Time flew by, and another day passed.
That evening, as usual, Seimei completed his final round of training and began practicing the Shadow Clone Technique.
Once, twice, three times...
Since the Shadow Clone Technique didn't require much contemplation compared to other jutsu, it was easy to grind proficiency.
In just under an hour and a half, he nearly completed his planned training repetitions for the day.
Then came the breakthrough.
Yes, after a one-day delay, his Shadow Clone Technique finally advanced successfully.
With the upgrade to Level 6, the jutsu's abilities saw significant improvement.
The most noticeable change was the increased number of shadow clones he could summon.
At Level 5, the limit was 20 clones.
Now, he could summon up to 30 clones.
Seeing the densely packed clones around him, Seimei nodded in satisfaction.
Though he didn't currently need so many clones, once he secured a Tailed Beast and had ample chakra, these clones would undoubtedly become a great asset to his growth.
Of course, if possible, he still hoped to master the advanced version of the technique—Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Now that would be game-changing!
Unfortunately, with his current innate conditions, it was impossible to learn it out of thin air.
Still, Seimei wasn't too worried.
For one, the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu wasn't particularly difficult to obtain in Konoha. Though a forbidden technique, it was more for the practitioner's protection than anything else.
So, getting his hands on it wouldn't be too hard.
Secondly, Seimei had a hunch—when his Shadow Clone Technique reached the Level 7 perfect stage, he might naturally master it.
And achieving Level 7 wouldn't take long.
To go from Level 6 to Level 7, he needed 10,000 proficiency points. At his current rate of dedicating 30,000 chakra daily and earning 200 points per day, he would reach the goal in about 50 days.
That's less than two months—entirely manageable.
These thoughts flashed through his mind as Seimei calmed himself and dispelled his clones.
Poof!
A puff of chakra smoke filled the air as all the clones vanished, their chakra returning to him.
Opening his status panel, Seimei calculated the chakra consumption.
He concluded that upgrading from Level 5 to Level 6 reduced the chakra cost of his Shadow Clone Technique. The total consumption had dropped from one-sixth to one-fifth of the clones' combined chakra.
A 1% reduction—Seimei was quite satisfied.
Additionally, the durability of his shadow clones had improved with the upgrade.
While they still couldn't rival his true body, they could now withstand slightly more damage, providing more utility in combat.
Having tested the basic changes from the technique's advancement, Seimei turned to what he truly cared about.
His expression grew serious as he gathered chakra, swiftly forming seals to cast a wind-style jutsu—Wind Release: Wings of Wind!
Swish!
A pair of pale-blue chakra wings materialized.
With a flap, Seimei soared effortlessly into the sky.
Next, he performed the Shadow Clone Technique mid-air.
Poof!
In an instant, a shadow clone with identical wings appeared beside him, hovering steadily.
Seeing this, Seimei couldn't hide his delight.
He had finally succeeded.
For the longest time, he had wondered if it was possible to summon clones with flight capabilities while airborne.
But he had never managed to pull it off—until now.
This meant he no longer had to land to create such clones, eliminating a significant inconvenience and a potential vulnerability.
This breakthrough greatly enhanced his flexibility in aerial combat.
Filled with excitement, Seimei directed the clone to test the full capabilities of the Wings of Wind.
Without hesitation, the clone flew off at high speed.
Seimei immediately dispelled the protective seal on his forehead and activated his Byakugan to observe its flight.
At the same time, he used the Mind Transmission Technique to stay updated on the clone's experience.
After about 15 minutes of testing, Seimei concluded that the clone could utilize 100% of the Wings of Wind's abilities, matching his own.
However, the clone had a significant drawback—it consumed three times more chakra than he did for the same actions.
In other words, while maintaining identical flight patterns, the clone's stamina was only one-third of his own.
This made it unsuitable for long-distance travel.
Fortunately, Seimei had developed this technique purely for combat purposes, so this limitation didn't bother him much.
Moreover, he believed this drawback could be mitigated.
As the Wings of Wind technique leveled up, its chakra consumption would likely decrease.
In fact, after four days of practice, his Wings of Wind was already close to upgrading.
Before making that final push, though, he needed to recover his chakra reserves.
Because the Shadow Clone Technique consumed less chakra when his reserves were low, he had been operating on minimal chakra for a while.
Now, it was time to replenish his reserves.
With this in mind, Seimei sat cross-legged, activating his Chakra Refinement Technique to rapidly restore his chakra.
Once everything was on track, he shifted his thoughts to his next project: the development of the Shadow Sword Technique, the final piece in his swordsmanship system.
He had begun researching this technique back when his Shadow Clone Technique reached Level 5, laying a clear foundation.
The plan was to first develop the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique, then build the Shadow Sword Technique on top of it.
Unfortunately, his Shadow Clone Technique had been too under-leveled back then to proceed, so he had to set it aside.
Now, with his technique at Level 6, it was time to revisit and advance this project.
Thinking of all the tasks ahead, Seimei couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed—his chakra never seemed to be enough.
Involuntarily, his gaze turned toward the direction of Yujin Port.
It seemed the Mist Ninjas there might have to suffer a bit more.