Chapter 170: The Return

Chapter 170: The Return

Disclaimer:

Naruto and all of its characters belong to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto.

I own nothing but the original characters I create.

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

-Author notes-

Chapter 170: The Return

Two years later. Konoha Village

"Ahhh! Help!"

A young civilian girl sprinted frantically through the narrow streets, her terrified screams echoing across the village.

Behind her, there was a massive sand sphere bouncing around while getting closer and closer. Its weight was shaking the ground with each leap. It was so large that it barely fit within the road, causing destruction to nearby homes as it crashed through walls and rooftops.

On the other side of the road was the village's river, but the sand creature seemed to avoid it, steering its chaotic path away from the water.

The girl glanced back in fear, only to trip over a loose stone. She fell to the ground, scraping her hands. Her heart pounded as she turned and saw the sphere looming over her, ready to crush her.

She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the end.

Woosh! A sudden gust of wind swept past her.

"Dynamic Entry!"

A thunderous shout rang out as Rock Lee flew in, delivering a powerful kick to the sand sphere. The impact stopped it in its tracks, completely halting its momentum.

The girl opened her eyes and gasped. Her savior stood before her...a boy in an uncomfortably tight green jumpsuit, grinning brightly.

"My lady, you have nothing to fear! The Great Green Beast of Konoha is here to protect you!" Lee exclaimed, giving her a thumbs-up.

"Ahhh!" the girl screamed again, recoiling. This time, it wasn't the sand monster she was afraid of...it was Lee, whose face was mere inches from hers.

"Wait, I was just trying t-"

"Ahhh!" she did not let him finish and shrieked once more while pointing behind him.

A massive claw shot out of the sand sphere, aiming for the martial artist.

Lee's eyes narrowed. With a swift movement, he kicked the claw away, the impact ringing out like metal striking metal. The sand beast tumbled backward, its body shuddering from the blow.

"Come on, Gaara! Wake up already and face me properly! I'll challenge you anytime!" Lee yelled, his excitement rising.

The massive sand sphere began to shift and grow, sprouting limbs and forming a familiar shape...the One-Tail, Shukaku.

Hinata appeared in front of Shukaku, her chakra-infused strikes landing with incredible force. The sand construct flew backward, crashing down where Kiba and Lee had been standing moments before.

"Nice one!" Ino grinned. "Looks like the raccoon is scared now!"

"No... no!" Shukaku's panicked voice echoed through the battlefield. "I don't want to die!"

Hinata frowned. "It's not scared of us..."

She did not miss that the beast wasn't looking at them...it was scanning its surroundings as if sensing something unseen.

"Whatever it's afraid of, at least it's heading in the right direction now," Ino said. "Just a little more, and we'll push it out of the village."

"You mean it'll crush through the gates," Kiba muttered.

" Can we fight it for real once it's outside the village?." Lee couldn't hide the excitement in his voice.

" What are going to do?. It's behaving differently from the last time." Hinata commented while they moved after the creature.

This one had no longer any interest in fighting them and it seemed to just want to escape into the wilderness.

" Hinata is right...the last time at least we could see the body of Gaara poking out of the sand. But the Bijuu seem to have gotten better at covering its weakness." Ino said.

Crash!

A tremendous commotion could be heard as the One Tail Beast obliterated the east gate without even slowing down a bit.

Ino pointed ahead. " Okay, let's go. At the very least we have to keep it from escaping, but don't allow it back into the village either. I'm sure Lady Tsunade has already sent some reinforcements our way. We just need to gain some t-"

" Why are you the one giving orders?. Hinata is the only Jonin here." Kiba complained and interrupted her.

"Do you want me to repeat what she said?" Hinata asked, glaring at him with her Byakugan active.

" No..." Kiba always got nervous when she looked at him with her Byakugan active. There was an extra something in Hinata's eyes that made him feel like she was staring at his soul.

Ino was about to throw a few taunts in Kiba's way but was interrupted by a very bizarre noise.

"Kyaaa!" Hinata let out a scream of pure joy that took everyone off guard.

For the past two years, she had been so serious and composed that people often compared her to Neji. But now, her face was lit with a radiant smile.

"What the—" Kiba gaped at her.

"Why is she looking at Shukaku like that?" Lee asked, confused.

Ino, however, understood immediately. "It's been two years..." she murmured.

Hinata's eyes sparkled with emotion. "He's back!" she exclaimed.

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