24 - Survival Tactics
Projectiles rained down on Team 8 from a floating cluster of umbrellas outfitted with senbon along their spines. The unorthodox weapons spun above the treetops at incomprehensible speeds, fueled by a remote source of chakra. All three sensor-type Genin ducked and dodged to avoid harm. Hinata's eyes flared with chakra. Kiba's nostrils twitched while he kept track of the enemy's scent. Meanwhile, Shino lifted his arms and unleashed a swarm of insects around everyone. The dome of flying bugs was meant to provide them with a layer of defense. In reality, the most this tactic offered was visual noise that lessened their attackers' accuracy. Still, it was something.
"Alright," Kiba exhaled. "Thanks for buying us time, Shino. Listen up, guys! I have an idea."
He rattled off a summary of his strategy while the three of them danced around the volley of sharp objects. Hinata shrieked as a needle managed to power past Shino's insect net and rip through one of her sleeves. A trickle of blood poured from the ensuing wound. Rather than take time to worry about her own injury, she moved to protect Kiba's vulnerable ninja hound. She ignored the pain of a few needles lodging into her exposed back and found an untouched patch of grass. Hinata deposited Akamaru between a sturdy tree and a felled log overgrown with weeds. The white-furred pup gave a bark of gratitude and dug himself a small trench for added security.
"We need to escape," Shino said. He failed to keep the exhaustion out of his voice.
The prolonged assault was taking its toll on him. Still, he did his best to direct individual streams of insects at their distant attackers while using the majority of his parasitic symbiotes to keep the dome stable. Shino's strategic thinking thinned out the hail of needles long enough for Kiba to scoop up Akamaru and pluck the needles from Hinata's jacket. He stumbled, causing the Byakugan princess to gasp as her eyes fell on the cause. His pant leg was wet on one side. She didn't require an Inuzuka's keen sense of smell to figure out what the red dirt was where his sandal met the ground.
"Kiba," she said through brittle breaths, "your leg!"
"It's fine. Let's focus on getting out of here first."
"Arf!" cried Akamaru, signaling something from his cozy spot between Kiba's jacket and bosom.
"Okay Akamaru," the canine lover said. "Let's do it! Shino, we're ready."
Hinata watched in awe and confusion. She was unable to understand the message, as she didn't speak dog. The Inuzuka Clan sure had amazing abilities. She noticed a foreign chakra and straightened, calling out to her comrades.
"One of them's closing in. There!"
Kiba crouched, letting his ninja hound crawl up his body and balance atop his extended back. Akamaru initiated a transformation. Senbon hurtled toward the group before the tag team formation was complete. Hinata and Shino used their respective abilities to evade the projectiles and guard Kiba, who popped a smoke bomb. His teammates retreated into the smokescreen in stalwart combat stances. The shower of spikes petered out for a few seconds as the enemy lost sight of them.
A few seconds was all Kiba needed.
He and Akamaru burst out of hiding, the latter having transformed into an identical copy of his owner. They both spun like corkscrews, moving so fast that a breeze swayed the leaves around them as they went. Crashing into one tree after another, they weakened the integrity of the grove of trees their adversaries depended on for cover. Shino followed up by using his insect streams to startle the enemies and manipulate them into leaving their hiding spots. They jumped down from the highest branches of their respective trees, preparing to make a move.
They never got the chance.
More insects flowed up the tree trunks, closing the distance and nibbling at their ankles.
Two of the foes stumbled and fell. They dug kunai into the sides of the trees to create footholds, avoiding serious harm. Several loud creaks told them these supports would not last long. Making matters even more dire, Shino's insects were nibbling away at their chakra with every passing second. Kiba and Akamaru spiraled from one section of the forest to the next, slamming against the buckling trees one final time. They slowed their rotation and came to a stylish halt.
"Heh!" Kiba snarled. He was on all fours, teeth bared and nails digging narrow treads into the soil. Beside him, the transformed Akamaru mirrored his pose. "Looks like you guys lost your advantage."
Something whistled through the air from above, prompting Hinata to look up into the sky. She gasped and, acting without thinking, shoulder checked Kiba aside. Then she sent a surge of chakra to her dominant hand, doing her best to mold it into a somewhat stable form in a split second. Through one well aimed palm strike, she deflected the oncoming third team member's weapon. He wielded a drab-colored umbrella like the ones overlooking their battle.
The boy backflipped through the air, rolling into the momentum of Hinata's Gentle Fist attack. His movement was floaty enough to cushion the descent. Unconventional, just like his choice of weaponry. Coupling that with the snide smirk he wore like a suit of clothing gave his whole ensemble an air of intimidating confidence. Maybe he laid it on quite thick, but in truth, Hinata wasn't feeling too hopeful that they had a chance at victory either.
"Shigure," one of the guys hanging from the trees said. "You alright?"
Shigure's comrades landed on either side of him sporting identical pinstriped uniforms and hats. Everything about the way the three ninja were dressed seemed geared toward utility. In place of visually pleasing fashion choices, they opted for sleek one pieces hooked up to what Hinata assumed were oxygen tanks. They wore thick gloves whose muted colors would make it easy to camouflage when necessary.
"Yeah, I'm fine," the one named Shigure said. "They aren't so tough. Barely even felt that!" He wiped his mouth and smirked at Hinata.
She froze, considering their options. Kiba needed medical attention, Shino was low on chakra, and she…well, she doubted she could do enough to even the odds. Hinata silenced these thoughts by recalling her role model and the inspiring light he spread everywhere he went. Naruto wouldn't want her to give up here, so she had to try. Sliding into a defensive stance, Hinata trained her Byakugan on Shigure. He seemed to be the informal leader of their trio, so taking him out first was ideal to cripple their morale. In fact, defeating him wasn't necessary. All they needed to do was-
"Kiba!" Hinata said over her shoulder.
"What's up, Hinata?" He winced, but refused to acknowledge his injury.
"I have a plan. I'll need you and Akamaru's help for it, though."
Shino and Kiba took their places beside Hinata, mirroring Shigure's team. Akamaru barked atop Kiba's head, which Hinata assumed meant he was onboard with the plan.
"Well, we're all ears," Shino said. He pushed up his tinted glasses and called the rest of his parasitic insects back to him. The chakra pool they relied on for survival was waning fast, made evident by how they retreated into his clothing to rest.
