Thump, thump, thump~
Heavy, rapid footsteps echoed through the forest as Old Purple approached. Each step he took left a charred pit in the ground, and any nearby plants or trees would instantly catch fire from the intense heat radiating off him. At this moment, Old Purple was like a fire deity incarnate, exuding a terrifying aura that made him seem invincible.
Observing the thick layer of magma armor covering Old Purple's body, Qingming furrowed his brow, instantly dismissing any notion of direct contact with him. Stowing his short sword, Qingming used the Body Flicker Technique to move quickly into the crowd of Iwa shinobi.
Seeing this, Old Purple roared, "Get out of my way!"
With that, he pursued Qingming. The Iwa shinobi scrambled to clear a path, fearful of the enraged Old Purple.
But Qingming wasn't about to let them disperse so easily. Pivoting his body, he charged directly at the Iwa shinobi who had moved aside.
Nagashima Tomohisa quickly caught onto Qingming's intention and immediately ordered the Iwa shinobi to attack while simultaneously using hand signs to cast a jutsu to stop Qingming from advancing.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~
Several rock spikes suddenly shot up from the ground, aiming directly at Qingming's vital spots and blocking his path. It looked like Qingming had nowhere to escape. But he had ventured into this battlefield well-prepared.
Activating his Sharingan to its fullest, Qingming saw the rock spikes' movement as though it were in slow motion, allowing him to evade them with ease. He effortlessly dodged the kunai and other weapons thrown by the Iwa shinobi.
The Sharingan's power was fully displayed in this chaotic situation as Qingming darted into the crowd.
Pandemonium broke out among the Iwa shinobi.
Watching from behind, Old Purple repeatedly tried to launch an attack, but seeing the Iwa shinobi surrounding Qingming, he restrained himself. As a jinchūriki, many in the village already held a prejudice against him. If he recklessly unleashed his power here, potentially harming his allies, it could incite a backlash.
The thought of such a scenario made Old Purple shiver. Words can be the sharpest of weapons, and even with a strong heart, being vilified by everyone around him would be unbearable. Moreover, the village possessed methods to subdue him. If he truly angered the masses, it might even force Ōnoki himself to act, and that would be disastrous.
With this in mind, Old Purple's attacks slowed down noticeably. Qingming quickly sensed this change in his opponent, and a sly smile appeared at the corner of his lips. Everything was unfolding as he had planned. The presence of the Iwa shinobi indeed forced Old Purple to hold back, unable to unleash his full strength.
All Qingming needed to do now was buy time until Minato Namikaze arrived.
Time ticked by. The Iwa shinobi became more scattered, and it took Qingming longer to move from one location to another. This opened up more opportunities for Old Purple to attack, and Qingming grew increasingly wary.
Boom~
Another magma sphere hurtled toward him. Qingming dodged swiftly and retaliated with his own jutsu—the Wind Release: Wind Blade! This was the only jutsu he had that could potentially injure Old Purple; its sharpness allowed it to slice through his magma armor. Initially, Qingming had managed to catch Old Purple off guard with this technique, leaving a shallow wound on him. But now, it only served as a distraction.
With a thought, Old Purple summoned more chakra to reinforce the magma armor facing the Wind Blade. The blade struck, producing a shrill sound, but failed to penetrate the magma armor. As the blade dispersed, Old Purple sighed in relief and resumed his pursuit.
Why not dodge? Simple—the magma armor enhanced Old Purple's attack and defense but restricted his movement speed. The Wind Blade's speed left him no choice but to endure it. This made it Qingming's primary means of delaying him.
Several minutes later, the battle between Old Purple and Qingming escalated. With no more Iwa shinobi around, Qingming had to face Old Purple alone. And without the need to hold back, Old Purple unleashed a relentless barrage of large-scale magma-based jutsu.
In no time, the area around them had transformed into a molten wasteland, littered with flames and flowing magma, which severely restricted Qingming's mobility. Only the sharp perception of his Sharingan allowed him to seize any gap in Old Purple's attacks to dodge. Otherwise, he might have already been defeated.
Of course, to kill him was another matter altogether. With Qingming's current strength, there were only a few people in the shinobi world capable of killing him—and Old Purple was certainly not one of them. If not for his opponent's mastery of Lava Release, which severely countered his fighting style, and the magma armor preventing his Sharingan's genjutsu, Qingming would not be so cornered.
This battle made him realize something crucial.
"Perhaps it's time to start developing a third chakra nature."
Which one to develop? Previously, Qingming had intended to focus on Lightning Release, hoping to use it to strengthen his body further. Now...he was leaning toward Water Release. If he encountered similar opponents in the future, it would at least give him a better chance.
The thought of it fueled his resolve. Qingming hated being restrained like this. Water Release jutsu were also known for their wide range, allowing him to alter the battlefield to suit his needs, given sufficient chakra.
The thoughts flickered briefly through his mind before he refocused, continuing his clash with Old Purple. The Sharingan's insight, combined with his agility, meant that while he couldn't overpower Old Purple's full-on assault, he could still avoid harm. And while Old Purple's defenses held against Qingming's attacks, he was unable to land a decisive blow.
Thus, the battle reached a stalemate.
Time passed, and as Qingming's patience started to wear thin, a commotion arose among the Iwa shinobi surrounding the area. Soon, a figure appeared.
The newcomer was none other than Minato Namikaze.
Looking at the chaotic battlefield, Minato nodded at Qingming and said, "Sorry I'm late. Things were difficult in the north; I had to go there first."
Qingming had anticipated this. A short while ago, he'd sensed the violent chakra of the Five Tails in the north, and Minato's absence had confirmed his suspicions. This was why he had held on for so long. Otherwise, he would have left, rather than exhausting himself in this drawn-out fight with Old Purple.
He wasn't here to take a beating for anyone else.
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