(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
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Within five minutes of returning to the village, Colt was sent out again.
Sasuke had finally embarked on his original path, defecting from Konoha to seek refuge with Orochimaru.
However, it seemed that because of Colt's presence, the timeline had somewhat accelerated.
Logically, Sasuke should have completed more missions before preparing to defect.
Running swiftly towards the northern part of the Land of Fire, Colt didn't use [Flying Thunder God] to hurry, fearing he might miss the marks left by Shikamaru and the others.
As the most intelligent of the Konoha 12, he believed that even if Shikamaru didn't know whether reinforcements would arrive, he would leave a secret code to guide the way for any latecomers.
According to Tsunade, the pursuit team had been gone for nearly half a day.
If they ran at full speed, they were likely almost at the border by now.
After all, ninja speed was not to be underestimated.
Sure enough, before he had gone too far, Colt keenly found Shikamaru's signal on a large tree and immediately determined the direction.
In fact, Colt could have run directly to the Valley of the End, and with his speed, he would definitely arrive before Naruto and Sasuke's battle concluded.
The problem was that the battles Shikamaru and the others were facing were also very dangerous, and without help, they might die.
Gaara and his siblings were still in Sunagakure, so they couldn't provide support.
With his [Sharingan] fully activated, chakra fluctuations within a ten-mile radius were within Colt's detection range.
Soon, he sensed the first familiar chakra signature.
When he arrived, he saw Choji holding a red pill, attempting to swallow it.
"Stop!"
Colt knew this was the Akimichi clan's secret medicine, and the red pill was the third and most dangerous one. Once ingested, it would likely result in death.
Choji wouldn't die due to his plot armor, but it would be enough to incapacitate him for a while.
But since he had reached him, then there was no need for that.
"[Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet]!"
A shuriken shot out, knocking the pill from Choji's hand.
Simultaneously, a fire dragon spewed from Colt's mouth, engulfing Jirobo in flames.
Colt himself appeared before Choji in an instant.
"Colt!"
Choji was overjoyed, not for himself, but for Shikamaru and the others pursuing the enemies ahead.
With Colt around, these Sound ninjas were nothing to worry about.
"How long ago did Shikamaru and the others pass?" Colt asked Choji without looking at Jirobo, who was gradually being reduced to ash.
At the same time, he used a healing technique to treat Choji's injuries.
"More than half an hour, northwest," Choji said quickly, knowing that time was of the essence.
"Stay here. I'll send the others back to you."
With that, Colt leaped into the air and continued onward, forming hand seals to create several Shadow Clones.
Neji's battle with Kidomaru…
After running for ten minutes, he encountered Neji entangled in spider webs.
Under his [Sharingan's] perception, Kidomaru's hiding place was clearly visible.
The flying chakra feathers on Colt's wrist bloomed and increased to regular size, and were imbued with strong wind-nature chakra.
Subsequently, they were sent flying towards Kidomaru.
Kidomaru in the shadows also noticed the sudden attack and spat out a large amount of spider silk for defense.
These spider threads were products of his chakra and were as sharp as blades.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The spider web Kidomaru relied on didn't last even a second and was torn apart like paper.
Unprepared, thousands of flying feathers passed through his body, and he died without even activating his second-stage curse mark.
"Go back the same way to find Choji, and wait for me to return," Colt instructed.
Before Neji could thank him, the Shadow Clone disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Shikamaru and Tayuya's battlefield…
As a descendant of the Nara clan, Shikamaru's tactical skills were unquestionable.
But his lazy nature meant his taijutsu and ninjutsu were poor, only at an average level.
Faced with the three demons Tayuya controlled, he could only dodge desperately.
Aside from his shadow manipulation, Shikamaru lacked any effective offense.
"Damn it!"
Barely dodging an attack from an enraged demon, Shikamaru was already showing signs of fatigue.
For the first time, he regretted his laziness. If he were stronger, maybe he could defeat the enemy at this moment…
Thinking of Choji and Neji, who had volunteered to stay behind and block the enemy, Shikamaru felt even more anxious.
"Chidori!"
At that moment, the sound of a thousand birds chirping filled the air.
Colt, his body crackling with electricity, appeared before the three demons. The powerful current paralyzed them, leaving them rigid and immobile.
"[Chidori Sharp Spear]!"
A spear of lightning extended from his palm, slicing through the three demons.
Tayuya's face contorted with shock, and she hurriedly played her flute to cast a Genjutsu.
"So noisy!"
Colt's face showed annoyance, but he remained undisturbed, with his speed even increasing.
The materialized lightning-nature chakra pierced Tayuya's heart without hesitation.
"Try not to get any curse marks in your next life. And stay clear from snakes…"
After saying that, he withdrew his hand.
There was a trace of regret in his expression.
In fact, Tayuya was attractive and had an interesting personality and past, but after receiving the curse mark, she had become truly unredeemable.
Being bitten by Orochimaru had major drawbacks.
Shikamaru limped to Colt's side, heard his "advice" to the fallen enemy, and was left speechless.
Colt looked at the embarrassed Shikamaru, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Will you still be lazy in the future?"
Shikamaru rolled his eyes. He didn't ask about the status of Choji and the others.
Because since Colt came here, his expression hadn't changed in the slightest, which meant his companions must be safe and sound.
However, it was time to try harder.
Otherwise, he wouldn't even be able to protect his friends.
Shikamaru's hand clenched slightly.
Colt keenly observed his changes but said nothing.
Smart people would always be quick to understand, and they would make better choices even after experiencing temporary setbacks.
He believed that Shikamaru would give people a different impression after today.
On another front, Sakon, who was confronting Kiba, was also beheaded by Colt's Shadow Clone.
The three Shadow Clones dispelled one after another, and the original Colt received their memories, completely relieved.
This mission would greatly contribute to everyone's growth.
At least no one would be complacent, and they could clearly recognize their own shortcomings.
Naruto's chakra signature was getting closer.
Eventually, Colt met Naruto, who was confronting Kimimaro in a meadow.
The wooden barrel where Sasuke had been contained was gone. It seemed Sasuke had completed his transformation and left.
"Naruto, go after Sasuke. Leave this to me."
Colt glanced at Kimimaro, who stood quietly and waved his hand.
He knew Naruto's temperament well. If he wasn't allowed to confront Sasuke, he'd probably be depressed for years.
It was better to let the two of them have their confrontation.
Moreover, he was also interested in this guy, Kimimaro.
"Colt, be careful. This guy is really strong."
Gritting his teeth, Naruto nodded, issued a warning, and then ran off into the distance.