Sell Me Your Soul
Six members of the Konohagakure participated in this mission. Apart from Naruto Shikamaru, three were injured and one was almost out of Chakra. According to the procedure, the mission should have ended.
While Sasuke Uchiha is important, the lives of the six Konohagakure are also crucial. They will be the vanguard of Konohagakure in the future, the best-growing generation in the Third Hokage's words.
Both morally and logically, the mission should be terminated.
"Drag Shikamaru back, whether he agrees or not," Naruto said as he hurried along. "There are still two of them left, and Sasuke's strength is terrifying."
"Anyway, I can't beat him. If we keep chasing him, we'll all die here."
After a moment of silence, Choji, carrying the injured Kiba Inuzuka on his back, was the first to speak up and agree with Naruto's suggestion.
"I think Naruto makes a good point."
Rock Lee for a moment, then gave up thinking about it.
Me too.
Kiba Inuzuka and Neji Hyuga injured and had no right to speak, so the resolution passed perfectly 3-0. If Shikamaru had any other opinions, then it would be 5-1.
"There's some noise ahead," Kiba Inuzuka said in a muffled voice, barely alive.
Neji, with a hole in his chest, activated his Byakugan again and looked in the direction Kiba Inuzuka was pointing. His gaze skipped over the green trees in the forest and settled on the woods to the northeast.
"That's already close to the border of Konohagakure," Neji Hyuga said. "A little further ahead is the Forest of the Land of Fire; once someone goes in, they're impossible to find!"
Between the Konoha Forest and the Land of Fire lies a wide, long strip of plain, bordering the sea to the west, and not far from the Valley of the End.
"I'll go check it out first," Naruto said after a moment's thought. "You guys..."
Halfway through his sentence, Neji felt himself fly up again, tracing a graceful arc in the air like a schoolbag thrown away after the Ninja Academy a Friday.
With a thud, it was caught steadily by Rock Lee, who had regained some strength.
Naruto left gracefully amidst Neji's first outburst of anger, leaving behind a hateful silhouette that screamed, "This brat deserves to die!"
On the other side.
Shikamaru was forced to retreat and hide Tayuya, who had activated her Curse Mark Stage Two. Just when he was about to have a chance to turn the tables, Sasuke burst out of the barrel and fired a Fire Release right in front of Shikamaru.
Left with no other choice, Shikamaru had to retreat once again.
Shikamaru retreated into the woods, while Sasuke ran off without looking back. Tayuya, enraged, gritted her teeth and played her flute, preparing to finish off Shikamaru in one fell swoop.
The gleaming sword cut through the wind, as if the wind was howling in the distance, shooting out like thunder and piercing like lightning!
With a muffled thud, the Kusanagi Sword was firmly embedded in the tree.
Tayuya was startled when she saw the sword, initially thinking it was Orochimaru himself. Then someone made a flamboyant entrance, landing between Shikamaru and Tayuya.
"Shikamaru, stop."
The dead leaves on the ground were blown up, and wet mud splashed everywhere. Naruto stared intently at Tayuya, who had entered Curse Mark Stage Two state, and said with his back to Shikamaru.
"Choji are all injured, there's no point in chasing them any further."
"Damn it, we've come this far!" Shikamaru said through gritted teeth, somewhat unwilling. "How are Choji and the others?"
"I'll be at the back; I'll get there first."
Listening to the two chatting as if no one else was around, Tayuya couldn't hold back any longer and shouted.
Hey! You two bastards! Don't ignore me!
"Hmm?" Shikamaru looked past Naruto Tayuya, immediately tensing up and shouting, "Naruto, come back quickly, that woman is dangerous."
"Oh, okay," Naruto replied perfunctorily, while giving Tayuya a glare at her.
"Tch." Tayuya rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed.
He held his flute horizontally and shouted.
"You bastards, just die! You and I will all die by my hand!"
Shikamaru's pupils dilated as the feeling of fear overwhelmed him once more. Tayuya remembering Tayuya's terrifying Genjutsu, he shouted again.
"Naruto, come back quickly! Watch out for her flute!"
"Okay." Naruto agreed verbally, but didn't move. "Shikamaru, you go first."
As he spoke, Naruto tossed something to Tayuya. It wasn't fast; it was a white, stick-like object. Tayuya reached out and caught it.
It was a white bone spur, warm and smooth as jade when held in the hand.
With just one glance, Tayuya's arrogance vanished instantly. Those were Kimimaro's bones. Tayuya, and after a half-second of thought, she gave up.
Almost entirely out of instinct, Tayuya turned and ran without the slightest hesitation.
Shikamaru paused for a moment, then asked, "What did you lose?"
"It's nothing." Naruto had no time to explain to Shikamaru, leaving him with the words, "You wait here for them, and once you've reunited, hurry back. You know I can get back by myself."
Then, Naruto broke away and gave chase.
"Hey!" Shikamaru was still a bit dazed, and his Chakra was almost depleted. "Naruto, don't go! Come back first!!"
"I'm going to bring Sasuke back!" Naruto's remaining voice echoed through the forest.
In the forest, Shikamaru stood on a tree trunk, wounded, instinctively sensing that something was wrong.
But at this moment, exhaustion overwhelmed him, and the thought of Naruto saying that Choji were injured filled him with a sense of powerlessness, leaving him speechless.
Choji and Rock Lee, carrying the heavily injured Neji and Kiba Inuzuka, slowly caught up and landed next to Shikamaru.
Naruto completely ignored which direction Sasuke went Tayuya relentlessly pursued Tayuya.
He couldn't defeat Itachi Uchiha, and every day he wished Itachi Uchiha would die soon. Now he even had a phobia of opening doors. His pain far surpassed Denji's, so how could he possibly stop Sasuke revenge?
"Are you crazy? Why are you chasing me Sasuke Uchiha? Are you looking to die?!"
"I'll kill you!"
"Rubbish!"
Tayuya jumped and ran away in a different direction from Sasuke, her face full of contempt and impatience.
"Then don't run away."
Naruto caught up with Tayuya, flicked his Kusanagi Sword and swung it out, cleaving several giant trees in half. The fallen trees blocked Tayuya's path.
The latter became enraged and simply stopped.
The two stood facing each other on the tree trunk, twenty meters apart.
In his Curse Mark Stage Two state Tayuya absorbed Natural Energy and transformed into Sage Transformation, undergoing a dramatic change in appearance. He had long, dark red hair, dark skin, deep black eyes, and demon-like horns on his head.
"I'll just kill you right here, you bastard, you trash!" Tayuya pulled out her flute.
"Sasuke has escaped, and I've killed four of the Sound Ninja Five." Naruto sheathed his Kusanagi Sword, his gaze falling on the stunned Tayuya's face, his voice becoming increasingly seductive.
"Orochimaru no longer needs you, Tayuya."
"Impossible!" Tayuya's voice trembled with panic upon hearing that all four had died at his hands. "My loyalty to Lord Orochimaru!"
"Name your price," Naruto interrupted Tayuya, his Tayuya intentions revealed. "Sell me your soul."