Chapter 51: A pressing chase

Shikamaru blinked slowly, attempting to make his brain stop whirling with possibilities and just listen to the words the Hokage describing what would be his first mission as a chuunin. Uchiha Sasuke and Higurashi Kagome were currently considered missing, reported to be seen making their way out of the village in the middle of the night by Uzumaki Naruto, and this whole situation just couldn't get more messed up.

"Wait a second here!" Perhaps that interruption was rude, but the words didn't make any sort of sense. "Why would Sasuke be persuaded by such a dangerous guy?! Better yet, how is it Kagome didn't stop him?!"

"That's beside the point. We're running out of precious time...for the time being, you're in charge of this mission," Tsunade-sama almost snapped, stress evident in her voice.

"So you want me to follow those two and bring them back?"

"Yes, however, this mission needs to be completed quickly above all else. There will be a high probability of running into trouble." And this was sounding more troublesome by the second. "This isn't the first time something like this has happened. There is a high chance Orochimaru's henchmen will be something them the way."

Shit.

"Therefore, for this mission, I ask for a team comprised of only jounin and chuunin." With an unknown number of potential enemies chosen by a Sannin, the danger they'd risk could become unimaginable.

"That I cannot do." The woman shook her head. "You should know, Asuma, Kakashi, and even your father...right now, most of the upper ninjas besides the important ones that stay here are out of the village doing missions.

"You have 30 minutes." There was an order if he ever heard one. "Gather as many worthy genins you see fit and leave immediately."

"It's going to be troublesome, but it's people I know...I can't just let it be." There were too many unknowns here, but even then..."Well, I'll do what I can."

"Also," the Hokage started. "There is someone that..."

"I'm here!" A loud, hyperactive orange blur jumped into the room. "Is the team ready?"

Right, of course, the prankster was going to be sent. Actually, this was likely the best choice considering just who this mission was centered around. Those two were the strongest overall genins from their generation; trying to bring them back by force would be difficult. Trying to appeal to their emotions and convince them to come back of their own volition would work for the better. And the only person with a connection deep enough for that to even be an option was Naruto.

"You're about to gather them. Shikamaru is going to be acting as the team leader." She was clearly unamused as the woman glared at the blond.

"Alright, then!"

Ever a hurricane of unending energy, Naruto was already out the door. Groaning, the Nara hurried after him.

"Oi, wait for me, dammit!"

"So, who are we looking for?" the blond asked once he caught up.

"If you don't know then, don't try to run ahead..." This was going to become a hassle. They had to go through with it, anyway. "By the way...you were the one who saw them leave, right?"

"How?"

"You already knew what was going on when you entered the room asking about the team." A list of names kept whirling around his head while he led the other boy through the village. "Had you only been informed, then why leave and come back? It would be easier to stay in the Hokage's office since they didn't send you to retrieve anyone...plus, Tsunade-sama debriefed me."

"Oh right, I forgot that...but yeah, I saw them leave."

"So, what happened?"

"I was sleeping over at theirs when a noise woke me up; they were on their way to the door, packs on and everything." Frustration bled over the blond's words. "I wan after them, but they kept changing directions inside the village until I ended up in front of the Hokage tower."

And there it was, the reason why taking Naruto was essential. The two clan heirs were some of the most private people the Nara knew. Oh, sure, many would claim Kagome was an open person, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. It was harder to pick out just how closed the girl was, with Sasuke always ignoring the questions he didn't like or quickly insulting those who annoyed him. In contrast, the Higurashi smiled and happily started conversations, hiding the fact that there was never any sort of personal information in anything she said. Shikamaru would be surprised if anyone had ever gotten anything more than useless, random trivia from the polite heiress. But the village outcast was a regular guest in their house.

If they could get the blond to speak to them while the rest of the team distracted whatever escorts had been sent, then maybe things could go somewhat smoothly...perhaps.

First of all, they needed to assemble their team.

Lately, he'd felt less tense during his days, despite keeping his training regimen as strict as ever and adding to it by helping Hinara-sama with her own. Neji couldn't deny that ever since he made the decision to stop lying to himself, he could rest a little better. Now, however, the tension was back with full force.

