Naruto Shippuden Fan Fiction ❯ Liability ❯ Defensive play ( Chapter 5 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Animefreak_11 
Anime/Manga: Naruto Shippuden Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.05.2015 | Pages: 9 | Words: 4.5K | Visits: 195 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Naruto Shippuden Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.05.2015 | Pages: 9 | Words: 4.5K | Visits: 195 | Status: Work In Progress
You might have noticed I'm still terrible
at titles (maybe I should stop). Enter new characters! A bunch of
them!
– – – – – – – – Chapter 5: Defensive play
Sai awoke at the sound of nearby shouting voices. He realized at once his situation, especially when he tried to move his arms, which felt like lead and refused to budge. He focused his attention on the commotion and noticed the girl's bare feet, yet frowned when he saw them twitching weakly. The voices quieted down when a man with reddish hair stood up, an indescribable look on his face. “Tsk,” he turned his back on Maemi, “She'll die within the hour.”
“What a waste...” mumbled a man clad in lightly colored clothes as he kicked the remains of a blanket over most of the girl's twitching body. “Wouldn't have grabbed her if she was going to die anyway.”
Sai focused on that one, staring until he recognized one of his attackers,who couldsomehow ridehis wind waves. His attention shifted back to the bleeding girl. They weren't going to help her? What was the point in getting her in the first place then? He could hardly see the advantage in keeping them as bargaining chips, the village didn't value their lives as much as the village's and its residents' safety. He somehow had to find a way out of these restraints and escape, but he was weak, and largely outnumbered.
“Don't complain Shigeko, you had somefun hunting them,” replied their boss.
The one called Shigeko shrugged, “A short hunt, if you ask me Yasuhide...” he replied somewhat quietly.
“Be quiet,” said Yasuhide, standing next to the fire. “They should be back soon. Get ready.” The men did as asked then settled somewhere as the shadows danced on the wall; time passed slowly. Sai struggledto keep his eyes open all the while listening for the girl's breath and the moment it would stop. Maemi's breath was strained, brief and punctuated with grunts which grew quieter over time. More than an hour passed by the time Yorikane and the rest of his wounded comrades appeared at the entrance of the cave.
Yasuhide kneeled in front of his leader while asking for news. “It was better than expected,” smirked a tired Yorikane. Yasuhide's eyes glanced at the people behind his leader.
“We lost four?”
Yorikane'sexpression hardened. “They still failed me in the end.”The newcomers settled around the cave as their leader walked towards the prisoners, glancing appreciatively at Sai. “Oh? I'm surprised you kept him alive.”
Yasuhide nodded once, “Rather-- he didn't die from Shigeko's and Kokan'sattacks, so we took him as well. All for the better, as the other just died.”
At those news, Yorikane's angry face swiveled towards his underling. “What!? What do you mean? I thought I told you she was a piece of myplan!”
“Unfortunately-- she somehow suffered a wound... and we don't have the resources to spare even for the prisoners,” replied Yasuhide with a cool head. “The other will do just as well.” But Yorikane was no longer listening, when a mysterious wound was mentioned he stepped closer to the motionless covered body. His face held an unreadable expression, one mixed between furor and anticipation. In one swift movement, he yanked the blanket off and stared at the gaping wound in the girl's abdomen.
The cave had grown eerily quiet, but Yorikane, mumbling to himself, kneeled and examined the wound. His face slowly split in a mad grin. Without warning, he erupted in a thunderous laughter. Yasuhide and the rest of the men blinked in confusion, how could a dead body be of any use? “Ooh, Kakashi, you're mine now,” chuckled Yorikane, clenching his fists in anticipation.
Yasuhide glanced at the body and held back a gasp, she was still breathing!? There was no way someone with her level of chakra could survive with such a severe wound, let alone the blood loss! What kind of forbidden technique was this? But before he could ask any unwelcome questions, Yorikane had already gathered everyone around the fire and began explaining their next move.
– – – – “I don't understand how they knew...” mumbled Shikamaru, knotting his makeshift bandage. “The plan was foolproof.”
Yamato gave him a smile, “Don't beat yourself up, Shikamaru. No matter how much you plan for, there'll always be something you didn't count on. Sometimes, you just have to plan for the unexpected. Besides, the best of us make mistakes sometimes.” He glanced at Sakura who was leaning over a wounded Kakashi, her body and face tense with concentration. She'd been treating that wound for too long, yet it was barely healing! “Sakura...”
