A/N: I'm trying not to lose steam with the rest of this story, but now that break is over I'll have less time. However, regardless of reviews, I'm going to focus on this story until it's complete, and every moment of procrastination will be dedicated to writing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Chapter 17: The Pursuit

Shikamaru's team, together with Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, and Shino, raced ever deeper into the forest. According to Shino, they were gaining on Sasuke, although his connection with his kikai bugs didn't allow him to be any more specific. As they went, Shikamaru tried to formulate plans for every possible outcome. The worst case was that Sasuke would already be dead, but barring that there were still many contingencies that he had to plan for. Among them was fighting Gaara and his siblings, which would be difficult. He knew Temari and Kankuro's abilities, but Gaara was a wild card.

The redhead was tremendously strong on his own, but he had shown hints of another, hidden power. Shikamaru couldn't even begin to guess at what it might be, so it made coming up with an appropriate strategy next to impossible. Still, he had to try, and just keep hoping that they could catch up to Sasuke in time.

From her position at the back of their column, Hinata spoke up again. "The Oto shinobi are back - all nine of them, and coming up quickly." Her voice held a little worry, but more confidence. Evidently she trusted that Shikamaru would know what to do. He would do his best not to disappoint her.

"Damn it," Shikamaru said. "Either they got lucky, or they're good enough trackers to have figured out the other groups were shadow clones. Either way, we can't keep running away from them. We'll have to set an ambush."

Shikamaru came to a halt, signaling the others to gather around him. "We don't have much time," he whispered. "Here's what we'll do…"

oOoOo

In the arena, set apart from the furious battle happening in the stands, two jonin were locked in a fierce duel. Baki was fighting Genma, the Exam proctor, and their speed made a mockery of the fighting that had earlier occurred as a part of the final tournament of the Chunin Exams. None of the genin, with the possible exception of Gaara, would have stood a chance if matched up against either of the high-ranking shinobi.

Still, if there had been anyone in the stands capable of watching the battle (they were all either asleep, or concentrating on their own fight), it would have been clear that Baki had the upper hand. His blows fell with more power, and he remained one step ahead of Genma. In fact, the Konoha Special Jonin had been fighting a defensive battle from the start.

His senbon, one of which he kept in his mouth like a toothpick, turned out to be Genma's weapon of choice for distance fighting. He had hundreds secreted around his person, and he wielded them with pinpoint accuracy. Genma tried to use his speed to his advantage, flitting around the arena and attacking at a distance from all sides. But Baki kept up with his speed, and deflected each and every senbon with casual assurance. Then Baki went on the offensive.

A powerful Wind-style jutsu scattered Genma's senbon like wayward raindrops, and then Baki sprang into motion. He kept after Genma like a hound running after a particularly elusive fox, and within minutes had caught up to him. They fought hand-to-hand, and the exchange of blows ended with Genma catching a roundhouse kick to his midsection that sent him flying.

But it was when Baki took out his sword, and began using his Wind Blade jutsu, that Genma was truly overmatched. Baki's Wind Chakra extended the reach of his blade, creating invisible attacks that passed through Genma's guard with ease. A few seconds was enough to see the exam proctor covered in bleeding gashes, and helpless before the Suna jonin's onslaught.

Genma ended up cast to the ground, too injured to escape, while Baki charged in for the finishing blow. Since Genma kept his eyes open, he saw the flash of blue that descended as if from nowhere, interposing itself between him and his approaching death.

Baki's wind blade swooped down, only to be caught by two trench knives, crossed together for a stronger guard. Asuma wielded the trench knives, channeling blue chakra into his favorite weapons as he took up his position in front of Genma.

"I'll take over from here," Asuma called out to Genma, who was lying, dazed, on the ground. "Why don't you go join Lord Hiashi up in the stands? Shizune is with him, and she can fix you up in no time."

Genma swallowed, hardly believing that he was still alive. But he lost no time in scrambling to his feet, and leapt into the stands to search for Shizune and rejoin the fight.

"I commend you," Baki said, his gravelly voice holding a note of surprise. "Until today, no one has ever taken a direct blow from my Wind Blade and lived."

