A/N: I am so, sorry about the long delay, things just became hectic all at once and there was just no time at all to write, turns out even if an issue should be easy to solve it becomes unbelievably difficult when you're trying to solve a bunch problems all at the same time...in any case, things have calmed down again and I can get back to writing.

Chapter 38: One step too late

This was...doable.

At least, he thought it was doable...as long as those two had reached their top speed during their matches...as long as he and Haruno were able to keep up with the loud prankster who'd launched off in a second after the names of his teammates were said. Crap, this was going to become troublesome and quick.

This was why he'd pretended to be asleep in the first place.

Well, not like there was much Shikamaru could do about it anymore.

"So, that's what's going on." Surprisingly, Naruto seemed to have caught up fairly quickly. "That Sasuke, he's too impatient."

"So!" The boy couldn't help but complain. "Why am I being assigned out like this? This is a shitty mission!"

"It can't be helped! It was a jounin's orders, after all!" Haruno shouted from his left.

"Right, and in all likelihood, the two clan heirs were also moving due to an order of someone who was not directly above them. This had become some sick version of broken-telephone as the duo's instructor had chosen to invalidate someone else's orders.

"Hey!" the talking dog yelled. "You guys, pick up the pace!"

"What is it?"

"From behind, two squads with eight. No..." Fuck, they just couldn't get a break, could they? "One more, nine men are chasing us!"

"Already?" The Nara had hoped to be able to get together with the others before they had to face a new threat. "Man, you've gotta be kidding me!"

"Doesn't look as if they've got a fix on our true position yet. But they are closing in on us quickly while on the lookout against any surprise attack!"

"Of course they are, shit!" This was bad. "They're probably all beyond chuunin level; if they catch up to us, we'll be annihilated."

"If that's the case, then, should we ambush them and do them in?" Naruto's idea was not bad, in theory, at least.

"We'd certainly have a great advantage if we were to ambush them!" he answered. Ignoring the uncertainty on the kunoichi's face. Even if Haruno had as little experience in dealing with life and death situations, she would have to pull through. "Even if they're twice our number as long as we can surprise them."

"It's no use," the dog interrupted him. "They're Orochimaru's subordinates, a former Konoha shinobi."

"Sheez, I thought we might have been able to pull it off, but I guess not then."

"Huh?" There was a slight relief in Haruno's expression. "Why this has nothing to do with it, does it?"

"You guys just don't get it." Great, those two were probably used to leaving the strategy-making parts of the missions to their teammates. And they really didn't have the time for him to give a detailed explanation. Instead, he rushed through the key factors. "It's true that we have the advantage when it comes to discovering the enemy first thanks to Pakkun's nose. But we won't be able to secure the best position to set a proper ambush. Even if it looks like it because this is our home and we're familiar with the topography all of those guys have likely been taught the geography of this land and practiced mock battles...

"With a properly balanced team, we may have still been able to pull it off regardless, but the only thing we have is..." the Nara trailed off. "An idiot, a kunoichi with no special ability, a dog, and the best guy at running away."

And that was without taking into account that none of them really knew the others' abilities to the fullest. Shikamaru may be a good strategist, but working with unknowns would only lead to nasty surprises down the road. Sure, they could try and summarize their experience and talents, but the Nara had no clue how much their personal bias would affect those judgments.

Shit, he should have kept pretending.

"After that analysis, there's only one thing that we can do now..."

"One thing?"

"We need to create a diversion that looks as if we're going to ambush them..." The words tasted bitter in his tongue. It was the best option, though."One of us will have to remain behind and delay them by faking an ambush."

"In other words..." Blood seemed to leave Haruno's face. So, she did understand the implications. "A decoy."

"That's right, if they're stalled, then they won't be able to locate the remaining three..." the Nara trailed off. "If we do this, we'll be able to lose the trackers, but the one who stays behind will probably...die."

He could almost feel the weight of his words falling on their shoulders. Shikamaru should know; he was feeling it as well. Somehow, the boy had managed to keep his voice from wavering. For all of his bravado, Asuma-sensei had managed to keep them well enough away from any mission that had the potential to place the burden of death upon them. It did not mean he was naive.

