Hidden Leaf Village was shrouded in smoke and explosions as the setting sun sank westward, evening glow blanketing the sky.
With the Third Hokage personally taking the field, along with various countermeasures and deployments, the massive Chinoike attack finally subsided after raging for an entire afternoon.
Hidden Leaf Village had suffered devastating losses this time.
In this terrorist attack, nearly a hundred ninja alone had been killed. Civilian casualties were even more numerous, countless buildings had been severely damaged, and the entire East District and South District had been paralyzed.
Worse still, the incident dealt a severe psychological blow to the villagers of Hidden Leaf Village. Many survivors were left with wounds that would be difficult to heal. After all, watching one's loved ones turn into Human Bombs with one's own eyes—how could that not traumatize them?
If Uchiha Chiri and the others had not responded in time, those madmen of the Chinoike Clan would have broken through the Southeast District Blockade Line and slaughtered their way into the depths of Hidden Leaf Village.
Hiruzen's strategy was simple: the Chinoike were a pack of madmen who knew only slaughter. Kill them whenever possible; anything less would not appease the people's outrage. If they encountered troublesome opponents, they were to drive them out with all their strength. Fortunately, through the united efforts of the Hidden Leaf's ninja, every last one of those madmen was finally cleared out as dusk approached.
Ironically, the Uchiha Clan Territory was located in the West District of Hidden Leaf Village, yet even after fighting desperately to the death, the Chinoike madmen never caught sight of so much as a single roof tile of Naka Shrine.
Of course, the Uchiha Clan could not escape its share of responsibility.
The very next day, Hiruzen convened a high-level meeting