Chapter 90

Fallen and Fury: Arrival on the Battlefield

Shikaku blinked in amazement.

He never predicted this. Couldn't predict it. The Flying Raijin eluded even elite shinobi of Kakashi's and Master Jiraiya's level. Only the Second Hokage and the Fourth Hokage ever learned and mastered the technique on their own; the Hokage Guard wielded a different variation, one to require all three members.

Yet there was no mistaking the violet flicker, or how it occurred. There was no mistaking the fūinjutsu Seal drawn in crimson blood, painted on the sterile white wall across from them. There was no mistaking his niece's sudden absence with any other conclusion.

This was the Flying Raijin. He'd seen it before, years ago during the Third Great Ninja War when the Fourth Hokage had yet to ascend to the position of Hokage. The Yellow Flash, he was called. Capable of transporting between his Flying Raijin Seals faster than the current Raikage could move at his top speed.

Before her death 'Yako searched, trained and studied to learn the secrets of the Flying Raijin, he knew. It led her to the space-time ninjutsu she placed on 'Risu in Shisui's final moments. Her murder—perhaps even assassination was an appropriate term for what occurred—left her work unfinished, incomplete.

Until now.

The hospital room was as silent as the abandoned desert dunes in the Land of Wind. Beside him, Lady Tsunade was frozen in place, her breath stolen from her at the sudden, empty space once occupied by his niece. Raidō observed the same spot with the wonder of a young shinobi who witnessed their Sensei walk on water for the first time.

Genma, eyes shut and senbon pointed at the ceiling, smiled widely for 'Risu's accomplishment; he was proud of her. Lying on her side, Anko shut her eyes, inhaled oxygen from her mask and grinned tiredly.

The violet flicker of his niece, while gone already, kept flashing in vivid detail through Shikaku's mind. His mouth hung slightly ajar, rendered speechless. Then, as Lady Tsunade demanded answers from Genma and Raidō, his lips began to curl into a satisfied smirk.

So, that's why you pulled Mimi in. Learning to use the Flying Raijin is a recent development; I'd say within the last day or so before the Sound Four attacked. And based on this blood Seal, you haven't learned how to place a marker without first drawing it yourself.

Which means, somewhere in your pouch, you had something already previously marked. Something small enough to slip into someone's hand or pocket or pouch, likely so you could surprise Kakashi, Kurenai or myself with the technique. He chuckled internally. 'Yako would've done the same thing to me, Kiyoshi or Shisui to frighten us.

Knowing you had that, you waited until we weren't in the room to retrieve it from your pouch. Because Genma, Raidō and Anko were here with you, you realized Mimi would be debriefed here as well. There was no way to know if Mimi would approach you personally; you would've found some way to draw her over to place the marker with her.

Finally, you patiently waited for Lady Hokage and myself to leave. Then you made your move.

Clever girl.

Mimi unknowingly played directly into 'Risu's plan, but then carried on as a willing accomplice. Not that he was at all surprised; Mimi and 'Risu had become sisters in everything but blood during the Final Exams and Invasion. Battle and war forged some of the strongest bonds between shinobi, and so, even if Mimi didn't understand what she was given, she maintained silence and played along, trusting in 'Risu's intentions.

Shikaku expected an attempted escape at some point; he sensed her unrest and distress over the continued absence of Shikamaru's team and Sasuke. But he could never have expected this. 'Yako's little shadow performing the Flying Raijin, who could have expected her to grasp a fundamental level of the Fourth Hokage's signature technique?

The Nara looked out the window at the rays of sunlight, suddenly looking so much brighter than before. He smiled.

You can't contain your pride, can you, 'Yako?

He felt it, too.

"I wouldn't have stopped her, even if I was fully healed," Genma argued calmly, respectfully.

"What?!" the Hokage roared.

Raidō clearly would have tried to stop 'Risu, had he been able to. He watched his fellow guardsman with inquisitive eyes. Anko, Shikaku noticed, nodded weakly in agreement with Genma; the injury and surgery had taken its toll on the boisterous kunoichi.

"I believe in Amari, Lady Hokage." Genma turned his head to look at the blood Seal. Then out at the Village. "That kid, she's something special. She's the daughter of the Mistress of Shadows, Miyako Nara, and the Burning Light of the Leaf, Kiyoshi Uchiha. She's inherited their Wills, their principals and convictions. Right now, her comrades need that; they need her."

"I don't care what her lineage is!" Tsunade snapped back. "We were holding her here so the Foundation and Orochimaru wouldn't be able to touch her." Her knuckles turned white as she clenched her fists tightly. "They could be working together for all we know. And with the threat of the Stone… I wanted her in the Leaf, because she's a talented Chūnin. Our forces are already weakened. I just sent out two of my newest Chūnin into what may be a suicide mission. I didn't want to send all three."

Genma rolled the senbon between his teeth thoughtfully, eyes drawn to the horizon. Shikaku stepped forward, mouth opening to add his thoughts. The Hokage Guard beat him to it.

"No."

Shikaku paused. Tsunade and Raidō cast confused expressions at Genma.

"'No?'" Tsunade repeated.

"You didn't send them on a suicide mission," he stated firmly. "Shikamaru, Mimi and Amari all know the risks. They know what's at stake, as do their comrades. You may have authorized the mission, but you didn't send them.

"Those kids left to retrieve Sasuke on their own willpower, on their own convictions. Even had you forbidden them from leaving, every single one of those kids—no, those shinobi would have gathered together and found a way to pursue Sasuke, behind all of our backs. Damn the consequences." Genma looked Tsunade directly in the eyes. "Because Leaf shinobi don't leave their comrades behind.

