Silently, Shikamaru absorbed a shadow into his body, the one he had collected from Yagami Yoru before her demise. Orochimaru and the others had no idea of this, showcasing just how stealthy Shikamaru's actions were. In her final moments, Yagami Yoru's kekkei genkai seemed to awaken, but it was too late, ultimately benefiting Shikamaru.
"Anko! Stay still and leave Ryuya to me. Orochimaru and his lot are mine to handle." Shikamaru said softly, gently setting Anko down.
Turning to Ryuya, who lay beneath him, Shikamaru instructed, "Ryuya, keep an eye on Anko for me. I'll let you know when to act."
"Don't worry about it! Our clan may not excel in combat, but protecting a girl isn't an issue." Ryuya replied confidently.
A faint whistling sound broke the tension. Shikamaru's sharp eyes spotted Sasuke bolting away. A cold, ruthless smile curled his lips.
"Ryuya, unleash your strongest light. Now!" Shikamaru commanded, his tone emotionless.
"No problem!" Ryuya answered. His massive, glowing antlers trembled, releasing an explosion of light as bright as the sun. The intense brilliance flooded the area, forcing everyone to close their eyes against the sudden glare.
"Damn it..." Sasuke cursed under his breath as he darted away. The moment Shikamaru summoned his creature, memories of a similar encounter flashed through Sasuke's mind, prompting his immediate retreat.
Suddenly, Sasuke leapt into the air, turning to face his pursuer. His eyes gleamed as he roared, "Amaterasu!"
Black flames erupted across the sky, creating a fiery barrier in front of Sasuke. Yet the relentless light continued to pierce through.
"Ryuya, redirect the light around those black flames and focus it on him!" Shikamaru ordered, his intent clear, Sasuke had to die.
Ryuya, though unsure of Shikamaru's plan, obeyed. While his light typically served to blind enemies, it lacked lethal power.
A blood-curdling scream tore through the air. The sound of Sasuke's agony made Orochimaru and Hiruko stiffen. Orochimaru recognized the voice immediately, Sasuke. Yet, in the blinding light, Sasuke's presence vanished entirely.
Shock consumed Orochimaru. Sasuke, armed with the Mangekyo Sharingan, had been eliminated with nothing more than a flash of light. The Uchiha name was tarnished.
Far away at Akatsuki headquarters, Itachi's eyes snapped open. His Mangekyo Sharingan flared as he sensed something. "Sasuke... what's happened to you?" he murmured, staring toward Sasuke's direction.
⚔──────────────
"Shadow Ninja Art: Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
With Sasuke's demise, Shikamaru formed a series of seals, summoning thousands of shadow clones that encircled Orochimaru and Hiruko. He couldn't afford to waste time, Yugito could return with a contingent of Cloud ninja at any moment.
Hiruko's tiger roared, unleashing a column of fire that scattered the shadow clones. Meanwhile, Orochimaru spurred Manda into action, the massive serpent's tail sweeping through the battlefield.
"Shadow Ninja Art: Shadow Phase!"
Before the attacks could connect, Shikamaru's clones melded into shadows, evading the onslaught.
"Ryuya, keep the light going!" Shikamaru ordered. In the pitch-black night, his shadow techniques depended on Ryuya's illumination.
"Understood!" Ryuya replied, radiating light that turned the valley as bright as day.
"Shadow Ninja Art: Shadow Trap, Two Thousand Chains!"
With a hum, shadow traps spread from the feet of Shikamaru's clones, linking into a massive web that covered the valley. Shikamaru rarely resorted to such overwhelming tactics, but time was of the essence. The shadow of Yagami Yoru's awakening continued to drain his chakra, he had to refine it quickly.
"Shadow Ninja Art: Shadow Possession, Two Thousand Chains!"
Unified cries echoed as Shikamaru's shadows extended toward Orochimaru, Manda, and Hiruko's tiger.
"Secret Art: Snake Shedding Technique!"
Orochimaru hissed. Without hesitation, he shed his skin, leaving behind an empty husk as he burrowed underground.
"Damn it! Impossible..." Hiruko exclaimed, unable to escape the shadows' grip despite using Swift Release. His eyes widened in disbelief. The sheer magnitude of Shikamaru's chakra was staggering.
Anko, watching from Ryuya's back, was awestruck. Shikamaru, her Shikamaru, stood formidable against Orochimaru. Her fear for Orochimaru melted away as admiration for Shikamaru took its place.
"Shadow Ninja Art: Shadow Decapitation!"
Shikamaru's shadows coiled around Manda and Hiruko.
"Wait! Please, wait!" Hiruko croaked, his voice trembling. Death loomed close, and panic overwhelmed him.
"You have something to say?" Shikamaru asked icily, his focus still on locating Orochimaru. His enemy's quick reflexes had spared him, just barely.
"Spare me... I'll give you my Ghost Fang Technique." Hiruko pleaded desperately, clinging to life.
Shikamaru let out a cold snort. "Not interested," he said flatly. However, he wasn't about to let Hiruko's Steel Release, Swift Release, or Storm Release abilities go to waste. The giant shadow hand tightened its grip, rendering Hiruko unconscious despite his Steel Release defense.
"Shadow Ninja Art: Shadow Extraction!"
