Seimei stepped forward and stopped in front of Takeshi Kurosaki. He raised his hand and began forming hand seals, preparing to use the "Chakra Absorption Technique" to drain chakra from his opponent again.
But at that moment, he suddenly sensed something. The seals on his hands changed, and he said aloud, "Alright, since you're awake, stop pretending."
As soon as Seimei finished speaking, Takeshi Kurosaki opened his eyes.
In the next instant, his right hand, which had been suspended in midair, swiftly lashed out. The kunai in his grip slashed towards Seimei's throat like lightning.
The speed was astonishingly fast.
Even if Seimei tried to use the "Genjutsu: Sharingan" again, it might not be enough to stop him in time.
But fortunately, Seimei had already prepared.
Thus, just as Takeshi Kurosaki moved, his entire body suddenly froze again.
This time, Takeshi Kurosaki did not lose consciousness.
He felt an intense pain throughout his body, as if giant iron nails were pinning him down, making it impossible to move.
Indeed, this was the C-rank ninjutsu—**Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique**!
Though only C-rank, when properly prepared, this technique could be just as effective as the "Genjutsu: Sharingan."
Especially when compared to the instant-release version of the Sharingan, the effects of the **Shackling Stakes Technique** could even be superior!
Facing Takeshi Kurosaki's venomous gaze, Seimei calmly removed the kunai from his hand and, without hesitation, stabbed it into Kurosaki's abdomen.
The sharp pain caused Takeshi Kurosaki's eyes to widen in shock. He wanted to speak, but no words came out.
At this point, he was at his limit.
It wouldn't be long before his life slipped away.
Seimei wasted no time. He formed hand seals and activated the **Chakra Absorption Technique**.
As he pressed his palm against Takeshi Kurosaki's chest, Kurosaki felt his chakra flood out of his body like a dam breaking. Within moments, all of it was gone.
Even after absorbing all that chakra, Seimei wasn't satisfied.
He continued to drain Kurosaki's mental and physical energy, finally extracting nearly 20,000 units of chakra before letting go.
It wasn't that Takeshi Kurosaki didn't have more chakra to give.
But his body couldn't endure any more; he had already lost his life, forcing Seimei to stop.
Chakra is a combination of mental and physical energy. Once a person dies, their mental energy dissipates, making it impossible to draw more chakra.
With a **thud**, Takeshi Kurosaki's lifeless body fell to the ground.
Seimei shifted his gaze to the surrounding battlefield.
At this moment, five Mist Jonin were still fighting against five Leaf Jonin.
Initially, the Mist ninja had the upper hand.
But after Seimei eliminated the likes of Zangetsu from the Hozuki clan, the remaining Mist ninjas had grown timid, shrinking back from attacking, as if they feared provoking him.
Seimei could only think they were overestimating his intentions.
After eliminating several Mist Jonin in a row, Seimei had no interest in continuing the slaughter.
It wasn't out of pity or hesitation, but because the Leaf forces were struggling on the other side.
The Leaf ninja here were hastily assembled and lacked the coordination of the more prepared Mist ninja.
In addition, the overwhelming difference in numbers made it difficult for the Leaf forces to hold their ground.
If not for Seimei's impressive display in taking out several Mist Jonin and boosting morale, they would have collapsed by now.
Even so, their casualties were heavy, and they urgently needed his help.
Without delay, Seimei pushed off the ground, launching himself toward a nearby skirmish between a group of Mist and Leaf ninja.
There were more than twenty Mist ninja and just over ten Leaf ninja, meaning each Leaf shinobi had to face at least two opponents. The situation was dire.
Suddenly, Seimei appeared.
Using **Genjutsu: Sharingan**, he immobilized one Mist ninja, then used **Instant Blade Technique** to swiftly dispatch another Mist Chunin.
A flash of cold light followed, as Seimei's wind-infused chakra blade sliced cleanly through the second ninja's neck, severing his head.
Blood gushed out like a fountain, reaching several meters high.
Seimei dodged the shower of blood and swiftly approached the ninja he had trapped with genjutsu.
Another flash, and Seimei's blade cut through the ninja's throat.
The intense feeling of suffocation snapped the Mist ninja out of the genjutsu. Clutching his throat, he looked at Seimei with terror in his eyes.
Seimei paid him no mind. His Sharingan scanned the battlefield, locking onto his next target. Using the **Instant Blade Technique**, he dashed toward them.
Moving like a phantom, Seimei slipped through the battlefield, dealing devastating blows with each strike.
The Mist ninja attempted to surround him, but without Jonin-level support, they couldn't form an effective formation.
As a result, they couldn't even land a hit on him.
Within just a few minutes, Seimei had torn through the Mist ninja's ranks, freeing the Leaf forces.
Without wasting time, he ordered them to assist their comrades.
Meanwhile, he headed toward another critical part of the battlefield.
Seimei moved across the field like a firefighter, rushing to wherever danger was greatest.
The Mist ninja feared him as if they'd lost a loved one.
In contrast, the Leaf ninja rejoiced every time they saw him.
As time passed, the tide of the battle slowly shifted from the Mist's favor to a stalemate.
At this rate, it wouldn't be long before the Leaf forces gained the upper hand and possibly even won the battle.
But this was something the Mist village could not accept.
That's why, early on, some of the Mist ninja had sent word of the situation via a summoning beast to the main battlefield, requesting reinforcements.
This all happened secretly, without Seimei knowing.
Even if he had known, it wouldn't have changed his strategy.
Regardless of what the Mist village planned, freeing up more Leaf forces was crucial.
If the Leaf ninja remained tied down, knowing about reinforcements wouldn't help. He couldn't take on the Mist forces alone.
So, dealing with the immediate threat of the Mist ninja was the priority.
As for the rest…
Seimei could only think, *If soldiers come, I'll fight them. If floods come, I'll block them.*
(End of chapter)