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

is episode 70 of the original Naruto anime.

Synopsis
Kakashi ordered Sakura to dispel Naruto and Shikamaru. She dispelled Naruto, and it turned out that Shikamaru had already done so. Kakashi told them that this was an A-Rank mission, and they needed to catch up to Sasuke. Pakkun noticed that Sound ninja were following them, and said that there were nine of them. Pakkun stopped, and told them to step on their footprints, so that it looked like that their prints had stopped. This would at least buy them some time.

Naruto told everyone that they should ambush them, but Pakkun told them that there would at least be a Jonin with those ninja following them. Then Shikamaru said that an ambush wouldn't work, because those ninja following them were trained for this, while their group was comprised of an idiot, a female ninja with no special talent, a dog, and the number one coward. Then Shikamaru said that they needed a decoy, so the other three could complete the mission. He said that the decoy would most probably die. Shikamaru said that he would do it, because his shadow imitation jutsu was designed to stop people. Naruto, Sakura, and Pakkun left him.

Pakkun told everyone that the Sound ninja were catching up to them. Sakura now felt worried, because Shikamaru might have just run away. The Sound ninja saw footprints, and suddenly they were unable to move. Shikamaru showed up, and said that they fell into his trap. Shikamaru was still feeling the effects of his fight, and he realised that he couldn't hold on for much longer. He threw a kunai at the enemy; however, all of his attacks were deflected by another ninja hiding in the trees.

Pakkun told everyone that the pursuers had stopped. Sakura said that she was sorry that she had doubted Shikamaru. Shikamaru's technique had stopped working, but Asuma arrived to save him. Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara had now noticed that there were more people chasing them. Meanwhile, the fight between the Third, and the First and Second, was about to start.