Chapter 131: Pursuit
One day later.
Evening.
Somewhere in the forest, two teams, one from Iwagakure and one from Kumogakure, were locked in fierce combat.
Soon, only five remained on the battlefield: three Iwa-nin and two Kumo-nin. The Iwa-nin were in slightly worse condition, while the Kumo-nin fared slightly better.
As they faced off against each other, three figures suddenly appeared. These individuals were cloaked in black robes and wore masks, making it impossible to discern their allegiance.
Both the Iwa-nin and Kumo-nin immediately became vigilant.
But vigilance was futile. The moment these three appeared, without a word, they launched a silent attack on the five.
The trio displayed remarkable coordination and sharp swordsmanship. Relying on their agility, they never engaged in direct confrontation, and within a short time, they had taken down two opponents.
Seeing this, the remaining three couldn't help but consider retreat.
However, before they could put their plan into action, they saw the black-robed figure fighting them suddenly create distance, forming hand seals as if to unleash some ninjutsu.
The three didn't dare to be careless and immediately prepared to counter with their own ninjutsu.
Previously, they had been suppressed and had no chance to use ninjutsu. Now that their opponent had主动 created distance, it was their opportunity to disrupt the situation.
However, just as they raised their arms, they saw the eyes beneath the three black-robed figures' masks abruptly change from black to blood red.
And within those blood-red pupils were three pitch-black tomoe.
"Sharingan?!"
The three were shocked and immediately tried to avert their gaze, but it was too late.
The next moment, they felt a sharp pain, as if their bodies had been pierced by several giant iron nails, rendering them immobile.
Clearly, they had fallen victim to the Uchiha clan's unique genjutsu - Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique!
"Are you Uchiha ninja? Why are you attacking us?"
One of the Kumo-nin asked through the pain.
However, the three black-robed figures completely ignored him.
Having gained control of the situation, they flashed behind the three and knocked them unconscious with a few swift blows.
Not only them, but the two Iwa-nin who had been taken down earlier were also quickly knocked out.
Only after completing these tasks did the three black-robed figures revert to their original appearance, revealing themselves to be Seimei's shadow clones.
No, not just three. On a tree branch above, another of Seimei's shadow clones stood silently.
This clone had been hiding there the entire time, observing the every move of the Kumo-nin and Iwa-nin on the battlefield with its Sharingan, guarding against any potential surprises.
Whoosh~
The shadow clone on the tree branch used the Body Flicker Technique to instantly appear on the ground.
It looked at the other three Seimei shadow clones and said, "Quickly clean up the battlefield. Someone is probably already heading this way. We need to hurry."
"Mm."
The three shadow clones didn't waste words, simply nodding and then efficiently cleaning up the battlefield.
Their movements were very practiced, indicating they had done this many times before.
In fact, this was indeed the case. Originally, Seimei's task for them was to search for suitable targets, and then he would personally capture them.
But after several captures, the number of captives in his hands increased, the chakra available to him daily skyrocketed, and the time required for cultivation correspondingly lengthened.
Gradually, he couldn't spare the time.
So, Seimei simply let these shadow clones handle it themselves.
These shadow clones inherited his memories, and their combat experience and skills were not lacking at all.
Moreover, he himself focused on agility and rarely engaged in direct confrontation, so there was no need to worry about the shadow clones' ability to withstand damage.
Thus, with the cooperation of the four shadow clones, the task proceeded very smoothly.
A few minutes later.
The battlefield was cleaned up.
The four shadow clones erased their traces, grabbed the unconscious three Iwa-nin and two Kumo-nin, and quickly left the area.
Unbeknownst to them, shortly after they left, an Iwa-nin Jonin arrived at the scene. He looked at the familiar 'clean' battlefield and frowned slightly.
Seimei's unrestrained capture operations had finally aroused suspicion in Iwagakure, and this special Jonin was specifically sent to investigate the matter.
He surveyed the scene but found nothing suspicious.
So, he bit his thumb, quickly formed the hand seals 'Boar - Dog - Bird - Monkey - Ram', and slammed his hand on the ground, using his blood as a medium to perform the Summoning Technique!
In the next moment, over a dozen palm-sized rats appeared on the scene. They were pitch black with smooth fur and bright, lively eyes.
The Iwa-nin Jonin crouched down, picked up one of them, and placed it in his palm, saying, "Xiao Qi, sniff around and see how many people's scents are here."
The rat named Xiao Qi sniffed hard and then squeaked a few times.
The Iwa-nin Jonin seemed to understand, glanced at the surrounding corpses, counted, and then said, "Can you smell which direction they went?"
"Squeak~"
Xiao Qi squeaked a few times, extended its front paw, and pointed in a direction. It was precisely the direction in which Seimei's four shadow clones had left.
Seeing this, the Iwa-nin Jonin said happily, "Xiao Qi, good job! Here, for you..."
He took out a few peanuts from his pocket and handed them to the rat in his palm.
The rat was delighted and quickly finished the peanuts.
Then, the Iwa-nin Jonin said, "Xiao Qi, lead the way. Follow those scents and see if you can find anyone."
"Squeak~"
Xiao Qi squeaked and then, along with its companions, dashed forward.
The Iwa-nin Jonin carefully followed behind them.
...
Meanwhile.
In a hidden cave.
Seimei drained the last Kumo-nin's chakra. Seeing that his own chakra was still not full, he extracted some mental and physical energy from the Kumo-nin, converting them into chakra to replenish himself.
Only then did Seimei nod in satisfaction. He then began to perform the 'Reflection Heart Technique' to promote the evolution of his Sharingan.
An hour later.
Seimei stopped the technique.
At this point, the chakra within his body had dropped to half its full capacity, and the proficiency of the 'Reflection Heart Technique' had reached lv6 (9895/10000).
Clearly, after more than a day of effort, his 'Reflection Heart Technique' was one step closer to lv7.
Seimei didn't want to waste time. He checked the condition of the several Kumo-nin and Iwa-nin in the cave, confirming that they wouldn't wake up anytime soon, and then left the cave.
He identified the direction and headed towards another hidden cave.
While he was cultivating earlier, his shadow clones had transmitted a memory to him - there, they had prepared three more Iwa-nin and two Kumo-nin for him.
The reason for not having them bring the captives over was mainly for safety.
Seimei was well aware of how audacious his current actions were. If the Iwa and Kumo high-ups were to catch on, keeping the captives separated would prevent a total loss.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 132: Level Up
Ten minutes later.
Seimei arrived at his destination. Entering the cave, he saw three figures facing him—his three shadow clones.
As for the fourth one, it had already dispelled the jutsu in order to transmit information to him.
Seimei nodded at the three and asked, "How is your chakra now?"
"Two thousand one, two thousand, two thousand three."
The three shadow clones answered one after another.
"A bit low..."
Seimei murmured, frowning, "Then you should dispel the jutsu first!"
"Mm."
The three shadow clones responded without further ado and directly dispelled the Shadow Clone Technique.
Immediately, over ninety percent of the chakra from the three shadow clones surged into Seimei's body through a faint connection, instantly filling his chakra to the brim.
At the same time, the memories of the three also surfaced in Seimei's mind.
Seimei quickly browsed through their memories, confirming nothing was missed, and then formed hand seals again, performing the Shadow Clone Technique.
Poof, poof, poof~
With a puff of chakra smoke, four figures identical to Seimei appeared on the scene—his newly created four shadow clones.
Thanks to the overflowing chakra within him, each of these four shadow clones received over four thousand chakra points.
After 'refreshing' the shadow clones' state, Seimei sent them away.
Next, they would continue their capture mission, while he himself would begin his cultivation.
However, before cultivating, he first needed to replenish his chakra.
With this in mind, Seimei went directly to the unconscious Kumo-nin and Iwa-nin, formed hand seals, and performed the Chakra Absorption Technique.
In less than half a minute, he absorbed the chakra from five people, raising his own chakra from over four thousand points to over twenty thousand points.
Seimei nodded in satisfaction, then casually found a spot, sat down cross-legged, and began practicing the Reflection Heart Technique.
Once, twice, thrice...
One minute, two minutes, three minutes...
Soon, an hour passed.
Seimei had also consecutively cast the Reflection Heart Technique sixty times, raising its proficiency from lv6 (9895/10000) to lv6 (9955/10000).
