Chapter 158: Eager for Merit (Part 2)
It turns out that when Chōza Akimichi and three Konoha Jōnin were besieging Kuriarare Kushimaru, forcing him to flee in embarrassment, the Mist ninja began to desperately cover Kuriarare Kushimaru's retreat. As the captain of ;Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu, Might Duy didn't have the time to focus on the three of them.
Moreover, as others have commented, with Koshino around, the "incompetent" team led by Might Duy was considered elite! Without Koshino, Might Duy's team still bore the "incompetent" label, and in the eyes of other Konoha teams, they were seen as useless!
Almost the moment they stepped onto the battlefield, under Might Duy's leadership, Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu not only faced the pressure from the Mist ninja but also had to constantly watch out for their Konoha comrades!
What were Might Duy, Might Guy, and the others considered? Just a team labeled as "useless," who would regard them as important comrades from the same village? So, not only did they have to confront the Mist ninja in front of them, but often when other Konoha teams were in danger, the first thought of these so-called Konoha comrades was to drag Might Duy, Might Guy, and their team down with them. Over time, Might Duy and Might Guy might not have felt much about it, but could Genma Shiranui and Ebisu swallow this?
Then, as the Mist ninja began to desperately cover Kuriarare Kushimaru's retreat, some brave Konoha comrades held their ground against the Mist's desperate assault.
But the actions of those cowardly Konoha ninja were utterly disgraceful! One moment, when the Mist ninja weren't yet desperate, these cowardly guys at most attracted the Mist's attention, directing it towards Might Duy, Might Guy, and their team.
But the next moment, as soon as the Mist ninja started their desperate assault, these cowardly guys simply treated Might Duy, Might Guy, and their team as cannon fodder, not only causing Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu to suffer minor injuries but also leaving Might Duy with hideous wounds on his arms and thighs from the Mist's tidal wave-like attack!
"Damn it, we can't go on like this!"
"If we can't prove our strength, we won't die at the hands of the Mist ninja, but at the hands of those so-called 'comrades'!"
"Genma, Captain Duy seems like he can hold on for a while longer, you have to think of something!"
"This time, in the battle against the Mist ninja, we've been holding the advantage so far."
"But if one day our side falls into a disadvantage, won't these so-called 'comrades' just push us into the fire pit, sending us to our deaths?"
Hearing Ebisu's words, Genma Shiranui gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing red locked onto the retreating Kuriarare Kushimaru in the distance. He then turned to Might Guy and Ebisu beside him and said:
"Might Guy, Ebisu was right just now!"
"When Koshino was around, it was fine, but without Koshino, no one really respects us!"
"To eliminate the risk of being betrayed by our comrades, we can't rely on Captain Duy to become tough; we can only prove our team's 'elite' status ourselves!"
"Now, the Mist ninja's commander is being besieged by Lord Chōza Akimichi and is basically at the end of his rope!"
"Let's go! We'll hunt down that Mist ninja commander. If we can seize this achievement, no one in the village will look down on our team anymore!"
"Let's go together!"
"Alright! Genma!"
Listening to Genma Shiranui's words, Might Guy and Ebisu, who had been cruelly abandoned by their comrades, nodded without hesitation.
Immediately, under Genma Shiranui's lead, Might Guy and Ebisu left Might Duy behind, their eyes fixed solely on Kuriarare Kushimaru as they hurriedly withdrew from the battlefield.
And within Koshino's line of sight, he naturally couldn't hear what Genma Shiranui, Might Guy, and Ebisu were saying.
Seeing Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu pursue Kuriarare Kushimaru, aside from their eagerness for merit, Koshino couldn't possibly guess the psychological activities of Might Guy and the others.
But it was precisely their pursuit of Kuriarare Kushimaru that made Koshino secretly curse the three of them as fools!
Who is Kuriarare Kushimaru?
He's someone even Koshino couldn't easily defeat, a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist!
Setting aside the severity of Kuriarare Kushimaru's injuries, and whether the Mist Village has reinforcements to aid his escape,
consider the strength of Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu. Even if Kuriarare Kushimaru is severely injured, he could easily kill them.
The fact that Might Guy and the others went to pursue Kuriarare Kushimaru is tantamount to a death wish!
Therefore, upon realizing that Might Guy and the others were chasing Kuriarare Kushimaru, Koshino didn't even have time to inform Shikaku before disappearing from the spot using the Wind Body Flicker Technique.
Fortunately, under Shikaku's protection, Koshino had already recovered his chakra.
Aside from a bloodstain on his arm, Koshino was basically at his peak fighting strength, so rescuing Might Guy and the others was not a problem.
Meanwhile, as Koshino pursued Might Guy and the others, who were in turn chasing Kuriarare Kushimaru, the battle between Konoha and the Mist in the rear had ended.
Konoha had successfully breached the third line of defense of the Mist, just one step away from resolving the conflict within the Land of Fire.
However, Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu, after a long chase, finally caught up to Kuriarare Kushimaru.
But almost as soon as they caught up, a cruel smile appeared on Kuriarare Kushimaru's masked face!
"Hehehe!"
"Just three little Konoha brats, daring to chase me!"
"Fine!"
"Today, all three of you will die!"
The maniacal laughter echoed through the forest, causing Might Guy and the others to brace themselves for battle.
However, just as Koshino had thought, how could Kuriarare Kushimaru be someone Might Guy and the others could handle?
If it were the Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu from the original story, even several Kuriarare Kushimaru would be doomed.
Unfortunately, the current Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu were far from their original story counterparts in strength.
So when Kuriarare Kushimaru counterattacked, there was only one outcome for Might Guy and the others: death!
"Genma, watch out!"
After much effort, Might Guy barely dodged Kuriarare Kushimaru's attack, only to see Genma Shiranui and Ebisu suffer severe injuries!
In a single exchange, Kuriarare Kushimaru's ghostly figure forced Might Guy back!
And when the long blade, Nuibari, descended, flowers of blood bloomed from Genma Shiranui and Ebisu's chests!
It was from that moment that Might Guy suddenly realized how laughable their pursuit of Kuriarare Kushimaru had been!
The only thing Might Guy and the others could feel fortunate about was that when Genma Shiranui and Ebisu were both defeated by Kuriarare Kushimaru, a blue figure suddenly appeared beside Might Guy!
At that moment, just as Kuriarare Kushimaru was about to strike Might Guy, and almost as the long blade, Nuibari, was about to slash Might Guy's throat, the blue figure suddenly vanished from the spot!
In the next second, with a "buzz" a brilliant wind blade appeared, and Koshino stood proudly in front of Might Guy, forcibly blocking Kuriarare Kushimaru's long blade, Nuibari!
"Might Guy, don't be afraid!"
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