The veins in Asuma's neck bulged as he pushed with all his strength, refusing to give an inch. "That's because there's only one thing Wind chakra can't cut through: itself. And my trench knives are exactly like your sword - I can channel Wind chakra through them, to create invisible blades beyond the reach of a physical weapon."

Baki's uncovered eye widened slightly in recognition. "I know that attack from the Bingo Book," he said, his tone conveying notes of surprise and grudging respect. "You're Sarutobi Asuma, the son of the Third Hokage."

"The one and only," Asuma agreed. "And from your distinguished turban, I presume I have the honor of addressing Baki, the youngest Council member in Suna history?"

"I have that honor."

Asuma pushed, throwing both his strength and his chakra at Baki. They broke the stalemate, and jumped backward to survey each other warily.

"Now that the introductions are over," Asuma said lightly, "I guess it's time we started killing each other."

He performed a complex series of seals, his trench knives clacking together as his fingers flew. Then Asuma exhaled, sending a mighty cloud of ash toward Baki. He bit down gently, his teeth striking a spark from the tiny flint he held suspended in his mouth. The spark ignited the ash, which was partially made of gunpowder, and Baki disappeared in the hellish explosion.

For a second Asuma thought it was over, but then Baki came hurtling at him through the settling cloud, looking like a ghost emerging from some devilish mist. Their weapons met, and they began a duel that was as fast as the wind they fought with.

Neither could gain the upper hand, and Asuma noted to his dismay that he was running out of chakra. Sustaining the Flying Swallow technique with his trench knives was draining his reserves, yet he couldn't stop the jutsu for fear that he would be defenseless against Baki's Wind Blade. And the hardy Suna jonin showed no signs of tiring.

Asuma finally decided that the moment had arrived to risk it all in one of his most destructive jutsus. He began to gather his chakra, preparing to loose it in a blast of fire augmented with wind. But then, for no apparent reason at all, Baki froze.

The Suna jonin went rigid, like a deer caught in a bright light. His arms and legs seemed to labor in vain, as if against some restraining force, and his eyes went vacant and stared glassily at a point in the far distance.

Asuma whirled around in utter confusion, only to see Kurenai appear from out of thin air. Her eyes shone an iridescent red, much brighter than usual, as sometimes happened when she used a particularly strong genjutsu. Asuma looked from Kurenai to Baki, and back again. Then he threw his hands up in frustration.

"Damn it, Kurenai! I had him! You didn't need to come butting in."

Kurenai tossed her head contemptuously, her long, black hair settling over one shoulder. "Men!" she snorted. "Too stubborn to ask for help, and too thickheaded to see any solution to a problem other than brute force."

Asuma struggled against the numerous replies that threatened to escape his lips, but in the end all he said was, "thanks."

He pointed to Baki, who was still struggling in vain against non-existent bonds. "You got him good. He must have been distracted while fighting me. Well, you incapacitated him, so it's your choice: do you want to kill him, or should I?"

Kurenai shook her head impatiently. "Like I said, addicted to brute force. Luckily, I have a more elegant solution. Just watch."

Kurenai walked around behind Baki, and efficiently bound his hands behind his back. Then she dispelled her genjutsu, and held a kunai to Baki's neck. He stiffened, causing the blade to nick his neck and draw a few drops of blood.

"Easy," Kurenai cautioned. Asuma was beside himself, wondering why Kurenai hadn't already killed Baki. What if he managed to escape? But Kurenai obviously had an idea, and he trusted her. He wouldn't interfere until she asked for his help.

"Listen, you," Kurenai said, her gentle voice somehow conveying an almost tangible menace. "If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead right now. I could have slit your throat while you were trapped in my genjutsu. But I didn't, because there's something you need to know. Do you see that?"

Kurenai swiveled, so that Baki could look where she was pointing. She was referring to the violet barrier in which the Hokage was trapped, on the roof at the highest point in the arena. "Our Hokage is in there, with the person we thought was the Kazekage."

Asuma noticed Baki start at the word 'thought.'

"That's right," Kurenai said, nodding. "It wasn't him. Orochimaru was wearing his likeness, and the Kazekage is nowhere to be found. Was that part of your plan?"

