"Four Symbols!"
After unleashing the Four Symbols Eye Technique once again to take down two Cloud ninja, Shikamaru had just scooped up the struggling Yugito Nii, ready to make his escape, when a sudden chill ran down his spine. Instinctively, he performed a Substitution Jutsu!
Bang! A wooden log took his place just as a deadly flying blade came slicing through the air. In the same instant, an old man appeared in midair, holding the very same knife.
Dark-skinned, with white hair and a short beard, the old man carried seven or eight swords strapped across his back. A blue kanji for "Iron" was tattooed on his right shoulder, and a horn-like scar curved across his left cheek. He wore a pair of dark sunglasses.
"The Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer Bee…" Shikamaru smiled as he reappeared some distance away, calmly eyeing the new arrival. Finally, he thought, Killer Bee shows himself. That was a close call though… He arrived the exact moment I used the Four Symbols!
"Yo yo! Lil' punk, you the one calling yourself Yugito's man? Not bad, not bad, ho!" Killer Bee rapped, giving Shikamaru a surprised look before suddenly recognizing him. "Aha! You're Konoha's Shadow Lord, aren't ya?"
"Hmph." Shikamaru didn't reply. The Substitution Jutsu had probably tipped off his identity. Plus, he was still young, yet already a high-profile, Kage-level shinobi from Konoha. It wasn't surprising he'd been recognized.
"Shadow Style, Shadow Drizzle!"
No point wasting words now that the opponent had appeared. Shikamaru had already collected the Eight-Tails' shadow and was ready to head back to Konoha. Channeling chakra, he launched his first rain-based Shadow Style jutsu, a variation on Gaara's "Sand Drizzle."
Dark clouds instantly formed overhead, and droplets of concentrated shadow energy began to fall.
"Ho ho, what's this rain? Weird…" Killer Bee rapped while deftly slicing through the drops with a long sword. Not a single droplet landed on him.
"Shadow Style, Shadow Raikiri!"
Shikamaru growled as black lightning surged from above, merging with the shadowy rain. The storm intensified, crackling through the air in a furious display, yet the area around Killer Bee remained untouched, as if he stood in the eye of the storm.
Despite the chaos, Killer Bee watched curiously, completely unafraid.
"Hmph." Shikamaru smirked coldly. Seeing Bee so relaxed and unguarded, he silently laughed and formed another hand sign.
"Shadow Style, Shadow Tempest!"
A vicious black wind whipped up, stirring the already volatile black lightning into a raging tornado that spiraled into the sky. Rain, wind, and lightning fused into a devastating black twister, which came crashing down toward the still-calm Killer Bee.
"Wahaha! Now this is fun!" Bee rapped enthusiastically from inside the storm. His chakra flared, and four long swords flew from his back, spinning and slashing in every direction. Remarkably, Shikamaru's S-rank technique was torn apart in a matter of seconds.
Shikamaru froze. At that speed, he could barely track Bee's movements. So ninjutsu's not going to work on him…
"Shadow Style, Shadow Monster Fist!"
Charging forward, Shikamaru wrapped his right fist in dense shadow chakra and punched! The air shrieked as the force shattered the sound barrier.
Bee's eyes gleamed with mischief. You wanna brawl with me? Big mistake.
He caught Shikamaru's punch with a downward slash of one sword. Though it looked simple, the strike locked onto Shikamaru's every move. Damn, he's good!
Clang! Their blows collided, sending both flying back.
Shikamaru's expression darkened. He's that strong? My iron-hardened punch didn't even gain the upper hand…
"Yo! You've got some muscle, kid!" Bee praised. But then he chuckled. "Too bad, only I can beat me! Wahaha, again!"
He lunged forward, sword flashing. In a blink, he appeared right in front of Shikamaru, slashing at lightning speed. Several blades stabbed into Shikamaru's body, only for it to vanish.
Poof! A log again. Substitution Jutsu!
"Substitution…?" B frowned. "Even at my speed, could he still make hand signs? How fast is this guy?"
"Shadow Style, Leaf Shadow Hurricane!"
Shikamaru retorted coldly, activating a new technique. His Shadow Taijutsu exploded outward, forming a shadowy Tai Chi field. Bee was immediately caught within it.
Trying to out-brawl Killer Bee had been a mistake. The man wielded eight blades, while Shikamaru only had fists. He needed something that countered taijutsu, like Tai Chi.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
No matter how fast Bee moved, within the Tai Chi zone, his speed was reduced. Shikamaru slammed him back again and again, but it barely scratched him.
Sigh... If only Hinata were here. Shikamaru thought. She's better with Tai Chi, and her Byakugan boosts her close combat. If Bee weren't transformed, she might've had a real shot.
Whoosh. Silently, Shikamaru shifted his Tai Chi field into a shadow trap.
"Shadow Style, Shadow Possession Jutsu!"
"Shadow Style, Shadow Raikiri!"
