Chapter 209: Explosion Release and Counterattack
Seimei's attack was both lightning-fast and utterly unexpected.
Not only was Gari caught off guard, but even his teammates nearby failed to react in time, making coordinated defense impossible.
Left with no choice, Seimei had to follow up personally.
However, as he had anticipated, before his Sharingan evolved into the Mangekyō stage, even his perfected "Genjutsu: Sharingan" could not trap a Jōnin for long if unleashed abruptly.
If the opponent was prepared and exceptionally skilled, the genjutsu would be even less effective.
Unfortunately, Gari was precisely such a Jōnin.
Thus, it took only a brief moment of distraction before Gari broke free of the illusion.
At that instant, Seimei had just reached him, thrusting his short sword forward.
In a split second, Gari grabbed Seimei's blade with one hand.
Then, with a loud "boom," an immense surge of chakra erupted from Gari's palm, shattering Seimei's sword into countless fragments.
Left holding only the bare hilt of his destroyed weapon, Seimei was momentarily stunned.
To be honest, he had never encountered such a scenario before—his primary weapon destroyed before the fight had even properly begun.
Seeing Seimei's bewildered expression, Gari did not hesitate. He immediately hurled the fragments of the broken sword toward Seimei's face.
In the next moment, Gari lunged forward, closing the distance between them.
His left hand clenched into a fist, enveloped in Explosion Release chakra, before striking fiercely toward Seimei's abdomen.
If this punch landed, Seimei would undoubtedly suffer severe injuries at the very least.
Fortunately, despite being momentarily stunned by the destruction of his sword, Seimei kept his focus on his opponent.
The moment Gari launched the fragments, Seimei activated his Sharingan to its fullest, predicting the chain of attacks that would follow.
This included, of course, Gari's feint and subsequent punch.
Seimei ignored the fragments flying toward him. With a powerful stomp of his right foot, he dodged to the left, causing Gari's punch to strike empty air.
Even so, the shockwave from Gari's Explosion Release still threw Seimei off balance, forcing him back a couple of steps.
Clearly, even a missed punch could generate enough force to be threatening, which made Seimei even more wary of Gari.
Before Seimei could regain his footing, Gari advanced again, his fists swinging relentlessly, aiming at various parts of Seimei's body.
This time, Gari learned his lesson and avoided direct eye contact with Seimei. Although this reduced the accuracy of his attacks, he didn't mind.
With Explosion Release at his disposal, precision wasn't necessary. As long as his strikes hit Seimei, the effect would be the same regardless of the target.
Indeed, Seimei found himself dodging relentlessly, unable to allow even a single hit to land.
Moreover, due to the nature of Explosion Release, he didn't dare engage directly, fearing his fists might also be shattered in a clash.
This was the first time Seimei found himself in such a difficult situation.
It wasn't that the danger was insurmountable—his fully-evolved three-tomoe Sharingan made these "slow" attacks hardly a true threat—but the sheer frustration of being unable to counterattack was suffocating.
Taking blow after blow without striking back was a truly miserable experience.
After dodging more than ten punches, Seimei finally reached into his ninja pouch and pulled out a kunai.
With this, he was no longer entirely defenseless.
Thanks to the keen perception granted by his Sharingan, Seimei could seize the gaps between Gari's attacks to counter with his kunai. The fight gradually shifted from one-sided to a close contest.
Meanwhile, the Konoha Jōnin accompanying Seimei didn't just stand by idly. He had engaged the other Iwa-nin, doing his best to keep them from approaching.
But as the battle dragged on, the reinforcements from Iwa were already closing in.
Casting a quick glance at the other skirmish, Seimei noted that his ally was holding his ground but could only delay the inevitable.
"We can't afford to drag this out," Seimei thought to himself.
Lowering his stance, he dodged Gari's punch before finding an opening to stab his kunai directly toward Gari's heart.
Only such a critical threat could force Gari to defend himself.
As expected, sensing danger, Gari immediately withdrew his fist and dodged.
Without hesitation, Seimei opened his left palm, revealing a dense sphere of chakra forming in his hand—Rasengan, an unsealed ninjutsu technique.
Without missing a beat, Seimei thrust his palm forward, aiming the Rasengan at Gari's chest and abdomen.
Feeling the intense danger radiating from the chakra sphere, Gari quickly retreated again to evade the attack.
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Taking advantage of the moment, Seimei swiftly retreated, distancing himself from Gari. His hands moved rapidly, forming seals at an incredible speed, ultimately condensing a transparent wind blade between his palms.
This wasn't an ordinary ninjutsu but an advanced technique he had copied from Shoji Kohara—the Wind Release: Blade of Wind.
After days of practice, his proficiency in the technique had reached nearly Level 5. Now, as Seimei executed it, his movements were fluid and precise, showcasing his mastery.
This ninjutsu, known for its incredible speed, high attack power, and stealthy nature, was the perfect choice for dealing with Gari in this situation.
As expected, Gari, hesitant to look directly at Seimei, failed to detect his attack intentions immediately.
It wasn't until he charged forward again, preparing for another close-range assault, that he sensed the danger. He hastily dodged.
Still, the wind blade grazed his arm, leaving a deep wound on his left arm, exposing bone.
Unrelenting, Seimei continued to widen the distance while rapidly forming seals. With a sharp exhale, he unleashed a massive fireball.
It was none other than the iconic Uchiha Clan technique—the Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!
Feeling the intense heatwave rushing toward him, Gari leaped to the side, evading the attack.
**Boom!**
The fireball exploded, its scorching flames and shockwave spreading rapidly in all directions, forcing Gari to dodge repeatedly.
This critical interruption left Gari unable to close the gap any further, finally allowing Seimei to breathe a sigh of relief.
Now, it was time for his kiting strategy.
Without worrying about chakra consumption, Seimei formed seals at a dazzling speed, unleashing a barrage of techniques—Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu, Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu, Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu, and Wind Release: Blade of Wind.
Occasionally, he also threw a few shuriken or kunai equipped with explosive tags.
Leveraging the unparalleled perception of his Sharingan, Seimei's ability to predict Gari's movements became increasingly precise, making his attacks even more lethal.
This left Gari feeling deeply frustrated.
Yet, he dared not look directly at Seimei, fearing he might fall victim to another genjutsu and lose control again.
Finally, after being slashed by the wind blade once more, Gari decided to retreat temporarily.
He swiftly formed seals with both hands, performing the Earth Release technique he had previously used to pursue Seimei and his companion. Lowering his body, he vanished into the ground.
*(End of Chapter)*