Baki gave a short, involuntary jerk of his head. He stopped the motion a second later, but it told Kurenai and Asuma all they needed to know. "Listen," Kurenai continued, "you have to know by now that Orochimaru betrayed you. Would the Kazekage have allowed someone else to take his place? Would he decide to hold back when his warriors were fighting and dying by his orders? He's probably dead now, and the shinobi of Suna are dying needlessly. You could try and stop that carnage."

Baki was as still and silent as a stone, thinking over what she said. "I can't take what you've told me for granted," he said at last. "You've spared my life when you could have taken it; that I can't argue. But I must see this fight for myself, to ascertain that my commander is truly absent. If all is as you say, then I am the highest-ranking Suna shinobi left on the battlefield. My orders would be for all Suna shinobi to retreat, until such time as the Kazekage's whereabouts become known."

Asuma walked over, regarding Baki curiously. "So, not all of Suna's shinobi are completely without common sense? That's nice, although unexpected. Let's go satisfy your doubts."

Kurenai handed Baki over to Asuma, and together they made their way to the roof, Asuma making sure that he kept a tight grip on Baki's arms. At this point all of the Konoha shinobi had been awakened by Katsuyu, Tsunade's slug summons. It was clear to all three of them, and Baki especially, that the fight in the arena would end very shortly, and in Konoha's favor.

When they reached the boundary of the barrier, Kurenai identified their group to the ANBU who were waiting like hunting hawks outside of the barrier.

"It's not looking too good," the lead ANBU observed to Asuma, once he had determined that Baki was truly a prisoner. "The damn snake is summoning something. But our Hokage has both Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade with him - he'll be fine. He has to be."

For a second they all paused, watching the scene unfolding within the barrier. Then Baki observed, "You were right. Kazekage-sama is not here. He would never have agreed to stay on the sidelines during this battle - he must be dead."

"Will you tell your troops that?" Kurenai asked. "It will save hundreds from pointless slaughter, and your cooperation in this regard may save Sunagakure from our retaliation. Rest assured, no matter what you do we will prevail. But if you take responsibility for ordering the retreat, you may avoid the harshest of our counter-strikes against your village. And if your leader is dead, as it seems he must be, you don't want to be facing a drawn-out battle against a foe that is larger and better organized."

Baki bowed his head. "All you say is true. However, the forces of Suna won't listen to a captive."

Kurenai stared at him for another long second, and then quick as a flash, she cut the ties binding his hands. The ANBU gave a shout of alarm, while at the same time Baki bounded away in the direction of the walls.

"What the hell did you do that for?" the ANBU yelled. "He was a valuable prisoner!"

Asuma whacked the man in the back of the head. "Weren't you listening, dimwit? Kurenai may have just ensured that Suna will retreat from the fight! Say 'thank you' and shut up."

The ANBU shrank away from Asuma's forceful personality, yet he seemed to remain unconvinced. "Those Suna shinobi don't know the meaning of the word 'retreat,' that's all," he muttered. "Letting their commander go just means their next attack will be harder to defend against…"

Kurenai was still watching the direction in which Baki had left. She sighed, and turned back to look at Asuma. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

That reminded Asuma of another fight that he couldn't join. With a sinking heart, he focused on what was going on inside the violet barrier. The man most revered as the Hokage was known to Asuma by another name: Father. And now Asuma was constrained to wait on the sidelines, while his father was locked in a desperate battle with one of the most dangerous and powerful shinobi in the world.

Kurenai stood next to Asuma, her sympathy plain in her eyes. She took his hand and gave a gentle squeeze, wordlessly sharing love and reassurance. Asuma held on to her hand like a buoy in the midst of a raging sea.

Hang in there, old man! If you die now, I won't forgive you!

oOoOo

Inside the barrier, Orochimaru was raising coffins with his jutsu. The Third Hokage made the hand seals for a powerful jutsu, and managed to cancel out Orochimaru's technique before the third coffin fully materialized. It sank back into the dark portal, which then disappeared entirely. The two coffins hovered upright, like stone sentinels guarding their master. Then, slowly, the lids opened, revealing two men who appeared no older than Jiraiya. However, their faces were ashen and pale, like the corpses they were.

