Warning: Mature Content
"Shikamaru..." Sakura's expression was a complex mix of anger, excitement, and joy as she saw him appear. Finally, her face hardened into a furious glare. "Shikamaru! I challenge you to a duel!"
"Alright! I'm ready whenever you are!" Shikamaru chuckled, sensing only anger and no killing intent from Sakura.
"Hmph! Follow me!" Sakura snorted, clearly offended by Shikamaru's easy acceptance. Her expression betrayed her belief that he didn't take her seriously. With a huff of indignation, she darted out of the village.
Shikamaru immediately transformed into a shadow, flickering after her. He knew this wasn't the place for a fight.
Hanabi's initial surprise quickly turned to curiosity. What was the relationship between Sakura and Shikamaru? She hurried after them.
"What... what's going on here?" Tazuna muttered, bewildered by the sudden departure of Sakura and Hanabi. Nami and Inari looked equally perplexed.
"Sakura! Come back to Konoha! Everyone misses you!" Shikamaru called across the river that separated the Land of Waves, his gaze fixed on Sakura on the opposite bank.
Unlike the unflattering outfit she wore in the original story, which was designed for precise force control, Sakura now sported long flowing hair and a pink kimono, making her infinitely more radiant than her original counterpart.
"Hmph~ Beat me first!" Sakura retorted, her eyes flickering with emotion before she let out a delicate snort.
"Cherry Blossom Release - Cherry Blossom Dance!"
Sakura swiftly formed hand seals, and countless cherry blossom petals erupted from the river's surface, swirling rapidly toward Shikamaru.
"Shadow Ninja Art - Dark Shadow Water Dragon Bullet!"
Without even forming hand seals, Shikamaru silently focused his chakra. A black water dragon coalesced from Shadow Water rose from the river, surging toward Sakura's ninjutsu.
When Shikamaru first saw Sakura using Cherry Blossom Release, he was astonished. This wasn't the technique used by the Flower Ninja Village in the original story; it was a life-infused art akin to the First Hokage's Wood Release! Sakura's chakra reserves simply weren't yet sufficient to fully manifest its power.
Shikamaru resolved to test the true strength of Sakura's Cherry Blossom Release.
"He's casting Ninjutsu without hand seals!" Sakura's heart skipped a beat as she witnessed Shikamaru unleashing a technique without any hand gestures. Has he truly become this powerful?
Boom! The Dark Shadow Water Dragon collided with the cherry blossoms in mid-air, creating a deafening explosion as both techniques vanished without a trace.
"Wow! Go, Brother-in-law!"
"Go, Sakura-sis!"
Hanabi, watching from the sidelines, cheered excitedly. This rare and spectacular clash thrilled her beyond measure.
"Hmph! Cherry Blossom Release - Cherry Blossom Annihilation!" Sakura huffed, her irritation growing at Hanabi's reference to Shikamaru as her "brother-in-law." She immediately unleashed her ultimate technique.
"Shadow Ninja Art - Dark Shadow Water Curtain!"
Shikamaru calmly folded his arms, watching Sakura with amusement. With effortless ease, he conjured a massive water curtain to shield himself.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Countless cherry blossoms detonated, sending ripples across Shikamaru's dark shadow water curtain but failing to shatter it. Shikamaru remained unscathed within.
"How is this possible?" Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief. She had eagerly sought revenge against Shikamaru, only to realize she was no match for him. Her frustration burned fiercely.
"Cherry Blossom Release - Cherry Blossom Festival!"
"Cherry Blossom Release - Cherry Blossom Burial!"
"Cherry Blossom Release - Cherry Blossom Frenzy!"
Countless Cherry Blossom Releases erupted from Sakura's hands, but Shikamaru had grown far beyond her reach. A mere Quasi-Kage-level ninja like Sakura stood no chance against him. In the past two and a half years, Shikamaru hadn't collected shadows from other Tailed Beasts, but he had extracted the Nine-Tails' shadow, composed of Yin-natured chakra, from the boy Inari's body, causing his power to skyrocket once more.
Huff... Sakura could only pant heavily, her gaze complex as she stared at Shikamaru. She abandoned her Ninjutsu, knowing further efforts would be futile. The gap in their strength was undeniable.
"Why did you treat me like that back then?" Defeated, Sakura could only confront Shikamaru with words.
"You know why," Shikamaru replied, meeting her gaze. He understood she was referring to the assault he had committed. "I love you."
"If you loved me, you shouldn't have done it!" Sakura roared, her voice cracking with anguish.
Hanabi, who had been observing from afar, suddenly fell silent at Sakura's outburst. She turned to Shikamaru, her eyes gleaming with admiration. As expected of my brother-in-law! Truly impressive!
Shikamaru was at a loss for words, having never been confronted like this before.
"Sakura! No matter what, you're mine now, and that can't be changed! Come back to Konoha with me! Sasuke is long dead!" Shikamaru said gently, looking at Sakura.
To Shikamaru's surprise, Sakura's eyes merely flickered briefly upon hearing of Sasuke's death before returning to normal, as if it didn't concern her at all.
Little did Shikamaru know, the flicker in Sakura's eyes wasn't about Sasuke's death, but about Shikamaru's words: "You're mine now!"
At that moment, Sakura felt an overwhelming urge to agree immediately. But then she remembered Shikamaru's many other women, and that she was merely one he had taken advantage of. Moreover, because Sasuke had left Konoha, she likely held no special place in Shikamaru's heart. She abruptly shook her head.
"Hmph! I don't want to! You already have so many women!" Sakura blurted out her thoughts in a fit of pique, then turned and stormed away.
Shikamaru froze, stunned. With his sharp intellect, how could he possibly misunderstand Sakura's words? She was clearly jealous!
