Opening the Box

"Do you know how the Box of Ultimate Bliss actually works?"

When Shiki asked this question, Ryuzetsu was a bit at a loss.

"No I don't." She honestly answered.

"See, that's where the use of these criminals lay." Shiki explained.

"You're planning on using them to open the box?" Ryuzetsu asked.

Shiki chuckled in response.

"Not at all. That was what the idiots of the Hozuki council were trying and we can see where that took them." He said.

"Then what?" Ryuzetsu was drawing blank.

"Opening the box is simple even if not easy for most. It just requires a massive amount of chakra from a single individual and it pops open." Shiki explained.

"Just like that?" Ryuzetsu inquired with disbelief.

If it was that simple, why had no one in Kusagakure ever been able to open it.

"Just like that. The problem is that you need a really massive amount of chakra, an amount almost no one has other than a jinchuriki for example." Shiki said.

"Then how do you plan of opening it?" The kunoichi asked.

"Despite not being a jinchuriki, I do have enough chakra myself to just open it so that's the easy part. The prisoners are for what comes next." Shiki was finally getting to the good stuff.

"What comes next?" Ryuzetsu had to admit, she was intrigued.

"Inside the box, there is a monster called Satori, a slave to feed the its master, the Box itself." Shiki continued.

"Feed . . . the box?"

"Indeed. The Box of Ultimate Bliss hungers for chakra and Satori's purpose is to capture humas and toss them into the box." Shiki explained.

"Then why would you even want to open it!?" Ryuzetsu asked with shock.

Even though she longed to speak with Muku again, she didn't want to do it at the cost of unleashing such a calamity upon the world.

"The individual that opens the box has a measure of control over it and that includes control over Satori. Make no mistake though, let your guard down and it will kill you." Shiki explained.

"Is that what you want, use the monster named Satori for your own purposes?" Ryuzetsu guessed.

"Not quite." Shiki replied.

"Then what?" The kunoichi was getting frustrated at how Shiki was dancing around the good stuff.

"Those that are devoured by the box become mindless slaves, puppets really that move according to the box's will, or its master, keeping the skills and memories they had in life too." Shiki explained.

"You want to turn these criminals into obedient slaves!" Ryuzetsu finally guessed Shiki's intentions.

"Exactly, the trick is, how to control the box and noit let it backstab you. But I have some ideas on that front." Shiki confirmed.

"Tehn Muku, he is still alive in there?" Ryuzetsu asked with hope.

Shiki however, had to pour cold water all over her hopes.

"No, it is just a corpse moving under the will of the box. It has memories but no will. That's the meaning of the box's name." Shiki said.

"The name?" Ryuzetsu was confused again.

"By becoming a mindless drone, you lose all of your worries, thus achieving the so called "Ultimate Bliss". Get it?" Shiki said.

"That's ridiculous!" Ryuzetsu exclaimed.

"Pretty much. But unfortunately its the truth." He replied.

"Then how are you planning on letting me speak to the real Muku?" Ryuuzetsu asked the golden question.

"Eroding an individual's true self takes time. The moment you enter the box, your fate is sealed and you can't really escape or even delay it but you do not suffer it instantaneously." Shiki explained.

"In order words, a piece of the real Muku is still in there and I can speak to it?" Ryuzetsu deduced.

"Precisely, but first, I need to open the box . . ."

As Shiki said this, the two entered the room where the box would be kept.

It was entirely made of a dark, dense chakra metal alloy that was nearly indestructible once it solidified. As the process of cooling down took place, countless sealing and controlling arrays were branded onto the metal.

These were in turn supported be seals that drew up nature energy and powered the seales meant to hold the box and control its power.

As a final touch, the was also a recycling seal array that use the box's own power to restrain it. It was separate from the others though, just for safety's sake. In other words, the more power the box exerted, the more powerful the seals restraining it would become.

The various seals and arrays were both a way to restrain the box in case all else fails, and to enhance Shiki's control over it to better ensure he could safely use its power.

