Celestial Prison
His journey had not been without purpose; he had taken the time to read reports and had made a secretive visit to the Leaf Village prior. It was all to understand the aftermath of the Sasuke Retrieval Arc.
Back there, he had silently observed the reactions following Sasuke's defection to Orochimaru. The mood in the village was somber, and many were frustrated, particularly Tsunade, who was in a rage over the Uchiha's betrayal.
That made Sasuke only the fourth Uchiha in history to abandon the Leaf Village.
Jada and William, too, shared the weight of bewilderment; their skepticism only compounded as they grappled with the baffling disappearance of Sakura's flying raijin papers.
Things had escalated so significantly that Jada reluctantly distributed flying raijin papers to essential cast members like Rock Lee and Hinata. It was a desperate measure to show just how unprepared they felt about the unexpected events.
During his undercover operation in the Leaf Village, Arthur had been diligent in gathering intel on these events. He wasn't entirely sure how others, such as Alexander and Margaret, perceived things. But for him, their sentiments were irrelevant.
The fallout of Sasuke's betrayal was no longer his concern; his focus remained singular. He had a goal: three years to surpass the main character—the pillar on which this world often leaned.
Then there was Kaito's involvement. Many of the players had never heard or seen of this character before. When found out he wasn't from the Shippuden franchise, she gasped, wondering what she had truly experienced.
"What did he look like again?" Jada asked her at the time.
"He had silverish hair and looked really strong," Alice replied, "like he didn't look like fodder."
None of the players managed to link Kaito to Arthur. Not because they simply couldn't make the connection, but because he had placed so many layers in masking his identity that it became nearly impossible for anyone to tell.
Among those revelations that had emerged during the last arc was the fact that not all of the Sound Four had perished as assumed. Tayuya had been left unconscious on the battlefield. The Leaf shinobi, responding to Alice's team, captured her and took her back to the village for interrogation.
Despite their efforts, Tayuya proved defiant. She adamantly refused to provide any information about Orochimaru, keeping herself silent, which frustrated their interrogators.
Attempts to probe her mind met with a similar dead end, as if a contingency seal had activated. When Arthur had read the reports, it reminded him of Danzō Shimura's tactics—the use of sealing techniques on Foundation members meant to protect his identity.
Ultimately, Tayuya's disobedience led to her sentencing—the notorious Hōzuki Castle awaited her now, and it was there that Arthur was headed.
This particular castle was a prison and not your normal one. It was actually one of the movies titled "Blood Prison." Arthur remembered the events of that movie.
The story began with a scene in the Cloud Village, where the Raikage, A, was discussing strategies with his subordinates—Omoi, Karui, Samui, and Mabui—when a gas suddenly filled the room, causing everyone to fall into a deep sleep.
Seizing the opportunity, a hooded figure attacked the sleeping Raikage, but A managed to thwart the assassination attempt. During their ensuing battle, A uncovered the identity of the attacker: Naruto Uzumaki.
Taking advantage of A's shock at this revelation, "Naruto" managed to escape the scene.
Back in the Leaf Village, Tsunade announced that Naruto was now a fugitive for allegedly attempting to assassinate A. Despite Naruto and Sakura's protests of innocence, she explained that Naruto would be imprisoned in Blood Prison, located in the Grass Village.
In transit to his new prison, Naruto attempted to escape but was recaptured by Yamato, who sealed his chakra with wood style and confiscated Naruto's forehead protector.
Upon his arrival at Hōzuki Castle, the head of the prison, Mui, placed the "Fire Style: Celestial Prison" seal on Naruto, rendering him unable to use his chakra.
That technique, utilized by Mui's clan, prevents victims from channeling chakra and executing any techniques. This sealing formula not only restricts their chakra abilities but also gradually siphons off their chakra.
Should a person with the seal attempt to move beyond a specified distance from its user, they risk experiencing severe internal combustion, resulting in their incineration.
Additionally, the performer can choose to activate the seal at will, which further enhances its potency. Although particularly powerful individuals may manage to exert some chakra control, they will endure significant discomfort, resembling the sensation of burning, especially if they attempt to exert excessive chakra.
The pain from the seal became evident when Naruto tried to utilize his shadow clones, resulting in his collapse.
However, the technique does have limitations. Being a fire-based ability, its effectiveness is nullified in water; victims can easily circumvent their restrictions by submerging themselves.
Furthermore, while the seal inhibits normal chakra usage, it does not prevent the employment of enhanced chakra derived from external natural energy. Interestingly, shadow clones created by individuals with the seal do not carry the effects of the imprisonment.
The seal will dissipate entirely upon the death of the user, which provides an escape route for victims under certain circumstances. There are also instances where individuals could bypass some limitations of the technique, suggesting that personal connections might mitigate its effects.
As the story in the movie progressed, Naruto found himself being manipulated by Maroi, an accomplice of Mui, who unknowingly brought the real Naruto to a laboratory while the clone remained behind.
Although Naruto eventually managed to escape, the effects of the seal soon incapacitated him again, leading to his confinement in solitary. While isolated, he heard a voice suggesting that if he could defeat Mui, the seal would lift, prompting Naruto to challenge the guard.
During his time in prison, Naruto met Ryūzetsu, who secretly sought to kill Mui and destroy the Box of Paradise, a powerful artifact linked to Mui's dark ambitions.
