"That bastard..."
Thud!
As the maniacal laughter echoed throughout the cave, Kakashi, connected to Koshino's mental communication, cursed out a single word before suddenly collapsing to the ground!
It was clear that after losing all his chakra to the Samehada, Kakashi became the second member of the Sharp Blade Squad to lose the ability to fight, following Fierce.
Kakashi's fall sent a jolt of dread through Koshino and Shisui Uchiha, doubling the pressure they were already under.
But what could they do about the increased pressure?
They were up against members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist!
And Juzo Biwa hadn't even made a move yet—it was just Kisame Hoshigaki!
In the first encounter, Fierce loses his ability to fight.
In the second, Kakashi was drained of all his chakra, becoming a burden to the squad.
With two members of the Sharp Blade Squad out of commission and becoming liabilities, the situation for Koshino and Shisui had grown perilous.
At this moment, the only thing Koshino could feel remotely relieved about was that although Kakashi had lost all his chakra, he hadn't been physically injured!
"Shunshin, we have to come up with a plan!"
"We haven't even seen our enemy's face, and yet Fierce and Lightning are already down!"
"The biggest threat to us right now is clearly the Bloody Mist Technique used by that ninja named Juzo Biwa!"
"Shunshin, do you have any ideas on how we can counter this Bloody Mist Technique? Right now, it's just the two of us!"
Through their mental link, Koshino clung to the last remnants of hope and asked Shisui for a solution.
Unfortunately, Shisui's response was only silence.
Silence might have been tolerable, as it was still within Koshino's mental capacity to handle.
But after a brief pause, Shisui's next words about the Bloody Mist Technique were what truly shocked Koshino.
"Shadow, breaking the Bloody Mist Technique is beyond my capability."
"And I have more bad news for you."
"The bad news is that the effects of the Bloody Mist Technique might be targeting only us! Haven't you noticed? Not only were the ones who attacked Lightning and Fierce unaffected, but even those who used the Water Release jutsu against us didn't seem to be hindered by it!"
"Every move we make is being tracked by the enemy!"
"What?"
Hearing Shisui's words, Koshino couldn't help but twitch his lips in shock!
Originally, Koshino had thought that the Bloody Mist Technique was just an upgraded version of the Hiding in Mist Technique, something that could at most disrupt his wind-based sensing.
But who could have imagined that Juzo Biwa, as a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, had created such a terrifying technique?
Not only could it block the enemy's sensing and perception abilities, but it also enhanced the detection capabilities of their own side!
Under the effects of such a broken technique, Koshino questioned whether their Sharp Blade Squad even had a chance of escape.
The answer was yes but with conditions!
The first condition was that Koshino's wind chakra nature transformation would have to break through the second stage barrier, allowing his to use wind-based sensing like the Fourth Hokage!
If his wind sensing could rival the Fourth Hokage's, then not just the Bloody Mist Technique but even more advanced perception-blocking techniques would be within his power to overcome!
The second condition was that reinforcements from Konoha would need to arrive, interrupting Juzo Biwa's Bloody Mist Technique!
The third condition was that the Sharp Blade Squad would need a Hyuga Clan member to use the Byakugan to break through the effects of the Bloody Mist Technique!
In summary, the conditions for breaking the Bloody Mist Technique were beyond the capabilities of the Sharp Blade Squad!
So, after finishing his exchange with Shisui, even Koshino felt a creeping sense of despair.
However, Koshino's despair wasn't the kind that made his give up and wait for death like an ordinary person who loses hope.
Koshino's despair was the kind that broke through another barrier!
Fine! Is there really no way to escape from the enemy in front of us?
Then I'll abandon the limits I've held for so long, give up the goal of survival at all costs, and fight to the death against these Mist ninjas!
Boom!
In the moment that Koshino "despaired," abandoning his desire for survival, a brilliant blue chakra suddenly erupted from his entire body!
Clearly, as a transmigrator, Koshino's overwhelming desire to survive had, in a sense, become a barrier limiting his growth. Now, in the face of extreme despair and his willingness to break through this limit, that long-standing barrier shattered, unleashing a hidden potential that had lain dormant within him!
On the other side, as Koshino's potential surged forth, Kisame Hoshigaki, who had earlier drained the chakra from Fierce and Kakashi using the Samehada, noticed the sudden burst of chakra from Koshino's body, and a glint of greed appeared in his eyes!
"Hahahaha! I thought these kids' chakra didn't taste very good, but now some real delicacies have arrived!"
"An interesting little brat, able to unleash potential even in the face of despair!"
"Alright!"
"Let Samehada have a taste of your chakra, and let you have the honor of being the first to die at my hands!"
Whoosh!
With these thoughts, his eyes gleaming with greed, Kisame disappeared into the Bloody Mist.
Just as Shisui had observed earlier, within Juzo Biwa's Bloody Mist, the Mist ninjas weren't hindered in any way in terms of perception or detection!
Spotting Koshino, whose body was now "ablaze" with blue chakra, Kisame moved at high speed, reversing his grip on Samehada's hilt and hefting the massive blade as he charged toward Koshino!
"Samehada! Devouring Slash!"
Swish!
Without a doubt, under the cover of the Bloody Mist, with Kisame's skill in stealth and assassination, there was no reason for him to miss!
Kisame was fully confident, especially against Koshino, whose wind-sensing abilities were now useless. As he moved to within half a meter of Koshino, Kisame licked his lips, savoring the thought of the delicious chakra he was about to consume.
But something suddenly changed as the Samehada in Kisame's hands was about to slice into Koshino's shoulder!
Kisame's gaze locked onto Koshino's, piercing through the Bloody Mist!
What kind of gaze was that?
What kind of madness lay in those eyes?
Kisame asked himself—he had only ever seen such a gaze that seemed to pierce through the very soul of another in the Mizukage's eyes!
The eerie, terrifying look in Koshino's eyes, which left Kisame feeling a rare chill, caused him to hesitate for a split second, halting the downward swing of Samehada!
Taking advantage of Kisame's brief pause, Koshino felt a strange sensation welling up inside him!
In that instant, as Kisame hesitated, a sharp sound pierced the air!
In the next moment, before Kisame could fully comprehend what was happening, a streak of blood-stained wind cut across his face, following the path of Koshino's slashing kunai!
"What... what was that?"