Chapter 380: 324. Chapter 319: Wanting to eat a full meal counts as a wish, right?

324. Chapter 319: Wanting to eat a full meal counts as a wish, right?

"My lord!"

Mako's tear-streaked face instantly ignited the long-suppressed fury in the heart of Seeing Shenhuo. That gate on the Box of Ultimate Bliss, exuding an ominous aura, was absolutely a place of no return. Immediately, pale blue light lit up his palms as he struck toward the guards escorting the girl.

"Blast Palm!"

A strike delivered in anger by Seeing Shenhuo was something even a captain-level ninja would have to avoid, but the strength of these guards clearly did not reach the captain level.

"Bang!"

"Thud~"

And so, before they could even let out a scream, their hearts were blasted apart by the ghost-like Seeing Shenhuo. A moment later, only three living people remained in the entire area.

"Sorry, I'm late."

Shielding the panicked Mako behind him, Seeing Shenhuo faced the elder, whose expression was cold. As time had passed, this familiar scene left the three people present with a complex mix of emotions.

"Seeing Shenhuo, you shouldn't have come."

The elder looked at the stubborn-eyed Seeing Shenhuo and sighed slightly. He had always cultivated this young man as his own disciple, not only pulling him out of the inescapable chakra training camp but also teaching him many secret arts of the Grass Ninja style.

"Elder, I'm sorry. Mako is someone more important to me than my own life."

Slowly reaching for his sword, even though the two now stood on opposite sides, Seeing Shenhuo still held the elder in high regard. If it weren't for this old man, he and Mako would have long since starved to death on the streets, becoming food in the mouths of other refugees. Thus, as he drew his blade, his face carried deep regret.

"Rumble~"

"Sigh~ You just cut off your last chance at survival."

The elder had lived for so many years and had seen every kind of separation, death, love, and hatred, so he was not moved by the bond between Seeing Shenhuo and Mako. His expression remained cold. Upon hearing the impatient, craving sound from the Box of Ultimate Bliss, he shook his head with some regret and spoke words that left the two bewildered.

"Elder, you are old; you might not be my match."

Having just been promoted to an elite captain not long ago, Seeing Shenhuo had great confidence in his own strength. In his view, the elder, who was already like a candle in the wind, was no match for a young man like him.

"Step aside, Elder. I don't want to hurt you."

Waving his sword to perform a fancy flourish, Seeing Shenhuo's tone carried a faint threat. The reason he had used thunderous force to instantly kill the heavily armed guards earlier was precisely to intimidate the elder into retreating.

"If you hadn't killed them just now, you might have had a way out."

The elder was unmoved by Seeing Shenhuo's threat; instead, he looked with some lament at the guards lying on the ground without breath. If these people were still alive, they could have completely replaced the woman named Mako, but because of the young man's impulsiveness, someone in the arena now had to become a sacrifice for the Box of Ultimate Bliss.

"Don't think about anyone coming to support you. I've already knocked out all the combatants outside; no one will come for a while."

To ensure the safety of his operation, Seeing Shenhuo had used his status to knock out and tie up all the colleagues who had come to guard the area, thinking that if Mako really encountered any danger, he would forcibly take her and flee far away.

"You young people are still too impatient."

Seeing Shenhuo's rebellious behavior greatly disappointed the elder. His turbid eyes held an inexplicable look, making the two feel a chill in their hearts.

"Clang~"

Knowing that every moment of delay reduced their chances of escape, Seeing Shenhuo could no longer worry about the unease in his heart. He brandished his sword and charged at the elder, who was standing still.

"My lord!"

Seeing Seeing Shenhuo's sharp blade about to strike the old man, Mako's childhood memories flooded her mind. This old man, who was like a kind father, had truly saved her and Seeing Shenhuo when they were on the verge of death. No matter what, they could not raise their swords against the man who had saved their lives.

"Don't worry, I won't kill him. At most, I'll knock him unconscious for a while."

Using the back of his blade, Seeing Shenhuo had no intention of truly harming the old man; he would at most knock him out so they could seize the chance to escape.

"Seeing Shenhuo, let me teach you one last lesson."

Facing the fierce blade wind, the elder did not dodge. Instead, he slowly raised a large, wrinkled hand. As a flame-like red glow lit up, he said in a very cold voice:

"Never be soft-hearted toward anyone who stands in your way."

The next moment, Seeing Shenhuo, who was swinging his blade, felt as if his whole body were being scorched by flames. The chakra he had just refined vanished instantly, and his dried-up meridians lost all vitality. Unable to endure the heart-piercing pain, he fell to the ground in a sorry state, letting out bursts of painful wails.

"Ah~ ah~ ah!"

"My lord!"

The sudden turn of events made Mako, who was already worried, scream instantly. Stumbling over to Seeing Shenhuo's side, she looked at the young man's painful appearance and hurriedly checked his condition, only to find that red, belt-like patterns had appeared out of thin air on his skin, radiating a scorching heat.

"This is..."

Feeling that even breathing was difficult, Seeing Shenhuo struggled to lift his head through the pain, looking at the old man whose red glow was fading. The confusion in his eyes would not dissipate for a long time.

"Seeing Shenhuo, if you had endured for a few more years, you might have been qualified to learn this technique."

【Fire Style: Heavenly Prison】

This technique was a secret art unique to the elder's lineage. It injected chains that bound chakra into the enemy's body, restricting their chakra refinement while simultaneously causing them to lose their combat effectiveness.

"Ugh..."

Seeing Shenhuo, who hadn't expected the old man to have a hidden trick up his sleeve, was filled with unwillingness. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't open his mouth no matter what. However, the two had already torn off the mask of civility, and the former bond between master and disciple had vanished into thin air the moment the conflict began.

"Elder! Please, let my lord go! I am willing to go in!"

Unable to bear watching Seeing Shenhuo suffer, Mako wiped the tears from her face, stood up, and gave a miserable smile.

"No! Mako!"

Hearing this, Seeing Shenhuo struggled to crawl up, but the flame-like chains on his body twisted his expression into a grimace.

"Elder, as long as you let Mako go, I will do anything!"

It was another familiar scene. After hearing this, a dirty butt suddenly popped into the elder's mind, and his mood instantly soured.

"Seeing Shenhuo, if you want her to live, then go in."

An ungrateful wolf that couldn't be tamed was a source of trouble if left behind; it was better to let him use his remaining value to contribute to the rise of the Land of Grass.

"..."

Seeing Shenhuo paused upon hearing this, turned his head to look at the pitch-black gate on the Box of Ultimate Bliss, and nodded without any hesitation.

"Elder, please keep your promise and do not harm Mako."

"Hmph! As long as the Box of Ultimate Bliss is successfully opened, I have no interest in bickering with a little girl."

The elder snorted coldly, showing deep disdain. Once the Box of Ultimate Bliss opened, their Land of Grass would once again lead the ninja world; at that time, who would have the energy to care about such small fry?

"Good!"

Hearing the elder's words, Seeing Shenhuo felt a sense of relief. He lowered his head to look at the teary-eyed girl and gently stroked her head.

"Mako, you must take good care of yourself when I'm gone. Don't go hungry."

"My lord, no!"

Feeling the young man's resolve, the girl hugged his waist, her tears streaming down like they were free.

"Ah ah ah ah~ easy, you're going to break it!"

Almost having his waist broken by the girl's slender arms, Seeing Shenhuo screamed and patted the girl's back, signaling her to let go.

"Ah! Sorry, my lord."

Seeing Seeing Shenhuo looking like he was taking in more air than he was letting out, the girl hurriedly let go, her small face unable to help but turn slightly red.

"Phew~ How did your strength get so big? But I'm relieved now. If anyone bullies you in the future, just give them a kick."

Panting heavily, Seeing Shenhuo looked like a survivor of a disaster. After a long sigh, he patted the girl's shoulder and spoke.

"My lord..."

Looking at Seeing Shenhuo, who had been taken down by her single move, a bold idea suddenly popped into Mako's mind.

Glancing out of the corner of her eye at the cold-aura-exuding Box of Ultimate Bliss, Mako started with zero-frame speed, suddenly raised her leg, and delivered a kick to Seeing Shenhuo, who was about to say some last words.

Crack!

Note: The sound of an egg shattering~

"Ah!!!"

Suddenly struck by the heavy blow, Seeing Shenhuo instantly turned red, clutching his crotch as he began to roll on the ground. The elder, also a male, saw this scene, and even though his own "eggs" had long since fallen into disrepair, he couldn't help but turn pale and subconsciously cover his own crotch.

"My lord, I'm sorry, but who told you to be such a fool."

The girl gave a calm smile at the fallen Seeing Shenhuo.