"Have faith in them, Lady Hokage. They may be injured when they return, but they will return. All of them." Genma's eyes fell to the blood Seal again. A small grin formed on his lips. "Amari will make sure of that. Apparently she and Shikamaru will be fashionably late to dinner with Yoshino."

Shikaku suppressed a snort. Fashionably late? Yoshino wouldn't stand for it.

"Lady Hokage," he spoke up. Tsunade turned to him, crossing her arms beneath her bust in exasperation. "I understand your concerns; I have my own."

About his son and 'Risu. But he filed those away. He had to keep his mind clear and, as Genma wisely said, have faith in them.

"But 'Risu has granted her comrades a tactical advantage with this Flying Raijin Seal." He gestured to the fūinjutsu.

"Whether they're injured or in a hopeless battle, she can now teleport them directly here—right into the capable hands of our best medics. It's possible we won't need to mobilize the Medical Corps. If we did, there's little doubt the Stone would learn of the sudden deployment of our medical shinobi. They'd suspect an incident was occurring."

Shikaku spread his hands out. "But 'Risu's stubbornness may work in our favor. Even if they don't eliminate every member of the Sound Four, as long as they retrieve Sasuke and bring their squads home, this incident won't be international news. Orochimaru will have no choice but to settle for a weaker vessel. The Stone won't be spurred to attack at the present moment. And we'll suffer no casualties."

"Does feeling like a casualty count," Anko groaned.

The Nara shot a smirk her way. "Statistically? No. But whining about it is a good sign of recovery."

Anko made a face. "You know, I think I like Shortcake better than you."

This time he did snort.

"Just be careful with your pep talks, Anko. Amari's head nearly exploded last time," Genma shot back, a cheeky grin on his lips.

Anko chuckled boisterously then winced. "Damn it, Genma. Don't make me laugh!"

Shikaku didn't dare probe for details. He could imagine a handful of scenarios of what Anko may have said to his niece, and that alone was enough to make him clear his throat.

"Anyway, there's nothing we can do about this, regardless," he said. "'Risu's gone. The Flying Raijin ensures we can't reach her now. Quite frankly, if 'Risu and Atsuko have chosen this path, they must trust Mimi's judgement: seconds and minutes may very well determine who among their comrades lives and dies." He motioned to the Seal. "This was 'Risu's way of increasing their odds of survival."

Tsunade exhaled a sigh. "Okay. So, what now?"

"We continue as we are," Shikaku replied steadily. "We prepare the hospital staff for critically injured shinobi while we continue monitoring the Stone. Master Jiraiya and the Crows are due to report in soon on the situation with our northern border. You've already sent a message requesting aid from the Sand; we've finished our maneuvers." He set his stern eyes on the Village beyond the window. "Now it's in their hands."

Shikamaru, 'Risu, Mimi, now is the time to prove why you were promoted. Lead your comrades. Trust in them. And bring them home.

Although Mimi had a gut feeling about the shogi piece in her flak jacket, she wasn't entirely sure what to expect from Amari. And the dangerous rescue operation at hand prohibited any spare thoughts to it. She concentrated on the scents of her comrades, tracking them through the dense forests, over open, rolling hills and flat plains towards their northern border.

She wasn't prepared for Amari to suddenly appear in front of her, as if jumping out of thin air.

To be honest, the Inuzuka didn't even see that it was Amari at first. There was a violet flicker of light in front of her with a mane of wild blue hair. Then her heart rattled her chest with the force of thunder. Her sapphire eyes bulged as her body tensed in anticipation of an attack.

Gasps echoed out of her entire squad. The sudden presence of another shinobi jerked them to attention. How did they get past Mimi's and Aoko's nose and Hinata's Byakugan?

Then, as suddenly as the shock hit them, it was broken by…

"Ah, crap!"

The Inuzuka could recognize that voice in the heat of a war, through a firework finale or a bustling crowd of people.

Gravity took hold of a flailing Amari, who appeared as they jumped between branches, and tugged her towards the earth. Thinking and reacting quickly, Mimi twisted in air, snatching her fellow kunoichi by the wrist, the momentum of her jump and twist yanking Amari up and level with her.

Despite her initial flailing, the Nara landed quite gracefully on her feet and fell in step with the Inuzuka.

"Amari? How did you—"

"Hey! How did you get here?!" Ino's shriek cut off Sakura.

Mimi could only stare at her wide eyed, a bemused grin on her face.

"Did you just use the Fourth and Second Hokage's space-time teleportation jutsu?"

"It's a low-level version of the Flying Raijin. Sorry we're late," Amari apologized. "Uncle Shikaku and Lady Hokage hung around longer than I thought."

"Mimi, her hand." Mimi knew. She saw and smelled the blood when she grabbed Amari by the wrist. "It's a self-inflicted wound. She must have used her own blood to create a second Seal. One back in the hospital."

"How low-level are we talking?" Mimi asked.

"I can use it with one hundred percent success now. But it takes all my focus to teleport to my markers, so it isn't combat ready. Before recently…well, I ended up in a different world altogether."

"A different…world? You mean you traveled to the future or the past or something?"

Mimi didn't mean to sound skeptical, but could anyone really blame her? Teleportation she could handle; Space-time ninjutsu was the basis of storage scrolls and the like. But traveling to an entirely different world? It sounded ludicrous.

"I confirmed the theory of the multiverse on accident." The sheepish tint of pink to Amari's cheeks showed her embarrassment. "Ask me about it later. I'll tell you everything."

Mimi chuckled and shook her head. "All right. Sounds like one hell of a story."

