Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its characters belong to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I create.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 140: The Chase continues
"Jirobo!" Ukon shouted.
"I just threw another kunai when they moved away," Naruto said, as the rock dome exploded into a hundred pieces, and something flew out.
"Ha! We did it, Akamaru!" Kiba exclaimed. As his jutsu ended, he and his ninja dog landed nearby.
The other genins who had been trapped inside hurried out before the structure collapsed on them.
Once outside, they assessed the situation.
"Hmm… I don't think it was your doing, Kiba," Shikamaru noted, observing the dead Jirobo before turning his gaze to the remaining enemy.
"Where are the rest of them?"
"They ran off with Sasuke. Only three of them stayed behind," Ino informed him.
"Three?… I only see two," Chouji remarked.
Neji narrowed his eyes as he observed. "There are two individuals inside that body… I've never heard of a jutsu that allows that."
"Yeah, they can fuse with each other. One of them even tried to get inside Naruto but failed," Ino said.
"Wait! Who killed that guy?!" Kiba exclaimed as he joined the group and noticed Jirobo's corpse.
"I did," Naruto replied, then turned to Shikamaru. "We need to follow the others before they get too far."
"You're not going anywhere!" Sakon shouted.
Naruto pointed at Sakon and Ukon. "Let Neji and Hinata handle him. They specialize in close-range combat, and their Gentle Fist would be very effective."
Neji stepped forward. "Leave it to me. I can handle this," he said, glancing at Shikamaru.
Shikamaru had no reservations about Neji taking the lead, but he had doubts about Hinata.
She looked hesitant. Over her few months as a genin, she had yet to face a truly dangerous opponent capable of killing her.
She felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder and turned to see Naruto.
"The path to the top is filled with hardship. You can't reach your goals without putting everything on the line," Naruto said, offering her encouragement.
Had he not cared for her, he wouldn't have bothered with doing this.
If Hinata couldn't overcome her fears and doubts, then the life of a warrior wasn't for her. In that case, it would be better to retire and let her sister become the heir.
He didn't say this aloud, but Hinata seemed to understand the underlying message.
She pushed away her hesitation, her eyes filling with determination.
"I can do this."
"Okay then…" Shikamaru muttered, hoping he wouldn't come to regret his decision.
They all knew what they had to do next.
Kiba took the lead, tracking the enemy while the others followed closely behind.
Sakon and Ukon attempted to block their way, but Neji intercepted them.
"I'm your opponent!" Neji declared, his palms glowing. "And you're within my range."
"Let's go," Shikamaru ordered, leaving Neji and Hinata behind to deal with Sakon and Ukon.
They hadn't traveled far when Akamaru began to bark.
"We have the scent. It's this way," Kiba said, changing direction.
"Keep your eyes open. We don't have the Byakugan users to warn us about traps," Shikamaru cautioned.
Shino approached him. "My insects can do that, but they'll be slower than the Hyuga eyes."
Shikamaru frowned. "We can't afford to slow down. We're only about three hours from the Fire Country border. If they get beyond the valley, we'll fail the mission."
"I doubt they have time to set traps. They must be rushing to their goal by now," Naruto replied.
"Maybe… but the next one we'll likely encounter is the one who made all those strings before," Shikamaru said thoughtfully.
"Right, and it was the girl who took Sasuke. She'll be the last we encounter," Chouji added.
Shikamaru took a moment to assess their information.
"From here on, we won't stop. When we encounter the next enemy… Shino, you and Ino will handle him while the rest of us continue."
"Me and Shino?" Ino asked, surprised. She had never worked closely with the quiet insect user.
"From what I've seen, that guy prefers to fight from a distance and use those strings to entangle his opponents. My fighting style, and Chouji's, won't match well against him. We need Kiba to keep tracking, and Naruto is likely the only one who can stop Sasuke. So…"
"We're the only ones left," Ino said, nodding.
"I have no issues with this decision," Shino said calmly.
"Good," Shikamaru glanced at Ino. "Remember, only use the Mind Transfer Jutsu if there's a big enough opening."
"I know!" she huffed. Naruto had already reminded her several times.
"We're getting close...the scent's getting stronger!" Kiba said, and Akamaru barked in confirmation.
"Careful!" Shikamaru shouted as a large arrow whizzed past them.
"I see him," Shino said, unleashing a swarm of insects in the enemy's direction.
Ino pulled out a kunai, ready for combat.
"We're not stopping...push through!," Shikamaru ordered.
Ahead, numerous ropes lay in their path, but Naruto sliced through them with his wind-enhanced kunai.
"Tsk! Damn it," their enemy muttered in frustration, unable to stop all six of them.
Especially now that Shino and Ino were closing in on him.
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Meanwhile, the group of four ninjas were so focused on tracking their next target that they failed to notice someone trailing them.
Sakura leaped from one tree to the next, her breathing labored but her determination unwavering.
"Sasuke… Sasuke," she repeated to herself.
Lee had tried to stop her from leaving, but he was still too weak after his surgery to do anything about it.
"I have to find Sasuke myself," Sakura kept reminding herself.
She couldn't leave it in Naruto's hands. It wasn't that she doubted her teammates' abilities, but she didn't believe Naruto cared as much about bringing Sasuke back.
"I'm the only one who can convince him to return!" There was more than just determination in her eyes...there was a hint of desperation, maybe even madness.
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