Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Closer ❯ Chapter 26

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

When morning twilight disappeared and the sun crested over the forest of mountains, they stopped and Shikamaru told Kakashi what was going to happen. She drilled the scenarios over and over in her head and felt even better when heard them one final time. Kakashi listened attentively and nodded when Shikamaru finished. The morning air was a bit chilly, the first taste of the coming fall felt fresh in her lungs.

Shikamaru handed the empty blood capsule to Kakashi and then turned to her. “We need to find their trail. We’re almost at the last place where they were spotted. From there, you know what to do.”

“We’ll search the path they took from the Fire Temple to the exchange point.” Choji said what Shikamaru was thinking. Ino nodded and their team shot into the woods with renewed energy and determination.

The path was eerily familiar and pulled at her heart. She couldn’t help but remember what had happened a few days ago. Asuma-sensei’s pale face flashed in her head and Ino steeled her jaw. She would leave no rock unturned, not place unsearched until the Akatsuki members were found. It took a while, well into the afternoon before they picked up a definite trail since Shikamaru came to the conclusion that the Akatsuki team were heading to Leaf to collect Asuma-sensei’s body for the bounty as well as try and capture Naruto. It narrowed the search down. They back tracked a little ways until Shikamaru stopped them and looked to her.

“Ready? You’re recovered enough to do this right?” He asked, grabbing her elbow to keep her from moving away, up to the bare, sun bleached trees. Ino rolled her eyes.

“I said I was. It hasn’t changed since this morning. Quit worrying.” She pulled her arm from his grasp.

“Just…be careful Ino. We’ll be down here if you need us.” Choji looked equally worried. Ino gave them all a confident smile and leapt from them to the bare branches arched above her head. The whole area was dead to her. The trees were bone white and scarred with bits of moss crawling up their trunks. Below her, the ground was barren and dry. It took a little while for a hawk to come close enough and she whistled down to Shikamaru who joined her.

“You better not drop me.” She warned, touching her fingers to ready herself for her Mind-Transfer jutsu. Shikamaru held her by the shoulders and gave them a little squeeze to signal that he was ready. Talking a deep breath, Ino’s eyes connected with the soaring hawk. She felt herself shooting though the air, impaling her mind into the bird. It was a different experience, flying though the crisp wind. Having wings was freedom. She had enough chakra to sustain her search. Down below, she saw two black figures walking side by side. Shikamaru had been right, they were heading straight to Leaf. She gathered their distance info and the best way to intercept before returning to her body.

Shikamaru and Choji were looking down at her with worry when she sucked in a breath after coming too. “Are you okay Ino?” Choji asked helping her up.

Nodding she looked to the other two on her team. “Both of them are at 2 o’clock, ten minutes from here.” She supplied.

“Alright, let’s go.” Kakashi instructed them and they left, tightly knitted together. Shikamaru was the first to move while the others stayed hidden. He trapped and separated them with his Shuriken Shadow Mimc jutsu using Asuma-sensei’s chakra blades. They were a lot like her special kunai and Shikamaru had mastered them right after they had returned from the last mission. The first scenario dissolved as soon as the leather faced Kakuzu unhitched his arm and stopped the attacks Shikamaru was making Hidan perform on him.  Once Shikamaru corned Kakuzu against a tree, Choji was bearing down with his Spiked Meat Tank jutsu. Ino waited with bated breath, stealthily sliding free a special kunai from her thigh strap and digging it into the ground next to her. She chose this tree in particular because it looked to be the most alive. If it came to it, she hoped her jutsu would work.

The dust cleared and both Choji and Shikamaru looked on in surprise. Leather Face was unharmed and boasted that no physical attacks could harm him. Already she could see Shikamaru working out another plan in his head with this new information. Hidan was crowing something about them being pathetic atheists and brought Kakuzu’s attention to him. Ino watched as Kakashi was inching his way behind Leather Face. The air popped and sizzled when his Chidori crackled, skewering Leather Face from behind in a surprise attack. Kakashi’s Chidori was way different than Sasuke’s; it was pure and raw, untainted by the cursed mark. Even the electric blue color contrasted to Sasuke’s deep purple Chidori. Ino’s heart thumped hard in her chest. How could he have pierced Leather Face if he was immune to physical attacks?

