"Stop it!! Wuwu…" Ryuzetsu covered her face and wept bitterly. Too much had happened today, none of which fell within her understanding.
Mui revived Muku, but it wasn't truly Muku… just a monster that crawled out of the Box of Ultimate Bliss. In the end… in the end, he was killed by that person, his flesh and blood torn apart, vanishing without a trace.
Naruto fell silent, giving Ryuzetsu some time to breathe. He watched the crackling bonfire, listened to her soft sobs, his expression stern.
In truth, he was already thinking about what to eat when he returned to Konoha, 'I'm so hungry.'
The matters here weren't particularly troublesome, and all tasks had been completed without fail.
Now, only one thing remained is to guide Ryuzetsu's path forward. It wouldn't have been necessary to go to such lengths, especially since Muku had been crushed to death almost immediately after emerging.
Many things had yet to surface. Ryuzetsu was still in the dark, unaware that Mui had actually revived Muku willingly. Naruto could have easily comforted her, even taken her for himself, and she would likely have stayed devoted.
After all, he was no longer the Naruto of the past. Having struggled through the Shinobi World for six years, he had seen it all. Those who crossed him now had grass growing several feet high on their graves… there was no means he wouldn't employ.
But he disliked hypocrisy. In the past, when he lacked power, he might have resorted to schemes and manipulations.
Now, at this stage, he was accustomed to using authority and strength to crush opposition and achieve his goals.
Simply put… when he lacked power, he used his wits, and now that he had muscle, he used force directly.
He couldn't be bothered to scheme against Ryuzetsu. Although he was reluctant to discard such a hard-won tool, she wasn't that important to him either. He directly challenged her convictions and let her choose for herself.
Of course, whether she chose or not, she had already signed the Jashin's contract. The difference was, if she couldn't come to terms with it herself, Naruto would never bother with her again.
Gradually, Ryuzetsu's sobs became almost inaudible.
"Actually, this isn't entirely your fault." Naruto suddenly said. On the other side of the fire, Ryuzetsu raised her tear-filled eyes.
"Muku died for Kusagakure. In the end, he died for nothing."
Hearing this, Ryuzetsu grew even more heartbroken.
"This is your village, so it's not my place to say much. I just want you to understand one thing…" Naruto continued, "The world will change. Kusagakure will continue to exist, and everything will eventually be swept away by time."
"Whether you accept it or not, it's over. Muku is dead, and Mui is dead too. It ends here. So, what are your thoughts now?"
He didn't give her a choice but instead asked for her thoughts once more. This was already the third time he had inquired about Ryuzetsu's perspective.
'What exactly was he trying to determine?'
Ryuzetsu's mind was in turmoil, Naruto's words echoing relentlessly in her head. She had to admit, no matter how unwilling she was, it was truly over.
From beginning to end, she felt like a small fish caught in ocean waves, dragged by undercurrents into a swirling vortex. She couldn't see the bigger picture, and by the time she looked back, everything had already concluded.
This sense of powerlessness left her utterly defeated. It seemed as if her life had lost all purpose.
'My thoughts? What thoughts could I possibly have now? Everything was already...'
'It wasn't over yet!'
Ryuzetsu's pupils dilated slightly as she recalled the scene of Naruto single-handedly defeating a hundred men in the exercise yard. The image of him, bare-chested and subduing everyone with his bare hands, replayed in her mind.
And then the way he crushed the monster Muku had become in just three seconds… these moments now magnified in her memory, pounding over and over again.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Was Naruto strong? Incredibly so. She wanted to become that powerful too. If she had possessed even a fraction of that strength back then, she wondered if Muku would have had to die?
'Become stronger. I had to become stronger!'
People live by their obsessions, and the more stubborn ones especially so. Ryuzetsu had always believed she was the one who caused Muku's death. There were things she couldn't bring herself to say aloud.
Back then, Muku had already sensed something wrong with the Box of Ultimate Bliss. Before the day of the sacrifice, he had come to her to express his worries. But at the time, Ryuzetsu hadn't taken it seriously, even calling it an honor.
Although everyone in the village thought the same way back then, Ryuzetsu couldn't forgive herself after learning the truth. She longed to see Muku again every moment, to say she was sorry.
The regret was that the dead could not return to life… not even his lingering remnant lasted more than a few seconds after being revived. She truly had no choices left, because Muku was completely gone now.
But she wanted to become stronger, and the means to do so were right before her.
"I wish to follow you…" Ryuzetsu said, standing up and walking over to kneel before Naruto, "I want to become stronger. Please allow me to serve you, Master."
She stumbled through the words, her head bowed as she knelt on the ground. She didn't know why she was crying, but the tears wouldn't stop… shame, regret, guilt, remorse, countless emotions surged within her, impossible to suppress.
Looking down at the kneeling Ryuzetsu, a faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Naruto's lips. His voice softened slightly, abandoning the heart-piercing remarks.
"Good." He said simply.
Naruto left Ryuzetsu in the Land of Grass and rejected her plan to return to the Anbu for undercover work. With Kusagakure now collapsed, it would take time to rebuild the village. Returning to the Anbu to work for the remnants of the Grass Flower faction held no benefit.
Although Kusagakure had crumbled, the Land of Grass itself was a muddy mess that no one wanted to take over… too many people, too little land, a poor economy, and a disorderly population.
Frankly, it was a lost cause. Even if it exploded, no one would bother stepping in. You can't prop up mud on a wall, and there was no profit to be gained anyway.
If they're left to their own devices for a while, Kusagakure would gradually establish a new order out of the chaos. So, Naruto simply told Ryuzetsu to settle down and rest for a time.
He himself returned to Konoha using the Gate of Underworld. It was late at night by the time he arrived, his stomach trembling with hunger. He could only hurriedly grab a late-night snack to tide himself over before washing up and going to sleep.
The night passed without incident. When Naruto opened his eyes again, the sun was already high in the sky.
After freshening up, Naruto stepped out feeling refreshed. He even treated himself to a deluxe set at Ichiraku Ramen. Since the mission was perfectly completed, it was time to report back to Kakashi.
He also wanted to see what cards Kakashi held that gave him the confidence to solve Naruto's urgent problem. If he really had a way to resolve the issues between his two future fathers-in-law, what would it hurt to call him 'Godfather'?
Just as he arrived cheerfully at the Hokage Tower's courtyard, a chubby hand suddenly reached out from around a corner and yanked him into an alley.
"It's me!" Choji whispered, his bean-sized eyes fixed seriously on Naruto.
"Choji, cut it out. I'll pay you back next time." Naruto said, gently pushing Choji away, "Don't you still have your secret stash?"
"Damn it! You never planned to pay me back, did you?!" Choji was fuming, but then he remembered the important matter, "Forget that! This is serious!"
"What is it?" Naruto asked curiously.
"Ino…" Choji lowered his voice, "Something's happened with Ino. I heard..."