*Ding~*
*Ding Ding~*
*Boom~*
The sounds of fierce battle echoed from afar.
The Mist ninja's counterattack was even more decisive than Seimei had imagined.
In the brief two or three minutes it took him to return to the temporary camp, the area near Yujin Port had already erupted in combat.
Hovering in midair, Seimei gazed into the distance. He could see vast swathes of flames and hear the continuous explosions of detonation tags.
It was clear that the Mist ninja were attacking with great force.
This also indicated that it wouldn't be long before orders for him and his camp to provide support would arrive.
This was precisely why the camp had summoned him back so urgently.
Shaking his head, Seimei put aside his thoughts, spiraled down from the sky, and landed directly.
The sight of him reassured everyone in the camp.
As Kobayashi Junji and a few others approached him, Seimei skillfully assigned tasks to prepare for imminent support orders. Then, he waited quietly.
As expected, it didn't take long before orders from Nara Keiko arrived.
The contents of the order were no surprise: he and his subordinates were to head to the battlefield to support their comrades and halt the Mist ninja's counteroffensive.
Receiving the command, Seimei wasted no time. He led his team away from the camp and toward the battlefield.
Soon, they arrived at the scene.
The battlefield was chaotic. The Mist ninja had committed nearly all their forces, launching a concentrated assault on the nearest Konoha units.
However, Konoha was no pushover.
Over the past ten days, they had been on high alert. The moment they sensed the Mist ninja's movements, they deployed a large number of reinforcements.
As a result, even though the Mist ninja launched a massive assault, they failed to break through Konoha's defenses. The fighting was confined to a five-kilometer area west of Yujin Port.
This limited space was cramped for the numerous ninjas from both sides.
Consequently, the casualties were much higher than anticipated.
Yet neither side retreated.
The Mist ninja sought to seize an advantage before Konoha's reinforcements arrived, hoping to "bite off a piece" of Konoha's forces.
Even in peace negotiations, such gains could yield better terms.
As for Konoha, they couldn't afford to lose any more ground.
Already, they had gained little from negotiations with the Sand Village. If they lost significant territory here, even if the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to pursue peace, it would face strong opposition.
Peace would become a pipe dream.
This was a scenario no Konoha ninja wanted to see.
Thus, they held their ground, determined to deny the Mist ninja additional leverage.
Seimei's thoughts raced as he quickly pieced these together.
However, merely understanding the situation wasn't enough. His will alone couldn't alter the tide of the battle.
Moreover, he wasn't inclined to intervene in such matters.
This was their war; he had no desire to meddle.
With the time he had, he'd rather exploit the chaos to harvest more chakra.
With that in mind, Seimei swiftly coordinated with the stationed commanders and led his team into the fray.
Feeling the chakra coursing through his body, Seimei frowned slightly. It was midday, not yet time for him to practice the *Shadow Clone Technique*, so his chakra reserves were still high.
In this state, he couldn't absorb much more chakra.
Moreover, he hadn't had time to develop a sealing technique to store chakra.
Thus, even with plenty of Mist ninja on the battlefield, he couldn't take in much more.
Furrowing his brows, Seimei muttered, "Looks like I'll have to use the clumsy method."
He formed a hand seal and activated the *Shadow Clone Technique*.
*Poof~*
With a puff of chakra-infused smoke, three shadow clones appeared beside him.
Yes, Seimei planned to use shadow clones as additional "batteries."
This method had been tested and proven effective during his solo expeditions over the past few weeks.
Although shadow clones couldn't store as much chakra as his real body, they could hold 60-70%, which was enough to solve his storage problem.
Still, some disguise was needed.
Connecting with the clones via the *Mind Link Technique*, Seimei instructed, "Disguise yourselves."
The clones nodded and immediately transformed into ordinary Konoha ninja using the *Transformation Technique*.
This precaution wasn't to hide his chakra absorption ability, as many were already aware of it.
Rather, Seimei wanted to avoid drawing too much attention from the Mist ninja.
If his true form were discovered absorbing chakra recklessly, the enemy would undoubtedly target him, motivated by both fame and strategy.
While Seimei himself didn't fear this, his shadow clones weren't as durable.
Even with his *Shadow Clone Technique* upgraded to level 6, making them more resilient, they couldn't withstand targeted attacks.
He didn't want to waste chakra and time constantly recreating clones.
Satisfied with the clones' disguises, Seimei waved them off and led his team deeper into the battlefield.
The fighting soon engulfed them, leaving no time for idle thoughts.
Seimei fought Mist ninja while monitoring his clones via the *Mind Link Technique*.
The chaotic battlefield was indeed perfect for covert operations.
In a short time, his clones had absorbed chakra from two Mist ninja, gaining nearly 10,000 points of chakra.
At this rate, his body would soon reach its capacity.
Realizing this, Seimei instructed his clones to focus not only on chakra absorption but also on practicing combat techniques.
This way, they could improve their skills while expending chakra, enabling them to absorb more.
It was a win-win strategy.
The extra chakra consumed by his clones didn't bother Seimei—after all, it was essentially free.
As time passed, his clones achieved a balance between absorption and expenditure, and his skills improved steadily.
Seimei relaxed, confident in his plan.
Just then, two Mist jōnin targeted him.
Although Seimei hadn't drawn much attention lately, he hadn't gone unnoticed.
Such was the downside of fame.
Watching the two jōnin close in, Seimei was grateful for his foresight in deploying the clones earlier. Without them, he'd be at a severe disadvantage.