"Mako, what are you doing?"

"Gurgle~"

"Sigh~ My lord, if you die on an empty stomach, will you become a starving ghost?"

Gently stroking Seeing Shenhuo's head, the girl stood up and regretfully touched her hungry belly. Then, with her back to the gate of the Box of Ultimate Bliss, she leaped, freezing her final expression in Seeing Shenhuo's dimming eyes.

"No!!!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

With the offering of the final sacrifice, the Box of Ultimate Bliss let out a satisfied moan. A black mist containing an aura of destruction rose abruptly, as if the end of the world were imminent.

"It's done! It's done!"

Seeing this scene, the elder's iceberg-like old face showed an excited expression for the first time. Trembling all over, he watched the satiated Box of Ultimate Bliss, waiting for the moment to make his wish.

"Mako!"

Seeing Shenhuo, who had fallen to the side, screamed miserably. Consumed by regret, he barked impotently.

"Stop yelling. Becoming a sacrifice is her honor. In the future, when the Land of Grass unifies the ninja world, I will engrave her name on the monument."

Compared to unifying the ninja world, a guy like Seeing Shenhuo was insignificant. Anyway, he was already controlled by the Heavenly Prison and couldn't stir up any trouble; let him witness the rise of the Land of Grass before he died!

"Rumble~ Rumble~"

The elder waited quietly for the Box of Ultimate Bliss to open. Accompanied by a rumbling sound, the box slowly retracted the black mist that had been leaking out. That pitch-black gate still exuded a cold aura, as if it were waiting for something.

"I've finally waited for this!"

The elder, feeling something, excitedly raised his hand and shouted at the pitch-black gate before him:

"Box of Ultimate Bliss! Please let our Land of Grass once again become the..."

"Gurgle~"

"The world's..."

"Gurgle~ Gurgle~"

"Who is that stomach growling?!"

The process of making a wish was interrupted several times by the eerie gurgling sound. The frustrated Elder turned his head, scanning the entire scene, attempting to find the person ruining the mood.

"It's not me."

As one of only two living people on the scene, Seeing Shenhuo subconsciously shook his head, feeling very puzzled in his heart.

Why did this stomach-growling sound feel so familiar?

"Patter~ Patter~"

Seeing the gurgling sound vanish, the Elder, knowing which matters were light and which were heavy, prepared to continue his wish when a harsh sound of footsteps suddenly rang in his ears.

Sensing something, the Elder immediately shifted his gaze to the source of the sound, only to see a scene that left him dumbfounded.

"Mako?!"

Seeing Shenhuo also shifted his gaze over, and upon hearing him cry out, his tone was full of joy.

"Patter~ Patter~"

A beautiful figure was seen slowly walking out from that door of the Box of Ultimate Bliss, her small, fair feet stepping on the cold ground, making a pattering sound.

After the girl walked out, the Box of Ultimate Bliss, which had been active just moments ago, instantly fell into dead silence; no matter how the Elder called out, there was no response.

"How is this possible? What did you do?"

The Elder reached out with a trembling hand, his usually cold face filled with intense astonishment.

"Mako!"

Seeing Shenhuo did not know the horrors of the Box of Ultimate Bliss. In his eyes, there was only the girl he had lost and regained. Overjoyed, he struggled to stand up and ran toward the silent girl.

"Don't go over there!"

However, the Elder's explosive shout forced Seeing Shenhuo to stop in his tracks.

"It is not her!"

With a gloomy expression, the Elder scrutinized the quiet girl for a moment before speaking coldly.

"Huh?"

A living person was standing right in front of him, so how could he be mistaken? Seeing Shenhuo ignored the Elder's warning and continued to take steps, but a hoarse, babbling sound caused his extended foot to freeze in mid-air.

"Eat... eat..."

The girl who returned from the door, after being quiet for a moment, suddenly cracked her mouth open, revealing an eerie smile. Then, in the shocked eyes of the two, she flashed to the side of the guard's corpse that had been killed by Seeing Shenhuo, red light flaring intensely in her cold eyes.

"Mako, what are you doing?"

The girl named Mako remained unmoved by Seeing Shenhuo's call. Facing the bloody corpse on the ground, a black mist drifted out from it, instantly enveloping the guard who had lost his breath.

Seeing Shenhuo and the Elder, both pale-faced, felt a chill in their hearts simultaneously.

"Ugh..."

