Chapter 17: Rescue

"Ibiki, please do come in."

Minato tried his best to sound enthusiastic, but in truth he never really looked forward to a conversation with the stern Interrogation Squad leader and that was especially so when it was close to midnight and he wanted to go home. Outside of his job, Ibiki was generally a nice and approachable guy, but once he got his head down and began working, he became like a savage beast. Minato was just glad that he was on their side.

"I've finished all of my investigations in to Kabuto Yakushi" Ibiki said, as he stepped inside Minato's office.

"I wasn't aware that there were any more investigations to be had?" Minato responded. "I thought you said that you didn't uncover anything with your interrogation."

"Nothing tangible no" Ibiki muttered, as he made his way over to the window, which provided a view of the village below. "I just had a bad feeling about him."

Bad feeling? This wasn't like the Ibiki that Minato knew. He usually dealt strictly with facts and solid proof; he wasn't one to go off on a whim.

"What do you mean?" Minato asked.

"I interviewed him directly after he had been caught off guard in seeing a comrade die" Ibiki began. "He'd been hit hard emotionally and according to the ANBU, he was hysterical when they got there."

"Well, that's hardly a surprise, like you said he was caught off guard. There's nothing wrong with feeling emotional after someone dies, especially in the current climate." Minato pointed out.

"I know, which is why his interrogation was very unsettling" Ibiki said. "Despite his portrayal of feeling upset, he was able to answer all my questions perfectly. He didn't slip up once on anything and needed no time to come up with his answers. He was basically the model captive."

"That's what he was trained to do" Minato said, feeling a little annoyed over the accusatory assumptions Ibiki was making. "You should know that, your team would have been the ones to train him in interrogation."

"Yes, we did. We train all Chunnin and above in how to protect information when being interrogated by the enemy. But being interrogated by your comrades is an entirely different thing altogether" Ibiki said. "He showed no signs of confusion, internal struggle, betrayal or anything else that we would expect to see. If I had to guess, he'd been trained in how to handle interrogations by your own village."

Minato shifted a little uncomfortably in his seat when Ibiki spoke his last line. It brought back memories of several documents he read a few years ago and the disturbing information he'd found inside.

"Danzo used to give his ROOT operatives such training" Minato said.

"Yes I know" Ibiki sighed. "That's not all either. Do you remember how Kabuto came to this village?"

"Of course, I think most people are aware" Minato said. "He was found during the Battle of Kikyo Pass, he was then brought back and raised here."

"No, that's what you remember being told about him" Ibiki replied. "Do you actually remember the event? Do you remember seeing him arrive back, going through the academy? Do you even remember hearing about this survivor at the time?"

Minato thought for a second. He remembered hearing about the battle towards the end of the last war, although it was only bits and pieces, he was busy with several other things at the time, not least trying to help Kakashi and Rin after what happened to Obito.

"Honestly, I'd have to say no" Minato admitted. "I only ever became aware of Kabuto when he passed those first Chunnin Exams he entered and I learned of his story around that time."

"Yeah, you and everyone else I've asked" Ibiki grunted. "There is a paper trail for him arriving in the village, but as far as I can tell no one remembers him being here before a few years ago."

Minato had to admit that he could see why this was concerning Ibiki. Yet, he wasn't entirely convinced.

"Well, you have to remember, most of the Shinobi he would have went to the Academy with are out of the village right now" Minato said. "Not to mention he arrived during a very difficult time for the village, most of the focus would have been on the end of the war rather than just another orphan arriving."

"I'm aware of that and it is a possibility" Ibiki replied. "Still, there's enough cause for suspicion there. If I were you, I'd send word out to his Outpost Commander saying to keep an eye on him. We've already seen one of Danzo's men manage to stay under the radar, looks like we might have another on our hands."

"Of course, it would be foolish of me to just ignore this" Minato said. "I'll send word in the morning, just to be sure. Hopefully this is all just a misunderstanding."

Ibiki nodded and began to make his way to the door, but before he did he turned his head slightly and addressed Minato one last time."