The bodies stepped out into the open air, seeming to gain more vitality the farther they got from the coffin. Both Jiraiya and Tsunade gasped as they realized what Orochimaru had done. Sarutobi made no sound, because he had known as soon as he had seen the coffins. Orochimaru had perfected the forbidden Resurrection technique, and used it to raise the first two Hokages. Sarutobi was only grateful that he had managed to negate the jutsu before it had brought Minato back from the grave.

"What is this?" the first Hokage, Hashirama Senju, asked angrily, looking around. "Where are we?"

His brother Tobirama, the Second Hokage, saw Orochimaru first. "It appears we have been summoned, brother. I commend you for your bravery," he added to Orochimaru. "Or perhaps it is your foolishness."

"Enough chatting!" Orochimaru snapped, and took a step forward. He reached out with both hands, and sunk shuriken with strange sealing tags attached into the heads of the two summoned shinobi. "There! I command you to kill them all!"

"Looks like we don't have a choice, brother," Tobirama said regretfully. "Looks like we'll have to fight… oh dear. Hello, Hiruzen."

The Third Hokage felt his throat tighten. Here were his two mentors, the men who had guided him along the path to becoming a man. Truly this was an evil technique. "Hello, sensei. It is good to see you - to see both of you. I'm sorry it had to come to this."

They were about to reply, when Tsunade stepped forward and cut them off. "Hokage-sama," the female Sannin said respectfully, "let me fight them. You know more sealing techniques than I do - prepare something that can send your predecessors back to their well-deserved rest."

"Yes," Sarutobi mused, "they are immortal, so we must target their souls instead of their bodies. If you can keep them busy for a few moments, I have a jutsu that will serve."

It would also cost him two-thirds of his chakra and most of his remaining years, but Sarutobi saw no reason to tell his student that. She was here, ready to fulfill her duties, and that meant that Konoha would be in good hands even after he was gone.

"Jiraiya," the Hokage said, turning to the Toad-Sage. "Do you think you can keep Oro-kun busy while Tsunade and I deal with the others?" He deliberately used the condescending nickname, knowing it would drive Orochimaru crazy.

"Oh, I think so," Jiraiya answered. "Oro-kun and I have a lot of catching up to do."

Orochimaru hissed in distaste, his yellow eyes flashing. "How quaint. The old crew back together again. You never could keep up with me, Jiraiya. What makes you think things have changed?"

"Because I have changed, Orochimaru. I know you for what you are: an abomination. I will not rest until you are wiped from the face of this earth, and that resolve is what will give me the strength to defeat you!"

Chuckling, the Snake Sannin set himself in a strange taijutsu position. "Come on, then. Let's see what your resolve is worth!"

It was hard for Sarutobi to keep track of the battle, especially while preparing the tricky Dead Demon Consuming Seal, but he tried. He kept one eye peeled as Jiraiya began to duel with Orochimaru, and Tsunade started trading crushing blows with the First and Second Hokage.

As she fought, she kept up a conversation with the two figures from Konoha's past. "I'm sorry, Grandfather," she said to the First Hokage. "But I must stop you here."

Hashirama laughed in true delight, a strange sound coming from a man doing his best to kill someone. "Not at all," he said, narrowly ducking a punch that would have knocked him flying. "You don't know how proud it makes me that my granddaughter is putting her life on the line for the Village I helped create."

Tobirama picked himself up and shook himself off, having received a kick in the face from Tsunade that had broken his neck and sent him flying. He proved the strength of Orochimaru's jutsu by simply reaching up and wrenching his neck into position. "I'm proud of you, as well," he said gravely. "But your strength won't be enough to end this battle."

He sent a gigantic wave of water at Tsunade, who barely managed to dodge. "That's all right, Grand-Uncle," Tsunade said respectfully. "I'm only here to stall for time while Sarutobi-sensei prepares to break Orochimaru's hold over you. In fact…" she looked over her shoulder. "Here he is now!"

It was true, Sarutobi had just finished gathering the chakra for his jutsu. There was no time to waste, and every second he waited made him less confident in the outcome, so he performed the hand seals immediately. "Dead Demon Consuming Seal!"

