Shikamaru slowly stood up. After all his calculations and analysis, he'd finally pieced everything together.
Realistically, there was no chance of winning this fight—not in his current state—but that wasn't the point anymore.
He wasn't doing this to win.
He was doing it to put on a damn good show.
For the crowd, for himself, and more than anything—for his loud, overbearing, loving mother.
The moment he stood, flashes of his life ran through his mind.
He grew up in a happy household. He didn't have a lot of friends, but the ones he had meant everything to him.
Choji—his gluttonous childhood friend—and Ino, always lost in some fantasy or romantic delusion.
Later, in the Ninja Academy, he got close to Kiba, Akamaru, and Naruto, usually when they all got punished for sleeping during class.
Well, Akamaru could count as a friend too, even if he was just a dog.
He skipped classes often with Choji, Naruto, Kiba, and Akamaru. They'd hang out, mess around, and sometimes get in trouble—but it was fun.
Yet, every time he went home, he'd pass Naruto walking alone.
The kids around him, their parents... all looked at Naruto with contempt, like he was some kind of disease.
Shikamaru, being the smart kid he was, pieced it together from the rumors. He even asked his father once—but Shikaku had just kept quiet.
So he dug through books on his own. It wasn't hard to figure out the truth.
Compared to Naruto, Shikamaru realized how damn lucky he was.
Still, Naruto never let it crush him. He faced every opponent like they were a future friend.
Shikamaru wasn't planning to win, but he wasn't about to go down like some lazy loser either.
Especially not with his mother watching from the stands.
He used to daydream about becoming a Chunin, marrying some plain woman—not too pretty, not too ugly—and living an average life with a kid or two.
But now? Everyone around him had dreams.
Ino had plastered her walls with posters of Uchiha Hikaru. It wasn't hard to guess what romantic nonsense she was dreaming up.
Naruto shouted every day about becoming Hokage.
Even Kiba wanted to be Hokage—but his reason? He just wanted people to like dogs more.
Akamaru was cute and all, but honestly, Shikamaru found raising dogs too troublesome.
He never really thought about ambition. He never had some grand dream.
But now... he had something.
He didn't want to fall behind. He didn't want to be the guy left behind, watching everyone else's backs disappear into the distance.
He didn't want to grow old with no one to play shogi with.
Even if Naruto sucked at the game, he still played with him. That was something.
Maybe growing old bullying Naruto at board games wouldn't be so bad~ (￣▽￣)
With renewed resolve, Shikamaru reached into his pouch and threw several smoke bombs to the ground. White smoke billowed instantly.
Kisame's eyes narrowed.
"Huh? Smoke bombs? Let's see what you've got, kid..."
Kunai whistled through the air. A dozen of them, some spinning, some seemingly random—headed straight for Kisame.
He barely flinched.
Just kunai? Shuriken?
Kinda disappointing.
He casually raised Samehada, blocking them all with a sweep of the massive blade.
Then—crackle...
His ears caught the faint, unmistakable hiss of an igniting explosive tag.
"Ah, shit—"
BOOM!
Smoke and fire swallowed the spot.
Up in the stands, among the watching Jonin, many couldn't help but admire Shikamaru's cleverness.
Even Yun—sitting beside Asuma—nodded appreciatively.
"Smart. First the smoke bombs to mask movement. Then a feint with the kunai."
"Some of them tied with wire. Classic distraction tactic."
"Then, once Kisame raises that monster sword, his line of sight's partially blocked—he tosses the second kunai with the explosive tag like a mother-and-child arrow."
"And with the momentum from the first volley, he doesn't even need time to aim."
"Brilliantly executed under pressure. This kid's ready to be a Chunin."
Asuma laughed proudly. "Told you he had it in him."
"Lazy as hell, but give him the right push... he shines."
"Though, maybe don't praise him too much," he added, chuckling. "His ego might catch up eventually."
He just rolled his eyes.
Yeah, right. You're more puffed up than he is, you smug bastard...
Back in the arena, Kisame stood amidst the dissipating dust.
Samehada rested against his shoulder as he swung it, creating a burst of wind that blew away the lingering smoke.
His grin had vanished.
His eyes were sharp now—serious.
"Tch… little brat's got brains."
"Alright then. Time to return the favor."
His hands moved fast, forming seals in a blur.
"Heh... Masai wants to cry~!"
"Damn it, I'm gonna stop holding back now."
Chakra surged, condensing into a massive water shark over three meters long.
It launched from his palms, skimming over the ground as waves formed under its belly. It roared straight into the smoke.
Didn't matter where Shikamaru was.
If the first missed, he'd just summon a bigger one.
He was Hoshigaki Kisame, after all—the man called the Tailless Tailed Beast. Chakra reserves like a damn ocean.
But even as the attack surged forward, Shikamaru had already finished his preparations inside the smoke.
He tied a string around the object in his hand, attached it to a kunai, and sprinted out from the right side of the cloud.
At the same time, he flung another kunai from behind and to the left.
Kisame narrowed his eyes, then chuckled.
Shikamaru grinned too.
And then—they spoke in unison.
"You dodged that one. But what about the next?"
⁂‼‼‼‼⁂
He—he predicted my line!?
This little bastard knew exactly what I was going to say!?
"You're thinking," Shikamaru said coolly, "how could this brat know what I'm about to say?"
"Your next line is..."
"It's meaningless to just talk. There's a huge gap in strength between you and me! You're doomed to fail!" they both shouted.
Kisame flushed. Angry. Embarrassed.
No more holding back.
The kid was too damn weird. If he kept playing this game, he really might lose.
"Enough!" Kisame roared.
He slammed his hands together, forming more seals. Chakra surged like a tidal wave, bigger than before.
A monstrous wall of water, at least ten meters high, rose and crashed forward—a goddamn sea unleashed upon the field.
And Shikamaru?
He smiled.
"Shadow Imitation Technique—success."
Kisame froze.
He looked down.
A thin, barely visible shadow had curved from the rear—cleverly hidden—merging with the darkness beneath his feet.
He couldn't move.
He was caught.
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Bonus Chapter at 150 Power Stone
Second Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
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