Hello Everyone,

First as always I would like to thank those who went out of their way to review for me. The usual suspects: Rose Tiger, Leaf Ranger and Yoshcosplay. Thank you guys for following and always helping out. As for the newbies Magicwater and Demon1990, thanks for the reviews and I hope you guys continue to help me out and support this story. Now for the reason it took a while to update...well I'm still trying to find an excuse but i will have to get back to you on that one. Here is the next Chapter and I hope you enjoy this as much as Last one.

Thanks again guys,

Take-It-Easy

Naruto and Shikamaru sat on their horses waiting for the others to arrive. The high noon sun was beating down on the two of them as they waited for the others to arrive at the edge of town. Shikamaru's horse was a dark black with a white diamond on his forehead. It seemed to be a small quarter horse, built for speed and agility. Naruto looked up from Shikamaru's horse to see the man yawning widely as if bored.

"Well," Shikamaru said as he pulled out his pocket watch and looked at the time. "The others should be arriving. How's your arm?"

"Actually great," Naruto answered. Naruto spun his arm in a circle as if proving he was fine.

"You're actually on time Shikamaru," sneered a voice from behind them. Naruto and Shikamaru turned to see Neji and Hinata both on cream colored horses with brown manes. "This must really be important to you."

"Oh I would have slept in a bit," Shikamaru said as Ino and TenTen came around the corner and hopped on to a wagon that was sat next to them. "Ino and Naruto wouldn't let me."

"Did Kakashi and Anko leave on the train?" Neji said as they started out towards the city of Yugakure. Shikamaru nodded and took point as the as the four horses took off with the wagon following behind them.

"We will hurry up and meet with Choji and Lee," Shikamaru shouted over his shoulder to the others. "Then we will come up with a plan of attack."

"What's with the wagon?" Naruto asked looking over at Ino and Tenten who were chatting.

"Think of it as a mobile medical tent," Shikamaru answered. "Ino and Hinata will need a place to work if one of us get injured."

"Makes sense I guess," Naruto said continuing their ride to the city of Yugakure.

They were about a three miles out of the city when Naruto saw something off the trail. He turned Kyubi over towards the direction and walked up the small hill to the top. Shikamaru saw this and stopped the convoy and looked up at Naruto as he approached the top of the hill. Naruto reached the top and covered his mouth with his forearm at the scene. Buzzards and crows filled the ground eating away at what were now mutilated bodies lining the desert floor leading towards the trail. The bodies looked to be victims of bullet wounds or knife wounds. Naruto turned Kyubi away from the scene and motioned for them to come up the hill. Shikamaru and Neji shrugged and walked their horses up the hill.

"What could possible be so important..."Neji started but stopped when his eyes fell on the scene. Shikamru scanned the ground before jumping off his horse and walking into the area.

"There was a battle here," Shikamaru said as he looked around the scene.

"No shit," Naruto said as he jumped down and followed him. Naruto crouched down to get a better look at the people. "These are Red Eye members. Looks like someone is doing our job for us."

"It might be us doing the job," Neji said as he took off towards the other side of the scene. Neji jumped off the horse and ran towards a body that was covered with a dirty green trench coat. "GET INO AND HINATA UP HERE NOW!"

"Shit," Shikamaru said. Naruto walked over to Neji who was checking for a pulse on the now battered Lee.

"Wow," Naruto said as he knelt down next to Neji who laid the man on the ground and sighed. Lee's face looked beaten to a pulp, with bruises and cuts. His once clean kept green outfit was completely trashed and ripped from the fight.

"He's alive," Neji said as he looked over Lee's injuries. "He's got a graze on his stomach and a bullet wound on his left leg. It looks like he's lost a lot of blood."

"Is...cough..." Said a voice between them. "That all."

"Yeah," Neji said a small smile playing on his lips as he looked down at the now conscious Lee. "What happened?"

"We...cough...were ambushed," Lee said. "Choji took out most of them and told me to run, he would hold them off. This posse chased me...cough...to here when I had to take the offensive. I think they captured Choji."

"Well," Naruto said looking down at the some fifteen corpses that lined the floor. "You handled yourself well."

"I do what I can," Lee said with a smirk. "My flames of youth can never..."

"Lee you stupid man," Ino shrieked as she ran to his side. "Don't even try to talk you need to conserve your energy. Now Neji and Naruto carry him to the wagon. Hinata..."

Hinata was too focused on the scene before her to react to what was happening. Her eyes became teary and she was chewing on her fingernails. Naruto walked over to her to kind of shake her out of her trance. When she came too she looked up at the concern blue eyes of Naruto.

"Look at me," Naruto said softly. "What we need is for you to help Ino."

"Right," Hinata said her face coming back to her graceful appearance she always held. She followed Naruto to Lee.