For once, the teen couldn't scold the Hyuuga heiress shocked gasp while Naruto boldly yelled at him to hurry up and get ready because they had to catch up with the two clan heirs that had been 'tricked' by Orochimaru was an entirely fitting reaction. Never had the young genius seen the shy girl pale so quickly. From what little information he had, this didn't sound good at all. Still, he forced himself to add his own reassurances to the clumsily given promises from the village's prankster. After their first couple of training sessions, Hinata-sama had taken to mumble soft comments about both her teammates and the members of team 7. If not for the fact that they'd had to rush to gather the others, Neji would've punched the idiot when his cousin almost turned into an anxious mess.

Standing with the rest of the hastily found, genins the Hyuuga went over the story once more only to find himself just as bothered as he'd been when he first heard it.

""Shikamaru's already a chuunin; we gotta listen to what he says." Chouji's words finally shut up Kiba's loud complaints. "The village's high council acknowledge that he qualifies as a leader."

"Tell us the basic strategies and plans. According to what we've heard, there seem to be enemies and possible ambushes," Neji added before another conflict could come up.

"Anyways, since this is a rescue mission, we're the pursuers. Which means it's easy for our enemies to get their first strike on us." For all of the Nara's laziness, he was quite fast on the uptake. "So, we'll now decide on the squad formation that is the most suitable to react to a sudden strike. If anyone moves on their own and ignores my orders, it might end up killing us all."

A single line formation with Kiba, Shikamaru, Naruto, Chouji, and Neji, himself, in that order, each position justified by their individual talents that still played on their overall power. The Hyuuga would give some credit to the new chuunin; his strategy game was probably the best he'd seen between his contemporaries. Which was a good thing considering their survival now hinged on the usually unmotivated Shikamaru's decision as a leader.

"How did this even happen?" the Inuzuka grumbled while they checked their equipment.

"I told you, that Orochimaru guy..."

"Yeah, I know, I know." Irritated, Kiba interrupted the blond. "But I mean, sure, I can see Sasuke getting tricked, but Kagome? Come on, she's not the sort of person to get fooled."

"What are you trying to say?" The unexpected anger made the Hyuuga turned to watch Naruto. "Sasuke would never force Kagome into anything."

The same kind of anger that seemed to rise within Kiba too.

Right, when Tenten did the research into the girl, it didn't take long to discover there was a long line of boys who'd been beaten back off of pursuing her affections by the Uchiha. Something that entirely failed to surprise him. The Higurashi heiress was easy on the eyes. And when the whole mysticism of her situation and kind disposition was added to the mix, it was only natural she'd catch people's attention. And Neji didn't need the aid of his byakugan to realize the Inuzuka was probably one of the boys who watched her from apart.

At the very least, he clearly didn't trust Sasuke.

"That's enough, Kiba." Sensing the incoming confrontation, Shikamaru grabbed control of the situation. "Listen, Sasuke's not a very close friend of mine...nor is he someone I'd consider important, and for that matter, neither is Kagome.

"However! They are both fellow shinobis from Konoha, just like me, like you; this is not the time to start doubting anyone. They are our comrades!" Listening to the impromptu speech, Neji figured the younger boy's promotion was warranted. "This is why we'll risk our lives for them, this is the way of Konoha...even someone like me can't goof off on something like this...I'm responsible for all of your lives."

"Hah..." Kiba sighed loudly. "Now you're starting to look like you deserve that chuunin title."

"Alright, finish checking the equipment; we need to move."

The loud sound of his teammate's crutches echoed behind him. Glancing back, he could see Lee's conflicted expression as he hovered near the ragtag team. How the taijutsu expert found out what was going on, Neji wasn't sure. Even with the boy's hyper-positivity until the surgery was done, Lee couldn't do anything to help.

A look at Naruto betrayed the genin's worry. Despite his defense of the Uchiha, it seemed the blond still felt there was something wrong with what was going on. Neji was forced to agree. What little the young genius had seen made it clear Kagome wasn't the kind to get pushed around. The whispered words during the match hinted at the same kind of anger that still simmered inside him when it came to his own clan. And that opened a very troublesome possibility...it would be one thing to face against hand-picked Orochimaru's minions and a completely different challenge to go against someone who'd already analyzed their basic skills.

