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Nearby, five minutes later...

"Nothing," muttered an exasperated Kankurou. "I haven't seen any sign of anything. And now, I'm soaking wet. How can it start raining again here, with the sun shining right over there!" The ninja angrily gestured to the west, were the clouds had broken completely. "I was told that when it rains the whole sky is supposed be covered. This place is nuts!"

"Get over it," Gaara irritably retorted. Looking at Temari, he continued. "There was someone out there."

"I know. I heard something too. But between the rain, and the shifting breezes..." Temari trailed off with a shrug. "I've never had to track anything in weather like this."

After unsuccessfully completing the patrols, the three Sand ninjas had reconvened on a broad hilltop overlooking where their camp had been. The rain had been spotty during the search, but looked to be mostly clearing up. Where the clouds were breaking, the sky was beginning to change color for the sunset.

"Sure," continued Kankurou. "Y'know, Temari, maybe it was the weather that did you in. I've heard it can do strange things to people. Really messes with your system..."

Temari shook her head and sighed, while Gaara remained motionless.

"Or it may have been that mouse thing you ate. I did warn you about that. There's something not right about eating mammals. They've got fleas, and lice, and uiggg..." Kankurou shuddered in disgust. "They're just walking disease pods. Me, I'm sticking to good old reptiles. Give me a grilled snake or monitor fillet any day." The ninja looked across the landscape in disgust. "Man, I hate this place."

Gaara turned his gaze to his brother. "You really need to stop talking."

Kankurou took a hasty step back and raised his hands. "Okay, okay. Sorry. But it's not like I was wasting time we could have been using for something else."

"No," Temari corrected. "We need to get moving."

Kankurou sighed audibly. "In this screwy place? C'mon, it's almost night. Just what do you think we're going to--"

Gaara abruptly held up his hand. "Wait. I hear--"

"Temari!"

Temari and her brothers all whirled at the sound of her name. A lone figure, walking as casually as if he were walking down a street, was approaching from the west.

"Temari," he repeated. "Is that really you? Imagine! Meeting you all the way out here. What are the odds? I haven't seen you in almost three weeks. You haven't written, or anything!"

The sheer absurdity of the situation left the Sand ninjas at a loss. As the figure crested the hill, Temari and her brothers just stared at him. But then he got close enough to be recognized despite the late day shadows.

"Shikamaru!" Temari blurted in disbelief.

Only slightly slower on the uptake, Kankurou's eyes widened. "Oh, crap!" The boy tried to rush forward, but it was already to late.

With his shadow branching away from him in three directions, Shikamaru ceased walking forward. "And I thank you for that," he said in a serious tone. "Really."

Caught in Shikamaru's Shadow Imitation, Temari felt fear start to overtake her. Being caught by the technique had unnerved her in the Chuunin Exam, but out here, not knowing her attacker's motive, it terrified her. "What are you doing here?" She managed to gasp out.

"That's a question you'll be answering," Shikamaru coldly replied. "In a few seconds..."

From off to the side, Gaara let out a strangled gasp.

"Gaara!" Kankurou tried to look towards his brother, but was restrained by the Shadow Imitation.

"Okay!" Came a somewhat distance voice. "Meat Tank!" Balled up and spinning, Choji burst out of patch of brush.

Unable to move, Kankurou could do nothing but watch as Choji headed straight towards him. "Oh, crap..."

The Shadow Imitation released Kankurou a fraction of a second before Choji hit. The Sand ninja was bowled over and sent sprawling. As Kankurou tried to push himself back up he was tackled again, this time by Choji in his normal form. The Leaf ninja ripped Karasu off Kankarou's back, and began pummeling the puppet.

Left to himself for a moment, Kankurou got to his knees. Putting a hand to his head to steady himself, he watched Choji beat up the still-wrapped puppet. "...The hell?" The ninja stood up fully, and then once again found himself unable to move. Kankurou's eyes widened as he remembered about Shikamaru.

Choji, meanwhile, grabbed a small boulder, heaved it out of the ground, and slammed it on top of Karasu. Brushing his hands and breathing heavily, he walked back to Shikamaru. "Wow," he muttered to the Chuunin. "It actually worked."

"I figured it would," Shikamaru quietly responded. Turning his attention back to the captured ninjas, he continued in a louder voice. "Now then, lets start answering some questions."

"What did you do to Gaara?" Temari breathlessly demanded. "What happened to him?"