"So, who's going to do it?" Silence followed him. "The dog's necessary to chase after those two, in which case..."

"Ok!" Naruto's voice boomed with forced bravery. "I understand, I'll..."

"I guess I'm the only viable option..." Shikamaru cut him off.

"Why you?"

"It's better than the whole team being annihilated, isn't it?" It wasn't worth it; even so, the boy tried to keep his voice as light as possible. "Besides, if you think about it, the guy who can fulfill the job of the decoy successfully and be the most likely to survive...I'm the only one who can do it." Forcing his voice to stop, he looked at his ragtag team. "Because the Kagemane was originally used as a delaying tactic, you know...well, I'll catch up t you later on. So, hurry up and go! Those two will not slow down!"

"Shikamaru..." Naruto, thankfully only smiled. "We'll be depending on you!"

Shikamaru really should've tried to keep up with the act.

A sigh escaped him as he allowed himself to slouch; he could run away, leave them to their own fate and make up a story about how they became separated. It wouldn't take much, and he'd be able to keep going with his relaxed life plan...this time, it was a scoff that left him. As if; Nara Shikamaru was not the sort of person who could do that. No matter how much more clever that decision would be, his guilty conscience would not let him live in peace. He would have to deal with this, low chakra and all.

Dark eyes roamed the space around him, he didn't have long before someone detected him, and his distraction would not last for long. His best shot to make it out alive would be to be the only one still breathing after their confrontation.

Of course, that relied on being able to find all nine of them before he ran out of chakra completely...honestly, he should've given up his match. Kneeling to grab a small branch with a kunai already gripped between his fingers, the teen could only smile grimly. Well, Shikamaru supposed that at this point, the only thing he could do was to start moving and do it quick...

And pray that those three would be fast enough to take advantage of the few minutes he could give them.

No one, he supposed, would blame the snake Sannin to move slow when it came time to act. Or not to have a very distinct way to make himself known, what with the giant snakes that sprouted all throughout Konoha.

"Shouldn't we have sent Sesshoumaru with the others?" Toga asked, despite the lack of concern in his words.

"Inuyasha has Tessaiga, does he not?" And unsurprisingly, his wife did not even bother to pretend to be worried. "Besides, those five know the bases of each others' styles, the monk should be capable of developing a decent strategy. The little heiress can control the Uchiha and make him work with the team.

"With how empty this place is, these people will need all the help they can get. Let the boy help the jounins." A smile played on her lips. "That would give us quite a bit of influence no matter how this situation ends up."

The woman didn't stop running, even as Oto nins jumped to try and stop them. With a lazy wave of her hand, poisonous green springing from her fingers in an almost glowing emerald that left behind a sizzling sound accompanied by the ever familiar scent of flesh burning in acid. The gift of her bloodline, as effective and deadly as ever. One his son had managed to inherit if at, perhaps, a lower intensity. It was part of what allowed those two to remain pristine despite leaving dissolving corpses in their wake.

"I'll take the front." Toga shook his head. " Sesshoumaru will likely take the center."

"Have fun, darling."

With a wink, she vanished.

The man held back a sigh; he would love to refuse that idea, but he could feel his blood begin to rise at the idea of finally being back in the field surrounded by unknowns. His wife held a perverse delight in reminding him just how much of his bloodline Toga exemplified, no matter how much he admired ideals like honor and bravery. In all honestly, the Taisho patriarch would never be able to deny it without lying with every word. Shaking his head, he pushed those thoughts aside heading towards the giant snakes attempting to breach the wall. His steps accelerated; it had been such a long time since he could give himself some free reign.

The sight of a cloud moved to reveal a giant toad landing on one of the many summons almost made him stop. Oh, it would seem he had some weird luck on his side, after all.

"Open them small eyes of yours as wide as you can and take a real good look!" A loud, boisterous old man shouted from the top of the toad. "Blessed be! It's the twilight zone flight of rampage! By Jiraiya, the Sannin! All of you snakes, frozen in your tracks by the glare of a toad!"

