Naruto: The King Behind the Curtain

Meanwhile, within Hozuki Castle.

Inside the underground chamber.

Kuroishi stood in front of a huge box, gently stroking its surface with intense desire burning in his eyes. "O legendary treasure of the Sage of Six Paths, awaken and fulfill my deepest wish!"

Of course, the box gave no response—but he didn't care.

Just remembering the slip he had received that afternoon sent a surge of excitement through him again. "So it was because the previous sacrifices were too low quality? No problem, I've already found a much better substitute. Won't take long now..."

At this moment, sounds came from above the chamber.

"Lord Kuroishi, Yangdo has arrived."

"Good, I'll come up right away."

After one last lingering look at the Wish-Granting Casket, Kuroishi masked his expression with a smile and stepped out.

Outside.

"Senior Kuroishi, things have basically been clarified," Yangdo said upon seeing Kuroishi, skipping the pleasantries and getting straight to the point. "Konoha hasn't noticed our activities yet. Once they leave, we can continue."

"Hmm..." Kuroishi paused briefly. "Actually, I've had a new idea."

"A new idea?"

"My idea is—let those Konoha ninja stay here permanently!"

"Senior Kuroishi, wouldn't that be too radical?" Yangdo asked anxiously.

"Haha, you're all too cautious. Without taking risks, how can we win the war?" Kuroishi laughed as he slapped his shoulder.

Yangdo frowned. "But then our intentions will be completely exposed!"

Kuroishi waved his hand dismissively. "Your thinking is still too rigid. What if we invite those young ninja as guests to Iwagakure? Maybe Konoha would end up aligning with us?"

Yangdo still looked hesitant. "But what if Konoha isn't intimidated? Why don't we consult the Tsuchikage first?"

Kuroishi's mood soured instantly. "Who's really in charge here—you or me? By the time you finish consulting, Konoha's people will already have fled."

Yangdo could only sigh bitterly. "Alright then. I'll have Mui go and 'invite' them, although...we should still be careful regarding Inoichi Yamanaka."

Kuroishi's smile returned immediately. "Don't worry. I'm not strangers to dealing with the Yamanaka clan. As long as we're cautious, their mental arts won't be effective against us."

Yangdo nodded. Indeed, while Konoha's Ino–Shika–Cho alliance is indeed formidable when they work together, alone they aren't a major threat as long as one remains slightly cautious.

As he turned to leave, he paused again cautiously. "Senior Kuroishi, regarding those prisoners in Hozuki Castle...you should handle this carefully. Otherwise it will be troublesome if the other great ninja villages find out we're harboring these forces."

Kuroishi smiled broadly. "Rest assured, no one will ever know."

After Yangdo left, Kuroishi's smile slowly disappeared.

"You fool, did you really think I cared about their fighting strength? What I want...is merely their chakra!"

"As for the Tsuchikage? Onoki has grown too old. The position of Tsuchikage deserves a more suitable master! No—once I unlock the secrets of the Wish-Granting Casket, what power could the Tsuchikage possibly hold over me?"

"I should become the master of this world!"

"Hehehe... Huh?"

Just when he was feeling extremely smug, a pigeon landed at his feet.

"The second time today? I should've told him not to contact me so often," Kuroishi frowned and picked up the tiny scroll. "I hope it's important, otherwise..."

"Huh?" The moment he read it, Kuroishi's eyes widened. "Damn it! How dare he... So that's why he said those things to me earlier—it was just a test?"

Kuroishi's expression darkened as if making a crucial decision, tightly gripping the slip of paper in his hand. "Don't blame me—I'm past the point of no return now!"

...

The next morning,

Seiki, having just finished his early morning training, stood before the mirror speaking inwardly: "This plan isn't just about making Teacher Yamanaka listen to me more or clearing the way for what comes next—it's also the only chance I'll get to gain real experience!"

"But before that, I must seal away the most crucial memories first! As for the key to unsealing them—how about Konoha's Sensing Barrier?"

Without further hesitation, Seiki quickly formed hand seals, finally pressing both palms against his forehead!

...

Outside the Finance Minister's mansion.

"Lord Yangdo..."

"Call me Heiguang, remember? My current identity is Deputy Warden of Hozuki Castle!"

"Yes, Lord Heiguang." Mui complied smoothly, changing his address accordingly before asking, "But didn't you say yesterday there was no need to pay attention to them?"

Yangdo flushed slightly, stubbornly insisting, "I never said that. You must have remembered wrong!"

Not waiting for Mui to reply, he guiltily turned his head aside. "Don't waste time. Go inside now."

"Yes!"

After an artificial exchange with Ueno Shin, the two were led toward Seiki's room.

"Elder Yamanaka!" Mui greeted loudly from afar.

"MUI? What brings you here?" Inoichi Yamanaka responded, feigning surprise.

"This is our Hozuki Castle's deputy warden, Lord Heiguang," Mui introduced briefly before extending an invitation. "We've come today hoping Elder Yamanaka and your team would accompany us on a trip to Hozuki Castle."

"Hozuki Castle? Whatever for?" Asuma asked opportunistically.

"Allow me to explain," Yangdo answered with a solemn expression, sighing heavily. "Life at Hozuki Castle has become increasingly difficult—both manpower and equipment are nearly depleted."

"Unfortunately, nobody pays attention to our words, so we hope you Konoha ninjas could bear witness firsthand and report the situation directly to Lord Hokage himself."

Inoichi Yamanaka furrowed his brow, appearing somewhat hesitant.

Beside him, Kurenai nibbled her lip pitifully. "Elder Yamanaka, maybe we should help out Senior MUI and his friends?"

Asuma slapped his chest confidently. "Hey, don't worry, Sensei! If the Hokage gets mad about you being late back to the village, just blame it all on me!"

Inoichi Yamanaka gave a bitter smile. "Fine—but we're only staying one more day, tops!"

"Even the son of the Hokage can influence a Jonin's decision. Konoha's power game is seriously messed up!" Yangdo sneered inwardly while displaying an expression of deep gratitude on his face. "Thank you so much! I'll definitely do my best to treat all of you well!"

But this kind of 'treatment' might turn out a bit different than what you're expecting... hehe... Yangdo quickly bowed his head, worried that his grin would expose his thoughts.

Watching Yangdo smirking to himself, Mui felt a pang of sympathy: "Just as I suspected—everyone else is playing him, and he doesn't even realize it!"

"Wait a second, this seems off! Last time they were four against me, but this time we're five against him! Besides, Kuroishi might already be thinking about how to mess with him too!"

As this thought struck, Mui couldn't help but see 'doom' written all over Yangdo's face. He just looked so pitiful that Mui couldn't even bring himself to watch any longer!

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