Turn your sadness into kindness, your uniqueness into strength
Even if you get lost, let's start walking
One more time
Are you really happy,
when you're always meeting to someone's expectations?
Even if you change to who you really wanna be
Will you always have a great smile?
Dreaming of only the beginning, I wake up
and someday, I'll live on my own.
Yes, precious things are never in shape
You never know what it is when you get it or lose it
Turn your sadness into kindness, your uniqueness into strength
Even if you get lost, let's start walking
One more time
Dispel the Genjutsu, and wake up Naruto and Shikamaru.
It's the first mission we've had in a long time.
Mission?
Proceed with caution.
This is an A-Rank mission just like the mission in the Land of Waves.
Ouch!
You were able to repel Genjutsu, too!
Why were you pretending to be asleep?!
Go after Sasuke and once you meet up with him, stop Sasuke.
Then await new orders in a safe place.
What happened to Sasuke?
I'll tell you while we move.
Let's go.
Hey!
I see, so that's what happened.
Damn Sasuke... He got too hasty.
So why did I get sent out here?
How troublesome!
We couldn't help it!
Those were Kakashi-sensei's orders!
This way!
How long will it take for us to catch up with him?
I don't know.
He is moving pretty fast.
Damn it...
Damn.
Coward no. 1
It's troublesome, but I've got to do it!!
Coward no. 1 It's Troublesome, but I've got to do it!!
Hey, you guys!
Increase your speed.
What is it?
Did you find Sasuke?
No!
Two platoons, a total of eight people, are behind us...
No, I sense another one...
So nine guys are coming after us.
What?
Hey, man... Already?
You've got to be kidding.
They haven't found our exact location yet...
But we'll have to lose them.
Hey! Why did you stop?!
Be quiet, and follow me.
Step backwards onto your footsteps.
Then it will look like our footsteps have suddenly disappeared.
But... even if we do this...
They'll still figure out what we did.
It'll buy us some time.
That's enough.
Also, the pursuers will become impatient and that will create a weakness in their pursuit.
If they don't see the clues that lead to us, even better.
Hurry up!
We don't have time.
I know!
This is bad.
They're gaining on us even though they're being careful and looking out for any ambushes.
Damn it.
They all must be above Chuunin level.
If they catch up to us, we'll be annihilated.
Annihilated...
Then...
Then we should stop and hide to ambush them!
Ambush?
Yes...
If we ambush them, we'll have an advantage.
Even if they have two times more guys than us...
It might work if we catch them off guard!
We can't do that.
They're the men of the former Konoha ninja, Orochimaru.
Worst case is that there is a Jounin among them.
I thought that would've worked... But it won't.
Wait a moment, why?
The enemy's level doesn't matter when you're ambushing them.
Yeah, so why?
You guys sure don't understand, do you?
It's true that ambushing is a really advantageous basic tactic...
But to pull it off, there are two conditions you must meet.
And what are those conditions?
First, the runner must move silently, and must discover the enemy first.
Second, we must secure a location to catch the pursuers off guard and inflict critical damage to them...
and quickly conceal ourselves in that location.
Once we're able to fulfill those conditions an ambush becomes a valid tactic.
If we have the ninja dog's nose, we can find their location pretty easily.
As for the second one, it seems that we're at an advantage since this is our village, and we know the terrain better...
But Orochimaru has been in Konoha before.
If we're dealing with his men, that method won't work.
So what are you trying to get at?
The pursuers have been taught about the terrain and have most likely gone through training for this battle.
On top of that, they are all most likely ninja who have mastered the art of pursuing.
So they know how we'll act.
Ambushing is still advantageous, but there are too many uncertain factors.
Furthermore, the enemy is a squadron organized specifically for this plan.
As for us, we have an idiot...
a female ninja who has no special traits...
a dog...
and the number one coward, me.
A strategy is devised by understanding the situation, and creating the best plan for that situation.
So...
There's only one thing we can do right now.
One thing?
A feint operation that looks like an ambush.
One person will stay behind, set up things to look like an ambush and stop them.
So... play the decoy?
Yes.
