Though the idea of destroying the Behemoth's Tongue was becoming increasingly tempting, Temari forced herself to stay within the mission parameters. It would destroy her pride as a ninja to do otherwise.
It seemed then that she had no other choice. She would have to risk it all on one final attack. At the very least, it would buy her a bit of time and, if she were lucky, it might even do some damage.
Temari stood herself up on her legs and gripped her fan with both hands. She opened it up and lifted it over her head. Then she began to focus her chakra.
“Hmm?” Marunomi eye her quizzically.
An aura began to emanate from Temari and the earth started to shake. A stream of wind began to flow into her fan. She harnessed as much energy as she could, tearing her muscles apart in the process until, finally, it was ready. She flung the fan over her head, straight at Marunomi, and from the fan erupted a humongous tornado.
Marunomi stared at the twister, genuinely surprised. It bore straight down on her and she had no way of evading it. In a matter of seconds, it had engulfed her and she was sent flying through the cyclone. The tornado tossed her body around like a rag doll. Sharp cutting gales of wind struck her skin.
Temari looked on as the tornado did its work. Suddenly, a crippling pain overtook her and she fell to her knees, leaning on her fan once again. The jutsu had taken more out of her then she thought. She was practically helpless now. If the tornado didn’t defeat Marunomi (and Temari had a strong suspicion that it wouldn’t) then Temari would be completely at her mercy.
The tornado went on spinning and raging for almost a minute until, finally, it began to subside. The winds dissipated returning the forest clearing to its formerly tranquil state.
Temari looked up and saw Marunomi’s body plummet from the sky. She landed several meters away from Temari, flat on her back. Marunomi simply lied there, completely still, her large belly sticking up in the air. Temari watched her for several seconds until, finally, Marunomi moved, rising to her feet with almost no effort and brushing herself off.
“Whew. That was fun,” she said. “Didn’t know you had it in ya, sand girl.”
Temari looked back at her, angered, frustrated, and more than a little afraid. Marunomi began to approach her. She stopped just a few feet away and raised the Behemoth’s Tongue.
“But that’s good,” Marunomi said. “Just means more chakra for me.”
Immobile and helpless, Temari stared straight ahead at the artifact and the woman that had already devoured her teammates and now was going to do the same to her.
“Don’t worry,” Marunomi said. “You should consider it a great honor to become a part of me.”
The chamber began to glow yellow. Marunomi smiled wickedly.
Temari closed her eyes as she braced herself for the inevitable.
*What happens next?
