Sasuke's eyes were fixed on the glowing interface, his mind buzzing with the overwhelming decision he had just made. The promise of power—unimaginable, boundless power—was now within his reach. He had accepted it, and in that moment, he realized there was no turning back.
His fingers hovered, trembling slightly, before he pressed the word Accept on the interface. The instant he made contact, an ancient and immense force erupted from deep within him. It wasn't just power—it was raw, primal energy, something that hadn't been felt in the world for countless generations.
His heartbeat surged in response, pounding hard against his chest as though it could break free. Each beat reverberated through his entire body. The sound was deafening, a relentless thudding that filled the room and echoed in his skull. It wasn't just his heart that was affected. The very walls around him seemed to tremble under the intensity of the force. His vision blurred, and the room seemed to distort, as if reality itself was bending under the weight of the power surging through him.
Sasuke felt it deep in his chest—the pain. A sharp, intense throb, as if something or someone was carving directly into his soul. He gasped, trying to steady himself, but the pain only worsened. He felt like he was being torn apart, as if his body, his very essence, was being rewritten by an invisible hand.
Desperate for relief, Sasuke ripped his shirt off, revealing his pale, sweating skin. His heart was racing so violently that he could feel it in his throat. Then, he saw it. Golden symbols—ancient, glowing words—began to appear on his chest, seemingly written into his skin. They weren't just marks—they were alive, pulsing with energy as though they were being etched directly into him.
Sasuke's breath caught in his throat. His entire body shook with pain as the symbols twisted and writhed, leaving marks he couldn't understand, ancient characters from a language he'd never seen. Each new symbol felt like a scar, each one carving deeper into his very being. His face twisted with agony. He gritted his teeth and tried to hold back the tears, but they flowed freely, mixing with the sweat on his brow.
He couldn't breathe properly. The air around him felt thick with pressure, as though the weight of the energy was suffocating him. The pain intensified, and Sasuke screamed, his body convulsing as the markings on his chest seemed to burn brighter and brighter. His hands gripped his chest, but the heat was unbearable.
Suddenly, the world outside began to feel the shift. The air grew heavier, charged with an unnatural force that no one could trace back to its source. People throughout Konoha began to feel an odd sensation, a pressure that seemed to press down on them from above. The streets grew eerily quiet as if the very atmosphere had shifted, creating an invisible barrier that made it hard to breathe.
In the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt it first. His pulse quickened, and a cold shiver ran down his spine. The energy that filled the village was strange—foreign, unnatural, and undeniably strong. There was no visual cue, no chakra flare to explain the disturbance, but the pressure in the air was palpable. He quickly mobilized his ANBU, ordering them to investigate.
"Move quickly," Hiruzen barked, his voice thick with concern. "We need to know the source of this. It could be a threat to the village."
The sense of foreboding was undeniable. The village felt... off. Something had happened, something that had shifted the balance. Was it a jutsu from an enemy? A hidden attack from another village? Or something else entirely? The questions raced through Hiruzen's mind, but the answers were elusive.
Elsewhere, Danzo Shimura, ever watchful and aware of potential threats to Konoha, felt it as well. He narrowed his eyes, feeling the oppressive weight of the disturbance creeping into his senses. His instincts told him it was no ordinary attack. But how could such power have appeared without warning? He knew that something, someone, had triggered this event. And though he didn't yet know who or what was responsible, Danzo could feel the potential danger it posed.
"This is troubling," Danzo muttered under his breath, turning toward his Root operatives. "Prepare for any eventuality. We need to be ready."
In the hospital room, Sasuke's body shuddered as the golden symbols on his chest finished their pulsating glow. The pain that had been tearing him apart abruptly ceased, and the overwhelming energy that had filled the room vanished as if it had never been there. The pressure in the air lifted, but the feeling lingered, unsettling everyone in the village. No one could trace its origin, and no one would have guessed that the source lay within the unconscious boy lying in the bed.
The golden marks on Sasuke's chest faded, leaving behind only faint scars as proof of the event that had transpired. His body lay still, utterly drained. The boy, once driven by anger and thirst for vengeance, was unaware of the power now residing within him—or the consequences it would soon bring.
As the ANBU entered the room, they found nothing more than the last Uchiha, unconscious and alone, with no apparent cause for the sudden and strange disturbance that had shaken the entire village. There was no sign of a battle, no enemy forces at play. Sasuke's unconscious state was the only clue, and it left more questions than answers.
Hiruzen, after sensing the end of the unsettling pressure, gathered his thoughts quickly. He could still feel the remnants of whatever force had swept through the village, but there was no clear explanation for what had happened. The disturbance had been unlike anything he'd encountered, and now that it had ceased, he was left with a feeling of dread.
"I'll have Sasuke moved to a more secure location," Hiruzen said to his ANBU, his mind still racing. "And keep an eye on the boy. I don't trust what just happened. Not at all."
As the day passed and the village began to return to its normal rhythm, many were left with an unsettling feeling. What had caused the pressure? Where had it come from? Most of Konoha's residents would never know that the answer lay within the last surviving Uchiha. Sasuke, unconscious and unaware, had unknowingly bound himself to something far greater than he could ever comprehend.
Outside of the hospital, the villagers slowly resumed their normal routines, but the unease lingered in the air. There was something about the day's events that felt wrong, something beyond just the Uchiha massacre and the weight of recent loss. And while Sasuke, lying in his hospital bed, had no idea what had transpired, the ripple effects of his actions would soon be felt.
In the shadows, Danzo watched, his mind already working through possibilities. No one had seen the true source of the disturbance, but he was certain that whoever or whatever had triggered it was far more powerful than any individual had ever realized.
As for Hiruzen, he stood at the edge of the Hokage tower, gazing out over the village. The strange feeling still hadn't left him. The village may have returned to its rhythm, but something had shifted. A new power had entered the world. And Konoha was not ready for the consequences.
[Binding with the System aka Origin Rune of Evolution, completed.]
Sasuke had unknowingly taken the first step toward a path no one could predict, and the world around him had already begun to change.