AN: You know something...its Christmas.

For some strange reason, I was VERY motivated to write this chapter after posting the last one, so enjoy. (I will have to make this up to the Unborn genius readers...I think I know a way when I am ready.)

This is my own personal way of saying thanks to everyone who has stuck with the story so far, enjoy the read, and Merry Christmas again.

Just a warning if anyone has noticed between last chapter and this one. Both my beta's are too busy to check over my writing anytime soon, so unfortunately, it will just be me checking over my grammar.

also...blackmail is such a harsh word...I prefer the word 'encourage', silence *wink*

Chapter 52 Double Sides Of A Summon

It was bizarre how being inside a giant toad's stomach still had such fresh and clean air. Not that she was complaining, it only just added to more of Sakura's bafflement.

"I am sorry, but my byakugan cannot see through this summons stomach. All I can see is the great amount of chakra surrounding us as it stays active." Hinata explained, slumping her shoulders at not helping.

Shikamaru then addressed the blond, "Do you at all know where we are outside of this thing Naruto?"

"If it worked the same as that time with Ero-sennin, we should still be in the same spot where we were before."

"So...we are potentially underwater?"

Naruto was about to respond, but paused on the first word, and then gave in, "Yeah...so I got us trapped."

"Better trapped than dead." Sakura quickly interjected.

"This is a variation of the toad mouth bind is it not?" Kakashi's question made Naruto scratch his head, "Yeah, Ero-sennin used this when Itachi and that fish freak came after me a while ago. He told me you could also summon the toad's stomach for protection, which is where we are."

"That makes sense. However, I have seen Jiraiya perform this jutsu before. He said he could control and stretch out the stomach or throat to whatever length he desired."

"S-So I can do that too?!" Kakashi's nod made him stare at the nearest organic wall in astonishment,

"So maybe...I can stretch it so we are above water?"

"Correct, at least in theory."

Temptation was sky rocketing, but a sudden question popped into his head, "But how do I do that?"

"...No clue."

Focussing on his opened palms, Naruto started to hesitate, but then crushed those thoughts, "I will try."

'How did Ero-sennin do it that time again?'

He tried to remember, while placing one of his hands on the squishy wall. 'Do I picture it or something? Even if I do, how is this thing meant to know what I want?' Deciding to just try, he envisioned a tunnel before him. His reward was nothing happening.

"I don't know." He reluctantly admitted, soon becoming interested when he heard the sound of footsteps squishing its way towards him.

"You need to use chakra."

Naruto was expecting it to be Sakura or Kakashi, he had to turn to confirm it was the stale voice of Shino of all people standing next to him.

"E-Eh?"

"Hinata mentioned there is chakra constantly channelling around us, therefore, it will respond to your chakra. Why is this, it is because my clan's bugs react in the same manner. If I desire my bugs to come out, I use chakra to instruct them."

Naruto blinked several times blankly, earning Shino to give what might be considered a 'stare', "Did you not understand me, Naruto?"

Yelping at the somehow threatening tone, Naruto violently shook his head, "N-No! I get it-I get it!"

Trying to move on from the creepy aura being given off next to him, he placed his hand on the wall again, and began to channel his chakra. The wall's organic texture 'squishing' around like a worm made the blond go agape, "W-Wow!"

Turning to Shino, he grinned, "Now what?"

"Did you not listen to what I said before Naruto?"

"Huh?"

"Tell the wall to expand out."

"Yeah, but how?"

"Tell it to expand."

Growing frustrated, he clenched his hands against the stomach, "But how?!"

The blond instantly regretted the action when Shino leaned in, his goggles somehow emitting a small green glow, possibly from the reflection of the light sticks, "Just tell it."

Turning white in fear, Naruto robotically nodded, and faced the wall again, "...Expand."

When nothing happened, Naruto could detect a sweat drop running down several individuals behind him. Turning again to Shino, Naruto growled, "It didn't work!"

"...I mean tell it with your chakra."

"....WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU SAY THAT BEFORE?!"

"I did."

"Let it go Naruto." Shikamaru mumbled through his hand that was pressing into his face at the exchange.

Refocussing on the wall, he inwardly pouted, 'Tell it to expand with my chakra, what the hell does that mean?!' Deciding to humour himself, he just did as told, 'Expand.' At least when nothing happened this time, he didn't feel as humiliated as before.

'Who am I kidding, I can't just tell it to follow my chakra!' Going partially agape, he then looked to Sakura as if remembering something, 'But maybe I can show it where I want it to go...Like Sakura-chan did for me.'

Turning back to the wall, he closed his eyes. Visualising his chakra, he could picture its 'sparks' remaining stationary in an otherwise dark area, 'So I just push it up I guess...' He couldn't work out if it was just his imagination or not, but he felt some hope when his chakra sparks were moving further and further away in his mind. 'Is it working?' He on impulse pulled his hand back when the wall suddenly 'stretched' an opening to another tunnel. Squinting focus through the darkness, he could just make out a red light.

"You got it!" Sakura cheered, coming up to him to pat him on the back.

"Hehehe. I just told it to follow my chakra."

"Congratulations Naruto. Now let's get out of this place." Shikamaru took the lead in the ascent, although Shino still hadn't moved.

"I was the one who told Naruto what to do, yet Naruto is given all the credit."

Sweat dropping, Kiba groaned out, 'You did great too Shino.' and ushered him along. Now being close enough that the light sticks were useless, Sakura dropped hers behind her, "What are we going to do when we get to the top?"

"Isn't it obvious Sakura?"

Looking at the Nara's back, she shook her head suddenly in realisation, "No. We can't rely on that plan Shikamaru."

"We have no other option. They aren't going to let us escape, not to say we couldn't try anyway. However, from what I saw before Naruto used this jutsu, we at the moment are boxed in by some kind of towering stone wall. It is being used to keep this entire place flooded, possibly for that guy's summons to be useable."

Hinata dropped her gaze to her feet as they continued to walk, "So there could be dozens of these creatures you told us about waiting for us on the surface?"

"Dozens is being generous I believe Hinata." Shikamaru explained, seeming to get used to being the bringer of bad news. "And on top of that, there is Ronan and his group."

"We will just have to beat them all then."

Scoffing, Shikamaru perked an eyebrow at the blond next to him, "And how do you propose we do that Naruto?"

Naruto's silence only made the Nara sigh, "Well I guess that is just what we will do then."

Detecting a several questioning glances directed at him, he elaborated, "The squid's weakness is that they must remain in water to survive. We can use that to handle them all, with the exception of Wani."

Sakura paused in her step in semi understanding, "Wait. I saw that wall too Shikamaru, and I can tell you right now that I can't destroy that. It is way too big."

She raised an eyebrow in question when he turned to smirk, "Who said you were the most destructive of the bunch of us?"

His rhetorical statement made her again pause in her steps, "Who do you..."

Looking to the fox smiling blond next to the shadow user made her go agape, "O-Oh."

"You can just do what you always do Naruto. Surprise me and somehow destroy that wall to drain the water out."

"Yosha!"

"As for everybody else, we are to cover Naruto. These squids have shown to be far too much of a drag to handle at the same time with Ronan's group." Several 'Hai's' were responded back, as they reached the end of the tunnel, meeting the evening sky that was a mixture of red and dark blue.

The town was completely flooded with up to possibly twenty foot deep salt water, guessing from some of the still standing building's roofs still above water level . Hinata didn't even need to confirm with her byakugan that they were surrounded by all sorts of squids in different shapes and sizes, as they already were being closed in. Wani's ear piercing shriek made the shinobi's heads rise to see the creature in all its glory not far away.

