In his line of sight, several figures in high-collared coats, wrapped up tightly, stood quietly. It was nighttime, yet they all wore sunglasses, their silent presence casting an eerie stillness.
Seimei instantly recognized their identities—the Aburame Clan, known for their use of insects.
As one of the founding clans of Konoha, this clan was known not only for their strength but also for their aura of mystery. Whether it was the famed Shino Aburame from the "Konoha 12" or the figures before him, all shared an enigmatic vibe.
Of course, there was danger, too.
The Aburame Clan members present were all at least of Special Jonin level. At the front stood none other than Shibi Aburame, the clan head. Seimei had made a point of remembering the notable figures of the village, so he was sure he wasn't mistaken—the man leading the Aburame members was indeed Shibi.
Noticing Seimei's gaze, Shibi returned his look. Even through the sunglasses, Seimei felt a discerning scrutiny. After a moment, Shibi nodded without saying a word.
"Indeed, very Aburame-like," thought Seimei.
However, what Seimei didn't realize was that, beneath Shibi's calm exterior, a storm of surprise raged. As known, the weaker a creature, the keener its senses for danger. The Aburame's insects had a similar instinct but to a greater extent, a common way they gauged an opponent's strength.
Just moments ago, when Shibi tried sensing Seimei, his insects sent a strong warning signal. Such a high level of danger was something Shibi had only sensed in a select few.
Shibi shook his head, trying not to dwell on it. He couldn't be certain yet, but Shibi knew that Seimei's strength wasn't as simple as he had let on. Even though Seimei had displayed impressive power before, enough to exceed the limits for his age, it hadn't reached the level that would alarm Shibi's insects. In other words, Seimei was hiding a significant portion of his strength.
This realization unsettled Shibi. He signaled his clan members discreetly to keep a close eye on Seimei in the upcoming battle and, if necessary, to rally toward him for support. Although they made no obvious reaction, Seimei noticed that more eyes seemed to be focusing on him. He wasn't too concerned, though. Not only were these people currently his allies, posing no threat, but even if they weren't, he would still be unbothered.
In the end, strength rules the ninja world. As long as his fist was hard enough and his power strong enough, there was no need to worry about minor matters.
While Seimei mused, two more figures appeared—Minato Namikaze, accompanied by a familiar face, Shisui Uchiha, who had arrived with him from the Black Stone outpost.
Seimei's gaze swept over Shisui, noting his momentary daze, a side effect of the teleportation. This confirmed Seimei's suspicion that Shisui had yet to awaken his Mangekyou Sharingan. As the "eye reflecting the heart," Shisui's awakening of the mind-controlling "Kotoamatsukami" only happened when he foresaw the rift between his clan and the village. Right now, in the heat of war, he had no time for such reflection. Without that painful awareness, his Sharingan wouldn't evolve.
With these thoughts flashing through his mind, Seimei nodded at Shisui as he watched Minato disappear again.
In the following moments, more and more familiar and unfamiliar figures appeared. Seimei felt increasingly stunned as the gathering grew. He realized he had underestimated the determination of Sarutobi Hiruzen and the other village leaders.
This time, the village had indeed pulled out all the stops. Clan heads from the Inuzuka, Moonlight, Kurama, Yamanaka, Nara, Akimichi, Hyuga, and Uchiha clans, among others, were all here. Adding their elite clan members, the assembled force was formidable.
Seeing the magnitude of this lineup, Seimei could only imagine the challenge of gathering these people without affecting other battlefronts. "No wonder this took so long," he thought.
But was it truly worth it to deplete a Kage-level fighter like Minato Namikaze just to transport everyone?
Seimei glanced at Minato and could sense that his chakra had dropped to less than a quarter of what it had been moments ago. Even with Minato's mastery of the Flying Thunder God technique, such repeated usage had nearly drained him. These people had arrived nearby to minimize the distance, or else, no matter how skilled Minato was, it would be impossible for him to manage.
Still, this was impressive. Seimei roughly counted over fifty people present—not just any fifty shinobi but a group where most were Jonin or Chunin with unique talents. With this kind of power, even a fortified Kirigakure stronghold would struggle to hold up.
Looking back on Kirigakure's intel for this front, there didn't seem to be anyone on their side that would require Minato's personal intervention. In that case, sacrificing some personal power to boost the overall team strength made sense.
Seimei pondered over this as Minato clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention. Once they looked his way, he got straight to assigning tasks. This mission's objectives had already been mapped out before the decapitation operation, so he was merely reiterating the plan.
Interestingly, the mission commander this time wasn't the Nara clan's intellectual leader, Shikaku Nara, but rather the "youngster" Minato Namikaze. It was obvious that Sarutobi Hiruzen was paving the way for Minato. Knowing he might not be able to continue as Hokage after this war, he had started grooming his successor.
Minato's character and strength made him widely accepted, and thus, no one openly objected. Many were even willing to support him. Meanwhile, in unseen corners of Konoha, several clans were already aligning themselves politically. With their keen sense for shifts in power, these clans' early moves had made it possible to gather such a powerful force here.
(End of Chapter)