"Confidence is good, but too much confidence might backfire."
"Shisui and Fierce are probably the most experienced members of the Sharp Blade Squad, right?"
"But... it seems like they've become a bit careless because of their confidence!"
After eliminating the six Mist jonin, Koshino noticed that Shisui Uchiha and the others only briefly checked the bodies before assuming they were truly dead. This left Koshino with an uneasy feeling, and he couldn't help but frown as Kakashi and Fierce dealt with the Mist jonin corpses.
At this point, although Koshino wasn't aware that the Mist jonin had all "revived," he couldn't shake the feeling that Shisui and Fierce were rushing too much, eager to reunite with their Konoha comrades and complete the mission. They seemed to have lost the caution they initially had, now overconfident due to their recent successes.
To begin with, Shisui's handling of the issue of rest and maintaining peak condition as the team leader wasn't ideal.
Even though none of the Sharp Blade Squad members were injured during the fight with the six Mist jonin, they still needed to recover their stamina and chakra, right?
They couldn't just push forward while exhausted, simply to complete the mission faster.
Despite Shisui and Fierce still being in good shape and leading the way with enthusiasm, Koshino and Kakashi, who had already expended a significant amount of chakra, were starting to feel the fatigue. Koshino even found it difficult to keep using the Fourth Hokage's "Speed" technique.
Undoubtedly, Koshino's fatigue was due to his excessive chakra consumption.
While Koshino's overall strength was at the jonin level, his chakra reserves were only comparable to that of an average chunin.
In this state, after using several of the Nara Clan's secret techniques to support Shisui and Kakashi in battle, Koshino needed to recover his chakra fully to keep up with the Sharp Blade Squad's pace.
And it wasn't just Koshino feeling the strain due to low chakra reserves.
Kakashi, who still struggled with chakra management, was visibly exhausted, his forehead and back soaked with sweat from the effort to keep going.
If it weren't for his pride and determination, Kakashi would have already collapsed, unable to stand.
Realizing that Shisui and Fierce's mental states were off, Koshino decided he couldn't afford to stay silent, even if it meant stepping out of his role as the "junior" member of the squad.
She suddenly burst forward with a surge of chakra, appearing in front of Shisui and Fierce.
Frowning, Koshino fixed Shisui with a serious gaze and directly spoke:
"Shunshin, even though we're close to reuniting with our comrades, shouldn't we take a break? To be honest, right now, even traveling is becoming a burden for me, let alone fighting."
"In my opinion, we should restore our energy before meeting up with our allies."
"And to be blunt, if we're ambushed in this state, we could all end up dead at the hands of the Mist!"
"Shadow, watch your words!"
Before Shisui could respond, Fierce interjected with a reprimand:
"Shunshin is our captain, and during a mission, making statements that damage morale—especially at such a critical time—would normally result in punishment! Besides, Shunshin must have his reasons, and you don't have the authority to question them!"
"Hurry back to your position. This time, we'll let it slide, but don't let it happen again, understood?"
It was clear that Fierce wasn't truly angry or intending to punish Koshino but was issuing a warning to remind his of the rules.
The members of the Sharp Blade Squad weren't just superior and subordinate; their repeated battles with the Mist had forged deep bonds between them. Given these bonds, even if Koshino's words were somewhat out of line, Shisui and Fierce wouldn't take offense.
Fierce's intention was to give Koshino a wake-up call, reminding his to understand the ANBU rules better and avoid making such mistakes in front of others, where he might face severe consequences.
Although Koshino appreciated Fierce's good intentions, he remained firm in his stance, stubbornly keeping his eyes on Shisui, waiting for his decision.
Shisui, not one to be difficult, especially after noticing Koshino and Kakashi's deteriorating condition, showed a hint of guilt in his eyes. He quickly turned to Koshino and Kakashi, saying:
"Shadow, Lightning, I'm sorry—I've been a bit too eager."
"You have to understand, leading the Sharp Blade Squad is both a pride and a responsibility. The pressure of that responsibility sometimes makes it hard to consider everything."
"Thank you, Shadow, for snapping me out of it. And of course, you should also thank Fierce."
"Alright, we're only about half a day away from completing the first phase of the mission."
"For now, let's take Shadow's advice and rest for a while."
With that, Shisui and Fierce both smiled and gave Koshino's shoulder a firm pat.
The previous tension quickly dissipated among the Sharp Blade Squad, replaced by mutual understanding.
After Shisui ordered the break, Koshino felt that even his relationship with Kakashi had improved. After all, Koshino's boldness in speaking up was more for Kakashi's benefit than his own. As a result, even the proud and distant Kakashi had to change his attitude toward Koshino.
When the squad resumed their journey, Kakashi walked alongside Koshino and even whispered a "thank you."
Of course, Koshino didn't dwell on these small details, as they were insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
As long as the mission was completed safely and without casualties, Koshino was ready to do whatever it took—even risk his life.
Once everyone had finished resting and Kakashi had fully recovered, the Sharp Blade Squad's pace noticeably quickened. With the mood lightened, Koshino couldn't help but feel relieved, thinking that the squad was in good shape and could handle any unexpected situations.
But who could have predicted that as the Sharp Blade Squad finally approached the rendezvous point set by the Fourth Hokage, a sudden cold wind swept through, causing Koshino's eyes to narrow?
As they moved closer to the designated cave under the chilling wind, an ominous feeling washed over Koshino. Almost instinctively, he shouted out in alarm:
"Shunshin, be careful!"
"It's an ambush!"