Konoha was loud that afternoon—vendors shouting, children laughing, shinobi moving between missions. But in the training field at the village's edge, Team 16 moved in silence.
Rei stood with her kunai held low, her posture unusually rigid.
Daiki bounced on his heels, trying to inject his usual energy, but even he seemed off.
Kiyoshi exhaled, steadying the slow burn in his chest where the relic's phantom pulse still lurked. Today wasn't a simple training session. The Hokage's warning hung over them like a stormcloud.
Rei cracked her knuckles. "Alright. Starting again. Kiyoshi, we need you to focus on controlled activation. No escalation. No letting it take over."
Kiyoshi nodded. "I know."
Daiki raised an eyebrow. "We all saw what happened last time. Let's aim for something that doesn't end with a crater and me screaming like a child."
"You always scream like a child," Rei said flatly.
Daiki pointed at her. "Hey! That's—okay, fair."
Despite everything, Kiyoshi cracked a smile.
He took a breath… and let the Ketsuryūgan surface.
Crimson bled into the world. The training field sharpened—every heartbeat, every shift of weight, every flicker of chakra became painfully clear.
Rei moved first—fast but controlled, testing him.
Her chakra threads flickered around her fingers, weaving traps.
Daiki shot behind her, flanking, his movements a blur.
They were pushing him—pressuring him—forcing the Ketsuryūgan to work under restraint.
Kiyoshi pivoted, dodged Rei's first feint, ducked under Daiki's spin-kick, swept Daiki's leg, countered Rei's kunai—
—but he felt it again.
The pulse.
Not his heartbeat.
Not chakra.
The relic. Whispering.
Calling.
Power is a breath away. Just reach.
Kiyoshi clenched his jaw and forced the surge down—hard.
But Rei saw it. She froze mid-motion.
Daiki skidded to a halt, expression tightening.
"Kiyoshi," Rei said, voice low. "You lost focus."
Kiyoshi wiped sweat from his temple. "I pulled back."
Daiki shook his head. "Bro, you didn't pull back. You looked like you were about to snap my spine in half."
"I stopped," Kiyoshi repeated, louder this time.
Rei studied him longer than he liked. "Barely."
He turned away, chest tightening.
He hated that they were right.
He hated that the relic kept whispering.
But what he hated most—
—is that a part of him wanted to listen.
Before Rei could push further, a presence flickered into existence on the branch overhead.
ANBU.
Same mask as before. Same silent stare.
"Team 16," the masked shinobi said. "The Hokage requests your presence. Immediately."
Daiki groaned. "We didn't even break for snacks yet."
Rei shot him a look, then faced the ANBU. "Is there a mission?"
The ANBU paused.
"No. A meeting."
If anything, that made Kiyoshi's stomach sink faster.
They followed the ANBU through the village, weaving past crowds until the Hokage tower loomed above them. The air felt heavier the closer they got.
Inside, the Hokage was not alone.
Beside her stood two individuals in dark flak jackets with unfamiliar markings—not ANBU.
Kiyoshi's eyes narrowed.
Rei's did too.
The Hokage folded her hands. "Team 16. Thank you for coming so quickly."
Her gaze dropped to Kiyoshi first.
"This is Captain Satoru and Analyst Miya from the Village Security Bureau."
Daiki blinked. "We have one of those?"
Miya nodded politely. "We handle internal threat assessment."
Rei stiffened. "Internal?"
Kiyoshi's pulse slowed. Then throbbed.
The Hokage didn't flinch. "A series of events has forced us to review certain… risks. Kiyoshi, this concerns you."
Daiki stepped forward instantly. "If you're saying he's a threat—"
"We are evaluating," Captain Satoru said, his voice stone-hard. "Not condemning."
Kiyoshi rose his chin. "What exactly are you evaluating?"
The Analyst tapped her clipboard. "Your behavior since the relic incident. The reaction of your bloodline. The guardian's destruction. The chakra signature fluctuations observed by ANBU. And the psychological impact of what you encountered."
He felt Rei tense beside him.
The Hokage spoke gently but firmly. "Kiyoshi, you have shown extraordinary skill, loyalty, and restraint. But what you faced in the ruins was not ordinary. We need to ensure you are stable, safe, and in control."
Daiki muttered, "This feels like an interrogation."
"This is a precaution," Satoru corrected.
Miya looked at Kiyoshi directly. "We will need to conduct a full evaluation. Interviews. Chakra testing. Genjutsu stress analysis. Observation."
Kiyoshi froze.
"Observation," he repeated.
"Yes," Miya said. "Continuous."
Rei's eyes flashed dangerously. "You're assigning surveillance."
Kiyoshi felt the world go numb for a heartbeat.
His voice came out quiet.
"Do I get a say in this?"
The Hokage hesitated.
"…For now, no."
Silence crashed into the room.
Daiki stepped in front of Kiyoshi instinctively. "You're treating him like a bomb."
"We're treating him like someone carrying an unknown relic influence," Satoru said.
Kiyoshi closed his eyes. The whisper in his chest stirred.
The mirror had warned him.
They will fear you.
He swallowed hard.
When he opened his eyes, the Hokage looked almost regretful.
"Kiyoshi… this is not a punishment," she said softly. "This is protection. For you. And for the village."
He didn't answer.
He couldn't.
The relic's phantom pulse beat again—slow, steady, patient.
As if it knew.
As if it waited.