The interior of the barrier darkened considerably, as if the light from outside ceased to enter. Behind Sarutobi a huge form appeared, a representation of the Shinigami, the God of Death. Sarutobi lost no time in creating two Shadow Clones, each of which he invested with a third of his remaining chakra. As they were each as powerful as he was, now, the Shinigami would accept them as sacrifices in order to seal the soul of the two former Hokages.

"I have to be close!" the Hokage shouted.

Tsunade nodded, and then put on a burst of speed far greater than what she had been using previously. It took her opponents completely by surprise, and her outstretched arms caught them both in the midsection. The crushing power of the Slug Sannin, which could shatter steel and level mountains, was more than enough to send both men flying.

Sarutobi's clones took full advantage of the opportunity, and closed the distance with the two shinobi. The Shinigami, terrible and horrifying even in its limited form, reached out through the two clones, its ghostly arms appearing and reaching for the two members of the Senju clan. The arms passed through their bodies, and seemed to grab hold of something.

In their last moments of stolen animation, the former Hokages turned to look at Tsunade. "We give you our blessing," Hashirama called out. "You bring honor to the Senju clan. May the people of this village always have shinobi such as you to protect them!"

Sarutobi felt tears welling up at the corners of his eyes, as he watched the souls of his mentors get dragged away into his clones, which were then clasped tightly by Shinigami. They winked out of existence, transported to another realm. Sarutobi staggered once he let the jutsu end, the loss of most of his chakra finally catching up to him.

Tsunade was there instantly, supporting him as his knees buckled. Sarutobi saw that she, too, had a few tears threatening to fall.

"Let's finish this," she said, her voice hard and sharp as a diamond.

"I couldn't agree more." Sarutobi summoned his oldest ally, Enma the Monkey King. The man-sized monkey appeared in a puff of smoke, his Konoha hitai-ite gleaming.

"Hello there, Sarutobi," Enma drawled. "What did I tell you about Orochimaru? You should have killed him when you had the chance."

Sarutobi sighed. "And you were right as always, old friend. But Providence has seen fit to offer me another chance, and I will not let this one slip through my fingers. Are you ready to go to battle once more?"

Enma only laughed. "Do you even have to ask?"

He jumped into the air and transformed into his alternate form, that of a staff even harder than diamonds. Sarutobi caught Enma in his right hand, and with his left he pulled off his Hokage uniform. Underneath was his fighting gear, which he made a point of wearing underneath his official garments during the Chunin Exams. Although the material sagged in some places, highlighting the places where he had lost some of his muscle, the uniform made him feel almost like his old self. A leader of men, and a God of Shinobi.

On the other side of the roof, Jiraiya and Orochimaru were still going at it. Jiraiya's many Earth-style techniques had made a mess of the roof tiles, but hadn't managed to slow Orochimaru down. In one of the creepiest attacks Sarutobi had ever seen, Orochimaru's tongue became a snake and shot out to bite Jiraiya. The Toad-Sage activated one of his most potent defensive jutsus, where his long, white hair grew almost instantaneously down to his feet, and covered him from head to toe in a spiky cocoon. Then Jiraiya switched from defense to offense by shooting some of the hair-spikes like needles at Orochimaru. Orochimaru's snake-tongue retreated, dodging and weaving as the deadly spikes came in a torrent through the air.

Enma, in staff form, almost crushed Orochimaru. But at the last second the Snake Sannin whirled away, backing up a step. The Hokage and Tsunade fell into place beside Jiraiya.

The Hokage knew he could have extended his Seal to defeat Orochimaru, but he didn't think it would be necessary. With Jiraiya and Tsunade to help, it should be possible to win this battle without resorting to sacrificing himself.

There were no words exchanged this time. The loyal defenders of Konoha did their best to kill Orochimaru, while the Snake Sannin fought to survive. The Hokage expended reckless amounts of his remaining chakra with large area attacks like bursts of flame and waves of mud. Jiraiya augmented these attacks with his own techniques, creating combination attacks with a wide range and terrifying destructive potential. Tsunade tried to anticipate which direction Orochimaru would dodge, and then hit him with the monstrous force derived from her mastery of medical ninjutsu and chakra control. But he was as slippery as the snakes he fought with, and somehow managed to dodge or avert each new attack.

