Late night.
A crescent moon hung in the sky, shining down on the silent Konoha.
However,
In the early hours of the morning,
The quiet night was completely torn apart by waves of fearful and disbelieving screams.
Many night-patrolling Ninjas were alerted and began rushing quickly towards the sources of the screams.
The incidents occurred in residential houses, commercial inns, kabuki theaters, and even…
The No. 1 Jonin Base.
2:15 a.m.
Four teams of Jonin wearing Konoha's standard flak jackets all arrived at the entrance of the Jonin Base using Body Flicker Technique.
Their expressions were dark, and they looked on with horrified and angry eyes as several Hokage-direct Anbu applied Sealing Techniques, carrying a heavily sealed Shikaku out to an open area outside the base.
Shikaku, head of the Nara Clan, the Jonin Commander, one of the few who actually held the highest authority in Konoha.
And now,
This Ninja, representing Konoha's upper echelons of power, had undergone an unbelievable and terrifying change.
When he was found, Shikaku's body had already become stiff, standing rigidly at the entrance of the Jonin Training Base like a zombie. His body had undergone a wooden transformation.
Simply put, the flesh and skin covering his bones had undergone a fundamental change in nature, directly transformed by some mysterious force into a substance resembling rotten wood.
Shikaku's body had consequently become as stiff as decaying wood. His breathing and heartbeat continued, but he had lost consciousness.
What made the Konoha's Jonins present feel the most apprehensive and angry was that the eyes of their Jonin Commander reflected the pattern of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
"The Sharingan!??"
Choza, who had rushed to the scene upon hearing the news, had clear anger on his face. He didn't know the specifics of what had happened, but his close friend Shikaku had obviously fallen into grave danger.
Soon, Shikaku, suppressed by Sealing Techniques, was taken to the Ninja Hospital by the Anbu.
Konoha's response was swift. Within just half an hour, they had assembled a team of expert Medical-Nin to begin analyzing Shikaku's condition.
Simultaneously,
A large number of Ninjas and even civilians began to be pulled out of their homes by patrolling Ninjas and sent en masse to the Ninja Hospital.
Clearly,
This was not an isolated incident. Too many people in Konoha had been affected this night, and the symptoms appearing in each person were remarkably consistent.
Unconsciousness, rapidly woodifying bodies, plus the clearly visible Three-Tomoe Sharingan in their eyes.
"The Sharingan?"
"This…"
'Could it be Fugaku-sama?'
The Uchiha Clan was responsible for Konoha's Police Force, so naturally many of their members were on night patrol.
The moment they saw this shocking scene, their internal reactions were quite different from those of most Konoha's Ninjas.
Stupefaction.
Confusion.
Horror.
Trembling.
And even excitement.
Various complex emotions instantly flooded their minds, giving the Uchiha Ninjas at the Police Force a scalp-numbing sensation.
Some Uchiha from the Hardline Faction, upon seeing this situation, turned around without a second thought and returned to the Uchiha Clan's compound.
Judging by their extremely excited demeanor, they were clearly seeking some major action.
The night passed quickly.
The next day, morning.
Konoha's Ninja Hospital was still packed, and not just the Ninja Hospital… even the ordinary hospitals and small clinics treating civilians were overflowing.
Woodified bodies, unconscious comas, plus those crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan…
There were simply too many such cases, slowly plunging the entire Konoha into an atmosphere of panic.
Relevant statistical data soon came out.
Overnight, the total number of people showing this strange affliction was 582. Over seventy percent were civilians, and about thirty percent were Ninjas.
"What kind of illness is this? A Genjutsu? But that can't be right. If it's a Genjutsu, why would the body undergo a wooden transformation?"
"It's somewhat like a plague. Shizune-sama of the Medical Team worked in the lab all night but found no leads. This disease seems to have fallen from the sky, and there are simply no similar cases to reference."
"I heard even Shikaku-sama was affected. His body turned to rotten wood, but he doesn't die immediately. His vitality is slowly draining away. It's pure torture!"
"The Sharingan? Could it be the work of the Uchiha?"
"It's quite possible. I heard from the Jonin Team that this time, only Uchiha Clan's members were unaffected. Only ordinary people and other Ninjas were harmed."
"Have the Uchiha Clan gone mad? Do they want to rebel!??"
Some Konoha's Ninjas voiced exceptionally angry questions. This strange disease had come too suddenly and too fiercely, and the Three-Tomoe Sharingan in every patient's eyes were clearly visible.
'The Uchiha were being utterly brazen, did they have no regard for the entire village at all!??'
'And…'
'Is this strange disease really a disease?'
'The Uchiha are skilled in Genjutsu. Could this be another large-scale Forbidden Jutsu they developed!???'
In short, the seeds of doubt had already taken root and sprouted in the hearts of too many Konoha's Ninjas.
After all, the Three-Tomoe Sharingan in every patient couldn't be faked. These were the symptoms of being controlled by the Uchiha's power!!!
If the low and mid-ranking Ninjas reacted so intensely, Konoha's higher-ups were in an uproar.
Hokage's office.
Layer upon layer of barriers were erected.
"Damn it!"
"The Uchiha Clan is far too arrogant!"
Homura couldn't contain his temper and angrily rebuked, "Has Uchiha Fugaku, who awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, decided to use its power to destroy the entire village!??"
"Keep calm."
Koharu beside him said solemnly, "Jiraiya and Minato have already gone to the Uchiha Clan with all the Anbu. I believe this matter will be resolved soon. Whether it's the work of the Uchiha Clan or Uchiha Madara, our most urgent task is to control the situation and prevent this strange disease from spreading further."
Both Homura and Koharu had experienced countless wars, so even though Konoha was facing such a major crisis, they could still maintain relative calm.
At this moment,
Hiruzen, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke.