Chapter 61: Rescue
"Is that Asuma's?"
Koshino held a strange weapon engraved with the Leaf Village symbol. Kurenai Yuhi and Tatami, in their shock, couldn't help but exclaim.
Because that peculiar weapon was something Kurenai clearly recognized!
She knew that the weapon, called a knuckle blade, was custom-made by the Third Hokage for his son, Sarutobi Asuma!
Made entirely of a special metal capable of conducting chakra, just one knuckle blade in Koshino's hand was of unimaginable value.
And the reason?
It's simple! Just like the chakra test Koshino recently acquired, special metals that can conduct chakra are equally priceless in the ninja world.
Apart from some major ninja villages and noble families, ordinary people would need a stroke of luck to possess chakra-conducting metal.
And Sarutobi Asuma, who didn't follow Koshino and the others in their breakout, undoubtedly became a stroke of luck for the Mist Jonin! So, the moment Koshino snatched the knuckle blade from, he faced a difficult choice!
That was whether to attempt a rescue of Sarutobi Asuma while breaking through!
But as Koshino was pondering this difficult decision, he noticed something off about Kurenai and Tatami's state.
With a slight frown, Koshino quickly said to Kurenai and Tatami, "Kurenai, Tatami, you don't need to worry for now. If I'm not mistaken, Asuma should be safe."
"Even the Mist need sources of information, and Asuma, as a carrier of intelligence, is likely a guest at the Mist camp right now, without any immediate threat to his life."
"Oh? Is that really so? Kid, your deduction might not be correct!"
Just as Koshino's reassurance took effect, and Kurenai and Tatami's states visibly improved, Shoji, who had "revived," used a single sentence to throw Kurenai and Tatami back into panic.
To be honest, Tatami's condition was still relatively stable.
Having been a member of the Anbu, Tatami was accustomed to the life and death of comrades. If it weren't for Sarutobi Asuma's special status, he might not even feel panic.
The real challenge for Koshino was Kurenai.
It was clear that Kurenai and Sarutobi Asuma had a deep connection, having known each other for a long time.
Among everyone present, Kurenai was likely the most worried about Sarutobi Asuma.
Sensing that Shoji might cause more trouble, Koshino narrowed his eyes slightly and delivered a swift chop, successfully knocking Shoji unconscious.
With the troublesome person asleep, Koshino took a deep breath, finally able to discuss the issue of Sarutobi Asuma with Kurenai and Tatami.
"Kurenai, Tatami, if I'm not mistaken, Asuma probably left the camp before we gathered, attempting a breakout on his own."
"But Shadow, why? What good does it do for Asuma to break out alone?"
Listening to Koshino, Tatami couldn't help but ask.
However, just as Tatami's voice faded, Kurenai Yuhi let out a deep sigh and apologized to Koshino, "Shadow, Tatami, I do know some of the reasons."
"It's because Asuma and I both doubted Shadow's abilities. We didn't believe he could lead us to break through successfully, so we had the idea of testing him early on."
"But... but I never imagined Asuma would be foolish enough to try and break through alone!"
As she spoke, Kurenai tightly grasped Koshino's sleeve, pleading, "Shadow, for the sake of our comradeship, you must save Asuma! He's actually easy to get along with, just a bit temperamental at times!"
"That's right!"
"As the son of the Third Hokage, it's normal for Asuma to have a bit of a temper. After all, he's a 'noble young master'!"
Kurenai's plea undoubtedly pushed Koshino to the edge of a volcano.
It's important to know that the breakout mission Koshino and the others were on was crucial for the survival of the Konoha medical team!
In such a situation, it wasn't just about saving Sarutobi Asuma; even if it were for the Third or Fourth Hokage, Koshino and his team had to prioritize breaking through to deliver the information.
Otherwise, the worst outcome would be an entire medical team perishing in the Mist Ninja's encirclement, rather than a single ninja dying at their hands.
But now, what could Koshino do?
If they didn't rescue Sarutobi Asuma, not only would Kurenai and Tatami be disappointed, but it would also cause the newly formed team to collapse instantly.
Even considering the Third Hokage, who was a reasonable person and knew his son's life wasn't worth more than a medical team, blood is thicker than water.
Could Koshino be sure the Third Hokage wouldn't hold a grudge later?
Moreover, the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans, as the guardians of the Hokage, had the duty to rescue the Hokage's bloodline.
So, with a deep sigh, Koshino glanced at the fallen Shoji and replied bitterly,
"Kurenai, Tatami, since Asuma is our comrade, we must go and rescue him. However, while rescuing Asuma, we must first complete our mission.
Therefore, we need to leave coded messages around so that any passing Konoha ninja can understand our situation.
Once we've recorded the codes, our mission is halfway done, and then we can go save Asuma. Does that sound good to you?"
"No problem, Shadow, I'll follow your lead!"
"Shadow, thank you on behalf of Asuma!"
"No need for thanks, let's get moving! We must hurry while Asuma is still safe!"
Waving off Kurenai and Tatami, Koshino took out a kunai, first dealing with the unconscious Shoji at his feet, then handling the Mist Ninja corpses.
He led the more team-oriented Kurenai and Tatami to the outskirts to record some coded messages, preparing to rescue the captured Sarutobi Asuma from the Mist Ninja.
However, not long after Koshino and the others left, the area where they had encountered the Mist Ninja suddenly echoed with faint noises.
Following the source of the noise, one could see a pair of hands slowly digging through the freshly buried soil.
Then, when the surrounding dirt was completely cleared, if either Kurenai or Tatami were present, they would have gasped in shock.
Because the person crawling out of the earth was none other than the Mist Ninja Jonin Shoji, who had seemingly died several times but never truly perished!
And as Suigetsu Shoji slowly emerged from the ground, stretching his limbs, a sinister look appeared in his eyes.
Seeing the tracks left by Koshino and the others, a cruel smile spread across his lips.
"The son of the Third Hokage, huh?"
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