Chapter 97: A Tale of Tragedy and Resolve

The desolate wilderness stretched under the cover of night.

Facing Sasuke Uchiha was a group of his former comrades, led by Sakura Haruno. Their expressions were a mix of sorrow, anger, and determination.

Sakura stepped forward, her voice trembling with fury. "Sasuke! Why did you have to kill Sai?!"

Sasuke let out a cold chuckle, his tone dripping with disdain. "Sai? Oh, you mean the one I crushed into pulp with Susano'o? That guy?"

Everyone present, except for Kimimaro, was left speechless. Their eyes widened in shock, and their hearts burned with grief and rage.

Sakura's voice cracked as she cried out, "Sasuke, you—"

Shikamaru Nara interrupted her, his voice calm but filled with resolve. "Sakura, enough. There's no use talking to him anymore. He's fallen too far. He's our enemy now—one we can't coexist with."

Sakura clenched her fists, trembling as tears threatened to fall. "I understand."

The group stood united: Sakura, Shikamaru, Choji Akimichi, Ino Yamanaka, Tenten, Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, Neji Hyuga, and Rock Lee.

Sasuke's gaze swept across their faces, his expression cold and mocking. "You think the lot of you can take me on? How laughable."

Shikamaru ignored Sasuke's arrogance, instead turning his calculating gaze toward Kimimaro, who stood silently beside Sasuke. His mind raced as he quickly formulated a strategy.

"Kimimaro," Shikamaru thought, "according to Sai's intel, he's been reanimated using Kabuto's Edo Tensei. Lee, you've fought him before. This time, you're the main force. But remember, his reanimated body can't be killed. Use your Strong Fist to keep him occupied head-on. Neji, use your Gentle Fist to seal his chakra points."

Lee's voice was filled with fiery determination. "Leave it to me!"

Neji nodded calmly. "That shouldn't be an issue. However, according to the intel, Kimimaro can manipulate his bones defensively. That could counter my chakra point strikes."

Shikamaru replied, "No problem. Shino, use your insects to assist. Absorb his chakra whenever there's an opening."

Shino adjusted his glasses, his voice steady. "Understood. Leave it to me."

Shikamaru continued, "As for Sasuke, we'll leave him to the Ino-Shika-Cho trio and Sakura."

Kiba protested, "Hey, what about us?!"

Shikamaru responded, "Kiba, Hinata, Tenten—you three conserve your chakra. Be prepared for any unexpected developments."

Kiba was incredulous. "Are you serious? That's Sasuke we're talking about! The guy who almost destroyed the village single-handedly. You think just the four of you can handle him?"

Shikamaru's tone remained resolute. "It's difficult, but if everything goes according to plan, we have a chance. I wouldn't lead this team into a suicide mission."

Sasuke shook his head dismissively. "This is pathetic. I can't believe I'm wasting even a second on you people."

Complete Body Susano'o!

BOOM!

Dark purple flames of chakra erupted, forming the towering figure of Sasuke's Complete Body Susano'o. The sheer force of its presence was overwhelming, leaving no room for resistance.

Kiba's voice quivered as he muttered, "This thing... seeing it once was enough. I never wanted to face it again. Where does Shikamaru get his confidence from?"

Rock Lee and Neji moved into position against Kimimaro, with Shino's insects providing support from the rear.

Kimimaro greeted Lee with a cold smile. "Rock Lee, the bushy-browed one. It's been a while. You've grown stronger, I see. Tell me, do you still need to rely on drunken fist techniques?"

Fifth Gate: Gate of Limit... OPEN!

BOOM! Green energy surged around Lee as he shouted with conviction, "Not anymore! This time, I'm fighting alongside my comrades. No matter how overwhelming the enemy's strength, we won't back down, because I believe in my friends!"

Kimimaro's expression softened slightly, a hint of envy in his tone. "To have comrades you can trust unconditionally... how enviable. But I won't hold back."

Shikotsumyaku!

CRACK! CRACK! Bones protruded from Kimimaro's body, forming a menacing armor.

Meanwhile, Sakura stood frozen, her mind in disarray.

Sai's death had driven her to confront Sasuke in a fit of rage, but now, faced with the terrifying might of Susano'o, cold reality set in. Her body trembled as she thought, How can I possibly fight against this?

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio stepped forward, shielding her.

"Shikamaru..." Sakura's voice wavered.

"We'll create an opening for you," Shikamaru said firmly. "To be honest, ever since the last disaster, I've been pondering how to counter that thing."

"Do you really have a plan?" Sakura asked, her tone filled with doubt.

"Let's begin," Shikamaru replied, his confidence unwavering.

Super Expansion Jutsu!

Choji's body grew to an enormous size, chakra wings sprouting from his back. His colossal form now rivaled Susano'o in scale.

Sasuke sneered. "So what if you're big and strong? What difference does it make?"

WHOOSH! The blade of Susano'o ignited with dark flames.

"Now, Ino!" Shikamaru commanded.

"Understood." Ino formed a hand seal, her palms facing Choji and Shikamaru.

Mind Transfer: Synchronization!

BUZZ!

Sakura was taken aback. "What did you do?"

Ino explained, "This is the Mind Transfer Synchronization Technique. With their cooperation, I temporarily linked their minds and chakra."

Sakura's eyes widened. "When did you learn that?!"

Ino's voice turned somber. "After I witnessed Sasuke's attack on the village, I begged my father to teach me our clan's forbidden techniques."

Sakura fell silent, her heart heavy.

Sasuke scoffed. "How utterly pointless."

SLASH!

Susano'o raised its blazing blade, ready to strike.

SWOOSH! A shadow darted forward, connecting with Susano'o's own shadow, halting the massive blade mid-swing.

"What?!" Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise.

The shadow had originated from Choji's massive form—because within Choji's body now resided Shikamaru's mind and chakra! Using the giant body, Shikamaru had executed an oversized version of the Shadow Imitation Jutsu, momentarily immobilizing Susano'o.

"Shadow imitation successful," Shikamaru muttered, his voice strained. "But controlling this giant body and the distance is harder than I thought."

From within Choji's body, Shikamaru shouted, "Choji, don't hold back! Go all out!"

"I know!" Choji's voice echoed back. "This is our only chance. If we fail, everything we've done will be for nothing!"

Shikamaru manipulated Choji's massive hands to lift a giant blade and turn it toward their own forehead.

Simultaneously, Susano'o mirrored the motion, its blade poised to strike its own head.

SLASH!

Choji's blade dug deep into his own forehead, blood pouring from the wound.

SLASH!

Susano'o's blade mimicked the action, creating a deep gash in the protective barrier around Sasuke's body.

Shikamaru smirked. "The ultimate defense, undone by its own weapon. How ironic."

Sasuke's eyes flickered with fear as he realized the danger. "If they stab me directly, I might actually die!"

Shikamaru's voice was cold and resolute. "Scared? Don't worry. You're not worth the life of any of my comrades."

With that, Shikamaru made Choji's massive form fall backward, crashing to the ground with a resounding thud.

BOOM!

As Susano'o fell as well, Shikamaru thought, With the shadows expanded and the distance shortened, I can now use the Shadow Sewing Technique to reach Sasuke directly.

SWOOSH! The shadow tendrils extended through the gash, binding Sasuke's body tightly.

Sakura's fist hovered above Sasuke, trembling with hesitation. Memories of their past flooded her mind.

"I... I can't do it."

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