The dense forest crackled with tension as Neji, Hinata, Naruto, and Shikamaru raced through the underbrush, every step a desperate push forward. Twigs snapped underfoot, and leaves rustled in the thickets around them, the foliage above swayed gently, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow on the forest floor. The sounds of rushed steps spread throughout the thick forest. The ground was uneven, roots jutting out like nature's tripwires, but they navigated the treacherous terrain with practiced ease. Tayuya's mocking laughter echoed through the trees, a sinister melody that urged them on.
Tayuya moved with a devilish grace, her steps light and agile as she darted between the trees. Her red hair whipped behind her like a fiery crest. She leapt over fallen logs and ducked under low-hanging branches with ease. Occasionally, she glanced back at her pursuers, her smirk widened as she watched their pace wane.
With a swift motion, Tayuya brought her flute to her lips and played a haunting tune that seemed to warp the very air around them. The eerie melody reverberated through the forest, sending shockwaves that distorted their vision. The trees seemed to sway violently, their branches twisted and writhed, responding to the flute's sinister cry.
Strapped to her back was a large wooden coffin, heavy and imposing, yet its weight did nothing to hinder her speed. It seemed almost out of place, an ominous burden she carried with ease. Its presence was a constant reminder of what was at stake, a dark anchor that fueled the team's urgency. Within, Sasuke lay in its confines, the coffin like a cocoon, protecting him as he transformed into something... different.
"Hinata, scout ahead. Identify any terrain that could give us an advantage." Shikamaru instructed, his eyes darting around for a tactical advantage.
Hinata's eyes flared, veins bulged around her temples and spreads towards her eyes awakening her Byakugan. "There's a clearing up ahead," she called out.
"Perfect, We'll encircle her once we reach there," Shikamaru declared, his mind already strategizing the next steps. "Hinata, take the left flank. Naruto, secure the right. Neji, hold the rear. I'll command the front. When the opportunity presents itself, Naruto and I will use Body Flicker to cut off her escape".
"You got it Shikamaru! We'll get Sasuke back no matter what!" Naruto clenched his fist as his eyes met Shikamaru's back. He admired Shikamaru's ability to command the team, even under such dire circumstances. A chuckle escaped Naruto's lips as he shook his head. He slapped his face, a gesture to clear his mind. His eyes regained focus, set to the future. 'He'd make a great Hokage… but that doesn't mean I'll lose to him, no way!'
The team surged forward, breaking through the dense undergrowth. As they neared the clearing, Shikamaru and Naruto executed the Body Flicker Technique, their forms blurred into streaks of motion as they intercepted Tayuya. With a burst of speed, they cut off her escape, positioning themselves at the edge of the clearing. Sunlight filtered through the opening above, casting scattered beams that illuminated the open space and revealed patches of blue sky.
The team swiftly moved into position, encircling Tayuya. Her smirk vanished as she realized she was trapped, her eyes darted from one leaf ninja to another, searching for a weak point in their formation. She brought her flute to her lips and played a turbulent note. The sound waves distorted the air, creating a barrier that pushed them back just as they were about to charge in.
But before she could act further, an eerie silence fell over the clearing. From the shadows, red-hooded figures emerged, their silent presence adding to the tension. The Lambs, as they were known, surrounded the team in a tight formation thick with numbers.
A look of amusement crossed Tayuya's face as she spotted the encirclement of red. "We're surroundeeeed~" she said in a mocking tone that dripped with sarcasm. Tayuya believed she could use this situation to her advantage and escape this quagmire.
"Stay alert!" Shikamaru called out, his voice laced with urgency as the shadows closed in around them. "We've been surrounded! Stick together and use the trees for cover! Don't let them isolate you! We'll fight as one!"
Tayuya dashed forward, determined to slip past the Lambs. She played her flute, summoning orbs of sound that whirled around her like vengeful spirits. The orbs detonated violently upon impact, bursting through the ranks of cultists. Limbs twisted grotesquely as they were thrown back, some crashing into trees while others crumpled to the forest floor, blood splattering against the earth.
Yet, just as she managed to create a small opening, more red-hooded cultists surged in, blocking her escape. Tayuya's heart raced, but she pushed forward, refusing to show any signs of fear. "Get out of my way you damn pricks!" her enraged voice cut through the din of battle.
With a fierce determination, she blew into her flute once more, unleashing a wave of orbs that zipped through the air. The ground quaked with the force of their explosions, sending shards of red fabric and flesh flying as the Lambs fell one by one. A sickening crunch echoed as she tore through their ranks, the acrid scent of blood filled her nostrils.
"Damn it!, she's getting away!" Naruto shouted, pivoting sharply toward Tayuya as he crouched low, ready to spring towards her.
As Tayuya neared her escape, a red-masked figure materialized before her. With a flash, the figure delivered a brutal kick to Tayuya's gut, knocking the wind from her and sending her crashing back into the clearing. Pain shot through her as she hit the ground, gasping for breath. Naruto stumbled, caught off guard by the sudden turn of events.
In the midst of the unsettling events, the masked figure raised her hand, channeling a surge of dark occult energy. The red-hooded cultists that previously struggled to move their mangled bodies, snapped upright as their wounds mended, their flesh knitted together as if they had never been harmed. As they rose, they instinctively stepped back at the masked figure's flick of the wrist, a silent command. Their expressions remained hidden beneath the filthy bandages that shrouded their mysterious faces.