In the blink of an eye, her naive appearance did not make the two present feel pleased; instead, it brought a sense of deep fear.

"Elder! What is going on?"

Seeing Shenhuo gritted his teeth and questioned the Elder.

"Impossible, the ancestors never recorded anything like this..."

The Elder couldn't be bothered to answer Seeing Shenhuo's question. With his brows tightly locked, he only cared about why the Box of Ultimate Bliss had failed.

"Forget it, I'll take you down first!"

The girl who walked out of the Box of Ultimate Bliss was the only clue now. The Elder did not hesitate, raising his glowing red palms to release the Heavenly Prison Jutsu on Mako, awakening the restraint planted in her body long ago.

"Zzzzt~ Zzzzt~"

But the result left the Elder stunned. Chain-like patterns first appeared on the girl's body, but they were quickly swallowed by the black mist drifting from her skin. No matter how he channeled his power, the Heavenly Prison Jutsu remained motionless.

"What kind of monster are you?"

Ever since the girl came out, the Elder had stopped viewing her as a normal human. That behavior just now, along with ignoring his Heavenly Prison Jutsu, caused the Elder to immediately expel her from the human race and categorize her as a monster.

"Eat... eat..."

As if hearing the Elder's angry cursing, the squinting girl slowly turned her head, her scarlet eyes instantly locking onto him.

"What do you want to do?"

Although Mako's current gaze was terrifying, the Elder, who had absolute confidence in his own strength, did not back down and glared back.

"Whoosh~"

The hungry Mako did not tolerate the Elder's bad attitude. This food before her actually dared to glare at her, so she decided to have a taste first. Her beautiful figure instantly vanished from where she stood.

"Ah!"

Seeing Mako disappear, the Elder immediately formed hand seals with one hand, striking a pose of readiness. However, he only felt a blur before his eyes, followed by a piercing, agonizing pain in his arm. Looking down, he saw that the hand he had been using to form seals was gone, and the intense pain made him scream out loud.

"Eat..."

Mako, who had flashed to a spot not far away, held the bloody arm in her hand, and the black mist she spat out from her mouth swallowed it.

"Monster..."

Enduring the pain to stop his own bleeding, a flash of wariness crossed the Elder's eyes. He desperately wanted to figure out the origin of this monster wearing a human skin.

"Eat... eat..."

As if she could only say the word "eat," the girl, after tasting the Elder's arm, locked her gaze onto him again. Her pink tongue licked her full lips, her eyes filled with a craving for food.

"Not good!"

The Elder's heart tightened. He could no longer afford to hide his strength. He raised his remaining hand, and a red glow flashed; the combatants standing guard outside suddenly felt a wave of heat in their bodies.

"Ah? What's going on?"

The lower-ranked combatants were panicked, thinking they had fallen into an enemy's trap.

"Not good, hurry to the Elder's side!"

A few veterans who knew about the Heavenly Prison Jutsu felt a chill in their hearts upon seeing the chains emerging on their bodies; this was the signal left by the Elder that he was in danger.

"Bang! Bang! ~"

Accompanied by a flurry of footsteps, the guarding combatants all arrived. Among them, several combatants with poor expressions pointed at Seeing Shenhuo in the arena and said loudly,

"Seeing Shenhuo, why did you ambush us?"

"That's right, that's right~"

"You guy, you wouldn't be thinking of becoming a rogue ninja, would you?"

"Shut up! Take her down for me first!"

The Elder, with only one arm left, shouted coldly to stop the chattering combatants, pointing at Mako to the side and issuing the order.

"Ah? Elder, how did you get so severely injured?"

Only then did the combatants notice that the Elder, who was usually as steady as Mount Tai, had actually lost an arm.

"Yes!"

Not daring to delay, everyone drew their weapons and surrounded the silent Mako.

"Do it!"

Everyone exchanged a tacit look and rushed forward all at once.

"No, don't!"

Seeing Shenhuo, restrained by the Heavenly Prison Jutsu, could only bark helplessly from the side, his hateful gaze as if wanting to swallow the Elder whole.

"What is this thing?"

"Ah!"

However, facing the aggressive combatants, Mako instead grinned happily. The black mist in her mouth instantly permeated the entire scene. After a brief moment of confusion, everyone was entangled by the black mist, followed by terrified screams.

The Elder on the side witnessed all of this, his face as dark as water. This monster born from the Box of Ultimate Bliss must have her unique qualities; as it concerned the grand plan for the rise of the Land of Grass, he had to study her thoroughly.

