"Watch out!"
"Careful!"
"…"
The moment Seimei made his move, several warning shouts rang out.
In front of him, the Stone ninja split into three groups. One darted toward the female ninja at the back, trying to shove her out of the fire dragon's attack range.
Two others raised their hands, forming seals to cast Earth Release: Mud Wall. Twin earthen barriers sprang up in a "<" shape, shielding the female ninja behind them.
Meanwhile, three more abandoned defense entirely and charged straight at Seimei.
Their choices confirmed the hunch brewing in his mind.
It was clear now—this female ninja was likely the reason these Stone shinobi had tracked him here.
He wasn't sure how she'd traced the Four-Tails' old movements, but Seimei knew one thing: take her out, and his goal was as good as done.
With that thought, he didn't waste a second. First, he dodged the kunai and shuriken hurled by the three charging ninja.
Then, he raised his hands, forming seals to cast Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.
Poof!
A cloud of chakra smoke burst apart, and over a dozen figures appeared in the clearing.
These shadow clones carried Seimei's will.
No orders needed—they split into two groups on their own.
Three rushed to intercept the trio coming his way, while the rest barreled toward the larger group of Stone ninja who'd started closing in on him.
Yep, the enemy had caught on and was now gunning for him together.
Sure, a dozen-plus shadow clones wouldn't wipe them all out, but holding them off for a bit? No problem.
Seizing the moment, Seimei tossed out a few smoke bombs, cloaking himself in a haze.
Within the smoke, his Mangekyo Sharingan flared to life again. He activated Heaven's Ward, and just like that, he vanished—slipping through the battlefield like he was in a parallel world. He stepped out of the fog and appeared right in front of the four trembling Stone ninja at the rear.
Four, because the two who'd cast Mud Wall to block the fire dragon had joined the effort to protect the female ninja, alongside the one who'd pushed her out of harm's way earlier.
But to them, Seimei might as well have been invisible.
He circled past the outer three and stopped beside the female ninja. Activating his Byakugan, he studied her closely—especially her chakra.
And wouldn't you know it, he actually picked up on something.
Her chakra was… different from most people's. Just a little extra something.
Seimei mulled it over, unsure how to pin it down.
It just felt… off, somehow.
As he pondered, a kunai suddenly streaked toward him, slicing clean through his neck.
Good thing Heaven's Ward had him covered—otherwise, that would've been a fatal hit.
And the one who threw it? None other than the female ninja he'd been sizing up.
Her attack caught the other three's attention. They snapped to high alert, scanning the area as one of them called out, "Tsukiko, what's up?"
Imamura Tsukiko frowned, not holding back. "I don't know why, but I keep feeling like someone's watching me—and they're close."
"What?"
The three on the outside flinched.
They immediately zeroed in on where Tsukiko had just struck.
They knew she was a sensory ninja—her instincts weren't something to brush off.
One of them quickly hurled a kunai of his own toward Seimei's spot.
Of course, he couldn't see Seimei either—just aiming where Tsukiko had.
Too bad it didn't even nick him.
Seeing this, another Stone ninja spoke up. "Tsukiko, use your sensory jutsu to scan the area. We'll keep watch."
"Got it!"
Tsukiko didn't hesitate. She stowed her kunai and started forming seals.
In no time, she finished.
The others relaxed slightly, ready to hear her findings.
But right then, Seimei dropped his invisibility.
His right hand lashed out, chakra coalescing around his palm like a razor-sharp scalpel, aimed straight for Tsukiko's carotid artery.
"What?!"
"Watch out!"
Shouts of shock and warnings overlapped.
Whether it was lingering caution or razor-sharp senses, Tsukiko twisted aside the instant Seimei's hand grazed her neck.
A shallow cut bloomed across her throat. She gasped for air, sweat soaking her body.
That was too close—if she'd been half a second slower, she'd be dead.
Staring at Tsukiko's shaken, "just-survived" expression, Seimei didn't press the attack.
He dodged a strike from the nearest Stone ninja, then blazed through hand signs at lightning speed, casting Lightning Release: Thunder Prison!
A blinding flash erupted from him, followed by a deafening roar. Countless bolts of lightning sprang forth, forming a cage that spanned several meters—and it was still growing.
In an instant, the three ninja guarding Tsukiko were caught in it.
Ninja might hit hard, but their defenses are paper-thin. Under Seimei's deliberate focus, they didn't stand a chance—reduced to three charred corpses before they could even fight back.
Somehow, Tsukiko survived.
Not because Seimei held back, but because she'd blocked the onslaught.
A crimson chakra cloak—yep, a tailed beast's cloak—shimmered around her, fending off the dense lightning.
And that's when it clicked for Seimei. That weird vibe from her chakra? Now he got it.
She was a pseudo-Jinchuriki!
With Tsukiko no longer hiding it, her state was crystal clear.
Like Sora, she was a makeshift Jinchuriki—crafted with fragments of tailed beast chakra.
Sora had a piece of the Nine-Tails sealed in him, while Tsukiko carried the Four-Tails'.
Since Sora's chakra reacted oddly when he met Naruto, the true Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, it made sense that Tsukiko, with the Hidden Stone's help, could track Old Purple through some faint connection.
That simplified things.
Just as he'd planned—if he took her out, he wouldn't have to worry about his location leaking.
No way the Hidden Stone had another pseudo-Four-Tails Jinchuriki lying around.
Decision made, Seimei didn't hesitate. He flashed in front of Tsukiko.
Before she could react, he activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, locking her in a genjutsu.
Then, he formed seals and cast Senra Bansho Fuin, resealing the Four-Tails' chakra back into her body.
With that done, he summoned a shadow clone to take his place. Locking onto the island in the southern seas of the Land of Fire, he grabbed Tsukiko and triggered Flying Thunder God Technique!
Whoosh!
In a blink, they vanished from the battlefield.