AN: Yes, yes. It's been a long time between chapter updates. Life has been busy, okay? Not just for me but for my beta, too. Thunk has five young sons and is just weeks away from launching her own business, so you can imagine how swamped she is these days, but she STILL made time to be my beta. Thank you, Thunk. I appreciate your feedback and support more than you know.

I feel I should warn you that I have gone back and revised/updated old chapters. I did it to improve the overall flow of the story, but there were a few places where I decided to completely rewrite some scenes. If it's been a long time since you read this fic and you have time on your hands, you might want to go back and re-read the fic. Don't feel that you have to because you don't. It's in no way necessary. I just wanted to let all of you know that I have made some tweaks. Nothing "universe changing" or anything like that - but tweaks are tweaks.

Also, I am working on the next chapter. If you're ever wondering what's going on with me or this fic, please check my profile. I try to keep it updated so you guys can be reassured that I'm still alive and kicking. And if you have any questions or comments, feel free to send me a private message. I do try to reply. I wish I could reply to every review, but can't. Please know that they are appreciated and very encouraging. Even the critical ones. ;) It's nice to know that people are reading.

Speaking of reviews, I'm amazed and humbled that this fic has hit the 700 review mark. I never imagined that a Shikamaru/Sakura pairing would be so well received, but I'm pleased that so many like it.

Warning: Bad language ahead. Which probably doesn't matter to most of you but I figured I'd warn you anyway.

dawning

.:without fear:.
chapter fourteen

Crimson eyes slowly faded to black as he confirmed that the Sand-nin were no longer tailing him. The chase ended far sooner than he expected, but it suited him just fine to conserve his chakra for bigger game. Still, Sasuke had fully expected to have to battle the three-man squad that pursued him from Suna. Part of him had been looking forward to the fray. It would be an excellent way to vent almost three weeks worth of frustration and annoyance, but just as it seemed that the Sand-nin were closing in on him they stopped. And then they disappeared completely.

If that was how it was going to be he didn't know why they bothered to chase him at all. Why go to the effort of a pursuit at all when it was both half-assed and predictable? It seemed to Sasuke that the only reason that they followed him was more out of formality than an actual desire to recapture him. They knew where he was going and what his motivation was. How could they not? Gaara hadn't attempted to confine Sasuke to Suna simply because he didn't like him. No, Gaara did it to keep him out of the way so Naruto, Kakashi and the rest of those assholes could deal with the Akatsuki without him.

Adjusting the collar of his shirt, Sasuke turned on his heel and resumed his long trek toward the woods surrounding Hitofuki. He was beyond tired of their meddling. He put up with it after being dragged back to Konoha because he knew, ultimately, that the Akatsuki (and his brother) would seek out Naruto. It made sense for him to stay close to the jinchuuriki until that time. Why go to the trouble of hunting something when it would inevitably come to you? But now he felt the extent of their interference once again, reminding him of when he was 12-years-old and furious at the world and himself.

For a while he thought that Sakura, of all people, had understood his feelings and motives. She seemed to at least, in her own way. She would listen to him, tend to him, pay attention to him, believe him... she was easy to deal with. Predictable. Stable. She annoyed him on occasion, but even that was foreseeable and easily placated. A little attention, a small complement and a half-smile, and she would warm to him again, eyes hopeful and clouded by her one-sided love. It helped, too, that she was always so eager to make him happy. It made him feel like he was in control. Under the near constant scrutiny of the Konoha ruling council, being in control of something – someone – gave him a measure of comfort that he craved. Or he did until he realized that she was more of a distraction than a comfort.

But that eroded quickly. At first he thought it was due to the sex, as unplanned and spontaneous as that had been it wasn't entirely unpleasant or unwelcome. She took it to heart though, more than he wanted her to, but he could deal with that. Or would have had they not both been assigned to a mission so soon afterward. That left him in a tailspin – not just because he had to deal with the curse seal acting up and her emotional clinginess, but he also had to work with the rest of their inane squad. Nara in particular, was a major pain-in-the-ass. That, in itself, was nothing new. Nara had been an annoyance for years, but on this trip in particular, it seemed to Sasuke that every time the shadow user looked in his direction, he was being assessed, cataloged and evaluated. It was unnerving.

