Horror

At the same time.

In the heart of the Iwagakure camp in the Land of Grass. The most powerful leaders of Iwa had gathered to discuss their next move in this increasingly complicated war.

Shibito Azuma, the ANBU Captain and commander-in-chief of this front, broke the silence, "The Seven Swordsmen of the Mist have been annihilated by Luo Lei, Konoha's 'God of Slaughter'. Kirigakure has entered the war."

"The Tsuchikage-sama orders us to increase pressure on Jiraiya and Minato."

Rōshi, his long beard and ponytail moving slightly, responded with a snort. "I'll make them feel the pressure of a true Jinchūriki,"

Han, imposing in his bright red armor, spoke in a hoarse voice behind his mask, "Konoha doesn't know that I have secretly guided a thousand elite ninjas to the Land of Grass. We should attack their army here directly, take them by surprise."

Han's suggestion was met with immediate enthusiasm. The eyes of the Jōnin present lit up, and a chorus of approval filled the tent.

"Excellent plan!"

"I completely agree."

"With Han-sama and a thousand elite ninjas, Konoha won't know what hit them."

In a strategic move, Iwagakure had deployed an ingenious tactic to reinforce its position in the Land of Grass without alerting Konoha's forces.

The key to this maneuver lay in the use of specialized equipment, developed in secret by Iwagakure. These teams, designed specifically for this mission, had excavated a network of underground tunnels that extended for hundreds of kilometers. The depth of these tunnels, calculated to evade even Konoha's sensor ninjas, exceeded 20 meters underground.

This network, a labyrinth beneath the surface of the Land of Grass, allowed the silent and completely undetectable movement of Han and his force of a thousand elite ninjas.

The tunnels, which converged directly under the Iwagakure camp, offered an invisible access route for these reinforcement troops.

The genius of this plan lay in its ability to outwit even Konoha's most advanced detection techniques.

"Very well," declared Shibito. "Since everyone agrees, we will launch our attack against Konoha's forces."

"Our goal is to conclude this battle before Luo Lei can arrive to reinforce them."

"Sigh" Rōshi snorted disdainfully. "What are we afraid of?" he growled, hitting the table.

"Luo Lei may be strong, but we are not weak. If he dares to come, I'll teach him the true terror of the Four Tails!"

"Rōshi!" Shibito's voice cut him off. "The Tsuchikage has classified Luo Lei as an extremely dangerous S-rank ninja. We cannot underestimate him."

Visibly irritated, Rōshi stood up. "The Tsuchikage is old and paranoid," he muttered, heading towards the exit of the tent. "Always exaggerating threats and undermining our own strength."

Accustomed to his volatile temper, he decided not to insist. Instead, he addressed the rest of the group. "We will attack tomorrow," Shibito announced. "Our goal is to dissolve Konoha's forces in the Land of Grass as quickly as possible, taking advantage of all of Iwagakure's strength."

Turning to Han, he continued: "Han, you will lead the thousand elite ninjas. Hide in the tunnel and prepare to give Jiraiya a surprise he will never forget."

Han responded with a cold laugh. "No problem. I hope those from Konoha can survive the beating we're going to give them."

"Good" Shibito, aware of the importance of maintaining caution, deployed a map on the table.

"Regardless of the outcome, we cannot lower our guard," he warned. Pointing to a marked spot on the map, "This is the neutral zone between our forces and those of Konoha. It's very likely that the battle will begin here tomorrow...."

...

Meanwhile…

On the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Fire, a canyon stretched like a scar on the earth.

The air was charged with the scent of damp earth and wild vegetation, mixed with the omnipresent smell of tension that preceded war.

Suddenly, the silence of the canyon was shattered by a deafening roar that resonated through the rocky walls.

BOOM!

The ground began to shake, first subtly, then with increasing intensity. It was as if a localized earthquake had decided to manifest at this precise point in the canyon.

Then, before the eyes of any observer, something happened that defied all logic. A colossal rock, hundreds of meters high and probably weighing tens of tons, began to rise from the ground.

But the truly amazing thing, what would have left any witness open-mouthed, was what was beneath this monstrous rock formation. A human figure, barely visible under the imposing shadow of the rock, was holding all that weight with his own hands.

This individual not only held the rock aloft but was moving it. Up and down, at a constant rhythm and at a rapid speed.

….

After hours of superhuman effort, Luo Lei's voice echoed in the canyon, counting the last repetitions.

"19990... 19993... 19996... 20000!"

With a final grunt of effort, he let out a deep sigh. "Ufff!"

The sound of his exhalation mixed with the deafening noise of the giant rock being thrown to the ground.

BOOM!

The impact was devastating. The entire canyon shook violently, and visible cracks formed on the ground, spreading like a spider web from the point of impact.

Panting slightly, he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I can't open the Eight Inner Gates at will," he muttered with frustration in his voice. "I have too much energy, it's difficult to control."

Since obtaining the method of the Eight Inner Gates, he had sought out this isolated canyon to practice.

Duy had needed over 20 years to master this technique, and here he was, opening it almost effortlessly.

His physical strength, already extraordinary, seemed to be both a blessing and a curse in this case. In barely a minute of practice, he had managed to open the First Gate, the Gate of Opening, lifting some of the brain's restrictions. Then, the Second Gate, the Gate of Rest.

The result of this unleashed power was evident in the giant rock he had just manipulated as if it were a toy.

Luo Lei stretched, feeling the energy flow through his body like an overflowing river. The sensation was intoxicating.

"Well," he muttered with a smile. "It's time to try opening the Third Gate."

After a few minutes of rest to catch his breath and stabilize his chakra, he closed his eyes, concentrating intensely.

He could feel the shackles of the Third Gate in his body, resisting his efforts to break them.

WHOOSH!

The air around Luo Lei began to ripple, as if heat were emanating from his body in visible waves. Small rocks and pebbles began to levitate around him, responding to the growing pressure of his chakra.

CRACK! CRACK!

Cracking sounds began to emerge from Luo Lei's body, as if his own bones and muscles were protesting against the force trying to break free.

Suddenly, just when it seemed that the Third Gate would yield, a sharp and penetrating pain shot through his entire body.

"ARGH!" he screamed, falling to his knees.

The chakra he had been accumulating dispersed violently.

Luo Lei was panting, drops of sweat mixed with blood falling from his forehead. "I can't... I can't continue," he muttered with frustration.

How was it possible that trying to open the Third Gate had such a devastating side effect? With his current body, seemingly indestructible in so many other situations, how could it be that he couldn't withstand this?

But then, a new understanding began to form in his mind. It wasn't a side effect in the traditional sense. It was his power itself, too much, too intense for even his enhanced body to contain.

________

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