Chapter 15: My Dearest Friends
Naruto stood before an assembled group of his brightest, talented, and most trusted companions. The gifted Konoha 11 were in attendance along with Shizune, Kakashi, and the rest of the jounin. The elders Homura and Koharu were seated next to a serious Naruto.
"As everyone is well aware of we have just received word that Sunagakure has fallen under attack," Naruto opened the meeting, "Currently we do not know if the attacks have ended but we have taken the only possible response by sending out a small team to investigate and establish a connection with Gaara."
"So what is it that you have next in mind Naruto-sama?" Homura inquired.
"With your approval I would like to begin preparations for a counter-strike into Oto no Kuni," Naruto answered him.
"The daimyo has already granted us full control so we will approve whatever actions you wish to take right now," Koharu presented, "What is it exactly you want to do?"
"From the information I looked over from what was gathered during the previous scout missions through Oto no Kuni I have assembled a campaign to attack Akkifue, one of their prime military outposts."
"As such who will you be having lead this attack?" Homura further questioned.
"I have the perfect people to head this campaign," Naruto stared off towards the rest of the jounin, "Would Team 10 please step forward."
Slowly Choji, Ino, and Shikamaru made their way to the front of everyone. Standing a little confused it took them a few seconds to understand that Naruto was selecting them to run the show.
"You're suggesting that we be in charge?" Shikamaru spoke first.
"Well of course I do," Naruto raised his voice slightly, "Team 10 is one of the most in-tuned teams in this village. Each one of you know each other like the back of your hands…Now Shikamaru you will be team leader and will formulate a military strategy with me as well."
"Great how troublesome…," Shikamaru sighed to himself, "…Alright you got it Naruto."
"How long will it be before we head out?" Ino asked.
"We will go through our preparations and head out in five days time," he quickly answered, "Everyone be ready to give it your all, even your life if need be, for the safety of the people…We will not fail."
"Mizukage-sama!" an assistant shouted as he ran into his office.
The Mizukage was in a work-crazed mindset. Ever since the alliance that was formed with Konoha he has received swarms upon swarms of paperwork for the purposes of approvals and missions galore. He flipped through the papers furiously signing a page there and documenting a page here. It took him a few extra seconds to realize that his assistant had been calling his name.
The Mizukage slowly glanced up at him, "I assume you brought some urgent paperwork."
"No meijin (master) it is a report directly from Konoha," he handed it to him.
The Mizukage read the contents his eyes growing slightly wider as he read further down the page, "Sunagakure has just been attacked and Konoha is beginnning to prepare for a counter."
"How long ago did this happen? What else does it say?"
"They were attacked approximately a day and a half ago. Sunagakure still stands but thousands are dead and even more were injured. The village was vastly destroyed and Konoha has a liaison team set up there," the Mizukage read on, "The Hokage is requesting any available military muscle we can offer and a…hmmmm…he is calling for a summons in two weeks time. A meeting of the allied kages."
"Meijin (master) would you…," the assistant began to speak before getting interrupted.
"Hai…send a response that we will disperse anything we are able to and make the council aware that I have a meeting to attend in two weeks."
"Right away," the assistant quickly rushed off.
The Mizukage sat still reflecting in the silence of his office, "So things are finally getting into full swing. Now Kisame we can see if my doubts in you are unjustified."
A legion of konoha shinobi stood at attention in front of the village gates prepared to embark into Oto no Kuni. The past five days had been spent examining the layout of the military outpost, setting up team formations, planning attack patterns, including many other things as well. Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji stood very seriously in front of the large legion facing a firm Naruto.
"We have prepared very well for this in five days time," Naruto began to speak, "I want everyone to know that I am proud of all the hard work you have put into this. We are about to show Sasuke as well as his allies that we are not ones to be pushed around. That what they did to our ally and friend Sunagakure is unforgivable. That killing thousands of innocent people all throughout the land is unforgivable. That threatening the lives of many more is unforgivable…They view us as bugs that can be easily squashed but now they will learn to understand that we will not sit by without fighting for what we have sworn to protect…We will fight to the very end……Shikamaru go ahead."