Seeing the Reflection Heart Technique getting closer and closer to lv7, Seimei felt a surge of excitement.
However, he suppressed the urge to continue cultivating.
Currently, the remaining chakra in his body was only half of its full capacity. With the situation uncertain, he didn't want to deplete all his chakra.
Thinking this, Seimei got up and went to the five Kumo-nin and Iwa-nin again, performing the Chakra Absorption Technique just like before.
However, this time he wasn't absorbing chakra, as there was none left in their bodies. This time, he was absorbing their mental and physical energy.
After replenishing his chakra once more, Seimei entered a cultivation state again.
Soon, over half an hour passed.
When Seimei cast the Reflection Heart Technique for the forty-fifth time, a sudden realization dawned upon him.
He instantly knew that his Reflection Heart Technique had leveled up.
"Status!"
With a thought, Seimei opened the proficiency panel.
The next moment, the familiar light blue screen appeared.
[Name: Uchiha Seimei
Age: 11 years old
Physique: 11
Spirit: 14 -> 15
Chakra: 13520 (19828 -> 20980)
Bloodline: Sharingan - Three Tomoe (1702/10000) -> (5115/10000)
Skills: Chakra Refinement Technique: lv4 (1449/2000) -> lv4 (1674/2000)
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique: lv4 (7/2000)
Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique: lv4 (6/2000)
Wind Release: Breakthrough: lv3 (415/1000)
Shadow Clone Technique: lv2 (16/500)
Chakra Absorption Technique: lv5 (300/5000) -> lv5 (810/5000)
Healing Technique: lv3 (70/1000)
*Rasengan: lv1 (5/200)
Genjutsu: Sharingan: lv6 (13/10000)
Reflection Heart Technique: lv6 (3175/10000) -> lv7 (1/20000)
Swordsmanship: lv5 (490/5000) -> lv5 (1025/5000)
Chakra Control: lv4 (146/2000) -> lv4 (410/2000)
Three-Body Technique: lv3 (0/0)
Body Flicker Technique: lv4 (0/0)
Shurikenjutsu: lv5 (0/0)
Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique: lv5 (0/0)
Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique: lv5 (0/0)]
"It really increased by one point!"
Looking at the 'Spirit' attribute on the panel, which had changed from 14 to 15, Seimei murmured.
Just now, when the Reflection Heart Technique leveled up from lv6 to lv7, he felt his mental power strengthen, and he guessed that it might be due to an increase in the 'Spirit' attribute.
Now, it seemed he was right.
Back then, when his Reflection Heart Technique leveled up from lv5 to lv6, the 'Spirit' attribute also increased by one point.
Unexpectedly, it increased again this time.
"This is truly an unexpected surprise!"
Muttering to himself, Seimei began to carefully experience the changes brought about by this increase in the Spirit attribute.
A moment later, he opened his eyes.
A mixed expression of joy and worry appeared on his face.
The joy stemmed from the fact that this increase in the 'Spirit' attribute could likely raise his chakra limit by another six thousand points or so.
In other words, in the near future, his chakra limit would reach thirty-five thousand points.
Furthermore, there was the matter of chakra recovery speed...
The 'Spirit' attribute increasing from 14 to 15 would roughly allow him to recover an additional four thousand chakra points daily.
That is, from the original seventeen thousand points to the current twenty-one thousand points.
These were all reasons to be happy, but there was also cause for concern.
That was, with this increase in the 'Spirit' attribute, the gap between his 'Spirit' and 'Physique' had widened further.
Last time, after his Sharingan evolved into the Three Tomoe, his 'Spirit' attribute was already three points higher than his 'Physique' attribute.
Now, with another increase, this gap had expanded to four points.
Moreover...
It was foreseeable that his Sharingan would evolve again soon, and at that time, the 'Spirit' attribute would surge, further widening this gap.
And the consequences of a large disparity between the physical body and the spirit were already demonstrated by Uchiha Itachi.
He had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan too early, resulting in overly powerful mental energy that exerted immense pressure on his physical body, ultimately triggering a genetic disease.
Seimei didn't want to end up like him, relying on medication to alleviate his illness.
Although not every ninja with a bloodline limit would develop a 'bloodline disease', it was certain that the more talented one was, the easier it was to fall ill.
Seimei glanced at the current evolution progress of his Sharingan - (5115/10000)!
And as he had expected, after the Reflection Heart Technique leveled up from lv6 to lv7, its boosting effect on the Sharingan had once again increased.
Now, each practice session could grant his Sharingan one point of evolution progress.
Thus, he only needed to gain less than five thousand proficiency points to evolve his Sharingan into the Mangekyo Sharingan.
And five thousand proficiency points only required eighty thousand chakra points.
Even without additional chakra sources, relying solely on the twenty-one thousand chakra points he could recover daily, Seimei could accumulate this amount of chakra within forty days.
And if there was an external chakra supply, this time would be even shorter.
Based on these calculations, he was definitely considered a genius. And geniuses were at risk of developing the disease. Seimei didn't want to gamble on that.
Therefore, increasing his 'Physique' attribute was an urgent matter.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 133: Discovery
"Increase Physique?"
Seimei muttered, instinctively turning his attention to the 'Swordsmanship' section.
Based on previous experience, increasing the level of 'Swordsmanship' should lead to an increase in the 'Physique' attribute.
However, ever since he merged the 'Konoha-Style Kenjutsu' and the 'Uchiha-Style Kenjutsu' to create his own unique 'Swordsmanship', he hadn't had the chance to properly practice it.
Therefore...
To this day, not only had the envisioned special techniques not been developed, but even the level had stagnated. In two or three months, only a thousand proficiency points had been gained.
Currently, its level was only lv5 (1025/5000).
At this rate, who knew how long it would take to reach lv6.
Clearly, Seimei couldn't wait that long.
"It seems I can only think of other ways..."
Mumbling to himself, Seimei began to search through his memories, looking for methods to increase his Physique attribute.
The first thing that came to mind was the Third Raikage he had just seen not long ago.
The image of the Third Raikage rampaging through the Iwa-nin, ignoring all sorts of attacks, had left a deep impression on him.
With that kind of physique, he wouldn't believe it if someone said the Third Raikage's 'Physique' attribute wasn't high.
But to achieve such a physique, not only did one need exceptional talent and unwavering patience, but also the secret Lightning Release Chakra Mode of Kumogakure.
With the proficiency panel, he could ignore talent and patience, but the 'Lightning Release Chakra Mode' wasn't so easy to obtain.
Although it was only a B-rank ninjutsu, Kumogakure kept it highly confidential, and ordinary people couldn't access it at all.
Moreover, even if he obtained it, he would still need to develop Lightning Release chakra.
And that would take a considerable amount of time.
So, this plan could be put aside for now.
Similarly, Seimei thought of Konoha's 'Eight Gates Released Formation'.
This technique was purely taijutsu. When mastered, its power surpassed even the 'Lightning Release Chakra Mode'. Even Uchiha Madara had to acknowledge it as the strongest taijutsu.
Of course, Uchiha Madara's praise was more directed towards Might Guy himself, but that didn't prevent the 'Eight Gates Released Formation' from claiming the throne of the strongest taijutsu.
However, the 'Eight Gates Released Formation' was a forbidden technique. Even in Konoha, it wasn't something ordinary people could see.
Seimei even doubted whether Konoha had the complete inheritance. Perhaps only Might Dai and Might Guy in the entire village knew the complete training method.
In the current chaotic situation, he couldn't immediately find these two and obtain the training method from them.
Furthermore, this technique caused considerable damage to the body. In the initial stages, it would definitely weaken his 'Physique' attribute. Seimei estimated that it would take a while to achieve balance in his training.
Due to these uncertainties, Seimei temporarily abandoned the idea of searching for this technique.
'In that case, there's only one path left.'
Thinking this, Seimei turned his attention to the 'Healing Technique'.
Of course, it wasn't that he could increase his 'Physique' attribute by relying on this technique alone. It couldn't do that!
Seimei's target was the higher-level medical ninjutsu that shared the same origin as the Healing Technique, namely the power of Yang Release.
As everyone knew, in the ninja world, Yang Release represented physical power, and physical power translated to 'Physique' for him.
Therefore, using medical ninjutsu to strengthen 'Physique' was feasible.
