Chapter 366: Growing Closer to Hikari; Black Zetsu Brings Information: The Box of Ultimate Bliss [HN]

The nights in Konoha were not always peaceful.

Especially in the forest on the edge of the Uchiha Clan district, which was used as a training ground for shinobi.

Moonlight passed through the dense branches and scattered broken patches of light across the ground, covering the clearing in a layer of silver frost.

Uchiha Hikari stood alone in the center of the clearing, the kunai in her hand drawing cold arcs through the moonlight.

Her movements were fast and precise.

Every turn and every strike carried the elegance and deadly precision unique to the Uchiha style.

However, unlike the complete focus she usually displayed, her movements tonight seemed to lack some of their usual decisiveness and instead contained a trace of indescribable… confusion.

Chiya’s words at the training ground during the day, the brief gentleness that had flashed through his deep eyes, and that sentence…

“Trust them the same way you trust me…”

The words echoed through her mind again and again like a spell.

The feeling of being trusted without conditions and being included in his inner circle caused unprecedented ripples to spread across her frozen heart.

She tried to drive away these unfamiliar emotions through intense training, only to discover that the more she sweated, the clearer that figure became in her mind.

“When your heart is unsettled, even the sharpest techniques are nothing more than an empty display.”

A calm voice suddenly sounded from behind her, breaking the silence of the forest.

Hikari’s body stiffened, and the kunai nearly slipped from her hand.

She turned around abruptly and saw Uchiha Chiya standing silently beneath the shadow of an ancient tree.

She had no idea when he had arrived.

He was still wearing his dark Hokage robe, as though he had just left his office, and there was a trace of barely noticeable fatigue between his brows.

His eyes, however, remained sharp, as if they could see through every disguise she possessed.

“It’s you!”

Hikari instinctively straightened her back.

She returned the kunai to her thigh pouch and lowered her eyes slightly, hiding her suddenly racing heartbeat.

“How did you…”

“I was passing by and sensed your chakra, so I came over.”

Chiya slowly walked out of the shadows, the moonlight illuminating his cold and stern profile.

“You haven’t gone back to rest yet?”

“Did something happen to trouble you?”

Hikari pressed her lips together, unable to answer.

How could she tell him that the thing troubling her was him?

Chiya stopped a short distance in front of her and looked over her slightly flushed cheeks and somewhat rapid breathing from training.

“Is it because of Mirai and Chimi? Or… because of what I said during the day?”

His direct question left Hikari at a loss, and the tips of her ears began to heat uncontrollably.

She had never imagined that the Hokage of the Uchiha Clan, a man standing so high above her, would pay so much attention to the emotional changes of an ordinary clan member.

It was just like when he had released her from the seal.

Why did he know about her situation?

Why did he understand her so well?

Could all of this really have been destined from the beginning?

“No… it isn’t.”

Hikari’s denial sounded weak and unconvincing.

Chiya did not press her for an answer.

Instead, he calmly said, “Members of the Uchiha Clan are often accustomed to hiding their emotions beneath a layer of coldness. But something that is too rigid will eventually break. Sometimes, acknowledging the fluctuations in your heart is not weakness.”

He raised his hand, not to touch her, but to point toward a mark on the ground left behind by her training.

“Your spinning kick just now used three parts too much force. In actual combat, if an enemy catches that moment of hesitation, it would be enough to kill you.”

Hikari followed the direction he pointed and immediately became alert.

Even the tiny mistake she herself had failed to notice had been seen through by him at a glance.

“Please guide me, Hokage.”

She gathered herself and spoke seriously.

She had deliberately brought up the title Hokage.

Taijutsu was the field she was familiar with.

Using training and combat to calm her emotions seemed much easier than facing those troublesome feelings directly.

Chiya nodded.

“Do it again. Use your fastest speed.”

Hikari took a deep breath and suppressed her distracting thoughts.

Her body moved again.

The kunai thrust forward, followed by a spinning kick, and the entire sequence flowed smoothly.

However, just as her kicking leg reached its highest point, Chiya’s figure slipped into her blind spot like a ghost.

He did not use any ninjutsu.

He simply raised his hand and precisely pressed his index and middle fingers against an acupoint on the inside of her thigh.

A weak but extremely precise stream of chakra instantly entered her body.

