Deep underwater, on a relatively flat rock, Seimei maintained a protective layer of Lightning Release chakra, following the training method for Lightning Release Chakra Mode to strengthen his body.
The surrounding seawater conducted his lightning chakra, causing it to unintentionally spread outward. In the distance, deep-sea fish struck by the electric current were instantly charred.
Even underwater, the power was impressive, a testament to the sheer volume of Lightning Release chakra coursing through him.
But the greater the output, the higher the loss.
What's that? Could he reduce the chakra on his body's surface? Not a chance. With his current physical condition, he needed a hefty amount of Lightning Release chakra to make rapid progress. Plus, the crushing deep-sea pressure forced him to channel a ton of it just to protect himself.
So, for now, he had to endure the constant chakra drain and keep training.
This was also why he needed to pour even more chakra into it.
These thoughts flickered through his mind. Noticing his movements starting to falter, Seimei snapped out of it and focused entirely on his training.
In an instant, blinding lightning flashed across his body. At此刻, Seimei was like a thunder god sealed beneath the sea, struggling and resisting.
Time ticked by, second by second.
An hour passed.
Seimei exhaled a few bubbles, then reined in his aura. Maintaining his Lightning Release chakra shield, he turned and headed back the way he came.
Soon, he reached the underwater spot marked with a Flying Thunder God seal.
This was the limit of the pressure he could handle.
Without hesitation, he locked onto the Flying Thunder God seal he'd left on the beach. With a thought, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
His vision shifted in an instant.
In a flash, Seimei went from over 200 meters underwater to the sunlit beach.
The sudden change in pressure made his cheeks flush red.
But it only lasted a few seconds. After a few breaths, he adjusted to the surface's atmospheric pressure and let out a long sigh, dispersing the protective Lightning Release chakra.
Closing his eyes again, he felt the progress in his body and nodded, satisfied.
Then he scanned his surroundings.
His shadow clones were still diligently training as planned.
With a thought, a burst of Fire Release chakra flared on his body, evaporating the seawater clinging to him.
Then he released the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.
In an instant, all 150 shadow clones—both on and off the island—vanished.
A flood of memories rushed into his mind.
Seimei closed his eyes, carefully sorting through the information, absorbing and processing the training experience within, converting it into proficiency for his skills.
About fifteen minutes later, he opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through them.
Reflecting on the experience gained from his shadow clones, he realized something. Ever since Spirit Transformation Technique hit Lv9, the boost in his understanding of souls had made refining the Soul-Locking Contract Instant Movement Seal surprisingly smooth.
It had only been an hour, but the progress was already noticeable.
Of course, this was partly thanks to his daily observation of the two seals on Danzo's soul while extracting his chakra.
Combining these efforts, Seimei estimated he could perfect the Soul-Locking Contract Instant Movement Seal in just three to five days.
Once he mastered it, he'd be able to use it to bind Danzo's soul and those of his hidden pawns.
Inhale… exhale…
Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Seimei calmed his excitement. He pulled a few enhanced soldier pills from his ninja pouch, swallowed them to replenish his energy, and cast Multiple Shadow Clone Technique again, summoning 150 shadow clones to resume training.
The clones continued practicing their respective skills as usual.
But this time, Seimei's real body didn't head back to the sea for physical training. Instead, he went to the giant boulder at the island's center, sat cross-legged, and began using the Mind Reflection Technique.
Instantly, a massive amount of chakra surged through his body's meridians, converging at his head and flowing into his eyes.
During this, two unique streams of chakra emerged—one from his mind, the other from deep within his cells—both pouring into his eyes.
These acted like catalysts, driving the bulk of ordinary chakra to stimulate his eyes, slowly pushing their evolution.
On his panel, this showed as a gradual increase in his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan's evolution progress.
This was how Mind Reflection Technique boosted his Sharingan's growth.
Seimei paused his underwater physical training to focus on this.
For the rest of the day, he alternated every hour between physical enhancement and boosting his Sharingan's evolution, not wasting a moment.
At night, he'd dedicate two and a half hours to nurturing his Byakugan, increasing its evolution progress.
By the time he finished, it was usually late at night, and he'd rest.
The next day, he'd repeat the cycle.
To an ordinary person, this routine might seem dull and monotonous.
But for Seimei, with his proficiency panel letting him see his progress in real-time, it was incredibly fulfilling.
Once he got into the groove, he couldn't stop.
…
Two days later, it was time for a rest day.
Seimei didn't break his training schedule just because Izanagi and Izanami were nearing mastery or because the Soul-Locking Contract Instant Movement Seal was close to completion.
That evening, after finishing his training early, he didn't linger on the island.
Packing up, he used Wind Release: Wings of Wind and Chakra Cloak, enjoying the scenery as he headed back to the Leaf Village.
That day in the Leaf was uneventful. Seimei mostly ate, slept, and relaxed—pure bliss.
As for trouble always finding him whenever he returned to the village?
Sorry, he wasn't the protagonist. The world didn't revolve around him. Why would trouble follow him everywhere?
If that were the case, what was the point of all his efforts? He'd dealt with problems multiple times to clear the way—how could they keep piling up?
Now, he could finally train and rest in peace.
If possible, he hoped the Leaf Village—and the entire ninja world—would stay free of conflict, maintaining the status quo.
That way, he could truly relax.
But, sadly, things wouldn't go as he hoped.
During a chance encounter, Seimei faintly sensed Nine-Tails chakra emanating from Kushina Uzumaki.
Logically, with the Uzumaki clan's physique and their expertise in sealing techniques, a tailed beast's chakra shouldn't leak.
This matched what he'd sensed from her before.
But now, he could feel the Nine-Tails' chakra.
His only guess? She was pregnant.
For a Jinchuriki, it wasn't just childbirth that weakened the seal—pregnancy could cause it too.
It was just less severe than during delivery.
And, calculating the timeline, this was around the time Naruto would be born.
As the destined protagonist, his arrival would set the ninja world's history in motion, unstoppable by anyone.
This was bound to be a turbulent era.
That's why Seimei said things wouldn't go as he hoped.
Still, he had about ten months of peaceful training time before Naruto's birth.
For Seimei, that was some consolation.
(End of Chapter)