Hawk lay beneath layers of medical seals and tubing, his body wrapped in bandages thick enough to resemble armor. Chakra stabilizers flickered across his skin like fading constellations.
Sakura stared at the diagnostic screen, unmoving.
“…This kid should be dead.”
Her voice was controlled. Her eyes were not.
“Shattered ribs. Bruised lungs. Internal bleeding barely contained.
His endurance doesn’t make sense.
Is his body made of steel?”
Tsunade stood with arms folded, gaze heavy.
“Not steel,” she said.
“Daemon nearly disfigured him.”
A pause.
“The fact he survived?
That’s a miracle.”
Shizune adjusted her glasses, scanning the report again.
“If he weren’t an enemy child, we’d recruit him immediately.
He tanked trained Daemon punches.
Most jonin can’t do that.”
Tsunade nodded once.
“He’s dangerous.
And exceptional.”
Sakura’s jaw tightened as she looked at Hawk’s unconscious form.
“Dangerous or not…
he fought with everything he had.”
Silence filled the room.
Even enemies deserved respect.
Yoru sat hunched forward, hands trembling violently.
Yuta sat beside him, watching in silence.
“You know Kakashi’s going to kill you for insulting his father… right?”
Yoru didn’t lift his head.
“I don’t care.”
His voice fractured.
“I don’t care about that.
I just want… my son alive.”
Yuta’s gaze sharpened.
“Then explain something.
Why are you and Hawk always so hostile toward Konoha?”
Slowly, Yoru pulled a folded paper from his coat. His fingers shook as he handed it over.
“Give this to the smartest person in your village.
Immediately.”
Yuta raised a brow.
“You wrote this?”
“Yes.
Because something terrible is coming.”
Yuta accepted the note.
Yoru’s breathing turned unstable.
“If Hawk dies…
I’ll run.
Or I’ll kill myself.
I’ll give Kakashi my head if he wants it.
I don’t care.”
Yuta’s eyes shifted.
Shinseigan.
Tenseigan.
Pink-blue light flickered faintly.
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And beneath Yoru’s surface thoughts—
A scream.
I JUST WANT MY SON TO LIVE.
I HATE OUR LORD—MAHITO.
HE’S TRAPPED US.
HELP.
The glow vanished.
Yuta exhaled slowly.
“…He’s not lying.
He’s trapped.”
He walked away with the note.
Shikamaru leaned back lazily, cigarette hovering between his fingers.
“Let’s be honest.
I’m the smartest here.”
Majin scoffed.
“Kid, I nearly killed Sylus with my planning.
I’m the strongest.”
Masio adjusted his collar.
“I handle political warfare.
Intelligence wins conflicts.”
The café door opened.
Yuta entered without ceremony.
“Perfect.
Three egos in one place.”
He tossed the folded paper onto the table.
“Yoru wrote this.
Said only the smartest could solve it.”
Shikamaru unfolded the note.
Four sunsets pass, then fear will bloom,
For I walk smiling toward your doom.
I twist your shape, I break your will,
A playful tyrant who loves to kill.
Who am I, the shadow who mocks as you pray?
And who will be taken on the fourth cursed day?
Majin frowned.
“Disturbing.”
Masio’s eyes narrowed.
“‘Twist your shape. Break your will.’
That’s torture.”
Shikamaru inhaled slowly.
“‘Four sunsets’ means four days.
Timeline established.”
Yuta crossed his arms.
“A sadistic killer.
Someone who enjoys fear.”
Majin closed his notebook.
“Only one name fits.”
A heavy silence.
Ryo spoke first.
“…Mahito.”
No one disagreed.
Shikamaru stood.
“And the one taken on the fourth cursed day?”
Majin’s expression hardened.
“Segawa.”
Ash dropped from Shikamaru’s cigarette.
“Then we have four days to stop a murder.”
Back in the ICU, the door slid open quietly.
Yoru stepped inside.
Hawk’s eyes fluttered weakly.
“Papa…
I was okay…
nah…”
Yoru let out a broken half-laugh and sat beside him.
Hawk swallowed painfully.
“Papa…
will he…
burn my skin again?”
The room froze.
Sakura turned sharply.
“What did he just say?”
Yoru stood.
Silently, he removed his shirt.
Sakura staggered back.
Burn marks.
Whip scars.
Brandings layered over older wounds.
A body shaped by systematic cruelty.
“This is the punishment,” Yoru said quietly,
“if we don’t show hatred toward anyone outside the Shin clan.”
His trembling hand touched Hawk’s cheek.
“My son was kind once.
Until Mahito injected violence into him.
Forced it into his mind.
Made him believe pain equals strength.”
Sakura’s fists clenched.
“Everything you said to Kakashi…
the insult…
it was an act?”
Yoru nodded.
“We pretend to be monsters.
Or we die.”
Sakura’s voice dropped.
“Konoha owes you an apology.
And your son being in ICU is not your fault.
But Mahito…”
Her eyes burned cold.
“I will personally make him regret breathing.”
Yoru shook his head faintly.
“No apology needed.
Hawk was becoming arrogant.
Others began comparing him to Mahito.
Saying he would become the next monster.”
He exhaled slowly.
“Daemon beating him…
stopped that.”
Then Yoru bowed deeply.
Lower than any shinobi present expected.
“Please.
Save us.”
Sakura breathed in slowly.
“We will.”
Yoru wiped his eyes weakly.
“And Yuta…
that kid treats Daemon like a father would.
Protects even rivals.
He’s as stupid as his dad, Naruto.”
A faint, broken chuckle.
“…Thank you.”
Kakashi’s eyes opened instantly.
Battle instincts.
“Mitsuki.
Go home.
Tell your father his experiments are being reported.”
Mitsuki nodded and vanished.
Boruto stretched lazily.
Kakashi leaned down beside his ear.
“If you look at my daughter wrong…
I’ll put you under Rock Lee’s training regimen.”
Boruto froze.
“NO—NO NO—TEN THOUSAND REPS DAILY?!
PLEASE—”
Kakashi smirked beneath his mask and walked out.
Masio knelt before Hinata and Hanabi.
“Queen Hinata. Lady Hanabi.
Mahito must fall.
For Konoha.”
Hanabi nodded sharply.
Naruto entered, cracking his knuckles with a dangerous grin.
“Then we hit the Shin clan first.
Before they try anything.”
Hanabi’s eyes sharpened.
“Agreed.
We strike first.”
Naruto stood before the gathered leaders:
Sasuke.
Ino.
Choji.
Kiba and Akamaru.
Shino.
Kakashi.
Yuta.
Shikamaru.
Rock Lee.
Every major clan represented.
Naruto slammed his hand on the desk.
“Uchiha. Yamanaka. Akimichi. Inuzuka. Aburame. Hatake. Hyuga. Nara.
And Uzumaki.”
His voice thundered.
“LET’S SHOW THE SHIN CLAN
NEVER TO MESS WITH KONOHA—
AND SHOW THE WORLD WHO WE ARE!”
Sasuke stepped forward.
Violet lightning tore open space itself.
A massive portal crackled to life.
The leaders exchanged one final look.
No hesitation.
They charged.
Straight into the rift.
Straight into Shin territory.
Straight into war.
Four sunsets remained.
And blood was coming.