The sky darkened, as though another downpour could break at any moment. Brief chaos swept through Iwagakure as crowds of ninjas and villagers gathered below the Tsuchikage Building.
Squelch.
A Black Rod pierced Ōnoki's abdomen again. Blood poured from his mouth as he stared at Fugaku Uchiha in horror.
It was as though he were seeing Fugaku for the first time. Ōnoki had been groomed by Iwagakure's Senior Officials since the village's founding. He had never imagined he would be killed at the height of his power.
"The Shinobi World doesn't need a second, dissenting voice. Ōnoki, the times have left you behind."
When Ōnoki breathed his last, Fugaku exhaled softly and tossed his body into the rubble. He walked toward where the window had once been.
The entire room had become a vast platform, open on every side. Nothing blocked the view; the roof had been torn clean off.
A great many ninjas had gathered outside. Fugaku Uchiha's sudden appearance sent a wave of panic through them.
"Fugaku... Uchiha? What are you doing here?"
"Ōnoki is dead. Hand over the Four-Tails and Five-Tails, and sign a Treaty with the Land of Fire. Do that, and Iwagakure can be spared disaster."
Fugaku's words rang clearly in the ears of the Iwagakure villagers. The crowd below erupted in commotion.
"Impossible! No one in the entire Shinobi World can withstand the Tsuchikage's Dust Release."
One person protested, but a chill ran through many more ninjas as a dreadful suspicion took hold.
Figures leaped onto the surrounding buildings and closed in on the Tsuchikage Building. On the vast platform, Ōnoki's small body and the blood covering the floor stood out starkly.
The ninjas watching from all sides felt dizzy. To Iwagakure, Ōnoki had been their heaven and earth. Now that he was dead,