A Show of Strength

Hana rolled her eyes. Given what she had been through a couple of days ago, she doubted a punch from this idiot would do little more than annoy her. She didn't know why she had to be punched too, but whatever made Naruto's plan work in the end then she would do too.

"Nix the male bravado. Hurry up before I turn Naruto into a liar and turn you into a smoldering crater in this prison. I'm annoyed enough," Hana decided to answer.

"Fine, but don't blame me for dismembering your faces!" Bando shouted as he rolled his fist back and socked Naruto across his cheek before delivering another powerful blow to Hana as well. Both...were a bit surprised when they were sent flying into the opposite wall from where Bando was standing. Oh, okay so the man was a teensy bit stronger than they thought.

"Holy shit! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!"

A chorus of chants erupted from the prison courtyard. Naruto leaned up from the debris and chuckled. "Bastard! You're gonna regret that!" Naruto hollered as he dashed from the wall and into Bando. Hana was not far behind him. All three crashed into each other and began flailing like mad beasts.

"Don't lose, Bando-san! If you lose to a damn brat everyone's gonna make fun of you!" someone cheered. It wasn't long before more statements were made by the surrounding inmates.

Bando kicked Naruto away before he pinned Hana to the ground. "Shouldn't mess with inmates, girlie! We like to get rough sometimes," He chuckled at her, but Hana wasn't so amused. She quickly tied her legs around his thigh and swung him over her until she could stand. She then grabbed his collar and firmly planted her knee into his stomach.

"Don't push it if you still want to start a family of your own one day," she whispered to him. He slowly nodded before she allowed him to knock her in the face again.

In a matter of moments, Ryuzetsu, Akari, and the prison warden, Mui, arrived on the scene. The latter quickly pushed through the crowd. "All of you, stand down this instant!" he called.

"Someone punches me in the face and you tell me to stand down?! Move aside old man! If your inmates have a death wish! I'll be happy to comply!" Naruto yelled as he slapped his hands together. A shame this would be just for show, but...he couldn't afford to scare them all too much.

With a roar, Naruto's body exploded with a level of chakra that no one in the prison was prepared for. Not even Bando could hold his surprise as he saw the aura of a black mist expel from Naruto's body.

Another source of mighty chakra exploded which drew people's attention to Hana. The ground cracked beneath her feet as the weight of her chakra surrounded the prison. Both were treated to the sight of Mui's astonished face. The combination of their chakra drained life from the trees, grass, and air around them. So dense was it that the prison walls ruptured. Each feat made Mui's eyes grow wider and wider.

"Enjoy your time in hell, bastard! You punched the wrong guy!" Naruto chuckled as he charged at Bando with a speed that could have destroyed the ground if he desired.

Before he could even get close, Mui stood between Naruto and the bulky man. "Uzumaki Naruto, stop now or I will detain you!" He called, but Naruto ignored him. He kept his charge without end. Seeing this intent in his eyes, the prison warden intercepted the redhead. Of course, Naruto allowed the jonin to slip through his defenses enough that the old man was able to place a hand on his chest.

"Katon: Tenrō (Fire Release: Heavenly Prison)," Mui called out as a seal of fire pulsated from his hands and into Naruto's chest. The blood user grunted in pain before the force of the blast sent him crashing back next to Hana. The former Inuzuka snarled before she charged at him as well. Of course, she knew her role as well and tried for a more...direct approach with some brief combat, but in the end the same jutsu was used on her and sent her crashing next to him.

The courtyard grew silent. Mui turned around. "All prisoners back in their cells! Guards, take these two back to their quarters and keep them there until I give the orders. The same goes for their teammates over there. As for you, Bando, we've had issues with you in the past. A week of solitary confinement should fix your attitude. Take him away,"

Guards moved and so did prisoners. Akari and Ryuzetsu were wordlessly ushered away by two guardsmen while another group picked up the unconscious Naruto and Hana. Both were taken back to their quarters as well.

As the two were taken away, the gaze of the prison warden was upon them. His eyes looked upon them like the eyes of a pirate upon buried treasures. For so many weeks he had been stumped in trying to figure out ways to open the Box of Ultimate Bliss. Now, as if Heaven itself had answered him, a potential solution of vast, nigh bottomless chakra in the bodies of a small boy and young woman had presented itself to him.

Mui asked for a guard to call the four council elders who helped him maintain the prison. It wasn't long before they were all seated.

"I called you all here because we have made a recent discovery. About twenty minutes ago, a fight was happening in the courtyard by two members of the Kusagakure team and an inmate. Before the fight could escalate, all have been dealt with, but it is possible that the young man and woman are the keys to opening the box. I saw their chakra. It was mightier than any I had felt before. I dare say the woman alone had the chakra of at least a hundred jonin," Mui said.

The four council members were silent for a moment. "Such a woman cannot exist. Unless…,"

"Unless she were potentially a jinchuuriki. But Kusagakure does not have a bijuu as far as I recall," One of them said.

"Agreed, but there are many secrets to the world that not even we know. And the boy?" another asked.

Mui thought back to that time for a moment. "His was not as potent as hers, but...it felt heavier and much richer than the girl's. It is possible that with them both, we can keep the box open permanently. If we feed it chakra from them both then...it's not impossible that we can make consecutive wishes upon it," he said.

The four council members thought on this for a moment. This situation sounded almost too good to be true, but none had ever come to doubt Mui's word. They had seen the man coldly and heartlessly sacrifice his son for the benefit of Kusagakure. None could question his devotion, but...it would feel awfully convenient for not one, but two powerful sources of chakra to come into the prison at the same time. However, such an opportunity wasn't so disadvantageous. Mui had placed the fire seal on them both. They were already unconscious. If they prepared the equipment tonight…

"Very well. We'll follow your lead, Mui. Set up the equipment for the midnight. Be sure to give them both heavy sedatives to make sure that they aren't awoken. We must also come up with a plan to speak with the chunin operative and the other genin to avoid suspicion," one said.

Mui readily agreed. "That will not be a problem. I am still a jonin. Integrity of her mission aside, I'm still her superior officer. She runs the risk of being court martialed. Those two will not be a problem," he answered.

"See that they aren't. Very well, dismissed," the last of the four said.

As the group of five dismissed itself, no one noticed a deep red, incredibly tiny figure on the ground. It smiled evilly before it slipped into a pool of liquid and swam away into the darkness. As it swam away, a laugh echoed from its tiny vocals.

....

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