"AAARGH!" Bee screamed as black lightning struck his chest, charring his clothes and skin. A few drops of blood trickled out before healing almost instantly. His regenerative powers were astounding.
Shikamaru didn't bother chaining attacks, B's brute strength would've broken free. He needed to deal real damage while he could. Yet even after that hit, B was fine.
Guess I'll have to pull out the big guns.
"Shadow Style, Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Countless clones appeared, surrounding Killer Bee.
"Pfft! Numbers won't help you against Bee-sama!" Yugito, watching from afar, scoffed despite being surprised by the sheer number of clones.
But when Shikamaru trapped Bee using Shadow Trap: 2000-Chain, Yugito's confidence wavered. Even Bee struggled to break free from such concentrated chakra.
Still, she wasn't too worried, Bee hadn't used his trump card yet.
"You still holding back the Eight-Tails?" Shikamaru sneered, forming another sign. "Shadow Style, Shadow Neck Bind!"
"Rrgh… You pissed off the Bee-sama!" Bee roared. Though captured, he didn't panic, his chakra exploded outward.
"Heh… finally using the Eight-Tails?" Shikamaru muttered with a death god's smile.
"RAAAH!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Eight massive octopus tails burst from Bww's back, obliterating Shikamaru's clones in seconds.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A blinding light flashed as Shikamaru summoned his giant spirit deer, Ryuno, once more.
"Ryuno! Boost my shadows!" Shikamaru commanded.
"Yes, Shikamaru-sama!" Ryuno obeyed immediately. After seeing Shikamaru's true power last time, he'd begun calling him "Lord."
Flash! Intense light radiated from Ryuno, stretching every one of Shikamaru's and his clones' shadows severalfold.
"Shadow Style, Shadow Neck Bind!"
With another low growl, an even larger shadowy hand emerged, clutching the partially transformed Killer Bee with all eight tails.
"Lord Bee!" Yugito cried out, unable to speak but visibly panicking. She hadn't expected Bee to be restrained even in his semi-transformed state. It reminded her of the Nine-Tails silhouette she'd glimpsed during her last encounter with Shikamaru.
MooOOOoo! A bull's roar echoed as Bee had no choice but to fully unleash the Eight-Tails: Gyuuki.
His body swelled and morphed into a massive beast with a bull's body and octopus tails. The shadowy grip loosened and was thrown off, Bee's full strength was overwhelming, even against enhanced shadows.
"Haha! Your shadow tricks won't work anymore! Wahahaha!" Killer Bee laughed, eyes glowing with murderous intent.
"Got you…" Shikamaru grinned internally. This is exactly what I was waiting for!
"Four Symbols!"
Wind, rain, thunder, and lightning roared as the massive Eight-Tails beast was engulfed in a chaotic energy field. Shikamaru's sinister laughter echoed.
"Heh… Killer Bee, Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails, enjoy the next forty-four days of continuous torture…"
Shikamaru had long known Bee's weakness: genjutsu. He'd been saving the Four Symbols for this exact moment, to force a full transformation first.
"RAAARGH!" The first wave of elemental punishment hit. Gyuuki barely let out a grunt of pain.
"Hah! Pathetic illusion tricks can't stop me! Wahaha!" Killer Bee scoffed, thinking it was just lightning and wind. His body had already healed.
"Oh really? Well, enjoy yourself. Only fifteen days, twenty-three hours, and fifty-nine seconds left."
As the elemental storm struck again, Bee howled louder this time.
⚔──────────────
"Getting tired already? Don't worry, we've still got fifteen days and one second to go."
After 86,399 strikes, the massive Eight-Tails finally collapsed, its body twitching uncontrollably. Shikamaru's cold voice echoed like a devil's whisper.
Exiting the Four Symbols realm, Shikamaru calmly murmured, "Shadow Style, Shadow Extraction!"
Yugito watched in shock as Gyuuki's body twitched. Its shadow ripped free with a sharp swoosh, flying into Shikamaru's hand. The giant beast collapsed with a thunderous crash, reverting into Killer Bee's unconscious form.
Yugito's mind went blank. One second! In just one second, Killer Bee had been defeated!
Seeing Shikamaru walking toward Bee's fallen body, she dashed in front of him.
Thud!
She fell to her knees. "Shikamaru-sama, please, spare him!"
Her voice trembled. To her, Killer Bee wasn't just a senior, he had guided her in taming the Two-Tails. She couldn't bear to watch him die.
"Oh?" Shikamaru eyed her. "And what's in it for me if I don't kill him?"
He grinned wickedly. He had no intention of killing Bee yet. He already got the shadow he came for. But this… this was a good chance to make Yugito surrender.
"Shikamaru-sama… If you spare him, if you stop killing innocent Cloud ninja… I'll be your woman," Yugito bit her lip and said through gritted teeth.
"Oh? Are you begging me now?" Shikamaru teased.
"Yes," she whispered, voice barely audible. "Please… Let me be your woman."
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