A Ninja's Worst Nightmare

Chapter 7: The Showdown!

Summary: Shikamaru had volunteered to stall the powerful ninja that was following them, now he faces Shen in his Nightmare form, can he survive? Also Nightmare saluters like the insane killer he is, not caring who he kills on the battlefield, who will stop him?!


Shikamaru got ready to jump out of the way as Shen dashed at him with his freaky sword and he barely got out of the way and the ground shot up into the air because of the force of the impact!

"Damn. I can't believe I actually volunteer to do this, I'm going to get myself killed." Shikamaru said to himself as Shen pulled his sword from the ground.

"How do you want to die? Slow and painful? Or quick and painless?" Shen said with a bone chilling laugh.

"I choose neither." Shikamaru answered as he readied his Shadow Possession Jutsu, "I hope I can hold him off long enough." Shikamaru thought as his shadow stretched towards Shen!

"Even if you could catch me, you would never hold me. You're too weak from your match to stop me!" Shen shouted as he jumped away.

"Right where I want you." Shikamaru whispered as he threw a kunai at Shen, but it missed completely!

"Your aiming sucks." Shen said as he flew in the air.

"Wasn't aiming for you." Shikamaru said as Shen looked back at the kunai that impaled a explosive tag and the tag was burning! "Damn!!" Shen shouted as the tag exploded and the explosion set off other tags and the trees fell and Shen was caught in the explosion!

"Did that do it?" Shikamaru asked himself, but was wrong as Shen shot his hand out of the debris and pulled himself out the wreckage.

"You really are a strategist. That would have worked on a normal person, but as you know, I'm not normal!"Shen shouted as he charged with his sword!

"Dammit! I should have known that wouldn't have work!" Shikamaru thought as he tried to think of a way to stop Shen, while trying to survive!

At the last second, Shikamaru got out of the way of the attack but got slashed in the ribs! Shikamaru landed on the ground and collapsed to one knee and holding his side. "Try and dodge me this time!" Shen shouted as he came with another attack with his sword!

"Oh man, why did I volunteered to do this?" Shikamaru asked himself as he awaited for his demise, but just before Shen swiped Shikamaru, a pair of blades stopped the attack, it was Asuma!

"Asuma!" Shikamaru shouted in surprise.

"Shikamaru, take a break, I'll handle this." Asuma said as he held back Shen with both his brass knuckle blades, while Shen pushed with his left hand. He was only using his left hand to hold his sword!

"Get out of my way, a Jounin cannot stop me." Shen said still locking blades with Asuma and then both of them jump back and clashed weapons. Asuma managed to block all of the hits that Shen threw and Shen did the same, until Asuma snuck his fist pass Shen's guard and punched him in the face! And because of his brass knuckle, that punch was hard!

Shen stumble back and Asuma took the chance to slash Shen on his left cheek.

"You...You, foolish mortal!!" Shen shouted as the cut healed, Asuma tried to punch Shen again, but Shen caught his hand with his morphed hand and began to crush Asuma's human hand! Asuma yelled out as Shen broke his hand and then Shen lift the hand out of the way and he slashed Asuma in the body and the force of the hit sent Asuma flying back!

Asuma was wounded, badly, and things wasn't looking good for Asuma and Shikamaru as Shen took a few steps to them, but stop instantly!

Shen then looked into the forest "I could just kill these two, but I can't waste any time." Shen thought as he looked at Asuma and Shikamaru again. "Consider yourselves lucky, I've have other manner to attended to." Shen said then jumped into the forest, leaving a very relieved Jounin and Genin.


Meanwhile at the battlefield in the village...

Nightmare had slain many sand and sound ninja, but oddly the leaf ninjas vanished. "Where did those ninja go?" Nightmare thought as a sound ninja tried to attack him from behind, but Nightmare stabbed him by thrusting his sword behind him,Soul Edge was now stuck in the ninja and going out his back!