All three members of Team Shigure held an open umbrella out in front of them to ward off attacks. Hinata whispered her strategy to the others, then charged headlong at the enemy group. She focused her Byakugan on Shigure, looking past the two long scars running up his right cheek all the way through one eye. Checking the stitched side of his mouth to ensure he wasn't hiding a weapon or storing chakra there, she moved on to his extremities. Chakra was concentrated into the handle of his umbrella through his fingertips.
It's just like I suspected, she said to herself.
"You think you can take us, girly?!" he shouted. "Then bring it on!"
Hinata danced sideways as Shigure swiped his umbrella in a wide arc to pelt her with another flurry of senbon. Frustrated that none of the projectiles hit their mark, he repeated the motion. Some of the needles that shot out at too wide an angle came swerving back at her when Shigure concentrated his chakra. Hinata almost took a hit but a few defensive palm strikes were enough to avoid damage. Fortunately for her, the Gentle Fist Style was perfect for evasion.
She may not have been anywhere near as well rounded as Neji when it came to the technique, but she was by no means an easy mark. Training with Naruto during her free time for years bore satisfying results. Not to mention the time she spent during the month he was gone devising ways to push herself further. Hinata wanted to continue improving not only to stay close to her lifelong crush, but for her team's sake. One weak link could jeopardize their chances of becoming Chunin. Kiba and Shino wanted this almost as much as Naruto did. Far be it from her to stand in the way of them making it to the next phase.
Her eyes buzzed with yet another burst of chakra. Hinata's show of determination did nothing but further embolden her assailants. They attacked again, overwhelming her with the sheer volume of projectiles. The shower of spikes grew too dense to see what was happening and decimated trees in the direct line of fire. Kiba and Shino used Hinata's distraction to find more advantageous positions; if they hadn't capitalized on this, they would have been turned into porcupines right along with her.
The rain of senbon came to an abrupt halt. Shigure surveyed the carnage and sighed. Hinata lay flat on her back with more needles in her than a pin cushion.
"Check if she has the scroll on her, Midare," Shigure commanded.
The taller of the two similarly dressed Rain Ninja nodded and tiptoed around the battlefield to inspect the fallen kunoichi. However, he gasped when her body disappeared with a soft pop and plume of smoke. In her place was a log with several paper tags attached. They activated and began to sizzle.
"Midare, get out of there!" shouted the third teammate, but it was already too late.
The hazardous minefield of spikes was too difficult to navigate. Midare tip-toed between them as fast as he could, but still got caught in the blast radius. The tags set off a chain reaction of explosions that decimated the surrounding area. Midare took a heavy blow to the back that knocked him out. He slumped against a large rock. Shigure and his teammate ducked behind their umbrellas and used them as shields, but to no avail. The explosion blasted the fallen needles like shrapnel, piercing straight through their defenses.
Wincing when several needles sliced his face and shoulders, Shigure shouted, "Baiu, pull back! This is a diversion."
The chaos died down to a disturbing silence. Both Rain Ninja backed away from the small crater Hinata's fakeout created. Casing the area with his good eye, Shigure signaled the all clear for Baiu to go collect Midare. Meanwhile, the brunette threw down his tattered umbrella and looked up above the canopy.
"What're we supposed to do now?" Baiu said. He frowned at his own ruined weapon while carrying Midare piggyback style. "Our senbon technique will be useless now."
Shigure flicked his chin upward. "I'll just have to retrieve those. Watch Midare while I'm gone."
The young man leapt from one large branch to another, making his way toward several umbrellas that were still floating above the treetops. They'd already descended a couple of feet due to dwindling chakra. Baiu slipped a kunai out of his weapon bag and held it out in front of him. He stilled his trembling hands, eyes darting around in hypervigilant fear.
A twig snapped, drawing a high pitched squeak out of him. He glanced in either direction. Up above, Shigure was within a few feet of the leftover umbrellas. He had no idea that danger lurked nearby. Baiu, on the other hand, could see the approaching threat clearly from his vantage point. He cried out to alert Shigure, but the warning came too late.
"Huh?" Shigure turned to his teammate just as his foot landed on a weakened branch. He fell, gazing with horror at the insects teeming from cracks in the branch. He stopped his fall by clawing into the side of the tree, only to feel a powerful tremor from below.
Kiba and Akamaru made a sharp turn around a corner while spinning at top speed. They shredded through the base of the tree Shigure dangled from along with a few others. The tree tipped to one side in slow motion. A sharp creak from its splintering foundation echoed through the treetops. Cursing, Shigure abandoned the makeshift foothold and freefell toward the forest floor. However, a charge in the air caught the Rain shinobi's attention. He turned in midair and came face to face with a fierce glare from Hinata's Byakugan.
She leapt toward him using one of the falling trees as leverage and attempted an open palmed strike. He spun to dodge with limited success: a film of sizzling energy around her outstretched hand grazed his cheek. Hinata refused to let up, bracing her foot against another tree and dashing back at him. One by one, the spare umbrellas drifted past the two of them, having lost the minimum amount of chakra required. Shigure's heart dropped into his stomach when he saw how perforated and worn down they were. He deduced that the weird bug guy must've sabotaged them while the Hyuuga girl was drawing all of the attention.
Shigure cursed again at these newbies' annoying persistence. He stole a quick glance over his shoulder. Down below, Baiu was busy dealing with relentless leg bites, courtesy of Akamaru. He was unable to dispatch the otherwise minor threat due to Kiba running interference. The hooded Genin aimed high with dynamic movements and swift slashes while Akamaru went low.
Hinata closed in on Shigure, determined to land a hit. The backdrop of an entire line of trees tumbling like dominoes announced their battle to anyone in the Forest of Death who wasn't already aware. He drew a kunai and tried to stab Hinata as they fell, only to find his arm was numb in several spots and less responsive than usual.
Did her jutsu get me? When?
There was no time to analyze this. Shigure's blade zipped past Hinata's face, missing the mark by a hair. She capitalized on the opportunity and thrust a palm into his chest, accelerating his fall. He spasmed as the attack pierced through to the center of his nervous system, causing internal damage to his chakra network. Shigure's vision blurred. In his final moment of lucidity, he saw the last two floating umbrellas spiraling toward the ground.
Damn it! So that was her plan all along? Getting me alone to screw up my chakra control?
His eyelids fluttered closed. Shigure waited for the inevitable hard landing that was to come.
Instead, a pair of hands cradled him, interrupting his momentum. He was safely deposited on the ground and used what little control he had over his body to crack an eye open and search for his rescuer. The weirdo guy in a high collared coat and shades from the Byakugan girl's team observed him with a calm demeanor.
