Backtracking to a few minutes prior...
As Qingming closed his eyes to process the training experiences and memories from his shadow clones, Uchiha Tetsuka unexpectedly noticed signs of Mist Village shinobi.
And not just a small reconnaissance boat—four massive warships, each capable of carrying a hundred men, had appeared. Under normal circumstances, these ships, especially of such size, would have been visible from afar. Yet somehow, they were only spotted when they were within two hundred meters.
After a careful assessment, Qingming's shadow clone confirmed that, like the forces led by Setsuka a month earlier, the enemy ships were concealed by a layer of ice crystals, rendering them invisible by bending light.
As if to confirm his suspicions, Setsuka soon appeared on one of the Mist Village warships, accompanied by several shinobi. Spotting this, Qingming instantly instructed Uchiha Tetsuka and the others to retreat while he stayed behind to intercept the enemy. Knowing he was only a shadow clone, Tetsuka and the team didn't hesitate to accept this plan and immediately began rowing back toward their base.
However, despite the clone's capabilities, the sheer number of enemies made it difficult to buy enough time without risking injury, and Setsuka quickly realized something was amiss. Acting swiftly, he ordered several Mist shinobi to engage the shadow clone at the cost of sustaining injuries, effectively breaking the clone.
This is the memory that Qingming then received.
...
On the rocky shore, Qingming processed the memory and immediately summoned a new shadow clone, sending it back to the base to assemble the forces for defense. Meanwhile, his true self dashed in the direction of Uchiha Tetsuka and the retreating team.
Ten minutes later, Qingming spotted Tetsuka and the others. Despite the clone's attempts to slow the enemy, another group of Mist shinobi had managed to catch up with them.
Tetsuka's team had abandoned their boat, retreating while skirmishing with their pursuers, inching ever closer to the rocky shore. It was clear they understood that reuniting with Qingming was their best chance at survival.
Qingming's timely arrival was met with a surge of morale among the Konoha shinobi, who immediately fought back with renewed vigor.
Conversely, the Mist shinobi's expressions shifted to dread upon seeing Qingming stride over the waves—his reputation clearly preceded him. However, duty and orders kept them from retreating, and they could only hope their reinforcements would arrive quickly.
A glance from Qingming confirmed that the Mist warships were still some distance away. Wasting no time, he joined the battle.
In an instant, he activated "Flash Sword Technique" and closed the distance to one of the Mist shinobi. After extensive practice, Qingming's Flash Sword Technique had improved from level 5 to level 6, only one step away from mastery. The effect was significantly stronger than it had been a month ago.
The unfortunate Mist shinobi was decapitated in a single slash before he could react.
This brutal display sent a chill through the remaining Mist shinobi.
Qingming seized the opportunity, casting "Sharingan Genjutsu" and ensnaring one of the Mist shinobi. His figure blurred, activating Flash Sword once more to reach his target.
One of the shinobi noticed Qingming's approach and raised his kunai in defense, attempting to parry the incoming strike.
However, in his line of sight, Qingming's blade shifted from a slash to a piercing thrust aimed directly at his heart. At the last moment, the Mist shinobi twisted to intercept the strike.
A glint of steel flashed, and he felt a sharp pain at his throat—a fatal strike had already landed.
As he staggered back, he could only utter a choked, strangled sound, "Ugh...ghk..."
Qingming remained impassive, withdrawing his bloodstained blade.
The shinobi's failure to defend himself wasn't purely due to skill. During his attack, Qingming had briefly cast "Phantom Blade Technique," creating a subtle illusion that threw off the opponent's sense of timing, leaving him vulnerable to the killing blow. Even a mid-tier jonin wouldn't have fallen so easily under normal circumstances.
He sensed his enemy's life force quickly fading and moved on.
Activating Flash Sword, he appeared beside the genjutsu-entranced Mist shinobi.
Swish—a gleam of steel.
With a swift motion, he slit the shinobi's throat, cutting down yet another opponent.
In the blink of an eye, three Mist shinobi lay dead at Qingming's feet. His ruthless efficiency stunned the remaining Mist shinobi, but their fear didn't stop several from abandoning their initial targets to converge on him.
It wasn't bravery alone driving them; they understood that if Qingming continued unchecked, none of them would survive.
Several of their strongest fighters closed in on him.
Unfazed, Qingming swiftly sheathed his sword and formed hand seals, launching his jutsu—Wind Style: Wind Blade!
Having reached mastery, this was the perfect opportunity to test its power.
Swish—a massive, near-invisible wind blade sliced through the air, aimed at an elite jonin. Its speed was nearly instantaneous.
The blade passed through his body, only for him to dissolve into a pool of water.
In the next instant, the jonin emerged from the ocean some distance away, visibly shaken.
Qingming observed him with narrowed eyes, noting the relief on the man's face. In that moment of desperation, he had successfully activated a water substitution jutsu, narrowly escaping with his life.
Only a hardened, battle-scarred shinobi could react with such instinctive precision. Otherwise, given Wind Blade's range and speed, he would've had no chance.
But it was exactly this unpredictability that made combat engaging. Victory was never guaranteed; even weaker opponents could win through ingenuity.
Yet Qingming preferred to overpower his foes, to overwhelm with strength alone.
With this thought, he unsheathed his blade once more, channeling wind chakra into it until it glowed blue. Flash Sword was unleashed once again.
Qingming reappeared before his opponent, his blade slashing straight for the jonin's throat. The jonin, reacting quickly, raised his kunai in a last-ditch effort to block the strike.
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