"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)