"W-why?" Shigure croaked. He heard the girl slide to a stop somewhere behind him.
"Hm?" Bug Boy said.
"Why…would you guys save me? We're enemies."
The Hyuuga girl answered for her comrade, albeit in choppy sentences. "B-because there's no reason to h-hurt you any further. We only need another s-scroll."
The bug guy pushed up his tinted glasses and nodded. "Hinata's right. We would never have gone after your team if you hadn't attacked first. Not without proof you had the scroll we needed."
"Good job, Shino!" Kiba interrupted. He dragged Baiu's unconscious body over to one of the larger trees and tied him to its trunk. "Even without much chakra, you helped me take this guy down!"
Shigure gasped, realizing that Midare was also tied up on the opposite side of the same tree. The grim reality of their defeat caused a weight to settle in his chest. Still, he couldn't help but smile to himself. Things could have gone much worse.
Shino noted the concern for Baiu and Midare on Shigure's face. "I didn't hurt your friend. The reason is because my role in Hinata's plan was only to set traps."
Had Shino not pointed it out, Shigure never would have noticed the snare net surrounding Baiu. This 'Hinata' girl and her team planned way more out than he expected. How was their teamwork already so good? They were just a bunch of rookies!
The sensation of hands rummaging around in his pant pockets stole Shigure's attention. He forced both eyes open and scanned for the person searching him. Shino's short, spiky hair popped up on the edge of his vision.
"They don't have an Earth scroll," the insect host pointed out. He backed away to join his friends.
"Aww crap!" Kiba said. "Now what?"
Hinata walked up to Kiba and took hold of his wrist. "First we need to treat your leg, Kiba," she said in a timid tone.
"I'm fine, okay?" he lied. Akamaru whined and licked his ankle. Both Shino and Hinata snapped doubtful gazes toward their teammate. "Ugh! Alright, then. But let's be quick about it so we don't get snuck up on."
A couple of minutes later, Hinata was tying a double-wrapped bandage around Kiba's leg. He winced and started to get up, only for her to put a hand against his knee and stop him.
"Hang on," she pleaded. Without her Byakugan active, the fierceness seen earlier was gone, instead replaced by a doting kindness.
Her comrade groaned, biting the edge of one of several sharp nails to manage his restlessness.
"Listen, Kiba. My ointment should take care of your wound, but if you aren't careful, you'll reopen the injury."
He huffed. "Yeah, yeah. I get it."
"You shouldn't use Fang Over Fang for the next day or so either, just to be safe."
Kiba's eyes became the size of saucers. "What?! You gotta be kidding me. That's Akamaru and I's strongest attack! Well, second strongest."
"I-I know," she said, staring at the forest floor. "But I don't want you to get hurt."
Akamaru chimed in with a passionate bark of agreement.
Shino turned to Shigure. In the same instant, Baiu and Midare both stirred. They jerked to and fro, but couldn't free themselves. Looking at them over the rim of his shades, Shino asked, "You're their leader, right? Shigure, was it?"
Shigure grumbled out a begrudging "Yeah." His heartbeat quickened and a lump the size of a grapefruit lodged in his throat. Sure, it was dumb luck of the highest order that these Leaf Ninja weren't heartless jerks, and he was more than a little relieved, that didn't mean he and his teammates weren't in danger of being jumped by a different squad. All that racket earlier must have drawn attention.
"We'll let you all go, Shigure," Shino said, "as long as you promise not to try anything. And don't lie. Hinata's Byakugan will have no problem detecting it."
The Rain Ninja gulped and, after a pathetic attempt at rolling over, gave in to Team 8's demands. Midare and Baiu looked to him for confirmation before agreeing to the deal. Shigure's blood was boiling, but he didn't have much of a choice.
"Stand down, guys," he said weakly, eyes glazed. Even though he wasn't tied to a tree like the others, Shigure's nervous system was too scrambled for him to so much as get up, let alone fight.
Kiba hesitated for a moment before using his nails to cut the bindings around Baiu and Midare. They got to their feet and took stiff steps toward their informal leader. The boys lifted him up and put one arm each around their necks.
"Here," Hinata muttered, handing over one of the last two functioning umbrellas to Baiu, while Shino passed the other to Midare.
"By the way," Shigure wheezed, turning to Hinata. "Hey you."
She went pale and pointed to herself with a quizzical expression. He nodded.
"Back then, how did you hit me with that jutsu? I could've sworn I dodged. You only got my cheek." He turned toward her, displaying the burn mark her attempt left behind.
"I w-wasn't aiming for your face." Hinata meekly pointed to his upper arm. Curious, Shigure rolled his shoulder and was hit with a staggering wave of numbness in the ball joint. "Whoa! Well, how 'bout that?"
Their dispute resolved, Team 8 and Team Shigure took steps in opposite directions.
"G-good luck!" Hinata said. "You should probably get out of here before other teams come for us."
Kiba threw a fist in the air. "Ya got that right. Akamaru and I sure left our mark! Ain't that right, buddy?"
Akamaru nuzzled Kiba's hood and let out a howl of endorsement. Hinata giggled at the fiery duo.
Shigure managed a smile. "Thanks. We won't forget this."
Shino stumbled, distracting everyone from the conversation. Hinata offered to help him walk, but pride wouldn't allow him to accept.
"Let's move, everyone," the bespectacled Genin said in his typical monotone voice. He took off into the trees.
Kiba gave a two fingered salute and with a limber bound, disappeared behind Shino. Hinata was last to leave. She paused to stand atop a large branch. Her team noticed she wasn't following and retraced their path. There she was, staring back in stunned silence at the exposed swath of destroyed forest. She didn't react when one of her teammates landed beside her.
"Hinata," Kiba said softly, "what's u…?"
He didn't need to finish his sentence. Akamaru shivered against the inside of his jacket. A chill ran down his spine. If Akamaru was this afraid, there must have been somebody with insane chakra nearby.
Almost as if in answer, three shadowy figures strode out into the open. The strangers stared down Shigure and his friends. One of them was a disturbed-looking boy with the face of a hardened warrior twice his age. His deep red mop of hair was irony personified, given he reeked of the scent of day-old blood. He was practically bathed in the stuff, like someone wearing a heavy handed spritz of cologne! Neither smell was pleasant for an Inuzuka to endure.
