By the time Team 16 emerged from the ruins, dawn had broken. Pale light stretched across the forest, washing the battlefield in gold. But none of them felt warmth.
The journey back to Konoha was silent—each of them carrying their own thoughts. The relic had been sealed, its fragment locked inside a containment scroll Rei carried carefully on her back. Even so, Kiyoshi swore he could still feel its heartbeat, faint but insistent, like a phantom echo.
At the village gates, ANBU were already waiting. Word of the barrier's tremor had reached the Hokage. Masks hid their expressions, but their formation was sharp, their movements rigid.
One of them extended a hand. "The relic. Hand it over."
Rei hesitated, glancing at Kiyoshi before passing the scroll. The ANBU sealed it inside a reinforced container without a word, then turned toward the Hokage's tower.
Daiki muttered under his breath, "Friendly bunch."
The debriefing was short but heavy. Team 16 stood before the Hokage, her gaze steady, unreadable. Behind her, advisors whispered, jotting notes.
"So," she said finally, her voice carrying across the chamber, "not only did you encounter a relic… but you destroyed an ancient guardian and faced a manifestation of unknown origin." Her eyes fixed on Kiyoshi, sharp as kunai. "And through all of it, your Ketsuryūgan reacted."
Kiyoshi met her gaze, forcing his voice steady. "…Yes."
A murmur rippled through the advisors. One leaned forward, lips tight. "This is dangerous. The Chinoike bloodline is already classified as high-risk. With access to a relic of this scale—"
Rei stepped forward, cutting him off. "With respect, Hokage-sama, we faced the guardian together. If not for Kiyoshi's eyes, none of us would be standing here."
Daiki crossed his arms, nodding firmly. "Yeah. If you're going to make notes, don't forget who actually kept us alive down there."
The Hokage raised a hand, silencing the room. Her eyes lingered on Kiyoshi. "…Strength is only half the question. Control is the other."
The weight of her words pressed against him harder than any guardian's strike. He bowed his head slightly. "…I understand."
Later, as they left the tower, Daiki blew out a low whistle. "Well, that wasn't ominous at all."
Rei glanced at Kiyoshi. "They're watching you now. Closer than before."
Kiyoshi didn't answer right away. He felt the relic's phantom heartbeat again, echoing under his ribs. They have reason to.
But what he feared most wasn't the Hokage's suspicion, or the ANBU's surveillance.
It was that his reflection had been right.