"I wouldn't hold out too much hope though, Lord Hokage," he said. "After all, when's the last time something like this actually turned out to be a simple misunderstanding?"

Sunagakure was in a state of panic. The village had just been attacked, the Kazekage was unconscious and Gaara, who was very much considered the prize of the village, had been taken. Suffice it to say that this was probably the most important meeting the Village Council had ever had and Baki could practically feel the tension in the air.

"How is Lord Kazekage?" the elder to the right asked.

"He has yet to regain consciousness, though according to the Head Medic, he hasn't suffered any serious injuries. He should waken before the night is through" a far younger man sat to Baki's immediate left spoke. "It seems that he was poisoned somehow."

"Those are precious hours that we cannot afford to let pass" Baki spoke up. "We need to take action immediately, or Gaara may be lost to us forever. We should assemble a pursuit team and go after them right now!"

'An elite team of what?" an elderly woman sat opposite Baki spoke. "Anyone of importance is already out fighting this war. We have a handful of ANBU, Chunnin and Genin left in the village, do you really think they could be of use against opponents that defeated a Jinchuriki and the Kazekage?"

Baki glared down at the woman. Lady Chiyo had long since given up her senior role in the village to live a life of solitude on the outskirts of Suna, with her brother. Yet, once war had broken out, she had returned to the Kazekage's side and had stuck her cynical nose in to everything. She was incredibly frustrating to work with and Baki was reaching his boiling point. Still, even he had to admit she had a point. What could they do against that?

"Our only option is to send word to Konoha" one of the younger council members said. "The Hokage is aware of what Gaara is and he knows we cannot afford to let another Bijuu to fall in to enemy hands. They will come to our aid."

"Disgusting" Chiyo spat from her chair. "Running off to Konoha at the first sign of trouble. You know, it's one thing to be allied with another land during war; it is another to depend on them entirely. This is what has got us in to this mess in the first place."

"Whether you like it or not we have no choice" Baki sighed. "Konoha has far more resources than we do, plus they have more Shinobi to spare. They would be far more likely to assemble a strong team than we could."

"There's a problem though" another elder butted in. "Even with our fastest bird, it will take the rest of the night to get a message to Konoha, and that's if our communication isn't intercepted. By that time, it might be too late."

"Then we send a message to the Commander of the nearest outpost" Baki suggested. "We don't have to mention the fact he's a Jinchuriki, but the fact that he's the Kazekage's son should be enough to force them to act quickly. By my knowledge, the nearest one should be the outpost in the Land of Rivers. Hopefully, they have enough there to at least stall. We'll send another message to the Hokage as well. After that, all we can do is wait and hope."

Shikamaru suppressed a yawn as he continued the monotonous walk through whatever forest they were in. They'd rested earlier in the day so that they could stay awake during the night, which was much more dangerous during wartime. Shikamaru understood the reasoning behind it but that didn't make it any less annoying.

"Good thinking, the Captain's been getting a little annoyed at the people who are yawning" a voice whispered behind him.

Ever since they'd set off, Shikamaru had noticed that Kabuto was almost always close by. He knew why, of course. Survivor's guilt was extremely common in circumstances such as these, and Kabuto was showing all the classic signs, not least of which was an incessant need to make sure he was all right. Shikamaru knew it could get annoying, but he felt somewhat sorry for the guy and didn't have the heart to tell him to stop.

"Hey no slacking back there!" that shrill voice screamed from the front. "If any of you fall behind, I'll make you run circuit training when we get to the camp!"

To say that Anko was demanding would be an understatement. Shikamaru had presumed that her intimidating aura was a front she put up for the Chunin exams, but he was soon finding out that wasn't true. He didn't know what she meant by "circuit training" but knowing her he assumed it wasn't something he wanted to experience.

"Why was she chosen to be the captain?" Shikamaru muttered. "I'm sure there's a ton of other Shinobi more suitable to being a leader than her."

"Out of the Jonin left in the village, she's probably one of the most experienced" Kabuto replied. "I wouldn't underestimate her if I were you. Many have done it in the past to, shall we say, less than desirable results."

"I don't even want to imagine what those results were."

Kabuto chuckled softly at this, keeping his voice down.

