Kenji was walking in the forest. Her eyes were looking everywhere. "There are traps all over it's like a spiders web." she said to herself. "And we are the flies huh?"
Then a foot stepped on her heel from behind. She was heel clipped and lost her balance. She was going to fall straight into a wire trap. But then a hand grabbed her arm and yanked her back.
! "Gwah!" she crashed into the person behind her and her weight knocked them down.
"Ite!" Neji complained stuck underneath Kenji's body.
"Oi! Is everything okay back there?" Shikamaru asked.
"Yes! We're both fine!" Neji said.
Kenji was not happy. Shikamaru had created a single file formation line for the team. Kiba was at the front, Shikamaru second behind him, then Naruto, then Choji, then Kenji, and Neji right behind her. "How did it come this?" she wondered.
Back at Konoha Shikamaru decided to add Neji to the team for some reason. "Alright you're with us now. We could use you."
! A hand grabbed Shikamaru's shoulder and he looked back in a cold sweat. There he saw Kenji with a frightening air around her. "Hey, could I talk with you for a moment alone please?" she asked him.
The rest of the team looked at Shikamaru and Kenji from afar as she was clearly upset with him. Neji had a look of guilt and felt sorry for Shikamaru. Naruto however knowing what the Hyuga clan has done knew Kenji had a right to be angry.
"Why would you add him to our team!?" Kenji exclaimed. "We have enough people already!"
"Nope." Shikamaru stopped her. "This kind of mission needs as many shinobi as possible."
"I get that but Neji won't provide any support that I can't give myself! He's worthless!" Kenji pointed back at their small assemble.
They still looked at the two argue in awkwardness.
"Kenji I know you two fought and you lost unfairly. And that he's not the nicest guy but these are the kind of things you have to put aside for a mission." he told her.
"Rrgh!" she gnashed her teeth.
"What's more important to you right now? Your own sweet comfort or Sasuke's safety?" he asked her.
"Fine. You are our team leader. I'm with you." she said to him.
"Good let's go I already have a strategy in mind." he said and started making his way back to the team.
"That Shikamaru put me behind Choji wanting me to focus on the view above us. But no way do I like having my back turned to this guy!" she thought. She shivered remembering how just a while ago the Hyuga clan symbol was carved into her back. "I focused all my regeneration on my skull and spine. I'm sure it's still there. . ." she thought gripping her shoulder. She got back up.
Shikamaru yelled at Kenji and Neji after he had just saved Naruto from falling in a trap, "You guys too! Be careful!" he looked down at the traps. "This wire here is set up readily visible because it reflects light but look." he said.
"There's another wire here coated with a matte green." he pointed.
"It's difficult to see with the naked eye. A double trap, huh." Neji said.
"A triple trap. There's a third string laying here." Kenji said kneeling down at the trap.
"A third string?" Shikamaru asked.
"Yeah." she said. "But this isn't like any wire. It's some sort of Ninpo. We're up against freaks of nature here."
"Even though they're in a hurry, that's certainly an elaborate trap." Shikamaru said. "Which means that. . ."
"That they're at rest." Neji finished. "Perhaps they're injured or that itself could be a trap."
"Well can either of you see them?" Shikamaru asked Kenji and Neji.
"You bet I can." Kenji said. Her sight went past many trees and saw four shinobi. "That's them alright."
Neji activated his Byakugan and saw them for himself. "Caught em'."
"Which means now all we need is a plan." Kenji said.
"As soon as preparations have been made to implement my strategy. . ." the team stood together. "We'll make direct contact with the target!"
After a moment of sharing his strategy with the team Shikamaru split them up in two groups. They stood up. Kenji was following Naruto with Kiba and Choji. "Matte Kenji!" Shikamaru halted her making her freeze.
"You're coming with me." he said.
"Damn!" Kenji muttered. She went to Shikamaru and Neji and looked back at Naruto. "Good luck." she said to them.
"Yeah!" Naruto said. He made her smile and went with Shikamaru's group.
"You still haven't told him?" Neji asked when she was next to him.
"Shut up." she grumbled.