There were many examples of this in the ninja world, such as Tsunade's 'Creation Rebirth', Shennong's 'Body Activation Technique', and so on. These all enhanced specific aspects of 'Physique'.
As long as he followed his body's instincts and used the power of Yang Release to nourish all the cells in his body, he could achieve 'Physique' enhancement.
As for the slow speed...
There was no need to worry about that. As long as he leveled up his medical ninjutsu to a sufficiently high level, all problems would be solved.
With a plan in mind, Seimei stopped dwelling on it and turned to continue practicing the 'Reflection Heart Technique'.
Increasing Physique and such were matters for later.
Right now, his priority was to increase the evolution progress of his Sharingan.
Seimei would rather wait for the 'Physique' attribute to increase later than have the 'Physique' attribute increase but still lack Sharingan evolution progress.
Additionally, pushing his Sharingan to the brink of evolution in advance could also provide him with a trump card in critical moments.
If he were to be trapped in the Land of Earth, he could forcefully awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan and then fight his way out.
Of course, this was the worst-case scenario.
Unless absolutely necessary, Seimei definitely wouldn't expose his Mangekyo Sharingan.
As the saying went, "The tallest tree in the forest will be the first to be blown down by the wind."
Danzo and some Konoha higher-ups already looked down upon the Uchiha clan.
If they were to learn that he possessed the same eyes as Uchiha Madara, wouldn't they completely lose their composure?
At that time, they might resort to all sorts of underhanded tactics.
Seimei hadn't forgotten the attack by the two Root ninja after the Chunin Exams, on his way to the battlefield.
In any case, he wouldn't reveal his Mangekyo Sharingan until Danzo was dealt with.
Shaking his head to clear these distracting thoughts, Seimei began to cast the 'Reflection Heart Technique' repeatedly.
It had to be said that the effect of the 'Reflection Heart Technique' after reaching lv7 was truly remarkable.
Almost every time he cast it, he could feel the progress of his Sharingan, and the special chakra in his mind was far more abundant than at lv6.
Time passed by.
Twenty minutes later, Seimei stopped the technique and opened his eyes.
At this point, his chakra had dropped to over nine thousand points.
Seimei got up, went to a Kumo-nin, formed hand seals in the blink of an eye, pressed his palm, and performed the 'Chakra Absorption Technique'.
A large amount of mental and physical energy was extracted by Seimei, transformed into chakra, and continuously flowed into his body.
In just a few breaths, his chakra increased by nearly four thousand points.
Seimei looked at the Kumo-nin, who was barely breathing, released his hand, and moved on to the next person.
The closest one happened to be an Iwa-nin. Seimei didn't care about their identity and reached out to extract their mental and physical energy.
But just then, a faint sound came from beneath the Iwa-nin, like the crawling of a small animal.
Instantly, Seimei's senses heightened. His Sharingan activated, and the short sword at his waist appeared in his hand.
Seimei carefully moved to the side and saw a pair of bright, black eyes.
"A rat?"
Seimei murmured, seemingly relieved, and slightly lowered his sword.
But at that moment, he suddenly thrust his sword forward. In the rat's anthropomorphically shocked gaze, the sword pierced through its body.
Blood gushed out, and the rat let out a shrill squeak before disappearing.
"As expected, a summoning animal!"
Looking at the vanished rat, Seimei's expression turned slightly grim.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 134: Bluff
"Squeak~"
Just as the summoned rat was severely injured by Seimei, two more rats emerged from under the other two Iwa-nin.
They swiftly darted towards the cave exit.
Seimei carefully sensed these rats, realizing that if he didn't keep his eyes on them, it was difficult to perceive their presence.
Although part of the reason was their inherent weakness, making them hard to detect, it was mainly due to their innate talent.
Seimei discovered that they seemed to be able to actively conceal their own aura, greatly reducing their presence.
That was why he hadn't noticed their infiltration while cultivating.
After figuring out where the problem lay, Seimei secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, two shuriken flew from his hand, embedding themselves into the rats' bodies before they disappeared from sight.
Amidst a flurry of squeaks, Seimei rushed out of the cave.
If he were a bit greedier, he could have completely drained the mental and physical energy of the Kumo-nin and Iwa-nin before leaving. But to be safe, he chose to rush out of the hidden cave immediately.
Facts proved that his caution was justified.
The moment he dashed out of the cave, several kunai were shot towards him.
In his crimson pupils, the Sharingan spun rapidly.
With just a glance, Seimei saw the explosive tags tied to the back of the kunai.
Without any hesitation, Seimei swiftly dodged the kunai attack.
Then, he kicked off the ground, instantly creating some distance.
In the next moment, a series of explosions rang out, accompanied by flashes of fire. Behind him, the cave entrance collapsed.
One could imagine that if he had been greedy for that bit of chakra, thinking that having hostages would prevent the enemy in the shadows from acting rashly, he would probably be trapped inside now.
It was clear that the enemy didn't care about the two Kumo-nin and three Iwa-nin at all.
'Just who is this person in the shadows?'
Seimei wondered, his gaze turning towards the direction from which the kunai had been shot. There, he saw a 'dust-covered' Iwa-nin Jonin.
Obviously, the Jonin had just arrived.
Earlier, perhaps out of fear of alerting him, the Jonin hadn't approached, only sending the summoned rat to scout ahead.
And after the rat was severely injured by him and sent out a warning, the Jonin rushed over in a hurry.
Unfortunately, he was still a step too late and failed to trap Seimei inside the cave.
As the two sides faced off, over a dozen rats suddenly chased from behind, surrounding the Iwa-nin Jonin and squeaking loudly.
The Iwa-nin Jonin seemed to understand their language, his expression changing with the rats' squeaks.
In the end, his face turned completely gloomy.
Takayama Yoichi stared at Seimei, gritting his teeth, "Uchiha brat, you're good. You even dared to kill Xiao Qi..."
"Xiao Qi? Killed?"
Seimei was taken aback at first, then realized that the Xiao Qi the Jonin mentioned should be the summoned rat.
'But... it actually died!'
Honestly, Seimei was a bit surprised.
After he attacked, the rat had already dispelled the summoning jutsu and returned to its original place.
Seimei had thought it would survive because of that, but now it seemed his sword strike had still taken its life.
However...
'Three ninja from your village are still buried in the cave, their lives hanging by a thread, and yet you're here agonizing over the death of a summoned animal.'
Seimei shook his head, thinking, 'This is so typical of Iwagakure.'
Because Onoki adhered to the principle of 'quantity over quality', he had greatly lowered the entry requirements and graduation threshold for Iwa-nin. Although this had cultivated the largest ninja force in the ninja world, it also led to two consequences: the uneven quality of Iwa-nin and the perception that lower-ranked Iwa-nin were 'expendable'.
That was why many high-ranking Iwa-nin didn't care about the deaths of their subordinates.
Some would even deliberately arrange for them to die, using the lives of these lower-ranked ninja to consume the enemy's chakra and energy.
When the enemy was weakened, they would then personally strike and ultimately complete the mission.
Clearly, the Iwa-nin Jonin in front of him belonged to this category.
He didn't value the three Iwa-nin captured by Seimei at all. Perhaps in his eyes, their lives truly weren't worth as much as that summoned rat.
But what did that have to do with him?
He wasn't an Iwa-nin, so why should he care?
Next, he just needed to think about how to quickly deal with this opponent and then leave this place.
With this in mind, Seimei immediately activated his Sharingan, intending to hypnotize the opponent and create an opportunity.
However, this Iwa-nin Jonin was obviously not easy to deal with.
Despite appearing angry, he had been vigilant of Seimei's movements the entire time. The moment Seimei activated his Sharingan, he immediately looked away.
Furthermore, he flicked his wrist and threw two thin senbon, aiming for Seimei's eyes at high speed.
"Oh?"
Seeing the Jonin's reaction, Seimei let out a soft exclamation and tilted his head to dodge the senbon attack.
Then, without any pause, he threw several shuriken in return, precisely blocking the Jonin's retreat path.
That's right, his retreat path.
All the anger, rage, and the look in his eyes that seemed to want to kill Seimei to avenge the rat—these were all just an act.
From the beginning to the end, Takayama Yoichi had no intention of fighting him head-on. That's why he started to flee the moment Seimei activated his Sharingan.
