"Lock—! My son, is it really you?"
Yuzu froze at the sight before her. Her son lay in the courtyard, drenched in blood, his breathing shallow, his clothes shredded and blackened by burns and poison marks. "What happened? Lock, talk to me—!"
Lock's hand trembled as he reached for the wooden bucket beside the well. His voice was weak, but urgent.
"...Water… from the spring…"
Before Yuzu could react, Lock half-pulled, half-crawled toward the well. He plunged the bucket into the cold depths, drew it up, and began drinking the water directly from the rim.
This was no ordinary well. Long ago, he had inscribed a sealing array beneath it — a remnant of the natural spring's ancient vitality, infused with chakra and purified by barrier runes. The villagers called it the Spring of Life, believing its waters could restore even the dying.
As the water slid down his throat, a faint light began to glow beneath Lock's skin. His breathing steadied for a moment. The corrosive burn of poison dulled slightly, but the agony still clawed through his insides.
"Lock, don't move! Let me help you—"
"Don't!" Lock rasped, turning his face up sharply. "Don't touch me, Mom! I've been poisoned. You'll get hurt!"
Yuzu froze mid-step. Her hands hovered in the air, trembling. The fear in her eyes deepened, but she didn't move closer.
Lock forced his shaking body to stay upright, fighting off the fog creeping over his vision. "Mom… listen carefully," he whispered. "Go to the fifth house west of ours — find Ogawa. Tell him to summon Lord Hokage here. Quickly."
He coughed hard, blood spilling down his chin.
Yuzu wanted to protest, but the look in her son's eyes silenced her. "A-all right. I'll go—just hold on!"
As she ran out of the yard, Lock sagged against the stone edge of the well, breathing hard. His chakra pulsed erratically, like a fire burning itself out. He closed his eyes briefly, then pressed his palm to his abdomen.
The poison had rooted itself deep in his bloodstream, spreading along his chakra pathways. Every attempt to push it out only made it surge faster. Even his finely controlled chakra could do no more than slow its advance.
Scorpion's toxin… It's dissolving my system from within.
Moments later, Yuzu returned, out of breath. Seeing her son's pale face, she didn't dare disturb him. She stood silently nearby, eyes glistening.
Lock opened his eyes again and managed a faint smile. "It's all right, Mom… I'm alive."
She shook her head, her voice trembling. "I called Ogawa-kun. He said he'll inform Lord Hokage immediately. But please—tell me, Lock… what happened to you?"
Lock hesitated for a moment, then smiled faintly to ease her worry. "A mission went wrong. I just need rest. I called Hokage-sama because there's information he must hear directly."
Yuzu stared at him, unconvinced, but she didn't press further. She knew that the calmer her son sounded, the worse things truly were.
Meanwhile, inside the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage was peering at his crystal ball — and hurriedly dispelled the jutsu the moment someone knocked.
"Enter," he said, straightening his robes.
A special jōnin stepped inside and bowed. "Lord Hokage, Ogawa-kun from the western district reports an emergency. Fujiwara Yuzu requests your presence at her home. She says it concerns her son."
The Third's expression darkened. "Lock's mother?"
He set his pipe aside immediately. Yuzu shouldn't have known about the shinobi posted near her home — unless Lock himself had told her. Which meant only one thing.
"Did something happen to Lock?"
The jōnin hesitated. "She appeared frightened, Hokage-sama. Said her son had returned… badly injured."
That was all he needed to hear. "You're dismissed. Return to your post."
The Third Hokage quickly changed into a plain cloak, concealing his Hokage robes, and left the building quietly. If Lock truly was in danger, it was best to avoid drawing attention.
When he reached the Fujiwara compound, he knocked gently on the wooden gate.
Yuzu hurried to open it, her face pale with worry. The moment she recognized him, she bowed deeply. "Lord Hokage—please, come in quickly! My son… he's back, but he's in terrible shape. I don't know what to do!"
The Third's face hardened. Lock returned… and injured, without a word to me?
He stepped inside swiftly. "Where is he now?"
Yuzu pointed toward the inner courtyard. "By the well… he said not to touch him. He said he's been poisoned."
At those words, the Hokage's eyes narrowed. Poison… could it be—?
He quickened his pace toward the courtyard, already forming a series of hand signs to summon a medical specialist through his communication seal.
Whatever had happened, it wasn't ordinary. If Lock had been poisoned this severely and still lived… then the poisoner was no common assassin.
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