"Ko-suke! Damn it!"

Watching Kosuke Kakekawa being blasted away by a single Rasengan from Seimei, vomiting blood endlessly, Hirohiro Kawada couldn't help but curse under his breath.

With that, he flickered forward directly at Seimei, seemingly concerned that he might deliver a finishing blow.

Unfortunately for him, Seimei had no intention of doing so.

In Kosuke's current state, he wouldn't last long even without Seimei's intervention.

However, Kawada's attack was something he needed to counter.

Clang—

In an instant, Seimei drew the long blade from his waist, blocking Kawada's strike.

With prior experience in mind, Kawada avoided grappling and quickly switched his tactics, relentlessly launching a series of attacks against Seimei.

Clink! Clang! Clatter!

A flurry of sharp metallic clashes erupted.

The two figures intertwined at high speed, exchanging more than a dozen moves in mere breaths.

Yet, Kawada gained no advantage at all.

Not only that, but the tempo of the battle he initiated was gradually being seized by Seimei.

Glaring at Seimei's injured left shoulder, Kawada's expression shifted repeatedly. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to retreat.

As much as he hated to admit it, Seimei's strength exceeded his own.

If the fight continued, not only would he fail to assist the other battlefield tens of meters away, but his own safety would also be jeopardized.

Under such circumstances, retreat was the best option.

As for the four squads in that other battlefield...

They could only blame their misfortune for encountering Seimei and his support team.

Kawada, being a decisive individual, immediately looked for an opportunity to distance himself from Seimei after making up his mind.

Then, after shouting "Retreat!" to the surrounding Mist Chunin, he swiftly fled into the forest.

Before leaving, he attempted to retrieve the injured Kosuke Kakekawa.

Unfortunately, before he could even get close, a wind blade surged forward, severing a large tree in front of him. If he hadn't stopped in time, he might have been cleaved in two as well.

Kawada turned to look at Seimei, who had his hands raised at chest level. Then, without hesitation, he dashed deeper into the dense forest.

Watching Kawada's retreating figure, Seimei chose not to pursue him, instead shifting his focus to the Mist Chunin around him, who were preparing to flee.

Although this sequence of events sounded lengthy, it all transpired within mere minutes.

During this brief interval, neither the Leaf ninja led by Hyuga Yamacha nor the Mist Chunin managed to inflict significant casualties on each other.

As a result, five Mist Chunin were still attempting to escape.

Seimei targeted one of them, deftly forming hand seals to execute a jutsu—Water Release: Severing Wave!

Hiss—

A thin stream of water shot from Seimei's mouth, slicing through everything in its path like a high-pressure water cutter as he turned his head.

One Mist Chunin, caught off guard, was severed at the waist on the spot.

In an instant, his entrails and internal organs spilled across the ground.

However, he didn't die immediately and let out a gut-wrenching scream.

Ultimately, a Leaf Chunin, unable to bear the sight, ended his misery by throwing a kunai that pierced his throat.

Meanwhile, Seimei acted again, this time unleashing Wind Release: Blade of Wind!

Whoosh—

A faint sound of slicing air followed.

A transparent wind blade shot forward, quickly overtaking another Mist Chunin.

Sensing danger, the Chunin leapt onto a tree in an attempt to escape.

However, the wind blade precisely severed one of his legs, leaving him unable to maintain balance on the branch.

This time, before he could scream in agony, a pursuing Leaf Chunin slit his throat.

Additionally, the first Mist Chunin Seimei had injured with Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique earlier didn't escape either.

After being surrounded by Hyuga Yamacha and others, he was killed in the ensuing exchange.

Thus, counting the Mist Chunin Seimei initially dispatched, the two elite Mist Jonin squads lost all but one Jonin and two Chunin—an undeniable heavy blow.

Seimei slowly approached Kosuke Kakekawa.

Despite still being alive, Kakekawa was teetering on the edge of death.

Adhering to his principle of not wasting resources, Seimei raised his hand and performed Chakra Absorption Technique, draining Kakekawa's remaining chakra and ending his life entirely.

At this moment, Hyuga Yamacha and the others arrived by Seimei's side.

Just as they were about to speak, their eyes fell on Seimei's shoulder. "Captain, are you alright?"

Hearing this, Seimei glanced at his left shoulder.

A kunai was lodged there, blood flowing profusely from the wound and staining a large portion of his clothing.

This was the price he paid to ensure Kosuke Kakekawa's defeat.

Earlier, Kawada had thrown a kunai aimed at Seimei's heart, hoping to force him to abandon his attack on Kakekawa.

Although Seimei managed to avoid a fatal hit, his shoulder had been injured.

This injury emboldened Kawada, prompting him to continue fighting after Kakekawa was gravely wounded.

Unfortunately for Kawada, he had overestimated his own strength. Even injured, Seimei was not someone he could handle.

Fortunately for him, Kawada displayed some rationality, retreating after only probing Seimei's defenses.

Otherwise, leaving the battlefield would not have been so easy.

These thoughts flashed through Seimei's mind as he pulled out the kunai from his shoulder. Ignoring the blood that continued to flow, he calmly said, "I'm fine."

He then tossed the kunai to the ground, raised his hand, and activated Mystical Palm Technique over the wound.

After a few seconds, Seimei removed his hand.

The wound had closed, and no more blood seeped out.

The Leaf ninjas nearby couldn't help but marvel, "No matter how many times we see it, the Captain's medical ninjutsu is simply astonishing!"

Over the past few days, while working together on missions, they had frequently relied on Seimei's healing abilities.

Thus, they were already aware of the prowess of his medical ninjutsu.

However, witnessing the Mystical Palm Technique applied to Seimei himself revealed its effects to be even more remarkable.

The reason?

It was simple: Seimei's physical constitution was far superior to that of ordinary people, granting him extraordinary self-healing abilities.

With Yang Release chakra further stimulating his recovery, his healing speed was truly astonishing.

Ignoring his subordinates' flattery, Seimei ordered them to clean the battlefield, erasing their tracks and recovering some of their ninja tools. Then, without wasting time, they rushed to the other battlefield.

Although Kawada and his team had retreated, that didn't mean the Mist ninja would give up entirely.

Apart from potential reinforcements on their way, Kawada himself might call for additional aid.

Thus, they needed to act swiftly. If delayed, they risked encountering more Mist ninja, leading to yet another troublesome battle.

(End of Chapter)