With a low growl, Shikamaru executed the technique, effortlessly pulling Hiruko's shadow away due to its owner's unconscious state. Under the blinding light continuously emitted, Hiruko's body was swiftly purified and burned away.
With a dull thud, Hiruko's death triggered the explosive dispersal of the tiger beneath him, revealing three figures that had been hidden within: two men and one woman. The men were grotesque in appearance, while the woman stood out in her seductive red attire.
"Shadow Ninja Art: Shadow Strangulation!"
Without hesitation, Shikamaru directed his shadowy hands to strangle the two men, leaving only the woman alive.
"Aah!" The woman screamed in terror, collapsing to the ground as she watched her companions fall lifelessly. One of Shikamaru's shadow clones appeared behind her in an instant, delivering a swift chop to knock her unconscious.
The entire series of events transpired in mere moments. Even Manda, the massive snake, had yet to fully grasp what had happened. Its serpentine eyes stared in disbelief at Shikamaru. The seemingly formidable alliance of opponents had been defeated, Orochimaru forced to flee, Sasuke slain, and Hiruko eliminated, all at Shikamaru's hands.
"Manda, is it?" Shikamaru turned his attention to the snake. A thought crossed his mind as he recalled that Anko also used snake-related techniques.
"That's me! What of it, kid? I can return to the Summoning Realm anytime. You can't kill me, ha!" Manda sneered confidently, believing its escape to be guaranteed.
"Oh? Do you think so? Then by all means, try." Shikamaru smirked, his voice dripping with derision. "Shadow Ninja Art: Shadow Extraction!"
Manda shrieked as its shadow was seized. It screamed, "Orochimaru! I'm done playing with you! You dared summon me and leave me in this mess. Just wait, I'll settle the score later!"
As Manda attempted to retreat to the Summoning Realm, its expression twisted into horror. "Why, why can't I leave?" Its voice quivered, tinged with panic.
"Hmph." Shikamaru didn't bother explaining. The Shadow Extraction technique had locked Manda's shadow. Without its shadow, Manda couldn't leave, as abandoning it would be akin to discarding its own essence.
"You have two choices." Shikamaru said coldly, locking eyes with the snake. "One: become my woman's summoning beast, and I'll let you go.
"Two: I kill you here and now. Life or death, your call."
Under Shikamaru's threat, Manda reluctantly agreed, signing a summoning contract with Anko. Only after Shikamaru released its shadow did Manda grudgingly slither back to the Summoning Realm.
With Hiruko and Manda dealt with, Shikamaru dispelled his shadow clones, focusing all his mental energy on locating Orochimaru. He was certain Orochimaru hadn't left yet. Any movement would surely give him away.
Expanding his sensory field to a radius of 500 meters, Shikamaru still found no trace of Orochimaru. He frowned. Could the snake have truly escaped?
He glanced at Anko, chastising himself silently. How had he forgotten that Anko was essentially a living sensor? Using the psychic connection he maintained with her, Shikamaru asked for her input.
Anko gave a subtle nod, her gaze shifting toward the ground. Shikamaru instantly understood but feigned frustration. "Hmph. Looks like Orochimaru got away again. Let's go, Anko."
He dismissed Tutu back to the Summoning Realm, plunging the valley into darkness once more. Lifting the unconscious woman and pulling Anko close, Shikamaru spread his shadowy wings and soared into the sky, disappearing into the night.
The valley fell silent once again. Barely two minutes later, Shikamaru reappeared above the valley, muttering, "Hmph. Seems like he really did escape."
With that, he took off once more. The night sky seemed to grow darker in his wake.
Moments later, Orochimaru's figure emerged from beneath the earth, his gaze venomous as he stared in the direction Shikamaru had flown. Just as he was about to leave, a cacophony of high-pitched screeches filled the air.
Orochimaru's snake-like eyes widened in terror as he looked up to see a massive, black energy sphere, crackling with black lightning, hurtling toward him.
"Damn you, Shikamaru!" Orochimaru cursed, cold sweat dripping down his face. Realizing he couldn't evade the attack, he rapidly formed hand seals. "Secret Technique: White Phosphorus True Form!"
Unbeknownst to Orochimaru, Shikamaru had stationed a shadow clone high above, hidden within an umbral barrier. From there, the clone unleashed a devastating Super Shadow Spiral Chidori Sphere.
With a deafening roar, the black energy sphere collided with the ground. Orochimaru's transformation into a massive white phosphorous serpent was his last-ditch effort to withstand the attack. The serpent exhaled a dense white mist in a desperate attempt to counter the sphere's descent.
"Hmph. Just an S-rank technique, and you think it can stand against my super-S-rank jutsu?" Shikamaru sneered, watching from a safe distance as his ultimate technique pierced through the white mist and obliterated the white phosphorous serpent below.
⚔────────
Visit my Patreon for more: patreon.com/vynthor
Extra Content Already Available:
The Mountain of Ice and Fire (GOT) – 56 advanced chapters!
Naruto: I Am Nara Shikamaru – 30 advanced chapters!
One Piece: Summoner of the 3D Zone – 38 advanced chapters!
That's a total of 144 chapters ahead of public updates!
With your support, I release 10 chapters per fanfics every week, keeping the stories alive and growing.
Thank you so much for being part of this journey!