The lost soul..

"The Devil? You are Yoshihiro Shimazu then?"

Yoshihiro's smirk only grew. "I suppose I am." He replies as he settles into a heavily offense oriented stance which Shino recognizes to have been used by many ninja that use large weapons, such as the seven swordsmen and some Iwa nins who specialised in Kenjutsu during the war.

Shino adjusted his glasses further up his nose. It was the only warning Yoshihiro had before a swarm of Kikaichu converged behind him forming one of the Aburame's signature clones who tried to plunge a kunai into the back of his skull.

Shino watches as the older man catches the clones movement from the corner of his eyes before he smirks, craning his neck to the side, evading the strike before he plunged the spike end of his hammer into the clones gut, forcing the Kikaichu to disperse and return to Shino's body."

"Heh, if that's the best you got. I wont even need this old thing." He says as he straps the war hammer to his back.

Shino again adjust his glasses before he speaks. "I see." Before he vanishes in another swarm of Kikaichu.

Yoshihiro watches as hundreds of the pests swarm the air around him, creating a decent shade as their sheer numbers nearly blocked out the sun.

Suddenly the bugs grouped together next to him and formed a near solid mass that hit him square across the face, making the older man stumble back with a grunt followed by another mass of Kikaichu that hit him across the lower back, forcing him to stumble forward, nearly falling to the ground. Yoshihiro grunted before yet another mass of Kikaichu appeared slightly beneath him and slammed into his stomach, propelling him upwards enough to knock him flat on his back, seven feet from his original position.

The Kikai swarm hovered over him as the larger man let out a bellowing chuckle. "Hehehehe, not bad kid." Yoshihiro complements as he stands up fingering a kunai Shino from his hidden viewpoint recognized as his own- he had placed it so the would land on it when he fell. "That would have taken out any common grunt pretty easily. But then again..."

"I am far from common" Shino spun around in time to receive a fist straight to the face, knocking his shades off his nose and sending him careening through a second story window and back into the courtyard where Yoshihiro had previously been standing. He looked up in time to see the "original" Yoshihiro melt into a pile of dirt and rocks.

'A clone? But I never even saw him make the hand seals.'

A shadow loomed over his form, looking up he saw Yoshihiro standing there with that same smirk on his face. "Get up brat. We're far from done yet."

"Shino...Shino can you hear me?" Hinata's eyes narrowed, getting nothing but static on her radio before she looked to the general direction she knew the bug user to be. "Tenten."

"Yeah." The weapon mistress answered back.

"I'll go see if Shino's in trouble. Press the attack and if I don't report back in twenty minutes, pull the men back got it?"

"Wah, hey wait a minute!"

Hinata turned off her radio before she pocketed it and made her way to the north eastern side of the city.

Shino grunted as an armored fist buried itself deep within his gut, sending him skidding across the floor before he came to a stop, gripping his abdomen with one arm as he held a Kunai defensively on the other.

If there was any doubt about this mans skill before there was certainly none now. While Taijutsu had never been his strong point and he admitted that that's basically all they had been using for this fight since he exposed his hiding place the old mans moves should be clunky and slow due to the heavy armor. But he moved almost as easily as Lee did with the spandex. Not only that but metal covered fists hurt a lot more than normal.

And that hammer on his back,,,while Shino hadn't really seen it in action apart from his initial attack his Kikaichu were telling him that the weapon itself held some odd power, one that was not to be taken lightly.

Yoshihiro cracked his neck, knuckles and shoulder. "Heh, I'm surprised you kept your lunch in your gut after that brat. Most would have probably hacked up their spleen."

Shino had to admit that too, he was still trying to get the air back into his lungs. Still, straightening his back the bug user formed his hand seals before he extended his arms forward and another swarm of Kikaichu headed for the Tsuchikage.

"Same old tricks?" Yoshihiro smirked as he began forming his own hand seals for a jutsu.

Only a finely tuned sixth sense gave him enough warning to lean back in time to avoid another Shino which came straight down from above with a Kunai attempting to cleave his skull open helmet and all. Before he hit the floor he dispersed in another swarm of Kikaichu. Yoshihiro snapped his gaze up to the original swarm as it formed yet another Shino, with a claw like appendage in the place of a right arm, reminiscent of a prey mantis which pierced the Tsuchikage's throat with a sickening wet slice.

Only to have the older nin vanish and be replaced by a log before an earth spike appeared bellow and impaled the clone, dispersing the Kikaichu.

"Not bad, young one." Yoshihiro complemented as he looked to where the original Shino had been standing only to find it empty.

An explosion from the ground to his right was the only warning he had in order to roll onto his side to avoid whatever attack the young bug user had used against him. He stood up, only for his helmet to fall off of his head, the small rope which held it there cut. Checking the area he found a small dribble of blood along the side of his neck. Smirking he looked upon Shino as the bug boy hovered above the ground infront of him, a pair of dragon fly like wings formed by the Kikaichu on his back and one prey mantis like appendage in replacement of his right arm, also formed by Kikaichu. "Not bad at all." The old man repeated as his smirk only grew, gripping the hilt of the war hammer on his back with anticipation.