"Alright, if we're done..."

"Wait!" A different voice rang behind him. "Is it true...that Sasuke-kun is gone?"

It still astounded him sometimes just how fast information could spread in the form of gossip. But it was still a ninja village, he supposed, and the blond hadn't been subtle while rushing across Konoha. He supposed, their group was also an unusual sight. Plus, the missing clan heirs was a glaring hint.

"Look, Sakura," their team leader almost groaned. "We can't bring you along."

"But!"

"Your relationship with Kagome is bad, to say the least, and even if you like Sasuke at this point, we're going to need to force them both to understand and drag them back." Shaking his head, the Nara stopped the girl from continuing. "This is the best team we can form."

The Hyuuga forced his expression to remain neutral as tears fell down Haruno's cheeks. This was really the worst time for her to become emotional. If they let this continue, they'd end up getting delayed. It was probably the reason why Shikamaru kept shutting down the girl.

"Sakura-chan..." Naruto trailed off before forcing a grin. "I'll bring them back, I promise!"

"Hey, hey, Naruto." If Kiba kept trying to pick fights with Naruto, Neji wasn't sure how well the team would work. "Are you sure you can keep that promise?"

"I won't go back on my words!" That grin was too forced. "That's my ninja way."

"Well, we've wasted quite a bit of time..." Shukamaru turned away, probably wanting to get away from the gate before someone else showed up. "Let's hurry."

"Naruto! Wait!"

Cerulean eyes spotted it only when it was too late, his weight already well on his way down as his foot kept descending. Shit, curses ran through his mind as his brain came up with all sorts of ideas about what this trap could have in store for them...it would be bad, Nauto knew it would be bad, and this would've them fall behind and warn Orochimaru's minions and...

And he wasn't moving.

"Just in time with the kagemane no jutsu..." Behind him, Shikamaru mumbled, hand gripping Chouji's scarf to keep the pose. "Dammit, Naruto! I told you to watch it!"

The blond grimaced at the feeling of having his limbs on their own as the Nara slowly moved them both back from the wires. Still, tension refused to leave him. Because sure, when Kiba smelled blood, he mentioned it didn't belong to any of his childhood friends, but it only meant those taking them away were skilled. That they found other high-level ninjutsu traps not long ago did nothing to help ease his mind.

"One of the wires is intentionally made visible from reflecting rays, but the other wire is camouflaged green," Neji explained behind them. "It's difficult to detect with the naked eye...it's a double trap."

"Hmm, a well-made trap for a rushed job...but this only means..."

"They are resting, they are either wounded, or it's a trap." Neji finished after the Nara, veins bulging around his eyes. "Caught them."

"Alright!" They were close; Naruto could still get to them. "Let's go bring Kagome and Sasuke back!"

"Naruto, sorry, but now it's my turn to show off my new trick!"

"Mine too!"

"Don't be hasty..." Shikamaru drawled after both Kiba and Chouji yelled after him. "As soon as I get my strategy laid down, we'll engage our target."

It took all he had to keep himself from running in the general direction the Hyuuga had been looking at. But he had to keep still. Just like before they went out of the village, having an actual plan was needed, and this was not a thing he wanted to mess up just because he was impulsive. So, instead, he forced himself to crouch and pay attention.

Four Oto shinobis.

It would seem the new chuunin's calculations had been spot on. Though Neji couldn't help but feel the same uneasiness he'd felt when he first heard about this whole thing as he watched Higurashi Kagome calmly learning on some sort of barrel. Not a scratch on her body, and from what he could see, chakras reserves completely full.

"Huh?" Shikamaru whispered beside him. "Where is Sasuke?"

"Hmph, it seems like...Sasuke is within that coffin." Though even with his byakugan, he could barely see inside.

"Is he dead?!"

"There seems to be some sort of barrier surrounding the coffin, and it's difficult to see through." He'd never seen barriers like that one. "However, I doubt they'd kill Sasuke in such a hurry, considering how much they wanted him. Besides, take a look at her...do you really think Kagome wouldn't have fought to an inch of her life had they actually killed him."

