Boom! A massive black mushroom cloud erupted with a deafening roar that echoed across Konoha Village. Everyone paused in shock, looking toward the strange and ominous cloud in the distance.
"Gulp…" Guy, carrying several unconscious prisoners over his shoulder, swallowed hard and turned to Kakashi, who also held a few captives. "Kakashi, is that Shikamaru kid even human?"
"Uh… I'll have to agree." Kakashi replied, surprisingly aligning with Guy's sentiments. A shadow crossed Kakashi's face as his thoughts drifted to his former students. Sasuke had defected, Sakura had followed a similarly troubling path, and even Naruto had gone off to train with Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin.
"Kakashi, you have to let it go." Guy, an old rival and friend, said, trying to console him.
⚔──────────────
Crash! Crash!
Two figures were flung through the air, hurled by a tremendous blast wave. The Fujin and Raijin landed unconscious, their bodies battered and bloodied beyond recognition.
"Shadow Ninja Art – Shadow Extraction!"
Shikamaru appeared before the two incapacitated figures, swiftly stealing their shadows. Had he not deliberately controlled the explosion's force to blow them away, they would have been obliterated entirely. The enormous crater behind him, a gaping pit over 500 meters wide and seemingly bottomless, was a testament to the destructive power of the attack. The spiraling devastation beneath the surface was characteristic of the Rasengan's internal destruction.
As Shikamaru secured their shadows, the Fujin and Raijin were exposed to sunlight, instantly burning to ashes without a trace.
"Hm, who should get their shadows?" Shikamaru pondered aloud. "Ino and the others? Nah, the last thing I need is another powerhouse like Tsunade. My back still aches when I think of her punches. And that's when she was holding back. If Ino gets a power boost like that..."
The thought sent a chill down his spine. "Gentler women are better." he muttered to himself.
"Wait… where's Mizuki?" Shikamaru suddenly remembered the man who had fled, a pitiful pawn discarded by Orochimaru.
Initially, he considered letting Mizuki go, but then another thought struck him. "Doesn't Mizuki have a sweet and gentle fiancée named Tsubaki? A kunoichi, if I recall correctly."
"Mai!" Shikamaru called out. Almost instantly, a masked Anbu kunoichi appeared before him. Her long, golden hair was tied back, and her figure was striking, with her curvaceous frame straining against the loose Anbu uniform, turning it into a form-fitting outfit. Mai was one of Shikamaru's personal recruits for his Anbu unit.
A photographic memory and an unparalleled ability to recall every file she had ever read made her the ideal secretary for managing Anbu operations. Shikamaru had never seen her unmasked; she refused, and he respected her privacy. Losing such a capable subordinate wasn't worth pushing boundaries.
"What can I do for you, Chief?" Mai's voice was as sweet as her appearance.
"Tell me where Mizuki's fiancée, Tsubaki, lives." Shikamaru instructed, his eyes briefly scanning her stunning figure.
Mai pondered for a moment. "She lives in a cabin on the northern mountain outside the village. The exact location is…" She provided the details without reacting to his gaze.
"Got it." Shikamaru said before vanishing in a flash, heading toward Tsubaki's home, coincidentally the direction Mizuki had fled.
Watching him leave, Mai muttered under her breath, "Strange. How does the Chief know about Mizuki's fiancée when he hasn't interacted with either of them? The Chief really must have some incredible secrets…"
Her sharp deduction skills rivaled Shikamaru's own intellect. Without his infamous laziness holding her back, it was a wonder she wasn't more prominent in the original story.
⚔──────────────
At Tsubaki's Cabin
"Mizuki, please stop this madness!" Tsubaki begged, her voice trembling. "You'll be out of prison in six months. Why do this now?"
"You don't understand." Mizuki snapped. "I can't stay in the Leaf any longer. Orochimaru-sama will grant me the power I need!"
"What?" Tsubaki gasped, her heart sinking. "You've allied with Orochimaru?"
"Hmph, so what if I have? Only Orochimaru-sama can give me what I deserve." Mizuki sneered. "I intended to deal with that fool Iruka before leaving, but now even the Fujin and Raijin have failed. I'm leaving soon."
"And me?" Tsubaki's voice cracked. "I'm your fiancée!"
Mizuki hesitated briefly, but the thought of her slowing him down hardened his resolve. "You'll stay here in the village."
Tsubaki's bitter smile conveyed her heartbreak. "Did you know Orochimaru is already dead?"
"What? That's impossible!" Mizuki exclaimed.
"Is it, though?" a voice mocked from behind him.
"Who's there?" Mizuki spun around, only to see Shikamaru emerge from the shadows. His face went pale. "It's you!"
Mizuki recognized the young man as the one who defeated the Fujin and Raijin, though he failed to connect him with the Shikamaru he once knew. The boy had grown taller, more imposing, and radiated an entirely different aura.
"Chief!" Tsubaki exclaimed in surprise, bowing respectfully.
Shikamaru acknowledged her briefly before turning to Mizuki. "Turn yourself in, Mizuki-sensei. Orochimaru was killed by me."
"No way…" Mizuki was dumbfounded. His shock deepened as he scrutinized Shikamaru's features. "Shikamaru?"
"Shadow Nin Art – Shadow Possession Jutsu!"
Shikamaru didn't bother answering. Instead, he used his signature technique. Mizuki evaded with a substitution jutsu, leaving a wooden log in his place.
"Aah!" Tsubaki screamed as a kunai was pressed to her throat.
"Stay back, or I'll kill her!" Mizuki yelled, hoping to exploit Shikamaru's humanity.
"Pathetic." Shikamaru muttered, his voice dripping with disdain. The Shadow Eye technique activated, and an oppressive killing intent froze Mizuki in place.
Shikamaru calmly approached and yanked Tsubaki away, then delivered a devastating punch to Mizuki's abdomen. Infused with the power of shadows and reinforced with the stolen energies of the Fujin and Raijin, it left Mizuki crumpled and broken.
"Ugh…" Mizuki coughed up blood, his body collapsing outside the shattered cabin.
"Water God!" Tsubaki cried, breaking free to tend to him.
Shikamaru didn't follow. He murmured something to Tsubaki and vanished, leaving Mizuki to his fate. With the energy coursing through his attack, Shikamaru was certain Mizuki wouldn't survive.
"I need to deal with those shadows." Shikamaru thought, considering the shadows of the Fujin and Raijin he had absorbed. "They're taking up too much space in my body."
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The Mountain of Ice and Fire (GOT) – 56 advanced chapters!
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