In the aftermath of a gigantic explosion, there came a strange sound. It started low, but quickly rose and solidified into two distinctly inhuman voices, which harmonized together in song. The song was laden with strange power, and just hearing it made Tsunade shiver. But she wasn't the target: Orochimaru was.

As the song reached his eardrums, the Snake Sannin became rigid. Tsunade looked over her shoulder, where two small toads stood on the roof tiles, almost impossible to notice unless you knew they were there. They were holding hands, and their little mouths were open wide. The volume of their song seemed to great to be coming from such small creatures. Tsunade turned back to Orochimaru, who was still paralyzed and rooted to the same spot.

"You didn't notice me summon them until it was too late, did you, Orochimaru?" Jiraiya asked. "You haven't changed. Always convinced that you were the only sneaky one. But now you're caught in my friends' genjutsu, and your entire body is paralyzed from the neck down."

Sarutobi put a hand on Jiraiya's shoulder, and pulled him back insistently. "Good work, Jiraiya. But it is my place to deal the final blow."

So saying, he advanced on Orochimaru warily, Enma's alternate form clasped tightly in his hand. Sarutobi caught Orochimaru's gaze with his own, staring deeply into the yellow eyes of the monster he'd once called his student. "It's time to answer for your crimes."

He raised his staff high overhead. At that point, Orochimaru made his move. The Snake Sannin, who was only paralyzed from the neck down, opened his mouth wide. It was impossible that he should be able to use any techniques without his hands, but Orochimaru didn't seem to care that it was impossible. From out of his mouth came a snake, and the snake opened its own mouth to reveal a sword. It all happened in the blink of an eye, too quickly for Sarutobi to alter his swing and attempt to block.

The sword cut Sarutobi on his left thigh, biting deeply before changing direction and aiming for the two small frogs who were still maintaining the musical genjutsu. They were forced to stop signing, and exercise all of their agility to avoid the sword. They hopped up onto Jiraiya's shoulders, and the three of them set themselves for the sword's return.

Orochimaru summoned the sword back to his hand, and stood there for a second, panting. Rage seemed to explode from his eyes, but instead of attacking, he spoke.

"This plan has not gone as I wished. But I accomplished at least one of my goals. Enjoy your last few breaths, sensei, because that's all you've got. No one who's been bitten by Kusanagi has lived to tell about it. Its poison is already coursing through your veins. I may not have destroyed Konoha, but I have all the time in the world! I am immortal, after all. I promise you, Konoha will fall before me!"

Orochimaru gestured at the corners of the barrier. "Drop the barrier!" he called. "We're leaving to fight another day."

His four lieutenants, the malevolent Oto shinobi, released their hold on the two barriers enclosing the Hokage. Jiraiya rushed to the Hokage's side, where Tsunade was already beginning to examine his wound. The Hokage's staff turned back into Enma, who peered at the wound on the Hokage's leg with a worried expression. "That Kusanagi is bad news," he said. "Sarutobi won't last long if you don't do something now."

As if to illustrate the truth of this statement, Sarutobi cried out in pain, and his legs buckled and collapsed. Tsunade caught him in her arms, and lowered him gently down onto the tiled roof. "I'll heal him," she said to Jiraiya, determination shining in her eyes and her voice. "Go! Don't let Orochimaru escape!"

Jiraiya turned, seeing Orochimaru and his lackeys beating a hasty retreat. He sped into motion, kicking off from the roof so hard that he tore off a large section of roof tiles in his haste to start pursuing his foe. Jiraiya took the anger and grief that warred within him, and tried to forge it into a cold, deadly purpose. He had been sloppy, and it had been Sarutobi who paid the price. That wouldn't happen again.

oOoOo

Shikamaru and his squad were hidden behind various trees, awaiting the arrival of their pursuers. Hinata was crouching behind the tree closest to Shikamaru, her byakugan activated so she could monitor the incoming attackers. She flashed eight fingers at Orochimaru, and gave the hand signal that meant they were approaching in a straight line.

