Disclaimer: I don't own the Naruto franchise or any of its characters.
My Pa tre on is back online for those who want to read THREE chapters or THREE WEEKS ahead (chapters 55, 56, 57) and support my endeavor to become an author. So if you can't wait for the next update–check out:
P a treon . com (slash) PaladinKaladin
Chapter Fifty-Four: Consequences
[Ding!] .
[Skill Tree Unlock used.]
[Choose between the two Elite-class skills shown:
Let's see…
[Flash Step Lvl 1]
Or
[Observation Haki Lvl 1]
Naruto sighed heavily as the swamp around him turned into blue pixels in a fraction of a second, before disappearing entirely, leaving him in an empty room of darkness. He looked around himself, back in the comfortable, flat, fields that he had grown accustomed to. The world he was in just a few seconds prior wasn't technically real—or so he had thought. The tiredness that plagued his body was still present, weeping agony in his muscles. He fell to the floor on his back, staring up at the clouds that slowly passed across the sky. It wasn't too bad, however—he hadn't done much against the Minotaur, if he was being honest.
Naruto had kept out of the Minotaur's sight for the majority of the fight, instead preferring to remain in the shadows for the majority of the fight. He had relied on his shadows to take the attention of the beast off of him, and lastly Shadow Connection to Shadow Walk to quickly get to the finishing point.
He clenched his fist, where the legendary sword once was. He wasn't sure whether a Black Flash with a weapon was even possible, but in the heat of the moment…everything seemed to click. Naruto had heard of other fighters entering an immense state of focus during a fight, to the point where they were able to do things and feats which would have been impossible for them a day before. He had definitely entered that state just now—there was no doubt about it. If Naruto were to explain it, he would define it as a state of peak utilization of his potential. Almost similar to the state of 'perfection' after a successful Black Flash, but to a lesser degree, of course.
He got on his feet, Now, onto more pressing matters…
[Flash Step Lvl 1]
Or
[Observation Haki Lvl 1]
"Let's see what each of those mean, shall we…" Naruto mumbled to himself as he opened their respective windows.
[Flash Step Lvl 1]
[This ability allows the user to quickly travel short distances from one point to another by using precise footwork. MP Usage depends on the distance travelled.]
[Observation Haki Lvl 1]
[This ability allows the user to sense in ways many cannot. It enhances perception, enabling the user to predict the opponent's movements during battle. The user may use this ability to locate other individuals even while they're hidden, as well as perceive the emotions of others. MP Usage depends on the time activated.]
Huh, there's some more over there. Naruto thought confusedly when he saw a smaller stretch of text below the Haki skill.
[Advanced Observation Haki—Locked.]
[Unlock the skill to see preview.]
Naruto was heavily confused. He was torn between the two options, because both of them sounded insanely useful. It may have been the toughest decision he had to make in a long time between two skills. Normally, there was one clearly better skill that trumped over the other which had glaring deficiencies in its usage. However, that was no longer the case.
Flash Step looked amazing on paper value—a teleportation type skill which would be amazing to have. Speed was not something Naruto, in his opinion, was particularly lacking in. However, there was always someone faster than him. Fuu in her winged state, the Jonins, Orochimaru, Kisame, and more. He hadn't even mentioned Itachi Uchiha, who was practically gliding across the battlefield with how fast and agile he was in a fight. So, picking Flash Step would be useful for his arsenal.
Observation Haki, on the other hand, sounded like a dream come true. It was like his very own Dojutsu, if that analogy made sense. Sensing hidden opponents, one of the characteristics of the ability, was remarkably close to the Byakugan, without the chakra-viewing nature, of course. Predicting the opponent's movements sounded somewhat like the Sharingan, if Naruto had been listening correctly when Kakashi sensei had explained it.
Perceive the emotions of others? Now that was new, and something Naruto wasn't sure if he was entirely happy about. Though maybe it could be a trump card, if he thought about it. If emotions also portrayed how the person felt about the blond at that very movement, there was a chance that maybe the Haki would sense who was a foe and ally to him as well.
In the end, the decision was made. It was mainly due to two factors. Firstly, Shadow Walk already existed, which was Naruto's main quick 'transportation' skill during a fight. He wasn't going to risk the chance that maybe Shadow Walk is already faster than Flash Step, meaning the latter skill would be absolutely obsolete during a fight. Second, Observation Haki appeared to have greater scope to the ability. The locked "Advanced Haki" promised further skills which could prove even stronger.
Naruto drooled at the thought of something even better than what he was getting right now. Reaching level twenty has been awesome so far. I got an extra fifty MP and another skill. Elite class skills are on another level entirely.
I choose Observation Haki!
[—NTLS—]
The trees bristled quietly. An eerie silence took over the forest in which they were in. There was nothing to hear except the faint rustling of some smaller animals as well as the chirping of birds, but even that seemed to cease completely.
What the hell is happening?
Shikaku froze. "Stop."
