Nara Shikamaru

Nara Shikamaru (奈良シカマル) is a major supporting character of the series. He is a chunin-level shinobi of Konohagakure's Nara clan and a member of Team Asuma. Along with his team-mates, he makes up the new generation of Ino–Shika–Cho, just like their fathers were before them.

Background
Shikamaru was born into the Nara clan to Shikaku and Yoshino. He has a long-lasting friendship with Akimichi Choji. They met even before joining the Ninja Academy, when others ridiculed Chōji for his weight, Shikamaru soon abandoned the game and ended up hanging out with Chōji instead. Because of the kindness Shikamaru has always shown him, Choji is unwavering in his loyalty to him, and will gladly give his life for Shikamaru.

Once they entered the Ninja Academy, Shikamaru and Chōji were among their classes as dead-last, along with Uzumaki Naruto and Inuzuka Kiba, spending their day pursuing what they deemed to be more interesting pastimes. In Shikamaru's case, he would spend all day sleeping; to Shikamaru, even the very effort of putting pen-to-paper was just too much effort for him to put into it unless he had to. Umino Iruka, their instructor, would give them all the same lecture.

In the anime, around this time, Shikamaru, along with Choji and Yamanaka Ino went searching for a set of kunais that Choji lost. During their search, they met a mysterious young boy named Yota. They soon learned to their amazement that Yota had the ability to manipulate weather, especially through his emotional state. Fearing how the village would respond to an outsider considering how much turmoil it had with the other nations, Shikamaru and the others decided to hide Yota's existance, giving him shelter in a treehouse and regularly bringing him food.

Later Naruto,Sakura and Kiba also learned of Yota's existance and soon join Shikamaru and the others in secretly being the stranger's friend. Naruto then realised this boy must be Yota. One day while playing, Yota became very sad from a misunderstanding with Naruto and caused it to rain, which alerted the ANBU. As they took Yota captive, Naruto and the others tried to stop the ANBU, but to no success. Determined to save Naruto's first ever friend, Shikamaru and the others staged a plan with Naruto acting as a diversion. Despite finding Yota, the ANBU easily foiled their plan. Seeing how much Shikamaru and the others cared for him, Yota summoned bolts of lightning to knock the ANBU out. Greatly weakened by the act, Yota was carried out of the village, determined to bring him to freedom. Upon reaching a river, unable to walk over it yet, they chose to swim. Their attempts proved futile and nearly drowned, only to be saved by Yota. Having overtaxed himself, Yota felt his life fading. Happy to have had friends, Yota didn't want them to suffer with this sad memory and erased all knowledge of him from their minds.

Personality
As a genin, Shikamaru Nara was the sort of unenthusiastic kid who liked to watch clouds. He preferred not to get involved in "troublesome" activities, pretending to be busy to avoid responsibility. He also does not like fighting, deeming it, as he does to most things, "troublesome". He is fully aware of this side of his personality. He even named himself "the number one at running away" or "the number one coward". In fact, his most commonly used phrase is "how troublesome" in the Japanese version, and "what a drag" in the English version.

However, when duty calls, Shikamaru has a strong moral compass and sense of commitment towards his comrades. Even though, by his own testimony, he lacks bravery, he will sacrifice himself and face almost certain death, for the sake of his friends and/or villagers without a second thought. Because of his raw leadership skill, he was the first genin from the Rookie Nine to become a chunin. The weight of the decisions he must make as a chunin and, thus, team leader have caused Shikamaru to mature rapidly. This was most evident after the death of Asuma. He vowed to protect and later mentor Asuma's child, so that the child could grow up to be a "cool adult" like Asuma. Shikamaru's sense of duty and commitment to the future of his village is also reflected in his willingness to enforce Konoha 11's recent decision to stop Uchiha Sasuke at all costs, even in the face of potential objections on behalf of the original members of Team Kakashi.

Akimichi Choji is Shikamaru's best friend. He respects and trusts him. He said that if he had to fight Choji in the Chūnin Exams he would give up. After he left Choji to fight Jirobo, he told the rest of the team that Choji is stronger than anyone else in this team.

Shikamaru enjoys playing thinking games, that older men are usually into, such as shogi and Go (his teacher, Asuma, even said at one point "That kid is like an old man. He likes to take things slowly.").

Shikamaru's most distinctive character trait is that he considers most women bossy and "troublesome", particularly Temari, his mother and Yamanaka Ino. He usually defines them as aggressive, demanding, and sometimes even scary. Given his mother's tyrannical personality, this isn't too surprising. However, his father shares the exact same attitude, even though he married Yoshino in the first place. When Shikamaru questioned his father about why he would marry such a domineering woman, his father responded that even the toughest woman will show her gentle side to the man she loves.

Nevertheless, Shikamaru is generally courteous to women, doing them favours and avoiding fights with them. He feels that men, like him, should be the ones protecting them and not the other way around. Despite the latter point, he almost exclusively fought against women during Part I of the manga, albeit because of circumstances that were mostly out of his control.

He has expressed a knownable mature and modest interest in marriage and raising a family. He hopes to "marry a regular girl who isn't too ugly and not too pretty. Have two children, first a girl, then a boy. Retire after my daughter is married and my son becomes a successful ninja, and spend the rest of my life playing shogi or Go. Then die of old age before my wife."

Shikamaru has also shown a little devious side. When he gets food for Choji while he's in the hospital during the Chūnin Exams, the nurse tells him that Choji has indigestion and that he can't have food. So, Shikamaru goes to Naruto's room to give him the food. When Naruto tells Shikamaru he wants to eat it in front of Choji to annoy him, Shikamaru states "That is so mean… I like it."

Appearance
To further emphasise his personality, Shikamaru is regularly seen with a lazy or irritated expression. He has shoulder length black hair tied in a spiky ponytail and narrow brown eyes. Initially he wore a simple pair of silver hoop earrings given to him by his father as a way to pass on his will to him. Upon becoming a chunin, these were replaced by a pair of stud earrings which were given to him — and the other members of Team 10 — by Asuma. During Part I, his attire was rather plain, consisting of a green lined mesh T-shirt under a short sleeved grey jacket with green edges, adorned on both the sleeves and the back with a circle with a line through it, his blue forehead protector worn around his left arm, brown pants, and blue sandals. After his promotion to chunin, he also wore a flak jacket over his outfit.

During Part II, he has grown noticeably taller. His hairstyle remains the same, but he changed his earrings from rings to studs. He has also undergone a costume change, and among the members of Konoha 11, he is the only one to sport an attire more mirroring the standard Konohagakure's one: he retains his flak jacket, along with a black long sleeved shirt paired with matching pants and sandals, and green lined mesh armour on his wrists and ankles. The placement of his headband is the same as before, but only the metal part is visible, seemingly sewn onto the shirt itself. He is also equipped with a chunin's tantō, horizontally strapped onto the back of his flak jacket via a brown strap. During the second part of the Hidan and Kakuzu Arc, he wore a utility belt around his waist with pouches attached to it.

Abilities
Shikamaru is a highly capable shinobi, attested to by him being the first of his peers to be promoted to the rank of chūnin, as well as being made the Proxy Commander of the Fourth Division. According to Temari, Shikamaru could easily make it to jonin rank if he wasn't so lazy. In the anime, it was stated that he was offered a position as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, but turned it down in order to stay in Konoha and protect it.

Ninjutsu
Shikamaru's primary battle tactics involves using his clan's secret techniques of shadow manipulation. His signature move is the Shadow Imitation Technique. In the anime, even while child who just started in the Academy, he was already proficient enough in this technique to subdue three ANBU, a considered a prodigy by Ino (although he was noted too inexperienced to consider its weakness). Later, he learned the various more advanced techniques including to physically harm enemies by means of shadow hands and tendrils.

The later can also He also has the ability to simultaneously use all of his techniques in astonishing co-ordination. Using his technique on his teammates, Shikamaru can effectively protect them from their own blindspots or personal weakness brought about their own techniques, such Ino's unconscious body after she used the Mind Body Switch Technique. Similarly, Shikamaru can also use his shadow techniques to pick up and throw objects like explosive tags, and attach them to a trapped opponent. He can also use the Shadow Clutch Technique, which is strong enough to grab and manipulate heavy objects, even lifting them in the air.

Shikamaru later inherited Asuma's Chakra Blades after his teacher was killed. He learned to use them in tandem with his clan's abilities, and created the Shadow Imitation Shuriken Technique. This allows him to "pin" his shadow on an opponent, without connect to enemies with his own shadow, giving him far greater range, flexibility, and freedom of movement.

Taijutsu
Even though it is not his preferred fighting style, Shikamaru is a capable close range combatant and most often uses it as a method to employ the use of his shadow, seen when he attacked Hidan with a punch that came as such a shock to the latter that he could not evade Shikamaru's secondary, shadow attack. In the anime, he showed great skill with close-range combat.

Nature Transformation
After learning the needed hand seals from Kitsuchi, Shikamaru, alongside the other remaining allied shinobi, could use the Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall technique, meaning he has the potential to use other Earth Release techniques as well.

Intelligence
Shikamaru's greatest trait despite his adolescent age and low grades in the Ninja Academy (mainly due to his laziness) is his mental capacities; great enough to outsmart an entire squadron of Oto-nin of chūnin-level or above, His intellect has earned praise from the likes of Hatake Kakashi who is also considered a genius, and Uchiha Obito. Well-noted for his strategic and tactical skills, he is most commonly seen winning in games requiring a methodical approach like shōgi, having never lost to Asuma. Realising his potential, Asuma tested Shikamaru (disguising it as games to keep Shikamaru focused) to discover the young Nara member is an astonishing genius with an IQ of over 200. In the anime, Haruno Sakura once stated that Shikamaru was the smartest person in the Land of Fire.

Stemming from his naturally calm nature and rare loss of composure, Shikamaru is surprisingly astute for his age, well-aware of his surroundings and able to see through most deceptions and from that can make accurate choices during intense moments. From these traits, Shikamaru can easily focus on all data acquired to quickly and effectively analyse the situation to discern how handle it, anticipate enemy actions, and quickly form effective plans. Once completely focused (seen from his habit of closing his eyes and cupping his fingers) he can quickly think ten moves ahead of his opponent and devise over a hundred strategies plus chose the best one from them.

Likewise, he is highly adaptable, regularly able to out-think his opponents, even manipulate them into a pre-set trap with various misdirections. Shikamaru is very resourceful, able to easily adjust or switch his plan and use the most random of tools to his advantage to minimise injuries to himself or allies if not avoid a direct fight completely.

Because of his intelligence, Asuma believes that Shikamaru could become Hokage if he weren't so lazy. He is nevertheless given his share of responsibilities, such as helping the Fifth Hokage formulate defensive strategies, and being made the Proxy Commander of the Fourth Division in the Fourth Shinobi War.

Introduction arc
He is seen in line with his classmates to do the transformation technique. Having graduated from the Ninja Academy, Shikamaru was first seen in the anime to be surprised by Naruto's graduation despite the latter failing the graduation exam. He was later assigned to Team Asuma along with Choji and Ino, who said moments earlier that she would not want to work alongside someone as lazy as Shikamaru, much to his amusement.

Chunin Exam arc
Shikamaru, along with the rest of the Rookie Nine, participated in the Chunin Exams, commenting that it was "such a drag" that they were up against many candidates. During the first phase, Shikamaru had already figured out the true purpose of the written exam and was glad that Ino had figured it out as well when she used her Mind Transfer Technique on Sakura.

During the second phase of the Chunin Exams, Team Asuma stumbled across Haruno Sakura being attacked by some Oto genin. Although he said he didn't want to get involved, Shikamaru dragged Choji along once Ino joined the fray. The team then initiated the Ino–Shika–Cho battle formation, Shikamaru immobilising Dosu Kinuta. Soon after,Uchiha Sasuke awakened, his newly received Cursed Seal activated. As Sasuke prepared to attack the Oto genin, Shikamaru told Ino and Choji to join him in abandoning their roles in the battle as Sasuke's onslaught ensued.

In his preliminary battle, Shikamaru fought against Kin. He defeated Kin by sneaking his shadow under the thin strings she was using to control her bells; she did not notice that a string that thin and that far from the floor could even make a shadow. Shikamaru then took a shuriken from his pouch, with Kin, caught in his Shadow Imitation Technique, doing the same thing. Because of Kin's increased proximity to the wall of the arena, she knocked herself unconscious as Shikamaru ducked under her projectile. He was declare the winner of the match.