In spite of their ragged state, the Rain trio did what any ninja worth his or her salt would and drew their weapons. In Shigure's case, he held a single kunai. They made a unanimous decision to choose fight over flight and charged the enemy group.
A decision they would regret the instant it was made.
An airborne mass of what could best be described as sentient dirt came flying at them from somewhere out of view, sideswiping all three at once. They were aggressively buffeted against rocks and tree trunks, reduced to crumpled heaps. Blood smears painted the trees as Team Shigure lay there whimpering in pain. The aggressors, who Kiba and Hinata could now tell were wearing Sand Village headbands, had not moved an inch.
Pure panic took hold of Kiba. He understood why Akamaru was so worried now. Shame clung to him, forcing his knees to bend and wobble. Breathing came in stuttering gasps. He willed himself to move. They needed to run far away from here, and fast. Kurenai-sensei hadn't prepared them for a threat of this level.
Kiba, listen to yourself! Pathetic. All that talk about being top dog someday at the academy, and now you're just gonna fold under pressure?
Hinata glared at the Sand shinobi, infusing chakra to turn on her Byakugan. No sooner had she gotten into position to attack than a firm hand tightened around her arm. She resisted with everything she had, but lacked the muscle to break free. Frustrated, the Byakugan heiress turned around to see who was to blame.
"Hinata," Kiba said through gritted teeth, "what the heck are ya doin'? If you go out there, you'll die!" He struggled against her incessant attempts to hasten her own death.
"We have to save them!" she insisted. "They're still breathing. We can-"
A low voice drifted into the conversation like a leaf on the wind. "I have to say, I agree with Kiba. My insects are telling me that one's bad news."
Hinata and Kiba were startled by the sudden presence of Shino. He was leaning against a tree across from theirs, and seemed overly casual given the proximity of their latest threat.
Resigned to the bleak situation, Kiba sighed. "Look, Hinata. I get it, but none of us are in fighting shape anyway. Don't do something reckless."
She balled her fists, thinking back on her past. On Naruto's encouragement. On the reasons why she came this far in the first place.
The sound of pencil against paper, chairs shifting under the nervous weight of Chunin hopefuls, and the occasional cough, huff, sigh, or complaint masked the otherwise tense silence in the large testing room. The muted, stale environment was anything but encouraging to those faced with such a grueling first phase of their exam. However, this was nothing compared to the far less forgiving perils that awaited them in the ninja world.
Hinata Hyuuga sat up in her chair, doing her best to answer the nine problems presented to her. She swallowed her dismay at the distinct lack of multiple choice questions and pressed on. Her heart thumped like mad in her chest as she threw a sideways glance full of longing at her closest friend. His face was inches from his test paper and he failed to notice her eyes on him. Sweat was running down the side of his face, revealing the anxiety eating away at his resolve. Naruto had never been the most effective test taker. Still, he was giving it his all. They promised one another that they both would. Hinata's inner doubts took a backseat to the idea of being separated from Naruto if she didn't pass.
Granted, they could still see one another around the village, but that wasn't enough for her. She wanted to be by his side as often as possible. To enjoy the warmth of his radiant smile. To walk with him. Their conversation prior to the start of the written test rang in her ears, bringing redness to her cheeks.
"Let's give it everything we've got, okay Hinata?" he had said. "I wanna make it to the finals together."
Her heart fluttered as she nodded. "Mm hm! It's a promise."
They interlocked their pinkies together. The opportunity to touch Naruto had proven almost too much to bear. A shiver ran through her. Her melting pot of insecurities was powerless in the face of his everlasting confidence in her. She vowed to live up to his standards, whatever it took.
Back in the present, Hinata stared back at Kiba. Every word he said was true. This was a far from optimal position to put herself in. Who were Shigure and his teammates to her? Why should she stick her neck out for these strangers who attacked her squad? Who marked them for death without even knowing whether they had the same scroll or not? Looking at it from a logical perspective, there was too much to lose. Risking everything for them made no sense.
But that didn't matter. She'd seen Naruto go against logic to do the impossible, overcome daunting challenges, and express unwavering faith in people who didn't have any in themselves. He was more than her first love: he was her goal. Hinata knew Kiba was right to call her decision reckless. She didn't care.
Her whispered words carried an edge. "I have to at least try." Then, too low for the others to hear, she added, "I have to do what he would do."
"Hinata," Kiba drawled.
The boy's plea fell on deaf ears. She waited for his grip to weaken, then slipped away—thanks to his clammy hands—and jumped to a tree at the very edge of the forest. When her gaze fell on Team Shigure's attackers, cold eyes that bordered on soleless stared back at her. The inhuman aura the redheaded boy gave off chilled Team 8 to the bone. Remaining silent, the malevolent stranger focused chakra into his legs and blasted forward at an upward angle, heading straight for Hinata. She ignored her survival instinct, bared her teeth, and pushed off of the branch to meet him head on. The faint sound of her enemy's teammate's calling out "Gaara, no!", was drowned out by the frantic beating of her heart. Still, Hinata stayed the course.
"No one looks at me that way and lives!" 'Gaara' screeched, radiating pure bloodlust. Now that they were so close to each other, Hinata took notice of a tattoo of the character for "Love" on his forehead. A strange gourd storing a dense mass of chakra was strapped to his back.
Hinata and the crazed ninja were now moments from trading blows. Time slowed. Nothing around her mattered. Not either of her teammates. Not how dangerously high in the air she and Gaara were. Not even the competing teams she expected to show up any second now.
She had no idea how right she was about the latter until a powerful force crashed onto Gaara from above, propelling him into the ground and sparing the target of his anger from harm. Bright blue light burst outward in all directions. Hinata's Byakugan demystified the explosive display in seconds. She smiled as she realized who performed this flashy technique. Who came to her rescue.
Gaara's heavy landing kicked up thick waves of dirt and dust. Hinata caught a glimpse of the short blond hair she knew so well within the chaos. Kiba and Shino joined her on the forest floor, standing back-to-back-to-back with her just in case. When the haze cleared, Naruto was standing over Gaara. Rather, over a crumbling sand-based construct that Hinata thought resembled a cracked eggshell, only much thicker. Beneath its reamed center was Gaara's still body, indented a couple of inches into the ground.
Naruto paused to offer Hinata a goofy smile and nod before turning back to her adversary. He switched from playful to all business in a snap.
"So, Gaara," he seethed, "how'd you like the taste of my Rasengan?"
