Kankuro hardly had any time to use his puppet. He kept dodging the snake sword of his opponent. He gritted his teeth in irritation. This was getting him nowhere. And even though he was hardly wounded, his wounds were all superficial, he didn’t manage to get away from his enemy either.
‘He’s stalling,’ Kankuro thought, ‘they’re trying to separate us on purpose so they can get to Gaara. I have to get away from here.’
“Is that everything you can do?” his opponent taunted, “shall I just make you dance again then?” He swung his sword backwards, but when he was about to throw it, he noticed it was stuck. He looked over his shoulder. His snake sword was pinned to the ground by a large shuriken.
“How about I make you dance?” Yamaru said while stepping into view.
“Who are you?” the ninja asked.
“I am the one that will take you down,” Yamaru said.
His opponent laughed. “You think you can defeat Ryou of the snake sword with mere shuriken?”
“Shuriken is not all I have,” Yamaru growled.
“Let’s see what else you’ve got then,” Ryou smirked and freed his sword.
Temari panted as she tried to catch her breath. She had been fighting this Delia for some time now, but it didn’t get her anywhere. Their windattacks blocked eachother out the entire time.
‘If I don’t finish this soon, I have no way of catching up with the others,’ she thought annoyed.
Delia laughed. “You’ll have to do better than that if you want a chance at defeating me.”
Temari gritted her teeth. Suddenly Delia was slammed aside by a rock.
“Something like this you mean?” Dante asked.
Delia landed on her feet and sliced the rock with a windattack. She glared at Dante. “It is not polite to attack someone from behind,” she stated.
“Yeah… well, I’m not a polite person,” Dante shrugged. He nodded at Temari and both attacked at the same time.
Delia first broke the rock that came at her an then blocked Temari’s attack in the process. “Not good enough,” she laughed. She sent another attack at Dante, who gained a large cut on his arm. He hissed and grabbed his wound.
“Need some help?” a new voice asked.
Temari looked aside. Shikamaru was leaning against a tree with a girl standing next to him.
“If it isn’t the crybaby,” Temari smirked, “aren’t you a little far from home?”
“Be glad that we are,” Shikamaru said, “because it doesn’t seem like you’re getting anywhere.”
“Are you done talking?” Delia asked.
“Oh man,” Shikamaru sighed, “why am I always the one that has to fight the girl?”
“Are you still going on about that?” Temari rolled her eyes.
Delia however was not that amused. “Say what?! You think you’re better than me just because you’re a guy? You’re just a brat.”
Shikamaru sighed. “This is exactly why I don’t want to fight girls,” he muttered.
Delia narrowed her eyes and sent her windattack at him. Shikamaru dodged and landed in a tree not far away. He looked at the damage his attack had caused.
“She won’t be easy,” Temari warned him, “her windattack is not like any other. She can gather the wind around her, forming a tornado around herself, blocking every attack you send in her direction.”
“Then we’ll just have to find a way around it,” Shikamaru said thoughtfully.
“Watch out Akamaru!” Kiba shouted right before the snake sword struck the ground beside him. Akamaru jumped out of the way and almost landed on Kankuro.
“Hey watch out!” Kankuro yelled.
“You watch out!” Kiba retorted.
“Don’t argue you two,” Yamaru said, “work together.” He watched as Choji rolled himself in an enormous ball and headed toward Ryou. “Now!” Yamaru said, “Kankuro use your puppet.” He himself threw a handful of shuriken, but the snake sword hit all of them out of the sky.
A disturbing noise in his ear distracted him. It couldn’t be Dante, he was out of range. “Taryn-sama?” he asked, “what’s happening?”
Something was interfering with the frequency. All he heard was buzzing. The contact had been broken somehow. It concerned him. “Taryn?” he asked again, “where are you? Taryn?”
“Taryn is here?” Kankuro asked while landing next to him.
“She’s up ahead,” Yamaru answered, “I lost contact with her.”
“Taryn can take care of herself,” Kankuro said, “she’s a good fighter. Don’t worry about her.”
“I know,” Yamaru said.
“In any case,” Kankuro continued, “we need to concentrate on our own fight first.”
“We need a solid plan of attack,” Yamaru said.
“Stop,” Shino said and his team came to a halt. Shino’s beetles flew towards a tree and sat on it in a particular formation. When all of them were on, a message became visible. “They split up,” Shino said, “Hinata, Neji, do you see anything with your Byakugan?”
Both of them scanned the area. “There is fighting East,” Hinata said.
“West too,” Neji filled in, “and North.”
“Can you see who?”
“Lee and Naruto are closets,” Neji said, “they’re fighting on opponent. There are two other chakra streams too, but they’re down. One of them… Taryn,” he ended softly.
“Are they alive?” Shino asked.
Neji nodded. “Yes, but they seem injured. As far as the others are concerned. I can’t tell. They’re all fighting and there are a lot of different chakra streams.”
Shino nodded. “We’ll split up too then. Sakura, Neji, you got to where Naruto and Lee are. When you are finished there, go see the others. Hinata, come with me.”
