The powerful Hikari and the ever-cunning Shikamaru had finally come to an agreement—no more disagreements within the squad.
The five of them charged south without hesitation.
The southern edge of Training Ground Zero was the closest point to Konoha's center. There had to be a sensei stationed nearby.
But they hadn't gone far—
The roars of wild beasts echoed all around them.
Shikamaru's heart sank. "Not good." He immediately led the group to change direction.
GRAAAHHH!
A giant bird swooped overhead, seemingly guiding the beasts through the forest below.
ROAR!
Grrrrrr...
It was impossible to tell exactly what kind of monsters they were, but the howls came from all sides. They were surrounded.
"Hikari, is there another way out?"
Shikamaru asked, knowing Hikari had incredible sensory abilities.
Before he could even finish, Hikari had already activated her Hyaku-me—the Hundred Eyes Technique—and scanned the area.
With the bird in the sky directing them and the beast-attracting powder laced into their clothes, the creatures in the jungle had gone berserk and fully encircled them.
"No way out," she said, shaking her head with regret.
Every beast in Training Ground Zero seemed to have been drawn here—and more were arriving by the second.
Hikari could escape alone if she wanted. These wild beasts' claws and fangs couldn't penetrate her sub-dermal bone armor. A well-placed Wind Release would carve her an exit path easily.
But taking Naruto and the others with her? That might be too much, even for her.
Ino's face turned pale.
There were far more creatures than she imagined—some even fighting each other amidst the chaos.
She hadn't yet mastered her clan's sensory ninjutsu, but her trained spirit was sending wave after wave of danger warnings.
The situation was spiraling fast.
SWOOSH!
A fist-sized rock flew through the air—straight at Ino's head.
"Ino, look out!" Shikamaru shouted, panicked.
"*Baika no Jutsu!*" — Expansion Jutsu!
At the crucial moment, Choji's body rapidly expanded. In seconds, he grew over two meters tall, his broad back shielding Ino.
THUD!
The rock hit Choji's back but bounced off harmlessly, deflected by his tough, muscular frame.
"Thanks, Choji," Ino said, finally snapping out of her shock and quickly thanking him.
"We're completely surrounded," Hikari said, scanning the treetops.
Troops of monkeys glared down at them from the branches, scratching and chattering. That rock earlier? Definitely their doing.
SKREEEEE!
The giant bird screeched again.
As if receiving commands, the beast horde finally homed in on its target—drool dripping from snarling mouths as they closed in around the group.
At the front, a tiger licked the ground where the powder had fallen—still trailing the scent from the skies.
The creatures were momentarily distracted by the lingering powder, delaying their attack. But that wouldn't last long.
The group stood back-to-back.
Naruto clenched his fists, overwhelmed.
Enemies above and below—he couldn't even count them all.
How were they supposed to fight this?
"Shikamaru, what do we do?" Ino's desperate voice made sweat pour down Shikamaru's brow.
They were hopelessly outnumbered and trapped in the dead center of Training Ground Zero—farther from the heart of Konoha than even the first perimeter.
Reinforcements weren't coming anytime soon.
And if no sensei had shown up despite all the noise, it could only mean the Academy instructors were caught up elsewhere—maybe rescuing other students.
They couldn't run.
With the bird above directing the beasts, escape was impossible—except maybe for Hikari.
But staying…
That would only drain Hikari's strength. If no one came, someone who could've survived would die with them.
Two clear choices.
And Shikamaru couldn't choose.
He had no right to ask Hikari to stay and die. But he also couldn't abandon Ino, Choji, and Naruto.
Was there no way to save everyone?
He clutched his head in frustration. His usually brilliant mind stalled under the weight of his comrades' lives.
"I'll stay and defend," Hikari finally said, making the call for him.
"No—that's not fair to you!" Shikamaru instinctively objected. "You're strong. You could get away if you went alone!"
Even though they were terrified, Ino and Choji shook their heads firmly:
"Hikari, go on without us!"
"Don't worry about us."
They were trembling, but still wouldn't let her sacrifice herself.
Hikari couldn't help but be moved.
This... was Konoha.
Even as children, in moments that mattered—they didn't hesitate to give everything.
Sacrifice and protection.
The Will of Fire—though abstract—was etched deep in their bones, passed from generation to generation until it became real.
But—
Hikari had no intention of dying here.
"We kill the bird first," she said quickly. "Without guidance, the beasts will turn on each other. Once that happens, we break through."
"But the bird's flying so high—how do we even hit it?" Naruto looked up.
The creature circled far out of reach.
"I have a long-range ninjutsu," Hikari said.
"It can hit something a thousand meters up?" Shikamaru asked, hopeful.
"Nope." Hikari shut that down immediately. "If I could, I wouldn't still be waiting."
"Look." She pointed to the ground.
They followed her finger—
In the glow of the setting sun, the bird's shadow stretched across the earth.
"Shadow Possession Jutsu!" Ninpō: Kagemane no Jutsu!
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio caught on instantly.
"Exactly. Shikamaru catches it using its shadow. When it's pulled down to the right height—I finish it with a killing blow."
Hikari laid the plan bare and looked at Shikamaru.
"No good," he replied, face grim as he stared at the massive shadow. "It's too big. My chakra would only hold for three seconds, max. The plan won't work."
"Yes, it will!" Ino stepped forward confidently, drawing everyone's eyes.
"I'll use Shintenshin no Jutsu—Mind Transfer Technique. Shikamaru, just lock it down for one second. I'll take care of the rest."
"Your Mind Transfer can go that far?" Hikari asked, stunned. "That bird's over a thousand meters up."
Ino's blue eyes burned with certainty. "Between hearts, there's no such thing as distance."
Hikari blinked.
She was trying to talk physics—and Ino gave her philosophy.
Fine.
If it failed, she wasn't the one dying anyway.
"How long can you control it?"
"At this range? Ten seconds, max," Ino replied after a moment's thought.
"In ten seconds of freefall, it'll drop about 500 meters," Shikamaru quickly calculated. He looked at Hikari.
"That's enough," she nodded, meeting their hopeful stares.
"Awesome!" Naruto punched the air.
The trio let out a breath of relief.
"Then let's begin," Shikamaru and Ino said, forming seals in perfect sync—faster than usual. The threat of death had drawn out their full potential.
"Wait—one more thing."
Hikari held out a hand to stop them.
"What now?" Shikamaru frowned, sensing something was off.
"That long-range ninjutsu of mine?" Hikari smiled sheepishly.
"I haven't actually learned it yet. Gotta pick it up... real quick."
read momre inpatreon
belamy20