Minato and Hiruzen stood in front of one of several large and pink globe-like objects. Their translucent surfaces reflected different viewpoints of the action going on in the Forest of Death. Arms crossed, Minato leaned sideways to whisper into Hiruzen's ear.
"This idea's working perfectly," he praised with a smile in his voice. "Thanks for your suggestion."
The Third Hokage cleared his throat, hands clasped behind his back. "I am the one who should be thanking you, Minato. It is a genuine honor to contribute to the village in such a monumental way, even after my retirement."
They shared a look and then returned to watching the live feeds. A smattering of Chunin and Jonin were scattered around the room, checking different projected views of the forest biome. Many battles and chases were occurring already, so early into the second phase. One feed showed a team being hunted by large centipedes. Another presented a similar bleak situation; a Genin who was isolated from his teammates defended himself from three opposing ninja with a pair of kunai. Emboldened by their strength in numbers, they converged on him with the intent of cornering him and shaking him down. A pit trap hidden under a false patch of grass activated, catching the trio unawares. The lone warrior's hidden comrades revealed themselves, stole the enemies' scroll, and left them trapped in the pit with smug laughs.
The view Minato was interested in pertained to none of these. Instead, his eyes were glued to a screen that showed Naruto and his teammates falling flat in a clearing.
Hiruzen threw his successor a sidelong glance when a chuckle escaped his lips. "You're amused by this?"
"It's not that I take enjoyment from his misfortune. I'm just floored by Kushina being right yet again."
"This was…her doing?" His brow furrowed, Hiruzen said, "I assumed Naruto just made a mistake casting the technique."
"No, no," the blond said. "You see, she predicted Naruto might be wily enough to try and skip through the challenges with Flying Thunder God. So she suggested I set this up ahead of time."
"But you've been here the entire time. Haven't you?"
"Yes, but also no."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
The Fourth smirked.
Below the mineral-rich soil that breathed life into the massive trees—a number of them populated by creatures best described as the stuff of nightmares—an unseen power churned. A clone of Minato sucked in a crisp gulp of air and controlled his exhale. The underground seal thrummed in tune with his rhythmic breathing, sustaining an invisible dome around the forest. He took a reverent look at the space-time barrier. Colorful streaks of nature energy created an ethereal, almost festive lightshow.
Months of time and effort went into reaching this moment. Sure, he hadn't done it alone, but the initial concept was of Minato's own creation. Since perfecting it, he had given this jutsu many test runs. He put a great deal of practice in on days when he had to wait to bring Sasuke home from his meet ups with Itachi. Minato challenged himself to hold the technique stable for a few seconds longer every time. His improvement skyrocketed once he discovered that after melding nature energy together with the space-time ninjutsu barrier, it was not necessary to stay in Sage Mode. These days, he could keep the barrier active for more than a day using a single clone! Even knowing this, he was nervous about his first time using it in a real world situation.
Training with Lord Fukasaku and Lady Shima during his teenage years had shown him that achieving Perfect Sagedom required far more than natural talent. In fact, even Master Jiraiya did not have total control of his transformation, but he could hold his Sage Mode form for upwards of half an hour. Minato's already immense respect for the man grew by several magnitudes at this realization. Mastering Sage Mode came with its own unique host of challenges the average ninja stood no chance of completing, but incorporating Sage Chakra into space-time ninjutsu tested his skills at an even higher level. The skill was harder to learn than most S-Rank ninjutsu! The results, however, spoke for themselves.
His new technique, Sage Art: Heavenly Bedrock Toad Perimeter Obstruction, was the real deal. What started out as an extension of the concepts behind Frog Kumite evolved into a jutsu Minato considered to be the pinnacle of Sage Chakra control. Master Jiraiya and Kushina's combined expertise on seals had helped him fill in the missing pieces of the puzzle during its creation. Naruto and Sasuke would have no hope of effectively using the Flying Thunder God while they were inside of the technique's domain, making the playing field for stage 2 of the exams at least a little more even. So long as his real body didn't need to do any fighting, Minato was content with letting a clone handle the dome stabilization.
Back in the exam grounds observatory, Hiruzen stood slack jawed. His resident smoking pipe fell from his open mouth. "Minato, you are…truly something else."
The Fourth shrugged off the praise, swiping the pipe out of the air with a deft hand and returning it to his fellow Hokage. "I can't take all the credit. If not for sensei and my wife, I'd have to find another way to keep Naruto and Sasuke in check."
"I dare say even this may not be enough if they're as skilled as you've led me to believe."
The rest of the room was abuzz with activity. A handful of onlookers gathered around each of the live feeds, scribbling notes, analyzing competitors' choices, and transporting materials on carts to and from other locations. Minato turned to sign the top of a bound stack of papers held out in front of him in precarious fashion by a panting Chunin. The messenger nodded his thanks and disappeared with a puff of smoke. Turning back to Hiruzen, Minato chewed on the edge of a nail to calm his nerves. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the globe monitoring Team 7.
"I guess we'll find out soon enough."
Shizune looked down on her patient with a fond smile, masking her worry. Shin raised up onto his elbows with strength he had lacked two weeks prior. His usual wracking cough was now more of a rolling whimper. Still, he looked to be in about as much pain as when he first walked through the hospital doors. Although Shizune's treatments had helped lessen the severity of Shin's symptoms, she was unsure whether she could return the boy to perfect health. Chances were high that he would relapse if nothing was done to keep him stable. They needed a miracle.
They needed Lady Tsunade.
On cue, the pigtailed blonde turned the door handle and let herself in. Shizune stepped back to allow her master to have a look at Shin. The patient's brother, a boy with short black hair and ash-white skin named Sai, slipped into the room behind Tsunade, peeking around her flowing green jacket. His eyes teemed with curiosity, but acquired tunnel vision the instant he saw his brother. Shin managed to put on a smile before Sai realized he was feeling any pain. Shizune was blown away by the older boy's selflessness and inner strength. He was enduring excruciating chronic pain through sheer willpower, all for the sake of not frightening his sibling.
If that's not love, I don't know what is, Shizune thought, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Hey, little brother," Shin said.
Sai's face lit up and he ran to Shin's bedside. Tsunade rested her hands on her knees to reach his level and offered the boy a polite smile.
"Hold on, alright? I'll be done in no time. Then you two can catch up."
"Y-You're going to save brother Shin, right?" Sai said in a small voice. He blenched, almost as if he was afraid to speak the question for fear of the answer.
