章 55: Rage

Pity... it was already too late.

An intense red glow illuminated the camp.

Fzzzt!

The first energy ray cut through the air with an electric buzz before impacting the chest of the nearest ANBU.

The explosion that followed was deafening, sending shockwaves through the camp.

Crack!

Bones breaking, flesh burning.

Whoosh!

Another ANBU tried to dodge, but it was useless. The ray hit him mid-jump, throwing his lifeless body against the ground with a thud.

"NO! WAIT!" The desperate screams of the remaining ANBU were lost in the chaos.

Sizzle!

One after another, the ANBU fell.

Fwoosh!

The air filled with the smell of ozone and burnt flesh, a nauseating mixture that made several of the spectators double over, fighting against retching.

In a matter of seconds, it was all over.

Where there were once six ANBU, now only smoldering bodies and the echo of their last screams remained.

"No... it can't be..." Jiraiya's voice was barely a whisper.

Minato was paralyzed, his eyes wide open.

"Are they... dead?"

The question hung in the air.

Under the astonished gaze of hundreds of ninjas, the six ANBU vanished one after another.

In a matter of seconds, all that remained of them were mounds of smoldering ashes and the nauseating smell of burnt flesh.

Silence!

A sepulchral silence fell over the camp. Barely moments had passed since Jiraiya's speech until Luo Lei "understood" his message, and six lives had been extinguished in the blink of an eye.

"Did he understand what I meant?" Jiraiya thought, but the words refused to leave his mouth. What could he say in the face of such a demonstration of power and cruelty?

"This power... is truly terrifying," someone murmured among the crowd, their voice trembling with fear.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Luo Lei, on those red eyes. 6 Jonin, reduced to ashes by a single glance of extreme heat.

Any discontent, any protest, died before being expressed. No one dared to speak.

Amidst this terrifying silence, Obito's voice sounded, "Kakashi, your friend is a true monster." He visibly shuddered before adding: "If I had that kind of power, would I feel so... free?"

Slap!

The sound of Kakashi's hand hitting Obito's head resonated. "Would you dare?" he growled, his eyes shining with anger and fear. "If you ever become like that, I'll not only break our friendship, I'll kill you with my own hands."

"Hey! We're brothers! Would you really break up with me?" Obito let out an indignant cry, rubbing his head. Then, in a more serious tone, he added: "Don't worry, I'd rather die than become so ruthless."

Noticing Rin's unusual silence, he turned to her. "Rin, are you okay? You've been very quiet."

"Ah!" Rin jumped, startled.

She quickly shook her head, as if trying to get rid of unwanted thoughts. "I'm... I'm fine," she murmured, although her voice trembled slightly.

Obito looked at her suspiciously before turning his attention back to Luo Lei.

For some reason he couldn't explain, looking at Luo Lei, he felt as if the Will of Fire in his heart faltered.

The sound of hundreds of throats swallowing in unison broke the silence.

Their eyes, still dilated with fear, fixed on Luo Lei. A single, crushing thought settled in their minds: no matter what, no matter how unfair or cruel it was, provoking Luo Lei was equivalent to suicide.

TOC! TOC!

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps cut through the tension. A Konoha ninja, his face a mask of panic, burst onto the scene. His eyes darted frantically from side to side, as if looking for an escape route.

The reason for his terror became evident instantly. Luo Lei, with an unsettling smile on his face, let his gaze wander around the camp.

His eyes, still glowing with that red, seemed to be searching for their next victim. Every shinobi on whom that gaze landed felt as if an icy kunai was being driven into their heart.

"Escape?" Luo Lei's voice made everyone shudder.

An expression of disgust crossed his face. 'Zetsu and Madara... did they really believe they could ignore my warnings? Dare to lurk in the Konoha camp?'

His disgust was palpable, but then something seemed to change in his expression. His gaze fell on Obito, and a spark of interest shone in his eyes.

"I'll deal with you later," he muttered. Then, as if a sudden idea had struck him, he added: "Right... the Battle of Kannabi Bridge."

Those close enough to hear exchanged looks of confusion. The Kannabi Bridge? What did that have to do with the current situation?

Luo Lei seemed to get lost in his thoughts for a moment. 'In the original story, that battle completely changed the lives of Kakashi and Obito,'

'I wonder... will the same happen this time?'

