Silence fell over Konoha once again.
Everyone stared at Lucian with wide eyes.
The Invisible Empire?
They could understand that Lucian wanted to establish a new nation, but to declare himself King of the Ninja World... his ambition was laid bare.
He wasn't just an enemy of Konoha; he was an enemy of the entire ninja world.
"Insolence!"
"You thing, I..."
Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane had just rushed to the scene.
Koharu, in the throes of menopause, acted like a shrew, immediately assuming a posture of superiority.
"The sorrow of the weak."
"A life force that doesn't match one's strength is a waste!"
Before Koharu could finish her sentence, Lucian slightly raised his fingertip, instantly gathering the surrounding spirit particles.
A small Heilig Pfeil shot out like a laser beam.
It arrived in an instant!
"Splat!"
With a flash of light, Koharu Utatane's head exploded like a watermelon, splattering red and white matter all over Homura Mitokado beside her.
It was a suffocating scene.
Everyone's thoughts came to a halt.
He killed a Konoha elder just because he disagreed with her?
"..."
Anger had just begun to rise in Sarutobi. As he prepared to speak, he was met with Lucian's cold gaze.
"Silence!"
Lucian's spiritual power swept out, sending Sarutobi flying.
At this moment, there was no longer any power in Konoha that could kill Lucian.
They didn't understand the terror of a warrior who grew stronger with every battle.
The Reaper Death Seal?
To a Quincy, the so-called "Shinigami" of the Reaper Death Seal was too fragile. He could even reverse-control it. It would have no effect on Lucian.
Alternatively, Sarutobi's soul power was insufficient to seal Lucian.
The Eight Gates Released Formation?
Lucian could just take a nap in the Schatten Bereich, and the effect of the Eight Gates would have worn off by the time he came out.
Then, Lucian turned to look at the maddened Danzo, his eyes cold.
The madness was temporary. Danzo's will was strong; he might be back to normal by tomorrow.
"Old fiend Danzo, your suffering has only just begun. Live on in despair. I will destroy your dream."
"You will never become Hokage in this lifetime, because I am destined to destroy Konoha."
"Not even Hashirama could stop me. I've said it!"
Every word pierced Danzo's heart, making his body tremble uncontrollably.
A demon.
This was a devil.
Faced with the strange gazes of countless people, Danzo wanted to die, but in the end, he was afraid of death and could only close his eyes and pretend to be unconscious.
SWISH!
As everyone stood on high alert, Lucian glanced at Orochimaru, then vanished from the spot, not to be seen again.
Many people were in a daze.
If not for the ruins and corpses all over the ground, they would have thought it was all a dream.
"Hah..."
Many collapsed to the ground, soaked in sweat as if they had been pulled from water.
The pressure exuded by the evolved Lucian was too intense.
They knew nothing about him. Could Konoha withstand such an enemy?
Sensing a decadent atmosphere spreading through Konoha, Jiraiya spoke up unexpectedly.
"Hey, who's Hashirama? Why did he mention Hashirama?"
The entire field was stunned.
That's right, who was Hashirama?
"Hey, hey, hey, don't hit me! I was just trying to lighten the mood!"
Seeing Tsunade's face darken, Jiraiya immediately dodged.
He then sighed deeply, "Actually, that Lucian just now... I might have been able to take him down. The energy in his body was unstable, which is why he was in a hurry to leave."
Tsunade frowned, "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
"Would it have been any use? It was just a possibility. If he had escaped or if I was wrong, it would have only brought more harm to Konoha..."
Jiraiya shook his head with a bitter smile. This was the only way.
"Everyone has ambitions. There have been plenty who wanted to unite the ninja world. Although he has ambition, you can see he's not just a madman who only kills."
"Right now, he has nothing but strength and good looks. It will take a long, long time to build up a force."
"As long as we work hard to become stronger, the Will of Fire in Konoha will not be extinguished."
Jiraiya looked at the other ninja and shouted, "Isn't that right?"
"Right!"
"With me, long live Konoha, long live the Hokage!"
"Long live Konoha! Long live the Hokage!"
For a moment, the ninja cheered, their spirits instantly ignited.
But one sentence was too heartbreaking: "nothing but strength and good looks"?
I want to have nothing like that too.
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "..."
Hey, hey, is no one going to help me up? Thanks a lot!
"Sigh..."
Looking at the wreckage all around and the vacant-eyed Danzo, Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart ached so much he could barely breathe. He could only let out a deep sigh.
After such a huge commotion, the already turbulent ninja world was bound to become even more unstable.
Konoha had suffered such great losses, yet they couldn't retaliate, as they couldn't even find the person responsible.
Sarutobi was even somewhat grateful that Lucian had left suddenly. Facing such an unknown entity had sparked a trace of fear in his heart, which he found deeply shameful.
It was too humiliating!
Unnoticed by anyone.
Orochimaru quietly left the scene and quickly returned to his home, locking the doors and windows.
"Hah..."
Standing in front of the mirror, Orochimaru took off his shirt and stared at his reflection, somewhat lost in thought.
Then, Orochimaru smiled, a crazed smile.
"Is this the truth? Haha, hahahaha..."
"Indeed, this is the truth I seek!"
The moment Orochimaru was kicked away by Lucian, a few words had been carved onto his body with spiritual power. The wound could heal, but the words were clearly visible.
Nine words of truth:
Follow me,
and I shall grant you eternal life!
These words, combined with everything that had just happened, made Orochimaru understand that Lucian was truly different.
Perhaps he really was the "Child of God" that the people from the orphanage spoke of.