Shikamaru held up a hand, forcing his captives to do the same. "Okay, see, I am the one who has you in the Shadow Imitation, and so I will be asking the questions around here. But, as a gesture of good faith..." Shikamaru forced the ninjas to look to the right, giving Temari and Kankurou a glimpse of their brother. Gaara was no longer in the Shadow Imitation, but was staring forward with eyes wide and mouth open, completely unresponsive.

Kankurou gaped at the sight. "What... What did you do to him?"

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Nowhere...

This time, Ino burst into the host body suddenly and completely. Instantly, she lashed out at her host. But unlike Temari, this consciousness did not melt away from the assault. Instead, it pulled back and convalesced defensively.

"Waaagh!" It cried out. "No! Get out of my head! Get out of my head," it repeated in a weaker voice.

Ino scoffed. "Yeah, that'll convince me." Though not overly concerned with taking control of the body immediately--the plan only called for the body to be out of enemy control--Ino wasted no more time in attacking again.

"Mommy!" Her host cried out as it pulled away. "Mommy, help me!"

Surprised, Ino slowed her attack for a moment. "You're actually calling for your 'Mommy?' That is a riot. I've got to tell that one to Dad..."

Despite the letup, the conscious continued to fall back into the recesses of the mind. Content at driving it out of control, Ino stayed where she was. But as she was consolidating herself, she felt a ripple flow through the mind.

Then something laughed. It was the deep maniacal laugh of something eager for stimulation. And it seemed to come from everywhere.

"Aaaaah," Ino observed. "You must be 'Mommy.'"

Another presence seeped out of the mind's recesses. Completely unlike a normal consciousness, it was all enveloping. "Little girl," it said. "I am no mommy. I... Am Shukaku."

"Hi," Ino replied, figuring this was what Shikamaru had warned her about. "I'm Ino. And I..."

"Have no idea who you are dealing with." Shukaku finished. "But thank you. You've driven the child away. Without him confining me to the subconscious, I can take control. For that, I am forever in your debt. I hope that comforts you, on your way to oblivion." Shukaku attacked, swarming Ino from all sides.

"Ha!" Yelled Ino as she squirmed between Shukaku's thrusts. "What makes you think you're in control here? I'm about ready to spank you like the red headed brat you are!"

"What?" Shukaku roared in rage, and thrust at Ino anew. But Ino dodged, even more easily that before. "Fool!" Shukaku yelled again. "Do you have any idea what you are up against!"

"Nothing I haven't seen before," Ino grimly replied. "Even if you are a demon, someone really should have warned you..." As she spoke, Ino drew back, and began expanding. "Never play mind games against a Yamanaka!"

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The hilltop...

"They're not very good at being interrogated," Choji observed.

"Quite troublesome," Shikamaru agreed. "Now," he said, addressing his captives again, "tell me what you're doing here."

"Why should we tell you anything?" Kankurou defiantly asked.

"Because if you don't, I'll kill you."

Kankurou snorted. "You don't scare me. I saw your fights. Anything you try to do to us, we'll do right back to you."

"Kankurou," Temari warned. "Don't..."

"Choji, give him a blade."

Kankurou's defiance dissipated. "What?"

"Shikamaru," pleaded Temari. "You don't need to do that. Please, we'll talk..."

Walking over to Kankurou, Choji pulled a kunai out of his side holster and offered it to Kankurou. Shikamaru reached out and grabbed air. So did Temari. Kankurou reached out and grabbed the kunai.

Kankurou's eyes darted between Shikamaru and the blade in his own had. "Uh, uh, wait a second. I get the message. We can talk."

Shikamaru smirked. For emphasis, he held up his hand and began twitching a few of his fingers. Wide eyed, Kankurou stared at the kunai that was twirling around his fingers. "Good," Shikamaru said.

Chuckling to himself, Choji turned to walk back to Shikamaru's side. But after a step he stopped short. Hearing a slight buzz, he looked up. The Leaf ninja's face went pale. Choji abruptly sprinted forward and speared Shikamaru. As Shikamaru was driven back, Kankurou and Temari both lost their footing and collapsed in a heap. For their part, Shikamaru and Choji tumbled for several meters.

"Choji," Shikamaru yelled as he shoved his teammate away. "What the hell was that..." The Chuunin trailed off.