The three found the Sound Ninjas and watched from the bushes. They all kept their eyes on them. "It looks like they haven't noticed us yet."
"Don't underestimate them." Kenji said. "Just look at them, we'd get pummeled in a fight."
Then Shikamaru noticed something. "Hey, Sasuke's not around."
"It appears that he's inside that 'coffin'." Neji told him looking with his Byakugan.
! Shikamaru was alarmed. "Is he dead?!"
"That barrel is secured with Barriers. I can't see through it." Neji answered.
"Sasuke's there alright. He's not dead, well maybe a little dead. Which means he's also somewhat alive." Kenji said.
"Oi, you can see inside the barrel?" Shikamaru asked her.
"Yes."
"I can't see in there at all, not even with my Byakugan." Neji said.
"I can see through their Barrier Ninjutsu. But there's a problem. . . Something's not right." she said.
? ? "What is it?" Shikamaru asked.
"They've locked him in there leaving him overwhelmed with the Curse mark's power. It's almost like they're tainting him."
"Even if we do get Sasuke back and break the Barriers Sasuke could come out in two ways, dead. Or insane beyond help." she said.
! ! "Well what choice do we have? Our mission is bring Sasuke back regardless of his condition!" Shikamaru told her.
"I know. I'm just telling you, Sasuke's in trouble and that our mission just got a lot harder." she said. "Just try to consider it."
They all got back to watching the Ninjas. Then one of them turned and tossed a kunai knife. It landed in the tree beside them. They all saw the lit paper bomb and leapt from the bushes. They landed sliding in the dirt. They were revealed to the Sound Ninjas. After they appeared hostile Shikamaru put his hands up.
"Hey, wait a minute! Wait! We didn't come here to fight." he said. "We just came here to negotiate!"
One of the Sound Ninjas scoffed and yanked his hands forward. "Then what are they!?"
! ! ! Shikamaru, Neji, and Kenji gasped. "Ahh!" Naruto, Kiba, and Choji shouted as they were yanked from hiding by strings.
"Hmph!" Kiba smirked and lifted his hand. He flipping and threw the smoke bomb. Purple smoke filled the area.
The young ninjas stood behind the smoke. "Kuso!" Kiba cursed.
"Itatata!" Naruto whimpered and Kenji helped him up.
"Darn." Shikamaru said. "Didn't think they had one with such ability in the group." but all it took was a minute to see it.
"Nice dattebayo! Kiba, Shikamaru!" Naruto exclaimed and Choji grinned. "Kagemane no jutsu seiko!" Naruto triumphed.
"But. . There is one with ability like this, too." Shikamaru smirked. "Thanks for getting caught so nicely in my strategy."
! Kenji gasped. "Shikamaru duck!"
Shikamaru ducked down from shurikens behind him. "Where did it come from?" he let go of his jutsu and the shurikens flew past him. Kenji got grazed on the back of her hand.
"Doton: Kekkai." one of the Sound Ninjas planted his palms on the ground. "Doro Domu!" a rocky dome surrounded them and trapped them all inside.
"Oh no. . ." Kenji said looking at the dome. They all were alarmed by the rock walls and Naruto got frustrated the most. Naruto had outbursts of rage and Kiba tried using his Tunneling Fang on the walls.
Neji was looking around like Shikamaru and then his eyes went to Kenji. She was staring shockingly at her own two hands. This alerted Neji to use his Byakugan.
"This is bad!" he said.
"What?"
"All our chakra is being sucked out into this wall." Kenji said. "That guy is literally eating away at our strength."
It didn't take much longer for them all to feel weak. Kiba tried busting holes in the wall again using Fang over Fang. Shikamaru took the time to observe the barrier's behavior. Naruto tried to make a Rasengan but failed to in their conditions.
"This bites." Kenji sat down against the wall. She looked around at the regenerating walls and and the chakra embedded in it. She sighed, "If we all go out well, at least we'll be together."
Neji approached her. She looked up at him in resentment. "What do you want?" she asked.
"You're hurt." he said.
"You mean this?" she said holding up her cut hand. "It'll go away on its own, probably. If I have any chakra left."
