Chapter 28

Initiate Plan B!

Disbelief blanketed Naruto. What had just happened? At first he thought he had just been seeing things. He blinked, and refocused on the spot where Sengi had just been. Nope. He still wasn't there. He had really left! He had really taken Sakura and left!

Apparently, the crowd must have begun to realize it as well, because soon gasps and screams echoed throughout the stadium. Naruto's head began to spin, and he looked up towards the Kage's balcony. Tsunade was on her feet, taking steps toward the Raikage, who was still seated, Kakashi right on her heels. The Raikage's guards had stepped in-between them. The Raikage, himself, was actually staring down at Naruto. Naruto caught his gaze, and slowly, his lips formed a sneer. Naruto gasped as the Raikage mouthed a single, simple sentence that made his heart stop.

"If you want to see her alive again, go!"

Anger swelled up inside Naruto, the Kyuubi's influence becoming harder and harder to ignore, and with a single leap, he landed on the top of the stadium before jumping again, off in the direction Sengi had gone.

l

"Raikage! What in the hell is going on?"

With guards in-between them, Tsunade was staring down the Raikage, who despite what Sengi had just done, was remaining surprisingly calm.

"You better explain yourself! Right now!" she continued.

The Raikage still made no attempt to rise from his chair. "…For Naruto and Sengi to really battle to their heart's content, there must be no one present."

Tsunade took a step back. "What do you mean?" When the Raikage did not reply, Tsunade turned to Kakashi. "Notify all the nearest jonin! We are going to retrieve Naruto and Sakura immediately!"

As Kakashi made to move, however, the Raikage finally rose from his chair. In one swift movement, he slipped a scroll from under his sleeve, unrolled it, and made a single hand sign. A bright, white light flashed around them, and when Tsunade opened her eyes, she found a large white barrier had outlined the Kage's balcony. She gasped.

"What is this?" she demanded.

"It is a barrier to keep you from doing anything to rash, Tsunade."

"How dare you!" Tsunade replied, balling a fist. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

The Raikage stared up toward the sky, past the barrier's ceiling. "Tell me, Tsunade… You are aware that if a Jinchuriki dies, his Bijuu also perishes. Gone forever. Correct?"

Tsunade gulped loudly. "Of course I know that! What's your point?"

The Raikage chuckled. "Then tell me this… Do you know what happens when a Jinchuriki kills another Jinchuriki?" He turned his gaze on her now. He seemed to be staring into her very thoughts.

Tsunade avoided his stare. Truthfully, she didn't know.

The Raikage continued, "Then allow me to explain. When a Jinchuriki kills another Jinchuriki, the victor is able to claim the other's Bijuu as their own…the spoils of the battle, so to speak."

Tsunade froze. "What…?"

"That's right. You heard me correctly. If one dies by the hand of the another, the victor has the option…the right to take the other's Bijju as his own."

Tsunade stood open-mouthed. "So what you are telling me…is a Jinchuriki can have two demons sealed within them?"

The Raikage laughed. "Oh, more than that if they choose. But…yes. Multiple sets of tails, so to speak."

Tsunade shook her head. "Impossible! No Jinchuriki's seal is strong enough to support more then one Bijju!"

The Raikage sneered. "Well, we'll soon find out, won't we?"

Kakashi took a place beside Tsunade. "I'll go ahead and tell you this much, as long as Sakura is at stake, Sengi will never defeat Naruto."

The Raikage narrowed his eyes at them. "It doesn't matter! No one is going anywhere! This stadium is now in complete lockdown!"

Tsunade laughed, taking a seat back in her chair. "You may have us trapped in here, Lord Raikage, but it's only a matter of time before one of my jonin figure out what's going on."

The Raikage gave a small smirk. "You misunderstood me, Lady Hokage. When I say the stadium is in lockdown, I mean that literally. No one is leaving! Just take a look."

Tsunade did, and what she saw astounded her. From the very top of each stadium wall, a wall of silver light extended, creating a dome of a barrier from wall to wall.

Tsunade gasped, and the Raikage chuckled. "The ground entrances are the same way. Like I said, no one is leaving!"

l

As soon as Sengi had disappeared with Sakura, Shikamaru had immediately taken to his feet, taking off for Asuma. He knew exactly where he was sitting, and within seconds, he was standing in front of his sensei.