Recalling everything that had just happened, Seimei finally remembered that there was a moment of unnaturalness in the Jonin's expression when he saw his Three Tomoe Sharingan.
Clearly, from that moment on, the Jonin had planned to escape.
Seimei even suspected that if the Jonin had known beforehand that he was an Uchiha ninja with the Three Tomoe Sharingan awakened, he probably wouldn't have come at all.
However, since he was here, Seimei couldn't let him leave easily.
With this thought, Seimei leaped forward, drawing his short sword, and clashed with Takayama Yoichi, who had just been intercepted by the shuriken.
Clang, clang, clang~
Kunai and short sword clashed, sparks flying.
Seimei went all out, combining his Sharingan and 'Swordsmanship'. In just a short time, he gained the absolute upper hand.
This was only natural!
Although Takayama Yoichi was a special Jonin, his specialty lay in tracking, not direct combat.
In terms of frontal combat strength, he was only slightly stronger than an average Chunin.
Therefore, under Seimei's full-fledged attack, he had little room to fight back.
He couldn't even manage to cast a single ninjutsu.
And this was the common fate of most ninja whose strength was inferior to Seimei's.
Under the gaze of his lv5 'Swordsmanship' and Three Tomoe Sharingan, those lacking in strength simply had no opportunity to 'slowly' form hand seals.
If they did, Seimei could seize the chance and instantly kill them.
In this aspect, he was somewhat similar to the samurai of the Land of Iron.
However, the samurai relied on their rich combat experience to find openings in their opponents, while he relied on his Sharingan.
But regardless of the method, the end result was the same: ninja who were not strong enough couldn't last long against them.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 135: Reaction
Puchi~
The sound of a blade piercing flesh echoed.
Takayama Yoichi looked at the short sword embedded in his chest, wanting to say something, but when he opened his mouth, only blood gushed out, no words formed.
Seimei watched him expressionlessly. With a slight twist of his right hand, he pulled out the short sword.
Takayama Yoichi stumbled back two steps, glaring at Seimei with eyes full of unwillingness, but ultimately collapsed helplessly.
'Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique~'
Looking at the corpse on the ground, Seimei swiftly formed hand seals, opened his mouth, and spewed out a massive fireball with a diameter of two meters.
The fireball landed on the corpse, sizzling intensely, and soon burned Takayama Yoichi beyond recognition.
As for reducing him to ashes?
That wasn't realistic.
His Fire Release hadn't reached that level of power yet.
However, this was enough.
Seimei merely wanted to prevent Iwagakure from obtaining any memories related to him from Takayama Yoichi's brain; he didn't necessarily need to incinerate him completely.
As for concealing his death...
Seimei didn't intend to do that, nor could he.
After all, not all the rats had died. As long as Iwagakure had a way to find them, they would definitely discover Takayama Yoichi's demise.
Since that was the case, there was no need to waste effort on concealment.
As for the few people inside the cave, although they had been unconscious the whole time and were unaware of what Seimei had done to them, it didn't mean that Iwagakure couldn't find out.
Therefore, to keep his secret from being exposed, these people also had to die.
What?
You ask why not keep them and continue extracting chakra?
It was simple. Since Iwagakure could find them once through some clue, they might find them a second time.
In that case, the risk of keeping them far outweighed the potential gains.
So, Seimei wouldn't waste effort on relocating them.
Arriving at the cave entrance, Seimei looked at the collapsed cave, thought for a moment, then raised his right hand, focusing his mind. In a short while, a high-density chakra ball formed in his palm.
That's right, it was the Rasengan.
Seimei extended his right hand, pressing the Rasengan against the rubble. A rotating force transmitted outward, instantly flinging the surrounding debris aside.
Seimei didn't stop. After advancing a distance, he used the Rasengan again, repeating the process to continue moving forward.
This was only because Seimei's Rasengan was just beginner level and couldn't condense too much chakra. Otherwise, he could have cleared the entire passage in one go.
A few minutes later, Seimei finally returned to the cave.
At this time, the three Iwa-nin and two Kumo-nin were still alive.
Seimei didn't waste any time. He went straight to them, performed the Chakra Absorption Technique, and extracted as much of their mental and physical energy as possible.
Soon, Seimei's chakra reached full capacity.
However, the people on the ground still hadn't been completely drained.
Seimei could only shake his head in regret. He didn't have time to linger here, so he had to give up.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~
Five kunai were casually thrown by Seimei, accurately piercing the five people's hearts.
Their bodies twitched unconsciously, and then they breathed their last in their sleep.
Next, Seimei once again used the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique to incinerate all five corpses before leaving the cave.
To be safe, Seimei didn't immediately head to the next hiding spot. Instead, he first circled the vicinity.
Only after confirming that no one or anything else was following him did he quietly make his way to another hiding place.
There were also a few Kumo-nin and Iwa-nin captives there.
Based on his time estimates, their physical condition should have recovered by now, ready for another round of harvesting.
Thinking of this, Seimei didn't want to delay even for a minute. He quickened his pace, and in no time, he arrived at his destination.
He looked around, ensuring there were no issues, and then entered the hiding spot, quickly starting another round of cultivation.
...
That night.
At Iwagakure's last line of defense, inside a small hut in the command post, an Iwa-nin Jonin bowed to the elderly man above him, "Elder!"
Hearing the call, the old man put down the documents in his hand, looked at the Iwa-nin Jonin below, and said with a smile, "It's Ishikawa! What's the matter?"
"Reporting to the Elder, something happened to Yoichi," Ishikawa said with a serious tone.
"Yoichi?"
The Iwa elder was stunned for a moment upon hearing the name.
A moment later, as if recalling something, he said in realization, "Oh, you mean that kid Takayama Yoichi. What happened to him?"
"Elder, according to the requirements, he should have contacted us half an hour ago, but we haven't received any news until now. So we believe he might have already been killed in action," Ishikawa reported truthfully.
Hearing this, the Iwa elder's expression also turned serious, "I remember he was investigating that mysterious ninja and the recent disappearances of ninja in the outer areas, right?"
"Yes, Elder," Ishikawa replied.
"And then?"
The Iwa elder pressed further.
"There's no 'and then'," Ishikawa shook his head. "After that routine contact, Jonin Takayama disappeared."
Hearing this, the Iwa elder pondered for a moment, "You mean, Jonin Takayama discovered something and was then silenced?"
"Most likely!"
Ishikawa replied with certainty.
"Can you pinpoint the location?"
The Iwa elder asked again.
"Yes," Ishikawa answered. "Jonin Takayama has a blood contract with the Hidden Rat Clan. He always summons some Hidden Rats when carrying out missions. As long as we find the leader of the Hidden Rat Clan, we should be able to determine Jonin Takayama's final location."
However, upon hearing this, the Iwa elder fell silent.
After a while, he finally said, "Let's put Takayama's matter aside for now. Our current priority is to cooperate with the main force's operation.
"At the earliest tomorrow morning, at the latest tomorrow noon, the main force's intentions will be exposed. At that time, we need to hold back the Kumo-nin.
"As for Takayama's situation..."
The Iwa elder pondered for a while before continuing, "Judging by the recent number of missing people, there are at most a few insignificant individuals causing trouble out there.
"As long as they continue to act, they won't be able to stray far from this battlefield.
"And once the main force arrives tomorrow, they'll be like fish in a net, unable to escape. At that time, we can easily deal with them by sending some personnel.
"So, there's no need to worry about them for now."
Finally, the Iwa elder said earnestly, "Ishikawa, remember, the more critical the moment, the more important it is to distinguish priorities. The Kumo-nin are our main target; everything else is secondary, understand?"
"Thank you for your guidance, Elder. I understand," Ishikawa replied sincerely.
That's all for today.
Chapter 136: Choice
The next day.
Morning.
In front of Iwagakure's last line of defense, the Third Raikage, enveloped in lightning and bare-handed, once again charged ahead alone.
Facing him were five Iwa-nin, all true Jonin.
Even so, these Iwa-nin didn't dare to clash head-on with the Third Raikage. They merely provided cover for each other, using various ninjutsu and combat techniques to contain him.
The entire process was extremely dangerous. If their coordination faltered and the Third Raikage found an opening, it would result in severe injury or death.
Therefore, the five Iwa-nin present were all very tense.
