Chapter 292: Muku’s Death

"This girl... doesn’t seem to be deliberately suppressing her chakra?"

Ning Feng held his sword upright, his Sharingan coldly observing the frail figure crouched before him.

She looked even younger than Konan.

About the same age as the boy he had just seen preparing to enter the Box of Paradise.

Her delicate features and long white hair lent her an air of mystery.

"I-I’m from Kusagakure..."

The girl forced down her trembling voice and shakily pointed at her forehead protector.

Ning Feng was speechless.

Of course I saw your forehead protector.

Even without the Sharingan, anyone with decent eyesight could recognize it from this distance.

"I... I’m here to oversee whether Lord Muku can successfully enter the Box of Paradise today."

Seeing that the blade at her throat showed no sign of moving, Ryūzetsu cursed inwardly.

Does this swordsman not know how to talk?

"A ninja from Kusagakure, huh..."

Ning Feng nodded meaningfully.

With his experience, he could tell at a glance that she wasn’t here on official business.

She was obviously sneaking in, just like him.

Still...

She seemed to know something.

Muku...

Wasn’t that Mui’s son?

Wait...

Could this girl be Muku’s childhood friend?

Without saying anything, Ning Feng took another look at Ryūzetsu.

Pale skin.

Delicate features.

Yes.

This had to be Ryūzetsu.

Muku’s childhood friend.

"Come with me."

Without explaining who he was, Ning Feng simply led her deeper underground.

Inside, Muku had not yet entered the Box of Paradise.

Several masked shinobi stood nearby, watching Mui’s reaction.

Mui’s face remained calm.

Not a single ripple disturbed his expression.

He quietly nodded toward Muku.

A signal.

It was time.

Muku took a deep breath.

Fear still lingered in his eyes.

After all, he was only a teenager.

He had never experienced anything like this before.

The Box of Paradise...

Countless shinobi had already died inside it.

What if he became one of them?

Is this guy taking me straight to Mui and Muku?

Ryūzetsu followed closely behind Ning Feng’s twisting route.

Her heart pounded with anxiety.

After all, she was an uninvited guest.

She might be able to fool an ordinary guard.

But if Mui saw her, the deception would collapse instantly.

Whoosh!

Just as she considered slipping away, the figure ahead suddenly leaped upward and concealed himself in the shadows.

"Hm?"

Sensing something unusual, Ryūzetsu stopped retreating.

Imitating Ning Feng, she quietly jumped beside him and peered ahead.

Several masked shinobi stood below.

The most eye-catching figures were the only two without masks.

Mui and Muku.

Father and son.

"Muku!"

The moment she spotted him, Ryūzetsu’s pupils contracted.

"Hey... you’re not one of their guards either, are you?"

Remembering the strange man beside her, she narrowed her eyes and whispered irritably.

"Shh."

Ning Feng raised a finger to his lips.

"Keep it down."

"I knew it!"

A vein bulged on Ryūzetsu’s forehead.

"You tricked me!"

"I didn’t trick you."

Ning Feng shrugged.

"If I had to describe it, we’re basically the same."

"I just got here before you did."

"You...!"

Ryūzetsu nearly exploded.

She had thought he was one of the prison’s guards.

She had practically begged for mercy.

And it turned out he was an intruder too?

"Quiet."

Ning Feng pressed down on her shoulder.

"The important part is about to begin."

"What important part?"

Ryūzetsu looked toward the scene below.

Muku had already begun walking toward the Box of Paradise.

"You still haven’t told me who you are! Stop changing the subject!"

As she watched Muku, she quietly drew a kunai and aimed it at Ning Feng.

"Just a passing ninja."

Ning Feng shrugged again.

"Let’s watch quietly. I don’t want to reveal myself yet."

In the original timeline, Satori’s vessel had been Muku.

If Ning Feng prevented Muku from entering the box now...

There was no guarantee Satori would emerge later.

Something entirely different might happen.

For his plans to proceed, Muku had to enter first.

"Muku..."

Seeing that Ning Feng wasn’t making any suspicious moves and sensing no hostility from him, Ryūzetsu refocused entirely on Muku.

For some reason, a terrible sense of dread gripped her heart.

Determining this mysterious man’s identity could wait.

Right now, Muku’s safety mattered more than anything.

Under the gaze of everyone present, Muku slowly approached the Box of Paradise.

Before the giant mouth of the box, he looked pitifully small.

Like an insect flying toward an abyss.

Behind him stood no one.

Only countless watching eyes.

Step by step...

He entered.

Bzzz...

The four mouths of the Box of Paradise began emitting an eerie glow.

Then—

Muku disappeared inside.

Without resistance.

Without struggle.

Without even a ripple.

Like a pebble dropped into an endless ocean.

Gone.

The animal-faced mouths glowed crimson.

Then—

Fragments of Muku’s clothing slowly drifted out of the box.

"What happened?"

"Looks like it failed."

"Seems this ninja wasn’t enough to awaken the Box of Paradise either."

"Tch. We’ll have to keep searching."

Several masked shinobi exchanged quiet comments.

Yet none of them dared look directly at the box.

Nor at Mui.

Mui stared at the Box of Paradise.

No emotion could be read from his face.

But the faint spark that still remained in his eyes seemed to dim even further.

"Muku?"

Ryūzetsu’s eyes widened.

She stared at the Box of Paradise in disbelief.

"What..."

"He’s dead."

Ning Feng sighed quietly.

Just as in the original story.

Muku had likely become part of the Box of Paradise itself.

And later, through various circumstances, would emerge as the monster known as Satori.

"Dead?"

Ryūzetsu’s face froze.

"He just... died?"

Suddenly, she grabbed Ning Feng by the collar.

"How do you know he’s dead?!"

"He’s not dead!"

"You’ll see!"

"Poor girl."

Ning Feng sighed again.

With one hand, he restrained her struggling body.

"For now..."

"Stay here."

"And don’t make a sound."

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