Kiba and Akamaru moved through the forest, their senses on high alert. Exhaustion gnawed at them, but their concern for their friends kept them going. The forest's thick canopy filtered the sunlight, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Kiba's thoughts were a mix of memories from their recent battles. Their victory against Sakon and Ukon, and the wave of cultists that followed, replayed in his mind. Despite his worries, he focused on one thing: finding help.
Akamaru suddenly perked up, catching a whiff of a muddled scent. Kiba knelt beside him, his own senses sharpening. "You got something, Akamaru?" he asked urgently.
Akamaru barked in affirmation. Kiba nodded, feeling a surge of determination. "Good boy. Let's go!"
They moved, their enhanced sense of smell guiding them. The scent grew stronger, urging them onward.
"Not too far ahead, Kiba caught a faint whiff of a group of shinobi, their scents mostly masked by layers of concealants. The subtle odor of sweat and blood managed to seep through, but with what little he got, he couldn't clearly identify them. He slowed down, moving cautiously through the underbrush to avoid detection. He signaled Akamaru to stay close and quiet as they approached the source of the scent."
As they got closer, Kiba climbed up into the trees to get a better vantage point. From his perch, he spotted Shizune and two others in the woods, their backs to him as they discussed something. Relief washed over him, but he knew he needed to act quickly.
Kiba leaped from tree to tree, moving swiftly and silently until he was directly above them. As he prepared to jump down, he heard Shizune raise her voice. "Heh, your Assassination skills lack... skill," she remarked, her voice tense. The two others went on guard, kunai in their hands.
With a final powerful jump, Kiba landed in front of them. Shizune's eyes widened in recognition. "Kiba! What are you doing here?" she demanded, her concern evident.
Kiba's eyes lit up with hope. "Shizune! I'm on an urgent mission right now. I need you to come with me, we need backup!"
Shizune frowned, concern etched on her face. "What's going on? What mission?"
Kiba was in no mood for lengthy explanations. "There's no time to explain everything right now! Garm's in trouble. I'll explain everything on the way. Just trust me!"
Shizune hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Lead the way."
Kiba took off through the forest, Shizune and the others right behind him. As they moved, Kiba quickly summarized the situation. "We were fighting two of those Sound creeps, or, maybe just one..... Garm, Akamaru, and I managed to take them down, but right after that, we could smell blood... A lot of it. Thick, like iron in the air. It was everywhere."
They ran through the dense forest, the underbrush slowed them as they maneuvered around the trees. Kiba continued, "We decided to flee, we were too exhausted for another fight, but these people in red followed us like shadows. We couldn't shake them off."
As they ran, Shizune cast a worried glance at Kiba. "Kiba, who are these people in red?"
Kiba shook his head, his expression grim. "I don't know who or what they were. All I know is, they weren't normal. Something, was off about them, and that's ignoring the fact that they could brush off everything we threw at them, one moment they bled and in the next they weren't."
Shizune furrowed her brow, her hand tightened instinctively around her kunai. "How did you manage to escape?"
The group emerged from the forest into a field of flowers, sprinting across the open meadow, uncertainty built up within them with every word that Kiba uttered. He kept relaying the events as they ran. "Garm made a decision, he drew those red-hooded bastards away so that Akamaru and I could find help..... but, I know him better than that, he was sacrificing himself....."
Kiba's heart pounded as his legs kicked off the ground faster than they ever had before. "It's been too long, we've got to hurry. There's no telling if he's still alive. If he dies... I'll never be able to forgive myself." With each step, they trampled over the undisturbed land of flowers, their vibrant petals float in the gentle wind, like the colorful whispers of a fading dream.
Kiba neared the edge of the meadow and leaped into the trees, bounding from branch to branch like a nimble predator. Shizune and the others were right behind him, matching Kiba's pace. The trees blurred past them as they advanced.
Kiba's voice was urgent as he continued, "Keep your guard up, Akamaru. There's no telling what's out here anymore. You'd think we're at war or something." Perched atop Kiba's head, Akamaru let out a low growl, his keen senses on high alert. He was prepared for the worst, as all ninja should be.
