Boom!
Suddenly, an overwhelming surge of black energy burst forth from Nami's body, instantly engulfing her completely.
"What the hell?!" Shikamaru was shocked. He hadn't sensed a single trace of chakra or energy from Nami before!
A thunderous roar rang out. Shikamaru, along with Hanabi and Sakura, immediately retreated at high speed!
Cradling Hanabi in his arms and leaping into the air, Shikamaru looked down to see the massive Gato Corporation building collapsing with a deafening crash. A gigantic figure emerged from the ruins.
With another ear-splitting cry, a monstrous black feline form appeared from the swirling dust, its massive tail thrashing violently, so many that it was hard to count.
"A Nine-Tailed Cat Demon?!" Upon seeing the creature's full form, Shikamaru exclaimed in shock.
This was a Nekomata, but one with nine tails, a legendary Nine-Tailed Cat Demon!
"Haha! I'm finally free again!" A harsh, grating voice echoed from the demon's mouth.
"Humans! Hahahaha! As thanks for releasing me… I'll devour your souls!"
The cat demon raised its head and let out a piercing screech toward the three of them. A third eye on its forehead suddenly snapped open!
"Not good!" Shikamaru cursed inwardly.
"Shadow Ninja Art: Shadow Evasion!"
Whoosh!
Embracing Sakura and Hanabi, Shikamaru instantly vanished in a blur of shadow just as the black light from the demon's third eye swept past the area they had occupied.
"Sakura, take Hanabi and get out of here, now!" Landing some distance away, Shikamaru ordered urgently.
He couldn't understand, why would a Nine-Tailed Cat Demon even exist in the world of Naruto? But judging by its chakra, it was no weaker than the Nine-Tails. It was too dangerous to keep Sakura and Hanabi here; he couldn't protect them both.
"I understand. Be careful, Shikamaru!" Sakura nodded. The terrifying pressure she'd just felt made her realize staying would only slow him down.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Shikamaru reassured her before swiftly returning to face the monstrous beast.
Meow!
Without warning, a fireball shot from the demon's mouth, heading straight for Shikamaru with incredible speed.
The attack resembled that of the Two-Tailed Nekomata, but the energy it carried was many times more powerful.
"Shadow Ninja Art: Shadowfire!"
With a sharp cry, Shikamaru unleashed a surge of black flames from his body.
Boom!
The flames collided with the fireball mid-air, erupting with a violent shockwave. Thin black cracks spread through the air from the impact!
"Wait!" Just as the demon prepared to attack again, Shikamaru raised his hand.
The raging black flames around the cat demon flickered and slightly weakened. Its feline eyes stared curiously at Shikamaru.
"What is it, human?"
By this time, Sakura and Hanabi had already fled. The demon had noticed, but didn't care.
Its interest was entirely focused on Shikamaru.
"You're the Nine-Tailed Cat Demon?" Shikamaru asked directly.
"Haha! After all these years, someone still remembers me?" The demon laughed maniacally.
Now Shikamaru was sure, this was a nine-tailed Nekomata, no doubt.
"Kid! Since you recognize me, I'll spare your life!" The demon sneered.
"Hmph." Shikamaru let out a cold snort. He hadn't called out the demon's identity to beg for mercy, just to confirm it.
"Don't flatter yourself. You think I'd be scared just because you're a Nine-Tailed Cat Demon?"
He sneered.
"In the ancient records, there's no mention of you. You're not even as famous as the Two-Tails."
"Hahaha! You dare compare that little runt to me?" The demon was furious at first, but then burst into crazed laughter, looking at Shikamaru as though he were a fool.
"Kid, other than the Eight-Headed Serpent and the Ten-Tails, no one compares to me!"
Its eyes turned bloodthirsty, clearly still holding a grudge over Shikamaru's earlier mockery.
What?! Shikamaru was stunned.
This thing knew about the Ten-Tails?
He'd always believed the Eight-Headed Serpent was the Eight-Tails, but if this demon existed in the same era as the Ten-Tails, then it was one of the ancient original monsters that predated the Tailed Beasts!
And Shikamaru was right.
The Nine-Tailed Cat Demon, and the Eight-Headed Serpent it mentioned, had both existed in the same era as the Ten-Tails.
Its fate had been to be sealed in the bloodline and soul of the Nami Clan, lying dormant until someone could awaken it.
Nami… was the most recent vessel of that bloodline.
But awakening the demon came at the cost of her life.
Even though she had always known she could awaken it, Nami never dared, until Shikamaru forced her into a desperate corner.
Boom!
Another giant fireball exploded from the demon's mouth, hurling toward Shikamaru. Space itself rippled in its wake, its power was unimaginable!
"Shadow Ninja Art: Shadowfire!"
Shikamaru didn't dare hold back. He launched his strongest fire attack again.
