The ruins trembled under the weight of chakra. Twisted trees and shattered stone littered the ground, the scent of smoke and blood thick in the air. Team 16 circled the box, crimson light from Kiyoshi's Ketsuryugan cutting through the mist.
"Enough games," a cold voice echoed through the ruins. From the shadows stepped a tall figure, cloaked and masked—the Root leader. His presence exuded calm menace, each movement precise, deliberate.
"You've done well to make it this far," he said. "But the bloodline key belongs to Root, not the village of fools protecting it."
Kiyoshi tightened his fists. "We'll see about that."
Daiki charged first, fists blazing. The leader sidestepped with inhuman speed, sending shockwaves across the ground. Rei unleashed her genjutsu, ensnaring him in a web of illusions—but he shattered it instantly, stepping through the cracks in reality like smoke.
Kiyoshi's blood surged. Tendrils lashed out, weaving through roots and rocks, aiming for the leader—but he dissolved into shadows, reappearing behind Kiyoshi.
"Predictable," the leader murmured, striking. Kiyoshi barely blocked the blade, crimson sparks flying where blood and steel collided.
"Team, flank him!" Kiyoshi shouted. Daiki and Rei split, coordinating attacks, trying to corner the operative. But every strike he evaded, retaliated, or turned against them, testing their coordination.
From the box, a faint pulse of chakra radiated—unstable, raw, almost sentient. Kiyoshi felt it calling, tugging at his bloodline. This power… if I let it flow, I could end him now… but lose control.
The leader sensed the hesitation. "Your blood calls to me. Let it flow, Chinoike. I know what you fear—and what you crave."
Kiyoshi's aura flared. Blood threads erupted from him, whipping around the ruins. The leader's mask cracked under the sheer pressure, but he didn't falter. He moved with a predator's grace, every step calculated to test Kiyoshi, Rei, and Daiki.
Rei's chakra threads darted through the battlefield, cutting off escape routes. Daiki's brute force smashed down on rocks, creating openings for Kiyoshi—but even their combined effort was barely enough.
Then, in a moment of clarity, Kiyoshi shouted: "Now, together!"
He synchronized his attack with Daiki's charge and Rei's sensory snare. Blood threads surged forward like a storm, binding the leader while Rei's chakra threads immobilized him. Daiki's fists smashed the ground beneath, sending a tremor that shattered his balance.
The box's barrier flickered—unstable. Kiyoshi reached forward, crimson aura flaring, and absorbed the pulse of chakra, stabilizing it with his bloodline power. The relic hummed, resonating with his Ketsuryugan.
The Root leader hissed in frustration. "Impossible…"
Kiyoshi pressed forward. Tendrils lashed around him, sealing the operative's movements while the relic floated safely between them. Daiki and Rei pressed their attacks, relentless. Finally, the leader collapsed, pinned, struggling beneath the combined force of Team 16.
Breathing heavily, Kiyoshi lowered his hands. The relic hovered between them, stable and secure.
"Team… we did it," he said quietly.
Daiki smirked, bloodied but triumphant. "Told you, I like a good fight."
Rei exhaled, her eyes glowing faintly in relief. "We worked… as one."
In the distance, a whisper of wind carried a single thought to Kiyoshi: This isn't over. Root's shadow is still out there… and next time, it will be heavier.
But for now, Team 16 had survived. They had proven themselves—not just to Konoha, but to themselves.
And Kiyoshi… Kiyoshi had taken the first true step toward reshaping the fate of the Chinoike.