With Shikamaru leading reinforcements into the battle, Naruto and Sasuke finally had a chance to catch their breath, and the pressure eased at once. Naruto seized the opportunity to disengage and reach Shikamaru. "Shikamaru, you're finally here! We'll leave this battlefield to you. Sasuke and I will go after the demon beasts that entered the canyon."
After finishing off a fourth-rank demon beast with the Shadow Strangulation Technique, Shikamaru smiled. "Heh, go ahead. Don't worry, leave this place to me. Choji, don't let those demon beasts get back onto the bank. Ino, connect me to everyone."
Choji immediately used the Multi-Size Technique and Butterfly Transformation, flew to the riverbank, and drove the demon beasts that had been swept away back into the river one after another. The poor beasts had barely managed to swim ashore before they were forced back into the water again.
In truth, after being swept along by the river and separated from the herd, the demon beasts had lost much of their violent frenzy and had mostly regained their reason. Shikamaru did not know that, however, so he ordered some of the students to drive the beasts nearing the bank back into the river.
The demon beasts forced back into the river, along with those that had yet to reach shore, were filled with frustration at the sight. A fifth-rank demon beast leading them had only just managed to climb ashore when Choji, enlarged by the Multi-Size Technique, punched it straight back into the water. Its frustration was beyond words.
In the end, that demon beast simply gave up on returning to shore and led the others downstream instead, cursing inwardly, *Damn humans! Hmph, if I can't fight you, can't I at least hide from you? I'll remember you, little fatty. You'd better hope I never