Having begun to acquire a new S-level technique to overcome the 4th Hokage, Naruto began the final phase of his training... Meanwhile, the Asuma unit ended up displacing Akatsuki's men in a maraude in the Land of Fire. Shikamaru and his friends went on to attack, and despite the brief advantage conferred by surprise, they found themselves very quickly in difficulty in the face of the terrifying powers of their opponents...