In autumn and winter, night always falls a bit earlier. Even though it was not yet seven o'clock, darkness had already descended.
It had been over two hours since the battle began.
The clash between the ninjas of both sides was now at a fever pitch. The losses were severe, for both Konoha and Kirigakure.
Even so, without orders from their commanders, the ninjas on either side couldn't retreat and had to continue fighting.
Fortunately, as the battle progressed, the battlefield had expanded well beyond the narrow strip between the Blackstone Stronghold and the sea.
From quite early on, the two sides' ninjas had spread out across several kilometers of terrain.
This brought some relief to many of them.
Why? The answer is simple: with their forces dispersed, they didn't immediately have to face another enemy after taking one down.
In this relatively spacious battlefield, they could set up traps and ambushes to conserve some of their strength.
However, none of this concerned Seimei and the two other elite Kirigakure ninjas because he didn't give them any room to relax.
Indeed, Seimei understood their intentions and even welcomed their cooperation to help him hone his skills.
But that didn't mean he would take it easy.
Instead, he maintained a high-intensity fight.
Only by doing so could he gain the most proficiency.
Improving his proficiency wasn't something that could be achieved half-heartedly; it required real, skill-based practice. Otherwise, progress would be slow.
With that in mind, he'd hardly allowed the two of them any rest over the past two hours.
Luckily for them, since there were two of them, they could take turns occasionally, giving each other a moment to catch their breath. Without this, they wouldn't have lasted.
Of course, they couldn't swap out too often, as neither could face Seimei alone.
Most of the time, they fought together to counter Seimei's attacks.
As a result, they were now both utterly exhausted.
In stark contrast was Seimei.
Although he was younger and still not fully grown, his endurance was remarkable. After over two hours of two-against-one combat, he showed no sign of fatigue.
This baffled Murakami Yu and the other Kirigakure jonin.
They knew that the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan could enhance mental power, but it didn't strengthen physical abilities, right?
To this, Seimei could only say that his 19-point 'Constitution' was not for show.
After over two years of observation, he found that adult ninjas in the shinobi world—excluding those with special bloodlines—generally had a constitution value around ten on the stat panel, whether they were genin, chunin, or jonin.
Seimei's nineteen points might look only slightly more than double theirs, but the gap was significant.
The increase in physical attributes isn't linear; it's exponential. With every point added, the enhancement grows.
Roughly estimated, his overall physical fitness was five to seven times that of an average adult ninja.
In this case, his 'stamina' was far beyond that of a typical ninja, even though they had chakra reserves.
Moreover, his chakra reserves were even larger than most ordinary ninjas.
All these advantages stacked together created the current situation.
Looking at the two heavy-breathing Kirigakure jonin in front of him, Seimei showed no mercy.
Without pausing, he took a step forward. His body flashed with a green glow as he used the "Instant Sword Technique" again, closing in on his target and launching his attack.
Clang, clang~
A series of intense clashing metal sounds filled the air once more.
Feeling the increasing smoothness of his "Instant Sword Technique," Seimei focused, fully immersed in the thrill of honing his skills.
But while he was enjoying himself, Murakami Yu and the other Kirigakure jonin were under intense pressure.
Leaving aside the decline in their strength due to severe exhaustion, the "Instant Sword Technique" that Seimei was focusing on practicing put an enormous strain on them.
At first, they could keep up with his speed, occasionally switching to rest.
But now, unless they concentrated fully, covering each other's weaknesses, it was easy for them to be caught off-guard.
This added to their growing pressure.
And beyond just physical fatigue, they were mentally exhausted as well.
Every time they clashed, it seemed as though Seimei grew a bit stronger.
Watching their enemy gradually improve and crush them wasn't something most people could withstand.
As their fight continued, their defense began to slip. Gradually, the two of them could no longer keep up.
Screech~
The sound of a blade cutting through flesh echoed.
With an "Instant Sword Technique," Seimei appeared at Murakami Yu's side and slashed at him with an unremarkable strike.
Murakami Yu didn't have time to block or dodge, and the other Kirigakure jonin didn't react quickly enough, leading Seimei's sword to slash Murakami Yu's right forearm.
Had he not pulled back slightly at the last moment, Seimei's strike would have broken his bones.
Nonetheless, the wound on his arm was severe.
Although Seimei hadn't infused his blade with Wind Chakra, the natural sharpness of his Kusanagi Sword was enough to tear through flesh.
Drip, drip~
Drops of blood fell.
For a moment, Seimei and the two Kirigakure jonin were stunned.
It wasn't that Seimei was surprised to have injured them. Although the two had been coordinating well over the past two hours, he had managed to leave a few marks on them.
What surprised him was how easily he had inflicted this injury.
It seemed to mark the point where they could no longer challenge him effectively.
Pulling himself together, Seimei pressed forward, stepping in close and swinging his sword again.
This time, Murakami Yu reacted quickly, immediately leaping back to widen the distance and evade the strike.
Meanwhile, the other Kirigakure jonin rushed forward to attack Seimei, trying to divert his attention.
But Seimei ignored him and, before he could get close, used the "Instant Sword Technique" again, closing the gap with Murakami Yu at a speed almost impossible to track.
Seeing him approach, Murakami Yu halted, preparing to strike with a kunai.
Just then, Seimei stopped in his tracks, his body glowing intensely before he activated the "Instant Sword Technique" for a second time.
With a sudden blur, Seimei 'disappeared' and reappeared at Murakami Yu's right side.
In the next moment, his sword swung down.
It was like a scene replayed from before!
(End of Chapter)