boyutpedia Chapter 481 Shikamaru: We Surrender
Chapter 481 Shikamaru: We Surrender
Chapter 481 Shikamaru: We Surrender
The battle ended much faster than anyone had anticipated.
In just one exchange, before Shikamaru could even fully execute his carefully planned tactics, Akimichi Choji, the strongest shield and spear of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, was directly defeated by Kaguya Kimimaro's "Shikotsumyaku: Tangsong no Mai" (Corpse Bone Pulse: Dance of the Tang Pine), which was like a human meat grinder.
Ino, who was in charge of mind control, suffered a bizarre backlash, collapsing to the ground clutching her head, her spirit broken, clearly unable to fight again for the time being.
The once renowned "Ino-Shika-Cho" team, a formidable force among Konoha's genin, known for its seamless offense and defense and excellent teamwork, was reduced to a lone Shikamaru standing on a ravaged rooftop, facing the cold-faced gray-haired boy.
Shikamaru's heart was pounding, and cold sweat soaked his back.
He forced himself to calm down, his brain racing.
We must create opportunities!
While Kimimaro's attention was still on Choji, who was lying on the ground groaning, he silently slid down to the eaves of a nearby house that had not yet completely collapsed.
Shikamaru formed hand seals, and the shadow beneath his feet, concealed by rubble and broken beams, resembled a living black liquid, silently creeping along the ground towards Kimimaro's position.
He intends to use the wreckage of the buildings destroyed in the battle to conceal the shadow's trajectory and launch a fatal blow!
However, just when he thought he was hidden and his shadow was about to touch the rubble at Kimimaro's feet...
Kimimaro, standing on the rooftop, glanced down casually with his white eyes.
"A trivial skill."
Kimimaro coldly uttered four words, then suddenly raised his hands from his sides, spreading his fingers and aiming them at the dilapidated roof where Shikamaru was hiding!
"Corpse Bone Pulse - Ten Fingers Pierced by Bullets!"
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!
A sharp, piercing sound suddenly rang out!
Ten pale, sharp finger bones shot out from the tips of Kimimaro's ten fingers at an extremely fast speed, like machine gun bullets fired from a gun!
"Oh no!" Alarm bells rang in Shikamaru's mind. He pushed off the broken log with both feet and lunged to the side!
Puff puff puff puff!!
The dense barrage of bone bullets, like a storm, instantly riddled the dilapidated rooftop where Shikamaru had just been hiding with holes!
The already crumbling wooden structure completely collapsed under the terrifying penetrating force, turning into countless fragments and wood chips before crashing down!
Smoke and dust filled the air once again.
Shikamaru rolled around on the ground several times in a disheveled state before regaining his balance. He knelt on a relatively intact tile, his chest heaving violently, his forehead covered in cold sweat and dust.
If he had been just half a second slower, he would have been riddled with holes by those terrifying bone projectiles.
The shadow imitation technique was completely seen through.
"Tch, the Byakugan is such a hassle—" Shikamaru muttered.
Perhaps from the very beginning, the other party was watching your every move with disdain, and all your intentions were as clear as day in their eyes.
Just as Shikamaru was still in shock and his mind was racing to think of his next move, the light above him went out.
A figure landed silently in front of him, no more than three steps away.
Shikamaru froze, then slowly raised his head.
Kimimaro stood in front of him, looking down at him.
Most of the grotesque bone spurs on the opponent's body had retracted into his body, with only a few short spurs remaining at joints such as the elbows and knees. The blood from Choji that stained them had congealed and turned dark red.
His bare upper body had smooth lines, yet it exuded a chilling aura.
What made Shikamaru feel suffocated the most was that Kimimaro slowly raised his right hand, his thumb raised, his index and middle fingers joined together and extended forward, making a gesture similar to a "gun", and that "muzzle" was pointed directly at Shikamaru's forehead.
"Should we continue fighting?" Kimimaro asked coldly.
Shikamaru's Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably, his dry throat feeling like it was about to burst into flames.
He quickly scanned the entire battlefield out of the corner of his eye.
To the right front, Choji's massive body had returned to its original size, but he was covered in blood and lay motionless in the ruins.
Ino staggered to her feet from a distance, her face pale and blood still trickling from the corner of her mouth. She tried to crawl to Choji's side, shaking him, her voice trembling with tears.
To the left rear, Sakura lay quietly on the roof at Toneri's feet, clearly still unconscious.
Kiba and Akamaru crouched low, growling menacingly at the servant, but hesitated to advance for fear of harming him.
Shino stood silently to the side, the parasitic insects around him flying around him uneasily, but he seemed helpless as well.
A little further away, Tenten and Yakumo Kurama sat back to back on the ground, their faces pale. They had clearly been easily subdued in their brief exchange with Neji and had lost their fighting ability.
