Thawing an Icy Heart

Invasion!

Taka hopped back up to the balcony with ease, as he headed towards where Hinata and Kiba were seated. "Wish I brought a spare shirt now." He inwardly sighed to himself, as he stood behind the pair of them. "Man, that was some serious moves." Kiba turned to face Taka, he simply smirked as the dog master. "That was nothing, trust me. I had a whole load of new things, I could've tried. Say, you got...." Before he could finish, Asuma had tossed him a chakra pill, at kurenai's request, which Taka took gratefully, and threw it into his mouth.

"I'm impressed kid, you must've done some serious training, to be able to perform a Jutsu like that." Asuma said, giving praise to the Genin as Kurenai placed her hand on his shoulder. "I have to agree, though I was disappointed you never came to me for training, whatever you did must've worked wonders for you." She smiled softly, as the two couldn't helped but keep heaping praise on him. "You don't know the half of it, Jiraiya is a hard task master that's for sure." When they heard who he had trained with, they both went slack jawed. "J-Jiraiya?!" Kurenai said astounded, Jiraiya had trained him? "Yeah, and it looks like it's about time for Sasuke to arrive." After Kankuro had withdrawn from his bout, the crowd eagerly awaited the boy Sasuke to finally arrive. Though he was nearly disqualified he had indeed made it, and was now staring down Gaara.

Kankuro's withdrawal rose suspicion for Taka, why would he quit? He hadn't even fought yet....I better speak to the Jonin. He wasn't even paying attention to the bout going on, that was until a blood curdling scream erupted from the arena. Taka quickly looked over the balcony, and saw Sasuke had embedded his hand into a sand sphere of some kind, and Gaara was screaming in agony. "BLOOD! THIS IS MY BLOOD!" Taka watched as Sasuke finally pulled his hand free, but something was still holding on, some sort of creature had hold of Sasuke, only retreating when it had been exposed. "Gaara's hurt...." Temari said to Kankuro, panic and pain evident in her voice. "Damn it, that thing is already taking over." He muttered to himself, as the two quickly headed down to the arena, as the sand dissolved and they took Gaara, to make their escape.

As Taka was about to give chase, he noticed flowers falling from the sky, as one by one the crowd began to fall asleep. 'Genjutsu' he thought to himself. "Release." Before the Genjutsu could take ahold, he released himself from it, and watched as Sasuke gave chase to the Sun Genin. Taka then jumped over towards Kakashi and Guy, and pressed his hands upon their shoulders. "Release." Instantly the two Jonin regained their senses. "Thanks Taka, we owe you one." The two Jonin quickly began reviving the other Jonin, as well as the Genin who could fight, the Jonin went about their work, while Kakashi got the Genin moving. "Your mission, is follow and track down the Suna Genin who escaped and who Sasuke chased after. Stop them, from whatever it is they're doing." Before they dispersed, Taka placed a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder. "Stay here, and bind any of those bastards you see, and get the Jonin to do the rest."

Shikamaru nodded, and immediately got to work, as two disguised Shinobi made their way to attack some of the leaf Jonin and Chunin, but they were stopped in their tracks by the shadow master, who looked over at the others, as they finished off the ones he had trapped. "I'll bind them, and you finish them!" He shouted, and they gave an understanding nod, as Shino, Naruto, Sakura and Taka, all fled the arena to give chase to the Suna Genin, and Sasuke. Hoping, that nothing bad would happen.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst the fleeing Genin, a far more dangerous and sinister game of life and death was taking place. As Orochimaru disguised as the Kazekage, went toe to toe with his former Sensei, and the current Hokage.