Just then Nightmare noticed Shen was gone as well, "Where did he...? He must have gone after that fox. Heh heh, only a matter of- hm?" Nightmare thought as Soul Edge started to emit a strange vibe, "This feeling..." Nightmare said as another ninja came and he killed him effortlessly. "...It's familiar...from somewhere." Nightmare said to himself as he tried to remember where the feeling came from, then it hit him! "No...It can't be! He's coming now?!" Nightmare shouted aloud, but then calmed down, "Heh, Fine. I'll just kill him and take his soul along with that fox!"

Just then, more ninjas came at Nightmare, just what he wanted, "I am Nightmare! Offer your souls to me!" Nightmare shouted as he begun to kill the ninjas to take their souls to strengthen himself from battle against this foe that was coming.

Nightmare slashed down everyone that was in his path with devastating swipes that killed all of the ninjas with one hits as his Soul Edge devoured their souls and cursed them to an eternity of everlasting darkness!

Nightmare slewed all of the ninjas in half and stood beside the remains of the bodies. "I need more! I need more souls!!" Nightmare shouted as he ran towards town and the giant three headed snake that was destroying the town!

The town was in ruins as the snake continued to destroy buildings, Jiraya was just about to summon a toad to crush the snake underneath it's weight, but what happen next would shock everyone present! There was a flash of metal going straight down the snake, the snake froze for a bit before falling into to two halves!

"What the?!" "Who did that!?" "That's impossible!" shouted several ninjas surrounding the dead snake as they saw a figure with a giant sword kneeling with his sword still in the snake! That figure was Nightmare! "Give me your souls!!" Nightmare shouted as he jumped off the snake's corpse and started to kill the Sand and Sound ninjas!

Ikibi was standing on a building from afar as he watched the saluter, "Is that man an ally?" Ikibi asked out loud.

"No, he just here to kill." answered a voice, Ikibi turned around to see Jiraya! "Master Jiraya!" Ikibi shouted, "Who is that man?"

"That man, no that creature is called the Azure Knight. A being that lives on carnage and killing, or so I've heard." Jiraya answered, "Get your men out of here now!" Jiraya shouted.

"Yes Master Jiraya." Ikibi said and was about to leave, "Master Jiraya! Behind you!" Ikibi shouted, Jiraya turned around and barely jumped out of the way from an attack from Nightmare!

"You have a powerful soul, it will soon be apart of me!" Nightmare shouted as he begun to swing his sword at Jiraya! Ikibi was about to help Jiraya, but Jiraya stopped him, "Ikibi! Stay back! Get everyone out of here now!" Jiraya shouted as he dodged Nightmare's attacks.

Jiraya jumped back and started making extremely fast hand signs, "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Jiraya shouted as he blew a huge flamethrower from his mouth, but Nightmare simply slashed through it! "Damn!" Jiraya shouted as he jumped back from an incoming attack, Jiraya knew that he could not risk and attack from that sword, so he bit his thumb and made several hand signs.

"Ninja Art Summoning!" Jiraya shouted as a big toad, about the same size as Nightmare, appeared with two katanas on it's back!

"You think this can stop me!?" Nightmare shouted as tried to cleave the toad, but the toad drew one of it's sword and locked blades with Nightmare! "You annoying amphibian!" Nightmare shouted as he and the toad clashed blades!

Saying that Nightmare was pissed would be an understatement! Him, the Azure Knight, having trouble with an over-sized toad with swords, he was pissed beyond hell itself!

As Nightmare fought the toad, it jumped back and shot a stream of oil at him and covered him with oil! "What is the meaning of this?!" Nightmare shouted as he saw Jiraya make more hand signs.

"Hey you freak! Do you know what happens when fire meets oil?!" Jiraya shouted as Nightmare knew what he was going to do, "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Jiraya shouted and again spew fire from his mouth and this time, it hit the oil and it caught on fire along with Nightmare!

The fire raged on and it looked like no ordinary human could have survive, but Nightmare was no ordinary human! Jiraya was in shock as he saw Nightmare walked out of the inferno, still on fire and it wasn't even fazing him!

