บท 43: Chapter 43: Targeted
After killing the two Iwagakure Chunins, Qing Ming took a brief rest, ready to assist Ryo-suke and Shizuko Mizutani in finishing off the remaining Iwa ninja. However, at that moment, a faint whistling sound came from the side. Instinctively, Qing Ming stepped back, just in time to avoid a kunai that streaked past him.
Qing Ming quickly turned his head toward the direction from which the kunai had been thrown.
There, he saw an Iwagakure Jonin breaking away from the battle with the Konoha Jonin and slowly approaching him.
Qing Ming's expression stiffened as he cursed inwardly, "Damn it! Not playing by the rules, huh? You send in the big guns after the small fry?"
Before, it had been acceptable when Chunins were sent after him after he'd killed some Genin—there wasn't a huge gap in skill between them.
But now, sending a Jonin after him? That seemed a bit excessive.
Qing Ming threw a pleading look at Furukawa, the Konoha Jonin.
However, Furukawa merely glanced briefly in his direction, discreetly signaling for him to stall for time before turning back to his own fight.
Seeing this, Qing Ming gave up hope immediately.
"Relying on others is useless!" he thought.
Taking a deep breath, Qing Ming steadied his mind and began analyzing the advantages and disadvantages between himself and the enemy.
First of all, he still had a decent amount of chakra left.
In the previous fights, he hadn't used many ninjutsu techniques, so his chakra consumption had been minimal. Right now, he had about 1,500 points of chakra remaining.
That was already more than most Chunins had at full capacity, and it would be enough to support him in a fight.
Secondly, his Sharingan had yet to be revealed.
If used correctly, it could turn the tide of the battle at a critical moment.
This meant he had a hidden trump card, which gave him more confidence in facing the opponent.
Finally, and most importantly, this opponent was probably not a true Jonin. Otherwise, Furukawa wouldn't have expected him to buy time.
Based on his usual display of strength and the bursts of power he had shown while taking down enemies, Qing Ming knew he wasn't capable of standing up to a real Jonin.
But since Furukawa had asked him to stall, that meant it was within his capabilities.
Considering his current level of strength, the most he could handle was likely a Tokubetsu Jonin (Special Jonin).
In other words, this opponent was probably a Tokubetsu Jonin.
With that realization, Qing Ming felt much more confident. The initial tension of facing a Jonin melted away.
Facing a fully capable, battle-hardened Jonin would have been daunting, but if the opponent was just a specialist in certain skills like a Tokubetsu Jonin, Qing Ming believed he could handle it.
But first, it was best to move away from this battlefield.
That way, if he had to reveal his Sharingan, he could minimize the risk of exposing himself to others.
With that thought, Qing Ming immediately used the Body Flicker Technique and dashed toward the outskirts of the battlefield.
Seeing this, the Iwagakure ninja, Baishi Sōto, let out a sinister laugh and quickly followed in pursuit.
The two of them—one chasing and the other fleeing—soon left the main battle area.
A few minutes later, somewhere in the forest...
Qing Ming was sprinting through the woods when several kunai flew at him from behind. He twisted his body to avoid them, and the kunai embedded themselves in the trunk of a tree ahead, emitting a sizzling sound.
Looking closely, Qing Ming saw that one of the kunai had a paper bomb attached to it, its fuse burning and about to explode.
"Not good!" Qing Ming thought, quickly leaping backward.
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted, with red flames engulfing an area several meters wide.
The shockwave from the explosion spread rapidly, shaking the nearby trees with audible creaks.
A moment later, the sound of coughing came from the smoke and dust.
Through the haze, a figure could be seen struggling to rise.
Suddenly, a kunai shot through the air, pinning the figure in place.
"Ahh!"
A scream of pain echoed as the figure slumped down.
Perched on a tree branch, Baishi Sōto retracted his hand and gazed coldly at the scene.
But then, several shuriken flew out from the smoke, heading straight for Baishi Sōto's face.
"Hmph! A futile trick."
With a snort, Baishi Sōto swiftly drew the short sword hanging at his waist. In the next instant, the sound of clashing metal filled the air as he deflected all the incoming shuriken with ease.
As the smoke cleared, Qing Ming emerged from behind a tree, and the clone he had left behind dissipated.
This shadow clone, created using the Clone Jutsu, was only useful for causing brief confusion when visibility was poor.
But in a head-on fight?
It wasn't going to cut it.
Baishi Sōto shifted his gaze from the dissipated clone to Qing Ming, his expression intrigued. "So, you finally decided to show yourself, kid?"
Qing Ming remained silent.
Baishi Sōto's grin faded as he raised his short blade slightly. "Kid, are you ready to meet your death?"
As he spoke, a powerful killing intent radiated from him.
For someone with a weak will, facing such murderous intent could cause them to give up fighting entirely.
But who was Qing Ming?
He had long resolved to transcend this world, and his ambitions far surpassed the confines of one village or one nation. He wouldn't be swayed so easily. Perhaps if it were Orochimaru, that might be a different story.
Seeing Qing Ming remain unfazed, Baishi Sōto finally took him seriously, regarding him as an opponent worthy of respect.
The wind continued to rustle through the trees.
The two stood—one on a tree branch, the other by the trunk—close yet neither making a move or speaking, simply staring at each other, as if they would keep watching until dawn.
Suddenly, a leaf fell, momentarily obscuring Qing Ming's vision.
In the blink of an eye, a sharp gust of wind came from the side. Without thinking, Qing Ming dropped into a crouch.
The short sword cut through the air above his head, and Baishi Sōto's strike missed its mark. Without hesitation, Baishi Sōto reversed his grip on the blade and slashed diagonally toward Qing Ming's right neck.
The sharp aura emanating from the blade stung Qing Ming's cheek.
In that critical moment, Qing Ming raised his right arm, using his kunai to block Baishi Sōto's short sword.
However, Baishi Sōto's face broke into a sinister smile.
Sensing something was wrong, Qing Ming immediately tried to pull back.
But it was too late.
A crackling sound filled the air as a flash of lightning appeared.
Sizzling blue lightning erupted from Baishi Sōto's hand, coursing along the short sword and into Qing Ming's kunai.
Qing Ming's right hand went numb, and the kunai slipped from his grasp, clattering to the ground.
Baishi Sōto seized the opportunity, slashing with his short sword. Though Qing Ming dodged as much as he could, the blade still grazed his chest.
The intense pain made Qing Ming grunt in agony.
The smell of burning flesh soon followed.
Without needing to look, Qing Ming knew that the wound on his chest had been seared by the lightning chakra infused into Baishi Sōto's short sword.
The only silver lining was that he wouldn't have to worry about bleeding out anytime soon.
Was Baishi Sōto being kind?
Of course not.
While the lightning chakra had indeed cauterized his wound, it also paralyzed his body, leaving him momentarily helpless.
At this point, Qing Ming could no longer afford to hide. With a thought, he activated his Sharingan.
In an instant, his pupils turned from black to blood red, and a pitch-black tomoe spun rapidly within them.
Without time to weave hand signs, Qing Ming directly unleashed the hypnotic ability of his Sharingan.
For a brief moment, when their eyes met, Baishi Sōto's expression shifted from disbelief to confusion.
Qing Ming knew this control wouldn't last long.
Kicking off the ground, he quickly retreated while pulling several shuriken from his tool pouch and throwing them with all his strength.
plz support me if you can.
patreon.com/Mano99
all the fanfic is 30 chapter a had and you will get 1 chapter everyday.
สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง