A few minutes earlier...
North of Moon Island, not too far away, a shark swam sluggishly through the water.
Its body was littered with wounds, clearly inflicted by various ninja tools.
Strangely, though, not a single drop of blood flowed from these injuries.
Upon closer inspection, you could see that chakra enveloped the wounds, preventing any trace of blood from spilling despite the severity of the injuries.
Without a doubt, this was no ordinary shark.
And indeed, it wasn't.
This shark was a legitimate summoning beast.
At that moment, two ninjas were hiding inside its belly.
They looked utterly disheveled, their bodies, like the shark's, covered in wounds, as if they'd just been in a fierce fight.
One of them finished bandaging his wounds and said with a relieved grin, "Daihui, we owe your summoning beast big time. Without it, we'd probably never have made it back. How the heck did those guys even spot us?"
Across from him, the other ninja bit down on a bandage, wrapping his own wounds.
Then he snorted, "Hmph, how do you think they found us? It's because you were dawdling, insisting on messing around out there. If you'd listened to me and headed back earlier, there's no way the village would've noticed us."
Hearing Daihui Kinmura's complaints, Reiko Koike gave an awkward chuckle and said, "Come on, it's not every day we get to sneak out. I just wanted to let loose a bit. Who knew the village's Anbu would have such sharp noses and track us down so fast? What a shame…"
Seeing Daihui's face grow darker, Reiko's voice trailed off until he finally gave in, "Alright, alright, don't be mad. Next time, I'll listen to you, okay?"
"Hmph, next time? There won't be a next time!" Daihui Kinmura scoffed coldly. "Once we get back, find someone else to team up with. I'm not getting dragged down with you."
"Whoa, come on, don't say that!" Reiko exclaimed dramatically. "Daihui, you know we're the only ones from the same village out here. The others can't be trusted. It's just you and me—"
Before Reiko could finish, Daihui cut him off, raising a finger to his lips and whispering, "Shh, something's up!"
Reiko immediately shut his mouth, pulling out a kunai, his eyes sharp with caution.
Clearly, Reiko wasn't as reckless as he'd seemed moments ago.
Time ticked by slowly.
Seeing Daihui press his ear against the shark's body, still without a word, Reiko finally lost patience and asked, "Daihui, what's going on?"
At last, Daihui pulled back, his voice serious. "Water Demon just told me it sensed a chakra fluctuation."
"What?" Reiko gasped, startled.
Then he quickly asked, "Is it the Anbu catching up?"
"No, it's not them," Daihui said, patting the shark's belly. "It's an unfamiliar chakra."
"Unfamiliar chakra? There's someone else out here?" Reiko asked, puzzled.
"No idea," Daihui replied, shaking his head. "Water Demon says there's an island nearby, and the chakra's coming from there."
"Then we…" Reiko made a slicing motion across his neck, the meaning clear.
Daihui hesitated for a moment, communicating with Water Demon again before nodding.
He then relayed his decision to the shark.
Immediately, Water Demon changed course, diving beneath the water and silently heading toward the island.
Why did Daihui agree to Reiko's plan?
The answer was simple. To escape the Anbu's pursuit, Water Demon had used up all its strength and speed, and it was now in rough shape.
Both they and the shark desperately needed a place to rest and recover.
They didn't know if they'd find another island along the way, so this one was their best bet.
Plus, their hideout needed to stay completely secret, which meant eliminating any potential threats that could expose their location.
Without question, the source of that chakra was exactly such a threat.
Of course, the most important factor was that the chakra fluctuation didn't seem very strong. With their skills, a sneak attack would almost certainly succeed.
That's why Daihui agreed to Reiko's idea of taking the initiative.
What they didn't know, however, was that the chakra's low intensity was partly because Seimei was deliberately suppressing it, and partly because the changes in Seimei's genes were nearly complete, allowing him to regain control over his power.
If they knew a ninja far stronger than an average Kage-level shinobi was hiding there, they'd never have dared approach, even if their lives depended on it.
But there are no "ifs" in this world.
The moment they got close to Moon Island, Seimei was destined not to let them go.
---
A few minutes later, Water Demon neared Moon Island.
Daihui and Reiko emerged from its belly.
Daihui gently patted the shark's head, signaling it to stay put and keep a retreat route open, before they stepped onto the island.
Following the chakra's source, they cautiously moved forward.
Soon, they spotted Seimei.
Or rather, Seimei's back.
But at that moment, their attention wasn't on Seimei himself but on the ice crystals scattered around him.
Looking at the hundred-meter radius of a world made of ice crystals, Reiko swallowed hard and whispered, "Daihui, is this… the Ice Release of the Yuki Clan?"
"Yeah," Daihui nodded gravely. "No doubt about it."
His eyes locked onto Seimei's back, filled with envy.
As a rogue ninja from the Hidden Mist Village, Daihui was well aware of the Yuki Clan, known for their Ice Release Kekkei Genkai.
He'd trained tirelessly, only to reach the level of a Special Jonin.
But this guy?
If he successfully awakened his abilities, his baseline would be at least a full-fledged Jonin.
How could Daihui not be jealous?
Back when he was still loyal to the village, he might've envied him but done nothing—maybe even helped out, given the kid's status as a clan heir.
But now?
Not only had he defected, making his interests opposed to the village's, but the recent Anbu pursuit had left him furious.
In this state, how could he let the village gain such a talented young ninja?
Especially since the Yuki Clan had played a significant role in forcing him to flee the village.
No way was he letting this kid grow.
Judging by Seimei's back, he didn't seem very old—likely a secret prodigy the Yuki Clan was grooming.
If I can crush this seedling, the Yuki Clan will feel the pain!
With that thought, a twisted smile crept across Daihui's face.
He raised his right hand, pointing first at himself, then at Reiko, and finally at Seimei, signaling a joint attack.
Reiko nodded, understanding.
Together, they raised their hands, swiftly forming seals, and unleashed their signature ninjutsu at Seimei.
(End of Chapter)