Now, Nightmare's appearance was like his mood, burning with rage and fury! "Do you really think you can stop me with that pathetic attack!?" Nightmare shouted as he lifted his sword over his head and slammed it into the ground, creating a column of fire that raced toward Jiraya and his toad! (Think of Inuyasha's Wind Scar, but only one of it)

Jiraya and his toad manage to get out of the incoming attack, but when they landed, Nightmare jump above the toad and slashed it! The toad then disappeared in a poof of smoke, leaving Jiraya alone with the Azure Knight, whom is now clear of his flames.

Without any options, Jiraya did the only thing he could think of, pulling out two kunais. Nightmare then bursted laughing, "Ha ha aha ha ha ha aha! You think those puny daggers can stop my Soul Edge!?" Nightmare asked as he charged Jiraya and swung his blade downwards at him, but Jiraya manage to sidestep the attack and the sword slashed the roof of the building and Jiraya tried to slash Nightmare, but his armor prevented him from causing any serious damage.

Nightmare retaliated by using his right hand (Mutated) and nailed Jiraya straight in his face! Jiraya flew back and landed on his back, when he tried to get up he saw Nightmare standing over him with his sword pointing down at his chest! "And now, you are mine!" Nightmare shouted and thrust his sword at Jiraya but stopped a few centimeters away from Jiraya chest!

Nightmare stopped because he felt the person he sensed before was coming, right now! Nightmare whirled his head around to see and blue sphere materializing, he quickly ran to the sphere with his sword above his head and he swung his sword down, but when the sphere dissipated, a giant sword blocked the attack and Nightmare jumped back! There stood a man in white armor, with blonde hair down to his shoulders and a scar over his right eye.

"I finally found you," said the man as he pointed his giant sword at Nightmare, "My unforgivable past!"

"So you've came. This time I will take back my body Siegfried!" Nightmare roared as jumped in to the air with his sword over head and Siegfried blocked it and manage to push him back, and thus began one of their epic battles!

Nightmare thrust his sword at Siegfried, but Siegfried side stepped it and swung his sword, but Nightmare caught the sword in his right hand and he threw Siegfried off the roof and crashing into the neighboring building's window, with Nightmare following close behind.

Jiraya was very relived that the man called Siegfried had appeared when he did, otherwise, the great toad Sannin, would've been skewered! "I have to thank that man when I get the chance." Jiraya said with a sigh of relief, "But just who was that guy, and what does he know about the Azure Knight?" Jiraya thought as he left to help at other places.

After Nightmare jumped in the window that Siegfried crash through, Siegfried kicked Nightmare from the side and Nightmare went through the wall of the room! Siegfried moved after him, and was barely able to duck underneath Nightmare's swing and he rolled into the hall, Nightmare tried to slash Siegfried while he was on the ground, but Siegfried rolled out of the way and got to his feet, and Nightmare attacked him and they clashed swords down the hall and to the stairs!

They continued down the stairs, still with swords clashing, down to the main floor. Nightmare and Siegfried swords created sparks with every hit that they made, Nightmare attacked again but Siegfried parried that blow and used his sword like a pole vault and sprang himself at Nightmare with a dropkick that sent Nightmare crashing out the door!

Nightmare slid on the street right in the middle of a Sand ninja squad! "Who hell are you!?" shouted one of the Sand ninja, but was answered with a 360 slash that killed all of squad with one hit!

Siegfried ran out the hole that used to be the door and saw that Nightmare had killed again! "You Monster! Will you ever stop?!" Siegfried shouted.

"Never! I will never stop! I will obtain souls until I pass on this sword to it's next wielder!" Nightmare shouted as his Soul Edge Phantom absorb the souls.

"Pass on? What does he mean?!" Siegfried thought as Nightmare charged him and he blocked the attack!


Meanwhile in the forest...

Shen was jumping from branch to branch, he was still in his Soul Edge Form. He suddenly stopped when he sensed two powerful forces battling, one of Light, and one of Dark.

"The Dark must be Master. So who's the Light?" Shen mentally asked himself as he looked back at the village, "Whoever it is I'm sure that Master can handle him." Shen thought as he continued to follow Naruto and friends.

As Shen hurried deeper into the forest, he could sense a battle going on! He grew an instinct for know if a battle was going on during his time with Nightmare and he went faster!

