The Sealing Crystal changed without warning!
The chakra crystal, wrapped in layer upon layer of seals, now pulsed violently like a living heart within the specially designed shielding barrier. Purple-black light flickered through it, radiating suffocating cold and malice. On the barrier walls, the once-stable runes began to flicker and distort, hissing under the unbearable strain as fine cracks spread at a speed visible to the naked eye!
"Suppress it!" Tsunade reacted instantly. Dense green chakra enveloped her hands, and the markings of the Strength of a Hundred Technique reappeared. Powerful vitality mingled with sealing formulas and spread over the crystal like a vast net, attempting to reinforce the barrier on the verge of collapse.
Ling acted at the same time. His azure senjutsu chakra surged toward the restless dark energy like the purest torrent, attempting to force it into submission through natural energy's purifying properties.
Under the combined pressure of those two powerful forces, the crystal's pulsing slowed slightly, and the barrier's collapse was temporarily arrested. But Ling's expression did not ease in the slightest. His senjutsu perception told him clearly that this eruption of power had not come from nowhere. It seemed to be responding to something!
"It's resonating!" Ling said urgently. His sharp gaze swept across the room before settling on Uchiha Itachi in the hospital bed. "Is it because of his chakra fluctuations since waking up? Or..."
Before he could finish, the door to the hospital room was shoved open. Sasuke stood in the doorway, his Sharingan already activated. His scarlet eyes fixed on the restless crystal, then shifted to Itachi, who had been startled awake and was struggling to prop himself up, his gaze also directed at the crystal.
The moment Sasuke stepped into the room, another change occurred!
As though infused with fresh vitality,