Chapter 166: The Art of Shadow Clones (Part 1)
"Kuriarare Kushimaru ... Kuriarare Kushimaru is dead?!"
A hand formed from shadows crawled upward, and in an unexpected twist for Jūzō and the others, Kushimaru's head and neck suddenly bent into a perfect right angle!
The crisp "crack" sound echoed in their ears, and the chill that accompanied it made Jūzō and his companions feel as if the death of their fellow Mist Ninja Seven Swordsmen member, Kushimaru, was nothing more than an unbelievable illusion! If it were possible, Jūzō and the others would have rubbed their eyes the moment Kushimaru died, just to confirm whether his death was real or just a figment of their imagination.
Unfortunately!
Jūzō and the others were still trapped within Koshino's Shadow Realm, unable to even rub their eyes. So, when Kushimaru died, the remaining members of the Mist Ninja Seven Swordsmen could only stand there, their pupils slightly constricted, completely stunned.
On the other hand, Jūzō, who had witnessed Koshino's use of the Shadow Realm firsthand, realized that Koshino could still employ other Nara Clan secret techniques to kill Kushimaru even while using the Shadow Realm. He furiously shouted at Raiga:
"Raiga!! you idiot, what are you doing?!!"
"Do you want us to end up like that fool Kushimaru, killed by some brat from the Anbu?!"
"Get moving already!"
"Idiot, do you think I don't want to move? But I can't move at all!"
At this moment, Jūzō was clearly lost in the past, stuck in the belief that Koshino's Nara Clan S-rank secret technique still had many flaws.
Otherwise, how could Jūzō not realize, based on Kushimaru's death, that Koshino had overcome the weaknesses of the Shadow Realm?
How could he not realize that Raiga didn't want to kill Koshino, but simply couldn't?
However, when Raiga responded to Jūzō with a hysterical shout, Jūzō's gaze fell on Koshino once more, and he was even more astonished!
Why?
Because at that moment, Jūzō truly understood that even though he had high regard for Koshino, he had still underestimated him!
How long had it been since Jūzō last faced off against Koshino? It hadn't been long at all, yet Koshino had already perfected an S-rank secret technique. What kind of talent was that?
In an instant, a look of realization flashed in Jūzō's eyes. He finally understood why their Mizukage had issued the order to eliminate Koshino. Moreover, the Mizukage's mysterious subordinate, who had appeared before Jūzō and the others multiple times, had repeatedly warned them to be cautious of Koshino!
It turned out that the Mizukage had long seen through the terrifying potential of that young ninja!
It turned out that Kushimaru's death was due to the Mist Ninja Seven Swordsmen underestimating Koshino!
And Koshino?
While using the Nara Clan's S-rank secret technique, the Shadow Realm, he suddenly transformed the Shadow Realm beneath Kushimaru's feet into the Shadow Neck Binding Technique, making Kushimaru the first target to be eliminated. Why?
There were three important reasons!
First, among the members of the Mist Ninja Seven Swordsmen, Kushimaru was the easiest to kill.
After all, Kushimaru had already been severely injured by the Akimichi Clan's secret technique during a previous confrontation with the Leaf Ninja.
Later, when Koshino faced off against Kuriarare Kushimaru, he severed the tendons in Kushimaru's hands and feet, forcibly cutting off one of his arms!
In such a condition, even if Kushimaru used his long sword to stitch his arm back on and restored the tendons severed by Koshino, what difference would it make?
Wasn't he still the weakest among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist? Wasn't he still the easiest target to kill among them?
Secondly, Kushimaru's long sword-Nuibari, posed a significant threat in Koshino's eyes!
As early as when Kushimaru clashed with the Konoha ninja, Koshino noticed that the more people there were, the more formidable Kushimaru's Nuibari became.
Even though Koshino was facing the Seven Ninja Swordsmen alone, let's not forget that Might Guy, Genma, and Ebisu were still by his side!
If Kushimaru unleashed the true power of Nuibari and went to kill Guy, Genma, and Ebisu, what would happen? For the safety of Guy and the others, Koshino's first target to kill had to be Kushimaru!
As for the third reason, which was also the final reason for Koshino to kill Kushimaru first, it was because while maintaining the Shadow Realm Descent, Koshino could change its form to Shadow Neck Bind, and the only member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen he could kill was Kushimaru!
As the user of Shadow Realm Descent, only Koshino knew how much chakra it required! At the moment, Koshino was confronting the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!
In the battle against these elite of elites, the chakra consumed every second to restrain them with Shadow Realm Descent was astronomical! Therefore, even for the sake of future battles, Koshino had to cut off one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's arms first!
Ultimately, Kushimaru became the unfortunate one! With three important reasons in hand, Koshino drew the first blood in his battle against the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!
However, just as Koshino successfully killed Kushimaru and had a moment to breathe, focusing all his attention on Jūzō , who seemed like the leader of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, because of the slight impact on Shadow Realm Descent from using Shadow Neck Bind to kill Kushimaru, Fuguki broke free from a bit of the Shadow Realm Descent's restraint and suddenly released his right hand!
"Snap!"
It was Samehada!
It was the large sword held by Fuguki Suikazan's right hand!
No mistake, the famous sword Samehada from the original storyline fell onto Koshino's Shadow Realm Descent!
Then, with a "buzz," Fuguki Suikazan used the properties of Samehada to absorb the chakra Koshino used to maintain Shadow Realm Descent!
In the next second, Koshino felt a "whoosh," and half of his chakra vanished abruptly! Immediately, all the chakra used to maintain Shadow Realm Descent disappeared!
Freed from the constraints of Shadow Realm Descent, Jūzō, Fuguki, and the wielder of the Twin Swords-Hiramekarei let out a roar, taking advantage of the gap left by Koshino's disappearing trump card, putting Koshino in a critical situation once again!
But!
But!! Once again facing the siege of Jūzō, Fuguki, and the wielder of the Hiramekarei, unbelievably, Koshino's gaze remained calm!
In Koshino's calm eyes, there was a glimmer of wisdom!
However, stimulated by the news of Kushimaru's death, Jūzō and the others failed to notice that glimmer of wisdom in Koshino's eyes!
So, when Jūzō already held the Executioner's Blade, swinging it towards Koshino's neck, Koshino's head indeed fell smoothly from his neck under Jūzō's Executioner's Blade.
But when Koshino's head hit the ground with a dull "thud," suddenly, Koshino's head on the ground transformed with several "puff" sounds into multiple shadow clones, tightly embracing Jūzō, Fuguki, and the wielder of the Hiramekarei!
And as those shadow clones, under the astonished gazes of Jūzō and the other two tightly embraced the three of them, a faint "hiss" sound echoed in their ears, causing the originally indifferent gaze of Jūzō Biwa to instantly reveal a look of fear!
"Damn!"
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