Naruto and Sasuke was fighting Gaara to save Sakura, who was pinned to a tree with a sand claw and was being crushed by each minute! "Sakura!" Naruto shouted as he looked at Sakura and the sand claw.

"You waste your time Uzumaki!" Gaara shouted in his half sand raccoon form, "You can't get stronger by wasting your time caring for others!" Gaara shouted, but then a look of shock came on his face and he turned to his side to see Shen standing on a branch, with a crazy grin that could match Gaara's!

"Wh-what are you?" Gaara asked Shen and Shen started to laugh.

"The one whose going to take your soul, and that demon within you!" Shen shouted as he pointed his sword at Gaara as it emitted a dark aura and the surrounding trees started to wilt and decay!

"What the?! Is his power so corrupt is it starting to kill the trees?! No, he's not killing them, he's stealing their energy!" Sasuke shouted in his mind as he saw Shen's sword still gave off that same aura!

Gaara was still in a little shock to see that someone had a more powerful aura than him around him the whole time and he didn't know sooner!

"Now then...Give me your soul!!!" Shen shouted in a Nightmare way as he jumped from the branch and the force of his jump destroyed the branch! With his sword in his right hand, Shen was closing in on Gaara. Just before Shen was about to hack off Gaara's head, Gaara lifted his left sand arm to block the attack and instead of hacking his head off, he slashed off the arm! (Which reformed a few seconds later)

"What's wrong? Are you scared?" Shen asked as he grinned like manic. "Don't worry...This will be quick!" Shen shouted as he leaped at Gaara with his sword coming with a slash! Shen swiped Gaara with his sword in his left hand in his chest, then nailed him with his right mutated fist and sent Gaara flying to a tree and crashed in it! The impact left Gaara in a hole in the tree, knocked out.

"Now that he's out of the way," Shen said still with his grin, pointed his sword to Naruto, "It's you're turn."

Sasuke felt the power that Shen gave off and he was concern for his friend! "Naruto!! Get out of here! You can't beat him!" Sasuke shouted and suddenly he got punched in the gut with an high force!

"You shut up." Shen said with his right fist in Sasuke's gut. Sasuke was gasping for air when he saw Shen lifting his sword aiming to cut Sasuke's head off! "You're an eyesore. Vanish!" Shen shouted as his sword came down, but before it could he, Shen got kicked in the face that sent him stumbling back!

"Back off! You weirdo!" Naruto shouted as he stood in front of Sasuke, ready to fight to protect his friend!

"Weirdo? Weirdo? Heh heh heh, ha ha ha. You need to learn how to insult, because that was pathetic." Shen said with a smirk, as he rubbed his jaw.

Naruto was pissed off by the remark and charged at Shen with his fist reeled back. When he got to Shen, he threw his punch, but Shen caught that weak attack with his deformed hand! "You really are that stupid, are you? To think, you becoming Hokage, what a joke. You can't hold a candle to me." Shen taunted as Naruto tried to get out off Shen's grip, but to no avail.

"Argh! Let go!" Naruto shouted as he struggled to get free.

"Fine." Shen responded and hurled Naruto over his hand and through several branches and finally got caught on one, and was hanging on his stomach on the branch. Naruto then started to move, barely.

Shen was about to jump about to jump, but then he heard, "Sasuke! Are you all right!?" Sakura shouted to Sasuke (Who was on his stomach) with much concern that caught Shen's attention!

"Heh heh heh heh, ah ha ha ha. You are just as pathetic, girl." Shen said as he walked towards the two.

"St-stay back!" Sakura shouted as she pulled out a kunai and point at Shen while shaking.

"Heh heh heh. Foolish girl." Shen said as he lift his right hand and streched out his fingers and two tentecles of water shot out from behind Sakura, wrapped around her and then pulled her back to a tree that whipped her neck and slammed her head against the tree that knocked her out!

Sa-Sakura..." Sasuke got out as he looked at Sakura trapped to the tree with water. "Let...her...go!"

