Chapter 295: Swift Resolution

Quietly standing still, Qing Ming watched the Root ninjas silently surround him, not moving a muscle. Without hesitation, they lifted their hands to form seals, preparing to activate the Binding Formation to restrain him.

Usually, a lone ninja needs to prepare four sealing charms in advance to use the Binding Formation, making it ideal for ambushes. However, when four individuals perform the technique together, they can skip the preparation and instantly immobilize any target within the formation. Clearly, they intended to strike first.

Unfortunately for them, Qing Ming wouldn't give them the chance.

The moment they raised their hands, he took a step forward, his body blurring into a shadow that appeared in front of one of the Root ninjas in a blink.

Swish! A flash of his blade.

His short sword, swift as a striking viper, stabbed directly at the Root ninja's heart. Although these Root operatives were fearless in the face of death, they weren't keen on dying needlessly. Realizing he might not have enough time to complete the technique before death, the ninja immediately aborted his seals and stepped back.

But something seemed off; despite deciding to abandon the technique, he moved a split second too late, lingering just a moment longer.

And then—

Squelch! The sound of blade meeting flesh.

A flicker of surprise crossed the Root ninja's face beneath his mask. Looking down, he saw Qing Ming's short sword buried in his chest.

"What happened?" he wondered, puzzled.

Looking up, he met the sight of Qing Ming's blood-red Sharingan.

Instantly, he understood. He'd fallen under a genjutsu.

Qing Ming had used the Sharingan to cast an Illusory Sword Technique, distorting his perception so that what he saw was ever-so-slightly delayed. That minuscule delay in abandoning the jutsu gave Qing Ming the opportunity he needed to take his life.

Schlick! Qing Ming withdrew his short sword, dodging a barrage of kunai and shuriken thrown by the remaining Root ninjas.

He also evaded the self-destruction attempt of the wounded ninja.

Yes, self-destruction.

The ninja, realizing he was fatally wounded, immediately activated a hidden explosive tag on his body, hoping to take Qing Ming with him. But with the Sharingan, nothing escaped Qing Ming's notice.

With a quick step back, he dodged the blast.

Boom! A loud explosion shattered the silence, and the Root ninja was engulfed in flames, briefly illuminating the dark surroundings.

In the glow, Qing Ming observed the expressions of the remaining Root operatives. Yet, he found no trace of anger or sadness over their comrade's death—only cold, indifferent stares.

"A tool for missions, huh," he murmured, brushing off a few incoming kunai with his sword.

Despite catching them by surprise and taking down one, the others were now on guard, making them harder to defeat.

"Unless…"

His hand instinctively went to his left eye. Unless he used Heavenly Subjugation, he'd struggle to swiftly take them all down.

But he'd already used Heavenly Subjugation several times in this battle, and using it again would tax his body considerably. It would also bring his left eye closer to blindness. He couldn't forget how Sasuke later burned through his Mangekyo's power, pushing it to the limit until he faced vision loss.

Qing Ming didn't want to suffer the same fate. However… if he continued dragging this out, unforeseen complications might arise. In other words, the longer this took, the greater the risk.

Qing Ming wanted to end the fight quickly, knowing the longer they fought, the more likely they could transmit information back—something he was determined to prevent. Additionally, his chakra reserves were running "low," and he couldn't afford continuous draining.

So, after weighing his options, he resolved to end this quickly.

As for his eyesight… based on his calculations, he only needed two or three more years before his Mangekyo Sharingan would evolve. After that, blindness wouldn't be a concern.

Resolving himself, Qing Ming rushed toward the Root ninjas.

The Root ninjas met him head-on without hesitation, and a fierce clash erupted immediately.

Clang! Clang! The sound of clashing short swords and kunai filled the air in rapid succession.

While he'd committed to using Heavenly Subjugation to end this quickly, he still aimed to conserve his ocular power as much as possible. He only needed to activate it at the critical moment, using it to evade a lethal attack and counter with a decisive strike.

Simply keeping Heavenly Subjugation active throughout the fight was wasteful and might even tip off his opponents to its workings.

Although he doubted they could devise an effective countermeasure, he still preferred caution.

Clang! Blocking another attack, Qing Ming's gaze sharpened, and he activated his Mangekyo Sharingan.

His eyes transformed from the three-tomoe Sharingan to an unusual pattern resembling black suns.

With the Mangekyo's enhanced insight, he saw the astonished expressions in the pupils of two Root ninjas. They had no idea why his eyes had changed, or what it meant.

And they would never have the chance to find out.

Instead of immediately using Heavenly Subjugation, Qing Ming cast the Genjutsu: Sharingan technique, pulling one of the Root ninjas' consciousness into a mental trap. Then, he used the Sharingan's hypnotic power to immobilize the other.

Thud! Thud! Two kunai flew from his hands, striking the fixed targets.

Without waiting for confirmation, Qing Ming vanished using Heavenly Subjugation, his body flickering out of existence as if he'd dissolved into bubbles.

In that instant, the kunai-wielding Root ninja behind him struck where Qing Ming had been standing, only to slice through air.

The sensation of hitting nothing put the Root ninja on high alert, and he frantically scanned his surroundings for Qing Ming's true form. Then, a cold shiver ran down his spine.

Without hesitation, he reversed his grip on his kunai and swung behind him.

In his peripheral vision, he saw Qing Ming standing behind him, his short sword arcing toward his neck.

"Good… just in time!" The Root ninja barely registered the thought before his kunai sliced through thin air, the strike missing once more.

Meanwhile, Qing Ming's sword landed squarely on the Root ninja's neck.

plz support me if you can.

patreon.com/Mano99

all the fanfic is 30 chapter a had and you will get 1 chapter everyday.