Neji got on his knee down to her level. He reach behind him. "Here." he held out a small container. He unscrewed the lid, "It's healing ointment. Lend me your hand."
"In this situation we're a team. Just this once I'll let you have your way." Kenji said and offered her hand. Neji smeared his ointment on her gash. In less than half a minute the skin was completely repaired. "Huh. I'm impressed." she said looking at her clean skin.
"I didn't think it would work this well, either." Neji said and closed the container. "I can patch up your other wounds later." he pointed behind his back.
"Yeah. . ." Kenji said and started looking at the dome again. "From my eyes it almost looks like the entire dome is made of chakra but," she pointed at a certain section of the dome. "That part of the dome has the thinnest layer of chakra."
"I see." Neji said and stood up. "Come to think of it."
"Huh?" Kenji blinked.
"I've fought with you before, don't you have the destructive power to break us out easily?" Neji asked.
? ? ? ? Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, and Naruto all looked at Kenji. Soon Kenji had all their attention and was put on the spot. "That's right, Kurenai sensei always says that you're dangerous. You should be able to get us out of here easily with your freak strength." Kiba said.
! Kenji's face changed, her brows furrowed. "That's right, Asuma sensei also mentions how you pose a threat. . ." Choji added.
Kiba stepped up to her. "If you're so powerful why you get us out of her right now you monster?" he said.
Naruto got a prick of anger watching his friends crack down on Kenji. He clenched his fist.
Then Kenji stood up and faced Kiba. Everyone's attention was still on her, "I know Asuma and Kurenai hate my guts but it looks like you guys forgot that I'm a comrade too." she said.
"It's true that I have a Kekkei Genkai that no one has seen before and no one knows how powerful it is either. But I'll tell you guys a little secret." she told them. "I'm not invincible, I have weaknesses too and I haven't learned how to use it to its full potential yet. But I have no intention of harming the village. My family grew up here, Konoha is my home."
"And besides even if I do get us out of here, what then? We still have an enemy to fight. And what if there are just more traps outside this dome? Or worse, an ambush?" she told them.
"An ambush?" Neji asked.
"Yeah, I can't see outside this thick layer of chakra so who knows? Maybe there's another obstacle beyond this dome? So even if I do somehow muster enough chakra to break us out I have a certain time gap where I can't use jutsu. So you guys can't rely on me to face any secondary attacks." she explained.
Then Naruto stepped in, "Are all of Asuma and Kurenai's students like this?" he said. "Kenji is our comrade!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. Everyone went silent for a moment. "Didn't you all see how they stabbed her in the Chunin exams!? Why are you guys treating her like some sort of freak?! She's no different from us!"
"That's right Kenji's one of us. It's not fair to use her like a tool." Neji defended her much to her surprise.
Kiba grinned, "Well once we get back to the village you need to show me what kind of power you have!" he said.
"Is that a challenge doggy boy?" Kenji said cynically.
"Yoshi! Once we bring Sasuke back, we should all go out for ramen dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed with his fist in the air.
"Mm!" Choji nodded.
Kiba just chuckled and Akamaru barked.
"Alright. I suppose I have no choice now." Neji said.
"Thanks you guys." Kenji said.
"Be quiet!" Shikamaru scolded.
The cheefulness in the air shattered and everyone was now looking at Shikamaru. Kiba turned to Kenji and she shrugged. "Hey!" Listen to me I want to talk to your leader!" Shikamaru shouted at their enemy. "We won't pursue Sasuke anymore so let us out of here!"
"Hey. . ." Kiba said.
"Shikamaru, what are you saying?" Naruto asked.
"Heh? Interesting." Kenji crossed her arms.
Their opponent laughed at him and spoke back. "Pleading for your life, how interesting. But you guys are my prey, I can't let you out."
"Then, just let me out on my own." Shikamaru compromised.
! Naruto's eyes widened. Everyone else also had a serious face as they listened to Shikamaru. "This battle, is such a pain."
"Teme! Do you know what you're saying?!" Kiba shouted at him.
"Shut up, Kiba, just be quiet." Shikamaru told him.
"What?!" Kiba lost his temper.
