A light breeze blew through the forest, scattering ash across the ground.
With this, Danzo had lost yet another useful tool.
But this was only the beginning—there were still three more Root squads waiting for him to deal with.
Although he couldn't target Danzo directly at the moment, that didn't mean he would let the minions Danzo sent go unscathed.
Sure, Danzo didn't value these subordinates' lives, but losing too many tools would eventually become a problem for him.
And as long as he could create trouble for Danzo, Seimei was more than happy to oblige.
As for the specific locations of the other three squads?
That wasn't hard to find!
Since they intended to act as the "praying mantis stalking the cicada," they wouldn't stray too far from the battlefield.
Given Seimei's current flight speed and the Byakugan's superior vision, combing through the area to locate them wouldn't be too difficult.
The precise coordinates were irrelevant.
Acting on this thought, Seimei raised his hands, formed seals, and unleashed a jutsu—Wind Release: Wings of Wind!
A pair of pale blue chakra wings materialized on his back.
Without pausing, he formed seals again and activated another jutsu—Chakra Cloak.
In an instant, his body became shrouded in a faint, ethereal blue glow, as though draped in a light azure robe, adding an air of mystique to his presence.
"If I were in a cultivation world right now, I'd probably be addressed as a 'Celestial Master,' at least," Seimei mused.
"Come to think of it, isn't the ninja world a form of 'cultivation' too?"
"Perhaps, after I settle my current troubles, I should pursue the 'Way of the Sage'."
Seimei wouldn't easily pass up any method to enhance his strength.
In his understanding, "cultivation" was the world's original path to transcendent power.
It was merely a force introduced by two extraterrestrial beings. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ noveⅼfire.net
Even the Uchiha bloodline coursing through his veins was connected to them.
If he wanted to break free from his bloodline's limits and reach greater heights of power, exploring alternative paths was a necessity.
Besides, these two power systems weren't inherently incompatible.
Sage chakra, after all, was a force capable of contending with Yin-Yang Release.
Seimei had no intention of relinquishing such power.
But those were thoughts for another day. For now, eliminating these lurking threats was the priority.
Resolving himself, Seimei flapped his wings and soared into the sky. In the blink of an eye, he reached his maximum speed of 200 meters per second.
Even with the protection of his Chakra Cloak, the fierce wind made him squint.
"Maybe after this, I should enhance the Chakra Cloak to a higher level," he thought as he returned to the battlefield.
The battle below was still raging.
Instead of rushing to locate the Root ninjas, Seimei communicated with his three shadow clones via Mind Transmission Technique.
The clone on the front lines continued aiding the Konoha forces against the Mist ninjas.
The one in the rear was struggling, barely holding out against a group of Mist jonin targeting him deliberately.
Meanwhile, the clone sent to seek reinforcements at the Blackstone Stronghold had already succeeded ten minutes earlier, meeting Sano Nobuhisa and organizing support.
As long as the Konoha forces could hold their ground, reinforcements from Blackstone would arrive within half an hour.
It was ironic—what started as a mission to support Blackstone had turned into Blackstone supporting them.
Still, this battle would likely clear the area of Mist's operations for a long time, allowing Seimei to focus on his growth in peace.
With these thoughts flashing through his mind, Seimei confirmed that the main battlefield was stable and began his meticulous search.
Using the battlefield as the center, he activated the Byakugan and scanned outward.
The Byakugan's reconnaissance capabilities far surpassed those of the Sharingan. In less than two minutes, he located the Root ninjas' hiding spot.
A group of over ten was concealed approximately 700-800 meters west of the battlefield.
At such a distance, they couldn't directly observe the battle and were likely using a special jutsu or summon to gather intel.
But that didn't matter.
What mattered was that Seimei had found them.
Now it was time to deal with them.
Flapping his wings, Seimei reached their location in an instant.
Without giving them a chance to react, he unleashed a massive Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu at their hiding spot.
The Root ninjas were caught completely off guard.
Despite their combat experience, three of them were critically injured in the initial strike.
Ignoring their stunned and wary expressions, Seimei quickly formed seals again, launching another Great Fireball Jutsu.
The massive fireball engulfed the area, reducing the three injured ninjas to charred remains and scattering the remaining nine.
Realizing the ambush had failed, the Root ninjas switched to direct combat.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Dozens of kunai and shuriken, coated with poison and attached to explosive tags, flew at Seimei.
With a single glance, Seimei noticed the traps and deftly evaded them with a flap of his wings.
His sharp peripheral vision caught sight of one ninja forming seals, preparing a technique that gave Seimei an uncanny sense of familiarity.
Tensing, Seimei immediately put distance between them.
The next moment, a piercing screech filled the air.
Blood trickled from Seimei's ears as the sound disrupted his balance mid-flight. Fortunately, he managed to stabilize himself.
"So that's why it felt familiar," Seimei muttered, realizing the ninja had used a sound-based jutsu.
The Root clearly had detailed intel on him, exploiting his vulnerability to sound-based attacks.
If this ambush had been more coordinated, he might have been forced to rely on his Tenshi no Mi ability to counter the effects.
But since they had failed to capitalize on their advantage, Seimei decided to retaliate without mercy.
Targeting the ninja who had used the sound jutsu, Seimei swiftly formed seals and unleashed a powerful Fire Release: Pure Combustion Jutsu.