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Naruto and his squad ran through the forest, following the trail Naruto found on Sasuke's seal.
Naruto, leading the way, was full of energy and charisma.
"Hey, Kiba, picking up any scents with that nose of yours?" Naruto asked with a smirk.
"Just trees for now, Naruto," Kiba replied, with Akamaru agreeing with a bark.
"Typical," Naruto muttered, still grinning. "Neji, any traps in sight?"
"No traps so far. They must think they can handle us easily," Neji answered, using his Byakugan to look around.
"Maybe they're underestimating us," Naruto suggested, laughing to himself.
"Or maybe it's a setup for an ambush," Shikamaru added in his usual laid-back way.
"Always looking at the downside, Shikamaru," Naruto teased.
"I call it being realistic," Shikamaru retorted.
Meanwhile, Choji was quietly snacking on chips, struggling to keep up with the team's quick pace.
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While the Sound Four were rushing towards Orochimaru, they were suddenly interrupted by an unexpected presence.
"This is getting annoying," grumbled one of the Sound Four.
"There's one..."
"No, make that two." "Brace yourselves." The Sound ninja warned his team, and they split into two groups.
Two Leaf Ninjas emerged before them.
"You're with Orochimaru..." said one of the Leaf Ninjas.
"From the direction you're coming, it seems you're returning from the Hidden Leaf Village..." The other Leaf Ninja, Genma Shiranui, who had been an examiner in the final round of the Chunin exam, spoke up. "What's in the barrel?" he inquired.
The Sound Four activated the first stage of their curse seals...
"They all have the curse mark..." Genma pondered.
Instantly, the confrontation between the Leaf and Sound ninja began...
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Meanwhile, the retrieval team continued their pursuit of Sasuke...
"Naruto..." Kiba called out.
"Yeah?" Naruto turned to face him.
"I can smell blood nearby," Kiba informed.
"It's not Sasuke. It's someone else," Naruto concluded.
Kiba and the others nodded in agreement.
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"What's going on here?" Iwashi exclaimed as he and Shizune arrived at the scene where the Sound Four members were battling Genma and Raidō Namiashi.
Shizune was taken aback by the sight. Both Genma and Raidō were lying unconscious, surrounded by kunai and shurikens. They were badly injured.
Shizune immediately started healing Genma first, then moved on to Raidō...
"The best I can do for now is provide some temporary treatment," Shizune worriedly thought as she worked on healing Raidō.
"Shizune..." Iwashi called out, catching her attention. "I'm going to hunt down those guys!" he declared.
"No..." Shizune responded.
"But..." Iwashi tried to protest, only to be interrupted by Genma. "Wait, Iwashi. The jutsu those guys possess is beyond that of an ordinary shinobi..." Genma coughed. "If you go after them alone, you'll die..." he warned, coughing again.
"Genma... Please don't speak anymore," Shizune instructed, concerned for his well-being.
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Naruto and his team continued to make their way, following the trail of Sasuke...
"We're getting really close," Naruto commented.
"The scent of the other two mixed in with Sasuke's is getting stronger," Kiba observed.
"But the five of them are moving away from the scent of blood," Kiba added. "What should we do?" he asked, looking to Naruto for guidance.
"So Sasuke does have someone with him, just as I suspected..." Naruto thought to himself. "The chakra feels oddly familiar, but I can't remember from when..." Naruto pondered.
"Naruto..." Kiba called out, bringing him back to the present.
"The scent of blood indicates that they had a fight with someone," Naruto explained. "So, going to the location where Kiba detected the blood will help us gather more information."
"Be on high alert, there might be traps or ambushes as we get closer," Shikamaru cautioned.
"While all of this is happening, Sasuke will be crossing the border of the Land of Fire," Neji noted.
"I know," Naruto sighed. "Being a leader is such a pain..." he thought to himself.
Naruto paused for a moment, thinking. "Well, let's continue pursuing Sasuke now," he said, and everyone nodded in agreement.
"But from now on, we need to be extra careful. If they had a battle, their guard will be up," Naruto warned.
"That means there's a higher chance of traps or ambushes," Naruto continued. "So, be more attentive and use your visual and auditory senses to the fullest."
"Also, we can't afford to get caught in an ambush. We need to apprehend those guys before they can execute any suspicious plans. If anything seems out of the ordinary, don't just dodge it, try to decipher its meaning," Naruto instructed.
"The enemy's scent is surrounding us," Kiba remarked.
"Everyone, stop!" Naruto instructed, and the team came to a halt on a tree branch.
"Look up carefully," Naruto said, and everyone followed his gaze to see a paper bomb attached to the tree.
"Paper bombs... and there are five more in different locations," Neji observed. "They're set up in a formation resembling a perimeter barrier."
