Madness

Seeing Sasuke, Yakumo, and Neji's three teams rush off without hesitation to rescue Team Shinji, Choji, Kiba, and the others were fired up too. They wanted to go with them.

Shikamaru darted in front of them and stopped them.

Kiba immediately asked, "Shikamaru, why are you stopping us?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "We'd only get in the way."

"What do you mean?"

Choji looked confused.

Shikamaru turned north, his voice grave. "You still don't understand what kind of person Shinji is? Whoever has both the motive and the nerve to attack him can't be some ordinary force. Yakumo, Sasuke, and Neji might be able to help. The rest of us would only get in the way!"

Kurenai stopped them as well. "Shikamaru's right. Don't go and make things harder for them."

Kiba and Choji weren't happy about it, but they knew Shikamaru was right. They had no choice but to stop and watch Yakumo and the others disappear into the distance.

Just then, Tsunade stepped forward and began issuing orders. "Asuma, Kurenai, your teams stay behind and handle the aftermath. Everyone else, follow me!"

Tsunade was always decisive. Without waiting for anyone to answer, she darted off after Yakumo. Team Kakashi and Might Guy's team hurried after her.

In the space of a moment, the battlefield, which had just been crowded with people, was more than half empty.

Suigetsu trembled and cursed his luck inwardly.

Only now did he understand why the rogue ninja who had been entrenched in the Land of Hot Water for years had fled in droves. Lying in wait behind the teams of students were squads of Konoha Jonin.

Shikamaru pointed at Suigetsu, who looked as if he wished he could bury himself underground. "Asuma-sensei, Kurenai-sensei, what should we do with this guy?"

With everyone's attention