Shikamaru Shinden Chapter 8

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CHAPTER 8





Since the beginning of the meeting, the air had been heavy. The 5 Kage were assembled and everyone was anxious.

Kurotsuchi wore a fierce face. Darui was acting unusually antsy, interrupting and urgent with his words. Chojoro was visibly nervous.

Naruto had warned Gaara beforehand about the Land of Earth, but the Kazekage was struggling to stay neutral.

Naruto, however, was as fearless as usual.

“Thank you all for coming today,” Naruto uttered, before sitting down and waiting for the meeting to proceed.

“Can we have your answer in response to the request we’d made in the last meeting?”

Naruto smiled over at Kurotsuchi.

“That and more. I have something to tell you Kurotsuchi.”

“Huh? What does that mean?” she asked confused.

Kurotsuchi’s mouth twitched downwards at the odd statement. Naruto stood up, hands on the desk, meeting her eye.

“Is it true that the Land of Earth intends to invade the Land of Flowers?” Naruto said calmly.

“What!?” Darui shouted, his face shifting from its usual lazy expression. “Hey Naruto, what did you just say?”

“The Land of Earth intends to invade the Land of Flowers,” Naruto repeated.

“Why is that Kurotsuchi!?” Darui roared.

Kuro’s face crumpled. She sighed and turned her head away. Without looking up she began talking.

“Investigating other villages like this, Konoha is always trying to get on top. Screaming about peace and alliances when they hide dark things like that Sasuke… We were aiming to have an open dialogue with everyone. No one should have known about this yet, we’re still sorting things out.”

“Konoha is always here to help you,” Naruto said.

“You could say anything you like to say,” Kurotsuchi grumbled.

Darui suddenly interrupted.

“Answer my question. Are you really going to invade the Land of Flowers?!”

“Yes. It’s true.” Kurotsuchi muttered.

Darui grimaced.

“Kurotsuchi, you know the Land of Lightning is…”

“It’s been in alliance with the Land of Flowers for many years.”

She replied without looking at Darui. Darui just got angrier.

“If the Land of Flowers is attacked, the Hidden Cloud shinobi will protect them, even if we have to do it alone. Do you know what that means?”

“When the Earth Daimyo orders us, the ninja of the Hidden Stone will obey his command. Anyone who gets in our way will pay that sacrifice.”

“Are you serious!?” Darui growled.

“What a stupid question…”

Darui and Kurotsuchi turned to Naruto.

“Will Konoha be releasing its confidential information?” She asked.

“We won’t be doing that under these conditions,” Naruto stated.

Kurotsuchi met Darui’s eye.

“Can you be calm while I talk to Naruto?” she asked.

You could hear Darui’s blood boil. Shikamaru could feel his anger from across the room, behind Naruto. The Raikage stood in anger.

“If you want to fight, we can do it here!”

Kurotsuchi kept his gaze and sighed.

“You’ll fight me here? Even if I were to die, the Land of Earth’s policy won’t change. And if I do die, I can’t change my mind, it’s pointless isn’t it?” She said smoothly.

“Please wait a moment!” Naruto shouted. “What are you guys doing?! Our alliance is on the line, and we’re here to try and fix that. Darui, sit down. Kurotsuchi, talk to me.”

Darui sat, shaking and glaring at Kurotsuchi. She didn’t change her attitude, instead moving her glare to Naruto.

“Sasuke and your powers were proven during the war. You could change the entire continent, and you’re with Konoha. Do you understand that Naruto?”

“Sasuke and I would never do anything to destroy the peace we’ve created. We’ll use our power as we always have. Believe it.” Naruto said softly.

“Will Konoha try to rule this continent? How is it any different from what you’re already doing?”

“We’re not going to do that!” Naruto’s face was red, he rarely yelled during their meetings. “Listen to me! Sasuke and I want to protect everyone! More than anything!”

“We can protect our own villages! We don’t need you saving us-” Kurotsuchi said.

“Um…”

Chojoro raised his hand. Naruto silently nodded at him. Adjusting his glasses, he began to talk.

“Shinobi work for their own country, that much is obvious. It’s ideal that we all talk to each other and work together, but if we end our competition with each other, shinobi will cease to be shinobi.”

Chojoro’s eyes were in pain, something Shikamaru didn’t miss. He wanted to have peace in his village too.

“Will our alliance end then?” Chojoro asked.

The air was cold. Everyone was thinking of a future where the alliance had collapsed.