Later, though. They could chat about the theory of the multiverse and all that other brain-melting crap when they weren't neck deep in this sticky and gross chaotic muck. Priority one was locating their comrades. From there they'd figure out if this mission was solely a rescue op or if they'd be feeding the Sound Four their teeth as well.

Regardless, Amari and Atsuko added two distinct advantages. First and foremost, Amari and Atsuko were a force multiplier of strength and intelligence. Now their ranks were bolstered by another Chūnin and the legendary Head of the Crows; an addition that fortified Mimi's confidence in their chances of success.

Not that she doubted her team. They were shinobi, trained by elite guardians of the Leaf and here to fight. No one, not even shy Hinata, came in clouded by doubt. They were fierce, prepared to fight a war to rescue their comrades.

But beneath all of her bravado Mimi recognized the threat the Sound Four posed. They took down two of the Hokage Guard and a badass kunoichi like Anko Mitarashi; their second state Curse Marks were force multipliers her team never dealt with before.

Amari and Mimi had seen this kind of power boost before, in excruciating detail. Their fight against Gaara, alongside Hikari and Sasuke, had been insane. Nothing short of a battle between fallible mortals and a seemingly invulnerable monster. The thought of it still gave her chills.

Of course Sakura, Naruto and Tenten arrived to aid them at the end, but they hadn't seen Gaara brush off that Iron Sand and Lava Style of Hikari's. They hadn't seen him recover quickly from attacks that should have killed him over and over and over again.

That's the level of danger they were going into. The Sound Four wielded jutsus beyond the realm of mere shinobi, in Genma's haunting words. They were a legitimate, undeniable threat to her comrade's lives. Any extra help, especially Amari's, was appreciated.

The second advantage was this new jutsu of Amari's. Mimi knew a game changer when she saw one. This was it.

She may lack the ability to use it in combat, Mimi glanced to her sister in the corner of her eye, but this space-time ninjutsu changes everything. I don't know if there's a range to it, but if she can instantly teleport from here to the hospital and back…

Critically injured shinobi beyond her realm of medical skills would be saved. The worst case scenario Mimi kept thinking of—not death, she refused to believe anyone was dead—was one on one battles between Shikamaru's team and the Sound Four. In that situation, if they earned critical injuries, her only choice would have been to heal what she could then send one of her team back with the injured.

One by one her numbers would have dwindled. Morale of the squad would follow it. And if their injuries were anything like the Jōnin's, who knows if the person she sent back could make it to the hospital in time. Shikamaru's team was even farther from the Leaf than Genma's squad had been. It was a bad situation.

But Amari's new jutsu alleviated some of those fears. Now they had direct access to the hospital. A direct line to top-notch medic-nins and surgeons. It also meant the Medical Corps wouldn't need mobilization, lowering the chances of the Stone learning about this situation.

The Stone…

Mimi's throat vibrated as she growled. Did they want to go to war? Did they want people to die? For what? A power play? Past hatred? Probably some old bastard behind this; the old always sent the young to fight their wars. That's what the Sand's Council had done, after all.

"Atsuko." Mimi wasn't able to speak without a snarl in her voice. "What are those Stone bastards up to anyway? Is this another preamble to war?"

"It is hard to say," Atsuko admitted. "As you all know, the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire do not share a physical border. Our Lands are separated by the Waterfall Village, the Grass Village and the Rain Village and their respective Lands. Of these three Lands, the Grass alone is our steadfast ally. The Rain is a Village of isolationism; the Waterfall is a neutral Village.

"Over the last few weeks, the Stone have run unscheduled training simulations along their border with the Grass Village. Among our society it is not an uncommon practice to run infiltration and invasion scenarios along a bordering Nation; it removes shinobi from their comfort zones and requires them to adapt to new scenarios in what may be unfamiliar territory.

"However, it is common courtesy for the practicing Nation to inform the bordering Nation of the simulation, that way there are no accidental misunderstandings. No one wants to start a war accidentally."

"But the Stone didn't?"

"Precisely. Far more concerning is the number of shinobi in this apparent training simulation. Reports suggest they've amassed at the least four platoons of shinobi; my agents number their ranks at approximately two hundred shinobi."

Mimi looked at the Crow as if she just told her a meteor was on its way to destroy the planet.

"Two hundred shinobi on the border? That's a first wave invasion force," Aoko murmured.

"Yeah…" Mimi struggled for words. How did a person respond to news like that?

"It's possible the Stone seek to test our northern border security; they may be hunting for cracks in our defenses to exploit in a future invasion. Or they are presently waiting for orders to invade and seize the Grass as a staging ground to attack our Land. Another possibility is this is a coordinated distraction; for this reason Lady Hokage has spared no other Jōnin to the current mission."

"A coordinated distraction? But… I don't understand." Sakura voiced the bewilderment and uncertainty of the squad. "The Leaf fought the Stone in the last Great Shinobi War. In the Academy we learned about the bloodshed; young shinobi, barely out of the Academy, were sent to fight and die in it. It was the battle of Kannabi Bridge that turned the war into our favor. But the war ended with an armistice agreement. We aren't at war with the Stone anymore."

"Ah, but you've answered your own question, Sakura," Atsuko replied sagely. "The war 'ended' when our Nations signed the armistice agreement, true. But no peace treaty was ever signed."

"Isn't that semantics?" Tenten asked.

"No," replied the Crow firmly, with the experience of a veteran of war. "Absolutely not. An armistice agreement is merely a cease fire on all hostilities while we attempt to facilitate a lasting peace between our Nations. A peace treaty ends hostilities—permanently." She shook her head. "Make no mistake, we may not be warring militarily at present, but our Nations are not at peace. And a ceasefire is easily broken.

