Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

"Kusuyinliu·Fa Po Zhang!"

"Bang!!!"

In the training ground, a young man with a ponytail bent down to avoid his opponent's brutal punch, aimed at the vital point under his ribs and punched with both palms. The powerful impact knocked the burly opponent dozens of meters away and hit him heavily against the wall.

"The winner is the divine fire!"

The referee of the competition felt that there was no need to continue the competition, so he raised his hand to announce the winner, and then arranged for the staff to take down the person embedded in the wall.

"Life is so lonely like snow~"

A somewhat bored Shen Huo yawned and walked out of the training ground. These weak opponents had completely lost his interest.
"God Lord!"

Just as he was sighing, a figure slapped Shenhuo's back fiercely, with such a strong force that his internal organs were almost dislocated.

"I knew you were the best!"

Without having to guess who the person was, Shenhuo turned around with a look of pain on his face, looking at the pretty girl behind him. A hint of tenderness flashed in his eyes, and then his face turned stern.
"Mako, have you completed your refining task today?"

"Refining chakra is beyond my control!"

Mako put her hands on her hips and turned up her nose in smugness, but her unsteady steps and pale face clearly showed her weakness.

"You, you~ Come on, I'll treat you to a meal."

Shenhuo could see the girl's fatigue, so he shook his head helplessly and extended an invitation to Zhenzi.

"Great!"

"Boss, have another bowl!"

In an ordinary noodle stall on the street, the thin Mako showed a fighting power that was completely different from her appearance. She raised the empty bowl in her hand and urged the stall owner,
"Right away, right away!"

The noodle stall owner was so busy that his arms were almost smoking, but the speed of cooking noodles was far slower than the speed of the girl eating. He was so anxious that he was sweating profusely.
"Eat slowly, don't choke."

Shenhuo at the side only tasted a few mouthfuls, then pushed his portion to the drooling Zhenzi, and carefully instructed,

"Hypocritical, when have you ever seen me choke?"

Mako picked up the noodles that Shenhuo had eaten, without any expression of disgust, and started inhaling them like a storm as he opened his little mouth.

"Your face is here~"

"Okay~"

Finally, the girl cleared out all the stock from the noodle stall, patted her round belly with satisfaction, her face full of happiness.

"4546, 46 bowls. Your appetite has increased, but why hasn't your figure changed?"

The bored Shenhuo counted the number of bowls the girl ate, then looked at Mako's ordinary figure and couldn't help but mutter in a low voice.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Mako heard these words clearly and immediately glared at him with a fierce look on his face, grinding his sharp teeth in a warning manner.

Shen Huo felt a little nervous, and fearing a beating, he quickly changed the subject.
"What have you been training for lately? Is it just refining chakra?"

"Well, the elders are getting stricter now. If the refining speed is not fast enough or the quality is not pure enough every day, you will be punished."

The girl smacked her lips in satisfaction and nodded to the divine fire.
"Come on! One day you will become a fighter, and then we will be a team, and I will protect you."

"Humph~ It's still unclear who will protect whom!"

Many years ago, the two orphans, Shenhuo and Zhenzi, were taken in by the Grass Country Ninja Clan. This practice of taking in orphans was common during the Warring States Period, as many Ninja Clan clans needed fresh blood.
Those who cannot refine chakra are generally used as slaves or laborers. Those who can refine chakra and have ninja talent will be trained to become fighters and used as consumables in war.

The two were very lucky. With their ninja talents, they stood out among the orphans and soon began to receive systematic training. Among them, Shenhuo had a higher talent.

In just two and a half years, Shen Huo was recruited into the combat team with outstanding performance and became a glorious ordinary combatant (Naikun Genin).

Mako had been kept in the chakra training camp, undergoing incomprehensible chakra extraction training day after day, inputting the chakra that she had worked so hard to extract into a strange box every day until she was exhausted.

Many years have passed, and Shenhuo, with the dream of protecting Mako, has overcome all obstacles and finally succeeded in being promoted to an elite fighter. While he is excited, he is also a little worried about Mako's situation.

Because the girl is still refining chakra all day long, just like she was many years ago, like a chakra battery without emotions.

"Mako, with your current abilities, you shouldn't still be staying there, right?"

It was time for a walk after dinner. As they walked together on the street, Shen Huo looked at the girl who still looked a little pale and couldn't help but ask,

"The elder said that I still need some training."

The girl touched her head, her expression a little puzzled. It was obvious that her current chakra amount was not much less than that of the Divine Fire, so why was she not allowed to join the combat team?

"It just so happens that I'm going to visit the elders tomorrow, so I'll ask for you then."

Shenhuo patted the girl's shoulder comfortingly, thinking about how to talk about this matter when he met the elders tomorrow.

