"Everyone, form a defensive formation!"
A sharp shout came from the front of the team.
Upon hearing this, the Chunin in the team immediately sprang into action, organizing the nearby Genin for defense based on proximity.
Meanwhile, the Special Jonin began to move according to their areas of expertise.
Those skilled in combat rushed out of the formation to support the ninjas responsible for reconnaissance.
Those adept at sensing sat down on the spot and began to perform Ninjutsu to investigate the surrounding situation, preventing any surprise attacks.
Others had their own tasks as well.
Everything was so efficient, as if they had rehearsed it dozens or even hundreds of times; everyone was able to find their place.
Only Seimei and the other inexperienced Genin, who understood nothing, could only follow the instructions of the nearby Chunin, like puppets on strings.
This feeling was terrible, as if their fate was at the mercy of others, leaving no sense of security.
Despite this, Seimei still didn't act rashly.
This situation was not something a mere Genin like him could interrupt.
Over the past three weeks, due to the large number of people and the need to keep moving, he hadn't had much time to increase his Proficiency level. He tried to minimize his rest time, managing to squeeze out at most three to four hours for training each day.
As a result, the amount of Chakra he could use was only around one thousand five hundred points.
To avoid drawing attention, he used all of this Chakra for practicing the 'Heart Reflection Jutsu,' raising its Proficiency level from lv3 (683/1000) to lv3 (875/1000).
In total, the increase of one hundred ninety-two points in Proficiency level also raised the Proficiency level of his Sharingan by nineteen points, bringing it to (69/1000).
Although the increase was small, every little bit counts, and Seimei didn't mind.
In addition, there was the 'Chakra Refining Technique.'
With three to four hours of training each day, plus full training for the three days before departure, its Proficiency level had increased from lv3 (346/1000) to lv3 (454/1000).
As a result, his Chakra limit grew by 864 points, now reaching 4074 points.
At this point, he vaguely sensed the limits of his body.
Seimei estimated that once his Chakra limit increased to around five thousand points, he would likely reach a plateau.
However, this was already much better than he had anticipated.
Boom~
Just as Seimei was lost in thought, a loud explosion suddenly erupted from the side cliff, followed by the sound of clanging metal.
Seimei looked up to see several ninjas wearing Hidden Rock Village Jonin uniforms engaged in battle with Konoha Jonin, and beside them were a dozen or so Hidden Rock Chunin.
"Sharingan!"
Seeing that no one around was paying attention to him, Seimei quietly activated his Sharingan.
Instantly, everything before his eyes became clear.
In his line of sight, the several Hidden Rock Chunin took advantage of the Konoha Jonin being entangled, quickly completed their hand signs, and then simultaneously slapped their hands against the cliff wall.
Seeing this, Seimei seemed to realize something and thought, This is bad. He quickly closed his Sharingan, grabbed his two companions, and leaped backward.
Suddenly being yanked like this, Ryosuke and Mizutani Shizuko both lost their balance and stumbled.
However, out of trust for their companion, they didn't struggle.
Just as they retreated, a sound of rock crumbling erupted from the side cliff.
Next, countless large and small fragments of rock fell from the sky, like a rain of meteors, all crashing down on the area where Seimei was located.
In an instant, chaos ensued below.
Although the ninjas were not ordinary people, their defenses were not significantly stronger than those of regular humans. Being struck by falling rocks like this would result in severe injuries, if not death.
So, everyone was doing their best to evade.
After a few breaths, the dust settled.
The light rain drizzled on their faces, leaving streaks of mud.
"Seimei, thank to you!"
Ryosuke said sincerely as he looked at the wreckage in the area.
That recent wave of falling rocks might not have been a big deal for Chunin, but for them as Genin, especially the inexperienced ones, it was somewhat dangerous.
Now, among the piles of debris around them lay a dozen Genin.
I wonder if they are alive or dead?
However, Seimei and the others had no time to worry about their fates, as new troubles approached them.
They saw nearly a hundred Rock Ninjas appearing from both the front and rear of the canyon, surrounding them from the sides.
From a numerical standpoint, they still held a significant advantage, but in terms of quality, they were lacking.
It was clear that the Rock Ninjas had come prepared; Nakane's team didn't have a single Genin among them, consisting entirely of Chunin and above elites.
And what about their side?
In a team of nearly four hundred people, Genin made up a large portion, many of whom were inexperienced graduates like Seimei.
It could be said that this battle was extremely dangerous.
Right now, I can only hope that the frontline headquarters can respond quickly; otherwise...
Seimei glanced at the Jonin from both sides still locked in combat on the cliffs, took a deep breath, and whispered, "You two, don't stray too far from me later."
Upon hearing this, the tense hearts of Ryosuke and Mizutani Shizuko calmed down a bit.
Seimei still wanted to look out for these two companions within his capabilities.
After all, they had been together for nearly four months, and Seimei didn't want them to die just like that.
Of course, if the situation became impossible, he wouldn't force it.
Anyway, he had prepared himself mentally since the beginning of the team formation.
Time passed second by second, and the atmosphere in the area was quiet; everyone was ready for battle.
Finally, just as both sides were about to engage, someone in the crowd shouted "Kill!"
In an instant, the entire battlefield erupted into chaos, filled with screams, wails, the clashing of weapons, and the explosive sounds of Ninjutsu; various noises echoed continuously.
That single word "kill" seemed to have activated some switch, plunging the whole battlefield into disarray.
Although Seimei and the others were positioned near the center of the team, their formation was rather loose due to the earlier rockfall, making them easy targets.
He watched as more than thirty Hidden Rock Chunin swiftly approached using Earth Release from underground.
From their appearance, it was clear they intended to split the entire convoy in half, thereby expanding the combat area and inflicting maximum damage on Konoha Ninja.
Seimei carefully sensed the position of one of them, quietly took out a Kunai, and as the enemy leaped from the ground, he threw his Kunai.
"Ah!"
A scream pierced the air.
He saw that as the Hidden Rock Ninja just emerged from the ground, a Kunai hit him squarely in the eye socket.
Blood streamed down his cheek, and he wanted to see who had ambushed him, but in the next moment, another Kunai came flying in, piercing his heart.
With that fatal blow, the Hidden Rock Ninja reluctantly closed his eyes.
Although Seimei's act of killing this Hidden Rock Chunin seemed simple, it was anything but.
First, he needed to have an accurate grasp of the opponent's position; only then could he throw the Kunai at the right moment.
Second, the precision required for Kunai throwing was extremely high. If he missed, he wouldn't achieve a one-hit kill, and if the enemy had a chance to retaliate, it would be much harder to secure the kill.
Finally, one needed strong psychological resilience, remaining unfazed by external disturbances.
Just like now, another Hidden Rock Chunin was already engaged with Ryosuke. If he had chosen to interfere earlier, he would surely not have been able to execute a guaranteed kill on the ninja in front of him.
***
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