All characters and story belong to Kohei Horikoshi and Masashi Kishimoto
Once Bakugo left in search of Dosu, Choji stored the earth and sky scrolls that Bakugo threw to him in the kunai holder.
He then went to grab Bakugo's Kubikiribōchō, which was lying in the mud. When he tried to pick it up, he found he could barely lift it.
"This thing weighs a ton!" Choji complained, setting it back down. "How can Bakugo carry it around everywhere? He's not human... It's not normal for him to go after those guys in that condition either. He and I are in completely different leagues..." Choji mused, waiting for his teammates to return.
A couple of minutes later, Ino and Shikamaru appeared. They had successfully returned from their expedition, having obtained the acacia and juniper trees to help treat Bakugo's infection. Ino had a smile on her face, but it vanished when she didn't see Bakugo anywhere.
"Where's Bakugo, Choji?" Ino asked, turning her head in all directions.
"What worries me most is that I don't see the sound people anywhere," Shikamaru said, alerting himself for a possible attack.
"Bakugo went after them," Choji summed up what had happened in one sentence.
"WHOIII?" (that)—Ino shouted.
"Tell us everything that's happened since we left so we can understand the situation, Choji," Shikamaru asked.
—Well... a few minutes after you left, I suddenly got really hungry. So I went to look for something to eat...—Choji began to explain.
"DID YOU LEAVE BAKUGO BADLY INJURED ALONE?" Ino shouted, indignant.
"I was starving!" Choji defended himself.
"That's no excuse, Choji!" Ino attacked him.
"Don't be a pain and let him finish, Ino," Shikamaru said.
—Well, once I found some berries to eat, I came back. And when I came back, I saw the guy with the bandages on top of Bakugo, about to stab him in the heart. —
"No..." Ino covered her mouth with her hands in concern.
"I managed to push him away with my Nikudan Sensha. Then he took his teammates and Bakugo followed them," Choji finished explaining.
"And you didn't stop him? You know he's hurt!" Ino scolded.
"I did it!" Choji defended himself again. "But he told me I had to stop them before they went after Sasuke or any of us."
"He's the biggest baka (idiot) in the world," Ino whispered, on the verge of tears. "I don't know how Sakura manages to keep her patience with that tremendous baka. I've only asked him one thing... that he stay here..." She swallowed with difficulty, very worried about the ash-blonde's health.
"But Choji, why did you leave your sword here?" Shikamaru asked, pointing at the sword.
—Aaa that's true. He asked me to take that sword to gate number 12. —said Choji. Ino came out of her little trance at what Choji said.
"Gate number 12? Is that where you want us to go? Why?" Ino asked.
"That's where he sent Sakura to go with Sasuke and Lee." He then took the scrolls out of the kunai holder. "He also asked me to give them to Sakura or Sasuke, and if they're not there, to keep them for ourselves."
"Should we keep them?" Ino said.
"Bakugo told me Sakura might have gone to the Konoha hospital with them, so in that case the scrolls won't be of any help to her. So he wants us to keep them for ourselves," Choji explained. "And if they're there, he wants you to help Sasuke with your plant knowledge. Once he catches the sound people, he'll meet us at gate 12."
"Okay, let's head for gate 12. If Bakugo can't stay still for a minute, I'll help Sasuke, who at least has more sense," Ino said. "Let's go!"
—Shikamaru, help me with the sword. It's heavy,—Choji asked.
"What a pain," Shikamaru said with a sigh of resignation.
Shikamaru and Chōji carried the Kubikiribōchō between them while Ino led the procession.
"Come on, faster! You guys are slow!" Ino complained, looking back.
"If you could help us carry this, we'd go faster, Ino," Shikamaru said, referring to Bakugo's sword.
"A lady isn't cut out for such tasks. If I say we need to go faster, I mean we need to go faster! Sasuke-kun needs my help!" Ino exclaimed.
—Wow...—Shikamaru was about to say his signature line when he was interrupted by Ino.
"And don't even think about saying that ridiculous phrase again!" Ino threatened him.
"You're more sensitive than usual today, Ino," Choji commented.
"It's that stupid Bakugo, he drives me crazy with his nonsense," Ino said.
"I'm sure he's fine. That guy isn't human. I'm telling you," Choji said.
—Please don't do anything stupid again Bakugo... Come as soon as possible and leave those sound guys alone.. —Ino thought, worried.
Group 10 didn't add anything else to the topic and continued on their way in silence. About half an hour later, they were at the designated location. There were Sakura, Sasuke, Lee, and three other ninjas from the Hidden Rain Village they didn't know. Sasuke and Lee were still unconscious, and Sakura was barely standing, fighting off the rain genin.
—No more being cowards! This time we're going to help Sakura! —said Ino determinedly.
"Understood," Shikamaru said, letting go of the sword, thus placing all of its weight on Choji.
—Hey, let me know if you're going to do that! This thing weighs a ton! What am I going to do with it? —Choji asked.
"Throw it, we'll pick it up later," Shikamaru said.
Choji did as Shikamaru said and threw the sword to the ground. Team 10 then stood in front of the injured Sakura to confront the Rain Trio. They looked at Team 10 in surprise.
"Ino...what are you doing here?" Sakura asked, wiping the blood that was coming out of her split lip.
"What do you think? Help Sasuke-kun! Leave these guys to us," Ino said.
"Okay..." Sakura stated, since she barely had any strength left to continue fighting.
"Damn..." said the only kunoichi of the rain trio. "This seemed easy before, but now that these three have joined, it doesn't seem so easy anymore, Hotori..." she said to the one who seemed to be the leader of the three.
"It doesn't matter, these kids don't seem that strong," Hotori said. "Besides, they're from Konoha. Which is a second-rate village."
"They may not be strong, but we certainly are," said an authoritative voice from atop a tree. "And if our village seems second-rate to you, then yours must be third-rate."
Sakura, Team 10, and the Rain Trio all turned their heads to see who had said that. It was Neji Hyuga, who was with Tenten at the top of a tree.
"Let's see if any of you are ready for a real fight," Neji continued.
"I don't like this..." a bald boy from the rain village commented. "More and more genin from Konoha are arriving. I think it would be best to run away, Hotori."
"No way. We've been fooled before, so we have nothing to lose," Hotori said. "I don't want to go back to our village looking like a coward."
"That's Lee's team..." Sakura commented, her knees on the ground due to her injuries. "When did they get here?"
—READ!—Tenten shouted, worried.
"You screwed her. You shouldn't have harmed our comrade," Neji said, enraged.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Hotori questioned. "Those kids were already unconscious when we arrived. The only one we've fought is the pink-haired girl, who won't give us her shit."
"I've told you a thousand times that we don't have any problems!" Sakura replied, losing her patience.
"I don't care if you're telling the truth or not," Neji commented, looking at the rain leader. "Either way, I'll make you pay for insulting Konoha." "BYAKUGAN!" As he applied the technique, he realized something was wrong with Sasuke. "Huh?"
"What's going on, Neji?" Tenten asked.
—That chakra.—Neji thought
"Are you going to stay up there all day on that tree branch? Or are you going to come down here and do something?" Hotori asked sarcastically.
"Honestly, I think I'll leave it to Sasuke. I want to see how strong the surviving member of the Uchiha clan is," Neji commented.
Everyone present was surprised by Neji's words, but then they saw why he said that, as they saw in astonishment how Sasuke was standing.
"SASUKE! YOU'RE AWAKE!" Sakura shouted joyfully. But her joy was short-lived when she felt a sinister purple chakra emanating from her body. In addition, strange black markings adorned part of her face, like tattoos. "Huh?"