It is all useless. All Naruto and Pantsu's attacks are brushed aside by Zetsu. Even Burifu's little chakra chain did nothing. Now all three of them are trapped, held down by branches that sprung up out of the ground. Neji and Shisui are caught in different branches, limp and pale.
Arashi is the only one Zetsu has no interest in. Although, to be completely honest, Arashi is the only one who has not yet tried to attack Zetsu. He is also the only one who is not combat trained, so the only one who is not a threat. But Arashi does not want to do nothing. So he picks up a rock from the ground and throws it at Zetsu. The rock hits Zetsu in the head.
Zetsu turns a withering glare on Arashi.
"My bad," apologises Arashi, holding up his hands in surrender.
Zetsu goes back to squeezing the life out of Shisui, Neji, Naruto, Burifu and Pantsu. Realizing his best bet is to go for help, Arashi starts to back away. Instantly, a branch shoots out of the ground and wraps around Arashi's legs. Zetsu turns another withering glare on Arashi.
"Sorry!" Arashi holds up his hands again. Okay, is there anything he can do that will help in any way at all? Well, when all else fails, there's nothing like yelling for help. Arashi takes a deep breath and yells, "HELP!"
Immediately, a branch wraps around Arashi's mouth, and Zetsu shoots Arashi another withering glare.
Unable to speak, Arashi just holds his hands up in defeat.
Zetsu rolls his eyes and turns his attention back on the actual threats.
And then the branches wrapped around Arashi loosen their grip on him ever so slightly. Zetsu's head whips around, his attention zeroed in on Arashi.
"What are you doing, human?" Zetsu demands as the branches slowly shrink away from Arashi.
"Nothing, I swear!" says Arashi, who wants to know what is going on just as much as his enemy.
A strange energy fills the air. The branches holding the others begin to shake as a rival force tries to pull the branches away.
"Ninshuu!" snarls Zetsu, turning his attention away from Arashi, and glaring at the treeline. "Show yourselves!"
"Yay!" says Arashi, as Sei Myoujina steps out of the trees. Standing in a long line on either side of him are nine others, all wearing the same uniform as Sei.
Five men, five women. All in black and red, with the bottoms of their robes divided into nine sections. Kurama's Guards.
In unison, the ten start making motions that resemble dancing. Energy glows from their entire bodies. Arashi stares in wonder as Zetsu's branches wither and crumble to ash. "We are Kurama's Guards," the Guards say. "If you seek to harm him or his jinchuuriki, you must first kill all of us."
"We took great pains to keep the Guards from their Tailed Beasts," says Zetsu. "We did not think you would ever find them. We will be back, next time with reinforcements. You pesky guards must all die." The ground shakes as Zetsu sinks into the earth.
The Guards are quick to act, heading straight for Neji, Shisui, Burifu, Pantsu and Naruto. Arashi makes a beeline for Naruto, going as fast as his old legs can carry him. The Guards are already healing the ninjas by the time Arashi reaches Naruto.
Sei is busy surveying the area. He turns to Arashi and asks, "Where is the other one? Iruka, I think his name is?" Sei asks.
"He's inside the maze," says Arashi. "He's-"
"WHERE DID THAT PLANT MONSTER GO, DATTEBAYO?" Naruto yells, leaping to his feet the instant he regains consciousness. Then he sees Sei. "Oh, it's you. Hi." Naruto pulls his I-am-only-speaking-to-you-because-I-was-told-to face, crossing his arms unhappily and says, through gritted teeth. "Kurama says 'hi'."
Arashi wonders why Naruto is being unfriendly, then it hits him, and he starts to laugh.
"What's so funny, tebayo?" Naruto demands, still pulling a face.
"You're jealous!" laughs Arashi. "You're jealous because Mr. Kurama likes them more than he likes you!"
Naruto turns away and stomps off in the direction of the maze's back door. "I am not JEALOUS!" Naruto growls over his shoulder.
"He's definitely jealous," says one of Kurama's Guards. "That's adorable." She grins and turns her attention back to reviving Shisui, who seems to be the worst off.
Namiko bites the inside of her cheek to stop herself from trembling. She has to get the scroll, the fate of the world depends on it! But this Leaf shinobi is so much stronger than her! He might even be stronger than Nagato sensei! How can she, a five year old genin, fight this guy?
Who is he, anyway?
And why is he staring at her like that?!
He's looking at her with this stupidly happy expression on his face, and it's making Namiko nervous.
Namiko pulls out her metal fans, the weapons she fights with, and holds them at her sides, ready to fight. "I can't let you take the scroll!" Namiko tells her enemy, trying not to cry in fear.
