Naruto: The Abstract Strategist of the Akatsuki

And so, Naruto missed out on the experience of the Blood Prison movie, but Jiraiya made up for it for him.

Of course, the Box of Bliss and the final boss Wu are no longer in the Blood Prison.

Jiraiya is about to experience a pure prison life.

The current lord of Hozuki Castle is not the one who desperately wanted to resurrect his son, but rather the one who replaced him, Wuchang.

Furthermore, due to the occurrence of Wuwei, all of Hozuki Castle's actions are now subject to oversight by the ninja world.

The fact that they were being monitored was not widely publicized; only the parties involved, namely Bai Mo and his group, and the group from Yunyin Village, knew about it.

The so-called supervision means being supervised by the two "representatives" of Amegakure and Kumogakure.

But Jiraiya's impression of Hozuki Castle remained stuck in the past.

Yes, after receiving the prophecy of the Great Toad Sage, Jiraiya began to wander the ninja world, during which time he encountered countless people and events.

Jiraiya had contact with the other five of the Six Paths of Pain.

This might be a fateful coincidence, but more likely it's because the ninja world is only so big, and Jiraiya had already explored it all, so they were bound to meet sooner or later.

For example, Jiraiya also visited Hozuki Castle.

However, as it was a prison, Jiraiya had no interest in what was inside, and there weren't any female prisoners with amazing figures, so he didn't stay long before leaving.

Now, he is about to return to Hozuki Castle as a prisoner.

Jiraiya did not hold any expectations.

There's no way he could have any romantic encounters with female prisoners or jailers here.

He only hoped that no one would disturb his cultivation.

By boat, Konoha's Anbu escorted Jiraiya to Hozuki Castle.

The jailers of Hozuki Castle took Jiraiya to a solitary cell and locked him up.

"Go in. This is where you'll be staying from now on. There's a daily schedule on the wall. You'll be responsible for the consequences if you miss it."

The jailer left after saying just one sentence.

The solitary cell wasn't large; it simply contained a bed and a toilet.

Jiraiya glanced at the chart on the wall; it simply listed when to eat, when to go out for fresh air, and when to take a bath.

To Jiraiya's surprise, there were some things on it that weren't there when he came last time.

Serious offenders are required to undergo labor reform, while minor offenders are required to study. Both can earn points in the prison, which can be exchanged for some basic supplies.

For example, ordering more food when eating, or being able to use a separate shower room when bathing.

However, Jiraiya was curious whether serious criminals were really sent to Hozuki Castle.

Isn't it just a matter of each ninja village simply killing them all and that's it?

There weren't many serious criminals before, and there shouldn't be any now, right?

Otherwise, if someone commits a serious crime and is sent to this place, it's definitely a punishment, not a reward.

Before Amegakure developed, children had to steal bread to survive, and there were many people in the ninja world who didn't have enough to eat.

Even though things are developing in a positive direction now, it's only starting from key areas and radiating outwards; it doesn't happen overnight. There are still a large number of people who don't have enough to eat.

In order to get enough to eat, some became outlaws and bandits, while others took risks to eliminate bandits.

They all work themselves to the bone just to make a living.

As a result, in this Hozuki Castle, serious criminals only need to do some work to get food and a place to live, and because everyone seals their chakra, they are absolutely safe.

Is this definitely a prison, or a paradise on earth?

If the outside world finds out about this, wouldn't it encourage everyone to do evil?

Jiraiya scratched his head, sensing there was a big problem here.

Without figuring this out, Jiraiya really can't calm down and train.

After all, Jiraiya was the master of the prophesied child who worked hard for the peace of the ninja world.

Jiraiya calmed himself down and knocked on the walls to his left and right, trying to find out if there were any prisoners next to him.

"What are you banging on? New guy, be quiet, or I'll report you for disturbing the peace and get points for it."

A sound came from next door.

Jiraiya was overjoyed and quickly began to talk.

After a long period of testing, Jiraiya finally felt relieved.

Just as he had thought, there were no serious criminals in Ghost Lantern Castle.

In fact, it is very difficult to judge serious criminals in the ninja world.

For example, if someone is ordered by their own village to destroy a small village, they are just a person carrying out a normal mission in the eyes of their own village, but in the eyes of the village that is destroyed, they are an unforgivable sinner.

Therefore, he will either be completely innocent or be eliminated by revenge.

Unless you encounter a saintly figure with a no-killing principle, no serious criminal will ever be sent to Ghost Lantern Castle.

The treatment offered by Hozuki Castle was already known to some outsiders, but few dared to try it.

It's now obvious to anyone with eyes to see that with the five great nations colluding and living in harmony, the ninja world is moving towards peace.

The missions that ninjas take on are becoming increasingly more mundane and relatable to everyday life.

S-rank missions are almost nonexistent, and A-rank missions are extremely rare. Even for Jonin, the missions they receive are mostly to go to a certain place to give lectures and teach ninjutsu.

At this moment, Hozuki Castle suddenly spread the word that—come and commit a serious crime, and you can eat in jail for free.

Is this some kind of sting operation designed to increase the number of missions for the various ninja villages?

Who would dare to try that?

Of course, the bold get rich while the timid starve; the ninja world has never lacked oddballs, and there must have been someone who tried it.

The problem is, they were right.

This really is a case of entrapment.

To be imprisoned in Hozuki Castle, one must first be arrested and tried by external forces before being sent in.

It's impossible to commit a crime first and then turn yourself in at Hozuki Castle and go to jail.

The problem is that trials are conducted outside the capital, and serious crimes are almost always punishable by death.

Having figured all this out, Jiraiya finally felt relieved and could begin his training.

The prisoner next door, who had been listening to Jiraiya talking to him, suddenly fell silent, followed by some very familiar voices.

In the oppressive Hozuki Castle prison, such things happen every day.

However, generally speaking, people accumulate enough points to borrow a Jiraiya novel from the library area and read it.

Who exactly is that person next door? Why did we suddenly switch to Seven Star Entertainment when we were talking about something perfectly normal?

Or perhaps the person next door is actually a bond-type ninja, and their voice is just too deep and magnetic?

The prisoner next door shivered.

But driven by curiosity, he still tentatively asked the first question he had ever asked Jiraiya.

"Hey buddy next door, you've asked me so many questions, so I'll ask you one too: what did you do to get yourself in here?"

"Me? I accidentally hit a few people, causing them to be paralyzed in their lower limbs."

Jiraiya confessed his crime without hesitation.

Even though he was wronged, for some reason, Jiraiya felt a nameless sense of pride when he uttered the accusation.