557-558

Chapter 557: Total Annihilation  

Thanks to the combination of his Byakugan and the "Wind Release: Wings of Wind," Seimei quickly located the trail of Hozuki.

Not just him—while on the hunt, Seimei also found the traces of the other three members.

Without wasting a moment, he used the "Mind Link Technique" to connect with his three shadow clones, relaying the precise locations of the targets to them.

Having done this, he landed and made his way toward Hozuki's position.

---

*Ahead.*

Within the dense forest, Hozuki was still running at full speed.

Suddenly, a kunai shot toward him at high velocity, aimed directly at the middle of his back.

A chilling sensation surged up his spine and into his brain. Realizing the danger, Hozuki dodged sideways without hesitation, evading the sneak attack.

Whoosh!  

The kunai streaked past him and embedded itself deeply into a nearby tree trunk.

Seeing only a small part of the kunai sticking out of the trunk, Hozuki's pupils contracted sharply.

"Such force—it’s beyond human capability."  

Just as this thought crossed his mind, another kunai came flying from behind, targeting the spot where he was now standing.

If he turned to block it, he might manage to parry it.

But with his earlier judgment, he didn’t dare attempt it. The speed and power behind it were simply overwhelming.

Without hesitation, Hozuki sidestepped again, dodging to the side.

His caution proved wise.

Almost the instant he moved, the kunai pierced through his afterimage and embedded itself into a distant tree.

Despite being farther away, the kunai still dug deeply into the trunk.

If it had struck a person, it would undoubtedly have left a gaping hole.

Hozuki quickly repositioned himself behind a thick tree, peeking in the direction the kunai had come from.

He saw a figure standing not far away. Wind whistled faintly between the figure's hands, and another kunai was clutched between their fingers. In the next moment, the kunai shot out like an arrow.

Hozuki pulled his head back just in time, and the kunai struck the tree without harming him.

Seimei muttered a quiet "what a pity" as he gradually lowered his hands.

Yes, the figure was none other than Seimei. The technique he had used to launch the kunai was a variant of the "Wind Release: Gale Palm."

This technique, which he had copied during the chaotic battle at Yujing Port, had been mastered to perfection over the past ten days.

As a basic C-rank ninjutsu, it was not particularly effective in direct combat.

However, it excelled at accelerating projectiles.

For instance, the kunai he had just launched far exceeded human capabilities in terms of both speed and power.

Under these conditions, even if the enemy saw the kunai coming, they wouldn’t dare block it.

The only downside was the technique’s limitations—it could only accelerate the kunai in a straight line.

Therefore, an enemy with sharp senses and extensive combat experience, like Hozuki, could still evade it.

These thoughts flashed through Seimei's mind in an instant. Wasting no time, he drew the long sword from his waist, his body enveloped in a blue glow, and used the "Instant Sword Technique" to close in on Hozuki.

On the other side, seeing Seimei charging at him, Hozuki realized it was too late to run.

Cornered, his desperation turned into ferocity. He drew a kunai and lunged toward Seimei.

Clang! Clang!  

The crisp sound of metal clashing echoed through the forest.

The two figures moved like phantoms, fighting from the ground to the treetops, alternating between taijutsu and ninjutsu, each employing every possible tactic without giving an inch.

It had to be said—Hozuki was indeed formidable.

Despite his fear of Seimei's Lightning Release, which prevented him from using his clan’s secret hydration technique, his solid fundamentals allowed him to withstand Seimei's ferocious onslaught for a time.

Unfortunately, such bursts of resistance could not last. Within minutes, Seimei’s superior strength allowed him to completely dominate the battle.

Earlier, while facing multiple opponents, Seimei couldn’t fully exploit his speed.

Now, in a one-on-one fight, he was free to unleash his full potential.

It was only then that Hozuki understood why Seimei was known as the "Demonic Sword." His blinding speed and uncanny swordsmanship were deserving of the title.

As this thought crossed his mind, Seimei activated his Sharingan, silently using its hypnotic abilities.

Moments later, Hozuki’s expression wavered with a brief hint of confusion.

"Not good!"  

Hozuki instantly realized he had been ensnared. He tried to retreat, but it was too late.