“Mm…”

Hikari let out a muffled groan.

Her entire right leg suddenly went numb, and the strength she had gathered instantly collapsed.

Her body fell backward uncontrollably.

She thought she was going to hit the ground, but instead she fell into a firm and warm embrace.

Chiya’s arm securely wrapped around her waist and held her halfway in his arms.

The distance between them instantly became close enough for their breaths to be felt.

Uchiha Hikari could clearly smell the faint scent of ink on him, along with an aura belonging to a powerful person that made her feel inexplicably safe.

Her back was pressed tightly against his chest.

She could even feel his steady heartbeat through their clothes.

Time seemed to stop at that moment.

Uchiha Hikari’s mind went completely blank.

All her training, all her composure, and all her cold facade collapsed in an instant.

She could feel her cheeks heating up at an astonishing speed.

Her heart pounded like a drum, almost as if it would break through her chest.

She did not even dare to raise her head to look at Chiya’s expression.

She could only stiffly lean against him and experience an intimate contact she had never experienced before, one that made her dizzy.

Chiya lowered his head and looked at the girl’s ears, which were as red as the evening clouds, and at her slightly trembling eyelashes.

The corners of his cold mouth moved almost imperceptibly.

He did not immediately let go.

Instead, he maintained this position and spoke in a low voice beside her ear, carrying a faint sigh.

“See? The opening is right here. Lowering your guard around someone you trust is not a weakness. But in battle, even the slightest negligence can lead to complete destruction.”

His words seemed to carry a double meaning.

They were guidance about the weakness in her taijutsu, but they also seemed to be knocking on the door of her tightly closed heart.

Hikari felt as though her heart was about to explode.

His warm breath brushed against her ear, sending waves of trembling numbness through her body.

She had never been this close to any man before.

And this was especially true for the person she both revered and secretly held a vague affection for.

“I… I understand…”

Her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s buzz, and it trembled noticeably.

Only then did Chiya slowly loosen his arm and let her stand steadily.

His gaze, however, remained on her face, as if he were appreciating this rare sight of her flustered expression.

Hikari staggered one step backward and quickly increased the distance between them.

She lowered her head and tightly clenched the corners of her clothes, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to hide in.

Her heart, which had been lonely for far too long, was now in complete turmoil.

An unfamiliar feeling, both sweet and bitter, grew wildly like vines and wrapped tightly around her.

Just as the atmosphere became tangled with ambiguity and embarrassment, an extremely abrupt voice sounded in the clearing.

“Hehehe… What a touching scene, Uchiha Chiya. I never expected that even the decisive Hokage would have such a gentle side.”

Chiya’s eyes instantly turned cold.

The gentle aura around him disappeared completely, replaced by a chilling presence that seemed almost tangible.

He slowly turned around and positioned Hikari behind him, directing his gaze toward the deepest shadows at the edge of the clearing.

“Black Zetsu.”

Chiya’s voice was cold enough to freeze.

“You dare appear in front of me so casually. Aren’t you afraid I’ll seal you immediately?”

The shadow moved like a living creature before forming an abstract black humanoid figure.

Black Zetsu’s distinctive eyes, filled with resentment and cunning, flashed with an ominous light beneath the moon.

“Don’t be so tense, Chiya.”

Black Zetsu’s voice carried a hint of mockery.

“We are allies who signed a contract, aren’t we? I’m merely a little curious about your recent behavior…”

He deliberately drew out his words.

“You have been putting most of your energy into Konoha’s internal administration, and also… these pointless emotional entanglements. The great mission of awakening Mother seems to have fallen considerably lower on your list of priorities.”

Hikari’s face instantly turned pale.

It was not because she feared Black Zetsu.

It was because of the shocking information hidden behind words such as “allies” and “Mother”, as well as the malicious speculation in Black Zetsu’s words about the relationship between Chiya and herself.

She subconsciously looked at Chiya’s back, her heart filled with shock and concern.

Facing Black Zetsu’s questioning, Chiya’s expression did not change in the slightest.

His Rinnegan opened, its purple ripples slowly rotating within his eyes.

“How I act is none of your concern. Do what you are supposed to do, Black Zetsu. Otherwise, I don’t mind making the backlash from our contract arrive ahead of schedule.”

