After divvying up all his chakra, Seimei felt a wave of relief wash over him. Next up? Time to upgrade the seals—both on himself and the one locking down the Seven-Tails.
Since his All-Encompassing Seal had hit peak perfection at lv10 (0/0), it only made sense to refresh the old seals. Like always, he decided to start with the Seven-Tails.
He reached out, grabbing the metal orb sealing the tailed beast from the giant rock nearby. With a quick flash, he appeared in the "little plaza" ahead. Then, hands flying through seals, he released the All-Encompassing Seal on the orb.
In an instant, a massive figure loomed into view. Who else but the Seven-Tails?
Seimei figured it'd bolt the second it appeared, just like the last two times. But—surprise!—it just hovered there, calm as can be, not a hint of running or fighting.
"What's this now?"
Meeting Seimei's puzzled stare, the Seven-Tails' cold compound eyes somehow flashed with... helplessness? Maybe a dash of "whatever"? Yeah, crazy as it sounds, that's the vibe he got! No idea how he picked that up from those emotionless bug eyes, but there it was.
Its actions backed it up too. With a lazy flap of its wings, it spun 180 degrees, pointing its tails at him like it couldn't be bothered to look his way.
"Heh heh heh~" Seimei couldn't help but chuckle.
He had a pretty good guess what was up. After their last two clashes, the Seven-Tails had clearly clocked that escape was off the table. Why bother wasting the energy? Better to play nice, lull him into dropping his guard, then seize a chance later.
As for its safety? From how Seimei had been acting lately, it could tell he wasn't out to kill it—just siphon some chakra on a schedule. So, the Seven-Tails was ready to play the long game.
"Thing is…" Seimei shook his head with a smirk, thinking its plan was about to flop hard.
With All-Encompassing Seal at lv10, the new prison would be tougher than ever—no openings, no shot at escape. Plus, as time ticked on, he'd only get stronger. This might've been its last real window. Sure, fighting back wouldn't do much, but it'd at least be something, right?
Miss this, and unless Seimei decided to push the seal even further, it'd be stuck in that pocket dimension forever. Not that he felt bad for it—different species, zero sympathy. If anything, its chill attitude saved him the hassle of wrangling it. Win-win!
With that, he ignored the Seven-Tails and sandwiched the metal orb between his hands. Seals formed, and he cast the upgraded All-Encompassing Seal. In a flash, intricate seal patterns bloomed across the orb. Chakra poured in, and the symbols sank into the metal.
Finally, at just the right moment, he aimed it at the Seven-Tails and barked, "Seal!"
Eight silvery chakra chains shot out, wrapping around its neck and seven tails in a heartbeat. Even though it'd decided not to resist, instinct kicked in, and it squirmed a bit. Too late, buddy—last chance gone. Seimei shifted his hand signs, and the chains flared bright, yanking the Seven-Tails back into the orb in a blink.
The speed alone showed it: the upgraded seal's grip on tailed beasts was next-level now.
That was one big change. Another? The pocket dimension it created was sturdier than ever. Back at lv8, it could hold one tailed beast. At lv9, three. Now?
Seimei probed the orb with his mind. Inside, the Seven-Tails dangled midair, eight chakra chains pinning it like a bug in a web—no wiggle room, no fight left. By his guess, this space could trap all nine tailed beasts if he wanted. Unreal!
That was the glow-up of All-Encompassing Seal. Nine beasts might be a stretch for now, though—way off in the future. For the moment, he'd focus on upgrading the seal on himself.
Same as last time, he tapped the seal at his brow, shifting the stored chakra into the orb. Didn't take long. Once done, he dissolved the brow seal and started weaving signs for the new All-Encompassing Seal.
On himself, he moved slower, more careful. He was 100% sure he wouldn't mess up—and even if he did, he'd be fine—but caution never hurt.
Time ticked by. As he finished the seals, dense patterns spread across his skin. They paused, then slithered up to his face like snakes, webbing over it—kinda creepy, honestly! But it didn't last. Soon, they shrank to his brow, circling his Byakugan in a silvery "Eight Trigrams" shape.
A few breaths later, the seal settled. The glow faded, sinking into his skin along with the Byakugan—no trace left. He grabbed his Leaf headband, checked his reflection in the metal, and nodded, satisfied with the blank slate staring back.
Tying the headband on, he picked up the orb again and fired up Chakra Absorption Technique, pulling out the chakra he'd just stashed. Time to get back to work!