In a dense forest at the Western Front.
Two groups of ninja were locked in a chase—one pursuing, the other fleeing—with the distance between them rapidly closing.
"Darn it, we're about to be caught!"
"Tsume Inuzuka-senpai, you should escape with the intel first!"
Tsume Inuzuka growled coldly, "Shut up! We haven't reached the point of abandoning anyone yet!"
Though she spoke those words, her inner worries refused to dissipate.
How on earth could this group—a Tokubetsu Jonin, one Chunin, two Genin, and even a so-called squad of Bird Country "Jonin"—possibly outrun Iwagakure's hunters!
However, after touching the Tool Pouch at her waist, she regained some confidence.
"With Medical Scrolls combined with Kurogane Pills, we still have a chance for a fight. At the very least...we'll create an opening to deliver the intel!"
Just as she steeled her resolve, one of the Genin suddenly shouted in panic, "No good! Enemies ahead too!"
Startled, Tsume looked forward and saw a dark figure charging toward them at incredible speed.
"This kind of speed..." She was horrified inwardly. Even just the sheer speed alone exceeded her capacity to handle.
Before she could react further, she heard a delighted voice from beside her, "It's Seiki-senpai!"
The one trudging along miserably was indeed Seiki.
Although both Shizune and Tsunade carried his specially made kunai, his Flying Thunder God Technique wasn't capable of teleportation across the entire Land of Fire.
To be precise, it wasn't that the Flying Thunder God couldn't do it—it was because his Sensor abilities weren't sufficient.
"That's...an Inuzuka clan ninja?" Seiki recognized the dog before identifying the person, then accelerated forward to meet them.
One of the Bird Country ninja, originally hopeful at what seemed like arriving reinforcements, quickly grew disappointed. "Only one person?"
Tsume glanced at him. "Jonin Pelikan, no need to worry. Jonin Seiki's strength is very formidable!"
Although she'd never met him before, she'd heard tales of his legendary exploits on the Eastern Front.
This was the man who defeated the Seven Swords of the Bloody Mist—handling a mere pursuit team would be no challenge at all!
Jonin Pelikan shook his head despondently. "What difference can one Jonin make if even three of us couldn't defeat the enemy?"
Tsume twitched slightly at his comment. Don't you realize how watered-down your Jonin ranks have become?
In the flash of a lightning bolt, Seiki had already arrived before them.
"Jonin Seiki, you..."
Seiki glanced at the enemies behind them and decisively declared, "I'll deal with these foes first. Discuss everything else later."
As Seiki "whooshed" past them into action, the three Bird Country Jonin sighed simultaneously.
"Youngsters are always so reckless!"
"He's a lost cause already. Let him waste his last breath buying us some extra time."
Hearing them speak so alarmingly, a Genin unfamiliar with battlefield conditions exclaimed anxiously, "Then I'll go help too!"
Tsume quickly stopped him. "That might sound harsh, but the truth is—we would only be getting in his way!"
Pelikan raised an eyebrow. "Get in the way?"
Tsume Inuzuka rolled her eyes at him. "Seiki alone turned the tide of war on a different front! He even killed five members of the Seven Swords of the Bloody Mist!"
Pelikan still looked confused. "But that's only five Jonin?"
Taking a deep breath, Tsume replied, "According to Konoha's assessment, Seiki possesses combat strength capable of taking on a hundred opponents at once!"
This time, the three Jonin from Bird Country were truly shocked.
"Capable of taking on a hundred opponents at once?"
"How amazing! Is this Mr. Seiki really such a terrifying expert?"
Tsume couldn't help but smirk in exasperation. The Seven Swords who together could have conquered a small country seemed, in their eyes, less impressive than a standard unit of a hundred elite soldiers.
Careful or those dead Seven Swords might rise from Pure Land (Buddhist paradise) and chop you all up!
Just as these thoughts crossed her mind, they heard Seiki's voice approaching, "It wasn't that exaggerated. I was simply at the right place at the right time."
Pelikan asked dumbfoundedly, "How come you returned so quickly?"
Smiling, Seiki replied, "Obviously because I've wiped out all enemies."
The three Jonin exchanged looks, then suddenly turned around.
Before them, the forest lay littered with corpses.
...
Main Camp on the Western Front.
"The hospital is in that direction? I got it, thank you!"
"No, we should be the ones thanking you. Thanks to you, we safely made it back."
After a quick chat, Seiki headed toward the hospital.
"Ahhh! Seiki-senpai truly is incredibly cool and gentle!"
"Wiping out enemies between conversations. This Seiki Jonin's strength is indeed terrifying!"
As Team Konoha chattered excitedly, the trio from Bird Country finally recovered from their shock.
"So this is the power of a Jonin?"
"If so, does it mean we can also reach such a level?"
"Absolutely! Like, who *isn't* a Jonin these days anyway?"
Tsume felt her eyebrows twitching violently—Hey hey, your mindset sounds dangerously reckless!
Temporary Hospital.
"Huff! Finally succeeded!" Shizune wiped sweat from her forehead joyfully.
"Correct. With Nonou, you're now the second person within this camp capable of independently completing detoxification surgery!" Tsunade nodded approvingly.
Looking somewhat bashful, Shizune said, "If it were Seiki doing this, he certainly would've completed it much earlier!"
Tsunade chuckled, "Comparing yourself with that monster would only bring you misery!"
At that moment, a familiar voice suddenly came from outside the hospital, "Truly heartbreaking! As soon as I arrive, I hear my teacher badmouthing me already!"
Both women turned around joyously, just in time to see Seiki entering through the curtain flap.
"Seiki!" Shizune lunged forward like a missile, clinging tightly to Seiki.
Seeing this, Tsunade sighed dramatically, "I'm the one who should feel heartbroken—you stole my apprentice the second you walked in!"
Hearing Tsunade's teasing, Shizune immediately jumped down, blushing fiercely while lowering her head, standing awkwardly to one side.
After some joking around, Tsunade asked seriously, "Why did you come here first instead of rushing to Sunagakure?"
Seiki's tone turned serious, "With comrades from Konoha still suffering, how could I abandon them? Even in cases of urgent treatment, our Konoha ninjas must come first!"
Seiki knew deep down that his loyalty would always belong to Konoha. If he left his poisoned teammates behind just to treat Sunagakure ninjas first—even for the sake of the mission—it would definitely damage his reputation, especially with a scheming old bastard already watching him like a hawk.
As for whether someone might accuse him of neglecting his duties, Seiki wasn't too concerned. The main reason the White Fang had fallen prey to rumors in the first place was due to his failed mission.
When you win, everything you do is right. When you lose, every move you make is wrong.
So as long as Seiki avoided betrayal from his allies, he'd be just fine.
And that was exactly where he felt most secure—he had Sunagakure's dirt under his thumb.
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