On the first day after Tsunade's decree, the entire village was silent. Even the people who weren't ninja seemed to be anticipating something happening. The Ninja Academy in the village had postponed school until Tsunade's decree was lifted. Every ninja in the village was on duty and waiting for something to happen. Citizens were waiting and ready to be evacuated. Even though all these preparations were made, nothing happened all day. In fact, towards the end of the day, kids were outside playing and people were about shopping and what not.
Shikamaru walked into Tsunade's office to discuss what to do next. "Lady Tsunade, many ninja are requesting to take a break as it is getting later." Shikamaru insisted.
"What time is it?" Tsunade asked in response.
"It's around 10 p.m." Shikamaru answered.
Tsunade thought for a moment and slowly nodded her head. "Yes, Chunin and Jonin may take a break and return to duties in the morning. However, all ANBU squads are to remain on watch." Tsunade agreed with a slight smile. She suspected that Shikamaru was one of the ninja that wanted a break.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade." Shikamaru said with a nod before he left. As soon as he left, Shikamaru began spreading the news to other ninja who seemed to be relieved. He went to his old post and stood up there watching the village. He watched as the last of the citizens closed up for the night and turned off their house lights. Making sure the coast was clear, Shikamaru removed his mask and sat down to relax. "Finally, some fresh air!" Shikamaru thought to himself as he stretched himself out. Shikamaru sat for hours on top of that building, anticipating what he would do if an enemy tried to attack the Leaf Village. For a moment, Shikamaru actually started to doze off with the lack of action after midnight.
Then, Shikamaru heard a loud explosion behind him. He looked at a watch and realized he had been sleeping for nearly an hour because it was 3 a.m. Then, Shikamaru looked up and gasped in disbelief at what he saw. The prison was burned down to the ground and escaped fugitives were running about. He looked and saw that ANBU members were trying to deal with the problem, but he quickly realized that they were outnumbered. He also realized that this was just a diversion.
Shikamaru got up and put on his mask and started on his way to inform Lady Tsunade. On his way, Shikamaru was stopped by two other member of the ANBU wearing a snake and hawk mask.
"Captain, what has happened? No shinobi in any of the divisions saw an enemy approach the village." The ANBU with the hawk mask said.
"At the moment, I am unsure of the current situation, but I warn both of you to be wary. This is most likely a diversion being used by our enemy. Hoheto, I want you both to stay on the lookout for anyone unfamiliar to you." Shikamaru replied.
Hoheto nodded his head in understanding and activated his Byakugan. Shikamaru was about to continue on his way when the snake-masked ANBU grabbed his arm. "Wait Captain, we need your help with the prisoners. They outnumber us greatly and some are of great strength." He said.
"Right now, informing Lady Tsunade is my primary concern. When I have done that, I will come and help with gathering the prisoners." Shikamaru declared.
"But Shikamaru, what about the prisoners that are escaping the village?" The snake-masked ANBU asked stopping Shikamaru again.
Shikamaru stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at Hoheto. "Hoheto, forget my previous orders. Please, go and inform Lady Tsunade of our current situation. I have business to handle." Shikamaru commanded.
"Does that mean you're going to round up the escaped convicts?" The snake-masked ANBU asked.
Shikamaru threw his mask to the ground, and kicked the the snak mask off of the ANBU's face. When the face was revealed, Hoheto began to tremble in fear. It was Kabuto's face under the mask, with an evil look in his eyes and a cynical grin.
"Shikamaru, you're intelligence never ceases to amaze me. How could you have known it was me?" Kabuto said with a delightful giggle.
"There isn't a member of my squad that calls me by my name." Shikamaru replied simply.
Kabuto smacked himself in the forehead and laughed. "Of course! How silly of me to make that mistake." Kabuto said with a grin.
Shikamaru nodded at Hoheto to leave and inform Lady Tsunade and Hoheto slowly nodded his head back in understanding. Kabuto quickly picking up on this, tried to shove a scalpel through Hoheto's throat. However, when Kabuto got too close, tentacle-like shadows came from the ground and threw him back.
"Hoheto, go now!" Shikamaru yelled in a fury. Hoheto quickly disappeared into the direction of the Hokage's mansion in response.
Kabuto began to giggle again. "Come now Shikamaru, you can't seriously believe that you can defeat me." Kabuto insisted. Shikamaru offered no response and only glared at Kabuto.
"Alright, if that's how you're gonna be.." Kabuto said as he slapped the ground where he was standing. Four caskets came rumbling out of the ground in front of him. When the caskets opened, four menacing figures were standing inside. Shikamaru quickly recognized them as the Sound Four.
"I don't have time for this." Shikamaru muttered to himself. Shikamaru quickly remembered the abilities of the four and began making a strategy.
"Dismantle him, limb for limb!" Kabuto screeched to them. All four of them instantly jumped into action. Shikamaru had already gone through the whole fight with them seven times in his head. Shikamaru grabbed the trench knives he received from Asuma and flowed his chakra into them. He threw one in the direction of Kabuto and one in the direction of Sakon. The one thrown at Kabuto seemingly missed and hit the ground beside him. The one thrown at Sakon pierced him threw the chest and to the ground next to Kidomaru.