"A perimeter barrier?" Choji questioned.
"It's a type of booby trap ninjutsu," Shikamaru explained. "Perimeter traps have a time delay and are activated when someone enters the marked area set by the enemy."
"It's an advanced jutsu," Naruto added.
"Our only option is to find an alternate route," Kiba suggested, realizing that going through the trap would be dangerous.
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Back in Konoha,
Rock Lee found himself in the spot Neji used to occupy, his heart heavy with sadness. He dropped his crutches, attempting to ascend the stairs on his own...
"Lee! You're not ready for that yet!" A voice erupted from behind him, causing him to turn. It was Tsunade.
"Lady Fifth Hokage..." Rock Lee acknowledged.
"I'm well aware of your reckless nature, but you've just undergone surgery. There's no need to rush." Tsunade's voice was strict as she picked up his discarded crutch.
"I can't wait to get back to training, even if just a little." Rock Lee confessed, "I also want to … I want to..." His voice trailed off, struggling to express his feelings.
"Strength isn't the only thing that training builds, don't you think?" Tsunade offered a different perspective, causing Rock Lee to face her. "Ninjas are known for their resilience, their ability to withstand all manner of trials. I get where you're coming from, but that means your current situation is also a form of training." Tsunade explained.
"Training..." Rock Lee echoed, contemplating her words.
Tsunade handed the crutch back to Rock Lee, "Imagine what could happen if you did something reckless and your condition worsened?" She then revealed a pot she had been carrying...
"What's this?" Rock Lee asked, curious.
"It's a concoction I made. Start by consuming this and improving your health..." Tsunade instructed.
"Understood...!" Lee agreed.
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As the team maneuvered through the enemy's traps...
"These traps are getting predictable," Kiba remarked.
"Yeah, it's clear that the enemy is rushing. The traps have obvious flaws," Shikamaru observed.
As they continued their journey, they stumbled upon a complex double trap set by the enemy...
"Even though they're in a hurry..." Shikamaru started.
"They went to great lengths to set up this trap," Naruto added.
"That means..." Shikamaru trailed off.
"They must be taking a break," Neji finished their thought.
"Maybe they're injured, or it could be a trap in itself..." Neji suggested, activating his Byakugan to locate the enemies resting at a distance.
"I've got them," Neji confirmed.
"How many can you spot?" Naruto queried.
"I reckon there's about four, though Sasuke doesn't seem to be among them..." Neji responded.
"But I've got this gut feeling that Sasuke is there, what do you think Kiba?" Naruto probed.
"I'm with you. Sasuke's scent is definitely there." Kiba confirmed.
"Anything peculiar in that spot, apart from those four shinobis?" Naruto sought clarification from Neji.
"Well, there's something... there's an odd container, could be a basket or barrel perhaps, and one of them is perched on it..." Neji detailed.
"Perhaps, Sasuke is within that container..." Shikamaru speculated.
"Can you make out anything within that strange container?" Naruto questioned Neji, a hint of casual sass in his tone.
"I'll give it a shot..." Neji replied, a pause before he added, "No, there's a barrier seal obstructing my sight... But I can confirm Sasuke is within..."
"Great, now all we need is a strategy..." Naruto mused, his tone playful yet serious, "Considering Sasuke is in there, we've got to snatch that barrel from them..."
"I have an idea, but it's going to be quite challenging... But hey, challenging plans for challenging situations, right?" Naruto quipped, his voice ringing with confidence, "Now pay attention..." He called everyone into a huddle, ready to share his plan.
Naruto lays out the strategy in comprehensive detail and there was a silence, as if taking in the plan...
"Isn't this risky, Naruto?" Choji queried, his voice laden with worry.
"True, it looks like we're jumping into the unknown without understanding their capabilities..." Shikamaru observed.
"I get it, it's pretty radical and there's a high chance it might not pan out. But, we won't find out unless we take a swing at it, right? And I can't lie, I'm really looking forward to a good brawl," Naruto replied, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous glint.
"But, Naruto, don't you reckon diving in solo is a bit too dicey?" Neji remarked.
"Hey, we want to pitch in too..!" Kiba voiced out.
"Listen up, our task is to bring Sasuke back. So, we need to snatch him from them first. As the team leader, it's on me to catch them off guard. Trust me, I've got plenty to handle them, even if it's one against four, no sweat... You guys just need to grab the barrel or whatever it is and keep it clear from them. Once that's done, you can jump in," Naruto elaborated.
"But...." Shikamaru attempted to interject but Naruto cut him off, "Look, I'm calling the shots here, so..."
"What a drag..." Shikamaru muttered.
"Alright then team, let's roll out..." Naruto announced as he led the way.
[A. N: Thanks for reading, drop Powerstones that will help a lot and drop reviews if you like the story and add to your library]