Chapter 64: A Narrow Escape
"If Father finds out about my mistakes, I'm truly done for!"
"Kureni, Tatami, help me out here!"
Just before losing consciousness, as he listened to Koshino's slow and deliberate words,
Asuma Sarutobi's first thought was to plead with Kurenai Yuhi and Tatami to intercede on his behalf.
Because of the mistakes he made, it wasn't just the Fourth Hokage he had to worry about.
If word got out, even his father, the Third Hokage, would be furious.
Severe punishment for Asuma Sarutobi would be inevitable!
First, he forged orders to escape from the Konoha medical unit's camp.
Then he was captured by Mist ninja, almost becoming a prisoner exchanged for war supplies.
Next, even after being rescued by Koshino and others, he remained ungrateful, ignoring the captain's orders, and out of personal vendetta, he was ready to kill the Mist Jonin in front of him.
It's no exaggeration to say that any one of these offenses would have been a death sentence during the strict times of the ninja war.
And as the son of the Third Hokage, Asuma Sarutobi not only failed to set an example but also acted recklessly when his ninja unit was in danger.
One can only imagine the Third Hokage's reaction upon hearing the news.
At the very least, Asuma Sarutobi would likely face house arrest for several years to prevent the incident from becoming public and bringing shame to the Sarutobi clan.
However, for Koshino, these matters were of little concern.
His relationship with Asuma Sarutobi wasn't great to begin with, and because of Asuma, the difficulty of Koshino's mission had increased significantly.
Koshino, having watched the original storyline, already knew that young Asuma Sarutobi was very rebellious.
He disregarded the Third Hokage's orders and was unwilling to listen to his father's guidance.
In the original storyline, it was clearly stated that Asuma Sarutobi's rebellious nature strained his relationship with the Third Hokage.
Later, Asuma even left Konoha Village, went to the Fire Temple, and became a member of the "Twelve Guardian Ninja," with a bounty of 35 million ryo on the black market, catching the attention of the Akatsuki's Kakuzu!
At this moment, truly understanding Asuma Sarutobi's rebelliousness, Koshino realized it wasn't just rebellion; it was self-destructive behavior.
During the Third Ninja War, so many geniuses fell.
Koshino was always cautious during missions, yet Asuma Sarutobi constantly caused trouble.
Overall, Koshino felt that Asuma Sarutobi surviving until the start of the original storyline was nothing short of a miracle!
Immediately after, Koshino acted, using Shadow Sewing to knock Asuma Sarutobi unconscious.
This didn't provoke Kurenai Yuhi and Tatami's displeasure; evidently, they also felt Asuma's actions were "too much."
Moreover, after that, Kurenai and Tatami actively completed the tasks Koshino assigned.
Soon, Shoji Hozuki was truly dead in front of Koshino and the others, and the Mist ninja camp they were in was engulfed in flames.
Watching the Mist ninja camp ablaze, Koshino took a deep breath, inhaling the acrid smell, feeling a bit tense.
Although Asuma Sarutobi was rescued, Koshino and the others' mission was not yet complete.
The Mist ninja camp had been suddenly attacked, and soon, most of the Mist ninja would come to investigate the situation.
Perhaps, with the return of the main Mist Ninja forces, the Leaf Medical Unit where Koshino was originally stationed could catch a breather.
However, Koshino and his team would likely face relentless pursuit from the Mist Ninja.
On one hand, it was a matter of pride; on the other, they certainly didn't want any member of the Leaf Medical Unit to break through and report back,
potentially bringing reinforcements from the main Leaf forces.
But the thought of directly confronting the main Mist Ninja forces was something Koshino had never considered.
What a joke!
Taking down a Hozuki Shoji might have seemed easy, but it had cost Koshino countless brain cells.
Now, with just Koshino, Kurenai Yuhi, Tatami, and the burden of Sarutobi Asuma, even Koshino didn't have the confidence to face off against the main Mist Ninja forces, with so many Mist Jonin!
While setting fire to the Mist Ninja camp, Kurenai Yuhi felt a small sense of satisfaction.
But after setting the fire, the worry of being pursued by the main Mist Ninja forces set in, causing Kurenai Yuhi to frown and ask Koshino, "Shadow, what should we do next?"
"Yeah! Shadow, whether we succeed in our mission depends on you!"
As soon as Kurenai Yuhi asked, Tatami chimed in.
Clearly, after rescuing Sarutobi Asuma, Koshino had established absolute authority within the team.
If Kurenai Yuhi or Tatami had any questions, their first choice was to ask Koshino.
It was a signal of authority, and also a sign of the weak relying on the strong.
And when Koshino completed that intricate plan, he had actually thought of some follow-up strategies.
Upon hearing Kurenai Yuhi and Tatami's inquiries, Koshino's serious gaze fell on Sarutobi Asuma, and he pretended to be relaxed, saying,
"Kurenai, Tatami, actually, I've already devised the next plan. We owe a lot to Asuma; since he's been so cooperative, we'll just go along with it!"
After speaking, Koshino gave Kurenai Yuhi and Tatami a mysterious smile, leaving them a bit puzzled about his intentions.
Then, Koshino used the Transformation Jutsu to turn into the likeness of Hozuki Shoji.
Only then did Kurenai Yuhi and Tatami realize that Koshino planned to disguise himself as Hozuki Shoji and break through the Mist Ninja's defenses with the "prisoner" Sarutobi Asuma.
If questioned by the Mist Anbu, Koshino could reveal Sarutobi Asuma's identity again, claiming they were temporarily retreating with the important prisoner after an attack on the Mist Ninja camp.
It must be said, Koshino's plan was indeed brilliant, and Kurenai Yuhi and Tatami couldn't help but nod in agreement, thinking that Koshino's plan was flawless.
Next, with Koshino disguised as Hozuki Shoji, Kurenai Yuhi and Tatami, to conceal their identities, casually found a Mist Ninja corpse in the camp and transformed into their likeness.
As for why not transform into Hozuki Shoji's subordinates?
That was also for concealment, to prevent the exposure of Hozuki Shoji's subordinates' deaths, which could jeopardize Koshino and the others' plan.
With Kurenai Yuhi and Tatami disguised as Mist Ninja, "holding" Sarutobi Asuma, Koshino and his team quickly moved from the Mist Ninja camp to the last line of defense within the Mist Ninja's encirclement.
In the previous lines of defense, Koshino, leveraging Hozuki Shoji's identity and the important prisoner Sarutobi Asuma, passed through smoothly.
Now, as they reached the last line of defense, Koshino and his team initially encountered no trouble.
After a search by a few Mist Ninja, they smoothly passed through the defense line, just half a step away from completing their mission to break through the Mist Ninja's encirclement.
But who would have thought, as the saying goes, "The unexpected always happens."
Just as Koshino and the others took a step forward, leaving the defense line and secretly breathing a sigh of relief, ready to make their escape,
suddenly, a Mist Jonin appeared in front of them, causing their successful breakout to be just half a step away from completion!
"Hozuki Shoji, wait a moment!"
Read 150 advanced chapters at:
[email protected]/ChakraMaster