Naruto: Shadow Master of Nara Clan

Chapter 136: A Tree Standing Out in the Forest

"Koshino, is it because of the new secret technique you used earlier?"

Choza stepped forward to support Koshino, while Shikaku didn't need to worry about Koshino collapsing to the ground due to chakra exhaustion.

After a preliminary examination of Koshino's body, Shikaku confirmed that Koshino wasn't injured from the clash with the Mist Ninja, and had used the Wind Instant Body Technique to return to his side. 

Relieved, Shikaku turned his attention to the sweat-drenched Koshino, concerned about his condition.

Listening to Shikaku's inquiry, the wry smile on Koshino's face deepened.

It was his first time using the new secret technique of the Gale Style in battle, and overall, Koshino was quite satisfied with its power.

Previously, Koshino's trump cards in combat, aside from the Nara Clan's secret techniques, were the Rasengan series of jutsu.

However, within the Rasengan series, aside from the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, which Koshino was confident could kill the enemy, the others like the basic Rasengan, Finger Rasengan, Rasengan Barrage, and even the Big Ball Rasengan, didn't guarantee a kill.

This isn't to say that the Rasengan series lacks destructive power, but many of its jutsu aren't as lethal as one might hope.

For instance, Koshino used to compare Rasengan with Chidori and felt that Chidori was more suited for battlefield combat.

Even when using the Big Ball Rasengan, Koshino often found that it would severely injure the enemy rather than kill them outright.

In such a brutal battlefield, to truly ensure the enemy's death, relying solely on the Rasengan series was somewhat unreliable for Koshino.

Especially against Mist Jonin, who had undergone the harsh "Bloody Mist" training and gained survival skills in the fierce battles of the Third War. 

What if one moment Koshino thought he had killed the Mist Jonin with a Rasengan, only for them to be merely injured and escape using a secret technique the next?

As for the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken...

Yes, if Koshino used the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, he could guarantee a kill.

But the chakra cost of the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken was too high. 

At this point, Koshino could only use it once. He couldn't afford to gamble on using it every time on a battlefield full of dangers.

What if the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken missed its target?

So, before mastering the Gale Style secret techniques, even after mastering the Rasengan series, Koshino still faced shortcomings in terms of lethal capability.

Fortunately, the successful development of the Gale Style secret techniques finally compensated for this shortcoming!

Whether it was the Hand Blade or the Air Blade in the Gale Style secret techniques, the moves Koshino used against the Mist Ninja were essentially lethal upon contact!

Especially the piercing and cutting effects of the Hand Blade and Air Blade, Koshino felt they could rival Kakashi's self-created S-rank jutsu, Chidori!

So, if Koshino were to rate his Gale Style secret techniques, with a perfect score being 100, his answer would undoubtedly be 99.

As for the missing 1 point, Koshino would attribute it to chakra consumption!

The Gale Style secret techniques were indeed effective, but with Koshino's Chunin-level chakra, not only was continuous use impossible, but even using them a few times could drain his chakra reserves completely!

However, since the secret techniques of the Gale Style are so effective, even if they require a significant amount of chakra to perform, it's still worth it.

After all, even at Kakashi's current level, he can't use the Chidori multiple times! 

Moreover, the Gale Style's secret techniques are so powerful that if they consumed any less chakra, it would be almost unfair.

So, when Shikaku inquired if Koshino's chakra depletion was due to using the Gale Style's secret techniques, the bitterness on Koshino's face wasn't because of the excessive chakra consumption. 

Instead, it was Koshino silently lamenting the insufficient amount of chakra in his body, which prevented him from fully utilizing the Gale Style's techniques. "Sigh!"

"Even if I can't use the Gale Style's secret techniques to my heart's content, being able to use them a dozen more times would still be great!"

"The Gale Style's secret techniques are so powerful that using them a dozen more times could easily take out five or six more Mist Jonin!"

"If that were the case..."

"Ha, killing eight or nine Mist Jounin in one battle would probably make me more than just an elite Jounin; I'd be a half-step Shadow-Level powerhouse, wouldn't I?"

"After all, in the ninja world, only Shadow-Level powerhouses have the strength to consistently take down nearly ten Jounin in fierce battlefield clashes!"

Silently thinking to himself, Koshino was both marveling at how mastering the Gale Style's secret techniques seemed to bring him just one step away from his dream of becoming a kage-Level powerhouse, and also sighing that this one step might take a long time to complete. 

After all, accumulating chakra is a gradual process, much like the Uzumaki Clan's spiritual secret techniques, which require perseverance over time.

Afterward, Koshino tiredly responded to Shikaku, confirming that his chakra depletion was indeed due to using the new Gale Style secret techniques.

Seeing this, Shikaku noticed the significant advantage Konoha had gained thanks to Koshino. He quickly realized that Konoha was about to capture the Mist's first line of defense. 

Smiling, he instructed Choza to take Koshino back to the camp to rest. As for Shikaku himself, he planned to make further arrangements after Konoha captured the Mist's first line of defense.

Soon after, as Koshino followed Choza back to the camp to recuperate, it took less than half an hour for the first line of defense constructed by the Mist in front of their main camp to be completely breached.

However, aside from the three Mist Jounin and ten Mist Chuunin killed by Koshino, only a handful of Mist Jounin, a few Mist Chuunin, and Mist Genin were confirmed dead on the battlefield where the two sides had clashed. 

This inevitably caused Shikaku, who was planning the next steps, to furrow his brows slightly.

Clearly, the number of Mist ninjas wasn't significantly reduced in the previous clash, leaving Shikaku somewhat concerned about whether the subsequent operations could proceed smoothly.

On the other hand, the Mist's behind-the-scenes commander, who had previously clashed with Shikaku, realized that Koshino's display of the Gale Style's secret techniques was far beyond what his Mist ninjas could handle. 

Frustrated, he finally decided to withdraw from the defense line.

Especially upon returning to the Mist's second line of defense, when the Mist's behind-the-scenes commander discovered the significant loss of his ninja forces, 

Koshino, who had performed outstandingly in the previous battle and nearly stole all the glory, became a thorn in his side.

So, almost immediately after learning about the losses among his ninja forces, the Mist's behind-the-scenes commander, while seething with hatred for Koshino, coldly instructed one of his Mist Anbu to return to the main camp and relay the frontline intelligence. 

"A tree that stands out in the forest is sure to be toppled by the wind!"

"A brat with such outstanding talent, I'm sure those esteemed individuals would be very interested in taking your head back as a trophy!"

"Hmph!"