107. Subduing Ye Cang

Pakura had not forgotten that she was a sworn enemy of the Hidden Mist Village. After all, in the eyes of outsiders, it was she who had single-handedly eliminated the Mist’s Ameyuri Ringo, Kushimaru Kuriarare, and Jinpachi Munashi, bringing disgrace to the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and severely damaging the prestige of the Hidden Mist. Given this, when the upper echelons of the Mist learned she had been imprisoned, they would certainly not pass up the opportunity to finish her off.

However, Pakura had not expected that the person the Mist would send to dispose of her would be Kisame Hoshigaki.

One had to realize that he was the true culprit; it was he who had dismantled the Seven Ninja Swordsmen with his own hands. Now, it was clear that Kisame had come to silence her.

"Do it."

Pakura bowed her head, offering no plea for mercy and no resistance, waiting for death with a calm expression. She knew that before Kisame, resistance was futile; it was better to die with some dignity.

"Don't be so anxious. I haven't decided whether I'm going to kill you yet. After all, I, Kisame Hoshigaki, haven't just defied orders from my superiors once or twice."

Kisame lifted her chin with his hand, his index finger tracing her fair skin as he appraised her. As an awakened, honest man, Kisame’s rebellious streak against his superiors had become particularly acute; whatever they ordered him to do, he made a point of not doing. He was only interested in taking them down. Furthermore, Kisame realized that in order to minimize risks and accidents when he eventually devoured the Box of Ultimate Bliss, he might need an assistant. Given the strength of Pakura of the Scorch Release, she was indeed qualified for the role.

After a moment of thought, Kisame continued, "Coming here, I have a much more important purpose than killing you."

As expected. A stir went through Pakura’s heart; she had, in fact, already guessed as much.

"Does this have to do with that strange gate in the underground laboratory?" she asked directly.

"Exactly. It seems you are already aware of that thing's existence," Kisame nodded.

"Mui captured me today to take me to that laboratory and sacrifice me to the gate. Come to think of it, it was you who tipped me off about this," Pakura said truthfully, casting a look of slight gratitude toward Kisame.

"The gate you saw has actually existed for over a thousand years. Rumor has it that it is a ninja tool once used by the Sage of Six Paths, known as the Box of Ultimate Bliss." Kisame stared at Pakura, sharing this secret with her.

"The Box of Ultimate Bliss..." Pakura murmured the name in shock, then looked at him with confusion. "If that is the case, why haven't you simply snatched the box? With your power, no one in this prison should be able to stop you."

"Because for me, the trouble isn't Mui and his men, but the Box of Ultimate Bliss itself. That box has a consciousness of its own. I am not yet confident in absorbing its power; otherwise, I might suffer a backlash."

Kisame slowly revealed the truth. The Box of Ultimate Bliss lived, moved, and ended according to "Satori." Satori, the monster sleeping within the box, was Kisame’s true enemy. If he acted prematurely and awakened it, he might fail at the final hurdle.

"Even you aren't confident... to think that such a terrifying thing exists in the Hidden Grass Village?" Pakura was even more astonished.

"That is why I need your assistance. When the day comes for me to enter that underground laboratory and devour the Box of Ultimate Bliss, you will stand guard outside to fend off any unexpected intruders. Only then can I focus on absorbing the power of that box without any interference."

Seeing that the time was right, Kisame proposed his plan and made a promise: "Once it is done, I promise not to kill you. Furthermore, I can take you out of this prison and grant you your freedom. What do you say?"

Pakura was an elite Jōnin. With her Scorch Release bloodline limit and the consumption of the monster cell, her strength was nearing the Kage level, making her a top-tier combatant in the ninja world. Kisame considered that while dealing with the Box of Ultimate Bliss, it would be wise to guard against accidents; having an extra hand was always for the best.

Pakura fell silent for a moment.

"Fine, I agree," she said. She had no choice. Pakura knew that if she refused, Kisame would kill her on the spot, and she would not survive the night. Since being exiled from the Hidden Sand Village, she had been disheartened, but not necessarily suicidal. In truth, she felt lost and had lost her sense of direction in life, which was why she had been drifting through her days in prison. Now, Kisame had given her a new path: to attach herself to this powerhouse and follow his lead.

If that was the case, then she would give it a try—to see what kind of storms this man would stir up in the ninja world.

"Very well. Let me help you break the seal first."

Satisfied with her response, Kisame immediately formed hand signs and pressed his palm against her chest.

*Splash.*

Water surged from his hand, forming a spherical cage that enveloped Pakura. Water Style: Water Prison Technique. Without needing a word, Pakura understood and began forming signs inside the cage. As she gathered her chakra, the Fire Style: Heavenly Prison seal on her body flared, turning into burning chains of flame, but they were quickly extinguished by the flowing water. Seizing the opportunity, Pakura pushed her chakra to shatter the seal, fully regaining her power.

Kisame withdrew the water prison. "It's getting late. Time to sleep."

He lay back down on the bed, hands behind his head, watching her. Although he had taken her in, he only had one bed, which was a bit of a problem he would have to find a way to solve. Under his gaze, Pakura blushed, remembering what had just happened.

"I'll just sleep on the sofa."

She got off the bed, left the bedroom, and lay down on the sofa in the living room.

The night passed in silence. Thus, Pakura moved into the medical quarters and began living with Kisame, starting a "life for two."

The following period was calm.

In the Hidden Rain Village, Hanzo of the Salamander stood before the floor-to-ceiling window as always, his hands behind his back, contemplating as he watched the rain outside. Suddenly, a hurried knock at the door broke his reverie, and a Rain ninja rushed into the office, bringing bad news.

The scarred man whom Hanzo had sent to infiltrate the Blood Prison had been killed.

"What happened?"

The demigod of the ninja world frowned upon hearing the news, his presence inherently intimidating. The Rain ninja hurriedly reported that there appeared to be an internal riot within the prison. He had also managed to record a scene from outside the walls using a camera: a ball of energy erupting from the prison and exploding over the sea, creating massive, towering waves.

Hanzo’s pupils constricted.

So this was the power of the Box of Ultimate Bliss. He had not expected it to be so formidable; even he, the demigod, felt immense apprehension.

Hanzo mused for a long time. It seemed he had not only lost his "left hand" but had also alerted the upper echelons of the Hidden Grass, causing them to utilize the power of the Box. He had been careless and underestimated his enemy this time. The Hidden Grass Village must now be aware of his intentions and would have tightened security, ready to defend against any invasion from the Hidden Rain.

With this thought in mind, Hanzo decided to temporarily suspend the plan to seize the Box of Ultimate Bliss and lie low for a while. He needed to wait patiently until a suitable opportunity arose once again.