Uchiha Yū issued an order: under no circumstances were Konoha personnel to investigate this area without restraint.
Batches of Akatsuki members dressed in black could be seen, kunai in hand. Their orders were to hunt—any ninja who appeared near the lake would find this place turned into their burial ground!
At this time, Tsunade and Nawaki were in the quarantine zone, examining the changes in the afflicted ninjas' bodies.
Tsunade's medical ninjutsu far surpassed that of ordinary medical ninja. However, she had no effective treatment for this strange illness that turned skin into scales. After expending considerable effort, she could only suppress the symptoms.
"This is the first time I've encountered such a strange disease."
"The ninjas can still suppress the anger in their hearts for now, but the villagers have gone completely mad. We've had to bind them tightly with chains."
The ninja beside her gave his report in detail. Terror was visible in their eyes, because the civilians' bodies had undergone irreversible changes. Their necks had grown long, and overall, they looked like enlarged four-legged lizards. Some patients with severe mutations had even developed forked tongues.
"Those whose mutations have reached an advanced stage cannot be saved even with medical ninjutsu. Detain them for now as research material."
She was not someone who hesitated. For patients confirmed to be beyond treatment—and whose identities would not affect Konoha—Tsunade could only make the most of their remaining value and use them to study the final progression of the disease.
Turning back to the panicked ninjas, Tsunade gently patted their shoulders and spoke with a firm gaze.
"You don't need to worry about your illness. The fact that medical ninjutsu can suppress your symptoms means it can be eradicated. Give me some time, and you'll be restored to normal."
There was