The sounds of battle cries rose from Kirigakure's upper district, and flashes from all kinds of exploding jutsu made the night brighter than day.
But while Kirigakure's high-ranking officials were wailing in agony, the rest of the villagers were thrilled and excited.
The lights in the distance and the sounds they heard filled them with excitement. They couldn't be sure they'd survive the turmoil, but as long as those people were destroyed, their lives couldn't get any worse.
Their lives had already sunk to rock bottom. Perhaps after tonight, they would have a new life.
The fighting started and ended very quickly, because this was no fair fight. The Ninja Alliance had overwhelming strength, and the other people in Kirigakure were cooperating with them wholeheartedly.
It was the combination of outside pressure and internal opposition that ultimately led to the high-ranking officials' utter defeat.
The officials had been far too insular. Apart from their own circle, they had no ties with anyone from the other strata of Kirigakure society. That was why they were caught completely off guard tonight; they hadn't received any warning at all.
Another factor was that their party had been far too lavish, bringing nearly all the high-ranking officials together in one place. This made it easy for the Ninja Alliance to capture them all in one swoop. All they had to do was station people at a few likely escape routes.
After dealing with most of the high-ranking officials, the Ninja Alliance began taking full responsibility for Kirigakure's defenses. For the "foreseeable future," Kirigakure would be under the protection of the Ninja Alliance.
This was to prevent unrest from breaking out in Kirigakure and to root out the remnants of the Akatsuki Organization. It was a necessary operation.
Kirigakure was inevitably going to lose the