"Heh heh heh~"

At the center of the crowd, Seimei wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, looking at the people around him with a cold laugh.

The Mist Village jōnin, drawn to his laughter, cast sharp, icy stares in his direction.

Yet, Seimei remained utterly unafraid.

Looking at the group of Mist Village jōnin, he sneered, "Weren't you having fun just now? Come on, keep going!"

Indeed, Seimei had volunteered to act as bait. From the moment he made that decision, he knew his fate would not end well.

But that didn't mean he enjoyed suffering.

Earlier, he was outnumbered, his two fists no match for the multitude of enemies surrounding him. All he could do was dodge—there was no opportunity to counterattack.

But now, things had changed.

With the Leaf Village jōnin on the periphery keeping the others in check, Seimei finally had a chance to strike back.

With that thought, he suddenly unleashed his chakra.

A wave of immense, indescribable pressure emanated from him, weighing heavily on everyone around like a massive stone, creating a suffocating tension.

The expressions of the Mist jōnin closest to him shifted dramatically. Even the Leaf jōnin further away couldn't help but glance his way.

Not giving anyone a chance to react, Seimei raised his hand and performed a jutsu: Wind Release: Devouring Wind!

This technique, which Seimei had honed to level 6, delivered extraordinary results.

Almost immediately after he finished casting, a tornado formed around him, rapidly expanding outward.

Some Mist jōnin instinctively threw kunai at him.

However, before the kunai could even approach Seimei, they were swept into the storm swirling around him, spinning at high speeds.

A series of metallic "clang, clang, clang" sounds echoed through the air.

Upon closer inspection, the kunai were riddled with tiny cuts, and within moments, they snapped into several pieces.

"Hiss—"

Seeing this, the Mist jōnin gasped collectively.

Their minds raced: This storm can shred steel. If we're caught in it, we'll be torn to pieces instantly.

And indeed, that was true.

This Wind Release: Devouring Wind was a jutsu specifically designed by Root jōnin for suicide missions, ensuring mutual destruction with their enemies. Its power was anything but weak.

Seimei had personally witnessed a Root jōnin, under the protection of the Heavenly Veil, being shredded into pieces by their own technique.

Even now, the memory of that sight made Seimei feel nauseous.

If these Mist ninja were sucked into the storm, there was no doubt—they were as good as dead.

Sensing the danger, the Mist jōnin wasted no time retreating from Seimei.

At the same time, they began preparing to counterattack with other jutsu, such as Fire Release.

After all, fire feeds on wind, and wind amplifies fire. Fire Release was the perfect choice to counter Seimei's Wind Release.

Sure enough, Seimei ended up scorched and singed by the Fire Release attacks from a few Mist jōnin.

However, his goal had been achieved.

He had temporarily forced them back.

This meant he no longer had to worry about them acting recklessly and striking him down before Minato Namikaze and the others could step in.

While Seimei wasn't particularly afraid of such an outcome, it would have forced him to reveal more of his trump cards—a situation he wished to avoid.

Thus, he chose to strike first and force them into retreat.

"Cough, cough, cough~"

After a fit of violent coughing, Seimei dismissed Wind Release: Devouring Wind.

Ignoring his scorched clothing and singed, curled hair, he raised his hands again, forming seals for another jutsu: Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!

Boom!

With a loud clap, he slammed his palm onto the ground, channeling a large amount of Earth Release chakra into the earth.

The terrain responded to his chakra.

In an instant, towering earth walls—over ten meters high—rose around him, enclosing him in a protective barrier.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Waves of attacks slammed into the walls, creating deafening explosions. Yet, none of them penetrated the barrier to harm Seimei.

As for the source of these attacks?

The answer was clear.

It could only be the Mist jōnin.

Seimei's counterattack had indeed forced the Mist jōnin to retreat, preventing them from acting recklessly. However, it also gave them the opportunity to launch a barrage of attacks.

They had been waiting for Seimei to drop Wind Release: Devouring Wind, seizing the chance to strike him down in one coordinated effort.

Unfortunately for them, Seimei had already perfected his Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall technique.

He deployed it almost instantly, creating a full-circle defense that thwarted their plans.

And this was their final opportunity.

Why?

The reason was simple—the Leaf jōnin on the periphery had finally arrived.

Clang! Clang!

The sound of fierce clashes rang out as the two sides began their battle in earnest.

Sensing the change in the tide, Seimei dispelled Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall.

Rumble!

With a deep rumbling, the earth walls around him receded into the ground, revealing his figure once more.

Scanning his surroundings, Seimei quickly locked onto a Mist Special Jōnin who was fighting barehanded against a Leaf jōnin.

Without hesitation, Seimei cast another jutsu: Fire Release: Scorching Flame Technique!

Boom!

A burst of flames erupted, engulfing the Mist Special Jōnin.

The fire quickly spread, consuming him entirely.

"Ahhh!"

A scream of agony escaped his lips as he desperately tore off his burning clothing, trying to extinguish the flames.

This action did slow the flames down somewhat, but it wasn't enough to put them out completely.

And because of his frantic movements, the Leaf jōnin fighting him had an opening.

The Leaf jōnin glanced at Seimei and gave a small nod before hurling a kunai with an explosive tag attached.

The Mist Special Jōnin, alert enough to dodge at the last second, narrowly avoided the kunai.

But the Leaf jōnin calmly uttered, "Detonate!"

The explosive tag ignited, erupting in a violent explosion.

Boom!

At such close range, the Mist Special Jōnin couldn't react in time. He was sent flying by the blast.

Coupled with the raging flames on his body, he was now barely clinging to life.

Satisfied that his target wouldn't survive, Seimei turned his attention to other enemies.

For the past few minutes, he hadn't just been taking hits. He and his seven shadow clones had been gathering intelligence on the Mist jōnin.

Take the recently burned Special Jōnin, for instance—Seimei knew he specialized in taijutsu. That final kick Seimei had taken was his handiwork.

Of course, Seimei didn't target him for revenge.

Instead, he had noticed that the Special Jōnin's perception was slightly dull.

That's why Seimei used Fire Release: Scorching Flame Technique—a slow reaction gave the flames just enough time to ignite him.

Had it been anyone else, they might have dodged before the flames could touch them. But this Special Jōnin wasn't quick enough.

Then, thanks to the Leaf jōnin's follow-up, he died an utterly senseless death.