Shikamaru took a few steps forward and turned towards eveyone else, "Once we reach our first designated point we will split into our three assigned groups with Choji, Ino, and I leading their respective ones. From there the teams will be sent out accordingly to our commands. Everyone keep in mind that our two primary targets are the command post to see if we can gather any intel and their main barracks which has hundreds of sound shinobi. Also, the Mizukage was able to grant a few teams that will be attacking from the north ridge of the camp while we be pulling up from the south…Also everyone here has already received their set of Naruto's kunais and know to use them to set up the trap barriers in the strategic points."
With Shikamaru finished Naruto took a step forward raising his arm up, "Now disperse!" He shouted flinging his arm down.
The many shinobi dashed off in an instant towards there destination. Naruto stood looking off into the distance letting out a small sigh. He hoped for the best and safe-keepings of every single one of them but he knew very much so that some of them would not be coming back alive. It was saddening and even now Naruto struggled to keep those feelings inside but he had to stand strong. Naruto slowly turned making his way back into the village to see the humbled Jiraiya leaned up against an open gate door.
"Ero-sennin what are you doing here?" asked Naruto.
"I just decided to pay you a quick visit. See how things are going," he coolly responded, "From the looks of it things seem to be getting quite busy for you."
"It's just…," Naruto faded out.
"You don't know what to do next do you?" Jiraiya added on.
"Things just seem to keep on piling up. No matter what I do it just doesn't improve," Naruto hung his head down, "What if I end up becoming a failure to this village? Am I just so insignificant?"
"Naruto…you had no way of knowing any of this would ever happen. No one knew that Sasuke would murder Tsunade or that he would want to murder countless numbers of people," Jiraiya tried consoling him, "But what you can do is stop him from harming more."
"But I don't know if I can even do that anymore…I mean if I couldn't have enough strength to bring him back who says I have enough strength to stop him."
"You have had to overcome so much in these past years but you never once gave up. The constant rejection and jeering eyes of the village. Growing up without a family. Fighting to prove that you were so much more than people made you out to be…You even stood against Akatsuki and in the end defeated them and you know what…I wouldn't be standing here right now if it weren't for you," Jiraiya smiled, "You are a far greater shinobi, or even a better human being, than I could ever hope to be. You also forget Naruto you are not alone in this. You have so many friends that will stand behind you till the very end. Don't let their loyalty and commitment to you be in vain because you wanna doubt yourself. This is a war Naruto now are you going to crumble now or will you push through. Will you just quit or will give it all your heart and soul to overcome? Will you cause doubt among your comrades or will you inspire them to give it all they got? Naruto only you can decide what to do."
Naruto glanced up at his former teacher with the firmest of looks, "I will show everyone that their faith in me to do great things will not end in failure!"
A dead silence befell the encampment of Akkifue. The sun beated down on the musky filled land. Hoards of sound shinobi moved and toiled about with their daily duties. Many worked away at chores while others worked through their training sessions. It was a normal day for them.
But deep down at the southern most tip of the enormous camp a band of leaf shinobi slowly and softly crept up. Shikamaru stood at the helm followed by a team of twelve. After a few hand signals from Shikamaru to the people behind they were off in a flash. He crept up a little more and came to a stop behind a bright green bush that was high enough to conceal him. In the opening in front of him was a small group of sound-nin who went on with some simple sparring. Wasting no time Shikamaru formed a rat hand seal causing swarms of shadow tendrils to slither across the ground. Looks of shock ran across the unsupecting faces of the enemy as they felt there bodies came to a sudden halt. Before they knew it a shadow of an arm went racing up their bodies latching onto their necks taking away whatever breath they had left in them. Calmly standing up from behind the bush Shikamaru walked over to the now dead sound-nin. Raising his hand as a signal, the group of twelve shot into the camp to his position.
"All of you know what to do," Shikamaru commented to all of them.
With a slight nod of their heads the twelve of them dashed deeper into the camp ever so stealthily. Shikamaru let out a gentle sigh knowing this would be a long day. Reaching into his equipment pouch he pulled out a headset and put it on.
"Choji…Ino…do you read me?" he spoke quietly.
"Loud and clear," Choji echoed on the headset.
