Naruto Shadow Mage - Chapter 44
“Yes, Captain!”
At Kakashi’s command, Koshino tightened his grip on his kunai, showing no hesitation as he turned to head toward the refugee camp.
But just as he was about to leave, a sudden “whoosh” caught his attention.
With anger burning in his eyes, Guy grabbed Koshino by the shoulder, shouting furiously:
“Koshino, if you listen to Kakashi’s orders, we are no longer comrades!”
“Slap!”
Before Kakashi or Genma Shiranui could react, Koshino raised his hand and slapped Guy across the face.
“Guy, you made two mistakes!”
Koshino extended his fingers, coldly staring at Guy as he continued:
“First, we must follow the captain’s orders. The captain’s orders are our mission, and we cannot disobey them!”
“Second, during a mission, we must use codenames!”
“If those refugees were spies on the battlefield, our entire Anbu team could have died here! I understand your sympathy for those refugees, but don’t you value our comrades’ lives?”
“Do you want us to die with you?”
With that, Koshino snorted coldly and disappeared from Guy’s sight.
Unfortunately, Koshino’s attempt to reason with Guy only fueled his anger further.
In the original series, Guy was an exceptional ninja renowned in the Hidden Leaf Village and the ninja world. He could handle ordinary missions without issue, but when faced with the brutal tasks of the Anbu, Guy’s sense of justice and compassion clashed with their ruthless methods.
Simply put, Guy was not suited for the Anbu.
Someone who spoke of “youth” and “passion” could not easily reconcile with the harsh reality of Anbu’s work.
Unlike Koshino, who had crossed over from another world, he initially hesitated when Genma Shiranui began killing the refugees. But soon, Koshino accepted his Anbu role and, through the bloody trials, came to understand the brutal reality of war.
Back in the Hidden Leaf Village, Koshino only grasped the concept of war through the non-visual medium of funerals.
Now, outside the village, amidst the refugees’ deaths, Koshino truly comprehended the horrors of war.
“If you don’t kill, you might be the one who dies.”
“War is inherently selfish, and there can only be one victor!”
“No matter how diligently you train, no matter how strong you become, without a heart of stone, you can’t survive as a true ninja. Just protecting your life in this ruthless world would be a challenge.”
“In the original series, even kind-hearted characters like Kakashi, the Fourth Hokage, and Jiraiya had hands stained with blood. The titles of ‘Leaf’s Yellow Flash’ and ‘The Legendary Sannin’ were built on countless corpses.”
“Hah!”
“The original series foolishly portrayed the ninja world as a place of passion and honor!”
“But survival here requires coldness and calculation! Kakashi, Lord Minato, I finally understand what you were trying to teach me!”
With his perspective changed, Koshino realized the Fourth Hokage’s true intentions.
Why did the Fourth Hokage insist that Koshino join the Anbu and take on missions with Kakashi’s team after recognizing his talent for ninjutsu?
He wanted Koshino to understand the world’s harsh realities.
In the original series, Itachi became a legend because he fully grasped the darkness of war and achieved a higher level of understanding.
The Fourth Hokage hoped Koshino would gain similar insights, developing a selfless “Hokage” mindset.
But the Fourth Hokage didn’t know Koshino was a transmigrator, making this hope futile.
With a different worldview and survival instinct, Koshino, having seen the dark side of war, had one clear goal:
To become stronger and control his destiny!
Selflessness, the cruelty of war—all nonsense!
To Koshino, survival was the foundation, and living fully was the actual value.
Thus, Kakashi’s next test seemed pointless to Koshino.
How pitiful were those refugees?
With a hardened heart, Koshino was no longer afraid to stain his hands with their blood.
“Whoosh!”
At dusk, Koshino’s figure vanished from Guy and Kakashi’s sight, reappearing as a swift blur heading towards the refugee camp.
From a hidden vantage point, Koshino carefully assessed the camp.
Genma Shiranui had killed the refugees capable of seeking food. Now, only the elderly, sick, and weak remained.
Still, Koshino remained cautious.
Hidden in a tree, he calculated the distance and launched several kunai before forming hand seals:
“Shadow Sewing Jutsu!”
“Whoosh!”
“Whoosh!”
Combining the kunai with his Shadow Sewing Jutsu, Koshino’s shadows silently extended into the camp.
Whether they were elders, women, or defenseless children, the moment his shadows bound them, they were at the mercy of his Shadow Strangling Jutsu.
“Snap!”
“Snap!”
The sound of necks breaking echoed repeatedly.
Within three minutes, Koshino had efficiently eliminated over thirty refugees, expending some chakra in the process.
But killing the refugees was only the first part of his mission.
Next, he took out a prepared shovel to complete the second and final step: erasing all traces of the refugees’ existence.
As he tightened his grip on the shovel, ready to bury the bodies, a sudden presence behind him and a cold voice made Koshino’s eyes narrow.
“Using a child as bait, huh?”
“Leaf Village ninjas are truly ruthless!”
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