“Well then…”

Chojoro and everyone else looked up at Shikamaru when he talked, making a hand sign.

“NO!” Naruto shouted.

Shikamaru’s shadow latched onto everyone in the room. Not just the Kage, but all of their assistants. No one could lift a finger.

This was the Shadow Bind jutsu.

He hadn’t needed to use it for a very long time. Holding the signs in front of him, Shikamaru began to talk.

“You’ve all been saying pointless things for a while now. Have you all forgotten the most important thing?” Shikamaru asked.

“Stop it Shikamaru!” The Hokage shouted, struggling against the shadow. Shikamaru ignored his words.

“Sasuke and Naruto have the strength to destroy the entire continent. But Konoha with all of our skilled shinobi is very powerful even without them. The difference between us and the other villages is immense. The Hokage as he is will protect our peace to his death. He won’t let anyone disrupt that peace. Chojoro, Kurotsuchi, listen carefully. If you try and leave here like this, I’ll crush your necks with my shadows.”

The meeting was over. No matter how strong Kurotsuchi’s bloodline limit was, none of them would be able to break out of Shikamaru’s jutsu. The only one who would be able to break it was Naruto, only because he’d managed to tame a Tailed Beast.

“Kurotsuchi, Chojoro, do you intend to war with Konoha?” Shikamaru asked.

“Stop this foolishness Shikamaru,” Gaara said gently.

His brother in law, who had the character for love carved onto his forehead, looked at Shikamaru quietly.

“I’m serious,” Shikamaru said.

“Even if you kill Kurotsuchi here, it’ll mean nothing. You should know that.” Gaara said.

“It does meaning something. If a Konoha shinobi kills these two, then the war on this continent will stop. Everyone will know that Konoha is serious about preventing war. So then, Chojoro, Kurotsuchi, there are two answers. Yes or no?”

“Ugh!” Kurotsuchi clenched her teeth in pain.

Shikamaru’s black shadow snaked up her neck. Her eyes shone viciously.

“Do you even realize what you’re doing?” Chojoro asked, his body shrouded in black chakra.

“STOP IT!” Naruto cried to his friend.

Naruto spewed anger, his eyes red. As were Gaara’s.

The shadow that was covering the room shattered like glass, and Gaara’s sand shot out from him.

“Stop it Shikamaru.”

Gaara’s sand sent Shikamaru, who went flying.

“Youuuu!!! I don’t know what you’re doing! What are we going to do, split up like this?!” Naruto roared, grappling Shikamaru and lifting him into the air.

Shikamaru didn’t answer. He turned his eyes away.

Naruto dropped him and fell to the ground in a deep bow.

“I’m so sorry! He’d never usually do this! Everyone, please forgive me!”

Kurotsuchi stood up.

“Is this how Konoha does things?!”

“No! You’re wrong! As long as I’m in charge, I’ll refuse to do anything that’ll disrupt our peace! So I beg you! About the Land of Earth and the Land of Flowers, please talk to the Daimyo! In return, Konoha will rethink your request for our information! I won’t disappoint you! Just ask us! War should never need to happen, never again!” Naruto shouted, his face pressed to the ground.

“I may trust you, but what of the next Hokage!? Konoha will one day be a threat to us!”

With that, Kurotsuchi left, followed by Chojoro.

“When the Hidden Rock moves, we move,” Darui said.

Naruto still had his head pressed to the ground when he left.

“The war hasn’t started yet.”

Gaara said softly, before leaving with Kankurou.

- 000000000000000000000-

On the way home to Konoha, Naruto was silent. Shikamaru chose to say nothing as they hurried home.

Naruto stopped moving when they reached the village gates.

“How could you do that?”

Shikamaru told him the answer he’d prepared.

“I won’t forgive you for that. Breaking my jutsu and groveling to everyone.”

Naruto swayed.

“You… On purpose…”

“I guess I’m the only one who took that threat to Konoha seriously. Is it because I think with my head? If you tried to calm down for once, you’d do the same. They offered their hand with a knife behind their back. To stop these people, you have to give them a taste of their own medicine.” Shikamaru said.

“You’re that kind of person,” Naruto said.

“ You’re the Hokage of Konoha, without you, it would be useless. Like Gaara said, ‘the war hasn’t started yet’. You’re not allowed to make these kinds of mistakes. We’re not done with it yet.”

Shikamaru nodded to Naruto, and with a bitter smile, Shikamaru walked home to his family.