Kakashi told them about seeing the Iron Skin jutsu Kakuzu used with his Sharingan and was able to take advantage. Kakuzu was Earth type and Kakashi was Lightning. Lightning beat Earth any day. Would her jutsu worked on him then? She wondered. Kakuzu fell face forward into the dry dirt, unmoving.

Hidan looked unaffected, almost irritated as he looked down at his partner. “Did he get your heart? You can’t just go around getting killed outta nowhere. Man you suck!” Kakashi turned his attention to Hidan and just when Kakashi’s Chidori was going to connect, Leather Face bolted up and kicked him through the trees. Ino’s stomach dropped in dread.

How could he still be alive? Kakashi’s Chidori got him through his heart! Leather Face unzipped his cloak and Ino could see from her place that he had disgusting stitches all over his body and he was unhinging himself! The grey string like…things were wriggling like brain worm, throbbing like they had blood coursing through them. And the masks on his back…just what the hell were they? They burst forth from his back, ripping his skin and stitches in the process. Each mask looked like they were their own beings and their chakra felt so disgusting it made her insides ill.

One of the black masked beings let out a gurgled moan of pain before it fell to the ground and melted. She felt no more chakra from that one and Hidan was screaming at Kakuzu that he had let one of them die. Kakashi and Hidan began fighting and one of the stringy black blobs with a mask attacked from behind Hidan, taking advantage of his immortality to attack Kakashi. The following jutsu had the whole area splintering with is massive wash of the wind jutsu, Bleeding Force that Kakuzu called out. Choji, Shikamaru and Kakashi were blown back, their feet sliding on the dry dirt. Ino ducked further behind her tree. Dirt and wooden splinters grazed her flesh. In the howl of the wind she could hear her teams’ panicked calls for Kakashi.

A fine dust settled over her flesh and Ino closed her eyes and reached out to feel where Kakashi was. Instead, she felt the power of another jutsu charge the air. Leather Face was charging a lighting attack at Shikamaru and Choji.  It forced her to make her presence known. The shield scroll Shikamaru had wouldn’t have been enough but luckily Kakashi intercepted the attack. It sizzled through the air and burned Kakashi’s hands as he absorbed it, using his body as a rod to direct the current to the ground. Ino felt it under her feet and it made the ground vibrate. They had little time recovering before she felt another jutsu form. She knew what it was before Kakuzu called it out. She didn’t even debate her promise to Shikamaru and Choji not to use any of her bigger jutsus (because despite the fact that she was out of the hospital, technically she wasn’t fully recovered). Reaching into her hip pouch she grabbed something and signed her own defense with fluid precision.

“Water Release: Water Shock Wave!” She thumbed open water bottle and filled her mouth until her cheeks felt stretched. The jutsu spurted from her lips, countering the fire attack with its spinning trajectory. She used her hand to dissipate the cyclone and it spread into a wave. Both jutsus collided and blew her whole part back. She winced. Offensive with offensive, ugh not the smartest move she thought picking herself up from the ground. Her clothed were soaked in the front and her inside were burning.

“Choji, Ino! Are you both alright?” She could hear Shikamaru. She dashed behind a tree to hide.

“Yes!” She called out. Choji also responded that he was alright. The smoke from Leather Faces attack felt a little damp when she breathed it in. She looked and saw Kakashi defending from a Hidan surprise attack. They all gathered together again, she, Shikamaru, Choji and Kakashi.

“They’re really good at combo attacks.” She muttered with a little wince. Her throat felt dry even though she had used a water jutsu. They talked quietly among themselves, trying to riddle out why Leather Face wasn’t dead.

“Each of those monsters must have its own heart, along with his real one, and so they’re all his.” Shikamaru concluded. And each had its own element affinity. Each of his hearts was taken from the Ninja he killed in his life.

“So we have to kill them all to kill the guy.” Ino said, a hand on her hip. Divide and conquer then? She could take the fire affinity heart if she used her water jutsu, and earth was good with defending against the wind but there was no way she could take them both. While she was contemplating this, the big mouth Hidan started talking about how pathetic Asuma-sensei was and how they were going to retrieve his body from Leaf once they dealt with them. He had to make a fat comment as well and had Choji charging at him in blind fury. Shikamaru and Kakashi stopped her enraged teammate from getting his head chopped off by Hidan. Kakashi and Hidan separated from their group and it was only her team that was left to deal with Kakuzu.

