The three missing-nin were not bearing up well.
One of their number had suffered cracked ribs from Tenten's kick, slowing him down. It had made him a prime target for the enemy, so they had hoped to out-pace them.
Only for a team of Konoha nin to jump out virtually the second the injured one had thought they had lost them after three days running.
The group of Jonin, Chunin, and Genin had been cautious. The three missing-nin had little chance to use their jutsu, two Taijutsu specialists harassing the males while it seemed a Hyuga from the Branch family had moved to engage the woman, meaning the fight was up close quickly, each close quarters fighter backed up by one of the others.
"We could have had bug girl's sensei and that snake bitch easy if it wasn't for those damn freaks in green!" The woman grumbled.
"Did we really have to let go of the donkey..." The injured man wheezed. He had suffered more damage in the fight before they fled.
"Yeah. That had all our gear. How are we supposed get through the desert now? Even if the Konoha ninja haven't warned Suna..." The other man said.
A sudden gust of wind cut him off. Sand and dust was kicked up, and more importantly, the trio was flung into the air. The injured member of the group did not land well, only the soft sands preventing further serious injury.
"You had to say it!" The woman cursed.
Before them, a blonde Suna-nin carrying a massive fan stood.
"Warned Suna what?" She challenged.
"...You're just border patrol?" The injured man wondered.
Another flick of the fan, dodged by the other two, hurled him away. This time, he hit a rock head on. Quite literally. He fortunately had little time to dwell on the massive head injury that came about as a result of a massive head injury.
"Poor rock..." The woman grumbled, with little concern.
"I hate Suna." The remaining man groaned.
"Suna hates you too!" The blonde taunted with a smirk.
"Oh great, there's the fruit of Konoha's alliance with Suna. Their ninja have the same crappy smack-talk... Even when they are the daughters and siblings of Kazekages..."
"Wait, she's famous? And she's doing border patrol?" The surviving man asked.
"Yes, she's Temari, you fool. Daughter of the fourth and elder sister to the fifth!"
The man seemed to perk up at this.
"What an honour to be attacked as innocent travellers crossing the border by Suna royality..."
Another gust of wind was flung at them. Temari hadn't even moved
"Jeez, girl, take a compliment! And we're just innocent travellers..."
"...Apparently running from Konoha, our allies, in suspicious circumstances, so I thought I had to stop you and find out just what you're up to."
The two remaining blinked.
"Trying to blow us back into the land of fire singlehanded is stopping us to find out what we're up to? And hurting that poor rock?!"
Temari raised an eyebrow.
"Well, you haven't crossed the border yet... For all I know this is a misunderstanding. Don't worry, the rock is fine..."
No one present seemed to care at all for the concussed man.
"Well, then, let us share our story... " The man tried.
Temari then broke into laughter.
"I know you're not buying it! Just crossing the border without permission, I should just kill you. And I know you're being chased by some Konoha ninja but not why... So, how about a nice peaceful surrender, you let me know what it is they want, we spend three or four weeks arguing extradition because the Suna council and the Konoha council love to feel important? Oh, and Gaara and Tsunade love an excuse like a negotiation treaty to throw paperwork at assistants instead..."
"Sand not a good secretary?" The man grumbled. Neither woman paid him any attention.
"So basically we're a free vacation for your baby brother, that's it? How sisterly of you... Shame we get executed by Konoha at the end of it."
"I guess. Or I could kill you now and we just hand the bodies to Konoha."
"Or we can show a prickly little desert cactus like you what we did to annoy Konoha... " The woman smirked back.
"Ah well. I'll figure out another excuse for Gaara...." Temari said confidently, readying her fan once more.
Only for the woman to cast a jutsu. Temari frowned as it had no effect to dodge.
"Huh, make a mistake? Shame..." She said, and then wobbled slightly as her feet refused to move.
"Nope. You did..." The man grinned.
Temari glanced down and gasped. Her feet had turned green, and had began to tear her sandals. As she looked in horror, the wave of green spread. Her legs merged and formed a trunk as it rose, clothing ripping away on her lower body as it did. When her knees had turned green she broke from the surprise.
"What did you do to me?!"
"Oh, simple. You're turning into a cactus, duh. Just like the pink haired panties I still have on... Wonder how she's enjoyed the last three days of sweaty running? Oh, and that Yamanaka kunai. And that donkey girl with hairbuns. And the little Hyuga bug..."
