Chapter 24: Orochimaru: Lights out!

Shikaku knew that Inoichi had pin point the coordinate of his beloved daughter, Ino. Inoichi's unconscious body came back to life after exiting the mind of a large flying carnivorous creature. His serious nod confirmed it. he had found team 10.

"They seem to be moving closer to the exit," he stated after getting up from the tree he had been resting on.

"You think they're running away?" Shikaku asked in disbelief. He didn't know why he should be shocked. Shikaku didn't put it past him that Shikamaru's lazy influence might've affected the rest of the team.

"No. It looked to me as though they are after something." Inoichi replied. His back was already turned to them, ready to lead the way.

Sasuke did a side glance. Running next to him was Hinata. He had feelings of doubts towards the team, and his distain did not escape Sakura's gaze as she was running right behind him.

Hinata paused, her mouth opened slightly to talk, but her eyes suddenly widened in surprise. Everyone stopped advancing just to watch her in suspense.

"Trying to outrun him might be impossible. We're 3 hours away from the exit, and he has caught up with us in less than 30 minutes." Hinata said.

"We don't have any other option." Sasuke countered as he turned around and made a movement to keep running. He wanted to live another day to train and to get stronger so that he can make everything right by ending the life of a certain someone. Who knows what other atrocity that monster of a brother has done outside the walls of the Leaf village.

"Wait Sasuke! You heard her!" Naruto yelled. And on a more serious tone, he added; "Running away isn't my style. I say we stay here and bring the fight to him!"

"Heh, I figured you would say something like that," Kiba said and signaled everyone to follow. He jumped down from the tree, and soon everyone followed.

"So, we need a plan. The dude's gonna be here in less than ten minutes since I can already smell him. And he's bringing company. Whatever that thing is, it smells disgusting. Well actually, they both smell disgusting." Kiba spoke as he started rigging the area with explosives and traps.

It was evident that this would become the battlefield as they decided to stay and fight.

"It's a snake," Hinata added her piece of information.

"A big one at that," Shino added. Not wanting to stay idle and wait for death, Shino decided he will help in his own way. "I'll go and gather as many enforcements as I can." They both knew Shino meant an army of insects. In mere seconds, he was already upon a tree, with both his arms stretched towards the sky. With his eyes closed, he commanded every insect within the area, however large or small, to come to him. Although not all obeyed, some did decide to lend him aid. Shino stood by at the ready, as wordless preparations were being made.

"You're not the only one with an army! Time to summon some of my own!" Naruto said. Moments later, he was seen giving commands to his clones while at a distance.

"Hey Hinata," Sakura said.

Hinata quickly noticed that there in her eyes was a look similar she had seen during the academy days. Sakura had come up with a plan. As Hinata walked close to her friend, she was unaware that she was about to join a conspiracy.

"I need your help," Sakura said while taking a side glance at Sasuke. It didn't escape her that Sasuke was currently really focused after he joined Kiba's side and diligently set up his own traps to the surrounding area.

"Oh?" Hinata pondered about the connection that this plan may have to Sasuke. She involuntarily glanced at Sasuke while trying to figure out what Sakura might need help with. Noticing the attention, Sasuke glanced back at her. Their eyes certainly met. As fleeting as whatever that moment was, Hinata's body froze in front of his hateful glare. How could he already hate her so much when they were just strangers?

Shino stood ready for battle. As his focus appeared to be towards the atmosphere. However, an insect had been buzzing information into his ear about what the girls were planning, however one-sided that plan was.

"Dad?" Chouji asked. Not sure if he should be believing his eyes. Why would his father be there? Although there was a bigger question to be asked. "D-Don't tell me you don't believe in me?" He said, accusingly. "and that's why you came here, to get me to drop out of the fight?! To ask me to quit!"

Ino was having a similar reaction. She raised an eyebrow as if to prompt her own father to explain himself. Shikamaru stepped forward in front of his group and acknowledged them with a frown. Their presence could only hint at a bigger conflict than just mere parental worries. He wished to be wrong.

"We need to bring you guys back with us. It isn't safe anymore." Inoichi said. The other two gave a slight nod as to further validate the statement.

"It wasn't safe from the start. So, what changed? Is the village under attack?" Ino had come up with the conclusion Shikamaru was too reluctant to ask.

Just then, three Leaf village Jounin from the Inuzuka clan had caught up with them. They were mounted on majestic oversized dogs that could be mistaken for mystical beasts.

"Tsume sent us to make sure you don't forget about Kiba." A male Inuzuka stated. His voice was devoid of emotions and it didn't match his looks which were wild and free.

"Hey, wait a minute, I smell the small grunt and his team up ahead!" A much more carefree Inuzuka said. The pack of three sped ahead without another exchange.

"Tsume is going to be pissed if she finds out that you weren't eager to follow." Inoichi commented with a chuckle. He was addressing Shikaku but was ignored.

"Let's go. We can't stay around here and waste any more time." Shikaku said.

"Hold on, we were trying to find team 8 because we know they're in trouble." Shikamaru stretched his arm and opened his palm. Shino's bug landed on his skin, flailing and buzzing as if it were trying its best to communicate.

Choza regarded the insect with sympathy.

"It must be really worried about its host." He concluded. He looked at the young kids he watched grow up, with a kind smile, and then turned to his team. "I'll go on ahead with the Inuzukas and make sure team 8 makes it back." Choza said after turning its attention to the guiding beetle.

"The Inuzukas are capable of handling this," Shikaku stated. But it was his way of talking Choza out of the idea of separating.

