After being reborn, having to actively put a collar around one's neck, a way of thinking like this is something Shikamaru cannot understand, nor would he try to imitate. Rebirth is a rare occurrence, something that happens once in a billion chances, but to deliberately make oneself stumble and suffer? Shikamaru believes this is something he cannot learn. Since his goal is to reach the peak of the ninja world, he naturally makes decisions without regret.
Although the Seventh Squad, where Naruto is, is the team of the main characters from the original story, Shikamaru will not avoid or show unnecessary humility in every situation. Things that should be fought for will not be abandoned or given up on just because of conflicts with others.
The Seventh Squad—mainly Naruto—was at odds with the mission client, and since the client was quite clear about their intentions, Sarutobi Hiruzen, although the Hokage, would not insist on having the Seventh Squad take the mission. Though it was a C-rank mission, which is not too important, such a "forced transaction" would damage the reputation of Konoha Village. And since there were plenty of C-rank missions, they could simply assign the task to another team.
It was natural that Shikamaru's team, the Tenth Squad, would take on the C-rank mission from Dazna.
Naruto, seeing this, clenched his teeth and looked upset. The client's attitude toward both teams made Sasuke and Sakura angry, and even impulsive Naruto felt agitated. Moreover, when Shikamaru had suddenly stepped in front of him earlier, Naruto's brief moment of hesitation made him feel even more embarrassed now.
If this had happened before he became a Genin, or more specifically, before he had learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu, Naruto would have endured it—he had been beaten up by Shikamaru many times during their school battle simulations. But after mastering this technique, he had even defeated Mizuki, who was a Chunin. Naruto now believed that Shikamaru wouldn't be his opponent. He imagined the faces of everyone around him when he defeated Shikamaru, especially the Third Hokage. Maybe, after seeing his abilities, the Hokage would even appoint him as the next Hokage!
With this thought in mind, Naruto imagined in his mind the scene where everyone would be in awe of him after he defeated Shikamaru. His victory would surely impress the Third Hokage and might even secure the position of Hokage for him!
Shikamaru, noticing Naruto's changing expression, which seemed like a mix of crying and laughing, frowned inwardly. He had no idea what this impulsive, erratic thinker was thinking, but suddenly, Naruto burst into laughter and, with one hand on his hip and the other pointing at Dazna, arrogantly said, "Old man, don't underestimate me! I'm a genius who once defeated a Chunin!"
"I'm not the same as I was in the ninja academy, Shikamaru!" Naruto then turned his head to face Shikamaru, who was looking at him with interest. His arrogant and confident expression faded, and his demeanor became serious. With his right thumb pointing at himself, he confidently declared, "I've gotten stronger! What do you think, are you interested in having a match with me?"
"Naruto Uzumaki!" Iruka yelled in frustration, "What are you doing!?" Normally, friendly sparring between village ninjas wouldn't be a problem, but in this situation, Naruto's actions gave off an impression of malicious competition. The Third Hokage was watching everything closely.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Dazna," the Third Hokage said, his brow furrowed. After nodding an apology to Dazna, he puffed out a cloud of smoke and gestured toward Kakashi with his pipe, asking, "Kakashi, Naruto is your subordinate. What do you think of his suggestion?" His tone clearly held some dissatisfaction. He still had high hopes for Naruto, and while he could tolerate Naruto's lack of respect, he was less forgiving of his impulsive nature after becoming a Genin. As the Jonin responsible for guiding Naruto, Kakashi had a responsibility in this.
Kakashi, who had been maintaining a laid-back attitude, now put away his "Icha Icha" book. Hearing the Third Hokage's question and sensing the underlying dissatisfaction, he turned to look at Naruto, who was stubbornly standing there. After some thought, Kakashi said, "I think Naruto's suggestion is just a friendly spar, Hokage-sama!"
