Had they not known from the Sky Screen's spoilers that this catastrophe would not truly arrive for another twenty-odd years, they would never have felt that the danger was far away and nothing to worry about.
They probably would all have wanted to move immediately and flee Kirigakure.
Konoha.
Inside the Hokage Office, Tsunade stared at the Sky Screen, her brows tightly knitted and her eyes filled with hesitation and uncertainty.
After a long moment of thought, she turned toward Hiruzen Sarutobi beside her and spoke tentatively.
"Old man, those chains blotting out the sky... I have a theory, but I haven't dared to be certain."
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked utterly grave as he slowly nodded. Clearly, his thoughts had already gone in the same direction.
"It occurred to me, too."
"Few people in the shinobi world today still remember the legends of the Uzumaki Clan."
"Shinobi of later generations know even less about the true terror of this ancient, secluded clan with its thousand-year heritage."
"But in my opinion, those sky-shrouding chains are very likely a Secret Technique of the Uzumaki Clan."
"You think so, too?!" Tsunade's eyes instantly widened, her face full of disbelief and her heart reeling with shock.
"But how is that possible?!"
"The Uzumaki Clan had deep reserves of knowledge, but those were limited to barriers and Sealing Jutsu!"
"How could they be powerful enough to wipe out one of the Five Great Hidden Villages overnight and slaughter everyone in it? That level of combat power is absurd!"
Beside them, Jiraiya wore an equally conflicted expression. He drew a deep breath, unable to believe it.
"Exactly... Destroying an entire major hidden village."
"If this really is the Uzumaki Clan's power, why did they never show it before?"
In everyone's memory, the Uzumaki Clan had long since