When Choji was hospitalised due to rupturing his stomach when he ate too much after his battle, Shikamaru brought him a basket with fruits, but Choji was forbidden from eating it. Shikamaru then found out that Uzumaki Naruto also in the hospital, and decided to give him the basket. Later, the two encountered Gaara, who was about to kill an unconscious Rock Lee in his hospital bed. The two young men, however, ambushed Gaara and Shikamaru bounded him with his shadow. Then they listened as he told them about the demon sealed within him, and his life. Gaara then threatened to kill them, but he was stopped by Gai's arrival.

In the anime, one day before the final round, Choji overheard Gai and Naruto talking about the "Fourth Hokage's legacy". Choji then told Shikamaru and Ino about this. Later Naruto and Sakura met with Team Asuma at the entrance. They ended up teaming up with Sakura and Naruto to find the "Fourth Hokage's Legacy". Through out their adventure Shikamaru showed his intellect solving multiple puzzles and ending up saving the other four multiple times. In the end he decided to give the "Fourth Hokage's Legacy" to Naruto realising that as long that someone from the Konoha gets it, they will be okay. However, they realised that this whole mission was made up by Gai and, partially, by Kakashi as a sort of extra special training.

In the final round, Shikamaru was matched against Temari, where it initially seemed as if he was just pointlessly attempting strategy after strategy. Temari assumed that he was simply buying time for the sun to set, furthering the range of his shadow. He was in fact manipulating her into a position in front of the exit to a tunnel which was dug out by Naruto during an earlier match, where he could guarantee that she was caught by his shadow from behind. However, after Temari was actually caught in his shadow imitation, he then simply forfeited the match, claiming to have spent too much chakra to proceed with any additional matches. Moreover, he said he did not like to hurt or hit women. Despite this, the rest of Team 10 could easily tell that his forfeit was purely out of his own laziness, but this may not have been true, as shown below. Despite having forfeited, Shikamaru's brilliant strategy impressed everyone, including the Hokage.

Invasion of Konoha arc
When the invasion of Konoha began, Shikamaru was able to dispel the genjutsu that swept through the stadium, though he pretended to be asleep to avoid taking part in the battle. Sakura noticed this, and forced him to help in pursuing Uchiha Sasuke. As they pursued Sasuke, they discovered that nine Oto ninja were following them, and Shikamaru chose to stay behind so he could stall them while the others continued to follow Sasuke. Using a clever strategy, he was able to trap eight with his shadow. However, the ninth Oto ninja hid in the trees, protecting the captured eight against Shikamaru's attacks.

Despite discovering the ninth's hiding place, he could not fight off the Oto ninja, after being drained from his earlier match against Temari. Asuma arrived in time to save him, and defeated all nine Oto ninja single-handedly. Shikamaru is later seen attending the Third Hokage's funeral.

Searach for Tsunnade arc
In the anime,Shikamaru made in appearance with his father. After Tsunade came back to Konoha to be the fifth Hokage. Shikamaru then saw Naruto,and was inform by Naruto about Tsunade's old lady like appearance, that can make her look like a young women. Shikamaru then ask his father, what the deal is with women. His father told him without woman around,then men will never extist. Shikamaru then thought that women were annoying.

Sasuke Retrieval arc
Because of his performance during the Chunin Exam finals, Shikamaru was the only Konoha genin that was promoted to the rank of chunin. Shikamaru was given his first assignment of forming and leading the Sasuke Retrieval Team to stop Sasuke from defecting from the village. Because Konoha suffered heavy casualties during the failed invasion by Sunagakure, Shikamaru was forced to limit the members of his team to genin. He immediately recruited Uzumaki Naruto and Choji, and then added Hyuga Neji and Inuzuka Kiba to the team. Upon setting out, Shikamaru formulated a plan on how to approach Sasuke's escorts, the Sound Four. Their presence was detected, and they were trapped by Jirobo. However, Shikamaru was able to find a way to escape. He was ultimately forced to leave Choji behind to fight Jirobo, but had no concerns that Choji would lose, and marked the team's path so that Choji could follow them.

The team continued to break apart, one member of the Retrieval Team engaging one member of the Sound Four. To give Naruto a chance to go after Sasuke, Shikamaru fought Tayuya. Tayuya summoned three demons, that she controlled with her flute and easily gained the upperhand against Shikamaru. Counting his remaining weapons, Shikamaru devised an elaborate plan. He threw eight kunai at Tayuya to see what finger movements she would use to protect herself with. Being unable to read her music he eventually took control of the three with his shadow, telling her how he found shogi fun because he could take over his opponent's pieces. Shikamaru then attacked with the three demons prompting Tayuya to remove the demons but she was still caught by his shadow. By activating the second stage of her cursed seal, Tayuya was able to resist Shikamaru's shadow.

Picking up a kunai that had missed her earlier she tried to slit his throat but was suddenly punched in the gut and caught by his shadow again, revealing that he only pretended to fall prey to her genjutsu, as he had used his shadow to break his finger to escape it. Shikamaru then explained about his plan and how he missed with that kunai on purpose to get her close while he then prepared his Shadow–Neck Binding Technique. As he was about to run out of chakra, he was saved by Temari. After Shikamaru gave her a tactical update she blew away her sound based genjutsu with her wind and then used a summon to finish her off.

Temari accompanied him back to Konoha, where they learned that Uchiha Sasuke had escaped, and that everyone on the team suffered injuries despite being helped by Temari's two siblings, Gaara and Kankuro. Shikamaru's initial reaction to the failed mission was to quit being a ninja altogether, but his father scolded him for being such a coward, explaining that his friends would then only be led by some other ninja. If they were to die under that ninja's command, Shikamaru would feel worse for not having been there to try and save them. When he was informed that everyone on the team would make a full recovery, Shikamaru cried out of joy and relief, and resolved to do better next time.

He later saw Temari and the Sand Siblings off and, in the anime, was appointed as a Ninja Academy instructor.

Pre Shippuuden Filler arc
Shikamaru did not make as many appearances as his team-mates during the anime's arcs, being preoccupied with his Academy duties. He assisted with missions around the village, but did not play a major role until the Trap Master Arc. Shikamaru was assigned to lead the other primary genin in the investigation of a man named Gennō. Gennō had stolen blueprints that could be used to plan a potentially devastating attack during Konoha's period of reconstruction. Shikamaru proved to be a shrewd detective, quickly catching onto seemingly minor clues and predicting the enemy's plans. He also proved more comfortable in his role as leader, though not without complaining to Tsunade first about having to do anything at all. In the end, he led his team to victory and beat Gennō at his own game, leading to the old man's death.

He appeared with Choji and Ino when they helped Naruto to pursue Mizuki and dealt with the Legendary Stupid Brothers. They performed their version of the Ino–Shika–Cho pattern to hold the brothers. They were able to stall them until Tsunade appeared and defeated the two brothers.

He appeared again when Gaara was challenged by the Four Celestial Symbols Men, a group of ninja wielding strange and powerful weapons. When they kidnapped one of Gaara's students, Shikamaru led the Konoha 11 (minus Tenten) to provide assistance, and repay their debt from the Sasuke Retrieval Arc. Shikamaru rescued Temari from Kujaku, another wind-user. He then worked with Temari to defeat Kujaku. After the mission, he sees the Sand Siblings and Matsuri depart from Konoha.

Rescue the Kazekage arc
Two and a half years later, at the beginning of Part II, Naruto ran into Shikamaru and Temari soon after returning to the village. Naruto initially thought that Shikamaru and Temari were a couple, although both denied this, explaining that they were working on planning for the next Chunin Exams. This later prevented him from helping with Naruto's first attempt to look for Sasuke, but he was able to help during Naruto's brief scuffle with Sai.

Sasuke and Sai arc
Shikamaru meet up with Naruto with Choji and both reconciled with one another and then Sai attacked, Shikamaru and Choji assisted Naruto against him but Sai escapes, and later meeting up with Sai again and later befriended him.

Twelve Guardian arc
In the anime, when Konoha was invaded by Furido and his team, Tsunade put Shikamaru in charge of Konoha's defence. He grew frustrated that his friends were fighting on the ground while he was on the back lines. Shikamaru stated that a strategist must lead his troops from the front line, and not be afraid to take risks. After getting Ino, Shikamaru led the counter-attack against the undead, ordering an attack plan which drove the enemy back. Later, Shikamaru used his Shadow Imitation Technique to bind Sora. He was seen later after Naruto's battle with Sora. He and Asuma dicuss who the King is, while playing Shogi.

Kakuzu and Hidan arc
Shikamaru was revealed to be a member of the Nijū Shōtai, where he was teamed up with Asuma, Izumo Kamizuki, and Kotetsu Hagane in an effort to track down and eliminate any and all members of Akatsuki. Eventually, the team found one such member: Hidan, and, as Shikamaru restrained Hidan with his Shadow Imitation Technique, the rest of the team were able to co-ordinate a finishing attack on Hidan. When it was revealed that had done little to stop Hidan, Hidan's partner, Kakuzu, appeared, forcing Shikamaru to release Hidan.

As Asuma battled Hidan, Hidan began a ritual that caused all damage done to himself to be inflicted on Asuma as well. Because of Hidan's apparent immortality, Hidan was able to use this to his advantage, giving himself injuries to easily harm Asuma while not being affected by the debilitating blows himself. To help Asuma, Shikamaru captured Hidan with his shadow once again, and adopted his meditative analysis of all of Hidan's actions and words up to that point. He quickly realised that the "link", created when Hidan consumed Asuma's blood, could only be maintained by Hidan remaining within the blood seal that he had earlier drawn on the ground, so Shikamaru pulled him out of it. With damage done to Hidan no longer harming Asuma, Shikamaru tied Hidan down with his Shadow Sewing Technique, allowing Asuma to decapitate the Akatsuki member.

However, even this was not sufficient enough to kill Hidan. After Kakuzu reattached his partner's head, he joined the fight and pinned down Izumo and Kotetsu, while Hidan managed to bind Asuma to his curse jutsu again by stepping back into the blood seal. Shikamaru rushed to the aid of his sensei just as Hidan impaled himself with his spear, delivering the final blow to Asuma. Choji and Ino arrived as back-up, and Hidan and Kakuzu were driven off. Ino tried to heal Asuma, but there was nothing she could do, and the students were only able to listen to Asuma's final words. To Shikamaru, Asuma said that he had great potential, perhaps enough to one day become Hokage. After Asuma died, Shikamaru began smoking his first cigarette, blaming its smoke for his tears.

Shikamaru did not attend Asuma's funeral, instead coming up with a plan to defeat the Akatsuki duo. This was drawn out considerably in the anime, where his father made an attempt to comfort him with a game of Shogi, though Shikamaru could only blame himself and was too invested in revenge. When he finished his preparations, he set out with Ino and Choji. They were stopped by Tsunade, who insisted that they stick to the usual four-man team. Kakashi appeared, and volunteered to help, so Shikamaru quickly modified the plan to accommodate for his presence.

Upon finding Hidan and Kakuzu, Shikamaru used Asuma's trench knives, swelling with his shadow, to restrain the Akatsuki members by pinning their shadows. With the two unable to fight back, Shikamaru prepared to trap the two with his Shadow Imitation Technique to allow him more of an advantage, though Kakuzu was able to escape before Shikamaru could ensnare him. With Hidan under his control, Shikamaru used Hidan to attack Kakuzu, forcing him into a corner where Kakashi attacked him with his Lightning Cutter. This destroyed only one of Kakuzu's four extra hearts, and, surprised by this turn of events, Kakashi and Team Asuma regrouped. After being left on the defensive for a while, Shikamaru concluded that they must separate Hidan and Kakuzu if they were to win. To this end, Shikamaru again caught Hidan with his shadow, and led him away.

Once far enough, he covered the area in explosive tags to corner the immortal. The time limit on his Shadow Imitation then ran out, so Hidan was able to attack him, get some blood, and initiate his ritual. Hidan quickly stabbed himself in the heart, causing an apparently dead Shikamaru to keel over. Shikamaru was, however, alive and well; the blood had been Kakuzu's, Kakashi having taken a sample when he earlier used Lightning Cutter. In effect, Hidan stabbed Kakuzu in the heart. With Hidan oblivious, Shikamaru tried to decapitate him with a short sword. The cut was too shallow to sever the immortal's head, prompting Shikamaru to capture him in a Shadow Imitation instead - albeit a much weaker one at this point, with his chakra running low.

