Volume 21

By: Nerezza from leafninja.com

Chapter 181: "The Fight Begins...!!" – Making the decision to leave Konoha behind and follow the path Orochimaru has offered, Sasuke packs and turns his Team 7 photo face down. However, as he tries to vanish at nightfall, Sakura blocks his path. Overflowing with emotion, Sakura pours her heart out to him and begs him to stay, reminding him of their memories and threatening to alert everyone if he does leave. Sasuke, like their first real meeting, tells her once more that he finds her annoying and knocks her out. Leaving her on a seat, he joins the messengers Orochimaru sent and begins his journey...

Chapter 182: "The Gathering!!" – Izumi and Kotetsu, while labouring, spot Sakura and quickly report the news back to a sleepy Tsunade. Shikamaru is called from his breakfast to round up the only forces in the village, a Genin team, with a recommendation from Tsunade that Naruto is part of it. Soon, Shikamaru, Naruto, Chouji, Neji and Kiba assemble at Konoha’s gate. Lee stays behind, still unable to fight.

Chapter 183: "Promise of a Lifetime" – Shikamaru draws up a plan and formation that will be the most efficient, warning everyone that his orders are for their own safety. After checking equipment, everyone’s departure is interrupted by a solemn-looking Sakura. Breaking into tears, she requests that Naruto brings Sasuke back. Naruto promises with a thumbs-up. Outside Konoha, Sasuke and the Sound Four stop suddenly. Sakon informs Sasuke that in accordance with Orochimaru’s wishes, Sasuke has to die...

Chapter 184: "Sound Vs Leaf!!" – Sakon says that the power will come in the form of a pill that enhances the Curse Seal. The seal’s infection spreads too fast and would kill, but the Sound Four have methods of eliminating the fatal side effects. As Sasuke eats it and drops unconscious, the Sound ninjas quickly encase him in a barrel covered in charms, tags, enchantments and inscriptions, sealing it shut. Back at Konoha, Lee’s ambitions to continue being a Shinobi cause Tsunade to reflect on the village’s younger generation. Meanwhile, a group of Konoha ninjas run into the Sound Four, who prepare for a fight and activate their own Cursed Seals...

Chapter 185: "In Pursuit of the Sounds...!!" – Genma leads the attack on the invaders, but Shizune arrives to a scene of slaughter. Genma manages to cough out that their techniques are not the usual Shinobi style. Kiba smells blood, making Shikamaru realise that the Sound ninjas will now be more careful. Already, Shikamaru spots a trap that has two layers, just stopping Naruto triggering it in the nick of time. Neji scouts ahead with his Byakugan and notices the invaders have stopped to rest, giving Shikamaru time to make a plan of attack!

Chapter 186: "Mission... Failed!?" – As the Leaf ninjas advance, Kidoumaru’s spider web trap is tripped, alerting him. The team is discovered and Kidoumaru keeps them under pressure, revealing that his spider threads are everywhere and the trap was actually triple-layered, making everything else a diversion. Suddenly, the Sound Four become immobile as Shikamaru’s Shadow Imitation hits successfully. However, a barrage of shuriken from nowhere breaks his hold and Jiroubou traps them in a prison made of earth rising from the ground. Kiba tries to break it open, but it simply reassembles before their eyes. Neji sees that it is reinforced with chakra, but worse… the prison is slowly sucking the chakra from them!

Chapter 187: "Praying for Mercy...!!" – With their strength slowly draining, even Kiba and Akamaru’s Double Piercing Fang fails to penetrate the prison. Shikamaru then tries to bargain with Jiroubou, asking to save himself. Everyone in the team turns sour at Shikamaru’s actions, except Chouji who starts to eat. Shikamaru notices that some parts of the wall repair slower… the ones furthest from Jiroubou, whose position was located from his voice. Concentrating one attack on the arena furthest from him, Chouji rams it and bursts through, freeing the team!

Chapter 188: "Hidden Leaf's Shinobi...!!" – Jiroubou applauds their efforts, before giving them the rewards of a titanic mound of earth thrown at them. Chouji breaks up chunks of it, but Jiroubou’s brute force taijutsu knocks him back. Shikamaru decides that one person should stay back and hold him, volunteering, but Chouji takes his place. Everyone else departs and the two mammoths wrestle each other. Shikamaru knows of Chouji’s trump card… and the side effects it also carries...

Chapter 189: "The Power of Trust...!!" – Shikamaru hopes Chouji doesn’t use the red pill in the set of 3, hoping the blue one that increases Chouji’s strength is enough. Chouji wraps himself in kunai and turns into a spiked wrecking ball, demolishing Jiroubou’s earth wall and stabbing him. Jiroubou quickly activates his Cursed Seal, insisting Chouji was left behind for being the weakest. Chouji takes the second, yellow pill and uses partial Multi-Size strikes, followed by a super Multi-Size, growing to Godzilla-size proportions and laying on Jiroubou. However, from underneath him, he feels something lifting him... and Jiroubou’s monstrous Cursed Seal fully released...

Chapter 190: "Inexcusable!!" – Jiroubou’s seal infects him to the second level, increasing his strength more than tenfold. Chouji reverts to his normal size and finds himself wracked with pain from the pills. Shikamaru still has confidence in him and leaves him a message on a tree. Jiroubou continues to humiliate Chouji, stealing the last bite of his snacks and insulting his friends. Chouji denies it, especially Shikamaru’s lack faith in him and swallows the red, final pill. All the calories and fat in his body convert into pure chakra, which forms into two huge butterfly wings, then concentrates into his left hand. The slimmer Chouji then delivers a crippling blow for stealing the final snack, a second for humiliating him, then a final, fatal punch to Jiroubou’s chest for insulting his friends.