Chapter 52: One step behind.

Chouji was strong.

He would catch up to them.

Even as he carved the arrow on the tree trunk, Shikamaru kept reciting those sentences over and over, as if they were a mantra. Because he knew at least one of them was the absolute truth, as for the other statement...well, he honestly had no clue just how strong their opponents were. The voice that kept reminding him that the Higurashi girl had gone far enough to skip over Naruto to try and convince him to give up the chase wouldn't shut up. She'd insisted those four were too strong, that it was dangerous. Kagome was trying to escape; of course, she'd try to get them to deist. It didn't mean a thing.

Because Chouji was strong.

The boy would be able to finish his fight, even without needing to resort to the last of the Akimichi's unique soldier's pills. There was a reason why they were so highly regarded, after all, and they were tailored to best fit the clan's ninjutsu. The only thing he could do now was to believe in his friend and keep going. Prove that the gentle kid that was Chouji had been right to put his trust in him and complete the mission.

"We're getting close!" Kiba yelled in front of him.

"How odd...there hasn't been a single trap so far." Unsurprisingly, Neji was being cautious. "Shikamaru, what do you think?"

"We're just being underestimated." If there was something the Nara noticed during their encounter was their arrogance. "They're thinking that the big guy is the only one who would follow them. No one would set traps against their comrades."

"Damn them for underestimating us!"

"That must be an accurate analysis...certainly, we're being underestimated," Neji said, not bothering to comment on Naruto's complaint. "But...this also gives us a chance."

"Say, Naruto...would Kagome be able to feel us through a henge?" He could see the Hyuuga's point, but...

"Huh?"

"She's chakra sensitive, isn't she?" Their last encounter left him confused. What was her aim right now? "Would she be able to tell it's one of us under a henge?"

It wasn't like Shikamaru knew much about the Higurashi heiress at all, least of all her skillset. He could, however, remember just how often she'd move to sit the prankster back into his seat just one second before the door was opened by a teacher. One too many for it to be simply coincidence, especially when before that, she'd just be sitting with an amused smile on her face.

So far, it didn't feel like she was willing to fight their ragtag team. It also didn't look like she was all that enthusiastic about getting away from the Oto shinobis. In fact, her words bothered him.

The short report he'd gotten while waiting for Naruto to come back made it seem like this whole thing was Sasuke's idea and his alone. The implication being that the girl was either straight out forced or blackmailed due to her codependency. She'd sounded concerned but not quite desperate for help. It could be because she'd been on board with this whole thing...she could also be trying to protect Sasuke's image...it wouldn't be the first time she did something like that...

He needed to make a decision. If the Higurashi heiress warned Orochimaru's minions about the henge, it would be a disaster.

"It's not...like she's chakra sensitive, but..." the blond faltered. Revealing the girl's secrets was probably hard for him. "But yeah, she would be able to tell it's one of us for sure. I don't think Kagome has had enough time to memorize those four's signature, but ours...no way she won't notice. Kagome won't say anything, though. I know she won't."

Was it sentimentality?

Or a fair assessment?

Shikamaru held back a curse. He'd never paid attention to her character, and now, the only source of information they had who truly knew her was blinded by biases. The line of what limits she would be willing to cross was unclear, and her goals were nebulous. Naruto was confident Kagome would never follow Orochimaru, but it could just be the prankster's wishful thinking. After all, he also thought Sasuke would never force the girl anywhere, and that was the only option left if she was opposed to this whole thing. Higurashi Kagome had either tried to protect the Uchiha's reputation...or she'd pulled the wool over her own friend's eyes.

With so little data, this was little more than a bet, but one the Nara had no choice but to make.

"Then...let's go get them while they're vulnerable."

There was only one viable option as to who'd be under the henge. After all, the impostor would have to adapt on the fly in case they miscalculated. With a short series of hand seals, Shikamaru had taken on the appearance of the Oto nin. With a nod, the others moved around him. If things went well, it would be more of a race back than anything else, but if he was detected, then an ambush would be more advantageous. It may be true that their remaining opponents probably learned the terrain from Orochimaru, but they likely didn't have that much actual experience moving around Hi's forests. Since Kagome didn't seem too keen on helping either side, chances were there would be no shortcuts taken. So they should be able to find them.

In fact, Shikamaru could already see the group.

And it didn't look like they'd been warned.

"What took you so long?"

"Sorry..." the Nara debated for a second before adding. "It took some time to take care of those bastards chakra away."

