Shikamaru's Plan Ripped Apart!
Naruto looked at the helpless Sakura a few feet away from him. She was being strangled now, strangled and crushed. From her torso to her neck, all of that was being applied pressure on. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. To kill someone without any feeling or regret... It's not right! He could feel the anger build up inside him.
"Hey, Naruto!" a voice interrupted his thoughts. "Don't look so dazed, the enemy's right in front of us!" It was Kakashi-sensei's voice. "Now, what are we going to do?"
Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing. Kakashi? Not knowing what to do? Impossible. He always had a plan. He had a mind of Shikamaru's after all. Could he be in that much panic? "Kakashi-sensei," he called quietly, as if in deep thought.
"What is it, Naruto?" he said, his voice groggy, almost panicky. Naruto could see that his hand was clinging to a rock. His hand was shaking uncontrollably, the rock soon to destruction.
Naruto couldn't take it. He decided to just let it all out. "Who is this Mizumaru guy, what's so important about him, and what the hell about him makes you so scared! I've never seen you like this before Kakashi-sensei!"
His words seemed to make Kakashi relax a bit. "Naruto… If you only knew." Now Naruto's eyes shook with hints of fear. What… just what… could this guy have possibly done to make Kakashi-sensei like this?
Kakashi looked down at the ground, his mind surrounded by memories of the past. He remembered the feeling. The feeling of having his neck clamped so tightly by the rushing water, the feeling of being so helpless. He remembered the Third telling him, "I know you won't let us down with this mission. I have complete trust in you." How could he fail so badly? Was he not strong enough? How? HOW? Suddenly he was pulled away from his thoughts of the past and back to reality where his team member was in trouble. We can't waste any time, he thought. I won't let Hokage-sama down this time. This time, I'll kill him for sure.
"Hinata! Neji!" Kakashi demanded their full attention. At the sound of her name, Hinata jumped. Neji just turned his head towards Kakashi. "I want you two to use Byakugan to guide me when I go get Sakura. Shikamaru, you'll follow Neji and Hinata's instructions since you can stop attacks and warn others." Shikamaru nodded. Hinata and Neji activated their dojutsu together.
"Hey! Kakashi-sensei! What do the rest of us do?!" Naruto yelled angrily, looking eager to do something.
"You guys stay behind!" Kakashi commanded. At that note, Naruto backed away, looking guilty. "I can't have too many of you going into the fight because that would put you all in danger. You guys just keep safe, okay?" he said with a little less demand this time.
The team nodded, and followed Kakashi's instruction. "Okay, let's do this." Kakashi said, indicating that the real fight was about to begin. "Raikiri!" He noticed his heart beat faster. His chest tightened. Beads of sweat formed beneath his slanted forehead protector. The hum of his Raikiri grew louder and sharper, its own battle cry. A great amount of energy stored in Kakashi's hand, letting out long streaks of lightning, blue as his chakra. It was practically the only thing seen in the thickening mist.
Naruto bit his lower lip. "Damnit!" he heard Sasuke mumble under his breath. It must be hard for him. I probably know what he's thinking, Naruto pondered. Naruto felt a sudden rush blow against him. He knew why. Kakashi had launched his attack. The sharp hum of the lightning made a cold chill crawl against his spine. He was nervous, too, he realized.
"This is getting too intense…" Naruto heard Chouji mutter under his breath. Was the whole team nervous as well? Or is it just me, Naruto thought. He brushed his forehead against a rock. His headband made a scraping sound. He didn't seem to care. Naruto sighed. When will I get to do something helpful? He thought. Why am I so useless?
"Kakashi-sensei! To your left!" Naruto heard Hinata's sharp voice cry out. Naruto tilted his head up sharply just in time to see what was happening. Kakashi was just a few feet away from Mizumaru now, The Raikiri's light spilled on their faces. What's wrong with him? Shouldn't he be helping Sakura?
Shikamaru groaned. He couldn't keep his jutsu on for long, he knew. It didn't seem to hold the shivering guy, and it didn't seem to bother Mizumaru, either. What was the point of binding them together and wasting my chakra? He let out a dispersed groan again.
"That's it… I can't do this anymore, Damn it!" Sasuke yelled. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. He saw the quick hand signs Sasuke made, his eyes flaring with confidence. "Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" he aimed at the shaded character.
