The group moved quickly through the forest, the sun casting shadows across the trees that they moved through like a dense layer. Kaza, who was leading the way, kept a close eye out for any traps that might have been left by those ahead of them.
They had no idea who they might encounter in their pursuit of Sasuke, but they knew this mission was dangerous—one that could cost them their lives. The five of them moved swiftly and efficiently, without slowing down or taking breaks, while staying vigilant against the possibility of ambushes.
After about two hours, Kaza sensed the enemy ahead. "There's been a fight up ahead, and it looks like they're resting," Kaza informed the others, sharing the information he had gathered. "We need to move carefully so they don't have time to adjust to our approach. If they sense us coming, they'll set up a counterattack without a doubt."
Shikamaru nodded as they continued to move. "Good work, we can put that information to good use. We need the element of surprise if they're as strong as I fear they are."
"Let's stick together and move silently. Hopefully, we can find the right angle to approach without them noticing us, then we can strike and recapture Sasuke," Shikamaru reasoned as the group moved quietly.
"Understood. Follow me closely. No talking—use hand signals for communication unless it's an emergency," Kaza instructed quietly but firmly to make his point clear.
Ace, Shikamaru, Sakura, and Naruto all nodded in agreement, trusting Kaza's tracking abilities to lead them to the right spot.
Kaza led them down into the forest, moving from the high branches of the trees. He carefully found a path, needing to be efficient yet deliberate to avoid taking too long. Finally, he guided them to an area that provided a clear view of where their enemies were recovering from a previous battle. In front of them were all four enemies, and with them was a barrel marked with seals—where Sasuke must be.
As they made mental notes about the group before they. They knew they were out of range. They didn't know the details of this group of four. That they happened to be elite ninja who served Orochimaru, the sound four. What they did know was that they were after Sasuke for Orochimaru and they were the enemy in this mission. Shikamaru watched as he thought up a plan, sitting in his normal thinking position.
"Okay, here's the plan," Shikamaru said, his voice low to avoid detection. He drew a rough map in the dirt, marking their position and that of the enemy. "Sakura and I will go in first. I'll use my Shadow Possession Jutsu from here, and Sakura will cast a general genjutsu," he explained quietly. The team nodded in agreement.
"Once they're caught off guard, Naruto, you'll rush in with your shadow clones. Overwhelm them and use the chaos to grab the barrel before they can react. Get it out of there. Ace, Kaza, your job is to support Naruto when the enemies counterattack, which they definitely will. Remember, the mission is to get Sasuke back, not to defeat these guys," Shikamaru continued, laying out the strategy.
Naruto, Kaza, Sakura, and Ace all nodded again, their trust in Shikamaru's tactical genius unwavering. Shikamaru and Sakura carefully moved into position, preparing to execute their roles. Using the shadows of the trees to extend his reach, Shikamaru successfully captured all four targets in his Shadow Possession Jutsu. At the same moment, Sakura activated her genjutsu, affecting the entire group of enemies.
Moments later, Naruto charged in with a swarm of shadow clones, creating a massive diversion and grabbing the barrel. As he dashed away, Shikamaru knew that his Shadow Possession Jutsu and Sakura's genjutsu would only buy them a short reprieve.
As Naruto made his escape, Kaza and Ace quickly moved to provide cover, preparing to defend against any counterattacks from the Sound Four. The two of them positioned themselves strategically to intercept and engage any attackers that emerged, ensuring Naruto's safe retreat with the barrel.
Within a minute, the Sound Four broke free from Shikamaru's Shadow Possession Jutsu. The redheaded kunoichi, Tayuya, was furious. "Damn it! You trash think you can just walk away with our target?" she snarled, her eyes blazing with anger. She was livid at the thought of being outmaneuvered and wasn't going to tolerate it. "Sakon, Udon, Jirobo—go after them! Kidomaru, help me deal with these defiant losers before we catch up and finish those bastards."
Her teammates, usually prone to snarky comments, merely nodded in agreement, sensing the seriousness of the situation. They immediately split up, leaving Tayuya and Kidomaru to handle Shikamaru and Sakura.
Shikamaru eyed the two enemies in front of them. Kidomaru, the dark-skinned, six-armed Otogakure ninja, seemed poised for a direct assault, while Tayuya prepared her flute, clearly ready to unleash something dangerous. "Sakura," Shikamaru began, keeping his voice low and calm, "It looks like we're the rear guard. We can't let them catch up to the others. Play it defensive—don't do anything reckless. We don't know what these two are capable of yet."
Tayuya sneered at them, her expression filled with contempt, while Kidomaru wasted no time in moving in for the attack. He didn't bother with his webs yet, clearly underestimating his opponents and intending to crush them with sheer force. Shikamaru and Sakura braced themselves, knowing that this was going to be a tough battle, and that they had to buy as much time as possible for their friends.
Shikamaru was forced to block a quick strike from Kidomaru. Kidomaru was just simply testing Shikamaru's abilities with a probing attack to determine if he was worth the effort. Shikamaru was driven back and narrowly avoided another strike. Meanwhile, Tayuya began playing her flute to initiate a genjutsu. However, Sakura quickly recognized the threat and immediately dispelled the genjutsu for both herself and Shikamaru, anticipating this move.
