The knocking grew louder.
*Knock. Knock. Knock.*
Each strike against the door rattled the walls, shaking the IV stands and medical equipment in the hospital room. Tsunade's breath came sharp and fast, her fists clenched at her sides.
The boy on the bed didn't move. He just watched her, his dark eyes reflecting something ancient—something hungry.
"They won't stop," he whispered. "Not until you choose."
Tsunade's heart pounded. *Choose?* Between what? Letting him stay—letting this *thing* wear the face of her lost child—or watching more of Konoha's children disappear into the dark?
The door handle twisted.
Slowly.
Without anyone touching it.
---
### **The Children at the Door**
Tsunade moved on instinct, slamming a seal-laden palm against the doorframe. A barrier shimmered into place just as the door creaked open—revealing the hallway beyond.
Or what *should* have been the hallway.
Instead, a long, black corridor stretched into nothingness. And standing at the threshold were three small figures.
Pale. Silent.
Their faces were smooth, featureless—like dolls left unfinished.
The closest one raised a hand, pressing it against the invisible barrier. Where its fingers touched, the seal began to *crack*.
Tsunade's blood ran cold.
*They weren't just spirits.*
They were *hungry*.
---
### **The Memory**
The boy's voice cut through the chaos, soft and mournful.
"You left me alone."
Tsunade turned, her chest tight. "I never—"
"You *did*." His small hands clutched the sheets. "You were supposed to protect me."
A flash—
*Blood on her hands. A tiny, lifeless body. Her own screams echoing in the silence.*
She staggered back.
That wasn't—
That *hadn't happened*.
…Had it?
The boy tilted his head. "You don't remember?"
The door splintered behind her.
---
### **The First Sacrifice**
The faceless children poured into the room, their small hands grasping, their mouths stretching into grotesque smiles.
Tsunade reacted on instinct, her fist slamming into the ground. The floor erupted, sending beds and equipment flying—but the children didn't flinch. They *phased* through the debris, their hollow eyes fixed on her.
One lunged.
She dodged, but its fingers grazed her arm—
And suddenly, she was *somewhere else*.
*A dark forest. The smell of damp earth. Dozens of small figures standing in a circle, their hands linked. And in the center—*
*The missing children.*
*Trapped.*
*Screaming.*
She wrenched herself free with a gasp, collapsing to her knees.
The boy loomed over her, his shadow stretching too long, too wrong.
"They just want a mother," he murmured. "Like I did."
---
### **The Truth**
The scroll had lied.
This wasn't just a summoning.
It was an *exchange*.
Her grief had torn a hole in the world, and now the lost souls of children—those abandoned, those forgotten—were clawing their way through. They wanted a home. A family.
And they would drag the living down to take their place.
The boy crouched beside her, his breath cold against her ear.
"Let me stay," he whispered. "Or they'll take *everyone*."
---
### **The Choice**
The faceless children circled closer.
Somewhere, in the dark between worlds, Konoha's stolen children cried out.
Tsunade closed her eyes.
And made her decision.
---
**To Be Continued…**
**Next Chapter Preview:**
- *Tsunade's choice sends shockwaves through Konoha—what did she sacrifice to save the village?*
- *The boy's true purpose is revealed, and it's far more sinister than anyone imagined.*
- *The final horror begins—because some doors, once opened, can never be closed again.*