How to play an animation at an angle?

I want to add a pathfinding system to my NPC soldier.

I have already prepared an aiming animation, it makes soldier aim ahead with his gun. However, I know there will be several situations, that NPC will run in a certain direction while shooting an enemy standing, let's say, to the left of him.

Is there any way to play animation at angle, so a soldier can aim sideways? I was reading something about "inverse kinematics" or "transform property", but I don't know if this is a right thing.