Hard thudding footsteps sounded out behind them at a louder and louder pace. The boys turned around to find the statue gaining on them, Naruto's eyes widened at the speed that it was walking at, "Why is it so much faster down here?"
Sai looked and turned around before pulling out his ink, "It must be the momentum that it can gain down here on this long straightaway as opposed to the room we had it in the first time. Sumi Nagashi (Ink Flush)." Sai poured some of his ink onto the ground and made a few hand-seals. Many ink snakes burst from the ground and attempted to ensnare the statue but upon making contact, the seal array reverted them back to ink.
"Was there any part of you that thought that would work?" Naruto gave Sai a dry look as they continued to run, "Sai-kouhai, nothing has changed since the last time we fought this thing, except this time I can't take control of it to beat it. Our jutsu will still disperse upon even touching this thing."
Sai nodded in agreement, "Uzushiogakure truly were fearsome seal masters if they could make buildings and living golems resistant to chakra based attacks."
Naruto shot a look over his shoulder, "Marvel at my ancestors' workmanship later, we still need to lose this thing and find the way out. My Kage Bunshin didn't find an exit, it just found a different path to use." When Sai gave him a questioning look he shrugged, "I told it to find me a path and that's what it did. I never said to go any further."
Naruto and Sai had to separate as now the statue had gotten close enough to nearly squash the both of them with its foot. It began swinging across at both boys, hitting more walls and causing more things to fall. Naruto and Sai sped up as the cavern began collapsing, "What is this thing's problem? It's going to bury itself too if it keeps this up!"
The emotionless Root ninja rejoined with Naruto as they started putting more distance between them and the statue, "It must not care as long as it is able to repel all invaders. It possibly won't leave us alone until we are dead. I wonder how it knows where we are."
Naruto shook his head, "I don't know, but it's just a stupid statue. We might not be able to destroy it but we can outsmart it." They then entered a clearing where there were several possible tunnels to take, leading further underground, "So how are you at labyrinths and mazes Sai?"
Sai stood for a moment, the statue closing in behind them before grabbing Naruto and dragging him down a random path, he dragged Naruto so abruptly that Naruto didn't even have time to steady himself and channel chakra to his limbs. Now that he thought about it, Sai wasn't doing that either. After rounding a corner, Sai grabbed Naruto and pulled him against the wall, keeping him from speaking with his hand over his mouth. As the sound of thudding got lower and lower, Sai eventually removed his hand and gestured for Naruto to stay quiet.
Naruto spoke in a whisper, "What was that all about?"
Sai responded, "I know how it found us in the cave. When we last saw it we had left it in that tower with the elevator platform coming from the ground, correct?" Naruto nodded, "Well I believe that the statue can sense bursts of chakra anywhere within the inner workings of Uzushiogakure, like the way the wall absorbed our chakra when we tried to climb it at first, I believe it sends signals of our location to the statue, like some kind of radar."
Naruto's interest was piqued, "So you're saying that we're actually somewhere important in Uzu? But what about the statue, that bastard will just keep coming for us the entire time we're down here."
Sai shook his head, "It responds to bursts of chakra. If we refrain from using any at all then it won't be able to pinpoint our location and will return to its hibernation mode on its platform."
Naruto stroked his chin, he could see how that could work. He did flare his chakra before going to sleep in the cave, that left ample time for the statue to come from wherever its resting place was to somewhere it could attack them from, "Wait. Is the platform our only way out of here?"
Sai shrugged, "I'm not sure Naruto-senpai, but it's certainly the most blatant way out of here should we find it."
Naruto groaned lowly, "So to get out of here we pretty much have to go to the big, ugly, killer statue. That's just great." Naruto looked around where Sai had pulled him to, "Where the hell is this?"
Sai looked as well. The room, if you could call it that, was a dead-end area with one ornate door on the far wall. There were skeletons in old shinobi armor strewn about the vicinity. The two boys looked around, inspecting the skeletons. Sai picked up some old rusted kunai and shuriken before deeming them utterly useless and throwing them aside.
Naruto scooped down near one of the deceased skeleton ninja and picked up a dusty looking book. He blew the dust off of it and opened it up before reading it aloud.
(Autumn War. 3 days after the primary defenses shattered.)
The enemy alliance has fought their way into our border and are now moving towards the main citadel. In an effort to retreat and take stock of our resources and chances of launching a counterattack in the near future we secretly fled to the hidden whirlpool catacombs beneath the village.
There are approximately 32 of us remaining as the rest elected to remain above, leading the enemy fools into the towers to their deaths. The sounds of the fools screaming from the first tower ring out through our chambers as I write, they just seem to keep sending their men inside, knowing that the sentinel awaits them.
The moment the commotion up above stops we will strike.
(6 days since the primary defenses shattered.)
The battle above still rages. The village leader will not acquiesce to our requests to rejoin the battle above. The sounds of our brethren still combating the foe ring out as clear as day in our ears as we sit and wait down below. The men are growing stir crazy and bitter at our inaction, however we must go with the will of our leader, he knows what is needed for Uzushiogakure to survive.
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