"Me too," Ino did likewise.
"Once the explosive tags have been placed and go off we will make our move…Be ready."
"We got this guys. Lets do our best," Choji chimed in.
About another minute passed by when several explosions rang throughout different parts of Akkifue. From all directions people screamed off into their deaths while others shouted out the alert and initiated commands. Shikamaru again waved out another signal launching his division of men and women leaf-nin. Looking off at the blazing fires and rising smoke Shikamaru took a deep breath and rushed straightforward into the battlefield.
Karin was awoken by a loud blasting sound that shook the very foundations of her tent. Quickly she jumped up and rushed outside to see many more explosions going off in all different directions. Her stunned look held its place while many of her fellow sound shinobi scrambled about. She never expected coming her to oversee how things were holding up to all of a sudden being caught in what was now a warzone. Before she could have any reaction a few shinobi ran up to her.
"Karin-sama we must get you out of here right away," one of them shouted.
Gathering her wits about her, "I can take care of myself. The rest of you should respond to the enemy."
"But under previous orders are you not granted permission to personally take part in a battle," another quickly added.
"I am well aware of what Sasuke-kun wants me to do and I will do as he says but it is under my orders that you respond to this attack!" she commanded, "I will be taking my leave as soon as I assess this."
They understandingly nodded their heads and took off. They only made it a couple of yards away from her when seemingly out of nowhere burst a fierce group of leaf and mist shinobi. The shinobi slashed through them like pieces of tissue paper and proceeded to travel down the rows of tents in Karin's direction. Before they could notice her presence she quickly slid back into her tent.
Crouching down in silence she waited for them to pass by her. She held on tightly to a sharp kunai that she had pulled out. Time seemed at a standstill for her but only a few seconds had actually went by. Then suddenly the flaps of the entrance were pushed forward as a leaf-nin crept in. Without hesitation Karin launched at him from the side drilling her kunai up through the bottom of the person's jaw and out the top of their skull. With a quick yank out of her kunai the lifeless body fell to the floor.
Before making any more movements she calmly focused her mind to sense the surrounding chakra. Sensing no one else near her she let out a deep breath and stepped out of the tent. Several more explosions ignited and surges of fire swarmed down off in the distance. Knowing right away that this wasn't going to go well at all Karin knew she would need to quickly return to Otogakure and report this to Sasuke. So in a quick dusting of the ground she was off in a flash.
Naruto stood silently on top of the quiet hokage mansion as he gazed over a resting village. It had only been several hours since the attacks on Akkifue started. He stood there feeling a little sly about his kunai barrier trick. All attempts of anyone escaping would result in them triggering the barrier and resulting in an instant appearance of Naruto. The next thing would be a sudden death for the unaware enemy trying to flee or send word of the attack and he would be back in Konoha all in the blink of an eye.
He ran his fingers across the rail and turned around towards Kakashi who had been there for some time now. Naruto perked up a little smile but his quasi-depressive state was easily visible to a wise eye.
"You could have sent me Naruto."
"I know it's just that I wanted you to be here," Naruto spoke turning back the other direction, "You never know when we could be attacked. I feel confident in the group that I sent to get the job done twice over."
Kakashi walked up to the rail, "The Mizukage sent in another message reconfirming his future visit with you and Gaara."
"Arigato Kakashi-sensei," Naruto trailed off again.
"Are you still going to want the meeting to be here?"
"Actually no not anymore…But I do have a place that seems appropiate," he spoke before leaning forward and whispering it into Kakashi's ear.
"Then I'll get right on it," he said as he left.
Suddenly a quick twitch sparked Naruto, "Damn perfect timing."
Karin hopped and bounced from tree to tree making her distance from Akkifue further and further away and closer to Otogakure. She was a little surprised that there would not be some leaf-nin outside the camp to unleash a surprise ambush on unsuspecting escapees. It seemed all too easy.
Her deeply nestled thoughts were all of a sudden broken by a deadly feeling rushing towards her like a tiger that is about to pounce on their prey. The feeling made her land awkwardly on a branch causing her to fall off and fumble to the ground. 'What is this chakra that I'm feeling coming so quickly' she thought to herself as she planted safetly on the ground.
