"Chidori..."
Sako's eyes flashed with determination as her keen battle instincts seized the opportunity when Uchiha Madara momentarily froze.
Without hesitation, she abandoned her defensive Shenra Tensei technique, channeling her chakra into a Super Chidori, which pierced straight through Uchiha Madara's chest.
Bound by Shikamaru's Shadow Imitation Technique, Madara was caught off guard, unable to dodge the devastating attack.
"Did it work...?"
Sako watched in surprise as her attack landed. However, she quickly retreated, extending the Chidori into a Chidori Sharp Spear, thrusting it forward again without hesitation to ensure the blow connected.
"The Nara Clan's shadow technique... enhanced by Nine Tails' chakra, I see."
Madara, seemingly unaffected, glanced at the shadow binding him. His sharp, almost predatory eyes turned toward Shikamaru.
"You're quite the strategist, Nara Shikamaru... another interesting piece to this game."
Despite the Chidori Sharp Spear piercing his chest, Madara showed no signs of pain. As the Ten Tails Jinchūriki, injuries that would be fatal to most were nothing more than minor inconveniences to him.
Shikamaru, infused with the Second Generation's Nine Tails chakra, moved swiftly. Shadows as dark as ink stretched out beneath his feet, propelling him forward like a ghost gliding over the battlefield.
"We made it just in time. Are you okay, Fifth?"
Shikamaru called out as he reached Sako, who hovered mid-air. His tone was serious as his eyes remained locked on Uchiha Madara, the overwhelming threat in front of them.
"I'm fine! Shikamaru, restrain him! I'll handle the offense," Sako commanded, her voice steady.
"Understood..."
Shikamaru quickly formed a series of hand seals, strengthening the Shadow Binding Technique.
"Ha! You children think this is enough to stop me?"
Madara sneered, his confidence unwavering. The violet glow of the Rinnegan in his eyes intensified as he activated the Hungry Ghost Path ability.
The shadows binding him began to dissolve, absorbed into his body. Even a fragment of the Nine Tails chakra was drawn out from Shikamaru, pulled into Madara's form.
"No...!"
"Watch out!"
Reacting in perfect synchronization, Sako and Shikamaru launched their counterattacks.
The Chidori Sharp Spear in Sako's hand exploded with blinding lightning, splitting into multiple electric tendrils that struck Madara's body in every direction.
Simultaneously, Shikamaru's body became enveloped in the crimson glow of the Nine Tails Chakra Cloak. Shadows infused with the beast's power surged forward, forming thousands of sharp, black-and-red needles that rained down on Madara like a relentless storm.
"Interesting... but futile."
Madara smirked, completely unbothered by the ferocity of their attacks. Fully activating his Hungry Ghost Path, he absorbed every ounce of chakra from their techniques.
Sako's Chidori vanished into nothingness, and Shikamaru's shadow-infused assault dissipated like mist.
The wounds on Madara's chest, inflicted by Sako's initial attack, closed almost instantly. His body had already healed completely, leaving no trace of the injuries behind.
"He absorbed everything... his recovery is unbelievable."
Shikamaru stopped his attack, observing the situation with a deep frown.
"The Hungry Ghost Path... that explains it."
Sako, her own Rinnegan glowing faintly, stared at Madara with a resolute expression. "This is going to be a problem."
"I admit that you juniors are indeed powerful.
But...
This ends here! To avoid unnecessary complications, I must bring this battle to a swift conclusion."
Uchiha Madara hovered mid-air, his gaze cold and unyielding as he sighed indifferently.
"Quick fight?
Ha! Uchiha Madara, you're as arrogant as ever..."
Sako sneered at his remark, her fury barely masked by a mocking smile.
In an instant, her Susanoo began to rise, the formidable purple avatar materializing around her.
"Senior ninjas may be powerful... but we're not ones to be underestimated!"
Shikamaru smirked as he spoke. He closed his eyes briefly, connecting with the Second Generation Nine Tails, Seiryuu, residing within him. In the next moment, he activated Nine Tails Mode, enveloping his body in a golden chakra cloak. Now clad in the same style as Naruto's iconic cloak, he stood tall beside Sako.
"And us!"
A cold voice interrupted from behind.
Shikamaru turned slightly to see Chōji, transformed into a massive 100-meter-tall giant, with Ino perched gracefully on his shoulder.
Enhanced by the Second Generation Nine Tails Chakra, Chōji could now transform without relying on the Akimichi clan's secret medicine.
"Mind-Body Transfer Technique!"
Ino brought her hands together, aiming directly at Uchiha Madara as she initiated the Yamanaka clan's secret technique.
"Drink!"
Working in perfect sync, Chōji swung an enormous iron rod tens of meters long, hurling it at Madara.
"The villagers nearby have been safely evacuated, Fifth Hokage and Shikamaru," Ino reported firmly.
Hearing this, Shikamaru's lips curled into a small grin. "Now we can fight without holding back..."
His hands swiftly formed seals, and a massive black arm emerged from the ground, reaching toward Uchiha Madara.
The Ino-Shika-Chō trio, bolstered by the Nine Tails' power, had located Madara at the very beginning of his attack. Sako and Shikamaru had already decided to engage him, buying time for Ino and Chōji to evacuate the civilians.
With the additional power of the Nine Tails, Ino had expanded her mental technique to control the orderly retreat of villagers. Meanwhile, Chōji acted as the transportation leader, assisting the ninja and Anbu forces in relocating civilians swiftly.
"Cut him down!"
With a sharp battle cry, Sako seized the moment, commanding her Susanoo to strike with its massive blade. Even with Madara's Hungry Ghost Path ability, it would be impossible for him to absorb such a concentrated attack instantly.
"Quack quack...
The Ino-Shika-Chō trio, huh?
Then these three Nine Tails... I'll take them all!"
Madara's tone dripped with dark amusement. Despite being momentarily disrupted by Ino's technique, he broke free with sheer force, grinning wickedly as the trio's attacks closed in.
But just as the attacks were about to land, an invisible force exploded outward, violently interrupting their assault.
Chōji and Sako were thrown back tens of meters, their enhanced forms cushioning the blow. However, Shikamaru was blasted hundreds of meters away, disappearing from the battlefield.
"How is this possible?!
What kind of force was that?
It didn't feel like Shinra Tensei..."
Sako, now standing on her toppled Susanoo, frowned in confusion.
"What just happened?
What kind of attack was that?!"
Chōji, clutching his chest, growled in frustration.
"This is Madara's Shadow Attack.
You can't see it, nor can you sense it. This... this is serious trouble."
The voice of Seiryuu, the Second Generation Nine Tails residing in Chōji, sounded grave.
Seiryuu's memories from Kurama's past revealed the brutal efficiency of this technique—Madara had once used it to eliminate the Tailed Beasts.
Sako gritted her teeth, frustration evident. Without the Six Paths Rinnegan, she couldn't perceive the shadow Madara, leaving them at a serious disadvantage.
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