Seeing his companion killed, the Root ninja who had just dodged the water shark bullet wasted no time and immediately turned to flee.
It wasn't out of fear or cowardice—such emotions had long been eradicated in the minds of Root members, thanks to their extensive "self-elimination" training.
His escape was driven by one purpose: to relay the intelligence from this battle.
Unfortunately for him, while his movements were fast, they were no match for Qingming.
Almost the instant the Root ninja turned to run, Qingming executed the "Instant Blade Technique", cutting off his path and appearing directly in front of him.
Caught off guard, the Root ninja reacted without hesitation. He swung his kunai in an attempt to slash Qingming's throat.
The attack was swift and fierce—an ordinary ninja would likely have been overwhelmed.
But Qingming was no ordinary ninja. With his Sharingan fully active, he easily predicted the attack and tilted his head slightly, dodging it with ease.
The Root ninja immediately leaped back, creating some distance between them while simultaneously launching several kunai aimed at various points on Qingming's body.
Qingming's three-tomoe Sharingan was pushed to its limits.
To him, the incoming kunai moved as if in slow motion.
He deftly dodged two of them and prepared to evade the rest.
It was then that he noticed something unusual: attached to the kunai were fine, nearly invisible steel wires.
These wires, treated with a special coating, reflected no light even under the sun's rays.
On closer inspection, Qingming realized the wires were laced with poison, emitting a faint, distinctive scent.
Had it not been for his Sharingan's heightened perception, the trap might have gone unnoticed until it was too late.
This trap, now fully in motion, formed a massive web between the kunai, ready to ensnare its prey. If Qingming entered the web, his movements would be severely restricted.
No matter how fast his Instant Blade Technique was, he would still become a fish caught in a net or a bird in a cage, unable to escape.
"Tch, such underhanded tactics," Qingming muttered, contemplating his options.
Logically, having spotted the trap, he should have avoided it entirely.
But Qingming had no intention of doing so.
After scanning the surroundings and confirming no one else was nearby, he charged straight into the web without hesitation.
Even the Root ninja who had set the trap was taken aback by Qingming's action.
The trap wasn't designed with the expectation that Qingming would fall for it. With his Sharingan, it was almost certain he would see through the setup.
The trap was merely a stalling tactic, meant to buy enough time for an escape.
To his shock, Qingming charged in like a reckless novice.
"Could this be some kind of trick?"
The Root ninja hesitated momentarily but acted on instinct.
He tightened his grip on the steel wires and swiftly manipulated them. The poison-laced web contracted, its gaps narrowing to the point where no human could pass through.
Qingming was effectively trapped.
Unless he could forcibly tear apart the steel wires, escape was impossible.
Satisfied, the Root ninja wasted no time. He planted two kunai into the ground to secure the wires, freeing his hands for a final strike.
With a flurry of hand signs, he unleashed a powerful fire-style jutsu, spewing flames that engulfed the entire web along with Qingming inside.
Seconds passed.
One second. Two seconds.
Several heartbeats later, the flames still crackled, but no movement came from within the web.
It was as if there was no one inside.
A chilling realization crept into the Root ninja's heart.
Without hesitation, he ceased the jutsu, extinguishing the flames.
The steel web was empty.
His pupils contracted sharply as panic set in. He turned to flee, but it was already too late.
The moment he turned, a pair of peculiar, black sun-like eyes met his gaze.
It was the Mangekyo Sharingan.
In an instant, an overwhelming mental force dragged him into an illusionary realm.
The Root ninja struggled, attempting to break free.
But under the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan and its Genjutsu: Sharingan, resistance was futile.
Yes, Qingming had activated his Mangekyo Sharingan.
When he first noticed the poisoned web, he had two choices: retreat or use a counter-strategy.
He chose the latter.
Although Qingming preferred to avoid revealing his Mangekyo Sharingan, especially in front of others to minimize exposure, he wasn't one to shy away from using his tools when necessary.
Retreating would have prolonged the fight, which could have attracted unwanted attention or complications. He hadn't forgotten the underground base on this island—who knew how many enemies were still lurking inside?
Qingming wasn't willing to take that gamble or waste additional time.
So, he decided to feign falling into the trap, luring the Root ninja into attacking.
At the critical moment, Qingming activated his Mangekyo Sharingan and used Heavenly Passage, phasing through the poisonous web and flames to appear behind the Root ninja.
By the time the ninja realized something was wrong, it was already too late.
A simple Genjutsu: Sharingan was all it took to incapacitate him.
Standing before the immobilized Root ninja, Qingming wasted no time. He delved into the man's memories through the illusion, extracting the information he needed.
Minutes ticked by.
Seven or eight minutes later, Qingming ended the interrogation.
Reopening his eyes, he glanced at the headless corpse in the distance, then at the captive still trapped in the genjutsu, and muttered, "So, it really is connected to Danzo."
From the start, Qingming had suspected this secret base was linked to Danzo.
Now, it was confirmed.
Through the Root ninja's memories, Qingming learned these two were sent by Danzo to protect the facility. They were also responsible for capturing test subjects for its experiments.
As for why Danzo's men were guarding Orochimaru's base, the answer was simple. Orochimaru had not yet severed ties with Root at this point.
His experiments weren't hidden from Danzo, and with Orochimaru busy managing the Rain Country's affairs, he had little time to oversee this island.
Thus, a partnership was naturally formed.
Qingming didn't care about their schemes; his only concern was that his trip hadn't been in vain.
Though the Root ninja wasn't involved in the research itself, his memories confirmed the base did contain the knowledge Qingming sought.
Moreover, Qingming now knew the locations of the two entrances: one hidden on the island, the other underwater. Both were well-concealed.
On top of that, he had mapped out the base's defenses, trap layouts, and overall structure from the ninja's memories.
Armed with this intelligence, infiltrating the base would be a simple task.
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