If the person can stop them, they won't be able to get the location of the other three.
Then we can lose the pursuers, but the decoy will most likely...
die.
So, who wants to take the job?
We need the dog to look for Sasuke, which means...
Okay, I'll...
...the only choice left is me.
Shikamaru?
Why you?
It's better than being annihilated.
Also, the only guy who can pull of this decoy perfectly and have a high chance of surviving withing this group...
is me.
The Kagemane no jutsu was originally made to stop the enemy anyway.
I'll catch up with you guys later.
Hurry up and go.
We're counting on you, Shikamaru!
Sakura-chan...
Okay.
Was Shikamaru such a reliable guy?
Be careful... Shikamaru.
Even if you can mask your presence...
we see you.
Hey, the enemy is getting closer and closer.
What?!
Is he really stopping the enemy?
...and the number one coward, me.
Did Shikamaru...
Shikamaru will be fine.
He didn't run away, did he?
I told you! He'll be fine.
How so?
He's foul-mouthed, and he's lazy, but he'll never betray another person.
He rarely does things on his own, but when he does, he'll do it all the way.
I can guarantee that.
I want to believe that... I want to, but...
We're going to raise our speed.
I was able to run away nicely.
The footstep intervals are irregular.
Their impatience must be increasing their fatigue.
Sorry.
I was supposed to be the number one coward...
but it seems like my character is a bit different this time.
It's true that I'm fatigued, but you're wrong about the footprints.
This is what made those paw prints.
He's still only a kid.
To think that we fell for this trick...
Is this the Kageshibari no jutsu of Konoha that I've heard about?
That's an old way of saying that.
Times have passed.
They call it Kagemane now...
Old man.
That match I had is having a bad effect on me.
I used up too much chakra.
I won't last much longer.
One, two, three, four...
five, six, seven, eight...
Eight.
Eight people...
No, I sense another one...
So nine are coming after us.
So the ninth was the escort to protect these guys from an ambush.
The one who keeps a constant distance between them, travels behind them, and deals with an enemy ambush.
But this will make it clear where he's hiding!
There.
Damn it.
My shadow won't reach there...
I don't have any more stamina to convert to chakra.
It's useless.
We know how your technique works.
Damn it.
This must be it.
Looks like you've reached your limit.
This Kagemane thing will go away soon.
You better be prepared for what's coming!
I...
just wanted to do this ninja thing normally, get paid normally...
get married with a woman who's neither ugly nor beautiful and have two children.
The first one would be a girl, and the next would be a boy.
I would retire from my ninja job after my daughter gets married, and my son gets a job...
Then I would play Shogi and Go during the boring days, and live free from worldly cares.
Then I would die from old age before my wife.
That's the kind of life I wanted.
But I made too much of an effort, which was very unlike me.
I wanted to die a normal way.
I've gotten myself into something troublesome.
The pursuers have stopped.
Yes!
He succeeded in stopping them!
It must be Shikamaru!
I'm sorry that I doubted you even a little.
Okay...
Now we have to...
Hang in there, Sasuke.
Also... Shikamaru.
You better be alive and catch up to us.
Just like you said, I've reached my limit.
Hey!
Come out!
And pop off his head while you're at it.
I finally caught up with you.
Asuma? Why?
What?!
Well done, Shikamaru.
This isn't my thing.
You'll retire from this for now.
Hurry!
What a persistent guy.
We have extra pursuers now... Two...
No, three.
Kankuro, we're going to pick up our pace.
Okay!
You're not getting away.
Don't get too hasty, Sasuke.
Sasuke-kun...
Then, let's begin.
Everyone makes mistakes
it's nothing to be ashamed of
Don't let this scar go to waste
Be able to smile as you walk
Yes, breathe in the air Lift your face to the sky and jump
If it rains, take a break Go where the wind takes you
So many regrets Don't let this scar go to waste
Let's go carve the badges in our chest Yes, it's show time, life begins now
Everyone makes mistakes
It's nothing to be ashamed of
Don't let this scar go to waste
Be able to smile as you walk
Turn your sadness into wind and continue to move forward
Continue to move forward...