Chapter 156: Reflection Before Battle
After all, in the first round of their encounter, Koshino couldn't injure Kushimaru Kuriarare, and Kushimaru Kuriarare didn't gain any advantage either! From this, it's clear just how terrifyingly Koshino has progressed in his recent training.
Back then, Koshino relied on his explosive power, his spiritual energy nearing a "qualitative" change, and the S-rank secret technique, Shadow Realm Descent, developed through his skills, to barely achieve a hard-fought victory against Biwa Jūzō and Fuguki Suikazan, two members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, with the help of Uchiha Shisui.
At this moment, Koshino wasn't in the best condition, given that he and Uchiha Shisui had just faced off against more than twenty Mist ninja, many of whom were Jonin.
Additionally, Uchiha Shisui suffered from the backlash of a genjutsu and was heavily injured by Kushimaru Kuriarare, practically becoming a burden.
So, for Koshino to fight Kushimaru Kuriarare to a draw while protecting Uchiha Shisui shows just how much Koshino has improved.
On the other hand, Kushimaru Kuriarare failing to kill Koshino immediately is truly a bad sign.
Because as early as when Shikaku was formulating the battle plan, the Blade Squad, consisting of Koshino and Uchiha Shisui, was merely the vanguard of the Konoha side!
Now, with Kushimaru Kuriarare unable to deal with Koshino and Uchiha Shisui's Blade Squad, and with more than twenty Mist ninja already dead, even if Kushimaru Kuriarare is one of the top members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, known as part of the Merciless Duo, does he have the strength to defeat the Konoha forces led by Shikaku?
The answer is, of course, no!
Then, as Konoha's reinforcements approached, Koshino, for the sake of future battles, began to use the Fourth Hokage's "Acceleration" secret technique to engage in hit-and-run tactics.
In Koshino's mind, with the reinforcements led by Shikaku and Chōza, there was no need for him to focus on killing Kushimaru Kuriarare.
The task of killing Kushimaru Kuriarare could be left to the incoming allies.
Thus, convinced that Kushimaru Kuriarare was facing certain death, Koshino, using the "Acceleration" technique, was practically toying with Kushimaru Kuriarare. After a few quick movements, Koshino, carrying Uchiha Shisui, returned to the Konoha forces, leaving Kushimaru Kuriarare gritting his teeth, his eyes filled with anger.
But there was nothing he could do.
The large Konoha forces clearly posed a threat to Kushimaru Kuriarare's life.
Just dealing with the immediate crisis was already Kushimaru Kuriarare's limit.
After that, he could only watch as Koshino and Uchiha Shisui's figures disappeared, and with gritted teeth, he ordered the remaining Mist ninja in the third line of defense to launch a counterattack.
Konoha vs. Mist!
The truly intense battle of the Third War officially began the moment all the Mist ninja left their defenses!
Back to Koshino.
Hastily returning to the Konoha ranks with Uchiha Shisui on his back, Shikaku and Chōza soon appeared before Koshino.
Noticing Uchiha Shisui's dire condition at a glance, the medical ninja unit quickly came to provide support.
Once Uchiha Shisui was taken away by several medical ninja, Shikaku finally had the time to ask Koshino about the battle at the front: "Shadow, how did the mission go?"
"Lord Shikaku, over twenty Mist ninja were completely annihilated, but then Kushimaru Kuriarare appeared, causing trouble for Swift and me!"
"Oh? Kushimaru Kuriarare, so what was the outcome of your encounter with him?"
"It was just a draw. Swift was injured in the previous fight with the Mist ninja, so we couldn't kill Kushimaru Kuriarare."
"Hmm, you did well, considering that Kushimaru Kuriarare is quite a troublesome opponent!"
Listening to Koshino's report, Shikaku nodded silently, then gestured to Chōza.
Clearly, with the temporary loss of the Blade Squad's edge, dealing with Kushimaru Kuriarare would now rely on Chōza's strength.
Upon seeing Shikaku's gesture, Dingza didn't hesitate for a moment either.
