Seimei had no idea what thoughts were running through Zangetsu Mizuki's mind, nor did he care. He was only slightly surprised when Seimei immediately recognized the secret technique he used.
But after that brief surprise, it was time to counterattack.
"Water Release: Great Water Arm Technique!"
In an instant, Zangetsu Mizuki concentrated a massive amount of water in his right arm and swung his short sword fiercely toward Seimei's neck.
Feeling an intense sense of danger, Seimei took half a step back, creating some distance, and raised his sword vertically beside him, attempting to block the strike.
*Clang!*
The sound of metal clashing was louder than before.
When the long sword met the short sword, Seimei felt a tremendous force, pushing him back several steps.
"What power!"
"So this is the 'Water Release: Great Water Arm Technique'?"
Seimei's Sharingan swirled slightly as he stared at Mizuki's bulky right arm, feeling a chill in his heart.
Seeing Seimei retreat, Mizuki pressed his advantage, stepping forward again and swinging his short sword toward Seimei.
Originally, Seimei could have dodged.
But seeing Mizuki's relentless aggression, he decided not to evade.
Instead, he channeled chakra throughout his body, using his medical knowledge to precisely strengthen the muscles in his arms and core. Then he swung his sword once more.
*Clang!*
The harsh sound of metal clashing rang out again.
Seimei felt his wrist go numb, and his long sword almost slipped from his hand.
Though he was struggling, Mizuki wasn't having an easy time either.
In just an instant, the bulk of Mizuki's right arm returned to normal, clearly showing that his jutsu had been broken.
"You..."
Mizuki gritted his teeth, staring at Seimei's youthful face in frustration.
But Seimei had no interest in his words. Without hesitation, he swung his sword again.
Mizuki quickly raised his short sword to block.
However, without the enhancement of the 'Great Water Arm Technique,' his strength was no match for Seimei's.
Forced to retreat, Mizuki found himself continually pushed back by Seimei's attacks.
Seeing that brute force was working, Seimei abandoned sword technique and focused solely on using his raw strength to keep attacking.
On the other side, Mizuki, afraid of losing the initiative, didn't dare dodge and had no choice but to continue clashing with Seimei.
For a while, their battle resembled something primitive, with both fighters relying purely on strength.
However, while they were locked in combat, several shuriken suddenly flew from a distance, targeting Seimei's vital points.
Sensing danger immediately, Seimei dodged the attack.
At the same time, he glanced toward the source of the shuriken.
He saw another Mist ninja standing there, poised to attack again at any moment.
Seimei recognized him. It was the same Mist ninja who had joined forces with Mizuki earlier to kill a Leaf ninja.
This ninja had been watching from the sidelines, unable to interfere in Seimei's fight with Mizuki due to his lack of strength.
But now, he'd found his chance.
*Swish, swish, swish!*
More shuriken came flying.
Seimei's Sharingan spun, instantly locking onto the trajectory of the shuriken. With swift, precise strikes, he deflected them all.
However, this brief distraction gave Mizuki an opportunity. Forming hand signs quickly, Mizuki pointed his fingers like a gun and launched his jutsu—"Water Release: Water Bullet Technique!"
In an instant, a droplet of water, like a bullet, shot from his fingertips, speeding toward Seimei's head.
If it hit, Seimei's head would likely burst like a watermelon.
Feeling the intense danger, Seimei noticed the water droplet out of the corner of his eye. Without hesitation, he poured Fire Release chakra into his sword and swung it.
A powerful resistance met his sword as it clashed with the water bullet, and both exploded in the next moment.
Flames roared as Seimei felt the shockwave push him back several steps.
At the same time, the water droplet from Mizuki's attack was completely evaporated by the fire.
"It can be countered like that?"
Mizuki's eyes widened in disbelief.
He had expected his technique might not kill Seimei, but he hadn't anticipated this kind of counter.
This created a brief opening in Mizuki and his Mist ninja ally's coordination.
Seimei seized the moment, using his "Blink Sword Technique" to transform into a blur of motion, appearing in front of the Mist ninja.
*Swish!*
A flash of cold light.
Seimei swung his long sword.
Sensing the deadly intent, the Mist ninja, Takejima Ichiro, quickly stepped back, attempting to avoid the strike.
However, in his vision, Seimei's sword suddenly split into two, attacking him from different angles.
"What is this?"
Confusion filled Takejima's mind, and he hesitated for a moment.
That moment of hesitation sealed his fate.
*Slash!*
The sound of a blade cutting through flesh echoed.
Though Takejima made the correct move at the last second, his mind had already been influenced by Seimei's "Illusion Sword Technique."
As a result, he couldn't completely avoid the strike, and Seimei's blade cut deep into his arm.
*Drip, drip.*
Blood dripped from Takejima's arm as Seimei continued his relentless pursuit, ready to strike again.
But at that moment, a bolt of lightning shot toward Seimei, transforming into a rope that wrapped around his wrist.
Glancing in that direction, Seimei saw Yamada Shinichi forming hand signs, sending the lightning rope from his palms straight at him.
A bandage wrapped around Yamada's chest showed he had treated his earlier sword wound and regained some of his strength.
"Hmm?"
Seeing Yamada, Seimei recalled the other Mist ninja he had severely injured with his Rasengan earlier.
Scanning the battlefield, he spotted that ninja sitting on the ground in the distance, covered in blood and looking utterly miserable.
It was clear that the Rasengan had done far more damage than Yamada's sword wound. Even with more recovery time, the other ninja was in terrible shape.
Seimei felt a slight sense of relief.
He refocused, then leapt backward with explosive force.
Almost immediately after he left, the lightning rope struck his afterimage, missing its target.
Seimei steadied himself, scanning the three enemies in front of him, thinking about how to defeat them quickly.
At the same time, Mizuki, Yamada, and Takejima regrouped, eyeing Seimei carefully, thinking about how to kill him together.
The battlefield fell into an eerie silence.
Time passed, second by second.
Then, all four fighters moved simultaneously.
Mizuki, Yamada, and Takejima split up, surrounding Seimei in a triangle formation.
And Seimei?
As he ran, he suddenly raised his hands, forming the 'Ram' sign, and used a jutsu typically reserved for escaping—"Shadow Clone Technique!"
In an instant, Seimei split into three, with each clone charging toward Mizuki, Yamada, and Takejima.
The battle erupted once again!
(End of Chapter)