บท 18: Began....

Swish!

The sound of the wind cut by Luo Lei's movement resonated across the battlefield, leaving all present slack-jawed. In an instant, he had positioned himself at the front of Konoha's army, his solitary figure defying thousands of Sunagakure ninjas.

The effect was immediate and electric. All eyes, from both Konoha and Suna, were fixed on Luo Lei, the tension in the air so thick it could almost be cut with a kunai.

Among the Konoha ranks, a murmur of excitement and admiration spread. The shinobi looked at each other, their eyes shining with a mixture of awe and anticipation.

"Did you see that?" whispered a Jōnin, his voice trembling with excitement. "It's Lord Luo Lei. The one who defeated Lord Danzō."

"They say he has a mysterious Kekkei Genkai," added another, his voice laden with reverence. "Do you think he'll use it here?"

On Sunagakure's side, the reaction was very different. The initial confusion quickly gave way to burning fury.

The Sand ninjas clenched their fists, their eyes burning with hatred towards the man who had massacred their elite team.

"Who does he think he is...?" growled a chūnin. "Does he think he can face our entire army alone?"

"Maybe he thinks we're just decoration," spat another, irony dripping from every word. "Or perhaps he thinks he can defeat a thousand of us with a single blow."

In the rear, Sunagakure's leaders watched cautiously. Rasa frowned deeply. "What the hell is he up to?" he muttered.

A snort of disdain sounded from the side. "Look at him," Chiyo said sarcastically. "The great deputy commander, acting like a reckless rookie. Is this the best Konoha has?"

Beside her, Ebizō's voice sounded. "The problem is that we don't know exactly what he's capable of," he pointed out. "Pakura only warned us that he was crazy, but didn't give us details about his abilities. I guess we'll find out the hard way now."

With a charming smile that brutally contrasted with the charged atmosphere, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the crowd in front of him. His voice, though seemingly kind, resonated with a tone of barely contained threat:

Just when the tension seemed to reach its breaking point, Luo Lei made his move. With a charming smile that brutally contrasted with the place, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the crowd in front of him. His voice, though seemingly kind, resonated with a tone of barely contained threat:

"My dear friends from Sunagakure," he began with clear concern. "I really don't want to hurt you. It would be a real shame to stain my clothes with your blood. Why don't we make this easy? Surrender now... and maybe I'll consider being merciful."

The silence that followed Luo Lei's words was so deep that it seemed the whole world was holding its breath.

The battlefield, normally a chaos of noise and movement, became so still that the sound of a pin dropping would have resonated like thunder.

The Sunagakure ninjas, initially stunned by Luo Lei's audacity, soon began to exchange looks of disbelief and mockery.

"Has this guy lost his mind?" muttered a Chūnin.

"Does the great vice-captain of Konoha ANBU think he can intimidate us with empty words?" sneered another.

The tension in the air was palpable, charged with repressed anger and thirst for revenge.

Finally, Sunagakure's patience ran out.

"Luo Lei!" roared a Jōnin from the front ranks, his voice laden with fury. "You're seeking death! Do you think we've forgotten the massacre of our elite team?"

"Even if you're strong," shouted another, "We are more! Your arrogance will be your downfall!"

As if those words were a signal, the Sunagakure Genin in the front line began to form seals quickly.

"Fūton: Daitoppa!" dozens of voices shouted in unison.

The air itself seemed to tear as a monstrous whirlwind materialized, roaring towards Luo Lei with devastating force. But this was just the beginning.

Before the first attack could even reach its target, the second row of Genin sprang into action.

"Katōn: Endan!" The chorus of voices rose above the roar of the wind, and the sky lit up with the glow of dozens of fireballs merging into a monstrous conflagration.

The heat was so intense that even the ninja in the back rows could feel it burn their faces.

And yet, Sunagakure wasn't finished. The third row of Genin was already forming seals.

On Konoha's side, the reaction was one of panic and desperation. The genin in the front line, seeing the imminent danger, frantically began forming their own seals.

