The girl had used the Byakugan. Marunomi had never seen it herself, but she had heard about it. The pale eyes, the veins on the side of the user's head. Yes, there was no mistaking it. The Byakugan had the ability to see chakra nodes and, if this girl had used it, then she likely knew of Marunomi's weakness. And that was not a risk Marunomi was willing to take.

In an instant, Marunomi vanished from her current position, and appeared directly behind Hinata. Just managing to get back on her feet, Hinata barely had any time to react as the rogue ninja made her move. Hinata turned her head back just in time to see Marunomi's open mouth bearing down on her. Before she knew it, Hinata's upper body had been engulfed by Marunomi's hungry maw.

"HINATA!" Sakura and Temari cried.

As Hinata met the wet slimy insides of Marunomi's maw, she instinctively tried to resist, but her movements were greatly limited as her arms had been bound by Marunomi's jaws. As if to hamper even the slightest resistance, Marunomi grabbed Hinata's wrists and forced them against her waist. The rogue ninja then got a good grip on Hinata's body and lifted the girl off her feet. With Hinata's body tilted downwards towards Marunomi's gullet, the voracious ninja swallowed and the Hyuga girl began her descent down Marunomi's throat.

It had all happened so quickly that Temari and Sakura could do nothing but watch as Marunomi devoured their comrade.

Inside Marunomi's esophagus, Hinata desperately tried to think of anything she could do to escape. But nothing came to her. There was nothing she could do. She had been caught and now the only thing for her was to wait until she completed her journey into Marunomi's ever-growing stomach.

Marunomi clutched her belly as it began to expand even more as the Hyuga girl filled it. Soon, only Hinata's legs remained outside of her mouth. Marunomi wrapped her tongue around them pulled them further into her throat. She closed her mouth over Hinata's feet and, with one final swallow, completed her meal of Hyuga girl.

Meanwhile, Temari and Sakura, back on their feet, regrouped and gained some distance from the rogue ninja. Their hearts sunk in horror of having lost another teammate.

"Hinata...no..." Sakura said meekly.

Conversely, Marunomi was all too pleased with the latest addition to her waistline. "Mmm, she was divine," she said as she caressed her swollen abdomen, which now contained two full teenage girls, plus the orb that had once been Ino. She then turned her attention to Temari and Sakura.

"Well, I think I still have room for the two of you," she said with one hand resting on her globular belly. "So shall we continue?"

Temari was at a loss it was now down to just her and Sakura and they were no closer to finding a way to defeat Marunomi. It seemed now they were left with only two options, to fight or retreat.


*What does Temari decide?