Amidst the White Mist.
Ohsawa Yuki stood on the deck, observing the endless stretch of white mist surrounding them.
He extended his senses, confirming that his perception was heavily impaired. Without further hesitation, he promptly ordered all ships to proceed with caution.
Moments later, as the order was relayed, a loud explosion echoed from behind.
"Is that… an Explosive Tag?!"
Ohsawa's heart skipped a beat; he knew there was a high chance that Seimei had made his move.
This was a tricky situation for him.
In the past, they had always used the *Water Style: Hidden Mist Technique* to limit their enemies' abilities. Now, with the tables turned, they finally understood what it felt like to be bound and restricted.
Wait a moment~
Suddenly, a thought crossed Ohsawa's mind: if they couldn't break through the enemy's blockade, why not intensify it?
In an instant, his thoughts cleared up.
Ignoring the sounds of escalating battles behind him, Ohsawa turned to Sakura Mizuki beside him and said, "Mizuki, immediately notify the leaders of each ship to organize their teams and deploy the *Hidden Mist Technique*."
"The *Hidden Mist Technique*?"
Sakura Mizuki looked puzzled at first but quickly understood Ohsawa's intention.
"Yes, Captain!"
Without hesitation, she used a secret transmission technique to relay Ohsawa's orders to the leaders of each ship.
However, after using this technique, she looked noticeably paler.
Clearly, with the massive interference from Seimei's chakra, conveying orders precisely had been a significant challenge.
Fortunately, it was still manageable.
Shortly after Ohsawa issued his command, Seimei, who was assaulting a Mist Ninja warship from behind the fleet, abruptly paused.
Dodging a few kunai, Seimei flapped his wings, soared higher, and moved out of the Mist Ninja's attack range.
Suspended in midair, he closed his eyes, using the chakra dispersed in the mist to sense any subtle movements.
Moments later, he opened his eyes and muttered, "There's definitely some unusual chakra here!"
Indeed, he had just sensed a strange chakra spreading through the area. It not only interfered with his perception but also made the mist around him even denser.
After careful sensing, he confirmed that others were also performing the *Water Style: Hidden Mist Technique*.
And it wasn't just one person.
In that brief time, three more people had used the same technique.
And that was only the beginning.
Now, the surrounding mist was thickening visibly.
"Quick reactions, as expected from the true masters of the *Hidden Mist Technique*!"
Observing this, Seimei couldn't help but express admiration.
He quickly figured out the Mist Ninjas' strategy.
They intended to use the properties of the *Hidden Mist Technique* to dilute his influence over the mist, making it difficult for him to launch unchecked attacks.
Moreover, given the Mist Ninjas' familiarity with this technique and their natural environment, they might even find an opportunity to counterattack.
However, achieving this would take more time than they had.
In the meantime, he could perhaps destroy one more Mist Ninja warship.
With this thought, Seimei refocused below, seemingly able to see through the mist and spot the still-frantic crew aboard the ship.
He had just launched a sneak attack on this Mist Ninja warship.
Now, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for a follow-up strike.
Without delay, Seimei formed a hand seal and used the *Wind Style: Great Breakthrough*!
Consuming hundreds of chakra points, a moderate gust issued from his mouth, dispersing a portion of the mist below.
Onboard the Mist Ninja warship, the crew, still confused by Seimei's sudden departure, noticed the mist clearing in front of them.
Immediately, joy spread across many faces.
They assumed one of their own Jonin had broken through Seimei's ninjutsu barrier.
Ohsawa's orders had just reached the leaders on each ship, so the lower-ranking ninjas were unaware of his plan.
Their optimism was understandable.
But it was precisely this that gave Seimei his chance; he flapped his wings and swiftly descended upon the Mist Ninja warship.
Two Mist Ninja Jonin aboard saw this and paled, shouting for everyone to attack while launching their own strikes.
Unfortunately, Seimei's speed was too great; the lower-ranking ninjas on the ship couldn't react in time.
As for the Jonins' attacks—
Seimei used *Earth Style: Hardening Technique* to resist one's kunai, then evaded the other's Fire Style jutsu with a wing beat.
By then, he was already close to the ship.
Without hesitation, Seimei formed a quick seal, using *Wind Style: Blade of Wind*!
Whoosh~
A massive wind blade, about ten meters long, sliced toward the Mist Ninja warship.
The two Mist Ninja Jonin attempted to intercept it, but the wind blade's speed, combined with Seimei's deliberate angle, prevented them from casting their jutsus in time.
They could only watch as the wind blade cut through the ship.
Crack~
With the sound of splintering wood, a sizable gap appeared just below the warship's waterline.
In the next moment, seawater flooded in.
Seeing the water rising toward the cabin, some Mist Ninjas shouted, "Quick! Seal the breach!"
However, as they scrambled to repair the ship, Seimei denied them the chance.
Almost as soon as the wind blade had penetrated, he formed another seal and used *Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu*!
Whoosh~
Flames surged from his mouth, transforming into three fire dragons. Under his control, one charged toward the ninjas attempting to seal the breach, while the other two struck the warship.
The two Jonin on the ship intercepted the two dragons targeting the vessel, but they were powerless to stop the third one.
The Mist Ninjas were forced to abandon their repairs and join forces to fend off the fire dragon.
Though their combined effort defeated the dragon, it allowed more seawater into the cabin, tilting the entire warship.
Taking advantage of the situation, Seimei circled to the other side of the ship and used *Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu* again.
This time, only one dragon was blocked; the remaining two crashed into the warship, engulfing it in flames.
Seeing no other choice, the two Mist Ninja Jonin ordered everyone to abandon ship.
Only a few moments had passed, and the white mist that Seimei had cleared earlier had reassembled around them.
This meant he couldn't continue his assault.
But he didn't need to. The Mist Ninja warship, having endured a wind blade and two fire dragons, had no chance of survival.
There was no need to risk further.
In fact, he wouldn't have to attack the other Mist Ninja ships at all; destroying two ships would be enough to slow their progress.
Now, he could focus solely on maintaining the *Hidden Mist Technique* and ensuring they remained trapped for a while.
(End of Chapter)