"You fatass, don't be so slow!" Were the woman's insults common? "Hurry up and carry that coffin; that's your job. You inferior dickhead!"

"Yeah..."

At that silence seemed to fall upon the group, he could see azure eyes glancing his way with a look of what almost felt like pity for a second. From the rest, he could only see wariness.

Shit.

Had he made some sort of mistake? Impersonating someone was not an easy thing to do. Observational skills were a most, of course, which was why he'd taken on the role. However, the Nara wouldn't fool himself into thinking that was all there was to it. Lying and deceiving were essential. Even with the right words, if the tone failed to match, if the movements didn't synchronize, then the jig was up. That said, no one in his current team had the necessary skills for it...and with such a small sample of Jiroubo's character, the teen wasn't even sure he'd gotten the right words.

"Hey, Jiroubo..." the six-armed man said. "You're so obedient today..."

"...what?"

"I'm saying that I can't let you carry this coffin..." There was too much suspicion in those words. "Since you're not Jiroubo!"

"Damn!"

"Let me handle it this time! Sakon and Tayuya, you guys, go ahead and take the princess and Sasuke-sama." With a swift motion, the coffin was sent to the one woman of the Oto shinobis.

At this point, it was mostly useless. Still, Shikamaru sent his punch only to be blocked by two of his opponent's multiple limbs. It didn't even make the guy stumble a single step. Taijutsu had never been his specialty, and clearly, it still wasn't.

"Jiroubo always warns Tayuya for her use of bad language."

"I see..."

So it hadn't been Kagome after all.

"Ninpou, kumo shibari!"

There was no way to avoid it. Point blank and with his hand still trapped in one of Kidoumaru's extra pair of arms. The sticky web his enemy spat had far more force behind it than the chuunin thought. More than enough to send him flying into a tree trunk, the web effectively trapping him. Naruto and his clones didn't take long to end up in the same position.

Kiba's whirlwind jutsu rushed by him.

"Dam...what the hell is that fatass doing?!" Tayuya screamed again. "That shithead!"

"I knew it was a mistake to leave the weakest of the four..." the silver-haired guy said.

"You think I'll let you escape?!"

"My words exactly, look at your feet." And there it was again, that cockiness.

Neji could feel his chakra slice through the web that kept Kidoumaru suspended as he jumped, only to be cocooned by it not a second after. Pale eyes could see through it, though, and it wasn't a simple jutsu to defeat...the stickiness was made by mixing his chakra with his bodily fluids that remained strong even after leaving his body. His chakra itself was still flowing inside the web...honestly, this level of jutsu was almost impossible.

Yet it was very much real.

He may have been defeated during the chuunin exams, but Neji was still the Hyuuga clan's prodigy. The talents from his bloodline still resided inside him with unprecedented force...and he could release his own chakra from every pore within his body.

The web fell around him, leaving pale lavender eyes to find his enemy about to give what looked like a finishing blow to the blond stuck in the spiderweb. So...the original managed to escape. It would seem Naruto was quite fond of that technique.

"Naruto, thanks for buying me some time." With a swipe, Neji freed himself.

"You...how did you?"

"Things made from chakra will be destroyed by simply putting chakra into it. It is meaningless in front of my juuken." In a few seconds, he had the others free. "This guy's jutsu...it seems like only I can deal with it. Go...I'll take care of him."

"...it seems that this guy's stronger than the fatty we fought before. And by a lot." Kiba's warning was probably on point.

"If we don't calculate it so one person's responsible for getting rid of their own enemy, it's gonna be rough...that's what we said, right?" Neji said, looking at their team leader.

"Yeah...that's exactly right."

"Also..." His gaze fell on Naruto; the blond was still tense with anxiousness. "If you stop here, you won't be able to catch up to them."

And if there was something the Hyuuga was certain of was that the only one capable of getting through to the Higurashi heiress was the village's pariah.

Those words said during their match were stuck in his head. The way she'd admitted to fate maybe being real but made by human hands, the coldness on her eyes as they froze over while saying she'd rather die trying to break those human imposed chains than let it be...he knew it. If there was one emotion Neji was well acquainted with, it was hatred, and there was no other thing that could possibly fit what he'd seen that day. If that was what the pacifist Higurashi felt, there was no need to even bother to question what the Uchiha felt.

Hesitation was still present in her movements, though perhaps not a lot, but enough for Neji to feel confident in deciding Kagome wasn't happy with this decision. If Naruto managed to force her to stop enough to talk, there could be a chance.