Holding back a chuckle at the theatrics, the Taisho unsheathed his sword once again. Sounga was a temperamental thing to control, but after giving his sons both of his other swords, his options were more than just a little limited. The thing only had two settings: somewhat controlled destruction or absolute annihilation. It was the reason he'd been forced to concede the old Hokage his wish of a solo fight; had Tessaiga still been in his hands it would've been a different story. Then again, this also meant this was the best kind of weapon against a giant beast.

Chakra flooded his system as he readied his attack, the blade shining as it became imbued with his energy.

The light that was released was one of his katana's weakest attacks. It hit the summon with the same ease as always. Slicing through the scales of his enemy like they'd been made out of nothing but paper. Blood rained down, and a familiar metallic smell filled his senses. Really, his wife just couldn't get a thing wrong, could she?

"Oh, Jiraiya-san from the Sannins, is it?"

"You are..." The Sannin's words faltered as his eyes locked on the crest on his crimson-stained clothes. "The Great General, Taisho Toga."

"I will say, I've been blessed with some odd luck today, meeting two out of the three in a single day." With a careless wave, Toga let his sword rest on his shoulder. "But, do you mind leaving some of these to me? You see, I would really like to stretch my legs a little."

"You're helping..."

His next words were drowned by a screech coming from the other side of the village. Toga had no doubt that if he were to jump high enough, he'd get a glimpse of one of the summons writhing in pain as bright green acid made its way through its flesh, consuming the bones as if they were simple strands of hair.

"Geez, she's as terrifying now as she was when we married, this wife of mine," he smiled.

"Well, strong women seem to have that in common." The old Sannin laughed, shaking his head.

"Won't fight you there." From what their informants said, the last remaining member of the Sannin could be quite formidable. "But, as I was saying, I think your presence may be better served at the stadium. I was asked to take care of the garbage that was dumped here...and well, there's likely someone you might want to see back there for you."

That seemed to be the right thing to say as the Sannin stood silent for just a second before nodding and letting his summon go back to its home.

"I'll leave this place to you, then."

In less than a second, the toad Sannin was sailing towards the center of the town. How much difference would the toad Sannin be able to make with the barrier still standing strong, Toga wasn't entirely sure, but at the very least, the general could say that he tried to do something other than simply agreeing to the Sandaime's wishes and leave the old man on his own. Shaking his head, the Taisho General turned to look at those who remained behind.

"Oi, you guys!" His yell got the attention of the scattered shinobis. "Get yourselves back to the village! Begin whatever evacuation procedures you have in place! Protect your civilians...and make sure you clear the area!"

There was only a slight hesitation in the shinobis in front of him, clearly not feeling comfortable taking orders from someone they were probably warned to be cautious about. And if the circumstances were any different, Toga might have commended them. Right now, however, they were just wasting time.

"What are you waiting for?!" Finally, the man their intelligence had identified as the torture and interrogation squad leader got them back on track. "Get moving! Now!"

A grin pulled on his lips as he moved, one strike making sure to stop the few beasts that had attempted to follow the Konoha fighters. And would you look at that? All of the summons were on the wrong side of the wall. The one that no one would really care if it got upturned once or twice.

Pulses of energy began to radiate from the weapon on his hand.

Toga would need to get himself a new set of robes, after all, unlike his wife's, his own bloodline did little to keep the crimson sprays from falling on to him once the fights really got started.

Hazel eyes narrowed as the weapon's specialists did her best to keep her speed as high as her teammates' even as her arm lifted, changing her center of balance along with her Hiraikotsu.

It took them longer than they'd expected to catch up to them, and now, they could see the forms of the two clan heirs standing before one of the Suna nins. The other two were nowhere to be seen. So the redhead was important enough for them to all but sacrifice one of them if it meant the youngest boy could get away. Which meant, it was even more important for them to get Gaara.

"Careful," Miroku warned her.

"I can handle it."

A well-practiced move was all she needed to get the giant boomerang to fly through the air as if it didn't weigh a thing. The weapon cut into the Suna nin's puppet attack, forcing the teen to pull back to salvage his tool.

"If you want to fight someone, then I'll be the one you face." She wasn't that fond of puppets anyway; this was one fight she could appreciate.

"You three..."

"Right," the Higurashi heiress mumbled, azure eyes wandering to them for just an instant. "Can't observe me if I've stopped breathing, was it?"

