Qing Ming glanced back at the direction from which the kunai had been thrown. A previously empty rooftop now hosted a ballista and two figures.
However, what made him sense an opportunity wasn't just the sudden appearance of this setup.
He had already noticed the anomaly earlier with his Sharingan; otherwise, he wouldn't have initiated an attack in the first place.
What gave him hope was that this ballista was only guarded by two individuals.
In the past, Kirigakure always stationed three ninja at each ballista: one to guard against his attacks, and two to operate the weapon.
Now, with one person missing, any attempt at a counterattack would be much more difficult.
Seizing the moment, Qing Ming swiftly scanned the area and, confirming that no other ballista was aimed at him, made a decisive move. He turned 180 degrees and charged toward the rooftop again.
The Kirigakure Chūnin who had earlier thrown the kunai to intercept him turned pale upon realizing Qing Ming's sudden return. In a panic, he flung another flurry of kunai.
But such "sluggish" attacks were futile against Qing Ming.
With a slight rotation of his Sharingan and a gentle flap of the chakra wings on his back, he weaved effortlessly through the kunai, akin to a butterfly dancing through flowers.
As the distance between them closed, Qing Ming's hands formed seals at lightning speed, and he unleashed a technique: Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!
Whoosh!
He opened his mouth, releasing a torrent of fire chakra mixed with air.
A blazing dragon of flame spanned over a dozen meters, surging toward the two Kirigakure ninja and the ballista.
"Ahhh!" x2
Two agonized screams echoed.
Engulfed in flames, the two Kirigakure ninja were turned into human torches, writhing in agony.
Simultaneously, the ballista caught fire, its wooden frame igniting instantly.
Yet Qing Ming wasn't satisfied.
Retrieving another kunai from his pouch, he flung it at the burning ballista.
Boom!
A violent explosion followed as the kunai's attached explosive tag detonated.
In a single moment, the ballista was reduced to a pile of unrecognizable debris.
Satisfied, Qing Ming gave a small nod before ascending rapidly into the sky.
By now, however, the time he had spent in action was enough for the other Kirigakure ninja to respond.
All around, camouflaged ballistae shed their disguises, and one after another began firing explosive tag-laden bolts in his direction to block his escape.
Qing Ming's Sharingan spun continuously, capturing every bolt and calculating their trajectories.
With a flap of his wings, he dodged each projectile with ease.
Though the occasional explosion's shockwaves grazed him, they caused no substantial harm.
After evading another round of attacks, Qing Ming rose higher into the air, surveying the ballistae below.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
Among the ballistae, he spotted several stationed with only two Kirigakure ninja each instead of the usual three.
Looking closely, he noticed a Kirigakure commander hastily directing reinforcements to those positions.
"An opportunity!"
Without hesitation, Qing Ming altered his course, descending toward one of the undermanned ballistae.
"Fire!"
"Keep firing!"
The Kirigakure ninja shouted, but loading and firing a ballista took time.
Qing Ming had already flown out of their range once, and the sudden need to reengage left them scrambling.
Taking advantage of this moment, Qing Ming pushed his Wind Release: Wind Wings to their limits. Within three seconds, he was less than twenty meters away.
Wasting no time, he retrieved multiple kunai and hurled them at the closest ballista.
Sparks flickered along the kunai, each one tied with an explosive tag.
This wasn't foresight or luck; it was meticulous preparation over the past few days, finally bearing fruit.
Seeing the incoming kunai, the nearby Kirigakure ninja abandoned their ballistae, frantically throwing kunai and shuriken to intercept.
Qing Ming's lips curled into a faint smile as he formed seals once more.
Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!
In an instant, dozens of flame bullets shot from his mouth, scattering like seeds, raining down on the Kirigakure ninja.
Faced with this barrage, the Kirigakure ninja had no choice but to stop what they were doing and focus on defense.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Qing Ming unleashed consecutive attacks: Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique and Wind Release: Wind Blade, swiftly destroying three ballistae.
One more nearby ballista, though not directly hit, sustained heavy damage and was rendered temporarily inoperable.
Now, the Kirigakure forces had only 16 operational ballistae remaining—one-fourth of their firepower was gone.
With fewer ballistae, their barrage density weakened significantly.
A flap of Qing Ming's wings allowed him to effortlessly dodge a few incoming bolts. With another acceleration, he closed in on yet another ballista.
This time, however, the ballista was guarded by a standard three-man team.
Two of them aimed the ballista at Qing Ming, while the third preemptively launched a Fire Release technique to cut off his advance.
A slender column of fire shot out like a laser, streaking toward Qing Ming with astonishing speed.
Narrowing his eyes, Qing Ming swiftly formed seals, summoning a defensive technique: Water Release: Water Formation Wall!
A towering water wall materialized, intercepting the flame.
Sizzle!
Steam and crackling noises erupted as fire clashed with water.
But just as Qing Ming neutralized the flames, a bolt flew straight at him.
Reacting instantly, he sidestepped the attack.
During the brief window while the enemy reloaded, Qing Ming's hands moved deftly, forming seals for another technique: Wind Release: Wind Blade!
A razor-sharp wind blade sliced through the air, aiming directly at the Kirigakure ninja.
"Watch out!"
The ninja who had just used the Fire Release shouted a warning, but it was too late.
Swish!
The wind blade severed the ballista and the two ninja operating it, cutting them cleanly in half.
"Ryoichi! Haruna!"
Seeing his two comrades fall, the remaining ninja cursed bitterly. With a grim expression, he formed seals and launched a counterattack: Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, aiming it directly at Qing Ming.
As the large fireball approached, Qing Ming's eyes gleamed with amusement.
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