Nodding his acknowledgment, Shikamaru signaled Choji and Shino to get ready for their part of the plan. Thanks to Hinata, he knew that eight of their nine pursuers were approaching together, while the ninth was probably staying a ways behind acting as rear guard to keep them from falling prey to an ambush.

Not that that will do you any good, Shikamaru thought. We'll flush you out like the cowardly rat you are.

Soon enough, Shikamaru heard the assailants approaching. He waited just long enough, then signaled Choji and Shino. Go!

Choji, who was farthest on the right, activated his Meatball Tank Jutsu with a loud roar. It was meant to attract attention, and it certainly did. The eight Oto shinobi jumped with surprise. But Choji's attack wasn't aimed directly at them - instead, he directed the course of his unstoppable attack behind the enemy shinobi, in a wide arc to their rear. He barreled into trees every few feet, shearing through thick trunks like a fist through tissue paper. The towering trees fell toward the Oto shinobi, who were forced to leap away - which meant they were leaping closer to Shikamaru.

To complete the diversion, Shino raised the swarm of bugs that he had kept hidden in the undergrowth. To the Oto shinobi, it must have seemed like a dark swarm of hellish, buzzing creatures appeared out of nowhere. They retreated further, coming still closer to the tree where Shikamaru was hiding. He sent his Shadow Possession jutsu out at full speed, splitting his shadow into eight prongs.

It worked perfectly, and in less than a second the Oto nin were anchored to the ground, caught by Shikamaru's technique. He stepped out from behind the tree, along with all of the other shinobi with the exception of Choji, who was recovering from his jutsu, and Hinata, who stayed hidden behind her tree.

Ino, Naruto, Sakura, and Shino each took two kunai out of their pouches, and threw them at the helpless shinobi. This was part of Shikamaru's plan to flush out the rear guard, who certainly wouldn't let his friends get executed.

Sure enough, a series of flashes came from a nearby tree, one that had escaped Choji's Bullet Tank attack, and eight kunai came flying to intercept the ones the Konoha genin had thrown.

At that moment, Shikamaru learned something about the byakugan. Not only was it good for scouting, but the unparalleled vision of the Hyuga kekkei genkai allowed for pinpoint accuracy with thrown weapons, as long as the one throwing had the steady hands to go with their sharp eyes. Hinata whirled to the side of the tree trunk, four kunai whipping away from each hand. They intercepted the kunai thrown by the Oto rear guard, knocking them out of the air before they could hit their marks.

The result was that the original kunai thrown by Sakura, Shino, Ino and Naruto all hit their targets. Shikamaru cut his jutsu, watching the eight shinobi slide to the ground and begin bleeding out into the grass. He gave Hinata a quick thumbs up, trying to hide his astonishment. He had only expected to flush out the rear guard - hitting eight kunai out of the air was not easy, even if it was expected of a jonin to have that kind of accuracy. Hinata was more than a lovestruck girl with a crippling insecurity complex, that was sure.

The rear guard, now the only living member of the Oto pursuit team, dropped out of the tree in which he'd been concealing himself. He stared at his fallen teammates, and then at the genin responsible for their deaths. He whirled around, starting to run away.

But he'd forgotten about Choji, who had stayed on the other side of the ambush team. A super-sized fist slammed down on top of the man, crushing him into the ground effortlessly. When Choji ended his Partial Multi-Size jutsu and his arm went back to its normal size, the broken and bloody corpse of the final Oto shinobi only bore a passing resemblance to a human being.

Shikamaru looked at Hinata, who signaled the all clear.

"Well done, everyone," Shikamaru said. "Especially you, Hinata. We couldn't have timed that ambush as well without your help."

She blushed a pale pink, which strengthened to a beetroot red when Naruto patted her on the back. Shikamaru only waited a second before motioning for them to continue.

"Sasuke's not far away, right Shino?"

The bug user nodded silently.

"Right," Shikamaru said decisively. "Let's move out at top speed. Shino says Sasuke's close, which means he's still alive. And if we hurry, he might still be that way when we find him."

The genin took off again, racing through the endless sea of trees.