Staring at Shinji, Kokushibo's expression froze!
One major reason Sasuke could hound him for three days was that Shinji had been lurking nearby, forcing Kokushibo to hold back from fully engaging Sasuke.
Whoosh, whoosh.
The blizzard on the snowy plains grew fiercer, the howling wind drowning out all other sounds.
Even the shouts of Hidden Stone shinobi just a few dozen meters away were barely audible to Shinji and Kokushibo.
But neither paid any mind to the Hidden Stone shinobi. Their gazes locked onto each other.
"It's about time…"
Shinji muttered to himself, then began walking toward Kokushibo.
Originally, he had planned to conduct the drug test immediately upon encountering him. But seeing Sasuke's relentless pursuit of Kokushibo, and his rapid growth during the chase, Shinji had held off, choosing to observe instead.
Now, with Hidden Stone and Hidden Cloud clearly having reached some kind of agreement, launching a true joint operation with powerhouses like the Third Tsuchikage and Fourth Raikage involved, Shinji decided it was time to act and begin the drug test to avoid any complications.
As Shinji slowly approached, Kokushibo held his breath, focusing intently.
The distance between them shrank, but neither spoke. In the worsening weather, even if they wanted to say something, the other might not hear it clearly.
Soon, the gap closed to ten meters.
To ordinary people, this might seem like a significant distance, but for Shinji and Kokushibo, it was a distance they could cover in an instant. As Shinji took another step, Kokushibo could no longer hold back.
"Moon Breathing, Tenth Form: Drilling Slashes, Moon Through Bamboo!"
Kokushibo leaped forward, swinging his blade, 'Kyokokukamusari,' with devastating force. Countless sword slashes, wrapped in the blizzard's snow and wind, surged toward Shinji like a tidal wave!
Shinji didn't break his stride. Facing the onslaught of blades, he activated 'Susanoo Tomoshibi.'
Clang, clang, clang.
In an instant, the countless slashes struck 'Susanoo Tomoshibi,' sparking a series of piercing metallic clashes!
Kokushibo landed from his leap, his face grim. Against an all-purpose dojutsu like 'Susanoo Tomoshibi,' which excelled in both offense and defense, he had no counter.
As he prepared to turn and flee, several blood blisters suddenly erupted on his body.
The blisters appeared so abruptly that they interrupted his movement, causing him to stumble and half-kneel on the ground, barely supporting himself with 'Kyokokukamusari' plunged into the snow.
To his shock, he realized that what little chakra remained in his body was being absorbed by these sudden blisters. As they consumed more chakra, the blisters grew larger.
"What's happening!?"
Kokushibo was utterly baffled, frantically channeling his fleshly power to suppress the swelling blisters.
Whoosh.
At that moment, the massive golden hand of Shinji's 'Susanoo Tomoshibi' pierced through the blizzard, seizing the half-kneeling Kokushibo.
Before Kokushibo could resist, Shinji fired a specialized needle containing the Type-4 Aging Potion, precisely injecting it into Kokushibo's body.
Once the injection was complete, Shinji commanded 'Susanoo Tomoshibi' to release Kokushibo.
Freed, Kokushibo didn't linger, swiftly vanishing into the blizzard.
Watching Kokushibo's retreating figure, Shinji's lips curled slightly as he followed.
The blood blisters that had erupted on Kokushibo's body were the work of the Koryugan.
After losing his Byakugan, Shinji had used 'Susanoo Tomoshibi' to wield a pair of Koryugan, temporarily filling the void left by the Byakugan.
As it happened, the Koryugan's ability to manipulate blood and create human bombs was particularly effective against demons. Shinji had first used the Koryugan to try turning Kokushibo into a human bomb, then seized the opportunity to inject the Type-4 Aging Potion.
Of course.
Given Upper Moon Two's immense fleshly power, the Koryugan alone couldn't truly turn him into a human bomb. Shinji's goal was merely to briefly immobilize Kokushibo to facilitate the injection.
As expected, Kokushibo quickly suppressed the blood blisters, neutralizing the Koryugan's effect on his body.
However, just as he dealt with that threat, the Type-4 Aging Potion injected into him began to take effect.
Pfft.
Kokushibo suddenly spewed a mouthful of blood, staining a large patch of snow red.
"Damn it, that guy's potion is even stronger than last time!"
Before he could catch his breath, his vision began to blur, his body felt as if it were burning, and even his thoughts slowed.
At that moment, several Hidden Cloud shinobi stumbled upon the fleeing Kokushibo.
"The target's here!"
"He looks injured!"
"Capture him!"
Amid the raging blizzard, the Hidden Cloud shinobi shouted and gestured, reaching a consensus before charging at Kokushibo.
"Die!"
His body rotting and his consciousness fading, Kokushibo refused to give up. Sensing someone approaching, he lunged like a feral demon.
This time, he discarded 'Kyokokukamusari,' tearing into the Hidden Cloud shinobi with his hands and teeth like a true beast, devouring them ravenously.
Shinji, following from a distance, witnessed this scene with a solemn expression.
After a quick assessment of Kokushibo's condition, he concluded that, compared to the Type-3 Aging Potion, the optimized Type-4 seemed to have an additional effect: it impacted the target's sanity.
"Is it a neurotoxin destroying his nervous system, or a blocking agent disrupting bioelectric conduction in his body?"
Shinji mused as he slowly closed the distance.
Perhaps sensing Shinji's approach, Kokushibo, like a startled beast, scrambled on all fours, fleeing into the blizzard!
As he fled, he coughed up blood, his body's surface rot temporarily alleviated by the fresh blood he'd consumed. But as time passed, the newly healed wounds began to fester again.
Shinji trailed behind, observing Kokushibo's condition and evaluating the Type-4 Aging Potion's effects.
Whether by luck or some primal instinct gained from losing his sanity, Kokushibo, under the cover of the intensifying blizzard, somehow slipped through the joint task force's encirclement during their chase.