Chapter 278: Undercurrents

Words : 1207 Updated : Oct 14th, 2025

"Search!" After pondering for a moment, Seimei directly ordered his four teams of ninjas to search the surrounding forest. It wasn't that he didn't trust Hyuga Byakugan, but he wouldn't be satisfied without a thorough search. However, after a full fifteen minutes, they still found nothing. During this time, the other three squads also arrived. Hearing Seimei's description, they joined the search as well. Unfortunately, they also found no problems. Helplessly, everyone could only continue forward. However, everyone was now on high alert. A while after they left, several figures appeared on the scene. They were cloaked in black robes and wore masks, clearly dressed as Konoha Anbu. However, when the leader lifted his mask, it revealed the face of Aburame Ryōma. Obviously, they weren't Anbu ninjas but Root ninjas under Danzo's command. Aburame Ryōma came under a tree, flipped his palm, and wisps of chakra spread out. A moment later, a few bugs smaller than sesame seeds emerged from the soil and crawled into his hand, starting to devour the chakra. Clearly, these weren't ordinary bugs. They were the unique kikaichū of the Aburame clan, and they were specially cultivated and mutated kikaichū. Compared to ordinary kikaichū, their presence was even fainter. That's why they could avoid detection by Seimei and the others. That's right, the prying eyes that Seimei sensed originated from these bugs. Of course, it wasn't these bugs watching him, but Aburame Ryōma using a secret technique to observe him through these bugs as a medium. Unfortunately, these bugs were too small, with almost no chakra in their bodies, coupled with their unique aura masking, so they evaded his reverse tracking. However, his intense reaction also made Aburame Ryōma hesitant to get too close. But giving up was also impossible. Unless Danzo gave the order, Root ninjas couldn't abandon their missions. Having undergone 'Ego Obliteration' training, they were true mission tools. No matter how bad the situation, they would do their utmost to complete the mission, even at the cost of their lives. Of course, Aburame Ryōma was a bit special. As Danzo's right-hand man, he had more autonomy and could make some judgments on his own. According to Aburame Ryōma's judgment, although Seimei sensed something unusual, he didn't discover his presence. And this mission didn't require him to personally take action, so he decided to continue the mission. That's right, Aburame Ryōma wouldn't make a move in this mission, and even all Root ninjas wouldn't take the initiative to attack. This was Danzo's order! After learning about the latest battle records of Seimei and Uchiha Shisui, Danzo abandoned the option of having his ninjas directly kill them. It wasn't that Danzo pitied their lives, but personally taking action could easily alert the enemy. So, to be safe, he planned to borrow a knife to kill. As for which knife to borrow? He had already been sent to the Hidden Mist battlefield, so which knife could he borrow other than the power of the Hidden Mist Village? Putting these kikaichū back into his body, Aburame Ryōma said directly, "Jun, immediately send a message to No Face, telling him that the target has entered the Land of Fire and to prepare for action." "Yes!" Hearing this, a Root ninja in the back responded. His voice was already hoarse, and now transmitted through the mask, it sounded even more chilling. However, the other Root ninjas didn't react to his voice at all. They were like cold machines, completely unaffected by external things. After responding, this Root ninja raised his right hand and put his thumb into his mouth. The next moment, blood flowed out. Then, his hands moved swiftly, quickly forming the five seals and casting the 'Summoning Jutsu'. With the summoning jutsu formula unfolding, a large owl appeared on the scene. Then, the Root ninja took out paper and pen from his bosom, quickly wrote down the intelligence, and stuffed it into the owl's mouth, letting it fly into the sky. After completing this, Jun nodded at Aburame Ryōma. Aburame Ryōma withdrew his gaze and said, "Let's go!" After saying that, he took the lead and chased in the direction Seimei and the others had left. Seeing this, the other Root ninjas immediately followed. ... Time flew by, and it was the fourth day. Night. Seimei was sitting cross-legged on a tree branch, cultivating, when he suddenly frowned and opened his eyes. At the same time, a hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes. Just now, he once again sensed the prying gaze. Although it was faint and fleeting, he still caught it. In fact, not just today, but for the past few days, he had sensed it two or three times almost every day. Although the feeling of being watched wasn't as strong as the first time, it definitely existed. At first, he would still have people on alert and search, but as the frequency increased, he stopped paying attention to it. Seimei sometimes wondered if this was the enemy's tactic, deliberately using this method to numb him and drain his energy. If that was really the case, he would definitely make them pay for provoking him later. Also, today was already the fourth day. If the enemy planned to strike before they reached the battlefield, then tonight was the best opportunity. Because tomorrow afternoon, they would arrive at their destination, and after noon, they would basically be within Konoha's defense zone. In that case, it would be more difficult to take action. So, he wasn't planning on sleeping tonight. Anyway, with his current 'Spirit' attribute of 19 points, going without sleep for a day wasn't a big deal. While he was lost in thought, faint footsteps approached. Seimei looked towards the sound and saw Uchiha Shisui arriving under the tree. Then, Shisui used the 'Body Flicker Technique' to appear in front of him. "Something's up?" Seimei looked at him and asked directly. The two of them had barely spoken since their conversation before departure. Shisui suddenly coming to him now must mean something was happening. Sure enough, Shisui said with a serious expression, "Seimei, I also noticed the prying gaze you mentioned today." "Oh, you sensed it too?" "Yes!" Uchiha Shisui nodded and continued, "I've already asked others, and it seems only the two of us have noticed it so far. If it's not that others' perception is too weak, then..." "Then we're being targeted." Seimei finished his sentence. As for the perception of others... He didn't believe that everyone was inferior to them. He wasn't a specialized sensory ninja and hadn't practiced any sensory ninjutsu. Although his spiritual power was strong due to the Sharingan, it was still in the instinctive application stage and wasn't much stronger than sensory ninjas. That level of prying, for a sensory ninja, would definitely be detectable. There were two Tokubetsu Jonin from the Yamanaka clan in the team, but they hadn't noticed anything. Obviously, the enemy's target was the two of them. (End of this chapter)

Chapter 278: Undercurrents

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