"Heh well I never thought that you of all people would be caught here," a voice came from behind her.
At first she tried to turn around but her shocked demeanor overflowed her ability to move quickly. So slowly she slid around to see a relaxed Naruto propped up on a branch. His orange and black flamed jacket danced around as he flipped of the branch onto the ground.
"N-n-naruto…," was all Karin could muttered still at a lost that the immense and fast-moving chakra was his.
"Looks like luck was working against you," he said in a serious tone, "One of Sasuke's most trusted members standing right in front of me."
"……………," Karin stood silent.
"At a loss of words which is very surprising coming from you Karin," Naruto took a few steps towards her, "You don't need to worry though I'm not going to kill you."
In a scrambled fluster Karin stumbled back flinging kunai after kunai at the approaching Naruto. The sharp projectiles dug deep into Naruto's body revealing that it was a Kage Bunshin. Before Karin could do anything a presence came from behind grabbing onto her hindering her movement. She then felt the pressure of a kunai held firmly to her jugular.
"You're just so confused right now that you don't know what to do," Naruto continued applying pressure to her throat, "Don't make any quick moves though or you just might end up dead.
Not paying any word to what Naruto said Karin pulled free an arm hitting Naruto's away and slamming a kunai into his gut. She did a few flips across the ground to distance herself from him. A grinning Naruto stood there with a kunai buried in his stomach as his body began giving off a faint glow.
"I warned you not to make any quick moves…Now you will get to experience my Bunshin Bakuha (Shadow Clone Explosion) that someone had taught me awhile back," Naruto held his big smirk.
Karin knew what was coming up next. She quickly gathered herself and took of in the opposite direction of Naruto who began to grow brighter and brighter until igniting into a huge explosion. The ground was scorched and the trees were burned or uprooted. Debris flung out every which way from the explosive wave. Karin felt the massive heat racing towards her as she tried to escape but she was soon consumed by it and hurled out. Then before she knew it several wires zipped out of nowhere slamming her body into a tree giving her no means of getting away. With the smoke clearing she could see Naruto squated down on the ground with the ends of the wires gripped tightly in his hand.
"Those sure look like some brutal bruises and cuts," another Naruto appeared right by her patting his hand on the try, "You surely won't be going anywhere now…I have an immense amount of questions for you but for the time being I have a lot to take care of and you would only prove too difficult to interrogate here, so I'll just leave you here with my Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone) and return once all this is over."
Naruto disappeared in a bright yellow flash leaving her there with his Kage Bunshin. His azul eyes were firmly fixed on her. Karin knew that she would need to find a way out of this or it would only result in a major pain for her and even more so for Sasuke. She needed time to think.
"You know it's pointless to try and find a way out of this," the Naruto bunshin spoke.
"You…can't…hold me here… for long," she panted trying to catch her breath.
"We are just going to have to see about that now aren't we," he retorted, "Because I sure as hell will not let you get out of this one."
"You are never going to win Naruto," Karin said out of nowhere, "In no such world would you ever be able to beat Sasuke-kun."
The Naruto Bunshin had a sly grin creep across his face, "All the same I'm not looking to beat Sasuke…I'm going to be killing him."
"Choji where the hell are you?!" Ino's voice echoed from his headset.
"I'm nearing the main barracks right now," Choji enlarged his arm slamming an enemy into the ground, "I should already have some squad members heading into the clearing."
"You two keep up the good work," Shikamaru's voice rang in, "I'll be heading that way as soon as I'm done here."
"Wakatta! (understood)" they both proclaimed.
Choji continued on his path plowing down anyone who got in his way. He waved many quick signals to his squad telling them to race ahead of them. Choji and Ino's job currently was to destroyed the main barracks of the camp thus sealing a more assuring victory. Ino had already reached their destination with a hefty Choji right on his way. As he raced up a hill Choji came into a wide clearing laid out with burned down tents and a swarm of what looked to be a couple hundred sound shinobi battling out with the ranks of the leaf.
Choji took a deep breath, "Here we go!"
Very casually Choji pulled out a loose chain of kunai wrapping it around his body, "Baika no Jutsu (Multi-size Technique)."
