That Nara... | Naruto Fanficiton

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"They're looking for Naruto," I told Lady Katsuyu as I took a seat on a rock, "well... More like the nine tails..."

"Yes, we took a guess that was the issue here," Katsuyu nodded.

"It's quite frustrating," I sighed, "how is everything out over the village?"

"Not good," she replied, "so many people have died, and even more are injured. It's not good..."

I frowned and looked at the maruchitasukingu Pain.

"What's sticking out of him?" I wondered out loud as I stood up.

"Chakra receivers," Katsuyu told me. I hummed as I pulled one of the chakra receivers out of his arm.

"If I'm correct in thinking, if I pull all of these out then the puppet master wouldn't be able to control them right?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Then let's pull it out," I shrugged before grabbing receivers and pulling them out, one by one.

"Those who do not know pain will never understand true peace!" Pain's voice echoed around the area.

"What the-?" I looked up to see a form floating above the Hokage tower. What is he... doing?

Suddenly the body of maruchitasukingu Pain disappeared in a poof.

"What--?" I turned to it in shock, "where did he go?!"

"We're in the centre of the village right?" I asked Katsuyu.

"Yes we are," she nodded, "why?"

"I think Pain is up there and he's going to push the whole village," I replied, "if I'm in the centre I may be able to take all the shadows around here and turn it into a kind of blanketing shield or something that can stop his attack."

But I won't be able to hold it for long.

"I'll tell Lady Tsunade," Katsuyu nodded, I picked her off my shoulder and placed her on the floor.

"I apologise but I don't want to accidentally get your shadow too," I told her, she nodded to me in understanding as I closed my eyes and started to sense for all the dead bodies. Morbid, I know, but if I take a shadow from someone alive... They'll die so I'm taking shadows from inanimate objects and any dead creature or person around.

It took a few seconds, but I managed to get enough shadow and then opened my eyes, throwing my hands up I watch as a wall of black spread out across the sky just as Pain began to do his attack.

The pressure pushed down on me, it was heavy, and my muscles began to ache as I tried my hardest to hold my shadow up the best I could but then a hole opened up above me.

"No..." I tried to fix the gap as some of the pressure seeped through, but it just widened the gap until my shadows were completely dispersed and I was thrown high up in the air and far, far back from where I was stood. Houses and buildings, any kind of structure left was blown back as well.

I hit something, no... someone.

"Shikarei are you OK?" it was Ryuzo, "That was one hell of a wind."

"It wasn't wind," I pushed myself away from him, wincing as I tried to stand, Ryuzo pulled one of my arms around his neck and wrapped his other one around my waist, "that was one of the Pain's jutsu."

My eyes met the appearance of the village, a giant crater was in the middle.

"Oh man-- I didn't help much, did I?" I sighed.

"What do you mean? Did you do that weird black thing?" he asked. I nodded.

"It was a shield of shadows," I informed him, "if only I could've just held on a bit longer, maybe we'd still have a village here..."

"What're you talking about! That was amazing, at least you still have walls," Ryuzo exclaimed, "and hey, a village isn't only about the structure, it's about the people too."

"You're not wrong there," I shrugged, "come on, let's get somewhere flat so I can sit down. I'm exhausted."

"Right," he nodded before we began walking over the uneven surfaces until I noticed two pineapple headed men.

"Shikamaru! Pa!" I called, the two looked behind to see us and waved.

Ryuzo helped me down to that level and then sat beside me.

"We saw your shield," Pa commented with a swift nod, "that must've been exhausting."

"It hurt more than made me tired," I replied, "I hate that stupid push and pull jutsu."

"I think he said all mighty push before doing it," Ryuzo piped up.

"Well, I hate that all mighty push jutsu," I nodded, "it hurts man. This is all such a drag."

"Shikarei! Mr Shikaku! Shikamaru!" someone shouted, we all looked up to see a pink haired man running towards us.

"Ren," I smiled, "am I glad to see you."

"Where's the idiot?" Ren asked, "I can't sense his chakra anywhere."

"Inoiché..." I sighed before dragging Ren down to the floor in front of me, "he's dead."

"Hm?" Ren leaned forward in confusion, "dead? As in..."

"Mhm," I nodded, "Choro said he was impaled."

"By whom?!"

"No one," I shook my head, "we were pushed away by Mr All Mighty Push. I was separated from them then I got back to the area to see Uncle Choza barely alive and Kakashi about to be killed. To be honest, I want to smack that Pain but I'm sure Naruto can avenge Inoiché."

Ren shut his eyes and sighed before nodding.

"He can. I believe in that blonde haired numbskull," he nodded before healing my leg.

"Is Choza alright?" Pa asked.

"He'll be alright," Katsuyu chimed in.

"That's good," Shikamaru nodded.

"Shikamaru!" Ino's voice echoed, we all looked up to see her, Uncle Inoichi, an anbu and Shizune... But shizune was... Unconscious? No... She's not...

Shizune's lifeless body was being carried by the anbu.

Ren gave me a nervous look before he turned and busied himself with healing Shikamaru the best he could.

"Ino! You ok?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah..." Ino nodded before her expression turned solemn, "except, Lady Shizune..."

"What?" Shikamaru looked to Shizune in shock, "does that mean she's--?"

They all joined us and Shizune's body was laid onto the floor between us. Ino told us about how one of the Pain's somehow killed her by dragging soul out of her body... Or something like that.

"So that's what happened," Pa sighed.

"If we'd just been more diligent," Ino wiped her tears away, "then this never would've happened."

Should I tell them?

I mean-- I don't want them to get sadder, but I also don't want them to find out from another person that Inoiché is dead.

This is such a struggle...

"We can't let Lady Shizune's death be in vain," Shikamaru said, "it's up to us now to solve the mystery of Pain that she was working so hard on."

"But before that," I spoke up get everyone's attention, "Uncle Inoichi... Ino... I need to tell you something important."

They both looked at me with curiosity. Though, by the way Inoichi was looking at me, I'm guessing he's taken a guess at what I'm about to say.

"Inoiché is dead."