After bringing Lee over to the wagon, Ino and Hinata started in on working on him. The problem with working in the back of a moving wagon was, well everything. Ino and Hinata shouted to the others that the only way for them to work properly was to come to a complete stop.

"We need to keep going," Neji said softly to Shkamaru and Naruto. "If we don't, then we might be too late to save Choji."

"Neji you're starting to prove to me you have a heart," Naruto joked but nodded in agreement. "I agree with him though. If we don't get there soon we will most likely be bringing a coffin back to Kohona. How about us three get into town and preform a quick smash and grab."

"Three against unknown odds," Shikamaru said thinking. "I guess we will have to take that chance."

"Lets roll," Naruto said as he jumped into the saddle of Kyubi.

"Tenten," Shikamaru said looking over at the wagon. "We will need some cover. Get a good snipping spot up on the hill and keep us out of trouble."

"It would take an army to keep you guys out of trouble," Tenten grumbled as she mounted a horse with a rifle slung around her back.

"Oh," Shikmaru sighed. "You might be right. Now lets go check out this city."

Naruto lead the men towards the cities entrance when they slowed to a stop. The city itself was relativity small and had a central market place that was located in the middle of the city. The entire city was empty except for one man that was tied up to a post, crucifixion style. Around the man was countless wooden barrels and timber. On the out side was three turned over wagons that faced the three streets that reached the middle of the town.

"They have Choji tied up," Neji whispered. Shikamaru looked pissed and turned to the others.

"I say we walk it from here," Shikamaru said as he got off his horse and pulled out his pistol. Naruto and Neji followed him and each pulled out their weapons. Naruto pulled out his rifle and scratched Kyubi.

"Go and wait with Tenten," Naruto said as he patted the horse. The horse grunted and turned and started to walk off.

"Neji," Naruto whispered as the three walked down the ghost town. Neji looked over at Naruto who was in the middle of the group. "The buildings above us have people on them."

"It would seem," Neji said as he slowly looked forward. "I count six to the left and five on the right."

"This is clearly a trap," Shikamaru said as he looked down towards the man who was strung up in the middle of the town. "Choji doesn't look too well, does he?"

"I can tell he's alive," Neji whispered. "He looks a bit beat up though."

"So whats the game plan Shikamaru?" Naruto asked as he readied his rifle as they reached the center and stood next to the tied up Choji.

Choji was knocked out and bleed profusely from his nose and mouth. The ropes that tied him to the post were cutting into his wrist and neck from the tightness. His shaggy brown hair hung matted with blood and dirt and his bloodstained clothes looked to be drenched in sweat. Shikamaru sighed as he stood and pulled out a long knife and started to cut him down. At that moment, gun fire ripped threw the air from the rooftops that surrounded the town's center. Naruto looked over to see a calm, almost serene, look on Shikamaru's face as he finished cutting his friend down from the post. Choji fell heavily into Shikamaru's arms as he was dragged to the cover of one of the turned over wagons. Naruto reacted quickly to the gun fire and opened with a barrage of bullets towards the roof top to the west.

"Shit!" Naruto yelled as a bullet just missed his head and struck the post behind him. Naruto dove to the side where Shikamaru and now Neji were using as cover.

"Well," Neji said as he reloaded his two silver pistols. They were the top of the line Colts that seemed to be well oiled and taken care of. "More are coming down the street to our left. I will hold them back. Naruto you need to take out the men on the roof!"

"I was just about to do that now," Naruto said as he reloaded his gun. "I will be back."

Naruto rushed out of the middle of the street towards one of the many buildings to the left. As he ran, bullets pelleted the ground and buildings all around him. Naruto rolled to his left, just dodging a bullet, and jumped through a window of one of the buildings. Inside he looked around to see that this was a general store with stairs to a second story. He looked around the room with his rifle raised then walked up the stairs and looked at the second landing. He went into the only door that was on the landing which lead to a ladder connected to the roof. He walked and slowly started to climb the ladder when he started to hear voices coming from the roof.

"If we bag these guys we will get rewarded kindly," Said one. Naruto poked his head out to scan the area and noticed that two guys were talking not to far away from him. They both had their backs to him and he smirked.

"Yeah," Said the second as he raised his rifle again to fire. "I call the the one guys suite. It looks..."

Naruto's shot hit the man in the back of the head causing his face to erupt from the force of the bullet. The man next to him watched as his comrade flip over the side of the roof and fall to the ground with a splat. The man turned and was shot in his chest as his body was launched off the roof as well. Naruto scanned the other roof tops with his rifle raised. On the other side were five more people and on his side was four. He fired across the street striking two of the men in the head casing them to flip back. Naruto turned to his right and fired a shot that hit a man in his arm spinning him towards him and fired a shot that drilled him in the chest, dropping him dead. Naruto acted on instinct as the rest of the men started to fire upon him. He bobbed and weaved around while returning a shot that struck one of the men across the street, dropping him dead as well. Naruto looked right again and fired three more shots that dropped two more people and grazed the other. Naruto rolled and found cover behind a big water tower that lined the roof tops.

