"Shukaku, it's been awhile.", Pawa through Sasuke's Devil Sharingan spoke aloud, the young Uchiha's mouth was unmoved however.
"Eheheh! You're still a naive little boy who couldn't have his way.", Shukaku joked to the stoic Pawa. "You may have been the most gifted but you have no idea what real strength is. Allow me to show you what I mean."
The sand Tailed Beast let out a loud a roar infused with it's own chakra, which was enough to level the area that Pawa was in, Naruto's body was blown to the way side as a result.
"So...this that true strength you were going to reveal to me? If so I hope, for your sake, you weren't serious.",Pawa said through the tranquil Sasuke, as the slight coverage of smoke dispersed.
"Resorting to your "cheap tricks" again? How dull...",Shukaku mockly teased. "Try this motal. Eyaah!"
Raising his enlarge sand tail high above his body, Shukaku lounged his tail downward at the Uchiha duo. Pawa directed the body in his possession to the left, clinging to a distant tree before the impact made contact with the forest area. A loud boom was evident as Shukaku's intended attack struck ground, leaving a crater in the shape of the sand demon's tail. Pawa, who was still still clung to the tree noticed the Jinchuriki was alseep atop of Shukaku's dome.
At that moment however, Naruto himself began to stir from his consciousness he was placed in due to shock. He found himself wrapped on a tree branch, moving was quite difficult as his body was terrorized with distressed. Managing to force his way up, he looked around a portion of the forest was destroyed. He still saw the sand Tailed Beast, but noticed Goku and Sasuke weren't in view.
"This is not good. Did that monster killed the two of them?!", Naruto choked out, a cough soon erupting.
Naruto angered once more began his way to the site were Pawa and Shukaku were, determined to bring that creature down, ventured towards the skirmish.
Konoha; Lookout...
Roshi was able to come to a stand in spite of the injury he substained moments earlier. He knew there was very few he could do in his current status, so he decided to let the newcomer offer his assistance. Orochimaru smirked at the arrival of his former rival back in the day.
"Jiraiya, what do I owe the pleasure of you gracing my sight? Surely you're not hoping you, along with sensei, would ever dream of defeating have you.", the devious Sannin mused.
"I just so happen to stumble upon a little research that require sensei's direct attention, so if you don't mind...", Jiraiya trailed making his way towards his former friend'a forefront and rushed him in an intensed taijutsu bout.
Throwing a triple left to right punches combo, he then feinted a right knee strike but quickly clasped his palms onto his rival's shirt and lounged him in the air. Though Orochimaru recovered but was ticked at the sudden speed he utilized.
"Erk - I didn't suspect you'll be this fast. No matter, my plan to burn this village will come to fruition in mere moments...", Orochimaru explained. "I have the One-Tailed Beast."
Jiraiya squinted his eyes before a prideful smirk plastered over his face.
"You clearly are arrogant Orochimaru, and that will be your undoing. Naruto, will set things straight because, unlike the two of us, he and Sasuke have teamwork.", Jiraiya elaborated, Orochimaru not choosing to heed his fellow Sannin.
"Well see...!", Orochimaru exclaimed, but to his dismay, his arms weren't budging from his sides. "What the hell is this?!"
"Don't act all surprise. You should be familiar with what I performed on you, or at least, recognize the kanji on your shoulder blades.", Jiraiya directed both his hands upward, revealing an Uzumaki insignia: Sealing Art: Forgotten Limbs.
"...It...", Orochimaru then suddenly remembered he has two Uzumaki clansmen. One of them specializing in healing, and the other in the sealing arts. "So, it was her. I should have expected this, she belongs to your Spy Network. I should have killed her as Kabuto suggested.", he realized.
"Don't feel ashamed, it's easy to understand that you've been to caught up in your misguided goal to be aware of such a feint...", Jiraiya trailed, outstretching his limbs to his side as he performed two Rasengans in each palm. "Now. I want make the mistake of leaving you alive as sensei!"
Jiraiya hastely dashed toward his former friend and teammate. Orochimaru, not having the speed to evade Jiraiya's twin assault, lounged himself backward off of the threshold of the tower. Jiraiya figured he tried to escape but was intercepted in the back and stuck down, skidding across the tiled roof. He grunted as he came to a stop, and saw Kabuto descending towards Orochimaru to rescue him presumably.
"Dammit... I was careless.", the toad Sannin berated. "I have to help Sarutobi-sensei.", he said after recovering, and made haste to the elder kage.
With Shikamaru and Sakura fighting Kankuro...
Kankuro's puppet was managing but the fact that the supplies are becoming to become scarce has been dawning him in a slight feeling of uneasiness.
"*Pants*...We're nearly out of stamina Shi-Shikamaru...*Pants*", Sakura said fatigued, her grip on her Naginata blade was very weak, despite her month of training, she began to feel the over-taxing she's done.
"No worries, I think I figured out his stategy of attack.", the Nara replied as he carefully observed the surrounding area, Sakura waiting for his response all the while on guard. "He fights with a puppet, this much we know. But his choice of attacks seem to revolve around around; a spear, a hidden scythe, and a few smoke bombs."
Sakura nodding, opted for him to continue.
"After attacking for about fifthteen minutes, he began deploying smoke bombs to disrupt your vision to render your kenjutsu useless. Then he deploys his puppet to attack, while hidden, with the spear and scythes, evidence...", he trailed as he pointed to the scattered spear and scythe engravements on the ground to show Sakura.
"I see...", she said, almost at awe at his impeccable insight of the situation. "I understand but do you have an idea on how to detain him?"
"Let me worry about that part.", he assured, promting Sakura to nod in obligation.