Taryn groaned as she carefully tried to sit up. She pressed a hand to her head and studied it. She knew she was bleeding and her head throbbed. There was a hand on her shoulder.
“Are you alright?” Lee asked.
“Where is Gaara?” Taryn asked.
“He’s right here,” Lee said, “but his sand is wet and he can’t use it.”
Taryn looked around and saw that Naruto was fighting their opponent with his shadow clones. She tried to stand up, but doubled over and fell again.
“Careful,” Lee warned.
“Hey, need some help?” Sakura stepped into the clearing with Neji behind her. She kneeled next to Taryn and looked uncertain, still not sure what to think of this girl with her hostile eyes.
“Help Gaara first,” Taryn said.
The prospect of healing Gaara seemed to frighten the girl even more. She swallowed and went to the boy. Gaara looked at her surprised when she started healing his wounds. He could see the fear in her eyes, but he was used to being treated that way.
“That’s enough,” he said and stood up.
Sakura backed away from him and hurried towards Taryn to heal her wounds. “I’ve got it,” she said to Lee, “you help Naruto.”
Lee nodded and together he and Neji rushed to Naruto’s side. Gaara didn’t hesitate and spurted past them to find Matsuri.
“Gaara wait!” Taryn called, but she fell back and hissed in pain.
“Hold on,” Sakura said, “I’m almost done. You hit your head pretty hard. You should rest a moment.”
Taryn gritted her teeth. She knew Sakura was right. Somewhere during the fight she had lost her wireless and the water had made it useless. She hoped Dante and Yamaru were alright. She stood up when Sakura finished. At the same time a few bugs came flying their direction. “That’s Shino’s sign,” Sakura said, “the others are injured.”
“Go,” Taryn called at Neji, “I’ll take over.”
Neji nodded at her and disappeared into the forest with Sakura at his side.
Kankuro sighed as he closed Yamaru’s eyes. It had been a long fight and in the end they had been able to defeat their enemy, but at the cost of Yamaru’s life. He took a moment out of respect for his fallen comrade, but then he stood up with an determined look in his eyes.
“Sorry about your comrade,” Kiba said.
Kankuro nodded. “Thanks. We need to catch up to the others. I don’t know how far they are.”
“Akamaru can track them,” Kiba said, “our friends are near too. He can find them and we’ll find your teammates too.”
“Right. Let’s go.” He carefully placed Yamaru’s body in one of his puppets and followed the others.
“You missed me,” Delia laughed as Temari’s windattack hit the waterfall behind her. But her laugh died out when she noticed she was unable to move. She gasped. Shikamaru chuckled.
“Have you forgotten about my Shadow Entrapment?” he asked.
Delia stared at him confused. “That’s not possible. I stayed out of your jutsu’s reach. You could never have caught me.”
“True,” Shikamaru admitted, “but I didn’t use your shadow…I’ll let you look up and see.” He lifted his own head and Delia’s moved with his. Temari’s attack had deliberately missed her and when it had hit the rock wall, it had bent off the waterfall, causing it to form a large shadow over Delia’s head. That was the shadow Shikamaru had used to reach hers. Delia gritted her teeth, but was unable to do anything about it.
“Heh,” Shikamaru said, “get it now?” he lowered his head again.
“Go on,” he said to Temari, “finish it.”
Temari grinned and lifted her fan.
***
“Sakura is on her way,” Shino told Ino who leaned against a large rock, “That’s a nasty wound you have there.” Ino sighed. Again she hadn’t been of much use with her jutsu.
Hinata turned to Dante. “H-how about you?” she asked softly.
The broad build Suna ninja made her slightly nervous. Suna warriors were a harder kind than Konoha ninja.
Dante grinned at her. “I’ll live sweetheart, don’t worry.”
Hinata turned a deep red and had trouble breathing.
“Don’t tease the girl, Dante,” Temari smirked, “you’re such a flirt.”
“Shall I tease you instead then?” he asked.
“Egh,” Temari rolled her eyes.
Neji and Sakura broke through the trees.
“How are the others?” Shino asked.
“They’re alright,” Neji answered, “Naruto, Lee and Taryn were fighting when we left. Her brother went on ahead.”
“Gaara or Kankuro?” Temari asked.
“Gaara,” Sakura answered while kneeling down beside Ino. After healing her wounds. She continued with Dante.
A bark sound nearby and a few seconds later, Kiba and Akamaru came within view. With Kankuro and Choji on their heels.
“See. Found them,” Kiba said.
“Kankuro,” Temari said. He nodded at her and then at Dante, who looked around.
“Yamaru?” he asked.
Kankuro’s eyes saddened for a moment and he shook is head.
Dante lowered his head and nodded.
Ino followed Sakura as she headed over to Choji to heal his wounds. “When you first started training as a medical ninja,” she told Sakura, “I ridiculed it, because I thought you were too much of a coward to fight. But now I realize… if it wasn’t for medical ninja, we’d be a lot worse… you’re doing so much. You’re useful. While I… do you think… maybe… Tsunade-sama would accept me as her student too?”