"Think of an armistice as the first step towards a peace treaty, but it guarantees nothing. The Sand broke a peace treaty with their Invasion. Should the Stone attack, it would only be a resumption of the Third Shinobi World War."

"You've got to be kidding me," Ino hissed. "Are they insane? A war won't help anyone!"

"On the contrary, it would help them immensely," Atsuko countered. "War, abhorrent as it is, can bolster an economy. Think of it this way: The peace and stability you've grown up in is the result of the last war."

Mimi flinched, and sensed similar reactions from her squad.

Damn. She never even thought about that before.

"Um…Lady Atsuko?"

"Please, just Atsuko, Hinata," the Crow hummed humorously.

"O- Oh! Sorry! But, um, you said this may be a coordinated distraction. I was just wondering who they would be coordinating with, and for what purpose."

"If this is a coordinated distraction, then the purpose is to ensure our elite shinobi are either sent to the border or remain within the walls of the Leaf," Atsuko explained. "This way only squads of Chūnin and Genin can be sent to, let's say, recover a kidnapped shinobi from powerful enemies."

"No way," Sakura gasped. "The Stone could be working with Orochimaru?"

"That is one theory, yes. Rest assured, we are monitoring the situation relentlessly."

"Damn it, this is such a mess," Mimi cursed beneath her breath.

"Don't lose focus, any of you," Amari spoke up, commanding. "When or if the Stone attack, we'll deal with it. But right now there's an entire Nation separating us. The mission at hand is all that matters. Shika, Sasuke, Naruto, Chōji, Kiba, Akamaru and Neji are counting on us."

Mimi nodded absently to herself. She was right. Whatever the Stone was up to didn't affect them in the immediate moment. What mattered was this mission, the mission she was in charge of. Worrying about the Stone was an unneeded distraction for her, for her team.

Luckily, Amari helped her regain focus.

"Look at you taking charge," she grinned at the Nara.

Amari frowned. "I…didn't mean to. You're the squad leader, Mimi."

Mimi rolled her eyes. "Relax, Amari. I'm just messing with you. Between the two of us, you're the better strategist. And we're both Chūnin, so it's not like I outrank you."

"I'm technically not even supposed to be here."

"And yet here you are," Mimi grinned. "Wouldn't have it any other way, if I'm honest."

Amari smiled at her. "Thanks, Mimi." Then she turned her attention forward. "I'll move into the middle of the formation. I'll have a better overview of any situation from there. Plus I can communicate strategies with the whole team."

Mimi nodded. "Right. Stay sharp."

Amari shot a smirk her way. "Right back at you."

The Nara fell back in the formation, slipping herself between Sakura and Tenten.

With little else to say, the team of kunoichis traveled in silence, eyes and senses open for signs of the enemy or their allies.

Nothing could have prepared them for what they'd find.

They found Jirōbō first.

His corpse lay at the epicenter of deep crater, surrounded by vultures that hadn't wasted any time in beginning a feast. The scavengers pecked and chewed at his flesh. They chased off other would-be scavengers who tried to steal their meal, hissing horrifically.

The open and abandoned battlefield was scarred by cracks and fractures, littered with a litany of craters—some were the size of a house.

Beyond the grunts and hisses of the vultures, there was little by way of noise. Mimi approached the corpse; Aoko's barks and growls sent the scavengers flying into the sky, afraid of the threatening predator. The vultures wheeled around above.

"This one's toast. Been dead a few hours now," Mimi informed after checking the corpse, a clinical detachment to her voice. "Whatever hit Jirōbō killed him instantly. His entire rib cage is fractured in a way I've never seen before. All of his internal organs are ruptured or unrecognizable."

Amari immediately knew who was responsible. There was only one person among their peers wielded this kind of raw power.

Chōji…

"Atsuko, do we need to do anything with the body?" she asked.

"Leave it for the scavengers. They'll feed well on him."

Atsuko's response didn't surprise the Nara one bit. Jirōbō, after all, was the one who killed her.

"Chōji's scent is all over this battlefield—"

"Mimi!" Hinata's startled voice drew them all to attention. "I see Chōji. His chakra network, it's… He's in critical condition!"

Not another word was spoken. The entire team mobilized in an instant. Amari felt her heart racing along, as she was sure Ino's was, too.

Chōji. Sweet, kind and warm Chōji. There'd been a knot of fear in her heart when she saw the battlefield, but Hinata's words…they hinted at the one thing Amari hoped wouldn't happen.

They found Chōji seated against the trunk of a tree carved with warm messages from Naruto, Kiba and Shikamaru. Unconscious.

Skinny.

Amari's heart jumped, her throat tightened. She froze.

Chōji was skinny. That could only mean…

"No, no, no! Chōji!" Ino's terrified shriek pierced the ear unpleasantly. She slid down next to the Akimichi and checked him for a pulse.

"What the hell happened to him?" Mimi sounded flabbergasted as she knelt at his side and placed Medical Ninjutsu glowing hands to his skull.

Amari somehow found her voice. "He used three food pills."

Mimi's eyes snapped onto her quiet, shell-shocked frame. "I need details, Amari. Now! Food pills don't screw up internal organs like this. Not at this rate. And they certainly don't sap a person of all of their fat reserves!"

"It's an Akimichi secret medicine. There's the Spinach Pill, the Curry Pill and the Chili Pill. They force the body to covert its fat reserves into chakra, granting the person tremendous power. However, at the same time, they damage the body. Poison it, really. The Chili Pill, though…"

The Chili Pill converted all of a person's fat reserves. That was the reason Chōji was skinny. No, not just skinny. He was skin and bones. Emaciated. And…when the Chili Pill is ingested, death was all but imminent.