Kankuro was hidden in the shadows of the forestry, planning his next line of attack, with his thin amount of equipment.
'I have only one smoke bomb remaining, and one poison spear at the ready...I'll have to be careful and precise with my backup plan.', Kankuro inwardly declared, getting his crow set in motion.
Crow erupted from above and launched it's last remaining smoke bomb. hitting the ground got the duo Leaf nin's attention preparing their counter that Shikamaru formulated. The contents began to develop the area they're in, leaving visibility at near zero. Crow hurryingly trailed and attacked Sakura with it's scythe, though the sound of flesh wasn't heard.
'What!?', Kankuro exclaimed within, suddenly he had the urge to escape his last known position but found his movement, stiff.
"Shadow Possession Jutsu; success.", Shikamaru stated from a tree branch nearby, just above Kankuro's line of sight.
"Nice one Shikamaru."
"Curses...", the sand ninja damned at his constant predicament.
"It's over now...", Shikamaru was voicing before Kankuro morphed into subsitution of Crow unexpectedly. "Oh no! We've been had!", he yelled as the chakra strings dislocated from Crow, leaving Kankuro free to escape.
"Darn, we nearly had him beat. But at least we managed to draw him away.", Sakura tried to cheer up the downhill situation. "We should leave that Gaara guy up to the others, we'll simply get in the way."
"Okay...", Shikamaru agreed the two leaping off branch to branch, heading back to Konoha.
Battle with Shukaku...
'I figured out the weakness but...', Pawa internally said then noticed a familiar chakra signature making it's way at a rapid rate, figuring it's Naruto. "Hmph...", he smirked. "...I'll leave it to him, I have to regain my eye site, it starting to get blurring from spending to much chakra to absorb Shukaku's earlier attack."
Drifting back in the back of Sasuke's mind. Sasuke's right eye began to lose it's glow; signaling it's depowered. Sasuke gasped loudly as if he had just returned from the dead.
'What? ...This feeling... Did I die and come back to life?', Sasuke asked to himself in panic of his erking feeling. He looked up as Shukaku was searching for him. Sasuke sprinted up the tree he was clung to and made it to the top. Posted at the tip of the tree Shukaku spotted his prey.
"You've finally decided to stop cowarding away from your demise Pa... Huh?", Shukaku was joking but noticed that the spark that he seen earlier was gone. "The "namby-pamby" retreated, how dull for an Uchiha."
"Shut up. It's about time I end this game and I'll start by killing Gaara.", the teen Uchiha announced in an intimidating fashion, though Shukaku laughed at the idea.
Just then Naruto returned though his bruises had began to slightly heal up but he still ached.
"I figured you were still around.", Naruto said from behind Sasuke, on top of a tree two yards away from Sasuke's position. "Where's Goku?"
"I don't know I haven't been able to look for the idiot.", Sasuke blandly stated. "And if the worst has happend the he's a fool for saving a dope."
"He saved my life Sasuke! Could you at least be a little more considerate about this?!", Naruto yelled in anger, turning his attention to the demon responsible. "You're gonna answer to me you oversized sand raccoon, no matter what! Believe it!", he assured loud enough for the Tailed Beast could take in.
"You're all talk, why don't come and give it a shot if you mean it boy!", Shukaku yelled back hopping in the air and punching the location the Uzumaki and Uchiha once were.
They managed to dodge but the shockwave still leveled that portion of forest.
"Sasuke, we're gonna have to give it our all for this.", Naruto announced, slightly looking back to Sasuke, igniting his Shadow Clone Jutsu.
"Hmph... As if I needed your affirmation.", Sasuke said his arms crossed as he prepared himself.
At the initial spot where the conflict began, Goku was still under the coverage of sand that Shukaku left behind. Seemingly lost from the grip, the mysterious traveller casted his spell to clear away the left over sand that buried the young Saiyan. He grasped his body and layed him onto the ground to allow him to breath in much needed oxygen.
"*Cough*...*Cough*...", Goku gagged as his body instinctively tried to recuporate. "Huh...*Cough*...Where am I?"
Goku sought up, but to his surprise, he was alone. He rose from his sitting position and looked around for the others. He made out Shukaku in the back ground, further from the village.
"Gosh, that big monster sure is a tough cookie to take straight on.", Goku replied with a slight smile as he patted his clothes to shake off what little sand resided in his dogi. "Flying Nimbus!"
The Nimbus cloud bolted towards Goku's location, he pounced on and was soon off to assist the two Leaf ninja after being rescued.
"I'm on my way guys just hold on.", Goku encouraged aloud, preparing for the final attack as he zoomed onward.
Konoha; seating area...
"It seems their numbers are thinning out huh Krillin?", Yamcha asked, knocking out a sound ninja that approached him from behind with a haymaker.
Krillin dodged a few senbon needles from his left and countered the sand ninja by quickly bashing said ninja head with his heel, and kicked him in the face with a right spin kick, sending him off the balcony.
"Yeah! They're coming in small groups now. I guess they got scared.", Krillin boasted cockily scratching his chin.
"It seems the commotion over were Roshi went has began to cease guys.", Bulma told the two warriors, they turned their attention over the tower.
"I'll go and check on the geezer... I'll be back.", Krillin was hoping but was going to get blindsided by a ninja that was hidden on the top of the ceiling.
"No, Krillin, look above!", Bulma screamed but saw he couldn't react in time.
"Haayaahh!", Guy came in with a flying kick, connecting with the attacker's throat and roundhoused him into the wall. "It's alright, as long as I remain here, you don't have nothing to fear - cause Might Guy is the strongest in the Leaf Village!", Guy bloated, his trademark grin plastered.
'This guy's a wacko...', the trio said in unison within.