But what really irked Sasuke, what really got under his skin and made him itch for violence, was the knowledge that not once during the entire mission – NOT ONCE – did Nara inform him that they had been pursing a fresh lead about the Akatsuki. About his brother! And predictable, stable, easy Sakura did know and she didn't tell him, either.

Nara was to blame for that, too. Jaw clenched and lips pressed together to form a tight, thin line, Sasuke streaked toward Hitofuki with hate eating away at his heart.

Yes. Nara was to blame for a lot of things.

• • •

The attack came from the left. Tendrils of leaf covered vines shot out at them just as Shikamaru pushed off of a branch. Already in midair, there was little he could do to completely avoid the blow, but he could pivot his body to deflect most of the impact. He twisted and braced himself for the attack, only to feel a rough kick to his back as Sakura pushed herself off of him.

Physics dictated the rest, forcing both to move in opposite directions. The vines missed them, passing harmlessly through the space they once occupied with a swoosh. Shikamaru was able to adjust his descent to land squarely on a low level branch as Sakura managed to swing herself onto a nearby bough. He noted the strain in her limbs as she moved, but she stubbornly pushed herself through it as she curled her hands into fists, spread her feet apart and crouched. She was ready to fight.

Wasting no time, Shikamaru studied the arch of the vines and immediately tracked the source of the attack. Though the vines had come at them from the left, the trajectory of the attack was wrong. As was the speed. Sakura's quick thinking may have saved them both from being hit, but their adversary wasn't so easily parried. As he took in their surroundings, he quickly deduced several possible ambush points around their immediate location. Their enemy had chosen the perfect area to stage an attack leaving them with very few options should they attempt to flee. Eyes still cataloging the area around them, Shikamaru lifted his right hand and made a series of hand signals that only a shinobi of Konoha would understand. His message was simple, 'Trap. Confrontation imminent. Be ready.'

No sooner had he signaled the last part of the message did the next attack come. Thick masses of vines shot out in all directions, creating a leafy green web between them. Shikamaru scowled. The trap was so glaringly obvious that he worried what hidden dangers existed within vines. They seemed to invite contact, almost daring him to use Asuma's fist weapons to slice through them. But he resisted the urge, determined to figure out the full nature of the threat.

"The foliage is poisonous," Sakura warned, her words strong and clear. He peered at her, observing her steadiness. She projected an aura of confidence and power that surprised him to see. So soon after being roused from the Uchiha's illusion, he doubted she was fully recovered, but she showed no sign of weakness. A sense of pride rushed through him at the sight.

"Avoid contact with the vines," she continued. "They're highly cyanogenic."

"You recognize the leaves," a deep, bass-like voice said as though pleased. "I knew you would."

Shikamaru searched for the source of the voice to no avail. The sound seemed to originate from a specific point somewhere close by, but the strange echo and reverberation within the trees themselves suggested multiple sources.

Sakura ignored the voice as she brought her hands together and immediately began forming a series of seals that Shikamaru had never seen before. The disembodied male voice gave a distinct, 'hmmm' as she finished her jutsu. Expression hard, she reached for the vine nearest to her and released her chakra into it. The foliage reacted immediately, darkening in color until it turned brown, then black, and finally crumbled harmlessly around her hands. The effect spread out, moving through the vines at a steady, but slow pace with the same disintegrating effect.

The voice chuckled. Then a new voice, almost alto in tone, said, "I told you it would be too obvious."

"The choice was fitting," the deeper voice responded as the opening that Sakura created within the web continued to grow. The disembodied voice sounded amused as it said, "I think she appreciates it."