Kenji sighed, "Way to ruin the friendly moment, Shikamaru."
The enemy just laughed at their discord and mocked Shikamaru's leadership and Chunin rank. Then it was made worse when Naruto and Kiba started fighting and Choji had to break them up.
Then Shikamaru squatted down with his fingers and thumbs together and Choji started snacking on his chips.
? ? ? "Does he always bring snacks with him on missions. . .?" a drop of sweat went down Kenji's head.
"Oi! Why are you snacking all of a sudden!?" Naruto yelled at him.
"Choji binge eats when he gets upset. Geez another useless guy." Kiba insulted.
"That was a little harsh." Kenji called him out.
Naruto was about to use his Shadow Clone jutsu when Neji stopped him. "We have to attack with a Taijutsu that has enough power to destroy this wall with one blow." he explained. Kiba mentioned that Choji has more destructive Taijutsu but lost hope watching Choji eat.
Then Shikamaru opened his eyes, "Kenji, you can already see the thickness of the layers of chakra with your Rinnegan right?" he asked her.
"Yeah." she answered.
"That's good." he said. A smirk came to her lips.
"Shikamaru! You be quiet!" Naruto scolded him.
"Naruto! You still don't understand?!" Choji intervened. "Remember what Shikamaru said when he gathered everyone!?"
Shikamaru got up, "Choji, don't raise your voice too much from here." he said. "Kenji find the thinnest spot." he told her.
"Way ahead of you." she said.
"Mark that spot with a kunai."
"Whatever you say, leader." she took out a kunai knife and spun it in her hand.
"Choji, are you ready?" he asked him.
Choji stepped up, "Okay! Any time!"
"Alright, let's do this." Shikamaru said.
Naruto confused by his surroundings spoke up, "What's happening?"
"The wall's surface is planted with chakra. But even this tough wall could have an area that has a thin layer of chakra. That's what Shikamaru speculated." Neji said to him.
"How did you get all of that?" Naruto asked.
"It's kind of smart thinking when you understand everything what just happened," Kenji said with her kunai ready.
"Because he noticed that there were area that restored quickly and others that didn't restore so quickly when Kiba and Akamaru attacked the wall surface." Neji started. Kenji went and threw her kunai at a spot in the wall. "In other words, he guessed that those ares that didn't restore quickly probably has a thin layer of chakra. On top of all that, by cleverly talking to the enemy, he figured out the position of the enemy outside of the wall. He guessed that the wall furthest from the enemy probably had the thinnest layer of chakra, so that's what he wanted to confirm."
"Well he could've spared us the act of betrayal if he had just asked me." Kenji mentioned.
"I'm counting on you, Choji." Shikamaru told him.
"Yeah!" he put his hands together in the ram seal. "Baika no jutsu!" he prepared his attack. "Human Boulder!"
His body turned into a large spinning ball and hit the marked spot head on. Everyone watched as he broke a hole through the dome.
They all stood proudly outside the dome and it crumbled down into hundreds of pieces.
"Choji, you are awesome after all." Shikamaru told him.
They all saw the single enemy in front of them. "He's the only one here, seems like the other went ahead." Shikamaru said.
After showing off some jutsu the team decided to split when Choji handed Shikamaru a pouch and stayed behind.
Everyone else took off to pursue Sasuke. While they were soaring through the trees, Shikamaru tossed the pouch to Naruto, "A parting gift from Choji. Eat it!" he said.
"Yeah." Naruto said catching the pouch. "Thanks, Choji." he took out a pill and ate it. "Kiba!" Naruto threw to him.
"Sankyuu." he thanked. He fed himself and Akamaru too.
By the time Kenji got the pouch, she just stared at it. "Why aren't you eating it? They're food pills to restore your chakra." Shikamaru told her.
"Yeah, it's just that I'm worried about Choji. . ." she said back to him. "He didn't exactly shine in the Chunin exams. . . I'm not sure if he'll be able to beat someone with a Curse mark."
Everyone went tense, "You seem to be familiar with that stuff. . ." Shikamaru said.
"Yeah. . ." she replied. "I can suppress my Curse mark." she thought. "But Sasuke, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into!"
