The forest was quiet now, only the crackle of dying embers and the rustle of leaves breaking the silence. The Root operatives had been defeated or fled, but the cost of victory weighed heavily on Team 16.
Kiyoshi carried the relic carefully, its faint pulse resonating with his Ketsuryugan. Rei walked beside him, scanning the forest one last time, while Daiki's footsteps echoed against fallen branches.
"We made it… barely," Rei said, voice trembling slightly.
Daiki chuckled, masking the tension. "Barely's still better than dead."
Kiyoshi exhaled, letting the adrenaline fade. He glanced at the relic. "Root isn't gone. This is only the beginning. They'll regroup… and next time, they'll be smarter, faster, deadlier."
Rei's eyes softened, a rare vulnerability showing. "Then we'll be ready, won't we? Together?"
Kiyoshi nodded. "We'll get stronger. Not just for the village… for Hideo, for my clan, and for ourselves."
They returned to Konoha under the moonlight. The village was quiet, the scars of Root's infiltration hidden under the calm night. Tsunade awaited them at the gates, her expression unreadable.
"Report," she said, voice steady.
Kiyoshi handed over the relic, summarizing the events with precision. Tsunade listened, her gaze sharp, noting every detail.
"You've done well," she said finally. "Root underestimated you—and your team. But don't let that make you complacent. The real threats don't announce themselves. They strike when you least expect it."
Daiki yawned, still grinning. "We survived. Isn't that enough?"
"Not for Konoha," Kiyoshi replied quietly, though his eyes met Daiki's with a hint of camaraderie.
Later, in the quiet of the night, Kiyoshi found himself by the river again, the same spot where Sasuke had warned him. He held the relic, feeling the ancient chakra pulse through it.
Hideo's voice echoed softly in his mind, fragile but steady: "Kiyo…shi…"
Kiyoshi's hand tightened around the relic. "I'll protect you. I'll protect everyone. No matter what it takes."
The river flowed calmly, masking the storm that still lingered in the shadows. Root may have been pushed back, but Kiyoshi knew the battle for the future of his clan—and Konoha—was far from over.
He looked toward the horizon, determination hardening like steel.
This is only the beginning.