Grind is My Ninja Way

Splash!

The sound of water crashing down echoed loudly.

In the middle of the two opposing forces, the towering wave—dozens of meters high—lost its form. Pulled by gravity, it began to descend rapidly.

As it fell, the wave broke apart, transforming into a torrential downpour that drenched the entire battlefield.

Even though there was some distance between the two groups of ninja, everyone was soaked through.

Furthermore, as the water settled, the ground became a sprawling lake.

This scene was enough to show just how intense their previous clash had been.

However, Seimei frowned.

Despite facing multiple opponents, his inability to decisively overpower them left him somewhat dissatisfied.

"Clearly, I still need to refine my control," he muttered to himself.

At present, Seimei's Chakra Control stood at Level 6. He could mobilize up to 3,000 chakra points in a single go—a vast amount compared to ordinary ninjas.

But when compared to top-tier powerhouses like Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, there was still a considerable gap.

In fact, even some Kage-level leaders from the Five Great Nations or other renowned ninjas rivaled him in chakra control.

Their inability to create massive-scale jutsu wasn't due to lack of skill but simply their limited chakra reserves.

If they had access to his level of chakra, it was highly likely they could have overpowered the Mist Jonin squad earlier.

With that thought, Seimei calmed his previously restless mind.

Staring at the Mist Jonin ahead, he wasted no time forming hand seals and unleashed another jutsu—Water Style: Exploding Water Shockwave!

Once again, a massive wave surged forward, racing toward the enemy.

The Mist Jonin noticed his movements but were unable to stop him in time. They couldn't even counter with their own techniques.

Left with no choice, they had to rely on Water Style: Water Formation Wall to passively block the wave's impact.

Whoosh!

A towering water wall rose up.

The wave crashed into it, rolling back in a violent recoil.

The sight made the Konoha ninjas behind Seimei instinctively step back.

But then, something astonishing happened.

Before the water could fully disperse, Seimei swiftly formed new hand seals. With remarkable speed, he unleashed Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!

In an instant, the water coalesced into a massive water dragon.

The dragon shifted direction, bypassing the water wall created by the Mist Jonin, and charged toward the Mist forces in the rear.

"What!?"

The Mist Jonin's eyes widened in shock.

They were no strangers to the Water Dragon Jutsu, but they had never seen someone wield it with such mastery.

Caught off guard, the rear Mist ninjas scrambled to defend themselves. Though they managed to block the attack, their formation fell into disarray.

And this was the opportunity Konoha needed.

Without waiting for instructions, the Konoha Jonin commanded, "Everyone, move in!"

As they spoke, they charged forward several meters.

The rest of the Konoha ninjas followed closely behind.

Soon, the Konoha forces had crossed the central battlefield, advancing toward the Mist ninjas' second defensive line.

The Mist ninjas had originally set numerous traps and ambushes in this area.

However, after enduring successive strikes from Exploding Water Shockwave and Water Dragon Jutsu, most of those traps had been obliterated.

Now, much of the terrain was submerged under a lake.

Coupled with the dwindling number of Mist ninjas, the remaining defenses were rendered ineffective.

As a result, Konoha's advance was remarkably smooth.

Seimei and a few Konoha Jonin led the charge.

While the Jonin fended off any Mist Jonin attempting to approach him, Seimei bombarded the Mist forces with powerful jutsu.

Although the stronger Mist ninjas managed to block most of his attacks, the psychological impact on the weaker ones was profound.

Combined with Seimei's earlier rampage, the lower- and mid-ranking Mist ninjas grew visibly fearful whenever they faced him.

If it had been just one person, it might not have been a problem.

But the issue was that over half the Mist forces were affected by this fear.

This had a significant impact on their overall combat effectiveness.

The outcome of the battle proved this point.

In just a matter of minutes, Konoha broke through the second defensive line within Yujin Harbor.

"Retreat!"

Realizing the line was no longer defensible, the remaining Mist Jonin led their forces back to the third line of defense.

This was the final defensive line within Yujin Harbor.

Beyond it lay the command center.

If this line fell, the Mist ninjas would be left with only two choices: a desperate counterattack or a complete withdrawal from Yujin Harbor.

This grim reality weighed heavily on the Mist forces.

In stark contrast, Konoha's morale soared.

During the Mist retreat, the Konoha Jonin regrouped to strategize their next move.

Time was of the essence, so they wasted no pleasantries. One Jonin, sporting a fresh scar across his face, asked directly, "Should we surround them?"

By "surround," he meant an all-out effort to annihilate the Mist forces.

But before he could finish speaking, another Jonin objected. "We can't. Our casualties are already high; we can't push them too hard."

Indeed, while Seimei's earlier feats of single-handedly taking down multiple Mist ninjas were impressive, Konoha had also suffered significant losses.

The first defensive line alone had cost them dearly to break through.

This was the Mist's home turf, and they had prepared extensively before Konoha's arrival.

It was only after Seimei killed six or seven Mist Jonin in quick succession that the Mist's elite forces suffered a sharp decline, reducing Konoha's losses in subsequent engagements.

In this context, launching a full-scale surround risked provoking the Mist into a desperate fight.

Although this could result in heavy Mist casualties, Konoha would undoubtedly suffer greatly as well.

The group descended into heated debate.

Some argued that eliminating the enemy's fighting strength was paramount, while others believed completing the mission to secure Yujin Harbor was sufficient, without unnecessary sacrifices.

Ultimately, the temporary leader—an older Jonin—made the final decision. "We'll encircle them on three sides and leave one escape route."

Seeing discontent on some faces, he calmly added, "The war is almost over. I think most of us would prefer to see peace finally arrive."

His meaning was clear: they should prioritize their own survival.

The number of Mist ninja killed didn't matter as long as they achieved their objective.

Reluctantly, those in favor of full encirclement conceded.

The elder Jonin nodded and said, "Alright, let's move out according to the original groups!"

With that, the Konoha forces divided into three groups and advanced toward the Mist's final line of defense.

Given the short distance of the defensive line, they weren't concerned about a surprise attack from the Mist.

If anything, Seimei and the others hoped the Mist would counterattack.

Unfortunately, the Mist ninjas weren't foolish enough to take the bait.