Warning: Mature Content
"Paper Release - Angel's Bow!" Konan whispered, and a bow formed from paper instantly appeared in her hand.
"Paper Release - Angel's Strike!"
Whoosh!
A paper arrow shot from Konan's Angel's Bow, hurtling toward Temari with such speed that its trajectory was barely visible to the naked eye.
"Sand Release - Sand Clone Technique!"
Temari swiftly performed hand seals, evading the arrow with a sand clone just before it struck. She reappeared to the side, unleashing, "Wind Release - Sickle Weasel Technique!"
"Cherry Blossom Release - Cherry Blossom Burial!"
The moment Temari swung her iron fan, Sakura struck simultaneously. Cherry blossoms surged along the currents of Temari's wind release, hurtling toward Konan.
As Sakura's cherry blossoms threatened to engulf Konan completely, Konan scoffed softly. Her body instantly dissolved into countless paper fragments that scattered, causing Sakura's attack to miss its mark.
"Paper Release - Paper Shuriken Barrage!" Konan's crisp voice rang out as a mass of white paper coalesced between Temari and the others, then exploded outward in a storm of paper shuriken.
"Dark Release – Chakra Absorption!" Ino, who had remained relatively quiet until now, spoke up as the paper shuriken exploded. Immediately, Konan's attack was absorbed by Ino!
"There!" Rock Lee's figure flashed behind Konan in an instant. "Konoha Whirlwind!"
Bang! Konan's body once again dissolved into paper fragments, narrowly evading Rock Lee's attack!
"Gentle Fist – Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!" But as Konan reappeared, she was met by Hinata, whose Byakugan had completely predicted her movements!
"Konan-sama..." The remaining Rain Ninja cried out in alarm as Hinata's strike threatened to land.
What... Konan was stunned. The Konoha Twelve Blades were even more formidable than she had imagined, leaving her no room to retaliate. Just as she closed her eyes, bracing for Hinata's attack, the space before her rippled, and Konan vanished!
"Space-Time Ninjutsu?" Tenten murmured, noticing the spatial distortion that had rescued Konan.
"There!" Neji called out, pointing. Everyone immediately turned to see a figure in an Akatsuki uniform standing beside Konan before the remaining Rain Ninja!
"It's you, Madara!" Konan exclaimed upon seeing Madara, though her gaze flickered slightly.
"Pain sent me. He'll be here soon," Madara said without looking at Konan, turning instead to Temari and the others. "To think you could force Konan to such a disadvantage... Konoha truly lives up to its reputation as a breeding ground for geniuses!"
"You're Uchiha... Madara!" Temari said, her voice filled with doubt as she stared at the suddenly appearing figure. Shikamaru had told them about Uchiha Madara, but Temari couldn't believe this seemingly young man could be the legendary Uchiha Madara, who was nearly a century old!
"What? Uchiha Madara?" The five members of Neji's group, excluding Shikamaru's women, gasped in shock. The only Uchiha Madara they knew of was the legendary figure from the era of the First Hokage! No wonder they were so stunned!
"Sister Temari! What should we do now?" Sakura asked anxiously. They had all heard Madara's words. Pain, the leader of Akatsuki, was also on his way. Sakura knew Pain represented the Six Paths of Pain!
"We're retreating for now! The mission comes first!" Temari said in a low voice, immediately ordering the group to withdraw.
"Heh heh! Trying to escape? Not so fast!" Uchiha Madara grinned as he saw Temari and her group preparing to leave. He wouldn't let the Konoha Twelve Blades get away without settling the score from his previous humiliation at the hands of Shikamaru!
"Fire Release – Fire Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Madara opened his mouth and unleashed a fiery dragon that surged toward Temari and her group. The Fire Dragon Bullet Technique, when executed by Madara, possessed ten times the volume and power of a typical Jonin's version!
"Dark Release – Chakra Absorption!" Sensing the scorching heat bearing down on them, Ino hissed a command and immediately absorbed Madara's attack.
"Dark Release – Fire Dragon Bullet Technique!" Without hesitation, Ino returned the Fire Release technique to Madara!
"Hmph~ Damn Dark Release!" Madara cursed under his breath, grabbing Konan and vanishing in a flash to evade the counterattack.
Boom! The massive fire dragon, now unopposed, crashed into the Rain Ninja behind Madara, detonating with a deafening roar.
"Aaaah..." Cries of agony erupted as several weak Rain Ninja Chunin were instantly killed by Madara's Fire Dragon Bullet Technique.
"Rock Lee! Above!" Seeing Uchiha Madara move, Temari immediately shouted to Rock Lee.
"Yes, Temari-senpai!" Rock Lee responded loudly, his red chakra erupting from his body as he instantly opened the Seventh Gate.
Boom! Rock Lee shot into the air toward Uchiha Madara, the force of his launch creating a crater in the ground where he had stood. He appeared behind Madara in an instant.
"Konoha Great Whirlwind!"
Bang! Rock Lee's kick sent Uchiha Madara flying downward. The figure crashed to the ground with a thud before vanishing in a puff of smoke.
"A Shadow Clone?" Rock Lee muttered, still scanning for Madara's true location when he heard a sharp spit from above.
"Paper Release – Paper Sword Rain!"
Rock Lee looked up in alarm to see Konan flapping her paper wings overhead, unleashing a torrent of countless paper swords that rained down upon him.
"Ah... Morning Peacock!" With no foothold, Rock Lee swung his fist upward, summoning a miniature version of the fiery peacock flames that instantly incinerated the paper swords. Using the recoil, he propelled himself back to the ground.
From high above, Shikamaru watched Rock Lee and the others battle Uchiha Madara. Konan, hovering in the air, wasn't using her Paper Release!
