They didn't move right away.
For a moment, none of them did.
The forest had gone quiet again—
but not the kind of quiet that settles.
The kind that waits.
Kushina stood where they had left her.
Her eyes still on the space where the figures had disappeared.
"…that wasn't normal…"
"…no…"
"…they weren't afraid…"
That bothered her the most.
She exhaled slowly and turned.
Daichi hadn't moved far.
But something about him had changed.
Subtle.
Tighter.
More guarded.
"You knew," Kushina said.
Not accusing.
Not yet.
Just… certain.
Daichi didn't answer immediately.
He scanned the trees once more before speaking.
"…I knew of them."
That wasn't enough.
Kushina took a step closer.
"…of who."
A pause.
Then—
"They're not hunters."
"I figured that part out," she muttered.
"They're collectors."
Silence.
That word hit differently.
Kushina's expression shifted.
"…collectors of what."
Daichi looked at her.
Really looked at her this time.
"…power."
The air felt heavier after that.
Kushina crossed her arms slowly.
"…so what. They go around picking people up?"
"If they can."
A beat.
"If they can't—"
He didn't finish.
He didn't need to.
Kushina's jaw tightened.
"…then they break them…"
"…or reshape them…"
Minato's voice came quietly from behind them.
Kushina glanced at him.
"…you know them too?"
Minato didn't step closer.
Didn't insert himself.
He just stood there.
"I've seen what they leave behind."
Silence.
That was worse than an explanation.
Kushina frowned.
"…and you didn't think to mention that earlier?"
Minato met her gaze.
"You didn't trust me earlier."
A beat.
"…fair."
Kushina exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair.
"…great. So we've got collectors chasing me."
"…you're valuable…"
"…I hate that word…"
Daichi stepped forward slightly.
"They don't act without purpose."
Kushina looked at him again.
"…so what's the purpose."
Another pause.
Longer this time.
"…you."
Silence.
Not dramatic.
Not loud.
Just—
clear.
Kushina blinked once.
"…you're serious."
"Yes."
Her fingers curled slightly at her sides.
"…for what."
Daichi's gaze didn't shift.
"To see what you become."
That sent a chill through her.
"…that's not creepy at all…"
"…you're developing…"
"…they want to control the result…"
Kushina shook her head slightly.
"No."
A beat.
"No, that's not happening."
Daichi didn't argue.
But he didn't agree either.
"They've done it before."
That made her stop.
"…what."
Minato's eyes lowered slightly.
Not avoiding.
Remembering.
"They take people like you," he said quietly.
"And they don't come back the same."
Silence.
Kushina's chest tightened.
"…what do they do."
Minato didn't answer immediately.
Daichi did.
"They remove choice."
That was worse than anything else he could have said.
Kushina stared at him.
"…what does that mean."
Daichi held her gaze.
"It means they decide when you fight."
A pause.
"When you use your power."
Another.
"And when you stop being you."
Silence.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Real.
"…that's not control…"
"…that's a cage…"
"…worse…"
Kushina looked down for a moment.
Her hand lifted slightly—
then dropped again.
"…they won't get that far…"
"…they will try…"
"…let them…"
She looked up again.
Her eyes sharper now.
Colder.
More focused.
"I'm not ending up like that."
Daichi nodded once.
"Then you need to understand something."
Kushina frowned slightly.
"…what."
His voice dropped.
Lower.
More serious than before.
"They're patient."
A beat.
"They don't rush."
Another.
"They don't need to."
Minato added quietly:
"They wait for you to make a mistake."
Silence.
Kushina huffed softly.
"Good thing I never do that."
Neither of them reacted.
She blinked.
"…okay, sometimes…"
"…often…"
"…shut up…"
A faint breath of something almost like amusement echoed inside her.
But it didn't last.
Because the weight of what they had said—
stayed.
Kushina looked between them.
"…so what now."
Daichi didn't hesitate.
"We move."
"Still running."
"Strategic repositioning."
Kushina stared at him.
"You just renamed running."
"No."
A beat.
"I improved it."
She snorted despite herself.
"Unbelievable."
Minato's voice came softer this time.
"We also need information."
Kushina glanced at him.
"…from where."
"Anywhere they've already been."
That made Daichi pause.
Just slightly.
"…dangerous."
"Necessary."
Silence.
Kushina looked between them again.
"…so let me get this straight."
She pointed slightly between them.
"You want to keep moving—"
then toward Minato—
"and you want to go toward danger."
A beat.
"…great team."
"…balanced…"
"…barely…"
Kushina sighed.
Then—
a small smirk.
"…fine."
She stepped forward.
Decision made.
"We do both."
That got their attention.
Kushina's eyes stayed forward.
"We move."
A beat.
"And we find them before they find me again."
Silence.
Daichi studied her.
Minato too.
Kushina didn't look back.
"…you're choosing this…"
"…yeah…"
"…dangerous…"
"…I know…"
She kept walking.
This time without hesitation.
Without doubt.
Because now—
it wasn't just about surviving.
It was about understanding.
And maybe—
just maybe—
staying one step ahead.
⸻
Far away—
hidden beyond sight—
voices spoke again.
Low.
Controlled.
"Subject awareness increasing."
A pause.
"Resistance stable."
Another.
"Emotional variables… unpredictable."
Silence.
Then—
a final voice.
Calm.
Certain.
"Good."
A beat.
"Proceed."
Darkness closed in again.
And somewhere deep within it—
something moved.