"What are you afraid of? Keep going!"

The first wave of combatants left no trace other than screams. The people behind were so scared they stood in place, looking at each other, not daring to advance. Seeing this, the Elder slowly raised his hand, and the scorching aura made the remaining combatants subconsciously swallow their saliva.

"Mako!"

Just as the two sides were at a stalemate, Seeing Shenhuo, who had been out of the loop for a long time, stumbled toward Mako. Seeing this, the combatants turned their eyes to the Elder, waiting for his command.

"Don't worry about it, let him go."

Thus, the combatants cleared a path, and Seeing Shenhuo, with a look of sorrow on his face, walked slowly to Mako's front.

"Eat... eat..."

Facing the food delivered to her door, Mako tilted her head and slowly opened her mouth, preparing to enjoy the meal.

"Mako, I'm sorry..."

Sensing that he was locked onto by a terrifying aura, Seeing Shenhuo revealed a bitter smile. He laboriously raised his hand and gently stroked the girl's hair.

"Eat... eat... Shen... Jun..."

The familiar caress caused the scarlet-eyed girl to waver slightly. The Elder was also attracted by this scene, his turbid eyeballs darting between the two.

"Mako..."

"Eat... Shen Jun..."

The girl's body began to tremble violently, and the black aura in her mouth was faintly tinged with a hint of dark red. Raising her head to look deeply at the helpless young man, Mako's body went limp, and she collapsed into his arms.

"Elder, what should we do now?"

The man-eating girl had suddenly fainted, so the remaining combatants had to ask for the Elder's orders.

"Send them to the prison and lock them up separately."

After pondering for a moment, the Elder said coldly.

"Yes!"

After locking Mako in the prison, the elder first forged a pair of shackles using the sturdiest materials in the Land of Grass, and then applied several types of sealing jutsu onto the young girl, only then barely managing to control her violent outbursts.

After completing all the preparatory work, the elder dragged his severely injured body to conduct detailed research, only to discover that the girl had to consume a large amount of fresh flesh and blood every day; otherwise, the black mist leaking out would frantically erode the seals he had placed.

Once the seals were undone, the girl would drag her shackles and begin to wreak havoc, attacking the researchers present. Whenever this happened, Seeing Shenhuo, who was locked to the side, would prove highly useful. As long as he was brought before the rampaging girl, this man-eating monster would fall into a brief silence, allowing the elder to seize the opportunity to reapply the seals.

This utility indirectly saved Seeing Shenhuo's life, but it also became a form of torture for his soul.

Just when Seeing Shenhuo thought such days would never end, a massive coup occurred among the high-ranking members of the Land of Grass ninja clan. The one-armed elder was no match for the rising stars and was ruthlessly cast aside by the new generation. Having failed to solve the mystery of the Box of Ultimate Bliss before his death, he departed for the Pure Land with regrets.

The moment the elder died, the numb Seeing Shenhuo in the prison suddenly felt his body lighten; the restraints of the Heaven Prison Jutsu had vanished. However, due to years of prison life, he had long since become a cripple and was completely unable to escape the cage.

But Mako was different. Once the elder died, the seals on her body were quickly worn away by the black mist. No longer bound, she devoured everyone in the prison except for Seeing Shenhuo, and then vanished into the darkness.

Not long after, the new leader of the Grass ninja relaxed the guard on Seeing Shenhuo, giving him a chance to secretly rehabilitate. On a dark and windy night, he successfully killed a jailer and escaped the prison.

With the girl on his mind, Seeing Shenhuo looked blankly at the road ahead, picked up a worn-out sword from the side of the road, and began his journey to find his wife.

Walking from the west end of the Land of Grass to the east, the young man transformed from a handsome lad into a disheveled, bearded uncle. It was not until he wandered all the way to a small town located in the Land of Fire and heard rumors circulating about a man-eating demon that his hope was reignited.

Looking at the anxious old town mayor before him, the frail Seeing Shenhuo gently stroked the worn-out sword at his waist and spoke slowly,

"My name is Seeing Shenhuo! I am a ninja from the Land of Grass. I heard you have a mission to entrust?"

PS: Finally finished writing this little side story. Some people say I'm padding the word count, but how could I, who works so diligently, ever pad the word count?

n(｀^)n

Every character I write definitely has a meaning for their existence~ (End of chapter)