Ding~
Ding, ding, ding~
The crisp sound of metal clashing echoed through the forest.
With a short sword in hand, Seimei faced off against three Chūnin subordinates, holding his own with ease. In fact, he seemed to be toying with them.
The battle lasted about a quarter of an hour before Seimei saw an opening and kicked each of his opponents, sending all three flying.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The three hit the ground heavily.
One of the young ninjas, around 15 or 16 years old, complained, "Captain, could you go easier on us? You always hit so hard!"
Of course, his words were more of a playful complaint. He was well aware of Seimei's strength; if the captain had really hit hard, it wouldn't have ended with just a fall.
Their captain was also skilled in medical ninjutsu and could give them a painful memory, then heal them right after.
Suddenly remembering something, the young Leaf ninja shuddered involuntarily.
Hearing the complaint, Seimei smiled, about to say something, when a figure quickly approached from afar.
Seimei recognized him as one of Nara Shisui's guards, a fairly skilled Chūnin.
This guard was mainly responsible for communication between the Jōnin and Nara Shisui, occasionally delivering orders.
Judging by the guard's hurried demeanor, something major had happened.
The three subordinates on the ground realized it wasn't a simple matter and quickly got up, joining Seimei.
As expected, the guard brought bad news: the northwest side of the base's defense line had collapsed.
A squad of around 100 Iwagakure ninjas had breached the line and were closing in on the base. Nara Shisui ordered Seimei to lead his team to support and stop the enemy from advancing.
After hearing the situation, Seimei frowned and asked, "Hasn't Iwagakure slowed their attacks recently? Why would they suddenly launch such a large-scale offensive?"
"Not sure yet," the guard replied with a shake of his head.
Seimei thought for a moment, then waved him off, saying, "Alright, you can go. I'll head out right away."
"Thank you!" the guard replied and quickly left.
Watching him disappear, Seimei turned to his three subordinates and said, "Get ready, we're heading out!"
"Yes, Captain!"
The three answered in unison and began checking their gear.
At the same time, Seimei also assessed his own condition. Equipment wasn't an issue, but he mainly focused on his chakra levels.
Fortunately, Seimei had a habit of maintaining a high chakra reserve during training, replenishing as much as he used.
So, even though he had recently practiced techniques like *Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu*, *Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu*, and *Wind Style: Great Breakthrough*, consuming a significant amount of chakra, he still had plenty left.
If not for this, such a sudden mission would've been much more difficult to handle.
But now, apart from some minor physical exhaustion, his overall strength was nearly at its peak.
This gave him the confidence he needed.
A few seconds later, after his subordinates had finished their preparations, Seimei led them out.
By the time they reached the battlefield, the fight had already turned into a raging inferno.
Dozens of Konoha ninjas were locked in combat with nearly 100 Iwagakure ninjas, turning a kilometer-wide area into a battlefield.
However, Konoha was clearly at a disadvantage due to their smaller numbers and being caught off guard.
If it weren't for the continuous reinforcement of squads like Seimei's, the situation would have collapsed long ago.
But if things continued like this, they wouldn't last much longer.
It was no surprise, as the Iwagakure forces were made up of elites, with very few Genin. Most were Chūnin, and there were also quite a few Jōnin.
"Where did they get so many people?"
Seimei was puzzled.
But before he could figure it out, several Iwagakure Chūnin rushed towards him.
Initially, they all wore sneers on their faces.
But when one of them saw Seimei's face, his smile vanished, and he froze in place.
It wasn't that Seimei used his Sharingan to control him. The Chūnin was simply too terrified to move.
Seimei's gaze passed over him, locking onto the three approaching enemies. His Sharingan activated instantly, triggering a hypnosis technique. The first man in the lead immediately collapsed, falling into a deep slumber.
The other two were shocked and tried to avert their eyes to avoid being caught in the illusion.
But they were too slow.
Seimei raised his hands, completing the hand signs in an instant, and unleashed a nearly perfect *Genjutsu: Sharingan*. One of the men froze in place, his mind trapped in the illusion.
With a flicker, Seimei appeared before him, drawing his short sword. In one swift motion, he slit the man's throat.
Then, with another flash, he moved into the blind spot of the remaining enemy.
Seimei had mastered this strategy, executing it flawlessly. He could predict the opponent's blind spots and act without thinking.
Before the Iwagakure Chūnin knew what had happened, his heart had already been pierced by Seimei's sword.
"Ahh!"
Seeing Seimei kill two men in an instant and control the third, the Chūnin who had been frozen in fear suddenly screamed and, with newfound strength, turned and fled.
But he made a critical mistake—turning his back to Seimei.
Without hesitation, Seimei pulled a kunai from his pouch and threw it.
Thud!
The kunai flew over ten meters, striking the fleeing ninja in the back and killing him instantly.
However, the ninja's scream had attracted the attention of nearby Iwagakure forces.
Someone recognized Seimei and shouted, "The Demon Sword is here! The Demon Sword is here!"
That call acted like a signal, and two Iwagakure Jōnin immediately rushed over, preparing to confront Seimei.
Seimei wasn't surprised by this.
Ever since he had made a name for himself, Iwagakure had avoided sending lower-ranked ninjas against him.
His swordsmanship was too deadly for Genin and Chūnin, and he could decimate them with ease.
To prevent needless casualties, Iwagakure allowed their lower ranks to flee and call for Jōnin backup whenever they encountered him.
And once the Jōnin heard the signal, they were required to respond immediately in groups of at least two to take on Seimei.
Just as now, upon hearing that Seimei was on the battlefield, two Iwagakure Jōnin rushed to confront him.
Seimei quickly assessed their chakra levels, determining their strength.
"Two Special Jōnin, huh?"
He murmured to himself, then turned to his three subordinates. "I'll handle things here. You go help the others."
"Yes, Captain!" they responded in unison before moving away.
As Seimei turned to give orders, the two Iwagakure Jōnin exchanged a quick glance, both seeing an opportunity in each other's eyes.
Without hesitation, they attacked, throwing several shuriken to cut off Seimei's escape routes and target his vital spots.
(End of the chapter)