"Yeah...you're right."

Because even if those four had managed to place the Higurashi heiress under a genjutsu to make her complacent, it was laughable to think the girl who'd used an illusion on him wouldn't be able to fight it off and try to kill her attackers. No, the Uchiha was still breathing, of that much, there was no doubt. Of course, her passiveness also betrayed the two heirs' willingness to abandon the village. The real question here was, just how far would she go in her attempt to leave?

The kunai thrown their way came with no warning, landing right behind them. The exploding tag attached to it was impossible to miss, just like the sound of it behind them as they roughly landed on the ground after hastily jumping outside of their hiding spot.

"Eh, what's this?" The one with what looked like a second head was smirking. "Picked the bush and got two bugs instead of rabbits."

"Hey, wait!" Shikamaru hurried to try and win some time. "Wait! We're not here to fight! We came to negotiate..."

Pupiless eyes flickered towards the raven-haired kunoichi, who was now standing right next to the coffin. Clearly, his suspicions were confirmed. Sasuke was inside that barrel...and her lack of reaction meant they didn't take her by surprise. She wasn't making any more moves towards them than she was making to aid the Oto nins. There seemed to be some surprise painted on her face, but after the level of deception, the Higurashi was able to pull off during their match...Neji wouldn't count on the shock and concern on her expression to be legitimate.

"Hmph, then what are these?" It was the one with extra limbs who spoke now.

With a wave of two of his arms, all three remaining genins came flying into the clearing, tied by something naked eyes couldn't see. Smoke covered the gap between the two groups, Kiba's swift actions a testament to the clan's renowned fast reactions. Things could be going better; they could also be going worse.

"Haha, what good is that smoke bomb? There's no escape from me." Arrogance seeped through the six-armed man. "These strings are thinner than wire and harder to detect. I've lain these all over the area."

"So, you purposefully made those wires visible...triple traps, huh?" Shikamaru spoke again, though his gaze flickered toward the girl. So, the Nara reached the same conclusion as his; it wasn't Kagome who tipped them off. "What blunder, I didn't even know there was such a technique."

"You guys are all..." Finally, their plan was moving on. "What...my body?!"

"Nice job, Kiba, Shikamaru!" Naruto cheered at his left. "Kagemane no jutsu success!"

"Well, you should also know, there are these kinds of activities...thanks for falling right into our trap."

"Wait!"

For the first time since they caught up, Kagome spoke.

"Just please, wait, Sakon."

His heart seemed to stop.

He knew it.

Even while they'd discussed it, Naruto knew Kagome was just not the kind of girl who would get trapped in genjutsus. To a certain degree, she was somewhat willing. But so far, he'd managed to pretend not to notice her somewhat relaxed manner while leaning against the coffin. He couldn't lose his cool if they wanted their plan to work...and it did. Now, however, the young heiress had rushed to plant herself between the two groups. Her back to them as she faced the Oto nins.

"Not getting cold feet now, are you, princess?" one of the freaks questioned. Still cocky despite his position.

"...no...not at all, it's just..." Kagome turned to them, azure eyes staring directly into his. She wasn't scared. "Please...please, go back to the village, Naruto."

He couldn't feel his heartbeat, his lungs refusing to work for just a second.

"Kagome!" Words died on his tongue, unsure of what he could even say. "L-look, they're all tied up! If you bring...!"

"That's not it!" Her yell cut him off. Tension was everywhere in her form. "I...we can't stay...Naruto, we have to leave...this is the only way."

"Orochimaru is planning to use you!"

"I know!...we know...but for the sake of my...no, of our goals." Kagome wasn't scared, not being blackmailed either...she didn't like this, Naruto could tell, but she wasn't willing to take their help. "Then we'll go to whatever lengths we need to."

No...

No, no, no.

This was not something he wanted to think about. This was the exact opposite of what he expected to happen. But for all the reluctance in his best friend's voice, there was no way he could miss her determination. Kagome really had no plans to return with them. No, she was entirely serious about going to the freak...it made no sense.

She'd worried herself sick after their first encounter with Orochimaru. Always concerned about...