"Alright, you can take it," says the Leaf ninja, smiling happily at Namiko.
Namiko was not expecting that. Nope, not at all. "What?"
"You can have the scroll," says the Leaf shinobi, walking up to her, turning her around and gently pushing her towards the pedestal on which a scroll rests. "That's it right there. Go ahead and get it."
Namiko looks up at the weird Leaf ninja and takes a step towards the scroll.
"That's right, go get the scroll," Namiko's enemy says, grinning widely. But his eyes stay open while he grins, which makes him look like he is about to prank someone.
That someone is probably Namiko. Pranks don't scare Namiko! Namiko scares other people with pranks! Namiko marches up to that pedestal and tries to take the scroll.
She can't reach. She tries jumping, but still cannot reach.
Namiko turns and glares at the Leaf Shinobi. "You meanie!" she says, sticking out her bottom lip. "You knew it was too high for me, didn't you!"
The Leaf ninja walks up to Namiko and grabs her under the arms, lifting her up high enough to reach the scroll. "There you go, now you can reach it."
Feeling safe for some bizarre reason, Namiko takes the scroll. Immediately, the Leaf ninja pulls Namiko into his arms and holds her tightly. "Let me go!" Namiko shouts, struggling as she realises she just let her guard down around an enemy.
"Nope," says the Leaf Ninja. "You let yourself get captured. Now you have to come with me."
Namiko struggles and bites and scratches, but the Leaf ninja doesn't bat an eye.
"You know," he says conversationally. "Back in the Hidden Leaf, I teach at the Academy. You would not believe how hard some kids will kick and bite when I drag their butts back to class."
"My Mummy will whoop your arse!" says Namiko, in what she hopes is a threatening tone of voice.
"She already did," says the Leaf Ninja. "We were great rivals once - before I became a teacher." The Leaf Ninja heads back into the maze, talking the whole way. "You know, you remind me of me when I was little. I was a chubby little ratbag too. In fact, I was so baby faced, I looked twelve until I was sixteen."
Namiko rolls her eyes and decides to bide her time until they get out of the maze. Her mummy will defeat this weirdo easily, and Nagato sensei will get the scroll. Then Namiko will never have to listen to this Leaf ninja talk non stop ever again.
"Hey, Sasuke!" Tenten says cheerfully, as she enters Sasuke's hospital room. "Lee was complaining about how bad hospital food is," Tenten says, walking up to Sasuke's bed and placing a bento box on Sasuke's lap. "So I brought you some bento."
Sasuke did not think she had so many friends until she got stuck in hospital and all the kids she took the chunin exams with started swinging by at weird times with gifts. "Oh...um...thanks," Sasuke mutters, blushing.
"Are you a ninja?" asks one of the other girls in Sasuke's hospital room.
Sasuke opens the bento and digs in. This is some good bento.
"Yes I am," says Tenten. "I am learning fuuinjutsu."
"Let's see some," challenges one of the other girls.
"Can I borrow that?" asks Tenten, pointing to Sasuke's lunch. Sasuke holds out the lunch after taking another mouthful of rice ball. "Thanks." Tenten places the lunch on Sasuke's bedside table then goes over to the other side of the room. "I'm trying to develop a seal that will transport objects over distances for my Advanced test," Tenten explains. "Let's see if I can get Sasuke's lunch to come to me."
"This better not damage my food," says Sasuke, swallowing her riceball.
"If it does I'll make you some more," promises Tenten. Then Tenten pulls out a scroll and starts drawing a seal on it. Tenten activates the seal with two fingers on the seal and the other hand up in a half ram seal. She has the brush between her teeth and a smear of inc on her face.
Poof! A cloud of smoke conceals Sasuke's bedside table, and when it clears her lunch is still there.
And so is a large brown bottle labeled "L&P: Good Lemony Stuff" and a bowl of tomato soup.
"That's not right," mutters Tenten, heading over to inspect what she summoned. "I'll try and send it back," she says, and starts drawing a new seal.
Poof! Sasuke's bento vanishes, leaving the soup and drink behind.
"Oh, no!" Tenten stares at the bowl of soup in disbelief. "I'll try and get your bento back, Sasuke."
"Don't worry," says Sasuke, taking the bowl of soup, complete with spoon. "I'll just eat the soup. It smells good."
"What about the drink?" asks Tenten, picking up the bottle and opening it. "It's half full." She sniffs it. "I think it's a fizzy drink."
"Get some cups," says Sasuke, feeling generous. The soup is so good it is making her feel good. "We'll all share it."