"Suiton Mizuhei no Jutsu (Water Element: Water Wall Technique)" Mizumaru let out in a whisper. A large twisting wave of water emerged from the still-flowing waterfall, and intercepted Sasuke's attack. Steam emerged from where Sasuke's flames were, and Sasuke – disappeared? Where has he gone to? Then Naruto realized it. It was a clone after all, he thought.
"Die!" Kakashi's agonized voice broke into Naruto's thoughts. Kakashi launched the Raikiri with all of his strength. Full of hate, his attack broke through his opponent's chest, hearing Sakura call out to him in a suffocating voice. Then his opponent exploded, exploded into great wisps of air which blended with the suffocating mist, which only made it stronger. "No!" Kakashi shouted as he realized his attack was wasted on a Mist Clone. The line of shadow imitation that connected the clone and Shikamaru crawled back to Shikamaru, allowing his hold on one person only. But that person didn't seem to have any effects at all of the Shadow Imitation.
"You've wasted your time, Kakashi, now your friend dies." The shadow character declared, tightening his hold on Sakura's body. She groaned in despair, then exploded. Exploded just like Mizumaru did, but this time, into many various flutters of pink. Flutters of sakura petals. "Wha- the shadow character muttered in surprise.
"Now!" Shikamaru yelled. Hinata seemed to nod. She did a combination of hand signs quickly, and declared: "Ninpou Sugoi Chakra Ranpu Seiiku (Ninja Art Great Chakra Light Development)" She held out her arms in place, and a great blue light emerged from her palms, separating in different directions.
"No!" the shadow character yelled. "Not yet!" He raced across the swarm of sakura petals, and his blurry figure seemed to wear off. It seemed to come into structure of a person, a tall person, as tall as Mizumaru. He raced at a flashing speed, jumped, and held something in the air. The sun cast its light on it, but it still couldn't be determined what it was. That moment, Naruto realized the mist was clearing.
"A kunai!" Shikamaru declared. "Bastard!" Shikamaru made a new set of hand signs, and pointed one finger upward and the other to the attacker's direction. "Ninpou Kage Katachi no Jutsu (Ninja Arts Shadow Figure Technique)" Shikamaru's shadow, which was behind him, settled on rock, raced out of its position and raced to where the attacker was, holding a shadow of a kunai in its hand. It jumped from rock to rock, and came at the person from the left.
"Asshole! You really think that's going to stop me?" he yelled in a demanding voice, loud and clear enough for the whole team to hear. At that moment, his own shadow moved from its position and clashed against Shikamaru's shadow. They were fighting now, their shadows tearing at each other, dodging each other's attacks with automatic reflexes.
Neji's eyes widened in surprise, as if he had figured out something. "Again!" Shikamaru yelled. A figure jumped from the bushes on the side of the mountain, and confidently did a set of hand signs. Sakura-chan! Naruto realized.
"Ninpou Sakura Bakufuu no Jutsu (Ninja Arts Sakura Blast Technique) " That moment, large amounts of pink and petals raced across the waterfall along with the wind, and dove at the person attacking Hinata. Hinata couldn't move, since she was busy getting rid of the character's shadow shield with Chakra Light. The petals crashed loudly with a boom, but missed entirely the whole target. But it made the character retreat back to where he was before. The feuding shadows returned to their rightful owners as well.
In the settling mist above, Mizumaru appeared with blinding speed, raced across the water, with three kunai in his hand. "Katon Housenka!" a voice from the bushes called. Great amounts of fireballs flew from the right, aiming directly at Mizumaru. Mizumaru quickly turned his direction to the right, stopping his attempted assault on the rest of the team, and raced past the fireballs like there was nothing in the way. In the bushes, Mizumaru had the helpless opponent in his hands, neck completely helpless and ready to be strangled.
"You… You're Uchiha Sasuke aren't you…?" Mizumaru whispered in Sasuke's ear, who was shaking in pain.
"What have you done with Kakashi, you twit?" Sasuke asked curtly, as if Mizumaru hadn't just asked a question. Mizumaru smirked.
