Seeing four opponents charging directly at him and noticing Danzo preparing an attack in the distance, Seimei suddenly let out a loud shout:
"Bring it on!"
He raised his hands to form seals, seemingly ready to unleash the powerful jutsu again—Lightning Style: Thunder Prison!
The group immediately halted in their tracks, leaping backward to avoid the attack.
However, Seimei's bold declaration was nothing more than a feint.
The jutsu he cast after forming the seals wasn't Thunder Prison but rather Lightning Style: Thunder Serpent!
While Thunder Prison was indeed powerful, it was far from invincible. It could potentially deal with the four Jonin before him if used unexpectedly. But against cautious opponents, it was far less effective.
Moreover, his chakra hadn't yet fully stabilized after that earlier outburst, making it impossible to execute such a high-power move again in such a short time.
So, he resorted to bluffing.
Fortunately, the group was wary of his earlier display of Thunder Prison and instinctively chose to retreat.
By the time they realized something was off and tried to counterattack, Seimei's two lightning serpents had already been unleashed.
Sparks and bolts of electricity crackled as the serpents streaked toward the four Root Jonin, targeting the two with weaker chakra reserves.
Typically, such individuals were also less skilled in combat.
However, even they weren't so incompetent as to struggle against a mere C-rank jutsu.
One of them quickly formed hand seals and unleashed a Wind Style jutsu, slicing the lightning serpent in half.
The other used a simple Substitution Jutsu, effortlessly evading the attack.
Meanwhile, the other two Root Jonin were not idle. One of them cast Earth Style: Inner Decapitation Jutsu, attacking Seimei from underground.
The other drew a short sword from his back and closed the distance in just a few steps, aiming to engage Seimei in close combat.
Faced with the assault, Seimei stood firm. He drew his longsword from his waist, plunging it into the ground. A burst of lightning chakra shattered the Earth Style jutsu below him.
He then swung his blade upward, not only blocking the short sword aimed at him but also slashing toward the attacker's throat in one swift motion.
The Root Jonin remained unfazed, leaning back slightly to dodge the attack.
Without hesitation, he countered with another swift thrust of his blade.
Seimei's Sharingan spun, clearly perceiving the movement. With a simple twist of his body, he avoided the lightning-fast thrust.
Not missing a beat, Seimei counterattacked, swinging his sword once more.
This time, he utilized both Illusory Blade Technique and Shadow Blade Technique, creating six blade shadows—three real and three fake—striking the enemy from multiple angles.
In the past, this move often forced his opponents to dodge or block.
However, this time was different. His opponent was a Root ninja who valued completing the mission above his own life.
Realizing he couldn't evade all the attacks, the Jonin chose not to dodge at all. Instead, he swung his blade directly at Seimei, seemingly willing to sacrifice himself to create an opportunity for his comrades.
Seimei frowned slightly at the sight.
He had intended to use these enemies to practice his Shadow Blade Technique.
In recent months, the lack of battles had severely slowed his progress with the technique. Over the past month, his proficiency had increased by less than 3,000 points, making the ultimate goal of reaching Level 7 (Mastery) feel out of reach.
But now it seemed these opponents wouldn't give him the chance to train.
With a glance at the other Root Jonin charging toward him and another quick scan with his Byakugan of the two preparing jutsu in the distance, Seimei decisively chose to retreat.
As he moved away, the closest Jonin attempted to press the attack. Seimei responded with a Lightning Style: Lightning Sword, not only forcing his opponent back but also leaving a charred wound on his body.
However, this delay allowed the other three to finish their attacks.
One of them unleashed a Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu, forcing the approaching enemy to retreat.
Meanwhile, the other two combined their techniques. One used an Earth Style jutsu to shake the ground, severely disrupting Seimei's balance.
The other cast a Wind Style jutsu, creating several arm-length spiral wind drills that shot toward Seimei.
Facing the coordinated assault, Seimei steadied himself, sheathed his longsword, and formed hand seals with one hand. In an instant, he activated Chakra Cloak.
A faint blue glow enveloped him, forming a translucent long robe of chakra.
The wind drills struck the chakra cloak.
Yet, aside from causing ripples on its surface, they failed to harm Seimei in the slightest.
At this moment, Seimei also began to counterattack.
First, he performed the "Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Technique," spewing out countless fireballs that forced back the sword-wielding Jonin and another Root Jonin who had just been repelled by the "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique."
Immediately after, he unleashed another jutsu—"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Technique," spitting out three massive fire dragons that charged at the two individuals who had just used their own jutsu.
Faced with such a fiery assault, the two chose not to counter with their own techniques but instead dodged to evade.
Seizing this brief moment to catch his breath, Seimei wasted no time. He quickly gathered a large amount of chakra within his body, formed hand seals, and executed the jutsu—"Water Style: Exploding Water Shock Wave!"
Swoosh!
A massive torrent of water gushed from his mouth, transforming into a giant wave over ten meters high in the blink of an eye, surging forward.
The four Root Jonin, including Danzo, who had been silently observing and gathering intelligence, were all forced to leap onto the treetops.
The trees in the ninja world were far taller and sturdier than those in his previous life. Even though Seimei's "Water Style: Exploding Water Shock Wave" was impressive, it wasn't enough to submerge them entirely.
However, that didn't matter.
Seimei glanced at the group standing on the treetops. Without pausing, he raised his hands and formed seals again, unleashing the jutsu—"Wind Style: Blade of Wind!"
Unlike before, this time, he didn't prioritize speed or stealth. Instead, he focused on condensing the wind blade to make it as large and powerful as possible.
As the blade flew forward, every tree in its path was cleanly severed in two, the pieces falling into the water below.
This forced Danzo and the others to stand on the water's surface.
Seeing this, Seimei's eyes lit up. He thought to himself, "A perfect opportunity!" Without hesitation, he raised his hands again, formed seals, and cast the jutsu—"Lightning Style: Thunder Prison!"
After mastering this technique to its fullest potential, Seimei was no longer limited to using it in its traditional form. He could now control the lightning he conjured with much greater flexibility.
Just like now.
Crackle!
A loud crackling sound echoed.
Fine electric currents appeared all over Seimei's body.
The next moment, the electric currents surged down his legs and into the water below.
It's common knowledge that water conducts electricity.
In an instant, the entire body of water beneath Seimei became an ocean of lightning.
Not far away, Danzo and the others, who had just steadied themselves on the water's surface, saw this and immediately bolted toward nearby tree branches and trunks that hadn't yet sunk into the water.
Clearly, they intended to use the non-conductive trees to avoid and minimize the damage from the lightning.
However, how could Seimei possibly give them this chance?