"To a degree." Miroku's voice was still light as he spoke. "But, honestly, we were also attacked within the stadium. Falling back to wait and see is not really the kind of strategies our higher-ups prefer."

"Great..." Sasuke-san did not sound happy.

"I'll take care of him." Sango cut in; they probably didn't have a lot of time. "The rest of you should go ahead."

"Wha.."

"There's no point in all of us staying here."

"Then I'll stay as well." Inuyasha's words brought a smile to her lips. That was just like him; pity it wouldn't be a good idea this time.

"Miroku."

"She'll be fine, my friend." One word was all he needed to understand what she needed him to do. "Besides, you charging on ahead will likely cause more troubles for Sango."

"Here." A vial was sent her way, filled with a light blue liquid. "It's an antidote. Should work against most poisons coming from Suna. You decide whether to use it or not."

"Don't take too long." It was said as an order, but Sango knew how to listen to the worry in their team leader's voice.

"You think you'll get to go away so easily?" the puppeteer growled.

The teen was experienced, there was no denying that, considering that with just a single movement, the ragged-looking puppet was already charging at them. Rushing to stop the bigger group from moving. But Sango had faced worse than just experienced enemies. The boomerang sliced the air around them, forcing her enemy to move away, creating an opening for the others to leave.

"You think it'll be easy to get away from my attacks?"

Frustration was clear even through the thick layer of makeup on the puppeteer's face as he calculated his next move. One she really should've seen coming. He was running away, choosing to chase after the bigger threat. Crap, her arm rose once again, eyes already calculating the place to aim for...

Only to stop mid-throw when her opponent was forced to jump back again, a swarm of dark bugs racing towards him.

"Didn't you hear her? They are not your opponents."

Standing on one of the branches was one of the Konoha genins. The one that had been paired with her for the exam.

"You are..."

"We were supposed to have a match, but it seems fighting together is the best we can hope for right now." Aburame Shino's voice was just as utterly dispassionate as Sesshoumaru's. "Before you left the arena, I used a female bug to spread her scent on you...the scent of the female is nearly nonexistent. Only the males of the same species can trace the faint scent."

"Can't argue with that logic, I guess."

"You guys have no idea!" Their calm demeanor seemed to have made Kankurou snap. "I don't think either of you has experienced true terror!"

"And we're supposed to experience that now?" Sango's question dripped with sarcasm.

"No..." The teen trailed off for a second. "Wait until you defeat me and catch up to Gaara; you'll experience it then...if you manage to do it, that is!"

A swarm of bugs began to form near her, and the girl had to repress the shiver that threatened to run down her spine. Miroku had made sure to warn them both about this particular clan and their love for subtle tactics; even just a single one of those bugs could be the difference between victory and defeat. Depending on the kind of creatures the Aburame boy had chosen to bring, not even non-chakra reliant tactics may be useless. Theirs was (in their information gathering specialist's humble opinion) one of the most underrated but effective families this village had to offer.

"You can stop his movements, can't you?"

"Just go ahead," Sango nodded.

Her arm moved at the same time the swarm of insects launched against the puppeteer, cutting his escape route. The real body of her temporary ally jumping from behind. Not fast enough for his fist to connect.

"Not bad for an impromptu team-up...blocking my path like that." The puppeteer's mocking voice would be more believable had he not been frowning so much.

"You use jutsu to fight from a distance. That's why I don't think you can't handle close combat." For some reason, the weapon specialist didn't think the Aburame boy was the kind to explain so much...was he planning something else? "And since you need to concentrate so much when you use your jutsu, it leaves you wide open."

"I see you understand the weakness of jutsu specialists. But I'll show you how a puppet is used in a real fight!" The girl tensed, had the boy modified the puppet after he failed. "I'll show you the terror of the Karasu technique!"

She knew what it was from the second the projectile was out of its wooden cannon. They didn't cross them often, but on the few confrontations her team had had against puppeteers before...poisonous smoke was a common enough tactic.

"Back away, and don't breathe!" She barked out the order.