“Just a bit longer--...” she replied drowsily, frowning so as not to let her attention waver.
“Sakura. You're exhausted, and nearly out of chakra. You need some rest!” scolded Yamato while Naruto nodded in fervent agreement.
“But--”
“I'm fine,” cut in Kakashi, giving her one of his encouraging smiles. “You've done your best, I won't die from this.” Sakura glanced at the group and gave in with a sigh.
She settled across from Kakashi, somewhat next to Shikamaru, “Just for a while,” she mumbled before closing her eyes and dozing off quickly.
Naruto took the first lookout round, leaving Shikamaru to study his scroll attentively, try to find the flaw and come up with better alternatives. Yamato sat next to Kakashi, glancing at his wound. “Something you're not telling us?”
“...” His slight frown and silence was answer enough to Yamato.
“As I thought,” sighed Yamato, “It wouldn't be related to the girl, would it?”
Kakashi debated this for a moment before responding. “While I do have a few theories, each as unlikely as the next, engaging in speculation won't help us find them.” At the same time, four nin-dogs landed around the pair of jounin. Shiba held the mini-sized doll in his mouth, Guruko had Sai's short sword, Akino held a brush and the remnants of a ripped scroll while Pakkun just sat there, looking glum. (1)
“Aren't those Sai's?” asked Yamato, reaching for the brush and the scroll. Guruko dropped the short sword near Kakashi's hand. He frowned and glanced at Pakkun, as if waiting for details.
The nin-dog stopped staring at Kakashi's wound to look at his face. “Besides these things,” he motioned to the objects with one paw, “there were no traces of them. Except for where they landed.” He paused just as Naruto jumped down and landed behind him. “It wasn't a pretty sight, Kakashi. There was a lot of blood.”
“What, have you found Sai??” cut in Naruto, eager to go help his friend.
Yamato held up a hand, “Hold on. Let him finish.”
“Frankly, it's as if they vanished, despite the trail you'd expect from their wounds...” continued Pakkun.
“Isn't Yorikane a missing-nin from the Sand village?” jumped in Shikamaru, his brow furrowed in concentration. “Aren't they pretty decent wind-element users?”
“Which is why Bull, Urushi, Ūhei and Bisuke are still looking for their whereabouts, I'd expect them back pretty soon,” finished Pakkun.
Sakura opened her eyes, slowly registering that the voices she'd heard weren't from her dream. She got up and stretched, yet just as she was about to ask about any updates, a loud voice boomed over the forest, startling animals and their group alike.
“Hatake Kakashi,” greeted the nearly ecstatic voice of their foe, “You have one hour to appear before me, alone.” The voice paused. “If you're even a second late, I'll kill you on the spot.” Yorikane's voice shook with barely contained excitement.
The group kept still, wondering if they'd already been found or were being watched, but there were no movements, no concealed presences or murderous intents. Naruto was the first to break the silence, “How could he kill you if you're not there?”
As if to answer this precise question, the voice boomed louder. “You can't escape me, Kakashi. I'll kill you as easily as this.”
A second barely passed, everyone tensed and looked around to see from where the attack would come. Nothing moved, yet there was a loud CRACK before Kakashi muffled a short scream, his right hand tightly gripping above his now broken left wrist.
“Kakashi-sensei!” Sakura hurriedly kneeled beside him to examine his wrist.
Shock and worry flitted across her face, “I-- I don't understand...” she looked up, meeting the disturbed gazes around them. “It's broken.”
– – – – Yasuhide undid the voice projection jutsu, yet Yorikane was still grinning. He looked at the broken wrist in his grasp, as if remembering about the body attached to it, and casually tossed it aside. Maemi's body barely twitched as her arm hit the ground. “And now we wait,” added Yorikane with a chuckle before anyone could even ask.
From their position atop this platform overlooking the forest, they could see any incoming attack if Kakashi even dared to try and take the offensive in his situation. They clearly had the advantage for a counterattack, so a frontal assault would be unlikely, yet amusing.
“Why did you leave the other one in the hideout?” inquired a bored Shigeko, examining the tip of a kunai.
“Because he'd be too much trouble if he tried anything. He's much better kept away, as a safeguard,” mundanely replied Yorikane, as if talking about his lunch preference. He returned to staring at his watch, counting the minutes left.
Time ticked by slowly.
