Surrounded by the forest, everything around was dim. Apart from the occasional chirping of insects, there wasn't a single other sound, creating an eerie, chilling atmosphere.
However, Seimei was already used to such environments.
On one hand, it was because his skills gave him confidence.
On the other hand, whether on the battlefield or during his training journeys, he'd encountered situations like this more than once.
Having seen it all before, he naturally felt nothing unusual.
Reining in his thoughts, Seimei first unlocked the "Protection Seal" on his forehead. Then, focusing his energy, he activated his Byakugan to scan the surroundings.
Once he confirmed that there was no one within a kilometer radius, he formed hand signs again. Following the connection with his shadow clone, he used the "Mind Communication Technique" to contact the clone hidden within Takigakure.
Meanwhile, in Takigakure...
Inside a wooden cabin, the shadow clone disguised as Yuichi Mizutani suddenly opened his eyes.
However, he didn't speak immediately or make any movements that might draw attention. Instead, he first extended his sensory perception. After confirming there was no one nearby, he began communicating with Seimei.
In truth, if he had used the "Flying Thunder God Technique" to teleport to Seimei's side, communication would have been even easier.
Unfortunately, he couldn't do that.
Indeed, Takigakure was just a small ninja village, but the fact that it had been allocated a tailed beast—the formidable Seven-Tails—during the First Hokage's era spoke volumes about its hidden strength.
This was further evidenced by Fu's condition.
Even Gaara, the One-Tail's jinchuriki, had lost control multiple times under the tailed beast's influence. Yet Fu, who had the more powerful Seven-Tails sealed within, showed no signs of abnormality.
While external factors played a role, the sophistication of the sealing technique was clearly crucial.
After all, both jinchuriki were children. Seimei didn't believe there was such a vast difference in their willpower.
Moreover, the corrosive influence of a tailed beast's chakra on a jinchuriki's mind couldn't be countered by sheer willpower alone.
Thus, the key issue lay in the sealing technique.
In other words, Takigakure's expertise in sealing techniques surpassed even that of Sunagakure, one of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
This alone showed Takigakure's deep foundations.
Right now, Takigakure was in a critical phase. No matter how calm things appeared on the surface, internal defenses were bound to be extremely tight.
Seimei had no intention of triggering any of Takigakure's barriers by using the "Flying Thunder God Technique."
So, long-distance communication was the safer choice.
As for the inconvenience?
A little hassle was fine.
After all, they had plenty of time.
Just like that, Seimei and his shadow clone inside Takigakure began quickly exchanging information, despite being separated by dozens of kilometers.
After a long while, Seimei, still in the forest, opened his eyes, a thoughtful look flashing in them.
As he had expected, since his shadow clone hadn't urgently contacted him over the past three days, it meant the situation was still under control.
And indeed, that was the case.
Through their recent exchange, Seimei learned that the Seven-Tails transplantation hadn't begun yet.
This meant he still had time.
With that assurance, he instructed the shadow clone disguised as Yuichi Mizutani to notify him immediately if anything happened. Then, Seimei severed the connection.
Without lingering any longer, he carefully erased any traces of his presence and used the "Flying Thunder God Technique" to return to his tent at the camp.
After dispelling the shadow clone in front of him, Seimei sat down and began alternating between practicing the "Mystical Palm Technique" and "Mind Reflection Technique."
As for other skills...
He wasn't planning to practice those for now.
Although the likelihood of a counterattack from the Cloud Ninjas was low, he wanted to conserve enough chakra just in case.
Therefore, training in other skills would have to wait.
Time passed, and it was now late at night.
That night, things were restless on both Konoha's and Kumogakure's sides.
Ninjas from both villages, divided into small squads, clashed fiercely along the entire frontline.
However, since Konoha was better prepared, as expected, they caught the Cloud Ninjas off guard.
In the first half of the night, the battles were evenly matched. But as time went on, into the latter half of the night, the Cloud Ninjas began to show clear signs of weakness, and their casualties started to rise sharply.
In the end, the Kumogakure commanders had no choice but to order their troops to fall back and fortify their defenses.
At this point, Nara objective had been achieved.
From here on, as long as Konoha held the line, they would completely turn the tide of the battle. The advantage Kumogakure had gained from their surprise attacks over the past few days would vanish.
While Konoha remained on high alert, the Cloud Ninjas suddenly quieted down.
Hearing this news, Seimei could easily guess that the enemy had likely learned about the possible total loss of their infiltration squads.
Otherwise, given Kumogakure's aggressive nature, they wouldn't have backed down so easily.
This outcome didn't surprise him, as it had always been a highly probable scenario.
But now, he could focus more on his own training.
At the same time, he could start using more of his chakra.
With this in mind, Seimei used the "Shadow Clone Technique" to create a clone.
After leaving the clone to oversee the camp, Seimei consumed chakra and used the "Flying Thunder God Technique" to teleport across a great distance, arriving at an island in the southern region of the Land of Fire.
Returning to this familiar place, Seimei once again unlocked the "Protection Seal" on his forehead and used his Byakugan's vision to scan the area.
Once he confirmed everything was clear, he used the "Multi-Shadow Clone Technique" to create several clones and began training, just as he had in the past.
He aimed to push his Sharingan's evolution progress to 40,000 out of 50,000 before Takigakure made their move.
This would not only unlock the next stage of "Susanoo," strengthening his trump card, but also boost his "Mental" attribute, enabling him to handle the Seven-Tails more easily.
With that goal in mind, Seimei wasted no time. After assigning specific training tasks to each clone, he immersed himself in his own practice.
Time ticked by, second by second.
Before he knew it, dawn had arrived.
The situation at the frontlines had become even clearer.
If, last night, the Cloud Ninjas were still restless and eager to retaliate, now they were as obedient as lambs.
Even when faced with blatant provocations from Konoha, they maintained maximum restraint.
This allowed Seimei to train with even greater peace of mind.
At least until Kumogakure figured out the exact reason behind the disappearance of their three infiltration squads, they wouldn't make any rash moves.
And that... was Seimei's opportunity.