Mimi can't save him.

But she could.

Amari broke out of her trance and surged forward.

"Everyone, get out of the way. He's beyond your skills." Hands flashing up, she created a Clone and moved to Ino's side—who had wrapped Chōji in a hug—as her Clone kneeled in Mimi's previous position. "Ino, we can save him. But I need you to let him go."

Gently, she pulled the teary eyed kunoichi away and into an embrace.

"Uncle Shikaku and Lady Tsunade will save him," she promised.

It was a rare show of emotion from Ino; she tended to be aggressive with Chōji and Shikamaru. But the bonds between the Yamanaka, Akimichi and the Nara were as strong as the spirit of the Leaf itself.

And it was that bond that would save him.

Her Clone cradled Chōji's unconscious body in her arms and shut her eyes, forming the Seal of Confrontation with her right hand.

In a violet flicker, the Clone and Chōji vanished.

She glanced to Shikamaru's message.

See you soon, buddy.

Her heart ached terribly.

The guilt Shikamaru would feel. The heartbreak he would endure if he lost his best friend.

Hang on, Chōji. Please, just hang on.

"You let our little shadow go back into battle?!"

Shikaku sighed. Angry Yoshino was always so troublesome.

"'Risu left without anyone's permission. She used the Flying Raijin when Lady Hokage and I returned."

"Uncle Shikaku!"

The sudden, terrified scream cut his wife off as she opened her mouth to administer another verbal lashing. Shikaku might have been grateful, if his eyes didn't already register the scene in front of him.

His eyes widened, heart accelerating as he took in the emaciated frame of his best friend's son. Yoshino didn't have the same luxury. Her back faced their arriving niece, and her mouth was already moving as she spun around.

"Amaririsu Yūhi, you're stubborn streak is just like your— Chōji!"

Even Lady Tsunade stared bug eyed at the two children. 'Risu sat on the cold hospital floor, eyes alarmed, teary and wild as she hugged Chōji close.

"He took the Chili Pill!" his niece cried out.

That was all he needed to hear. Shikaku sprang from his seat, feet already carrying him into a jog towards the open window.

"Yoshino, help 'Risu with Chōji! Lady Hokage—"

"I'll get my team ready," she assured as she rushed for the door.

"Thank you."

There was only one way to counter the effects of the Chili Pill. It was a closely guarded secret of the Nara and Akimichi Clan, contained within a special book of various medicines the Nara Clan had compounded.

The worst case scenario is happening, he realized.

He just had to hope Mimi's team wasn't too late.

Mimi's blood ran cold when they found Neji. The cries of Hinata and Tenten were drowned out by the drumming of her heart in her ears.

"Damn it. Damn it. Damn it," she cursed beneath her breath, sliding on her knees along the grass to his side.

Her drilled instincts kept her body and mind moving. She was drilled to know her job, to perform her tasks efficiently under pressure, chaos or heartbreak. But the shocking state of Chōji, now added with Neji's situation flooded her body with jitters. Kidōmaru's corpse was nearby, too; no scavengers found him yet.

Her comrades were doing exactly as she feared: Falling one by one to kill their enemies.

Applying Medical Ninjutsu to his wounds, Mimi quickly concluded what was becoming a recurring theme of this mission: His worst injuries were beyond her skill.

Tenten and Hinata knelt opposite of her, concern on their faces.

"Is he still alive, Mimi?" Tenten asked.

"The stubborn ass is still holding on."

Barely. She kept the reality internalized as best she could. His body has gone through hell. These wounds on his back aren't from any blade I've ever seen before, but they're deep. Her sapphire eyes trailed to the holes drilled through his shoulder and side. But compared to those two wounds, they're nothing. These wounds mirror Anko's. And this one in the shoulder, it's only a fractions of an inch away from a vital artery.

Didn't lessen the damage, but the one in his side was more worrisome. There were enough organs below the ribcage that any penetrating wound to the abdomen guaranteed severe damage.

Neji was out of her hands. The best she could do was stabilize him for the doctors back home.

"Can't leave any of you alone for a few days," she hissed to herself, sweat beading on her forehead as she worked.

"You've done all you can for him, Mimi. Let Amaririsu get him to the doctors," Aoko said after a lengthy several minutes.

"I know. I know. Neji, if you can hear me, I'm gonna drill your ass into the dirt when you wake up for worrying Hinata and Tenten. Remember that." Mimi lifted her head up to Amari, hands still applying Medical Ninjutsu to the holes in his shoulder and abdomen to staunch the bleeding. "Amari. Can you teleport him to the hospital?"

The Nara nodded and created a clone. Again, after kneeling down and cradling Neji's still body in her arms, the clone vanished in a violet flicker.

Mimi stood up and exhaled a deep sigh. There's still two more of those Sound ninjas. Three if you include the twin being able to separate from his brother.

Three Sound ninja. Four Leaf ninja. Naruto, Shikamaru and Kiba and Akamaru. Kiba… Mimi curled her hands into fists and tensed her jaw. What kind of condition were they in? Evening was edging towards night. If they didn't catch up soon, what pieces would be left of Naruto, Shikamaru and her cousin to scrape up?

Neji and Chōji are on deaths doorstep. The odds of survival…

Slim. Almost a paltry percentage. But she couldn't say that out loud. It'd demoralize the squad, and these last two recoveries were already doing enough of that.

"Mimi, do you have food pills to pass out?"