Watching Sakura's pink figure disappear into the distance, Shikamaru tossed a quick remark to Hanabi and immediately gave chase.
"Hanabi, go back to Tazuna's place and wait for me!"
Regardless of Sakura's feelings for him, Shikamaru had resolved to bring her back to Konoha the moment he saw her again. There was no way he would let her slip away now.
As Sakura fled, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. A sudden wave of homesickness washed over her, she longed for Konoha, for her friends, and even for Shikamaru's embrace. But...
Over the past three years, Sakura's stubborn resentment toward Shikamaru had gradually transformed into love. The realization that she had fallen for the man who had violated her left her utterly bewildered. Unable to face this truth, she chose to run.
"Shadow Ninja Art, Shadow Imitation Technique!"
Sakura startled at Shikamaru's voice. Her body froze, and she immediately recognized the binding technique.
Shikamaru slowly approached Sakura from behind. "Sakura, no matter what, I won't let you leave. Whether you hate me or love me, from today onward, you belong to me alone."
Shikamaru spoke possessively, stepping forward to pull Sakura into his arms. He turned her around and, meeting her terrified gaze, lowered his head to kiss her deeply.
It felt so familiar. This scene had played out countless times in Sakura's dreams. Initially startled, she soon responded to Shikamaru's kiss, just as she had in those dreams.
Shikamaru's tongue trembled, surprised by her reciprocation. He eagerly deepened the kiss, his heart pounding. In that moment, the Shadow Barrier expanded, and a soft bed of condensed Shadow Water materialized beneath them.
Shikamaru roughly pinned Sakura to the bed, tearing her kimono to shreds. Her figure, now even more mature and beautiful than before, lay exposed before him.
Fueled by Shadow Fire, Shikamaru burned away his own clothes, standing naked before Sakura.
"Ugh... Shikamaru... give me..." Sakura whimpered, convinced she was trapped in yet another dream.
Though Shikamaru didn't understand why Sakura was acting this way, her seductive demands instantly aroused him. His hands roamed over her smooth, supple body, climbing and caressing...
Sakura's delicate moans grew louder, fueling Shikamaru's excitement. He reached down to explore her fragrant garden, finding it already drenched.
Without Shikamaru's prompting, Sakura parted her legs and wrapped them around his waist. Shikamaru wasted no time, positioning his clone against her glistening entrance and thrusting deep inside.
"Ah... it hurts..."
In reality, Sakura hadn't felt Shikamaru's touch in three years, so discomfort was inevitable. The sudden pain jolted her awake, realizing this was no longer a dream. Recalling the shameful words she'd uttered moments before, her face flushed red.
Yet, under Shikamaru's vigorous assault, Sakura couldn't help but gasp out those same embarrassing phrases, even knowing it wasn't a dream.
After driving Sakura to climax four times, Shikamaru dared not push further. He relaxed and released his dragon's essence deep within her.
"Shikamaru!" Sakura murmured contentedly, nestled in his arms.
"What is it, Sakura?" Shikamaru replied happily. Seeing her expression, he was certain she had fallen for him.
"Can I still return to Konoha?" Sakura asked uncertainly, knowing that her actions had technically made her a rogue ninja.
"Heh! Of course you can! Tsunade, the current Hokage, is practically your big sister now!" Shikamaru chuckled, subtly reminding her that Tsunade was also his woman and that he essentially controlled Konoha's affairs.
"Ah... really? I can go back to Konoha?" Sakura exclaimed in delight. She threw her arms around Shikamaru and kissed him joyfully.
Shikamaru then apologized to Sakura for forcing her to leave Konoha, a place she loved so dearly, for three long years. His sincere remorse dissolved the last lingering doubts in her heart.
Hand in hand, they returned to Tazuna's house. Hanabi immediately came running, shouting excitedly, "Wow! Brother-in-law, you and Sakura-nee are back together!"
Hanabi watched Sakura's blissful expression with delight, but a flicker of envy flashed in her eyes. Shikamaru didn't notice, but Sakura, ever observant, caught it.
"Come on, Hanabi! Let's go play! We'll ignore your brother-in-law!" Sakura laughed, releasing Shikamaru's hand and pulling Hanabi toward the forest.
As they ran, Sakura peppered Hanabi with questions about Shikamaru's life in Konoha. Hanabi answered eagerly, sharing every detail she knew.
"Hmph! That big radish..." Sakura grumbled when Hanabi revealed Shikamaru already had so many women in Konoha.
"Sakura-sis! It's not unreasonable for brother-in-law to have so many women, he's so amazing!" Hanabi immediately defended Shikamaru.
"Hehe! Hanabi! Tell me, do you have a crush on your brother-in-law?" Sakura teased, amused that Hanabi would defend Shikamaru when she was merely venting her jealousy.
"Ah... n-no way!" Hanabi stammered, her face flushing red. Her heart raced, and she avoided Sakura's gaze.
"Hanabi! I want Sakura to help you..."
"Ah!" Sakura chuckled at Hanabi's flustered expression, then grinned mischievously.
"Ah... really?" Hanabi turned around immediately, her eyes hopeful, before realizing she had given herself away. Her face flushed red.
Under Sakura's persistent questioning, Hanabi finally confessed that she had fallen for Shikamaru the moment she first saw him. As she continued to hear tales of his heroic deeds, her feelings deepened. She had even been the one to ask her father, Hyuga Hiashi, to let her become Shikamaru's apprentice.
"Sakura! That's the whole story! You have to help me!" Hanabi pleaded.
"Hehe! Come here, I'll teach you..." Sakura chuckled, then leaned in and whispered something in Hanabi's ear.
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