Before that though, many tests would need to be done to ensure the obedience of the puppets made by the box, to make sure it could not exert its influence of anyone outside its room, etc, etc.

Shiki was not taking any chances with such a dangerous item. He didn't have the talk no jutsu and nakama power to just convince Satori's vessel to go back into the box and have it close itself like Naruto in the movies. That was precisely why he went to such lengths to ensure he would not need those.

Still, with all his preparations in place, Shiki felt confident enough in handling whatever might happen, even in the worst case scenarios he considered, as such, it was time.

"Stand back." He told Ryuzetsu summoning the box from storage, right on its slot.

Heeding Shiki's words, the kunoichi retreated a couple of steps behind him and waited what would follow.

There was a massive hole shaped in the form of the Box on the wall and it fit right in, only leaving a single of its faces uncovered and facing Shiki, it both strengthened the seals and had an extra use for something Shiki had planned in the future should the endeavour prove successful.

Raising is arms in the Box's direction, a connection was established between Shiki and the box. From the souls of those he killed in Kusagakure, he had long learned the exact mechanics of how to feed chakra to the box in order to open it.

As the connections was established, the mouth of one of the box's sculpted faces, the one facing Shiki, opened up.

A colossal amount of chakra flowed from Shiki into the box. Ryuzetsu who watched from behind, was immensely shocked at the powerful chakra emitting from Shiki.

'He doesn't even seem winded despite the huge amount of chakra being drained from him!' The kunoichi thought with even greater shock.

Simply having as much chakra as she sensed being drained was quite alarming but Shiki's state could only mean the amount being drained was not nearly close to his full reserve.

Soon, the Box of Ultimate bliss was fully activated, with someone shabling from within, coming out from the mouth facing Shiki.

"Muku!" Ryuzetsu shouted stepping forward.

"R-Ryuzetsu?" "Muku" responded.

"Muku . . ." Ryuzetsu teared up as she ran forward.

"Stop!" Shiki shouted.

Ryuzetsu was immediately shocked and stopped.

"W-What is it?" She asked him.

"Ryuzetsu!" "Muku" called out to her again.

But, before she could respond, Shiki made a hand seal and numerous seal marks covered Muku's form as an inhuman screech came out of his mouth.

"M-Muku!" Ryuzetsu shouted disturbed, immediately realizing something was wrong.

"What is wrong with him?" She asked Shiki.

"Satori has made him its vessel." He replied.

"T-That's . . . Then how can I speak to him?" Ryuzetsu inquired.

"I shall seal Satori and, in the meantime, the fragment of Muku that still exists should surface, allowing you to speak with him." Shiki explained.

"Please do so!" Ryuzetsu instantly responded with hope.

Doing a sequence of hand seals, Shiki fully suppressed Satori causing the body it inhabited to fall like a puppet whose strings were cut but, a few moments later, the body twitched and rose once more, not under Satori's control this time.

Getting up and opening his eyes, Muku tried to assess the situation in front of him.

*groan* "Ryuzetsu?" He asked, his tone far different than when he was under Satori's control.

"Muku . . ." This time Ryuzetsu could feel her lost friend but she still turned to Shiki for confirmation.

He just nodded to confirm her thoughts so RYuzetsu rushed to Muku so as to speak with him.

"I'm sorry Muku!" She said.

"This is no time for this! I can still fell the fiend inside of me!" Muku said alarmedly.

"Don't worry I got that covered, it won't last long but you can converse without fear." Shiki assuaged his concerns.

"Who are you?" Muku inquired.

"Does it matter? Enjoy your last moments with your friend, it's your final opportunity to speak with her . . . or anyone for that matter." Shiki countered.

"I-I guess you're right . . ." Muku conceded.

Now, both Kusagakure shinobi could finally get some much deserved closure.

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P.a.t.r.e.o.n is officially up!

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You'll get to read up to FOUR week ahead, a full month, but I'll still post here.

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