As Hidan tried to attack Shikamaru, Shikamaru used his Shadow Gathering Technique to cover Hidan with the explosive tags in the area. With Hidan tied in place, Shikamaru activated a mark he had prepared before the battle, causing the ground beneath Hidan to collapse into a pit. Hidan cursed at saying once he was free he would kill him, but Shikamaru explained that the surrounding forest was the property of the Nara clan; only they were allowed to enter or leave the forest, thus ensuring that Hidan's remains would never be found while one of his clan's deer, Rikumaru watched on. In the anime, after lighting a cigarette, Shikamaru flicked Asuma's lighter at Hidan, setting off all of the explosive tags at once. Hidan's remains fell into the pit and, as he swore vengeance against Shikamaru, Shikamaru forced a cave-in. With the battle won, he regrouped with his team escorted by Rikumaru, Kakuzu having also been defeated by Naruto, and returned home. When he got back, Shikamaru stated to Kurenai that it is now his ambition to protect and train the next generation of ninja.

Tsuchigumo Kinjutsu arc
Shikamaru is seen in a flashback by Naruto.

Invasion of Pain arc
Shikamaru was left in charge of deciphering Jiraiya's dying message about Pain. When informed by Shiho ] and the department's leader that the Konoha Cryptanalysis Team couldn't break the code without some sort of key, Shikamaru approached Naruto for help. Using his own experiences with Asuma's death, he helped him to get over Jiraiya's death, pointing out that they would someday both have students, and would also go to great lengths to protect them, just like Asuma and Jiraiya. Revitalised, Naruto helped to decipher the code which revealed the message: "The real one is not among them." Shikamaru proceeded to figure out what this meant, but was interrupted by Pain's invasion of Konoha.

In the anime, Shikamaru immediately goes to check on Kurenai, arriving in time to kill the Giant Centipede attacking nearby. He then helped Kurenai to an underground passage to evacuate. After the village's destruction, he and his father were shown to have survived, although Shikamaru received a broken leg when he shielded Shiho from harm. They regrouped with Ino and her father, and pooled their knowledge of Pain to try and figure out his secret. They discovered that Pain had a main body that must be nearby, so Inoichi and Shikaku went looking for it. Because his leg made it difficult to move, Shikamaru stayed behind/ later he joined in on the celebration of Naruto's victory over Pain.

Konoha History arc
After Naruto defeated Pain, Iruka, along with Suzume and Daikoku Funeno approach the ruins of the Ninja Academy to salvage things for class. They split up and Iruka sees the destroyed academy, remembering when he began as a teacher and the day Sarutobi Hiruzen assigned Uzumaki Naruto to his class. Though he refused at first, due to Naruto being the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, Iruka accepts.

The next day, Naruto pulls a prank on Iruka but instead of scolding him, Iruka tells Naruto sit in his seat, remembering the advice given to him from Daikoku. Shikamaru is first seen in class sitting next to Choji when they met Umino Iruka. He is next seen reading his ninja textbook,but stops to see if Iruka will scold Naruto for sleeping in class. Sakura was seen seeing Sasuke doing the clone technique, and its annoy at it. He then watches Naruto battle Sasuke,and laughs at him for failing the technique. When seeing Naruto being bullied by the other students because of his failed attempts to be better than Sasuke, Iruka tells them not to bother a kid like him. He is then seen walking back to class with his other classmates. The next day, Naruto learns that Sasuke is the only surviving member of the Uchiha clan.

The next day, with Naruto is absent in class. Iruka asks everyone if they seen Naruto. But everyone says no. Shikamaru was next seen to be curious as to why Naruto was hated by the majority of the village. At one point he and Choji witnessed a shopkeeper assaulting Naruto while the latter was harmlessly browsing for a face mask. Seeing everyone glaring at Naruto with hostility. Shikamaru was next seen with Naruto,and Choji playing at the Playground. Once he sees how sad Naruto is,without parents. He heards his father calling him,and decides to drop Choji off at Choza's house.

He and Choji say goodbye to Naruto,and Naruto says bye to them as well. Unknown to Shikamru that Naruto is watching Shikaku holding Shikamaru's hand,which makes Naruto even more sad. Shikamru asks Shikaku to let go,and his father laughs,and asks him if he is embrasesed. Shikamaru then asked his father why Naruto was viewed like a disease. Shikaku did not answer his son's question but told him to follow his own feelings.

When Shikamaru and Choji next saw Naruto heading off to the back hills on a dare of three boys, he remembered that a battle had taken place there quite recently and bearing no hostility towards him, tipped Iruka off of the danger Naruto was unknowingly walking into. He is last seen with Choji,when they tell Kakashi that Iruka went to find Naruto in the backhills. Kakashi tells them to go back to class,and they do.

Back in the present Shikamaru, along with Shiho, was looking at a table filled with salvaged photos of villagers. They were trying to sort them out to give them back to their rightful owners.

Team Asuma tries to round up some hogs for the villagers to eat. Noticing their teamwork, Shikamaru remembers a time where the team also worked closely together in order to complete a mission. After a village headman's granddaughter was kidnapped by Baji, he hired Konohagakure's Team 7 and Team 10 for assistance. When the teams accepted the mission to stop Baji and rescue the girl, an ex-bandit named Tōfu acted as their guide. Shikamaru then instructed Asuma and Kakashi to find an alternate route to the Baji's fortress. Tōfu later gets captured and is revealed to be a double agent working for the gang leader. When the six genin infiltrated the fortress, Shikamaru agreed to a hostage exchange between him and Tōfu in order to find out the location of the Headman's granddaughter. Ino and Chōji managed to find the tower where the hostages were held, and later, helped defeat Baji. The mission ended with a success, the bandit group were captured, and the headman's granddaughter was rescued. The scene then shifts back to present time, where Ino and Shikamaru leave Chōji the arduous task of carrying all the hogs back to the village.

Five Kage Summit arc
When news reaches Konoha of Sasuke's recent dealings with Akatsuki, Team 10, Team 8, and Team Guy decide that they should personally kill Sasuke before he involves the village in a war. Shikamaru volunteers to approach Team 7 on the group's behalf and inform them of their decision. Sakura reluctantly agrees with him. Because Naruto is in the Land of Iron, Sakura offers to tell him for Shikamaru. When Naruto returns to Konoha he meets with Shikamaru and the others to tell them he understands their reasons, but asks that dealing with Sasuke be left to him.

Chikaku arc
The Nine-Tailed Naruto clone tries to attack Dokku and the orphans, when [Gai (Might Guy) and Rock Lee arrive to repel it. While they fight the beast, Kabuto tries to control it, but to no avail. The rest of Konoha 11 arrive,Team Asuma's help. Sakura and Kakashi and Team Kurenai help Naruto. Tenten and Neji arrive, but are cornered by the reincarnated puppets. Kakashi chases Kabuto. The beast grabs Naruto to absorb chakra, which the Nine-Tails gladly shares. Hinata tries to defend Naruto, but is sent flying. After the beast absorbs Naruto's chakra, it grows in size and starts to devastate the Hachō Village, even firing a Tailed Beast Ball in far away, missing Yamato, Sai, Deidara and Hidan who are fighting outside the village. Dokku tries to save Naruto, who is still unconscious. Moments before the beast tramples them, Kabuto summons a snake to swallow both of them alive and retreats. While inside the underground hall in the Tonika Village, Naruto, unconscious and strangled by snakes, meets the Nine-Tails again in his subconscious.

The Konoha-nin investigates Kabuto's intention in the meanwhile. Shiseru remembers an earlier conversation between her and Dokku about the pros and cons of them adopting the kids. While the Nine-Tails tries to control Naruto, Dokku calls him, but gets shouted instead. Dokku asks Naruto what burden a powerful person carries and made Naruto choose the reason why he desires to be powerful, seeing flashbacks of his comrades of Konoha and Sasuke, leading to the seal inside Naruto to gain strength again. Dokku gives Naruto his forehead protector, stating that he believes in him. Meanwhile, Leo decides to save their teacher by giving the mysterious iron bars which were mentioned earlier by the Tonika Village Head. While inside the hall, Kabuto, along with two reincarnated puppets, approaches with Disonasu, revealed to have engineered Tonika's destruction. Disonasu pulls out a scroll from which emerges the item that he desired: the Saezuri.

While the Saezuri is revealed, learning that Disonasu employed Kabuto Yakushi to wipe out the residents of Tonika Village, Dokku tried to attack Disonasu, but stopped by a reincarnated puppet and restrained by a resurrected Takigakure shinobi. Disonasu also praised Naruto about defeating Pain, the one who scarred him and left him powerless, before kicking the boy repeatedly. Miina and the orphans came to The Hole to give the iron bars, but Kabuto's clone intercepted them. Meanwhile, the rest of Konoha 11, along with Kakashi, Shiseru, Yamato and Sai moved out to the area. Disonasu prepares the summoning of the "power" by putting the remaining iron bars while Naruto enters Sage Mode. Miina hums to the sound as the Saezuri is activated, causing the area Naruto is on, the Ama no Hoko, to rise above ground. Kakashi arrived on the scene, revealing Disonasu's past as a bloodthirsty murderer and former Akatsuki subordinate whose specialty is the field of Summoning Technique, having researched Impure World Reincarnatio with Orochimaru. Kabuto summons his puppets, the Nine-Tailed Naruto Clone, Hidan, and Deidara. Naruto faces off with the clone, while Deidara uses Explosive Clay to create a diversion and chase Naruto.

Disonasu escapes and Hidan faces Shikamaru. Deidara activates the Explosive Clay on the bodies of the resurrected individuals, as Hidan uses his ritual against Team Asuma, and Sakura got restrained by Hayate and the others. While Naruto relentlessly attacked the clone, he learned there is more than power. As Yamato restrained Disonasu, he activated the Saezuri, opening the area where Naruto faces the clone, draining the lake as an obelisk rises and creates a storm. After Hidan's clone body breaks down due to the shorten life spans of the snakes composing his body, Deidara is controlled by Kabuto to escape Kakashi. A lightning hit the area where the orphans are running, Miina pointing to the obelisk. When the storm expands towards Konoha, Tsunade goes out as the storm engulfs the Land of Fire. Naruto tried to stop Disonasu from ascending the tower, only to face his clone after he absorbed some of the tower's power and transformed a Hydra-tailed fox monster.

Absorbing the power within the Ama no Hoko, the Nine-Tailed Naruto Clone mutated into a hydra-tailed version of the Nine-Tails while sending Disonasu to his death. Overpowered, Naruto almost gave in to the Nine-Tails' offer for power when Minato's voice urges the boy to control the tailed beast as Naruto is engulfed in a six-tailed chakra cloak in the Nine-Tails' image. Over time, as he starts to lose against the clone, the Nine-Tails starts to take control over Naruto's body and assumes a seven-tailed jinchūriki state with Yamato trying to restrain it. At the same time, though followed by Kakashi, Kabuto Yakushi manages to take his leave in midst of the ensuing chaos. Dokku and Shiseru decide to deactivate the Ama no Hoko and say good-bye to the children. On their way there, they confess their love for each other and decide to get married if they survive before portions of the ground start to sink, with Dokku keeping Shiseru from falling.

By that time, Miina is able to get through Naruto, regaining control as he assumed a new form to save Shiseru after telling Dokku to go forward and stop the Ama no Hoko. As Dokku recalls the tune Miina hummed to change the sounds in the Saezuri to deactivate the tower, Naruto uses his new power to destroy his clone as the Ama no Hoko recedes into the ground. Everyone, including the Konoha 11 and children celebrate with Naruto.

Adventures at Sea arc
Shikamaru begins to feel the pressure of shouldering the lives of his friends in the upcoming Fourth Shinobi War. To help ease his mind, Shikaku sends his son along with Tenten on a mission to Mokuzu Island to replenish supplies. On the island, Shikamaru meets up with Naruto's group. Soon after they set sail, the fog around the area gets thicker and they encounter reef systems, a huge rock and a whirlpools again and again. Shikamaru figures that their ship is sailing through the bay in circles and tells Naruto and the others to sail straight for it and get swallowed up. The criminal, on seeing the ship wrecked, arrives at the spot with his gang to loot the wreckage. Having stored the ship in Tenten's scroll, they proceed to defeat the criminals.

At a meeting held by the Hyuga clan regarding the impending war, Neji is appointed as the commander of the clan on the frontlines by Hiashi which shocked some of the members. Hinata later meets with Kurenai where she is told by Shikamaru that he and quite a few of the other members of the Konoha 11 had seen Naruto since he left the village and that Tsunade was looking for her.

Hopeful that Tsunade had in fact requested her to go on a mission so she could see Naruto she goes in search of her only to be disappointed. She along with the other females of the Konoha 11 and Shiho are later invited by Tenten to a girls night out at Yakiniku Q. Somewhat saddened that he wasn't invited, Choji comes up with the idea of a guys night out at the same place. The two groups talk about Naruto and the past, reminiscing about the first Chunin Exams. The girls are later joined by Shizune and a moderately intoxicated Tsunade. Tsunade attempts to apologise for how she dismissed Hinata earlier but Hinata tells her it was fine as she knew what she had to do. The next day during her training with Neji she tells him that she bore no ill will towards him for her father's decision and that he was the right person to lead them in the war.

