In the dim depths of the ocean, Seimei was cloaked in crackling lightning, moving forward step by step like a thunder god.
Soon, he reached the area where he'd trained during his last session—a spot over 400 meters deep, where the pressure was more than forty times that of the surface.
Down here, Seimei was under constant, crushing force. His chakra drained faster with every passing moment.
But he wasn't satisfied. Every training session pushed him further, made him stronger. If he stayed in the same spot as last time, he'd just be coasting. No—he had to go deeper, even if just a little, to keep himself at the absolute limit. That's how he maximized his training efficiency.
With that in mind, Seimei scanned the area but didn't spot any deeper zones right away. So, with a thought, he released the All-Encompassing Seal on his forehead and activated his Byakugan.
Instantly, everything within a one-kilometer radius came into view.
He quickly searched for deeper waters. At 400 meters, he was already near the deepest part of this region, so finding an even deeper spot wasn't easy. He figured he'd need to relocate soon.
But for now? With his Byakugan, he could probably find one or two suitable spots.
A few seconds later, Seimei's gaze locked onto a point to his right. After a closer look, he nodded, certain of his target, and started moving.
A few minutes later, he arrived at his destination—a narrow, deep trench.
Through his Byakugan, he could see it plunged dozens of meters deeper. Perfect. This spot could sustain his training for at least ten days, maybe two weeks. No need to worry about finding a new location for a while.
With that settled, Seimei descended along the trench's rocky wall. At about ten meters down, he stopped. This was his limit, the edge of what he could handle.
Glancing around, he saw no natural ledge to stand on. No problem. He performed the Water Release: Water Severing Wave, conjuring a high-pressure water jet that carved a smooth platform into the rock wall with a few quick slashes.
Seimei attached chakra to his feet and stepped onto the platform. Then, he hauled the loose rubble and tossed it into the trench behind him.
After a quick break, he began training his body using the Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Of course, he didn't forget to activate Mystical Palm Technique and Human Ward to support himself.
With everything set, Seimei dove into his training.
---
Four days passed in a flash.
It was time for his routine break.
That evening, Seimei wrapped up all his training—except for nurturing his Byakugan—ahead of schedule. Instead of heading straight back to the Leaf Village, he sat on the massive rock at the island's center, gazing at the shimmering sea under the setting sun.
At first, his eyes were sharp, focused. But soon, they drifted, losing focus. His whole being seemed to slip into a state of emptiness, free of thought.
And honestly? That's exactly what happened.
After ten days of grueling training, this sudden relaxation pulled him into a meditative trance.
Why didn't he head back to the village right away? Simple. He was waiting for nightfall.
Once it was dark, he had work to do. Under the cover of night, he'd head to the Mist Village and the Rock Village to swap out the shadow clones stationed there. Only then would he return to the Leaf for some rest.
Time ticked by.
The sun dipped below the horizon, and as the last rays of sunset faded, Seimei snapped out of his daze. His mind, foggy from days of intense training, felt a bit clearer.
Standing up, he stretched hard, shaking off the fatigue.
Then, he turned toward the Mist Village, formed hand signs, and activated Wind Release: Wings of Wind. With a push off the ground, he flapped the chakra wings on his back, soaring into the air.
Next, he cast Chakra Cloak and Earth Release: Ultra-Lightweight Rock Technique, shielding himself while reducing his weight.
With a powerful flap of his wings, he shot forward like an arrow, hitting a speed of one kilometer per second.
Still not enough.
Mid-flight, he activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, sharpening his reflexes. His speed surged again, reaching a blistering two kilometers per second—still short of his theoretical max of three, but terrifyingly fast.
In less than fifteen minutes, he was above the Land of Water, an isolated island nation.
Under the cover of darkness, he slipped past the border ports and flew deep into the country. Without stopping, he made a beeline for the dense forest outside the Mist Village.
There, he landed.
After a quick breather and a scan of the Mist Village's defenses with his Byakugan, he darted forward, closing in on the village's sensory barrier.
When he got close enough for the Mist ninja in the distant watchtower to spot him, Seimei activated his left eye's Mangekyo ability—Heaven's Ward.
Silently, he vanished.
He moved forward, slipping through patrol routes and the sensory barrier, until he was inside the Mist Village. Dropping Heaven's Ward, he used Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport to the underground cave where his shadow clone was hiding.
The sudden arrival startled the dormant clone, who snapped awake and barked, "Who's there?"
"Relax, it's me," Seimei said quickly.
Recognizing his voice, the clone eased up, sliding the kunai he'd drawn back into its sheath.
Looking at Seimei, the clone said with a tired edge, "A month already, huh?"
"Yup," Seimei nodded.
The clone sighed. "Alright then."
With that, he dispelled himself with a poof, vanishing in a puff of chakra smoke.
A stream of memories flooded Seimei's mind—the clone's experiences. You'd think a month's worth of memories would be a lot, but not really. To conserve energy and last longer, the clone had spent most of its time in a dormant state, so the data was pretty light.
Seimei skimmed through it quickly, getting a sense of the Mist Village's recent activity.
Overall, things were quiet. Like the past few months, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, was focused on consolidating his power, with no signs of stirring trouble or expanding outward.
In other words, the Mist had no plans to spark conflict in the ninja world.
Seimei let out a small breath of relief.
The ninja world? Better off peaceful.
The calmer it was, the better for his training.
---
(End of Chapter)