"So, I guess this'll be your first exposure to front line combat then?"

The sudden change in conversation caught Shikamaru off guard, and all he could do was nod lamely in response.

"Yeah, tough way to do it" Kabuto said. "But, if you stick with me everything will be okay. Probably."

He then winked again before bursting out with more reserved laughter. There was something reassuring to his somewhat carefree attitude that Shikamaru had to admit he admired. While he had the suspicion that it was all probably an act to mask his deeper feelings, he couldn't help but be drawn in by it.

"Something's coming" Kabuto suddenly said, as everyone around him stopped.

Shikamaru looked around confused, wondering how everyone had seemingly come to the same conclusion at once. He'd been keeping an eye on his surroundings, yet hadn't noticed a thing. Would he even realise if the enemy aimed straight for him?

"It's okay everyone, it's just one of our carriers" Anko yelled out, as she extended her arm towards a brown hawk. "Seems the Commander of our Outpost wants to contact us, probably just to confirm our location."

This didn't grant Shikamaru the relief he had hoped it would. How could he have been so unaware of his surroundings? He'd gone through the training and he was trying to listen out for any signs of an oncoming threat, yet he hadn't picked up the bird at all. It had him worried.

"All right everyone, there's been a change of plan" Anko declared, as she finished reading the letter in her hand. "An emergency situation has arisen and it's up to us to respond to it."

"That's strange" Shikamaru said. "Why would they want us to respond? We haven't even reached the camp yet. What do you think?"

He looked over towards Kabuto but received no response. His eyes were concentrated solely on Anko and he hung off every word.

"We have to move quickly, so quickly in fact that I'll have to explain the details on the way" Anko said. "But to be brief, we've been assigned a rescue mission. The Kazekage's son has been abducted by enemy forces and it's our job to get him back."

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Even the best-laid plans can be thrown in to doubt by such a simple question. It makes you second-guess yourself, wonder if what's you really want to do. Although, this time it didn't have that same effect for Minato, as he'd been second guessing himself a lot recently.

"Yes Jiraiya Sensei" Minato replied. "I've thought about nothing else over the last few days and I'm sure it's the best way to proceed. No, I'm sure it's the only way to proceed."

"It's very risky though," Jiraiya warned. "You yourself know that. Very few actually get out of this training alive, you and I are the only two I'm aware of to have been successful in the last few decades."

Minato began to circle his office as he considered his Sensei's words. He could feel Jiraiya's eyes on him from his seat but wasn't prepared to back down.

"Naruto has what it takes, I know he does" Minato said defiantly. "In fact, I suspect he'll probably master it better than either of us."

This didn't create the response Minato had hoped for, as Jiraiya's face remained full of scepticism.

"I just don't know Minato" Jiraiya sighed. "He isn't as like you as you want to think. Don't get me wrong I think the kid's great, but he doesn't quite have that natural talent you had. Not only that, but as a result of having such a privileged upbringing, he doesn't have the same drive that both you and Kushina possess."

"With all due respect Sensei, you're wrong" Minato said through gritted teeth. "He might not have that natural talent and maybe he did have it too easy growing up, but he's fiercely loyal. It burns him up inside that he can't help out his friends during this war, he's just itching to get out there. It's that determination that will see him through this."

Jiraiya stared in to the cup of sake he was holding, apparently not any more convinced by Minato's impassioned speech.

"Well, he's your kid so it is your call at the end of the day" he said. "I suppose that he is going to need some kind of power to overcome the Kyuubi as well, he isn't going to give up his chakra without a fight. Even you were only able to hold him off."

"So you see why this is necessary?" Minato pressed. "There's nothing else that I could teach him that would give him that sort of power. Personally, I'd rather he go through some tough training than face the Kyuubi unprepared."

Jiraiya smirked as he raised his cup to his lips.

"You've always been good with words," he mumbled, before draining the rest of the liquid. "Still, I think there's some practical issues you haven't though of here."

Minato raised an eyebrow to this while just about holding back the smile that threatened to spread across his face.

"It's unlike you to think of the practicalities, Sensei."