With his body expanded he quickly scoped out a path he would take before sucking his head, arms and legs inward, "Nikudan Hari Sensha! (Spiked Human Bullet Tank)"
The Choji spiked ball came hurling down into the clearing like a rockslide demolishing all in its path. The ball crushed down on a couple sound-nin and sliced through several more. With a quick puff he was back to his normal size but not for long as he readjusted the chain around his arm and enlarging it. With a fell swoop he stretched his arm cutting through a few more enemies. Then from behind him a nimble sound-nin came rushing forward with his slender katana held straight out and aimed for Choji's back.
"Shinranshin no Justu, (Mind Derangement Technique)" Ino's voice resounded from a distance.
The ninja was suddenly flabbergasted that his body began to lower the katana all on its on. It slowly began to turn towards a nearby comrade of his. The next thing the sound-nin realized was his body being forced to slicing through the back of his comrade. Then the guy contined moving around uncontrollably cutting down fellow sound-nin one after the other until finally one of his own took him out.
"I had him Ino but thanks," Choji smiled.
"Yeah right," she joked, "What would you do without me?"
"I don't know maybe learn how to fly," he chuckled while face-slamming a beefy sound-nin.
"Maybe you should learn how to focus," she came running up kicking away another shinobi prepared to attack Choji, "I swear sometimes Choji…"
All Choji could do was smile. Even in the face of so many enemies they still held their lively demeanor. All of them had indeed been through so much together and now they were bravely fighting for everything they cared about. Konoha truly had given the torches off to an amazing generation. Choji, Ino, and the rest continued to slowly work away as friend and foe alike fell from battle. The surrounding sound shinobi greatly outnumbered them but the leaf shinobi fought with such a fiery spirit that the enemy could not even hold a hand to it. It was only a matter of time until they were done here.
"Shikamaru-taicho (taicho means captain) this area is secure and everything is going according to plan," a young kunoichi reported to him.
"That's good to here," Shikamaru nodded as he flipped through a pile of papers laid out on a table inside a large tent, "Once I see if there is any useful information here that we can use we will go back up Choji and Ino…Just give me a few more minutes"
"Wakatta taicho," she responded as she stepped out.
For a moment Shikamaru came to a sudden stop. Even though everything was going so smoothly there still was a lingering feeling in the pit of his stomach. That at any moment something could go wrong but he just pushed it down. It was probably just his nerves rising because of the circumstances that he was in. It was one thing to lead a small team and another to lead a whole force into a massive battle.
"I should stop wasting time and hurry," pushing the thoughts aside.
Choji and Ino stood side-by-side as they prepared to face off with about eighty sound-nin. Their numbers had been greatly depleted but Choji and Ino looked to be the last ones standing out of the group of brave leaf-nin. Their heavy panting greatly showed how exhausted they were but there was no time for rest. They had to finish the job.
"We can do this Choji," Ino panted as she quickly healed up some of her's and Choji's wounds.
"Together we can finish of these guys," Choji concurred with Ino.
"I'll take the fourty on the left and you can have the fourty on the right," Ino suggested.
"Gotcha!"
Choji went rushing off to the right while Ino leaped towards the left. He dipped and dived enlarging his arms and legs as he pounded away at a couple of them. Ino swung through them with a kunai in one hand while she hurled shurikens with the other. Both of them continued to dwindle them down slowly but surely. As Choji rounded behind a sound-nin a big brute came soundly behind him holding Choji back from any movement. Before Choji could enlarge his body a couple of kunai pierced his body while a slender shinobi slide right in front of him forming a series of hand signs.
"Otofugu no jutsu, (Sound Distortion Technique)" he hissed as he raised an open palm to Choji's face.
Choji began to feel a strain on his ears like a loud screeching noise was holding him hostage. The big brute let him go but not before drilling a hard elbow into the side of Choji's head crushing his headset. His vision became a slight blur and his body seemed to be way off its equilibrium as he stumbled forward. From his reaction to the technique Choji could quickly understand that the shinobi sends off a massive sound wave targeted directly for the inner ear causing the person to fall off his equilibrium making him more vulnerable. Yet even though Choji was very unbalanced now it's not like he's never experienced something of this nature before. 'It can't be helped. I'll have to use them' he thought to himself. So slowly he reached around his side pulling out a plastic case holding three different colored pills. Flipping up the first tap he pulled out the green pill and popped it in his mouth.
