The lingering glow of the setting sun painted the sky blood-red.
Outside Thundercloud City, smoke billowed, blood dyed the earth red, and enemy corpses had piled into a mountain beneath the walls.
The great banner atop the walls had been replaced by the national flag of the Land of Flame. Enkō, covered in blood, leaned lightly against the battlements to rest. His gaze drifted toward the distant horizon, his eyes filled with countless thoughts.
Since the siege had begun yesterday morning, the battle had lasted a full two hours. Lightning Country was, after all, a major nation. Its soldiers possessed decent basic discipline. Once they learned that the Uchiha Cannon could not fire continuously, they quickly recovered from their panic and regrouped.
Although the city gates had been blasted away and the walls shattered, they still resisted stubbornly, fighting street by street against the Land of Flame within the city.
The Land of Flame's army held an absolute advantage in morale, but they had traveled a long distance and arrived without any rest in order to catch their enemy by surprise. Their opponents, on the other hand, had been waiting in comfort and held the advantage in stamina.
Moreover, this sort of street fighting limited Enkō's firepower. The Land of Flame wanted to seize the city, not massacre it. His ninjutsu was far too destructive; one careless move could wipe out everything around him. He could still cut loose somewhat atop the walls and use Susanoo to clear soldiers, but once inside the city, he could only engage in close combat.
After two hours of continued fighting, seeing that they could no longer turn the tide, Lightning Country's remaining forces slowly withdrew from the city in order to preserve their strength. Enkō did not choose to pursue them, instead beginning