"Asuma-sensei!"

Asuma had also stood. "Naruto just took off as well… Come! Shikamaru!" He took off for the Kage's Balconey with Shikamaru right behind him. "We're going to Lady Tsunade…!" He suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, causing Shikamaru to bump into him.

Peering from around his sensei, Shikamaru spotted what had made Asuma stop cold. A pure white barrier had just erected around the balcony. They stood where they were, Asuma just thinking for a long while. Finally, after what seemed like days, he spoke.

"Alright, Shikamaru, we're going to find a few more jonin, and then head after Naruto and Sakura ourselves, but before that we need…"

Shoosh!

The sound of a barrier… Glancing up at the sky, Shikamaru found a silver dome cascading from one wall to the other. They were trapped.

"Asuma!" Turning, Asuma and Shikamaru found Gai landing behind them. "I'm sure you're aware of the situation?"

Asuma nodded. "Yes. Two genin are missing; one kidnapped, one in pursuit. Our Hokage is trapped within a barrier along with the Raikage. Furthermore, we're all trapped inside this stadium from what appears to be a similar barrier."

Gai nodded in agreement. "Exactly. On the Hokage's situation, I think she will be fine considering Kakashi is trapped in there with her. On our situation, I'm not entirely sure. It will take time to find the barrier's weakness, if it has any." He paused for a second, a small smile manifesting on his lips. "However, on the Naruto situation, there is some good news…"

Asuma raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Gai's smile grew wider. "I managed to slip someone outside of the stadium before the barrier took place. He should be in hot pursuit as we speak."

Asuma looked surprised, but Shikamaru sighed, already guessing who Gai would possibly send. "Really, Gai? Who did you manage to slip away?"

Gai smiled even wider, flashing both of them a thumbs up. "Lee!"

Asuma's jaw dropped. "Gai, you can't be serious! How could you even think about sending Lee after Naruto by himself!"

Gai's smile didn't waver. "Part of being a sensei is knowing when the time is right to put something out of your control in your student's hands, Asuma. I trust Lee with my life. That is why I sent him."

Asuma put a hand over his face. "But…!"

Suddenly, however, Gai spoke up. "Quiet! There's trouble. Look up!"

They did, and what they saw dumbfounded them; dozens of Sound and Cloud ninja walking along the top of the barrier. They were making some kind of formation.

"The Cloud and the Sound… I knew it!" Asuma said.

Gai nodded. "It seems they've been planning this from the beginning…"

All around them, the crowd of villagers began to scream with a mix of terror and horror. At that same time, the ninjas at the top of the barrier began to kneel and place their hands on it. Almost instantly, they began to slowly dissolve through it, as if their bodies were made of liquid.

"Damn," Asuma cursed. "They're entering!"

Gai nodded. "As important as Naruto and Sakura are, protecting the villagers now takes top priority."

Asuma reached into his pocket for a cigarette, slipped it into his mouth, and lit it. He took a slow drag before answering. "Yeah."

Gai took off for the middle of the stadium. Asuma dug out his trench knives before turning around to Shikamaru. "They planned this… Listen, Shikamaru, all of the jonin and chunin are going to have to calm down the situation here…" He took another drag of his cigarette. "So I'm leaving Naruto to you. He still needs to be stopped from doing anything to reckless!"

Shikamaru was stunned. "What? But…!"

Asuma stopped him. "No, no but's. I guess it's okay to spoil this for you now, but you were going to be made a chunin from your excellent fight against Sado the other day. Now as a chunin, you'll be expected to take on bigger responsibilities, and tougher missions. And this will be your first: Escape from this barrier with as little effort as possible, track down Naruto, and rescue Sakura. Do you understand?"

It was all coming in with such force and swiftness: Chunin? Mission? Escape barrier, rescue Sakura? Almost unaware he was doing it, Shikamaru nodded.

Asuma smiled. "Excellent, Shikamaru. I'm proud to be your sensei." He turned to go, blowing smoke as he did. "A little advice, I'm sure someone from the Hyuga clan could help with the barrier!" And with that, he jumped away in the direction Gai had gone.