"I have my moments" Jiraiya replied. "But Minato, you have to understand, this is not the same time period as when you went to do this training. Naruto will be a target for our enemies and believe me, they will know if he leaves the village. Mount Myoboku, while very secure, isn't impossible to find. And you can't be there with him 24/7, you have to stay here."

"I'm aware of all that" Minato smiled. "Which is why you're going to go with him."

After a moment of confusion, Jiraiya looked ready to protest, so Minato jumped in first.

"I can't trust anything else with this," he said sincerely. "You're perfect, you yourself have done the training, and so you can help him. Plus I would sleep easier knowing you'd be protecting him."

"Well there's no denying that," Jiraiya said, without a hint of modesty. "But what about my contacts? Do you not want me to continue gathering information?"

It was a legitimate concern, one that Minato had struggled with over the prior few days. It was true that, without Jiraiya, Konoha's intelligence network would not even be half as effective. No one could gather information as quickly or efficiently as him.

"We can go without for a few weeks" Minato replied. "This has to take precedence. We'll still have a few others from the Intelligence Corps out in the field, so we won't be completely out of the loop. Besides, it's not like any information we've gained has made much of a difference thus far."

"A little harsh" Jiraiya said, feigning offence. "But I suppose it's true, besides I can still receive news from a few sources while far away. So, when are we planning on leaving?"

Shikamaru had never understood what was so beautiful about a sunrise. He remembered Hinata telling him once about how she used to get up early and watch the sunrise with several of her handmaidens. She'd swoon over how magical it was and that they were her best memories. All Shikamaru could think of was how early that must have been and all the time missed out on sleep. He hated early mornings. But the sunrise on this particular day, for once, presented a small piece of comfort.

"Ah I see" Kabuto said, as he caught the grin on Shikamaru's face. "Seems you've finally got some shadows to work with."

Shikamaru could only give a weak grin in response. Truth be told, this did little more than provide him with his usual jutsu. It wasn't going to magically make him any stronger and certainly not strong enough to compete with Shinobi that the entirety of Suna couldn't handle. Plus he was exhausted, they'd been running at full speed ever since they'd received their orders and it was beginning to take its toll.

"This isn't the time for worries or self-doubt" Kabuto said gently. "We're heading towards a battle where we'll likely be outclassed. Frankly, if you go in to that with a bad attitude, you're going to die."

Just the very mention of death sent a horrible chill down Shikamaru's spine. He'd been thinking of little else since the war began, but to be told he was facing not only a possibility of it happening but that it was likely was sickening.

"You're a smart guy, so put that to use" Kabuto continued. "Remember, we only have to hold them off until support arrives, so it's all about surviving. And I'll be here to watch your back as well, though that might not be as comforting to hear as I'd like."

The pain and regret in Kabuto's voice was all too clear, he wasn't even trying to hide it. Perhaps the sudden change in situation had caused him to lower his defences a little and drop the pretence. Shikamaru wasn't quite sure what to say.

"Everyone stop!" Anko screamed out. "We've come to the edge of the forest, if the predictions made by Suna's tracking squad are correct, then the enemy should pass by here. So it's just a matter of waiting in the cover provided by the trees before we ambush them at the right time."

Shikamaru looked at the layout of the edge of the forest and he had to doubt the possible success of the plan. The forest gave way to a simple open stretch of grass with nothing in between. Which meant that they could only take cover in the forest, which left the area behind completely free. Even if they could keep pace and pursue them, they would only be drawn further away from the possible support coming to assist them.

"Hyuga boy, come here" Anko said to a nearby Chunnin. "Tell me what your Byakugan can see."

He obliged and within a second he was scanning the surrounding area, looking several kilometres in each direction.

"That's!"

"What do you see?" Anko demanded to know.

"Two very powerful chakra's" the Hyuga stammered. "And a third one which is very weak."

"I'd say that's them" Kabuto spoke up. "They said the Kazekage's son was heavily injured when they took him right?"

"There's something else though," the Hyuga continued. "They're flying in mid air on these birds infused with chakra. I've never seen anything like it."

