Chapter 70: Separated
In the silent dense forest, a deafening explosion suddenly echoed, startling birds and beasts into scattering.
After the explosion, Koshino was left alone to deal with Hozuki Mangetsu. Meanwhile, Yūhi Kurenai and Tatami, who had just escaped past the Mist Ninja's defensive line, suddenly wore grim expressions.
Especially Yūhi Kurenai.
Having never undergone special ANBU training, Yūhi Kurenai already felt that abandoning a comrade was a disgraceful act.
Now, hearing the fierce battle behind them and catching a glimpse of the rising smoke from the corner of her eye, she couldn't help but show a worried expression.
She turned to Tatami beside her and asked, "Tatami, is it really okay for us to leave Shadow behind? Facing a Mist Ninja Jonin outside their defensive line, Shadow..."
"Shadow will be alright, won't he?"
"We have no choice but to trust Shadow."
After a few seconds of silence, Tatami gritted his teeth, feeling the same torment as Yūhi Kurenai.
But there was no other way. Having barely escaped the Mist Ninja's defensive line, Tatami, who was once part of the ANBU, knew that even if Kakashi were their captain, he might have given the same order as Koshino.
Thus, Tatami forced himself to calm down, managing a composed smile as he said to Yūhi Kurenai, "Kurenai, our main task now is to quickly regroup with the main forces.
Only then can we think of a way to rescue Shadow. With just the two of us, it's already difficult to face a few Mist Ninja Chunin, let alone a Jonin."
"Let's just hope Shadow can hold on a bit longer, and we must also speed up our pace."
"As long as Shadow can hold out until our rescue, everything will be fine!"
"Mm!"
Listening to Tatami's reassurance, Yūhi Kurenai also understood the importance of the bigger picture.
Yet in her heart, Yūhi Kurenai still felt unwilling, especially recalling how she and Sarutobi Asuma had once underestimated Koshino. Her heart was filled with guilt.
However, Tatami's feelings weren't much better than Yūhi Kurenai's.
Others might not know Koshino's identity, but having once been in the same ANBU unit as Koshino, Tatami certainly knew.
At just four years old, Koshino was tasked with executing dangerous missions for the ANBU, and now faced the ruthless Mist Ninja alone when the mission was on the verge of failure.
Whenever Tatami thought of Koshino's age and identity, he felt utterly useless.
So, while fleeing with Yūhi Kurenai and Sarutobi Asuma, Tatami couldn't help but clench his fists, s
ilently praying for Koshino to hold on, and resolved to train diligently, determined not to drag Koshino down in the future.
Koshino, at just four years old, was already so exceptional.(TN: I always forget he's 4, just ridicules)
Tatami, you're much older than Koshino. Are you willing to be a useless person?
Unbeknownst to him, Koshino's presence had sparked some changes in Tatami, who was originally quite ordinary in the original storyline.
It's uncertain whether these changes would affect the familiar plot Koshino knew.
As for Koshino? How was his battle with Hozuki Mangetsu going?
"Thud!"
That was the scene when the explosive tag had just detonated, completely engulfing Hozuki Mangetsu in the scorching, immensely powerful explosion.
Since Koshino was trapped by Hozuki Mangetsu's Water Prison Technique, when the explosion erupted, Koshino, even though he wrapped himself in wind chakra,
clumsily used the Fourth Hokage's defensive secret technique to prevent the terrifying explosion from harming him.
However, Koshino was just too close to Hozuki Mangetsu.
Coupled with Koshino's lack of expertise in the Fourth Hokage's defensive techniques, this directly resulted in Koshino being caught in the explosion's impact. He was sent flying, covered in dust and dirt.
It wasn't until Koshino crashed into a tree behind him that his body finally fell to the ground with a thud.
Struggling to open his eyes, he peered through the dissipating mist to see the situation ahead.
When Koshino saw that Hozuki Mangetsu's figure had completely vanished from sight, he took a deep breath and shifted his gaze to his own body. Looking at his disheveled state, he thought to himself, "What a hard-fought victory!"
"If I hadn't used Shadow Doppelganger early on, sticking an explosive tag on Hozuki Mangetsu's ankle with a shadow clone, I might have been the one to die."
"Hmph! Announcing your name so early, Hozuki Mangetsu, did you really think I wasn't wary of your clan's secret techniques?"
"It's a pity I don't know Kakashi's Chidori or Raikiri. Otherwise, I would have used lightning chakra against you instead of relying on explosive tags."
"And I even got myself injured!"
Thinking to himself, Koshino tried to move his body, but a sharp pain shot through him, causing him to gasp.
"The injuries are really severe!"
"There are multiple wounds on my body that need immediate attention."
"Especially that last attack from Hozuki Mangetsu, it nearly hit my internal organs. I must find some medicine!"
"As for the burns, they're a minor issue."
"However, treating my injuries is secondary right now. The explosion surely attracted the Mist ninja's attention, so I need to escape quickly!"
Time was pressing, and Koshino didn't have the luxury to tend to his wounds or check if Hozuki Mangetsu was truly dead. With a swift movement, he vanished from the spot.
Indeed, as Koshino had thought to himself, his victory was hard-earned.
His body was covered in numerous wounds. While none were fatal, they caused him to bleed continuously.
Especially the near-fatal injuries on his shoulder and chest, which led to significant blood loss, leaving Koshino in a constant state of dizziness.
Moreover, the explosion had added to his injuries, and if not treated promptly, despite his victory over Hozuki Mangetsu, Koshino's life would still be in danger.
Yet, there was truly no time for healing. Koshino could only hastily wrap some medical bandages to stop the bleeding while escaping using chakra.
The explosion he used to deal with Hozuki Mangetsu was too loud, and he was already near the Mist ninja's defensive line.
If he didn't escape in time, he would be waiting for the Mist ninja to surround him.
Fortunately, Koshino still had some chakra left, allowing him to use the Fourth Hokage's secret Wind Instantaneous Body Technique to travel, disappearing swiftly into the dense forest.
By the time the Mist ninja arrived at the scene, all they found were the traces of Koshino and Hozuki Mangetsu's battle.
With Koshino having perfectly erased his tracks, the pursuing Mist ninja could only return to their defensive positions.
However, despite this, several Mist ninja squads continued to search for Koshino's traces, hoping to capture him for disrupting their defenses.
On Koshino's side, though heavily injured, he managed to escape the Mist ninja's pursuit, thinking he could finally rest.
Unexpectedly, while Koshino was recuperating, his injuries and the continuous dispatch of Mist ninja squads didn't cause him much trouble.
Instead, it was his complete separation from Kurenai and Tatami that became Koshino's biggest concern!
"Damn it!"
"The map is with Kurenai, and Tatami was the one guiding me!"
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