Taking advantage of the currently inactive situation, Shikamaru tried to gather information, "Hinata, locate Ronan and his group."

Activating her byakugan, she took a moment to respond, "They are not within the towns border...I see them. They are split into two different groups, with Ronan and Mangetsu in one, and Claara and Deidara in the other. I also see another one of them, but...he is unconscious?!"

"That would be the summoner." Shikamaru assumed. 'So they are using the squids to weaken us, then will move in for the kill when we are exhausted...we really will have to rely on our 'backup'.'

"Naruto."

"On it Shikamaru!" Biting his thumb again, Naruto slammed the surface of the water, "Kuchiyose no jutsu!"

'This will be easy as hell! I will just summon Gamabunta, and get him to destroy the wall in a second flat!' Naruto mused is plan, while giving a smug smirk to his reflection in the water. His smugness vanished when nothing happened.

'W-What?!'

"...What are you doing Naruto?" Shaking his head to Shikamaru's dry question, he tried again, "Kuchiyose no jutsu!" This time a loud 'poof' was heard, as a smoke cloud blocked his vision.

'That was weird...'

When the cloud cleared, he held confusion as to why there was no towering toad in front of him, "You called Naruto?" Came a voice from just above his height that did not sound like the toad boss at all, since Gamabunta's voice always caused a tremor.

Snapping his gaze down, he gasped, "G-Gamakichi?! I DIDN'T WANT YOU!"

The toad who wasn't aware of the tension of the situation, folded his arms as if to show hurt, "Oh well excuse me! Dad is not home anyway Naruto."

Even though Gamakichi sounded as if he was teasing, that statement made Naruto glare in deep frustration, "W-What the hell do you mean!? I NEED HIS HELP RIGHT NOW!"

The toad was taken aback by his stressed shout, and soon became aware of his audience. Both the shinobi, and the closing in squids, "H-Holy shi-...I am sorry Naruto, but I mean it. Dad is not at Myobokuzan."

Frantically refusing to accept this information, the blond pushed, "Where is he?!"

"I don't know! He just left without telling us anything!"

"B-But I nee-"

"Find another way Naruto." Shikamaru quickly interrupted, seeing Naruto's anxiety was still rising.

Grinding his teeth, the blond relented, "Fine...You can go Gamakichi."

"I'm sorry Naruto." Watching the smoke cloud form from the disappearing toad was a surprisingly good representation of Naruto's baffled mind at the moment.

'Damn it...Where the hell is he?!' Trying to forget about the misfortune, he tried to think of another way.

'Screw it, I will just keep hitting it with Oodama rasengan until I punch a big enough hole!'

"I need to get close to the wall."

Naruto announced, earning a nod from the Nara, "Fine by me. "

"Forgive me for interrupting, but it looks like we don't have time to talk anymore."Kakashi stated, far too calm to make the enormous black blur of a tentacle about to crash down on them from above legit. Smacking into the middle of the group with a great shockwave of water blasting everywhere, caused the group to be divided.

"Go now Naruto!" Shikamaru ordered.

Not wasting time, Naruto turned to the closest person, "Come with me Hinata. I am going to need some help."

"S-Sure thing Naruto-kun."

Watching the pair run off, Sakura was about to follow, until a firm hand held her arm back, "Naruto will be fine Sakura." Kakashi assured, although he still felt half hearted resistance from her arm.

"But..."

"He knows what he is doing, and he has Hinata with him. She will make sure nobody tries to attack him by surprise."

Nibbling her lower lip, Sakura's resistance finally relaxed, 'I believe in him...'

"Hai."

"You can go to him if it really is clouding your thoughts."

"No, I will be ok sensei." As if to prove a point, she tightened her glove and faced the opposite direction from the retreating pair.

'Sensei is right, he will be fine.'

Flushing out all the thoughts of the blond from her mind, she stared at the incoming swarm, "How are we to deal with Wani?"

Shikamaru who was not far, replied, "Wouldn't have a clue."

"W-What?!"

Sighing, he readied Asuma's lone chakra blade in his hand, "I was vouching on Naruto to summon something of similar size, however, it unfortunately appears we do not have that option."

Tossing a soldier pill to Akamaru, Kiba snarled, "Who cares?! I won't let that knucklehead hog the spot light all the time, eh, Akamaru!?" His companion didn't respond, as it suddenly 'poofed' into a replica of him instead.

Lee didn't have the semi connivance to talk, as he already was being attacked by several of the creatures that easily were double his size. Slicing straight through an offending tentacle with his spear, Lee let out his battle cry, "IKIMASHOU!!"

Karin's shock must have been glued to her face for at least an hour now, as she watched Sasuke yet again get struck by lightning. However, he amazingly was able to direct the burning hot bolt in another direction.

'T-This is unheard of!'

Sasuke's pride filled smirk clearly showed what he was thinking in his mind. Almost as if he was concerned his joy would be discovered, his smirk instantly was wiped off to a normal scowl.

"I need a more efficient means of attracting the lightning."

Karin almost didn't hear his statement that for some strange reason sounded as if it was directed at someone. Eventually it sunk in, "What for? you seem to be able to draw in the lightning most of the time."

"It is not all the time."

'Such an amazing perfectionist!'

"Whatever."

Sasuke continued to stare up at the violent storm clouds, 'This jutsu has great potential, but for me to be able to use it properly in battle, I must be able to call it down at my will...then I need a means of assuring I can use it in any fight. I will not accept having to wait for ideal weather to kill Itachi.'

Karin turned her head to their east, and then narrowed her eyes in annoyance, "Sasuke, he is here." There was no doubting it now, the scent to her was as familiar as day.

Orochimaru.

She picked him up around half an hour ago, and she could tell that the Uchiha grew annoyed at the coming intrusion. What baffled her though was how Orochimaru had tracked them down, since she after all was their best tracker. She even suggested perhaps they should change location, but Sasuke told her it would be pointless.

Was there more to the curse seal than even she knew about?

Sasuke, however, this time gave an optimistic 'hn', "Very well...I have a use for him now."

Karin at first raised an eyebrow, but suddenly went fully agape when he raised his sparkling hand into the sky, 'W-What is he going to do?!'

The kunoichi knew though she was trying to play ignorance with her head, 'H-He isn't going to...'

"Sasuke-kun." Came a hiss from the snake sannin, as he revealed himself to them both in the opening.

The clap of thunder this time literally made her jump, however, the forked bolt flashing above did not hit the ground this time. The flash revealed the sannin's terrifying frown to both of them.

"What are you doing all the way out here, Sasuke-kun?" Orochimaru demanded, with that traditional sadistic slither rolling out of his tongue that not even the next thunder clap could muffle.

Sasuke never even acknowledged the sannin, instead his arm was still raised into the sky, while his emotionless face was merely just looking in his general direction. The downpour of rain crashing onto the caverns cover muted Karin's sharp breaths of suspense, 'I have to warn Orochimaru-sama!' Despite her minds instruction, her body did not obey.

"Why won't you answer me, Sasuke-kun?"

Karin swallowed the hard lump at the back of her throat, while the sannin now was several feet away from Sasuke. Taking notice of the Uchiha's elevated hand, Orochimaru's yellow slits narrowed in interest, 'What is he doing?'

Karin's ruby orbs were glued in suspense, until her vision went completely white, forcing her to jam her eyes shut from the sudden flash. Feeling the earth shake around her feet made realisation clear, 'OROCHIMARU-SAMA!'

