The Valley of the End

"Where's the caster?"

Sylvie pointed at the sky.

"Up there."

Kiyomi followed her finger and looked up.

A figure was floating in the air.

It was Jigen.

"He really came back to life..." Kiyomi said.

Jigen looked down at the village.

"Konoha." His voice rang throughout the village. "Hand over the Nine-Tails, and I'll spare your lives."

Naruto rushed onto a rooftop.

"Not a chance!"

"Then don't blame me," Jigen said.

He raised a hand.

A black sphere of energy gathered in his palm.

"Try this."

The sphere fell.

Naruto charged forward to stop it.

But the sphere suddenly split into countless smaller ones.

"Damn it!"

The spheres fell toward every corner of the village.

Kiyomi watched one of them descend toward the eastern district.

"Sylvie, run!"

"We're out of time."

The sphere hit the ground.

Boom!

A massive explosion swallowed everything.

The blast wave sent Kiyomi flying.

She slammed into a wall and spat out blood.

"Cough..."

Her ears rang.

Her vision blurred.

"Sylvie..." She struggled to her feet.

Sylvie lay motionless a short distance away.

"Sylvie!"

Kiyomi ran over.

Sylvie's chest was still rising and falling faintly.

"She's still alive..."

She carried Sylvie to safety.

Then she looked up at the sky.

Jigen was still there.

"I have to stop him."

Kiyomi gritted her teeth, gathering Chidori in her hand.

But she knew she was no match for him.

"What should I do..."

Just then, Naruto appeared beside her.

"Kiyomi, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Kiyomi said. "But Sylvie's hurt."

Naruto glanced at Sylvie.

"Get her to the hospital first."

"But..."

"That's an order."

Kiyomi clenched her teeth.

"Understood."

She picked Sylvie up and ran toward the hospital.

The road was littered with rubble.

Villagers were crying out.

"Help!"

"My child!"

Kiyomi's heart twisted.

But she couldn't stop.