A/N: Because of something Sandanio said in a review/pm, I finally wrote this one after putting it off for so long…
Guys, don't forget to review, ok.
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Chapter 46
The Naruto in front of him is not the same Naruto trapped within the wooden cage just minutes ago.
So much for trying to flee; Naruto just jumps in front of him, releasing reddish ribbons of chakra spiralling about, cutting down nearby tress and leaving Shikamaru totally exposed to the beast's wrath.
For that is the only way to describe Naruto now—a beast; gone is his human form, replaced by something fox-like from his big pointy ears and sharp long claws to his four swinging tails.
Naruto, or what is left of him, appears like a reddish silhouette, reeking of burning flesh. Shikamaru then realizes that the powerful chakra that envelops Naruto is also harming him, charring his skin off, his blood now mixing with the cloak of chakra giving it its reddish appearance.
Shikamaru can feel Naruto's white empty eyes on him before the beast opens his mouth giving forth a reverberating roar.
Shikamaru refuses to cower but he can't help but swallow his own spit, his throat gone dry.
Five weeks ago, the first time Shikamaru saw Naruto; the blonde nin had boasted that he is the number one shinobi of Konoha while a stupid grin plastered on his face belied the claim.
Now, Shikamaru discovers the basis of that claim a little too late. He can only watch as the beast opens its mouth wide and gives off another frightening, thundering growl.
The jinchuriki swings just one arm to strike the ground, immediately the earth crumbles, creating a crater the size of which could sink a small town. While Shikamaru tries to find his footing as the ground beneath his feet collapses, he recognizes that he can't afford to be hit by the chakra-cloaked Naruto or it will be the end for him.
When the dust has settled, the jinchuriki now circles around Shikamaru slowly as if taunting him. Shikamaru can only stand and follow with his eyes, Naruto's every move, every swish of his four tails and every shift of his arms with its sharp claws. At the same time, though, Shikamaru can't help but cover his nose to prevent bile from rising from his stomach—the smell is that powerful at so close a range—of rancid, burning human flesh.
Suddenly, the fox-like beast finally makes a move, springing closer for an attack, raising his hand to whack Shikamaru's head.
Shikamaru immediately disappears underground and appears again several metres away from Naruto. If Shikamaru were back home in Suna, he would have made it farther but the soil in this particular foreign place is harder than the loose sand of Suna. Furthermore, the only reason he was able to get away fast is that he figured it out that thanks to Naruto's pounding the earth with his chakra-laden appendages, the ground has developed micro-cracks, making it easier for him to dig in and vanish underneath.
Reappearing, Shikamaru needs to breathe, gulping large quantities of air while observing Naruto pivoting around in order to face him.
The beast growls again, furious.
Shikamaru knows he is so fucked.
Tch. He might as well; Shikamaru takes the time, withdrawing his attention from his opponent to glance towards the general direction of Kohoha. Temari. Temari was sleeping peacefully the last time he saw her.
Shikamaru trains his eyes back towards the jinchuriki and just in time he is able to detect Naruto's disproportionately large hands extending as they burrow and follow his progress beneath the ground. Shikamaru jumps backwards, evading each time Naruto's elongating hands trying to grab him.
Shikamaru just continues to evade and duck while Naruto continues to attack; raising his hands with his claws out and flinging his tails.
Out of breath, Shikamaru descends from a high jump; the momentum from it causing him to glide backwards on the ground for several metres with dusts billowing from his feet.
His offensive moves, his shadows, are simply dissolved upon contact with Naruto's chakra-cloaked body and the exploding tags detonated all at once are just as useless. He needs to come up with a strategy. If he carries on this way, he will just loss chakra and supplies but achieved nothing.
Shikamaru knows next to nothing about Naruto, only that he claimed to be Konoha's number one nin and that he's a jinchuriki. That day Temari introduced him, she did not act like she feared the blonde nin. On the contrary, Temari acted as if Naruto is one of those so-so nins.
Maybe Temari doesn't know that Naruto is a jinchuriki?
No. Shikamaru can't believe that. Temari prides herself on gaining the most knowledge about everything and yet she treated Naruto as if…Damn, it was partly that woman's fault that he is in this predicament. That woman shouted at Naruto, demanding that he should tell their Hokage to remain in his office, leading Shikamaru to believe that Naruto is just an idiotic assistant to the Hokage.
After all, he can't imagine Gaara, Suna's own jinchuriki, tolerating such disrespect. Gaara would have killed the person that shouted at him—unless…
Dammit! He should have realized—that Temari was able to yell and be herself because Naruto allowed her to because she was considered a friend.
Finally, with the discovery of the bond that exists between Temari and Naruto, Shikamaru now has a hunch and hopes it will pay off.
"We are looking for the same woman for the same reason—to bring her back to Konoha," Shikamaru speaks. He needs to convince Naruto that they are on the same side.
Naruto's tails persist to move back and forth menacingly. While he tilts his head backwards; opening his mouth broadly to let out an eerie bark that soon scares off the birds from the distant trees.
Shikamaru subsequently realizes that Naruto is as far gone as Gaara when he goes to sleep and allows Shukaku to overtake his body, but Shikamaru tries again, hollering to be heard over the din of noise Naruto is making, "I'm not searching for Lady Tsunade to harm her but rather to ask some questions regarding Temari and—me."
Suddenly, Naruto becomes quiet.
Taking that as a positive sign, Shikamaru asks, "Temari is your friend, right?"
Naruto, after remaining unmoving, finally howls as numerous small globes of chakra shoot off from his body. The tiny globes are then suspended in the air as they change colour from dark red to light blue until finally they are called forth by Naruto to coalesce, forming a condensed ball of chakra which Naruto then swallows.
When Naruto next opens his mouth he releases a big, bright ball of pure chakra heading straight towards Shikamaru.
Shikamaru can only watch as the ball of light approaches him. His last-ditch gamble has not paid off.
Game over. He loses. But that doesn't surprise him.
The light from the ball has grown brighter. Shikamaru closes his eyes as he whispers, "Goodbye, Temari."
TBC
~1/14/12AF~