"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"
A wall of earth rose from the ground, blocking Raizo's attack.
By the time Raizo broke through the wall, Kabuto had already disappeared.
"Damn it." Raizo pounded the ground. "He got away."
The man in the green vest walked over.
"Don't blame yourself," he said. "Saving these children is enough."
"But Kabuto is still out there," Raizo said. "He'll come back sooner or later."
"Then we'll catch him again," the man said. "He can't have gotten far."
Raizo nodded.
He went over to Kiyomi and checked her injuries.
Her body was covered in cracks, and she looked terrifying.
"Is this a side effect of the beacon?" Raizo frowned.
"Probably," the man said. "The beacon's power is too strong. An ordinary person's body can't withstand it."
"Can she survive?"
"I don't know," the man said. "We'll have to take her back to the Leaf for the Medical Team to examine her."
"Okay."
Raizo picked Kiyomi up and headed toward the town.
Boruto and Kawaki followed, both looking worried.
"Kiyomi won't die, will she?" Boruto asked quietly.
"I don't know," Kawaki said. "But her body is in bad shape."
"This is all my fault." Boruto clenched his fists. "If I were stronger, I wouldn't have let Kiyomi end up like this."
"Don't blame yourself," Kawaki said. "This isn't your fault."
"But..."
"No buts," Kawaki said. "All we can do now is believe Kiyomi will pull through."
Boruto fell silent.
He looked at Kiyomi's pale face, his heart heavy.
When they returned to town, the Leaf's Medical Team was already waiting for them.
The team's leader was a woman with glasses named Shizune.
"Put her on the stretcher," Shizune said.
Raizo laid Kiyomi on the stretcher, and Shizune began examining her.
Her expression grew more and more grave.