But they were too slow to counter Sunagakure's impending attack, Luo Lei remained motionless, still with a smile on his lips.

"Why bother?" he murmured, his voice so low that only he could hear it.

His eyes, previously black, began to glow with a crimson light. The air around him seemed to ripple.

He really didn't want it to come to this, but... what other choice did they leave him? If they were so disobedient, so stubborn in their defiance, then only one solution remained: Total Annihilation.

A few meters away, Orochimaru observed his eyes with a mixture of fascination and anticipation. 'There it is,' he thought excitedly. 'That mysterious Kekkei Genkai is about to make its grand appearance.' With a quick gesture, he signaled the jōnin surrounding him, preparing them to launch a general attack as soon as Luo Lei made his move.

Suddenly, the world seemed to stop for an instant.

Luo Lei's eyes, already bright, lit up with blinding intensity.

FZZZZT! FZZZZT!

Two beams of pure energy, red as blood and burning hot as the surface of the sun, exploded from his eyes.

The impact was instantaneous and devastating.

BOOM!

The gigantic whirlwind, product of the combined effort of dozens of Sunagakure genin, was the first to fall. The heat rays pierced through it as if it were paper, disintegrating it in a deafening roar that shook the battlefield.

But the laser didn't stop there. Without pause, without apparent effort, he directed his deadly gaze towards the huge fireball that was approaching.

KABOOM!

The result was equally catastrophic. The conflagration, which seconds before threatened to incinerate everything in its path, collapsed upon itself.

The residual heat from both attacks spread in waves, raising the temperature of the area several degrees in a matter of seconds.

The scene left everyone present in a state of shock. The Konoha shinobi, who had prepared for the worst, found themselves with nothing to do, their half-formed jutsus now unnecessary.

The Sunagakure ninja were paralyzed, their minds struggling to comprehend the scene.

"What... what the hell is that?" shouted a Jōnin, his voice breaking with panic.

"It has to be a joke!" exclaimed another, his eyes wide open with horror. "What kind of monstrous ability is this?"

"His eyes! His eyes shoot laser beams!" screamed a Chūnin, his body shaking uncontrollably. "What kind of infernal Kekkei Genkai is this?"

Even Rasa, old Chiyo, and Ebizō exchanged looks of disbelief and fear. Never in their long lives had they witnessed such a strange and deadly ability.

Amidst the confusion and terror, Luo Lei's laughter echoed across the battlefield.

"KAHAHAHAHA!" A demented laugh, his eyes burning with a crimson glow. He spread his arms. "If you don't obey, then die!"

FZZZZT! FZZZZT!

Two crimson heat rays, with a temperature exceeding 3,000 degrees Celsius, shot out from his eyes.

They moved at an impossible speed, creating a tunnel of burning plasma.

Where the rays touched, matter simply ceased to exist. Entire bodies vaporized instantly, leaving only silhouettes of ash on the ground.

"N-!" A ninja couldn't even complete his scream. His upper torso disappeared, leaving his legs standing for a moment before collapsing.

The rays pierced through multiple targets as if they didn't exist. Rocks, trees, and bodies disintegrated in their unstoppable trajectory.

Some tried to shield themselves behind earth walls. The rays went through them like hot butter, vaporizing the ninjas hidden behind.

The battlefield turned into a strange landscape. Perfectly circular trenches marked the path of the rays, the vitrified ground smoked with a reddish glow.

Luo Lei, with surgical precision, swept the area. Each movement of his eyes traced a new line of absolute destruction.

"He's a monster!" someone shouted, seconds before a ray split him vertically, the two halves falling in opposite directions, cauterized instantly.

________

Time: If you're craving more (and I know you are!), I have just what you need. On my Patreon, you'll find exclusive chapters. Join our community and be the first to discover what happens next!

👉 [patreon.com/Athome790]

Your support fuels me. Thank you for the support! 💖