Shikamaru walked back up to the group, his gaze immediately landing on Neji. The Hyūga was staring intently into the distance, veins bulging around his temples as his Byakugan tracked something far out of normal sight.
"What is it?" Shikamaru asked, falling into step beside him. "More of them heading this way?"
Neji shook his head, a rare, faint glimmer of amusement breaking through his usually stoic expression. "No. I'm watching Choji rip the wings off the enemy gliders and hurl them like massive projectiles. He's destroyed at least fifteen of them by now."
"The real number is probably closer to seventeen or eighteen," Ino spoke up, her voice laced with fond amusement. "Choji went wild the second Lady Tsunade gave him the assignment. She promised him a week of free BBQ if he did a good job."
She shook her head, mentally picturing just how passionate her teammate could get whenever food was on the line. For a fleeting second, she felt a slight wave of pity for the Sky Ninja. The feeling vanished just as quickly as it came. Pity only went so far; they had dared to attack their home, after all.
Neji continued to observe the battlefield, watching as the enemy's coordinated formations began to fray. Their chakra reserves were running dangerously low, and the sight of a roaring Akimichi screaming about barbecue while sniping them out of the sky with the severed wings of their own comrades finally broke their morale. Deciding that retreat was their only option, the surviving Sky Ninja began frantically turning their gliders around to flee.
"They're leaving."
"Already? We didn't even get the chance to counterattack properly."
Kiba replied with a groan, wanting the chance to fight someone.
"Choji has evidently broken their morale," Shino stated, his voice flat and perfectly level. He adjusted the collar of his high jacket, tracking the retreating gliders from beneath his dark glasses. "It is a logical reaction. Why? Because facing a combatant who views your aerial squadron as a means to secure free barbecue is a statistically terrifying prospect."
A synchronized yelp cut through the air as Ino, Tenten, and Lee all leaped backward, completely startled.
"Did you forget about me? I've been standing here the whole time."
Shino sighed, feeling dejected, but he spoke up again, "I have their location; my bugs have followed them out to sea."
Shikamaru nodded, exhaling a quiet sigh of relief. Thanks to Shino's sudden intel, he was saved the trouble of having to manually calculate the enemy's remaining chakra reserves against their flight distance. "Good job, Shino. Let's head back and report to Lady Hokage. She'll want a full breakdown."
Shino gave a single, solemn nod and fell into step with him, the rest of the group holding back and waiting for more orders; no need for them all to crowd the Hokage's office. Unbeknownst to the others, a microscopic vanguard of his parasitic insects had already infiltrated the distant aircraft carriers of the Land of Sky.
Peering directly through his bugs' compound eyes, Shino calmly analyzed the layout. Some of his insects burrowed deep into the hulls, hiding within the complex machinery to study the gears and mechanical parts of the ships. Higher up, a group of his bugs mapped the perimeter, allowing Shino to form a precise estimate of the enemy's total forces.
- Hokage's Office -
The door to the Hokage's office closed behind them, shutting out the distant, chaotic noise of the village. Shikamaru stepped forward to stand before Tsunade's desk, his posture straightening as he began his official debrief.
"The civilian evacuation went smoothly, and casualty rates are remarkably low, thanks to Naruto deploying a small army of shadow clones to transport the injured directly to the hospital," Shikamaru reported cleanly. "The wounded are already receiving medical attention. A good portion of that is actually thanks to a doctor who helped stabilize the front lines. According to Naruto, the guy is, and I quote, 'An old man with a lot of negative emotions.' Those were his exact words."
Shikamaru let that bizarre detail hang in the air for a brief moment, giving Tsunade time to process it, before smoothly transitioning back to the tactical timeline. "Moving on. I personally intercepted and neutralized an enemy glider that broke formation to target the medical facility. Shortly after that, according to Neji, the enemies were breaking ranks and focusing more on not dying to Choji; they were quickly forced to retreat because of him and low chakra.
Shikamaru took a single step back, angling his body toward his classmate. "As for where they're retreating to, I'll let Shino take over. He managed to find them and has their location, numbers, and weaponry."
Shino stepped forward, adjusting his collar. "The enemy fleet comprises exactly three primary vessels: one central flagship and two flanking support carriers. My insects confirm that while the escort ships carry thirty glider pilots and one hundred crew members each, the flagship houses double that force, along with the fleet's primary mechanical artillery. To disable them completely, the flagship's core engine must be our primary target."
He paused briefly, his dark glasses reflecting the light of the room. "Furthermore, a large-scale strike force would be ill-advised. A massive deployment will likely cause them to scatter into the open ocean, where they can continue attacking the village at random intervals. That is a variable we cannot afford to introduce."
"I have a suggestion, if you'll allow it, Lady Hokage."
Shikamaru spoke up, silently agreeing with Shino's assessment.
"Speak," Tsuande ordered, leaning forward, her head resting on top of her hands as she waited.
"As you know, I can move through shadows and can even send stuff through them, but with the help of Father, I've learned that I can bring others into my shadows provided that I can support the weight. I can't bring a full force with me through the shadows, but I can bring a small squad without being detected by the enemy- a small, preferably skinny team, please."
Shikamaru added the last bit with a sigh; he loved Choji like a brother, but he couldn't support his weight with two others. The squad would have to be skilled ninja, but on the slimmer side.
"Skinny, huh..."
Tsunade mused, leaning back in her chair for a brief moment as she turned over the intelligence. She quickly made her decision and addressed the space near the ceiling. "Bring me Kuro. I have a mission for him."
Without a sound, a hidden ANBU agent vanished from the room. A few moments later, the office door clicked open. Kuro stepped inside, crossing the threshold to stand before the Hokage's desk with a perfectly straight back, awaiting his orders.
"You can remove your mask," Tsunade commanded, her eyes locking onto the operative. "For this mission, you won't be operating as ANBU. You'll be placed directly under Shikamaru's command. Go change into standard shinobi attire and report back here in thirty minutes."
Kuro didn't hesitate. His hand moved to the porcelain mask, lifting it away to reveal a face that looked almost like a porcelain doll, unnaturally pale and completely devoid of any real emotion. Neither Shikamaru nor Shino recognized him despite the clear similarity in age; this 'Kuro' was never in the academy; Shino and Shikamaru would have remembered someone like this.
He gave a crisp, silent nod, slipping the mask into his gear. "Understood, Lady Hokage," He replied before vanishing in a swirl of leaves, going to change and prepare a standard mission kit as well as stock up more ink for unexpected scenarios.
"Now, for your final teammate," Tsunade said, turning her attention fully to Shikamaru. She was content to let the strategist make the final selection since it was his squad to lead.
"I'll take Ino," Shikamaru answered without hesitation. "With her Mind-Body Transmission, she can link and relay messages instantly." He paused, his sharp gaze fixing back on the Hokage. "But before we head out, can you brief me on Kuro's abilities? I need to know his skillset to coordinate the team properly."
Tsunade leaned forward, resting her chin on her interlaced fingers. "Kuro uses a specialized Ninjutsu that brings ink drawings to life. By infusing his chakra into a scroll, he can manifest diverse beasts for close-range combat, snakes for restraint, and large birds for aerial reconnaissance and transport."
Shikamaru's brow twitched slightly, his tactical mind instantly rearranging the squad's formations. Ink creatures. Aerial transport means we can match the Sky Ninja's mobility.
"An artist," Shikamaru muttered aloud, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Troublesome, but highly efficient. That solves our mobility issue, and I think I know how I'm going to plan this."
- Chapter End -
Another chapter, just because I feel like it.