Seimei, Senju Tatsuya, Uchiha Hiroshi, and the ANBU leader, whose code name is Crane, were standing less than 800 meters away from the Shimada clan ground.
Behind them stood other Konoha ninjas and the remaining ANBU operatives.
The ABNU leader glanced at Seimei before asking, "You are saying that your Fuinjutsu Battle Formation can prevent them from escaping and using Earth Release ninjutsu?"
Seimei nodded.
"Yes. Once I cast it, it will create a large, dome-shaped chakra barrier, covering the entire Shimada clan stronghold."
"Once the Fuinjutsu Battle Formation is activated, no enemy can slip past the barrier unless a couple of Kage-level ninjas bombarded the chakra barrier with high-tier S-rank Ninjutsu."
"The enemies can't use Earth Release Ninjutsu to manipulate the ground either."
"It means they can't escape using Earth Release Ninjutsu. The Battle Formation will also make creating large-scale terrain alteration impossible for anyone who doesn't have my customized counter seal."
"Of course, that doesn't prevent them from transforming their chakra into solid earth and manipulating it to cast Earth Release Ninjutsu. But if they do that, they empty their chakra reserves faster."
Hearing this, the ANBU leader fell into deep thought.
Crane could only say that having a Fuinjutsu Grandmaster who could also set up Fuinjutsu Battle Formations was awesome.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Hiroshi asked with a flat tone, "Are the numbers you mentioned accurate?"
Seimei looked at him and replied, "I can assure you that my sensory skills are pretty accurate. Unless the enemies don't have a trace of chakra in them, which is impossible, no ninja or samurai can hide from my detection."
"They have a total of 114 individuals who have at least Genin-level chakra inside the Shimada clan grounds."
"...including the samurai that we are seeing through our mini telescopes."
"And there's no Kage-level ninja among them. They give off a special chakra signature with unique resonance, which I don't see there."
"Judging by the chakra quality and quantity of the enemies, they have at least two S-rank ninjas and sixteen full-fledged Jonin-level ninjas, including Elite Jonin-level ones."
"The others are mostly Chunin-level ninjas and samurai of similar ranks. The remaining 30% is made up of Genin-level ninjas."
Senju Tatsuya narrowed his eyes and added, "In that case, we can handle them."
The ANBU leader crossed his arms. "In that case, let's start this battle with our sudden ambush plan."
"I agree," said Uchiha Hiroshi with an emotionless voice. However, his Sharingan was gleaming with anticipation and excitement.
Seimei looked at the two of them with a strange expression.
These guys…
They really love burning things down, huh?
Oh well, we are going to commit murder and arson, anyway.
Although it's morning, not a dark and windy night, we can still make this place their graves.
Seimei shrugged and looked at the Shimada clan ground with chilling eyes.
His eyes glowed with ocean-blue light. His expression was unreadable.
He had already slipped into battle mode, as if some unknown switch inside him had been flipped.
The ANBU leader, Crane, also unfolded his hands and grabbed the handle of the blade on his back, ready to unsheath it at a moment's notice.
"Then, let's go."
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Soon, Seimei stepped forward. His eyes locked with the ANBU leader, who gave him a slight nod.
Seimei needed to move forward. To make sure the Fuinjutsu Battle Formation covered the Shimada clan grounds, he needed to move forward until he was less than two hundred meters away from the stronghold.
But this also meant that after he activated the barrier, he would have to face and survive the first phase of attacks launched by the enemies.
Fortunately, the ones guarding and staying around the outer perimeters of the Shimada clan grounds were a group of twelve samurai and a few Chunin-level ninjas from the Shimada clan.
The key figures, including the S-rank enemies, were still resting deep inside the clan territory.
It would take them longer to react. And by the time they did, they would be facing a bombardment of multiple destructive Fire Release Ninjutsu.
Their buildings would be burned. Their clan grounds would be turned upside down.
Even if the initial bombardment didn't kill anyone, it would surely injure several Shinobi and shake their morals.
This would give the Konoha ninjas the initiative to intensify their counterattack.
Seimei closed his eyes to play the battle plan again and again. His mind ran countless simulations in a matter of seconds.
And then, he reopened his eyes.