Especially today, they had received secret orders to hold back the Third Raikage at all costs, ensuring he couldn't disengage from the battle.
This made them even more nervous.
The Third Raikage's gaze swept over the five, instinctively sensing something amiss, but he couldn't pinpoint the problem.
After all, they were carefully selected Jonin. Although these five Iwa-nin were inwardly tense, they didn't show any outward signs of it.
Even during the battle, there were no such indications.
Time ticked by, and the Third Raikage still couldn't find anything unusual.
So, he stopped overthinking it. With a thought, he was about to unleash his full power, using absolute strength to dispel the lingering doubts in his heart.
"Third Raikage-sama, there's urgent intel. Please return to headquarters immediately!"
However, just as he was about to make his move, a voice suddenly appeared in his mind. The Third Raikage knew who the owner of the voice was.
It was one of his subordinates who possessed a secret mind technique, capable of transmitting sound to any target within a certain range.
'But what does he mean by that? Urgent intel?'
Without time to ponder, the Third Raikage decided to disengage from the battle first and then quickly return to see what had happened.
He had great trust in his subordinates, knowing they wouldn't interrupt his offensive rhythm unless it was an extremely urgent matter.
And if they did, it meant the situation was definitely dire and required his personal attention.
With this in mind, the Third Raikage forced back the surrounding five Iwa-nin Jonin with a few moves, then leaped, intending to break through the encirclement and return to the rear.
But he didn't expect that as soon as he retreated, these five, despite the risk of being severely injured by him, would forcefully block his path.
At this moment, the Third Raikage finally realized what felt off earlier.
Compared to the Iwa-nin he had encountered in the past few days, these five Iwa-nin Jonin were clearly more conservative in their fighting style.
But when he was about to withdraw, they displayed unusual proactiveness, even willing to risk their lives.
Obviously, their behavior was contradictory.
Previously, this discrepancy wasn't obvious. The five would only stick to him like glue when he relaxed his offensive.
But once he intensified his attacks, they would quickly revert to their conservative stance.
Before this, he had been focused on attacking and hadn't paid much attention to this, so he only instinctively sensed something was wrong.
Now that he wanted to retreat, these people finally couldn't sit still, and the contradiction in their behavior was completely exposed.
That was why he finally realized it.
However, the more it was like this, the more certain the Third Raikage became that there was a major problem at the rear. Otherwise, they wouldn't go to such lengths to keep him here.
That's right, the Third Raikage had already seen through the purpose of their contradictory actions—to stall him on the battlefield.
'In that case, I can't stay here any longer.'
With this thought, the Third Raikage roared, "Get out of my way!"
Before the words even left his mouth, he activated the strongest state of his Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
Crackling sounds filled the air as tangible lightning surged forth, forming a thick layer of armor around his body.
This was the Third Raikage's 'Strongest Lightning Armor' in his full-powered state.
At this point, let alone ordinary weapons and ninjutsu, even Wind Release ninjutsu, which was the natural counter to Lightning Release, couldn't inflict the slightest damage on him.
Boom~
The Third Raikage's figure flickered, instantly vanishing from the sight of the five Iwa-nin Jonin.
In the next moment, before two of the Iwa-nin Jonin could react, they were violently sent flying by the Third Raikage, losing their lives before even hitting the ground.
The remaining three Iwa-nin Jonin, seeing this scene, all stopped in their tracks.
Although their orders were to stall the Third Raikage, that was also based on the premise of having a chance of success.
But with his current strength, how could they possibly stop him?
They had no desire to throw their lives away.
"Hmph!"
Seeing this, the Third Raikage let out a cold snort and left without looking back.
In the distance, 'Seimei', with his Three Tomoe Sharingan activated, watched the Third Raikage swagger away, shaking his head in disbelief.
Then, he dispelled the Shadow Clone Technique.
Poof~
A cloud of chakra smoke dispersed, and 'Seimei's figure vanished.
...
Meanwhile.
In a relatively concealed cave.
Seimei, who was cultivating, suddenly opened his eyes, then quickly closed them again, beginning to browse through the memories that had suddenly appeared in his mind.
A moment later, he opened his eyes again and muttered, "It seems this battle is about to end."
With his omniscient perspective, he could easily deduce the cause and effect from the Third Raikage's actions.
If he wasn't mistaken, the Kumo-nin must have discovered Iwagakure's plot and informed the Third Raikage.
That's why he was rushing back in such a hurry.
After learning that he was about to be surrounded, the Third Raikage had two choices.
The first was to go all-in, continue the attack, and try to breach Iwagakure's last line of defense and charge into the village before the Iwa-nin's main force completed the encirclement, thus regaining the initiative.
The second was to retreat immediately, taking advantage of the fact that the Iwa-nin's main force hadn't yet formed a complete encirclement, and escape through the gaps.
The former involved a time constraint. If they couldn't break into Iwagakure before the Iwa-nin's main force surrounded them, the Kumo-nin would face being attacked from both inside and outside.
And this was very likely to happen.
Although the Third Raikage was powerful, the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, who was guarding Iwagakure, was no pushover either. His Dust Release ninjutsu wasn't something the Lightning Armor could completely nullify.
Coupled with the obstruction of the last line of defense, it was basically impossible for the Third Raikage to breach Iwagakure in a short time.
Then they were left with only the second option.
But escaping wasn't that easy either.
Let's not even talk about whether they could find a suitable opportunity. Just the Iwa-nin on the current battlefield wouldn't let them leave easily.
In this wave, the Kumo-nin were bound to pay a price.
'So, what about me? Can I seize some benefits from this?'
Seimei pondered and quickly came up with a plan.
Undoubtedly, in the coming period, both the Kumo-nin and Iwa-nin would focus their attention on each other.
This meant he had more room to maneuver.
Moreover...
Seimei had no doubt that the upcoming situation would be chaotic. Kumogakure wouldn't let the Third Raikage stay behind as a rearguard from the start.
Initially, they would definitely try to escape together, even sacrificing some Kumo-nin to cover the retreat of the Third Raikage and the main force.
Only when the situation completely collapsed would the Third Raikage use himself as bait to stall the Iwagakure army, creating an opportunity for the other Kumo-nin to escape.
Even then, those Kumo-nin would still be pursued. After all, no matter how strong the Third Raikage was, he was only one person and couldn't possibly hold back an army of ten thousand.
Therefore, this process was bound to be chaotic.
And chaos meant opportunity. He could totally take advantage of the situation to plunder chakra and accelerate his own growth.
Chapter 137: Infiltration (Happy Dragon Boat Festival!)
"Alright, let's do it this way!"
Having made his decision, Seimei began dealing with the captives in his hands.
Of course, he wouldn't just kill them all directly.
That would inevitably lead to a considerable waste.
Seimei wouldn't be so extravagant.
Before killing these people, he would extract their mental and physical energy one last time, maximizing their remaining value.
For this, he spent more than two hours.
It wasn't that the locations where these people were held were far apart, but rather that his body had a limited capacity for chakra and couldn't extract too much at once.
To avoid waste, Seimei could only pause midway and consume the excess chakra by practicing the Reflection Heart Technique.
That's why it took more than two hours.
By now, the Kumo-nin had already retreated.
As Seimei had predicted, the Kumo-nin didn't have the Third Raikage act as a rearguard from the start.
Instead, they organized a portion of their forces to hold back the Iwa-nin on the last line of defense, while the rest, led by the Third Raikage, swiftly retreated.
By the time Seimei arrived at the battlefield, the fighting here was nearing its end. The Kumo-nin responsible for the rearguard had almost all been killed or wounded.
Correspondingly, only a small number of Iwa-nin remained here.
As for the rest, Seimei glanced northwest. They had basically all gone to pursue the Kumo-nin's main force.
However, Seimei wasn't in a hurry to chase after them immediately. He had shadow clones keeping an eye on them, and when it was time for him to move, the shadow clones would naturally inform him.
As for this side...
Seimei looked at the Iwa-nin wounded being transported to the rear, sensing an opportunity.
If he could infiltrate Iwagakure's medical team, then these wounded would become readily available 'chakra batteries'.
Not only that, he might even be able to take this chance to gain some proficiency in the Healing Technique, laying a foundation for learning more advanced medical ninjutsu in the future.
It was a win-win situation, and Seimei couldn't help but be tempted.
