Sensing the intense killing intent radiating from Seimei and watching the long blade slicing straight towards him, Murakami Yu felt a ripple of unease within.
In the next moment, he pressed his toe to the ground, halting his forward momentum abruptly.
Pivoting on his right foot, he spun ninety degrees, stepping back just in time to evade the oncoming blade.
*Swish!*
Seimei's blade sliced through empty air.
His gaze sharpened as he adjusted his stance, rotating his wrist to shift his blade from a downward chop to a sweeping slash aimed directly at Murakami Yu's waist.
Reacting quickly, Murakami Yu leaped upward, evading the attack with precise timing.
Seeing this, Seimei prepared to launch another attack.
However, at that moment, another Mist Ninja Jonin suddenly intervened, slashing his kunai toward Seimei's neck.
Sensing the threat, Seimei had no choice but to abandon his pursuit of Murakami Yu, redirecting his long blade to parry the incoming kunai.
*Clang!*
The clash of kunai and blade rang out in a crisp metallic note.
Then came a grating, high-pitched screech as the two exerted force, each trying to push the other back to gain the upper hand.
Unfortunately, neither succeeded.
The kunai scraped against the blade, producing a "zzz" sound, and bright sparks flew, flashing vividly in the clash.
While they were locked in a stalemate, Murakami Yu finally adjusted his stance, seizing an opportunity to thrust his kunai toward Seimei's chest.
Overwhelmed by a sense of danger, Seimei withdrew instantly, dodging Murakami Yu's strike, but in doing so, he also sacrificed some of his initiative.
The Mist Ninja Jonin, sensing this chance, didn't hesitate for a moment and launched a fierce attack.
Seimei was forced to parry once more.
*Clang clang clang!*
For a time, the two clashed intensely, the sound of metal ringing continuously.
Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't be a problem. With his current level of swordsmanship, even when caught off guard, he could regain the upper hand after several exchanges.
The issue, however, lay with Murakami Yu, who provided constant support. Any sign of weakness or mistake from the Mist Ninja Jonin was quickly patched up by his interventions.
Both of them were fully trained and highly skilled Jonin, leagues above special Jonin with only one area of expertise.
Though Seimei had only exchanged a few blows with them, he could tell they were not quite at the elite Jonin level but certainly surpassed typical Jonin.
As a result, without resorting to his Mangekyo Sharingan, defeating them outright would be challenging.
That said, Seimei wasn't too worried.
Amidst the battle, he scanned the surrounding battlefield.
Though Konoha was on the defensive, they were also mounting periodic counterattacks, showing they weren't under overwhelming pressure.
Clearly, the situation for Konoha wasn't dire.
So, there was no need for him to rush.
These two opponents were perfect for refining his swordsmanship, furthering his proficiency in "Instant Sword Technique."
With that thought, Seimei refocused, giving his full attention to handling the two opponents.
Meanwhile, the Mist side seemed to share a certain tacit understanding, seeing that the intense clash between the three was drawing attention. No additional reinforcements were sent their way.
Perhaps they simply didn't have the manpower to spare, and they left the three to fight it out.
Whatever the reason, it allowed the three of them to fight freely.
The two Mist Jonin began using all their techniques—taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu in turn—to try and eliminate Seimei.
Yet, faced with this array of attacks, Seimei responded calmly.
He only used his sword skills to fight, primarily focusing on his "Instant Sword Technique," openly using his opponents as sharpening stones.
Even so, the two Mist Jonin couldn't land a blow on him.
Earlier, Seimei had noted that if he attempted an aggressive offense without using his Mangekyo Sharingan, he might struggle to take them down quickly.
But on defense, the situation was different. If they thought they could gain the upper hand against him, they were sorely mistaken.
That's why Seimei remained composed.
---
Time ticked away.
In a flash, almost half an hour had passed.
Seimei and the two Mist Jonin continued their battle.
For Jonin-level fighters, half an hour was manageable, but for most Chunin and lower, it was exhausting.
Both chakra and stamina were depleting.
With fatigue, mistakes would inevitably creep in.
And mistakes lead to openings.
Among ninjas, battle strategies often hinge on concealing one's weaknesses while exploiting those of one's enemy.
From here on, it was clear that the rate of casualties would increase, edging closer to the climactic stage.
Seimei only cast a quick glance over this, losing no more thought on it.
As long as Konoha didn't collapse, everything else was manageable.
Life and death? That was left to one's own destiny.
All he cared about was improving his "Instant Sword Technique."
In the past half hour, with two Jonin as sparring partners, his proficiency in the "Instant Sword Technique" had increased by nearly five hundred points.
This progress brought him closer to the perfect level of mastery, level 7.
He couldn't let this opportunity slip by.
Seimei's brazen attitude of using them for practice naturally caught Murakami Yu's and the other Mist Jonin's attention.
After a long clash, they could guess his intent, realizing he was likely using them to hone his skills.
However, aside from complying, they had no alternative.
Over the past half hour, they had tried time and again to kill Seimei, yet despite their efforts, he remained unscathed.
What else could they do?
Call for reinforcements?
No luck there—Yuki Oosawa had clearly told them that no extra hands were available.
As for retreating, that wasn't an option either.
Ignoring direct orders was out of the question, and even without orders, they couldn't leave. As long as they were here, Seimei would treat them as training dummies, but if they left, who knew if he might turn on other Mist Ninjas?
Even if he didn't, facing him at full force would be a nightmare.
So, they decided to stay as they were.
In Konoha and Iwagakure, perhaps, ninjas were ready to give their lives for their village, or in a place like Kumogakure, where warriors craved battle.
But in Kirigakure, the Village of the Bloody Mist, very few held such lofty ideals.
Even in Konoha and the other villages, only young ninjas fresh out of the academy typically held such ideals.
After seeing the darker side of their villages, most grew past these notions unless they were idealists.
Thus, Murakami Yu and the other Mist Jonin, realizing they couldn't kill Seimei and couldn't disobey orders, willingly accepted their roles as his sparring partners.
This was their best option for survival.
As for the broader battlefield… they figured stalling Seimei was accomplishment enough. What more could be expected?
Besides, wasn't this what Yuki Oosawa had instructed?
So, neither felt guilty about holding back.
Seimei noticed their shift in attitude but didn't dwell on it. All he needed was a sparring partner.
If they cooperated, fine. If not, there were others on the field.
And so, the three continued fighting with a strange mutual understanding.
Throughout, Seimei's "Instant Sword Technique" proficiency steadily increased, inching closer to the perfect level of mastery.
*(End of Chapter)*