Dark smoke covered the area in an instant. Her hand rushed to place her hidden mask over her face. The girl had her own antidotes on hand (having a decent knowledge of toxins and poisons was a must even if her family did not specialize in it), as well as having the little heiress's vial tucked in safely...Sango would rather not play a guessing game on what poison her enemy was trying to use.

Risking a glance to the Konoha genin a couple of meters to her right, the weapon specialist let out a relieved sigh. It looked like the boy had managed to get out of the cloud of smoke. But waiting for their enemy to get out on his own time was not a good idea.

"I'm going back in..."

The words died on her mouth at the sight of the ragged puppet stand behind the Aburame boy. Curses ran through her mind as her finger closed in one of the kunais within her pouches as she hurried to aim.

For a single enemy, this guy was certainly crafty.

Two out of three was more than enough.

And he couldn't deny the twisted sense of amusing was rising through him at the sight of his old mentor tensing as the siblings continued with their greetings. That said, it was starting to get boring.

"How about you leave the old folks chatter for later..." Dark amusement rose as his words ended the conversation. "And get started, why don't you?"

"No matter how much the world changes...there's always fighting." The First Hokage added, looking at him.

"Hahahaha, you like the idea, don't you?"

"Making tools of the dead..." Sarutobi-sensei had a sickened look on his face. It made him want to laugh harder. "Nothing good will come with playing with life."

"Well then, shall we begin?" With a single motion, both seals-tagged kunais sunk into the back of the former Hokages skulls. "But before that, I really must have the both of you return to your true forms."

This was just another proof of his theories; there were no limits to what one could achieve with enough knowledge. The sickly, fake look on the corpses vanished as color seemed to come back into the bodies. All of the former Hokages jutsus that had been lost to time and death, they were all now coming back into this world thanks to Edo Tensei, thanks to him. And they were all his to use as he wished due to the seals on the tags.

"Do you know?" Orochimaru laughed. "The happiness and sense of accomplishment you gain when you have the chance to hurt the one you once called master? I thought I'd have you experience that pleasure, and so, I prepared this situation for you. Please, enjoy yourself!"

There were no more replies from the old man. His former teacher was racing to attack him, aged hands already forming seals at a speed that few would ever be able to boast of. Still not fast enough. Especially considering his own technique required way less. A fire inferno threatened to fill the barrier for less of a second before the Second's water jutsu sprung to life...just as could be expected from a former Hokage, to be able to cast such a high-level suiton in a place without water.

He would give it to the old man, for his age, he still managed to counter the next attack with remarkable ease...even if there was no chance for it to last. After all, impressive or not, Orochimaru wasn't even using his own chakra to power all of the high-level jutsus his puppets were using.

Regardless, it was time to up the ante.

With a seal, the First's body began to move.

Tendrils of wood erupted from the ceiling, chasing the old body of his former teacher. Almost a game of cat and mouse, pushing and pushing, cornering the man, so he noticed it only when it was too late. The mud wall made for protection took little effort to breach. Branches pierced the high-level defense like it was nothing. Tangling around the old man, tying him to his fate.

"Hahahaha, you're in a bit of a bad spot, aren't you, Sarutobi-sensei?"

His smirk remained even as the old man moved. Orochimaru had been his student; after all, he knew his teacher was not the kind to just give up. And besides, it wouldn't be nearly as satisfying if things ended so quickly, so painless. Really, watching the cloud of smoke dissipate to show the similarly old monkey king Enma show up was almost as exhilarating as it had been to plan this whole thing.

"Orochimaru...so, in the end, it's come to this!" Hatred dripped from the summon's words, and it turned towards its master. "You're pathetic, you know that, Sarutobi? This is all because you wouldn't kill him when you had the chance that time!"

"That's what we're going to do from here on."

"You're a little too late!"

"Enma!" Sarutobi-sensei yelled out. "Use the kongounyo!"

The transformation into the staff was all the old man needed to slice through the branches holding him. Things were finally beginning to get interesting. And with this, it was time for him to get more serious as well. If the old man was planning to actually go on the offensive, then relying on the corpses would not be enough. His throat contracted as his summoned snake made its way out of his mouth. Fingers closed the hilt, completely ignoring the slickness of his sword's handle.

"Here we go, Enma!"

"Even if I'm in Kongou form, the blade of Kusanagi is gonna be sire, man..." the monkey's voice came from the staff.