"I gave Tsume my word." Choza replied. Once upon a time, Tsume and Shikaku used to be close. She warmed her way into their Ino-Shika-Cho group but conflict separated them. Choza didn't forget those summer days of their youth he once wished to never end. Although the bond wasn't as strong anymore, the past was still just as real.

Their children missed the nonverbal exchanged between the three adults.

"You know how Shikaku feels about splitting up. It's never that good of a plan." Inoichi said, his words taking a double meaning, which is how the bond they had with Tsume got severed. The three of them had a crush on her, and the three of them decided to let her go. "But I get it. Just don't go off playing the hero and we'll see you when you get back." The last words were spoken with a much more serious tone.

Choza nodded.

He walked up to Ino and Chouji and patted them on their heads. He then moved to Shikamaru and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"See you soon guys."

"He's here," Hinata warned them, her byakugan still active. Kiba's eyes skimmed through the surrounding, nose twitching, ears twitching. He remembered where Sasuke meticulously placed his traps. He was ready.

"Guess this is it." Kiba looked at them as if bidding everyone a silent goodbye.

"Hey, let's not sound so cynic. We're gonna' kick this guy's ass, believe it!" Naruto said, earning a nod from Sakura who was grinning.

Hinata shook her head and smiled a little. He had a way of quickly boosting the team's spirits.

"That's not part of the plan at all, weren't you listening?" Sasuke added, noting that Shino was in place, with beetles at ready.

"F-Forget the plan! He's not slowing down one bit! Everyone get down!" Kiba yelled.

Sasuke turned to Hinata, she was the closest to him at the time. He ran up to her and reached out. When their hands connected he instinctively shielded her with his own body as they went down on the ground.

Just then, a powerful wind cut through the forest, loud enough to be mistaken by an explosion. It shattered every tree while simultaneously creating wooden bullet which shot at every direction, triggering every explosive tags and traps that the genins had set up.

When it was over, Hinata opened her eyes and glanced at her teammate's face with concern, they were both still disoriented. Sasuke slowly got off her, but his eyes widen when he realized not a single tree was left standing. They were out in the open, with nowhere to hide.

This was not part of the plan at all! He quickly glanced at Shino and saw he was still standing. At least that much was going according to plan.

Kiba stood up, while cradling his puppy in his arm. He turned his attention to Naruto who had been gravely injured from protecting Sakura the same way Hinata had been protected. There was a lot of blood flowing down his face, and staining his golden hair.

Everyone's cries fell death on his ear as Naruto stood slowly, gritting his teeth in anger.

The demon inside of him was whispering things, Orochimaru mused. But no matter, he gave a command to the snake beside him, to strike. Without missing a beat, Naruto ran up to Orochimaru, while his hidden shadow clones jumped out from every direction to join the battle.

Everything almost happened under three seconds.

One, Naruto was knocked unconscious, while his clones were easily dispersed.

Two, Orochimaru maneuvered forward, efficiently stabbing the girls, before moving on to the Inuzuka. The three dropped in unison, leaving Sasuke and Shino froze in place, as he licked the blood from his sword.

Three, the thrashing snake slithered towards Sasuke, with its mouth wide open, ready to complete its task.

But with monstrous strengths, Choza punched the snake away from a scared Sasuke. And stood defiantly in front of Orochimaru, as the three Inuzuka efficiently collected the bodies of Sakura, Hinata, and Kiba.

"Hurry, take them back to the hospital!" Choza said. The Inuzuka group leader nodded silently while scooping up an unconscious Naruto on his back.

"We'll make sure to send help." The leader whispered before they took off.

Orochimaru didn't seem the least affected by the unwelcomed company. He used the time to evaluate the situation and decided to cut his losses. The heirs were severely wounded, it would take a miracle to heal them; something Orochimaru considered a small victory since this will only serve as a set back to the leaf village.

The Aburame boy was still standing, and Orochimaru saw no reason for this boy to be left unscathed. He flickered over to the boy and impaled him with the sword he had withdrawn so fast that Choza had no time to reach him in time.

"Shino!" Choza yelled. But what happened next left him baffled. Shino had dispersed into a thousand small insects which scattered away in defeat.

"What a smart boy, he left his clone here while he went into hiding." Orochimaru said to himself as he twisted his body and flickered over to Sasuke, but his path was blocked by Choza whose body grew four times his size.

Sasuke had finally snapped out of it and seemed ready to attempt to join the fight. He tossed four kunais at the snake approaching them. Something that didn't escape their notice was Sasuke who refused to activate his Sharingan.

Choza continued to stand in between Orochimaru and Sasuke, stalling for time, hoping for the Hokage to get there fast.

"The boy is mine," Orochimaru spoke for the first time. And something about those words was unsettling, it sounded that he had already won. And in a way, Orochimaru had, because Choza did not consider that Orochimaru would have a minion on his way.

"Gotcha!" A silvered hair teen with glasses appeared from behind Sasuke and grabbed him in a choke hold before flickering away with him.

"No!" Choza yelled, dropping his guard. And always seeking amusement and pleasure, Orochimaru left Choza with a parting gift; a bite. Its purpose was different from the others bites which he loves to inflict. It was a poisonous bite that was stronger than any poisoned-laced weapons only because it came directly from himself.

Choza's hand shot up to the wound he had been given. Before he could register what had happened, his internal organs came to live. Choza collapsed there, alone. His body wouldn't let him remain conscious due to the intense pain he had never felt before.

N/A: Hey readers/reviewers, I will try to complete the story for sure.

And also, I know there have been several chapter lacking in the Shika/Hina department, but I couldn't have him be involved in every important scene for the sake of my future plot.