Konohamaru,Moegi and Udon are training to prepare for the upcoming war. After heading to the hospital, Haruno Sakura makes them carry and stack boxes. Konohamaru, wanting something more important to do leaves with his team ranting. Shikamaru asks Konohamaru who the "King" was and writes the kanji for King on a stone shaped like a shogi piece and gives it to him. Konohamaru then goes to see Tsunade who outright says no. Frustrated after seeing Temari who was there to deliver a message from Suna as well as check on the progress of the village after Pain's invasion. Konohamaru later challenges Temari while she is on her way home. The two have an intense spar with Konohamaru being unable to land an attack on Temari.

Eventually after Temari taunts him that the Sarutobi clan was left with no good heir and that Uzumaki Naruto had a poor pupil. The two almost end up severely harming each other but the fight is stopped by Shikamaru who had been informed of Konohamaru's intentions by Udon and Moegi. After hearing Moegi's story, Konohamaru realises that the 'King' he wanted to protect were the civilians of the village who were unable to defend themselves. Shikamaru smiles at him and Temari compliments him for mastering such a high-level technique and then Team Ebisu for being such promising young shinobi, and then leaves. Shikamaru then told Tsunade Konohamaru's dream is to become Hokage. She then has a flashback of her late brother,Nawaki. Then she has a another flashback of Naruto,and realizes that Konohamaru is just like Naruto and Nawaki.

As Team Asuma considers the impending war, they encounter Kosuke Maruboshi who reminds them of the time that they rescued him while they were still genin. With this, Kosuke retells the tale of the time their fathers saved him during the Invasion of Konoha with their Formation Ino–Shika–Cho. Somewhat rattled by this story, Kosuke reminds them that great shinobi weren't made in a day. As the team contemplates everything, they decide to perfect their own formation, insisting that they'd be fine because they were not alone.

Confining the Jinchuriki arc
Shikamaru and his father attend a war council to discuss the village's preparations for the looming Fourth Shinobi War. Although Shikaku believed his son is too young and inexperienced to be there, Shikamaru resolved to use every brain cell he had to memorise everything during the meeting. In the anime, before attending the meeting, he sees Naruto being chased by Konohamaru and he can't seem to get Naruto and the Nine-Tails out of his mind and remembers of what Hinata and Yamato said to him earlier, resolving to doing everything possible to protect him.

Fourth Shinobi War arc
When the war begins, Shikamaru is placed in the Fourth Division alongside Choji. Although Gaara is technically the commander, Temari tells Shikamaru that, as Gaara's proxy, he is effectively in command. Shikamaru, Choji, and other members of their division are later sent to provide support for the First Division. They meet up with Ino - sent as backup from her own division - and they team up to help Darui fight Kinkaku. Shikamaru restrains Kinkaku with his shadow but only barely holds him long enough for Ino to use the Mind Body Switch Technique on Kinkaku, leading to Kinkaku's capture within the Kohaku no Jōhei. Ino–Shika–Cho next engages the reincarnated Kakuzu. As they prepare to face him yet again, he points out that he is not the only ninja to have been reincarnated: Asuma is on the battlefield too.

As Asuma's students and thus experts on his fighting style, Shikaku leaves fighting him to Ino–Shika–Cho. Shikamaru goes after Asuma with his shadow to create an opening for Chōji to attack him, but Choji is reluctant to attack their late teacher. While Choji struggles to find his resolve, Shikamaru tries to hit Asuma with his Shadow Imitation Shuriken Technique. Asuma blocks it with a kunai and goes after Choji, forcing Ino to transfer her consciousness to Choji's body and fight for him. Shikamaru looks after her unconscious body, using his shadow to make it imitate defensive actions against white Zetsu. With encouragement from Shikamaru, Ino, and even Asuma, Choji finds the resolve to fight. Shikamaru again uses his shadow to create an opening, allowing Choji to fling Asuma into a cliff wall. Shikamaru pins him there with Asuma's old Chakra Blades. Defeated, Asuma congratulates them on their perfect teamwork before being sealed.

The battle continues into the night and Shikamaru assists Chōji in mopping up the rest of the reincarnated ninja. Before they can claim victory, Tobi appears on the battlefield with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. While the Statue wreaks havoc, Obito goes after the Kohaku no Jōhei and the Benihisago. Remembering information given to him by Temari about the Statue and the tailed beasts, Shikamaru deduces that Obito plans to use the brothers' Nine-Tails-chakra. Obito calls Shikamaru a worthy adversary for figuring out what he had planned, and has the Statue attack him. He is saved by Choji while Uchiha Obito escapes with the brothers. After the attack subsides, Shikamaru is seen planning with the rest of his team and Tenten.

The next day, the Allied Shinobi Forces are in turmoil over who to trust thanks to the White Zetsu clones that had infiltrated their ranks. In the anime, things grow even more difficult when the Sound Four are summoned to the field. Still shaken over his last encounter with the personal guard of Orochimaru, Shikamaru has his allies stay back. Telling them that they still can't be sure of who to trust, Shikamaru instead faces Tayuya personally as only he knew the methods behind her attacks. While noticing that her genjutsu-range had grown considerably, Shikamaru easily countered her sound-based technique with ear-plugs. Shikamaru then impales the Sound ninja to subdue her. However, his victory is short-lived, as Tayuya engulfs them in a strange technique. Shikamaru's body was left in a comatose state while his soul was sent to a new location where it was reanimate within a large barrier. Inside, the inhabitants are able to battle normal. However, the Sound Four inform their enemies that in time, their actual bodies' halted chakra flow will eventually cause them to die. In addition, killing the Sound Four will not undo the technique.

Despite the initial stalemate, the Sound Four's enhanced Cursed Seals grow even stronger from their accumulated malice, quickly overwhelming the Konoha ninja. Seeing that, Shikamaru begins to intentionally provoke them, knowing that Naruto's new senses would pick up on it. Eventually, Naruto finds them and breaks through the barrier, allowing Inoichi, through a telepathic connection, to release the technique and restore Shikamaru and the others to their bodies. Upon awakening, he is tearfully hugged by a relieved Ino.

Later, in order to counter the mayhem of the White Zetsu Army clones until Naruto arrived to differentiate them, Shikamaru has everyone draw circles around themselves that they were not allowed to leave or enter another one. When Ino asks him if they couldn't just ask questions to confirm each other's identity, Shikamaru tells her that's there too big a chance that an enemy could simply guess the right answer. He later tells Dan who Uzumaki Naruto was, and his dreams of becoming Hokage after Dan initially mistakes him for Nawaki.

After being informed by Inoichi from HQ that Naruto and B were fighting the "masked Madara", Shikamaru and the rest of the Konoha 11 rush to his aid. As he runs, he tells Chōji that he'd expect nothing short of Naruto overdoing things on the battlefield and because of his short temper, he wasn't one to calmly think a plan through, so Naruto should wait for him.

Upon arriving at the battlefield, Shikamaru noted that with the Hiding in Mist Technique and Insect Jamming Technique working in tandem, it would make it harder for the opposition to sense them. He later relayed that the rest of his division had arrived before standing alongside all the remaining members of the Allied Shinobi Forces to face their opposition. When it later proved that their efforts had been futile as the fully-matured Ten-Tails emerged from the hole it had been trapped in and began going on a rampage, a visibly saddened Shikamaru listened to what would be his father's final battle strategy for the Alliance as a Tailed Beast Ball hurtled towards HQ. He thanks his father for everything telepathically, and accepts the role of master strategist in his father's place. Choji tries to comfort Shikamaru, but Shikamaru reminds Choji and Ino that they are still in the midst of battle, and that they didn't have the time to grieve. He later learns of Neji's death.

After Kurama had accumulated enough chakra, Naruto sent a shadow clone to give Kurama's chakra to Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, and the rest of the Allied Shinobi Force. As Kurama's chakra surrounded him, he began the strategy that his father imparted to them. With Choji and several other Akimichi stopping the beast's tails, Ino took control of Uchiha Obito once again, veering another would-be-fatal attack off course. Working with several of his own clansmen, they and Shikamaru immobilised the beast, and signalled to Ino that she could release her technique now that they had rendered it immobile.

With the situation on the battlefield getting dire when the Ten-Tails creates an even larger Tailed Beast Ball, Shikamaru formulated a strategy and requested that Ino connect him to Kitsuchi. Once connected, he requested that Kitsuchi teach the entire division the seals for the simplest of earthen defences. Explaining that they were going to attempt to fight quality with quantity in an attempt to deflect the attack, Shikamaru then requested that Ino connect him to the remainder of the Alliance where he imparted the hand seals to be used in his plan. Their valiant efforts as well as Killer B's, however, prove to be little hindrance to the attack. The Alliance was saved, however, by the arrival of Namikaze Minato on the battlefield.

With Sasuke's subsequent appearance, Shikamaru, along with Choji, warns Ino to be cautious approaching him, as he is still a dangerous criminal. He denounces Sasuke, stating with Shino that he cannot be simply forgiven after all he has done. Shikamaru and the rest of his peers are then left dumbfounded after Sasuke claims that he will become Hokage. He then comments on the reunion of Team 7, saying that he doesn't want to trust Sasuke but they have a war to worry about. He then charges at the Ten-Tails with his friends. Ino then rallies her own team together, for them to perform Formation E. While Choji uses his Multi-Size Technique, and Shikamaru uses the Shadow Clutch Technique on him, Ino uses her sensory abilities to lock onto all of the clones in the surrounding area, before putting her own sensing perception into Shikamaru's mind. With Ino acting as the mind, Shikamaru as the body and Choji as the yo-yo, the trio perform the Human Bullet Yo-Yo technique, obliterating all of the surrounding clones.

As Choji prepares to double in size to strengthen his assault, Shikamaru states that the team has a lot more to show, with Ino then berating him for his sudden competitiveness with the other teams. He then watches Naruto and Sasuke as they attack the Ten-Tails, quietly cheering them on. His mood, however, changed severely and he became very contemplative after seemingly hearing Sai's question Sasuke's motives, although he told Ino when she asked what was bothering him that it was nothing.

Later when the shinobi began to lose morale watching the titans on the battlefield clash, Shikamaru had Ino link him to the Alliance once again where he told them to watch diligently as no matter how small, they could exploit an opening presented with their combined power. Later after Obito launched another attack, Shikamaru willed himself to remain calm while he analysed the situation and create a strategy to counter the attack. Drawing a blank on how to counter this attack, Shikamaru and the others soon found themselves shrouded in the previous Version 1 mantles again. Believing that Naruto intended to shield them with the shroud again, Shikamaru subsequently found themselves on the outside of the barrier, escaping the near-fatal attack thanks to Naruto and Minato's action.

Ready to begin the final stages of his plan, Obito unleashes the Ten-Tails' true form, the original source of all chakra known as the Shinju. It began unleashing countless branches, attacking every living target to absorb its chakra, killing the victim in the process. One of the few survivors of the ordeal but severely drained of nearly all his chakra, Shikamaru collapsed in Choji's arms. Drifting in and out of consciousness, the young man apologised to his parents for his failings. Shortly after when Senju Hashirama had Ino link everyone telepathically to inform them of what his original had learned about the Eye of the Moon Plan and the Shinju, Naruto's senjutsu-enhanced Tailed Beast Mode combined with Ino's telepathy causes his emotions and personal memories to be conveyed to everyone. Still weak, but conscious, Shikamaru sympathised with Naruto over the loss of Asuma.

As Naruto joined Sasuke in attacking Obito, the residual chakra still inside Shikamaru expanded and began to aid in healing him. While Sakura believed that Naruto was splitting his attention between fighting and healing, Ino explained that it was actually Naruto's chakra acting off his subconscious will. Thinking back on his time with Naruto, Shikamaru drew strength from his belief in him, and the hardships Naruto had faced. Shikamaru resolved to stand by Naruto's side as his adviser when he became Hokage, believing he needed someone intelligent around him, similar to the role Tobirama had played with his brother Hashirama. This way, Naruto would never be alone again. Finally recovering enough to sit up, Tsunade later appeared on the battlefield and expedited his recovery with her abilities.