"Luo Lei, wait a moment..." Jiraiya's voice cut through his thoughts.

Taking a deep breath, trying to calm his agitated heart. "We were discussing launching an attack against the forces of Iwagakure. Why don't we meet and plan together?"

But he fixed his gaze on Jiraiya, his eyes still glowing with that unsettling crimson tone.

Jiraiya felt a shiver run down his spine under that penetrating gaze. Swallowing hard, he forced himself to continue, "I admit I've been selfish, but... I know that won't work now. I just ask that, please, don't take the past into account."

"Hmph!" Luo Lei's cold snort sounded.

Without deigning to look at Jiraiya anymore, he let his gaze wander around the camp. "I know you're all upset, especially you and Minato..."

The entire camp held its breath, expecting the worst.

"Therefore, I suggest you express your discontent and fear. Don't repress the fire in your hearts..." Luo Lei paused dramatically before adding, "Because the forces of Iwagakure are already upon us. Soon you'll have all the opportunity to vent!"

Boom!

The explosion wasn't physical, but emotional.

Luo Lei's first sentences had been received with skepticism, but the last statement detonated chaos in the camp.

Hundreds of ninjas exchanged looks of disbelief, some even rubbing their ears, sure they had heard wrong.

"H-how is this possible?" someone murmured. "Our scouts haven't reported anything. How can Luo Lei-sama know this?"

"UNDERGROUND!" Luo Lei's voice cut through the growing murmur.

Pointing to the ground, he explained with a hint of impatience, "The Iwagakure ninjas have dug a tunnel more than 20 meters deep, and have hidden their chakras with a barrier. If I'm not mistaken, they're already a kilometer away, approaching rapidly."

The silence that followed lasted only a second before chaos erupted.

"A tunnel?! And a barrier to hide their chakra?!"

"So that's why Iwagakure has been so quiet lately... They were digging under our feet!"

Panic spread. Konoha's sensory ninjas paled, their expressions of horror confirming Luo Lei's words.

Now they understood that vague feeling that something was wrong, but the reality surpassed their worst fears.

Jiraiya, Minato, Shikaku, Chōza, and other leaders exchanged looks of dismay. The color drained from their faces as they realized how close they had been to disaster.

Jiraiya, in particular, felt the world spinning around him. His plan, which he believed to be so carefully crafted, now seemed like a joke.

"Prepare for battle!" Luo Lei's voice resonated throughout the camp, cutting through Jiraiya's thoughts.

His eyes, still glowing with that crimson tone, swept over the ranks of Konoha.

Taking a deep breath, he continued, "Look at me, all of you. Do you feel that rage bubbling in your guts?"

"That fear squeezing your chest? Well, I have good news. The time has come to release all of that."

A cruel smile formed on his face as he added, "And you know how you're going to do it? By massacring those Iwagakure ninjas."

"Yes, you heard right. I want you to go out there and prove your worth. Make me proud. Prove that you are worthy of my protection."

His words acted like a spark in a powder keg.

"KILL!" The cry arose from hundreds of throats in unison.

"I'LL TEAR THEM APART!" roared a jōnin, his eyes bloodshot.

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! IWAGAKURE WILL FALL!" howled another, the vein in his temple visibly throbbing.

Whoosh!

As if under a genjutsu, the Konoha ninjas transformed.

The frustration, fear, and anger they had been repressing exploded in a wave of bloodlust. Jiraiya and Minato, the pillars of sanity and strategy, were not immune. Their eyes shone with barely contained madness, and the air around them seemed to vibrate with their killer intent.

It was as if all the rage and grievance that Luo Lei had generated in them had found a new target: Iwagakure.

The air seemed to change.

The collective breath of hundreds of ninjas condensed, forming a dense and ominous mist that rose towards the sky, as if the camp itself was exhaling a cloud of fury and vengeance.

Amidst this chaos of unleashed emotions, Shikaku remained motionless, struggling to process what he was witnessing.

"What is Luo Lei really up to?" he wondered, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Did he... did he deliberately kill those ANBU to fan the flames of anger in the Konoha army? To unleash this fire that now consumes everyone?"

A chill ran down his spine as he saw how even Jiraiya and Minato succumbed to this collective madness. Palming his forehead, he felt his scalp go numb with the horror of realization.

"What kind of monster have we brought among us?"

________

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