Shikamaru closed his eyes and took a step back to gather his thoughts. Okay, he was a chunin now. And he had his first mission: Escape, stop Naruto, and rescue Sakura…. Sounded easy enough. He knew he couldn't go alone; there was no telling what kind of other dangers the Sound and Cloud had set up. No, he needed a partner, at least… Someone strong and clever… There was also the barrier to consider, that was the first obstacle… He needed to locate someone from the Hyuga clan to help him with that, and fast… But he didn't want more baggage, nearly forgetting about Lee… How far gone was he? He needed to catch up… He needed a plan… He needed… He needed…!

"Neji!" Shikamaru suddenly said, his eyes springing wide open. He took off in a random direction, craning his neck in every possible way. I need to find Neji, he thought. It's perfect! He can help me with the barrier, and the rest of the mission. He's strong, plus he's on the same team as Lee!

Shikamaru couldn't help but smile to himself as he ran through the chaotic villagers and noise.

Success!

l

The girl was heavier then he thought she'd be. Landing on another rooftop, Sengi paused for a second. He resituated Sakura to his other shoulder, straightened out his back, and just like that he was off again.

I know I put somef distance between myself and Naruto, but I need to slow down a bit so he can at least know what direction I'm going.

They had picked out the spot weeks ago, and that was where he was headed. That was to be where he would vanquish the Kyuubi. He still had to pass the Konoha gates, but after that it would be a straight shot to the spot.

He glanced up at the sun. I'm making good time, he thought. But I need to try and conserve my chakra. I've already depleted Sengi's supply, and it would appear that Naruto still has quite a bit of his own left… When we finally get there, I'll have to be precise…

A voice from the distance… "Sengi!"

Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, Sengi glanced behind him. About fifty yards back was Naruto, finally in sight. Well, Sengi thought. It seems he decided to give chase sooner then I had thought.

Naruto yelled again. "Sengi! Sakura has nothing to do with this! Put her down!"

Sengi smirked and yelled back. "If you want her, Naruto, you'll have to come and take her!" He landed on the next rooftop, focusing a bit more chakra into his legs. When he took off again, he began to take the roofs two at a time.

Naruto cursed. "Coward!" he shouted, increasing his speed as well. "Fight me!"

l

About another fifty yards behind Naruto, a young man clad in green was racing through the streets of Konoha. Chaos had erupted here as well. Word about the stadium was quickly spreading through the village… Of course, it didn't hurt you could see the barrier from a mile away. The boy spun around an old man quickly stacking boxes on a cart.

"Come on!" He was shouting inside the building he was standing in front of. "I don't like the looks of that barrier! We're getting to a safe house!"

The boy didn't lose any speed. He was quickly and skillfully maneuvering his way though crowded, panic filled streets. Hopping over a small child, ducking under men carrying packages, even wall jumping across stacks of kick-knacks and other personal belongings. All the while, though, he stayed focused. He wasn't going to let his sensei down!

Realizing he might be able to locate Naruto easier from higher location, he bent his knees mid step, and jumped on top of the nearest rooftop. Not ceasing his momentum for a second, he took off again, running and jumping across the building of Konoha. There were a lot of things people made fun of him for, but one thing no one could ever say anything about was his speed.

He squinted his eyes, hoping he'd be able to catch a glimpse of orange somewhere in front of him…

"Oh!" He said in surprise. Yes, he could see it! There was a small orange and black blur a bit of a ways directly in front of him. "Most excellent!" he exclaimed. "In a few short minutes, I will catch up to him in no time." He smiled to himself. The first mission Gai-sensei entrusted to him would be a complete success!

Whoosh!

He stopped short, sensing movement above him. Checking, he found he had guessed correctly. Two ninjas suddenly landed in front of him, kunai raised. Glancing at their headbands, he saw they were from the Hidden Cloud Village. The boy took a step back, getting in his usual stance.

"And just where do you think you're going, kid?" the ninja on the right asked.

The boy didn't answer.

The ninja on the left chuckled. "It doesn't look like he wants to talk…and, ya know, that's fine with me. You're gonna die anyway."

The ninja on the right was nodding in agreement. "Lord Raikage thought a few of you would escape before the barrier finished, so he set up a couple of cells to defend the way… But just one kid! That's hysterical!" They both began to laugh.