Later mobilising alongside his comrades when Naruto called for them, Shikamaru and the others were shocked when they are enveloped by Naruto's Tailed Beast Mode mantle. Using the Rasengan formed in Kurama's tails, Shikamaru and the others were able to break down Obito's defences giving Naruto and Sasuke the opportunity to land a fatal blow. He and his other comrades later assisted Naruto with wresting the control of the tailed beasts' chakra from Obito in order to stop the Shinju from blooming. Shikamaru once again used the telepathic link to rally the forces telling them that no matter how small, their combined efforts would help greatly in the long run.

Naruto movie l
He is seen in a flashback by Naruto.

Naruto movie ll
The movie revolves mostly around a special mineral called the Gelel Stone, which has a strong and mysterious power. There was once a clan that could control the stone's powers, but they were destroyed because of wars for the stone.

A battle was taking place at night on a desolate seaside beach between Sunagakure ninja and soldiers wearing bulky suits of armour. Despite their best efforts, the Sand ninja are slowly overwhelmed by the sheer strength of their mysterious opponents. The timely arrival of reinforcements, led by Kankurō and Gaara, turn the tide of battle, with Kankurō slicing apart a suit of armour with his puppet, and Gaara dispatching a large number of enemies with his signature Sand Waterfall Imperial Funeral. However, when Gaara orders the Sand-nin to shine a flare at the retreating enemies, a large warship, is revealed with its own arsenal of heavy weapons much to the Sand shinobi's shock and curiosity of its appearance. The ship then opens fire with its guns, and Gaara's sand armour barely manages to protect his comrades as its artillery shells relentlessly pounded the beach.

Naruto Uzumaki, Shikamaru Nara, and Sakura Haruno are on a mission to capture a lost pet ferret and deliver it to its village. Naruto comically refers to the creature as a cat for the remainder of the movie. But while on their way to return the animal, they are attacked by a mysterious man clothed in knight armour. He too is accompanied by the strange armoured soldiers from before. The three fight him, but get separated when Naruto, the knight and the pet ferret all fall off a cliff. Shikamaru and Sakura only realise afterward what has happened and immediately go to look for them. Before they can, what appears to be an earthquake stops them in their tracks until they realise that it isn't an earthquake at all, but the movement of a giant mechanical moving structure. Sakura and Shikamaru split up to search for Naruto.

Naruto wakes up to find himself bandaged, as well right next to an equally wounded unknown man. They have been taken in by a very peaceful caravan of nomads that own a number of foreign animals, including ostriches and rhino. An old man goes on to inform Naruto that they are in fact the village that hired the leaf ninja to return their pet ferret, named Nerugui. The ferret also seems to have a great interest on the unknown man, much to the despair of the elder. While healing, the man seems to have a flashback dream that depicts what happened to him as a child. His home was invaded and destroyed while he hid, seemingly the only one alive. He is almost found, but in the last moment he is spared and manages to live.

Kahiko and his granddaughter Emina goes onto explaining to Naruto how their clan once originally had a country, but it was destroyed a very long time ago by some kind of disaster, and that Nerugui is proof of it. They also tell him how Nerugui is in fact older than the clan elder, having been looked after by the clan for generations. As Naruto looks for an explanation from Temujin, the knight only asks Naruto about his strange 'power,' that is actually his chakra. Temujin appears not to know what chakra is, even if he can wield a similar power. Temujin simply tells him that he is there 'to build a utopia,' then goes on to invite Naruto to join him. Naruto promptly refuses, only for the ostrich he is riding to run away on its own.

Still looking for an explanation from Temujin, Naruto follows him as he sneaks away from the caravan. After risking his injuries to save one of the caravan's children from falling from a tree, Temujin claims that his debt has been 'repaid' and continues to leave.

Meanwhile, Shikamaru infiltrates the mechanical structure and finds what appears to be a lab with children in capsules. They are overlooked by a pair of women (Kamira and Ranke) with similar armour to what Temujin had been wearing, whom operate a machine that makes the bulky soldiers from before. The two discuss the Gelel Stone, something that Shikamaru has never heard of. He is almost caught, but manages to flee at the last moment.

Naruto discovers that Temujin has gone missing and goes to head after him when Kahiko comes to him, saying how Nerugui has disappeared again. As his mission was to deliver the pet to the village the group was headed to, he still has to complete it. The clan elder even goes as far as saying he should have hired the Sand Ninja instead. Even though he returned the ferret to its owners, Naruto still must go and find it again. Meanwhile Sakura comes across an abandoned campfire and finds the caravan's trail.

Naruto goes on to find Temujin again, who has Nerugui with him. (He comically tells him to hand over the 'cat.') Temujin finally reveals his name, as they find themselves in front of the large vessel from before. They go inside, revealing the structure to be very advanced in technology and sort of like a European cathedral on the inside. There, Temujin introduces Naruto to his master, Haido. Dressed in what appears to be bishop robes, Haido goes on into detail about their goals, and again extends the invitation to join them. Naruto claims that he can't join them because he's going to be Hokage, but offers to spread the peace that they wish for. Nerugui appears on Temujin's shoulder, instantly showing a dislike for Haido. Haido starts thinking when they mention a caravan.

They move out when an overhead announcement tells them that the fleet that was sent to the Land of Wind has been annihilated. Temujin and Naruto head on to find the ship that had attacked the Sand Ninja, beached with all kinds of metal parts in the sand. Once they investigate the vessel, Naruto discovers Kankurō among a room filled with unconscious children amongst all of the rubble. Kankurō immediately attacks Temujin, explaining how the ship had been wiping out Land of Wind villages. Naruto demands an explanation, but all Temujin can reply is 'Noble sacrifices for the greater good.'

Before they battle, they are interrupted by the Kamira and Ranke, whom Kankurō and Gaara take on. Kamira uses a kind of mind control that seems to be genjutsu. Meanwhile, Ranke transforms herself, causing her to have several gorilla-like traits, as well as large lightning attacks. After a hefty battle, Gaara manages to distinguish Ranke's lightning and kill her, but Kamira manages to flee by growing bat-like features, wings included. During the commotion, Naruto is separated from Temujin.

The movie shifts to the caravan being attacked by one of Haido's followers known as Fugai. After destroying most of the wagons and killing most of the livestock, she questions Kahiko about where the Gelel stone is. Thankfully who should step in but Shikamaru and Sakura, who claim to have seen her flare. They already managed to take out the soldiers. Fugai goes on to take on wolf-like traits and manages to escape. Shikamaru questions the elder about the Gelel stones, but the he doesn't want to talk. They start to leave, saying that they need to find a friend. When Kahiko asks if their friend is Naruto, they find out that Naruto was with him. The elder goes on to ask the two for help.

Through a series of flashbacks, we discover how Temujin met Haido after his village was destroyed. We also discover that Temujin actually has a Gelel stone inside of him, causing his eyes to appear the red colour they are. After getting word that the caravan from before has information, Temujin returns to what is left of it only to be captured by Shikamaru. Naruto has managed to find Shikamaru and Sakura, and the three stay with the caravan people, who had managed to escape and are currently hiding in a cave. There, they question Temujin to find out what Haido wants with the Gelel stone. Kahiko claims that the stones only cause harm, but then Temujin reveals how he has a stone inside of him.

The elder goes on to question Temujin about a book and about their clan, confusing Temujin. He tells them that only members of the royal family of their clan could bind the stones with their bodies, Temujin being one of them. He then tells them that the royal family left and crossed the ocean, taking the Book of Gelel with them. Temujin hasn't come to a new land, in fact he has returned home. Kahiko tells them that they don't know of the stone's origin, but they do know it was a mineral that their clan was able to refine and use as they pleased. It was very powerful, so much that an entire civilisation was wiped out in a battle over it. Afterward the few remaining clan members sealed it away in attempt to keep it from happening again. The only reason they didn't destroy it was because the only ones who could were those of royal blood.

Determined after the tale, Temujin tells them that he only wants to achieve his dream of a utopia. He manages to escape (he was free the whole time) and kidnaps Kahiko to make him lead him to the Gelel mines. They don't know where the mines are, but Nerugui manages to lead them to it. Temujin and the elder find the ruins and journey deep into them to find the entrance to the mines.

The Leaf ninja try to save Kahiko, only for Haido and his entourage appear. Shikamaru tries to stop Haido to question him, only for Haido to claim he only wants peace, and he's going to create a utopia. Shikamaru ironically states that they are doing the exact opposite. Naruto angrily asks him if he even cares about his fallen comrades, whom Haido only claims are 'noble sacrifices.' Temujin grimly agrees.

After Naruto tells them that dreams without friends are nothing, the elder finally triggers a mechanism that seals him and Temujin into a passageway into the mines. Haido reveals that he possesses the Book of Gelel before smashing Naruto into the wall like it was nothing and follows them. Kamira and Fugai attack, but Shikamaru and Sakura hold them off to allow Naruto to follow Haido.

Temujin and Kahiko find themselves in the 'Chamber of Sealing' and find a picture that appears to be one of despair. The elder tries to reason with Temujin, but Temujin doesn't wish to hear it. Kahiko then reveals a knife.

Meanwhile, Kamira toys with Shikamaru as she flies around, he is unable to get a lock on her shadow. But then he suddenly spots Kankurō on the far side of the ruins. As Fugai chases after Sakura, she is unable to lose her even after Sakura blinds her. Finding a crystal structure that creates echoes, Sakura uses herself as bait so Fugai will howl and triggers the crystals to collapse on top of her. Shikamaru fills the whole area with lines with explosives (most of them are fake just pieces of paper) so Kamira cannot fly about. Just as Kamira thinks she knows what he has in store, Kankurō suddenly launches one of his puppets to automatically trap and kill her.

After wounding Temujin, the elder has his blood on a dagger that he tries to pierce a seal on the floor, only for Haido to interrupt. Just as Haido finds the mine's key, Nerugui tries to stop him. The ferret is killed by a barrier around him, a Gelel stone falling out of the ferret's mouth. Temujin stands in front of the elder as Haido is about to kill him, Temujin claiming there is no reason to kill him. Temujin suddenly has a bit of deja vu, just as Naruto appears. Haido tells Temujin to kill the both of them, but Temujin has had enough and refuses. Haido then claims that he is useless, no different from his parents. Deja vu happens again, and Temujin finally realises that Haido was the one who murdered his parents.

Haido goes on to turn into his own kind of creature, then captures Temujin and extracts the Gelel stone from him. The elder begs Naruto to stop Haido. Naruto encourages Temujin to get up as he fights, even going so far as to use Rasengan. But Haido has managed to tap into the mine and heals all of his twisted limbs. Naruto still wishes for Temujin to help him, and just as Haido goes to finish them, the fake soldiers go and protect them both. The souls of the children emerge as the soldiers are destroyed, and Temujin finally realises his wrongdoings.

Combining both Rasengen and the Galel stone, Temujin and Naruto manage to to kill Haido. But in the process they accidentally destroy the key to the mine. The walls start to crumble around them as the mine spirals out of control. Shikamaru, Sakura and Kankurō all manage to retrieve the children from the machines, only for the ruins to start collapsing. They cannot control it, but there is a way to destroy it. If Temujin puts his hand on the seal from before, he can summon a time/space continuum. Only royal blood can do it, and the one who does will end up sacrificing himself. Naruto tries to stop Temujin from doing it, for Temujin to knock him out. He says doing it is the only way to atone for what he's done. Temujin goes into the collapsing Galel to the seal and activates it.

All is quiet as Shikamaru, Sakura, Kankurō and Gaara can only watch as everything in the void's way begins to be devoured. Naruto remembers Sasuke as he is faced with Temujin's death. As Temujin waits for his fate, suddenly he finds himself floating as a line of Naruto clones have clutched onto him. Sakura almost goes into the void herself to see where Naruto is.

Only at the last moment a burst of the Gelel escapes and causing the land mass to start moving. When it finally stops, they find Kahiko, who claims that he feels even better than ever thanks to the Gelel. He is even joyously reunited with a still alive Nerugui. The wastelands have now turns into an oasis, as all the children awaken.

Temujin awakes, realising he's still alive with Naruto still clutching his arm. They find picture from despair from before, and it wasn't one after all, in fact it was one of hope.

Later they all gather at the ocean, where Temujin and the others all gather and prepare themselves to leave, back to the land that they came from. They are aware that it's one with lots of conflict, but Temujin wishes to help where he can. Temujin's eyes have now turned back to their original bright green. And much to the elder's disappointment again, Nerugui has chosen to go with them as well. As they leave, Naruto stands on a cliff and shares a sign with Temujin, promising each other never to give up.

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The opening scene of the movie showed Naruto fighting a monster, only to be killed by it. The setting then went back to a few days previous, where a man named Yomi (the word literally means "Underworld" in Japanese culture) attacked a shrine, to retrieve the spirit of Mōryō, a demon who attempted to take over the world and create his "Thousand Year Kingdom". Since he was lacking a body, Yomi offered his as a temporary substitute, until they could retrieve Mōryō's original one sealed in a different shrine.

