Chapter 27: The Storm
Screams of agony echoed across the battlefield, each one abruptly cut off by the hissing sound of Luo Lei's heat rays.
One after another, the Konoha ninjas who had dared to question his authority fell.
Under Luo Lei's relentless gaze, no one seemed safe from his wrath.
Time seemed to stand still. Ten seconds... a minute... an eternity.
Both the Konoha ninjas who had not yet been attacked and the Sunagakure ninjas who had surrendered remained paralyzed.
The realization fell on everyone like a slab: Luo Lei was not simply powerful, he was relentless. He made no distinction between friend or foe when it came to imposing his will. His explosive temper and total lack of scruples made him a being without restraints.
Orochimaru, observing from the side, couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. "How violent..." he murmured, with no intention of intervening.
This cleansing was necessary. Those fools who hadn't learned from Danzō's fall deserved this fate.
Another explosion shook the air. Another Root ninja fell, his existence erased in an instant.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of death and destruction, Luo Lei stopped. His eyes, still glowing with that reddish hue, scanned the faces of the survivors.
"...Does anyone else have something to say?" he asked softly. "My rules are the only thing that matters. Is that clear?"
The silence that followed was deafening. The remaining Konoha ninjas, terrified, could only nod weakly.
Of the thousand ninjas who had begun the battle, more than a hundred lay dead not by the enemy, but by the hand of their own commander.
A tenth of their forces, eliminated in a fit of rage.
The Sunagakure ninjas who had surrendered watched all this with horror. The hope they had harbored of being treated with mercy evaporated.
They understood that they had surrendered not to a powerful commander, but to a monster who made no distinction between friend and foe.
"It's funny," Luo Lei began sarcastically, "A moment ago everyone was shouting about treating prisoners well. About showing the 'greatness' of the Number One Ninja Village." He paused, his eyes scanning the terrified faces. "Where's all that talk now?"
The silence that followed was deafening. Broken by Luo Lei's bitter laughter.
"Let me make something clear to you," he continued, his tone becoming harsher. "Might is the final word in this world. Konoha didn't become the most powerful village by being 'kind' to its enemies."
He approached a group of ninjas, who instinctively backed away. "Oh, did the Hokage say something about treating prisoners well?" Sarcastically. "Good for him. You can listen to him if you want, but don't dare repeat that trash in front of me."
Luo Lei turned, observing the bodies scattered across the field:
"By the way, all those Konoha ninjas you see dead... They were killed by Sunagakure, understood?" His eyes narrowed dangerously. "They are heroes of our village. I will personally ensure that Konoha compensates them and erects a monument in their honor."
Ninjas from both Konoha and Sunagakure lowered their heads, fear palpable in the air. No one dared even to breathe too loudly, fearing to attract Luo Lei's attention.
His words were law. And with the volatile temper he had demonstrated, no one, not even Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, seemed to be above his judgment.
Finally, as if bored with the scene, Luo Lei made a dismissive gesture towards the Sunagakure ninjas lying terrified on the ground. "Clean up this mess," he ordered indifferently.
Orochimaru spoke up: "You heard him. Clean up the battlefield, now!"
"Yes, sir!" The response was immediate and unanimous.
The Konoha ninjas sprang into action, moving with urgency. In the eyes of each ninja, the tremor of trauma could be seen.
Approaching Luo Lei, Orochimaru's eyes shone with admiration. "Impressive, Luo Lei-kun,"
"Without you, even a victory would have been a tragedy."
He glanced at the battlefield, now a landscape of destruction and death. "The Sunagakure army defeated, Chiyo and Ebizō dead..." He paused, savoring the words. "The world will tremble at this."
Luo Lei nodded, a satisfied smile on his lips. "The war will enter a new phase," he commented.
"A pity that Rasa escaped," Orochimaru growled. "I was careless. I never thought he would abandon his army without hesitation."
Luo Lei stretched, unconcerned. "Don't blame yourself," he said, his tone almost casual. "There's an underground tunnel a few dozen meters away. Rasa had planned it from the beginning."
Surprised by the words, Orochimaru understood everything. "Cunning bastard,"
"The ninja world is going to go crazy over this, don't you think?" Luo Lei smiled, his eyes gleaming with malice. "I'll write a report later. Will you sign it?"
"Of course," Orochimaru nodded. "Although the old man will probably have a heart attack when he reads it."
Shrugging. "I didn't want to harm our own, but they insisted on seeking death."
For years, Hiruzen had led Konoha with a gentle hand, confident even in the face of an attack by three ninja villages. "I wonder how he'll handle this," Orochimaru mused.
For a moment, he considered concealing what had happened, but quickly dismissed the idea. With so many witnesses, both from Konoha and Sunagakure, it was impossible to keep it secret.
'Let the storm come,' he thought with a smile forming on his lips. 'The more violent, the better.'
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