Meanwhile Ino tried her best to handle the overwhelming number comparison. Slowly she took down a few of them but a good portion of her chakra was already drained from before and from trying to heal what she could on her body while still battling it out. Ino slipped a bit as she dodged a rough punch but it was enough to leave an opening for another sound-nin as they hammered a kick into the side of her face busting up her headset. Cringing from the pain and the blood sliding down from her ear Ino felt something sharp jam into her back. Dropping to her knees she reached back and pulled out a bloody kunai. One of her hands began to give off a green hue as she prepared to heal her ear and the wound in her back but she felt a yelp of pain bellow out from her as a heavy foot dropped down on her hand. A vastly muscular sound-nin stood strong holding a kunai high above his head ready to finish her off.
The man furiously swung down to what was surely the striking blow. But all of a sudden a flash of someone dashed in easily holding the man at bay. His fierce look was now replaced with a more surprised one. Standing squarely in between the muscled man and Ino was a sleek and slender Choji. Ino looked up to see a blazing pair of butterfly wings formed from blue chakra. Choji's samurai-like armor was now gone only leaving behind a shredded and tattered shirt that Choji was wearing. Blood was slowly flowing down the side of his face as he stood there so firmly while he raised his headband that he was once wearing to the man's surprised face.
"This is who we are! We are members of the leaf!" he spoke aloud so all could hear him, "No matter what you do we will always fight for the things that we care for most! We will always fight to protect the people of our village! We will always fight for peace! Even if it takes our own lives we will fight until the very end! It's either all or nothing! So do your worst because we will never give up!"
Very hesitantly a couple of sound-nin rushed towards Choji but Ino quickly hurried to blockade their way. A couple of daggers and kunais dug into her body but she was able to take them down.
Choji turned his gaze slighty towards Ino, "Ino gomenasai (I'm sorry)…I know that I shouldn't have taken the pills but…"
Ino raised a hand cutting him off, "Hey forget it! You said so yourself just now 'it's either all or nothing.''Until the very end.' So don't apologize for giving it your all because I wouldn't want it any other way. So lets do this!"
Ino performed her hand sign while setting her sights on the muscled brute still in the grips of Choji, "Shintenshin no Jutsu! (Mind Body Switch Technique)"
Ino's body softly fell to the floor indicating her spirit had gone off to invade the man Choji was holding onto. Slowly Choji released the man's arm just to be cautious in case something had gone wrong and Ino by some chance wasn't successful. He glanced at her slightly weirded out by the thought.
"Don't give me that funny look," Ino's voice echoed out with the slight sound of a deep hoarse voice, "Keep an eye on my body will ya and lets finish these guys off!"
The body possessed by Ino stepped back from Choji as if to attack him but quickly turned around charging at the others. A smirk trailed on Choji's face as he focused the brunt of chakra to both of his hands. While keeping a watchful eye on Ino's body Choji dashed from spot to spot slamming his massively powerful fists into his enemies sending them quickly to their deaths. Ino used the brute's body to overpower her opponents as she gutted them down one by one. A few weapons slipped by her defenses digging into different parts of her body but it did not stop her. Noticing someone had approached Ino's own body he quickly ran to fend him off. Several sharp projectiles grinded into his back as he got closer and closer. The enemy flung a kunai into the shoulder of the immobile Ino causing the body Ino was using to make her slip up allowing a couple of sound-nin to stick in a few more daggers and kunais. But before any more damage could be done Choji gripped down on the guy's head crushing his skull from the sheer pressure.
Slowly but surely they took down their numbers. With Choji and Ino giving it their all the enemies did not stand a chance. Choji was finishing off by slamming two heads together like two trains doomed for a head on collision and Ino ripping through the side of the last standing sound-nin out of the eighty that they had originally stood up against. Finally able to let go of her weapon the muscled body fell soundly to the floor. Then Ino's body gave off a slight twitch as she struggled to get herself up on one knee.
