A few moments of stillness passed before Shikamaru opened his eyes, his expression calm but sharpened with quiet resolve.
'Okay... I've got dozens of strategies I could run through,' He thought, calculating with the ease of a man idly solving a puzzle. 'But if I burn through too much chakra here, I'll be spent before the real battles... Better finish this with the next move.'
Whoosh!
His hand flicked, another small orb arcing through the air.
'Again?' Temari's teeth clenched as she swung her fan. A sharp gust tore across the battlefield, scattering the second smoke bomb before it could settle.
Shuaaa!!
'Shadow Shrieks!' Shikamaru's shadow darted across the cracked stone floor, stretching with uncanny speed.
"Heh... there it is!" Temari's eyes narrowed with a smirk as she saw it press against the line she had drawn earlier. Just as expected, it halted.
But in the very next heartbeat, her smirk shattered.
'What—?!'
The black tendril split at an angle, flicking toward her feet.
Temari's body jolted into motion as instinct screamed. She kicked off hard, dust spraying behind her as the shadow snapped inches from her sandals.
"Shadow stops..." She muttered, breath sharp, reassessing.
Shikamaru's voice drifted lazily through the haze. "You've got some nerves... relying on clouds to cast your shadows like that."
Her teeth grit, realizing where his eyes had been drifting all along. He had been planning from the moment he stared at the clouds.
"TEMARI! ABOVE YOU!" Kankurō's voice thundered across the arena.
"What?" Temari snapped her gaze skyward.
Floating down from the open blue was a makeshift parachute, a simple jacket stretched taut by kunai, tied off with a forehead protector. It spun lazily as it descended, casting a second shadow directly beside her own.
Shhh!!
The instant that dark shape touched the ground, Temari leapt, boots skidding across stone.
"Damn it!"
'Shadow Shrieks!'
Shikamaru's voice rang with rare steel as his shadow surged toward her, linking seamlessly with the parachute's thin shade.
Temari's chest heaved as she narrowly slipped away. Her thoughts raced, sharp and unforgiving. 'I didn't expect him to expand his reach with a fake parachute... It's crude, but it's impressive!'
She clenched her jaw, fan held tight. 'The moment I looked up, I forgot my feet... A sneaky trick meant to bait my attention away. He's not just buying time... he's hunting me.'
The shadow slithered after her like a living serpent, snapping at her heels with ruthless persistence.
Ssshhhkkk!
Temari skidded to a stop, dust exploding from beneath her sandals. Her fan stabbed into the stone before her like an anchor.
The shadow crept forward and halted, the distance once again too great.
Across the field, Shikamaru's brows knit slightly. Sweat beaded on his temple, his breathing measured. 'Tch... she slipped away again. But the sun's dipping lower... The longer this drags, the longer my shadows stretch. One last move should do it...'
On the other side, Temari's fan rose like a shield, her golden hair whipping in the breeze. Her eyes glinted with determination. 'If time keeps dragging, the shadows will grow stronger... I have to end this before his patience wins out.'
Shikamaru's hand dipped into his pouch. "Then how about this?"
He hurled another orb directly at her.
'Another smoke bomb?' Temari's lips curled in irritation. 'Does he really think the same trick will work again?'
SSHHHH!!
But instead of choking smoke, a blinding white light detonated across the field.
"AAAHH!!"
The entire stadium erupted with cries as eyes screwed shut. Even the shinobi in the stands cursed and shielded their faces.
'That's—!' Temari squeezed her eyes shut, body freezing from the sudden blindness.
Shikamaru's voice rang steady, cold, and sure. "Shadow Shrieks!"
Tkk!
Temari's eyes flicked downward, her pupils shrinking as the world refocused.
'N-No way!'
Her fan lay behind her, its wide body cutting the sunlight and extending the reach of Shikamaru's shadow. The black tendril leapt over the fan's shade, seizing the line of her body in its grasp.
"M-My... body... it's—?" Her limbs stiffened as realization crashed into her.
"Yes."
Shikamaru straightened his back, exhaustion in his frame but a quiet confidence in his voice. "You've been caught by my shadow."
The gasps rippled across the stadium.
"At last," He continued, his hands lowering as he released the final seal. "My Shadow Possession... is successful."
The crowd erupted.
"WHAT WAS THAT LIGHT?!"
"THAT WASN'T A SMOKE BOMB!"
"That was a Flash Bomb! A special tool of the Nara Clan!"
In the stands, Choji shoved chips into his mouth at twice the usual pace, eyes wide with surprise.
Kankurō leaned forward, knuckles white as he gripped the railing. "What the hell just happened...?"
Temari's mind raced, teeth grit against her still-locked jaw. 'That orb wasn't a smoke bomb... It was a flash bomb. He blinded me just long enough to slip his shadow through mine...!'
Across the field, Shikamaru's eyes softened briefly as his thoughts drifted. 'It's all thanks to you, dad... for securing one of the clan's old tools. Guess it came in handy after all.'
The roar of the crowd swelled around him, but Shikamaru's calm, steady footsteps carried him toward his immobilized opponent.
"I see, he made Temari intentionally overlook the Flash Bomb for a Smoke Ball… as expected of his genius brain!" Asuma muttered, his sharp eyes fixed on Shikamaru.
The jonin's voice carried both pride and disbelief, as if his lazy student had once again outwitted expectations.
Down on the arena floor, Shikamaru walked with his usual slouch, hands loose at his sides. His shadow crept forward like a predator, binding Temari and forcing her to mimic his every step.
Temari's jaw clenched, her fan gripped tightly though she could do nothing with it. 'Damn it! My body is moving on its own! I can't resist this!'
The rage burned in her chest, but her limbs betrayed her, pulled along by the shadow's will.
The stadium grew hushed, anticipation thick in the air.
"Checkmate with the next one…" Asuma whispered, his lips twitching into a smirk.
The crowd was frozen, unable to look away. Even the sand shinobi in the stands sat rigid, watching their kunoichi dance to the rhythm of Konoha's dark horse.
"Before anyone knew it, they were already under the spell of this match," Someone murmured in awe.
"The guy with no mark is quite the dark horse," Kotetsu added, folding his arms with approval.
"Go, Shikamaru!" Ino's shout cut across the silence, her fists clenched tightly, her eyes shining.
Crunch... crunch...
Beside her, Choji's attention stayed divided between the fight and the food in his hands. His eating only grew faster, his cheeks full like a squirrel storing up for winter.
Kiba leaned forward on the railing, teeth bared in excitement. Lee's fists trembled in burning admiration, while Hinata's pale eyes never wavered from the field, her quiet breaths betraying her tension.
'Shikamaru…' Sakura's chest tightened as she watched. Complicated emotions stirred, annoyance at his slacking, admiration at his cunning, and a reluctant urge to cheer for him.
On the field, Shikamaru raised his arm with sluggish precision.
The shadow compelled Temari to mirror him. Her arm lifted helplessly, her eyes wide with frustration.
'I so wanna kill myself right now!' Temari thought, her cheeks heating in humiliation as she squeezed her eyes shut.
---- ✦ ✦ ✦ ----
Spoilers for the next five chapters!
Chapter 266: Unexpected Result
Chapter 267: The Most Awaited Match
Chapter 268: The Most Awaited Match (2)
Chapter 269: Naruto Vs Neji
Chapter 270: Naruto Vs Neji (2)
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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