Time flows like water, quietly slipping away.
In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.
Since successfully carrying out the decapitation strike three days ago, which dismantled the Mist Village's command system and wiped out a significant portion of their combat forces during subsequent attacks, the Mist Village had grown as silent as they had anticipated.
For the past three days, there had been no counterattacks.
The Mist forces had even further contracted their defensive perimeter, retreating entirely to within the confines of Yujin Port.
Nonetheless, as a precaution, Nara Kiko had not allowed the jonin transferred from the central and northern fronts to return. They remained stationed nearby to guard against any potential counteroffensive from the Mist.
As a result, Seimei was still stationed on this battlefield and had yet to return to the Black Stone Base.
Meanwhile, Namikaze Minato and other ninjas who had come from different fronts had left three days ago, right after the debriefing.
As for the meeting itself, there wasn't much worth mentioning. It was merely a summary of the gains and losses from the decapitation operation and included verbal commendations for contributors like Seimei.
To Seimei, it was just in one ear and out the other.
The only noteworthy event was that after the meeting, he requested to exchange some of his accumulated merits for a new jutsu, which the village approved.
Moments ago, the jutsu had been delivered.
Seimei picked up a scroll lying on a nearby rock.
A sealing charm was affixed to the scroll—a special seal used to protect critical information.
Following the instructions he'd just received, Seimei formed a series of hand seals, infused chakra into the seal, and released it.
*Poof!*
With a brief burst of firelight, the sealing charm turned to ash, leaving the scroll intact.
Seimei quickly unrolled it, revealing the contents—a jutsu: *Water Release: Water Severing Wave*!
Yes, this was the jutsu he had exchanged with the village.
Although this jutsu was only classified as B-rank, in the hands of a skilled user with ample chakra, its power rivaled that of an A-rank technique.
For example, during the Fourth Shinobi World War, Tobirama Senju used this very technique to sever the roots of the God Tree.
Even in the *Konoha Crush* incident, when Tobirama was in poor condition, he managed to destroy Hiruzen Sarutobi's *Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall* with a single strike.
The power of this technique was undeniable.
It was precisely this level of effectiveness that made it worth Seimei's effort to exchange for it.
Scanning the scroll's contents briefly, Seimei formed the Tiger hand seal and used *Shadow Clone Jutsu*.
*Poof!*
A cloud of chakra smoke dissipated, revealing eight shadow clones.
Without needing instructions, six of the clones dispersed to begin training in their respective techniques: *Fire Release: Clayburn Jutsu*, *Water Release: Great Shark Bullet Jutsu*, *Earth Release: Hardening Jutsu*, *Rasengan*, *Guardian Seal*, and *Sealing Formation*.
Another clone picked up a book from nearby, heading off to study and experiment with Lightning Chakra manipulation.
Indeed, Seimei had started working on developing his fifth chakra nature.
Since mastering *Earth Release: Earth-Style Spear*, he had earned the right to take this step, though the decapitation mission had delayed it.
Now that the operation was over, he'd resumed his efforts.
As before, he had obtained training notes and techniques from the Uchiha Clan for reference, delegating the task to his shadow clones.
However, developing the fifth chakra nature was proving more challenging than anticipated. His body seemed to resist the process entirely.
This resistance wasn't new; he had felt it when developing his third (Water) and fourth (Earth) chakra natures, but this time it was far more pronounced.
Yet Seimei was not one to back down. Despite the resistance, he persisted, allocating 5,000 of the 35,000 chakra points he dedicated daily to *Shadow Clone Jutsu* for this purpose.
Watching the seventh clone head off, Seimei refocused on the eighth, tossing the *Water Severing Wave* scroll to it.
"Here, this one's yours."
The clone caught the scroll silently and walked off.
With all his clones occupied, Seimei himself couldn't afford to relax. Clearing his thoughts, he began practicing *Mystical Palm Technique* and *Heart Reflection Jutsu*.
These two techniques were foundational to his growth, leaving no room for complacency.
The hours passed quietly.
---
By dusk, the sun had set, and night began to fall.
Seimei completed his last round of training, processed the experiences and memories of his clones, converting them into proficiency points, and opened his skill panel.
There, a new skill appeared: *Water Release: Water Severing Wave (Lv. 1, 1/200)*.
Clearly, he had already mastered the basics of the technique he had just obtained.
This rapid progress was thanks not only to his proficiency system but also to his prior mastery of other Water Release techniques, which provided valuable reference points.
Recalling his initial impressions of the jutsu, Seimei formed hand seals, concentrated his chakra, and released a high-pressure water jet from his mouth.
*Splash!*
The water jet pierced through a nearby tree, cutting it clean in half with minimal resistance.
A human body was no stronger than the tree.
In other words, Seimei could now slice through an opponent with ease.
And this was merely *Water Severing Wave* at Level 1.
With a few more upgrades to its speed and range, its power would be unimaginable.
Satisfied, Seimei deactivated the jutsu and glanced back at his panel.
Unfortunately, his efforts to develop Lightning Chakra had yet to succeed, and the two Lightning Release techniques from the Uchiha Clan remained unlearned.
"What a shame," he muttered, shaking his head as he closed the panel.
Using the remaining chakra in his body, Seimei resumed practicing *Shadow Clone Jutsu*.
Because of the chakra he'd diverted to Lightning Chakra development, the jutsu's next upgrade, originally due today, would have to wait until tomorrow.
This slight delay left him a bit disappointed, but he diligently continued his training nonetheless.
*(End of Chapter)*