"That was…the last of them," she said before coughing up a handful of blood.
Choji wobbled to where Ino was falling to his knees right in front of her, "We finally did it."
Ino stared softly at his bloodied and battered face as she held a faint smile, "Asuma-sensei…would be proud of us…wouldn't he?"
"Very proud Ino," a tear slid down his face, "…very proud."
With a shaky and feeble arm Ino slowly raised it up wiping the tear from Choji's face, "Hey…no tears…I'm grateful…I'm so grateful that I had so much in my life…my family…my comrades…my friends…my village…I'm ever so grateful……Choji…arigato…for being my……my friend," she slowly trailed off as she fell calmly to the ground.
Choji kept a somber gaze on a faintly smiling Ino as her life slowly drifted away with the wind. A couple more tears came leaking out as they gracefully fell onto Ino's soft cheek. Slowly he lifted his gaze off to the horizon as the sun was nearing its bedtime. The purple's and pinks filled the peaceful dark sky. The majestic hues would always be there but Choji had never noticed how beautiful it was until now. Off in the distance a few explosions could be heard but Choji could no longer hear them. The only sound he could pick up now was the gentle breeze softly whispering a sweet sound in his ears.
"So this is what it's like…I didn't know what to expect," Choji quietly spoke, "I'll miss you guys……Sayonara (goodbye)…Shika…maru."
Shikamaru came to an abrupt stop as a sudden feeling of sorrow and worry overwhelmed him. The few shinobi of his task force had bounced a few steps ahead before realizing that Shikamaru was frozen in place. They looked at a man who seemed in a state of shock but of no apparent reason. He quickly raised his hand to his headset.
"Daijobo deska (Are you all right?) Shikamaru-taicho?" a brown haired kunoichi asked.
"Choji…Ino…Do you guys read me!?" he shouted into the headset, "We are almost there…Do you read?!"
He waited a moment for a response but the only sound that replied to him was an endless drone of static. It was like a vicious knife thrusting to Shikamaru and it only made his feelings intensify. He signaled for everyone to proceed as all of them hurried to where Choji and Ino were. They zipped up a shallow hilltop and over into the clearing where a brutal battle had just taken place. Laid out like a swarm of dead bugs were the many bodies of both sound and leaf-nin alike. Shikamaru waved in his team to find anyone that was still alive while his eyes frantically darted from spot to spot. His eyes were suddenly filled with the sight of two familiar bodies laying side by side. Shikamaru quickly shot towards where they were hoping and praying that this feeling he had wasn't true. Sliding down to his knees he checked the two bodies for just a tiny hint of life in them, just a small glimmer of hope that they were fine.
"Ino are you ok? Can you get up?" he asked her the tears welling up in his eyes.
There was no response. He checked her vitals but there was no sign of life in her.
Shikamaru fearfully turned over to Choji, "Hey buddy come on get up!" the tears rolling down his face.
There was no response and no showing of life in Choji either.
"Come on you guys get the fuck up! We're going to win. We did it! All I need is for ya'll to get up…You guys can't be dead…i-i-it…isn't possible," his whole body trembled as he nudged Ino and patted Choji on the face, "I need a medical-nin over here now!"
A couple of leaf shinobi were already standing ever so somberly around Shikamaru and the motionless Choji and Ino. They already knew that a medical-nin could not help them, yet a medic still ran up to check out Choji and Ino to see if there was a chance of them being alive.
The med-nin looked straight at Shikamaru with saddened eyes, "Shikamaru-taicho they are already g…"
"NO!" he roared back, "They can't be gone…They…They can't be dead. It..it just can't be."
Shikamaru slammed his fists down on the ground in a fury. No matter how much he denied it he already knew that they were gone. Shikamaru bent forward, his fingers digging deep into the ground, the tears splashing onto the cold dirt. There were no words that could be uttered to console him. All anyone could do was stand there and watch the reaction of a man dealing with the fact that his team members were dead. The fact that his two dearest friends were no more.
i hope you guys really enjoyed this chapter...I was a little sad when I wrote the Choji and Ino part. RIP Choji and Ino...R&R plz. I really want some feedback.