Then the tree trunk nearest to Sakura stretched and morphed, creating a distinct popping noise as the wood changed form. Yellow eyes blinked into existence followed by a curl of bark that grinned manically. Sakura jumped back, creating extra space between them as the figure continued to manifest itself. Within seconds, their adversary stood before them. Shikamaru recognized him at once. There was no picture of him in the bingo books, but the description of him was unmistakable. This was Zetsu, the S-class criminal and loyal follower of Madara that many believed was not truly human at all. Head tilted to the side and sickly-yellow eyes peering at her intently, Zetsu quietly assessed Sakura, completely dismissing her squad leader.

The display did not go ignored.

'Why is he so focused on Sakura?' Shikamaru wondered. Eyes narrowed, he watched Sakura study Zetsu as Zetsu studied her. To be so focused on Sakura suggested that Zetsu either had a partner nearby or he was extremely confident in his ability to dispatch them both. Whatever the case, there was definitely something about Sakura that roused Zetsu's interest, or he was purposefully attempting to lure Shikamaru into thinking he had an element of surprise. Either way, Shikamaru would do what he could to turn Zetsu's trap against him. Expression hard, he calculated how much reach he could get out of the surrounding shadows based on the angle of the sun when their enemy spoke again.

"You defeated Sasori," Zetsu said, his lips curling into a predatory smile, both halves of his mismatched face twisting to reveal rows of unnaturally sharp teeth. Shikamaru noticed that, once again, his voice had taken on a deep, basal tone. "You devised an antidote to his most prized poison in less than a day."

Sakura clenched her jaw, but otherwise did not outwardly react to his statement. This only seemed to amuse Zetsu more and his smile suddenly grew impossibly large. "We enjoy working with poisons, too," he said, his voice suddenly united into a chorus.

Body poised to attack or flee in an instant, Sakura muttered a quiet, "So I noticed."

"Our instructions do not include killing you," Zetsu continued, his eyes slowly trailing up and down the length of her body. Such behavior done by any other male would have been unmistakable in its intent, but Shikamaru had the sick sensation in the pit of his stomach that their enemy, quite literally, wanted to eat her. "But we would very much like to anyway."

• • •

She held herself remarkably well considering she should still be unconscious. Or, at the very least, incapacitated to the point of requiring assistance.

Expression impassive and chakra-enhanced feet firmly planted to the borough beneath him, Itachi adjusted his hold on the young woman in his arms as he leaned forward to get a better view of the scene below. It was no surprise to him that the Nara clan heir had found the medic, but he had not expected her to be able to stand – let alone mold chakra. At least not this soon. His first thought was that he didn't use enough chakra when he formed the illusion, but such a possibility seemed unlikely. Regardless, Haruno didn't outwardly appear to be suffering from weakness or disequilibrium.

There was little doubt in Itachi's mind that Nara had fed the girl a soldier pill, but that would not magically return her to normal. It would simply energize her. Having energy didn't mean anything if one couldn't mold it. Was her quick recovery simply an extension of her famous perfect chakra control?

'The bingo books need a serious revision,' Itachi mentally noted as he watched her. He could only clearly see the top of her bright, pink head as she stood seemingly trapped in a web of thick, green vines, but he recognized the first few seals she quickly performed. Her chakra flared, a little too brightly, as she finished the jutsu and he realized then that she was not as recovered from their little encounter as she pretended to be. Still, only someone with sharingan-enhanced eyes would realize that.

Haruno was impressive. He would remember this encounter the next time they met.

"I thought you dealt with the kunoichi," his partner said, his voice reflecting a hint of amusement as the pink-haired girl dissolved the vines surrounding her with ease.

"Ah."

Kisame glanced at him out of the corners of his eyes and smirked. "I take it her partner broke your little spell?" he asked sarcastically.