Rubbing her eyes furiously to refocus, she adjusted her specs only to gasp. Where the sannin once stood, was nothing but a burning impact crater. Lowering his hand, the Uchiha stared at the impact crater with lifeless eyes.

"Orochimaru..."

'H-H-HE K-KILLED HIM?! IMPOSSIBLE!'

Sasuke payed no heed to the stunned and dramatised kunoichi, "...I require your assistance in perfecting this jutsu."

The sudden spine chilling laughter that wasn't muffled by the next roar of thunder made Karin yelp in surprise. Maybe she blinked or something, but in the instant after the blinding flash of lightning, somehow the Sannin had reappeared standing behind Sasuke, with the most menacing smile she had ever seen moulded on his face.

"Demonstrating your new jutsu by directing it at me. Kukuku, so sinister...I love it. What is it you desire this jutsu to do?"

Karin's never ending shock was now mixed with pure bafflement, 'W-W-What on earth?!'

A jolt in her senses pulled out of her shock, to then instead brush over confusion, 'This chakra...'

"Is there something you wish to share with us, Karin?"

She never could get used to the way Orochimaru always so nauseatingly announced her name, "H-Hai. I am sensing some very strange chakra."

"Describe it."

"It's unusual, it has a type of sea water fragrance. There are so many yet...they are all the same. For me to discover them this far all of a sudden, must mean they possess a grand amount of chakra and are possibly a kind of summon. They appear to be close to that person."

"'That person'?"

Sasuke grew a firm line of annoyance, which made Karin pause in understanding, 'Damn...now he is angry at me.'

"Y-Yes...well at least I believe it is a person. Whoever they are, they possess a grand amount of inhuman like chakra."

Orochimaru out of the blue started giggling in that creepy way he does, "My my, so it appears Naruto-kun's group is being attacked by Ronan and his team...does this unsettle you Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke closed his eyes, "I told you that Naruto and Sakura mean nothing to me. I suggest you remember that, Orochimaru."

Orochimaru let out a snicker that almost sounded like a snake hiss, "I see, how rude of me then. Let us discuss this new jutsu you are creating."

"Kage bunshin no jutsu!"

'These guys just keep freaking coming!' Naruto inwardly cursed, as another dozen clones phased into existence. Deciding that kunai's were worthless for such large sized animals, Naruto had resorted to just overwhelming them with his clones, or simply hitting them with rasengan seemed to do the trick.

Hinata also didn't appear to have much trouble either, especially since she discovered just how many tenketsu a squid had in comparison to a person. Easily several times the amount.

Despite the convenience in that, and the fact that most of the squids were more interested in Shikamaru's group, the pair still were meeting firm resistance. Blasting one in front of her with a kusho, her byakugan eyes then picked up dozens of signatures in front of them.

"Naruto-kun!"

Her shout made the real blond stop, while his clones continued their charge. That was until they were jabbed from underneath by hundreds of spiky tentacles shooting out of the water, belonging to dozens of squids of numerous shapes and sizes.

'We are so close to that wall!' Naruto inwardly cursed, seeing the odd patterns of the stone barrier literally down the flooded street. They would just have to get through the slithery creatures first.

Not wasting time, Naruto sprinted through the water towards them, "Stick to being served with my ramen you slimy freaks!"

Summoning several clones, Naruto reeled his hand back to form a blue rotating sphere, "Rasengan!"

Slamming it directly into the carapace of the black squid in front of him, he was rewarded by the invertebrate blasting away in a spinning blur.

As he dispersed the Rasengan, a kage bunshin next to him henged itself into a fuma shuriken, which he then grabbed and span around himself to gain moment. Naruto then released the transformed weapon, sending it spinning sharply into another squid. As if the summon had expected it, it brought up its tentacles to block, however, it was not expecting before contact for it to suddenly 'poof' back into the doppelganger, with a rasengan already forming within his palm.

'A-Amazing. Naruto-kun is really giving it all he has got.' Hinata stuttered out, while inwardly scolding herself for not matching his efforts. Naruto still was continuing his strong push, proceeding to the next closest one that his clones already were engaging. Naruto was already forming another rasengan in his palm. He however was not being observant, since the heiress's eyes caught sight of an enigma in the wall of the partly flooded building he passed.

Naruto finally noticed when the 'wall' lashed out at him when he had passed it, 'W-What the hell?! these things can hide themselves in the surroundings too?!'

True to his mind's screaming realisation, he could barely trace out the squids shape, despite its skin being overlayed with the rotting grey background of the building. The creature already had bound its thick tentacles onto both his arms, making them unusable despite his struggles. He took note that on the contact of his jacket, the skin began to morph into a similar shade.

Suddenly the creature began to violently twitched as if it had been shocked, releasing its grasp on him. Naruto could only look oddly in question as it fell on the water surface, and began to violently spasm.

Looking up, he then met milky web veined eyes, "These summons chakra points are extremely sensitive in comparison to a human being Naruto-kun. Closing one in a precise point will cause the others to chain react to the change violently. Unfortunately, It takes a while to locate them, since their bodies are all so different."

Mouthing an 'oh', he gave a thumb up, "Thanks for the help Hinata, but I am not the real Naruto."

She gaped in response, and followed it pointing finger to another blond, that was throwing an explosive note into a group, "O-Oh!" Her eyes then saw something slithering underneath the real Naruto, making her suddenly gasp.

"NARUTO-KUN BELOW YOU!" Hinata screamed out, but it was too late as the blond had water erupt into his face, revealing him being blanketed over by small squids sticking to his body as if glued.

Feeling his chakra beginning to fade made him understand what these things were, 'These are those chakra eating things Shikamaru was talking about.'

Swatting away one that was attached to his face, Naruto quickly ran through Seals, "Suiton suijinheki!"

The water around his feet again abruptly erupted, brushing salt water over him and the squids, causing them to lose their entanglement on him. Hinata stared in awe at the mini twister of water and squids wildly spinning around the blond.

A shockwave from within the twister sent water and squids splattering everywhere, revealing Naruto with his palm containing a thick twirling blue mist.

'H-He used the shockwave of a dispersed rasengan to blast away his jutsu from within?!' The heiress staggered.

Naruto's mind was elsewhere, 'This is taking too damn long!, Sakura-chan and the others can't hold these things back forever!'

Giving his head a sudden shake to roughly dry himself from the water, he cursed that all their effort had got them was a few meters down the still swarm filled street. "We can't waste any more time with these freaking pests!" Naruto shouted, only to shift his interest when the heiress stepped in front of him.

'Naruto-kun is giving it all he has, it is time I did the same as well.'

"Let me take care of this, Naruto-kun." Something about the out of character like strength in the heiresses voice made the blond comply.

His decision was soon regretted when she stared to beeline towards the swarm, "HOI! W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING HINATA-"

"Please stay back Naruto-kun, I don't want to accidently hit you with 'this'."

'This?' Naruto pondered, deciding to relent and watched the heiress continue her solo charge.

He blinked in question when she suddenly began to spin while running, 'What on earth is she-'

All his thoughts went blank as his mouth hung wide open at the sudden head of a huge lion forming, as the heiress still continued spinning in a blur, which oddly resembled a dance. It was transparent, but the amount of blue chakra was enough to make it appear almost like a ghost, 'W-Wha-'

"Tandokuno shishi juuken!"

'Gentle step lion fist?!'

Suddenly Hinata stopped spinning, releasing the mythical beast that had formed around her arm.