The only threat to Mōryō's plan was a priestess known as Shion, who could seal his spirit away once more. He raised a stone army from their slumber, to attack the rest of the world, while his four subordinates went to murder Shion. They were given special chakra creatures to enhance their strength.

To deal with the threat, Konohagakure sent out many advance teams to stall the stone army. Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Neji Hyūga and Rock Lee were sent to guard Shion, and deliver her to the shrine where Mōryō's body was sealed. They fended off her four would-be assassins, who exhausted themselves in a failed attempt to kill Naruto. Shion told Naruto of his upcoming death; while initially sceptical, her assistant, Taruho, explained that Shion could see the future, and all 100 predictions she had made had come true. As they headed for the shrine, the group was ambushed once again by Yomi's four subordinates, and split into two teams. Lee killed his opponent by eating an alcoholic candy to get him into Drunken Fist, while Naruto was kept busy by his. Neji told Sakura to escape with Shion, unaware that his two opponents were actually just one man and a puppet, to distract him and let the remaining ninja catch up to Sakura and Shion, Sakura was then disabled by the remaining ninja, and Shion was killed.

This turned out to be a ruse: the dead "Shion" was actually Taruho, who transformed himself into a copy of Shion to trick them into thinking they had killed the real one. Shion explained that her power worked by allowing her spirit to jump back in time at the moment of her death, thereby allowing her to avoid it by having someone die in her place. Naruto insisted that he would not die, and likewise would keep Shion safe.

Thanks to Lee, Neji realised that the remaining three ninja must keep replenishing their chakra to battle effectively. Naruto was sent on ahead with Shion, while Sakura and Lee tricked their opponents into wasting their chakra on futile attacks. When they ran out of chakra and they had to replenish it, Neji disabled the final ninja, who was providing the chakra, leaving the other two powerless against Lee and Sakura.

At the mountain temple where Mōryō's body was kept, Naruto and Shion found the stone army waiting. On the first attempt to get pass the army, both Naruto and Shion fell off a cliff. Afterwards, Naruto came up with a plan and promised Shion that he would protect her. Naruto then held the army back using Shadow Clones while Shion headed inside the temple to begin the sealing ritual. Yomi was already inside, and tricked Shion into beginning the technique with him inside the barrier, allowing Mōryō's spirit to reunite with his body. Naruto came to rescue her. About to see her prediction of his death come true, she used her power to change Naruto's fate, intending to kill herself and Mōryō in order to save him. Naruto stopped her seconds before her death, saying that he promised to protect her and used Naruto and Shion's Super Chakra Rasengan, with both their chakra, to destroy Mōryō, creating a volcano where the shrine used to be in the process.

With Mōryō gone, Naruto asked Shion what she intended to do now. She replied that Mōryō was a demon caused by the evil thoughts, and that there was bound to be another Mōryō someday. Because of this, she said that she must continue the line of priestesses, that would suppress demons like Mōryō. Then she asked Naruto if he would help (indirectly asking if he will father her child) to everyone's shock, which a misunderstanding Naruto, happily agreed to.

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A mysterious group of ninja called the Sky shinobi from the Land of the Sky made a surprise attack on Konoha. This was because Konoha had nearly destroyed the Land of the Sky during the Second Shinobi World War, but they had survived, and now they were after the Land of Fire, and, in particular Konoha, for revenge.

The group began attacking Konoha, causing mass mayhem, with Sora-nin flying using a Winged Mechanical Device and bombarding the village. A boy had come a very long way to inform Konoha that his village had been attacked, and that he was looking for his sensei, who was currently in Konoha, so that he could go back with him to heal the injured at his village.

A three-man team, consisting of Naruto, Sakura and Hinata, were sent to accompany the boy, Amaru, and Shinnō, his sensei, to help Amaru's village. The team travelled through a forest full of eerie beasts and poisonous animals via small rowing boats down a river. A Sora-nin scout suddenly appeared in the sky. Sakura, Hinata and Shinnō hid by the riverside with Naruto and Amaru hiding underwater until the Sora-nin had passed. While underwater, Amaru dropped his scalpel, a present from his beloved sensei, and swam down to get it. As he tried to resurface, he became caught in the reeds. After freeing Amaru from the reeds and helping him back into the boat, Naruto noticed that Amaru was, in fact, a "she", due to her breasts and corset. Naruto blushed, before a poisonous piranha-like fish bit him and he fainted. Later on, Naruto woke up still blushing, partly because Amaru was sucking the poisonous blood out of the wound on his thigh, thus saving Naruto. Naruto asked her if she was a "she", and suggested that Amaru had feelings for her sensei, which he was slapped for.

Meanwhile, at Konoha, the Sora-nin retreated because they were out of chakra to continue flying, so Konoha sent another special team to search for their base. Sai approached the ships they were using as a base near a beach on one of his ink birds to attract their attention and to gauge their abilities, while Shikamaru and Kakashi hid behind some rocks near the shore, waiting for the fourth man of their team, Shino, to infiltrate and damage their base.

At Orochimaru's lair, Orochimaru had become even more ill because the body transfer technique he used was close to its expiration. Kabuto was attending to him, and told Sasuke that the Sora-nin were attacking Konoha, to which Sasuke replied that he didn't care. Orochimaru ordered Sasuke to capture and bring back to him a man who would be able to help him perfect his reincarnation technique.

Naruto and company finally reached Amaru's village, and found that the village had been badly attacked, with some parts now in ruins and with the inhabitants nowhere to be seen. Amaru ran around trying to find some villagers before she unknowingly triggered a trap which sent a volley of kunai flying towards her. Her sensei, Shinnō, rushed to block the kunai to protect her, but was hit in the process. Naruto, Sakura and Hinata hurried to the scene but it was too late, and Shinnō died of his fatal injuries. After Amaru came to her senses, they continued to look for villagers, with Sasuke now on his way to the village.

Later on, through a series of events, Hinata was separated from Sakura and Naruto. Naruto and Sakura found themselves in front of a evil monster calling itself the "Zero-Tails", which identified itself as a version of a tailed beasts that fed on the darkness of human souls, and had somehow taken over Amaru. Sakura proved to be no match for the beast. The creature sensed that Naruto had a huge dark power inside of him, so it taunted Naruto and coaxed him to use that power by saying that he cannot save anyone without it. This made Naruto remember his failure in saving Sasuke, and became emotionally unstable, which caused him to enter his initial jinchūriki form, and eventually evolved to his four-tailed state. After fighting with the monster for a while, he turned back to normal when a seal on Naruto given by Jiraiya came off and reminded him of how the tailed beast chakra hurt his friends in which he immediately turned back to normal.

Naruto pleaded with Amaru to ignore the darkness in her heart, which finally resulted in the beast being defeated. Sakura woke up in Naruto's arms, and slapped him to fill the awkward moment. They decided to split up, with Naruto continuing to search for the villagers and Hinata and Sakura returning to Konoha to get help. Amaru, who was supposed to go with Sakura, stayed behind to help Naruto. They then found some old ruins that Shinnō had mentioned earlier, and entered them. Shinnō was inside unharmed, and spoke of conquering the world with the power of darkness. Amaru, excited that her sensei was still alive, ran to hug him. Naruto noticed that something wasn't right, and Shinnō laughed mockingly at Amaru for trusting him. Shinnō explained how he had been researching the power of darkness for about 15 years, and that he had finally found it in Konoha. He claimed that all he needed now was a secret scroll with the reincarnation technique written on it. He then transformed into a huge hulk-like creature, and Naruto charged towards him, only to be outmatched again and again, with Naruto becoming more and more injured.

Shinnō, in the hulk-like form, tried to convince Naruto to use the Nine-Tails' chakra, with Amaru distraught and in tears whilst Shinnō and Naruto battled. Ever since she was small she had had a strange illness, and no-one had liked her, fearing that they would be infected. Only Shinnō had dared to care for her, and had managed to cure her. Naruto told her not to throw her feelings away, while the evil Shinnō jeered at her. She finally admitted her love and feelings to her sensei, to which Shinnō merely laughed. Naruto attacked him and managed to land a hit, although it didn't seem to affect Shinnō. Sasuke appeared suddenly, striking Shinnō with Chidori Senbon, which attacked his cells and forced him to revert back to his normal form. He then explained that Orochimaru needed help with a reincarnation technique to Shinnō, who then gave Sasuke a scroll, saying that that would be enough help. Shinnō then fled the scene, with Sasuke pursuing him. Naruto told Amaru to go find the villagers while he went after Sasuke. He found Sasuke in a room, and asked him what he was doing there, which Sasuke ignored. In the same room was a cocoon which was absorbing dark chakra. Shinnō had fused with the cocoon, and attacked Naruto and Sasuke. All of their counterattacks proved useless, as any chakra they used was absorbed by the cocoon and rendered harmless. Using tentacles as his arms, Shinnō grabbed hold of both of them and began draining their chakra. Sasuke activated the first level of his cursed seal, releasing its evil chakra, and Naruto, who had understood Sasuke's plan, turned into his initial jinchūriki form and sent a large amount of chakra into the Zero-Tails, and managed to break free with his shadow clones before using Tornado Rasengan. After escaping himself, Sasuke ascended to the second level of the cursed seal, before using Chidori Katana to cut off the beast's power. The creature began rampaging after regaining control of itself, having now completely absorbed Shinnō.

Amaru found Hinata and the villagers in a cell, and managed to free them all before finding them a flying lifeboat for them to escape in. Naruto rushed out of the ruins, and ordered Amaru to go. She refused, but Sasuke then threw her into the boat by force. Naruto also forced Sasuke onto the lifeboat using a Rasengan, mouthing a few words to Sasuke as he fell before flying away using the wings from his cursed seal form. Remembering how Jiraiya had once said that Naruto had the willpower to never give up, he created a large amount of Shadow Clones and began destroying the ruins using the Guts Rasengan. Soon, the whole ruin had been destroyed with a Rasengan, leaving Naruto to fall down to the sea. Amaru saw Naruto from the boat, and, grabbing a pair of Sora-nin wings, flew to catch him. Upon reaching him, she removed the wings to grab him, and they fell together. Jiraiya suddenly appeared with Gamabunta, and caught the two, saving them.

Later on, Naruto woke up in Amaru's arms. Sasuke returned to Orochimaru and gave him the scroll, who then asked if something good had happened. Sasuke ignored the question, going off to train while remembering Naruto's parting whisper of, "I'll definitely bring you back to Konoha".

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Team Kakashi is sent on a mission to follow the tracks of the missing kekkei genkai-wielding ninja, which leads them to Mount Shumisen, located between the Land of Earth and Kusagakure. Sai, who is flying on his ink bird, is attacked by a bird which attacks with explosive tag-like feathers. Naruto, disobeying Kakashi's orders to continue the mission, runs towards where Sai fell, saying he will not abandon Sai. There, chimera-like creatures attack them which they quickly defeat, although Naruto is injured in the process.

Back at Konoha, Kakashi gives a report on the mission to Tsunade, while worrying that the next ninja targeted will be him. Tsunade seems to not care so much, telling Kakashi to relax. At the hospital, Kakashi gives Naruto his bells, which they used for their first drill together, and tells him to fix them because he crushed them.

Konoha ANBU are sent to Mount Shumisen by Tsunade to search the area for tracks of the missing kekkei genkai ninja. There, a mysterious ninja along with his followers, absorb their chakra with his mysterious technique using their Earth nature affinity against them.

That night, the same mysterious ninja, the mastermind and antagonist of the film known as Hiruko, projects his image over the skies of the Five Great Ninja Villages, introducing himself as a shinobi of Konohagakure. He states that he has taken the kekkei genkai of the four missing ninja using the Chimera Technique, and that he plans to gain the fifth and final kekkei genkai which will make him immortal. By doing so, he declares the Fourth Shinobi World War. Konohagakure is believed to be behind the incident, as by the way Hiruko introduced himself, it seems that Konoha is using or working with Hiruko. Rumours circulate that they are preparing a rebellion. With the other nations amassing troops at the Land of Fire's borders, threatening invasion, the Fire Daimyō orders Tsunade to apprehend those who are responsible and prove Konoha's innocence; in the event of failure, the Land of Fire will be forced to destroy the village in order to preserve world peace.

Tsunade is awaiting Gaara at a secret meeting place to discuss what shall be done. However, on the way there Gaara and his Sunagakure shinobi are attacked by a bird-like creature, which traps them in an avalanche.

