Inside the four violet formation barrier, as the smoke within dissipated, a small figure appeared beside Shiraishi. He had pale white hair, an immature face with half-closed eyes as if dozing off, not fully awake from his dream.
He seemed like a naive newborn baby still very lethargic. From his face and temperament, only the word 'pure' could describe him. Kosei was the name or alias Shiraishi had given this white-haired boy.
"A little kid?"
What Shiraishi had summoned with the summoning jutsu wasn't the Slug Sage from Shikkotsu Forest mentioned in their intelligence, but an underage child who looked only a few years old.
Takashi and the Konoha ninjas were very surprised, frowning deeply. If it wasn't an issue with their eyesight then there was definitely something wrong with the opponent. In such a battlefield, it was impossible for Shiraishi to summon someone useless. This meant...this child was Shiraishi's "summoned beast". They couldn't judge the danger level based on his harmless appearance. In other words, the more harmless the guise, the greater the potential danger.
After all, being summoned by Shiraishi on the battlefield itself proved this child was no ordinary child.
Although lacking any sensing ability or the means to identify creatures by their aura, after seeing the white-haired boy, Takashi felt a very strange emotion within his heart which made him somehow restless. It felt like he was being watched by some strange, dangerous existence with faint chills running down his back.
"Everyone be vigilant! Don't be fooled by his childish appearance!" Takashi warned in a low voice, staring warily at the white-haired boy who had appeared beside Shiraishi.
"Hey, are you all the bad guys?"
At this time, Kosei woke up a little from his sleepy state. He scratched his hair a little absently, holding in his right hand a nearly two-meter long spear wrapped in white bandages painted with numerous dark-colored eyeballs.
When Kosei asked the Konoha ninjas, his voice sounded very immature, as if asking 'What's for breakfast today?' He didn't have any grasp of the concept of an 'enemy'. For him, if anything, the 'Creator' was always right. Wrong was also right. That was his notion of 'right'.
"What?!"
Takashi looked at Kosei's immature face showing no sign of deceit - like a pure, innocent baby unable to distinguish between good and evil. Perhaps... he was simply unable to distinguish between good and evil at all.
"Father, are they bad guys?" Kosei turned to look at Shiraishi now, directing his question to him instead.
Shiraishi just smiled and stroked Kosei's soft white hair. "Aren't you a smart kid. Yes, they are the bad guys and my enemies."
"I understand. Even though I really feel like sleeping now, if they're the bad guys and the enemies.. all enemies need to be completely destroyed!"
While the drowsiness hadn't completely left his face, Kosei's immature tone already held a hint of seriousness while his young face tensed up.
Kosei calling Shiraishi 'Father' also surprised the Konoha ninjas. What exactly was the relationship between the child summoned through the jutsu and Shiraishi?
"Then, I'll be going, Father."
"Show them your strength." Shiraishi said with an encouraging smile.
Shadow dancer also stood by Kosei's side, planning to join forces against the enemy.
Takashi suddenly felt the pressure increase . Even just Shadow dancer alone had embarrassed them earlier. Now with the addition of another mysterious, unknown enemy, the situation had become even more unfavorable for them.
'Where's Jiraiya-san? Hasn't he completed his preparation?' Takashi anxiously thought. What was thought to be a certain win was now looking like they were still somewhat unprepared.
Furthermore... Takashi glanced at the distant battlefield outside the barrier. He could sense the majestic, immense aura of the giant looming amidst the thunderclouds and lightning even from here. He now realized the intel on Uchiha Ruri that the Kazekage worked hard to obtain the past few days was actually completely useless. The scene was nothing like what they expected - not even close.
This was clearly not using about 70% strength like in the earlier battle. Takashi looked at the dark blood-colored samurai standing among the thunderclouds and lightning, smiling wryly. In comparison, his side was the one really suffering, but that Kazekage might be feeling even more bitter now.
They had seriously misjudged the enemy's strength. Or rather, the incorrect judgment of strength itself was also a landmine the enemy had long planted, just waiting for them to step on.
Thump.
A sound rang out and Takashi immediately snapped back to his senses. He saw Kosei and Shadow dancer disappearing simultaneously from in front of Shiraishi without a trace.
Shadow dancer's abilities were clear to Takashi through their earlier battle. She could transform into sharp shadow blades while her palms could release a special 'darkness' to erode objects. Even his sword made from chakra metal were defenseless against that kind of erosion, like high concentration acid cleanly corroding things away.