"If it's the mark, then surely Tsunade-baachan will be able to do something about..."

"She won't...and that's not the reason." The girl was smiling. A bitter, tired smile as she shook her head. "We can't stay, but Naruto...you have to go back."

It just...couldn't be true.

No matter how he thought about it, the words that fell from the girl's lips refused to make sense. Because these were his best friends. His childhood friends. The ones that remained by his side without minding the dirty looks thrown his way...they wouldn't abandon him...not Kagome, not Sasuke.

This had to be Orochimaru's doing...somehow...somehow the freak scared the girl enough for her to agree to this.

But she wasn't scared...no, Naruto would be able to tell if she was...

"Kagome!"

"Shikamaru!" Again, Kagome cur him off. "You won't win...please, order them all to go back."

"Do you really think any of us will just nod and leave?" Shikamaru sounded strained, but it barely registered.

"I just don't want anyone to get hurt."

"That's not gonna work, Kagome-sama. Better leave it in our hands, after all..." the white-haired Oto nin interrupted her. "I have these kinds of techniques as well."

Shikamaru's yell was the only thing that let him know something was wrong. Shuriken flew at them from somewhere behind them, forcing the Nara to doge. Forcing him to let go of the kagemane. And then, the ground beneath them moved, rising around them to leave them trapped inside a dark dome. No exit in sight.

"I'll take care of these guys...I wanna recover...even if it's only a little." Naruto couldn't recognize the voice, but he didn't need to for him to know what it meant.

"Well, catch up with us as soon as you're done eating; we're gonna head out." This one he recognized, the one with many arms, was the one talking. "Come on, princess, we still have some road to travel."

Within the rock dome Naruto couldn't hear Kagome's answer, but the ensuing silence was deafening. And he was running forward, fists connecting against the rocks. Pounding uselessly, because she was leaving, they were leaving, and he had to stop them.

"Dammit! Get us out!"

"Naruto!" Behind him, Kiba moved. "Get out of the way!"

Debris flew at the whole group as the Inuzuka's technique almost turned him into a whirlwind, drilling into the surface...it wasn't enough...in fact, the dent Kiba made on the rock was now disappearing. Growing smaller with every second until there was no hint that the wall had been damaged in any way.

...and now, Naruto had a really bad feeling about this.

Plans that heavily depended on unknown cooperation almost always failed.

That was something Shikamaru had known from the start, and he'd be lying if he said he genuinely thought their first strategy would work without a hitch. It had still been by far the best-case scenario. Of course, there was also the fact that, apparently, somehow his kagemane failed to completely stop their movements. Something that shouldn't have happened. But this was not the time to think back on their failure. Right now, the only chuunin needed to come up with a way to get them all out of here and back to their chase. No matter how significantly harder it would be now that he'd confirmed Kagome would not come to their aid. That interrupted plead with them to go back was more than likely going to be the limit of her willing interference.

Forcing those thoughts back, the Nara turned his eyes to the previously damaged spot on the wall before glancing over to Neji.

"This isn't an ordinary stone wall..." the older genin confirmed his suspicions. "This isn't looking good...our chakra is being sucked dry."

Holding back a groan, Shikamaru let himself fall to the floor. Even without the Hyuuga's words, he could almost feel the weakness creeping over him. A quick look around revealed he wasn't the only one in the same situation. Hell, even Naruto, the one with the most stamina in their group, ended up sitting down.

"This isn't looking good, Shikamaru."

It was a fatal mistake to get caught before being able to identify the enemy's abilities. At this point, their death was all but a question of time.

"Damn! There's no other way." Kiba's angered voice sounded too loud in the silence that had fallen. "Before we all run out of chakra, we hafta bust a hole in this wall. Akamaru! Take the soldier's pill! Mimic me!"

Debris was flying all over once more, though this time, both Kiba and Akamaru hit against the walls with as much force as they could, their combined effort amounting to nothing as the jutsu finally wore off, leaving behind nothing but quickly restoring craters all over.

"Dammit! The wall repairs itself as soon as the damage is inflicted onto it!" That was something Kiba could've seen had he paid attention before...but it may not have been useless. "The floor as well! We can't hold out much longer. We're going to lose all of our chakra."