"Shit," Naruto panted to himself. He looked over and noticed he had one on his side and three on the other. He reloaded his rifle and closed his eyes as he prepared himself. He jumped out of his cover to see that the remaning men have been killed. He looked up at a mountain top that was some distance out of town and could see a giant horse waiting patiently. Naruto waved his thanks to Tenten and turned towards the street. Neji was true to his word in holding off the men attack from the north side of the street with Shikamaru.

"Well time to put down some cover fire," Naruto said to himself as he laid on the roof top and started to pellet people with his rifle shots. Neji looked up at him as he noticed people falling for no reason and smirked. Shikamaru looked over before nodding to him.

"It's about time!" Shikamaru shouted with a smirk. He picked up Choji and started to slowly make his way out while Neji and Naruto covered him. Naruto watched as Shikamaru made back to his horse and not so gracefully put Choji on the back and took off back towards the girls. Naruto turned back to Neji who was slowly loosing ground against the mass numbers of the Red Eye Gang. Naruto had to get down there and help. Naruto looked around and noticed a small balcony across the alley way. Naruto stood up and walked back a couple of feet before jumping across the alley way. Naruto extending his arms and caught the edge of the balcony which was on the second story. He looked down and dropped to the ground with a roll as pain shot through his feet.

"What the hell was that?" Neji asked as Naruto leaned against the cover of the wagon.

"Hey!" Naruto shouted as he picked up his rifle and fired a shot that hit a man in the neck, dropping him. "I made it down faster that way."

"WHAT DID YOU NEED TO COME DOWN FOR?" Neji yelled as he fired a series of shots that hit several people. "NOW WE DON"T HAVE THE HIGH GROUND COVER!"

"DON'T YOU YELL AT ME YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" Naruto retorted as he fired another shot that dropped another man. Naruto spun back to cover accidentally knocking over one of the many barrels that were around them. Inside, consisted of a black powder that spilled on the floor. "I.."

"What's that look? I don't think I'm going to like this am I?" Neji said as he looked over at Naruto. Naruto opened the other barrels and smirked to himself.

"My guess is that they thought a large army would be coming to get him back," Naruto said looking around. "They would blow the city and the army in one shot, but now they just want to take us by sheer force."

"Ok," Neji said as he lowered his head as a bullet just missed him. "How does that help us?"

Neji stared down the now smirking Naruto who picked up a barrel. Neji lowered his head and turned back to the men coming from the north side of the street.

"They won't know what hit them," Neji said as the pieces started to come together.

Shikamaru arrived at the wagon and helped Ino and Hinata lift Choji into the wagon to get him looked at.

"Is he going to be ok?" Shikamaru asked as he looked at the two girls. They both didn't look at him as the worked hurriedly removing his shirt and started in on some open wounds on his chest and lower abdomen.

"Ino?" Shikamaru tried again a bit in shock at the sight of his friend in such condition.

"Shika," Ino said softly never making eye contact. "Leave, we have work..."

There was a huge explosion that filled the late afternoon sky with a large fire ball. Shikamaru turned in time to see the city start to crumble under and fall into what looked like an underground cave. Shikamaru put his hand to his face and sighed.

"Troublesome," He said as he got on his horse and started in towards the burning crater.

Shikamaru looked around at the scene in front of him. The town imploded from what ever the blast was, causing it to crumble into what looked like an unknown cave it was built upon. The complete city was ruined or burning. Whipped out his pistol when he heard the sound of a horse coming up to him. He looked to see Tenten and Kyubi riding towards him. Tenten smirked as she watched Kyubi walk around them and towards the crater in the city.

"What happened?" Shikamaru said looking awestruck.

"Well," Tenten said as two figures started to walk out of the burning town with Kyubi walking behind them. "They made a big boom."

Shikmaru smirked as he looked down at the two of them. They were covered in a black ashy coating and had several bumps and bruises but otherwise unharmed. Naruto had his duster slung over his shoulder and was walking with a slight limp. His white button down shirt had slight burns and bullet grazes on it. He had his black cowboy hat pulled down and his rifle resting on his back holster. He smiled over at Neji who had one of his guns out wiping it down with a rag, and smirked back. Shikamaru lowered his head and started to laugh at the two of them.

"You guys really," Shikamaru said through his laughs. "Just took out a whole city of Red Eye Gang members by yourselves. Not only that, completely wiped it off the map. They will be telling legends about you guys soon enough."

"Yeah we did, huh," Naruto said turning back towards the city. "I hope sends clear message to the Red Eye Gang. We're coming for them!"