Was he...oh, he was...

Sarutobi-sensei launched himself at him, forcing the former Hokage's and expanding the staff towards him. Amber eyes flickered around as Orochimaru blocked. There didn't seem to be anything odd with the attack. The bodies of the former Hokages rushed through, kicking the old man back. Really, not being able to block such a simple thing.

"For you to come charging head-on like that without even using any kage-bunshins, really..." It was almost disappointing.

"This ain't like you..." Even the summon seemed surprised. "What's wrong?"

So, there were only two possibilities here.

Either Orochimru was being supremely underestimated by his former teacher...or more than likely...his age was starting to affect his performance. Yet, one more evidence that his decision was the right one. Conforming oneself with a common life would only ever lead to weakness.

"Hahahaha, you who were called the Professor for knowing and being able to use all the jutsu that exist in Konoha." Acid laced his laughter. "Please, don't disappoint me too much."

It was loud, the sound of the explosions in front of him, smoke erupting only to fade away and show both corpses balancing on only one leg. So, the old man placed explosive tags on their legs when he was kicked. Clever little trick, but for him to have to resort to something like that did nothing but show his teacher was grasping at straws...and even that was pointless. Nothing more than a useless exercise.

Less than a couple of seconds was all his puppets needed for their limbs to regrow once more. As long as their souls remained fixed to the corpses, they would not be defeated.

"Your breath seems to be coming rather fast, don't you think?" This fight was decided the moment the fight started. "Well, now, what will you do?"

"The jutsu exchanges end here!" There was a fire in Sarutobi-sensei's eyes...stubborn old fool. "From here on, it's gonna be a blood-drenched, free-for-all...just like a shinobi battle should be!"

"Orochimaru!"

Hmm, so he was also in the village now. Amber eyes narrowed slightly, glaring past the barrier at the form of his one-time teammate. Rage was clearly boiling inside the toad Sannin as Jiraiya finally took in the situation he'd just walked into. The giant summons were supposed to keep most of their high-end shinobis occupied...then again, the Taishos were most likely capable enough of handling all of them without breaking a sweat. Troublesome bunch, the lot of them, but this time their interference would make no difference. Even Jiraiya could not break this barrier.

"Oh, will you look at that?" His smile widened, cruelly twisting upwards. "It seems like someone else will be witnessing your demise, sensei. Such a pity, though, one more, and we would've had the full team back together.

Everything inside her was screaming to stop, to turn around and run the other way...though, oddly enough, the rush of panic Kagome had felt back at the stadium was not exactly there anymore. At least, not noticeable enough for her to feel the itch on her skin that almost felt like something was crawling underneath.

It didn't matter.

They got an order, and now they had to complete it to keep up their charade.

"I'll bring her down." Azure eyes narrowed slightly; the Higurashi heiress could already see the blond kunoichi rushing through the trees in front of them. Still too far for them to catch up, but not for her senbons to reach. Three long needles were already resting between her fingers. "Get ready."

"Sure you can aim?"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Sasuke snapped back at the silver-haired Taisho.

"We have to get to him as soon as we can." Before Inuyasha could reply, the girl interrupted.

It only took a small burst of chakra to propel herself, her arm lashing out in an elegant curve she'd practiced for years on end.

One hit was all she needed.

The pained scream of the Suna girl was all the confirmation they needed to know her aim had been true. The other three sprinted ahead of her as she landed for just a second before restarting her race. No attempts to break the escaping pair's fall was made, even the sand remained still inside the gourd. If that wasn't proof that Gaara was almost entirely out of it, Kagome wasn't sure what else it could be. Temari's groan of pain as she fell in her now bleeding leg went ignored as their last-minute made team surrounded them both. Panic was painfully clear on Temari's eyes as she glanced around, looking for a way out...and the heiress was sure it had less to do with being caught than it should.

"Can't we just make this easy on all of us?" Diplomacy was unlikely to work; there was nothing to lose by trying, though. "Whatever it was you were planning has been completely derailed; there's no point in trying to keep this up anymore. Do we really have to go through this farce?"

"When..." Oh, right, the Taishos hadn't been there the last time they'd faced her. "When did the others...?"