Dark eyes kept scanning the walls' surface. It was true that all of the holes seemed to be fixing themselves. But it wasn't happening at the same pace...in fact, Shikamaru was pretty sure he could see it. A pattern. If memory served him right, then...no. He couldn't afford to be hasty; there was no guarantee that the enemy outside couldn't accelerate the rate at which their chakra was drained. Which meant this had to be perfect on the first try.

"Hey! Listen!" Standing in front of where their enemy should be, Shikamaru made sure his voice was loud. "I want to talk to your leader! We won't follow them anymore! Please, let us out!"

"Hey!"

"Shikamaru..." There was a lot of anger in Naruto's words for that one word. "What are you saying?!"

"An internal dispute?" Yes. That was the guy who stayed behind, and Shikamaru was standing right in front of him. "Heh, interesting...but, all of you are my meal, I can't let you out."

"Then, only one is fine. Just let me out..." Just a bit more, that guy had to speak just a bit more so the Nara could be sure. "I'm tired of conflicts like this."

"Hahaha, it seems like you're the leader, and yet you're the one asking me for mercy?!" The bastard was amused. Good, let him taunt them and confirm his theory. "When humans are placed in a situation where their lives are in danger, their true nature appears. A fool like you doesn't deserve the position of the leader. What a loser...you are giving up on Sasuke and Kagome and selling out your comrades, eh? And you call yourself a Konoha shinobi..." Laughter came from the other side of the wall. "You should die here. I won't let you out."

Well then, it would seem like this guy really liked to monologue...and now Shikamaru was entirely certain of his position outside. Ignoring the sudden outburst from his teammates, Shikamaru knelt once more. His hands moved into a familiar pose, eyes closed. First of all, he needed to make sure he had all of the facts straight.

First: the walls could be damaged. Otherwise, there would be no need fr self-repair.

Second: right now, he was kneeling with his back to where their enemy was still standing.

Third: the Oto shinobi had not changed positions at all during all this time.

Fourth: the self-repair started instantly.

Fifth: it began as soon as it was damaged, but the pace was different.

Sixth: even now, one of the craters hadn't managed to fix itself yet...and it was directly in front of him.

And he had it. It was a little simple, but then again, it wasn't unusual for the correct answer to be the more obvious one.

"Neji, I'm sorry, but please examine the wall behind you and Chouji with your remaining chakra." Thankfully, the older teen didn't refuse. Until now, the Hyuuga had remained quiet, probably trying to figure the jutsu out as well.

"Shikamaru!" Unlike Naruto, who'd kept screaming in anger. "Shut your trap!"

"Naruto, don't you get it?!" Chouji's angered voice quieted any complaints. Good, reliable, Chouji. "Remember what Shikamaru said when we took off."

"Chouji, speak quietly from now on."

"Hmph, I see...over there." Yeah, the older teen didn't even sound surprised.

"Neji, aim your dagger at that place." This was their one shot; it had to be perfect. "Chouji, are you ready?"

"Okay, I'm ready!"

"What's going on?!"

"As I said before, the wall around us is shielded with chakra," Neji calmly answered the blond, following his order. "However, Shikamaru hypothesized that there may be points where the chakra on the wall is low in concentration."

His initial thoughts on the Hyuuga prodigy were quite spot on, it seemed. The boy had caught on to his plan and kept silent, allowing him to make a strategy without intervening. And now, he was quietly explaining everything to the other two while Choiji prepared to send his attack against the walls. There was still some arrogance and pride in his voice, but it couldn't compare to what he'd heard during the chuunins exams. He supposed it was better that way; Kiba and Naruto were less likely to interrupt Neji than they would the lazy Nara."

With a low whisper, he had them all far from the wall. His teammate's jutsu forced them to pull back...the sound of the oversized Chouji against the wall loud in his ears as he waited, lungs struggling to work properly...and then it was done.

Fresh air felt like heaven.

"Chouji, you're the best!"

Having Kiba and Naruto lunge at their enemy was far more than just expected.

It was also reckless.