The boy stood his ground, shifting his sights to each ninja in turn. Damn! He thought. I cannot afford to waste time here. I will lose Naruto!

The Cloud ninjas refocused their attention. "Alright, it's time…" As he spoke though, the nin gasped in surprise. The boy had suddenly disappeared in a flash! The one on the right took a step back. "What the-!"

Smack!

The ninja on the left turned quickly as his comrade began to fall face forward. There! The boy was standing behind him, his hand coming back from a chopping motion.

The remaining Cloud nin spat angrily. "Okay! No more fooling around!" He stepped forward, thrusting his kunai at the boy, but the boy swiftly threw up his free hand, swatting his thrust downward. With that same hand, he skillfully twirled his opponent's kunai into his own hand, and brought it up, stabbing the nin right in the gut.

"Arhg…!" the Cloud ninja spat before falling backward on the hard rooftop. Blood spilled from his mouth and wound as he looked up at the boy. "…I-Impossible…"

The boy gave a small bow before turning back in the direction he had been heading. "I have already wasted too much time!"

And with that, Rock Lee was on the move once more.

l

"How dare you?" Tsunade spat, slamming a fist in the seat of her chair, causing it to concave. "How dare you?"

The Raikage chuckled, glancing up as more Cloud and Sound ninjas dissolved through the barrier. Small battles were already taking place in the arena below. "Oh, come now, Tsunade. You didn't think I was going to let all your skilled ninja just sit there with nothing to do and figure a way out of here, did you?"

Tsunade was so furious, she could hardly speak. "Think about what you're doing! Innocent people are going to die for your own selfishness!"

Here, the Raikage's demeanor changed. "My selfishness…?" he said calmly. "No… You have it all wrong. I'm doing this for my people. My village. My home. Peace is nothing but an illusion!" He threw his arms in the air. "You don't know how long it takes me to go to sleep at night for fear of attack, for fear that my village won't survive to morning!" He was beginning to shout.

"What are you saying…?" Tsunade questioned. The Raikage's sudden outburst had definitely rocked her thoughts. "The nations are at peace… You have nothing to fear!"

The Raikage laughed. "I would expect you, of all people, to not be fooled by smoke and mirrors, Tsunade. There is no such thing is peace! There will never be! And if the only way to achieve certain protection is to make my Jinchuriki stronger, then so be it! The fact that Naruto must die is tragic, but there is no other way…" He reached up, and loosened his Kage robes. Slowly, the white garb fell to the ground. "This is how it has to be."

Tsunade took a couple of steps back. "What do you think you're doing, Rykanse…?"

The Raikage smiled sadly. "I didn't want to do this, Tsunade, but it seems you're going to be nothing more then a nuisance in this whole operation… Know that your death will be for the good of my village…" His frown turned into a smirk. "You'll understand." With one signal, the Raikage's bodyguards bounded forward, drawing kunai from under their cloaks.

Shink!

"Kakashi!" Tsunade shouted.

Kakashi had dove in front of the Hokage, a kunai in each hand, pushing against the attackers. "I think…" he said, his arms shaking slightly as he tried to push the bodyguards away. "You forgot…about…me!" With a final, grunt, Kakashi knocked both ninjas back. They slid across the balcony, falling to their knees on either side of the Raikage.

The Raikage smiled. "Oh no, Kakashi, I could never forget about you." He said as he formed a hand sign. "You're one of the strongest ninjas in this village. You die here as well."

l

Almost five minutes of looking, and Shikamaru still had not sighted Neji. He was running down rows, checking columns, and even checking to see if he was involved in any nearby spars.

As he ran, a Sound ninja jumped in front of him. "Don't even think about running away! Not gonna happen kid!" The nin produced a kunai and proceeded to strike, but Shikamaru blocked with a knife of his own. They exchanged blows for a while until, after one attack, they were left pushing blades against each other.

"I don't have time for you!" Shikamaru spat in the ninja's face. "Get out of my way!"

It looked as if the ninja was about to say something, but stopped dead. Suddenly, the sound of multiple strikes could be heard behind him. They sounded like tiny bullets. The nin coughed up blood before falling over. In his place stood...

