The Iwa nin came to a stop, drawing free a scroll, four kunai were in his hands, tossing two to each side, linked together by a thick chain, he listened as they were burried hilt deep into trees.
The thunder of hoofbeats reached his ears long before he saw them.
With a brutal tug that yanked all four chains taut, the Iwa nin braced himself as the first line of massive beasts slammed headfirst into them, snapping limbs and necks as the horses flipped end over end with the sudden and unexpected resistance, crushing one rider under hundreds of pounds of animal and breaking another man's leg and anothers arm.
The Jinchuuriki snarled as he found his target, the one with the cape...
Then he noticed the hay that was in the place of hands or feet of a ten year old girl.
His eyes widened. A decoy!?
Seven men, quick enough to get their bearings drew back their bows and fired, three others charged in with swords drawn.
The Shinobi fell into the earth and six more of him exploded from the ground around the group.
Red armored fists with force that could have rivaled Tsunade, crushed skulls and snapped necks with brutal, impossibly fast force.
A dozen yards away, the real Han emerged from the ground.
He couldn't waste time with humans!
-0-
No technique is without weakness.
This was a law of the Shinobi world, there were no exceptions.
As often as men had claimed to have discovered the perfect spear, the strongest shield, there was a way to deflect the spear, to break the shield.
Orochimaru as a man that knew this. He was also a man that was not accustomed to defeat so when it did happen, as it had happened nearly a decade ago against this very Shinobi, he had a tendency to remember.
And more importantly think.
Lava armor.
What weakness could such a thing have?
The Chakra consumption would obviously be the first. Ahh but its wielder was a Jinchuuriki absurd levels of chakra came with the territory. That was not a weakness of this particular technique no.
But there were always rules that had to be adhered to. One simply had to recognize them to exploit them.
He wound, darted and fled through the trees, dodging and weaving, keeping himself one step ahead of the Jounin Jinchuuriki even as the sheer heat rolling off of the man scalded his skin and threatened to burn him.
The Kusanagi blade, the ultimate weapon of the serpent summons kept Roshi at bay when he got too close. The lava couldn't burn it, nor could it stop the deadly weapon. Its too bad getting close enough for a deadly blow would be tantamount to lighting himself on fire.
Still, Roshi kept closing the distance, time and time again, looking to exhaust the Sannin through the sheer heat.
He would succeed if it kept up for more than a handful of minutes.
Finally a respite. The Jinchuuriki landed on the ground, staring up at the Konoha ninja as the armor peeled back to reveal his face and shoulders. "Is this all you got? This is seriously it? You're worse than what you were ten years ago. At least then you had some balls to go with your shitty fighting."
The Sannin bowed at the waist where he stood on the tree. "Forgive me. I seem to have gotten lax in my training."
Roshi growled, taking a deep breath before lava swallowed him from head to toe again.
Orochimaru started counting.
Youton: Shakugaryuugan no Jutsu The man shouted before perfect spheres of molten rock were hurdling towards him, smashing through trees with bone rattling force and exploding when they finally came to a halt, sending the whole forest up in smoke.
-0-
"Hyah!" Koutou barked at the beast, snapping the reigns as he demanded more from the creature.
The animal was a powerful creature, bred for war and travel. It could carry a man for tens of miles at a time without rest.
But even it was breathing hard under the brutal pace.
The three children behind him had given up their mounts and were traveling by their much more effective legs, pulling ahead in pairs to scout before stopping to let him catch up.
"Are you alright Magojiro-sama?"
Koutou grunted, keeping himself steady in the saddle. "We'll be alright we're close now."
"Almost." Kyofu answered. "We're just two miles or so from the border lines.
Naruto suddenly returned, eyes wide and leaves sticking out of his hair.
"Guys we have a big problem!" He cried.
"What is it!?" The man asked, snapping his heels against his horse, promising to give it extra water should it not collapse on him.
"Something's coming this way one of those big something's Oro went to stop."
"Is sensei dead?"
As if to answer the mocha skinned girl the sound of an explosion rocked through the forest to the north. "Don't think so." Naruto answered. "He is busy though."
"Damnit we just have to get to the border.
Naruto blinked. "Hey wait a minute!"
He stopped, literally stopped dead on a tree Kyofu and Koutou shooting past him in their run as the boy rummaged through his jacket.
The two stopped themselves, with Koutou pulling back so hard on the horses reigns the animal reared up on its hind legs.
"What the hell are you doing!?" Kyofu barked, hanging from the side of a tree.
"Come on boy! We have no time!"
Naruto ignored them, sifting through his pockets and pouches at a frantic speed.
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