Shikamaru doubted that any of the 50 or so Shinobi gathered had heard of such a thing. In fact, he could see it on all of their faces. The sudden fear in facing a power they weren't aware of.

"Well that's problematic" Kabuto commented. "Ambushing on the ground is one thing but in the air is something else entirely. We aren't equipped for something like that. What's more, all trying something would do is alert them to our presence. Then they could just pick us off from the comfort of their position in the air."

"So what, you're saying is we do nothing and let them get away?" Anko snapped.

Shikamaru was surprised by Kabuto's apparent resolve. Everyone around him shifted nervously in place but he simply stood there defiantly.

"If it means not sacrificing the lives of everyone here, then yes, that is what I'm saying."

The warmth of the rising sunrays could not overcome the icy atmosphere that had been created within the group. The smattering of nods and mutterings throughout the group confirmed that Kabuto wasn't alone with his opinion. As for Anko, for the first time Shikamaru saw her appearing worried. He understood why, of course. She had a duty to the Shinobi under her command and to the orders from her superiors. It was a difficult choice and one she had to make quickly. Although, Shikamaru doubted that she'd be able to force anyone to act if she couldn't think of a plan within the next few seconds.

"We don't have time for this, has anyone got an idea or not?" Anko said desperately.

Shikamaru glanced around one last time. Even if there was someone within that group that had an idea, he could tell they weren't going to say anything. They didn't want to face this enemy and it was showing. He would be lying if he said he didn't feel the same. And yet, that didn't stop him from saying what came next.

"I have a plan, but we'll have to act quick."

The night was still as Fugaku made his way through the camp. Well, he supposed night wouldn't really be an accurate description of the time, more like very early morning. Once again he had beaten the rise of the sun and awoke before dawn. It was becoming a rather bothersome habit; particularly with the difficulties he had getting to sleep anyway.

As usual, he was the only one to have awoken at such an ungodly hour. He supposed that he should take advantage of this to inspect the place thoroughly, without all the usual distractions and the faces of terrified Chunnin pleading that you won't find anything wrong with their work. Even as he took a cursory glance around he could see mistakes. Kunai left where they shouldn't be, a build up of general dirt around the place and the embers of a fire from last night, which hadn't been fully extinguished. He made a mental note to get on to it later, but wasn't particularly motivated to look any further. Nor did he want to get a head start on the piles of scrolls that had built up once again, sitting on his desk waiting to draw him in.

No, instead he made his way out of the camp altogether. He walked slowly up the slightly steep gradient, poised between two mountains. He kept walking past the small training ground and the postal area until he finally reached the peak of the hill. There, just off to the right, he saw two Chunnin sitting down. One appeared to be asleep, while the other looked to be reading a leather bound book. Neither one noticed him approach. After a few seconds, Fugaku cleared his throat.

"Commander Fugaku" one of them stammered, as he struggled to his feat. "I didn't see you there, sir."

"Clearly" Fugaku said harshly. "I could only imagine the outcome if somebody came here with any kind of malicious intent."

Even in the darkness Fugaku could tell they were squirming. In spite of the impression he gave off, he didn't enjoy making his subordinates squirm. But he knew that their fear of him meant that they respected his authority, a vital cog in the chain of command.

"I'm here to relieve you" Fugaku continued. "You can go back to the camp and rest."

"But sir, we're scheduled to stay here for another 4 hours-"

"And now I'm telling you to leave!" Fugaku barked. "It's not like you'll be missed up here is it?"

After a few mumbled apologies, the two hastily made their way back down the slope. Fugaku sighed as he sat down and stared out at the sight before him. It was truly an ugly place, nothing but the monotonous grey of the mountains all around them. It became frustrating when compared to the luscious greens that could be seen when you looked out to the horizon of Konoha. With its beautiful forests, the hustle and bustle of the village and his family waiting for him at home.

"No" Fugaku whispered to himself. "I cannot allow myself to let my mind wander there."

