't even gotten a sip of soup.
However, being able to use this to escape the Shinobi World War was a stroke of luck for them; no one was a fool, and they knew that if they went back, they would be forced onto the battlefield by Madara.
It was better to stay in Hozuki Castle and build up the rear for Ryou.
Shirakawa asked Mui: "Mui, why didn't you let Muku follow Lord Ryou?"
Mui held Muku's hand and saw Muku's yearning for the sky.
He shook his head: "Better not. That kind of person is extremely selfish and possesses a Forbidden Jutsu that takes others' lives. If Muku stays by his side, he might become his sacrifice one day."
"I'll teach Muku Ninjutsu myself!"
Actually, Mui had fainted once before and had a dream where he became the master of Hozuki Castle.
For the sake of Kusagakure's great cause, he had used Muku as a sacrifice to be thrown into the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
In the days that followed, Mui lived in regret, later getting the chance to reopen the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
Mui's wish was for his son to return.
Muku returned, but he had turned into Satori, who knew only slaughter and destruction.
Mui put an apple in a box for ten years, and ten years later he opened the box, hoping the apple would still be as fresh as before.
How could there be such a good thing in the world?
Mui didn't know if it was a dream or Ryou's Genjutsu, but he knew that without the intervention of Madara and Ryou, Kusagakure's future development would likely have been like that in the dream.
For the sake of the Village's grand plan, he would very likely sacrifice his own son.
After waking up, Mui had begun to cherish Muku; he planned to accompany Muku and live peacefully in Hozuki Castle.
The conflicts of the Shinobi World would have nothing to do with father and son from then on.
Mui called out to Muku: "Muku, say goodbye to Ryūzetsu. Who knows when you'll meet again?"
Muku nodded, then cupped his hands around his mouth like a small megaphone and shouted toward the shadow of the Seven-Tails: "Ryūzetsu—!"
Ryou sat on the Seven-Tails' head, while Chizu and her disciple Ryūzetsu were behind him.
Chizu heard the shout from below and reminded Ryūzetsu: "Ryūzetsu, Muku is calling you!"
Ryūzetsu leaned over the edge of the Seven-Tails, unable to hear clearly what Muku was saying.
She shouted down loudly: "Muku, what did you say?"
Muku's voice echoed throughout Hozuki Castle: "I said I'll come back when I have time!"
Ryou was momentarily stunned, and Chizu was also stunned.
Muku's childish voice was clear and serious, filled with reluctance and expectation; it was a sincere plea for them to stay.
But as the saying goes, where the sun sets is the end of the world, and looking to the end of the world, one's home is nowhere to be seen.
Adults like Ryou and Chizu had long since lost their homes.
Ryūzetsu responded loudly: "Muku, I will! I'll come back!"
Ryou looked at Ryūzetsu and Muku; in the original work, they were a pair of ill-fated lovers.
At a young age, Muku was sacrificed to the Box of Ultimate Bliss by his own father, and since then, Ryūzetsu had been trying to find a way to save him.
But from the moment Muku was locked in the Box of Ultimate Bliss, he was completely devoured by Satori.
Muku died, and Ryūzetsu didn't want to live either, activating her Forbidden Jutsu to trade her life for Naruto's.
Now she was here, Muku was here, and Mui was here—this ending was like a dream of the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Ryou tapped the Seven-Tails' head: "Let's go!"
The Seven-Tails let out a roar and then flew away from Hozuki Castle.
This trip, Ryou had truly won big!
He had subdued Satori, obtained a small dimension like the Box of Ultimate Bliss, and even allowed the Great Tree of Takigakure to grow further.
He was truly glad the Kusagakure people hadn't transported the Box of Ultimate Bliss to Amegakure; otherwise, Ryou wouldn't have been able to get his hands on Satori and the box.
This was also why Ryou agreed to let the Kusagakure people stay in Hozuki Castle.
Although they hadn't accomplished any great feats, the things they failed to do helped Ryou immensely.
After Ryou left with the Seven-Tails, Black and White Zetsu appeared in a part of Hozuki Castle far from the Great Tree of Takigakure.
White Zetsu looked at the towering Great Tree of Takigakure and marveled: "This thousand-year-old Takigakure tree has grown a lot again."
Black Zetsu gazed at the Great Tree of Takigakure; if it continued to grow at this hyper-speed, it would probably catch up to the God Tree in another hundred years.
By then, it would be a second Ten-Tails.
Black Zetsu sneered inwardly. Ryou, go ahead and feed this big tree well!
When Mother awakens, everything you've done will just be a gift for her.
"Let's go, it's time to head back. The Box of Ultimate Bliss cannot grant wishes; Madara's plan is going to fail."
"But I think that monster called Satori is quite strong. It would be a great help against the Shinobi Allied Forces."
"No matter how strong Satori is, it's only at the level of a single glance from Madara's Rinnegan. It's nothing to worry about!"
"Alright then!"