Amari suddenly appearing next to her startled the Inuzuka; her slit pupils honed in on the new target.

The Nara raised her hands up in surrender. "Whoa. Easy. Just me."

"Sorry," Mimi sighed. "Just tense. What was your question?"

"Do you have food pills we can use?"

The Inuzuka nodded. "Yeah. You want to travel through the whole night?"

"If Shika and the others haven't engaged the enemy already, he'll hold them back at a pursing distance. It's his best option otherwise his Shadow jutsus will be useless in battle. They'll keep getting further and further away if we stop now. And if they're in battle already…"

"Then they need our backup. Immediately." Mimi fished into her pouch. "All right. We'll keep moving then."

"…How are you holding up?"

Mimi chuckled roughly and looked at their squad. Sakura was standing close to Ino, being a pillar of support for the concerned kunoichi, all while hiding her fears for Naruto and Sasuke. Tenten and Hinata had their own little support group formed too.

"I knew when I saw the Jōnin it'd be bad. But…I guess I was too optimistic." Mimi looked at Amari, eyes fierce and frustrated. "I can't do anything for them. I'm a medic-nin who can't even save her friends. You're the only reason they have a fighting chance right now. Do you realize how infuriating this is for me?"

"You know I do. But these injuries don't reflect on your skills, Mimi." Amari took her hand into hers. "You can't help Chōji because he needs help only the Nara can provide. You can't help Neji because he needs surgery no one could perform in the field."

The Nara squeezed her hand. "You are a great medic-nin. During the Invasion, your clones were some of the few medics on the front-lines; you're the only reason those shinobi you saved didn't die that day. You are Mimi Inuzuka, the kunoichi who will surpass Lady Tsunade. So don't lose heart."

Amari smiled. "Everything will be okay. I promise. Chōji and Neji will pull through. And we're going to save Kiba, Naruto, Shika and Sasuke."

Mimi let a small grin form. "Damn right we are." She squeezed Amari's hand back. "Thanks for the pep talk."

"It's what sisters are for. Have faith in them."

Mimi hummed then called together the group.

"Here, everyone eat one of these. We've got a long night ahead of us."

With determination in their hearts, the team of kunoichis ate the food pills then set off again on the trail.

Orochimaru's time was up. They couldn't wait a moment longer or the legendary Sannin would perish.

Kabuto already organized for a new vessel to be chosen of his strongest experiments, but the retrieval of Sasuke Uchiha and Amaririsu Yūhi still needed attention. Those arrogant fools of the Sound Four, they were either taking their sweet time to return or recklessly underestimating their enemies.

Well, no one could say he didn't give them time to perform their task. But failure was unacceptable, no matter the reason. It was their own fault. They pushed him to this. His hands were tied. And so, they had to bear the consequences of their failure.

The ash-haired shinobi entered his lab, where Kimimaro lay with every manner of tube and wire protruding out of him. A fūinjutsu Sealing paper meant to help prolong his life rested over the shinobi's eyes and forehead, blinding him to the dark and silent lab around him.

Kabuto approached his monitors but said nothing—a calculated decision. Let Kimimaro's affinity towards Orochimaru draw him to act first.

The silence dragged on, and then…

"Kabuto-sensei, it is as I thought, isn't it?" the soft-spoken voice of Kimimaro asked. So innocent. So pure. "I wasn't chosen, once again."

"Save your strength." He glanced over his shoulder at the bed. The subject's Curse Mark, located on his chest, burned red but did not spread over his body. "You served your function well, Kimimaro. It's not the Sound Ninja Five anymore."

Kabuto returned his attention to his terminal and typed away at it. Preparing for the inevitability of Kimimaro leaving the bed. And it was inevitable. He just had to choose his words carefully.

"But still I…I haven't—"

"Don't worry! Your replacement has already been found. He has a Mark equal in power to your Earth Curse Mark. He's been given the Heaven Curse Mark, and on top of that, he has the kekkei genkai of the Uchiha Clan." A malicious smile tugged at his lips. "I wonder which of you is stronger."

The EKG machine's beeps picked up pace. It kept the malicious smile on his lips.

"Now, now. Calm down," he placated. "No sense getting agitated."

At the touch of a few buttons, he pumped Kimimaro full of special medicine. It would prolong his life once he was disconnected. For a little while, anyways.

"Ka- Kabuto-sensei! Tell me truthfully, how much time do you think I have left?"

Not as long as you think.

Kabuto said nothing. Then he half-turned to look at the poor soul.

"Relax. Don't try to talk," he coaxed.

"I- I've been wondering. There must be a purpose for people to be born into this world. Why are we here? What does it mean? I've been thinking about that a lot lately. I realize that finding our purpose is the meaning. That's why we're here. And the ones who find it, they're the only ones who are truly free."

"Yes, I understand what you're saying. And meanwhile, as we speak, Lord Orochimaru is suffering horribly; in fact, if something is not done soon, it could be the end of him." He flicked his eyes over to the shinobi. "You must ask yourself truthfully: What should you do, Kimimaro? What's your purpose now that you're no longer of any use as a vessel? At this moment, a new vessel is on its way. But unfortunately it won't arrive in time."

Kabuto pressed another button, and on a second screen the surveillance footage of one of the subject prisons came up. All of them were dead, save one. The winner of the battle royal. The fool. He believed he was being granted freedom. Well, he would learn.

His master arrived in the room and…

Kabuto's screens flashed red.

"AHHHHHH!" the survivor screamed in agony.