After pondering for a long time, he decided to give it a try.
With that in mind, Seimei immediately concealed his figure and moved towards the rear of the battlefield, where Iwagakure's medical ninja were concentrated.
Perhaps because of the victory at the front lines, the Iwa-nin's defenses here were somewhat lax. Seimei managed to sneak in with a bit of effort.
Following a medical ninja into a tent, Seimei suddenly spoke, "Hi!"
Moriki Ishi was startled by the sudden voice. He immediately turned and jumped back, drawing his kunai while creating distance and looking at Seimei.
However, what met his eyes was a pair of blood-red eyes.
The next moment, he fell into a genjutsu.
As his consciousness faded, Moriki Ishi struggled to utter three words, "Sharingan..."
"Hehe, the Sharingan is truly renowned!"
Hearing Moriki Ishi's last words, Seimei, unsure whether it was mockery or joy, suddenly said this.
Thinking about the other timeline...
More than ten years later, after the Uchiha clan was annihilated, how many of the younger generation in the ninja world would still remember the prestige of the Sharingan?
And how much deterrence would Konoha lose because of it?
Shaking his head, Seimei stopped dwelling on it.
He then began to guide Moriki Ishi to recall some basic information, such as his name, mission, and the personnel distribution within the camp.
Through this information, Seimei quickly gained a comprehensive understanding of this temporary camp. He wouldn't risk exposure when he went out again.
So, Seimei didn't linger any longer. He knocked Moriki Ishi unconscious, drained his chakra, and used the Transformation Technique to take on his appearance.
Just as Seimei was about to leave, he hesitated, then returned to Moriki Ishi's side. His right hand formed a blade, and he swiftly struck Moriki Ishi's throat.
Crack~
A crisp sound of bone breaking echoed. Moriki Ishi's breathing was obstructed, his face flushed red. After struggling for a moment, he actually regained consciousness.
However, what greeted him was another genjutsu.
Moriki Ishi involuntarily closed his eyes, and then, in his sleep, he completely lost his life.
Looking at the corpse, Seimei focused his mind, and a high-density chakra ball slowly formed in his right palm.
That's right, it was the Rasengan!
Seimei pressed the Rasengan towards the ground. The moment the chakra ball in his palm touched the ground, it was like a hot knife through butter, silently 'digging' a large hole.
Seimei threw Moriki Ishi's body into the hole, then filled it back up with soil and rocks, completing a very unprofessional attempt at destroying the evidence.
There was no other way. He hadn't learned any techniques for disposing of bodies, so he could only make do with a hasty burial.
This was still better than leaving it there, wasn't it?
Mumbling to himself, Seimei didn't stay any longer and stepped out of the tent.
Based on Moriki Ishi's memory, he quickly arrived at the area where the wounded were being treated. Avoiding the Iwa-nin who were familiar with the original Moriki Ishi, Seimei walked straight into a tent.
As soon as he entered, he smelled a strong scent of blood.
Looking up, he saw several Iwa-nin Chunin lying on makeshift beds, occasionally letting out painful groans.
The bandages on their wounds were seeping blood, indicating they were seriously injured.
"Medic!"
Seeing Seimei approach, the Iwa-nin became agitated.
Unlike Konoha, Iwagakure didn't have many medical ninja.
Most of them were in the village, and even those who were out were mostly with the main force. There were very few left here.
They had been worried that it would be a while before their turn, but unexpectedly, they saw a medical ninja so soon.
How could they not be excited?
However, seeing their state, Seimei said coldly, "Don't move. I'll attend to you one by one."
With that, regardless of their reactions, he walked straight towards the nearest Iwa-nin.
"Thank you for your trouble!"
The Iwa-nin, seeing Seimei approaching, politely thanked him despite the pain.
"Mm."
Seimei nodded slightly, carefully inquired about his injuries, then reached out to unwrap the bandage on his waist, revealing a wound about an inch deep.
Confirming it was indeed an external injury, Seimei secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
With his current half-baked skills, he could only heal external injuries.
Fortunately, the Kumo-nin weren't skilled in using poison, otherwise, it would be truly troublesome.
Quickly cleaning the wound, Seimei began to perform the Healing Technique, accelerating cell division at the injury site.
A few minutes later, Seimei withdrew his hand and said, "It's done."
Hearing this, the Iwa-nin looked down and saw that the wound had healed, although the surrounding skin looked a bit unusual.
There was also a slight lingering pain.
Before he could ask, Seimei spoke, "Your wound has only initially healed. You need to rest for a few more days and avoid any strenuous activity during this time."
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
The Iwa-nin repeatedly expressed his gratitude.
"Mm."
Seimei responded briefly and was about to move on to the next person.
But just then, he suddenly paused, turned his head, and looked at the Iwa-nin on the bed, seemingly wanting to say something. However, after opening his mouth a few times, he didn't utter a word.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 138: The Hidden Strategy
Seeing Seimei's hesitant expression, the injured Iwa ninja on the sickbed thought there was something wrong with his injury and asked nervously, "What's wrong?"
"Uh..." Seimei hesitated for a moment.
Finally, he pretended to be troubled and said, "You know, many ninjas were injured in this battle, but there are only a few medical ninjas. I want to alleviate the pain for more comrades, but..."
"But what?" the Iwa ninja who had just been healed by Seimei asked, and the others also perked up their ears.
Seimei glanced at them, as if he had made up his mind, and said, "But I don't have enough chakra to help too many people."
"Is there anything we can do to help you?" It was not the Iwa ninja in front of Seimei who spoke, but another one with severe injuries.
Obviously, the other party was eager to be treated, and immediately used the word "we" to include everyone.
Seimei also took the opportunity and immediately said, "I have a ninjutsu that can absorb chakra. For the sake of other comrades, are you willing to contribute some chakra?"
That's right, Seimei didn't plan to force it this time, but instead prepared to use a hidden strategy, indirectly obtaining chakra.
After all, this was the enemy's territory, and using force could easily be discovered.
In that case, it was better to put everything in the open and use righteousness to pressure them.
Although he couldn't drain all their chakra at once, there were many more targets to choose from, and he could completely win by quantity.
Moreover, there was no need to worry about being discovered, because even if he was discovered, it was fine.
After all, he was really healing more people.
"Absorb chakra?" Hearing Seimei's words, all the Iwa ninjas frowned. After all, chakra was a matter of life and death for them.
For a moment, the atmosphere became strangely quiet.
"Is the process dangerous?" It was still the severely injured Iwa ninja who spoke. It could be seen that the other party was very anxious, so he broke the silence with one sentence.
"Absolutely not!" Seimei immediately assured upon hearing this.
Then, his voice weakened, "And I won't absorb too much chakra, about half is enough. It's mainly because there are too many wounded..."
Hearing his words, the brows of several Iwa ninjas finally relaxed.
If it was only absorbing half, it was acceptable.
After all, the battle at the front had ended.
Next, they would definitely not go to the battlefield again, and this was the rear area, with people patrolling and guarding around. They were unlikely to encounter any danger.
In that case, it was fine to contribute some chakra.
With this thought, several Iwa ninjas in the tent expressed their opinions one after another, "For the village, for our comrades, contributing some chakra is our duty."
'Hehe, it's your duty. If it weren't for waiting for me to save your lives, would you be so straightforward?' Seimei sneered in his heart, but on his face, he had an expression of being so moved that he was almost about to cry.
Then, he looked at the Iwa ninja he had just healed.
The other party hesitated for a moment, glanced at the other people in the tent, and after finding that they were all staring at him, he sighed and extended his hand with a righteous expression, "It's my duty!"
Obviously, he didn't dare to do anything ungrateful.
Seeing this, Seimei smiled from the bottom of his heart, then quickly completed the hand seals, cast the 'Chakra Absorption Technique', and grabbed the other party's hand.
To avoid scaring the other party, Seimei didn't absorb the other party's chakra with full force, but only maintained a speed of one hundred points per second.
After noticing this, the Iwa ninja indeed relaxed a bit.
After more than ten seconds, Seimei took the initiative to release the other party's hand and said, "That's enough. Let me treat the others' injuries first."
After saying that, he walked towards the Iwa ninja who had been speaking just now. The other party's injuries were quite severe, with several parts of his body wrapped in bandages.