"It's getting late, Shenhuo, I should go back."

The two chatted about many trivial things along the way. The girl was made to laugh by the humor of Shen Huo. Seeing that the sun was about to set, Mako turned around reluctantly and said goodbye.

"See you next time."

The next day, Shen Huo went to visit the elder early in the morning. After entering the house, he knelt on one knee and bowed respectfully to the old man on the high seat.

"I've met the elder!"

"Oh? It's Shenhuo. I heard that you were promoted to the elite captain. I was right about you. You are really a talent!"

The old man in the upper seat slowly opened his cloudy eyes and looked at the divine fire below the stage. A look of satisfaction appeared on his face. When he first met this kid, he was almost mad to death. If it weren't for his good reputation, he would have ended up with the reputation of Nantong.

"It's all thanks to the elders' cultivation!"

The divine fire speaks differently to different people and different things to different ghosts.

"Okay, I know your temper, what do you want from me today?"

The elder chuckled and shook his head. Shenhuo's talent was the strongest among the homeless children he had collected, so he brought him up from that place to train him as his confidant. The result was exactly as he expected. He became an elite captain at a young age. His future was limitless.

"Elder, let's not beat around the bush. When will Mako get out of there?"

Since the elder had asked, Shenhuo simply got straight to the point, with a pair of eyes that showed a hint of hope.

Over the years, Shenhuo has never seen anyone other than himself being taken out from there.

"Mako. Is she the girl who was taken in with you?"

The elder frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and asked,
"Yes, that's right. It's her. She has been there for many years. She should be able to get out now, right?"

"Well, let me understand the situation first."

Instead of agreeing to Shenhuo directly, the elder waved his hand calmly, indicating that he could leave if he had time.

"There"

After the divine fire left, the elder pondered for a moment, waved his hand towards the darkness, and a black shadow flashed out.
"Go ask them how the box is going."

"Yes!"

After giving the order, the elder slowly closed his eyes, and his whole body was shrouded in endless darkness again.

A few days later, Shenhuo, who was anxiously waiting for a reply from the elder, received a gathering order from the combat team late at night. After packing up his equipment in confusion, he went to the gathering.

When I arrived at the combatant camp, many of my colleagues had already arrived, and all of them looked puzzled.
"Is there going to be a war?"

Someone couldn't help but ask,
"Probably not. I haven't heard any relevant news."

Several people who were more informed shook their heads. The ninja clan of the Grass Country had long been unified and there was no war in the country.

"Then why are you calling us here so late at night?"

"Isn't it too idle?"

"."

Shenhuo hid in a corner and sat in meditation. For some reason, he felt a vague sense of uneasiness in his heart.

"Is everyone here?"

Just as everyone present was discussing their opinions, the captain who led the combatants appeared in front of everyone. He had a rare solemn look on his face. After looking around, he asked,
"We're all here!"

The ninja in charge of counting the number of people raised his hand in response.

"Okay, let me tell you about the next task now."

It turned out to be not a false alarm. Everyone was startled and their ears pricked up.

"There is an important ceremony tonight. You must do a good job of guarding. There cannot be any mistakes during the entire ceremony."

ceremony?

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. They had never heard of any ceremony in the Land of Grass. Although they were confused, the duty of a ninja was to obey, so they nodded in agreement without any hesitation.

"Captain, can you tell us what kind of ceremony is being held tonight?"

Feeling more and more uneasy, Shenhuo approached the captain and asked quietly,

"Shenhuo, don't ask questions that you shouldn't ask."

To be the captain, one must not only be strong but also have a tight tongue.

"Captain, I heard that the captain's wife has been asking you how many night shifts you worked last month."

"Ahem, ahem, ahem, hush~"

Upon hearing this, the captain, who had been serious, suddenly became a little flustered. He looked around and saw that no one was paying attention. He immediately whispered,
"What do you want to do, kid?"

"If Madam knew that you, the captain, also worked hard at night, she would definitely feel very distressed, right?"

Shenhuo raised his eyebrows and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear,

"Huh~Okay, okay, since you want to know, I'll tell you."

The captain thought about the 300-jin meat mountain at home, and suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. He then put the divine fire aside and said in a very serious tone,

"The elders are going to hold an unboxing ceremony tonight. If successful, our Grass Nation will soar to the sky and restore the glory of our ancestors!" As the captain spoke, a deep sense of pride appeared in his eyes, causing Shenhuo's heart to sink slightly.
Unboxing, could it be that box?
Not only had he seen the Box Divine Fire, he had also come into close contact with it. That was when he and Mako had just extracted chakra, and they were taken to the current chakra training camp by a group of men in black. There were many people of different ages inside, and all of them had fanatical expressions on their faces.

