The silence afterward felt worse than the fight.
No movement.
No voices.
Just broken ground and uneven breathing.
Kushina stayed where she was for a moment, staring at the crater beneath her feet.
The earth was cracked apart.
Trees splintered.
The air still carried the remains of unstable chakra.
His chakra.
Her chest tightened again.
"…please…"
The word wouldn't leave her head.
"…you're distracted…"
"…shut up…"
She pushed herself fully upright, ignoring the ache running through her arms.
A few meters away, Daichi was checking the edge of the clearing again.
Even now.
Even after all that.
Minato stood near the shattered tree line, watching the forest like he expected something else to emerge from it.
Kushina clenched her jaw.
"…they used him…"
No one answered immediately.
Because they all knew.
She looked down at her hands.
Still shaking.
Not as badly as before.
But enough.
"…I almost lost it…"
"…almost…"
"…that's getting closer…"
Her fingers curled tighter.
"…I know…"
Daichi finally turned back toward her.
"We leave. Now."
Kushina's head snapped up immediately.
"No."
Silence.
Heavy.
Daichi's gaze hardened slightly.
"This place is compromised."
"I said no."
Minato looked between them but stayed silent.
For now.
Daichi stepped closer.
"They got exactly what they wanted."
Kushina laughed once.
Short.
Sharp.
"Good for them."
"That's not a joke."
"I know."
Her voice rose slightly.
Not yelling.
But close.
"They're doing this on purpose!"
Daichi stopped in front of her now.
"Yes."
"And we're leaving?"
"Yes."
Kushina stared at him in disbelief.
"That's your answer?"
"It's the correct one."
Something inside her snapped at that.
Not control.
Frustration.
Raw and sharp.
"No."
Her voice came out harder this time.
"I'm tired of hearing that."
Daichi didn't move.
"You're emotional."
"Of course I'm emotional!"
The words echoed through the clearing.
Kushina stepped forward.
"They took someone and turned him into that thing—"
"He's still dangerous."
"I KNOW."
Her chest rose sharply.
"But he's still there!"
Silence.
Daichi's expression didn't change.
"That hesitation will get you killed."
That hit harder than she expected.
Kushina froze.
"…what."
"You hesitated."
A pause.
"You're lucky it didn't cost more."
The anger inside her twisted instantly.
Hotter.
Sharper.
"…you think I don't know that?"
"You need to hear it."
"No."
She took another step forward.
"I need you to stop acting like this is just another mission!"
The air shifted.
Dangerously.
Daichi's gaze sharpened immediately.
"Kushina."
Too late.
The pressure inside her surged.
Not exploding.
Not uncontrolled.
But rising.
Fast.
"…there it is…"
"…don't…"
"…he's right…"
"…I said DON'T—"
The chain appeared instantly.
Too fast.
Too sharp.
The ground cracked beneath her feet.
Minato moved immediately.
Not toward her.
Toward Daichi.
Positioning.
Preventing escalation.
"Kushina."
His voice was calm.
Steady.
That almost made it worse.
She turned toward him sharply.
"What."
Minato held her gaze.
"You're angry."
"No kidding."
"And you're feeding it."
Silence.
That stopped her for half a second.
Just enough.
Her breathing was uneven now.
The chain trembled beside her.
Violently.
"…you're slipping…"
"…no…"
"…look at yourself…"
She looked down.
The chain wasn't stable anymore.
It pulsed with her emotions.
Cracking the ground each time it moved.
Kushina's chest tightened instantly.
"…no…"
Daichi's voice lowered.
"Breathe."
She glared at him.
"Don't tell me to breathe."
"Then lose control."
That hit.
Hard.
Kushina's jaw clenched.
Her entire body shaking now.
Not from fear.
From pressure.
From anger.
From guilt.
"…he asked for help…"
"…and you couldn't save him…"
"…stop…"
"…that's what hurts, isn't it…"
Her breath caught.
For a second—
everything inside her pulled in different directions at once.
Rage.
Fear.
Guilt.
Pressure.
The chain cracked outward violently.
Minato stepped forward immediately.
"Kushina."
Not loud.
Not commanding.
Just clear.
Her eyes snapped toward him.
And for a moment—
that steadiness grounded her.
Just enough.
"You're still choosing."
Silence.
The chain trembled again.
Then slowed.
Just slightly.
Daichi didn't move.
Didn't interrupt.
He just watched.
Waiting.
Kushina's breathing shuddered.
In.
Out.
Again.
"…you're still here…"
"…barely…"
"…still enough…"
Her fingers tightened—
then slowly loosened.
The chain flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then disappeared.
Silence crashed over the clearing.
Kushina stood frozen.
Breathing hard.
Exhausted.
But in control.
Barely.
Her knees almost gave out.
She caught herself before they could.
"…that was close…"
"…yeah…"
No one spoke for a moment.
Then—
Daichi finally stepped closer again.
This time slower.
Less rigid.
"You proved my point."
Kushina laughed weakly.
"…you always know exactly what to say."
"No."
A pause.
"I just say what matters."
She looked away.
Still breathing unevenly.
"…I hate that."
"…I know."
Minato glanced toward the trees again.
"They'll escalate now."
Kushina closed her eyes briefly.
"…good."
Both of them looked at her again.
She opened her eyes slowly.
And there was something different in them now.
Not panic.
Not fear.
Resolve.
"They wanted to see if I'd break."
A pause.
Her jaw tightened.
"…next time they'll be disappointed."
Silence.
Then—
Daichi nodded once.
Not agreement.
Not approval.
Recognition.
Minato's voice came quieter.
"…then we need to be ready."
Kushina looked toward the dark forest ahead.
Toward whatever waited inside it.
Her fists tightened slightly.
Not shaking anymore.
"…then we stop reacting."
A beat.
"…and start hunting them."
Far away—
hidden deep within darkness—
a voice spoke again.
"Instability increasing."
A pause.
"Excellent."
Another voice answered:
"She's approaching synchronization."
Silence.
Then—
a final command.
"Prepare the next phase."
And somewhere far beyond the trees—
something opened its eyes.