A thick black shroud hung over the sky above Wufang City. A faint smell of blood lingered in the air. Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others had clearly entered the barrier at dawn, yet inside it, night had fallen over Wufang City!
"What... what is going on?"
Shikaichi Nara stared in disbelief at their surroundings.
Under Hiruzen Sarutobi's lead, the group had just passed through the barrier surrounding Wufang City. They now stood outside the city gate, which was shut tight just ahead of them.
The land outside the city was desolate. It should have been the season when plants flourished, but all the vegetation outside Wufang City's barrier had withered.
"Buzz, buzz..."
The sound of insects' wings filled the ears of the Konoha shinobi. Without waiting for the Third Hokage to give an order, countless Kikaichū had already emerged from Aburame Shibi's body and scattered in every direction. Many slipped through the crack beneath the gate and entered the city.
Two shinobi from the Hyuga Clan activated their Byakugan and began surveying the city.
"What?"
"Something's happened!"
The Hyuga shinobi had only just activated their Byakugan when their expressions changed.
"What is it? What happened?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked calmly, his expression stern. His subordinates' panic did nothing to rattle him.
"There's no sign of anyone. The city is empty. We can't see anyone!" one of the Hyuga shinobi reported. Not long after he finished speaking, Aburame Shibi, who was controlling the insects, lowered his head slightly. Even his sunglasses couldn't hide his shock.
"The insects that entered the city were killed." Aburame Shibi's words were brief, but what they revealed weighed on everyone's hearts.
"We shouldn't waste time. Let's go in and investigate," Akimichi Choza suggested. Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head, stepped out from the group, and moved to the