Chapter 65: Akatsuki Part V

                                    

                                          

As soon as Asuma's team finished scaling the wall they came under immediate attack.
                          
Sasori launched scores of poisoned senbon and Kidomaru immediately began firing arrows. The needles were blasted away by Asuma's Futon: Reppusho (Wind Release: Gale Palm) however the arrow fired by Kidomaru was not so easily deflected. It came screaming forward at vicious speed and Neji had to contort his body away from the arrow as it streaked past.
                          
Tenten tossed a few scrolls in the air that vomited out kunai and senbon at her opponents. Guren shielded herself with a wall of crystals. One of the Zetsu clones was nicked and Sasori's armored shell was too strong to be broken by something like flying metal.
                          
Neji shouted to his companions. "There is a cloaked creature with an Akatsuki atop it and another inside its mouth."
                          
Sasori used the Kazekage puppet to fire Satetsu Shigure (Iron Sand Drizzle). Asuma knew this was not like the earlier needle attack, this was a potent A ranked jutsu that fired deadly projectiles nearly impossible to see let alone dodge.
                          
Asuma only had time to shout out a brief warning, thankfully he had trained with Neji for some time and the two acted in concert with each other. Neji used Kaiten which was a powerful enough defensive move to shield them from the attack. Not even Kidomaru's arrows could pierce the Hyūga's defense. Tenten and Asuma put themselves behind Neji and weathered the storm while Lee burst into the Seimon (Gate of Life) and leapt away from the deadly magnetically propelled projectiles.
                          
Pain was not idle and had just finished summoning a giant panda who roared and charged on all fours toward the Konoha shinobi. Guren attempted to trap the speedy green blur in a crystal but her jutsu took too long to form and was unable to match his speed.
                          
When the iron projectiles ceased their assault Asuma dashed out from behind Neji and used Futon: Uchikubi Retupuu (Wind Release: Wind Decapitation). The razor sharp blade of air was aimed straight for Sasori. The attack could rip through his puppet armor and years of experience told Sasori as much. In an instant he had reformed the iron sand into a shield that blocked the Sarutobi's attack.
                          
Tenten meanwhile unsealed a javelin and threw it at Kidomaru who dodged away from the projectile only for it to explode out in all directions thanks to high level fuinjutsu explosive seals. Within those seals were also bits of burning shrapnel that ripped into Kidomaru despise the tougher skin he had due to the cursed seal. He swore and cradled one of his wounded limbs and stepped away from the fight.
                          
The panda that had been summoned charged straight forward and met its match in Konoha's taijutsu master. His already incredible speed and strength was further enhanced by the Hachimon allowing him to more than quintuple his already overpowering strength. His kick slammed into the panda and obliterated the creature in one blow.
                          
Neji made a beeline for the two Akatsuki who were attempting to hide. One of the Zetsu clones delayed him for a few seconds before being pasted by his intense taijutsu barrage. However that did leave time for Sasori to complete his Satetsu Kaihō (Sand Iron: World Method). Iron branch spikes split and multiplied in all directions. Everyone on the field could see the poison dripping from the iron and knew to avoid it at any cost.
                          
Neji once more relied on Kaiten to drive the iron away. In a circle around him the iron scratched and plunged at him but was unable to pierce his formidable defense. Asuma had to dance one way and then the other using his Futon enhanced kunai to slash apart branches that couldn't be avoided. Tenten used Kawarimi to distance herself to the edge of the building as far away as possible. Lee dived in through the deadly iron maze and with his speed managed to outrun it and then close in on Sasori.