He dismissed the screens, feeling a few beads of sweat on his forehead. Just watching his master switch bodies, it sent chills down his spine. But he still had a job to do. Or, more accurately, Kimimaro still had a job to do. He just needed a little push.

"So it's done. And now it will be a few years before he can switch bodies again. But next time…"

"It is as you say: My damaged body is useless as a vessel for the Transference Jutsu. That was my purpose, and it's gone." Slowly, Kimimaro began to sit up. The cloth over his head tore off. "What is there left to give my existence meaning. I see now what I must do."

Kabuto said nothing.

"I was not meant to be the vessel. I was meant to find the vessel, and bring it safely here. Even at the cost of my life. That is the only way I can repay Orochimaru for my failure. The only way I can give my worthless existence some value."

Kabuto grinned an ugly grin in the darkness of his lab.

Perfect.

"Hold up!"

Mimi's command halted the squad in an instant. They took up positions in the trees, prepared for danger, but also watching their squad leader as she and Aoko sniffed the air. The early morning air was crisp, the sun almost leveled with the canopy of trees. But it wasn't the scenery to stop Mimi.

Another sniff of the air and quick word with Aoko confirmed the situation. Kiba, Akamaru and one of the Sound shinobi were separated from Shikamaru, Naruto and the remaining Sound ninja. Not good. She'd hoped they would all be in the same place, that way they could sweep in, steal Sasuke and crush the enemy.

But now…

"We're gonna have to split up," Mimi announced.

Her patience for this crap was wearing thin.

"What's the problem?" Amari asked.

"Kiba and Akamaru aren't with Shikamaru and Naruto. Based on the smoke Aoko can smell in the air, it's safe to assume whatever battle took place up ahead separated Kiba, Akamaru and one of the Sound shinobi from the others." Mimi turned back to her squad. "We'll split our forces into two teams. Ino, you'll be with me and Aoko."

The Yamanaka appeared surprised. Tenten, too. "Oh, uh, okay."

"The other Sound shinobi uses some kind of berry scented shampoo; I don't know any boy or man who would be caught dead smelling like it."

"Tayuya," Amari confirmed, nodding once. "Which means the enemy with Kiba and Akamaru are Sakon and his twin."

Mimi nodded. "Ino, you said you learned a new Yamanaka ninjutsu. Mind Destruction Jutsu?"

Ino's eyes brightened. She could see what Mimi had planned. "Yes. I won't need someone to protect my body; it's not like the Mind Transfer Jutsu in that aspect. Instead of transferring my consciousness into their body, I send my chakra into their nervous system, which allows me to gain full control of their body."

"Perfect."

"I'll send a Shadow Clone with you," Amari said, immediately creating a Clone of herself. "But Mimi, I won't be able to teleport anyone at this distance." She shook her head. "I lost sight of the door last night. If Kiba and Akamaru are in bad condition, you'll have to stabilize them and then carry him some distance before I can teleport them to the hospital."

Mimi frowned but nodded. She figured there'd be some limitations to her new ability, beyond the focus, but she hoped…

"All right. Thanks for the heads up." She cast her eyes to the rest of her squad. "The rest of you will stay with Amari. The Sound kunoichi wields sound-based genjutsu and has three powerful summoning creatures she can control with her flute, so Naruto and Shikamaru need all the help they can get. Remember: Bringing everyone home is our main priority."

Ino and Amari's clone jumped from their position to join Mimi's side. She looked over to the real Amari and Atsuko.

"You just have to keep following this path straight and you'll run into them."

The Inuzuka equipped a kunai, infused it with chakra and cut a giant X into the trunk of the tree.

"We'll meet back here when we complete our objectives. If you're not here when we're done, we'll be coming after all of you."

Amari nodded. "Likewise. I'll send a team back with Sasuke and Shika's squad then come join you with whoever I don't send back. Before you go, though, pass out another food pill. If the Curse Mark powers up Tayuya and Sakon as much as we think, we may all need an emergency replenishing of chakra in the heat of battle."

Mimi agreed and passed out the food pills. Once done, she shared a single fist bump with Amari.

"Let's go drag these boys out of this mess."

"Right."

The team of kunoichi's separated without another word. There wasn't time for grandiose speeches or long discussions anymore. Mimi, with Ino and Amari on her tail, chased Kiba's scent away from the main forest towards a nearby ravine. By the smell alone, it was clear an explosion knocked him and Sakon down this way.

Kiba, Akamaru…

Her cousin. Her flesh and blood. He was in danger, in who-knows-what kind of condition. Worse than Neji and Chōji? Better? She wouldn't know until she saw him with her own eyes and Aoko was able to sense his injuries. But there was one thing she knew with certainty…

The trio of kunoichis rushed down the ravine with chakra on their feet. She could smell the nearby water source.

"I can sense Kiba and Akamaru, Mimi. They're injuries aren't severe yet. But the chakra coming off his opponents, it's unnatural."

"Ino, Amari. Aoko and I will be the frontline fighters in this fight. Amari, try not to get involved. As a Clone you'll pop if you take too much damage, and if the worst happens, you may be all of our tickets out of here."

"I'll do my best," Amari replied. "But don't expect me to stay in the shadows if I think he's going to land a fatal blow."

"Heh, I'd be pissed if you did."

The team made it to the bottom of the ravine and dashed towards Kiba and Akamaru's position. As she ran, Mimi's body was enveloped by furious red chakra.

Ninja Art of Beast Mimicry: All-Fours Jutsu!

Moving from a bipedal sprint onto all-fours, her nails sharpened and her pupils became slits. The Inuzuka leapt onto a small boulder then released the chakra from her feet. The red bullet whistled through the air.