"Neji!" Shikamaru exclaimed happily.

Neji flashed him a small smile. "Forgive me, Shikamaru. I assumed you had the situation under control, but I'm trying to jump in where I can."

Shikamaru shook his head. "No, it's fine! In fact, I've been looking for you!"

Neji raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Shikamara nodded. "Yes, okay. Did you see Sengi take off from the stadium with that girl?"

"Yes… Sakura, wasn't it? And didn't Naruto give chase after them?"

"Exactly. Well… Apparently I'm a chunin now, and Asuma-sensei gave me a mission. I need your help to break out of this barrier. We're going to stop Naruto from doing anything stupid, and rescue Sakura. Lee bypassed the barrier and is already in route."

A look of confusion crossed Neji's face. "Lee? But…"

Shikamaru grabbed Neji's arm and took off for the barrier. "Enough with the questions. We're losing time!"

Together they exited the stands, and climbed the nearest part of the wall to the barrier. Soon, they were standing in front of it.

"Well?" Shikamaru turned to Neji.

Neji had already activated his Byakugan. His eyes were swiftly moving from different points on the barrier. "I haven't been studying barriers that long, Shikamaru. It's going to take some time. I'm not even sure I'll be able to disable this one…"

Shikamaru cursed. "Well we've got to try! How long do you think it will take?"

Neji shook his head, eyes still flying across the surface of the barrier. "I haven't a clue."

Shikamaru sighed. "Well, at least Lee's out there. We'll have to have faith that he'll at least be able to slow Naruto down…"

Neji nodded. No disrespect, but he was trying to tune Shikamaru out. He needed to concentrate. His Bayakugan didn't miss a thing. He could easily see the chakra flow through the barrier, but it was complicated. It had tons of crisscrossing patterns and pathways. It was hard to tell if any of the areas were lacking. They way it was setup was…flawless.

"Whoever made this barrier is very skilled," he announced to Shikamaru. "It's perfect."

Shikamaru groaned. "Noooo… This is our only chance!" He stepped closer. He couldn't see the chakra flow within the barrier, like Neji, but he could still examine the outside. "It has to have some kind of irregularity. No barrier is perfect…" Then, suddenly, a thought came to him.

"That's it!"

Neji didn't take his eyes away from the barrier. "What?"

Shikamaru turned on him. "If it doesn't have any irregularities, any flaws… We'll make one."

Neji finally tore his eyes away to look at Shikamaru. Slowly his mind began to wrap around what Shikamaru was saying. "I think I'm beginning to see…"

Shikamaru drew a kunai from his holster. "Neji, keep an eye on the chakra in the barrier." Neji did as he was told. Slowly, Shikamaru stabbed the barrier with the kuani. "If it's like any normal barrier, the chakra should be redirecting its flow to fortify the spot that's being attacked, right?"

Neji watched, and as Shikamaru stabbed the barrier in different spots, he saw the chakra paths quickly reroute, and change to support what needed to be.

Neji nodded, finally understanding. "Yes. You're right."

Shikamaru smiled. "Okay, Neji, listen closely. I want you to use your Gentle Fist and rapidly attack the barrier in different locations. We need to try to create a rift in the chakra so that it becomes weak enough we can break through."

Neji smiled as he got into a stance. "Yes… That should work!" Neji got down low, taking a deep breath, then, swiftly, he rose to his height, attacking the barrier with his Gentle Fist style. Slowly, as he got into rhythm, he began to speed up his attacks, each strike flowing in the same pattern: a circle. As he attacked, Neji could see the chakra redirecting, trying to follow his strikes.

Shikamaru stood back, and smiled happily. Neji had been the right choice, he decided. It was all because of the Byakugan that they'd be getting through this barrier in no time.

"Hey, you kids!" Shikamaru whipped around. Running up the wall toward them was a Cloud ninja. "What in the hell do you think you're doing?"

Damn! Shikamaru thought, throwing his kunai down at the attacker. It was easily deflected, and the Cloud nin continued toward them. Shikamaru quickly got down on one knee, forming the appropriate signs.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

Shikamaru's shadow extended quickly down the wall. The Cloud nin had obviously not been expecting it; he made to move, but it was already to late. Shikamaru had trapped him.

