*Screeeech!*
Both fighters exerted their strength as the longsword and kunai clashed, emitting a harsh, grating sound.
Seimei stared at the Mist ninja before him, his mind set to activate the **Illusion Technique: Sharingan**.
However, Yoshino Tsukasa, who had just witnessed his comrade fall under Seimei's hypnotic gaze, was not about to let himself be caught off guard. The moment he sensed something amiss, he ceased resisting and shut his eyes, retreating swiftly.
Though this maneuver allowed him to evade Seimei's illusion, it inadvertently handed Seimei the upper hand. Without hesitation, Seimei stepped forward, pressing the attack.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
A rapid succession of metallic clashes resounded.
Using the enhanced perception of his Sharingan, Seimei observed and countered every move Yoshino Tsukasa made, exploiting openings with precise strikes.
Within moments, Seimei broke through his opponent's defenses.
*Slish!*
The blade tore through flesh.
Yoshino Tsukasa failed to dodge in time and was struck in the chest by Seimei's blade. Although he recoiled at the last second to diminish the blow's force, the wind-infused chakra on the blade still ripped through his uniform, carving a deep gash across his chest.
Blood poured out, quickly soaking his clothes.
Seeing this, Seimei relentlessly pursued his advantage, preparing for a final, decisive strike.
But before he could land the blow, Kojima Shinrai launched another attack.
This time, instead of a lightning whip, it was a series of compressed violet lightning spheres.
Catching sight of the incoming threat, Seimei's instincts flared.
"Tsk, tsk… You've got quite the arsenal. What a shame…"
Muttering under his breath, Seimei flickered out of the attack's range.
As he anticipated, the lightning spheres were no joke. Upon impact, they erupted into a localized lightning pool, charring the ground and leaving arcs of electricity crackling in the air.
Had he been hit, the lightning's intense heat alone would have been difficult to endure, not to mention its paralyzing effect, which would have severely hindered his movements.
As for countering it with **Earth Release: Hardening Technique**?
That was impractical. Lightning inherently counters earth techniques. Even though Seimei had refined his earth technique to level 6, its enhanced resilience wouldn't likely withstand the lightning spheres' force.
Fortunately, the Mist ninja's technique wasn't flawless—it was slow.
Thanks to this flaw, Seimei dodged easily.
Not only that, but he had time to launch a counterattack mid-evade.
*Whoosh!*
A transparent wind blade, over a meter long, flew across the battlefield, homing in on the wound Seimei had just inflicted on Yoshino Tsukasa. The blade struck true, embedding itself deep in his chest.
Yoshino Tsukasa froze mid-motion.
Moments later, the wind blade tore through his back and lodged into a nearby wall, leaving a deep gash in the structure.
"You…"
Yoshino Tsukasa's eyes widened in disbelief. He stared at Seimei, his gaze filled with unwillingness and regret—he had wanted to avenge his comrade.
But fate had other plans.
*Splurt!*
Blood gushed from his mouth.
In the next instant, his body split in two at the waist, collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
On the other side of the battlefield, Kojima Shinrai witnessed this and paled in terror. He turned and attempted to flee.
But Seimei's body erupted with vibrant green energy as he activated **Flash Sword Technique** at full power. His speed skyrocketed.
In the blink of an eye, Seimei appeared behind Kojima Shinrai.
*Slash!*
The sword light gleamed.
*Slish!*
A deep gash, exposing bone, appeared on Kojima Shinrai's back.
Even so, he didn't dare to look back, too frightened to engage Seimei. He stumbled forward, desperate to escape.
But the more he tried to run, the more perilous his situation became.
Seimei showed no mercy. With his left hand, he unleashed a **Rasengan**, slamming it into Kojima's body and sending him flying.
*Boom!*
Kojima Shinrai crashed into a wall, the impact producing a muffled thud.
Seeing the severely injured opponent, Seimei approached, expression cold, intending to finish him.
Just then, several more Mist ninja surrounded him.
Frowning slightly, Seimei hesitated before abandoning his finishing move. Given Kojima's injuries, he likely wouldn't survive anyway.
With that in mind, Seimei leaped several times, landing atop a nearby building to survey the battlefield.
From this vantage point, he could see the fierce fighting centered around the Mist's command post.
The Mist forces greatly outnumbered their attackers.
Though this area served as a rear base and wasn't heavily manned compared to the entire battlefield outside Oil Port, the Mist still had enough troops to make things difficult for Seimei's fifty-odd comrades.
At a glance, Seimei saw that each Konoha ninja was facing five or six enemies.
And more Mist reinforcements were streaming into the fight.
Thankfully, most of these Mist ninjas were mid- to low-level shinobi—many injured or specialized in support roles. Their combat effectiveness wasn't high.
Meanwhile, Seimei's allies were all elites from prestigious clans. Even outnumbered, their superior skills allowed them to dominate.
Still, the Mist had a tactical advantage. If the clan leaders and Minato Namikaze couldn't breach the command post quickly, the tide could turn against them.
This was likely why Seimei was stationed on the perimeter: to buy time if necessary.
Seimei accepted this silently.
Whether attacking or defending, everyone bore their share of risks—it was only fair, wasn't it?
*(End of Chapter)*