As they continued through the forest, a steep cliff loomed before them. Without hesitation, Kiba began scaling it using the tree-walking technique. Shizune and the others followed suit, their feet adhering to the rock as they made their way up.
"How much farther is it, Kiba?" Shizune asked, her voice strained.
"Just a few more miles," Kiba replied, glancing back at her. "We're almost there. Hang in there."
Once they reached the top, they saw a massive, glowing sphere of energy hurtling towards the sky in the distance. The ground trembled beneath their feet, and the air shook with a deafening roar. The mass of energy within the massive orb broke free and spread in an eruption like no other, a powerful shockwave caused the world to quake.
The blast barely affected the jonin, who reflexively channeled a layer of chakra beneath their feet gluing them in place. Kiba, on the other hand, was blown back, nearly sending him off the cliff they had just trekked. Luckily, Shizune managed to reach out and grab his arm just in time, pulling him back to his feet. As he landed, Kiba channeled his chakra to his feet, anchoring himself firmly to the rock. The four turned their faces away and with their arms, they shielded their eyes against the fierce wind swirling around them.
As the winds and debris began to settle, Raido lowered his arm. His face was pale with disbelief, and his voice trembled as he spoke, "That's... a Tailed Beast Bomb."
Shizune's mind raced with urgency. "We need to move, now!" she commanded, sprinting towards the source of the explosion, with Raido and Genma close behind.
"Wait! What about Garm? He's still out there!" Kiba shouted, his face riddled with conflict.
Shizune was torn, as if she had to choose between two equally important missions, Naruto or Garm. The minor changes on her face revealed her struggle to them all. Genma felt a sudden sense of responsibility wash over him.
He sighed and stepped forward, his voice calm yet resolute. "We'll split into two groups, I'll go with the kid and regroup with you after. No need to worry, I'll be back with you in a flash." He tossed a kunai to Shizune. Upon analyzing it, she was shocked to see the mark of the Flying Raijin on it.
Genma flickered behind Kiba and said, "We really have no time, so just bear with me." He picked up Kiba, grappling him beneath his arm in a vice that left Kiba no room to resist.
Kiba struggled with nearly everything he had, "Hey! Put me down!". Genma ignored his outburst and asked, "Where should I go?".
Kiba held back his frustration, for the sake of the mission, he gave in and lifted his index finger "Ugh, last time I saw him he was heading that way." Genma formed a one-handed tiger seal and they vanished from sight.
Shizune stared down at the kunai genma had left behind and then turned to Raido. "Let's go."
Raido replied, "Right." And they rushed towards the origin of the explosions 'we'll leave it to you'.
-------
Shizune and Raido approached the source of the chaos, their pace quickening as they heard the sounds of battle nearby. Suddenly, the chaos ceased, plunging the area into an eerie silence. The abrupt stillness sent a chill down Shizune's spine, and she felt a growing sense of dread. They continued their cautious advance, the quiet made them even more anxious.
After a tense period of time, they finally arrived at Shikamaru's position. He lay unconscious on the ground, a pool of blood leaking from his head.
"Shikamaru!" Shizune called out, rushing to his side with urgency. She quickly assessed his injuries, her face filled with concern. "He's losing too much blood. I need to stop the bleeding."
She placed her hands over him , and a green aura of chakra enveloped them. The gentle hum of the Mystical Palm Technique filled the air as she channeled her healing energy into Shikamaru. The green chakra glowed softly, closing his wounds.
Raido kept a vigilant watch, ensuring no enemies approached while Shizune worked. He glanced at Shikamaru and nodded. "You're lucky Shizune got here in time. She's one of the best, just hang in there for a little longer."
As the green chakra continued to flow, Shikamaru's breathing steadied, and his strength slowly returned. His expression calmed, and he slowly woke up, blinking as he regained consciousness.
Shizune's focus remained unwavering as she worked to stabilize him. "Just a little longer," she muttered as she stabilized shikamaru's vitals.
Finally, the supply of chakra that sustained the technique was cut off, and the healing glow surrounding her palms gradually faded. Shizune let out a sigh of relief. "This is the best I can do right now," she said, her voice serious yet relieved. "He lost a lot of blood, but with rest, he should recover."
