Kawaki held his cheek, staring at Himawari in disbelief.
Even though she had struck him with all her strength, it didn't hurt half as much as Boro's slap. What truly hurt… was the look in her eyes.
"Why… did you hit me?"
Hanabi had told Himawari not to blame anyone—not even Kawaki.
But when the person who had caused her world to collapse… her so-called brother, Kawaki… stood right in front of her, the hatred and anger surging from the depths of her heart was something she simply couldn't suppress.
Even so… she tried. She tried desperately to hold it back.
Because one thing Hanabi said had struck her deeply.
Denying Kawaki would mean denying her father Naruto's sacrifice—his willingness to risk his life to protect Kawaki.
But there was one question she had to ask.
"Kawaki! Why weren't you at Mount Yōyō!? Why did you come here!?"
"I…" Kawaki opened his mouth, but no words came out.
How could he possibly say it…?
Just ten meters behind him, floating on the water, was the body of Uzumaki Boruto—Himawari's real brother.
The one he had killed with his own hands ten minutes ago.
"Why are you here like this? Did something happen to the village… to the Seventh Hokage?" Kawaki asked urgently, partly to change the subject, but also because he truly needed to know.
Himawari's voice turned cold.
"Last night, someone named Jigen came to the Konoha orphanage on Mount Yōyō looking for you. He said if we didn't hand you over, he'd kill everyone."
"Dad and the others didn't know you had already left. They protected you with their lives."
"And when Jigen couldn't find you… he slaughtered everyone."
"They're all dead."
"…All… dead?" Kawaki's back turned cold as he trembled. "Th-the Seventh Hokage…?"
Himawari let out a hollow laugh, one that made even Kawaki's scalp tingle.
"Dead. They're all dead."
"No… that's not true! That's not true!" Kawaki collapsed onto the water, his legs giving out as he clung to a final shred of hope. "Himawari, you're just angry that I left without saying anything… you're saying this to hurt me, right? The Seventh Hokage… he's still alive, right? Right!?"
Himawari looked down at him, and the dead, empty despair in her eyes pierced straight through his heart.
"I… I killed the Seventh Hokage…? I killed him…?" Kawaki muttered, kneeling in the water, completely broken.
Himawari spoke again, her childish innocence gone, her tone like that of an adult who clearly understood love and hate.
"Kawaki, if you had just said something before leaving… if people hadn't died like headless flies, not even knowing who they were protecting… I wouldn't hate you like this."
"In that situation, it wasn't just Dad. Mom… Aunt Hanabi… none of them would have survived. I wanted to die too. But Aunt Hanabi saved me at the very end."
"I can't waste that."
"From now on, Boruto is my only family left in this world. Wherever he is… that's where I'll go."
"As for you…"
"Even if you call yourself Uzumaki Kawaki now… I will never accept you as family. Disappear from my sight. Disappear forever."
Every word struck Kawaki like a blade.
His head lowered.
As Himawari walked past him, a powerful fear surged within him—the feeling that he was about to lose the last thing that mattered.
He reached out and grabbed her arm.
"Let go of me! Let go!!" Himawari struggled, trying to pull free.
Kawaki gritted his teeth.
…And slowly released her.
Under the gaze of Boro and Deepa, Himawari walked forward. When she saw the familiar blond figure lying ahead on the water, her steps froze.
Then she ran.
She threw herself onto Boruto.
"Brother… why are you lying here? What's wrong? Wake up… please wake up!"
Her trembling hand turned him over—and came away stained with cold, bright red blood.
Cracks spread across the fragile window of her heart, from its frame all the way to her temples.
"No… no… NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
Behind her, her screams tore through the air.
Kawaki clutched his chest and collapsed onto the water, curling up.
"Hah… hah…!" His breathing spiraled out of control. The world spun violently around him.
Naruto's face. Jigen's face. Hinata's face. Himawari's face. Even his drunken biological father's face…
They all spun inside his mind.
Their features twisted unnaturally—eyes, noses, mouths—rotating in chaotic directions.
The dizziness made his stomach churn violently.
"Ugh—!!" Tears streamed from his bulging eyes as he vomited uncontrollably.
Red, white, black, even green… everything came pouring out.
Boro frowned. "Seriously…? He's even throwing up bile?"
At this rate, he might really kill himself.
Boro stepped forward, patting his back. "Breathe slowly! Clear your mind! Don't think about anything!"
It hurts… why does it hurt this much…?
I only wanted to repay the first person who ever gave me something like a home! I just did what he couldn't do! That's all!
So why… why did it turn out like this…?
Why is the world punishing me like this!?
I can't take it… I'm going to die like this…
Then let me die… just let me be free…!
Boro's expression darkened. At this rate… he really will kill himself.
Forget it. Knock him out and take him back to Jigen.
But just then—
Kawaki forced himself upright with one hand, his voice trembling.
"Boro… Deepa… kill… kill that girl."
Yes… kill her.
If she dies, he can sever that unbearable bond completely.
Then he won't have to suffer like this anymore.
Boro narrowed his eyes—then burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! That's more like it! The heartless vessel of Ōtsutsuki Isshiki—Kawaki!"
Deepa laughed maniacally. "Fufufufu~ Killing is my specialty. Don't take this from me, Boro! I'll split her skull open and dig out her brains myself~!"
He stepped behind Himawari, his right arm transforming into a gleaming black carbon blade. With a twisted grin, he swung it down toward her head.
Clang!
A hand like an iron clamp seized his wrist mid-strike.
Deepa looked up in confusion—
And met a pair of eyes that felt like they came straight from hell.
Standing there in a black robe, Akira spoke coldly.
"Open your mouth."
"…Huh?" It wasn't genjutsu. It was pure instinct—the overwhelming pressure of a superior being. Deepa's body obeyed before his mind could react.
His mouth opened.
"Universal Creation."
A black sphere shot from Akira's eye—straight into Deepa's mouth.
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