In the Hidden Leaf Village, inside the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage frowned as he read a letter from Musume, the lord of Hozuki Castle in the Hidden Grass Village.
The letter was a plea for urgent assistance, written with a tone of great seriousness.
"The seal on the Box of Ultimate Bliss appears to be weakening. We implore the Five Great Nations to lend a hand, for the sake of saving the Shinobi world from catastrophe!"
The Box of Ultimate Bliss, a legendary weapon from the time of the Sage of Six Paths, was said to grant any wish to whoever opened it.
It was rumored that, centuries ago, someone had almost conquered the entire Shinobi world using the power of this box.
The Third Hokage had heard these tales as a child, but he had always doubted their truth. However, the request from the Hidden Grass Village had a strange, unsettling feeling to it.
The Hidden Grass Village, a small, insignificant village squeezed between the Hidden Rain, Hidden Stone, and Hidden Leaf, had always lived like a blade of grass, trampled by the stronger nations.
Their way of survival was to abandon pride, seeking only to continue existing, like a weed that refuses to be crushed entirely.
With the Grass Daimyo withholding funding, they even established Hozuki Castle, a prison that held criminals from various nations, with its ninja serving as guards to fund their village.
For the Hidden Grass to now actively reach out to not just the Hidden Leaf but all Five Great Nations for help, it was clear they were facing a situation far beyond their control.
The Third Hokage handed the letter to Homura, who was standing by, and asked in a deep voice, "What do you make of this, Homura?"
Pushing his black-framed glasses up his nose, Homura responded thoughtfully:
"The Hidden Grass Village has always been cautious. If they're reaching out to us, it's safe to say they're genuinely in trouble."
"Although we have no confirmed reports of the Box of Ultimate Bliss ever being opened, the other hidden villages have shown great interest in it. We can't afford to fall behind."
The Third Hokage puffed on his pipe, deep in thought.
The weapons from the Sage of Six Paths had long haunted him. The disastrous encounter with the Gold and Silver Brothers, wielders of five of these tools, had led to Tobirama Senju's death. That day still weighed heavily on the Third Hokage's mind.
He knew firsthand the unpredictable power of these ancient relics, and the mere mention of the Box of Ultimate Bliss was enough to bring back those painful memories.
"According to Musume's message, the Hidden Cloud Village has already sent Toroi, the son of the Third Raikage and a magnetic release user."
"It seems the Hidden Cloud is very keen on acquiring the Six Paths tools," Homura continued.
"Hidden Sand has dispatched Chiyo and Rasa, a disciple of the Third Kazekage. Ever since they lost their Tailed Beast, their ambitions have been growing."
"Even the Hidden Mist agreed to send three of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Only the Hidden Stone Village has remained silent."
"We need to send a response as well."
Homura summarized the intelligence gathered so far.
Looking at the situation, it was clear that supporting the Hidden Grass Village was inevitable. Three of the five Great Nations were already involved, so the Hidden Leaf could not afford to sit idle.
Moreover, Musume had been an ally of the Hidden Leaf, assisting them during the last Shinobi War. The Third Hokage couldn't simply ignore the plea for help.
"Send Jiraiya and Sakumo," Homura suggested. "The other villages are sending their elite, so if there's any confrontation, we won't be at a disadvantage."
But the Third Hokage shook his head with concern, rejecting the idea.
"Jiraiya is training with the Great Toad Sage at Mount Myoboku, and we have no way of contacting him right now."
"As for Sakumo, he took an S-rank mission recently. He's escorting the Fire Daimyo on a tour in the Land of Birds and can't return in time."
The Third Hokage reviewed the remaining forces in the village and felt a wave of frustration wash over him.
His three students were all unavailable. Orochimaru had distanced himself from the village, influenced by Danzo's reckless schemes. He had disappeared months ago without a word, and no one knew his whereabouts.
Tsunade and Jiraiya were training in the distant sage lands and were unreachable.
Suddenly, the door to the Hokage's meeting room burst open with a loud bang. Danzo stormed in, a scowl plastered on his face.
The Third Hokage immediately stood up, anger flashing on his face, "Danzo, you're no longer a Hokage advisor. You have no right to barge in here!"
Danzo ignored the Hokage's reprimand, something he'd grown accustomed to hearing countless times before.
Coldly, he said, "Send Uchiha Fuma."
"The Box of Ultimate Bliss hasn't been opened for over a century, according to our intel. This is nothing more than a charade—let him deal with it."
"The real issue here… you know what it is, Hiruzen," Danzo added, his tone icy.
Homura narrowed his eyes and asked, "But what if Uchiha Fuma were to claim the power of the Box of Ultimate Bliss? That would put us at a serious disadvantage."
The recent actions of the Uchiha had been troubling for the village's leadership. Fuma had negotiated with the Third Hokage and regained the Uchiha's right to take on missions outside the village.
The Uchiha police force, once a source of constant conflict, had now withdrawn into an eerie calm.
It seemed the trap Tobirama had set for the Uchiha had lost its effect.
Danzo scoffed, refusing to even look at Homura. In his mind, only the Third Hokage was worth talking to.
The Third Hokage tried to calm Homura with a glance, his mind racing to understand Danzo's true intentions. Then, realization struck him.
"Danzo, are you sure about this?" the Third Hokage asked, his eyes narrowing as he studied his old comrade.
Homura also turned his full attention to Danzo, watching him closely.
"I won't back down this time. With Uchiha Fuma out of the picture, the Uchiha won't be able to act. I'll convince Lady Mito to let me inherit the power of the Nine-Tails."
Danzo's face was set with determination as he spoke each word slowly and deliberately.
Both the Third Hokage and Homura looked at Danzo with conflicted expressions, yet they also felt a sense of relief deep down.
At last, they had found a candidate for the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Ever since Uzumaki Mito's conversation with the Third Hokage, she had become more distant, observing the village with a critical eye.
This had caused the village leadership great anxiety, for the Nine-Tails sealed within her was the Hidden Leaf's most valuable asset, a gift from the First Hokage.
If Uchiha Fuma were in the village, the Hokage feared that any discussions with Lady Mito regarding the Nine-Tails might be overheard, giving Fuma the chance to manipulate the situation to his advantage.
The Nine-Tails was far too important to risk, far more so than the uncertain powers of the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
Sighing heavily, the Third Hokage finally agreed to Danzo's request.
"Prepare yourself, Danzo."
"Becoming the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki won't be easy."
Danzo, his expression grim, nodded before leaving the room, his robes sweeping behind him.
As he walked through the streets, his gaze locked onto the distant Hokage Rock, a sinister smile creeping across his face.
Finally, the power to crush the Uchiha would be his. And with the Nine-Tails under his control, he would ascend to the title of Hokage, leading the Hidden Leaf to dominate the Shinobi world. [Delulu is Solulu]
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