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Suddenly, a dozen Jonin surrounded him, their chakra signatures flaring. Horyu's eyes narrowed. "Finally, a real challenge," he muttered. He formed a series of hand seals at lightning speed. "Fire Release: Hell Fire Annihilation!" he shouted. White-hot flames erupted from his mouth, taking the form of hellish creatures that surged towards his enemies.
The Jonin tried to counter with Water Release jutsu, but the sheer intensity of Horyu's flames overwhelmed them. The fire creatures roared, incinerating the water dragons before crashing into the Jonin. The screams of the burning shinobi were drowned out by the roar of the flames.
Horyu moved through the chaos, his sword cutting down those who managed to survive the initial onslaught. One Jonin managed to land a glancing blow, his kunai slicing Horyu's arm. Horyu barely flinched, the pain only fueling his rage. He retaliated with a vicious slash, cutting the Jonin in half.
The remaining Cloud ninjas began to retreat, their morale shattered. Horyu watched them flee, his expression cold. "Cowards," he spat. He turned his attention back to the battlefield, scanning for any sign of resistance.
Killing the rest of the enemies, Horyu dispelled the fire domain and surveyed the battlefield. The flames died down, revealing a scene of utter devastation. Bodies lay strewn about, many charred beyond recognition. The stench of burnt flesh filled the air, making some of the Konoha shinobi gag and retch.
Darui was still battling against the Konoha Jonin, his movements a blur as he clashed with Kurenai, Neji, and Asuma. Despite their combined efforts, Darui held his own, his power evident as he parried and countered their attacks with precision and force.
When the Fire Domain was canceled, all eyes focused on Horyu and the mountain of corpses and ashes on the ground. The scene was ghastly, the aftermath of Horyu's unrestrained power. "Oh my god!" Asuma gasped, while some of the shinobi reacted forcefully, spitting up whatever they had eaten before.
"Devil!" a Cloud shinobi shouted, his voice trembling with fear. No one had seen what Horyu did inside the domain, and none knew he could use the Flying Thunder God Jutsu. That had been the plan, and now, the seed of fear was firmly planted in the hearts of the Cloud shinobi. Most couldn't even raise their weapons anymore, their will to fight crushed.
Horyu wiped the blood off his blade, his expression cold and detached. He moved toward Darui, who was still engaged in battle with the Konoha Jonin. The remaining Cloud forces hesitated, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
"Stand down, Darui," Horyu called out, his voice carrying a chilling authority. Darui glanced at him, his eyes narrowing. The Konoha Jonin paused, giving Darui space.
"You think this is over, Uchiha?" Darui spat, his grip tightening on his sword.
Horyu shrugged. "It's over for now. You can see the state of your forces. Continuing this fight will only lead to more unnecessary deaths."
Darui's eyes flicked to the devastated battlefield, his expression grim. He knew Horyu was right. With a growl, he sheathed his sword. "This isn't the end, Horyu. The Raikage will hear of this, and he will come for you."
Horyu nodded. "Let him come. We'll be ready."
Darui signaled for his remaining forces to retreat. The Cloud shinobi, relieved, began to fall back, moving swiftly but cautiously, wary of any last-minute attacks.
Honestly, Horyu didn't want Darui to go, but he had to. Darui was a contender for the next Raikage and had inherited the Black Lightning of the Third Raikage. If Horyu were to kill him, A would lose all decorum and attack with everything he had. Horyu wanted the Kages to battle eventually, but it was too early. There were still many players in the shadows, and Horyu couldn't afford to start a full-blown war. He still didn't know who Madara's successor was. Despite his spy network that spanned almost 60% of the Shinobi World, he failed to find Zetsu and Madara's successor. That was expected; Zetsu wouldn't be Zetsu if he were easy to find.
There was also the League of Immortals to consider. In the anime, Orochimaru had been part of Akatsuki and later left due to his clash with Itachi. Since in this reality, there was no criminal organization Akatsuki—Akatsuki was still a group of militia who wanted to free the Country of Rain—Orochimaru created his own clique. With Sasori, Kakuzu, and Hidan joining, the organization was called the League of Immortals, much to Deidara's chagrin as he was the only mortal in the League.
Horyu sheathed his sword and turned to his team. "Gather the wounded and secure the perimeter. We can't let our guard down."
Asuma approached him, his face a mix of concern and respect. "That was... intense, Horyu. You sure you're okay?"
Horyu nodded. "I'm fine. We need to stay vigilant. Cloud will regroup, and we need to be ready for their next move."
Kurenai and Neji joined them, both looking exhausted but determined. "We took some hits, but our team is holding," Kurenai reported.
"Good," Horyu said. The team moved efficiently, tending to the wounded and fortifying their position.
Horyu then left the battlepost and walked around the surroundings to see why they had failed to notice the enemy before it was too late. Soon, he saw various seals carved all around the place. "Huh?" He looked at the ground and trees, frowning at the intricate markings. "These are not simple seals," he muttered. Since he was trained by Mito and his seal prowess had soared thanks to the system, he could confidently tell that these seals were far from ordinary. "Who could have carved them without alerting us?" he asked himself.
He carefully destroyed the seals and then carved his own, ensuring they would detect any future intrusions. Since there were Hyuga in his camp, he didn't want to show his sealing abilities openly, but Cloud's sudden attack reminded him he couldn't be too careful. If A had been leading the attack instead of Darui, Horyu knew he could survive, but most of his team would die.
When he returned to his tent, he found Kurenai sitting on his bed, looking worried. Her expression softened slightly when she saw him, but the concern remained.
"Horyu," she began, her voice steady but laced with worry, "that was a brutal fight. You killed so many of them. Are you alright?"
Horyu shrugged, his face impassive. "I'm fine. We did what we had to do. Cloud won't hesitate to kill us if given the chance."
Kurenai sighed, her eyes reflecting a mix of relief and unease. "I know, but the way you fought... it was like you were possessed."
Horyu had a soft spot for the people he cared about, and his sensei was one of them. Sitting next to her, he smiled brightly, as if he hadn't just killed hundreds of Shinobi moments ago. "I promise, Sensei. I am fine."
Kurenai knew Horyu well enough to trust his words. If he said he was fine, she believed him, though the worry in her eyes remained. "You are already much stronger than me. I feel like I wasted my years," she said with a sigh.
Horyu shook his head. "I had a great teacher who allowed me to jump higher. That's why I developed faster."
Kurenai's face flushed with a bright smile, grateful for his words. "You're too kind, Horyu," she said softly.
As she left, Horyu took a moment to collect his thoughts. He wasn't one to dwell on emotions, but the fight had been a brutal reminder of the reality they faced. War required sacrifices, and he was willing to make them for the sake of his plans.
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