This particular box was quite ominous. It had a devil mask-like face carved into each side.
Many believed that it had once allowed the Cloud Village to almost conquer the world when Hagoromo was present. After being lost for years, the resurgence of the box incited fear among the five ninja nations, prompting an uneasy truce to deal with its implications.
However, it was widely understood that the box's powers could corrupt and annihilate rather than fulfil genuine desires.
Opening it required an immense amount of chakra—sufficient to draw forth a devil known as Satori, a puppet of the box who captured enemies by dragging them into its confines.
Those unfortunate enough to be absorbed into the box would become extensions of its will, often complicit participants in its machinations.
In the confines of Hōzuki Castle, Mui harboured ambitions surrounding the box, having previously lost his son, Muku, to its dark influence. He believed that by accessing the chakra of Naruto Uzumaki, the host of the Nine-Tails, he could finally unlock the box and reunite with his son.
His motivation lay not in the ulterior motive of reviving the Grass Village but rather in a desperate attempt to reconnect with his lost child.
Thus, Mui and his conspirators orchestrated a scheme to frame Naruto, hastening the timeline in which the box's powers could be unleashed.
After learning that Mui had sacrificed his own son for this box, Naruto aligned with a character named Ryūzetsu to thwart Mui's plans.
In the ensuing battle, Muku, Mui's long-lost son, was resurrected by the box. However, he turned against Mui, fatally wounding him, which only added to the surreal plot.
Like all of the franchise's movies, the climactic struggle ended with Naruto eventually defeating the bad guy alongside friends like Killer Bee.
Of course, the story was not without its faults. That same Ryūzetsu sacrificed herself to help Naruto when he lay near death. Yet another unimportant character fell prey for the main character to be falsely glorified.
As Arthur reflected on these events, he could see Blood Prison looming over the waters of the Grass Village. It truly was a grim fortress.
This particular castle was designed ostensibly as a criminal containment facility, a place for those deemed too dangerous to remain in society. However, its true purpose extended beyond imprisonment; it was a site for sinister experiments, where the boundaries between fairness and cruelty were never justified.
The castle was notorious for its harsh conditions, where inmates were subjected to relentless surveillance and discipline. The structure, built on a cliff, was surrounded by whirlpools, rendering escape nearly impossible for anyone who dared to swim away.
Inside, death traps awaited the imprudent, designed to prevent any form of rebellion among the prisoners. Those who attempted to escape were met with severe punishment.
The guards, more akin to orderlies than officers, maintained command through intimidation rather than proactive measures, relying on the Celestial Prison seal of Mui to keep the inmates in check.
The Box of Paradise was hidden deep within the laboratory where the cruel experiments took place.
Right now, it was still being used on the prisoners as unwitting test subjects to extract their chakra in an attempt to unlock it. Mui had long ago succumbed to its sinister influence.
As Hōzuki Castle unfolded before him, it became apparent why he had ventured here.
There was something he had learned after his defeat against Alice. He needed more authority—those he could manipulate—an army that would follow him like Alice led her team.
Would the capture of Tayuya yield any valuable insights into Orochimaru's operations? Not necessarily. He had something different in mind. What he did understand was that he was not going to fall behind.
After navigating the terrain leading to Hōzuki Castle, he became acutely aware of its layers.
The wind howled through the crags, carrying with it the sounds of the sea crashing against the rocks below. Its dark walls seemed almost alive.
He approached the gates from above with his smoke technique, evading the watchful eyes of the guards patrolling the outer perimeters.
He paused his advance, knowing that the new moon night would be advantageous. He then took a moment to observe the structure in detail, noting the aesthetic. Shadows paced against the stone walls, suggesting movement within.
As he scanned for potential entry points or vulnerabilities in its defenses, he carefully considered his strategic options. This place was honestly not as fortified or as difficult to navigate as he thought it would be.
His objective was not just to gather information but to understand how the castle—and the Box of Paradise—could be manipulated. As such, he slipped into another concealed spot and scanned more of the area.
The last thing he wanted to do was make a mistake. And being patient would prevent that.
After ensuring that he understood its layout even deeper, he cautiously stepped into a quiet room all the way at the opposite end of the castle. His first goal was to discover Mui's secret archives and learn about the Celestial Prison technique.
He scanned the entire room and its surroundings until he found what he was looking for. When he did, he approached a towering stack of scrolls and tomes.
He selected a scroll marked with Mui's clan's symbol and began to read.
Everything was absorbed. The method of binding, the chakra-draining properties, the dangers of moving out of the seal's radius—all critical elements came together in his thoughts.
After an hour of intense study, he became thoughtful.
'Is that it?' he quietly mused.
With the appropriate application of water, breaking the seal would be fairly easy. Although he couldn't replicate Mui's technique, he certainly had the means to create a countermeasure.
Drawing upon his affinity with water, he could create a swirling barrier of liquid that could envelop anyone ensnared by the seal. It, by theory, could neutralize the fire's destructive essence while allowing the victim to regain their chakra, turning the tables on their captor.
He began jotting down the specifics in his mind, configuring the proper hand signs that would need to be used.
As he crafted the technique in his head, his calm demeanour reassured him: he could execute it on the spot and would soon put that knowledge to use.
He wasn't talented enough that he could form techniques to their full capacity on the first attempt, but he was certain Arthur Bennett was one who let faith guide him even in this dark prison.