Hoshigakure had fallen into an eerie silence.
The clouds of dust kicked up by the earlier battle had yet to fully settle.
At the center of the village lay countless shattered houses and collapsed walls.
Behind the ruins, many people curled up and pressed tightly together, scarcely daring to breathe.
They stole glances at Uchiha Hikari in the middle of the battlefield, their hearts still trembling with fear.
Their bodies shook faintly as well, afraid of what would come next.
In the clearing, a handful of bold Hoshigakure shinobi who were uninjured or only lightly wounded hurriedly helped their fallen companions to their feet.
After hearing Hikari's declaration not long ago, no one answered.
It was precisely because of that that their movements were so frantic, their eyes occasionally turning toward the black-haired, red-eyed girl at the center with fear and despair.
With their leader Akahoshi, as well as Night Hawk, Death Burial, and the other top jonin of the village gone, the village had completely lost any means of resistance.
The Hoshigakure shinobi who witnessed this had long since suffered a total collapse in morale.
Faced with such an insurmountable gap in strength, any thought of resistance seemed laughable—and futile.
No matter how they struggled, they could not defeat this girl.
Thus, everyone's heart was filled with unease and confusion.
It was as though they stood at the edge of a cliff, unsure whether their next step should be forward or back.
"What will our fate be from here on?"
"After submitting, what kind of situation will we face?"
All sorts of questions filled their minds.
Uchiha Hikari coldly swept her gaze over the village that had become so devastated because of her.
Only then did she look at Akahoshi, Night Hawk, and Death Burial, unconscious on the ground.