"If you stop here, you won't be able to catch up to Kagome and Sasuke." And that would be the end of this mission. "Your voice is the only one that will reach them. None of us will be able to make them listen to reason right now, so hurry up and go. I'll catch up to you guys later!"

"...ok."

"Alright." Shikamaru took back control. "Let's go!"

Not willing to wait any longer, the six-armed shinobi moved. A new web was sent against the rest of the team. And Neji was definitely being underestimated right now. Jumping between them took no effort, chakra pouring from his hands as they dealt with the chakra infused webbing, landing back down with ease, byakugan activated.

"Caught ya," his enemy mocked him. "You are talented in the use of chakra, and you have sharp eyes. Cutting through the thinnest part of the web is astounding. I'd heard about it before from Orochimaru-sama, the juuken, right? But once I disable your annoying hands, there won't be any risk of my jutsu being cut.

"You see, any game will be tasteless as soon as you figure out a strategy to beat it. It's only been a minute, but I'm already tired of dealing with you."

Yes, he supposed he could see the use of being underestimated, as well as the danger of getting into such a habit. Closing his eyes, the Hyuuga prodigy simply focused, letting his own chakra flow through his body, feeling the web around him vanish.

"I'll let you in on a little secret," he said. "It's not just my hands; I can emit chakra from every opening of my body...and by the way... it's game over...juuken hakke rokujyuu yonshyo!"

Within the Hakke, his movements sped up, his hits connecting in rapid succession as the genin continued to push the spider-like nin back. This would be it; once his chakra points were closed, there would be no easy way to reopen them or heal the internal organ damage. The sound of the tree trunk breaking under the pressure of the Hyuuga's hits filled his ears. Still, he kept his byakugan activated.

And almost cursed.

The golden layer on top of his enemy's skin had all but blocked every single attack. Clearly, this was harder than the web the Oto nin had been using up until now. In fact, this had the same material as the lances Kidoumaru spat out before.

"Hehe, that was a close one. I heard that anyone who gets struck will get their chakra network sealed." The bastard was amused. "That was a narrow escape."

"How monstrous..." This guy was quite removed from normal humans... "It seems like it's not just your mouth that can release the web."

Keeping silent, the teen did his best to take in as much information as possible. With such a defense, going for chakra points would be useless. He needed to come up with a different strategy then; close range would mean playing a game of stamina. And with as little information on his opponent as he had, Neji would prefer to not tire himself in a bet.

Without a sound, Kidoumaru jumped...and vanished.

Running away from close range, huh? Not nearly as original as the spider nin thought himself.

His eyes caught the kunai coming his way, dodging in a heartbeat only to stumble at the sight of the fake talisman. Hmph, not nearly enough. Sending out his chakra once more...the world blurred around him as he spun, the actual weapons being sent back to the ground. And he knew where his enemy was now. The metal was cold as the teen released his own blade.

"I know where you're hiding; show yourself."

"Fine, I must admit this game is pretty difficult to beat." Black ink-like stains were spreading ver the man's tanned skin. "I'll play seriously."

This...this ridiculous level-up on his chakra was the reason the Hyuuga tried to be careful with this fight. The chakra network he was seeing didn't look anything like the one he saw just a few seconds ago...and those markings...they looked familiar.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!" Smoke cleared out to show a stupidly big spider summon in top of the trees. "I'll find the perfect strategy to counter your abilities."

Dozens of smaller spiders fell down on him. Was this the plan? To overwhelm him with numbers? It made no difference. Releasing chakra once more, he moved...though his spin was slowing down. So, this was the actual purpose of it, halting his rotation. Meaning the only viable strategy now was to try and dodge them all, both the summons and the new barrage of silk knives. Blood sprayed around him as one of the blades finally found his blind spot, tearing through the flesh of his shoulder. Neji was already going as fast as he could, his field of vision spread as far as possible.

Pain assaulted his senses, making it difficult to breathe, long hair disheveled and hanging limply in front of his eyes. Kidoumaru figured it out. And was clearly targetting it.

"What are you struggling for?" Mocking laughter assaulted his ears when he turned to run. "The game is already finished! A scrub in an easy game is meant to be defeated quickly. You can never beat me!"

Trusting his byakugan would not be enough this time...he needed to use something else as a signal...sound...sound would be his answer.

Resting his back against a tree, Neji closed his eyes. And let his chakra cover him, it wouldn't stop it, but at the very least, it would deflect it. The sound of cracking reached him, pushing chakra to his back did little to dim the pain as the arrow pierced through him, tearing through his flesh and bone. Knees buckled underneath him, failing to sustain him. The Hyuuga fell to the dirt, his shoulder screaming in agony as he hit the ground.

