Konoha, late at night.
The shrill cry of an emergency transmission shattered the night's stillness. When word arrived that Team Kakashi had crossed the border into the Land of Fire with two critically wounded, high-profile patients, the entire Konoha High Command was jolted awake.
The Hokage's Office was brightly lit. Tsunade's expression was grim as she listened to Kakashi's terse but weighty report over the encrypted channel—Uchiha Itachi had been grievously wounded while sealing the Sacred Lord's power within Sasuke, and the Darkness Source had invaded his own body, leaving him near death; Sasuke's power had been sealed, and severe damage to his soul had left him unconscious; a fragment of Orochimaru had escaped; a Masked Man suspected of being Madara Uchiha's successor had appeared...
Every piece of information struck like a sledgehammer at the hearts of the advisors and elders present.
"Activate the highest-level medical emergency protocol immediately!" Tsunade's voice was firm and decisive, carrying the unquestionable authority of the Hokage. "Lock down the separate Isolation Zone on the top floor of Konoha Hospital. Mobilize every elite medical ninja and have them stand by. I will oversee the treatment personally! Notify the heads of the Sealing Squad and Research Division to report outside the Isolation Zone at once!"
"Tsunade! You're going to treat Uchiha Itachi yourself? He's..." One elder could not help speaking up, his face filled with disapproval and wariness.
"I know who he is! I also know what he's done!" Tsunade cut him off sharply, her piercing gaze sweeping over everyone present. "But right now, he is our only living source of intelligence with intimate knowledge of Akatsuki's inner circle, the Sacred Lord's power, and the Uchiha's secrets! More importantly, he is Sasuke Uchiha's brother, and he ended up like this because he was trying to save