How cruel.....

The forest clearing, once filled with the cruel laughter of the Seven Swordsmen, was now plunged into silence. The mysterious voice had completely changed the dynamics of the situation.

"What the hell?" muttered Jinpachi, his eyes scanning the forest.

Kushimaru was the first to react. "Impossible! How could someone approach without us noticing?"

"It could be a trap," warned Jinin. "Stay alert."

In a matter of seconds, the Seven Swordsmen went from being confident predators to prey. Their bodies tensed, gripping their swords.

Years of experience in high-risk missions had trained them to always be on guard, even in enemy territory where they were supposed to have the advantage.

The idea that someone could have surrounded them without being detected was more than unsettling.

"Whoever you are, show yourself!" Fuguki shouted angrily.

Suddenly, a deep, grave voice broke the tense silence:

"Oh, you think you're cruel? How amusing. Allow me to show you what true cruelty is."

The words sent a chill down the spines of even the Seven Swordsmen.

From the shadows cast by a nearby tree, a figure emerged. A man of impressive stature, reaching almost two meters in height, took a step forward.

His face, of almost celestial beauty, contrasted brutally with the predatory intensity of his black eyes.

The black combat uniform he wore fit perfectly to his muscular body, accentuating every movement. The red cape that waved behind him added a dramatic touch to his appearance, as if blood itself followed him.

Luo Lei, for it was he who had appeared, took another step forward.

"Is... is it just one?" Raiga, his torso covered in bandages, was the first to speak.

Jinpachi, stroking his beard in a nervous gesture, nodded. "Yes, but... something doesn't add up. It feels like it's an entire army."

Suddenly, Kushimaru Kuriarare, his face hidden behind the Kirigakure ANBU mask, let out a gasp. "Wait... that's... that's Luo Lei, the God of Slaughter!" He trembled slightly as he named that name.

The name fell like a bomb among the Swordsmen. Each of them had heard the stories, the rumors about the massacre of the Sunagakure army. Stories they had dismissed as exaggerations, but which now, faced with the man himself, seemed terribly real.

"Luo Lei? Here?" Jinin murmured, his hand unconsciously tightening on the hilt of his sword. "How is this possible?"

The Seven Swordsmen, famous for their cruelty and power, suddenly found themselves in an unfamiliar position: that of being potential prey. Luo Lei's reputation, his title of "God of Slaughter," weighed heavily on them.

However, there's always someone brave....

"Bah! What god of slaughter nonsense?" Jūzō spat, balancing his decapitating sword on his shoulder. "He's just a guy. We can kill him between the seven of us and take his head to Kirigakure. Imagine the Mizukage's face when we deliver that trophy."

Fuguki, the unofficial leader of the group, sketched a cruel smile. "Well... looks like we've caught something big," he hummed with amusement. "He may be famous, but he's still one against seven. Prepare for battle!"

The other Swordsmen responded with grunts of approval, their bodies tensing for the imminent combat.

Despite Luo Lei's reputation, the Seven were not ordinary ninjas. Each of them was an accomplished killer, feared throughout the world. Although perhaps individually they were no match for the "God of Slaughter," their confidence lay in their lethal teamwork.

Kushimaru added: "We've taken down Kages before. This guy, no matter how famous he is, will be no different."

Meanwhile, the eyes of Guy, Genma, and Ebisu widened, joy replacing fear on their faces.

"Is... is it him?" Genma whispered, trembling with excitement. "The Superhero of Konoha, Luo Lei-sama?"

Guy, always the most enthusiastic, could barely contain his excitement. "I can't believe it!" His eyes shining with admiration. "The man who defeated an entire army of Sunagakure is here!"

Ebisu, adjusting his glasses with trembling hands, "We were prepared for the worst, and now... it's as if dawn has suddenly arrived."

Luo Lei's appearance was more than a rescue; it was the materialization of their dreams and aspirations. Especially for Guy, seeing his idol in the flesh was almost overwhelming.

'I swore to become someone as strong as him,' Guy thought, his determination renewing at Luo Lei's presence.

However, the initial euphoria soon gave way to confusion and disappointment. Luo Lei, the hero they expected to comfort and encourage them, didn't even look at them. His attention was completely focused on the Seven Swordsmen, as if the young ninjas were irrelevant to the situation.

Genma and Ebisu exchanged bewildered looks. "This isn't... how I imagined it," Genma murmured. "I thought a superhero would be more..."

"Kind?" Ebisu said quietly.

Luo Lei's cold voice cut through their thoughts. "Get out," he ordered, without even looking at them. His tone was harsh, lacking the compassion they expected from a hero. "If you're so weak, you shouldn't be on the border carrying out missions. Next time, no one will collect your corpses."

Originally, he hadn't planned to get involved in this situation; his destination was the Land of Grass, and this encounter was an unexpected detour on his path.

According to his memories of the original story that should unfold here, Might Duy, Guy's father, was destined to arrive and heroically confront the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. In that version, Duy would open the legendary "Eight Gates Formation."

Duy would sacrifice his life, but not before causing significant damage to the Swordsmen. Four would survive, while three would fall.

These tadpoles had been lucky enough to cross paths with him.

Still on the ground, Genma and Ebisu were paralyzed for a moment. Tears began to form in their eyes.

"I... I thought he would comfort us," Genma murmured.

Ebisu added quietly: "He's so... cold. Is this how a hero behaves?"

The image of the perfect superhero they had built in their minds was crumbling in the face of the harsh reality of Luo Lei.

His lack of compassion and his cutting words were a brutal contrast to what they expected from the legend they had admired.

However, Guy, always the optimist and with a unique perspective, reacted completely differently. His eyes lit up with a fire of determination and admiration.

"Wow!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "Luo Lei-sama, we'll retreat immediately so you can fight without worries!"

Without waiting for a response, he grabbed his stunned companions by the arms. "Let's go, guys!" he urged them, pulling them towards the safety of the trees. "Let's give Luo Lei-sama space so he can show his true power!"

As he dragged his friends away, Guy's mind raced with thoughts of admiration. 'Someday,' he promised himself, 'I'll be a true hero like Luo Lei-sama. Strong, determined, unafraid to tell the truth, no matter how harsh it may be.'

The forest clearing, previously a scene of contained tension, erupted into a chaos of violence and horror. Juzo's voice, laden with cruelty, cut through the air like a knife:

"Leave? In your dreams, brats!"

With a flick of his wrist, Juzo grabbed his enormous sword, Kubikiribocho. His eyes gleamed with barely contained bloodlust as he aimed at the young ones trying to escape.

Swing!

The piercing sound of the blade cutting through the air. Kubikiribocho flew towards Guy, Genma, and Ebisu at dizzying speed.

Genma and Ebisu, paralyzed by terror, could barely let out a choked scream. Their eyes, wide open, reflected the death that was inexorably approaching.

Observing the scene, Luo Lei let out a sigh. "Why bother?" he muttered, a grimace of contempt crossing his face. How cruel.....

ZWOOP!

In an instant, his body vanished, becoming nothing more than a residual image.

CLANG!

The metallic sound of impact resonated in the clearing, immediately followed by a chilling crunch.

Kubikiribocho, the legendary sword that had reaped countless lives, split in two as if it were little more than a fragile toy.

Juzo's eyes widened, terror invading his face. The cells of his body screamed in warning, an instinct telling him that death was upon him.

But it was already too late...

Before Fuguki Suikazan or any of the others could react, Juzo's body simply... disappeared.

SPLAT!

One moment he was there, and the next, nothing remained but an explosion of blood and viscera that splattered the stunned faces of his companions.

________

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