In the underground laboratory, the feverish excitement sparked by their surging power was extinguished in an instant, as though someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over their heads, leaving only a chilling, heart-stopping silence.
The Jonin who had been ecstatic over their newfound lease on life now instinctively distanced themselves from their companions, warily scrutinizing one another-and themselves.
The unprecedented power coursing through their veins no longer felt like a blessing. It felt more like a time bomb buried deep within their souls.
No one knew whether they would be the next to succumb to "a god's arrogance" and see their companions as "trash."
"What... what exactly is going on?"
A Jonin from Iwagakure who had just gained an extraordinary affinity for Earth Release asked in a strained voice. He stared at his hands, which could now easily turn rock to powder, his eyes filled with fear.
"A bug? You make it sound so trivial!"
An irate voice came from the entrance. Tsunade stormed in, followed by a grim-faced Shizune.
She had evidently learned of the disturbance through some channel. Fury darkened her pretty face as she strode up to Shinichi and seized his collar.
"Uchiha Shinichi! Is this your so-called 'fitness for everyone program'? You're creating a bunch of monsters who could betray the village at any moment!"
"Calm down, Tsunade. Getting this worked up makes your hairline look another zero point zero one millimeters higher."
Shinichi wearily pried her hand away and straightened his already rumpled clothes.
"I told you, this is version 1.0. Isn't it normal to have a few compatibility issues? Even a new operating system gives you the blue screen of death every now and then."
"**How is that the same thing?! You can reboot a crashed system. If a person loses control,