Rest Your Love: Sequel to Nothing Special

Chapter 16

Team 7 had finally arrived at the battlefield just as Team 10, Kakashi, and Aceso were about to be finished off. 

"Perfect timing," Kakashi complimented.

"Yeah," Choji agreed. "Let's hear it for the cavalry."

"Sakura, Naruto, and Sai," Ino smiled. 

"Captain Yamato," Aceso breathed. They all nodded back at them.

"I've never seen you looking so disheveled, Kakashi," Yamato said.

"One of those days," Kakashi said. 

"The enemy must be powerful indeed," Yamato said.

"Perfect," Kakuzu said. "Another weirdo to deal with. Though this one's already bruised up a bit.

"Naruto, are you sure you're ok?" Choji asked. 

"Where's Shikamaru?" Naruto asked. 

"He's dealing with the other enemy by himself a little further away," Choji answered. 

"Two of you head over and assist him, a long-distance fighter and a medic," Kakashi ordered. "He's going to need you." Sakura looked back at Aceso, the two nodded at each other, Sakura looked at Sai, the two nodded at each other. Yamato looked over at Kakashi and nodded. He squatted down summoning Pakkun.

"Leave it to me," Pakkun said. 

" All right, Sai and Sakura, I want you to go with Pakkun and help out Shikamaru," Yamato ordered. "Hurry up, now!"

"Yes, sir!" Sakura responded.

"On it," Sai answered. 

"Ragtag bunch of misfits," Kakuzu grunted. "You people are nothing but potential heart replacements for me." Naruto stepped forward as Kakuzu laughed. 

" All right pal," Naruto said. "This is my show now."

"Naruto," Ino breathed.

"Come on, we better go," Pakkin ordered. 

"Naruto, we're counting on you, ok?" Sakura said. He nodded, then Pakkun Sakura, and Sai all left to go aid Shikamaru. 

"He's perfected it?" Kakashi asked.

"No," Yamato answered glancing back at him. "It only works half the time," Naruto grunted.

"I see," Kakashi said. 

" Although--well, just keep watching," Yamato advised. "Trust me. He's come a long way."

"Multi-Shadow clone Jutsu!" Naruto shouted. Two of his clones appeared. 

"Shadow Clones, huh?" Kakuzu asked. "So, you're the Nine-Tails jinchuriki."

"Kakashi, bring us up to speed on what we're dealing with here," Yamato requested. "What's the rundown?"

"Both of our opponents are Akatsuki," Kakashi answered. "Shikamaru splintered off with one of them leaving the rest of us to handle this guy. He's able to split into multiple entities. See those two masks? Not only can they detach, but each one has its own beating heart and can act autonomously. He originally started out with five in total but now he's down to three."

"So two of them have been--" Kakashi began.

"That's right," Kakashi confirmed. "We've killed them twice already, and he won't go down for good until we get the other three. Plus he's a mid-distance fighter using several different changes in chakra nature."

"Naruto!" Yamato barked.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard," Naruto said running forward.

"Naruto, don't!" Choji protested.