The Blade Squad, composed of Koshino and Uchiha Shisui, was performing so flawlessly that it inadvertently put some pressure on Shikaku and Dingza. If, despite the perfect performance of the Blade Squad, the Konoha side still couldn't secure victory, it would only reflect Shikaku's incompetence. This would also mean that his friend Dingza would face some difficulties upon returning to the village.
Fortunately, with over twenty Mist ninja brutally killed, Konoha's victory was almost assured.
After confirming that Koshino's injuries weren't severe, Shikaku personally began to protect him, allowing him to recover chakra in the heat of battle. Undoubtedly, Koshino, who hadn't lost his combat ability, remained Konoha's trump card. If Koshino could regain his strength and replicate his previous brilliant performance, Shikaku could achieve a near-perfect victory with minimal losses on Konoha's side.
Hearing Shikaku's instructions, Koshino, much like Dingza earlier, began to restore his chakra without any hesitation.
In the previous battle, Koshino had indeed expended a significant amount of chakra.
When dealing with those twenty-plus Mist ninja, Koshino had used up more than half of his chakra. If Konoha's reinforcements had arrived any later, Koshino might have had to overextend his chakra reserves against Kurisame Tsurumaru just to safely return with Uchiha Shisui to Konoha's camp.
Now, with Shikaku leading the reinforcements, Koshino could finally let go of his burdens and focus on recovering his chakra with ease.
However, just as Koshino finished restoring his chakra and regained his peak combat strength, he used wind perception to survey the battlefield ahead. To his shock, he found that Konoha's forces hadn't managed to crush Kurisame Tsurumaru's Mist ninja troops despite the advantage created by the Blade Squad. A look of astonishment flashed across Koshino's eyes!
"Are you kidding me?"
"Over twenty Mist ninja from the third line of defense were killed by Shisui and me, yet Uncle Shikaku's forces still haven't gained the upper hand?"
"And why is it that even with Uncle Dingza joining the battle, Kurisame Tsurumaru is still active on the battlefield?"
"Could this be the true terror of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?"
"The ability to change the course of the battle?"
Koshino was undeniably shocked upon realizing that the reason Konoha's forces couldn't dominate the Mist ninja, despite having the advantage, was due to Kurisame Tsurumaru.
Especially using wind perception, Koshino sensed Kurisame Tsurumaru wielding the Longsword: Nuibari, slaughtering Konoha's ninja as if mowing grass. The lightheartedness Koshino felt was instantly overshadowed by a sense of foreboding, and even his gaze toward Shikaku became somewhat peculiar.
In contrast, Shikaku seemed to have anticipated Kurisame Tsurumaru's terrifying performance. Even as he watched Konoha's ninja fall one by one, his eyes remained indifferent.
It was Shikaku's indifferent gaze that made Koshino's heart tighten.
Recalling the past battles against Biwa Juzo and Fuguki Suikazan, Koshino realized that compared to Kurisame Tsurumaru, they were worlds apart.
After reflecting, a troubling thought emerged in Koshino's mind. Amidst the fierce clash between Konoha and the Mist ninja, Koshino couldn't help but become distracted, silently pondering:
"Even a single Kurisame Tsurumaru can be so terrifying on the battlefield, and Uncle Shikaku seems accustomed to his game-changing performance!"
"What about the other members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist? Could each of them possess strength equal to or greater than Kurisame Tsurumaru?"
"If that's the case, how did Biwa Juzo and Fuguki Suikazan appear so mediocre back then?"
"That's it!"
"The Biwa Juzo and Fuguki Suikazan we defeated with the Blade Squad must have been clones created by Lord Madara using some secret technique!"
"Damn it!"
As Koshino silently reflected, a look of panic suddenly appeared in his eyes! The next second, especially when his gaze fell on Konoha's base in the rear, the panic in Koshino's eyes intensified even more!
"The true conspiracy of the Mist ninja might be Rin!"
"Even if Uncle Shikaku can capture the Mist's third line of defense, I'm afraid..."
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