Chapter 38.6- One Thousand Hands

She didn’t get the opportunity to say anything to either of her teammates before the puppet flew out of the tent and went right for Choni. The wrong choice, Shika mentally thought in a celebratory tone as her teammate’s hand grew to an immense size before swatting the flying blur straight out of the air. That didn’t seem to do much to take away from the puppeteer’s plans as the ground beneath Inoken erupted, revealing a snake that moved to swallow her teammate in one swoop. Both Inoken and Choni met eyes and in less time than it took for the snake to reach Ino’s legs, she swapped places with their much more durable teammate. The snake swallowed Choni in one go, but did not manage to exist for much longer than that as it exploded a second later.

Her teammate’s form revealed itself in the wreckage. Grown to at least a dozen feet tall and just as many wide, Choni cut an imposing figure. If only the world knew just how gentle she was in reality. Another puppet came from the tent, a massive creature that Shika struggled to describe- it was like its form was constantly in motion, shifting and whirling. Its attention was on Choni, her teammate easily the greatest threat of them all in this kind of situation.

The puppet opened up what could only be described as a midsection, revealing a mechanism that sent hundreds of Senbon flying at Choni in seconds. Her teammate crossed her hands before her face and while some were rebuffed by her bracers and chunin vest, the others stuck inside her body. Shika’s eyes turned to one of the senbon as it clattered to the floor. Its tip gleamed an eerie purple. Poison. Shika felt her heart skip a beat.

Inoken was already on the move though. The puppet raised a forearm to block a sword that was about to cut it in twain. Somehow, the wooden creature managed to block the blade that Shika knew Ino had used to cut a whole tree on more than one occasion. Roaring as much in pain as in anger, Choni swung her own sword, using it as much as a blade as she was as a club, and sent the puppet flying into one tent.

Shika formed two seals, and took a deep breath before bathing the tent and the puppet that had been sent into it in a sea of flames.

“What a set of precocious brats you are” She heard the voice and spun around to look at the Commander step out of the tent that had exploded in green a few seconds earlier. His jounin vest fit snugly around his frame and his red hair clashed against his pale skin. Shika silently wondered if he was an Uzumaki, but killed that thought. They were on a timer here. Choni was still going strong, her larger size giving her some measure of resistance.

“I’ll take your presence here as proof that I was right. The Senju brat was a distraction. I wonder which one of you killed my wife though. I will kill you all as is my duty as a Suna shinobi. That one, though, his death will be personal.”

“It was Shorirama” Inoken blurted instantly. Shika almost whirled to look at him in shock then realised something. Choni needed medical attention yesterday. She wouldn’t get it if they got stuck fighting this guy. Sending him after Shori would solve at least half a problem for them. From the sounds to her east, Shori was still going strong against hundreds. What was even one more? It smelled like a betrayal but she knew Shori wouldn’t mind. He lived for an interesting fight.

“Good. Him I will kill when I am done with you three.” The Jounin said, and then he moved, body springing to the left right on time to avoid the shadow she’d been sneaking towards hum from behind.

A/N; Yup, the Jounin Shori ran into was Sasori’s mom. Now Daddy dearest is going to face off against our favourite three man squad.