Meanwhile, Hiruko states that the Chimera Technique alone can only absorb a maximum of four kekkei genkai, and that certain conditions, most importantly the light af an annular eclipse, which is two days away, is required for the absorption of the fifth and final kekkei genkai, which will make him immortal. That night, Hiruko appears before Kakashi in a dream, activating a Puppet Curse he had placed on him over ten years ago, planning to steal Kakashi's Sharingan. Kakashi asks Tsunade to allow him to go, for the sake of the village. Before he leaves, Kakashi asks Tsunade to place a special seal on him which will automatically activate Kamui when Hiruko attempts to absorb him.

The same night, Shikamaru is visiting Asuma's grave while Kakashi is visiting Obito's. Kakashi asks Shikamaru to tell Naruto that he is leaving the village, and not to follow him. As Kakashi lets Hiruko take over his body, Naruto sees him and chases him. Shikamaru stops him and tells him what Kakashi told him to say. At the Hokage's office, Tsunade orders the Konoha 11 to stay away from Kakashi, labelling him as a missing-nin for the sake of the secret mission. After the others leave, Tsunade tells Shikamaru the truth, trusting that he will do what he needs to do as the leader. Meanwhile, Sakura comes to rescue Naruto from the cell that Shikamaru put him in, then they leave the village to rescue Kakashi. The Konoha 11 are sent to retrieve them.

The next day, Sunagakure is lining up troops and weapons at the borders of the Land of Fire, thinking that Konoha attacked Gaara, their Kazekage.

When Naruto and Sakura follow Kakashi, the Konoha 11 meet with them, and try to bring them back. Naruto reveals what Kakashi once told Team 7 during their bell test: "It is true that in the world of ninja, those who break the rules and regulations are regarded as scum, but those who abandon their comrades are even worse than scum," which changes the minds of some members. However the scene is interrupted by Ichi, who was sent by Hiruko to stop and/or delay them, using his chimera snakes. Team Guy stays behind to allow the others to pass through the first gate.

Ni and her chimera nin-dogs stop them at the next gate, and Team 8 stays behind to delay her, while Naruto and Sakura, and later Team 10, pass.

As Naruto, Sakura, and Team 10 reach the next gate, San appears riding the bird that fires exploding feathers. Team 10 is still following the original mission, and tries to stop Naruto and Sakura. However, Sai appears on his ink bird, using a flash bomb to create a distraction, and takes Naruto and Sakura with him, leaving Team 10 behind to fight San.

At this point, Rock Lee and Neji defeat Ichi using Front Lotus: Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven while Tenten distracts him, and Team 8 defeats Ni using Secret Technique: Insect Sphere inside a trap that Shino built while Kiba and Hinata delayed her. Team 10 gains an advantage over San, with Shikamaru binding him with his shadow and Ino using the Mind Body Switch Technique to take over his mind to tell him that they are after Naruto, not Kakashi. They also ask him where Kakashi is headed. However, San breaks out of the Mind Body Switch Technique. He then summons Ichi and Ni, uses the Chimera Technique on them and himself, and the three become a huge chimera, which seems to be a combination of all their respective chimera beasts, possessing all of their abilities.

Meanwhile, Gaara is thinking of what Jiraiya said while aiding in the recovery of Gaara and the Suna-nin. He has told Gaara that he believes Kakashi, or even Naruto, will defeat Hiruko, and it is up to Gaara depending on whether he believes in Naruto's strength or not. As the war between Konoha and Suna is about to begin with ground combat troops and heavy artillery from both sides facing each other, Jiraiya appears above Gamabunta and gives to Suna the proof that Gaara is still alive. At that moment, Gaara moves to where Naruto, Sakura, and Sai are headed and stops them. He says Naruto's will is not what Kakashi wants, and Naruto begins to fight Gaara. Gaara states that Naruto is too idealistic, and that he doesn't have the power to make his goals become true. However, Naruto strongly says by the belief that as a fellow comrade, he cannot allow Kakashi to sacrifice himself. Naruto breaks through Gaara's Shield of Sand, and punches him.

The rest of the members of Konoha 11 arrive to aid Team 10, and they bind the chimera beast, with the help of Tenten, by sending their chakra to the chains that were holding the beast, they asked Shikamaru to go and stop Naruto, Sai and Sakura. Shikamaru meets Gaara, who tells him that he felt what Naruto feels in the battle. Shikamaru continues on. Meanwhile, Naruto reaches the final gate, and realises this is the place they came to on their past mission. Naruto goes to Kakashi and tries to stop him, but Kakashi walks on with no response. When Naruto grabs his arm, he sees the seal on his wrist, and Sai tells him what it is. Shikamaru, who has finally caught up to them, reveals that Tsunade placed the seal on him, so that they may defeat Hiruko at the sacrifice of Kakashi. Kakashi passes through the final gate before the temple.

As Naruto, Sakura, Sai, and Shikamaru approach the temple, Naruto hears Hiruko's voice, and questions why he did this, and Hiruko answers by telling his story. He claims to have been a former friend of the Sannin, but he was not a skilled shinobi like they were. He was developing the Chimera Technique, a jutsu that would allow him to create a synthetic body by combining several separate ones. After the Third Shinobi World War, he was shocked when he saw Kakashi, not only because he had survived the battle, but because he had received the Sharingan, a kekkei genkai, from the original user, Obito Uchiha. This gave Hiruko the idea to steal kekkei genkai to become powerful like the Sannin. However, the Hokage found out about his research, and Hiruko was forced to flee.

As Kakashi reaches the temple, Hiruko appears from the shadows of the temple, and welcomes Kakashi. Seeing it as the only way to save Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, and Sai try to defeat Hiruko although Shikamaru tries to stop them. Hiruko, using his four kekkei genkai: Storm Release, Dark Release, Steel Release, and Swift Release, defeats them with little effort. He then steps into the temple with Kakashi. Naruto stands up, deciding that he cannot give up. Shikamaru tries to stop him, saying that he must protect the unborn children of Konoha, the "King". Naruto states that he'll protect them too, and that he loves Konoha for its shinobi, who will sacrifice themselves to save one another. However, deciding who will be sacrificed from the start isn't what Naruto wants, and Naruto believes there is no future for the children if Konoha becomes a place like this. As Naruto walks away, Shikamaru sees Asuma in him, and protects him from surrounding barrier tags with his Shadow Sewing Technique. He states that Naruto has inherited the Will of Fire, trusting the future of Konoha to him.

Naruto enters the temple, where Hiruko begins the absorption at the beginning of the eclipse. Suddenly, Kakashi's Mangekyō Sharingan activates, and the space inside the slime created by the Chimera technique begins to distort. Naruto, trying to save Kakashi, creates shadow clones and breaks into the slime with multiple Rasengans and pulls him out. Kakashi wakes up, asks Naruto why he is here with him and then sighs that the plan failed. Hiruko is still alive, and he states that the eclipse hasn't ended yet, and releases a large amount of chakra, reducing the surrounding area to rubble. When Hiruko summons the chimera beast that the Konoha 11 were keeping restrained, Shikamaru, Sakura, and Sai fight the beast while Naruto and Kakashi face Hiruko. Shikamaru notes that Hiruko's weak spot is his chest, which is still hollow as it is the space that Hiruko wants to assimilate Kakashi into. As the chimera beast begins to gain an advantage over them, the other Konoha 11 arrive to help. Chōji uses his Multi-Size Technique to become a giant and attacks the beast, followed by Kiba and Akamaru's Fang Passing Fang which destroys the beast's wings, then from the sky, Hinata and Neji appear and attack the beast with the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. Lee kicks it into a mountain and Tenten finishes it off with her Twin Rising Dragons, covering its body with a large number of kunai with explosive tags attached and detonating them. Meanwhile, Hiruko is gaining an advantage over Naruto and Kakashi, easily absorbing their techniques: the Big Ball Rasengan and Lightning Cutter. Hiruko gives Naruto a taste of his own attack - Rasengan and returns Kakashi his Lightning Cutter. As a last resort, Naruto forms the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, and carries the impact to Hiruko's chest. Hiruko tries to absorb and copy it, but cannot combine the high level of shape manipulation with the high level of nature transformation. As the Rasenshuriken's impact occurs, the chimera dies as Tenten makes her explosive tags explode.

In his final moments, Hiruko, in his original form, asks Kakashi what he did wrong. Kakashi tells him that he used others to overcome his weakness, and only tried to become perfect himself. Hiruko says that is the way the strong ones think, and that he did not have any comrades. Suddenly, Hiruko sees his old friends Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, the Third Hokage and some others appear before his eyes, and they tell him that they were there for him. Kakashi tells him if he had tried to bond with them, they would've helped him and he shouldn't have tried to do everything by himself. Hiruko then tells Kakashi that was what Kakashi tried to do this time, abandoning his comrades. Kakashi says that he and Hiruko made the same mistake as they were both lost. Hiruko asks him if he has finally made a connection, and dies. Kakashi looks over to see most of the gang cheering for Naruto. He then says that Naruto had long surpassed him.

Gaara appears before the Suna-nin army, and tells them everything has been solved, and to withdraw. Tsunade and Jiraiya talk about how they have been saved, and that the kids are completely different than they were at their age. They end the conversation with a conclusion that they are getting old, and a decision to leave the future in the hands of young generation in which they can freely put their faith into.

The movie ends at Mount Shumisen with Kakashi thinking about Obito. He smiles at Naruto after seeing the similarities between the two. Naruto takes the smile as something creepy and random. The Konoha 11 surround them on various parts of the rocky ledge, each give their input on Kakashi's sexual orientation upon seeing this. Kakashi hurriedly denies their assumptions but not before Naruto panics and flees from him. Kakashi then chases after the fleeing Naruto trying to explain himself.

Naruto Shippuuden movie lllll
A discusses a box with Omoi, Karui, Samui and Mabui, when suddenly gas covers the room knocking everyone asleep. Then a hooded figure leaps out attacking the sleeping Raikage, only for the figure to stop right before killing A. When A is seen above the figure, the figure dodges, and is able to fight equally with A. In the battle A is able to destroy the hood, revealing the hooded figure as Uzumaki Naruto. A is shocked, taking advantage, Naruto escapes. As Team Samui and Mabui wake up, A tells them to summon Killer B.

In Konohagakure, Tsunade states that Naruto is wanted for attempting to assassinate the leader of Kumogakure, the Raikage, and killing jōnin from Kirigakure and Iwagakure to Team Kakashi. Naruto and Sakura refuse claims, but Tsunade states Naruto will be placed in Hōzukijō, a criminal containment facility, also known as the "Blood Prison", in Kusagakure. Naruto attempts to escape, only for Yamato to encase him, and Tsunade takes away his forehead protector. When Naruto arrives at Hōzukijo, Mui, the head of the prison, quickly places the Fire Release: Heavenly Prison on Naruto, sealing his chakra. Naruto learns this the hard way after using his shadow clones, Naruto quickly collapses from the pain caused by the seal. Naruto is later taken captive by Maroi who is working for Mui, when Naruto is brought to a lab, Mui realises that the Naruto taken was a clone. While the real Naruto was hiding, he used the chance to escape. But the pain from the seal made him pass out, he was taken into solitary confinement. When in solidarity confinement, he hears a mysterious voice say, if he can defeat Mui, then the seal will disappear. Naruto then after being released, attacks Mui. But the seal causes Naruto to collapse, and he is taken back into solitary confinement. During the fight, Mui questions Naruto's devotion to his home, wondering why he bothered being loyal. Naruto then starts to have flashhbacks of his friends,and Jiraiya.

When Naruto is released, he is looked up to, by the rest of the prisoners. Naruto, later attempts to escape again, by knocking out one of the guards, and taking his clothes, when his shadow clone fools everyone. As he is able to get to the edge of the island, when Ryūzetsu tells him to stop. Naruto refuses to listen, and he jumps into the whirlpool. He nearly drowns, but Ryūzetsu saves him. Naruto sees that she is a girl, and that it is her mission to kill Mui and stop the Box of Ultimate Bliss. She reveals that Mui even sacrificed his son, Muku to the box and that Mui set Naruto up. She asks for Naruto's help to destroy the box. Naruto agrees, the next day Naruto challenges Mui again, but is defeated and taken to solitary confinement. While Naruto is confined, Ryūzetsu attempts to kill Mui only to reveal that she attacked Maroi, Maroi forms an alliance with her, saying he is not really on Mui's side, just the side that benefits him the most. When Naruto is asked to leave the punishment room, he uses a clone to gather some natural energy because he intends on using Sage Mode.

