The Next Day.
Early Morning.
At the break of dawn, Seimei led two large squads toward their destination—Blackstone Outpost.
Previously, when he and Uchiha Shisui traveled here, it had taken the entire morning for just the two of them.
Now, with two full squads comprising over a hundred people, reaching the outpost before noon would require minimal rest along the way.
Fortunately, they were all ninjas, able to rely on chakra to sustain themselves; otherwise, such a feat would have been impossible.
Still, by the time they neared the destination, everyone was utterly exhausted.
Glancing back at the slightly disordered formation and hearing the heavy panting of the squad members, Seimei halted the group and issued an order:
"Alright, everyone, take a fifteen-minute break."
Upon hearing this, the Konoha ninjas immediately stopped, gathering in small groups to rest. Some of the lower-ranking ninjas began consuming chakra pills to replenish their energy.
With a physique stat of 19 and a chakra reserve exceeding 130,000, the journey's toll was negligible for Seimei.
After a brief pause, he used the Wind Release: Wings of Wind technique to ascend high into the air.
However, he failed to notice that as soon as he left the group, a Konoha ninja secretly placed a mark on a nearby tree.
From the skies, Seimei carefully scanned the surroundings, vigilant against any potential dangers.
The unusual behavior of Nara Hikaru had raised his suspicions.
Moreover, earlier that morning, just before their departure, Hikaru had warned him that the Mist Village might cause trouble near Blackstone Outpost and urged him to remain cautious.
This essentially confirmed Seimei's suspicions.
As a result, he had become even more cautious, frequently flying into the sky during the journey to survey the area from above.
Yet, as they neared the outpost, the surroundings remained peaceful, making him doubt the reliability of Hikaru's information.
It wasn't out of the realm of possibility.
If the information were entirely accurate, Hikaru wouldn't have made such vague arrangements. This indicated that even he wasn't entirely sure of the intel.
Thus, Seimei's mission had become an emergency precaution.
But if Hikaru, who received the information first-hand, couldn't verify its authenticity, Seimei, tasked only with execution, certainly couldn't either.
All he could do was remain vigilant.
Thankfully, his true strength far exceeded what anyone could imagine. No matter what surprises lay ahead, he had confidence in his ability to handle them.
---
Time ticked away.
Soon, the fifteen-minute break ended.
Seimei landed back on the ground, having found no signs of anything unusual.
Surveying the group, some sitting, others standing, he wasted no time and gave a direct order:
"Everyone, regroup immediately!"
The Konoha ninjas promptly followed, forming a defensive formation with practiced efficiency.
Satisfied, Seimei nodded. "Move out!"
He led the way toward Blackstone Outpost, with the squad following close behind.
The march lasted nearly another hour.
By this time, the sun was high in the sky, and the group had reached the outskirts of the outpost.
All they needed to do was pass through the forest ahead to enter Blackstone's defensive perimeter.
Oh, and by the way—
After the Mist Village's failed counterattack at Yuzushio Port, all Mist ninjas along the battlefront had adopted a defensive stance, including those stationed outside Blackstone Outpost from Flying Fish Town.
Thus, Seimei wasn't concerned about his squad being blocked from entering the outpost.
Additionally, their movements had been swift and discreet. Even if Mist ninjas from nearby areas received word, they wouldn't have enough time to respond.
Feeling reassured, Seimei ordered the squad to advance through the forest, intending to head straight into the outpost's territory in one go.
But as always, surprises strike without warning.
Shortly after entering the forest, they were ambushed.
---
In the Forest.
Seimei's expression darkened as he stared at the dense crowd of Mist ninjas ahead.
Clearly, these enemies had been lying in wait for quite some time.
If they had only recently learned of his squad's movements, there wouldn't have been enough time to assemble such a large force or set up this elaborate ambush.
The fact that the traces were so well-hidden—even Seimei had fallen into the trap—left no doubt that this ambush had been premeditated.
This could only mean one thing: their movements had been leaked.
Now the question was, who was the real target? The Konoha squad or Seimei himself?
If it was the former, this was nothing more than a routine military operation. But if it was the latter…
A cold glint flashed in Seimei's eyes.
If that were the case, he would make sure the enemy paid dearly.
And one more thing…
How had their movements been leaked?
"Nara Hikaru?"
His first suspicion fell on him.
But he quickly dismissed the idea.
If even Hikaru were a spy, then Konoha might as well surrender immediately.
As for Hikaru targeting him specifically?
It wasn't impossible, but highly unlikely.
The Uchiha and Nara clans didn't have a particularly strong bond, but they weren't adversaries either. Hikaru targeting him seemed implausible.
It was more likely that Hikaru had been kept in the dark as well.
This led Seimei to question the source of the intel.
For someone to manipulate information so thoroughly, forcing Hikaru to comply and dragging Seimei into the situation without leaving a trace, few individuals or organizations in the ninja world could achieve this.
"Could it be them?"
A sudden thought brought Danzo and his Root organization to Seimei's mind.
This wasn't baseless speculation. Danzo had caused plenty of trouble in the past and had even targeted Seimei multiple times.
With the war nearing its end, missing this opportunity would make it much harder for Danzo to act against him later.
Given Danzo's character, eliminating an obstacle amidst the chaos of war would be entirely plausible.
What's more, Seimei had recently destroyed Danzo's secret base on Oni Island. Though there was no solid evidence, Danzo might have deduced his involvement.
If so, targeting Seimei would make perfect sense.
Danzo wasn't one to tolerate defiance, let alone from a young Uchiha.
These thoughts raced through Seimei's mind but were quickly suppressed.
Focusing on the present, he began strategizing his next move.
One thing was certain: a head-on clash was not an option. The enemy's numbers and strength far exceeded his own.
As for retreating…
Seimei glanced back.
He doubted the path they had taken was still safe.
If the enemy had time to set up this ambush, cutting off their retreat would have been an obvious move.
"So, it comes to this after all?"
Looking at the restless Mist ninjas ahead, Seimei murmured to himself.
*(To Be Continued…)*