The lion's head passed straight through the first squid, but upon phasing through, the blue chakra intensified, causing the lion stream to become more solid, and increase in velocity. The same result happened on the next squid it passed through, further intensifying the chakra and speed. During it course, Naruto noticed that the squids it now phased through were being partly knocked back from the force. After finishing its course through the last squid in the pathway, the chakra from the lion's head to Hinata's arm was practically fully solid. The barely visible squids throughout the entire course of the strange jutsu had frozen in their spots. Suddenly, the jutsu dispersed with a violent shockwave, shifting the water almost like a clean cut. Naruto's eyes bulged when all the squids suddenly went limp, with the ones in the front violently twitching like the other earlier, while the others remained lifeless, now only floating like a corpse on the water's surface.

'W-Wow...'

"I never intended for this jutsu to be lethal."

Hinata's saddened tone caught Naruto off guard, "I was trying to create something that could disable an opponent by locking out their ability to use chakra. The 64 palm strike does this already, however it requires the user to be in taijutsu range, and still was fatal to the poor victim."

Wincing in memory to Neji's attack back in the chuunin exams, he didn't interrupt the still depressed heiress, "The kusho can stun somebody for an instant, however, it doesn't disable them. So I tried to create a jutsu that had the disabling ability of the 64 palm strike, but with the range and general non lethality of the kusho...instead I created this monstrosity."

As if to sink it in, he looked at the mostly dead swarm before them, then back to Hinata, "It is a non physical jutsu, that upon passing through its victim, it disrupts the chakra currently flowing in the chakra points, making the jutsu itself move faster as it absorbs the loose chakra. This is all possible thanks to my ability to see chakra with the Byakugan, I can focus chakra through the lion's head at a certain part to strike at the point. It is as if I am literally hitting it, without physically touching it. That was all I wanted it to do, have the ability to take away an opponent's moulding chakra, potentially cancelling their jutsu, and rendering them unable to fight without significant injury."

Naruto's gasp made her wince, and forced her to look at the water, "Unfortunately controlling the amount of pressure done to the points with this jutsu is near untameable...If you hit it softly, you disrupt the chakra being moulded, if you hit it hard, you close it, but if you hit it even harder with a concentrated burst of chakra...it doesn't disrupt the chakra point, it destroys it outright." She didn't say anything after that, as Naruto continued to stare in awe at what just happened.

"Hinata...."

If possible, her head sunk lower, "That...IS ONE HELL OF A SWEET JUTSU!"

His sudden outburst startled her, while he pointed at the squids for emphasis, "That's just crazy, you knocked them all down just like that!" His constant praises that followed after that caught her completely by surprise, while she began to blush.

"U-Umm, t-thanks Naruto-kun." She mumbled, looking elsewhere to hide her flaming cheeks from embarrassment.

'Did Naruto-kun even understand when I just told him most of the summons were killed by the jutsu?'

Calming down from his praises, he looked at the now clear pathway to the wall, "Yosha, now I can take out this wall no problems. Let's go Hinata."

"U-Umm sorry Naruto-kun, but I will only be a hindrance if I follow you now." His concerned filled gaze made her look elsewhere again in embarrassment, but she didn't miss his realisation clear in his eyes.

"What is wrong with your arm?!"

It wasn't hard to see that it was the source of her discomfort, since her other arm was gripping onto it protectively, "As I said Naruto-kun, that jutsu feeds on chakra...and I haven't been able to make it discriminate between friend or foe... or myself either."

Her calm statement still made the blond panic, "Do I need to get Sakura-chan?! Will you be ok?!"

His now constant cries of concern was only adding to her sentiment, 'Naruto-kun always so freely shows his concern for others.'

"I-I will be ok, r-really."

Finally accepting her persisted assurance, he turned to the wall, "Go back and see Sakura-chan then Hinata, she can help."

"O-Ok."

"And Hinata..."

He shot her a grin, "Don't feel bad about it, I am sure you will work out a way to make that jutsu do what you want it to do."

His sincerity made her gasp, 'H-He did understand what I said to him!'

Looking away to hide her flaming cheeks, she gave the water a weak smile, "T-Thank you Naruto-kun."

Turning back, Naruto stared down the wall that was in his way. Now up close, he could roughly guess the barrier was at least several odd meters thick, while towering around twenty odd meters in height, 'Alright. Time to hit this thing with everything I have.'

"Gatsuuga!" Kiba perhaps was getting into this a bit too much, at least that is what Shikamaru thought as he observed the chaos the Inuzuka and his companion were causing. The overlapping twirling drills from the combined jutsu surely left nothing in their path, at least, nothing that didn't make the Nara's stomach roll in detest.

Refocussing on his own matters, he formed a seal, "Kage Nui no jutsu!" There was something about this squishy task that really was starting to get to him. The combination of the disgusting noise being one factor, and just how much of that stinky ink was flying everywhere really was brewing a nasty combination.

'This is really messy work.' Shikamaru mused conclusively to the matter.

Putting aside his own little rant, there was a more serious concern that had him baffled, 'While there are so many of these guys and the Gigas, I have yet to see one of those 'Kirkii' or any other types of the squid summons. If they are anything like other typical summons, there should be many different specialising types. Naruto's toad summons have shown that...what kind of specialty do these guys have then?'

Watching Sakura's fist connect with a squid's head made him wince, but he continued his musing, 'They are weak...we are literally tearing them limb from limb.'

Shino landing next to him made him acknowledge the bug user, "There is something suspicious about this type of summon." Shino announced dryly.

"I think you are right. There is something very wrong if this is the best the summoner can throw at us. They even have that giant Wani here, yet all she does is remain there...You would think a mother would have some reaction to just watching her 'children' getting torn apart like fodder."

"Perhaps it's because that is what she wants us to do?"

Shikamaru tilted his head in question, while the Aburame's goggles flickered, "Have you not noticed, Shikamaru?"

The silence was taken as a 'no' so he continued, "My bugs have been investigating the remains, and they have discovered an anomaly."

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed, while inwardly he would wish the bug user would quit the suspense and just tell him already, "These squids...have no internal organs."

"What?"

"They still have a chakra network, as all living creatures in this world do. However, There is no functional internal organs within them."

"How is that even possible?!"

"I believe it is to do with the presence of their 'mother'. Why do I know this? It's because my bugs can taste the chakra within these summons. The scent and taste is identical to that of Wani, based on the wild chakra the creature is leaking into the air. "

Their conversation was no longer between themselves, "Are you saying these things are a type of kage bunshin?" Sakura suggested, flicking her glove to the side to get the ink off.

"No, that would be impossible. Since kage bunshin's do not leave corpses behind once they are defeated." Shikamaru explained, while staring at a corpse nearby. The sight made him cringe in disgust at the ink leaking out of its wounds.

Then it clicked.

"Impossible." Shikamaru's shock filled blurt made both shinobi turn to him in question.

Sakura took it upon herself to ask, "What is it Shikamaru?"

"Hehe! sweet work Akamaru!" Kiba shouted praise at his companion, while looking back at the torn apart squids that littered the water all around them.

"...Now it makes sense. Why there are no specialised summons that excel more at fighting us, yet there are so many of them."

Kiba perked an eyebrow at a lone squid tentacle that was twitching, 'Huh?'

"These guys are a specialised summon, but in a way nobody would expect. They are weak, and have no critical organs. They are only loaded up with ink."

