The shadows lunged.
Black claws of chakra slashed through the rift's mist, forcing Boruto to block with a rasengan that shattered one into smoke. Sarada weaved hand seals, sending a stream of fire into another, its form twisting before evaporating in a hiss.
But for every shadow they defeated, two more emerged.
"Where are they coming from?!" Boruto yelled, leaping back as another claw narrowly missed him.
Sarada's Sharingan spun, tracking their movements. "They're drawn to us. They're testing us—no, taunting us."
Ryo slashed at one with his kunai, but the blade passed through, slowing it only for a moment before it reformed. The mark on his wrist burned hot, and each time the shadows approached, they turned their glowing eyes toward him, hissing in voices that felt like a thousand whispers:
"Return… become one…"
"Stay back!" Ryo shouted, chakra surging from his mark in a sudden burst. A shockwave of warm light pulsed out, forcing the shadows to recoil, their forms flickering.
Boruto landed beside him, panting. "Whatever you just did—do it again!"
"I… I don't know how!" Ryo's heart pounded, the warmth from the mark spreading up his arm like liquid fire. The world around them flickered again, showing glimpses of the Hokage faces on the Monument, the Hidden Leaf streets, the Hokage Rock bathed in dawn light.
Sarada's eyes widened. "These shadows… They're made from the memories of Konoha. They're using the village's past to break through."
The ground beneath them cracked as a massive shadow rose, towering over the others. It took the form of a shinobi with spiky hair, wearing a cracked Hokage cloak, its face hidden in swirling darkness except for one glowing eye.
Ryo froze. Deep inside, he felt like he knew that shape.
"Is that… the Fourth Hokage?" he whispered.
The shadow turned toward him, and in that single glowing eye, he saw sorrow, regret, and a plea for help.
The shadow's hand lifted, gathering black chakra into a massive sphere.
Boruto cursed, forming his own rasengan. "We can't let that hit us!"
Sarada moved in front of Ryo, hands weaving signs rapidly. "Ryo, focus! Remember how you felt when you pushed them back!"
The shadow hurled the sphere toward them. Ryo's mark blazed with light, and he felt something click in his mind—a memory not his own, of standing on the battlefield, protecting comrades, refusing to let the Will of Fire die.
"Move aside!" Ryo shouted, stepping forward.
He lifted his hand, chakra swirling around him in green and gold streams, forming a shield that pulsed with warmth. The black sphere collided with it, and the world exploded in a flash of light.
Wind roared around them, tearing at their clothes and hair. Boruto shielded his eyes, shouting something, but Ryo couldn't hear him. All he could feel was the warmth flooding through him, the mark on his wrist glowing like a sun, pushing back the darkness inch by inch.
The shadow screamed, its form cracking, fragments of darkness breaking away to reveal a glimpse of a face underneath—Minato Namikaze's face, eyes filled with gratitude before fading into light.
The other shadows shrieked, dissolving into mist that was drawn back into the rift, leaving only silence.
Ryo fell to his knees, panting, the mark on his wrist dimming but still warm.
Boruto dropped beside him, grinning wide. "Dude… that was awesome!"
Sarada knelt, placing a steady hand on Ryo's shoulder. "You did it, Ryo. You saved us."
Ryo looked at the mark, then at the rift, which now pulsed softly, calmer than before. But deep inside, he knew this was only the beginning.
He looked at his friends, his team, and clenched his fist.
"We're going to close this rift," he said, voice steady. "No matter what's on the other side."
Boruto grinned, slamming a fist into his palm. "Yeah. Let's protect the village—our way."
Sarada adjusted her glasses, her Sharingan fading as she smiled. "For the Will of Fire."
As they stood together, the rift pulsed again, but this time it felt like it was waiting—testing them, calling them to step forward into the unknown.
And together, Team Boruto, Sarada, and Ryo took their first step toward the true battle waiting beyond the rift, ready to protect the Will of Fire against the shadows of the past—and the enemies yet to come.