Raido carefully lifted Shikamaru onto his back. "There's no time to spare, we need to get back on track," he said with urgency.
Shikamaru, his voice barely a whisper, murmured, "This... mission... was a... failure." His eyes trembled, fighting to stay open as his strength ebbed away, each blink a desperate battle against the encroaching darkness.
Shizune's eyes filled with deep concern as she watched him. "Shikamaru, you mustn't exert yourself. I barely managed to save you. You're fortunate to be alive."
Raido and Shizune flickered from tree to tree, steadily they moved forwar towards the source of the destruction. Shikamaru, tied to Raido's back, barely holding on to consciousness, murmured in a strained voice, "I can't... It's important that... you know... what's coming." His vision blurred, and his head felt light. As he uttered the final word, his consciousness faded, and his body went completely limp, a dead weight on Raido's back.
Shizune nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "What, happened here..."
Raido face hardened. "We'll find out soon enough."
------
Eventually, they found Neji on the ground, covered in bruises and scrapes. He was lying on his front, his arm stretched out as he crawled forward with sheer determination. His fingers dug into the earth, carving lines into the ground as he dragged himself forward. His face, normally so composed, had lost its indifference, it was a reflection the pain in his heart.
Shizune and Raido rushed to his side, their concern growing with each passing second. Shizune quickly knelt beside him, her hands already glowing with the green aura of her healing chakra.
"Neji !" she said urgently, her voice filled with both worry. She knelt beside him and began treating his injuries, her hands moved with practiced precision as the gentle hum of her Mystical Palm Technique filled the air.
Neji winced as the healing chakra flowed through him, then slammed his fist on the ground, shocking Shizune. "Leave me!... A sound kunoichi took Naruto, along with all that remained of Hinata. Even after all we've been through, she betrayed us! ....She couldn't even allow her to rest in peace," he said, his voice trembling with emotion.
Shizune's face twisted in disbelief. "What!? You don't mean..." she asked, her voice laced with uncertainty.
Neji hesitated, he didn't want to admit it. "Hinata... She's dead," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Shizune gasped, her hands faltered as the glow of her Mystical Palm Technique began to fade. She lost focus, her shock undeniable. "No.... How could this happen," she muttered, her voice tinged with dismay. 'The mission couldn't have escalated this quickly, how did those people in red cloaks slip past the border patrol without a single alarm being raised? This doesn't add up. Something's wrong....' she thought asher mind raced.
Neji's gaze wandered behind Shizune, landing on Shikamaru slumped over Raido's back. The sight of Shikamaru's exhausted state, his breath ragged and body limp, sent a surge of realization through Neji—he had lost. His eyes narrowed, outrage igniting within him. Turning his focus forward, Neji clenched his teeth. "All this, for nothing.... Damn you, Sasuke Uchiha!" he growled, his rage boiling over. His fists clenched so tightly that blood began to drip from his knuckles, stark against his pale skin.
Raido watched as Neji's fury unfolded, his thoughts clouded with the weight of the situation. 'What a cruel world,' he brooded. He then turned to Shizune, gently lowering Shikamaru from his back. "This can't go unreported. I'll return and relay this information directly to Lord Fifth. Genma should be with you in a few moments. Until then, stay here and ensure these two live to see another day," he advised, his voice steady yet serious.
Shizune's eyes widened with urgency. "Raido! Be careful. Lady Tsunade must stay within Konoha. She's the Hokage now, and her every move is under scrutiny. She cannot afford to show any weakness," she yelled, her voice steely with determination.
As Raido flickered away, Shizune turned to Shikamaru and a thought crossed her mind, 'I can't believe such a burden fell on the shoulders of such a young man.' She felt a pang of sorrow mixed with admiration for his resilience.
She continued her procedure, healing Neji once again. Green chakra enveloped her hands once more, casting a soft glow on Neji's wounds. The gentle hum of the technique filled the air, mending his body, from his ruptured organs to the cuts on his skin.
Yet, despite her skill, she could not fade the scars that come with loss.