In that fleeting moment, Seimei struck. Using the "Instant Sword Technique" to close the gap, he followed with the "Phantom Sword Technique," slashing down.

Before the blade even touched him, the Wind Release chakra enveloping it tore through Hozuki’s clothing, causing his skin to sting.

Faced with such a deadly strike, Hozuki reacted on instinct, using his clan’s hydration technique to transform into a puddle of water in an attempt to avoid the attack.

Now, he could only hope Seimei wouldn’t react in time and would swing straight through.

But having planned this encounter, Seimei wasn’t about to leave such an opening.

The moment Hozuki transformed, Seimei smirked.

Crackle!  

Lightning chakra surged along Seimei's blade, replacing the Wind chakra.

Blinding sparks danced around the sword, turning it into a blade of lightning.

"No—!"  

Despair filled Hozuki’s heart.

As he tried to dispel the hydration technique, the lightning-infused blade struck. Even before the blade touched him, the electricity coursing through his liquid form left him paralyzed.

Seimei’s blade landed.

Sizzle!  

Electric currents tore through Hozuki’s body, forcing him back into human form, smoking and barely alive.

Cautious as ever, Seimei reached out with his left hand, using the "Chakra Scalpel" to sever the primary nerve points in Hozuki’s body, rendering him completely paralyzed.

With Hozuki no longer a threat, Seimei’s purpose shifted to extracting his memories.

As a jonin, Hozuki undoubtedly held valuable information. Seimei used "Genjutsu: Sharingan" to pull him into an illusionary world, guiding him to recall the intelligence Seimei needed.

Minutes ticked by.

Ten minutes later, Seimei opened his eyes, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Indeed, he had gleaned some useful information from Hozuki's memories. However, using it would require careful planning.

With this in mind, Seimei activated the "Chakra Absorption Technique," draining the last traces of chakra from his captive.

At the same time, his three shadow clones arrived, their tasks complete.

A glance was enough for Seimei to confirm their success.

With that, the Mist ninja team was completely annihilated.

(End of Chapter)  

Chapter 558: Rewards and Preparations

 Seimei raised his hand to form a seal, unleashing the ninjutsu **Fire Release: Incineration Technique**!

 **Boom!**  
A surge of flames erupted, instantly engulfing the lifeless body of Hozuki.

 Watching the corpse burn to ashes, Seimei began organizing the spoils from this battle.

 During this fight, he captured seven Mist Village Chūnin. Among them, one succumbed to severe injuries, leaving him unable to extract mental and physical energy. However, the other six were completely drained.  

 From the six, he accumulated a total of **45,000 chakra points**, averaging slightly over 6,000 points per person.  

 This placed them slightly above the average strength for their rank.  

 It was clear that these ninjas, among their peers, were of mid-to-high skill levels. Unfortunately, against him, they had no room to display their abilities.  

 Naturally, Seimei's ability to extract such substantial chakra stemmed partly from their minimal chakra depletion during the battle. Had the fight dragged on, the outcome might have been different.  

 In addition to the six Chūnin, Seimei drained chakra, mental energy, and physical energy from two Jōnin and three Special Jōnin.  

 The Jōnin contributed over **35,000 chakra points**, while the Special Jōnin added around **40,000 points**.  

 All combined, the twelve captives provided Seimei with nearly **120,000 chakra points**—almost matching his current chakra limit.  

 Because of this, Seimei delayed dispersing his **Shadow Clone Technique**.  

 Facing three shadow clones, Seimei pondered how best to allocate the newfound chakra.  

 Initially, he planned to use it to compensate for the training setbacks caused by Mist Village's recent activity. However, after some thought, he decided to focus on advancing two specific skills: **Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique** and **Chakra Cloak**.  

 There were two reasons for this decision:  
1. The chakra amount wasn’t particularly vast, so spreading it thin across multiple skills would be inefficient.  
2. These two techniques had significant practical value.  

 The **Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique** was not only pivotal for developing **Shadow Sword Technique** and enhancing his close-combat abilities, but it was also highly versatile.  

 Through trial runs, Seimei found this technique excellent for disrupting enemy formations. Compared to **Wind Release: Great Breakthrough**, it consumed less chakra and offered greater strategic flexibility.  