Although Kosei had a childish face, Takashi had no intention of showing mercy. On the battlefield, even children warranted vigilance. No matter one's age, as long as one was a ninja who knew chakra manipulation and picked up weapons on the battlefield, one was undoubtedly a 'tool' capable of killing.
Takashi swiftly took out a spare chakra sword. Although far inferior to the one destroyed by the shadow dancer, it sufficed for battle. Reattaching fire-natured chakra to the sword, Takashi rushed out first to face Kosei.
Compared to a child with unknown abilities, he didn't want his wife facing such a dangerous foe. Shadow dancer's abilities were dangerous, but they weren't unknown. She's enemy that Masaki can deal with.
Another Konoha Jonin followed behind Takashi to deal with Kosei. He was empty-handed and quickly formed seals to mobilize chakra after taking position behind Takashi.
"Lightning Release - Electromagnetic Murder!"
In an instant, beside this Konoha ninja, a large number of blue glowing needles materialized. The needles gave off faint currents, crackling before shooting out towards Kosei under the ninja's control like rain.
Wielding his sword, Takashi saw the moment Kosei leapt out from the rain of lightning needles, avoiding the attack and struck out heavily. Through his instant judgment, there were probably three directions Kosei could dodge but no matter which, he would intercept the boy's eyes the moment he dodged.
Victory or defeat would be decided then. However, just as Takashi was about to land a decisive blow on his opponent, his eyes suddenly widened. He saw a scene that made him feel shocked.
Facing the fired lightning neesles, Kosei didn't show the slightest change on his sleepy face. His charging speed didn't slow and he took no evasive maneuvers, simply charging straight into the glowing lightning striking his body head-on - only for them to disappear the moment they touched Kosei.
"What?!" Takashi's expression drastically changed from his complete miscalculation. He swiftly wielded sword to stab out. Kosei attacked all the way, also swinging his spear down from top to bottom to touch the sword.
Takashi's face sank with some paleness. His arms trembled as he looked at the immature Kosei in shock. What kind of power did this kid have?! Takashi was alarmed. He was simply a beast in human skin!
"Flame Explosion!"
As a last resort, Takashi detonated the fire-natured chakra on the blade with hand seals before dodging back.
Boom!
The explosion swept across the sand with the blazing flames swallowing Kosei's body. "With this..."
'Even if he isn't dead, he should be injured ateast,' Takashi thought.
Then, the piercing sound of something cutting through the air could be heard. Takashi's pupils shrank as he turned his head to see a spear's tip brush past his ear, leaving a long, narrow gash on his face.
Kosei's immature, innocent face was right before him, wielding the spear without hesitation to kill. This startled Takashi. Of course he wasn't shocked by Kosei's ruthlessness but rather because Kosei's body had no scars at all
IIt was impossible. Takashi's first thought was denial. As the jutsu's creator, he naturally knew the Flame Explosion destructive power. Even Orochimaru of the Sannin couldn't escape this move unharmed, so how could a mere child?! Was this nobody child summoned already surpassing a Sannin? Such a notion wasn't funny at all!
Kosei softly exhaled before bending his empty left elbow to neatly punch Takashi in the face.
Boom!
Takashi flew backwards, rolling dozens of times on the sand before barely stopping himself. Seeing that Kosei was about to go after Takashi to continue the chase, the Konoha ninja beside was also shocked but reacted immediately by forming seals to unleash lightning release.
"Electromagnetic Murder!"
A bolt of lightning shot out from his mouth like an arrow, piercing through Kosei's body. As expected, the moment the lightning struck Kosei, it was mysteriously erased.
Kosei tilted his head in confusion, glancing at the Konoha ninja who attacked him before charging over spear-first, leaving behind a blurry afterimage with speed like lightning. The spear swept out swiftly. The Konoha ninja jumped back with cold sweat dripping down his face.
"This brat.. does ninjutsu have no effect on him?" The ability to perfectly negate ninjutsu was too outrageous. How could one defeat such an enemy? Then what about genjutsu?
The Konoha ninja pondered before swiftly forming seals, turning to illusion attacks. "Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing!" Since his genjutsu were lacking, this was a relatively basic one. Although not very powerful, as long as the timing was right, it could create an opportunity for victory.
However, it failed. Kosei charged ahead unwaveringly. Facing the genjutsu, he wore a harmless, ignorant expression as if completely undisturbed by its power. This confirmed to the Konoha ninja that not just ninjutsu but even genjutsu was useless as well.
Ding!
A sword and the spear collided. At this moment, Takashi's face looked somewhat ferocious. His nasal bone was broken with his nose sunken in while the bleeding from his nose and mouth was severe. Under Kosei's punch, his handsome visage had been completely destroyed.