Tenten's long straight sword dug deep into the mans stomach, the Konoha Jounin grunted before she pushed the blade with enough force to go completely through him, pulling upwards so as to open the wound more before she pulled it out.

Turning on her heel she twirled a kunai in her other hand before she threw it with expert accuracy through the crowd of rushing ally and enemy ninja, hitting her target, an Iwa ninja's throat, dead center stopping him from delivering the killing blow onto one of her fellow Konoha nins. Looking to her right she found another of the militia men approaching, his blade raised high in an aggressive stance.

Twirling slightly to the side, she parried the mans downward strike so it passed behind her as she spun around, her own blade held so it went along her spine before she came around with a low swing, separating the mans leg from the rest of him.

Taking out yet another kunai the Kunoichi buried it into the center of his back, piercing his spinal cord and killing him near instantly.

She paused as she felt a strong pulse of what felt like Shino's chakra, followed shortly by a larger burst of another chakra she didn't recognize.

She was brought out of her musings as she heard more approaching footsteps behind her. Taking out a double bladed kunai from one of the many slots in her clothing she turned, parrying the mans weapon before she brought the blade back, slitting his throat with ease before placing the weapon back in its place.

Another massive crash and dust cloud spread throughout the courtyard. Shino's form could be seen as it rose above the cloud the wings behind him moving rapidly in an attempt to lift him as fast as possible.

The reason was soon revealed as a massive mud dragon followed his form shortly after, the armor covered form of the Tsuchikage at its head.

"Whats wrong brat?" Yoshihiro taunted as he blocked some hastily thrown kunai.

Shino extended his free hand and another swarm of Kikaichu flew out of his wrists, latching onto the dragon, making it slowly crumble into nothingness as they ate the chakra that held it together. With a strong leap Yoshihiro lunged for the bug user, his hammer raised in preparation to smash the Shino's head to bits.

Swerving up and above he appeared behind Yoshihiro, placing his hand on the man's back, forcing dozens of Kikaichu onto him.

Soon, the purple like armor turned brown, followed by the rest of him, revealing yet another earth clone.

'Where did...' The bug user turned around catching sight of Yoshihiro's war hammer heading straight for him. Swerving as best he could in order to dodge, the hammer still caught one of his wings, throwing him off balance as the Kikaichu struggled to reform quick enough.

Yoshihiro would not allow him that chance however as a hail of Kunai and Shuriken assaulted Shino as he tried to reform his wing. The bug user blocked as best he could with his blade like appendage and another kunai he had hastilly drawn, it was not enough however as two kunai pierced his upper left thigh and his left bicep. Shino grunted before looking at the general building the Kunai had come from. Before he threw some more of his own, these with explosive tags.

With great blasts the tags went off sending a minor shockwave through the area around him.

Suddenly something slammed into his side pushing the air right out of him and he heard two distinct snaps from his rib area before he was sent careening into the side of a building and down to the floor.

Shino coughed as he struggled to his knees coughing up blood as searing pain shot through his chest. He looked up, finding Yoshihiro a few yards away, his hammer over his shoulder and signature smirk on his face. "Heh, well kid its been fun. But I gotta keep moving." The older man said as he raised the hammer over his head.

"As the devil, let me be the one to send you off to HELL!" He yelled out the last part as he slammed the hammer down onto the floor. A trail of jagged earth spikes made their way towards Shino. The Konoha bug user tried to move but the sheer burning agony any movement, even breathing, caused at this point halted him before he even made it to his feet.

Two strong yet feminine arms wrapped around his chest and hauled him up away from the attack, forcing him to bite back a scream of as the movement jostled his ribs.

Yoshihiro smirked as he found an empty space where Shino's impaled form should have been.

He let his eyes travel a bit more to the left, finding the new arrival of one Hyuuga Hinata as she set her comrade down, well away from the action around them.

"A Hyuuga eh? Been a while since I faced any of you guys." He said placing the hammer back on his shoulder and straightening up, settling himself in a relaxed stance.

"Don't worry." Hinata whispered to the heavily breathing Shino. "Leave it to me." As she moved to stand Shino grabbed her sleeve, halting her.

"Be careful. I have the feeling...he may have just been toying with me."

Hinata nodded before she stood and faced her new opponent.

Yoshihiro smirked. "Now then...why don't I show you why they call me the Devil?"

As he spoke these words numerous seals glowed over the iron skin of his armor, revealing hundreds of tiny little patterns before the glow died down, Hinata noticed the chakra output increase quite a bit. As well as the faint green glow that now surrounded him.

The smirk remained as he took his stance. "Right, now lets see how well you do girl?"