Just like before, Seimei first inquired about the general situation and confirmed that they were all external injuries before unwrapping the bandages and carefully examining the wounds.
A moment later, he confidently said, "No problem, I can treat them."
Hearing this, the Iwa ninja on the sickbed immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said before even receiving treatment, "Just leave me one-third of my chakra later. I hope you can save more people."
"This..." Seimei hesitated slightly, but ultimately nodded.
Then, he didn't say anything more and started to carefully clean the other party's wounds. After finishing this, he began to cast the 'Healing Technique' to treat the other party's injuries.
This time it took a little longer, about fifteen minutes, to initially heal the other party's injuries.
Seimei moved his hand away and instructed, "Your injuries are serious. You'll need to rest for about a week afterward, and during this time, avoid any strenuous activity."
"Okay, thank you!" Saying that, the Iwa ninja on the sickbed extended his hand.
Seimei didn't hesitate either and immediately did the same, casting the 'Chakra Absorption Technique' and extracting about two-thirds of the chakra from the other party's body.
Just like that, Seimei quickly healed the injuries of the seven Iwa ninjas in the tent.
Of course, he also extracted their chakra.
Leaving the tent, Seimei opened the panel and glanced at it. The proficiency of the 'Healing Technique' had increased by nearly a hundred points, and his chakra amount had increased by about three thousand points.
Honestly speaking, a mere three thousand points of chakra was indeed a bit too little.
But for the sake of the rapidly increasing proficiency of the 'Healing Technique', he tolerated it.
Anyway, the meat was already in the pot, so what difference did it make where the chakra was used?
Feeling the chakra that was about to overflow in his body, Seimei didn't immediately go to the second injured ninja tent but returned to 'his' residence.
After confirming that no one had come, Seimei sat cross-legged and began to cast the 'Reflecting Heart Technique', consuming the 'excess' chakra in his body.
An hour later.
On Seimei's panel, the proficiency of the 'Reflecting Heart Technique' had increased by sixty points, and the evolution progress of the Sharingan had also increased by sixty points synchronously.
At this time, he still had half of his chakra left.
Seimei didn't delay any longer and immediately left his residence, appearing once again in the injured ninja tent.
The process was the same as before. First, he healed one person, then gave the same reason, and then used righteousness to force them, quickly reaching an agreement with several Iwa ninjas.
And he took the opportunity to increase the proficiency of the 'Healing Technique' and harvest a wave of chakra by the way.
After visiting three tents in a row and healing nearly twenty people, his chakra once again reached full capacity. Seimei returned to his residence once more and began to practice the 'Reflecting Heart Technique'.
And when his chakra dropped to half again, he would set off again to heal the Iwa ninjas, accumulate proficiency in the 'Healing Technique', and extract chakra, repeating the cycle.
Just like that, from noon to afternoon, and then from afternoon to evening, Seimei, under the identity of Senmu Ishi, walked among the various injured ninja tents, tirelessly healing them, and only occasionally going to 'rest' for a while, truly a model medical ninja.
During this time, the fact that he was absorbing chakra was unsurprisingly discovered.
But it didn't attract much attention because, apart from absorbing chakra, he was truly wholeheartedly healing the Iwa ninjas.
Thus, without in-depth investigation, it was naturally impossible to discover any clues.
There's one more update tonight.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 139: The Decisive Battle
"However, it's about time to leave." Seimei muttered to himself, recalling the memories that had suddenly appeared in his mind.
That's right, just now, a shadow clone had transmitted information to him by releasing the ninjutsu, urging him to rush there as soon as possible.
'But before leaving, should I try something big?' Seimei's eyes gleamed as he scanned the tents where the wounded were staying.
With the trust he had just gained, Seimei was confident that he could 'instantly' kill everyone in a tent without making any noise.
But that was meaningless.
First, although he could kill them silently, he couldn't control them silently.
All his current genjutsu could only be cast on a single person and couldn't control multiple people simultaneously.
This meant that he couldn't extract these people's chakra, so taking action was pointless.
Second, these people had already been harvested by him once. Although they still had chakra in their bodies, it wasn't much. Six or seven people in one tent couldn't gather much chakra, so it wasn't worth the risk.
Lastly, and most importantly, he didn't want any unexpected complications.
Although after killing these people, it wouldn't be discovered immediately, it couldn't be hidden for long either, as the other Iwa ninjas weren't blind.
Next, he still had to rush to the battlefield between the Cloud ninja and the Iwa ninja to fish in troubled waters. If he was pursued, it would be detrimental to his concealment.
Moreover... Seimei opened the panel and glanced at it.
He saw that his 'Healing Technique' had leveled up from lv3 (70/1000) to lv4 (490/2000), and the 'Reflecting Heart Technique' had leveled up from lv7 (257/20000) to lv7 (512/20000).
The income of nearly 150,000 chakra points was already enough; he couldn't be greedy anymore!
With this thought, Seimei didn't linger any longer and immediately sneaked towards the outside of the camp.
Because he had some of Senmu Tetsu's memories, it was even easier this time than when he infiltrated. In just a few minutes, he left the temporary camp.
Afterward, he followed the shadow clone's memories and quickly rushed towards the battlefield between the Cloud ninja and the Iwa ninja.
...
The moon was bright, and the stars were sparse.
Seimei ran all the way and finally arrived at the place where the shadow clone had last stayed at midnight.
However, there were no Cloud ninja or Iwa ninja here anymore, only some traces of the battle.
Seimei glanced around and quickly saw the mark left by other shadow clones in a conspicuous place.
Then, he continued to follow the mark, and it wasn't until dawn that he finally met up with the three shadow clones.
At this time, they were still moving forward.
In the distance, the main force of the Cloud ninja could be vaguely seen, along with a small number of Iwa ninja trailing behind them.
"What's the situation?" Seimei came to the side of a shadow clone and asked.
Hearing this, the shadow clone quickly replied, "Simply put, the Iwa ninja don't want the Cloud ninja to leave so quickly. They want to delay them, but they are no match for the Third Raikage. Now they can only follow like this. You can see the specific situation for yourself."
As he spoke, the shadow clone released the jutsu.
Immediately, the clone's experiences and memories surfaced in Seimei's mind.
In just a moment, Seimei had a new understanding of the current situation.
Overall, in the outer areas, Iwagakure had already formed an encirclement, but because the encirclement was too large, their forces couldn't be concentrated, and there was a risk of it being broken through.
If they wanted to annihilate this elite Cloud ninja force, they had to buy time and shrink the encirclement to concentrate their forces.
To this end, Iwagakure sent out an elite force to try to hinder the Cloud ninja's advance.
The location of the battle between the two sides was the place he had arrived at midnight.
At that time, the shadow clones all thought that the final decisive battle would take place there, so they quickly reported the news to him.
Unexpectedly, halfway through the battle, the Third Raikage suddenly erupted with extraordinary strength and single-handedly tore through the defense line formed by the Iwa ninja elites, allowing the main Cloud ninja force to continue moving forward.
Helplessly, the shadow clones could only leave a mark and continue to follow.
Similarly, after suffering a loss, those Iwa ninja didn't dare to directly obstruct them anymore and could only follow behind to harass them.
Now, it depended on whether the Cloud ninja would reach the encirclement first and break through it, or whether the Iwa ninja would gather enough forces in advance to form an impenetrable wall.
It could be said that the Cloud ninja and the Iwa ninja were now racing against time to see who would achieve their goal first.
However, according to memories from his past life, it should be Iwagakure who completed the plan first. Otherwise, the Third Raikage wouldn't have stayed behind alone to create an opportunity for the Cloud ninja to escape.
'I just don't know how much longer until that time comes.'
Thinking this in his heart, Seimei had two shadow clones release their jutsu.
Poof Poof
As two puffs of chakra smoke dispersed, the other two shadow clones disappeared, leaving only Seimei alone on the field.
Then, he followed behind the Cloud ninja and the Iwa ninja alone, waiting for the final decisive battle to arrive.
...
Time passed by minute by minute.
In the blink of an eye, the sky was already bright.
Neither the Cloud ninja nor the Iwa ninja showed any signs of stopping.
Naturally, Seimei couldn't stop either.
By now, he hadn't slept for a day and a night. Fortunately, he wasn't an ordinary person and could endure a few days without sleep.
