It's well known that the **Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique** is a signature jutsu of the Uchiha Clan.
At this critical moment, the opponent pulled out this jutsu to use against him. What were they thinking?
If he hadn't demonstrated his mastery of fire-style chakra, that might have made sense. But he had just used several fire-style jutsu moments earlier.
Did they really think he wouldn't know this jutsu?
Even if he didn't, the fireball they summoned didn't seem particularly well-executed.
And with that level of skill, they dared to bring it out?
**Seimei** shook his head, pushing the thought aside. He raised his hands to form hand seals and, in an instant, unleashed his own jutsu.
Opening his mouth, he spat out a giant fireball—**Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!**
**Boom!**
The two fireballs collided mid-air. The fireball from the **Kirigakure** ninja was instantly obliterated, scattering into embers that rained down in all directions.
Meanwhile, the fireball Seimei had formed continued its forward path, hurling toward the Kirigakure ninja.
His opponent reacted quickly and used the **Substitution Jutsu**, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Seimei, without giving him further attention, focused his chakra wings behind him, ready to take flight and distance himself from the surrounding buildings.
However, at that moment, three beams of light shot out from nearby buildings, converging above him.
Seimei halted abruptly, glancing upward.
The next moment, three glowing screens appeared, forming a triangular pyramid with its apex as the focal point, trapping him inside.
"Barrier…"
Seeing this, Seimei murmured.
Indeed, the triangular light screens were part of a sealing barrier.
As he surveyed his surroundings, he noticed a large number of **Kirigakure** ninja gathering, quickly occupying the surrounding buildings and encircling him.
Among them, Seimei sharply recognized familiar figures: **Mei Terumi**, **Ao**, **Yukikaze**, and many other Kirigakure jonin he had encountered before.
Clearly, this was a trap.
Reflecting on what had just transpired, Seimei recalled a few moments where there had been fewer guards around the ballista, although the Kirigakure ninja had actively moved to remedy that after he noticed.
Still, the fact that such an important piece of equipment was left vulnerable, especially knowing he had his eye on it, seemed suspicious.
At the time, he had seized the opportunity without thinking too deeply about it.
But now, upon closer reflection, the positioning of the exposed ballista and those he later destroyed seemed too deliberate.
Coupled with the sudden appearance of this sealing barrier, Seimei had every reason to believe that this had been an ambush from the very start.
"Quite the clever scheme."
After realizing this, Seimei's expression darkened.
However, his frustration only lasted a moment before it faded.
Indeed, their calculations were spot-on.
If anyone else from the ninja world were in his position, they would likely be at a loss.
But he was different.
Seimei glanced at the barrier surrounding him.
Unlike the **Four Mist Sealing Formation** he had encountered previously, this sealing barrier, while smaller, appeared much more reinforced.
It was clear that Kirigakure had learned from the last time he mysteriously escaped from their barrier, and this time, they tried a different formation.
Unfortunately, no matter the type of sealing barrier, as long as it couldn't restrain him immediately or prevent him from using his **Mangekyō Sharingan**, it was meaningless. The power of **Heavenly Transport** made such barriers futile.
So, if he wanted to leave, he could do so easily.
In other words, this predicament wasn't a real threat to him.
However, Seimei didn't rush to leave.
The Mangekyō Sharingan, if it could be kept hidden, was best left undisclosed.
With that in mind, Seimei glanced at the surrounding enemies.
He noticed that the Kirigakure ninja, led by their jonin, were now entering the barrier.
"Hmm?"
Seeing this, Seimei frowned slightly.
Normally, once a sealing barrier is activated, it cuts off the inside from the outside. If he couldn't get out, they shouldn't be able to come in either.
Yet, these Kirigakure ninja were walking right in.
Upon closer inspection, Seimei noticed that each of them had a tag affixed to their bodies.
Clearly, it was this talisman that allowed them to bypass the barrier.
It was evident that Kirigakure had been well-prepared.
'But that's fine. The more chaotic the situation, the easier it will be for me to escape.'
With that thought, Seimei swiftly raised his hands to form hand seals.
But the next moment, a dozen shuriken flew toward him, aimed directly at his vital spots.
It was clear that someone didn't want him to complete his hand seals.
But there was no way Seimei would let them get their way.
He split his focus, continuing to form seals while simultaneously dodging the shuriken.
This was only the beginning.
Soon, more kunai and shuriken came flying his way, many of which had explosive tags attached.
Faced with this, Seimei had no choice but to abandon his hand seals temporarily. He activated his **Sharingan** and manipulated the chakra wings on his back to dodge the incoming projectiles.
Most importantly, he dodged the explosive tags mixed among them.
**Boom! Boom! Boom!**
A series of explosions echoed through the air.
Fiery red fireballs erupted one after another, illuminating the surroundings and dispersing the darkness.
In the midst of the firelight, a figure suddenly emerged.
Then, thick white mist appeared, quickly filling every corner of the barrier.
"This is... the **Hiding in Mist Technique**!"
"Everyone, be careful!"
A Kirigakure jonin quickly identified the source of the mist and shouted a warning while preparing to use a wind-style jutsu to blow it away.
But before they could act, **Ao's** voice suddenly rang out across the area: "Everyone, be alert! He's trying to break out from above!"
Hearing this, all the Kirigakure ninja, as if prearranged, immediately hurled their kunai toward the upper part of the barrier, filling the space with projectiles.
"Hmm…"
A faint, almost inaudible grunt came from above.
Seimei glanced at the shuriken embedded in his shoulder and frowned.
The next instant, his figure vanished. When he reappeared, he was already outside the barrier.
At that moment, a Kirigakure jonin, responding to Ao's warning, leaped from a nearby building to the top of the barrier.
In an instant, their eyes met.
"What is this…?"
Seeing Seimei's eyes, which resembled a black sun, the Kirigakure jonin's face displayed clear confusion.
It was apparent that they didn't recognize the **Mangekyō Sharingan**.
Even so, Seimei had no intention of sparing him.
In a flash, he cast the **Genjutsu: Sharingan**.
Under the influence of the Mangekyō Sharingan, the genjutsu's power was overwhelming, and despite its brief activation, it easily controlled the Kirigakure jonin.
**Clang!**
The long sword was drawn.
A flash of cold steel followed.
In one swift motion, Seimei decapitated the Kirigakure jonin.
Then, raising his left hand, he quickly formed hand seals, opened his mouth, and unleashed a fireball—**Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!**
**Boom!**
The fireball shot out, directly engulfing the decapitated head.
In the next moment, the head was consumed by flames.
Now, even if Kirigakure wanted to extract any information from the head, it would be impossible.
Seimei sheathed his sword, deactivated the Mangekyō Sharingan, and glanced back at the barrier below before fully activating his **Wind Release: Wind Wings** and flying off into the distance.
Knowing this was a trap, he wasn't going to linger. Who knew what other tricks the enemy might have? It was best to leave as quickly as possible.
(End of Chapter)