The branch shattered upon my touch. Kankuro jumped away in the nick of time. I huffed in annoyance.

Chills came across my body every now and then. The Hokage. I know this feeling. But there's two more chakra's just as strong. I bit my lip.

What's going on? I can't just run back, I have to kill Gaara. I have to stop them or the village will be in even more peril.

I charged at Kankuro. Before he could whip out his puppet, I closed the distance and started throwing punches. He was doing everything just to dodge it.

He's a puppeteer. And that is a long distant battle form, they usually can't do close range as well. As long as I don't let him get too far, one hit should do it.

"Miyuna." I froze. Kankuro was only a few centimeters from me. Fear on his face. I slowly turned my head towards that voice.

There, I saw Shino.

He stood on the branch, just a bit away from us. "I never got to fight him." He stated. I stared at him for a little while longer before grinning. "Alright Abarame." I turned and jumped over Kankuro. "Ah! Miyu wait!"

Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Shikamaru headed towards me. Tch. I glanced back angrily. "Get lost! Go back to the village, we were supposed to bring him back!" I shouted, annoyed.

I continued chasing Gaara and Temari. "What do you think you're doing? Kakashi-Sensei said-"

"Don't be stupid, we need to go back-"

"This is my fight Miyu-"

"Like I'd let you fight him alone!" My eye twitched as Sakura, Shikamaru, Sasuke, and Naruto all shouted at once.

God they are annoying! I froze and quickly whipped out a kunai and threw it back, deflecting the other one that was heading for Sasuke. "Shit. Six, seven, no, nine ninja heading our way." I grumbled.

Sasuke ran past me and towards Gaara. "Sasuke!" I shouted at his retreating back. Damn it all. I saw some of the ninja approaching. "Run!" I shouted at my friends. We ran forward. I turned and continued jumping backwards.

Quickly weaving the hand signs, I shot an attack. "Fire Style: Wall!" I shouted, creating a large fire wall. I turned forward and continued. "That should buy some time, but they'll catch us." I told the other three.

Shikamaru groaned. I turned a different direction, leading my friends. "Where are you going?" Naruto asked.

I moved faster. "You really think I'm going to lead them to Sasuke and Gaara?" I asked. They were silent a bit. I stiffened, still jumping. "They wall is down. They're on the move again." I warned.

What do we do? "As much as I like to believe I can take them all on, there are nine of them and they're probably Chunin or higher. I'm not that strong." I admitted.

Sakura looked worried, like I was their safe guard or something. Shikamaru sighed. "We are going to have to ambush them!" Naruto declared.

An ambush? That could work. Sakura voiced my thoughts. It could work. But . . . "They're probably Orochimaru's men. My money is them being all Jonin."

I can't even beat Kakashi-Sensei. "I don't get it." Naruto said. Shikamaru sighed and turned to us, still running.

"Yes, an ambush is a key battle tactic and can be very beneficial. But for it to work, you have to meet two conditions. Number One: The ninja on the run must be completely quiet. Find the enemy first. Number Two: They have to be able to catch the pursuers off guard at a location where they can do a lot of damage quickly, and then conceal themselves again just as quickly." Shikamaru explained.

"It's only under those two conditions that an ambush can be effective." I added. Shit. This isn't going to work.

"Now the first condition won't be hard since Miyuna's nose can find the enemy and the second one seems good too since we know the geography of the village like the back of our hands."

Naruto's face lit up, as did Sakura. "However Orochimaru is a former Leaf Ninja. So the second condition we're out of luck."

I sighed, knowing full well he's right. "We are? Tell me why that is again." Naruto asked. I spoke.

"The pursuers have studied the layout of this village. We have to assume that they've been put through simulated practices for this mission. And to add a cherry to this train wreck, they're probably masters of the Pursuit Jutsu." I answered, annoyance clear in my voice.

How are we going to do this? I'm not that strong. And the others . . . we're screwed. Absolutely, positively, screwed.