"Don't play dumb with me. He's hiding inside the waterfall. I figured out your Shadow Imitator's plan a long time ago. And it's not going to work. You see, I only killed two MizuKage by the age of nine, when your sensei, Kakashi was seventeen, and you know what? He almost died on that mission, who says you can't, too? But I'll spare you, you worthless Uchiha. You're the last one anyway. That's right. He's dead. All the Akatsuki members are dead, do you really think you can kill me with such a move, let alone hit me?" He spoke these words to Sasuke with no expression on his face. No expression on his one eye that showed. His other half of his face covered in triangular brown hair. "If you really wanted to kill your brother so badly… find the teammate of mine that killed your brother, and if you kill him, that would mean you're stronger than your brother… wouldn't it?" He let go of his grasp on Sasuke's neck. "Get out of my face, you brat," he said, walking back to the waterfall.
Kakashi jumped from the water, with yet another Raikiri in his hand. "Don't screw around with me Kakashi!" Mizumaru cried out. He took Kakashi by his wrist of the hand that held the Raikiri, and sent him flying back to where the team was. His body crashed on a large rock while his Raikiri wore off slowly.
Sasuke remained behind the bushes, deep in though. Should I believe him? If all the Akatsuki members are dead… then who are these people? Why are they wearing cloaks like them? No. they have to be dead. I know most of the Akatsuki members already, and the three I've seen so far haven't been one of them. Even if they were included, it wouldn't make Akatsuki a 9 member team anymore. That's it. They have to be dead… right? Then, if that's true… I'll kill that person who got to my brother first, he decided quietly in his thoughts.
"Your group is weak. Your plan didn't work out; none of your attacks even had a chance of attacking me. What is this team, anyway? Why have you spent the beginning of your lives wasting it away? Letting it run away with the wind like a pile of sand? Letting it go, not even trying to clasp it? If you wish to kill me, fine. Go ahead and try. You won't succeed, I hope you know."
Kakashi let out a despaired groan. "Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura exclaimed. Sakura rushed to her sensei's side and cast a healing technique. The green glow of chakra spilled over her worrying face. Please… be alright... Carefully, she could see that Kakashi's injuries were bad. Just from a throw? Sakura realized. Who is this guy? She thought. The slight hum of chakra stopped when Kakashi slowly opened his eyes and had a steady breathing pattern again. Sakura sighed in relief.
"You... you're crazy!" Sakura exclaimed, flaring with fury.
"Insult me all you want, little girl. It's not like I care." Mizumaru exclaimed, still no expression on his face.
"S-Shikamaru…" Kakashi called. Shikamaru looked up too see Kakashi's stare directly at him. "I-I want you and Sakura to take care of these two… I know Sakrua may not be much of a fighter, but she's confident enough and with your direction, I know you guys can win."
Oh no, this is going to be a let-down… Shikamaru thought. "Okay, Kakashi. I guess it would be too troublesome to decline now."
"Na-Nani!?!" Naruto began. "Why do they get to stay and fight! Let me! Give me a chance!"
"Naruto! This isn't the time for that right now! Just follow Kakashi's instruction! Help him get out of here! He's in no condition to walk!"
Naruto's eyes glazed in disappointment. Shikamaru's right, he thought. "Fine," he said grumpily. He picked up Kakashi by the arm and put it around his neck. Then he ran out of there. The whole team followed, taking glimpses of Shikamaru and Sakura as they left.
"Sakura, you ready to do this?" Shikamaru asked, trying to build up confidence.
Sakura clenched her fists tightly by her side in reply. Her eyes covered in the shadows of the sun, she looked up, and revealed her stare of confidence.
"This should be easy," the character beside Mizumaru said, getting his arms into position as if about to launch an attack. Mizumaru said nothing as always, the limp triangular part of his hair swaying slowly with the wind, his eyes narrowed. "Kageton Kuroi Hayashi no Jutsu! (Shadow Element Black Forest Technique)" the talkative character declared, pounding his palms against the cool, rushing water beneath them.
A loud rumbling took place, indicating that something big was going to happen. Large tree-shaped shadows formed and emerged from the ground slowly, creeping their way out to the outer world. The shadow "trees" had no leaves, they looked as dead as night. Only black branches of shadow covered the whole waterfall area now, and sight was totally lost. Sakura and Shikamaru could not see Mizumaru and his friend, and vice-versa.
"This is going to be a troublesome fight, isn't it?" Shikamaru groaned as he stared up at the sky. The clouds and sky were gone now. Only branching darkness surrounded them. It looks like I might have to use that move, Shikamaru thought finally.