– – – – “You can't seriously be thinking of going!” protested Sakura, “Your wounds are nowhere near healed and now with that wrist--!” There was no need to tell him he couldn't perform even the basic jutsu.
Kakashi sighed then cringed as he got up. “Sakura-- I know the risks. Believe me, going isn't my first choice, but if I don't--” The implications were clear, he'd get killed, and so would Sai and Maemi.
Naruto opened his mouth but Shikamaru shook his head, “Don't even think about it. You're not going to be able, no matter how many shadow clones you have, to get past all of them in a timely manner to grab Sai and the girl. And that's assuming they're all in one place.”
The blond made a determined face, about to retort, but Yamato shook his head. “He's right Naruto, as soon as you're spotted, he could kill Kakashi in an instant. Though how--”
“We won't solve this by sitting here,” interrupted Kakashi, concealing a wince. “I'll go buy some time. Yamato--”
Yamato nodded and was explaining their next moves when they found themselves surrounded by six shinobi. Naruto's frown disappeared once he glimpsed red hair and a giant gourd. “Gaara!”
– – – – The fresh crackling of wood awoke Sai from the subtle waters of unconsciousness he had tread, unaware. Lifting his head from his chest, he glanced around the empty cavern through a hazy vision. Empty? Not quite. There was a lone figure on the opposite wall, so still it could be mistaken as being a part of its surroundings had Sai not seen its eyes land on him when he moved.
The silence was heavy, almost as heavy as his dead weight arms. The figure didn't move. Sai glanced at his restraints quickly enough to ascertain they were uncommon, and most certainly unbreakable as they were made from stone yet seemed to imperceptibly meld into the cavern's walls. “Your handiwork?” asked Sai, his usual smile plastered on his face.
“Hah, so you havenoticed,” replied the figure with a wide grin, his scars glistening a pale yellow.
Sai kept his smile. “But what would a missing-nin from Iwagakure do among Sunagakure outlaws?”
Sotan budged, resulting in a dark shadow above him, but remained silent. “Interesting,” commented Sai, which only made Sotan glare at him. “I doubt you joined them because of shared views, but judging from your scars and the fact they left you behind, perhaps--”
“Shut up!” bellowed Sotan, his imposing figure rising to its full height of 189 centimeters. His baritone voice echoed once across the cavern, his anger clearly visible.
Sai let the voice die down before picking right back up, “Perhaps you joined the first group you encountered, because you much prefer obey orders than decide your own. Otherwise, there'd be no point in keeping such a valuable asset to guard a mere prisoner.”
Sotan stomped forward menacingly, until he stood right in front of Sai, who, despite his wounds and inability to move, kept smiling. “You'll regret this. I'm going to enjoy ripping that smile off your face,” promised Sotan, cracking his knuckles one at a time.
– – – – “What are you doing here?” asked Naruto, glancing at the three other shinobi behind Temari and Kankurou.
Gaara took a few steps forward, his green eyes taking in his allies' condition, before answering. “We've been trailing a group of missing-nin for a few days. I assume you're familiar with their leader.”
“Tanuma Yorikane.”
Gaara nodded, “Indeed. Ever since a few Konoha jounin helped us deal with the majority of the extremists, it seems he's gone above and beyond his previous capability to recruit other shinobi to his 'cause.' He seems to particularly hold a grudge against you, Kakashi.”
“Yes... Seems he didn't appreciate having his moves copied, or being trapped in an illusion,” replied Kakashi in an even, yet tense tone.
“Not to mention we killed over half of his men during that time,” added Gaara.
Yamato and Shikamaru had a somber look, Sakura kept close to Kakashi as if expecting him to give in to the pain any second, and Naruto just had a very determined look. “So we'll stop him for sure this time!” he pledged with an overconfident grin.
Gaara's face briefly lit up with the shadow of a smile. “I had a feeling you'd say that,” he replied and motioned for the jounin – Temari, Kankuro, Otokaze, Isago and Sasetsu (1)– to come closer. As he was detailing his plan, which Shikamaru improved along the way, the rest of Kakashi's nin-dogs came back. He turned to them expectantly.
“We found Sai's location,” reported Bull.
Kakashi slightly frowned. “And the girl?” Bull shook his head twice. Then she was with Yorikane. Nodding, he started “Great. Shikamaru--” But Shikamaru was already two steps ahead of him and revised their plan. He went over it one more time, to be clear what everyone had to do, especially Naruto who needed to learn to control his hotheadedness.