Temari only heard the first few words.
"Cactus?! That's not possible!"
The tearing as her skirt ripped a little, her whole body below the waist now a cactus trunk, said otherwise.
"Oh, but it is..."
Temari stared in surprise, and failed to respond much as her arms twisted into the air, dropped her fan, and became the signature two-arms of the stereotypical Desert Cactus.
Her face became the arrangement of flowers on the main trunk. It still looked rather surprised. Anyone finding a partly clothed cactus would also be surprised.
"Should we take the clothes off?" The man asked.
The woman shook her head.
"We lost too much time already playing with her. And now Suna will be out for our blood when they find this cactus... If they find it..."
The man nodded, not commenting like his fallen ally would have that they had wasted time stopping for her to shower and wash some fresh clothing only to wind up wearing it all three days of their escape.
"And him?"
"...Take any weapons he has left and any water. We need it more and he's a liability."
And with that, three became two, leaving one and a cactus behind.
A small cloaked figure riding a donkey had watched the whole thing.
'Hm... We stopped?' Ino, currently a Kunai, mentally asked.
'Yep.... Hinata sees something.' Tenten, the donkey, answered.
In the past three days, Hinata (and Ino) had also shadowed the missing-nin. They had helped break the jutsu on Tenten's mind, making her think clearer and less docile. They also learned Hinata allowed Ino to talk to Tenten too - If Hinata was too far away neither of them could speak to each other.
She had jumped at the chance when Hinata had suggested the three of them keep shadowing their targets covertly while the other Konoha ninja waited to have formal permission to cross the border and warn Suna of the situation. It only put thirty minutes onto the distance between them, and a Suna interception would certainly slow if not stop the enemy.
Ino had almost gleefully reminded Kakashi and the other jonin (via Hinata via Shino) that as long as the bodies were checked within three days her clan had techniques to draw any cures or counter-jutsus from the heads of missing-nin. That and the capture of their equipment gave Hinata, Ino, and Tenten hope that the might soon be back to normal.
Assuming the Suna border patrol got the message to leave their heads intact
'There seems to be a Suna ninja watching our missing-nin. Hopefully she can slow them down too while the others catch up' Hinata reported.
She had also learned two things. Her Byakugan was partially back, and let her see further. But her black skin was terrible for deserts. Hence, the currently half-sized half-cockroach Kunochi was wearing the cloak to try to protect herself.
'What's she look like?' Tenten asked.
'Blonde... Four pigtail things... She seems familiar. Ah... She just used a giant fan...'
'Temari...' Both Ino and Tenten groaned.
'Oh. Should I know her?'
'She kicked my ass in the chunin exams remember?' Tenten whined.
'Yeah, and she's totally got the hots for Shikamaru after she lost but won against him in the next round...' Ino sighed.
'Eh? I don't remember her... Or that... '
'During the third round? Shikamaru fought her?'
'And gave up when he had all but won!' Tenten protested.
'Oh. Uh, I was unconscious before he fought...Oh, crap, that one might not be much use for your clan, Ino...'
'What?! What just happened?!'
'Well, Temari hurled the guy into a rock, but it looks accidental. I think his brains are scrambled...' Tenten reported.
'No, did Hinata just swear?'
The bug-girl blinked in confusion.
'...I've never done it before? And crap is swearing? I thought it was the non-swearing version of s-'
'Girls! Focus! We need to watch what's happening' Tenten scolded.
Hinata kept watch, seeing further.
'Okay... Oh, that's bad, the woman just used that jutsu...'
'Yikes. What's Temari becoming?' Tenten wondered.
'Looks like a cactus.'
'Hm... Describe it.' Ino demanded.
'The tree-sized kind with the arms?'
Hinata was amazed that Ino got this vague description so fast.
'Ah, Saguaro. It's not native to this part of Suna but it can survive. If anything it means she's easier to spot.... Ah, but cactus roots spread far and thin, so she's staying put. Make sure we let the others know she needs to be kept there until we get a cure.'
'...Sure. I'll let them know, but they seem to be raiding the downed one for his gear, that'll slow them... But what do you say we slow them down some more?' Hinata said, sending a bug off.
Both Kunai and Donkey agreed.
