Just as Aoshi and his team were making their way forward—
Inside Hozuki Castle, Orochimaru had already arrived.
Alongside Mui, the current lord of the castle, he was also being received by several elders of Kusagakure's Grass Fruit Faction.
Yes. They had chosen to join this scheme once again.
In their eyes, the greatest reason for the previous failure involving the Box of the Ultimate Bliss was none other than Hirakawa Aoshi.
Originally, the Grass Fruit Faction had been poised to control most of Kusagakure's political power.
But after that disaster, the entire faction suffered a devastating blow.
Many elders who once held real authority were forced to step down, and some of the older ones were pushed into early retirement, left to fade into obscurity.
No matter the era, the struggle for power and influence is universal.
As a result, from top to bottom, the Grass Fruit Faction harbored deep resentment toward Aoshi.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they dreamed of killing him.
But reality was cruel. Aoshi only grew stronger, and his reputation spread farther with each passing year.
Revenge seemed more distant than ever. Until everything suddenly changed.
Orochimaru, one of Konoha's legendary Sannin, appeared before them with a single proposal: he wanted to eliminate Hirakawa Aoshi.
They agreed almost without hesitation.
Of course, at first, they had doubted Orochimaru's intentions. After all, why would a ninja of Konoha target one of his own comrades?
They even suspected it might be a trap—a scheme set by Konoha itself.
But then they thought it through.
Kusagakure was just a small village. It wasn't like Takigakure, which possessed a Tailed Beast.
What would Konoha even gain by plotting against them?
As for why Orochimaru wanted Aoshi dead, there could only be one explanation.
Even within a great village like Konoha, power struggles never truly ended.
"The plan has officially begun," Orochimaru said, his hoarse voice echoing through the hall. "Aoshi is already on his way. How are your preparations?"
"Don't worry," one of the elders replied confidently. "Everything is ready. We only need him to walk into the trap."
"That's right," another added. "This time, we'll make sure he never leaves here alive."
The Box of the Ultimate Bliss was gone, but with Orochimaru's support and a carefully prepared ambush, they believed killing Aoshi would be more than possible.
Ninjas die when they're killed. Even Senju Hashirama—the so-called God of Shinobi—had fallen in the end.
So how could Hirakawa Aoshi be an exception?
"This operation cannot fail," Orochimaru said coldly. "I trust you all understand the cost of failure."
The elders' laughter faded at once. They sobered up immediately.
"Mui," the leading elder ordered, "go check everything again. We need absolute certainty."
The current Mui was still young. Though he was already a jōnin and the lord of Hozuki Castle, he could only obey when facing the elders.
"Yes," Mui answered, leaving at once to inspect the preparations.
But not long after, he encountered two children—a boy and a girl.
The boy was Muku, his son. The girl was Ryūzetsu, Muku's childhood friend.
"Dad," Muku said brightly when he saw him.
In another timeline, Muku's fate would have been sealed inside the Box of the Ultimate Bliss by Mui himself.
But now, with the box under Konoha's control, that future had already changed.
"Uncle Mui," Ryūzetsu greeted as well, her white hair swaying softly.
Mui, usually stern and distant, rarely smiled—but he did now.
After a short exchange, he instructed the two children to return to Kusagakure.
Though they didn't understand why, Muku and Ryūzetsu obeyed and left.
Watching them go, Mui let out a quiet sigh before continuing his inspection of the preparations meant to kill Hirakawa Aoshi.
---
"Stop right there. This is Hozuki Castle. State your business."
The guard ninja at the gate halted Aoshi and his team for routine inspection.
Stepping forward, Aoshi handed over the mission scroll and explained their purpose.
"So, you are Hirakawa Aoshi-sama of Konoha. Please wait a moment—I'll inform the Castle Lord immediately."
Not long after, Mui arrived in person to welcome them.
"Lord Hirakawa, thank you for coming all this way."
Aoshi returned a polite smile. "It's our duty. No trouble at all."
Although this wasn't Aoshi's first time in the Land of Grass, it was his first visit to Hozuki Castle.
It was also the first time he had met Mui in person.
"Castle Lord Mui," Aoshi said, "please take us to see the patients first."
"Of course. This way." Mui led them to a sealed-off area inside the castle.
Inside were hundreds of poisoned prisoners—two to three hundred at least.
Many were covered in terrible wounds. Some had flesh already beginning to rot, making them look more like corpses than living people.
A barrier technique surrounded the area, preventing the poison from spreading further.
Seeing the scene, Aoshi and Yakushi Nono remained calm.
But Kurenai and the other two—newly graduated ninjas—were visibly shaken.
They couldn't bring themselves to look directly and instinctively hid behind Aoshi. They were still young, after all.
Aoshi quickly explained, "My apologies, Castle Lord Mui. The three of them are my students. They're here for training."
Mui nodded in understanding. "This poison has never been seen before. It's not only extremely potent—it's highly contagious. That's why we had no choice but to isolate the infected."
His voice carried a deep sense of helplessness, as though he blamed himself for failing to protect the castle under his care.
"There's no need to worry," Aoshi replied calmly. "I'll do everything I can to save them."
Then he turned to Yakushi Nono and the others. "The situation is more serious than expected. You all stay outside for now. I'll go in alone to examine them."
Nono nodded without argument, only reminding him, "Brother Aoshi, please be careful."
Kurenai and the others echoed her words at once.
"I will," Aoshi said.
Putting on protective gear, he stepped through the barrier. The moment he entered, a prisoner weakly grabbed his leg.
"Please… save me… I… I don't want to die…"
The others reacted the same way.
But the poison had drained their strength—they could only lie there, eyes filled with desperate hope as they looked at Aoshi.
Without a word, Aoshi immediately began examining their condition and collecting samples of the toxin.
Outside the barrier, Mui watched him closely. A strange glint flashed in his eyes.
Then, slowly, he shifted his gaze toward Yakushi Nono and the others standing nearby.