Itachi inclined his head a fraction of an inch, but said nothing as he watched Zetsu begin to speak to Haruno. From appearances, it seemed that their teammate was ignoring Nara, who crouched silently on a wide branch several feet away. Itachi didn't know if Zetsu was purposefully ignoring the man or if he had simply dismissed the other shinobi as being less of a threat, but either option would be a mistake. The Nara clan wasn't very well known outside of Konoha. That was, of course, by tactical design. If other shinobi villages knew of the important contributions of the Nara clan to the military success of Konoha, they would be as well regarded (and envied) as that of the Hyuuga or Uchiha. Becoming like the shadows that they manipulated was as much a standard battlefield strategy for a Nara as it was clan preservation.

Since the early years of Konoha warfare, it was always a member of the Nara clan, not the Hokage, who served as the commanding officer dictating strategy during major battles. History would never reveal it, but it was the strategies of the Nara clan that led to the destruction of the Kannabi Bridge and turned the Third Shinobi War favorable for Konoha. Until that point, the Leaf were facing the very real possibility of conquest.

Itachi, however, had fought in that war. He remembered. And he was quite familiar with the frightening intellect of the Nara clan. To ignore or dismiss a Nara on the battlefield would always, always, lead to defeat.

"Look at her go!" Kisame exclaimed as he watched the girl obliterate a tree with a single punch. The display of destructive power caused blue lips to curl in predatory glee. Then, with a hint of regret, he said, "Kunoichi like her are fun to fight. Damn shame that Zetsu will kill her."

Itachi observed the unfolding battle below them for only a handful of seconds before stating the obvious, "Zetsu will not win. The pair from Konoha will survive."

Kisame peered at Itachi, doubting his ears, "Come again?"

"She is not alone," he said as he pointed his chin toward the dark-haired shinobi partially obscured in the leafy foliage. Head bowed and finger tips and thumbs pressed together to form a diamond configuration with his hands, Itachi recognized the first stage of the Nara clan shadow-jutsu specialty.

"You mean that guy that looks like he's sleeping?" Kisame asked, leaning forward to get a better look. "Seriously?"

Itachi said nothing. He would see for himself soon enough. Adjusting his hold on the girl, Itachi paused with the sudden realization that a small corner of his cloak was wet with blood.

Blood that was not his.

Lips pursed together in thoughtful observation, he studied the teenager with a hint of worry fluttering in the back of his mind. She didn't appear to be injured, but she did seem to be distressed. The girl should be in a deep sleep, quiet and still – but her breathing was shallow and there was a delicate sheen of sweat beginning to line her brow. Her eyes darted beneath closed lids as she silently experienced the illusion he crafted for her when he captured her. She should be dreaming of blue skies, clear streams and lush forests. Simple. Pleasant. Easy. Instead she appeared to be in pain. Either she was reacting to the illusion as though it was a high-level offensive genjutsu, or she was in labor.

"Well that lazy guy better do something soon," Kisame said, his voice penetrating Itachi's thoughts. "Zetsu won't play forever. Cannibalism is fucking disgusting anyway."

Itachi ignored him as he peered at Ami with sharingan bright eyes. He could sense his chakra swirling within her, forcing his illusion upon her, but it didn't seem to be the primary source of her affliction. Even so, he could see her body straining to accommodate his chakra in a futile effort to reestablish balance over something that would best be ignored. His jutsu was minor in comparison to the mish-mash of chakra that seemed to war within her body. To sense the drama play out within her was like watching the body fight off a cold virus while it slowly bled to death. The priority was all wrong.

Indeed, Pain had chosen the perfect vessel for their experiment. A girl who was a descendant of a clan known to have chakra that was compatible with all forms of chakra – much like the universal blood type 'O.' Her body didn't reject the foreign chakra of the fetal jinchurriki. It didn't resist the turbulent ebbs and flows and its greedy demands. It simply tolerated it and adapted.

