The three charged straight toward Muku with terrifying speed. The Fourth Raikage reached him first, his entire body wrapped in blinding lightning as his leg came down like a battle axe.
Muku, of course, didn't let himself get hit. He stepped back, avoiding the strike, but Killer Bee appeared behind him—his attack missing again.
Then Muku caught on to what the two were planning.
"Bee!"
"OK!"
They raised their arms together, ramming forward like raging bulls.
"Double Lariat!!!"
The Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee came at him from both sides, closing in on Muku like a pair of shears. Their arms swung down together with crushing force.
"You can't kill me!" Muku enlarged his body, barely dodging the fatal strike—but that gave Kiyosuke his opening.
Kiyosuke leapt high into the air, flames flaring around his leg as he kicked Muku hard in the chest.
Boom!
A fiery explosion followed, blasting Muku down into the ground.
"Next is that thing. We need to find a way to destroy it! Bee, can you use a Tailed Beast Ball?"
"Eighth said even the Sage of Six Paths couldn't destroy that thing, fool! Idiot!" Bee barked.
"Damn it, what's this thing made of? Guess we'll just have to seal it for now."
Kiyosuke frowned. It was too much trouble. The thing was pure hell—spawning monstrous creatures like Satori and countless zombie-like things—and on top of that, its main body was absurdly tough.
"This thing's a real pain."
"You're right. It can't be destroyed," Muku said as he slowly got back up, a cold smile on his face.
"I've tried every method I could think of, but nothing works. The dark chakra inside keeps gnawing at my mind, driving me insane, corrupting my thoughts—until all my senses turned to chaos."
He remembered it vividly. That place wasn't meant for humans. All it ever gave him was pain.
"Seriously… what was your father thinking?" Kiyosuke shook his head. "He actually listened to those idiots in Kusagakure and sent you into the Box of Ultimate Bliss. All they did was turn you into a monster."
Afterward, they regretted it and tried every way to bring their son back—but too much time had passed. Their son had already fallen into darkness, twisted by the box and remade into something inhuman.
Once someone was transformed by the Box of Ultimate Bliss, they could never truly change back.
Muku would forever remain as Satori—he could look human again, sure, but that would only be the skin of a monster.
Kiyosuke snorted coldly, clearly disgusted.
Those people did nothing but cause trouble.
Too bad the elders of Kusagakure were all dead now, or he'd have loved to beat the life out of them himself.
"Who knows… but it's too late now," Muku sneered, his expression hideous. "If you want to stop me, you'll have to kill me!"
"Then stop talking! Bee—get ready to finish him!"
The Fourth Raikage wasn't one for words. He spun toward Muku, ready to charge again.
Just then, a figure stepped between them.
"Please! Don't hurt Muku!"
She spread her arms. "He only became like this because of the Box of Ultimate Bliss! He can change back—I know he can!"
"Ryūzetsu…"
Muku raised a trembling hand—then dropped it again.
"I'm not the Muku you knew. Get out of my way."
"Muku! Wake up! You said you'd lead Kusagakure toward peace! Why did you become like this? Have you forgotten your dream?"
"My dream?" Muku laughed bitterly. "Look at me. Do I still look human to you, Ryūzetsu? I'm no longer that naïve man. I am the embodiment of humanity's greed. I am Satori—the one who brings destruction! So stop clinging to false hopes."
"I don't believe you!!!"
"Move aside, girl!"
The Fourth Raikage grabbed Ryūzetsu and threw her clear, then lunged at Muku again, his heavy fist smashing downward.
Muku reacted instantly—his arm transforming into Satori's monstrous limb as he blocked the punch.
Kiyosuke followed up, thrusting a spear of flame straight toward Muku's heart.
Killer Bee gathered a Tailed Beast Ball in his mouth and fired it toward them.
He didn't hesitate. His brother could handle it, and Kiyosuke would be fine—so he went all out.
Boom!!!
An explosion ripped through the area. Two figures were blasted out of the blast—one was the Fourth Raikage, the other was Muku, half his body blown apart.
But under the influence of dark chakra, his body quickly began to regenerate.
"Damn it! How is this thing so hard to kill?!"
Kiyosuke walked out of the explosion completely unharmed, scowling.
"This is the toughest enemy I've ever faced. Even that demon last time wasn't this bad."
At least that demon had a weakness.
Satori didn't.
He could read minds, move fast, heal instantly, and never run out of chakra.
If this went on, they'd be the ones drained to death.
"Kakashi!!!"
Kiyosuke suddenly shouted as an idea struck him.
"Got it! Kamui!!"
Kakashi's Sharingan focused on the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
Muku instantly realized what he was trying to do—but could he stop it?
No.
The three blocked his path, grinning coldly, while the space around the box began to twist.
In the blink of an eye, it was gone—teleported away.
Muku froze.
The Box of Ultimate Bliss—where was it?
Where was my box?!
"Hehehehe…"
The three surrounded him, cracking their knuckles.
The attack came again—and this time, Muku didn't dodge.
Without the box backing him up, he couldn't heal anymore. Kiyosuke's spear pierced straight through his heart.
Flames erupted, engulfing Muku completely, burning away all his pain until nothing remained.
...
After that, the cleanup began. Everyone who had been controlled by the Box of Ultimate Bliss was executed. There was no saving them—they could never return to being human.
"Run!!!"
The prisoners in Hōzuki Castle, seeing the monster gone, stopped hiding and tried to flee.
Tsunade and the Fourth Raikage roared in unison,
"Don't let a single one escape!"
"Understood!"
Their forces charged out, cutting off the fleeing ninja. But just as the prisoners reached the gate, flames burst across their bodies, sending them screaming back into the castle, afraid to take another step.
The power of the Blood Prison still remained—Hōzuki Castle's warden, Mui, was barely clinging to life, but he wouldn't last long.
Soon, Mui would die, and the Blood Prison would fail.
After that, Hōzuki Castle would undergo another transformation.
But that had nothing more to do with Kiyosuke.
He took Naruto and the others back to Konoha, leaving the rest for Tsunade and the Raikage to handle.
He'd never been good at this sort of cleanup anyway.
Better to go home—and finally get a good night's sleep.