He had too many problems to deal with where he was. Nevertheless, his thoughts still drifted towards his two sons. He'd barely spoke to Sasuke over the last few weeks. He'd become so much more withdrawn than he was, spending day after day alone training. Even Neji Hyuga didn't seem to be seeing much of him anymore. Unfortunately Fugaku had never been much good with handling emotions, that was always left to Mikoto. What was he supposed to say to him? Anything he thought of sounded so unnatural in his head, just phrases he'd heard others say in the past. Even Itachi didn't seem to be getting through to him.

He let out an audible sigh as the name Itachi went through his mind. With that boy he was truly lost. Itachi was just fundamentally different from Fugaku. Things hadn't been right between them ever since that incident a few years ago and that was really coming to the fore. He loved his son, but he just didn't know if he could trust him. Sometimes it felt as if he resented him and the clan.

"Maybe I should find a new second in command" Fugaku thought. "It's not doing either of us any good the way things are going. "

He considered his options for both his sons over the next few hours, changing his mind constantly. By the time he was relieved from the post, he hadn't fully made a decision. All that he could think of was the fear of losing two of the people most precious to him.

Shikamaru crouched down on the edge of the forest, covering himself behind the thick trunks of the trees. Way above him stood the rest of the squad, Shuriken, smoke bombs and wires at the ready. As the enemy drew nearer, Shikamaru's already shaky faith in his plan weakened. The whole thing sounded completely ridiculous. Although, it was probably too late to do anything about it.

"Should be any second now," he thought, as he looked at the seemingly empty trees above him. "I'm counting on you guys."

Then he heard it. It was a faint sound at first, like a simple summer breeze had suddenly descended. Then it rapidly grew louder and fiercer. It came in waves, the rise and fall of the wind coinciding with the flapping of wings. Shikamaru held his breath as the noise headed towards a plateau, aware that the targets should be just above him.

BANG

The smoke bombs all exploded, covering the sky directly above him in impenetrable grey smog. The screech of clashing metal then filled his ears, as Shuriken were sent flying in to the smoke by the dozens. It was ironic that the most crucial seconds, the ones where this plan would either succeed or fail, were also the ones that Shikamaru had the least control over. He had no idea how their opponents were fairing as long as they were in the smoke. He cursed himself for not asking for the Hyuga to stay with him.

Each millisecond that past felt like an eternity. He looked desperately above him, praying to every God he had ever heard of for success. After several lifetimes had passed, two figures wrapped in wire plummeted to the ground, with two more much larger shapes following just behind them. Instantly, Shikamaru made his seal and sent two shadows sprawling along the ground. As predicted, the first two landed feat first, but before they could move the shadows had caught them, binding them in place.

Cheers of victory went up as Shikamaru quickly ran forward, bringing the two enemies closer to him at the same time. His allies quickly descended from the trees to join him and within moments they had them surrounded.

"Well done Shikamaru!"

"Great job Shikamaru!"

"I knew it would work!"

He spotted Kabuto among the crowd, though he settled for giving him a smile. From up close, he had a chance to analyse their two captives. Both wore black cloaks with some kind of red design on them, though due to the wire he couldn't quite make it out. However, that was where the similarities between them ended. The smaller of the two was fair skinned and rather thin, with long bleach blonde hair. The second was huge and stocky, with the most monstrous face Shikamaru had ever seen. He was more monster than man.

Though that was not what was troubling him the most. Rather, it was the complete lack of fear or confusion on their faces. The blonde haired one appeared to be smirking.

"What have you done with Gaara?" Anko demanded of them.

"There's so few of you," the smaller one said, ignoring Anko completely. "I thought there may have been a few more when I noticed you in the forest. Rather arrogant of you to think you could capture the people that defeated the Kazekage with such a small force."

"Arrogant? I'm sorry, do you not realise the situation you're in?" Anko hit back.

"Oh yes, there's at least one of us that fully understands what's happening here."

"They're wasting time" Shikamaru realised. "I can already feel them fighting back against my binding, we need to hurry."

"Captain" Shikamaru began. "We need to-"

"It was quite the plan I grant you" the taller one said, his voice deep and menacing. "We figured it would be easier to just break these wires once we were on the ground, we didn't realise that you would have such a strong binding down here. The Nara Clan's Shadow based jutsu is it?"