Kidomaru pulled back, dodging a kunai thrown by Shikamaru. "It seems this trash isn't as worthless as I thought," he sneered, "not that they'll live much longer," he added with confidence as he prepared to ensnare them in a web.
"They just got lucky. These fuckers are still trash," the foul-mouthed redhead spat before playing her flute again, this time summoning what she believed would be the final blow against them. As she played, the markings of her curse seal spread over her body, transforming her. Kidomaru also activated his curse seal, firing a web at them. The web was narrowly dodged, but he felt certain their end was near.
Tayuya summoned the three Doki—massive, grotesque creatures that loomed menacingly over Shikamaru and Sakura. The two realized they were in deep trouble; the odds seemed insurmountable. Yet, they knew they had to buy time for their friends. At this point, escape wasn't an option.
"Well now, trash, it's time for you to die," Tayuya taunted, smirking.
Kidomaru took aim at Shikamaru, identifying him as the most crucial target to immobilize. As the web shot forward, Shikamaru racked his brain for a way out but found himself at a loss.
In that instant, a figure dashed forward, slicing through the web with a bronze sword, positioning himself between Shikamaru and Kidomaru. The dark-skinned ninja looked ahead confidently. "Seems we made it in time," he declared. "I'm Miraju, and my team and I are here to help."
A barrage of rocks suddenly flew at Kidomaru from the right, forcing him to fire a web to catch them. Simultaneously, a wave of shuriken soared at the Doki from the opposite side. Though the shuriken did no damage, they erupted into explosions, creating a cloud of dust and a significant distraction. Moments later, a graceful brunette, Amara, attacked Tayuya from the right, slamming her kunai into Tayuya's flute with the clear intent of breaking it. Amara and her team, sent by the village, had arrived just in time; they had been nearby, planning a visit to the village for other reasons.
Both Kidomaru and Tayuya began to transform, their bodies taking on demonic appearances as they evolved into the second level of their cursed seals, recognizing that they could no longer afford to hold back. They were outnumbered and in serious trouble.
"More trash won't make you any less useless!" Tayuya shouted furiously as she tried to send her Doki forward, only to find them immobilized. Shikamaru had used the distraction created by Amara to capture them with his shadow possession.
Seeing this, Kidomaru prepared to fire his arrows at Shikamaru to break the jutsu. As he did, Miraju noticed and quickly countered, "Lightning Release: Lightning Volley!" he called out, launching a barrage of lightning that deflected Kidomaru's arrows, neutralizing the threat while Sakura searched for an opening.
Kidomaru, however, was caught off guard by Aosuke, a tall and powerful Sand ninja clad in earthen armor designed for agility. Aosuke had evaded Kidomaru's webs and, closing in from the right, delivered a crushing blow to Kidomaru's side, knocking the wind out of him.
A moment later, Miraju struck the final blow, sending a lightning arrow through Kidomaru, ending the spider-like member of the Sound Four.
Tayuya lasted only a few more moments before she met her end, crushed by her own summons. She had been unable to cast a genjutsu quickly enough to save herself, and the fight concluded in an extremely decisive manner.
"Thanks, that was really troublesome, and we owe you a lot," Shikamaru remarked, acknowledging the Suna team's timely intervention. He knew that if they hadn't arrived when they did, he and Sakura would likely be the ones dead. Their arrival had completely turned the tide of the battle. Despite the brief moment of relief, Shikamaru didn't allow himself to rest for long.
"Let's see if we can catch up with the others. I have a feeling their fight isn't over yet," Sakura said, her worry evident. She was concerned about Ace, fearing that he might be in a tough battle or, worse, injured. She also worried that Kaza might have done something reckless and gotten himself hurt. Sakura knew that Ino would be furious if anything bad happened to Kaza under her watch.
"No problem, we're here to help," Miraju replied, pausing as he sensed another presence approaching. His expression grew serious as he looked up, feeling the immense power of the newcomer. "Someone really powerful is on their way here. Aosuke, let's handle this one. Amara, go with our Konoha friends and support them in their task," Miraju instructed, his voice firm and resolute.
Amara nodded, quickly moving to join Shikamaru and Sakura, ready to assist them in their mission. The urgency of the situation was clear, and there was no time to waste.
Miraju and Aosuke stood their ground, eyes fixed on the direction of the approaching chakra. The tension in the air was palpable as they braced themselves for the battle ahead.
"I don't know if we have a prayer of winning this fight," Miraju said, his voice steady but laced with determination. "But we have to give it our best. Can't let the Sand look bad now, can we?"
Aosuke grinned, a mix of excitement and resolve in his expression. "Yeah, that's true. We'll do our duty, and maybe, if we're lucky, we'll survive this day. Either way, this should be a worthy fight, right?" Aosuke relished the thought of a tough battle. Having been forced into exile in Sunagakure because of his father's actions, as a kid. Now, he was eager to make a name for himself. A great fight seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Miraju quickly set up traps, unsure of what kind of opponent they were about to face but certain of their strength. The chakra they sensed was immense, and Miraju's instincts told him that their foe would be abnormally strong. He exchanged a look with Aosuke, both of them understanding the gravity of the situation, yet ready to face whatever came their way.