Choji was thrown into a tree with Kakuzu advancing in him, Ino took out a shuriken and stopped him and then his attention was solely on her. He even called her a tart! Really, who used that kind of old-fashioned insults these days? It made her wonder just how old he was. Lightning mask was on Shikamaru and Fire Mask was on her. She countered the spit of fire with her rock throwing jutsu, but she could feel it cornering her. And then suddenly, something hard and hot clamped around her throat and yanked her back. She let out a startled cry as she fell to the ground. It dragged her roughly, skinning her legs as the ground pulled at her uniform.  Leather Face had both she and Choji by the neck, squeezing their windpipes closed.

Damn it, I should have paid more attention! Then her whole body shuddered when a current of lighting shot through her. It made Kakuzu loosen his grip a bit and then he dropped them. Ino landed in water. Faintly she could see one of Kakuzu’s hand inching its way to her foot, but she used the water she was in to put up a wall to stop it from touching her. She scrambled back on her butt in panic but then Shikamaru got a hold of her and pulled her away. She and Choji were coughing and she tasted blood in her mouth. I can’t let them see…Ino thought wildly, putting hand to her mouth. They would make me stay back if they saw just how drained I was getting. She was squeezing all the chakra she could muster out just to keep up.

“Shikamaru what’s our next move?” Kakashi asked. He looked beaten and tired but his chakra was pulsing steadily through him.

“We have to separate them.” Shikamaru said quickly, keeping a wary eye on the enemy in the distance. “Then corner them individually.” Shikamaru would distract Hidan and the rest would deal with Leather Face.

“Choji, you have to fight the masked guys with Kakashi. Ino—”

“Don’t say it!” Ino hissed. She knew what he was going to say. “I’m not staying back!”

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes and roughly grabbed her wrist, looking pointedly at the smeared blood on her palm. “Stay back.” He ordered.

Ino clenched her hand into a fist. “I won’t! I know myself better than anyone and I’ll be alright!” The air was changed with their defiant stare off until he let go of her. Choji and Kakashi wisely stayed out of it lest she turned her shrieking rage on them.

“Fine.” He conceded moodily and let her arm drop. He kept his eyes trained on her as he spoke to the others. “Choji, Kakashi keep an eye on her. If you think she’s pushing herself, then knock her out.”

Ino’s mouth dropped open. What a jerk giving them orders like that! Ino’s lips thinned. They would have to catch her first and they would be too distracted to do that.

“Lets get too it then. Here.” Kakashi handed the blood capsule to him and Shikamaru marched forward.

Ino took a deep breath. “Choji, I’ll handle the fire mask, think you can handle one of the other ones?” Ino asked, looking at the pool of water Shikamaru had summoned from a scroll earlier.

“Yeah.” Choji nodded. Ino clapped her hands together and burned away what little of her own chakra she had left. Her seal throbbed heatedly, but then all her hurts faded away as the light chakra filled her coils. I’m going to pay for using this later, she thought going through some seals.

“Summoning justu!” Water poured from the sky and dripped on her fingers, and then the weight of her vampire scythe calmed her.

“Uh…Ino? Might want to rethink what were going to do now.” Choji pointed to the two merging masks, fire and wind. Ino blinked in astonishment. Oh shit, this was not good. fire and wind made a deadly combination.

“I’ll just have to help out where I can.” Ino finally said, watching Kakashi dodge and weave from the combined attacks. The only way she could help was to reinforce his water jutsus. A wall of fire blasted at him and Kakashi’s quick water jutsu countered. The wall of water quickly boiled away and she quickly put up another so he had time to dodge. She and Choji had to dash apart when Leather Face turned his attention to them. He tossed a few attacks at them both to keep them back.

Ino knew his real target was Kakashi. Kakashi’s movements were getting slower and she understood that his Sharingan was draining his chakra from him quickly. Leather Face knew this as well and took full advantage of the knowledge with wave after wave of strong ninjutsus. When Kakuzu had Kakashi at his mercy she and Choji ran to intervene but when they got close, Ino saw Kakuzu flinch and he grabbed at his chest. Wide eyed Ino watched as Kakuzu fell on top of Kakashi. The silver haired Jonin pushed the heavy body off of him and scooted back. She waited for any movement but he was still and his eyes, dimming. After checking the enemy’s chakra Ino let out a breath or relief. Shikamaru made it just I time. Hidan’s sacrificial jutsu killed one of Kakuzu’s main heart unknowingly. Ino smirked a little, well, Shikamaru was probably bragging about what had happened by now, just as Kakashi was doing to Leather Face’s still figure crumpled next to him.