The explosion of energy sent him flying back under the shockwave!
Huff…
He exhaled deeply, his spirit reeling. The demon's flames had just scorched his very soul!
He immediately cloaked himself in black flame for protection.
"Amazing," he muttered. This Nine-Tailed Cat Demon was on a completely different level than the Two-Tails.
"Shadow Ninja Art: Shadow Black Dragon!"
With a thunderous cry, Shikamaru summoned a massive eastern-style black dragon formed entirely from Shadowfire.
The sight made the demon's eyes flicker with uncertainty.
But then its gaze turned disdainful.
It's just a flashy illusion, it thought.
Still, as the black dragon surged toward it, the demon roared and summoned countless hellspawn from the void to intercept.
Screech!
The black dragon tore through them with devastating force. Just then, a beam of black light shot straight at Shikamaru! He dodged at the last second.
Boom!
His clone turned into a smoking log.
That was close…
Shikamaru broke into a cold sweat.
If the third eye on the demon's forehead had hit him, it could have ripped out his soul.
As the endless tide of hell monsters poured forth, his black dragon eventually shattered.
"Damn it! So damn troublesome…" Shikamaru cursed under his breath.
"There are too many of these things! What now?!"
"Shadow Ninja Art: Shadowwood!"
"Shadow Ninja Art: Shadowgold!"
⚔──────────────
Gold, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, rain, thunder, lightning.
Shikamaru unleashed a barrage of Shadow-style elemental jutsu, but only the Shadowfire had any real effect on the demon's minions.
"Creatures of the underworld… Come forth!" The Nine-Tailed Cat Demon continued summoning relentlessly.
This was the true terror of the demon, not only did it have nine lives, the power to consume souls, but also the ability to summon hellspawn!
"Shadow Ninja Art: Descent of the Fire God!"
Gritting his teeth, Shikamaru unleashed his strongest technique.
The sky darkened, and unbearable heat began pressing down from above.
The demon looked up, its pupils shrank.
The sky was filled with black flames, descending like the end of the world!
Far away, Sakura and Hanabi also felt the oppressive energy.
They looked toward Shikamaru in concern.
"Sister Sakura… is Brother Shikamaru going to be okay?"
Hanabi whispered, overwhelmed by the terrifying force.
"He'll be fine. Trust him. He's the strongest," Sakura replied, trying to comfort Hanabi, and herself.
⚔──────────────
Meowww!
A pained wail echoed.
Shikamaru watched silently as the hellspawn, and the Nine-Tailed Cat Demon itself, were incinerated by his ultimate move.
"Meow… Damn you humans… I'll be back…" The demon's dying scream echoed, and then… silence.
A figure fell from the sky, Nami, her body naked and limp.
Shikamaru caught her gently. As he looked at her face, he noticed the faint imprint of the cat demon's symbol fading from her forehead.
His heart sank.
The demon hadn't truly died, it had only lost one of its nine lives.
So long as Nami lived, it could be summoned again.
"Don't even think about coming back," Shikamaru muttered coldly.
He'd only managed to kill it because the demon underestimated him, and because it didn't know his true power.
A True Shadow surged from his body, entering Nami's.
He couldn't bring himself to kill her, so he implanted a shadow into her soul to suppress the demon, ready to interrupt any future awakening.
"Damn it… I'm still not strong enough. I can't even strip its shadow away…" He clenched his teeth.
To steal a demon's shadow, he needed overwhelming power, several times its strength, or a seal like the Nine-Tails had.
Holding Nami's naked body close, Shikamaru returned to meet up with Sakura and Hanabi, leaving behind a charred crater two kilometers wide.
"Where is the Eight-Headed Serpent now…?" he wondered aloud.
He knew the Ten-Tails was sealed on the moon.
Thinking of how the Sage of Six Paths had reached the moon himself filled Shikamaru with envy.
"Hmph… One day, I'll be that strong too."
Shikamaru believed in himself.
Once he stripped the shadows of all the Tailed Beasts, he would effectively have the Ten-Tails' power combined.
With his Shadow Eyes, he could rival the Sage of Six Paths.
When Shikamaru returned with the unconscious Nami, wrapped in Sakura's borrowed cloak, Sakura and Hanabi rushed to him in relief.
He didn't tell them about the Nine-Tailed Cat Demon, only that the Gato Corporation no longer existed.
Tazuna, representing the village and country, was overwhelmed with gratitude.
Without lingering in the Land of Waves, Shikamaru led Sakura, Hanabi, and the aspiring young ninja Inari back toward Konoha.
Nami joined them too, under the pretense of looking after Inari.
But Shikamaru didn't know…
At that very moment, Kurenai, Anko, and Yakumo, on their S-rank mission, were walking straight into mortal danger…
⚔────────
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