His killing intent spread like a tide, and the temperature around them seemed to drop several degrees.

Black Zetsu seemed to be intimidated by the killing intent, and his body fluctuated slightly as his tone became more restrained.

“Hmph. Naturally, I haven’t forgotten our goal. I came to find you today precisely because I have brought some… information that you may be interested in.”

“Speak.”

“I can sense various energy fluctuations. Recently, within the Land of Grass, I sensed an extremely ancient and enormous source of energy beginning to awaken, and it is… filled with negative desires.”

Black Zetsu’s voice became solemn.

“Its characteristics match the records concerning the Box of Ultimate Bliss.”

“The Box of Ultimate Bliss?”

Chiya slightly furrowed his brows as he searched his memories for the name.

“It was one of the legendary divine weapons from the era of Hagoromo and Hamura. It is said to be capable of granting any wish to the person who opens it.”

Black Zetsu explained, his voice carrying an almost imperceptible temptation and hidden meaning.

“But the price is often the soul of the person who opens it, and it releases a destructive monster called Gū. The dark chakra it gathers is a pure aggregation of negative spiritual energy. Its enormous and concentrated power is even… comparable to a Tailed Beast!”

Chiya’s pupils contracted slightly.

Energy comparable to a Tailed Beast?

And it was a type of “dark chakra” that was similar to, yet different from, the chakra system?

This was practically… a backup energy source tailor made for awakening Kaguya’s consciousness!

Wait.

The Box of Ultimate Bliss?

The Box of Ultimate Bliss!

Wasn’t this the plot of a Blood Prison movie?

The Box of Ultimate Bliss had the inscription “All Things Return to Ultimate Bliss” carved across its surface.

It was the core weapon used by Kusagakure in its attempt to conquer the world.

As the ultimate weapon from the era of the Sage of Six Paths, the Box of Ultimate Bliss was said to be a legendary ninja tool capable of rewriting the laws of the world.

Its structure incorporated the principles of Yin Yang Release, while the four demon god carvings on its surface symbolized its ability to devour chakra.

During the Warring States period, it had briefly been possessed by Hashirama Senju before eventually falling into the hands of Kusagakure.

In the original story, Killer Bee eventually threw it into the sea.

Black Zetsu observed Chiya’s reaction and continued.

“According to what I sensed, Kusagakure seems to have already begun finding a way to open it. Or perhaps, it is already being tempted and controlled by its power. If this power erupts completely, not only will the Land of Grass be plunged into devastation, but the dark chakra it spreads could even interfere with our subsequent plans.”

He paused before speaking meaningfully.

“So, what do you think, Uchiha Hokage? Will you continue indulging in the warmth of your village, or will you go and obtain this… gift that might accelerate Mother’s awakening?”

The air seemed to freeze.

Beneath the moonlight, Chiya stood tall like a pine tree.

Behind him stood Uchiha Hikari, whose emotions had yet to settle and who remained deeply shocked.

Before him stood the schemer who had thrown out both bait and danger.

After a brief silence, Chiya slowly spoke.

His voice had returned to its usual calmness and decisiveness, carrying an unquestionable authority.

“Shikaku, Minato, come to the Hokage office immediately.”

He did not even raise his voice, yet his powerful chakra instantly transmitted the command.

He glanced at Hikari behind him.

A complicated emotion flashed through his eyes for an instant before they became firm again.

“Hikari, you come too.”

After saying that, he ignored Black Zetsu in the shadows.

His figure flashed, and he headed toward the Hokage Building.

Hikari was stunned for a moment before immediately suppressing the countless emotions surging within her heart.

She gritted her teeth and used the Body Flicker Technique to follow him.

She knew that the peaceful days were over.

A new, unknown, and dangerous mission was about to begin.

And her heart had also been completely disturbed by that man tonight, never again able to return to its original loneliness.

Black Zetsu watched the direction in which the two had disappeared and let out a low and sinister laugh.

His body slowly merged into the ground and disappeared.

As the will of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, the only value and mission of Black Zetsu’s existence for his entire life…

Was to resurrect Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.

As for everything else, it was outside his consideration.

The clearing returned to silence.

Only the moonlight remained, silently witnessing the brief scene that had just unfolded, a scene intertwined with affection, conspiracy, and duty.