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Standing before the archive room door, Seimei looked at the two Iwagakure Anbu ninjas, now fully ensnared in a genjutsu. He reached out and removed their masks.
After studying their faces carefully, he formed hand seals and cast the "Shadow Clone Technique."
Poof! Poof!
Two puffs of chakra smoke dispersed, and two figures appeared in the clearing.
Seimei nodded at the shadow clones.
The two clones immediately formed seals, using the "Transformation Technique" to take on the appearance of the two Iwagakure Anbu.
Seeing this, Seimei nodded in satisfaction and handed over the masks.
The clones reached out, took the masks, and put them on.
In an instant, two guards identical to the originals stood in their place.
Without needing instructions, the shadow clones took up the positions of the Iwagakure Anbu, assuming their guard duties outside.
Seimei shifted his focus, activated the Byakugan in his brow, and scanned the door.
With its powerful insight, he easily spotted the small mechanisms and traps set inside.
He reached out, carefully pushing the door open, then pointed his index finger. A chakra thread shot out, wrapping around the mechanisms and traps, disabling them silently.
Only after this did he step inside.
Of course, he didn't forget to bring the two unconscious Iwagakure Anbu with him.
Click.
The door closed behind him.
Leaving the Anbu standing by the door, Seimei opened his ninja tool pouch and pulled out a small flashlight.
With a gentle flick, he turned it on, its beam illuminating a small area nearby.
Yes, just a small area.
This was deliberate, to avoid anyone outside noticing anything suspicious.
It was clear Seimei had thought through every detail for this mission.
With everything in place, it was time to find what he came for.
With that thought, he scanned the room.
The room had bookshelves lining three walls, except for the side with the door. The shelves were packed from top to bottom with books and scrolls.
This left little space for standing, let alone moving around.
Seimei abandoned the idea of creating more shadow clones to help search.
Stepping forward, he started with the left bookshelf, carefully examining each book and scroll for any mention of Dust Release.
To be cautious, he didn't touch anything with visible titles or archive labels, simply glancing over them.
For those without visible labels, he checked carefully before opening them to confirm their contents.
This made his progress slow.
Fortunately, it was the middle of the night, and he had plenty of time.
Time ticked by, minute by minute.
Nearly three hours passed in a flash.
It was now just before dawn.
Seimei had worked his way from the left side of the room to the right, scanning nearly every book and scroll, but found nothing.
He couldn't help but feel a growing sense of urgency.
Inhale… exhale…
Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Seimei forced himself to calm down.
He turned and approached a corner of the room, eyeing a pile of books and scrolls stacked there.
Compared to the neatly arranged items on the shelves, these looked unremarkable, even dusty, as if untouched for ages.
Honestly, Seimei doubted he'd find what he was looking for here. Dust Release was too important to be buried in what looked like a pile of junk.
He was already giving up, his mind shifting to where he'd search next, but an unwillingness to overlook even the smallest chance kept him from moving on.
And it was this persistence that paid off.
Yes, in this unassuming pile of books and scrolls, he found what he was after.
Opening one scroll, he saw it was filled with corrections and scattered notes on balancing Fire Release and Earth Release.
Another scroll detailed the interplay of restraint and enhancement between Wind Release and Fire Release.
Moving quickly, Seimei sifted through the pile, pulling out dozens of books and scrolls, all related to the fusion of Wind, Earth, and Fire Release.
Others might be confused by these, but having independently developed several kekkei genkai, Seimei recognized them instantly as notes on developing Dust Release.
That's right—while he hadn't found a Dust Release training method, he'd stumbled upon its development logs.
And in Iwagakure, who else could these belong to but the creator of Dust Release, the Second Tsuchikage, Mu?
In other words, he'd found Mu's experimental notes.
They might not let him learn Dust Release step-by-step, but they'd provide significant help.
In fact, they might be even more valuable than a straightforward training method.
Sure, a proper Dust Release training method would save him detours, but it would likely be a long, gradual process.
Given Dust Release's danger, its creator would have prioritized the safety of future practitioners, guiding them slowly.
But with these experimental logs, Seimei could adjust the process to his own pace and level.
That's why he believed their value might surpass a standard training method.
Overjoyed, Seimei pulled a sealing scroll from his ninja pouch and packed all the books and scrolls into it.
Phew…
Letting out a long breath, he was about to leave.
But just then, urgent footsteps approached from a distance.
With his Mental stat at 29 and having mastered the "Spirit Transformation Technique," Seimei's perception far surpassed that of typical sensory ninjas.
Even through a door and some distance, he sensed something off.
At the same time, his shadow clones outside, posing as guards, sent him a warning via the "Mind Communication Technique."
"What's going on?" Seimei wondered.
"Everything was fine just a moment ago. Why are people suddenly showing up?"
"Shift change?"
"No, based on the clones' observations, these guys don't seem friendly!"
"It depends on whether it's just this group or if there are others."
"If it's just them, it's manageable."
"But if there are more…"
Thoughts raced through his mind as he activated his Byakugan again.
In an instant, everything within a one-kilometer radius came into view.