Chapter 119: Tempering

Seeing Hagai killed by Seimei, the other two Sand Ninjas in the arena immediately panicked and turned to flee. But at that moment, several shurikens shot out from Seimei's hand, cutting off their escape route. Left with no choice, they had to continue fighting Yoichi Kamijo and the others who had caught up to them. But with Seimei standing nearby, how could they feel at ease? Although he didn't seem to have any intention of intervening for now, his mere presence was an immense deterrent. Under such pressure, even if they were highly skilled, they couldn't muster more than sixty or seventy percent of their strength. As a result, within a short time, they sustained significant injuries. In a life-or-death situation, they could no longer afford to care about Seimei standing to the side. They began to unleash their full arsenal of techniques against Yoichi Kamijo and his team. As the saying goes, even a cornered rabbit will bite, let alone two Sand Ninjas of considerable strength. Thus, after the two Sand Chunin fought desperately, Yoichi Kamijo and his team quickly found themselves in trouble. This was especially true for Shiki Fuji. Although he had experienced a life-and-death battle once before, that time the enemy had primarily targeted his Chunin instructor. Facing such ferocious opponents head-on was a first for him. Earlier, it hadn't been too bad—his teammates had supported him, allowing him to play an assisting role from the sidelines without much danger. But now, with the enemy fighting for their lives, the sheer killing intent alone was enough to make his heart tremble, not to mention that they seemed to be deliberately targeting him, apparently hoping to break through at his position. This increased the pressure on him even more, and several times he narrowly escaped death under the enemy's sudden assaults. For a fleeting moment, he even considered turning tail and running. However, when his peripheral vision caught sight of Seimei standing calmly not far away, that thought vanished instantly. Fleeing as a deserter at a time like this? Even if Seimei killed him on the spot, the village wouldn't say a word. Moreover, with Seimei overseeing the situation, could the enemy really turn the tables? As long as he held on for a little longer, he trusted that the captain wouldn't let him die. After all, the captain had just saved him not long ago. With this realization, Shiki Fuji's confidence surged. His footsteps, which had been frantic moments ago, steadied. At the same time, he began to recall everything he had learned at the Ninja Academy, as well as the brief lessons from his Chunin instructor, applying them as best he could to the current fight. As time passed, his combat style grew more structured. Though it still lacked polish, with the support of his two teammates, he managed to stabilize the situation. Seeing this, Seimei nodded to himself. The reason he hadn't intervened was precisely because he didn't want his teammates to rely on him too much. While he didn't expect them to shoulder his burdens, he also didn't want them dragging him down in battle. Especially Shiki Fuji—his lack of combat experience meant he needed thorough tempering. There was no denying it: the battlefield was the best teacher. Without anyone needing to instruct him, the immense pressure naturally taught him how to fight. Once he supplemented that with refined techniques, he'd become a competent Genin. The higher-ups in Konoha were likely banking on this very outcome. As for the Genin who died in the process? That wasn't within their scope of concern. Seimei shook his head, dismissing the thought, and focused intently on watching the battle unfold. Shiki Fuji wasn't wrong in his assumptions. While Seimei intended to temper his subordinates, he had no desire to let them die in the process. Time ticked by, second by second, and the fight in the arena reached a fever pitch. Whether it was Yoichi Kamijo's trio or the two Sand Ninjas, they were all balancing on a knife's edge. No one dared take a single step back, for behind them lay an abyss. "Almost time," Seimei muttered. Then, with a flicker of the 'Body Flicker Technique,' he appeared directly in front of Shiki Fuji. With a swing of his sword, he perfectly intercepted an attack from one of the Sand Ninjas. "Hm?" The Sand Ninja froze, startled by Seimei's sudden appearance. But when he caught sight of Seimei's blood-red Sharingan, he snapped back to his senses and immediately tried to avert his gaze. It was too late. The Sharingan in Seimei's eyes spun rapidly, unleashing its full hypnotic power. The Sand Chunin felt his mind grow heavy as an overwhelming wave of drowsiness washed over him, forcing his eyes to close. The next moment, a blade sliced across his throat, plunging him into eternal slumber. Witnessing this, the remaining Sand Ninja's heart filled with dread. Ignoring Yoichi Kamijo in front of him, he turned to flee. But if he was going to escape, why did he have to glance at Seimei? That single glance gave Seimei his opening. With a flash of 'Genjutsu: Sharingan,' he dragged the ninja into an illusion. Seizing the moment, Yoichi Kamijo thrust his kunai forward, piercing the enemy's heart. Only then did Seimei release the genjutsu. Though his 'Genjutsu: Sharingan' hadn't reached the perfected Level 5 (0/0) like his 'Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique,' it was on the cusp of breaking into Level 5. It was precisely because of this that he could seize that fleeting opportunity, instantly casting the technique and pulling the enemy into an illusion. Of course, whether it was the earlier 'Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique' or the current 'Genjutsu: Sharingan,' their impressive effects were ultimately due to his Sharingan nearing its evolution to three tomoe. Without sufficient ocular power, no amount of mastery over these genjutsu would matter. Seimei glanced at his status panel—Sharingan: Two Tomoe (4915/5000)! Clearly, after tonight, his Sharingan would evolve into three tomoe. Calculating the timeline, it had been roughly eighteen days—almost exactly as he had estimated. Once his Sharingan evolved, his 'Constitution' and 'Spirit' attributes would undoubtedly rise further, and his potential would increase accordingly. This, in turn, would raise his chakra capacity beyond its current limit. Even now, he hadn't fully tapped into the potential gained from his last breakthrough with the 'Reflection Technique' reaching Level 6, which had increased his 'Spirit' attribute by one point. And now, another boost was imminent. Seimei felt that, for the foreseeable future, he wouldn't need to worry about running out of potential. "Captain!" "Hm?" Yoichi Kamijo's voice pulled Seimei back from his thoughts. "Captain, we've checked. All four Sand Ninjas are confirmed dead," Yoichi Kamijo reported. This was a necessary post-battle procedure to ensure the enemies weren't faking their deaths. Seimei nodded in acknowledgment. He was about to order them to clean up the battlefield, but upon noticing their injuries, he changed his tune. "Come over here first." At his call, Shiki Fuji and Harui Seiichi limped over from a distance. Seimei didn't waste words. He instructed them to expose their wounds and began casting 'Healing Technique' to treat them. After so many days, his 'Healing Technique' had finally reached Level 3, greatly improving its effectiveness on external injuries. Since most of the wounds Yoichi Kamijo and the others had sustained were external, Seimei healed them quickly. Of course, his efforts weren't in vain—during the process, his 'Healing Technique' gained nearly twenty points of proficiency. Evidently, hands-on practice was far more efficient than grinding alone, though it also consumed more chakra. Still, to return to the base quickly and begin his final push, Seimei was willing to expend that chakra. (Chapter End)