As Ino punched the shark in the head, the creature seemed to lose its mind, its jaw tilting slightly, almost as if it were grinning.
Before anyone could react, Ino swung her leg and kicked the shark squarely under the chin, sending it flying backward.
What a violent girl.
"Shadow Stitching Jutsu!"
Shikamaru unleashed an evolved version of his clan's secret technique. Unlike the original, which was limited to ambushes, this variation allowed his shadows to engage in direct combat.
A dark disc rapidly expanded from his feet, spreading outward in all directions until it formed a three-meter-wide shadow platform.
"Both of you, get over here! There's something much bigger coming from below!"
Shikamaru's sensory abilities weren't as sharp as Ino's, but his intelligence and keen observation made up for it. Just by watching the movements of the fish below, he deduced that something massive was approaching.
Whether his deduction was correct or not, Ino and Chōji didn't hesitate. They immediately disengaged from the attacking fish and leaped onto the shadow platform.
*GROOOAAAN...*
A deep, resonant sound echoed as an enormous shadow emerged from beneath the waves—easily spanning nearly a hundred meters in diameter.
"What the—?"
Shikamaru didn't have time to think. His hands flew through a series of hand seals.
"Shadow Secret Technique: Shadow Escape!"
---
"Damn, these three have some insane luck!"
Hikari muttered from a distance before patting Koyuki on the shoulder. "Get inside the cabin. There's going to be a storm."
"You're lying! There's no way—"
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Before Koyuki could finish, Hikari split into four clones, then dashed toward Team Ino-Shika-Chō.
"Four Red Yang Formation!"
Each clone took position at a cardinal direction, forming the barrier with a series of seals.
Koyuki glanced at the clones, then turned her worried gaze toward the distance.
"Please... come back safely."
---
"Crap, the water's reversing flow!"
"There's a whirlpool forming below!"
Even Shikamaru was starting to panic.
The hundred-meter-wide stretch of sea was churning violently, spinning like a massive vortex. Their shadow platform was like a leaf on the surface, at risk of being swallowed at any moment. They wanted to escape, but the water's movement was too fast—if they tried to jump now, they'd likely lose their footing and get dragged under.
"Even the sharks can't escape?" Ino watched as the struggling sharks were sucked into the depths.
"Could this be the legendary Maelstrom?" Shikamaru racked his brain, trying to recall any knowledge that might help them survive.
But human strength had its limits.
Shinobi possessed power beyond ordinary people, but at this stage, Shikamaru and his team were nowhere near capable of handling a disaster of this scale.
"Calm down. If we're gonna die anyway, might as well eat some chips."
Chōji pulled out a bag of chips from his pocket and started munching away.
"How can you think about eating at a time like this?! Can't you try to come up with something?!" Ino snapped before snatching the bag from him and shoving a handful into her own mouth.
"If we're about to die, I might as well stop dieting." She added.
"You two... have you completely given up?" A voice laced with exasperation cut in.
"Can fighting spirit fill our stomachs?" Chōji replied absentmindedly, pulling out another bag. "We're gonna die anyway. No point wasting food."
"Yeah, yeah! These are delicious—give me another bag!"
"Yeah, my ass!" Hikari had had enough.
*Thwack! Thwack!*
Two solid knocks later, Ino and Chōji were crouched in pain.
"Ow! Shika—wait, Hikari-senpai?! You're here?" Ino's face lit up before quickly twisting into a pout.
"If you hadn't made us train like this, we wouldn't be dying here! Ugh... I never even found my true love!"
"Isn't it Sasuke?"
"Don't mention that jerk!"
"Then take your time thinking about it. You'll have plenty of time later." Hikari turned to Shikamaru, his eyes filled with approval. "Keeping your cool in a crisis—Shikamaru, you've got the makings of a true leader."
Shikamaru glanced at the rapidly spinning whirlpool, his expression bitter.
"Hikari-senpai, now's not the time for jokes. We're about to get swallowed by a maelstrom, and now you're here too? This is just pointless sacrifice!"
"You guys really have no faith in me, huh?" Hikari sighed before delivering three swift knocks to their heads.
*Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!*
"I know the truth hurts, but... even if you're not strong enough to save us, coming here was really manly of you, senpai. Too bad we're all gonna die. Otherwise, I'd stop talking behind your back." Ino, facing death, spoke her mind.
"We'll settle that score when we get back."
Hikari grabbed Shikamaru by the waist with one hand and Chōji by the belt with the other. "Ino, hold onto me."
"What, trying to cop a feel at a time like this?" she grumbled but obediently wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest.
"Please, gods, just let me live..."
"I don't know about divine intervention, but I'll make sure you survive." Hikari said.
With a light step, he launched forward — soaring dozens of meters in a single leap.
But even then, they were still far from escaping the whirlpool. Worse, the water's surface was now filled with shattered rocks and fish carcasses, making it impossible to use as a foothold.
"Hikari-senpai... just throw me down and use me as a stepping stone."
This was before Naruto's era of using shadow clones for midair movement, so the only solution Shikamaru could think of was sacrificing himself.
"If I did that, I wouldn't be your senpai anymore."
"Stop talking. Time for me to show off."
As they neared the water, Shikamaru could clearly see the debris and dead fish swirling below. Chōji kept munching on chips like nothing was happening, while Ino clung to Hikari like a frightened ostrich.
"Sky Step!"
Left foot stepping on right, right foot stepping on left.
Shikamaru's jaw dropped as Hikari flew again.
This defied all logic.
Just where the hell did you learn a jutsu like this?!
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