Marunomi's slimy appendage slipped right between Sakura and Hinata, and wrapped itself around Temari. Sakura and Hinata turned their heads, trying to understand what had just happened.
It was her tongue. Marunomi had shot out her tongue. It had been stretched dozens of feet long and was now constricting Temari’s movement. The Sand ninja attempted to break free, but her arms had been bound and there was nothing she could do.
Then, almost as quickly as Marunomi had fired out her tongue, she tilted her head back and reeled it back in. At once, Temari was pulled through the air and made a beeline straight for Marunomi. As the captured girl catapulted towards her, Marunomi opened her mouth wide. Temari looked straight ahead and saw the dark chasm awaiting her. Finally, the distance was closed between them and Marunomi engulfed Temari’s head in her mouth.
As Marunomi had said, she was eating her whole.
“TEMARI!” Sakura and Hinata shrieked, unable to do anything due to the pure shock of what they were witnessing.
With Temari’s head safely in her mouth, Marunomi lifted the girl up and began to force her further down her throat. She took a big swallow, passing Temari’s head into her esophagus. She the repeated the process, forcing more of Temari into her mouth and then swallowing more of her.
As she made the descent into Marunomi’s stomach, Temari struggled and kicked as hard as she could, but to no avail. Marunomi had a firm grip on her, and Temari was steadily plunging further into her gullet.
Soon, Temari was swallowed up to her hips. Her head had entered Marunomi’s belly, which began to expand even more. Gulp-by-gulp, Temari was forced further in and Marunomi’s stomach grew even more to make room for her. Finally, all that was left was Temari’s feet. Marunomi wrapped her tongue around them and pulled them in. With one final gulp, Temari was sealed within Marunomi’s body. She had been completely devoured.
Sakura and Hinata looked on in horror. They both knew about Marunomi’s cannibalistic tendencies, but nothing could have prepared them for what they had just seen. Marunomi had devoured Temari like a savage animal. In practically an instant, their leader had disappeared from the world, becoming nothing more than an addition to the swell of Marunomi’s middle. All that was left of Temari was her giant fan that had been dropped to the ground and left with no owner.
Marunomi’s belly had grown immensely; much more than when she had devoured Tenten and Ino. Of course, swallowing a human being whole would do that. She stroked and caressed her greatly expanded middle, adjusting to the heft that came with it. She attempted to stifle a fairly large burp, but it managed to escape her lips.
“Oh my,” she said, and then resumed stroking her stomach. “It’s been a little while since I’ve done that.” She looked up, staring at the two remaining kunoichi. “You didn’t think the Behemoth’s Tongue was the only way I had of…well, partaking of such succulent treats like you, did you?” She chuckled. “Remember, I can make any part of my body elastic so that even a full-sized meal can slide down quite easily. It’s more cumbersome and I don’t get quite as much chakra, but it certainly does the trick. And, I have to admit, I loved feeling her struggle all the way down.”
Though still unnerved, Sakura and Hinata knew they had to do something. They may have lost their team leader, but they still had a mission to complete and, more importantly, they had to save their friends and the village. They had to figure out some way to beat her. The only question was, how?