"Is that so..." The Third Hokage gently tapped his pipe, looking at Kakashi with some confusion. After seeing Kakashi's calm expression and observing Naruto's stubborn and defiant look, he realized that Kakashi's true intention was to curb Naruto's overconfidence. With a slight chuckle, the Third Hokage turned to Shikamaru and asked, "What do you think, Shikamaru? It's a challenge from an old classmate!"
This statement caused many of the Konoha ninjas present to frown. Though they didn't voice objections due to the Third Hokage's authority, they still felt the action wasn't appropriate.
Shikamaru sneered inwardly, his sympathy for Naruto disappearing without a trace. After all, Naruto's father was the Fourth Hokage, with deep connections. If Shikamaru had acted like this in front of the Third Hokage, he would have been labeled as reckless and impulsive. Though it wouldn't have led to suppression, he would never be valued or nurtured in the future.
With his thoughts in mind, Shikamaru still gave a slightly respectful response, "If you allow it, I'm willing to spar with Naruto to determine who will take on the mission."
Naruto, eager as always, immediately brightened at Shikamaru's words and, without waiting for the Third Hokage to say anything, took a step back, clapped his hands together, and yelled, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
With Naruto's technique, three shadow clones appeared in front of him, all charging toward Shikamaru.
Although Shikamaru had lost the initiative, he remained calm. Given the location, Naruto couldn't use the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu here, and Shikamaru wasn't worried about being overwhelmed by a sea of clones. The Third Hokage and Kakashi both understood this and knew that Naruto was no match for Shikamaru.
Shikamaru took a step back to his left, and this simple movement caused the three clones to line up in front of him, preventing them from surrounding him and giving him a chance to face one clone at a time.
Despite having chakra, martial arts in this world can still be categorized into two main types—internal and external factors.
The internal factor is the physical condition—speed and strength. Though Shikamaru had twenty-kilogram sandbags on each limb, he still had better physical attributes than Naruto in these areas.
The external factor is the control of space and timing—accurate predictions of both one's own and the enemy's attack ranges, precise positioning when facing multiple opponents, and leaving room for counterattacks when dodging the enemy...
Unless one has an absolute advantage in speed or strength, being surrounded and exposing one's blind spots is fatal.
As long as Shikamaru doesn't get surrounded, his martial arts skills and physical condition make him more than capable of dealing with Naruto.
Grabbing the right fist of the first shadow clone with his left hand, Shikamaru's right elbow slammed into the clone's face. He then swiftly moved half a step to the side, blocking another approaching shadow clone. After stepping back a pace, he delivered a sidekick to the clone's abdomen, quickly spinning and charging toward the third clone, which had tried to sneak up behind him.
"Bang!" The shadow clone Shikamaru attacked collided with the second clone, scattering into smoke, and once again blocked Naruto's approach.
Naruto gritted his teeth and didn't rush forward. He had seen Shikamaru's taijutsu during their academy days, and even with three shadow clones to help him, he wasn't confident he could defeat Shikamaru. Seeing Shikamaru dispatch one clone with ease, he quickly retreated, intending to use the Shadow Clone Jutsu again.
Shikamaru sneered, and with his right hand open, he divided his chakra into multiple streams. The swirling chakra quickly formed a light blue sphere in his palm, with visible lines spiraling around it, even causing a light breeze—this was because the chakra hadn't been compressed yet.
Kakashi and the Third Hokage both tensed, their pupils narrowing. They saw that Shikamaru had dodged the attack from one of Naruto's clones, and his right hand, which was forming the chakra sphere, was now pressing against the clone's abdomen.
A powerful gust of wind erupted where their bodies met. The clone, hit squarely in the abdomen, spun uncontrollably and flew back, slamming into the surprised Naruto's real body.
Kakashi and the Third Hokage were shocked. Even when Shikamaru had used the Body Flicker Technique before, it hadn't impressed them this much. The reason for their astonishment was not the kunai Shikamaru had lightly placed against Naruto's neck, but the very familiar technique he had just used.
"Rasengan!?"
"Jiraiya has returned!?"