Didn't finish as soon as I'd hoped, but its finally here. Enjoy the fight.
Chapter 47: Is the mind not always enough? Shikamaru Vs. Tayuya
Tayuya reached for her weapon as Sakon handled the other one. The weapon she pulled from her side was a flute, "I'll have you know you can't beat me with that silly Shadow Bind of yours," she smiled, "alone you won't be able to fight against me."
"We'll see about that," Shikamaru said standing on the same branch, waiting to see what his opponent could do. She bit her thumb after going some rapid seals used a summoning Jutsu. Three strange creatures appeared, all of which were around five times his height. They all had humanoid forms, had on black baggy pants and stitched mouths. One showed no signs of arms, but his entire upper body was wrapped up in white bandages. Another had long black hair that passed over its eyes and held a large club. The last one had bandages covering the top half of his head and a claw on each hand. Each claw only had two blades and an arm guard attached that went up to his elbows.
Suddenly Tayuya began playing a haunting melody on the flute, and the beasts attacked. Shikamaru jumped back and went down to a lower branch, only to fall backwards to avoid a flying head but from the armless one. He managed to land on a branch beneath him and decided he needed to hide. The one with the claws jumped at him, but rather than dodge Shikamaru threw a kunai with an explosive tag on it. It exploded, not harming the summon at all, but the flash and smoke created gave Shikamaru time to move. He threw a smoke bomb behind him and descended a bit further and moved in the opposite direction. The smoke bomb went off, diverting Tayuya's attention to it, giving him a chance to get well hidden.
"So, you obviously seem to be the brains of the group," she smiled scanning the area, "I can't waste anymore time here. You will here the melody that no one before you has ever heard and survived," the three summons all jumped back to a branch a short distance in front of Tayuya. Suddenly from their mouth ripped open, and strange ghost looking creatures emerged from them, "you shall die by the Requiem of Pandemonium!" Tayuya quickly resumed playing the flute. The ghost like creatures extended from their mouths like snakes. As if by the music's command, the ghostly snakes began searching the area for Shikamaru.
Shikamaru set up a small Kunai trap so he man launch the kunai there by pulling a string so that he could see what was up against. He moved his location and set off the Kunai, but it passed right through the thing, doing no harm. Suddenly the melody changed and they charged at that location. Finding nothing, the melody went back to normal.
I can assume that this is similar to my own Jutsu, using just enough physical Chakra so that it can affect them, but not enough to actually solidify. If that's the case I'll have to attack the main body directly, but how? Shikamaru assumed his usual thinking stance while he had time, and in no time his idea came to him and his plan was set in motion.
Tayuya was becoming very frustrated. Unless she could confirm his location she wasn't going to send the spirits out to far otherwise they wouldn't reach her in time if he came to close leaving her at a disadvantage. Though suddenly three Kunai fired from a distance right through the ghosts to Tayuya, though he quickly changed the melody and the main bodies reacted. The one with the arm guards hand used those to block the kunai, but the song changed back and the ghosts attacked in the direction they came from. However when they were gone from the left side came two more Kunai, and one more from the front just beneath a branch. Since that one seemed to be off target she ignored it and went changed the song again controlling the bodies, using the one with the arm guards to spin around and stop the rest of them from moving.
Shikamaru jumped up from where the one Kunai that missed came from with another Kunai in hand. The spirits had extended too far away to help her at all so Shikamaru smiled, "aren't you even going to pull out a Kunai?"
"Fool, this flute is my only weapon," she responded. She played her melody using the flute to attack Shikamaru with the real bodies. He threw the Kunai, but it was again off target. Tayuya realized it was on purpose, she failed to notice what was hooked on the kunai thrown the first time, a small ball with a red seal. The second Kunai hit the ball and it exploded into a flash of light extending her summons shadows, and Shikamaru attached them all. Tayuya tried to dodge, but it seemed as though Shikamaru read their movements.
"How did you do that? My melody is unreadable!" she yelled at him.
"True, I couldn't figure out your melody by listening, but by watching and memorizing your fingers I could decipher the movements," Shikamaru smiled. Tayuya only started to shake a bit in anger, "Also, at it seems I was right about a thought of mine. You can't control both spirit and the main bodies at once, so I diverted your spirits heads to a safe distance with my kunai traps."
"Why you," was all Tayuya managed to get out in her anger.
"Do you know the fun part about Shoiji?" asked Shikamaru, "any piece you defeat you can then use. And I'm about to corner you with your own pawns," with that Shikimaru jumped at Tayuya, all three of the bodies followed suite, however Tayuya did some seals and the creatures disappeared. Shikamaru landed on a tree branch a fair distance in front of her.
"You really thought you could use my own pawns against me?" smiled Tayuya.
"I told you I would corner you with your pawns," Shikamaru smiled, "Shadow Binds a success. It's a basic tactic, the first hands a feint, and the second hand lands the blow."
Tayuya suddenly couldn't move and found herself in the same form as Shikamaru, he had moved his shadow around the tree he was on and up the tree she was on. So while she dispelled her summons the Shadow had snuck up behind her and caught her, "Seems I'm going to have to go level two in a place like this," she said. Suddenly the markings on her body stretched out over her entire form. Her skin looked a light brown and bone like horns grew from her head. Her dark pink hair became a bit longer and slightly wilder. Even in the Shadow bind she moved her hand and the flute went back towards her lips.
"Crap," Shikamaru said jumping back a branch, "I'll have to use the other Jutsu."
"To late," smiled Tayuya as she began playing a haunting melody. Shikamaru started making some hand seals. After words he threw a kunai which fell short of hiting Tayuya. S
Suddenly his arms stretched out to his sides. Wires had emerged everywhere and strung his arms up. The world around him became discolored and the skin began melting off of him.
Crap, a Genjutsu, at least I managed to finish the Jutsu in time, Shikamaru thought to himself. Tayuya jumped over to Shikamaru. She picked up the Kunai he threw and proceeded to thrust it at him. However her body froze in place.
"Shadow Strangulation a success," smiled Shikamaru.
" But, how did you break the Jutsu?" Tayuya asked surprised. She then saw his hand. Shikamaru's shadow had traveled up his body and broken is finger.
"My Shadow Stragulation Jutsu is different from the Shadow Bind," Said Shikamaru, "I use my Shadow to physically grab my opponent, and the closer you are the stronger the hold."
"Well, lets see if you can hold me for long," Smiled Tayuya. Suddenly, the shadow arm that wrapped itself around Tayuya began to move back down her body.
Crap, this Chakra is emmense, thought Shikamaru using the other hand now to hold her, I'm going to have to get her fast. Both hands of the Shadow were forcing their way to Tayuya's neck, attempting to strangle her. She continued to fight with her own Chakra. It seemed to be a stalemate, but Shikamaru was running out of Chakra fast. He continued to think, but this time not a single plan came to mind. He continued to battle it out with Tayuya with his Chakra, but knew he would soon loose hold.
Is it really going to end like this? Shikamaru thought to himself, All my plans amounted to nothing this mission. I always knew mind alone couldn't cover everything, but to end like this? End because a comrade ran away and I failed to come up with a stratagey? Shikamaru continued to fight knowing it was inevitable, now his only hope being someone coming to the rescue.
Sorry this one took so long to get up. I hope to finish the mission in a weeks time, as then I'll be gone and unable to write for about two months. So after this arc I'll be done for a while. Again, please Read and Review.