The sun set, and the moon rose.
In the blink of an eye, night had fallen.
Seimei slept for nearly eleven hours before waking up.
The first thing he did upon waking was to hunt for something to eat.
The previous night, he'd barely eaten anything, and after traveling across three countries, he hadn't even had a sip of water.
When he returned to the Hidden Leaf Village in the morning, there was no time for breakfast. He focused on nurturing his Byakugan and then crashed into bed.
That sleep lasted until evening.
In short, Seimei hadn't eaten in nearly a day and a night.
It'd be strange if he wasn't starving!
So, the Hidden Leaf's food street welcomed a big eater once again.
This time, Seimei deliberately took his time. Midway through his feast, he found a spot to rest, letting his stomach digest before diving back in for more.
It wasn't until late at night, when the shops closed, that he finally returned home.
This indulgence not only filled his stomach but also satisfied the intense craving that had built up from scarfing down soldier pills for days.
At home.
In the courtyard.
Seimei lounged on a chair, patting his full belly.
With a thought, he tapped into the faint connection to sense the number of spies whose marks he'd updated or newly placed the previous night.
The numbers matched perfectly, confirming that his actions hadn't been exposed.
Especially in the Hidden Cloud Village, where all the spies' positions were shifting, indicating none of them had been restricted.
The chance of exposure was minimal.
Of course, his check was just for peace of mind. The real monitoring was handled by the Shadow Clones he'd left in the three villages.
Like him, those clones could sense the "Heart-Sealing Soul-Locking Contract Teleportation Marks" on the spies.
In fact, because they were closer, their sensing was even sharper.
They were the primary nodes for monitoring, while Seimei merely compiled the information.
Since none of the clones had sent him any warnings, it was clear everything was under control.
Pulling back his thoughts, Seimei stopped checking on the spies and glanced at the Shadow Clone nearby, who was engrossed in a book. With a thought, he dispelled the "Shadow Clone Technique."
In an instant, the clone he'd left to watch the house vanished with a pop, and the book it was holding fell to the ground.
Seimei pointed his right index finger, shooting out a thin chakra thread that precisely latched onto the book.
With a flick of his finger, he pulled the book back into his hand.
Turning, he set the book aside, closed his eyes, and began sifting through the memories of the Shadow Clone.
It took some time, but he reviewed all ten days of the clone's memories, getting a sense of the major and minor events in the village over that period.
Overall, nothing particularly noteworthy had happened.
If he had to pick something, it was probably that "Jiraiya left the village, saying he was going to gather inspiration."
That caught Seimei's attention.
He figured Jiraiya still hadn't given up on Orochimaru and was likely using the excuse of "gathering inspiration" to search for his old teammate's whereabouts.
Seimei could only think that the Sannin had some serious clout. They could leave the village for extended periods with flimsy excuses like that.
If an ordinary ninja tried to pull that off with such a ridiculous reason, they'd be laughed out of the village.
Even Seimei, now free from surveillance, had to take on missions periodically, despite having more than enough money and no real need to do so.
The village wouldn't outright force him, but the subtle pressures from all sides left him little choice but to accept.
Of course, Seimei only took the missions because dealing with the hassle was more trouble than it was worth, and the tasks posed no real danger to him.
Otherwise, no amount of external pressure would make him budge.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Seimei looked up at the sky, gazing at the boundless stars. His mind gradually slipped into a state of empty tranquility.
Time ticked by, second by second.
After an unknown stretch, Seimei snapped out of his reverie.
He felt noticeably lighter.
Giving the starry sky one last glance, he muttered, "As expected, compared to the narrow scope of the ninja world, the vastness of the stars is far more captivating."
With that, he stood, left the courtyard, and headed straight to his training room.
Then came the familiar process of nurturing his Byakugan.
Two and a half hours later.
Seimei finished and opened his eyes.
With a thought, he opened his proficiency panel.
Seeing the twelve new proficiency points added to the Byakugan under the bloodline section, he nodded calmly.
He closed the panel, left the training room, washed his face, and headed to his bedroom to rest.
The night passed quietly.
---
The next day.
Morning.
Fully rested, Seimei opened his eyes.
He organized his gear, washed up, and stepped out of the house.
He made a beeline for the "food street," where he enjoyed a hearty breakfast before heading to the training grounds on the village's outskirts.
At the training grounds, he carefully sensed his surroundings to confirm no one was around. Then, he used the "Shadow Clone Technique" to create a clone.
He instructed the clone to act as if he were training there, while he himself left for the village's outer perimeter.
Along the way, he carefully avoided all patrolling Leaf ninjas.
When he reached the sensory barrier, he activated his Mangekyo Sharingan.
Using the power of "Heavenly Veil," Seimei passed through the Hidden Leaf's sensory barrier without a sound, slipping out of the village.
He walked a bit farther, ensuring no one was nearby, then locked onto an island in the southern seas of the Land of Fire. With a thought, he activated the "Flying Thunder God Technique."
His vision shifted abruptly.
One moment, he was in a lush forest.
The next, he stood on an isolated island in the middle of the sea.
A cold, salty sea breeze brushed against Seimei's face, making him shiver.
Wasting no time, he raised his hands, formed seals, and used "Wind Release: Wings of Wind" to take to the sky. As usual, he activated his Byakugan for a thorough scan of the surroundings.
Though he'd never found anything unusual during these checks, that didn't mean they were unnecessary.
On the contrary, not a single scan could be skipped.
Danger often struck unexpectedly, and a moment of laziness could let an enemy slip through.
This island was his training ground, and many things here couldn't be seen by outsiders.
If someone got close, it'd be a big problem.
So, he couldn't afford to be careless.
(End of Chapter)