Sakura checked a watch, “Thirteen minutes left.” And they dispersed.
– – – – – – – – (1) Check out Naruto's wiki if you haven't already (naruto dot wikia dot com) it's quite helpful to put names to faces.
– – – – – – – – Chapter 5: Defensive play
Sai awoke at the sound of nearby shouting voices. He realized at once his situation, especially when he tried to move his arms, which felt like lead and refused to budge. He focused his attention on the commotion and noticed the girl's bare feet, yet frowned when he saw them twitching weakly. The voices quieted down when a man with reddish hair stood up, an indescribable look on his face. “Tsk,” he turned his back on Maemi, “She'll die within the hour.”
“What a waste...” mumbled a man clad in lightly colored clothes as he kicked the remains of a blanket over most of the girl's twitching body. “Wouldn't have grabbed her if she was going to die anyway.”
Sai focused on that one, staring until he recognized one of his attackers,who couldsomehow ridehis wind waves. His attention shifted back to the bleeding girl. They weren't going to help her? What was the point in getting her in the first place then? He could hardly see the advantage in keeping them as bargaining chips, the village didn't value their lives as much as the village's and its residents' safety. He somehow had to find a way out of these restraints and escape, but he was weak, and largely outnumbered.
“Don't complain Shigeko, you had somefun hunting them,” replied their boss.
The one called Shigeko shrugged, “A short hunt, if you ask me Yasuhide...” he replied somewhat quietly.
“Be quiet,” said Yasuhide, standing next to the fire. “They should be back soon. Get ready.” The men did as asked then settled somewhere as the shadows danced on the wall; time passed slowly. Sai struggledto keep his eyes open all the while listening for the girl's breath and the moment it would stop. Maemi's breath was strained, brief and punctuated with grunts which grew quieter over time. More than an hour passed by the time Yorikane and the rest of his wounded comrades appeared at the entrance of the cave.
Yasuhide kneeled in front of his leader while asking for news. “It was better than expected,” smirked a tired Yorikane. Yasuhide's eyes glanced at the people behind his leader.
“We lost four?”
Yorikane'sexpression hardened. “They still failed me in the end.”The newcomers settled around the cave as their leader walked towards the prisoners, glancing appreciatively at Sai. “Oh? I'm surprised you kept him alive.”
Yasuhide nodded once, “Rather-- he didn't die from Shigeko's and Kokan'sattacks, so we took him as well. All for the better, as the other just died.”
At those news, Yorikane's angry face swiveled towards his underling. “What!? What do you mean? I thought I told you she was a piece of myplan!”
“Unfortunately-- she somehow suffered a wound... and we don't have the resources to spare even for the prisoners,” replied Yasuhide with a cool head. “The other will do just as well.” But Yorikane was no longer listening, when a mysterious wound was mentioned he stepped closer to the motionless covered body. His face held an unreadable expression, one mixed between furor and anticipation. In one swift movement, he yanked the blanket off and stared at the gaping wound in the girl's abdomen.
The cave had grown eerily quiet, but Yorikane, mumbling to himself, kneeled and examined the wound. His face slowly split in a mad grin. Without warning, he erupted in a thunderous laughter. Yasuhide and the rest of the men blinked in confusion, how could a dead body be of any use? “Ooh, Kakashi, you're mine now,” chuckled Yorikane, clenching his fists in anticipation.
Yasuhide glanced at the body and held back a gasp, she was still breathing!? There was no way someone with her level of chakra could survive with such a severe wound, let alone the blood loss! What kind of forbidden technique was this? But before he could ask any unwelcome questions, Yorikane had already gathered everyone around the fire and began explaining their next move.
– – – – “I don't understand how they knew...” mumbled Shikamaru, knotting his makeshift bandage. “The plan was foolproof.”
Yamato gave him a smile, “Don't beat yourself up, Shikamaru. No matter how much you plan for, there'll always be something you didn't count on. Sometimes, you just have to plan for the unexpected. Besides, the best of us make mistakes sometimes.” He glanced at Sakura who was leaning over a wounded Kakashi, her body and face tense with concentration. She'd been treating that wound for too long, yet it was barely healing! “Sakura...”
“Just a bit longer--...” she replied drowsily, frowning so as not to let her attention waver.
“Sakura. You're exhausted, and nearly out of chakra. You need some rest!” scolded Yamato while Naruto nodded in fervent agreement.
