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The night was dark, and the forest stretched endlessly before him, each tree a blur as Haruto pushed himself beyond his limits, Daichi slung across his back. Each step tore through him, every breath a jagged gasp that ripped at his throat, but he refused to slow. His heart pounded against his ribs, driving him forward even as exhaustion threatened to drag him down. Chiyo's chakra loomed behind him like a shadow, relentless and cold, closing in with every passing second.

With a desperate flick, he threw his last corrosive tags over his shoulder, scattering them like breadcrumbs of defiance in his wake. The tags hissed as they hit the ground, acidic smoke rising, each one a feeble but final attempt to slow her down. He could feel her chakra signature pulling back, just slightly, as he threw everything he had into pushing forward. Every inch of his body screamed with fatigue, the Gates that had once filled him with unstoppable energy now leaving him hollowed and exposed. But he clenched his teeth, dug deeper, refusing to let the flicker of hope die.

"Just… keep… going," he muttered, the words barely audible over the sound of his own labored breaths. The image of Sakumo waiting ahead burned in his mind, his one remaining lifeline. It drove him, kept him upright as his legs turned to lead, his lungs seared from the inside out, every muscle a throbbing reminder of the limits he had long since crossed.

His vision began to blur, shadows bleeding into his periphery, but he forced his focus to stay on the path before him. He stumbled, nearly tripping over a root, but he kept going, jaw clenched, the last threads of his defiance dragging him forward. He could feel Daichi's weight on his back, pressing him down, and yet he refused to let go.

Just a little more… just one more step.

But the strength he clung to finally snapped. His legs buckled, his body crumpling as he hit the ground. He felt the cold earth beneath him, grounding him, his strength completely gone. Daichi slipped from his shoulders, landing beside him in a lifeless heap as Haruto's vision faded to black.

Darkness crowded in at the edges, a suffocating tide that swallowed him. Each breath grew fainter, his body no longer able to answer his call to rise. In those last moments, with his face pressed to the forest floor, only one thought surged up, raw and burning, defying the exhaustion and the overwhelming shadow closing in.

"Fuck… you…"

A few moments later..

The familiar, menacing hum of Chiyo's puppets surrounded them. She approached, her steps light, her gaze as sharp as the weapons that circled her. Her remaining puppets fanned out, forming a deadly ring around the boys, their pointed limbs poised to strike, like the outstretched claws of a predator ready to pounce. Chiyo's eyes gleamed with satisfaction; she could feel the fragility of her victory in the air, the boys' lives dangling from her fingertips. She relished the power, her hand twitching as she prepared to deliver the final blow.

In that fragile moment, with the boys' fate hanging by a thread, a sudden, powerful surge of chakra cut through the night air. Chiyo's hand froze, her body instinctively bracing against the overwhelming presence that bore down upon her. She turned slowly, and there he was: Sakumo, emerging from the shadows, his gaze a lethal promise. She could see in his eyes that if she made even the slightest move against the boys, her life would be forfeit.

Despite her formidable skill, Chiyo knew she was at a disadvantage. Her puppets were damaged, and though she could potentially escape Sakumo, she refused to leave empty-handed with the boys at her feet. The stakes were too high; if she incited Sakumo's fury, he would pursue her relentlessly. It was a risk she couldn't afford—Sasori still needed her, and her survival mattered too much to gamble.

She cursed inwardly, feeling the hollow weight of her shattered victory. If only she had been at her peak—then, perhaps, they would have had a battle worthy of her skill. But here, cornered, she knew that any misstep would be fatal, if she killed the boys sakumo would never let her go.

A familiar pulse echoed in her mind—the chakra signature of her clone fading, signaling her operatives' success. The masked jonin and the sword-wielding shinobi from the Leaf had survived but had ultimately failed to protect the merchant's son. Though her mission was complete, a dark hunger lingered within her, a thirst for vengeance unquenched by their defeat alone.

"You understand the situation, I assume," Sakumo's voice cut through the silence, calm but edged with iron. "If you harm these boys, your life ends here."

Chiyo's jaw clenched, her gaze defiant. "And if I decide to cripple them?" she countered, voice a venomous challenge. "They would still be alive, and I would leave."

Sakumo's expression remained unchanged, his stance unwavering. "That isn't an option."

A slow, sharp laugh escaped her. "Fine. One of them, then. A reminder of our encounter. You choose."

Sakumo's mind raced, the weight of the impossible choice sinking in. He felt his resolve falter, knowing that allowing her to harm one of them was against everything he stood for. But she held the advantage here, even if only by a hair. If he refused, her vindictive rage could cost both boys their lives. He needed to secure the survival of at least one and could only hope the other would endure.

"Leave their limbs, their chakra pathways intact," he said finally. his voice as cold as the forest air. Each word fell like a stone, weighted with reluctant acceptance.

Chiyo responded "I can accept those terms."

Unable to say his name aloud, Sakumo pointed to Daichi, a silent choice made for the village's future. Haruto's potential, he knew, held too much importance.

Chiyo's smile twisted into something darker. She read his intent, understood his sacrifice, and a flicker of delight danced in her eyes. She had only ever intended to choose Haruto, to exact her cruel revenge on the one with the most potential, it was clear from their battle.

But this, she realized, was an opportunity to leave Sakumo with an emotional wound he would feel every time he looked at Daichi, knowing he had choose him.

"What are you doing?" Sakumo demanded, taking a step forward, his voice edged with fury seeing Chiyo reach for Haruto.

Chiyo's laughter was soft, mocking. "I changed my mind… I get to choose," she murmured, moving toward Haruto with a venomous smile. She reached into her sleeve, grabbing two sharpened senbon. With swift, brutal precision, she drove them into Haruto's eyes, twisting slowly as she went, her movements as cold and deliberate as her gaze.

A raw, excruciating pain flared in Haruto's unconscious form, tearing through the darkness that surrounded him. His body shuddered involuntarily as the blinding agony raked through his mind, the merciless twist of the senbon igniting every nerve. Chiyo's fingers moved skillfully, her smile unwavering as she released a special corrosive poison from the senbon, letting it seep into the nerves. She ensured the damage would be irreparable, burning through not only sight but the possibility of any future implants.

Sakumo's chakra flared, a furious storm that radiated through the clearing, a silent promise of vengeance. But Chiyo remained poised, meeting his gaze with a thin, mocking smile, her confidence unwavering.

"It's done," she said simply, stepping back and examining her handiwork with detached satisfaction. "Consider it mercy." Her final words lingered in the cold night air as she vanished into the shadows, leaving behind the echo of her laughter, a scar in the silence of the forest.