"You're not dead yet?" Kosei didn't seem sure if it was a question or statement of fact. He just blurted it out guilelessly.
"Brat, adults aren't so easy to defeat!" Takashi gave an aggressive-looking smile.
"Really? You people are troublesome but... I don't want to 'wake up' or that scary guy will come out." Kosei spoke, his body visibly shuddered as if frightened. Then he once more looked seriously at Takashii's caved-in face before speaking in a childish voice.
"Then I'll just beat you to death!!."
His face was pure and flawless with no trace of fear or guilt over killing. The long spear stabbed out continuously. Takashi narrowly dodged, hair falling over his eyes as he struggled to control his sword to fight Kosei.
The spear's force grew even more ferocious. Blood continued trickling from the corners of Takashi's mouth whose face grew increasingly pale. All the bones in his body seemed to creak under the tremendous pressure. Meanwhile, Kosei's face showed no flush or pants despite unleashing such heavy blows in succession. For a child just a few years old, such stamina and endurance were freakish.
Finally, there was a snapping sound from the sword. Takashi knew it had reached its limit between the collisions with the spear and could no longer be used.
Takashi resolutely discarded the broken sword, flinging it at Kosei. Kosei flicked the sword away with a sweep of his spear. As Takashi retreated, he unleashed ninjutsu:
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Sure enough, Kosei emerged unscathed from the dragon-shaped flames, stabbing sharply at Takashi with his spear.
Takashi barely managed to parry but the spear's momentum still slashed over his shoulder, drawing blood. Kosei's strength was growing even fiercer now.
Takashi grit his teeth tightly, the muscles on his face twisting. The wounds on his nose and mouth tore wider while the pain slowed his reactions.
Shit!
Sensing something, the spear tip pierced Takashi's shoulder, rooting him in place. He could only watch helplessly as Kosei leapt up with elbows bent to gather power for the finishing blow.
"I'm going kill you now—"
Pfft!
Before Kosei could throw the punch, blood sprayed from his body. A sharp water arrow shot from a distance had pierced his chest. His body weakly flew backwards before barely stopping behind Shiraishi.
Shiraishi tilted his head back, peering at the water arrow-pierced Kosei, lost in thought. "Before you 'wake up', your vigilance is still lacking."
This would need to be improved when they returned.
Over there, the lucky survivor Takashi panted heavily before suddenly spewing blood and coughing, but feeling fortunate to have survived the catastrophe. He pulled out the spear stuck in his shoulder. The veins near his temple throbbed violently from the excruciating pain but he still managed a smile.
"You're finally done, Jiraiya-san. You sure took your time since I don't think I could've lasted much longer."
This was directed at the person behind him.
"I'm sorry for the wait, Takashi-kun. I still haven't fully mastered this mode."
Jiraiya's deep voice came behind Takashi. His appearance had now drastically changed from the usual. His nose was freakishly swollen while his pupils had shrunk to toad-like eyes.
Two toads wearing a gray and black cloak respectively stood on his shoulders as if they were connected.
Shiraishi glanced at Jiraiya's current state, a casual smile tugging his lips. "So this is Myobokuzan's Sage Mode? Although I'd heard of it before, this is my first time seeing the real thing."
At least he could now gather more intel on Mount Myoboku..Before enacting the next plan with Yagura, they would have to wipe out Mount Myoboku first, Shiraishi contemplated.
"What do you think? This form's pretty cool right? But sorry, I seemed to have accidentally killed your 'son' earlier. I didn't expect him to not have immunity to senjutsu but i just tried it out of curiosity...You don't mind right? But really, is this inhuman monster actually your son?" Jiraiya daid jokingly.
Shiraishi smiled lightly without replying, but glanced at the naked body lying nearby, a wider smile now tugging his lips. He would let the Mount Myoboku Sages test out Kosei's actual combat data. Or rather, there was nothing more suitable as combat test samples than these sages.
As Shiraishi thought this, Kosei who was lying on the ground suddenly opened his closed eyes. Amidst the slightly horrified faces of Jiraiya and company, he rose from the ground as if nothing had happened - dusting himself off while the wound on his chest healed on its own, stopping the bleeding.
The drowsiness disappears from Kosei's face along with the innocent expression without a trace. What replaced it was a somewhat twisted, furious look brimming with killing intent as he stared viciously at Jiraiya and the two toads on his shoulders like a provoked cub.
T/N: I'm the Mtl Kosei's nam was actually mine Chizi I had to change that 😅