Tsunade tilted her head in a playful manner. Despite the tense situation, her calmness was infectious and seemed to calm Sai down. "I sure am! Don't worry, Sai. Shin will be back on his feet before you know it."
Shizune took a step forward. "But Lady Tsunade, you shouldn't-"
"In fact, I've bet my life on it."
Tsunade turned and eyed Shizune with a quiet intensity that showed how serious she was, somehow maintaining a kind smile on the lower half of her face. The uneasy feeling created by this dissonance was far more intimidating than a full on glare. She gave Sai's head a soft pat and turned her attention back to Shin.
Seeing that this was a pointless matter to contest, Shizune relented and ushered Sai over to a chair in the corner of the room. He hopped into the seat and stared in innocent wonder while Tsunade felt for areas of concern on Shin's body and peppered him with questions.
Shizune watched the pale-faced child who sat enthralled with the evaluation session. Apart from the occasional blink, Sai remained still and took in every word. Shizune doubted he could understand much of the conversation. Anbu Root operatives weren't known for their medical expertise, after all. This didn't seem to matter. He stared with wonder while Shin explained to Tsunade how he was feeling, which symptoms had lessened or disappeared, which ones hadn't, and whether any new ones cropped up since the last time he saw her. Sai's eyes lit up with youthful longing that struck a chord with Shizune. She could almost see the hope emanating from him in physical form.
If not for he and his brother's upbringing, she mused, they might very well have been sitting in class at the ninja academy right now. Either that or out on a lower level mission gaining valuable experience. Instead, they were here, hoping against all hope that an illness outside of their control wouldn't tear them away from one another. Sai had a clear grasp, even at so fresh an age, of the mortality of humans. A momentary wince broke through his bright and open expression. This was enough to reveal to Shizune that Sai's aura of positivity and hope was but one face to a two-sided coin. A part of him was terrified at the prospect that Shin could die.
Both boys spent the majority of their formative years becoming killing machines. They had a close and personal relationship with death, but until now, only the deaths of others. Her frown deepened; Danzo Shimura truly was despicable to have broken the spirits of so many of the village youth in so many ways.
"So in summary," Tsunade said after hearing Shin out, "no changes to the body aches, but your airways are a little clearer?" She put her hands on her hips. Shin hummed in agreement. "Are you still coughing up blood?"
Casting a wary glance toward Sai, Shin gulped and nodded. "Some nights. But less often."
"Ah, that's a good sign!" She smiled again, cutting a glance toward the corner of the room. Sai did not react in any notable way to either Shin's nervousness or Tsunade's positivity. Danzo's militant practices seemed to have taken some level of hold over Sai, whose former warmth gave way to a blank stare.
Shizune noted from her closer vantage point that his eyes were calculating and almost doll-like. A coping mechanism for stress, perhaps? He must not have been as clueless about the situation as Shizune thought. The medical aide turned back to Tsunade and suppressed an instinctive shiver. Despite his small stature and slight build, right now it was like Sai wasn't even human, much less a young boy. All Shizune could do was hope that Lady Tsunade saving Shin would help salvage whatever was left of his childhood innocence.
Team 8 stood a safe distance from the decimated section of forest carved out by Naruto's attack. Hinata softened from her former fierce stare, watching with anxious breaths for what came next. The cracked husk of Gaara's body melted into a pool of sand which sat still in the small crater below. He was, for all intents and purposes, gone without a trace.
Hinata froze, attuned to something that was altogether undetectable to the naked eye. Kiba looked down at a whimpering Akamaru and realized they were in trouble, too.
"Naruto," Hinata called out, "he's still here! Be careful."
She looked around, certain she was sensing a surge of powerful chakra. There was no way to pinpoint where it came from, though. That is, until she recalled one of the Byakugan's most well kept secrets; its blind spot.
"Kiba, Shino, look out!" Hinata said, turning 180 degrees to see a volley of shuriken made from sand headed in their direction.
Thinking quickly, she pivoted and concentrated chakra into her feet. Her body spun faster and faster, creating a thick dome of energy to repel the approaching shuriken. She may not have been as skilled with the Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation technique as her cousin Neji, but even her imperfect version was enough to protect everyone. She didn't have much choice, either. Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino were all bordering on exhaustion.
A couple hundred sand projectiles smashed against her Rotation, shattering and spraying sand particles everywhere. The wind around her was whisked into a frenzy that dispersed the grains of sand. Hinata stumbled to a stop. Kiba and Shino caught her and helped her regain balance. They stood in a spotless circle that was the only area untouched by Gaara's sand. Hinata knew she'd been lucky that his attack stopped when it did. Maintaining the Rotation any longer would have been difficult. On the bright side, they were all okay, and Shigure's team was no longer Gaara's focus.
A featureless humanoid shape formed nearby, built by the surrounding sand. The figure slowly gained color and definition until Gaara stood in place of the mannequin. Hinata gasped when her eyes met those of the bloodthirsty boy. Their calming pastel green hue seemed ironic when paired with his less than kind demeanor and the dark circles accenting his eyes like warpaint. The other two Sand shinobi spectated from the treeline. They looked torn between wanting to intervene or flee.
Faster than any of the others could react, Naruto was in front of Gaara. Two dozen clones surrounded him. The ones closest to Gaara held kunai out in front of them, but their weapons were stopped by firm tendrils of sand.
"Whatever that weird armor you used was," Naruto said through his teeth, "I know it's chakra based, so it has to have a limit! We can either find that limit right now, or you can leave my best friend the hell alone. Up to you, pal."
Gaara's dead eyed stare fixated on the real Naruto. Unlike before, his gaze flitted to one side, as if considering his options. Did he feel threatened?
Everyone spectating the confrontation held their breaths. Gaara hunched forward and shook as if shivering from the cold. A soft, gradual snicker rose from his throat, sending a chill down the spines of his comrades and all three members of Team 8.
Unlike the others, Naruto kept his composure. He pressed for an answer. "Hey! I'm talking to you, Gaara!" His expression drooped for a moment, almost as if he were about to cry. "Just so you know, the only reason I'm not clobbering you right now is 'cause you're a Jinchuuriki. My mom was one, too. You're really pushing it by trying to kill my friends, though."
He was met with more silence, but the redhead at least did him the honor of acknowledging his words with a scoff.
"F-Friends?" Gaara frowned like he had never heard of the concept before. "Why do you have a need for something as pointless as that when you're so strong?"
"So what? You think strength is the only thing that matters?"
Gaara let out a dark chuckle. "More. I want to see more…of that power!"
