Those who had been lurking in the shadows, hoping to sit back and reap the rewards, were now firmly enveloped by the growing aura of death and oppression surrounding the two men. It was especially suffocating when they met Uchiha Genki's scarlet gaze—
There wasn't a trace of warmth in those eyes, only a ruthless fury that could burn everything to ash, indifference toward all things in the world, and an obsession buried deep in his bones. It was like a cold dagger, driving straight into everyone's heart.
They froze, their clothes instantly soaked with cold sweat. Even their fingertips trembled uncontrollably. They didn't dare make a sound, and even breathed cautiously, afraid that the slightest movement would bring down disaster upon them.
The last flicker of hope in their hearts was extinguished completely. In its place came a vague yet overwhelming premonition: the so-called "spoils" they had been waiting for had never existed. What awaited them might be a catastrophe that would swallow the entire Shinobi World—and every one of them—whole, an irreversible destruction.
Sarutobi Hiruzen forced down the fear and trepidation in his heart. Leaning on his cane, he hunched over slightly from the overwhelming tension. His aged face had lost all color, and only a trace of the Hokage's stubbornness and unwillingness to yield remained in his eyes.
With difficulty, he opened his mouth. His voice rasped like an old bellows, trembling slightly as he tried to break the silence and determine the purpose of the two terrifying beings before him. "You! What... exactly are you...?"
Before he could finish, before he could even utter the final word, Uchiha Genki gave him not the slightest more patience—not even a glance.
The next second, a scarlet glow suddenly flared in his eyes. His Nine Magatama Sharingan spun rapidly,