*Ding~*
*Ding ding ding~*
The sound of clashing metal echoed as the long sword and kunai collided repeatedly. Seimei's true form directly confronted Yamada Shinichi.
Among the three opponents, Seimei had the most experience with Yamada Shinichi, having fought him the longest. Plus, Yamada's chest wound was only partially treated, not fully healed, and his combat power had decreased, making him the ideal target to break through.
Indeed, Seimei had deliberately split his chakra to create two shadow clones to help in the fight, aiming to isolate each opponent for a one-on-one battle and then take them down one by one.
However, Seimei's strategy was obvious, and the three Mist Jōnin quickly figured out his plan. Before they could identify which was Seimei's true body, they all acted with extreme caution.
Apart from necessary counterattacks, they made no unnecessary moves, keeping most of their focus—seven or eight tenths—on defense. Moreover, they stayed in close proximity to each other, ensuring that no matter who Seimei attacked, the other two could respond quickly to provide support.
"As expected of Jōnin, their battle experience is really rich," Seimei thought to himself, recognizing their cautious behavior.
Initially, he had hoped to conserve some strength, but it seemed that was no longer an option.
With that realization, Seimei stopped hesitating and launched a full-scale assault on Yamada Shinichi in front of him.
In an instant, Seimei's sudden movements caught the attention of the other two. Before they could decide if it was a trap or a genuine attack on Yamada Shinichi, Seimei's two shadow clones understood his intentions and simultaneously attacked Mizuki Zangetsu and Takeshima Ichirō with equal ferocity.
Their objective was simple: hold back Mizuki Zangetsu and Takeshima Ichirō to give Seimei time to kill Yamada Shinichi.
At that moment, Mizuki Zangetsu and Takeshima Ichirō realized that the Seimei attacking Yamada Shinichi was likely the real one. But by the time they wanted to assist, they didn't have the time to do so.
By now, Seimei's chakra had surpassed 100,000 points, and even when divided among three bodies, each had 35,000 points of chakra. With such a large amount of chakra, the shadow clones could compensate for their weakness in withstanding damage.
This didn't mean the clones could take more hits, but with enough chakra, they could change their tactics to avoid direct confrontation. For example, using a barrage of ninjutsu attacks like a machine gun.
As long as they continued using ninjutsu and bombarded the enemy with their immense chakra, they could minimize the risk of direct combat. This strategy naturally addressed the clones' weakness in taking damage.
Fortunately, Seimei had mastered several ninjutsu to perfection, allowing him to cast them quickly and efficiently to restrict the movements of average Jōnin—at least for a short time.
Now, Mizuki Zangetsu and Takeshima Ichirō were being restrained by these tactics. The two shadow clones were relentlessly launching various ninjutsu, disregarding chakra consumption and forcing their enemies into a chaotic retreat. At this point, Mizuki and Takeshima were no longer concerned with helping Yamada Shinichi—they were struggling just to protect themselves.
With his opponents occupied, Seimei was free to fight without interference.
Unrestrained, he pushed forward with all the experience he had gained from their previous battles, unleashing his full power. His three-tomoe Sharingan spun to its limit as he launched an all-out offensive, forcing Yamada Shinichi to retreat step by step.
Finally, after another swing of his long sword, Yamada Shinichi couldn't react in time and barely managed to block the attack. The force from the sword shook him, forcing him back half a step.
Sensing the opportunity, Seimei's chakra surged. The muscles in his sword arm and his waist tightened, increasing his power.
"Haah!"
With a low growl, Seimei swung his sword again, this time aiming directly for Yamada Shinichi's neck and torso. Overwhelmed by a strong sense of danger, Yamada's pupils dilated as he desperately raised his kunai to block.
But the force of Seimei's strike was too great.
Plus, Yamada was already off balance from the previous blow. This time, he stood no chance.
*Ding~*
A piercing metallic sound rang out as the kunai collided with the long sword. The immense recoil numbed Yamada Shinichi's arm, and he involuntarily stumbled backward.
To make matters worse, his chest wound, still unhealed, tore open again due to the force, spilling blood that soaked through his bandages.
Seeing this, Seimei pressed forward, stepping in closer.
*Whoosh~*
A cold glint flashed as Seimei swung his sword again. Yamada Shinichi blocked it, but the impact forced him back again. Seimei was relentless, continuing his attack, forcing Yamada Shinichi to defend desperately.
For a while, the clash of metal rang out continuously.
Finally, Yamada Shinichi's back hit a boulder, blocking his retreat. At that moment, Seimei unleashed his most powerful strike.
Faced with the shadow of death, Yamada Shinichi's eyes filled with bloodshot veins.
"Ahhh!"
Suddenly, he let out a roar. Lightning crackled across his body, and his speed increased drastically. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from Seimei's sight.
Seimei's sword cut through the air, slicing the boulder cleanly in two with his wind-style chakra.
Seimei calmly sheathed his sword and turned to the right, where a figure was hunched over, panting heavily. Yamada Shinichi's body was covered in burns, as if scorched, with the faint scent of charred flesh in the air.
Yamada had used a forbidden technique to escape.
But based on Seimei's experience, such techniques couldn't be used repeatedly in a short time. In other words, Yamada had exhausted his tricks.
With that thought, Seimei's body emitted a faint blue glow as he activated his "Instant Sword Technique."
In an instant, he appeared before Yamada.
And then, he swung his sword.
(End of chapter)