"I don't think so." Shen answered coldly, as he clench his hand into a fist, which made the water's pressure intensify, crushing Sakura! "I mastered my control over water, I can do many things that includes allowing me to create water from thin air and intensifing it's pressure, just like what I'm doing to your precious Sakura." Shen answered as Sakura continued to be crushed.

"You... Let her go now!" Sasuke said as he got to his feet, breathing hard and his curse mark activated, covering his left side body. Shen merely laughed at this.

"Ha ha ha ha ha. Why don't you kill me? Cause I sure as hell not releasing it!" Shen shouted as Sasuke charged him! Sasuke charged Shen with his left fist but Shen dodged it and thrust the butt of his handle at Sasuke, but Sasuke manage to dodge and jump back.

"I only have one left..." Sasuke thought in his mind, he only had one Chidori left. He used his others on Gaara, this was his last chance! Sasuke began making the handsigns for Chidori and then grabbed his left wrist, "I HAVE to make this count!!" Sasuke shouted in his mind, "CHIDORI!!!" Sasuke shouted his most powerful jutsu and charged at Shen with a handful of charka!

Shen saw the Chidori coming so he countered back focusing his charka in his right fist until a dark purple aura surrounded it and then rushed towards Sasuke! The two charged at each other with their attacks until Shen threw his fist, but Sasuke manage to duck and thrust his hand into Shen's chest, breaking his armor and getting to his skin!

Shen looked down at his wound then back at Sasuke before falling on his back! "Finally..." Sasuke said as he looked back at Sakura, but was shocked to see that the water was still there! "What?! It should be-"

"Gone?" Shen finished for him as he got back to his feet, with his wound bleeding, but that didn't faze him at all! " I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that attack won't stop me." Shen said as he grabbed his sword from the branch and looked back at Sasuke, "Foolish little boy."

Those three word then brought back Sasuke's memories of that person, the person with a complete sharingan, "Foolish little brother." Those three words haunted Sasuke as he looked at Shen with rage and tried to make more hand signs but couldn't because his body gave way and he collpase!

Shen walked towards Sasuke and had his sword so it was pointing backwards and lift it to stabbed Sasuke! "Now it ends here for you, Sasuke Uchiha." Shen said but before he could finish Sasuke, again he was kicked in the jaw! But this time, the kick sent him flying off the branch!

Shen reacted quickly and stabbed his sword into a nearby tree and hung from it. He then looked at his attacker to see Naruto Uzumaki, breathing hard as he stand over his fallen friend. Shen scoffed at this and flew himself up while pulling his sword out and landing on the branch above.

"How dare you hurt my friends!" Naruto shouted with anger.

"Friends...Hmph. A worthless thing in life." Shen said and that pissed Naruto off more! "What!?" Naruto shouted again, "I don't need friends. They get in my way, my path to unlimited power." Shen said as he raised his right arm in the air.

"You're wrong!" Naruto shouted as Shen lowered his arm, "Friends are what give you strength to fight, the will to protect those who are precious to! And that why I will stop you to save my friends!" Naruto shouted and Shen began laughing!

"Heh heh heh, Ha ha ha ha, Ah ha ha ha ha ha!!! Is that what you think? Well I thought you were stupid before, but now! Ha hah ha ha! That was the most pathetic thing I ever heard! Your friends won't save you and you certainly can't save them!" Shen shouted as he leaped at Naruto!


A/N: Okay I'm stopping here for two reason, 1: I want a cliffhanger here and 2:...I don't know what to write. Okay then on to other things! If you're wondering why Shen shouted when Asuma slice him and he didn't shouted when he got stabbed with the Chidori is because he shouted in frustration. And I made the choice to bring in Siegfried! I was plainning on bringing him later, but when I had problems writing this, it came to me, Siegfried and Nightmare battling it out in Konoha! Any other questions, leave a review and I will respond to it ASAP, but I can't respond to questions that are anonymous. So if you want to ask a question that you don't want others to know, you have to leave a review while logged on (If you have a profile) otherwise, I'll answer it on the next chapter.

Next time the conclusion of Naruto vs Shen and Siegfried vs Nightmare! Later!