In a flash, several more hours passed.
It was almost noon.
Inexplicably, Seimei felt a sense of oppression.
Looking up at the sky, it had been clear and sunny in the morning, but now it was covered in dark clouds.
Crackle
Suddenly, a lightning bolt tore through the clouds, illuminating the surroundings and stinging everyone's eyes.
Immediately afterward, the rumbling sound of thunder echoed through the sky, making people involuntarily raise their heads.
At this moment, there was only one thought in everyone's mind: the might of heaven and earth was beyond human power.
Crackle
Another lightning bolt flashed, illuminating the sky and the densely packed Iwa ninja in front.
"Hmm?"
Seimei suddenly activated his Sharingan and looked forward. He saw a large number of Iwa ninja climbing over the hill, rapidly approaching.
Looking further into the distance and to both sides, there were even more Iwa ninja gathering, densely packed like ants, countless in number.
Even Seimei was shocked by this scene.
No wonder people said that when people reached ten thousand, they were boundless and endless.
Although the Iwa ninja in front weren't ten thousand, their气势was no less impressive.
Didn't you see that even the Cloud ninja had stopped!
Crackle
Another lightning bolt flashed.
The next moment, a few raindrops fell on Seimei's face.
"It's raining!"
Mumbling to himself, Seimei looked up and saw raindrops falling from the sky as if they were free.
"Haha, this rain came at the perfect time!"
Suddenly, a loud laugh came from the front, attracting Seimei's attention.
He looked up and saw a figure wrapped in lightning rapidly rushing out from the Cloud ninja队伍, heading straight for the Iwa ninja in front.
Who else could it be but the Third Raikage?
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 140: Divided into Two
"Kill!"
Another roar came from the Cloud ninja.
Then, the second, the third...
The Cloud ninjas, after the Third Raikage charged out, didn't hesitate and immediately followed, rushing towards the Iwa ninjas in front.
For a time, the battlefield was filled with deafening shouts and cries.
Seimei looked at these people, thought for a moment, and approached.
It wasn't that he wanted to do anything, but it was more convenient for him to adapt to the situation this way.
However, before he could go far, he saw another sneaky figure, dressed in a black robe and wearing a mask, clearly an Anbu ninja.
But...
Seimei glanced at the other person's mask. There was no mark on it. He didn't know which force this spy belonged to.
And just as Seimei was observing the other person, the figure seemed to have sensed something and suddenly turned their head to look in his direction, then paused.
Obviously, they had also discovered Seimei.
Just as Seimei was considering whether to activate his Sharingan and use hypnosis to detain the person, they used the Body Flicker Technique and disappeared from the spot.
Looking at the rapidly retreating figure, Seimei didn't choose to pursue them, even though he might be able to catch up if he went all out.
But doing so would inevitably expose his whereabouts. Compared to the numerous Iwa and Cloud ninjas ahead, a single person wasn't worth the risk.
After a brief pause, Seimei continued forward. When he reached a spot that was neither too close nor too far, he hid again.
...
Two hours passed in a flash.
This time, even though the Third Raikage was still charging at the front and the other Cloud ninjas were fighting desperately, they couldn't break through the Iwa ninja's formation a second time.
In two whole hours, the Cloud ninjas had only advanced less than a kilometer.
And at this time, they were still surrounded by the Iwa ninjas.
Moreover, as time went on, more and more Iwa ninjas gathered here, and the pressure on them grew.
The Third Raikage instantly repelled several Iwa jonin, leaped into the air, and surveyed the surroundings.
He saw countless Iwa ninjas surging towards them like a tide, while the Cloud ninjas beside him were like a dam, constantly being eroded, at risk of collapsing at any moment.
The Third Raikage understood that he had lost this confrontation.
But...
The Third Raikage scanned his subordinates who were fighting desperately and thought to himself, "These people absolutely cannot all die here!"
These people were the elites of Kumogakure. If they were all lost, Kumogakure would definitely suffer a great blow.
After hesitating for only a few seconds, the Third Raikage made up his mind. His eyes changed, and he instantly pushed the Lightning Release Chakra Mode to its limit.
With crackling sounds, materialized lightning appeared on his body, like a thick armor, providing him with all-around protection.
The Third Raikage didn't waste any words and immediately leaped out of the Cloud ninja ranks again, charging into the dense Iwa ninja army and starting a frenzy of killing.
In a short time, dozens of Iwa ninjas died under his hands.
The Iwa ninjas had no choice but to mobilize even more people to besiege the Third Raikage.
Correspondingly, the pressure on the main Cloud ninja force was greatly reduced.
Then, they started to move slowly, shifting towards the border.
In contrast, the Third Raikage showed no intention of breaking through the encirclement, only engaging in a mad slaughter, attracting more and more Iwa ninjas to surround him.
Thus, in no time, the battlefield was divided into two parts.
One part was the battleground between the Iwa ninja and the main Cloud ninja force, while the other part was the fighting area between the Third Raikage and a group of Iwa ninjas.
Time passed by second by second, and the distance between the two battlefields grew further and further apart.
Because the Third Raikage attracted a large number of Iwa ninjas, the main Cloud ninja force was almost about to break through the encirclement.
At this time, a familiar voice echoed in the Third Raikage's mind, "Third Raikage-sama, it's enough. You can break through now."
However, upon hearing these words, the Third Raikage didn't do as instructed.
He first looked at his subordinates from afar, then scanned the numerous Iwa ninjas surrounding him, and finally replied in his mind, "His, you guys go!"
"What? Third Raikage-sama, what do you mean?" His's anxious voice echoed in the Third Raikage's mind.
"Quiet!"
The Third Raikage shouted in a low voice, stopping His's words, then sighed softly and said, "His, we lost!"
"I know, sir, but we can start over." His replied.
"No."
The Third Raikage interrupted her, saying in a low voice, "We lost, and we have to pay the price. Either you or me."
"..."
His fell silent.
"Haven't you realized it yet?"
The Third Raikage continued, "Once I also try to break through, Iwagakure will immediately mobilize all their forces to surround you. That's something I don't want to see."
"But..."
"There are no buts."
His wanted to say something but was directly interrupted by the Third Raikage.
"His, you are the future of Kumogakure. Protect yourselves and don't let my sacrifice be in vain."
The Third Raikage said this last sentence and then expelled His's wisp of spiritual power from his body.
Seimei witnessed a slight pause from the main Cloud ninja force, but they quickly continued their breakthrough, and their speed increased.
At this point, Seimei was basically certain that the 'plot' was largely unfolding according to his memories from his past life.
Although he didn't know how the Third Raikage and his subordinates had discussed it, there was no doubt that the Third Raikage intended to stay behind alone.
No, staying behind wasn't quite accurate.
After all, he was alone. Even with his great strength, it would be difficult to stop thousands of Iwa ninjas.
If Iwagakure hadn't chosen to keep him between him and the main Cloud ninja force, even if he wanted to stay behind alone, he wouldn't have the chance.
So, rather than saying he was staying behind, it was more like trading his life for theirs - the Third Raikage, with the tacit consent of Iwagakure, was using his own life to exchange for the chance for other Cloud ninjas to escape.
Of course, Iwagakure wouldn't easily let those Cloud ninjas go and would definitely dispatch some people to pursue and kill them.
And now Seimei had to consider whether to stay here or follow the main Cloud ninja force.
After thinking for only half a second, Seimei made his decision. He crossed his hands, performed the Shadow Clone Technique, and created a shadow clone.
Seimei looked at the shadow clone. Although he knew the clone understood what he wanted it to do, he still habitually instructed, "I'll leave this place to you."
"Mm."
The shadow clone simply responded, indicating its understanding.
With the shadow clone to wrap up this mission, Seimei didn't waste any more time and immediately chased in the direction the Cloud ninjas were escaping.
That's right, he ultimately chose the other battlefield.
On the one hand, it was more chaotic there, providing him with more opportunities to fish in troubled waters.
On the other hand, he was afraid that if he stayed here, Iwagakure might take the opportunity to eliminate him along with the Third Raikage.
It was foreseeable that in the near future, to prevent the Third Raikage from breaking through, Iwagakure would definitely find a way to seal off this area.
At that time, spies like them who couldn't be exposed would also be trapped.
So, for his own safety, he chose to leave.
(End of this chapter)