Seeing his gaze fall, Sakura decided to follow it only to go wide eyed in realisation. The deep blue water was no more, as instead the fowl ink the summons were bleeding out had now completely stained the water to the point she couldn't even see her reflection.

Kiba's raised eyebrow soon was joined by his other as his mouth began to go wide in disbelief. The lone squid piece suddenly began to 'suck' up the black water, which started to take a solid form of an entire tentacle.

"This summons speciality...is immortality."

"W-What the hell?!" Kiba stuttered out, still observing the morphing ink turning solid, to soon reveal it was in the shape of a squid. It wasn't the only incident either, as both Lee and Kakashi were stunned to see the squids they defeated doing the same thing.

"Just as Naruto exploits very well in spars, this type of summon is doing the same thing to us. They are using their potentially unlimited amount of stamina to defeat us." Shikamaru's words seemed to have hit everyone, causing a wash over of shock.

Kiba was forced to come back to the outside world sooner than others, when a squid just missed jabbing his head, "Shit! so we are just going to have to keep fighting until we are all worn out?!" Kiba shouted out, quickly countering the squid's attempted entangling by swiping the tentacle off with his free claw.

'Wani indeed is an amazing summon, her ink has regenerative properties that can even bring the recently deceased back from the grave.' Sakura's mind echoed in remembrance.

"We can't even exploit the ink's flammability, because we are fighting in the middle of all this crap. We will essentially be setting ourselves on fire." Shikamaru spelled out.

Shaking her head, Sakura sighed, "Are you saying we have to count on Naruto destroying that barrier as quick as he can?"

"Yes...that is exactly what I am sayi-"

"That is a load of bullshit!"

Kiba's angered growl earned a raised eyebrow from the Nara, "Then what is it you suggest?"

Kiba glared daggers at the giant summon, "If Shino said these stink fests are linked somehow to that thing, then I am willing to bet it receiving a harsh beating will have an effect on all of them."

Shino tilted his head so his goggles could see his teammate, "Are you suggesting that the relation to Wani and these subordinates is like a hive mind?"

"Yeah...whatever the hell that is."

"Ok, so I will humour you. How do you expect us to deal any significant damage to Wani?"

Kiba growing a smirk made the shadow user suddenly regret he bit the bait, "You just watch us then."

"Sakura-chan." Hearing her name made her break focus on what Kiba was planning, to see the apparent injured heiress coming towards her.

"Hinata?! What happened?" She voiced her distress, breaking the distance between them to inspect her arm.

Receiving the information from her diagnosis jutsu, she gasped, "P-Parts of your arm's tenketsu have been closed! What happened?!" Hinata never could explain, as Sakura already was working on re-opening them.

"What about Naruto?"

Hinata's lack of response caused her to pause to see Hinata's veined eyes, "He is ok Sakura-chan, I left him when all of the squids blocking his path were dealt with."

"But Hina-" Sakura's worried protest was interrupted by the loud rumble from not far, making several heads turn to the source only to see a bright light.

"Naruto-kun is hitting the barrier with that jutsu he was doing earlier." Hinata explained.

Sakura's worry came back, "Hinata, are the squids you and Naruto killed truly dead?"

"W-What do you-"

"Just look, Please!"

Listening to her panicked instructions, Hinata looked to go partially agape, "S-Some of them are moving, No-W-Wait...What on earth is this?!"

Cursing, Sakura formed a seal, "Mizu buns-"

"I will go." Kakashi's announcement behind her made her snap her head to show her protest. Finally, she nodded, leaving the Hatake to dash off.

"I-I didn't know Sakura-chan, R-Really, I-I am sorry!"

Calming her nerves, Sakura gave an assuring smile, "It's ok Hinata, just please keep watch of him."

"Y-Yes, I will."

'What the hell?! This wall isn't made of just freaking rock!' Naruto cursed, smashing into it again with another oodama rasengan. Once the blast had cleared, Naruto groaned at the little penetration his jutsu was doing, 'BAH! COME ON!'

"Kage bunshin no jutsu!"

Creating two bunshin, he began creating two enormous rotating spheres, " Souseiji no te oodama rasengan!" Slamming the two spheres into the wall made a blast so intense, he had to jam his eyes shut, along with gritting his teeth at the sudden pain of chakra tearing into his palms.

Ignoring the loud ring in his ear, he opened his eyes to sigh, 'That had some better effect. Again!' He ordered, forming his seal for kage bunshin again. Naruto still did not notice what was happening behind him, nor the fact that they were slithering their way through the water unbelievably silent given their size towards him.

This time on impact, large clunks of rock shot out from the sides, erupting water into the air that rained down on Naruto. Looking at his stinging hands once the giant spheres had dispersed with a powerful shockwave, he saw the rings of the rotating sphere marking his hands with blood.

Within a moments time, he then clench them, 'This hurts...but nothing is going to stop me!' Naruto declared, as he was forming his seal again. He turned in surprise though when he could hear the familiar chirping of a thousand birds.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked in puzzlement.

The scarecrow was standing before him with the still charged Raikiri in his hand, "What are you doing here?"

"Don't mind me. Please carry on, Naruto." Kakashi said dismissively with a cheerful note.

"Huh..."

Naruto then went wide eyed as he saw several squid fall in the distance with a loud splash, "W-Wha?!-"

"The wall Naruto."

Blinking rapidly several times, Naruto then complied to his sensei's casual instructions.

'Just what the hell is going on back there?'

"You're crazy, you know that Kiba?" Shikamaru announced rhetorically.

"You got a better idea? No. I didn't think so."

"Troublesome." Deciding to just end it there, the Nara looked up at their target.

"I Guess we don't exactly have any other options. Even when Naruto destroys the barrier, we will need to deal with that drag of a summon sooner or later."

Coincidently, the sound of another chaotic explosion could be heard from behind them in the distance.

Finally done healing Hinata's injury, Sakura's hand lowered, "There you go Hinata. How is Naruto going with the barrier?"

"Thank you. Naruto-kun is still having trouble with the barrier, however, it appears he is nearly through."

"Ok. Please keep watch."

Returning attention to the plotting Kiba, he gave a thumb up to his doppelganger, "Let's rip that squid a new one Akamaru!"

Reaching into his pocket, Kiba then handed Shikamaru what appeared to be a small perfume bottle, filled with a golden liquid, "Cover yourselves in this."

"Err...Why?"

"Unless you want Kiba's jutsu to accidently collide with you, I recommend you do so."

Sighing, Shikamaru did as instructed by Shino, and sprayed himself with the bottle several times all over. Within a second of spraying, Shikamaru took one sniff, and instantly grew a deep cringe at the strong and disgusting odour, "W-What in the hell is this?!"

Taking the bottle and spraying once on his wrist, Shino answered with a suspected sadistic joy in his otherwise flat tone, "It is preserved urine from Akamaru."

Shikamaru instantly snapped his gaze to Shino in shock, "Y-You better be joking!"

'I just sprayed myself...WITH DOG PEE?!'

"He is being serious I am afraid, Shikamaru-kun." Hinata explained apologetically, while Sakura's right eyebrow was twitching violently.

'I am not spraying myself with that stuff even if you pay me!'

Hearing the sound of a spray next to her, she looked down to see the heiress spraying the golden liquid lightly on her wrist.

"I know it's awful Sakura-chan, but you will be in serious danger from Kiba-kun's jutsu if you don't."

Cringing, Sakura reluctantly held out her arm and looked elsewhere, "This better be worth it."