"Anko-"

"I know Shikamaru" Anko snapped back. "Hoheto, have you confirmed where the captive is?"

"Yes, he appears to be inside the mouth of that thing" he replied, pointing towards the nearer bird. "His chakra flow is very weak, but he is still alive."

"Then we should secure these two first" Shikamaru interjected. "We need to put a stronger seal on them and then secure the captive, I don't know how long I can hold them."

"The Kazekage's son is the objective, we secure him first" Anko insisted.

Shikamaru looked over at the pair. The smaller one was practically giddy, with a grin on his face that was bearing his teeth. It was enough to cause the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end. In response he channelled as much chakra as he had in to his jutsu, hoping it would be enough. All the time he kept up that smile, never breaking his stare. Was he just trying to get in to his head?

"Be careful as you approach it" Anko warned her men as they made their way over. "We don't know what kind of jutsu he uses to control them, it could attack at any second."

Shikamaru could feel his heart rate rising. His comrades made their way towards the bird while on guard. Hoheto Hyuga kept his Byakugan on it, constantly reassuring everyone that nothing appeared to be threatening. But Shikamaru couldn't escape that glare. There was sweat coming down his brow and it felt as if his whole world was shaking.

"Wait" Shikamaru gasped. "Beneath us, the ground is-"

It all happened so suddenly. The ground shattered around them and Shikamaru jumped back just in time to avoid whatever creature appeared from beneath him. However, others were not as lucky. Shikamaru saw the group near Gaara being consumed by the beast. Thankfully most of the others seemed to survive the attack unscathed, for now at least.

Now that the beasts were still, he was able to tell that they were in fact massively overgrown snakes. Their pale grey scales reflected the early morning sun as their sharp yellow eyes pierced in to him. Had they been underground from the start? But how could they have been? Surely they would have noticed a summoning?

"Everybody regroup immediately!" Anko screamed out, a kunai in hand. "The priority is the Kazekage's son."

Shikamaru admired her persistence and how unfazed she seemed, but he knew that her plan was completely flawed. There were 5 of these giant snakes now standing between them and their target, not to mention their two captives who were now free. The wisest decision would be to flee and try to get this information back to Konoha.

"I see you're rash as ever, Anko."

This was a different voice from the other two. Far softer by far and with a hint of sarcasm, yet it still made Shikamaru feel cold inside. He could see that he wasn't the only one either, everyone around him stood transfixed. All except Anko, who was seething with anger.

"I should have known" she spat, trembling. "You bastard."

"Now now, is that any way to talk to your beloved Sensei?"

He stepped out from between two of the snakes, wearing the same robe as the other two. His skin was a sickly white, contrasting with his black hair. Even the way he strolled forward was filled with malice.

"Orochimaru" Kabuto said, appearing next to Shikamaru. "To think we'd meet one of the legendary Sannin here of all places."

Orochimaru. Possibly the most famous missing Nin in Konoha. His exploits alongside Jiraiya and Tsunade as part of the Sannin were still engrained in Konoha legend, but that had given way to the atrocities he had committed in his later life. Shikamaru had always pictured him as the most dangerous man in the world and as he stood before him that was all he could think of.

"You two leave, I'll finish things up here," he said, addressing the two behind him.

"Fine by me, my art would be wasted on such weaklings" the blonde one sighed. "Come Kisame, those birds should still be fine to fly."

With one hand sign, the two white birds jumped back up and spread their wings. Immediately, half of the squad made moves to follow.

"Don't!" Anko yelled out. "If you even try going after them you'd be throwing away your life. Do you really think it's that simple to evade him?"

"Very smart of you, though I have to say that their lives are over regardless" Orochimaru laughed, as his two companions flew overhead, taking their captive with them.

For a moment everything was still. The snakes had hardly moved since they had appeared, and Orochimaru wasn't giving away his intentions either. Shikamaru thought of every permutation possible, but couldn't see a way out of this alive.

"Everyone, this is how it's going to be" Anko said, as she began to walk forward. "Try your best to get away, though I'd say you'll have to beat these snakes first. Meanwhile I'll keep him busy."