Sakura looked at her surprised. “You want to be a medic?”
Ino nodded. “Yeah.”
“It’s not as easy as it looks,” Sakura said, “it’s hard work and takes a whole other load of expertise then what you need in battle. Are you sure you’re up for it?”
Ino nodded. “I’m sure.”
“Alright,” Sakura nodded, “I’ll ask her.”
“You go,” Naruto said, “we’ll follow after you as soon as possible.”
Taryn nodded. She left Naruto to support Lee. He wasn’t that badly hurt, only tired and they would be fine on their own. But as long as she didn’t know where Gaara or Matsuri were, she would make them her first priority. She knew Gaara would be out of chakra soon. Sakura might have been able to heal him, but not replenish is chakra. She didn’t know where the others were either.
She activated her Byakugan and found a trace of her brother’s chakra not far up ahead. He was in a secluded part of the forest. She found Matsuri too, still being held by the ninja that had kidnapped her. She increased her speed and climbed up a hill. She was surprised to find Naruto next to her.
”How did you get here? Where’s Lee?”
“The others caught up with us. Sakura is looking after his injuries. The rest will follow, but I went up ahead. I’m faster then them anyway.”
Taryn nodded. “Alright… when we get there… do what you can to free the hostage, but make sure you don’t endanger her.”
“Right,” Naruto nodded. He glanced at her cautiously. He still hadn’t made up his mind whether he could trust her or not. He knew what Kakashi had told him. And when they went after Sasuke, she had come too. Still… “When Sasuke…” he started hesitantly.
“We’re not far,” Taryn cut him off, “we have to proceed with care from here on. We don’t know the enemy’s strength.” She stopped on a tree branch and looked at Naruto. “Free the hostage. I’ll take care of my brother.”
“You… care about him a lot, don’t you?” Naruto said softly with his eyes averted.
“He’s my brother,” Taryn said, “little brothers are sacred.” She paused for a moment. “All of them,” she said.
Naruto looked at her confused, but before he could ask what she meant Taryn had already continued down the road. Quickly he jumped down and hurried after her.
“So you came,” the man holding Matsuri smirked, “the village decided to give up in their one tailed beast?”
“No one is giving up anything,” Gaara growled, “release Matsuri.”
“Gaara-sensei!” Matsuri shouted. He had come to rescue her?
The man laughed. “But of course,” he said, “Yodan of the shadow ninja always keeps his word. The girl’s life for Shokaku.” He threw Matsuri on the ground and launched a fierce attack at Gaara. It scratched Gaara across the face and chest. Yodan laughed even harder.
“What’s that? Did your sand become useless to you? There’s nothing left in that gourd of yours if I’m not mistaken.”
Gaara narrowed his eyes. It was true. The sand in his gourd was gone and he didn’t have much chakra left either. Of course he could use the sand around him to infuse with his chakra, but it would cost him a lot of effort to create enough for a sand armor. He barely managed to dodge the next attack. He glared at Yodan from te crouch he was in.
Yodan narrowed his eyes. “Well? Go on then. You may not be able to use your own chakra, but you can use Shokaku’s. Go on and do it.”
Gaara smirked. “And give you the opportunity to draw him out? I don’t think so.”
“Perhaps this will change your mind.” Yodan directed his attack towards Matsuri.
“Hey!” a new voice suddenly yelled. Both Yodan and Gaara looked up.
Taryn stood on a large rock and stared at Yodan furiously. “Leave the girl out of this,” she hissed through her teeth.
Yodan grinned. “Look who came to join the party. Watch this…” He turned back to Matsuri, but found her no longer there. “What?!” he said and looked around. He just saw Naruto help her hide behind a large rock formation. “You’ll pay for that,” Yodan growled and threw a handful of kunai daggers at Naruto.
Naruto gasped, but before the daggers could hit him, a wall of sand rose up in front of him and blocked the attack.
Gaara fell to his knees, panting.
Yodan laughed. “You fool,” he said, “you just used your last chakra to protect someone other than yourself. You’re mine now.” He threw some shuriken at Gaara and made him jump back. Gaara stumbled and fell to the ground. He watched stunned as steel plates started popping out of the ground and sealing around him.
Taryn gasped and ran forward, speeding up with the help of her chakra. She threw herself into the cage with Gaara only seconds before it closed around them completely.
“What are you doing?” Gaara asked, “you should be out there, taking care of Matsuri. Not me.”
“Naruto is with Matsuri and the others are not far behind. Besides, it’s not Matsuri he’s after. It’s Shokaku. And I’m not going to let him have that.”
“So instead you got yourself locked up in here with me? What are you going to do?”
“Hey, quit the sarcasm,” she hissed at him, “I don’t know, okay? I’m not perfect.”
Gaara sighed. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Taryn said, “now, how do we get our of here?”
Both jumped when the metal cage started resonating. A soft timbre of sounds echoed against every wall of the cage.
“Oh no,” Taryn whispered.