A spume of sand burst out of the hole at the top of Gaara's gourd. In a single moment, all of the Naruto clones were struck by sand spikes and eliminated. Hinata watched in astonishment. Her Byakugan tracked the seamless flow of the chakra-laced substance. The stuff moved like Shino's bugs, and from what she could tell, reacted to its wielder's emotions without him so much as lifting a finger or bothering to mold chakra.
"Oh crap," said the other Sand Genin who was wearing a black one-piece outfit. "He's gonna use it, Temari!"
"Gaara, no," begged the trembling girl named Temari. Sweat beaded across her face. "It's too soon!"
Her psychotic teammate flinched. One eye shifted at an eerily slow pace until it settled on her. Whatever drive she had to interrupt his outburst died then and there.
Naruto looked over his shoulder and spat a quick warning. "Hinata, Kiba, Shino, stay away!"
The Hyuuga princess was beyond worried. She wanted to protest. Wanted to stand by his side and stare death in the face with him. Wanted to prove useful in some way. She would even give herself permission to run away if it came to that, but not without Naruto. He put on a comforting smile and spoke words that made her question whether or not he was reading her thoughts.
"Don't worry. I made you a promise before, remember? I'll do my best, believe it. I'm gonna stop him."
These words quelled her fears. Deep down, despite what was happening in front of her, despite the staggering ferocity of Gaara's chakra, she knew Naruto's words to be true. Hinata nodded. She fell back and watched from a safer distance alongside her teammates. They moved Shigure and his teammates out of range of the impending fight.
Silence fell. Everyone knew this battle had stakes reaching far beyond the scroll capturing exercise. Two blooming prodigies from opposing villages were about to clash. Neither would pull his punches.
Naruto dug his heels in, white-knuckled a kunai handle, and grimaced. Gaara gasped and hunched over, grunting in pain. He gripped his forehead like he had a killer headache. His eyes were bulging out of his skull and his knees were bent at odd angles. Even his protective sand constructs lost their form and fell into a pile on the forest floor. Hinata was certain he would faint any second now.
A thought seemed to occur to Naruto. He put away his kunai and rushed toward Gaara at breakneck speed. A palm was firmly planted on the boy's stomach before the sand could interfere. Hand shaped clumps of sand moved to defend Gaara, but they froze a hair from reaching Naruto.
Hinata took a peek with her Byakugan and spotted a marking made from chakra etched into Gaara's stomach. Was Naruto trying to seal away his chakra? Of course, it was no secret that the son of The Fourth and Lady Kushina was adept at sealing techniques. Still, Hinata never would have expected Naruto to risk his own safety like this, least of all for an enemy.
A small smile fought its way onto her lips. A flutter in Hinata's chest defied the seriousness of the situation. How could anyone not love this angel in human form?
Chakra pulsed through all of the crystal balls in the observatory, distorting the projected images for a moment. Panicked muttering spread throughout the room. Minato turned to Hiruzen, who appeared no more in the know than he was, and then looked around the room. Within the crowd, he identified the faces of his bodyguard Genma, Anbu agent Hayate Gekko, ex-Anbu Root operative Yamato, and Baki from The Sand. The latter was standing in for The Kazekage, who reported needing to take care of a private political matter from his quarters before showing up to spectate the exam.
Minato frowned. Whatever was going on in the forest right now was not good. Yamato hurried over and whispered into his ear.
"Lord Hokage, The Sand's Jinchuuriki is after your son."
"What?!" He followed Yamato to the globe he was watching a moment ago. "Which one?"
A few seconds passed before it clicked for Yamato that Sasuke was Minato's son by adoption. "Naruto, sir. Look."
On screen was a projection of Naruto locked into a grapple with Gaara of the Sand. Minato gasped. The Kazekage's son was reported to be in poor control of his tailed beast, but the fellow village leader assured Minato that Gaara and his siblings would not pose a danger to the integrity of the exam. Judging by the sealing formula Naruto placed on him, however, that was by no means the case. Visibility was poor, but the few markings he could make out were indicative of chakra network suppression reinforcement. That meant they weren't fighting each other. Not anymore, at least.
Seeing that the situation was under control, Minato thanked Yamato for notifying him, but told him not to worry. Rather than send backup, The Fourth decided to trust his son to take care of this on his own. Every parent worth his or her salt wished to protect their child from danger. However, Naruto needed experience out in the field in order to find his own way. That was how Kushina and Minato got where they were today, after all. Robbing him of the same opportunity would be a disservice. Besides, if things went south, Sasuke was there for support too.
A hoarse cry cut through the air like a knife. The voice had a somewhat inhuman quality to it that stood out even from so far away. Trees rustled, sending birds scattering across the sky. Sasuke and Sakura soared from branch to branch, drawing nearer to Naruto's location.
"What was that?" Sakura asked with a tinge of fear.
"No idea," he said, "but we have to hurry! Something big's happening over there."
Sasuke bit his lip.
Damn it, Naruto. Please don't get yourself hurt.
The two ninja freefell and landed in a clearing. They searched the area for signs of trouble. Sakura gasped and pointed at something in the distance.
"Sasuke, look!"
His eyes followed her movement, spotting a disturbed patch of land marked by human sized footprints that disappeared into underbrush. The two of them took off in the direction of the prints. Sprawling forest gave way to toppled trees and dented land. Amongst the destruction, they discovered Naruto, Gaara, Hinata, and a few others locked into a heated encounter.
"What in the-?" Sakura whispered.
Gaara was uttering anguished wails, shivering like someone had run a current of electricity through him while Naruto pressed a hand flat against his chest. A deep animalistic growl merged with Gaara's voice, creating a disturbing duality of suffering and fury. Tremors shook the ground. Streams of sand particles spread out from his gourd and hovered overhead like the framework of a circus tent. The remainder of the sand spun around him, forming a mini-cyclone. Tiny written characters stretched across his body from the point of contact with Naruto's hand. A large sealing circle appeared at their feet.
Sasuke rushed in without waiting to assess the situation further.
"Sasuke, be careful!" Sakura shouted after him. He disregarded her words, focusing on nothing but helping his brother.
He turned on his Sharingan and, with a few deft maneuvers, threaded his way through the expansive web of sand. Something grabbed hold of one of his heels as he reached for Naruto's shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. He looked down and saw a quicksand-like pool growing around his legs. Quick to respond, he whipped out a kunai and drove its business end toward Gaara, who he assumed was the one weaponizing this technique. No sooner had Sasuke thrust his weapon at its target than a hand made of sand rose up from the pool below, clamping onto his wrist.
