Time ticked by, second by second.
Before long, an hour had passed.
Although time had gone by, Seimei had been carefully controlling the pace, ensuring the Mist Ninja wouldn't collapse out of despair or redirect their focus.
However, such a long stalemate had sapped their patience, and there were subtle signs they might retreat from the battlefield.
This was a scenario Seimei absolutely didn't want to see.
Fortunately, he had already stalled long enough.
By now, Uchiha Shisui and his group had arrived nearby.
This meant Seimei no longer had to worry about the Mist Ninja suddenly retreating.
At worst, he could command the two teams to encircle and crush the Mist Ninja.
But the determination of the Mist Ninja exceeded Seimei's expectations. Despite some hesitation, they had yet to actually withdraw.
This miscalculation cost them their last chance for a clean retreat.
When Uchiha Shisui and his team finally reached the battlefield, Seimei, using his Sharingan, could clearly see the panic written across many faces within the Mist Ninja ranks.
It was clear they had not anticipated Konoha's reinforcements to arrive so swiftly.
Though Shisui's team was small in number, their elite status as powerful Jōnin was far more intimidating than dozens or hundreds of lesser-ranked ninjas.
Admittedly, Shisui and his team had pushed themselves hard to arrive quickly, leaving their chakra and stamina partially depleted.
Even so, Jōnin were Jōnin—far beyond the capabilities of most lower- and mid-ranked ninja.
The earlier struggle at the Red Tree outpost had been due to a lack of high-tier combatants on Konoha's side.
Seimei's earlier arrival had partially mitigated this disadvantage, easing the pressure on his comrades.
Now, with Shisui and his team bolstering their ranks, Konoha's shortfall in high-end power was completely addressed, leaving no room for further hesitation among the Mist Ninja.
Watching the tide of battle, Uchiha Shisui and his team wasted no time, diving straight into combat with the most formidable Mist Jōnin.
Seeing this, Konoha's forces were reinvigorated and launched a full-scale counterattack.
Overlooking the battlefield, Seimei nodded in satisfaction.
Flapping his wings, he soared towards another nearby battlefield.
Initially, this area had hosted 70–80 Mist Ninja. Seimei's relentless harassment over the past hour had reduced their numbers to fewer than 50.
Of course, Konoha's forces also suffered, dropping from over 50 to around 40.
Now, the two sides were nearly evenly matched, with one-on-one skirmishes dominating the field.
However, the Mist Ninja still held the upper hand. They not only outnumbered Konoha slightly but also boasted stronger average individual strength.
Had it not been for Seimei's constant ambushes, the Konoha ninjas here might have already been defeated.
Even in the midst of combat, the Mist Ninja frequently glanced at the sky, wary of another attack from Seimei.
Their fears soon materialized.
As the Mist Ninja maintained their vigilance, Seimei's figure once again appeared in the sky.
Immediately, their offensive slowed.
Their gazes flickered to the sky as they braced themselves for his next move.
But this time, Seimei had no intention of launching a sneak attack. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NovєlFіre.net
Hovering openly above them, he descended closer before unleashing a storm of Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique and Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.
Suspended in mid-air, Seimei watched as the Mist Ninja scrambled to evade his attacks.
When they briefly let down their guard, he suddenly dived at full speed, dodging a barrage of kunai and shuriken before landing amidst the Mist Ninja.
For a moment, his enemies were stunned, but this quickly turned to elation.
Previously, they had been powerless against Seimei's aerial assaults—not because of his overwhelming strength, but because they simply couldn't reach him.
Now that he had voluntarily abandoned his airborne advantage, they weren't about to waste the opportunity.
"Pin him down!" a Mist Jōnin bellowed.
At the command, the surrounding Mist Chūnin abandoned their current opponents and surged toward Seimei, as if afraid he might take flight again.
Even Konoha's ninjas were momentarily dumbfounded by this development.
Why would Seimei, whose aerial harassment had been so effective, suddenly ground himself?
To them, his decision seemed foolish. At most, it added one more Jōnin to their ranks—hardly a game-changer.
Despite their doubts, the nearby Konoha ninjas acted quickly. Without hesitation, they pursued the Mist Ninja, attempting to stall them and buy Seimei time to retreat.
But Seimei had no intention of leaving.
With Shisui and his team handling the other battlefield, Seimei was free to take a more aggressive approach here.
He aimed to eliminate the Mist Ninja, not merely stall them.
More importantly, Seimei had a personal motive—chakra.
Over the past three days, he had avoided targeting larger groups of Mist Ninja, prioritizing safety.
This had limited the chakra he could absorb.
Now, surveying the dozens of Mist Ninja before him, Seimei saw a golden opportunity he couldn't pass up.
He swiftly formed hand seals and unleashed the Chakra Absorption Technique.
Darting behind an approaching Mist Chūnin, he seized the ninja by the neck.
In an instant, a torrent of chakra surged into Seimei's body.
The Mist Chūnin, feeling his chakra drain uncontrollably, was overcome with terror.
Attempting to resist, he found his efforts futile as Seimei used a Chakra Scalpel to sever his nervous system, leaving him completely paralyzed.
With his victim incapacitated, Seimei absorbed every last drop of his chakra, spiritual energy, and physical energy before discarding the lifeless body.
Using Body Flicker Technique, Seimei moved on to his next target, employing the same ruthless efficiency.
In less than a minute, Seimei drained five Mist Chūnin of their chakra.
Only then did the Mist Ninja begin to understand their dire situation.
Their earlier fervor had blinded them to Seimei's true capabilities. Now, faced with his overwhelming power, they finally grasped the futility of their resistance.
Their initial recklessness had stemmed from a Jōnin's orders and their pent-up frustration after Seimei's relentless hit-and-run tactics.
But in their desperation to vent, they had picked the wrong target.