There was a beast crouching where he had stood a second before. It was essentially a giant locust, standing a meter high and two and half meters long, with six legs, carapace covered wings on its back, spines articulating every joint, and glistening mandibles dominating its head.

"...About," Shikamaru weakly finished.

The insect hissed, reared down, and leapt forward.

Choji rolled to the side. Shikamaru rolled on his back and sweep kicked the insect in the head. Glancing up, he saw a swarm of similar creatures dropping out of the sky. "Shit!" He swore. Dropping the Shadow Imitation, he pulled out a kunai and jumped to his feet. "Choji, fall back to Ino! She's defenseless right now." Shikamaru punctuated his order by throwing his blade through the jaw of the insect he had just kicked.

To his great dismay, the creature spasmed, got up, and leapt at him again. The Chuunin dodged to the side, whipped out another blade, and hacked the still-spasming creature's head off.

Looking around, Shikamaru saw that the swarm was already upon them. Choji was fighting off two of them halfway down the hill, Kankurou was backpedaling away from being triple teamed, and another insect was in midair headed straight towards Shikamaru's face.

A sudden gust of wind blasted the insect from its path.

"So these aren't friends of yours," Shikamaru dryly observed as he fell into a defensive stance.

"They're what we were tracking," Temari replied. Whirling around, she swung her fan in hard downswing to blow away the two of the insects menacing her brother. "At least until you showed up..."

"A truce, then."

Temari spared Shikamaru a quick glance. "For now," she answered with a smirk.

-

"Okay!" Yelled Kankurou in triumph. Shoving the boulder off of Karasu, he activated his chakra strings and the puppet leapt to life. With 30-centimeter blades extending out from the puppet's arms, it lunged past Kankurou and slicked an insect in half. Sensing other target behind him, he spun on his heel, flinging Karasu towards his target. The puppet struck true, driving two blades into the insect.

Hissing slightly, the insect glared at Kankurou.

"Oh, crap..." Kankurou repeated for the third time in as many minutes.

This particular insect was more human than insect. She was humanoid, stood upright on two legs, and had a human shaped head. But she was covered in chitin plates and spines, had covered wings on her back, four arms, and mandibles covering her cheeks. With deliberate motions, she pulled the two blades out of her chest, grabbed Karasu and flung it to the side. "Prepare to die, human fleshbag," she uttered.

"Temari!" Kankurou yelled. "We've got drones!"

-

Ino felt the usual rush of sensations as she reentered her body. The first thing she noticed was that she was face down on the ground. A sure sign of trouble, as team custom had always been to leave her body flat on her back or leaning against a rise of some sort. Her second sign that something was amiss came when something roughly kicked her to the side.

Suppressing a grunt, Ino looked up. A giant insect was pulling it mandibles out of the dirt where she had just been. Beyond that, Choiji was falling backwards, with an identical insect biting his arm. Another was about to cut at his legs from behind him. Two more were in the air looking ready to join in.

Ino instantly let fly with a blade and a shuriken. The blade blew through the joint between the thorax and abdomen of the insect behind Choji. But because of Ino's awkward throwing posture, the shuriken only grazed the insect on Choji's arm. Still, the insect's reaction gave Choji an opening. On instinct, Choji fell to the side. With his free arm he shoved the insect's head out of position, then drove his entire weight on top of the insect. Having directed his fall just right, he also managed to crush the insect that had initially menaced Ino. To avoid the other attackers, Choji rolled after he fell, pushing off the crushed insects for good measure.

The first of the diving insects landed just behind Choji. As he continued rolling, the ninja managed to grab one of the insect's legs. Utilizing his momentum, he swung the insect over him and slammed it into the ground. The insect's leg broke off, letting it bounce away, rattled but not dead.

The second diver was intercepted by Ino. Leaping off the ground, she caught it with a vicious upstroke from a kunai. The slice split the front of the insect's head, and sent it spinning upwards. Ino jumped up after it, knocking it away with a spin kick before it could right itself. Ino landed in a defensive stance, anxiously searching for any insects she hadn't seen yet.

Choji, meanwhile, lunged forward and drove a blade down through the head of the wounded insect. It spasmed, prompting additional stabs.

"Oaky," Ino said, panting. "That was a rude awakening."

"Sorry," Choji muttered, carefully backing up to Ino.

"Not your fault," Ino replied. Noticing the insect she had cut in half was still moving, she forcefully stomped on its head. "Sand do this?"

