The distance of just a few dozen meters wasn't far, and Seimei and his team quickly arrived at the battlefield.

At this moment, however, the Mist Ninja (Kirigakure) here showed no intention of retreating.

Well, at least that was the case before Seimei and his team appeared.

Earlier, they had heard the sounds of fighting not far away and guessed that Konoha's reinforcements might consist of more than the two teams in front of them. Even so, they didn't believe they would lose.

After all, this time, they had reinforcements from two Jonin squads.

Unfortunately for them, they miscalculated.

Konoha's reinforcements indeed included only one Jonin. However, that Jonin wasn't an ordinary one—it was Seimei, an elite among Jonin.

In a matter of moments, the two Mist Jonin squads who came to provide support were crushed by him.

As a result, the remaining Mist Ninja on the battlefield were caught off guard, unable even to form the thought of retreating.

Adding to this, Hirohiro Kawada's hasty escape left him no time to warn the Mist Ninja here. The outcome was that they passively became sacrificial pawns.

When Seimei and his team suddenly appeared, the expressions of the Mist Ninja—Chunin and Genin alike—changed drastically.

The four squad leaders exchanged glances without wasting any words. Shouting "Retreat!" they scattered, fleeing into the dense forest.

The other Mist Ninja saw this and instinctively wanted to follow.

But alas, their reaction was a moment too slow. Unable to escape entirely, they were quickly entangled by Konoha's ninja.

Clang, clang, clang!

The fierce clash of weapons echoed once again.

Standing on a tree branch, Seimei watched the battle below with an impassive expression and gave his order:

"These people are yours to handle."

"Yes, Captain!"

Hearing this, Hyuga Yamacha and the others responded in unison.

Without delay, they leapt from the branches and charged at the Mist Ninja.

Satisfied, Seimei nodded slightly.

He then shifted his gaze toward the direction where the four Mist squad leaders had fled. Picking one, he formed seals and used the Body Flicker Technique, disappearing from the spot in an instant.

In the Forest

A Mist Chunin was sprinting desperately.

As he fled, he kept glancing back, praying that Seimei wouldn't pursue him.

As the saying goes, "The man's reputation precedes him."

Over the past few months, Seimei's "Demon Blade" name had become infamous on this battlefield.

While Jonin might begrudgingly acknowledge Seimei's strength, knowing they might not be a match, they didn't fear him excessively.

But the same couldn't be said for Chunin and Genin. They lacked the courage to face Seimei at all.

This wasn't cowardice; it was the hard-earned knowledge forged by countless deaths among their comrades.

To the Mist Ninja—especially the Chunin and Genin—Seimei was nothing short of a relentless killer.

Thus, the four Mist squad leaders didn't hesitate to scatter when they saw him.

They were certain that without Jonin-level reinforcements, they couldn't possibly be his match. Staying would mean certain death.

But they underestimated Seimei's hunger for chakra.

Indeed, as his physical and mental attributes had improved, his chakra reserves had significantly increased. But even a small gain was worthwhile.

He might spare tough prey like Hirohiro Kawada, but he wouldn't let easy targets slip away.

To Seimei, the four fleeing Mist Chunins were prime targets.

And so, he pursued them.

As the fleeing Mist Chunin glanced back again, he suddenly noticed a figure standing on a tree branch ahead.

"Uchiha Seimei?!"

Yes, it was none other than Seimei himself.

Standing silently on a branch, he looked down at the Mist Chunin below.

The Chunin's face turned pale. He threw a kunai without hesitation and turned to flee in another direction.

However, after running for a while, something felt wrong.

As he tried to pinpoint what was amiss, he suddenly felt his throat tighten, as if being choked.

In the next moment, his vision blurred, and he realized he was still standing in the same spot.

Seimei, who had been on the branch, was now beside him, gripping his neck with one hand.

"Guh—guh—guh—"

A choking sound escaped the Mist Chunin's throat as intense suffocation overwhelmed him.

He struggled to pry Seimei's hand away, but it was too late.

Within seconds, Seimei had drained all of his chakra. Now, he was extracting his spiritual and physical energy as well.

In this state, any resistance was futile.

Seimei let the man struggle briefly before completely draining him of energy and chakra.

With no strength or life left, the Mist Chunin collapsed, lifeless.

Thud.

Seimei released his grip, letting the body fall to the ground.

Fire Release: Scorching Ash Technique!

With a wave of his hand, Seimei cast a fire technique to incinerate the body, leaving no trace behind.

Over the next few minutes, the remaining three fleeing Mist Chunins suffered the same fate.

Seimei wasted no time. Each was subdued with the Sharingan's Genjutsu before being drained with the Chakra Absorption Technique.

When all was done, only piles of ash remained.

Having absorbed their chakra, Seimei's reserves were nearly overflowing. To manage this surplus, he created a shadow clone to train elsewhere before returning to the battlefield.

Back on the Battlefield

By now, the battle continued, but the tides had turned.

What had been an advantage for the Mist Ninja was now in Konoha's favor.

This wasn't surprising to Seimei.

The addition of two Konoha Chunin squads had significantly strengthened their side. Combined with the psychological blow dealt to the Mist Ninja after their leaders fled, the reversal was inevitable.

When Seimei returned, two Mist Genin had already fallen.

Without wasting time, Seimei joined the fray.

Given the overwhelming disparity in strength, Seimei swiftly ended the battle.

To avoid unnecessary complications, he didn't have his team clean up the battlefield. After quickly recovering the ninja tools, they left without delay.

Unbeknownst to him, several Mist Jonin squads arrived shortly after.

After confirming Seimei's departure, they reluctantly retreated as well.

End of Chapter