"That's suicide!" Shikamaru desperately wanted to say. He wanted to scream out that he'd think of another plan, just give him a second. He wanted to offer to help her. Except, that isn't what he wanted, not at all. Instead he was relieved. Relieved that someone else would take on this burden and give him a chance to live. He was disgusted with himself.

"Ah a little catch up is it?" Orochimaru hissed. "How nice, it's been a long time since I've seen my favourite student. Don't disappoint me now. Attack!"

Those paralysed snakes suddenly burst in to life, moving with unbelievable speed given their size. It was all Shikamaru could do to avoid the initial strikes of the nearest one. Desperate, he plunged his hand in to his pouch and threw the kunai and shuriken he found there. Unsurprisingly, they merely bounced off the thick scales of the snake.

That only seemed to spur it on. The snake lunged again, but while Shikamaru avoided the mouth, he did not spot the tail whipping around behind him. The force of the swipe caused a searing pain in the back of his legs and knocked him to the ground. Still, with considerable effort he was able to roll out of the way as the fangs bore down on him again.

As he clambered back to his feet, he surveyed the surrounding battle. In the middle he could see Orochimaru and Anko clashing, snakes extending from their sleeves. All the other snakes had at least four or five Shinobi against them, while Shikamaru was left to fend for himself. Why? Were they just going to leave him to die? He wanted to yell out, beg for their help. But he couldn't, as the fangs of death came for him again.

Dodging was becoming more and more difficult. He was exhausted, physical conformation was not his usual style. His legs were unsteady beneath him, and his body began to ache. He was looking for a moment to prepare his jutsu, but the snake was relentless. He was armed with only a single kunai, but every swipe he made proved fruitless. This pressure eventually told, as he was just too slow to avoid another attempt, and the giant fang left a horrible gash in this left arm.

Shikamaru cried out in agony. He was dazed; the pain was so unbearable he felt close to passing out. When he saw the snake dive to him once again, he knew he couldn't move. While his head begged for him to move, his body wasn't responding. The snake's jaws opened wide and the last thing he saw was the ghostly yellow of those horrible eyes.

Or so he thought.

He couldn't make out who it was at first. All he saw was grey hair and a hand illuminated with blue chakra. There was a slash, and blood gushed out. The snake fell to the ground, landing mere inches before Shikamaru's feet.

"Sorry Shikamaru, I didn't realise" Kabuto said. "If it's any consolation, they left me to fend for myself as well. I would have tried to finish it earlier if I'd have noticed you. The trick to it is slashing just beneath skull."

Shikamaru didn't really care about how he did it, he was just happy to live. He looked around and saw the snake's bodies littering the field, though the lifeless forms of fellow Shinobi were also numerous. However, what was most damning was the lack of noise. Quickly, he diverted his eyes to where he had seen Orochimaru and Anko.

Orochimaru stood with his arms folded. The snakes were still extending out of his sleeve, but as Shikamaru followed them he saw them wrapped around Anko's lifeless body. Blood was dripping from almost every area of his skin on her body. The serpents were wrapped so tightly around her that he couldn't tell if she was breathing or not. Orochimaru meanwhile didn't even seem to be out of breath.

"Well I claimed a surprisingly useful piece" he grinned. "Even though you managed to struggle to deal with my pets, I could slaughter you all with one jutsu."

Shikamaru didn't doubt his claims. All he could see was tired bodies and terrified faces around him.

"But why bother? I have more productive things to be doing with my time. Consider this a gift to my former comrades of Konoha; I'm sparing your pitiful lives. Be sure to send my regards to Lord Hokage."

He then disappeared in a puff of white smoke and the battlefield fell silent.

A/N: Erm yeah, hi. Been a while, eh? I've been so incredibly busy since last time, plus my interest in Naruto is on the wane. I did put this on hiatus, but as I kept getting new favourite alerts and the occasional reviews I began to feel guiltier. So I found this chapter on my laptop, mostly finished (and written in early March!) and decided to carry on with it. Hopefully the next one won't be such a long wait as I really got back in to writing this.

Next Chapter: Burned to Ashes