 The **Chakra Cloak**, on the other hand, compensated for the defensive gaps in his **Earth Release: Hardening Technique**, particularly against ninjutsu.  

 Given his upcoming plans, which involved frequent battles against multiple opponents, Seimei felt the extra defensive assurance was crucial despite his confidence in his abilities.  

 Thus, he resolved to invest the first wave of rewards into these two skills.  

 “Alright, let’s do it.”  

 Having made up his mind, Seimei instructed his three shadow clones to swiftly leave the battlefield and find a secluded location to train these techniques.  

 For others, such a last-minute effort might be futile. But with his proficiency system, Seimei was confident the time would suffice.  

 Following his command, the three shadow clones immediately used **Wind Release: Wings of Wind**, ascending into the sky.  

 After activating **Chakra Cloak** to protect themselves, they accelerated to a top speed of **300 meters per second**, covering **18 kilometers per minute**.  

 In just a few minutes, they would be far from the battlefield. With careful navigation, they wouldn’t attract any attention.  

 Once the clones disappeared into the horizon, Seimei refocused on dealing with the approaching Konoha reconnaissance team.  

 Using his **Byakugan**, he had already detected the team cautiously advancing within a few hundred meters.  

 Unwilling to engage them directly, Seimei formed another shadow clone and left it to explain matters. Activating **Wind Release: Wings of Wind**, he soared into the sky to continue his patrol mission while scouting for the next target.  

 As for the intel extracted from Hozuki’s mind, he set it aside for the time being. It wasn’t yet time to act.  

 He also needed to make some preparations.  

 With that thought, Seimei opened his proficiency panel for a quick glance.  

 After 11 days of practice, his **Shadow Clone Technique** proficiency had surpassed **Lv6 (9000/10000)**, just shy of advancing to **Lv7**.  

 If his assumptions were correct, reaching Lv7 would likely unlock **Multiple Shadow Clone Technique**.  

 Once he achieved that, he could finally execute his plans.  

 Thus, he reminded himself again: **Patience!**  

 Closing the panel, Seimei flapped his wings and quickly left the forest.

 ---

 **Meanwhile.**

 In the forest below, a few hundred meters from Seimei’s location, a team of Konoha ninjas paused. Watching his departing figure, one member asked, “Captain, should we continue forward?”  

 The leader, a Special Jōnin, turned toward another teammate for input.  

 The others followed suit, their gazes landing on a Hyūga Chūnin with unremarkable features but strikingly pale eyes.  

 Without wasting words, the Hyūga ninja raised his hand and activated his **Byakugan**.  

 Veins bulged around his temples, and faint black marks appeared in his pupils. Scanning ahead, he quickly spotted Seimei’s stationary shadow clone.  

 However, as if sensing his gaze, Seimei’s clone turned its head, revealing a pair of crimson **Sharingan**.  

 Startled, the Hyūga ninja quickly closed his eyes, breathing heavily.  

 “Not surprising... A Uchiha genius’s ocular power is truly terrifying!” he thought to himself.  

 Noticing his reaction, the Special Jōnin captain asked, “What happened, Ling?”   

The Hyūga ninja waved it off. “Nothing.”  

 After a moment’s hesitation, he added, “Seimei has left a shadow clone behind... I think.”  

 Recalling the eerie Sharingan, he corrected himself, “Actually, I’m not entirely sure. But he seems to be waiting for us.”  

 The captain didn’t dwell on the uncertainty. If Seimei—or even just a clone—was there, he’d uncover what had transpired. Without hesitation, he led the team forward.  

 ---

 On the other side, Seimei’s shadow clone indeed noticed the Hyūga ninja’s observation.  

 Seimei’s familiarity with the **Byakugan** was unparalleled, allowing him to detect its activation immediately.  

 Knowing that the Konoha team included a Hyūga ninja, Seimei had opted to leave a clone instead of staying himself.  

 He had refrained from sealing the **Byakugan** embedded in his forehead during this period, which could raise questions if discovered. Avoiding unnecessary confrontations was prudent.  

 Fortunately, his shadow clones couldn’t replicate the Byakugan, ensuring no risk of exposure.  

 *(End of Chapter)*