He turned his head toward his fellow Konoha ninjas and smiled. "Alright. You all have the special sealing talisman I gave you, right?"
"This will ensure that you are not restricted from using the Earth Release Ninjutsu once I activate the Fuinjutsu Battle Formation."
He asked this again just to ensure everything is fine. He knew that many Shinobi in his group relied on Earth Release Ninjutsu, especially the Senju clan members, who had joined the mission.
It wasn't a secret. After all, Earth and Water were the two innate nature transformation affinities most Senju clan members were born with.
Naturally, they developed a specialized combat style that incorporated those two elements.
In fact, Senju Tatsuya, the S-rank ninja and a fellow clansman, was a master of Earth Release techniques.
If he didn't receive the sealing talisman, a good portion of his combat abilities would be locked.
It would be disastrous if he had to face the S-rank enemies under those conditions.
So, he wanted to reconfirm just in case.
Hearing Seimei's question, every ninja nodded in affirmation.
Seeing this, Seimei's smile deepened. "Very well. Then, I will go ahead and start the show."
With that, he activated the Body Flicker Technique and stopped nearly two hundred meters away from the Shimada clan grounds.
He scanned everything around him in the blink of an eye, thanks to his Tenseigan.
And then, he crouched down on one knee and slammed his right hand on the ground.
Fuinjutsu Battle Formation—Earthbound Barrier
As soon as he activated his technique, an intricate sealing formation bloomed from his tenketsu and appeared on the ground.
Then, it expanded. Seimei poured no less than 100,000 units of chakra into the Fuinjutsu Battle Formation Seal to strengthen it to its limits.
The seal sucked the chakra greedily and pulsed in faint blue light.
And at the next moment, the seal expanded outwards.
The runes melted into the ground. And a huge dome-shaped barrier, with a diameter of no less than one kilometer, was formed, covering the Shimada clan grounds and the nearby regions.
But Seimei didn't have the leisure to appreciate his Fuinjutsu Battle Formation. His enemies were already on their way.
A flying chakra slash rocketed toward Seimei's location, where he was crouching down to activate the Fuinjutsu Battle Formation.
Seeing this, Seimei smiled, but he didn't waste any time.
He immediately pushed his left foot against the ground and jumped several meters back.
Boom!
As soon as his feet touched the ground, the flying chakra slash hit Seimei's previous location, causing the ground to crack and explode, leaving behind a crater, which was three meters wide and nearly half a meter deep.
Seimei instantly recognized the technique used to create the flying chakra slash.
"Samurai Saber Technique, huh?"
His eyes narrowed.
He could see five samurai rushing toward him, and four of them had already recharged their blades to unleash a torrent of flying chakra slashes.
Five samurai. One has the chakra reserves of a full-fledged Jonin, just a bit shy of reaching the standard of an Elite Jonin.
And the other four…
All have Special Jonin-level chakra reserves.
So, they have hired Elite Samurai.
As Seimei's thoughts kept running in overdrive, a barrage of consecutive flying chakra slashes was already flying on his way.
They were stacked in a way that made them difficult to dodge.
The flying chakra slashes were fast. But Seimei's Ninjutsu casting speed was faster.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall
Countless water particles condensed around Seimei. In the blink of an eye, the water particles converged around him, creating a transparent, rotating vortex of water.
Splash! Splash!
The flying chakra slashes slammed into the water vortex, making the water splash.
But none of them could penetrate the defense of the Ninjutsu. The vortex of water seemed to devour the flying chakra slashes.
The samurai watched the rotating vortex of water seriously. The moment the Ninjutsu ended, they would dash forward and attack.
Seimei saw their expressions clearly from behind the rotating water vortex. He could guess what they were thinking. After all, he knew how most of these samurai fought.
But he didn't care.
Were these Samurai powerful? Of course.
But were they a threat to him? Definitely not.
He could crush them in a few seconds.
And that was what he was planning to do before the plan to set the Shimada clan grounds on fire started.
All for the sake of Will of Arson!
Seimei mused as he slowly unsheathed his ninjato.
The water vortex around Seimei slowly disappeared as the water particles returned to the atmosphere.
Seimei pointed his blade's tip toward the samurai and smiled.
"Shall we dance?"
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