'At least pull me out of the cloak so I can see...' Ino rwquested.
And with that, a small figure riding a donkey charged brandishing a kunai.
It wasn't quite the stuff of legends, to say the least.
"...Am I going crazy?" The male asked.
"Probably, now hurry up and get all his... stuff..." The woman trailed off.
The two stared.
"...That's a midget riding a donkey charging at us, isnt it?"
However, their stupefied confusion proved a mistake, as the donkey and midget reached them fast. The two seperated, Donkey kicking the woman who yelled in pain, and the midget leaping at the man.
"This is insane..." The man managed to say, then realised there was a sharp pain in his chest. He could almost hear voices...
'Oh, nice stab, Hinata...'
'Heart?'
'Yup. Huh, we just killed a guy...'
If there was more to the voices, the man never knew, for the last words were very much true.
Sakura was very digusted.
Being washed had been good news, making the best of a bad scenario. Then had come three more days of claustrophobic, warm, and sweaty running.
She wished she could throw up.
'And now I'm going crazy! I hear Hinata and Ino-pig!'
'...we just killed a guy but I'm not too bothered.'
'He's not worth bothering. Besides, you're just the kunai. Kunai don't kill people, I kill people.'
'...Hinata, don't take this the wrong way but I think I'm kind of scared of you.'
Sakura sighed in her mind.
'And my crazy head made Hinata a psycho.'
'Oh, hey, do you hear Forehead?!'
Hinata groaned. Sakura and Ino could apparently talk to each other now Hinata was close. Or more likely argue. She had to stop this.
'Sakura, I'll explain later but right now we kind of need to kill or capture your wearer!'
'Um... What? Hinata, is that really... OW! Someone kicked me! Er, her, in the butt!'
'Sorry!' Tenten apologised.
The woman screeched, holding her backside.
"That's it, little donkey! You're stuffed!"
She cast the jutsu. Tenten froze, began to shrink, and her fur seemed to take on an artificial sheen, as did her eyes.
'Damn it, a plush donkey now?!'
'What's going on?!' Sakura whined.
'Forehead, shut up and let Hinata fight!'
The woman seemed to notice Hinata for the first time.
"...Bug girl? Oh crap... Tsunade got that close to reversing it?"
Hinata leapt forward, swinging Ino. The woman tried to dodge, but the kunai she had made sliced her cheek.
The woman also noticed her other companion was dead.
"Ow! You little insect! Time I turned you back into a bug! I'll grab that Kunai, wrap you in the pinkie panties, then stab through you and stick you to the donkey!"
Meanwhile, the others had arrived, but held back. The reason was only obvious to another Ninja. It was the chakra energy pouring from the fight
"I've never felt a buildup of Chakra like this before... Well, apart from Biju." Asuma noted.
"It's not like Shukaku and nowhere near Kyubi, but I think getting too close is a bad idea..." Kakashi said.
"But Hinata and the others..." Kiba began
"It is most youthful to show concern for comrades, but we cannot risk the unknown chakra." Guy instructed.
"I concurr. My allies are most unsettled. Even if we too are concerned, we cannot take such a risk."
Akamaru whined. Kurenai sighed.
"I don't like this..."
No one else did either, but the risks were too great.
"Uh... Is this safe us even being here? Cos if there's like weird transformation jutsu in the air and I get turned into a guy I'm totally going to say you guys dared me to hit on the Hokage..."
"Anko, is there any conversation you can't turn even weirder and more unsettling?" Kurenai sighed again.
"Hm... Nope!"
The energy buildup peaked, unseen by the combatants.
"Alright, bug... I should have crushed you before... Just give up and die" The woman began. Her speed with the jutsu still caught them by surprise.
Hinata was startled, but inwardly not too surprised to find her hands shrinking.
'Crap! She got us!'
Hinata disagreed, even as she shrank more, heading back to insect.
'No, Ino. She didn't. Don't give up like she says...'
The woman's smirk vanished as she heard a voice.
"...I don't give up. It's not my ninja way."
The woman felt pain as the kunai struck her, in the heart also.
And then came the light. A bright glow, from the whole area the chakra had affected, forcing those outside to shield their eyes.
Eventually, the glow, and seemingly with it the chakra, vanished.
And silence fell on the scene of the battle.