Grind is My Ninja Way

"Watch out!" 

As the massive shark descended from the sky, the Mist Village's Special Jōnin, who had just performed the Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique, urgently shouted a warning. 

Hearing this, the surrounding Mist shinobi scattered like birds and beasts, fleeing in all directions. 

However, with Seimei already close to them and the shark's enormous size, they couldn't get far before the shark landed. 

Boom~ 

A dull impact resounded. 

The shark crashed into the lake's surface, sending up a massive wave that surged toward the Mist shinobi. 

Many of them failed to evade in time and were swept away by the waves, flung even farther out. 

Seizing this opportunity, Seimei activated his Byakugan and located two Mist Chūnin he had previously heavily injured with his Lightning Style: Lightning Strike. With a flap of his wings, he sped toward them. 

Mid-flight, he formed hand seals, unleashing the Chakra Absorption Technique! 

Thus, as soon as he grabbed the two with both hands, he began draining their chakra. 

With the technique at level 6, Seimei could absorb and convert 2,000 chakra points per second. The two Mist Chūnin couldn't last more than a few seconds before their chakra was completely drained. 

When Seimei prepared to extract their spiritual and physical energy, he realized they were already lifeless. 

Apparently, they had been hanging onto life by their chakra alone. Now that it was gone, so was their life. 

Understanding this, Seimei cursed under his breath, "Unlucky," and tossed the corpses aside. 

A few seconds earlier, on the other side of the battlefield, a Mist Special Jōnin appeared beside Hōzuki Mutsuki in a blur. 

He observed Seimei's actions and reported gravely, "Captain, he's absorbing Daiichi and Tairen's chakra." 

"Yes, I see that." 

Hōzuki Mutsuki nodded expressionlessly. He had already noticed without needing the reminder. 

After a round of exchanges, his mind had finally cleared. 

He hadn't been on this battlefield until a few days ago, having just been reassigned from the homeland. Though he had heard of Seimei, he had never fought him. 

Thus, his understanding of Seimei's power was vague. 

Because of this, upon spotting Seimei earlier, he had entertained the idea of capturing him to salvage their mission. 

Now, it was clear he had underestimated Seimei. The man's power far exceeded his expectations. 

Given this, there was no need to hold back. 

"Everyone, Plan C!" 

Hōzuki Mutsuki's voice rang out, reaching every remaining Mist shinobi. 

Eleven Mist shinobi remained on the field: Mutsuki, the Special Jōnin beside him, another true Jōnin, two more Special Jōnin, and six Chūnin. 

At Mutsuki's command, they hesitated only for a moment before swiftly retrieving storage scrolls from their tool pouches. Upon opening them, the scrolls revealed a variety of weapons and explosive tags. 

Meanwhile, Seimei had just finished absorbing the chakra of the two Mist Chūnin. 

As he turned to see what the others were planning, the Mist shinobi had already launched their attack, starting with a barrage of thrown weapons. 

This time, however, the weapons were all adorned with explosive tags. 

Yes, all of them. 

Plan C was a contingency within a contingency—a last resort in the face of insurmountable danger. 

Once enacted, the team was authorized to use any resources prepared for the mission, no matter how extravagant. 

And what's most effective at destroying a stronghold? 

The answer: a massive number of explosive tags. 

Upon hearing the command, the Mist shinobi wasted no time, unleashing an onslaught of explosive-tagged weapons. 

Their strategy was sound. Against ordinary weapons, Seimei would remain unbothered, but against a deluge of explosive tags, even he had to tread carefully. 

A single explosive tag's power could rival a C-rank Fire Style jutsu in destructive capability. 

No one could withstand the combined force of dozens of jutsu-level explosions without deploying extraordinary measures like the Mangekyō Sharingan's Heavenly Guard. 

For now, retreat was the wisest course. 

From above, it looked as if reverse meteors streaked through the sky, kunai trailing burning tags flying either to block Seimei's escape routes or target him directly, covering a vast area. 

Boom! Boom! Boom! 

A series of violent explosions erupted, each spawning fiery red fireballs that lit up the sky like fireworks. 

But it didn't stop there. 

Before the first wave of explosions had fully subsided, under Hōzuki Mutsuki's command, the Mist shinobi launched a second and third barrage of explosive-tagged weapons. 

Explosions intensified once more, their booming echoes and resulting fireballs filling the air. Shockwaves rippled outward, forcing even distant Mist shinobi to take a few steps back. 

The scene inside the inferno was unimaginable. 

This was precisely Mutsuki's intention. 

Realizing Seimei's overwhelming strength, his only thought was to bury him under an avalanche of explosions before he could fully react. 

It was a decisive and effective strategy. 

Against any other shinobi, even those capable of flight, such an unexpected bombardment would spell certain doom. 

But Seimei was different. 

Indeed, he had been caught off guard. 

However, with his Byakugan and Sharingan, he discerned a path through the chaos. 

From the Mist shinobi's perspective, their assault had thoroughly blanketed the area, with three successive waves leaving no gaps. 

In reality, every kunai and shuriken they threw varied slightly in speed and trajectory. 

Moreover, the explosive tags didn't detonate simultaneously, creating gaps in the sequence. 

While negligible to most, these moments were glaring "flaws" in Seimei's eyes. 

Exploiting these gaps, along with his Earth Style: Hardening Jutsu, Chakra Cloak, and the perfected Wind Style: Wings of Wind, which granted him exceptional maneuverability, he narrowly evaded each blast. 

As long as he wasn't directly hit, his current state was not fatal. 

Thus, to the Mist shinobi's astonishment, Seimei emerged from the flames, hovering high in the air. 

Admittedly, he looked battered. His tattered clothing made him appear worse off than a beggar. His exposed skin was scorched, and blood at the corner of his mouth suggested internal injuries. 

Even so, his survival had a profound psychological impact on the Mist shinobi. 

After all, none of them believed they could survive such a barrage. 

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