Reigning in his chakra, Itachi prematurely ended the illusion. Perhaps without his influence, her body would revert to its previous state of delicate balance. Instead he felt her grow tense in his arms. Adjusting his hold on the girl, he felt her relax and Itachi allowed himself a moment to hope she would remain that way until they could deliver her to Pain. As the battle below them began to intensify, he felt her tense again. Then his sleeve was saturated.

The corners of his lips twitching downward, Itachi said, "Her water broke."

At first it didn't seem as though Kisame heard him. His focus was completely absorbed in watching Nara ensnare Zetsu in a shadow-bind technique as Haruno moved in to deliver a chakra-laden blow. Itachi knew it was a feint. He'd seen members of the Nara clan employ such simple tactics before and knew it was designed to gauge their opponents to further strengthen their overall strategy against them. Zetsu delivered exactly what Nara wanted when he split in half a moment before the medic-nin would have delivered a devastating blow. While the action most certainly freed him from the shadow-bind technique, it also revealed more of his abilities. There was little doubt in Itachi's mind that Zetsu was only a few moves away from defeat.

Whether Kisame saw it that way was debatable. But it was at that point that the sharingan user's words finally sunk in and his blue-skinned partner turned to peer at him over his shoulder, expression tight with disbelief. "Wait... what?"

Shifting the girl in his arms, Itachi revealed the growing stain of fluid on the sleeve of his cloak.

Kisame frowned. "Maybe she just pissed herself...?"

The suggestion caused Itachi's features to immediately tighten. "No."

"Shit," he looked at the girl and scowled. "Shit. Really? Now? What the fuck, Itachi!"

The Uchiha lifted a brow at his partner and said, "I did not induce her labor."

"You... but... she..." Kisame's countenance continued to ebb into panic. "Fuck!"

"She is clearly not healthy and already weak from the pregnancy. I believe the events of the day and the effects of the jutsu may have been too much for her," Itachi said as he ignored his partner's distress.

"Then it is your fucking fault!" Kisame hissed. "Shit, Itachi! There is no way we are going to get her to the Rain country before she pushes that thing out."

Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, Itachi held the girl closer to his chest as he prepared to leave. "Then we should go," he said. "Leave Zetsu to Konoha. He will provide a fine distraction for a while. You will need to contact Pain for further orders."

• • •

Naruto felt the disturbance as soon as he entered Sage mode.

Eyes closed and head bowed, he let the soothing energy of the small forest oasis wash over him. Calming as it was, nature chakra possessed its own unique smell and taste. It skittered across his flesh and made his nerve endings tingle from just the barest whisper of a breeze. When the chakra flooded his body, Naruto felt everything. The essence of life itself flooded his senses and always – always – threatened to take him over completely. Years of training and experience in Sage mode had taught him to manage his chakra with minimal effort, but there were times when he still found maintaining the balance to be difficult.

Now was one of those times.

There was a flavor he detected in the forest. It was a bitter and sickly taste that reminded him of spoiled milk. It filled his mouth with it's offensive pungency and lingered like the aftertaste of vomit. There was something out there, hidden within the trees and lurking in dark places, that did not belong.

It immediately reminded him of cancer.

Naruto's instinctive response was to push back against the unusual chakra. It felt invasive and... wrong. But to do so would alter his internal balance and he would fall out of Sage Mode completely. He had to let the strangeness flow over him, just as it flowed over everything else around him. Sucking in a deep, cleansing breath, Naruto allowed the energy to soak into him. He could feel it move, turn, stretch and shiver. More than that, Naruto could feel its purpose and intent. He could feel its hunger and blood lust.

With a deep scowl marring his features, Naruto pushed his awareness beyond the cancer invading the forest. Shikamaru and Sakura were out there somewhere and it disturbed him that he had yet to sense their presence. Opening his senses to the more subtle ebbs and flows of the nature energy around him, he did his best to clear his mind and settle the worry gnawing at his insides. He felt the comforting and gentle warmth of summer, growth and new life. He felt the familiar chakra of his friends and teammates as they made their way toward him, Hinata, of all people, leading the way.

