Qingming's move was both swift and sudden.
Not only did Karu fail to react in time, but even his teammates were caught off guard, leaving them unable to provide support. Qingming had to finish the job himself.
As predicted, even though Qingming's "Sharingan Genjutsu" had reached perfection, without the Mangekyō Sharingan, it still couldn't hold a Jōnin for long with an instant release. And if the Jōnin was particularly strong and prepared, the illusion would fail even faster.
Karu was precisely such a Jōnin.
He only hesitated for a moment before breaking free from the genjutsu.
By then, Qingming had already closed in and was thrusting his short sword.
In a split second, Karu grabbed Qingming's sword.
With a loud boom, a surge of chakra erupted from Karu's palm, and the short sword shattered into countless fragments.
Holding the now bare hilt, Qingming was momentarily dumbfounded.
Honestly, he had never encountered something like this before. The fight hadn't even officially started, and his main weapon was already destroyed.
Seeing Qingming's bewildered expression, Karu wasted no time and immediately hurled the shattered fragments towards Qingming's face. At the same time, he stepped forward and closed the distance.
His left hand clenched into a fist, explosive chakra surging around it, and he aimed a powerful punch at Qingming's abdomen.
If this blow landed, Qingming would surely suffer severe injuries.
Fortunately, even though Qingming was momentarily stunned by his sword's destruction, he had still been paying close attention to Karu's movements.
As soon as Karu threw the sword fragments, Qingming instinctively activated his Sharingan, analyzing every subsequent move in detail.
This included Karu's feint punch.
Ignoring the flying fragments, Qingming stepped hard to the side, narrowly avoiding Karu's fist.
Even so, the shockwave from Karu's punch caused Qingming to stagger a few steps back.
Clearly, even if the punch missed, the explosive nature of Karu's attacks still had a significant impact. This only heightened Qingming's wariness.
On the other side, before Qingming could regain his footing, Karu pressed forward again, launching a flurry of punches with both fists.
Not only that, but Karu also learned from his previous mistake—he no longer looked directly into Qingming's eyes. Though this made his attacks less precise,
With the power of his Explosive Release, accuracy was less of a concern. As long as he could land a blow, the result would be the same.
And indeed, that was the case.
Faced with this wild barrage of attacks, Qingming had no choice but to keep dodging. He couldn't afford to let Karu land even a single hit.
Moreover, the special nature of Explosive Release meant that Qingming couldn't risk engaging in close combat. A single misstep could result in a shattered limb.
This was the first time Qingming found himself so cornered.
Not that he was in immediate danger—with his fully evolved three-tomoe Sharingan, such "slow" attacks couldn't truly threaten him. But the sense of being on the back foot, unable to counter, was frustrating.
Being unable to retaliate while constantly dodging was not a pleasant feeling.
So, after avoiding several more punches, Qingming reached into his pouch and pulled out a kunai.
Now, he wasn't entirely powerless.
Thanks to the enhanced perception of his Sharingan, he could spot openings between Karu's attacks and counter with his kunai. The fight quickly shifted from a one-sided pursuit to a back-and-forth duel.
Meanwhile, the Konoha Jōnin accompanying Qingming wasn't just standing by idly. He had already engaged the other Iwagakure ninja, doing his best to keep them from getting closer.
That's right—the Iwa ninjas had already caught up during the scuffle.
Qingming spared a glance at the other battle. Although the Konoha Jōnin was skilled enough to hold his ground, facing multiple opponents meant that it was only a matter of time before he would be overwhelmed.
We can't drag this out.
With that thought in mind, Qingming ducked under one of Karu's punches and seized the opportunity to thrust his kunai straight towards Karu's heart.
Only a lethal strike would force Karu to retreat.
As expected, sensing the danger, Karu quickly pulled back to avoid the attack.
Without hesitation, Qingming spread his left hand, summoning a dense ball of chakra into his palm.
It was the Rasengan—an A-rank jutsu requiring no hand seals.
Not wasting any time, Qingming lunged forward, driving the Rasengan towards Karu's chest and abdomen.
The intense threat from the Rasengan made Karu retreat once again, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Seizing the moment, Qingming leaped backward, putting some distance between them. His hands flew through a series of seals, conjuring a transparent blade of wind between his palms.
This was none other than the advanced jutsu he had copied from Shoji—Wind Release: Wind Blade.
After days of practice, Qingming had nearly mastered the technique. Now, it was second nature to him.
This fast, powerful, and nearly invisible wind jutsu was perfect for dealing with someone like Karu.
As expected, Karu, who couldn't look directly at Qingming, failed to notice the attack immediately.
By the time he realized the danger and moved to dodge, the wind blade had already grazed his arm, leaving a deep, bone-exposing gash.
Qingming pressed his advantage, continuing to widen the gap between them. His hands quickly formed more seals, and he unleashed a massive fireball from his mouth.
It was the signature jutsu of the Uchiha Clan—Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
Feeling the intense heat approaching, Karu rolled to the side, barely dodging the attack.
Boom!
The fireball exploded, sending waves of scorching heat and shockwaves outward, forcing Karu into a series of evasive maneuvers.
With this key disruption, Karu was no longer able to close the distance. Qingming could finally breathe easier.
Now came the time for Qingming to start "kiting."
Without worrying about his chakra consumption, Qingming began weaving hand signs at a dizzying speed, launching a series of jutsus: Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu, Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu, Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu, and Wind Release: Wind Blade.
He also tossed several shuriken and kunai, some with explosive tags attached, to further press his advantage.
Thanks to the Sharingan's extraordinary predictive abilities, Qingming's attacks grew increasingly precise, making it harder and harder for Karu to defend.
The constant barrage left Karu frustrated.
Worse still, he couldn't look directly at Qingming for fear of being caught in another genjutsu.
Finally, after another wind blade left a cut across his body, Karu chose to retreat.
His hands flew through a set of seals, activating the Earth Release technique he had used earlier during the chase. He bent low, and his body sank into the ground, disappearing from sight.
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