No matter what this Sound bastard's skills were, she knew one thing for certain…

Mimi slammed feet first into the spine of the second stage Curse Mark ogre looking enemy. She surfed their conjoined body along the gravel then hopped off into a corkscrew, landing on all-fours as her toes and fingernails dug into the pebbles and softened dirt of the dry river bed.

Sakon or whatever their damn names were growled, both red-skinned faces ripped up by being dragged along the stones. Their anger was surpassed by the fury of the Inuzuka, because she knew one thing for certain.

"After everything you and your comrades have done, I'm gonna grind you into dust!"

Shikamaru felt the sweat on his brow.

Man, this was bad. These three giant angry ogres Tayuya summoned were too damn fast and strong. To top it all off, he was on his own. Sending Naruto ahead after that fifth Sound shinobi—where did he even come from?—was the only option after they were separated from Kiba. Sasuke was still locked away in that coffin, and if they got him to Orochimaru, all this effort would be for nothing.

So what was he going to do? The best option would be to take Tayuya down since her flute was responsible for controlling her summons. But she wasn't a complete idiot. She kept out of range of his Shadow Possession and was using her ogres to wear him down to eventually kill him.

Despite his recent training, he wasn't a close-quarters fighter. Not that it would matter if he was. The ogres were between him and Tayuya, always, and she wasn't about to change that reality for him out of pity.

Heh, he chuckled to himself. It's always the stubborn and prideful women I get stuck dealing with.

Oh well. He supposed that was just the cards dealt to him. Complaining about it wouldn't help him. Plus…

"Grr! I'm going to wipe that smug smirk off your face, scum!"

This girl had an even shorter temper than his mom. Sheesh.

Tayuya, covered in the black marks of her Curse Mark, began playing her melody of death again. Shikamaru eyed her fingers and prepared to move.

The three ogres dove directly for him. He leapt into the canopy, the branch he'd been standing on being disintegrated beneath the strength of a giant club. Then he bolted off the trunk of a tree to evade the mummy wrapped one, who crushed the trunk of the tree with his feet.

The blindfolded giant nearly severed him in half with its thorn-like weapon tied to his arms. His evasions worked, or that was his initial belief. But the ogre with the giant club was on him faster than Chōji on free barbecue.

Shikamaru's eyes widened. Damn it!

Then he felt lighter than air. For a moment, he thought he was dead. What a way to go. Not a dishonorable death, he supposed, but this wasn't his ideal way to go out.

But then he saw black feathered birds swarming around him. His eyes adjusted in time to see a burning orange fire ball explode on Tayuya's position. The spitfire flipped out of the smoke, outfit singed and eyes bulged in disbelief.

"Yo- you?!"

Shikamaru finally comprehended the person standing in front of him. Her wild blue hair rustled with the wind, the Crow on her shoulder stood tall and proud. And around him were Tenten, Sakura and Hinata.

"I'll warn you right now, Tayuya: Dying really pissed me off."

"'Risu…"

Review Response to Guest: Glad you enjoyed the chapter! We'll have to wait and see what fate awaits Choji and Neji. We'll get to see Guy's reaction soon.

Everything up to Jirobo's fight and Kidomaru's progressed along the same lines as canon, though there was likely less squabbling between the boys of the first squad like there was in canon. The real changes were the dialogue flashbacks Choji had and extra dialogue Neji and Choji had in regards to the current situation with Amari.

Sakura isn't quite a medic-nin yet, so Mimi is the only medic on the team as of now. But, as was mentioned/shown during the Chunin Exams arc around the time the original three Sound shinobi attacked, Guy constantly has drilled Mimi into the dirt, forcing her to prove she can fight on the front-lines to his standards, to overcome being injured or hurt to fight on against an enemy so she can heal or protect her comrades. It's because of his intense training and her efforts in the Invasion she gets a pass on the rule. Mimi may not be a Nara, she admits that in this chapter, but she is quite intelligent and can make tactical decisions. You didn't offend me, so no worries.

Answers to your questions in regards to Mimi's fight will be answered in the next update.

I don't remember if I hinted at a strange relationship between Tayuya, Temari, Amari and Mimi. But I can clarify that. Temari and Amari will have an interesting dynamic going forward, with their differences of attitudes and such. Mimi in general will have a completely different dynamic with any Sand shinobi besides Hikari at this point in the story because of the Invasion. As for Tayuya, the dynamic is mostly between her and Amari and is another sort of collision of ideals and goals which we'll see more of soon.

There probably could be a four-headed wolf.

I don't really remember where the placement of Kakashi's flashback arc, to be honest. Or what was going on that led into it. But the My Hero arc will occur after this arc as a flashback Amari is recalling in the aftermath of the upcoming events. We'll have to wait and see if she has any new possible love interests from that world or in the future of the Naruto world. There's always a possibility, though.

I thought you were asking if the natural energy sage mode from other animals was possible in canon, which as you said is unknown. It's something I'll need to consider more.

Neither Uchiha are currently one hundred percent completely Curse of Hatred free. More on that upcoming.

Thank you for the review!

Review Response to ChillinInKonoha: Amari is officially at the battlefield now, and death has made her quite annoyed. Tayuya and Amari will have their talk soon.

It's definitely an interesting idea for the Yugao introduction. I'll have to look at what I wrote again and compare it, maybe even add more to it.

All of the serious arcs you mentioned made it in. I have the disk sets of the original Naruto series, so I can always revisit them in case I've forgotten an arc, plus the original movies, too. I just couldn't think of all of them off the top of my head, and I didn't really think about looking it up at the time. Hope you enjoyed the recent entry!

Thank you for the review!