Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
That afternoon, the sun tilted westward.
In a forest not far from Takigakure Village, four figures—a tall adult and three younger ones—moved through the trees, their voices carrying as they chatted.
From their conversation, it was clear: they had just completed a mission and were on their way back to the village.
Indeed, these were the four Takigakure shinobi who had left the village three days earlier to undertake a task.
Seimei's shadow clone had trailed them for three days, patiently waiting for this moment—when they would finish their mission and begin their return.
Now was the perfect time for him to act.
Hidden atop a large tree by the mountain trail, Seimei watched the four shinobi below. As they drew closer, he decisively formed a hand seal and unleashed a genjutsu: Temple of Nirvana Technique!
Before taking action, Seimei's main body had dispelled the previous shadow clone and, after resetting his state, created a fresh one.
This ensured that all the skill proficiency accumulated over the past days could seamlessly transfer to the new clone.
As a result, the Temple of Nirvana Technique Seimei cast now was just as potent as ever. In the blink of an eye, the three younger genin fell into a deep sleep.
As for the Takigakure jonin...
Admittedly, while he was only a jonin from a small village and not particularly powerful, he wasn't so weak as to be subdued by a single genjutsu.
The moment he saw feathers filling his vision, he realized someone was attacking from the shadows with a genjutsu.
Without hesitation, he formed a hand seal and mobilized his chakra to break free from the illusion.
Seeing this, Seimei refrained from wasting further effort. Lowering his hands, he allowed a faint trace of his presence to escape.
Noticing the fluctuation, Yuichi Mizutani sharply raised his head, his gaze locking onto Seimei's hiding spot.
Feigning panic at being discovered, Seimei appeared flustered. He quickly threw a few kunai and retreated into the distance.
Yuichi Mizutani, however, didn't rush to pursue him.
First, he deflected Seimei's kunai with his own.
Then, he glanced at his three unconscious teammates on the ground, confirming they were unharmed before darting after Seimei.
Of course, before leaving, he scanned his surroundings for other presences. Only after confirming no one else was nearby did he feel somewhat at ease.
Even so, he didn't plan to chase too far. If he couldn't catch Seimei quickly, he intended to return immediately.
Unfortunately for him, Seimei had come specifically for this encounter and had no intention of letting him walk away empty-handed.
Before long, Yuichi Mizutani found Seimei standing in his path, blocking the way.
After scrutinizing Seimei for a moment, Mizutani spoke in a cold tone, "You, hiding in the shadows—who are you? Why did you lead me here?"
It was obvious that Mizutani had realized Seimei's retreat was intentional. However, confident in his skills as a jonin, he decided to play along.
As for why Mizutani accused Seimei of "hiding," the reason was simple: Seimei wasn't using his real appearance. Instead, he had cast a Transformation Technique, adopting a different face.
He wore no identifying symbols of any village and appeared as an adult.
Unfortunately, the Transformation Technique was only superficial. Seimei hadn't taken much care when disguising himself, so Mizutani, upon closer inspection, noticed inconsistencies.
Seeing this, Seimei stopped pretending. He raised his hand and dispelled the technique, reverting to his original appearance.
"You..."
Mizutani's expression shifted as he saw Seimei's youthful face. When his gaze fell on the Konoha forehead protector and the Uchiha clan emblem Seimei wore, his face darkened even further.
Both Konoha and the Uchiha clan were entities far beyond the reach of a mere jonin from a small ninja village like his.
A sense of unease gripped him.
Studying Seimei's face again, Mizutani suddenly seemed to recall something. His expression froze as several words escaped his lips: "Ghost Blade Seimei! The Twin Stars of Konoha!"
"Ghost Blade" was the moniker Seimei had earned on the battlefield for his mastery with a blade, while "Twin Stars of Konoha" referred to him and Uchiha Shisui—two prodigies of the Uchiha clan.
Of course, the latter title carried an undertone of both praise and provocation.
After all, if Konoha's brightest stars were both Uchiha, what did that say about the rest of the village?
Regardless of the politics and schemes behind the title, Seimei's reputation was well-earned.
As it stood, his identity was instantly recognized the moment he revealed his true face.
But it didn't matter. He had no intention of letting Mizutani leave alive.
With that thought, Seimei activated his Sharingan, the tomoe in his eyes spinning as they formed the three-tomoe pattern. He then executed the Blink Blade Technique, closing the distance to Mizutani in an instant.
Clang!
A crisp metallic clash rang out.
Seimei swung his blade, but it was blocked by Mizutani Yuichi's kunai.
Judging by the other man's quick reaction, it was clear he hadn't let his guard down for even a moment.
However, that vigilance was utterly useless.
The moment his attack was blocked, Seimei instantly withdrew his blade and performed a teleportation technique. His entire figure became a blur, like a phantom, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared on the opposite side of his opponent.
Whoosh!
The long blade in his hand swung out again.
Mizutani Yuichi raised his kunai to block it once more.
Seimei didn't linger. As soon as his strike was blocked, he shifted positions again, launching another attack.
At first, Mizutani Yuichi could keep up with Seimei's speed, but after merely a dozen exchanges, he began to falter.
Seizing the opportunity, Seimei unleashed his "Phantom Sword Technique" combined with his "Shadow Sword Technique." In one decisive strike, he slashed Mizutani Yuichi's arm.
Screech!
The sound of the blade slicing through flesh and muscle echoed.
Drops of fresh blood fell to the ground.
"Ugh..."
Mizutani Yuichi let out a muffled groan.
Forcing himself to endure the pain, he didn't hesitate. After parrying another attack from Seimei, he immediately retreated backward.
But how could Seimei let such a prime opportunity slip away?
He sheathed his blade and formed hand seals. In an instant, he cast the jutsu Illusion Technique: Art of Dark Movement.
Before Mizutani Yuichi could react, all the light in his vision vanished. Darkness descended like a silken veil, completely overtaking his sight in mere moments.
Unable to see anything around him, Mizutani Yuichi didn't even know where to focus his vigilance.
Watching Mizutani Yuichi standing in place with a tense expression, Seimei swiftly moved forward. He performed the Karmic Curse Seal of Binding, locking his opponent in place.
Then, forming his hand into a blade, he activated the Chakra Scalpel technique. With precise and swift strikes, he severed the muscles and nerves in Mizutani Yuichi's arms.
But Seimei wasn't done yet.
To ensure his opponent wouldn't have any strength left to fight back, Seimei extended his left hand and unleashed a seal-less jutsu—the Rasengan.
Silently, a high-density sphere of chakra condensed in his palm. He pressed it into Mizutani Yuichi's torso, shattering part of his ribcage.
Spurt!
Caught off guard by the devastating blow, Mizutani Yuichi spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot.
It was at this moment that Seimei dispelled the Illusion Technique: Art of Dark Movement.
As his vision suddenly returned, Mizutani Yuichi instinctively tried to resist. But before he could act, a pair of crimson, blood-like Sharingan eyes filled his view.
Illusion Technique: Sharingan!
Standing right in front of him, Seimei cast the genjutsu, taking full control of Mizutani Yuichi's consciousness.
Next, Seimei delved into his opponent's memories, extracting all the intelligence he needed.
Using Mizutani Yuichi's identity, Seimei planned to infiltrate Takigakure.
Once inside, he would be able to investigate information about the Seven-Tails in greater depth.
When all preparations were complete, it would be time for him to capture the Seven-Tails.
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