Despite the situation, Hinata gave a light hearted giggle, "I am just spraying a small amount on your arm Sakura-chan, you can wash it off straight away after Kiba-kun is done." The sincerity was appreciated, but it still didn't change the fact that a salty, and very powerful odour was reeking on her person now.

What struck the two discomforted shinobi into complete bafflement was when Lee after being marked with the stuff by Shino, took a long, and audible sniff, "Ahh! the refreshing fragrance of youth!"

'...Please tell me he didn't hear what this stuff is...No...something tells me he heard.' Trying to move on, Shikamaru focussed his gaze on the swarm blocking Kiba's path to Wani.

"I will clear the way for you."

"Eh?!" was chorused around by the others in response.

Shikamaru simply pointed his thumb lazily to behind them, "It is sun down now, and even more ideally the sun is behind us...my shadow's range will easily extend out to cover the distance."

Not wasting any more time, Shikamaru sprang to action, " Kage Shibari no jutsu!" His already large shadow began to twist and turn its way all around them, latching itself on to each and every squid around them as if it was guided.

Ensnaring the final one down the once main road, Shikamaru let out a groan, 'I am easily binding a hundred targets, I will only last several seconds at this rate!'

"Now Kiba!"

"YAHOO! LET'S ROCK AKAMARU!"

Bee ling through the obstacles of paralysed squids in parallel, Kiba turned to his companion while forming a seal, "Jinjuu Konbi Henge, Sotoro!"

'Man Beast combination transformation, Double-headed wolf?!'

The three shinobi who were not part of team 8 tried to see what was happening through the now thick smoke, 'What is this jutsu?' All three soon gaped wide in disbelief when they made out the huge white tail that belonged to an out of this world sized two headed wolf. Despite it easily being ten times the height of a person, the beast was still easily dwarfed by the summon.

The quadruped moved at a blurring speed, closing in on the giant summon in seconds. Wani becoming aware of the incoming threat, whipped out its trunk sized tentacles from underneath the black water, and shot them all towards the comparatively small animal.

Seeing that Kiba would soon be trapped, Shikamaru gasped, "Damn it, I knew this was a crazy Ide-"

"Relax Shikamaru...You underestimate Kiba's strength in this form." Shino replied coolly.

"What on earth are you talking about?! He is going to get-"

"GAROGA!" Roared the twin headed animal, as in an instant it began to violently spin in the shape of Kiba's gatsuuga, however, it was much bigger...and faster. Even though the proportions of the squid's own whip like arms were at least double the width of the animal, the enormous drill practically shredded it apart on impact, not reducing in speed in the slightest.

What further dragged Sakura, Shikamaru, and Lee into overwhelming shock, was how the gaping wide injury extended at least another several meters from the actual drill. "Kiba-kun and Akamaru-kun are spinning so fast, that they are able to make the wind created from this jutsu so sharp and powerful, it can reach out and damage a target without even needing a direct hit. The downside to this jutsu, is because of their very fast momentum, they cannot see anything that is happening around them. That is why Kiba-kun has marked us, it is so he can still determine our location by scent. I guess he chose to do that instead of marking the summon because it is so large."

Hinata explained, although her voice was muffled out at the end by the glass shattering shriek of pain that came from Wani. The deafening noise didn't end soon, as it instead grew louder when the drill struck upon the body of the summon, still grinding straight through with no resistance. The cavernous wide hole now going straight through Wani's head resembled that of the still stunned shinobi's mouths.

'U-Unreal!'

Detecting a sudden surge in his shadow, Shikamaru reluctantly dragged his sight down to see his captives, who suddenly were acting strange.

It was as if...they were in pain?

'They really are linked to Wani.'

Hearing yet another shriek, Shikamaru looked up to return to his awestruck form from before. The drill shot through it yet again from another angle, and on contact with the rippling water, it ricocheted off, and launched blindly at the creature again.

'I-Incredible!'

A sudden grab on her shoulder pulled Sakura out of her stunned posture to see wide eyed in fear byakugan irises, "Sakura-chan, Naruto-kun is in danger!"

Slamming his twin handed oodama rasengan for the eighth time now, Naruto really began to feel the strain of using so much chakra in so little time.

Panting and hunched over, he cursed, 'So close...just another one...'

"Suiton, Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" Launching a water dragon straight into the relentless squids, Kakashi looked over his shoulder to see the still sharply breathing blond.

"Are you ok Naruto?"

"Y-Yeah...I'm almost through sensei." Naruto muttered, whipping the raining like sweat off face.

'One oodama rasengan uses an inhuman amount of chakra, yet he is using two simultaneously, and has performed it well over several times now...His limit is going to be reached soon.'

Seeing the blonds' efforts, Kakashi had to commend Naruto. The 'crater' in the barrier was at least a dozen times his own height, and was caved in at least a house in width. Narrowing his eyes into the centre of the spot Naruto had been hitting, he could just make out the signs of the water flowing through something.

'He has finally reached all the way through, he shouldn't need to waste any more significant amount of chakra.'

"Naruto, only create a single oodama rasengan this time. You are going to need the chakra to fight." The sudden sound of a water rippling high pitched shriek butted into Naruto's response. Both looking to the source, they went agape in disbelief to see such a huge drill like blur cutting its way straight through Wani. Watching the carnage as the creature was torn to pieces brutally, for some strange reason, made Naruto begin to form a smirk at the tip of his mouth.

'That's Kiba!'

'So that was his plan?' Kakashi mused, soon noticing the squids in front of him suddenly hit the water surface again, and began to violently shake as if in deep pain.

'So these kinds of summons are directly linked with Wani like a hive mind...'

"He got that freak hell good!"

"Indeed, that was per-!?" Kakashi choked on his own words, as even though his mask concealed it, it was clear his mouth was hanging by its jaw in pure disbelief.

'IMPOSSIBLE!'

After hitting Wani for the final time, the doubled headed wolf crashed into the water, soon 'poofing' back into the shinobi and appeared unconscious K-9. Before they could sink, Shino and the Nara intervened, with Shikamaru heaving up the Inuzuka.

Even though Kiba was barely conscious, he was snickering near uncontrollably, "How is that for a plan, eh?!"

"...It was interesting none the less, as disgusting as it was. You certainly did the job."

Moving on, Shikamaru sighed, "Sakura, can you come here and take a look at-"

"She isn't here anymore Shikamaru-kun."

Hinata stated nervously, earning the Nara to snap his head over in question, "What?!"

He carefully passed Kiba to Lee's care, and then ran over to the heiress, "Where did she go?"

Not being able to hear what Hinata and Shikamaru were talking about, Lee gave a nudge to Kiba, "That was an astounding demonstration of your cunning skill that you must have trained vigorously to achieve, Kiba-kun."

"Heh, cheers...even though I have no clue what the heck you just said."

Feeling that creepy aura he was used to, Kiba clicked his tongue, "How was that Shino?"

"That was reckless of you Kiba. You know you can only handle performing that jutsu four times at most."

"It is dead isn't it?!" Kiba smugly countered, looking back at the disturbing sight.

When Kiba's pants halted with a very sharp intake, Lee raised an eyebrow, "Is there something the matter, Kiba-ku-?!" Lee's question was halted, as he and the others could only stare in terror.

"Shikamaru!"

Shino semi yelled out, earning the Nara to turn, "What is it no-....oh my god..."

Wani may as well have been described as being in a jigsaw puzzle worth of pieces, but somehow...they were rejoining. The shredded parts were dripping with the fowl ink, covering up the wounds Kiba's jutsu had caused, soon revealing new skin that didn't even have a scar to tell a tail.

