Focusing his thoughts, Seimei continued his training.
It wasn't until this session ended and he returned to the island, absorbing and processing the experiences and memories of his shadow clones, that he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique to head to the isolated island where Yukikaze was imprisoned.
Deep in the ocean.
On that lonely island.
In a certain corner.
Seimei's figure appeared out of nowhere.
Sensing Yukikaze's location, he used the Body Flicker Technique and quickly found him.
At that moment, Yukikaze stood at the edge of a cliff, drenched in sweat.
It was clear he'd been trying to escape from here but had failed.
…
Rewind a few dozen minutes.
Yukikaze had taken advantage of Seimei's shadow clone being distracted and managed to defeat it. He immediately rushed to the cliff's edge.
At first, he planned to use the Summoning Technique to call forth his aquatic summoning beast, hoping it could carry a message back.
But every time the thought crossed his mind, the Heart-Sealing Soul-Binding Contract Mark that Seimei had placed on him disrupted his chakra control.
Without chakra, he couldn't perform the Summoning Technique, and his plan fell apart.
He'd thought Seimei would show up quickly, making him regret missing the chance he'd worked so hard to create.
But to his surprise, despite waiting and waiting, Seimei didn't come.
From over a month of being around him, Yukikaze knew Seimei had some kind of space-transfer technique. If he wanted to show up, he could be there in an instant.
Yet Seimei completely ignored him.
This annoyed Yukikaze, but it also gave him a sliver of hope.
So, he decided to jump off the cliff to escape.
Deep down, he was ready for his chakra to be sealed again, to endure the pain, and to force his way out of here.
Even if he couldn't use chakra and would likely die, he figured it was worth a shot.
But then, something despair-inducing happened.
Just as he prepared to jump, countless sealing formulas appeared, locking his body in place, leaving him unable to move an inch.
Minutes passed as he stood there, frozen, heart pounding.
Still, Seimei didn't show up.
So he tried jumping again.
But no matter how many times he tried, the result was the same.
It crushed him.
With no hope left, he decided to treat a dead horse as if it were alive and tested every escape and communication method he'd thought up over the past month.
Not a single one worked.
Instead, he triggered the seal's restrictions repeatedly, enduring wave after wave of pain that left him sweating buckets.
That's the sorry state Seimei found Yukikaze in.
Stopping three meters away, Seimei was about to say something.
Suddenly, the despair on Yukikaze's face vanished. His aura shifted dramatically, his chakra erupting as he moved like lightning, closing the distance to Seimei.
An ice kunai formed in his hand, aimed straight for Seimei's heart.
But this time, Seimei wasn't letting him succeed.
Boom!
Seimei stomped the ground, dirt exploding beneath his feet. His body snapped into motion, darting backward like a startled rabbit.
Yukikaze's strike missed, but he wasn't giving up.
With a whoosh, he threw the ice kunai, slightly slowing Seimei's retreat, then stomped the ground and lunged forward.
Seimei dodged the kunai, his hand forming a blade. With a swift slash, he aimed for Yukikaze's throat.
The move looked simple, but it was infused with the Chakra Scalpel. If it connected, Yukikaze would be lucky to survive, let alone walk away unscathed.
But Yukikaze didn't care. He formed another ice kunai and stabbed at Seimei's abdomen.
Seimei froze for a moment, locking eyes with him.
What kind of look was that? Resolve. A determination to see things through, no matter the cost.
In that moment, Seimei understood Yukikaze's plan. He wasn't planning to live.
The Heart-Sealing Soul-Binding Contract Mark prevented Yukikaze from taking his own life, so he was trying to die by Seimei's hand.
Why hadn't he done this before?
Seimei figured it was probably because Yukikaze hadn't been ready to give up. He'd wanted to fight for a chance to live.
Now, he'd fought and lost. There was no way out.
And he wasn't willing to keep being Seimei's puppet, so he resorted to this extreme.
It was clear now. Even if Seimei didn't kill him today, Yukikaze would never cooperate again, never help him develop the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai.
As for using the seal's pain to force compliance?
For someone set on dying, that might work a little, but not much.
With that realization, Seimei lost all interest in playing this game.
He pulled back his hand, then raised it, activating the Heart-Sealing Soul-Binding Contract Mark.
Instantly, countless sealing formulas reappeared, binding Yukikaze in place.
The Ice Release chakra in his hand was just inches from Seimei.
Realizing he couldn't move, a flicker of disappointment passed through Yukikaze's eyes. Then he stood there silently, his face showing neither joy nor anger—just calm.
Seimei looked at him with the same calm.
Their eyes met, the only sound the crashing of waves against the rocks below the cliff.
Time ticked by, second by second.
After a full five minutes, Seimei finally looked away.
From Yukikaze's eyes, he saw his resolve—unyielding and at peace.
No threat would make him bend now.
"Fine, then."
Seimei let out a low hum, then struck like lightning. His hand, sharp as a blade, sliced through Yukikaze's throat.
Drip, drip.
Crimson blood flowed from the wound, pooling on the ground.
Gurgle, gurgle.
A choking sound came from Yukikaze's mouth as he clutched his throat and collapsed with a thud.
Soon, he was completely still.
That's right—Seimei had ended him.
If Yukikaze refused to cooperate, there was no point in keeping him alive. Better to deal with it now.
Let him go? Not a chance.
Even setting aside their battlefield grudges, the information Yukikaze had on him made that impossible.
Sure, the Heart-Sealing Soul-Binding Contract Mark could theoretically keep Yukikaze from spilling secrets.
But Seimei didn't believe in anything being foolproof.
Right now, no one could break the seal and leak his secrets because its threat hadn't been exposed.
But Seimei could imagine what would happen if his habit of planting spies in every village came to light. Even an S-rank technique like the Heart-Sealing Soul-Binding Contract Mark would have its weaknesses found.
So, rather than let Yukikaze go and worry about when he'd be betrayed, it was better to send him on his way now.
That way, Seimei could rest easy.
Raising his hand, Seimei used Fire Release: Flame Cremation Technique.
Whoosh!
A burst of flames erupted, engulfing Yukikaze's body.
In moments, he was reduced to ashes.
Whoosh.
A sea breeze swept through.
The ashes lifted, scattering into the ocean.
(End of Chapter)