"Stop!" Neji hurried to try and get them back under control. "It's too dangerous to fight him here. Although it's five against one, he's not an opponent we can defeat quickly with our chakra depleted."

"If we waste too much time here, Sasuke and Kagome will cross the territorial border. If that happens, we cannot pursue them any further." Shikamaru's logic did the work.

"Then what the hell should we do?!"

Truthfully, it wasn't like they had many options.

"Annoying flies, you all are merely my prey," the fat guy was almost growling, clearly angered. "Though, you wouldn't even be a small snack for me."

"Everyone, watch out! This one's going to be trouble!"

Once more, the ground parted beneath their feet. Dirt and dust covering the air. The veins around his eyes pulsed as Neji's pale gaze moved through the clearing. Losing sight of the enemy was the first step into getting killed.

So where...

"Behind us!"

Behind them, was right.

The man had somehow lifted an entire part of the ground and was now holding it over them as if it didn't weigh a ton. Pushing some of what little chakra he had left to his feet, the Hyuuga sprinted, the others hot on his heels. The sound of crashing rocks had him looking back to find the Akimichi boy had used the same jutsu he'd broken the walls of the dome to shatter the boulder. Perhaps, he supposed, he'd been underestimating far more people than he'd thought.

Although drained as they were, it wasn't surprising to see the boy be sent back with a punch.

Turning around, Neji could feel the flow of his chakra as he took an offensive stance. The constant doton techniques would make this difficult, but if they managed to...

"Everyone, wait!" Shikamaru's voice held an unexpected authority. "We need to split up from here! We have no time. At this rate, we won't be able to catch up with those two.

"Neji, you'll act as a co-leader, take Kiba and Chouji with you and chase after them. I'll take care of this guy with Naruto!"

"Are you planning on using the shadow bind again?" Their enemy didn't sound worried. "Such a useless move...just one glance, and I already know how to deal with it. You were the squad leader, huh? You really think you can defeat me when you split up?

"Must be tedious to work under such a foolish leader, huh, underlings? Well, I'd kill trash who'd work under such a shadow-loving sucker, even before they felt bored."

"Dammit, stop babbling like a fool; I'll..."

"He's mine!" Chouji stopped Naruto. "I'll take care of him...Shikamaru, give these soldier's pills to everyone else."

"Chouji...you've got to be kidding me!" Because the Nara was pretty sure he knew where this was going.

"You think so? I've still got the secret weapon for myself."

"But...that's!"

"Shikamaru, take everyone else and go!" Chouji's voice left no room for argument.

"What are you saying?" Naruto was really something, worrying about others when it was painfully obvious how much he wanted to chase his childhood friends. "He's not someone you can take on by yourself!"

"Everyone...eat this." Pale eyes watched the bag Shikamaru offered them. The decision had been named. "Chouji, you better catch up."

"Alright."

A/N: And here we go, the chase has officially started now, not all of the fights are going to be detailed otherwise it will take a loong time for this arc to be finished, though bits of some of them will be shown. Of course things will be a bit more tense since unlike canon where there was no way to even try to convince for most of the time but this time they've already confirmed that neither Kagome nor Sasuke are going to be willing to go back. This will definitely hit Naruto bad and it will be different due to the change in circumstances between their past. Right now, though he's still trying to come to terms with what's going on.

I do feel there was a part during Shippuden where Naruto's character development just sort of gets stuck or even reverts a bit. I mean during the fight with Pain is probably the most mature he's ever shown, stating that he can understand how and why Pain ended up doing all that but that he couldn't forgive it, to me that felt like him becoming a bit more adult, seeing the world in shades of gray instead of black and white. And then we get to Obito and despite all the deaths the man caused, all the pain he was responsible to (and how much he hurt even Kakashi) Naruto just suddenly forgives him and says he's the greatest because...Obito used to dream about becoming Hokage? Like...what? I'm sorry how does that make any sort of sense? I get that he's supposed to be the hero and hold the moral high ground but there had to be another way to get to that.

Also, there is a reason why I needed both of them to go with Orochimaru at this point, but canon will kinda go out the window once we enter Shippuden territory.

As always, thank you guys so much for reading and any review/criticism/comment is greatly appreciated.