“But--”
“I'm fine,” cut in Kakashi, giving her one of his encouraging smiles. “You've done your best, I won't die from this.” Sakura glanced at the group and gave in with a sigh.
She settled across from Kakashi, somewhat next to Shikamaru, “Just for a while,” she mumbled before closing her eyes and dozing off quickly.
Naruto took the first lookout round, leaving Shikamaru to study his scroll attentively, try to find the flaw and come up with better alternatives. Yamato sat next to Kakashi, glancing at his wound. “Something you're not telling us?”
“...” His slight frown and silence was answer enough to Yamato.
“As I thought,” sighed Yamato, “It wouldn't be related to the girl, would it?”
Kakashi debated this for a moment before responding. “While I do have a few theories, each as unlikely as the next, engaging in speculation won't help us find them.” At the same time, four nin-dogs landed around the pair of jounin. Shiba held the mini-sized doll in his mouth, Guruko had Sai's short sword, Akino held a brush and the remnants of a ripped scroll while Pakkun just sat there, looking glum. (1)
“Aren't those Sai's?” asked Yamato, reaching for the brush and the scroll. Guruko dropped the short sword near Kakashi's hand. He frowned and glanced at Pakkun, as if waiting for details.
The nin-dog stopped staring at Kakashi's wound to look at his face. “Besides these things,” he motioned to the objects with one paw, “there were no traces of them. Except for where they landed.” He paused just as Naruto jumped down and landed behind him. “It wasn't a pretty sight, Kakashi. There was a lot of blood.”
“What, have you found Sai??” cut in Naruto, eager to go help his friend.
Yamato held up a hand, “Hold on. Let him finish.”
“Frankly, it's as if they vanished, despite the trail you'd expect from their wounds...” continued Pakkun.
“Isn't Yorikane a missing-nin from the Sand village?” jumped in Shikamaru, his brow furrowed in concentration. “Aren't they pretty decent wind-element users?”
“Which is why Bull, Urushi, Ūhei and Bisuke are still looking for their whereabouts, I'd expect them back pretty soon,” finished Pakkun.
Sakura opened her eyes, slowly registering that the voices she'd heard weren't from her dream. She got up and stretched, yet just as she was about to ask about any updates, a loud voice boomed over the forest, startling animals and their group alike.
“Hatake Kakashi,” greeted the nearly ecstatic voice of their foe, “You have one hour to appear before me, alone.” The voice paused. “If you're even a second late, I'll kill you on the spot.” Yorikane's voice shook with barely contained excitement.
The group kept still, wondering if they'd already been found or were being watched, but there were no movements, no concealed presences or murderous intents. Naruto was the first to break the silence, “How could he kill you if you're not there?”
As if to answer this precise question, the voice boomed louder. “You can't escape me, Kakashi. I'll kill you as easily as this.”
A second barely passed, everyone tensed and looked around to see from where the attack would come. Nothing moved, yet there was a loud CRACK before Kakashi muffled a short scream, his right hand tightly gripping above his now broken left wrist.
“Kakashi-sensei!” Sakura hurriedly kneeled beside him to examine his wrist.
Shock and worry flitted across her face, “I-- I don't understand...” she looked up, meeting the disturbed gazes around them. “It's broken.”
– – – – Yasuhide undid the voice projection jutsu, yet Yorikane was still grinning. He looked at the broken wrist in his grasp, as if remembering about the body attached to it, and casually tossed it aside. Maemi's body barely twitched as her arm hit the ground. “And now we wait,” added Yorikane with a chuckle before anyone could even ask.
From their position atop this platform overlooking the forest, they could see any incoming attack if Kakashi even dared to try and take the offensive in his situation. They clearly had the advantage for a counterattack, so a frontal assault would be unlikely, yet amusing.
“Why did you leave the other one in the hideout?” inquired a bored Shigeko, examining the tip of a kunai.
“Because he'd be too much trouble if he tried anything. He's much better kept away, as a safeguard,” mundanely replied Yorikane, as if talking about his lunch preference. He returned to staring at his watch, counting the minutes left.
Time ticked by slowly.
– – – – “You can't seriously be thinking of going!” protested Sakura, “Your wounds are nowhere near healed and now with that wrist--!” There was no need to tell him he couldn't perform even the basic jutsu.
Kakashi sighed then cringed as he got up. “Sakura-- I know the risks. Believe me, going isn't my first choice, but if I don't--” The implications were clear, he'd get killed, and so would Sai and Maemi.
