Thick, dark clouds covered the sky, as though nature itself were mourning the impending disaster.
The sun was obscured, leaving only faint light filtering through gaps in the clouds to cast a gloomy shadow over the land.
An oppressive atmosphere filled the air, making it hard to breathe.
Flames and smoke shrouded Konoha's skyline. The new Hokage Building collapsed in the raging blaze, scattering fragments of wood and steel.
The villagers were terrified, but rather than scatter in all directions, they headed for safe shelters under the guidance of the Empire's shinobi.
Kage Rock, which had once overlooked Konoha, was now a field of rubble. The four imposing Hokage faces had long since vanished.
Uchiha Setsuna's face was covered in warm blood. The Uchiha hardliner who had once rebelled and served time in prison lay in Danzo's arms, both hands clutching Danzo's collar in a death grip.
Even with blood smeared all over his face, his somewhat cloudy Three-Tomoe Sharingan remained just as striking.
"Cough..."
Setsuna suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staining Danzo's tattered Head of State uniform bright red.
"Danzo... Head of State..."
With every twitch of Setsuna's body, blood carrying bits of his organs flowed from his mouth.
Even with death fast approaching, Setsuna's face still bore the defiance of someone who had suffered a terrible injustice!
"You always used to be on guard against the Uchiha... cough..."
"I know... you thought we Uchiha were too extreme..."
Danzo held the blood-spewing Setsuna with a look of deep reflection, quietly listening to his "last words."
"Before... even I thought the Uchiha were a little..."
Setsuna released Danzo's collar and struggled to point toward "Orochimaru," who was rampaging through the flames nearby, fighting the Susanoo Giant Buddha.
"Now... the Uchiha will never... never admit it!"
"Admit... that our