Ino and Choji rant to Kakashi after. “Are you alright?” Choji asked. Ino kneeled down, placing her scythe next to her to examine the wormy strings that were hanging from Kakashi’s chest, where his heart was. They invaded his body in such a sort amount of time. She bit her lip and put her glowing green hands over his wound. If Shikamaru had taken a second longer he’s be…She caught his hand when he grasped the wormy strings and began tugging at them,

“Pull them out slowly so you don’t damage the blood vessels!” She cried in protest. He pushed her hands away.

“Heal me later.” He said ripping them from his chest. “They’re coming!” Turning, she was the three masks charging in, opening their mouths for an attack.

Choji ran in front of them before Ino could even touch her scythe. He called out his Multi-size jutsu and grew into a giant before using his Mega Palm Thrust jutsu on the charging mask, smooshing them into the ground. She cheered for taking charge of the situation but he poofed back to normal size when the wormy strings tried to wrap around his arms. The lightning mask jumped back into Kakuzu’s body and jerked it harshly against the ground. She could feel his chakra bloom again and she took a step back. He absorbed the lightning heart and came back to life she thought. She also couldn’t help but think that Orochimaru would have a kick at this Akatsuki member. The other two masks also rejoined his body and Leather Face’s wormy strings made all his limbs unhitch.

“Even his main body is a monster.” Kakashi commented. “Get ready!” He ordered. Ino tightened her hold on the cool handle of her weapon and when his wormy strings came from the ground to capture them, she hacked away at them. But they kept shoot up, faster and faster until both she and her weapon were caught up in them. They wriggled against her skin, around her legs and arms holding them in place. Behind them, the fire and wind masks emerged from his wig of wormy strings and opened their mouths for an attack. Ino eyes widened, no, this can’t be happening! She renewed her struggle, terrified before two familiar voices caught her ear.

“Water Typhoon Vortex Combo!”  The two justsu collided into a monstrous maelstrom of fire and water. It defended her and her sensors hummed and vibrated wildly. The wormy strings let them go and Ino fell weakly to her butt. Her seal ached and her finger trembled when she put her hand to it. I’m at my limit…Thank gods Naruto came. She let her curse seal fade back and mentally cursed herself for it. All her aches and pain were waiting for her once the power scattered from her coils. Even her belly was hurting. Sharp cramps made her bite her lip to keep from whimpering.

“Sorry we’re late.” She heard Naruto say.

“Perfect timing.” Kakashi breathed.

“About time you got here Forehead.” Ino murmured when she caught sight of the pink haired medic. Sakura frowned and kenned beside her.

“Figures you’re in this state. Lady Tsunade should have chained you to the bed Ino-pig!” She tsked and began healing her.

“Sakura, Sai, you two go and back up Shikamaru. One long-range fighter and one medical ninja.” Kakashi instructed them. Sakura finished her emergency healing and nodded once as she stood. He summoned Pakkun.

“You, stay back from this fight. I mean it Ino!” She threatened before summing Sai to her side. They were out of sight soon after following after Kakashi’s summons. Ino struggled to her feet intent on ignoring Sakura’s orders.

“You look worn out.” Leather Face commented and Ino took in Naruto’s appearance. He looked like he just escaped a fight of his own. Dirt smudges were on his face and his clothing looked tattered.

“Naruto, are you alright?” Choji asked with a frown. Naruto waved off his concern, eyes trained on Kakuzu.

“I’ll handle him.” Naruto said defiantly.

“Did he finish it?” Kakashi inquire to Capitan Yamato.

“No, he’s about halfway there. But…you’ll just have to watch.” Yamato mused, pride evident in his tone. If Naruto new jutsu was half of what he just did right now, then Ino would definitely watch. Leather Face correctly identified Naruto as the nine-tails and his stance became more ridged. Naruto performed his mass shadow clones and three of them began working together on a jutsu. The air sang with a high whistle of wind and she could feel immense power being weaved together. She saw him perform Rasengan many times, but a Rasengan with a wind element added to it was morphing into something entirely new. It felt powerful and swirled in his hand so fast, to her it looked like a blur. His Rasen-Shuriken…

Choji moved her back from the fight and her legs carried her as far as they could go before she collapsed. “Ino, are you alright?” Choji asked gently, holding her upright. She watched the battle unfold before her, watched Naruto, Kakashi and Yamato team up together.  Naruto’s attack didn’t work as he planned, she could tell.