"Besides, the enemy is a special unit put together for this operation. And what are the four of us? A fool, a kunoichi with no particular talent, a kunoichi who's talents aren't secret at all with her loud rampage, and me. The Shirker who doesn't want to be here."

I sweat dropped as the other two glared at him. He's not wrong. My abilities aren't really stealthy.

"Right now, only one plan makes sense. Just one." Hm? What is it? I glanced at the Nara curiously. "And that is?" Sakura asked. "A diversion that only looks like it's an ambush. So one of us is going to have to stay behind and slow them down."

One of us? They can't possibly defeat them. "If one of us delays them, they shouldn't be able to find the rest. But that person's chances are small. In other words, if they screw up, they'll die." I said.

Naruto and Sakura's eyes widened as we stopped on a branch, facing away from each other.

Nobody wants to die. Nobody wants to go on a suicide mission. And I don't want them to die. "I'll do it." I volunteered. "No." Shikamaru said sternly. I frowned. "Why not?! I'm the only one strong enough to do it!" I reasoned.

He turned to face me. "We need your nose to find Sasuke. You can't Flash Step to him, otherwise you'd have already done it. Your chakra's low, isn't it?" I froze.

He's right. I used way too much chakra earlier. Taking my silence as an answer, he looked down. "Alright, then I guess that I'm-" Naruto started, but was interrupted by Nara.

"I'm the only one who can do it." He groaned. Shikamaru . . . "Why does it have to be you?!" Naruto demanded of the lazy boy. "It's better then all of us being wiped out. Besides, other then Miyu, I'm the only one who has a chance pulling off this decoy act."

He's right. Sakura . . . she can't do much. And Naruto, although he's grown strong, he's still not strong enough to fight nine Jonin, let alone outsmart them.

Shikamaru is smart, clever, and he has one trick up his sleeve. His Shadow Possession Jutsu. But he used a lot of his chakra during the exam as well.

He jumped over us. "And of surviving this act." He added. I bit my lip. He does have the highest rate of survival. But even those chances are still too small for my liking.

"I mean Shadow Possession was invented as a delay tactic. Anyway, I'll catch up with you later. Go on. Get going." He had his back to us.

Shikamaru Nara. I didn't know him well, but I knew that he was like this. No matter how much he denies it, he likes us. He would do anything to protect his friends. I looked at the sky through the tree leaves.

The ninja world is cruel. Only the strong can live, and the survivors write history. In missions, there will be a time when you need to leave one ninja behind.

Shikamaru knows that better then anyone.

I reached into my pouch and pulled out a scroll and tossed it to him. He turned and caught it. He stared at it for a bit before looking up at me.

I smiled. "Open that and put your blood on that. I got it from gramps during training. When you do that, I'll be summoned to you. Dying is forbidden. Shikamaru Nara, you will use that as a last resort to prevent your death!"

He blinked. "Miyu, you know that this is part of being a ninja." He reasoned. I smirked and nodded. "Yes. But those who abandon their friends are worse then scum. I don't follow the ninja way, I follow my way. And my way has my friends living."

He blinked again before his lip twitched up into a lazy half smile. "Alright. I promise not to die." Nodding in approval, I jumped a different way, Naruto and Sakura following after me.

Naruto, Kakashi, gramps, and all my friends taught me that. I'll be damned if I allow my friends to die!

Be careful Shikamaru.

"Alright, lets make this quick!" I shouted, ruining faster. Be quick and efficient. I scoffed. Like that'd happen. This could be quite a bit.

But no matter what, I'll protect the things I love. Why have power if you don't use it to protect those you cherish?

Huh? This chakra. The nine, their down. And the new chakra? A grin made its way onto my face. Asuma! Alright!

Now that I'm positive he's out of harms way, I moved faster. Shikamaru did his part. Now it's time for us to do our part!

We're on our way Sasuke. Don't do anything reckless until we get there. Don't die, because I'm going to beat the daylights out of you for leaving first!