Kabuto laughed at Shikamaru's missed attempt and was about to continue on his way, but he realized he couldn't move. Kabuto furiously tried to understand what was going on. Kidomaru continued trying to attack Shikamaru, but he also realized that he was immobilized. Kabuto quickly figured out that it was the knives piercing the shadows in their spots. Jirobo attempted to slam his fist into the back of Shikamaru's head, but Shikamaru had accounted for this. Shikamaru simply used a substitution to appear behind Jirobo and place an exploding tag on his back. Shikamaru jumped out of the way, and the explosion sent Jirobo flying into Tayuya.
Realizing that all four of them had been immobilized for the moment, he quickly jumped into action. "Ninja Art: Shadow Possesion Jutsu!" Shikamaru called softly. As his shadow crept slowly towards Kabuto, he noticed that the Sound Four were activating and progressing their cursed seals. The four of them were at the second progression of their cursed seals and were no longer immobilized, but Shikamaru's shadow had almost reached Kabuto.
"Get him!" Kabuto shouted. All four of them, in their enhanced states, charged at Shikamaru. Shikamaru's shadow finally reached Kabuto, and he began to perform hand signs. The Sound Four were almost upon him, when he completed the dog, horse, and tiger seals causing Kabuto to do the same.
"Release!" Shikamaru exclaimed loudly. In an instant the four, stopped attacking and turned to dust, with corpses left in the dust.
"I was unaware that my techniques had become so well known." Kabuto said with a chuckle. Shikamaru retracted his shadow, and picked up the trench knife that was pinning down Sakon and Kidomaru. He eased the knife onto his fist and began to channel his chakra into it. However, the knife being used to pin Kabuto's shadow was strategically charged with more chakra to keep him in place.
"What is your purpose for being in the Leaf Village?" Shikamaru asked as he began to walk toward Kabuto.
"I'm unsure if you would really like to know the answer to that question." Kabuto replied with a sinister grin.
"That's good eneough for me. I could care less what your plans are. Because whatever they are, they stop here!" Shikamaru exclaimed. As he said this, a hand came from the shadows holding the other trench knife to Kabuto's neck. "Don't even think about it. If you move even more abrupt than taking a breath, you will die." Shikamaru stated plainly. Shikamaru was then in Kabuto's face and was about to stab him in the stomach.
"Shikamaru, do you honestly believe that I'm going to allow you to kill me?" Kabuto chuckled. Just then, a long snake protruded from his skin and snatched the trench knife out of the shadow's hand. Another snake then branched off of that one and tried to attack Shikamaru. Shikamaru attempted to jump out of the range of the snake, but it just continued to extend. So, he sliced the head off of the snake with his knife.
"The reason I am here, is to retrieve that which is mine." Kabuto said with a sneer.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Shikamaru asked angrily.
Before Kabuto replied he made his snakes disintegrate. "I am here to retrieve the daughter of Asuma Sarutobi, and the new host of the Two-Tailed Cat." Kabuto explained.
Shikamaru gritted his teeth really hard. "Not this nonsense again. I thought we had dealt with all the creeps doing this sort of stuff." Shikamaru thought to himself.
Five sinister, black cobras protruded from Kabuto's back and glared at Shikamaru. "I will not stop until I have achieved my goals. And, those who get in my way will be completely annihilated!" Kabuto shouted. At that moment, the cobras on Kabuto's back extended at a great speed toward Shikamaru. They tried attack his feet, arms, head and torso. But, Shikamaru dodged almost all of the attacks. One of them came close to biting Shikamaru's neck, but he formed a single hand seal, and a shadow came from the ground and stabbed it through the mouth. However, then another cobra came from out of the ground and tried to bite Shikamaru's arm. Shikamaru simply pulled the trench knife out and decapitated all five of the cobras.
Shikamaru put on a small grin about his small victory, but it was quickly ended as he watched in horror while the bodies of the cobras began to generate new heads. Shikamaru jumped a good distance away from Kabuto. He then reached to his waist and pulled a large katana out of a sheath. "Looks like its time to stop fooling around, this is serious." Shikamaru said as he watched Kabuto from relatively far.
Elsewhere, Team Ebisu had taken up camp for the night in the forest. They were going to rest and make it to the Leaf Village the next day. However, Ebisu couldn't sleep very well due to his feelings about impending darkness. He sat up in the middle of the night and put his shades on. "What's going on sensei?" Moegi asked as he woke her up.
"This feeling is getting worse. We all need to get to the Leaf Village now." Ebisu explained in a slightly panicked voice.
"Fine by me, I couldn't sleep anyways." Konohamaru said.
"Yes, I've started to feel the same way as Ebisu-sensei. We need to go." Udon agreed. So they packed up their things and began on their way to the village unaware of the evil that they were destined to come in contact with.