Shinsui stood motionless, his gaze fixed on Mito Uzumaki. The gentle breeze tugged at her hair, and for a moment, it almost felt like they were simply two kin meeting by chance in a forest clearing. But beneath that calm exterior, a storm boiled inside him.
Ten thousand years of growth, power, and dominion—yet in this moment, Shinsui felt the familiar sting of betrayal, sharper than any blade.
"You've grown strong," he said quietly, voice almost admiring. "Stronger than when I was sealed. Yet you still wear the same look in your eyes. Righteous. Certain."
Mito didn't answer immediately. Her eyes narrowed, wary, observant.
"You knew I'd return," he added, stepping closer. "So tell me, Mito… why did you betray me?"
The question hung in the air like a curse.
Mito's jaw tightened. She drew in a slow breath, anchoring herself.
"I didn't betray you," she said at last. "You betrayed yourself."
Shinsui's eyes flashed. The shadows around his form pulsed for the briefest second.
"I was trying to save us," he said, voice low and bitter. "From the endless war. From the curses we inherited. I wanted to give us a future. A real one."
"By destroying the present?" Mito snapped, her voice edged with emotion. "You called it peace, but it was domination. You wanted to become a god, and when the world didn't bow, you decided it wasn't worth saving."
Shinsui stepped forward again, closing the distance.
"I was made a god. The moment you sealed me, the moment I was erased from this world, I found something greater. I built a realm, a race, a cycle. I became the future you feared."
Mito's fingers twitched slightly, chakra stirring. She didn't raise her voice. She didn't flinch.
"My husband," she said slowly, "believed in peace. He gave everything for it. The village… our clan… it all stands on his back. And you—"
She stepped forward, gaze steady.
"You want to burn it all down. That's why I sealed you. That's why I will stop you again, if I must."
For a brief moment, the shadows behind Shinsui flickered, pulsing like a heartbeat. His expression remained calm, but the anger in his soul clawed at the edges of his control.
"Hashirama's dream is already rotting," Shinsui said quietly. "You're just too close to see it. I'll burn this world slowly, Mito… so everyone can feel it. One breath at a time."
Mito looked at him—not with fear, but with sorrow.
"I won't let you."
For a few seconds, neither moved. Then Shinsui turned away, his cloak billowing behind him like a shadow being pulled from the earth.
"I'm not here for you yet. Walk your path, Mito. I'll see you at the end of it."
And with that, he vanished into the trees, leaving Mito alone.
She stood there, the seal on her palm glowing softly, heart pounding beneath her ribs.
She had bought time.
But she knew time was all she had left.