At the same time...
On the other side, as Danzo saw Baku narrowly escape, he felt a brief sense of relief. However, without delay, he launched an attack on Seimei to prevent him from targeting Baku again.
Although, in Danzo's eyes, even a summoned beast like Baku was merely a tool, a valuable tool was something its master would naturally cherish, right?
Moreover, Danzo still needed Baku's assistance to defeat Seimei. Naturally, he wouldn't let Seimei kill Baku so easily.
Therefore, he chose to act without hesitation.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Several kunai shot out rapidly, aimed directly at Seimei.
If one were to look closely, they would notice explosive tags wrapped around the handles of the kunai.
Clearly, even in a critical moment, Danzo had calculated his attack.
But such tactics were of no concern to Seimei.
The moment Danzo made his move, Seimei's Byakugan detected him.
Turning his head, Seimei's Mangekyo Sharingan instantly identified the hidden danger.
Without hesitation, he executed a series of swift movements, dodging Danzo's sneak attack with ease.
Meanwhile, Baku had shaken off its initial shock.
Taking stock of the situation, it instinctively ran toward Danzo, attempting to regroup with him and launch a joint attack on Seimei.
However, after working so hard to separate them, how could Seimei allow them to reunite so easily?
Even though he had made a mistake earlier, giving his opponents a brief opportunity to counterattack, that opening had already been neutralized by his ability, Heavenly Dominion.
Now was the perfect time for him to press the advantage.
Boom, boom, boom!
The kunai missed their target and exploded midair, their attached explosive tags erupting with deafening blasts. Shockwaves rippled outward, centered on the explosions.
But Seimei paid no mind to the chaos. He activated his Body Flicker Technique and, in a flash, closed the distance to Baku with astonishing speed.
As he moved, Seimei formed a series of hand signs, unleashing a ninjutsu technique—Fire Style: Ember Burn!
Poof!
Silently, a small flame appeared, igniting a patch of fur on Baku's back.
Upon seeing this, Seimei immediately poured more chakra into the flame, causing it to swell rapidly, threatening to engulf Baku completely.
It was no surprise Seimei was being so meticulous—after all, as a summoned beast, Baku's ability to sense danger far exceeded that of humans.
Unleashing a massive amount of chakra all at once might produce a larger flame, but it would also alert Baku prematurely.
If Baku sensed the danger and fled, all Seimei's efforts would be for naught.
Instead, by dividing his actions into two steps, the results were vastly different.
Initially, Baku failed to detect the true threat of the ninjutsu. Or perhaps it sensed something but couldn't discern Seimei's intentions, so it didn't evade.
But now, as the flames suddenly intensified, Baku was caught completely off guard.
The raging fire spread across its body, rapidly consuming much of its massive frame.
Painful howls erupted from Baku as it struggled against the searing agony.
This time, it had no choice but to act.
Fortunately, Baku was resourceful. In an instant, it decided to dive into the water.
It was worth noting that, as a summoned beast resembling feline species, aquatic environments were not its preferred habitat.
But this decision—to overcome its instincts—caught Seimei's attention for a brief moment.
However, it was only for a moment.
With his Byakugan fully activated, Seimei used its X-ray vision to track Baku's position underwater. When Baku resurfaced, Seimei swiftly appeared nearby with another flash step.
Raising his hand, Seimei immediately cast Water Style: Water Formation Wall, creating a towering barrier of water at his side.
In the next moment, several air bullets shot out of Danzo's mouth, slamming into the water wall and creating ripples and whirlpools, but failing to penetrate it.
That's right—on the other side, Danzo hadn't been idle either.
Seizing the opportunity while Seimei was targeting Baku, Danzo launched another sneak attack with his Wind Style: Vacuum Bullets.
Unfortunately, without Baku's support this time, Danzo's ninjutsu failed to breach Seimei's water-style defense.
Upon seeing this, Seimei merely cast a fleeting glance at Danzo before paying him no further attention.
All his focus was now directed at the Mengmo, which had just emerged from the water a short distance away.
Thanks to Seimei's deliberately chosen position, the moment the Mengmo broke the surface, their eyes met.
And at that exact moment, Seimei unleashed the "Genjutsu: Sharingan," which he had prepared in advance.
This technique, already mastered to perfection through relentless practice, was now further empowered by his Mangekyo Sharingan. The results, naturally, were extraordinary.
In nearly an instant, the Mengmo's body froze in place, a reflection of the Sharingan appearing deep within its pupils. Its consciousness sank into the illusionary world crafted by Seimei.
Perhaps Seimei's ocular prowess wasn't yet sufficient to control a tailed beast like Uchiha Madara could. However, it was more than enough to immobilize a lower-tier summoning beast.
Gazing at the now-paralyzed Mengmo, Seimei wasted no time. In a flash, he appeared directly before it.
The next moment, his right hand extended forward, and a massive, high-density chakra sphere materialized in his palm. Without hesitation, he slammed it into the Mengmo's head.
This was no ordinary jutsu—it was a variant of the Rasengan: the Giant Rasengan!
The only difference between this technique and the standard Rasengan was its significantly larger chakra consumption, size, and destructive power.
As for why he didn't opt for the "Wind Style: Rasenshuriken," there were two reasons.
First, there simply wasn't enough time.
It was clear that, almost simultaneously with him slamming the Giant Rasengan onto the Mengmo's head, Danzo had already closed in from behind, sword in hand.
If Seimei had chosen a technique requiring hand seals and one that he hadn't yet mastered, like the "Wind Style: Rasenshuriken," Danzo's attack would have undoubtedly struck first.
In that case, Seimei wouldn't have had the chance to attack the Mengmo at all.
Second, the power of the Giant Rasengan was already sufficient.
The sound of "crack, crack, crack" echoed as the bones in the Mengmo's skull fractured where the attack landed.
A torrent of blood gushed from its eyes, ears, nose, and mouth—it was clear the beast wouldn't survive.
To this, Seimei could only remark that the "Genjutsu: Sharingan," enhanced by the Mangekyo Sharingan, was truly terrifying.
Even a summoning beast as formidable as the Mengmo, once caught in the illusion, remained immobilized, unable to escape even in the face of mortal danger.
If not for this, the Mengmo might have made even the slightest evasive maneuver, which could have weakened the Giant Rasengan's impact and given it a chance at survival.
As these thoughts flashed through Seimei's mind, he quickly refocused, lowering his body just in time to narrowly dodge Danzo's swinging short sword.
Without missing a beat, he lunged forward, slipping past the Mengmo's massive body to its side.
Turning around, he directed his gaze at Danzo.
The moment their eyes met, Seimei prepared to repeat his earlier tactic. Drawing on the immense power of his Mangekyo Sharingan, he intended to unleash the "Genjutsu: Sharingan" and take control of his opponent.
However, just as he was about to act, something unexpected occurred.