"It doesn't matter." Sasuke's voice cut her off. "Not that, not the reasons for this treason."

Dread began to pool inside of her as the redhead slowly moved to stand, only to fall to his knees again. Sand was moving again, revolving around him with no apparent control of his own, covering the right side of his upper body. He was even salivating now...and there was no doubt in her mind now, they really should not be anywhere near this place.

"What the hell..."

"He's lost control!" Kagome yelled.

Miroku looked back at her for just a second before moving back to the unhinged boy. "Control of what?!"

"Just get back!"

Shit.

This was faster than she thought it would be.

Growling, Gaara launched at them, jumping the distance in a second.

Chakra rushed to her legs as Kagome jumped back, a firm grasp on her elbow the only sign that Sasuke was still with her. A loud crack echoed throughout the forest. The redhead didn't slam into the tree...he'd gone through it. The somewhat familiar itch only added to her panic. she didn't have enough information, no idea how to handle this.

"Are you afraid of me?!" The voice coming out of the boy was garbled, unsettling. "Afraid of my existence?!"

"Any ideas?" Sasuke asked, gaze traveling across the forest to take in their surroundings

Shaking her head, the girl frowned for just a second before warning bells were ringing in her ears once more.

"Above!"

It was crude, but her push did what she wanted. Twisting in midair was simple; forcing herself to land running, rushing away from the path of sand was a bit harder. The sand itself wasn't that faster than back in the exam. She could keep ahead, no matter if he was after her...wait...back in the village, it was clear the boy was more interested in Sasuke than the young heiress, didn't it?

Then why...

"Stay back!" She waved her hand towards the Uchiha. "I can keep this up! The attacks aren't fast enough! Instead of giving him more targets, figure out a way to stop the sand!"

"Back...!" A shiver ran down her spine at the redhead's voice. "Get back here!"

It was less than a split of a second, the time her feet touched the solid branches, but any longer and the sand would drag her down. The area was changing around her, trees falling so loud Kagome could barely hear her heart pounding in her chest. She had to do something, something that could grant her some breathing room, but what...?

She'd been exhausted, almost falling on her feet back when Naruto almost lost control. There was no time to think about her actions; the girl had simply reacted on instinct...but her reiki did attract the attention of the Kyuubi...right?

Her steps slowed down.

Curses ran through her brain as the next crack sounded in front of her.

Jumping back, Kagome could already see the sand claw reaching towards her. This was a bet, a risky one...reiki covered the senbons in her hand...simple sand does not move on its own, some form of chakra had to be holding it together...her shots went straight, sinking into the sand. Bright pink exploded from the contact place, the monstrous claw losing some fingers as they crumbled to the ground.

Understanding dawned on her.

This was why he was so fixated on her.

Her blood was painting a target on her back...again.

Not the time.

Absolutely, not the time.

What mattered was that now, Kagome had a margin of error.

"What..." The sadistic rage subsided into angered confusion. "What are you?!"

Her breath was coming heavier, huffs escaping her as the girl forced her body to keep moving. This insane game of cat and mouse was accompanied by the sound of trees falling, branches breaking, and her composure was holding on by a thread. Regular attacks did nothing; reiki-charged ones had an effect, but not enough for her to think she could win on her own.

Kagome slipped.

Feet sliding through a weak branch for just an instant before habit moved her center of balance backward, placing herself back on it, back in front of the sand claw storming right at her.

Raised hands did little to stop the fingers closing around her, her breath stopping as the grip around her tightened. Fear crashed through her.

If she got caught, then Sasuke would come out.

With no plan.

No strategy.

Trust your instincts...

Slender fingers grabbed the sand holding her in midair.

No...

Like hell Higurashi Kagome would allow herself to die here.

A/N: And I am back! And little by little we're getting closer to the end of this arc, Itachi's first reappearance and finally the moment the two of them leaving the village. Again, there is a lot going on in this arc all at the same time so trying to keep in mind where everybody is is actually a bit of a challenge, but hopefully it reads well.

As always, thank you guys so much for reading (and sorry again for the delay, we should be back to the regular update schedule now) and any review/criticism/comment is greatly appreciated.