Chapter 261: Shadows
Whoosh! Whoosh!
A white, maggot-like entity brushed past Shikamaru, and a cluster of his physical energy was bitten away. Simultaneously, a branch-like substance was absorbed into the entity's body. Shikamaru felt his entire being weaken instantly.
Rumble!
On the other side, without Shikamaru's tactical support, Kiba found himself struggling in close-quarters combat. Even with his refined taijutsu, he was no match for the Cursed Seal-enhanced Sakon and Ukon. Their "Multi-Connect" style of physical attacks forced him onto the defensive. Even with Akamaru's help, the twins' physical strength under the Cursed Seal's influence was simply too overwhelming.
"Dammit, Akamaru!"
Kiba noticed Shikamaru's deteriorating state and knew he couldn't wait any longer.
Poof!
In an instant, a massive two-headed wolf appeared before the enemies.
Roar!
"Fang Wolf Fang!"
"Summoning Jutsu: Rashomon!"
Facing Kiba's super-powerful ninjutsu and the high-density air pressure swirling around him, the twins immediately realized they couldn't use the Parasite Demon Demolition Jutsu to merge with Kiba as they had before. They quickly performed a summoning. A massive gate slammed into the ground, blocking Kiba's path.
"This is Lord Orochimaru's ultimate defensive ninjutsu—"
Sakon's cold laugh was cut short. He realized mid-sentence that Kiba's attack had swerved.
Boom!
"Tayuya!"
The sudden change in direction caused Sakon and Ukon's expressions to warp in horror. Tayuya noticed the attack, but it was already upon her. She desperately tried to switch her flute melody from controlling the Doki to a Genjutsu intended to suppress Kiba.
"Too naive! I was trained by Captain Tonbo!"
Crunch!
With a cold sneer from Kiba, Tayuya was torn apart. This time, she was truly reduced to shredded meat. Only half of her skull fell to the ground, the Cursed Seal markings slowly receding as the life left her.
The two-headed wolf then turned its gaze toward Sakon and Ukon, eyes burning with predatory ferocity. Shikamaru, panting heavily, gave Kiba a thumbs-up.
Perfect timing.
"Curse you!" Now it was Sakon and Ukon's turn to feel the pressure.
Boom!
Kiba didn't give them a moment to breathe, launching another spinning tornado attack. Meanwhile, Shikamaru, understanding Kiba's intent, manipulated his shadow to extend toward the twins.
Faced with the combined assault of the two, even the powerful Sakon and Ukon could only face defeat. They fell to the ground, their bodies torn to pieces by Kiba, mirroring Tayuya's fate.
However, Kiba and Akamaru were also exhausted. Performing the Fang Wolf Fang twice had taken a massive toll.
"Kiba, great job. Next, we have to support Naruto."
Shikamaru approached and handed him a food pill. Kiba nodded, and after locating the secret signs Naruto had left behind, the two set off.
Once they were gone, Tonbo Tobitake emerged from the shadows. He placed his hand on Sakon's remaining head and activated his Mind Reading Jutsu. After a while, he pulled back and repeated the process with Tayuya's remains, though her brain was far more fragmented than Sakon's.
He collected some of Sakon's flesh and sealed it into a scroll. The twins' ability was a type of Bloodline Limit—an ability developed by combining two nature transformations. Tonbo needed that data.
As for Tayuya, he had already collected data on her summons, which were likely biological experiments bred by Orochimaru. Her specific technique used pure spiritual energy chakra, which was how she could drain physical energy from Shikamaru. Her "Dotting Hand" ability had actually been the original inspiration for some of Tonbo's own research.
Neji caught up and met with Shikamaru and Kiba. After a brief report, the three continued tracking Sasuke. However, Shikamaru was still worried about Choji.
"Relax. Didn't you say Choji is strong?" Kiba grinned at him.
Woof! Woof! Akamaru chimed in. In his specialized sense of smell, Choji's scent remained powerful.
Shikamaru's lips finally curved into a smile. "You're right."
Three dark shadows flickered through the forest.
"Gaara, they've split up. Let's move too."
"Understood."
After nodding to each other, the Sand Siblings dispersed. Gaara watched his siblings disappear and whispered, "Naruto..."
A green figure sped forward. After checking the direction of the tracks and the surrounding traces, he made a decision and continued his advance.
"Hmm? These Konoha kids are quite capable. No wonder Lord Orochimaru had a bad premonition."
Kabuto, shadowing Kimimaro, sensed something and pushed up his glasses. He looked toward Naruto and Kimimaro.
He came to a halt. "The gap between Naruto and Kimimaro is too large; there's no need for me to follow closely. I'll stay back and cover Kimimaro's rear."
His form gradually became blurred and transparent until he vanished.
A green pitcher-plant-like entity emerged from a tree trunk.
"What a spectacular pursuit!" Zetsu watched Shikamaru and the others as they were about to vanish from sight.
"Indeed. For an Uchiha to have so many comrades chasing after him... it's quite unexpected."
Beside him, a man in a swirl mask appeared. "He is one of the few remaining Uchiha. Is it really wise to leave him to Orochimaru?" Zetsu asked.
The masked man replied, "I believe Uchiha Itachi won't let his brother die at Orochimaru's hands."
"Heh, why do you care so much about Itachi? Is he really that much of a threat?" Zetsu laughed.
"You don't understand. Compared to people like Itachi or Orochimaru, Nagato is actually the one we need to worry about the least."
"I truly find it hard to experience human emotions... except for the Genjutsu of certain people," Zetsu recalled that particular sensation, a rare experience indeed.
"So, what exactly are we here for? To find Orochimaru and kill him? That might be difficult; that guy is hard to handle."
Every member of Akatsuki was confident in their ability to deal with Orochimaru, but in a real fight, it was never a certainty.
"No, I'm just here to see if Itachi's brother has the talent. Currently, his resolve shows he has the potential to surpass Itachi."
Hatred drives a youth; the will for revenge is the foundation of Uchiha strength. That was Itachi's goal all along, wasn't it?
"If Itachi knew everything was within your calculations, he might not be very happy," Zetsu chuckled.
"No... if he found out, we would be the ones who aren't happy," the masked man muttered to himself.
Did he think he didn't know why Itachi joined Akatsuki? No, Itachi knew that he knew his plan, yet he did it anyway—to keep an eye on him, the architect of the Uchiha massacre and the Nine-Tails incident. They both understood each other's thoughts perfectly.
"Let's go. There's no more show to watch. If I stay away too long, Itachi might get impulsive and try to take me down with him."
He believed Itachi was capable of it. That was precisely why he needed the power of Uchiha Sasuke.
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