"Clang."
"Clang."
A string of sharp clangs rang out as weapons hit the ground.
They sounded especially jarring in the streets awash with muddy water and blood.
With that one-armed bastard Orochimaru slithering into a crack in the ground like a dog.
And Shukaku the One-Tail smashed into scattered sand by a single punch from Sen.
The Sound Ninja and Sunagakure renegades who had infiltrated the village, their eyes bloodshot and still ready to fight to the death.
Lost every last shred of confidence in that instant.
They stared at the gray powder from the treetops swirling through the sky.
They stared at the boy dusting himself off without so much as a bead of sweat.
Their limbs went weak.
"N-no... no more fighting..."
A captive Sound Ninja weakly raised his hands and sank to his knees in the muddy water.
Several large tears gaped in his leather combat armor, exposing the yellowed undershirt beneath, reeking of sweat.
"We... surrender..."
Under this sudden, almost absurdly one-sided onslaught, the Konoha Crush Plan.
Came to an end with a complete victory for Konoha.
The air still held the scorched stench of widespread explosions and the damp, musty smell of churned earth.
Konoha's ANBU began clearing the battlefield.
Carrying stretchers, they searched through piles of rubble for the wounded.
In this battle.
Although the windblown sand and summoned beasts had destroyed many of Konoha's buildings, even bringing down most of the Hokage Building.
Yet.
Because Sen had used a Wood Release barrier at the most critical moment to forcibly contain the shock waves within the central area.
Casualties among Konoha's villagers and ordinary ninja had actually been kept to an absolute minimum.
In fact.
Even the Third Hokage, who should have died on a rooftop during this catastrophe.
Had survived, completely intact.
And