"Success…" Shikamaru mumbled as he stood up. He flicked his right hand, causing the Cloud nin to drop his kunai. Hurry, Neji, he thought.

Around and around Neji struck in that pattern. He watched, and gasped. It was actually working! The chakra flow was getting mixed up and jumbled as he went. The speed of his strikes were just to much for it! A few more, Neji guessed, and I should have it.

Shikamaru's eyes widened as he saw movement. A Sound ninja was coming up from the Cloud nin's left. "Stop whatever the hell your doing!"

"No, you stop!" Shikamaru replied, refocusing his hand sign. "Extend!" From the already caught Cloud nin, the shadow reached even further, curving toward the Sound ninja. Seeing this, the Sound nin jumped from the wall.

"Oh no you don't!" Shikamaru yelled, a bead of sweat running down the side of his face. The shadow actually extended from the ground, wrapped around the Sound nin's legs, and pulled him back to the wall, trapping him there. Shikamaru took a deep breath. It's been a while since I've done two… He glanced behind him. Come on, Neji…!

Almost! Neji was thinking. Almost…! And sure enough, after a couple of more strikes, he saw it! The irregularity! Right in the middle of the circle he was striking out, there was almost no chakra. The barrier had been compensating for his pattern by taking chakra from the inside, just like he and Shikamaru had guessed! Without wasting a second, he pulled back, and hit the exact middle of the circle with both of his palms seeping his own chakra into the barrier to counteract.

"Gentle Fist!"

Neji stepped back and watched as the area inside of where he was striking melted away. At first Neji smiled, but then he became hurried. Was his Byakugan deceiving him? No… The chakra in the barrier was actually mending itself! What little of the barrier that was gone was growing back, and quickly.

"Shikamaru!" Neji yelled, rushing forward. "We must move now! The barrier is mending itself!" Neji went headfirst through the circle that was getting smaller by the second. Shikamaru released his jutsu, bent his knees and pushed, doing a backwards dive through the air. Was he going to make it? He sucked in his stomach, held his breath, and did his best to angle himself properly. He could feel the barrier tightening in on his foot; he barely scraped by.

He landed on the opposite side of the wall with a pronounced thud! Breathing heavily, he sat up, looking at the barrier. He smiled to himself. They had done it. Step one down!

He glanced at Neji, he was lying flat on his back.

Shikamaru got to his feet. "What kind of barrier mends itself?" he thought aloud. He reached a hand to Neji who, gratefully, allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

"A good one," he answered, flexing his hands.

Shikamaru nodded, turning in the direction of the Konoha gates. "We don't know what direction they went, nor where they're going in the first place…"

"Leave that to me," Neji said. "Byakugan!"

Shikamaru watched as Neji began to scan around before abruptly stopping. "There!" he said pointing toward the gates. "I can see Sengi on top of the Village Gates. He still has Sakura."

"And Naruto?"

Neji nodded. "He's not far behind them… But Lee's a good distance back." He glanced at Shikamaru. "However his distance to Naruto is leaps and bounds better then ours right now."

Shikamaru had already taken off down the wall, Neji soon following him.

"I know. That's why we have to move! And fast!"

l

When Sengi landed on top of the Village Gates, he glanced behind him. Naruto was still about the same distance behind him. He smiled to himself.

Perfect, he thought. Everything is exactly as it should be!

He resituated the girl again, and waited a couple more seconds before shooting off into the forest.

Half a minute later, Naruto landed in the exact spot Sengi had just been standing. "Sengi!" he shouted. He was getting angrier by the second, and was already moving through the branches. He didn't have to see Sengi. He could feel his Bijuu's chakra. Just what was Sengi trying to prove?

It didn't matter. What did matter was that Sakura was in danger, and he was going to do anything and everything to get her back.

"Even if I have to kill you… Sengi!"

End of Chapter.

A/N: Whoo. Sorry this one took AGES to get out. But I haven't had as much time on my hands as I would like, so bear with me, please. I'm doing my best. By the way, if you can't tell, this is NOT the same Raikage from the Manga/Anime.

Next Time:

Naruto's Fury,

Shikamaru's Plan,

Lee's Battle!