The conference room quickly became a flurry of noise, with everyone arguing even more intensely than before. However, the majority still favored taking the initiative.
This was expected—ninjas with any real skill preferred holding the upper hand, as it allowed them to perform at their best. As a result, the final decision of the meeting was to launch an attack.
But not everyone would be deployed.
According to the plan, two-thirds of the base's forces would mobilize and leave through the south gate, aiming to confront the Mist Ninjas advancing on land. The remaining third would be split into two groups.
One group, consisting mostly of injured or less skilled fighters, would stay behind to defend the base in case of a surprise attack by the Mist Ninjas. The second group, composed of specialized fighters, would set out by sea to harass the Mist fleet and delay their progress. These individuals were experts in water-style jutsu or possessed water-based summon creatures, making them ideal for sea combat.
Originally, Seimei was assigned to harass the Mist fleet. However, Sanosuke Nobuhisa insisted that Seimei, with his far superior abilities, would be better utilized in the land operation. After considering it, Seimei agreed. If they could eliminate this group of enemies as planned, the Mist Ninjas would be unable to organize any serious offensive for some time, allowing him to focus on his training in peace.
"Everything is for a more stable training environment," Seimei reminded himself.
Without hesitation, he left the meeting room, used his wind-style jutsu *Wind Wings*, and took to the skies, heading toward Hyuga Maple's position. Since he could fly, Seimei was instructed to leave early, meet up with Hyuga Maple's scouting team, and monitor the Mist Ninjas' movements to provide intelligence for the main force.
---
A few minutes later, Seimei flew over a forest, scanning the area below, but saw nothing.
"Where are they?" he muttered. "By the time it's taken me to get here, they should be nearby. So where are they?"
Just as he was deep in thought, a swarm of insects suddenly flew up from the forest below and headed straight for him. These bugs were so small that, if not for Seimei's constant vigilance and the assistance of his Sharingan, he might not have noticed them in time.
Instead of acting rashly, Seimei waited for the bugs to approach. Once they were close enough for him to identify them, he relaxed a little. These weren't just any insects; they were the parasitic insects unique to the Aburame Clan.
One of Hyuga Maple's scouting team members belonged to the Aburame Clan, which meant they had already spotted him.
As expected, the insects circled him a few times to confirm his identity, then formed an arrow shape, pointing in a specific direction. Seimei immediately understood and followed the direction they indicated.
A few hundred meters later, the arrow of insects descended toward a densely wooded area, where it was clear the scouting team was hiding. Seimei activated his Sharingan, scanned the area to ensure it was safe, and then landed.
As soon as his feet touched the ground, four figures appeared before him. It was none other than Hyuga Maple's scouting team.
In addition to Hyuga Maple and an Aburame Clan member wearing dark sunglasses and wrapped tightly in clothing, there were two others. Seimei already had some basic information about them from Sanosuke Nobuhisa.
One was a civilian ninja of average strength who had contracted a bird-like summon for transmitting intelligence to the base. The other was a member of the Yamanaka Clan, skilled in sensory techniques and possessing a mind-reading jutsu for extracting information from enemies' minds.
While these four might not excel in direct combat, they were highly effective at gathering intelligence.
As Seimei observed the group, they were also observing him. Previously, he had either been busy with scouting missions or training at sea, so they had never had the chance to interact up close. In fact, this was their first close encounter.
The civilian ninja couldn't gauge Seimei's strength, but the other three, who had some abilities, were well aware of his terrifying power. They had heard stories about how formidable Seimei was and had seen him in action a few times, but they hadn't fully grasped it until now.
Under Hyuga Maple's Byakugan, Seimei's chakra was as brilliant as the sun, almost painful to look at. In all of Konoha, Hyuga had rarely seen anyone with more chakra than Seimei. The Aburame Clan member, meanwhile, felt as if his insects had encountered a natural predator and were trembling in fear. The Yamanaka Clan ninja simply felt immense pressure from Seimei's overwhelming strength.
The silence between them lasted for a moment before Seimei finally broke it. "I assume you all know who I am?"
The four exchanged glances before nodding. "Yes, Jonin Seimei. Captain Sanosuke has ordered us to fully cooperate with your actions."
Seimei wasn't surprised that they knew he was coming. The civilian ninja had a hawk summoning beast that could fly much faster than Seimei, so it was normal that they had been informed of his arrival in advance.
Without further delay, Seimei asked, "Where are the Mist Ninjas from Flying Fish Town now, and which route are they taking?"
Hyuga Maple immediately pulled out a map and pointed to a spot. "This is where we are," he explained, then pointed to another location. "And this is where the Mist Ninjas are."
He traced a curved line between the two points. "This is the path they're going to take."
Seimei nodded in satisfaction, memorizing the surrounding terrain from the map. "Good. Continue with your mission. I'm heading out."
With that, he formed hand seals and used *Wind Wings* again, shooting into the sky. In just a few moments, he vanished from the group's sight.
The four of them exchanged glances, then swiftly used a *Body Flicker Technique* and disappeared from the scene.
(End of Chapter)