Grind is My Ninja Way

A few minutes later, the Konoha reconnaissance team arrived in front of "Seimei." The leader, a special jonin, was someone Seimei recognized. His name was Iwata Kazuki, a ninja skilled in intelligence gathering and sensory perception. 

Upon seeing Seimei, Iwata Kazuki hurriedly asked, "Jonin Seimei, what exactly happened here?" 

As he spoke, his eyes darted around. 

It was clear that a fierce battle had recently taken place here. Though it seemed to involve only two people, the intensity was undeniable. 

His gaze eventually landed on the pile of ashes at Seimei's feet, and Iwata Kazuki had a good idea of the enemy's fate. However, his real question wasn't about the specifics of this battlefield, but rather what had been happening across this entire area recently. 

In fact, the battle hadn't started long before their team had left the base. Despite rushing at full speed, they hadn't encountered any enemies. However, they did see traces of battle everywhere along the way, including the remains of Mist ninjas who had been sliced in half in one of the most intense combat zones. 

Combining all this information, Iwata Kazuki had roughly pieced together what had happened but still sought confirmation from Seimei, who had experienced it firsthand. 

Hearing the inquiry, Seimei withdrew his gaze from Hyuga Rei and turned to Iwata Kazuki, explaining, "About ten minutes ago, during a routine patrol, I spotted a small Mist ninja squad here. Judging by their movements, they were planning to raid the base, so I engaged them. The commotion you heard earlier was from that fight." 

Seimei deliberately backdated his discovery of the Mist ninjas by several minutes and chose not to explain why he hadn't reported it to the base before acting. With the enemy already dealt with, those questions became moot. He could claim he judged the distance from the Blackstone Base to be close enough not to require a report or that he was confident in his abilities and didn't feel the need for backup. 

In any case, the enemy was dead, and now it was time to eat and drink as usual. 

Seemingly understanding Seimei's implied meaning, Iwata Kazuki skipped over those questions and began asking about the enemy's strength, numbers, and details of the battle. Seimei responded honestly and in detail. Further investigations, such as analyzing the enemy's intent, would not require Seimei's involvement. 

After this brief exchange, Seimei dissolved his shadow clone, sending its memories back to his main body. 

Elsewhere. 

Seimei was mid-flight when new memories flooded his mind. After quickly reviewing them, he muttered, "At least they know when not to press." 

Satisfied that Iwata Kazuki hadn't probed too deeply, Seimei decided that if the man ever found himself in danger, he might lend a hand. 

Shrugging off the thought, Seimei adjusted his course and sped northwest. He had just received a message from another shadow clone. At a battlefield northwest of the Blackstone Base, the clone had spotted a lone Mist ninja squad and signaled for Seimei to rush over. 

Thanks to the incredible speed of his Wind Release: Wind Wings, Seimei covered the distance of several dozen kilometers in just under three minutes. As he neared his target, he focused his attention and activated the Byakugan at his brow. 

Instantly, everything within a kilometer came into view. His gaze locked on the area his clone had described, where three Mist ninjas—a special jonin and two chunin—were resting after a fierce battle. 

Using Mind Link Technique, Seimei connected with the shadow clone that had sent the message. The clone had already moved to another battlefield to avoid detection. Seimei wasn't seeking backup; these three were well within his capabilities. He simply wanted to confirm whether they had indeed just fought a major battle. 

A few moments later, the Mind Link ended. As Seimei had guessed, the trio had recently been in an intense fight, which had allowed the shadow clone to spot them. 

"Perfect." 

Wasting no time, Seimei used Earth Release: Hardening Technique and Chakra Cloak to fortify himself, then shot toward the Mist ninjas' hiding place at full speed. 

On the ground. 

In the forest, Yuhua was tending to her injuries. Reflecting on the recent battle, she realized that if not for her quick thinking in using a Water Clone to deceive her opponent, she would likely be dead. 

But luck like that couldn't be relied on forever. What if next time she faced an opponent with stronger sensory abilities? The thought filled her with dread. 

As she dwelled on the futility of the war, a sudden and overwhelming presence entered her sensory range. 

Startled, she leapt to her feet, intending to alert her two chunin subordinates. However, before she could speak, Seimei appeared in her field of vision. 

"Demon Blade Seimei?!" 

Recognizing him instantly, Yuhua didn't hesitate. She ran. 

That's right—she fled without so much as a warning to her comrades. The moment she identified Seimei, she turned and bolted. 

From above, Seimei was momentarily stunned by her reaction. "Am I that terrifying? And really, running away without a fight?" 

He didn't know that Yuhua's mental state had already been compromised. His sudden appearance had triggered her instinct to flee. If she managed to escape, it was highly likely she would become a rogue ninja from the Mist Village. 

This was the inevitable result of the Mist's oppressive Blood Mist policies, which pushed its ninjas to their mental limits. Once they cracked, defection was almost guaranteed. 

That is, if she could escape. 

Seimei redirected his attention from Yuhua and dove toward the two chunin still on the ground. In one swift motion, he incapacitated one with a Chakra Scalpel, severing the muscles in his right arm and causing his kunai to drop. Locking eyes with the second, Seimei cast a Genjutsu: Sharingan, freezing him in place. 

The first chunin tried to resist, but Seimei grabbed his throat and activated Chakra Absorption Technique. In seconds, he drained the man of all his chakra, spiritual energy, and physical strength. 

Thud. 

The lifeless body hit the ground. Seimei turned to the second chunin and repeated the process. Another body fell moments later. 

Casually forming seals, Seimei used Fire Release: Cremation Technique to incinerate the corpses. With no hesitation, he activated Body Flicker Technique and sped off in pursuit of Yuhua.