No wasted attacks, even the ones that failed, were used to obtain information. It was as incredible as it was terrifying...the byakugan would usually give Neji both a perfect attack and a perfect defense. So far, most people would be forced into a defensive position as soon as he began to use the juuken. Even Kagome's win was less about making use of his weakness and more about using her own kekkei genkai to create new weaknesses. Kidoumaru, however... had actually figured out all of his vulnerabilities and worked to exploit them from a distance. Out of all the opponents the Hyuuga prodigy had faced so far, he had to be the most powerful.

Pushing himself back up, the teen forced his legs to move. Ignoring the blood that was sluggishly dripping from his wound, Neji willed himself to keep walking. Doing his best to move his blind spot around. Leaning back against another tree, he could feel the push against his chakra, his head moving to the side just one moment before the arrow went through the tree, grazing his cheek. Leaving a silken thread after it. Huh...so that was how those arrows kept finding him...

It was undeniable now, Neji was the weaker one, and with the amount of chakra he had left, dodging the next one was all but impossible. To long-distance attackers like this...there was no weakness to exploit...he couldn't win.

She still won.

Even without finding out the byakugan's weaknesses...Higurashi Kagome still won...by creating new weak points.

"Haha, I give up." Should Neji curse or laugh, that even now he was still thinking back to that fight... "There is no chance of me dodging it now, anyways."

Hyuuga Neji was a shinobi; just a genin or not, it made no difference...which meant right now, he had to be clear with his priorities...and not letting Kidoumaru follow the rest was very much at the top of the list. This time, he didn't lean against a tree; instead, he just stood firm.

It would seem...this time, he wasn't being underestimated.

The force of the hit sent him flying back. Crashing against a tree with enough force to crack it. Trembling fingers fought against the pain to close around the thread that guided the arrow that pierced his gut. Sheer will forced his chakra into it. There was a reason why his clan had to be careful with how much chakra was transferred into others. Chakra poisoning could be deadly, even if it hit on a place as innocuous as a hand. He pushed his chakra until the connection broke.

Organ damage had to be certain at this point...would it put the man out of commission?

It should be more than enough...for a normal enemy, at least.

Focusing on himself, the Hyuuga prodigy assessed his own injuries. Concentrating all of his chakra onto his weak spot succeeded in avoiding an instant kill, but he was pretty sure his wounds were still very much fatal. Even if they weren't, the blood loss would most likely be the end of him. Even if the damage itself could be easily healed, it wasn't like Neji himself knew any sort of medical jutsu that would allow him to close the wound. But...this fight was not over yet. As long as that man could still potentially catch up to the others. It wasn't over.

Activating his byakugan once more, the Hyuuga prodigy cut the thread, ignoring the way his blood dripped from the gaping wounds as he moved, his sight locked onto his enemy as he willed his legs to move. Hand raised, the remaining of his chakra on his hand as he launched his last attack. The look of disbelief on Kidoumaru's face was somewhat satisfying. The odd marks that had changed him vanished as his chakra network finally collapsed. It wouldn't be immediate, but he was sure this time, those injuries were fatal.

"A weak enemy is destined to be defeated quickly...was that what you said?" Breathing was almost impossible. Still, he struggled. "Now, look at yourself...if there is a destiny, it is one created by human hands, and if that is so...then those chains can be broken."

"Hah...so you say...but you're about to die soon, as well."

"I...will not die so easily..."

She couldn't feel Neji.

Just the same, she couldn't feel Chouji.

In fact, the only ones she could feel in the group that was quickly catching up to them were the other three. And it was taking all of Kagome's self-discipline not to actually turn around and stop this. Because there was no doubt in her mind what was the strategy the genius Nara was using now.

Letting one person behind at a time.

It made sense. It was the most logical approach.

It was also the riskiest.

As it was, the Higurashi heiress couldn't feel confident either of the boys left behind would survive. That none of the Oto nins were following hinted their loss, but not her former classmates wins. It would be fine, she repeated those words inside her head. Already, had Kagome thread too close to the edge.

She should have lied.

Back when she met with the whole team, trying to sell their story should've been her first priority. But when her eyes met his. The eyes of her childhood friend, the one who stuck with them, through the good and the terrible...she couldn't do it. For most of his life, Naruto had been lied to. Punished by somebody else's actions and forced to live with the consequences while left in the dark. The words had died on her tongue as soon as she opened her mouth.