"Oh? Did they hit him? Not bad!" Shikamaru praised as Rock Lee suddenly struck Madara.
Suddenly, Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. Six figures had appeared, the Six Paths of Pain. Temari and the others, who had been fighting with ease, immediately struggled. The remaining Rain Ninja Jonin swarmed Sakura and her team.
Flapping his Shadow Wings, Shikamaru silently descended toward Konan. Focused on unleashing her ninjutsu, she didn't notice his approach.
"It's Shikamaru!" Neji and Hinata, who had been fighting with their Byakugan activated, rejoiced inwardly at the sight of him.
"Konan! Watch out!" Tendō, one of the Six Paths of Pain, spotted Shikamaru and immediately warned her.
"What?!" Konan gasped in surprise. Before she could even activate her ninjutsu, she found herself caught in a pair of strong arms, her paper wings shattering behind her.
"Don't move," Shikamaru whispered softly in her ear, holding her tightly.
"Shikamaru!" Uchiha Madara frowned at Shikamaru's sudden appearance, immediately glancing at Tendō among the Six Paths.
"Let's retreat for now," Tendō Pain said slowly. Even with his confidence, he knew it was unwise to face both the Konoha Twelve Blades and the Shadow Lord simultaneously.
"Are you Nara Shikamaru?" Konan asked from mid-air, showing no panic despite being held by Shikamaru. Instead, she was curious about the young man behind her. How could someone so powerful at just fifteen years old?
"Konan-sama, you know me too?" Shikamaru chuckled, holding her close. Feeling her body pressed against his, he instantly recognized her exceptional figure. His hand, resting on her chest, involuntarily squeezed.
"Ah..." Konan gasped, realizing her chest had been touched. She shuddered, her curiosity vanishing, replaced by mortification and anger. How dare he touch her like that!
"Paper Release – Paper Instantaneous Body Technique!"
Poof! All sensation vanished. Shikamaru realized the Konan he'd been holding had dissolved into paper fragments that scattered. Moments later, they reassembled nearby, reforming her Angel state.
"You know me?" Despite her anger, Konan couldn't help but ask Shikamaru. There was no way he could know her name!
"Heh heh! You're the woman I'm determined to have. How could I not know you?" Shikamaru showed no surprise at Konan's abilities. He raised his hand to his nose, sniffed, and grinned wickedly at her. "You smell so good..."
"You..." Konan's anger flared anew when she realized Shikamaru was sniffing the very hand that had just grabbed her. She was about to strike when Uchiha Madara suddenly reappeared beside her!
"Pain said we're retreating for now!" Uchiha Madara barked at the furious Konan before pulling her into a Space-Time Ninjutsu portal to escape. As they vanished, he glanced back at Shikamaru, his eyes burning with hatred and a strange, intense light. "Nara Shikamaru! I'll come to Konoha for you!"
"Shadow Ninja Art - Dark Gold Piercing!"
Shikamaru's response was a dark gold kunai that pierced Uchiha Madara the instant he and Konan disappeared, leaving another red flower blooming on the Uchiha's form.
"Hmph! Keep acting tough. The moment I master Space-Time Ninjutsu, your death will be at hand!" Shikamaru sneered at Uchiha Madara's retreating figure, knowing he couldn't stop him for now.
The Six Paths of Pain and the Rain Ninja had already fled. Temari and the others didn't pursue, waiting for Shikamaru to descend before respectfully addressing him, "Shikamaru-sama!"
"Are you all alright?" Shikamaru asked the group of twelve, his gaze fixed on his wife.
"Husband! What are you doing here?" Ino immediately rushed forward, wrapping her arms around Shikamaru's arm with delight at his concerned look.
"Me? I just happened to pass by and decided to drop in. I didn't expect you'd be tangling with Rain Ninja!" Shikamaru chuckled, playfully pinching Ino's nose.
"It's all my fault, Shikamaru-sama!" Kiba, suddenly subdued by Shikamaru's arrival, lowered his head respectfully.
"Heh! As long as you're safe, that's all that matters. But remember this: next time, make sure to dispose of the bodies properly!" Shikamaru, still in high spirits from his earlier encounter with Konan, addressed Neji and the others casually.
"Leave it to me," Shino said, adjusting his sunglasses. "They'll make excellent feed for my insects."
With that, Shikamaru led the group out of Four Ridges Valley and headed toward Takigakure, bypassing Rain Ninja Village. They hadn't encountered Itachi, Kisame, Zetsu, or Raiga. Shikamaru couldn't be sure if they were also collecting Tailed Beast shadows, but he knew he had to gather all the shadows before they did.
Passing through a small town, Shikamaru decided to rest for the night. Temari and the others had just fought a major battle and needed to recover.
"Boss! We need thirteen rooms!" Shikamaru announced as he pushed open the door of an inn.
Recognizing the Konoha ninjas, the innkeeper immediately showed them to thirteen rooms. Ninjas were not to be trifled with, especially the powerful Konoha ninjas.
"Hinata! Sakura! Tenten! Ino! Come to my room..." That night, Shikamaru used his True Shadow to call the four women to his room. After all, what's a night without beautiful women? Temari, Tayuya, and Kin had exhausted themselves during the day, so Shikamaru let them rest, summoning only Sakura and the others.
"Husband..." Ino cooed as she burst through the door and threw herself into Shikamaru's arms.
"Shadow Ninja Art - Dark Shadow Barrier!" Once all four women were inside, Shikamaru immediately cast a Dark Shadow Barrier to seal the room.
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The Mountain of Ice and Fire (GOT) – 56 advanced chapters!
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