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted right in front of them, its shockwaves would have reached both Shikaku and Inoichi if it weren't for Choza's quick thinking to block with his enlarged hand. Shikaku removed his hands from his face, whipping his head around to see where the hell these people were coming from. Choza enlarged even further, taking in a giant form that loomed as high as the trees in the forest. Shikaku and Inoichi leaped up on top of their friend's shoulder, eager to gain more insight into what exactly was happening.
Their eyes came in contact with a giant, pale bird that flew towards them like a missile.
Choza caught the bird with his left hand—the scary part being how the construct didn't even attempt to escape. BOOM! The bird exploded into a burst of flames that coated his friend's large arm, but thankfully didn't seem to do much damage due to the sturdy nature of the man. The summon, or whatever it was, wasn't completely finished, however. The head remained intact—the only part of the entire body that managed to do so. The bird opened its 'beak', and through the canal came a swarm of pale, paper-like insects that crawled forwards on Choza's arm. The second one of them exploded with a small flare of flame, he knew what he had to do.
Shikaku reached his shadow forward as it travelled along Choza's long arm, before splitting apart into multiple strands that each took control of one of the spiders that moved. The shadows squeezed on the explosives and left them completely limp.
"What's happening?" Inoichi asked out of sheer confusion.
Shikaku could only answer truthfully. "I have no idea."
His senses tingled. A sense of danger that never failed him in the past. It wasn't a concrete feeling nor something he could truly explain with words, merely a suggestion that loved to rest in his gut at the most opportune of moments.
Shikaku looked to the ground beneath them.
A red scythe connected to a metal rope of some kind was flying towards the ankles of the Choza with blinding speed. "DOWN!"
Inoichi, the fastest of the three of them, leaped downwards with impressive speed and intercepted the attack without much difficulty, knocking aside the scythe. Shikaku followed soon after. His eyes met with a tan-skinned man with slicked-back hair. He was of average height if not slightly tall, and had a large grin on his face as he stood with his scythe on the back of his shoulder.
Most distinctively, he wore a black cloak with infamous red clouds.
Shikaku's eyes widened. This is way out of our current scope. We have to relay this to the headquarters immediately! I have to—
BOOM!
An explosion from behind him put him off balance entirely, forcing Shikaku to his knees before he got back up a second later. A startling thought came to the Nara's mind. There's two of them. It seemed that Inoichi had similar thoughts if the widened look he gave him was any indication. Two Akatsuki in the same place! This is both dangerous and an opportunity, we simply need to stall until help arrives. The explosions should be signaled, though the distance from the mainland is alarming.
Choza yelled from up top. "THERE'S A WEIRD BLOND MAN OR WOMAN IN THE SKY THROWING DOWN THE BOMBS. I'LL TRY TO TAKE CARE OF HIM…YOU TWO GO FOR THE LITTLE MAN DOWN THERE."
"Little man? I take offense to that, you know," the unidentified Akatsuki member said with a frown as he took several steps forward. "Trust me, once you start begging for your life before my very own feet, I won't seem so 'little' anymore."
Inoichi raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"
"I'm Hidan. Ace of the Akatsuki. Write it down somewhere. Not that anyone else is going to get to read it, hehe."
"Why are you here, Hidan?" Shikaku asked slowly. Both wanting to get an answer for the maniac before him while also wasting time.
"I was bored. Nothing much to do when all of the Jinchuuriki are hiding somewhere, you know? Ahh…don't act so surprised. You already knew, didn't you? Anyways, I came here to visit. Maybe catch a certain Jinchuuriki along the way if we manage to find him. Nothing too serious. Hey, how about this idea. You give your Jinchuuriki to me, and I'll let all three of you go with your lives intact! That sounds fair, doesn't it?"
Shikaku looked blankly at the man.
Hidan sighed. "It's always the same with you folk. Time for killing, I guess. Jashin-sama, may my hunting be fruitful."
The scythe around his head twirled and went straight for the head of Inoichi, who dodged by a hair's breadth. Shikaku willed his shadow forward, the dark appendages speeding towards Hidan with immense velocity. Hidan had the sense to avoid the shadows, intuition lending him basic survival instinct to understand that dodging those shadows would be crucial. He moved erratically, as if he wasn't a orthodox-trained shinobi like the rest of them were. It somehow went in his favor, and Shikaku had a hard time predicting his movements as a result.
Another explosion rang from behind him, the pained shout of Choza was enough to make Shikaku wince. According to the Akimichi, the other Akatsuki was in the sky. That meant Choza simply had no way to counter him. Neither did Shikaku, if he was being completely fair. His shadows unfortunately required a solid medium to travel upon. Choza instead took the executive decision to instead simply function as a human shield of sorts, blocking and destroying the chakra explosives before they reached the vulnerable shinobi on the ground.
The battlefield stretched before him, bathed in the dying light of dusk. Shikaku Nara stood at its center, his hands forming the familiar seal of his clan. Shadows pooled around his feet, stretching unnaturally as if drawn toward something unseen.
He exhaled slowly. Then, with a flick of his fingers, the darkness came alive. A raven, its form shifting like smoke, took flight from his shadow, its beady eyes gleaming with eerie intelligence. More followed—wolves with inky black fur, slinking low to the ground, and serpents that coiled and slithered, their bodies flickering between substance and nothingness. The enemy hesitated, their gazes locked onto the silent, shifting creatures surrounding them.
Shadow Creation was the most advanced form of the Nara clan techniques. And the hardest, obviously. It took more than decades for Shikaku to reach this level, and even now it needed some more refining to be more effective. It was an imperfect jutsu. Never completed by a predecessor, and never perfected by a successor. Why was it incomplete? Simply because there was no way to actually move the creatures that were formed. They were shadows—not really alive. They didn't have thoughts, and the sheer amount of chakra required to actually move them was a colossal amount currently not at his disposal.
Doesn't mean it doesn't work, though. Shikaku smirked. "Inoichi!"
"On it!" The blond man responded instantly.
While Shikaku created the beasts, Inoichi was the one who gave them thoughts and orders, using his own technique. That synergy was what completed the jutsu.
With a mere thought, the raven dove, its talons elongating into razor-sharp spikes. The wolves lunged, their forms shifting mid-stride, merging and separating, attacking from impossible angles. The serpents wrapped around their prey, their bodies stretching and tightening like living ropes. The enemy struck back, but their weapons passed through the shadows like mist—until the creatures solidified just long enough to bite, slash, and ensnare.
From his place in the center, Shikaku watched, his mind the unseen web connecting them all. The battle was over before it had begun.
Shadows always knew how to hunt.
Hidan struggled against the swarm of shadows. He was quick, sure, but his scythe was his only weapon. There wasn't much he could do against the shadows that reformed and formed again with every swipe of his blade.
"DEIDARA!" Hidan screamed loudly in a plea for help.
A second later, a white blob of something plopped down in front of Hidan, immediately exploding into a blaze of fire that destroyed everything in the vicinity.
Even the shadows.
Of course, their weakness happened to be fire.
But it was fine.
Hidan wasn't particularly special. Which made his arrogance somewhat strange. So far, all he showcased was above average usage of that scythe of his, which was cool, but seemed rather unnecessary.
After all he heard about the Akatsuki, this was it?
Confidence seeped into Shikaku's blood.
He yelled to Choza to deal with the pain for a bit longer. We need to end it quick! So, for the first time in the fight, Shikaku took the offensive.
He hadn't even seen the scythe coming from his right.
Shikaku dodged at the last second, but even that wasn't enough. The blade of the metal struck his right chin, drawing a deep gash across the skin. He sighed with relief as the scythe retracted backward. At least the attack wasn't too damaging.
Badump!
That terrible gut feeling came back.
Shikaku looked at Hidan, who licked the blood straight off of the blade.
He felt something tremble across his spine.
Death.
For some strange reason, the Nara knew he was about to die. There was no particular evidence towards that fact, nor was there any sign to signal that there was going to be lasting damage in any way, shape, or form. But he knew it to be the truth.
They said life would flash before one's eyes before they died.
They were right.
He remembered everything! Almost as if he were experiencing life for the second time.
They said people tend to only think of the bad times in life while reminiscing.
They were wrong.
Shikaku could only think of the various friends he made, loved ones, family, and all the times he laughed while drinking with his comrades.
Damn…life sure was beautiful, eh?
Inoichi shouted something.
Yoshino, I'm sorry.
Shikamaru…I trust you got everything covered.
His eyes widened as excruciating pain lanced through his chest.
Shikaku Nara died with a smile on his face.
[end]
Yo!
My Pa tre on is back online for those who want to read THREE chapters or THREE WEEKS ahead (chapters 55, 56, 57) and support my endeavor to become an author. So if you can't wait for the next update–check out:
P a treon . com (slash) PaladinKaladin
Hidan is an interesting case. He's a bit of a one-trick pony, in my opinion. His pony, though, is a strong one, assuming it lands. What I mean to say is that information is information is hella important against someone like Hidan, something which Shikaku certainly didn't have at the current moment. Hidan could really beat anyone if he manages to fulfill his conditions. Not only that, but Shikaku made the rare mistake of underestimating someone…leading to his ultimate demise. Obviously, this is going to have some serious repercussions in the future.
Btw, apologies for the double update last week, idk what went wrong with the site. Hopefully it doesn't glitch out again today.
Question of the day:
Who is your favorite Akatsuki member? I like Konan—I think her ability is really cool, tho sometimes BS at times xD.
Make sure to follow, review, and favorite to keep up with next week's chapter and support the story!
Chapter 55 is releasing on Tuesday, 11th of February. Around 2 PM Washington DC time.
Follow so you don't miss it!