Telling the truth could place the blond in danger...

No matter how much she wished for another outcome, that wouldn't change...but at the very least...she would not lie to his face...not to Naruto.

Desperate to find a line to walk on, all the heiress could do was utter vague words and hope none of her classmates had observed her enough to realize her stumbles. Other than Naruto, who wouldn't buy their script anyway, the only ones with a chance to find her out were Shikamaru and Neji. Yet neither of them should have enough of a base of her genuine character for them to feel secure in any deductions. They would be on top of them any minute now if she focused on the Nara...then she could try and fix what she almost screwed up...

Someone else was about to be left behind.

A fresh wave of anxiety threatened to make her slip on the branches.

No.

It would be fine.

Whatever plan they had, Kagome's cooperation would probably be essential. Shikamaru had to know that once Sasuke was awake, no one would make her turn against him. The only one with a realistic chance of making her change her mind was Naruto. The blond would be sent forward again, and again, he wouldn't be left to fight to his death.

As for the others...

The people from her generation didn't have anything to do with the betrayals they'd suffered. They were as ignorant as Kagome herself had been until not too long ago...they were innocent. And yet...sacrifices would have to be made. Later on, it may be her hands that ended up tainted with former comrade's blood in her search for retribution. She couldn't waver. Not now.

"It's nearing dusk..." Sakon said. "It seems like they've got their hands full."

"That doesn't matter; what matters is Orochimaru-sama. We've only accomplished one-third of the plan in half a day." The serious tone didn't quite fit the redheaded Oto kunoichi.

"Yeah, this is not looking good. Even if all goes well, I'm not sure we can make it."

So...that meant she'd been right to make sure they were followed. Whatever it was Orochimaru wanted had a time limit, and thanks to all of these delays, they were about to miss it. Especially since they were about to get ambushed once more.

As if in sync, their pursuers landed right in front of them. Forcing them to stop on a branch in a hurry.

"Dammit, what were those idiots Jiroubo and Kidoumaru doing?!" Tayuya yelled.

"Now we've caught up!" Naruto cheered right in front of her.

"Yeah, yeah!" Rage filled Sakon's words. "I'll kill them all within seconds!"

Unsurprisingly, as Shikamaru and Kiba were hit, black smoke exploded as Naruto's henges vanished, leaving the blond with what looked like a ball of chakra on his hands...the new technique he'd been bragging about, no doubt. It was a straightforward attack, easy to block. And that was just what the white-haired shinobi did.

The girl had to bite back a bitter laugh. Naruto's use of clones had clearly grown smarter with every fight. Watching the smoke appear as if Kiba's attack went through the clone, getting Sakon to avoid it and let the attack go right at the branch Kagome and the remaining Oto nin were standing on. Shikamaru's real plan.

"You think you can get us with some shit like this?!"

Before she could actually jump away from the confrontation, her limbs froze. Azure eyes flew to the ground, silently cursing as she saw her shadow merging with Tayuya's...and Shikamaru's. Perhaps she should've given the Nara far more credit than she'd done so far. Kiba dove for the coffin, Sakon launching himself in pursue only to find himself about to hit his partner. In a heartbeat, Shikamaru's shadow disconnected only from the Oto kunoichi, her limbs moving against her will to jump backward and closer to the Konoha group.

"Catch it!"

"As expected, they've got so many openings. It's one thing to consider about individuals with so much talent." Deceivingly bored eyes looked at her. "Well, it's too much of a drag, but somehow, I think it's better if I have you follow us all the way back."

"I..."

No hostility in his voice. At the very least, Shikamaru didn't think she was actively trying to fight them. For him to try a tactic like that, there was also a chance Naruto disclosed her ability to detect others' auras. So he'd know Kagome had let them corral them twice already without warning the Oto nins. It could work in her favor. If she was careful right now, she could still salvage their cover story...as long as she didn't look into her childhood friend's eyes.

"Fuckers..."

"Those annoying pieces of trash..."

"Naruto, Shikamaru!" Kiba yelled; the pressure was getting to him. "Let's get out of here!"

"Shikamaru...they will catch up, and soon." Her tone held a warning to it, an urge for them to hurry.

She couldn't be too obvious now, not after her performance before, but she could still leave hints that would be picked up to paint the same picture.

"Kagome, listen, I don't know what the hell is going on, but..." Naruto's desperation cut through her.

"This is too dangerous, Shikamaru." Worry and concern for their safety, that's what had to shine through. "You haven't seen what they can do..."