Naruto opened his mouth but Shikamaru shook his head, “Don't even think about it. You're not going to be able, no matter how many shadow clones you have, to get past all of them in a timely manner to grab Sai and the girl. And that's assuming they're all in one place.”
The blond made a determined face, about to retort, but Yamato shook his head. “He's right Naruto, as soon as you're spotted, he could kill Kakashi in an instant. Though how--”
“We won't solve this by sitting here,” interrupted Kakashi, concealing a wince. “I'll go buy some time. Yamato--”
Yamato nodded and was explaining their next moves when they found themselves surrounded by six shinobi. Naruto's frown disappeared once he glimpsed red hair and a giant gourd. “Gaara!”
– – – – The fresh crackling of wood awoke Sai from the subtle waters of unconsciousness he had tread, unaware. Lifting his head from his chest, he glanced around the empty cavern through a hazy vision. Empty? Not quite. There was a lone figure on the opposite wall, so still it could be mistaken as being a part of its surroundings had Sai not seen its eyes land on him when he moved.
The silence was heavy, almost as heavy as his dead weight arms. The figure didn't move. Sai glanced at his restraints quickly enough to ascertain they were uncommon, and most certainly unbreakable as they were made from stone yet seemed to imperceptibly meld into the cavern's walls. “Your handiwork?” asked Sai, his usual smile plastered on his face.
“Hah, so you havenoticed,” replied the figure with a wide grin, his scars glistening a pale yellow.
Sai kept his smile. “But what would a missing-nin from Iwagakure do among Sunagakure outlaws?”
Sotan budged, resulting in a dark shadow above him, but remained silent. “Interesting,” commented Sai, which only made Sotan glare at him. “I doubt you joined them because of shared views, but judging from your scars and the fact they left you behind, perhaps--”
“Shut up!” bellowed Sotan, his imposing figure rising to its full height of 189 centimeters. His baritone voice echoed once across the cavern, his anger clearly visible.
Sai let the voice die down before picking right back up, “Perhaps you joined the first group you encountered, because you much prefer obey orders than decide your own. Otherwise, there'd be no point in keeping such a valuable asset to guard a mere prisoner.”
Sotan stomped forward menacingly, until he stood right in front of Sai, who, despite his wounds and inability to move, kept smiling. “You'll regret this. I'm going to enjoy ripping that smile off your face,” promised Sotan, cracking his knuckles one at a time.
– – – – “What are you doing here?” asked Naruto, glancing at the three other shinobi behind Temari and Kankurou.
Gaara took a few steps forward, his green eyes taking in his allies' condition, before answering. “We've been trailing a group of missing-nin for a few days. I assume you're familiar with their leader.”
“Tanuma Yorikane.”
Gaara nodded, “Indeed. Ever since a few Konoha jounin helped us deal with the majority of the extremists, it seems he's gone above and beyond his previous capability to recruit other shinobi to his 'cause.' He seems to particularly hold a grudge against you, Kakashi.”
“Yes... Seems he didn't appreciate having his moves copied, or being trapped in an illusion,” replied Kakashi in an even, yet tense tone.
“Not to mention we killed over half of his men during that time,” added Gaara.
Yamato and Shikamaru had a somber look, Sakura kept close to Kakashi as if expecting him to give in to the pain any second, and Naruto just had a very determined look. “So we'll stop him for sure this time!” he pledged with an overconfident grin.
Gaara's face briefly lit up with the shadow of a smile. “I had a feeling you'd say that,” he replied and motioned for the jounin – Temari, Kankuro, Otokaze, Isago and Sasetsu (1)– to come closer. As he was detailing his plan, which Shikamaru improved along the way, the rest of Kakashi's nin-dogs came back. He turned to them expectantly.
“We found Sai's location,” reported Bull.
Kakashi slightly frowned. “And the girl?” Bull shook his head twice. Then she was with Yorikane. Nodding, he started “Great. Shikamaru--” But Shikamaru was already two steps ahead of him and revised their plan. He went over it one more time, to be clear what everyone had to do, especially Naruto who needed to learn to control his hotheadedness.
Sakura checked a watch, “Thirteen minutes left.” And they dispersed.
– – – – – – – – (1) Check out Naruto's wiki if you haven't already (naruto dot wikia dot com) it's quite helpful to put names to faces.