Seeing this, Hinata grew worried. The movements of Gaara's sand were getting sluggish, but it was plain to see that the substance was still capable of reacting to perceived threats. She called out to Sasuke, explaining how this ability worked and about the volatile chakra infused into the sand. No matter how strong he was, right now was a horrible time to get close. Sasuke ignored her warnings, struggling against the sand in an attempt to pull his feet and arm free. The pressure exerted by the sand intensified with every passing second.
"Naruto!" The Uchiha shouted over the din of Gaara's cries. "You have to stop this! It isn't working."
Naruto's eyes snapped open. Until now, they had been tightly shut while he poured all of his concentration into reinforcing the seal on Gaara's tailed beast. "Not yet. I c-can…do this, believe it!" He unleashed a determined yell and tried to overpower the creature. The Uzumaki's chakra output climbed as his sealing jutsu grew in power.
Sasuke could see Naruto was beyond reasoning with, absorbed into this task with full abandon. Sighing, he accepted the fact and proclaimed a goal of his own.
Fine, but I won't just sit on the sidelines while you risk your life like this!
He knew what needed to be done. Tapping into Itachi's teachings, Sasuke projected his will outward through his Sharingan. Like a well sharpened blade, it cleaved through to the depths of Gaara's subconscious. Sasuke opened his eyes inside of the seal dimension and took a moment to adjust.
I'm in! My Genjutsu worked, Itachi.
The spacious void was deadly quiet to the point where he could hear the slightest noises. Every step, every gulp, and even his own heartbeat, became deafening to his ears. When he was finished acclimating to this, Sasuke strode aimlessly along, hoping that something would jump out at him providing the slightest inkling of information about what happened to Naruto. Two objects on the horizon grew in size, surrounded by an expanse of blinding white. They gained definition and shape bit by bit until Sasuke could make them out with clarity.
He saw two young boys, one laying his hand on the other's shoulder for comfort as he sat and cried. The crying one bore a strong resemblance to a certain redhead. Sasuke glared. He needed to get Naruto out of here and protect him from Gaara.
Jinchuuriki were not an innate danger, but this guy was a far cry from experienced with managing his tailed beast. He was no Kushina Uzumaki. Not to mention that the records Sasuke and Sakura found on Gaara's tailed beast provided more reasons to worry.
"Naruto!" Sasuke shouted, his voice carrying and reaching the 7-year-old recreation of Naruto. The blond's gaze snapped straight ahead and his ears twitched.
He turned with slow deliberateness, never letting go of Gaara. Something strange was shedding off of Naruto and falling to the floor. When he was at last facing his brother, the latter was met with something that took his breath away.
Half of Naruto's face had eroded down to the deeper tissue layers. His skin was cracked like shattered porcelain. Each crack spilled countless grains of sand. He wore a devilish grin on the decayed half of his face. Sasuke's stomach turned at the sight.
A gust of hot air buffeted him from behind. He stumbled forward. A low growl filled the space, as if played at max volume on a speaker. Sasuke turned to look for the source of the noise.
Gargantuan, pitch black eyes with golden irises surveyed him in silent curiosity. The giant creature resembled a tanuki. That is, if one were dozens of stories tall. Sasuke's breath caught. He felt like an insignificant bug next to the unnatural behemoth of an animal. He only knew scant details he knew about this monster from his time at the library. What was its name again?
"You must be…Shukaku."
"What the hell are you doing in here?!" the giant tanuki demanded.
Itachi said Genjutsu could pacify people—even Jinchuuriki. Why wasn't it working now? Maybe the issue was that Shukaku was acting of his own acco-
A massive roar blasted Sasuke backward and out of the mindscape.
Sasuke opened his eyes to find himself back in the real world. His ears rang. Sweat ran down his face and back as he lay flat on the ground. He took a moment to process what just happened.
Did Shukaku…break my Genjutsu?
"Sasuke!" Sakura called to him, kneeling by his side with a concerned look on her face. "Are you alright? Can you hear me?"
Shaking himself back into focus, Sasuke pushed himself upright with support from Sakura's hand against his back.
"Sakura," he said in a vacant tone, "what happened?"
"You were standing still for a while, and then Gaara's sand pushed you out of the sealing circle. Naruto's still holding on."
"Ah. Got it." He hurried to his feet, but Sakura grabbed his arm to stop him.
"Hang on! What happened in there, Sasuke? Did you try to use Genjutsu on Gaara just now?"
He grunted with impatience, but realized it was unfair to leave Sakura in the dark. "Yeah, but his inner world? It's so empty. Cold. When I entered Gaara's subconscious, I saw a younger version of him with a younger Naruto, but everything was twisted. Something felt off. Before I could work out my next move, Shukaku showed up and cast me out."
"You mean The One Tail?" Sakura gulped and glanced back toward Naruto and Gaara. "Is that why they're still stuck like this, then?"
The lattice work of sand around the two boys remained intact. Sasuke watched with intrigue. He got the sinking feeling that Naruto was going to lose this mental tug of war.
"I think so," he said, drifting into deep thought. "Hey, Sakura. You've had more time working on Genjutsu than I have."
She nodded, unsure what he was getting at. "Uh huh?"
"I need your help with something."
"Me? But why?"
He didn't answer, instead looking over at the injured Genin team lying unconscious, then at the members of Team 8. "Who are those three?"
"We took their scroll and were heading out, but then this psycho showed up and tried to kill'em just for sport!" Kiba said with disgust, gesturing at Gaara. Akamaru whined his agreement.
Gears spun in Sasuke's head as the bones of a new plan began to gel. He chewed at the inside of his cheek, playing out a series of imagined scenarios.
Hinata cut through his private strategizing session with a frightened cry. "Oh no! Something's happening to Naruto."
Sasuke turned to see a trickle of blood leaking from his brother's nose. The whites of Gaara's eyes darkened, and his pupils shifted into an unnatural gold color similar to the tanuki inside him. A few seconds later, the same dark tint appeared in Naruto's eyes. Sasuke's heartbeat quickened.
Time was almost up. They needed to act now.
He summoned his bow and arrow, pleased to see that the teleportation process worked just like it had during test runs. Bringing an arrow to full draw, he spoke with conviction. "Sakura, Hinata. We can't allow him to transform. Listen closely, because we've only got one shot."