Exhaling deeply, he felt his muscles relax as his body settled deeper into Sage mode. There was a steady strength of chakra nearby that caused him to tilt his head to the south as he concentrated on the sensation. The chakra reminded him of Sasuke, but it felt far more controlled and carefully maintained.

'Itachi,' he thought, feeling the Uchiha chakra tingle across his senses. Then he sensed his partner, Kisame, and the greedy hunger of the living sword strapped to his back.

'And someone else...'

Naruto frowned as he concentrated on the person with Konoha's most famous missing-nin. They had the chakra signature of a civilian, but they felt distinctly different. Realizing that the person with Itachi could be their target, he created a bushin and ordered it to trail after them as he focused his attention on locating his friends. The longer it took to sense Sakura, the more dread built up in his heart. Never before had he had such a difficult time finding someone once he entered Sage mode. Either they were both dead, or the cancer within forest was somehow masking their presence. Either prospect caused the hairs on the back of his neck to raise as a shiver of fear to skitter down his spine.

As his teammates finally caught up to him and waited quietly for him to speak, Naruto finally detected the gentle strength and determination of a chakra signature he knew all too well. 'Sakura-chan,' he thought, as relief filled him. Then, with a sudden rush, he felt Shikamaru's chakra, too.

Feeling the presence of his teammates, he said, "They're northeast of us. Itachi and Kisame are moving south." Head still bowed and eyes closed, Naruto unconsciously grimaced as he felt a spike in the cancer-like chakra. He would have to do something about that. Soon.

"I think they have the target," he added. "She is quite weak."

"Neji? Can you see them?" Kakashi asked.

A handful of seconds ticked by, then, "I can confirm that Itachi and Kisame have a woman with them," Neji said as he peered in the direction that Naruto indicated with his Byakugan. "She appears unconscious."

Naruto opened his eyes for the first time since he teammates arrived, revealing golden orbs transformed by the nature energy that filled him, "I have a clone following them, too."

"What about Sakura and Shikamaru?" Shizune asked.

Making a face that revealed his disgust, Naruto said, "They're fighting Zetsu and Sakura-chan's chakra doesn't feel right."

Shizune's eyes widened a fraction. "Is she injured?"

"No... I don't think so."

"Alright," Kakashi said, his voice taking on an authoritative tone and alerting everyone that new orders were about to be given. "Lee, Neji, Shino and Kankourou, you're with me. Our mission is to retrieve the target. The rest of you, help Shikamaru and Sakura and then rendezvous with us." As the separate teams of shinobi prepared to depart, Kakashi added, "Don't forget who we're dealing with. Stay alert."

• • •

Vines entangled her, thorns biting deep into her exposed skin and draining her of precious blood and chakra. She pulled, and the vines pulled back.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at the black half of Zetsu, who grinned madly at her as he watched blood leak from her wounds. Expression tight with anger, she pushed all of the chakra she could spare into her right leg and stomped the ground once, then twice. The resulting explosion of earth, stone and foliage forced Zetsu to shift his weight and turn. The movement, though slight, caused tight vines to temporarily loosen. With only seconds to act, she gripped the thickest part of the vine and pulled, twisting her body for leverage.

The element of surprise worked in her favor. Zetsu was forced to release the vines or risk being pulled into melee range of a girl who could obliterate him with a single punch. Sakura anticipated this and seeing her moment, sprung forward. Seeing her intent, the black half of Zetsu reacted instantly, barely managing to move in time. A direct hit was deflected into a mere graze, but Sakura still felt a wave of satisfaction wash over her when her fingertips made contact with his chest. She didn't need to hit him directly to be effective. Considering her current state a solid hit would have been preferred, but the beauty of the Ranshinshō was that it only required a slight touch to render a person temporarily immobile.