"I don't think so."

Ino paused a half second to catch her breath and collect her thoughts. "We need to regroup with Shikamaru."

Choji nodded, only just catching his breath himself. "Yeah. Fastball Special?"

-

"More women," Shikamaru muttered as held a pair of blades defensively in front him. "How troublesome..."

"Shikamaru," growled Temari, "if you start with that chauvinistic 'won't hit a woman' crap now, I swear I will help them kill you!"

Temari and Shikamaru stood nearly back-to-back, surrounded by three of the humanoid drones. Temari held her fan at eye level, resting the end of it on her outstretched wrist, ready to swing it at whomever approached first. Both she and her fan already bore clawmarks from the drones' attacks. Shikamaru was yet unscathed, but was showing signs of tiring.

"That's alright," mocked one of the drones, in feminine, wind-like voice. "We won't need any help..."

"After all these years," continued another drone, with an identical voice. Circling the two humans, she locked eyes with Temari "The Sand..."

"And the Leaf," trilled another as she stood before Shikamaru. "Standing together."

"Dying together," finished the first, her mandibles twitching with amusement. "Just as they always have."

"I have no intention of dying with her," Shikamaru dryly retorted, noting that a fourth drone had dropped from the sky to join the circle. Scowling, he noticed it bore the telltale scrapes of Temari's wind blade attacks.

"Hey!"

"Shut up. And stop trying to cut them," the Chuunin ordered. "That's not doing any good against these girls. Just try to break them."

One of drones leaned forward and hissed at Shikamaru.

"Come and try it, fleshbag!" Taunted another.

"Just follow my lead," Shikamaru grimly continued. "We attack on three."

Scowling, Temari nodded once.

The four drones immediately ceased circling and crouched down into defensive stances. Hissing menacingly, they waited for the attack.

Shikamaru locked his gaze on the drone to his right.

The drone hissed back.

A drone facing Temari inched closer.

With her eyes anxiously darting between the two drones facing her, Temari stepped back. "Shikamaru..."

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, ignoring everything but the drone before him.

The wounded drone to Shikamaru's left let her wings buzz for a second.

"...Any time now..."

Shikamaru leaned down.

The mandibles of the opposing drone began twitching.

"Idiot! Did you drift off!"

Startled by Temari's outburst, the drone Shikamaru was staring down hissed and charged forward.

With a simple flick, Shikamaru sent both blades flying straight up. His hands immediately clamped together, forming a seal. "Shadow Imitation," he called out. His shadow shot forward, catching the drone before she could react. Shikamaru dove forward and rolled. The drone dove as well, but because she was standing more upright than Shikamaru, her dive took her up and over him. Shikamaru reached both hands out to the side as he rolled, clipping his left wrist on a tuft of brush. The drone reached out as well, caught both blades in midair, landed, and flung them at the drone that had been to Shikamaru's left. The blade from the drone's right hand struck its target in the cheek. The second blade went wild, Shikamaru's blotched grab having led to the drone having a poor grip on the blade.

Shikamaru dropped the Shadow Imitation, shuffled back and drove his heel into the back of drone's knee. The knee was knocked forward, forcing the drone into a crouch and throwing her head back. Shikamaru followed up by elbowing the base of the drone's skull. The second blow knocked the drone flat on her face, giving Shikamaru the chance to step back and pull some shuriken from his holster. In rapid succession, he put two stars into her neck, and a blade through her head.

Meanwhile, jarred into action by the first drone's hiss, Temari darted forward. Using her wrist to give her fan the initial lift, she twirled it around and hit the drone to left with a vicious chop. The hit, from the short edge of the closed fan, was enough to crack its neck. The drone went limp and fell to the ground.

The last drone began forming seals. With a flick of her wrist, Temari opened the fan completely and then brought it around in a hard backswing. The gale force wind knocked the insect back a step, breaking her concentration. Taking a step back herself, Temari reset her footing and swung the fan back and forth in rapid succession. The drone held her ground for a moment, and then was blown away.

Temari spared a glance Shikamaru's way, thinking she might have bought herself enough time to land one blow on the other insects. To give the boy a fighting chance, if nothing else. But instead of seeing Shikamaru beset by attackers as she expected, she saw him calmly staring down the drone with the blade through her mandible, absently rotating his wrist.

"Damn," the boy muttered through clenched teeth. "That stung..."

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