Once Pakkun had told them they were nearly close enough to be detected by scent from the Akatsuki's base, Ino used her mind control jutsu to hijack the eyes of a predatory bird. It was a buzzard, Shikamaru thought, watching it circle up into the air. He went over the plan one last time, too nervous to sit still while he waited for the spy-bird to return Ino's mind. Chouji was holding Ino's body, and the Akimichi smiled reassuringly.
"I'll be ready, Shikamaru. And I can carry Rumiko while we run." He said, nodding.
Something about those words sent a message to Shikamaru's overwrought mind: they'd missed something. Viability issues, a problem that could destroy their chances of a rescue. Fuck; how could I have missed something like that?
He flung himself down on the branch, drawing his legs up, toes digging in to the front of his sandals. He took them off, and curled his thick-nailed toes around the hoary branch they were on. He pulled a piece of bark off with them, pulling it apart. And then realised it was stupid to be doing this at this time. He stood up quickly, paced a little, turned his attention to the sky.
The air had the fresh quality of the early morning, but by now the sun had risen. It shone from back towards Konoha, which Shikamaru was happy about (any advantage you can get... when we run away, it'll be easy to shadow-bind them.). Well, if your strategy hadn't just been wrecked. Which it had. But he couldn't afford to give up without consulting with Ino, so he made himself look forward, and then up to see the buzzard returning, its wings bright and colourful at this distance.
Ino returned to her own body, and the trio repositioned themselves in case someone had seen the bird. It was a pretty worthless piece of strategy, considering that if they'd been alert to the bird they'd hardly miss the movements of three genin, but nevertheless, they did it.
"We have a winner! Secret base of the year. It's the right place, alright, I saw three guards, what looks like a prison cell dug into the ground, and I caught a glimpse of someone wearing black with a flash of a lovely rich red colour."
"Ino, do not admire their fashion sense. Please." Shikamaru bit the words out.
"Sorry, I react to tension by becoming a dumb blonde, okay?"
Shikamaru breathed out in a hiss of annoyance. "We have to consider something."
"Um, okay?" The girl replied, sitting down as she recovered from the exertation of the reconnaissance check.
"If you're riding on my mind, will you be able to stay there if I'm – channelling the Kyuubi's energy?" Shikamaru asked in a low voice.
This was the flaw, and too much counted on the answer. They'd never be fast enough for the plan to work if she couldn't, and both of them knew it. Chouji looked over, eyes wide. He, too, could tell that they'd overlooked too much in not finding that out earlier.
"I'll be able to." Ino told him. Her fists were clenched, though.
"Let's go." Shikamaru said, jaw clenched. They couldn't back out now, even if this was putting Ino in danger.
Chouji looked at the two of them, biting his lip. He felt useless, staying back like this, but they needed the ability to escape fast. He had a vital role to play, but as Ino engaged shintenshin and he moved forward to catch her unconscious form – Shikamaru shuddered as her self struck his body – Chouji felt very useless. I'm just the get-away man.
Shikamaru reasserted control over his body easily, remembering the last day's practice. He turned and placed a hand on Chouji's arm, and they looked at each other in an eloquent moment of silent communication. Chouji nodded – good luck – and turned to go to their agreed get-away point, holding Ino's figure easily over his shoulder. Her pony-tail bounced as he jumped between branches, and Shikamaru and Ino watched him through the same eyes until he was out of sight.
Shikamaru crouched onto the branch.
Are you sure you can do this, Ino?
Let's just stick with the plan, Shikamaru. Her mental voice was steady. He hoped she really was sure.
Stay in communication with me, okay? Ready?
Yes, now get the hell on with it!
Shikamaru took a deep breath. It wasn't difficult to stop his chakra circulation, and he made himself do it calmly and slowly. He would stay focussed and stay sane, and remember the plan. He concentrated, making himself disregard whatever the alarmed thought from had been Ino. He had to rescue Rumiko, so he made himself ignore the fear she projected into his mind as youki rose around them, crackling into flames.
He made himself jump forward, sending all his fear into aggression and haste. Ino regained her composure enough to send him mental directions; a bird's-eye view, and he bared his teeth in acknowledgement – she could read his mind, she should know he was determined. Dashing from tree to tree to ground, he covered the distance from their tree to the base they'd been led to rapidly.