“Acting tough and screwing up…I guess that was pretty Naruto-ish.” She teased when Kakashi brought him to their side while Yamato took over. Naruto gave her a moody glare and she just smiled and stuck her tongue out.

“Since it was called Rasen-Shuriken or something I thought you were going to throw it.” Choji said. “Do you have to actually get in his face and punch him with it?”

“Hey! If it hit him there’d be nothing left!” Naruto shot back in defense.  Ino chuckled and patted his shoulder.

“I know. I could feel the power behind it.” She complimented to bring his temper down.

“Is called Rasen-Shuriken, but you have to use it at point blank for it to work. That’s why he uses clones as a distraction.” Captain Yamato explained.

“He still hasn’t had enough training time. If he just held on to it for a few seconds more...” Kakashi sighed. Ino watched Naruto look at both his Senseis with annoyance. He was feeling underestimated. The look in his eyes told her that he was going to show them all just what he could do. Ino smothered a smile…she couldn’t wait.

“Let me try one more time. I’ll finish him with my new jutsu.” Naruto stood and with Choji’s help, Ino stood as well.

“Its Akatsuki you’re going up against. If you do the same thing, he’ll just dodge it again.” Ino cautioned.

“He’ll know you’re trying to distract him.” Choji said. “We have to work together.”

“I know teamwork is important, but this is a bridge I have to cross on my own. Kakashi-sensei, you said the only person who could surpass the Fourth Hokage was me.”  With that, she and the others had not real choice but to allow him to try again. And with his clones, Naruto succeeded. His Rasen-shuriken connected with Kakuzu. The following blast hit them all in the face with flying dust. Kakuzu was suspended in the air, getting hit over and over with Naruto’s attack. Everyone stood dumbfounded and Kakashi looked speechless. Ino felt a giggle burble in her throat, one filled with relief and surprise. With pride and happiness.

She hobbled to where he landed and helped him sit up with Choji’s help. Her insides clenched when she pressed her hands to his arm for emergency treatment. Her head buzzed and her aches throbbed, but she didn’t stop. It was the least she could do. She could heal him with her remaining chakra and get scolded by her dad, Sakura and Lady Tsunade for over doing it later. The cramps in her belly grew and she bit her lip to suppress a whimper.

“Ino? Ino? INO!” She heard Choji screaming her name. She didn’t even register the pain as she hit the floor, but she could taste the blood in her mouth and something warm and sticky bleed through her black shorts and run down her inner thighs. From then on, she felt like a ghost. She could hear everyone around her, but she couldn’t move. I wonder if Asuma-sensei feels like this…

“She’s bleeding! Did she get cut somewhere?” Naruto’s loud voice made her want to wince. “Where’s Sakura?”

She’s coming…I can feel her coming closer and closer…

“Sakura! Hurry! It’s Ino! She’s—she—she just collapsed and…” Choji sounded like he was going to cry. Don’t cry Choji, I’m still here…you can’t get rid of me that easily…

“Move! Let me see!” She could feel Sakura’s healing chakra roam her body. Down her chest to her belly. Sakura reached between her legs and touched the warm liquid running down her thighs. “Oh gods…” Her medical chakra intensified around her belly. “She’s not…she’s not…”

“What? What is it Sakura?” It was Shikamaru.

“We have to get her out of here immediately!” Sakura cried. Someone seized her up in their arms. “Come on!”

“Sakura what’s wrong?” Shikamaru asked again. Yeah, you’re kinda freaking me out too Sakura…

Ino didn’t know when her mid shut itself off, but when it turned back on she was aware that she still couldn’t move. But she heard voices heatedly murmuring in her room. She was in a daze, but managed to concentrate enough to piece together what they were talking about.

“…how could you miss this…test…got back…”

“…we did! It was negative…all were…”

“…can’t be happening…only…fifteen!”

“She didn’t…it…don’t know when…up.”

“….along?”

“ ;…well into her…”

Ino forced herself to push the fuzz away in her head to hear them better. She knew it was her Dad and The Lady Hokage talking.

“She’ll be fine here Inoichi. We’ll monitor both her and the baby very closely.”

Baby? What the hell is she talking about…what baby?