Meanwhile, Lee, who was always full of passion and never gave up, was kneeling on one knee not far from Neji, his body covered with small bruises and abrasions.
He was panting heavily, sweat mixed with dust dripping from his chin. His body trembled slightly from exhaustion and pain. Although his eyes remained defiant as he tried to stand up, his legs felt as heavy as lead, and he swayed with each attempt.
Even after shedding all his burdens and opening the fourth gate of the Eight Gates, he was still no match for Neji.
lost.
They were utterly defeated.
Despite having a numerical advantage and better tactical coordination, the nine-on-three team was almost completely overwhelmed in direct combat and was defeated piecemeal in a very short time.
The gap in strength is like an insurmountable chasm.
Shikamaru's heart sank to the bottom, but at the same time, a strange calmness also surged up.
The opponent's strength far surpassed their own, and they clearly had no intention of killing. They also held back a lot during the battle, otherwise Choji, Ino, and even themselves would have been dead just now.
Based on the invitation mentioned earlier and Neji's past friendship with Lee and Tenten, Shikamaru deduced that the other party's goal was not to kill or severely injure them, but rather—to capture them.
Although they didn't know why the other side was so certain that the ones chasing Naruto and Sasuke were their genin classmates, at least, surviving and ensuring that their injured comrades received medical treatment were the top priorities at the moment.
Holding out to the bitter end will only increase unnecessary casualties and humiliation, and will not achieve any other purpose.
Having figured this out, Shikamaru took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
He slowly raised his hands, making a standard surrender gesture.
"We surrender." Shikamaru's voice was a little hoarse, but clear enough to carry throughout the battlefield shrouded in the Four Purple Flame Formation.
His words, like pebbles thrown into calm water, created different ripples.
Kiba was somewhat taken aback, and Akamaru let out a low growl of resentment.
Shino pushed up his sunglasses and silently withdrew most of the parasitic insects.
Tenten and Yakumo exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness and a hint of relief in each other's eyes.
Ino looked at Shikamaru and Choji with concern.
Only Xiao Li.
"No! I—I will never surrender! Youth—how can youth admit defeat here!" Lee roared like a trapped beast. He gritted his teeth, used his last bit of strength, sprang up from the ground, dragged his battered body, and threw a punch with his last remaining will towards Hyuga Neji, who was a few steps away!
Neji looked at his stubborn old classmate with a hint of respect in his eyes.
He didn't dodge; just as the soft fist was about to touch his chest, he slightly shifted his body, extended his left arm, and gently placed it on Lee's wrist as he threw the punch. A gentle chakra flowed in, dissipating the last bit of force like flowing water.
At the same time, his right elbow struck Li's side abdomen with lightning speed.
"Ugh—" Xiao Li let out a muffled groan. His already exhausted body could no longer hold on. His vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness.
Neji looked at Lee lying on the ground, shook his head gently, and said to Tenten, who was looking at him with concern not far away, "Don't worry, he's just exhausted and has some minor injuries. He'll be fine after a rest."
With Xiao Li's fall, the last resistance also disappeared.
Kimimaro nodded to his attendant.
The light of the Four Purple Flame Array began to slowly weaken and dissipate.
Half an hour later, outside Fushan City.
On a relatively flat hillside, backed by mountains and forests.
A large, leafy tree provided precious shade.
Choji, who was most seriously injured, Ino, who was mentally traumatized, Sakura, who was knocked unconscious, and Lee, who was exhausted and unconscious, were placed side by side on the grass under the shade of a tree.
Tenten was carefully applying hemostatic medicine to Choji's wounds and feeding him some soldier rations to replenish his strength and chakra.
Ino's face was still pale. She leaned against a rock to rest, her eyes somewhat vacant, clearly indicating that the effects of the mental backlash had not completely subsided.
Kiba, Shino, Yakumo, and Shikamaru were guarded in a semi-circle by the five humanoid battle puppets on the other side of a relatively open grassy area.
The puppets made no further move, simply standing there silently, but the inhuman gaze they exuded was unsettling.
Shikamaru plopped down on the grass, casually plucked a foxtail grass, put it in his mouth, and unconsciously chewed on the slightly bitter grass root.
His brows furrowed, his gaze sweeping over Tiantian, who was busy with the rescue efforts, and then past the puppet's surveillance to look at the scene below the hillside.
Not far down the mountain, Fushan City was still shrouded in thick smoke, but the city gates were now wide open.
Countless terrified civilians, young and old, poured out of the city and fled in all directions.
In a relatively open area near the city gate, the young man who had been standing on the wooden crate giving his speech was now leading several equally ragged but determined companions, shouting themselves hoarse as they directed and guided the chaotic crowd, trying to maintain basic order and prevent a larger stampede or looting disaster.
What surprised Shikamaru even more was that Naruto and Neji were also among the refugees.
Naruto was using his exaggerated body language and loud shouts to help the young man calm the frightened child, and even used shadow clones to help support the elderly with mobility issues.
Neji silently observed his surroundings with his Byakugan, seemingly wary of potential dangers, and occasionally lent a helping hand to a refugee who was about to fall.
"So—" Shikamaru spat out the grass root in his mouth, turned his head, and looked at Otsutsuki Toneri, who had been standing quietly not far from him, as if admiring the scenery below the mountain.
Toneri was facing down the mountain, but Shikamaru felt as if the other person was "looking" at him.
"What on earth is going on?" Shikamaru paused, his tone filled with confusion and accusation. "Weren't you here to meet Naruto and Sasuke? Shouldn't your priority be to take them back to the Land of Stars as quickly as possible, away from any potential pursuit from Konoha? Why are you still here meddling in these—refugee affairs?"
In Shikamaru's opinion, this was completely illogical.
The rescue mission is complete. The targets, Naruto and Sasuke, are under control and should be released from danger immediately.
Any delay could lead to unforeseen changes.
Konoha's ANBU, or even the Root's pursuit force, could arrive at any moment.
Rescuing refugees is time-consuming and laborious, has no strategic value, and may even expose our whereabouts.
Toneri tilted his head slightly, noticing the confusion on Shikamaru's face. His voice remained gentle and ethereal: "After all, it was Naruto-kun who caused this trouble. We can't just stand by and watch him die, can we?"
He gestured for Shikamaru to look down at the figures struggling to survive in despair: "If it weren't for Naruto and Sasuke's intervention, many of these civilians would probably be dead by now, slaughtered by the Fukuyama samurai. This chaos started because of them, and it also had a different ending because of them."
"Since we have the ability, why not lend a helping hand and give them a better chance of survival?"
Shikamaru's expression darkened slightly.
He recalled the events Naruto had excitedly recounted to them after the ceasefire.
How the feudal lord Fukuyama exploited the disaster victims, and how he brazenly ordered his army to massacre civilians for the slightest "disrespect," even sparing innocent residents of the city.
The anger and sadness in Naruto's eyes as he recounted the story were genuine.
This is indeed something Naruto would do, and it's also something he would meddle in.
"And what's next?" Shikamaru pressed, his gaze sharp as he looked at Toneri. "You saved them temporarily, but can you save them forever?"
"Once you leave, and the warriors from other noble families of the Land of Fire arrive, what will become of these refugees, and that young man who led them?"
"Can your Star Kingdom even manage this? This place is too far from the Star Kingdom."
His questions were very real and also very pointed.
A momentary act of kindness cannot change the deeply ingrained structure of oppression.
No matter how powerful the Star Kingdom is, it cannot extend its reach to the Land of Fire in the short term.
Sheren remained silent for a moment, seemingly considering how to answer.
Then, he slowly shook his head, and what he said startled Shikamaru: "We really can't directly manage this place. The influence of the Land of Stars isn't yet enough to reach every corner of the Land of Fire. The future of these refugees ultimately depends on themselves."
"Rely on themselves?" Shikamaru sneered.
Sheren shook his head, his tone becoming serious: "Do you know about the Crimson Star Alliance?"
"I've heard a little about it." Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, pondered for a moment, and said, "It's said to be an organization that originated from the Land of Stars? Spreading your Land of Stars' theories everywhere—the theory of overthrowing daimyo and nobles."
Sheren explained, "To be precise, the 'Red Star Alliance' initially consisted of a spontaneously organized civilian group comprised of merchants traveling between the Star Kingdom and other countries, as well as refugees who fled from other countries to the Star Kingdom seeking asylum and hope."
"They lived and studied in the Land of Stars, where they came into contact with ideas and lifestyles completely different from those of the old ninja world and the old nation—this is what we call the 'Will of the Stars.'"
"Some of them were inspired with hope. No longer content with merely escaping their own suffering, they wanted to bring that hope back to their hometowns and change the oppression that the people there were still enduring, so that their relatives and compatriots could also have a future where they did not have to fear the nobles or sell their children for a meal."
He paused, sizing up Shikamaru.
"And where does this oppression come from? I think, with your intelligence, you should know very well, Shikamaru-kun."
'
Shikamaru fell silent.
Of course he knew.
As the young patriarch of the Nara clan, he received not only ninja training from a young age, but also training in Konoha's internal politics.
Education on ninja clan relations and how to deal with the noble class of the Land of Fire.
Like many Konoha ninja clans, the Nara clan has close ties with some nobles in the Land of Fire, and even uses marriage alliances to consolidate their position and obtain resources and political protection.
The ninja clan provided the nobles with military force and deterrence, while the nobles provided the ninja clan with wealth, land, and a respectable social status.
This is a tacit exchange of interests and symbiotic relationship that has lasted for hundreds of years.
After graduating from the Ninja Academy with Choji and Ino, he followed Asuma on many missions, leaving Konoha and seeing the sights of other parts of the Land of Fire.
He had seen the extravagance of the nobility and the misery of the slums; he had seen tax collectors exploit farmers like wolves and tigers, and he had seen the dead starving in the fields during famine years while the noble mansions continued to revel every night.
As a ninja, his thoughts at the time were "to complete the mission," "to follow the rules," and "not to meddle in other people's business."
Those hardships seemed far removed from him, a "normal state" of the "outside world" that he was powerless to change.
However, with the rise of the Star Kingdom, the activities of the "Red Star Alliance," and the spread of the "Will of the Stars," the roots of suffering that were once covered up, ignored, and regarded as "normal" are being revealed more and more clearly and placed before everyone.
The ninja world has lasted for a thousand years. The feudal lord system centered on daimyo and nobles, and the military contract system with ninja villages as violent machines, are increasingly being recognized and questioned by ordinary people, and even some lower-level ninjas and conscientious samurai.
The high walls of the old order are being constantly challenged by the wave of new ideas.
The hillside fell silent for a moment, with only the faint cries of the refugees below and the rustling of leaves in the wind.
Just then, a low sob came from the side.
Everyone looked over and saw that Sakura, who had been hugging her knees, seemed to finally be unable to suppress her emotions. She buried her face in her arms and cried softly, her shoulders shaking violently.
"Waaah—I knew it—I'm so useless—I can't help at all—I've only become a burden—"
Tian Tian quickly went over and squatted down next to Xiao Ying, gently patting her back and softly comforting her, "Xiao Ying, don't say that, it's alright, it's good that everyone is still alive—"
Kiba and Shino exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat at a loss.
Ya scratched his head, wanting to say something comforting, but didn't know how to start.
Shino pushed up his sunglasses and remained silent.
Sakura's fighting ability was indeed weak in this encounter. Facing opponents of Kimimaro, Neji, and Toneri's caliber, she had almost no chance to fight back, and she couldn't even get close to Naruto.
This sense of powerlessness and frustration was undoubtedly a huge blow to Sakura, who had always excelled in theoretical studies.
Just then, the red pill on the top of the tooth suddenly pricked up its ears and let out a low "woof woof" towards the path on the hillside leading to Fukuyama Castle, its voice filled with vigilance.
Kiba and Shino immediately turned to look, and Shikamaru also raised his head alertly.
Two figures could be seen, one in front of the other, slowly walking up the hillside along the worn path.
Ahead stood Kimimaro, his face expressionless. He was already wearing a white kimono top, which concealed his lean but pale body.
Behind him stood Sasuke, his expression cold and aloof. His right hand hung casually at his side, while his left hand held a object wrapped in dark cloth.
A square box, about the size of a football.
As the two approached, a faint smell of blood drifted on the wind.
The most sensitive part of his nose twitched slightly, and his expression changed.
Shino also pushed up his small sunglasses, and the few remaining parasites around him fluttered their wings uneasily.
Shikamaru's gaze immediately fell on the dark cloth bag that Sasuke was carrying in his left hand.
A few strands of dark red blood, already somewhat congealed, were faintly seeping from the lower edge of the cloth bag.
Combined with the undisguised murderous intent they displayed when they left—
Shikamaru's lips twitched slightly. He looked at Sasuke, who had stopped in front of him, and then glanced at the box in his hand. His tone was tinged with helplessness: "Hey, Sasuke—you wouldn't—"
Sasuke met Shikamaru's gaze, his dark eyes cold and indifferent.
He picked up the box in his hand and replied in a calm voice, "That kind of garbage is just a nuisance to keep."
"Killed them, so be it."
His tone was indifferent, as if he had simply crushed an eyesore of an insect.
"
"7
Shikamaru was silent for two seconds, then slapped his forehead.
"As expected—" he muttered under his breath, his tone full of helplessness.
That feudal lord surnamed Fukuyama, that bloated, fat nobleman who treats commoners like dirt and whom Shikamaru believes will get his comeuppance sooner or later, has clearly been approached by Sasuke and Kimimaro.
That box probably contains the head of that Lord Fukuyama.
But this completely changed the nature of the matter.
The conflict and riots escalated into a serious political incident: "Konoha rogue ninja murdered the fire country's daimyo."
The troubles that follow will likely snowball.