In the very center of the training camp, there was a huge box with four expressions of joy, anger, sorrow and happiness carved on each of the four sides. Following the instructions of the man in black, the two men clumsily input the refined chakra into the box until they were exhausted and could no longer squeeze out any more chakra.

Later, because of his extraordinary talent, he was exceptionally admitted to that place, and the nightmare of refining chakra every day ended.

"Machiko, please don't get into any trouble!"

When Shenhuo thought that this so-called unboxing ceremony might be related to Mako and the others, he immediately felt a deep worry in his heart and couldn't help but pray secretly.

The elder who had met with the Divine Fire a few days ago was now standing in front of a black box taller than a human, with cloudy eyes open, wondering what he was thinking.
"Elder, the Bliss Box has already responded. Just a little more, a little more chakra, and it will be awakened."

In front of the elder stood two mysterious men wearing animal masks. They pointed at a box nearby and spoke in excited tones.

"Is it really just a little bit?"

Looking at the strangely shaped Box of Paradise, the elder frowned slightly. As the gatekeeper of this generation, he was responsible for opening the Box of Paradise and bringing the Kusanagi to rule the ninja world. He thought he would leave the world with this regret.

I didn't expect that when it was half buried in the ground, there was news about the Box of Bliss again.

"As long as we drain those people, the Box of Bliss will be awakened!"

The mysterious man wearing an animal head said this very firmly.

"Well, let's get started."

The elder did not show much expression when he heard this. Those people who acted as batteries were just orphans they had been searching for for many years. They were born to live for the Chest of Bliss. Now that the Chest of Bliss wanted them to die, there was no need for them to live anymore.

"Oh, it's so late, and we still have to get up and work overtime. Do you want to eat some oil cakes?"

Like Shenhuo and the others, the batteries who were awakened by the guards complained loudly with sleepy eyes.

"For the elders, I am willing to work 25 hours a day!"

But there are also fanatical fans who identify very much with their status as cattle and horses.

"Gulu~"

In the crowd, Mako rubbed his rumbling stomach and followed the main group with a bitter look on his face.

When they arrived at their usual workstations, everyone knelt and saluted the elder whom they hadn't seen for a long time. Mako followed suit and secretly glanced at the elder with a sullen face. She accidentally recalled her childhood and almost couldn't help laughing out loud.

Shenhuo, are you working overtime today too?
"Shenhuo, where are you going?"

After receiving the information about the ritual from the captain, Shenhuo turned around and left without any hesitation.

"I have a friend there, and I'm a little worried."

"Ah, here. You should stay there."

Upon hearing this, the captain seemed to want to say something but hesitated. Finally, he sighed and decided to let the Divine Fire leave.

"Master Elder, I will try my best!"

A young boy with a green face stood excitedly in front of the Bliss Box. He turned to look at the expressionless elder and said in a very firm tone,

Most of the people here had similar experiences to Shenhuo and the other two. During their wandering, they were taken in by the ninja clan headed by the elders. Not only did they solve their food and clothing problems, but they also taught them how to refine chakra. It was truly a blessing of rebirth!

"Oh"

The elder only glanced at the young man, and the young man was energized and full of fighting spirit. He raised his hand to desperately refine chakra, but before he started, he was stopped by a mysterious man wearing an animal head.

"Wait a minute!"

"what?"

"You are too slow. You can't achieve the effect the elders expect."

The beast-headed man shook his head, and his words made the young boy's face darken.

"But now there is a faster way. It depends on whether you have the courage to go through fire and water for the elders."

Just when the young man was disappointed, the beast-headed man changed the subject, and there was a hint of magic in his voice. When the young boy heard it, his eyes turned slightly red, and he immediately became confused.

"I am willing!"

"As long as you enter the box, your chakra input speed will increase, and you can complete a lifetime's work in the blink of an eye."

"I am willing!"

As long as it is for the elders, the young man is willing to die. If they, the stray dogs, had not been taken in by the elders, they would have been left dead in the wilderness and become wandering ghosts.

"Okay, elder, you can start now!"

The beast-headed man was very satisfied with his guidance, which was a bit of an illusion. He turned to the elder who had been waiting for a long time and said,
"Box, now is the time to open it, the box of bliss!"

The elderly elder took a step forward, raised his head and stared at the strange smiling face on the Box of Bliss, then slowly stretched out his hands, with a faint blue light emanating from his palms, and released the gatekeeper technique that had been passed down for many years.

"Our long-cherished wish is finally coming true!"

Several beast-headed men began to tremble with excitement. According to the information left by their ancestors, as long as they successfully opened the Box of Paradise, they would be able to rule the entire ninja world.

Along with a black gas rising into the sky, a terrifying red light shot out from the eyes of the face on the Box of Bliss, and everyone present felt a fear from the bottom of their hearts.

