It All Started With A Smell

Second Wave

Choji had truly turned the tide of the battle. Shikamaru instructed him to go after Neji's father and Kakazu, since they were the two biggest threats. Uncle Choza knew Don well from what Shikamaru could tell and was working closely with a Sealing Corp to trap the man. In the meantime, Shikamaru protected Ino as she used her mind transfer to take over as many of the Zetsu bodies as possible, whilst he also instructed the rest of the forces into creating smaller skirmishes to take down the Zetsus on mass.

The battle was won. Or at least, it was, until a giant humanoid statue appeared on the battle field. The combined force of Choza and Choji did nothing to stop it. From the description, Shikamaru realised what it was facing them. With a heavy feeling in his stomach he watched the thing walk towards the forces, trying to work out what Madara's end game was.

"That must be the thing that can rip the Nine-Tails from Naruto," He whispered, barely noticing Ino's gasp of horror.

"The tailed beasts are in that thing?"

"Shit! So is part of the Eight-Tails. Madara is making a move for Kinkaku and Ginkaku!" Shikamaru charged for the location of the gourd, arriving too late to stop the masked man from possessing the sacred objects.

The man seemed surprised when Shikamaru voiced that he knew what Madara was planning and how he had used the two Nine-Tails charged men. The Nara heir wondered how long he could keep the leader of the enemy forces talking. Madara was a legend, a once in a life time power house. There was no denying that Shikamaru was far out classed. He doubted that his shadow was truly holding the man and there was no way he could fight him. In the Ino-Shika-Cho formation Choji was the physical power, and even with his strength Shikamaru couldn't think of a plan to take down Madara.

There was an inhuman screech, drawing Shikamaru's attention upwards. With wide eyes he watched the foot of the humanoid statue come rushing towards him. His mind froze along with his body. The only thought he had was of Naruto. Her smile when he told her he loved her, her eyes when she was hiding her intelligence, the mild blush she would get on her tan cheeks whenever he told her she was beautiful. Waking up beside her, having her reach out for him without realising she was doing so, the way she could go from blank faced to blinding smile in a blink. Would anyone else appreciate all of that? It was hard not to, and yet she had spent years being overlooked. He hoped she would find someone else who did. Closing his eyes, he tried to keep the image of her grin in his mind.

He felt something slam into his side, then heard air rush past his ears. Seconds later he heard a violent crash and felt bits of debris. Blinking away the assault of light, dust, and the vertigo from his sudden movement, Shikamaru looked beside him. Choji stared hard at the dust cloud the statue had caused, waiting to see if they had to move again.

"Thanks," Shikamaru breathed, feeling a bruise forming on his ribs from Choji's fast rescue.

"No problem," Choji assured before gasping.

The dust had finally cleared so they could see where Shikamaru should have died. There was a giant crater left by the statue's foot, yet the statue itself was gone. Turning his eyes to the cliff he could see soldiers up above looking around with no true urgency that would lend to the statue having jumped up there. It had truly just disappeared.

Is it like a summoning creature? The Nara wondered. Pulling himself together, he moved to join the other commanders. The fighting appeared to have ended for now, but Shikamaru would like the advice of a war seasoned comrade before he took a relieving breath.

/ / / / /

The senior fighters agreed that the fighting had ended for now, though all of them warned that now that the enemy knew their strength, they would be better prepared. Shikamaru wasn't sure he could really say the same for them after their encounter with the enemy. The white clone force was rather easy to take out and it was mostly the reincarnated force that was the true challenge. At least Shikamaru and his team had faced the hardest emotional battle they would have to ever face.