In the streets and alleys, after the initial shock faded, a wave of suppressed cheers unexpectedly erupted.
"Serves them right! Those bastards who always looked down on everyone finally got what they deserved!"
"From now on, we won't have to worry about accidentally offending them and getting dragged off by the Police Force!"
"They had it coming! Acting so high and mighty all these years!"
Long-standing resentment toward the Uchiha Police Force's domineering conduct was magnified and released all at once.
Yet not everyone joined the blind celebration.
Some merchants—those who dealt frequently with outsiders and had broader experience—fell into deep unease after the shock wore off.
In a tavern corner, a middle-aged trader downed a cup of strong liquor and muttered to his companion:
"The Police Force is gone… but what comes next?"
"The Uchiha were arrogant, sure—but they followed rules, and they could keep other ninja clans in check."
"In the future, will a new Police Force really dare to ignore the moods of those ninja lords? When something truly happens, will anyone still have the power to protect civilians and small merchants like us?"
His companion fell silent as well, uncertainty written clearly across his face.
Just as Konoha—and indeed the entire shinobi world—was roiling with undercurrents and heated discussion over the Uchiha clan's overnight annihilation, a sudden anomaly appeared.
High in the sky, as if the blue heavens themselves were a vast canvas, an alien "screen" was forcibly embedded into it by some invisible power.
It was enormous beyond imagination.
Faint, indescribable light flowed along its edges as it hovered silently within everyone's line of sight.
Whether one looked up from Konoha, Kumogakure(Cloud Village), Sunagakure(Sand Village), or any other corner of the world, the screen was unmistakably visible—
as though it had always been part of the firmament itself.
"Look! What's that in the sky?!"
A civilian in Konoha was the first to notice, pointing upward in alarm.
In an instant, everyone followed his gaze.
"Is that… a screen? Like the ones in movie theaters?"
"How could something like that appear in the sky?!"
"Is this some kind of new ninjutsu? A genjutsu?!"
Exclamations, confusion, and fear replaced all prior discussion of the Uchiha.
This unprecedented spectacle—utterly beyond common understanding—plunged the shinobi world into brief but intense chaos.
Hokage Office
Hiruzen Sarutobi threw open the window, nearly dropping his pipe.
Staring at the massive sky screen, his pupils shrank sharply.
"Someone, now!"
The Third Hokage's voice was urgent, carrying a faint but unmistakable tremor.
An ANBU shinobi appeared in a flash.
"Immediately organize an investigation! Determine its origin, purpose, and composition! Hurry!"
Hiruzen practically roared the order.
"Yes, sir!"
The ANBU vanished.
Yet after issuing the command, Hiruzen's heart sank.
Investigate?
Easier said than done.
The Uchiha clan had just been eradicated. Most of Konoha's reliable ANBU forces were already deployed to monitor the major clans, guarding against internal unrest.
At the same time, the village still had to handle the aftermath of the massacre.
Manpower was stretched to its absolute limit.
Diverting resources to investigate this unprecedented Sky Screen now was nothing short of compounding disaster.
Hiruzen rubbed his temples wearily and gazed skyward, worry etched deeply into his face.
"The Uchiha matter isn't even settled yet… and now this appears. I only wanted Konoha to pass through this period safely—why must things keep going against my wishes…?"
He let out a long sigh.
"Truly… an age of troubles."
At the same time, the other great shinobi villages were thrown into upheaval as well.
Kumogakure
The Fourth Raikage, A, reacted not with confusion—but with rage.
"What kind of thing dares to play tricks like this?! Shoot it down!" he roared.
He even ordered the use of a jinchūriki.
Killer B transformed, the Eight-Tails Gyūki condensing a massive Tailed Beast Ball, which roared skyward with enough power to erase a mountain.
Yet as the attack approached the screen, it was as though it struck an invisible void.
Its energy rapidly dissipated, scattering and vanishing without a trace—like mud sinking into the sea, leaving not even a ripple.
The Sky Screen remained suspended, seemingly infinitely distant, completely untouchable by physical force.
"How is that possible…?"
The Fourth Raikage stared in disbelief, sensing for the first time that this was beyond his control.
Sunagakure
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, stood atop a high vantage point, his expression grave as he studied the sky.
He attempted to sense it using Magnet Release, yet found nothing—no substance, no chakra construct.
It was as though the screen were nothing more than a pure projection.
"Order ANBU to maintain constant surveillance of the screen and monitor any changes," Rasa commanded.
"Strengthen village defenses as well. Do not allow opportunists to exploit this situation."
It was the safest—and weakest—order he could give.
Iwagakure
Ōnoki took to the air using Earth Release, attempting to approach the phenomenon.
But the higher he flew, the farther away the screen seemed to drift, maintaining an unreachable distance.
Even Dust Release failed—his Kekkei Tōta met the same invisible boundary, accomplishing nothing.
"This thing… is no ordinary matter," Ōnoki muttered as he descended, his aged face heavy with concern.
"Notify everyone. The village is to enter Level Two Alert. Closely monitor both the Sky Screen and the movements of other villages."
Kirigakure(Mist Village)
The village was still deep within the era of the "Bloody Mist."
Internal chaos reigned.
Facing the sudden appearance of the Sky Screen, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi—secretly under Obito Uchiha's control—issued no clear instructions at all, as if utterly indifferent.
As a result, anxiety spread unchecked through the village, yet no one dared speak openly.
Under the sudden appearance of the Sky Screen, the entire shinobi world fell into a tense, suspicious, and helplessly strange atmosphere.
No one knew why it had appeared.
Nor what it would bring.
Amegakure(Rain Village) – The High Tower
Cold rain fell endlessly upon the world outside.
Konan stood by the window, the purple paper flower in her hair trembling slightly as she gazed at the massive, ominous screen in the sky.
Worry filled her clear violet eyes.
"Nagato… what is that thing? Some illusion beyond our knowledge? Or a conspiracy of the Five Great Nations?"
Her voice carried a trace of unease she couldn't suppress.
This existence lay far outside her understanding—and instinctively, it unsettled her.
Behind her, deep in shadow, the emaciated Nagato remained connected to the Gedo Statue.
Through Pain's Deva Path, a cold, emotionless voice echoed:
"There is no need for concern, Konan."
The Deva Path lifted its head.
The concentric ripples of the Rinnegan seemed to pierce through space itself—
staring directly at the Sky Screen.