Shikamaru was forced to gasp for air that he didn't breathe in throughout the horrific scene, 'Impossible...It is still alive!'

Wani's shriek did more than just pierce their ear drums, but struck down on the barely awake Kiba's pride like a ton of bricks, "Damn it...I screwed up...I'm sorry..." Kiba's apology however went on deaf ears, as all were now aware that the squids they thought were finally defeated were once again upon them.

Quickly forming a seal to form Kage Nui, Shikamaru cursed, 'Hurry up already Naruto!'

Once Wani's reconstruction had ended, Kakashi had to return his focus on the squids that were now attacking him again, "Naruto!"

The scarecrow's shout pulled Naruto out of his stunned posture, to then furiously nod and spin around. Shaking his sweaty head, Naruto formed his seal again.

"Kage bunshin no ju-?!"

Naruto choked the end of his jutsu, when suddenly a firm grip on the back of his collar pulled him back with a rough tug. Unable to regain balance, he tumbled on onto his backside, luckily concentrating enough chakra in time to remain above the water.

If Naruto had blinked, he would have missed the sudden blur of a large object striking into the spot he was once standing. Focussing on the now anchored object, he became aware of it being an unnaturally large sword.

Looking up at his saviour, he went wide eyed, "Sensei...is that-"

"Good reaction time." Interrupted a deep voice from above, forcing Naruto to look up to go agape as the figure, despite his giant like size, landed gracefully on the hilt of his sword. The piranha like smile shook him to his core.

"Hozuki Mangetsu." Kakashi announced, earning the Naruto he was still gripping to completely tense. Unable to stare into those cold violet eyes any longer, Naruto's head hung to look at the ocean blue water.

'This guy...killed Ero-sennin.'

Chuckling, Mangetsu lowered himself to look as if he was perching on the hilt like a bird, "So this is the Kyuubi Jinkuriki...Uzumaki Naruto if I am right?"

Kakashi felt a tremor on the end of his grip, and risked looking down in concern at his trembling student. If the cause was from anger, or fear, he could not determine. His trained senses picking up danger yet again forced him to break eye contact to look up at the new intruder.

"We meet again, Ronan." Regaining strength, Naruto finally jolted his emotionless face up to see the leader of this entire disaster, who also held a void of emotion baring expression. Feeling a sting in his heart, Naruto again had to look back down at the water.

"Hatake is yours Mangetsu, when you are done, do not inte-"

"Why..." Mumbled out Naruto coldly, earning Ronan to clench his mouth shut with a firm line. Kakashi looked down in deep worry again at his student, until abruptly, his trembling seized. With an unforseen source of strength, the blond jolted his head up to glare into Ronan's sharingan eyes with overwhelming emotion blazing in his glassy blue orbs.

"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LET THE PAST GO!?"

Gladly returning the glare, Ronan hissed, "You will never understand ,you brat. Are you even aware of the sacrifices that went to stopping the Kyuubi's attack that night. Hundreds of shinobi and kunoichi put down their lives to stopping the very beast that is sealed within you. The Yondaime had to sacrifice his own life to succeed in saving Konoha, even when he was informed hours before about his loved one being on her death bed!"

Kakashi's eyes could not bulge any wider in shock, 'H-How does he know about Kushina?!'

Naruto was stunned too at the news, but quickly shook it off, "You think I don't know that?! You really think I don't care about all trouble it has caused?! I HAVE BEEN STUCK WITH THIS-THIS THING FROM THE BEGINNING!"

Taking a sharp breath, Naruto did not relent, "People looking at me with 'those' eyes. Eyes that looked like they were afraid of me, angered by me...HATED ME! I DAMN WELL KNOW ABOUT THE S-SHIT THE KYUUBI HAS CAUSED FOR EVERYONE MORE THAN ANYONE!"

Not taking being looked down upon anymore, Naruto pulled himself to his feet. Ronan was not phased at all by Naruto's protests, "Then accept you are a failure, and let's put all those who have suffered to rest."

Naruto's sudden hysterical laughter made the Uchiha raise an eyebrow, "Suffered? Suffered...YOU ARE THE BLOODY GUY THAT IS CONTINUING TO MAKE EVERYBODY SUFFER!"

Feeling Naruto wasn't going to do anything hasty, Kakashi released his hold on the blonde's collar, 'Tell him Naruto...'

"It has been fifteen damn years, but all you have wanted to do is get revenge on me. What the bloody hell have I done?! I Didn't turn into some freak by that Danzou jerk to mindlessly beat anyone up who had a grudge against Konoha. Is that really your goddamn reason to make not just the people who died that night continue to be put through hell, but the people that had NOTHING to do with that night as well?!"

Furiously rubbing his eyes to refuse to show his pain, Naruto continued after a couple of sharp pants, "Tazuna-jiji, Inari, Tsunami-Neesan, everybody in Wave, the spies, the thugs you hired, Sasuke...My comrades, E-Ero-sennin-"

"Do not lecture me with such ridiculo-"

"YOUR OWN GODDAMN TEAMMATE!"

Naruto was too emotional to notice it, but Kakashi saw the sudden shock in the Uchiha's face, knowing that Naruto had just hit the nail on the head.

"Your own comrades, your friends...all of them dead, even after surviving what ever happened that horrible night. Just because you can't just let your stupid grudge go!" Ronan's shock was more apparent, with his mouth now slightly hung open.

Naruto couldn't stop his tears anymore, "I don't give a shit what you think of me! But I promise you this, I am going to do something that actually will HELP the people that have felt pain from the Kyuubi all this time...and that is to beat the crap out of you until you will bloody stop!"

Ronan's shock finally broke, showing his genuine anger that his slit narrow sharingan eyes were practically glowing, "Don't you dare educate me in a matter you are so delusional about, jinkuriki!"

Ronan then began his charge at Naruto, unsheathing his katana in the process. Kakashi quickly got in front of Naruto at the ready, 'This situation is the worst possible. Naruto is exhausted from trying to break the barrier, we are surrounded, and the others have their hands full or are not aware...'

Meanwhile...

Sakura must have been the only one who did not freeze up when Wani reformed. Either that, or her already alert mind chose to accept it and move on, since something else had taken her priority.

'Hinata said Ronan and that swordsman were closing in on Naruto!' Not stopping in her sprint as she bashed a squid with more force than necessary, she began to hear voices.

It sounded like Naruto, 'WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LET THE PAST GO?!' She heard come from the distance, making her curse when another squid got in her way to then receive her harsh fist, 'DAMN IT I HAVE TO HURRY!'

Finally being granted vision of what was happening through the maze of squids, she paused for a moment to catch her breath, 'He is still ok....thank you.' She mused to whoever was above, and started her sprint again.

Her eyes though widened, when her senses picked up danger to her right, and in an instant on reflex, unsheathed the kunai on her back and deflected a lone senbon that was aimed at her forehead. On reflex again, she turned herself to face the direction where Naruto and Kakashi were, to clash her kunai against a senbon being held by a bluey-gray eyed kunoichi, "And just where do you think you are going?"

Gripping her kunai tighter, Sakura struggled to not look over Claara's shoulder when Naruto was still yelling.

"Please step aside."

"Heh, I hope you don't expect me to take that request seriously."

Grinding her teeth at once again being blocked from helping Naruto, she glared, "Get out of my way!" she repeated ever so similar from before.

Claara's amused giggle only made her put more pressure on their clashing weapons, "So much anger, you obviously want a repeat of what happened last time, don't you?"

Relaxing her gritting teeth to a frown, she now met the kunoichi eye to eye. Satisfied that Claara had most of her attention, she smirked, "However, I am curious...how did you survive?"

Treading lightly, Sakura chose her words carefully, "I am a trained medic-nin, that is how!"

"Hehehe. I am impressed."

Naruto's distant yell made Sakura shake her head at this game, "I don't want to hear your trash, you are here to kill me for whatever reason, are you not?!"

Claara still was replying composedly, "That it may be, but I have been assigned to this mission after all...I am just killing two birds in one stone, so to speak."

"I don't understand you at all, I have never even heard about you before this mess. Why do you want to kill me?"

Smirking, Claara leaned her head in closer, "Monkshood."

"What do you..."

Seeing her emerald orbs bulge in realisation, Claara gave a light chirp, "Still don't recall?"

"The town back then...the water supply poisoning. The key ingredient plant was the Aconitum plant, or also known as the Monkshood....You were the one behind doing that?!"

"That is one of several times we have met informally. Angels trumpet, Rhus, Azalea...do you understand now?"

"What the hell kind of person are you?!"

Sakura growled, putting enough pressure to make Claara take a step back, "I am just an ordinary kunoichi, doing the evil deeds that is required of any able ninja. Just as you are. You simply are complicating my means of earning a living, so do not take it personally."

"I am nothing like you!"

Laughing, Claara recomposed her smirk, "Stop lying to yourself, you know that as a ninja you are expected to be nothing but a utility for a 'greater cause'. We both have taken lives in order to meet our goals after all...have we not?"

Sakura tried so hard not to reflect any emotion in her eyes, but Claara gave a smile to the very brief flicker behind them, "My my...you are more of a child than I guessed at first...you still haven't even made your first kill."

Nibbling on her lower lip, Sakura narrowed her eyes, "I have seen people die before me in the hospital-"

"Stupid child, there is a difference between failing to save a life, and taking it with your own hands."

"STOP CALLING ME A CHILD!"

"Very well then, kunoichi. Such a pity as well, you certainly were looking up to being a rare find."

Sakura held puzzlement at what that meant, which Claara decided to elaborate on, "I believe a woman needs to be strong to survive in this world."

Sakura held surprise to those words that she remembered saying so long ago to Ino, as Claara continued, "Most foolish women don't even understand what is it they are signing themselves in for when they choose to go down the path of becoming a ninja. Most of them just seem to do it because some attractive boy decided to join up, and just like that, said thick headed man decided the fate of a handful of fantasy filled idiots. I have seen it happen back in grass, and I damn well know only a few of us see differently. Then when they witness their first real mission in this cruel and dark world, they realise...just how wrong their choice was. They then either die on the battlefield, or become a hindrance to their comrades. So few kunoichi seem to seek change when they make that discovery...or they quit being a ninja."

Sakura's still baring shock made Claara sigh, "But then again, you were fortunate enough to be chosen by Tsunade out of potentially dozens of others, some probably more talented than you were at the time. Since you were after all, one of those fantasy filled id-"

"No! I have the same belief as you have about us needing to be strong to survive, but you are wrong! I wasn't chosen out of a hat by my master, I WENT TO HER AND DEMANDED HER TO HELP ME CHANGE!"

Claara's eyebrows raised in surprise, "Demanded her to help you? That is a pretty gutsy and blunt thing to do to a hokage. Tell me, what would you have done if she refused?"

Swallowing the lump at the back of her throat, Sakura closed her eyes for a moment, remembering seeing Naruto bandaged up in the hospital bed, and Sasuke walking away from her that night. She then reopened them with no trace of doubt, "I would have never given up until I found someone that would help me change!"

Claara grew a very strange, but somehow genuine smile, "Well then...it appears I deeply misjudged your character. It is a shame we are enemies, we may have been good friends."

"What do you mea-"

"Don't you dare educate me in a matter you are so delusional about, jinkuriki!"

Going wide eyed in realisation Claara had successfully distracted her, she looked over the kunoichi's shoulder to see Ronan charging at Naruto and Kakashi.

'No!'

Ending the tug of war between kunai and senbon, Sakura jumped back and began to sprint towards Claara, until a sudden earthquake that shook the entire area almost made her lose balance. The following shriek made her head turn to go yet again into shock. Wani had been impaled by a sword easily the same size as the creature itself, which was being wielding by similar sized red toad that was wearing the top half of a blue kimono.

Sakura wasn't the only one stunned, as Ronan also had paused in his charge to stare in question, while Naruto was baffled, 'T-That's Gamabu-'

"Rasengan!" Came a shout from the other end of the wall that rang bells for everyone, as suddenly the rest of the barrier exploded, causing a sudden gush of water to flow out of the entrance as untameable as a broken dam.

Acting quickly and non caring about the Uchiha or swordsman, Kakashi grabbed Naruto and jumped them to the safety of a nearby roof top, as the back draft of water continued to stream out.

Sakura had not even noticed what had happened, and lost her footing when the strength of the running water reached her. Soon she was at the mercy of the still rapid current, unceremoniously hitting into a wall of a still standing structure, only to miss the chance to grip on it with chakra, as the current continued to drag her down to the new entrance.

Naruto caught a glimpse of pink in the strongly streaming out water, "Sakura-chan!" He cried, desperately running only to be held back by Kakashi.

"LET ME GO SENSEI!" He screamed, only to still meet resistance.

"She will be fine, just relax."

Naruto did not even listen to Kakashi, as he still struggled to run, "Calm down Naruto!"

"SAKURA-CHAN IS GOING TO DIE, LET ME GO-"

"No, she is not...look." Reluctantly following Kakashi's finger, Naruto felt time itself freeze when his eyes met the mark.

Sakura rammed yet again into another wall, this one making her gasp only to swallow in salt water. Unable to keep her eyes open anymore from the stinging pain, she just blindly tried to grab anything she could. Ramming into a odd bump made her go partially air borne, only to then crash against something that felt much more comforting than a cement wall to her relief. Fortunately, she was able to get a grip on whatever the object was, and latched onto it as if her life depended on it.

When the sound of the gushing water eased, she heard a very recognizable giggle, "We have been through this already. Naruto will kill me if he sees you groping me, and you are WAY too young for my liking, no?"

Gasping, she snapped her eyes open to only be completely stunned for seemed to be the several time that day, only this one easily trumped them all. Her wide jade eyes could understand what she was seeing, but her mind could not comprehend it.

Hearing laboured pants behind her, she slowly looked over her shoulder to see a similarly bewildered Naruto, "T-This is a joke...it has to be!"

"Eh? Why are you looking at me as if you have just seen a ghost, gaki?"

AN: ....Let me just say this. The reason the fight was so confusing and 'fake', was because it was my very intention to cause confusion at how fast it happened. Either it being bad writing on my end, or I genuinely did convince a few readers I will leave up to you to criticize (be nice of course :) ).

Now then Manga talk:

Hinata's jutsu ~ Her actions were desperate. However, of all the jutsu's she may have, she would not have tried to hit Deva Pein with that jutsu unless she believed it would do something. To me, many would expect the jutsu to be taijutsu based on what we saw, but I believe otherwise...and it adds a nice twist to the general taijutsu orientation of the Hyuuga (remembering Hinata has been shown in the anime to be creating her own style based on the gentlefist stance).

Finally, I am announcing in advance the next chapter release will be a while. I want to spend extra time to ensure the next couple of chapters are as detailed as I can make them.