Zetsu fell to the ground in an undignified heap. His one visible yellow eye glared at her as he struggled to right himself. Fingers clenching spasmodically, he stretched himself out as far as he could as he attempted to reach for the nearest tree. His fingertips scraped desperately against a thick, exposed root when Sakura's hands reached for him. Without hesitation, she flipped him onto his stomach and pressed her palms against his spine, forcing her chakra into his system. Nerve endings and muscle tissue recoiled from her touch and he screamed.

"Get down!" Shikamaru ordered.

Sakura didn't think, she simply reacted as she dropped her body on top of the barely conscious form of Zetsu's black half. She felt the air displace from the sudden movement above her, heard the swoosh of a body flying directly overhead, then heard the frustrated grunts and growls of Zetsu's white half as it attempted to claw it's way toward her. Shikamaru didn't allow the shinobi the opportunity as he held him tight with his Kagenui no Jutsu as shadowy tentacles wound tighter around their opponent.

"Don't let him come into contact with his other half," Shikamaru said, voice strained. "Is the black half dead?"

"I don't think so," she said breathlessly.

"Then kill it," Shikamaru ordered as the white half began to shutter and howl.

Sakura gave a brief nod as she pulled out her kunai. Jaw clenched, she leaned over the prone form of the black half and quickly ran through a mental list of the most effective ways to kill a shinobi who possessed abilities that were largely unknown. Decapitation seemed to be the most obvious choice. Grim determination steeling her resolve, she put the blade against his neck and prepared to slice. His body clenched, twitched – then his hands began to melt into the tangled tree roots that circumvented the wide, aged tree only a few feet away.

"He's retreating into the damn tree!" Sakura hissed as she tried to grab hold of him and pull. It was impossible, she told herself, for him to attempt an escape when she had used the Ranshinshō on him and then fried his nervous system with her chakra. The electrical impulses that controlled his motor functions should be in total chaos. He should be incapable of doing anything to defend himself, let alone escape. In a desperate attempt to stop him, she stabbed his chest with her kunai, hoping that a severe injury would somehow prevent his flight. Instead her blade simply embedded itself into the soil.

Eyes wide with horror as she realized that neither one of them had any idea of where Zetsu's black half had disappeared to, or what he would do next. "He's gone," she whispered.

"Sakura," Shikamaru grunted, "He will come back for his other half. We have to flee. Can you..?"

"Yes."

"Then go," he said, his voice strained from the effort of holding the white half immobile with his shadow jutsu for so long. "I'll catch up."

Gathering her reserves of strength, she shook her head. Zetsu's black half was still around, waiting for an opportunity to strike. If she left now, she was certain he would and Shikamaru was in no position to defend himself. She couldn't leave him. She wouldn't. Just the very suggestion of it caused the her insides lurch uncomfortably.

Shikamaru glared at her and she knew he was about to order her to obey and she voiced her defiance, "No. Absolutely not."

"Troublesome," he muttered. "This jutsu is a bit taxing, you know."

She knew that. She could see that by the way his body strained to maintain control over Zetsu's white half as he struggled and hissed. 'The trees,' she thought as she studied the base of the nearest pine, 'he uses the trees to travel – the network of limbs and roots... can I break the network? Disrupt it? Even for a few seconds..?'

With a deep breath, she pulled at her chakra, willing it to flow into her limbs and grant her another burst of strength. With a cry, she threw herself at the base of the tree, her fist connecting in a loud, painful 'thump!' For a second, nothing happened and her heart sank. Then the tree shuttered and vibrated, displacing pine needles and causing the loose soil around its roots to shiver violently. Then a strange groaning filled the air as the entire tree began to shift.

It was a gamble to even attempt such a move in her state, but it was their only chance. She silently prayed that it would work.

"We go now," she said.

Shikamaru didn't argue.

AN: Well? How was that? Remember - favorites and alert subscriptions are very nice, but reviews are even better. They're the food we lowly fanfiction writers live for. Please review and encourage your local fanfic writer today! :)