Three guards stood, one holding a katana, the other two a selection of kunai. Two were looking from side to side, obviously not expecting a threat like this, but one of the kunai-wielding mean threw weaponry into the trees, where it missed Shikamaru as he charged. The fox-host threw himself down out of the trees in a movement like a predator's leaping attack, aiming to overshoot the trio and smash the walls down as he landed. Ino called out, alarmed, that they were attacking, but he was already reacting, remembering Kakashi's lessons as a doton-wall rose in front of him, the guards behind it. He landed vertically on the wall's muddy surface, but before he could slide down he sprang up it, claws digging in and sheer speed and latent chakra fuelling his ascent. At the top, the braced his hands and kicked off with his feet in a powerful vault, snarling out something as he literally threw chakra downwards in the form of fire.
His energy struck the three guards, then burnt down further to the ground. It circled around them on the earth floor, before rising again like a net to trap each of them, a cage made of twisting hypnotic tendrils of flame.
But Shikamaru, carrying Ino in his mind, hadn't even looked at them. As his leap carried him to the solid stone wall of the base, he pulled his arms back; as he was about to collide with it, he flung them forwards, surrounded by enough red flames to emulated the jutsu called Chidori, and stone shattered around him.
He landed on all fours, lifted himself half-up, sniffed as he sent out chakra to find Rumiko. But it was Hoshigaki Kisame who appeared in front of him, shark-sword already unwrapped.
"Samehade looks forward to biting into your skin, jinchuuriki."
"I'm flattered," Shikamaru growled, "But really!"
He kicked a foot behind him to thrust forward off the wall and lunged, one hand catching and holding back the savage sword as Kisame parried with it, the other slapping on to the shark ninja's chest in the attack they'd been counting on.
Ino threw herself out of Shikamaru, into Kisame's body.
For a very long second, Shikamaru kept his grip on Samehade. His palm felt like all the skin on it had been eaten off, and more and more of his youki was being used to hold it back, burning around his palm painfully as it combated the sinister energy of the sword. It felt like the fox's energy was setting Shikamaru's arm on fire, in a literal sense, and his muscles felt weak as if he'd stopped fighting, exhausted. Dammit, Ino, hurry up!
He pulled back his other arm from the missing-nin's chest, bracing the forearm holding the sword with it. He could hold on for a few more seconds, he had to! Pain contorted his face, but Ino had left him, he knew it. Any – second – now!
And Kisame jerked back from him, cold eyes bright with horror.
"Shit, Shikamaru-kun!" Ino's voice called, and the feral shadow-ninja found himself smiling uncontrollably in relief, falling against the wall and cradling his arm. But-
"We've got to move on."
Shikamaru had had to say it. They'd neutralised Kisame for as long as Ino had chakra, but Itachi was more dangerous.
Ino nodded and opened a door: unnatural energy that seemed to Shikamaru like the youki emanated out. Ino shut it hurriedly, recoiling from something inside, and Shikamaru pulled himself to his feet. They couldn't afford to explore. He found Rumiko by chakra signature, and set off, Ino-in-Kisame's-form following.
He pulled the door that led to her off its hinges; it had been locked and bolted strongly.
Rumiko looked up, eyes ringed and red and hopeful. She started at the sight of Kisame, but Shikamaru told her it was okay, hoping his voice wasn't too distorted and his raw-red arm and hand weren't too apparent. He was pretty sure he didn't look calm and stable, either. She moved forward, as if to hug him, and then asked something in a choked voice. Shikamaru couldn't make it out, and they didn't have time: he heard a movement in another room, grabbed Rumiko's hand and pulled her out towards the exit. She was shaking, but she stumbled, half-running, half-pulled after Shikamaru, as Ino-in-Kisame stayed behind.
They got back out through the hole they'd made on the way in, feeling the euphoria of success. The doton-made wall had collapsed, and the forest looked invitingly clear.
But then Uchiha Itachi stepped out of the damaged building.
So, the commencement of Shikamaru's plan. I was trying to make it a bit realistic in that he doesn't really know what Kisame and Itachi can do, and he hasn't been able to think everything through perfectly. I hope the OMGPANIC-ness isn't too annoying, but it'll calm down after next chapter. XD.
... If you figure out what Shikamaru hasn't realised yet, you get an internet-cookie.