Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Forgotten Peoples ❯ Chouji's Rescue ( Chapter 1 )

Italic text means that a character is thinking.

"Text in quotation marks" is a character talking.

The story is told from a 3rd person point of view at all times.

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Naruto, no matter how much I would like to XP

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Akimichi Chouji flicked open his pill case for the third and final pill, the red pepper pill. Jiroubou walked closer, his palms glowing with chakra, ready to absorb whatever was left of Chouji's energy.

I wish I could just get that last chip. Chouji reached for the bag.

Jiroubou thrust him arm down, almost crushing Chouji's throat. He then picked the bag up, eating Chouji's last chip. Not knowing, Jiroubou let up on Chouji just enough for him to bring the pill case to his mouth. As the pill began to fall in to his mouth, a shuriken hit the case, knocking it out of Chouji's hands.

"What the?" Jiroubou readied himself to block another weapon attack from that direction. "Who's there?"

"Stay." A figure walked forward out of the shadows "Away from my comrade."

"And who," Jiroubou kicked Chouji aside for the moment "might you be?"

"Yamanaka," starting in to a run, the figure came bolting out completely in to the light "Ino!"

With time to spare, Jiroubou pulled back for his Gangeki. As soon as she comes in to range he thought, now! He released his "Boulder Strike" directly at Ino, easily blocked. A counter-attack launched with three kunai, which bounced harmlessly off of Jiroubou's chest. Analyzing the situation, Ino understood it would be best to deal with the enemy from mid-range, staying away from close combat.

Ino had become a much stronger female ninja since the Chuunin Exam, when she had tied with Sakura and been eliminated. Ino had been developing new offensive properties of her Shintenshin no Jutsu; her father had also taught her one of the most valuable jutsus of the Yamanaka clan. Shinranshin no Jutsu. One of the most powerful offensive jutsus of the leaf, it consumed a large amount of chakra, and was only to be used as a finishing technique.

From forty paces, Ino and Jiroubou eyed one another, anticipating each other's attacks. Drawing six kunai from her holsters, Ino hid two explosive tags among the kunai left still in the pouches around her waist. As she did so, Jiroubou readied for a defensive counter-attack as soon as his opponent made a move. Not knowing that Ino had a plan, he assumed he had the advantage.

"What are you waiting for?" He snorted, "Girly."

"If you want an attack," Ino brought her arms back "then here goes!"

Releasing all six kunai to precise weak-spots she noticed among Jiroubou's body, Ino started in to a run directly to her right. The kunai flew at lightning speed towards Jiroubou's eyes, throat, and wrists. As the kunai were blocked, Ino cart wheeled, hurling the two explosive tags attached to kunai directly under Jiroubou's feet. Realizing what was happening, Jiroubou accumulated chakra to his feet and began to run.

No time to lose, Ino gathered Chouji and fled to the safety of a very large nearby tree. As the tags exploded, Jiroubou's legs were just caught in the last of the blast, rendering him immobile for a short while. Taking this as a wonderful opportunity, Ino pulled out a scroll given to her by her father before she left on the mission. Unrolling it completely, she poured her chakra in to the words written on the paper, and tossed it in to the air. Spiraling down, the characters written on the scroll leapt off and spun around Ino as she performed the necessary hand seals.

My leg, the curse seal is beginning to recede? Jiroubou limped towards a tree to lean on. That was no ordinary explosive tag, is it possible she is more powerful than me?

"It's time," muttering, Jiroubou's nails began to grow, becoming more claw-like every second that passed. Sensing the chakra Ino was producing for the technique she was setting up, Jiroubou extended his arm down to the ground. Piercing the earth, his giant talons tunnelled down through the ground to right underneath Ino, poised to spring up and strike.

"You're mine." Ino, breathed as she brought Jiroubou's tree in to sight, "Ninpou, `Mind Link'." The writing from the scroll constricted and was absorbed in to her skin.

Directly below Ino, Jiroubou's sharpened hands flew up through the ground as the girl finished her Jutsu. At precisely that moment, Ino and Jiroubou's minds were linked together, although Jiroubou was unaware.

Realizing she was in danger, Ino jumped aside, Jiroubou's attack hitting her calf. Bleeding, Ino clasped her hands together to form the horse seal. Using her favourite form of attack, psychological warfare, Ino pelted Jiroubou with constant mental attacks. Prevented from attacking, and trying to fend off the assault inside his head Jiroubou's arm withdrew from the ground.

"You will not be forgiven," panting, Ino broke the seal, "for what you have done to Chouji."

What is this jutsu? Jiroubou, slowly regaining control, raised his hands to his head. I feel the pain, but there are no wounds…

Taking out four of the special explosive tags marked "Daibaku", Ino attached them to four kunai. Imagining a perfect square around Jiroubou, she threw the kunai to craft a Kekkai Houjin. The seals on the explosive tags created the barrier area formation, stopping Jiroubou from moving completely. Sensing her opportunity to end things, she started her father's special jutsu. Putting each of her thumbs to her opposite index fingers, she formed a rectangle with her hands.

"Shinranshin no Jutsu!" Ino projected her mental energy straight at Jiroubou.

As if on cue, Jiroubou's body went limp. Ino stood up straight, and flung four shuriken with chakra embedded in them at the Kekkai Houjin's explosive tags. With the formation broken, Jiroubou's body was able to move again, although he twitched a bit.

He's resisting the jutsu? Ino bit her lip, this isn't good, I should finish it immediately.

Overpowering Jiroubou's mind, Ino was able to control his movements. Tossing him a kunai and some string, Ino forced Jiroubou to tie the string to the kunai, and then around his neck. Once done, Ino focused on having him pull the string so tight that it would strangle him. The string snapped.

Unable to think of any more ideas, Ino pulled out her last explosive tag. She saw that Jiroubou's twitching had become more severe. Linking what was probably her last hope to a kunai, she threw it to Jiroubou.

Moving as quickly as she could, she picked up Chouji and started to run. Feeling her hold over Jiroubou slipping, she issued one last command to his body. About 100 metres away, Jiroubou plunged the kunai in to his skull, detonating the explosive tag.

From just out of the blast radius, Ino sighed. She felt Jiroubou's mind slip away. He was definitely dead, and she could now focus on helping Chouji.

"Chouji," she nudged him, "please stay alive, just for a little while more."

Putting Chouji over her shoulder, Ino noticed he had lost weight. Not a good sign for a member of the Akimichi clan, especially since his chakra was minimal. She raced off back to Konoha, hoping that the rest of the rescue team she had come with wouldn't need her help.

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That is the end of my first chapter. Reviews would be nice… more to come.