The air in the hospital room turned to ice.
Tsunade's hands trembled—not from fear, but from the weight of what she was about to do.
*"Let me stay,"* the boy had whispered.
And she knew what that meant.
Accepting him.
Acknowledging the ghost of her grief given form.
But at what cost?
The faceless children pressed closer, their hollow eyes fixed on her, their small hands twitching with unnatural hunger.
She exhaled.
And spoke the words that would damn her.
**"I accept you."**
---
### **The Binding**
The moment the words left her lips, the boy's face *changed*.
His hollow eyes flooded with dark veins. His mouth stretched too wide, splitting at the edges like old parchment. And then—
He *smiled*.
A wet, guttural sound bubbled from his throat as his small hands clamped around Tsunade's wrists.
**"Then you're mine now."**
Pain erupted through her—not physical, but deeper. A tearing in her *soul*, like roots burrowing into her chest.
The faceless children shrieked in unison, their bodies twisting, melting into blackened smoke that funneled into the boy's gaping mouth.
The walls trembled.
The lights flickered.
And then—
Silence.
---
### **The Aftermath**
When Tsunade opened her eyes, the hospital room was intact.
No shattered equipment. No broken door.
As if nothing had happened.
But the boy was still there.
Curled up in the bed, his face peaceful, his breathing even.
Human.
Alive.
She reached out, her fingers brushing his cheek—
And recoiled.
Warm.
Real.
Her stomach churned.
What had she done?
---
The First Rule
Shizune found her slumped against the wall outside the room, her skin ashen.
"Tsunade-sama! What—?"
"The disappearances," Tsunade interrupted, her voice raw. "They'll stop now."
Shizune paled. "How do you know?"
Tsunade didn't answer.
She couldn't.
Because the boy had whispered one last thing before she left the room.
"No more children will be taken."
"But you have to feed me."
---
The Hunger
That night, Tsunade dreamed.
A dark forest. A circle of small, faceless figures. And in the center—
Herself.
Kneeling.
Holding out her wrist as the boy—no, the thing wearing his face—sank jagged teeth into her flesh.
She woke gasping, her arm throbbing.
When she rolled up her sleeve, she found them.
Twin puncture marks.
Still bleeding.
---
The Village Rejoices
By dawn, the missing children had returned.
Dazed.
Unharmed.
Their parents wept, clutching them close, praising the Hokage for her miracle.
Only Tsunade knew the truth.
There were no miracles.
Only bargains.
And hers had just begun.
---
The Final Horror
The boy waited for her in her office, swinging his legs idly from her chair.
When she entered, he grinned.
"You're late, Mama."
Her blood turned to ice.
Because his teeth were red.
And on her desk—
A small, gnawed bone.
---
To Be Continued…
Final Chapter Preview:
- The boy's appetite grows—what happens when Tsunade can't feed him?
- A terrifying revelation: the boy isn't the only one of his kind.
- The chilling finale: a mother's love vs. a monster's hunger.