The Divine Fire that was running wildly outside also saw the black air. The uneasiness in his heart finally reached its peak, and he rushed towards that direction at full speed.

"Boom~Boom~"

Under the activation of the door-opening technique, the Box of Bliss began to rotate until the face with joy stopped in front of the elder.

"Isn't that enough?"

According to the feedback from the Box of Bliss, the elder slowly put down his hand. As the beast-headed men said, the chakra was still lacking.
"Boom~"

At this moment, something unexpected happened to the Box of Bliss. The face with the word "happiness" written on it slowly fell down, revealing a lion-shaped door. However, there was only darkness in sight, and the true appearance inside could not be seen.

"What are you waiting for? It's time to show your worth!"

Seeing this, the beast-headed man urged the young boy who was standing there in a daze.

"Elder! I, Shouta, am not a coward!"

The young boy stepped into the dark door with a determined look.
“It’s still not enough.”

The elder shook his head.
"I come!"

With the lessons learned from the previous incident, many young boys and girls with fanatical looks immediately stood up. Their experiences were the same as Shota who had just entered the Box of Paradise. They were all stray dogs rescued by the elders. As long as the elders needed them, they would not hesitate even at the cost of their lives.

Watching familiar people enter the dark Lion's Mouth gate one after another, Mako, who was huddled in the corner, turned pale. Although she also wanted to repay the elder for saving her life, she still had Shenhuo, the young man who had been waiting for her.

I can't die here, at least not now!

Unlike the others, Mako began to secretly look around, looking for a way to escape. However, the entire scene was guarded by guards who arrived in advance, and she had no chance of escape at all.

"For the elders! Charge!"

When the last fanatical young man resolutely walked into the dark door, the Bliss Box, which had just been somewhat unsatisfied, let out a comfortable groan.
But according to feedback, it is still just a little bit away, and at most a few more will be enough to feed it completely.

"Not enough, still not enough!"

The elder opened his eyes and looked at the silent meeting place, revealing a trace of dissatisfaction. It was clearly just one step away from success.
"Are there any more people? Catch a few more!"

Several of the beast-headed men became a little impatient and ordered the guards nearby to go look for the hidden batteries.

"No need, you guys can fill in the gaps!"

Just as they turned around to search, the elder's cold voice sounded in their ears, and then several beast-headed men were blown away by a huge force and fell squarely into the dark lion's mouth gate.

"No! We are..."

The desperate wails of the beast-headed men who were stabbed in the back almost frightened Mako, who was hiding in the corner, to the point of fainting.

"Well, just a little bit. Just a little bit."

The elder withdrew his palms, sensed the feedback from the Box of Bliss, and then cast his cold eyes on the guards who had been doing their duty. The meaning in his eyes was obvious.

"Elder, we are loyal to you!"

How could the guards not understand the look in the elder's eyes? After a moment's pause, they immediately bowed their heads and kowtowed. At the same time, they secretly gathered their strength, preparing to fight to the death with this old man.

"Huh~ I won't attack you, so go find a replacement while there's still time."

The elder was not a fool. If he really sacrificed the guards at this moment, the other guards would surely rush forward. Although he was extremely powerful, time was of the essence and there would always be times when he was unable to do things as he wished, right?

"Gulu~Gulu~"

Just as the guards stood up and prepared to search, a loud grunting sound was very piercing in the empty space, and everyone turned their eyes over at the same time.
The quick-eyed and quick-handed guard immediately stepped forward and pulled out Mako, who had been hiding in the corner for a long time.

"Master Elder, please don't!"

Mako, who was already frightened at this time, kept struggling in the hands of the guards, tears streaming down his eyes, but it could not shake the elder's icy heart at all.

"What's your name?"

Since it was the last sacrifice after all, the elder decided to write down her name as a commemoration.

"My name is Mako."

Mako was trembling with fear, her heart was dead at this moment. It was such a pity that she didn't have the company of the divine fire in the last moment of her life.

"So you are Mako~"

The elder's cloudy eyes flashed with a complex expression. It turned out that the girl in front of him was the woman that Shenhuo had been thinking about.
"Boom~Boom~"

"I can't wait any longer."

Just as he was hesitating, the Box of Bliss made a sharp and agitated sound. The elder, who understood the meaning, sighed slightly in his heart and waved his hand at the guards who were holding Mako.
"Go."

"boom!!!"

Seeing that Mako was about to be pushed into the door of the Paradise Box, a thunderous figure broke the dome that enveloped everyone's heads, and the divine fire that fell from the sky, with both palms carrying a tremendous force, smashed towards the guard's head.
"Take your dirty hands away, I haven't touched that place yet!" (End of this chapter)