217: Allies of the Sand: The Konoha Shinobi

Gaara , Temari and Kankurou race toward Fire Country while Shikamaru's team head toward Wind county. The leaf team thinks about how they were saved by the Sand against Orochimaru's henchmen. The team stops and Naruto complains to Shikamaru, but Shika has a plan involving Shino's bugs.

The enemy purposely left footprints so the Sand team can follow. The woman with the green and yellow hair takes out a short sword which becomes two, announcing Fujaku Hishou Shouken (Soaring Short Swords), Senmoufuu (Delirium winds) against the Sand Team. Temarii strikes back with her fan and the winds collide, cutting trees apart. Temari confronts the woman while Gaara and Kankurou continue on, but the enemy moves to prevent their escape. Temari strikes with Dai Kamaitachi no Justu (Great Sickling Winds). The enemy counters with Kaze Kiri (Wind cutting). Apparently it's a special attack and the woman explains the two swords respond to attacks and allows her to transform the wind freely. With the sword she only needs to use a little chakra while Temari has to assert herself.

Gaara and Kankurou have almost caught up. Another enemy with blue hair and a big blue sword attacks with Ryuugan Garian Tou (Imperial Garain Sword) and the sword shoots out like a chain. Kankurou analyzes that a metal wire passing through the blade controls its movements like his little bamboo snake puppet when he was a child. Gaara continues on while Kankurou faces the blue-haired kid. Kankurou’s Kuroani puppet encases the enemy but a little dragon of chakra comes out and destroys the puppet. The enemy explains the sword amplifies his chakra and takes the form of a dragon.

The enemy with a beard breaks off from the leader to conftont Gaara. Meanwhile Shikamaru waits for reports from Shino, Neji and Hinata to prevent ambushes. Shino's bugs have found the sand team members and let Neji and Hinata know their whereabouts. The bugs also find Shikamaru who has a pouch with female kikaichuu's scent on it. The bugs form words instructing Shika where the battles are. Shika quickly orders Kiba and Choji to take the western forest, Ino and he will take the northern hill and Naruto and Lee to take the northwestern forest. They will provide backup as two man cells in Operation Return the Favor.

As Shika runs with Ino, he suddenly stops and thinks if they're running away and you put two pursuers per person, then the battlefield won't be a straight line. He thinks a barrier might be involved. He takes out a brush and a pot of ink and writes something on a tree. The bugs read it and forms characters.

Temari looks exhausted. The enemy has been avoiding all her attacks. Now she tries Fuuton, Tatsu no Oshigoto (Wind Element, Severing Pressure), but at first apparently nothing happens. Then the skies blacken and a tornado appears. It comes down toward the enemy who counters with Kaze gaeshi (wind counter) and Temari is blown back.

The dragon from the blue sword grabs Kankurou’s head, but it’s just his puppet Karasu, which emerges spitting out needles. The dragon attacks the real Kankurou who manipulates the puppet’s arm to attack, but another dragon deflects it. There's three dragons coming from the sword.

The bearded guy attacks Gaara with a large mace and chain but they’re deflected by Garara's sand. Gaara encases him in sand with desert coffin but to no effect. The man explains his armor swallows chakra.

Temari is knocked out and the enemy is about to finish her off but suddenly Temari moves out ofthe way thanks to Shikamaru's shadow imitation technique. Kankarou is about to be killed by the three headed dragon but he's saved by the two headed dog formed by Kiba and Akamaru. Lee and Naruto are not there yet. Shino says he doesn't see any chakra disturbances, and there’s no barrier.

Review:
The enemies’ powers are not very interesting.

Notes:
Dai Kamaitachi =Great Sickling Winds
Fuuton, Tatsu no Oshigoto = Wind Element, Severing Pressure
Fujaku Hishou Shouken = Soaring Short Swords
Kaze gaeshi = wind counter
Kaze Kiri = Wind cutting
Ryuugan Garian Tou = Imperial Garain Sword
Senmoufuu = delirium winds

Houki = leader
Suiko = enemy with beard and mace
Kujaku = woman with short swords
Ryuugan = guy with blue dragon sword

Thoughts:
What’s the connection of Shika’s thoughts on the straight line formation and the barrier?
How many female bugs do you need to extract to get their scent?