"Then we'll just stay ahead!" The Nara kept his shadow joined to hers; it was a struggle not to struggle against it. "We're getting you both back."

"...I...we can't..." She forced her voice to lose some stability, azure eyes looking down. "That person already got inside the village once...he can do so again...Sasuke...we can't stay here."

"You're not getting away!" Sakon's enraged screams were getting too close.

"They'll catch up soon!"

"We're not leaving any of you behind!" Naruto yelled after her.

"Akamaru!" Kiba's voice made her look down; his dog was barking from a lower branch. "Hurry up when you're done setting the trap!"

"Stop howling, you bitch!"

The crack of the branch Akamaru was standing might as well have been a requiem as it left the pup to fall through the branches, and its owner jumped right behind it. Uncaring of the explosive tags about to set off or the angered enemy just about to reach them.

"Kiba! Akamaru!"

"Shit..." Shikamaru was quickly losing control of the situation.

"You son of a..."

"Damn!" Her childhood friend was not handling the tension well either. "What happened?!"

"That other one's coming!" The Nara, at least, was trying to regain some hold of the mission. "I'll do something about this. Naruto, you gotta take that coffin and go on ahead! Kagome! I don't know why you agreed to this or aren't fighting it harder, but unless you really want all of this to be in vain, you have to follow him!"

She could feel the kagemane's hold weakening, but not enough for her to turn and see the overwhelming presence that had suddenly appeared behind them...how had she missed it...or had this stranger just moved that quickly?

"What...why did you...Kimimaro."

It took only a second for the new shinobi to take hold of the coffin and jumped backward. Pumping chakra to her legs, the girl shattered the already faint bind to follow the new white-haired shinobi, landing just a couple branches away from him. Azure eyes refused to move from the coffin.

"Sorry about that, Naruto," Shikamaru grimaced. "Seems like I miscalculated."

"You're late, Tayuya." The man, Kimimaro, looked at the redhead. "Also, where are the other three? You who were once one of the Five."

"Why...why are you...?" Tayuya's voice faltered, disbelief dripping from every word. "Your body...your body is no longer...?"

"I'm not moving with my body anymore...this is the power of my will."

"Damn...with one foot on the grave."

"I can understand the situation a little bit now." This guy was far more dangerous than the others. "This is the perception of an anthology life form that is no longer bound by a prison that is our body. It is as if I've touched the border of Orochimaru-sama's dream. This is an important vessel, but you were a bit too late." Kimimaro's gaze lingered on the coffin before finding her. "And, I suppose, you are the Higurashi girl, the key to the evolution of that dream."

"Someone's been talking about us, it seems..." Her voice was faint...she needed to be careful.

"Hey, you! Quit babbling senseless things!" Naruto really had no patience left. "Give them back!"

"Hey, Naruto, wait!"

Wild, enraged...and so predictable...easy to hit by the Oto kunoichi. This was why Kakashi-sensei had tried to get the blond to meditate. Every time he lost his head, his movements became simple to counter.

...seriously...that boy just...always followed his emotions, didn't he?

"Tayuya," Just one word, but it was evident Kimimaro was used to issuing orders. "The reason I've yet to kill you is you still have a mission to accomplish by staying alive. Please, take out these two trashes over there."

In a blink, Kimimaro was standing next to her, vivid forest green watching her as she stood silent. This man...at death's door or not, he was the biggest threat in this clearing.

"Come."

"Naruto..." Pain shone through her best friend's cerulean orbs, and her words got stuck in her throat. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry, but...it has to be this way." Forcing her gaze away, she managed to continue before making her own exit. "This was his...our decision. There is no other way."

"Kagome!"

"Calm down, Naruto!"

"Dammit!" Naruto's scream pierced through her despite the rapidly growing distance between them. "Fucking dammit!"

A/N: I really don't like to say this, but since exam week is coming there will not be an update next weekend. There are a lot of things to read and projects to see through so time to edit will be almost impossible to obtain.

As for the story, well Naruto is getting close to catch up with those two. I did consider having Kagome keep up with the lie from the very first moment the two groups met, but at the ended I decided not to, since despite being completely determined to move she really doesn't like the idea to leave Naruto behind. It's not so much that she absolutely wouldn't be able to, but she really hates the idea of it so at that moment she couldn't quite keep it up. After all, her social circle is extremely small it hurts her having to abandon him, even with all of the rationalization she's done. Honestly, this is one encounter none of them will manage to end without hurting in one way or another.

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