"What was that?"
"Was that a Wind Release jutsu?"
Feeling the pain on his cheek and the warm blood slowly trickling down, Kisame Hoshigaki, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and the wielder of the Samehada, was completely stunned. He stared at Koshino with disbelief.
At this moment, even Kisame couldn't fully comprehend whether the wound on his face had really been caused by the young shinobi in front of him.
Confusion filled Kisame's eyes as he replayed their previous exchange in his mind.
How did that kid even see me?
Did he manage to see through Juzo Biwa's Bloody Mist Technique?
Impossible!
The Bloody Mist Technique was a secret technique created by Juzo Biwa himself. How could a mere child see through it?
And how did that kid manage to inflict a wound on my cheek when his kunai clearly didn't make contact with my body?
Was this some sort of illusion, or was it real?
As Kisame locked his puzzled gaze on Koshino's slender figure, a barrage of questions left the experienced Mist shinobi completely bewildered.
Little did Kisame know that Koshino was equally baffled.
When Kisame charged toward his with the massive Samehada, ready to slash down on his frail figure, Koshino, having shattered the "shackles of survival," had only one thought: to fight Kisame to the death!
And just like that, as if the "shackles of survival" had truly broken, a latent potential, previously restricted within Koshino, suddenly erupted!
Under the dense cover of the Bloody Mist, Koshino actually "saw" Kisame's massive form!
Then, as Kisame loomed over him, ready to strike with the Samehada, Koshino, now unleashing his potential, held onto a single, simple idea:
Infuse his kunai with Wind Release chakra, transformed to its utmost limit!
Using Wind Release chakra, refined to its peak, he could enhance the lethality of his kunai and deliver a fatal blow to the enormous Kisame!
Focusing intently on Kisame, Koshino channeled the extreme form of Wind Release chakra.
At the very moment, Kisame's Samehada began its downward arc, Koshino's eyes narrowed slightly as he swung his kunai toward Kisame!
Under normal circumstances, the action of swinging a small kunai in the face of a giant like Kisame would seem laughable.
Koshino's kunai was just a short, ordinary blade—did he think he was wielding a sword?
Even without Kisame's formidable size, there was no way Koshino's kunai could reach him.
Moreover, the sheer length of the Samehada was far beyond what a simple kunai could hope to match!
So, when Koshino faced off against Kisame, who wielded the massive Samehada, he was already at a disadvantage in terms of reach. But who could have anticipated that just as Koshino's kunai began its slow descent and Kisame's Samehada was about to absorb the brilliant blue chakra that enveloped him, there was a sudden whoosh!
The razor-thin, incredibly sharp Wind Release chakra extended the reach of his kunai at that very moment!
A blade of wind, emanating from Koshino's kunai slashed across Kisame's face before he could bring down the Samehada!
Even as crimson blood oozed from the cut on Kisame's cheek, the wind blade continued to hum and resonate, still clinging to Koshino's kunai!
With his hand gripping the now-transformed kunai tightly and his eyes able to "see" Kisame's form through the mist, a confident smile slowly crept across Koshino's face.
"Maybe... maybe even I don't fully understand how I saw through the Bloody Mist Technique!"
"Maybe... maybe even I don't know exactly how the Wind Release chakra on my kunai changed!"
"But now, I only need to understand one thing!"
"And that is, with the power I now possess, I just might be able to lead the Sharp Blade Squad out of this crisis!"
"If that's the case, then what's the point of overthinking it?"
"Right now, I need to focus on one thing: killing every Mist ninja in front of me and leading the Sharp Blade Squad to safety!"
Boom!
A burning resolve filled Koshino's eyes.
At that moment, Kisame noticed that the brilliant blue chakra enveloping Koshino had become even more intense!
But Koshino didn't give Kisame any time to react. Taking advantage of the moment when his shackles were fully shattered and driven by his unyielding resolve to save his team, Koshino disappeared once more from Kisame's sight just as he noticed the change in his chakra!
"Wind Body Flicker!"
Whoosh!
This was the Wind Body Flicker, a secret technique of the Fourth Hokage!
Seizing the opportunity to capitalize on his initial strike against Kisame, Koshino, with eyes full of determination, didn't hesitate to use the secret technique passed down by the Fourth Hokage to confront Kisame head-on!
Moreover, as Koshino once again used the Wind Body Flicker, even though there wasn't much time to reflect, he felt a profound, almost mystical understanding emerge within his mind.
If before, Koshino had only been mimicking the technique recorded in the Fourth Hokage's secret scrolls, merging herself into the "wind," now he wasn't just merging into the wind—she was mastering it!
As Koshino unleashed the Wind Body Flicker, Kisame Hoshigaki saw something incredible.
In Koshino, Kisame seemed to see the shadow of the Fourth Hokage!
In other words, Koshino had broken through the second stage barrier of Wind Release chakra nature transformation!
The secret technique he now wielded could rival even that of its original creator, the Fourth Hokage!
Under the power of the Fourth Hokage's unique technique, did Kisame even have time to dodge?
The answer was no!
The Fourth Hokage's Wind Body Flicker may not be invincible, but it wasn't something just anyone could counter!
Moreover, Kisame, as one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, was not known for his speed.
So, when Koshino used the Wind Body Flicker, Kisame saw his figure flicker and disappear. Even within the Bloody Mist, which normally granted him perfect vision, Kisame found himself unable to track his movements. By the time Kisame realized what had happened, Koshino had already appeared behind him!
In the next second, as Koshino's kunai came slashing down, the extended wind blade cut deep into Kisame's back!
"Die!"
Boom!