A Shirker's Call to Action: A Layabout No More!

This is episode 70 in Naruto.

Episode Summary
Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru, and Pakkun are being chased down by several Sound ninja. Shikamaru decides to stop and try to hold them off so the others can catch up to Sasuke without fear of pursuit. Shikamaru is the logical choice because of his Shadow Possession Jutsu...needless to say, Shikamaru's not too thrilled by this.

Plot
Kakashi orders Sakura to dispel Naruto and Shikamaru. She dispelled Naruto and it turns out that Shikamaru had already done so. Kakashi tells them that this is an A-Rank mission and they need to catch up to Sasuke. Pakkun noticed that Sound nins are following them. He says that there are nine of them. Pakkun stopped and tells them to step on their footprints so that it looks like that they prints have stopped. This would at least buy them some time. Naruto tells everyone that they should ambush them but Pakkun tells them that there would at least be a jonin with those guys following them. Then Shikamaru says that an ambush wouldn't work because those guys following them are trained for this while their group is comprised of an idiot, a female ninja with no special talent, a dog, and the number coward. Then Shikamaru says that they need a decoy so the other three can complete the mission. He says that the decoy will most probably die. Shikamaru says that he will do it because his shadow imitation jutsu is designed to stop people. Naruto, Sakura, and Pakkun leaves him. Pakkun tells everyone that the sound nins are catching up to them. Sakura now feels worried because Shikamaru might have just run away. The sound nins saw footprints and suddenly they couldn't move. Shikamaru shows up and says that they fell into his trap. Shikamaru is still feeling the effects of his fight and he realized that he can't hold on for much longer. He threw kunai at the enemy and all of his attacks were deflected by another nin hiding in the trees. Pakkun tells everyone that the pursuers have stopped. Sakura says that she is sorry that she doubted him. Shikamaru's technique has stopped working but Asuma saved him. Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara has now noticed that there are more people chasing them now. Meanwhile, the fight between the Third and the First and Second is about to start.