Neji's Byakugan flared to life as he focused on the red-masked figure, peering into the depths of her chakra. What he saw shocked him to his core—her chakra was an ominous crimson shrouded in black, it pulsed with a dark intensity that felt almost sentient. "This one is different from the others," he remarked, urgency coloring his tone. "She's extremely dangerous!"
Tayuya forced her battered body up as she held her stomach with a pained expression, the coffin no longer on her back stood firmly in the center of the expanse.
The red-masked figure vanished from her current position, she rushed forward without hesitation, intense red chakra surged around her slender legs. As she moved, she left a trail of black smoke that swirled behind her, an ominous sign of her lethal intent. Neji was the first to confront her, launching a palm thrust aimed directly at her chest. The red-masked figure effortlessly sidestepped his attempt at an attack, her movements as fluid as the smoke trailed behind her. Intense red chakra crackled around her hands as she deflected Neji's strikes, her palms glowed ominously with power. Each time her foot connected with the ground, it branded the earth with red-hot footprints, leaving a trail of scorched earth beneath her every step. Her dark hood faded within the thickening smoke as she deflected his every attack.
Not one to back down, Neji followed up with a rapid series of strikes aimed at her vital points, Neji's attacks blew holes within the smoke each deflection thinned the smoke surrounding the masked woman. Her hands moved in a graceful dance, countering his efforts and demonstrating a mastery that left him momentarily stunned. The more he fought, the more he realized he was facing an opponent far beyond his expectations.
Hinata joined the assault, with her Byakugan active she could find the lurking figure even within the smoke, her gentle fist techniques targeted the red-masked figure's chakra points in a flurry of precise attacks. Each strike aimed to disrupt her chakra flow, but the red-masked figure was far too swift, she twisted and dodged them with a dancer's grace. She maneuvered away from Hinata's strikes, her feet barely touching the ground as she executed a series of acrobatic flips to create distance.
Shikamaru observed the battle hidden atop a tree, his mind worked in overdrive. He steadied his chakra, his shadow slithered across the shaded ground towards the red-masked figure. The shadow stealthily approached the masked girl from behind, in an attempt to ensnare her. The red-masked figure sensed the threat and without a moment's hesitation she leaped high into the air, narrowly evading the shadow's grasp. She landed with cat-like agility, her eyes locked onto the tree Shikamaru hid behind with a predatory gleam.
Naruto charged in, his fists clenched tightly as he ran towards the masked figure leaving a small group of three clones behind him. He aimed a powerful punch at her, but she parried the blow, redirecting his momentum aside with a deft twist of her waist, She countered with a swift kick that was aimed for his ribs, Naruto managed to block it just in time, the impact reverberating throughout his arms.
In the moment Naruto managed to grab onto her leg only for it to get covered in that same scarlet energy burning his arms alive. Even so he held on. The clones devised a strategy of their own, a clone in the center formed a rasengan in each of his palms, the surrounding clones then grabbed his arms launched him into the air over Naruto and towards the woman in the dark cloak. The remaining shadow clones both formed a rasengan in hand and flickered towards the masked figure's flanks.
"Can't go anywhere now can you" Naruto adorned a cocky grin on his face as he firmly held her in place, the scent of his sizzling arms enough to overwhelm the senses of anyone that lacked an iron stomach.
The masked figure, given less than a moment to react was surrounded by a treat in ever direction. She capitalized her superior leg strength and kicked Naruto into the air towards the incoming clone and in that same fluid motion she used her kick's momentum to flip onto a nearby tree narrowly avoiding the pincer attack at her sides. The shadow clones crashed into each other dispelling as a result, In the air Naruto was hit with his own attack sending him hurtling towards the ground.
The red-masked figure moved with unparalleled skill, her martial arts techniques seamlessly blending offense and defense. Shikamaru tried to ensnare her once more, his shadow snuck up towards her atop the tree. This time, she was prepared. She leaped off the tree, evading the shadow by a hair's breadth, and launched herself into a series of rapid backflips as the shadow pursued her her.
The red-masked figure's mastery of taijutsu was evident in every move. Her strikes were surgical, aimed at exploiting weaknesses and creating openings. She flowed like water, adapting to the shifting dynamics of the battle with ease. Each deflected strike and dodged attack was a testament to her training and skill.
Once she was outside of the shadow's reach she stood in place not a worry in her mind "You all hold quite the potential, most would not be able to hold on for this long".
Her attention shifted to Tayuya "But as for you, you're not worth much you are not worth Lord Jashin's attention". With a burst of speed, the red-masked figure lunged towards Tayuya, her hand aimed for her throat.
Tayuya watched in horror as the masked figure charged towards her, she tried to move but her gut screamed in pain. "Watch out!" Picking himself up from the ground and flickered towards Tayuya and pulled her away from her impending doom.
Naruto supported tayuya placing her arm over his shoulder. "What the hell do you think you're doing dimwit" Tayuya held on to him for support her eyes focused at the masked figure with contempt. "We're in a bit of a pickle y'know, mind giving us a hand"
Tayuya did not trust him nor did she want to die, the dangers around her weighed heavily on her mind. She glanced at the red-masked figure, 'That's where I was, if this orange freak didn't save me back then...', her eyes drifted back at Naruto, the broad smile on his face seemed to calm her down, a remedy that cured her worried heart. "F-Fine!...." she relented, "but only because you begged".