Naruto and Ryūzetsu pretend to fight, while engulfing the entire courtyard in the fright, while Maroi forces prisoners inside to fight as well, creating chaos. In the chaos, Maroi performs a technique in the sky, while Naruto tries to find the box. Just before he is able to destroy the box, he is captured by Mui. Mui extracts some of Naruto's chakra, allowing the box to revive. Naruto is able to escape. Mui then reveals that his wish is to revive his son. The box grants his wish, opening up, allowing a grown up Muku walk out. Muku then impaled Mui and knocked out Kazan and Muku transforms into Satori. When all chaos breaks out, Naruto enters Sage Mode and then tried to use the Big Ball Rasengan on the Box of Ultimate Bliss to destroy it but fails. Naruto then is engaged in combat with Satori, but fails because he is unable to touch Satori. So he summons Gamabunta to help combat Satori, but they can't attack him, due to their moves being predicted before-hand. Eventually, Naruto runs out of senjutsu, allowing the Satori to attack Naruto forcing Gamabunta to defend him, which forces Gamabunta to be defeated, Satori attacks again, but Naruto is saved by Killer B.

Naruto is amazed that Killer B and all his friends have gathered there. As Naruto wonders why this is happening, Tsunade reveals that it was Naruto's mission to destroy the box and that no one believed that Naruto really committed any of the crimes. It was also revealed that Maroi was a friend of B's and he was the mysterious voice. Naruto decides to attain Sage Mode once more and tells Killer B and the others to distract Satori, while he does this. Naruto is able to realise that the Satori cannot read the minds of people, but he can read their fears, allowing Naruto to fight Satori evenly in Sage Mode.

Naruto attempted to end the battle by creating a large Rasengan, with two clones, however Satori impales him and Ryūzetsu. Naruto is able to wake Mui up, and uses his shadow clones to hold Satori's wings, pushing Satori back and therefore allowing Mui to weaken it. Naruto uses this time to free himself and Ryūzetsu, and defeats Satori by firing a Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, returning Satori back to normal.

Muku kills both his father and himself and apologises to Ryūzetsu for not keeping his promise. The prisoners attempt to escape, but are stopped by Naruto's friends. After capturing all the prisoners, Sakura tries to heal a dying Naruto, but has no success, until Ryūzetsu revives Naruto, by using her kekkei genkai but at the cost of her life.

In the aftermath, Mui and Ryūzetsu are shown buried next to each other. Naruto ties Ryūzetsu's bandanna around her gravestone.

Naruto Shippuuden movie llllll
The movie starts with a flashback to the Nine-Tails' Attack on Konoha, which then flash forward to eight members of Akatsuki that are meant to be dead which unsettles Sakura. Shikamaru states there is no point in wondering why the dead are back alive and quickly comes up with a counter plan, but Naruto quickly attacks Akatsuki head on, forcing the rest of the Konoha 11 plus Sai, Kakashi and Guy to attack. The battle continues until Naruto is caught by Kakuzu, Sai frees Naruto by cutting part of Kakuzu's arm off, causing the Akatsuki to retreat. Naruto and his friends return home, where most of Naruto's peers are congratulated by their families whom all promise to write a recommendation letter so they can become jōnin although Sakura has a little fight with her family who embarrasses her in front of the others. As Naruto returns home, he passes many families causing him to reminisce of his father and mother causing him to get lonelier. He then asks Iruka for a letter of recommendation of his own, but Iruka refuses as Naruto is only a genin and must become a chūnin and rise through the ranks just as Minato and all other jonin did. Naruto is saddened by his lonely lifestyle and the fact no one seems to understand him, and storms off. He meets Sakura, who had an argument with her family and also stormed out, grabbing Naruto's hand and telling him to go on a date with her. While Sakura complains of her family, Tobi appears in front of them and after a small scuffle, he then activates the limited Tsukuyomi. Naruto and Sakura are absorbed in a flash of light, and later find themselves still in the same park they were before.

They run into their friends including Sasuke, but with different personalities and no one knows who Tobi is. They realize they are in another world where Sakura's father was the Fourth Hokage, who saved the village instead of Minato, and in this world Naruto is named Menma instead. As Naruto and Sakura return home Sakura is happy for the new freedom she has, while Naruto hurries home to his apartment hoping to see his parents, only to find he does not live there.

Tobi reveals that the dead Akatsuki members in the beginning were only Zetsu clones. In the Genjutsu World, a man in a mask meets Tobi and they agree to work together. Elsewhere, as Sakura is looking through her dresser, she sees the same coat that Naruto's father had worn. She then meets Sasuke who gives her a flower and flirts with her. Naruto and Sakura meet in the morning to try to gather more information of their current world, although Sakura enjoys this world as she has more freedom and is well loved by the village thanks to her father's actions. Naruto, on the other hand, wants to return home as fast as possible.

Naruto and Sakura meet Tsunade and Shizune who tells them that a masked man attacked Kumogakure, and killed their jinchūriki which Naruto and Sakura believe to have been Tobi. They then meet Naruto's parents who are alive. Minato says that Jiraiya died finding the Red Moon Scroll that was said to help save the world. Tsunade lets Naruto and Sakura join Minato and Kushina on their mission when Kakashi and Guy return. Sakura is shocked at finding out who Naruto's parents are, while Naruto is angry that Tobi would dare to make copies of his dead parents and he swears to break the Genjutsu. While Sakura is still enjoying her life, she wonders how Naruto is doing. While Naruto attempts to ignore his parents, he sees an album showing him, how his life would have been if his parents had been alive.

In the morning, Sakura notes that this world's Kakashi and Guy switched personalities, while Naruto isolates himself from his parents at every turn. They soon locate where Jiraiya hid the scroll, but as the group stops to rest Naruto charges ahead until he is confronted by the summoning of Gamabunta, Gamahiro and Gamaken. They refuse to listen to Naruto and the group who explains their reason for being there and attacks them with an army of frogs. Naruto attempts to use Sage Mode, but is unable to gather enough energy before Gamabunta attacks him. Kushina protects him, but hurts herself from a shot of acid that burns Kushina's leg. Minato saves both of them and quickly is able to get the scroll, unsummoning the toads.

As Sakura heals Kushina, Naruto still attempts to brush off his parents, causing Minato to say no matter what Naruto does, they will always try to save him. Kushina then awakens and hugs Naruto, causing him to be unable to try to ignore his parents any longer and finally accepts them. They return to Konoha, where Tsunade locks the scroll in the villages Safe up till the night when a red moon will appear when they can use the scroll to fulfill the said prophecy. As Naruto and Sakura walk home, Naruto quickly walks home leaving Sakura alone and happily walks into his house. She instead finds her home too lonely and wonders if Naruto's always this alone. As she walks down town she sees happy families, only making her more sad. She then realizes that this world's Sasuke is just a flirt and decides that Naruto was right on his decision to quickly break the genjutsu they're now trapped in and wishes to return to their own world. As she walks to Naruto's home to try to find a way to break the genjutsu, she see how happy Naruto is and wonders should they leave. Sakura later meets Naruto, and asks him if he wants to stay. Although he denies it, he later thinks to himself that he truly does not want to leave.

At that moment an explosion occurs at the Hokage's office, where the masked man from earlier asks for the scroll they brought back. He overpowers Minato, Kushina, and Tsunade, till Naruto and Sakura arrive. They realize that this was the man Tsunade was talking about, and that he knows Tobi. He overpowers Naruto and Sakura, and kidnaps Sakura in exchange for the scroll. He then uses Great Spiralling Ring, destroying a large part of Konoha and leaves. Naruto tries to save Sakura, but Minato prevents him, showing that in the end this world's Minato is different from his father. He takes one of Minato's kunai and the scroll leaving with Sakura's father's Hokage coat. Sakura is tied up and meets Tobi who is a ghost saying they are in an old training ground that Minato and Jiraiya used. Naruto arrives but is attacked by the other masked man asking for the scroll. Naruto is unable to fight properly as his stomach acts up, the Masked Man then takes the time to summon the Nine Masked Beasts, and about to kill Naruto when the Akatsuki arrives and saves him.

This Akatsuki was hired by Tsunade to help Naruto, and they deal with the masked beasts when Naruto attacks the masked man. Itachi saves Sakura and Tobi decides to escape instead. The Akatsuki defeats the masked beasts that turn into nine fox kits, while Naruto chased the masked man into the training grounds. They then fight, Naruto uses Sage Mode and uses the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken to counter the Masked Man's Great Spiralling Ring. It ends in a draw, but the attack destroy the masked man's mask, showing that he is Menma, this world's Naruto. Menma then called back the defeated masked beasts, and summoned Kurama's counterpart, the Black Nine-Tails. Naruto was unable to attack, while the Akatsuki retreat, taking Sakura with them. Not wanting to be manipulated by the Sharingan again, Kurama makes a truce with Naruto to work together, allowing him to summon Kurama out of his body. In the battle Naruto is barely able to win, but Tobi reveals that this was his plan, to have Naruto and Menma fight, as doing so would cause the two foxes to fight and weaken Kurama. As he possessed Menma, Kurama warned Naruto if he looked into Menma's Sharingan, it would be all over for Tobi planned to extract Kurama out of Naruto the same way he extracted it from Kushina 16 years ago. Naruto tries to use the scroll when he notices the moon had turned red, but Menma cuts the scroll, causing Naruto to look in Menma's eyes. Naruto's memories were erased, but Sakura rescues him.

Naruto, in an anesmia state looking at half of the scroll, is able to remember Jiraiya and his memories. He then defeats Tobi the same way his father did breaking the Limited Tsukiyomi. Tobi using his ghost body tries again, till Minato and Kushina arrive. Tobi decides to give up and exits the genjutsu world just as Naruto and Sakura are enveloped in a bright light preparing to return to their world as well, but beforehand Naruto thanks Minato and Kushina who quickly goes to assist Menma who is returning to his original state as their son. Naruto and Sakura returns to their world, where Naruto's Hokage coat breaks down since it was only part of the genjutsu world and not real. Naruto and Sakura tell Tsunade and Kakashi of what transpired and sets out more guard patrol since Tobi was easily able to enter further in the village than they imagined. As they both return home, Naruto watches Sakura as she meets her parents, happily hugging them, he approaches her asking her out on a date, but Sakura tells him they just came back from the longest date ever, causing Naruto's shock. As Naruto goes home, he sees Iruka in his house, waiting to apologise to him. Iruka shows Naruto a cake,and Naruto shocking cries after he realizes that Iruka really does care about him. Iruka asks him what's wrong,and Naruto says nothing. Iruka welcomes Naruto home,and Naruto says I'm home. Afterwards Naruto happily walks through the village while quoting that the road of a ninja is one who endures.

Video Games
Shikamaru Nara is a playable character in the following video games:
 * Naruto RPG 2: Chidori vs Rasengan
 * Naruto Shippuuden: Clash of Ninja Revolution 3
 * Naruto Shippuuden: Gekitō Ninja Taisen! EX 2
 * Naruto Shippuuden: Gekitō Ninja Taisen! EX 3
 * Naruto Shippuuden: Gekitō Ninja Taisen! Special
 * Naruto Shippuuden: Kizuna Drive
 * Naruto Shippuuden: Legends: Akatsuki Rising
 * Naruto Shippuuden: Naruto vs Sasuke
 * Naruto Shippuuden: Ninja Council 4
 * Naruto Shippuuden: Ninja Destiny 2
 * Naruto Shippuuden: Ninja Destiny 3
 * Naruto Shippuuden: Shinobi Rumble
 * Naruto Shippuuden: Ultimate Ninja 4
 * Naruto Shippuuden: Ultimate Ninja 5
 * Naruto Shippuuden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3
 * Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Impact
 * Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2
 * Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3
 * Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations
 * Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2
 * Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution
 * Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2
 * Naruto: Gekitō Ninja Taisen! 3
 * Naruto: Gekitō Ninja Taisen! 4
 * Naruto: Konoha Senki
 * Naruto: Ninja Council 2
 * Naruto: Ninja Council 3
 * Naruto: Ninja Destiny
 * Naruto: Path of the Ninja
 * Naruto: Path of the Ninja 2
 * Naruto: Rise of a Ninja
 * Naruto: The Broken Bond
 * Naruto: Ultimate Ninja
 * Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2
 * Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3
 * Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes
 * Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 2 The Phantom Fortress
 * Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm
 * Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles

How troublesome (めんどくせー, Mendokusē; English TV "What a drag") is Shikamaru Nara's catchphrase. Shikamaru purposely uses this phrase to toss his point across that he's the type that would rather watch clouds all day than pick a fight, especially with a female opponent. This phrase is also used sometimes by Shikamaru's father, Shikaku Nara. He most likely "inherited" this attitude and catchphrase from his father, since his mother, has a more active attitude, which he and his father sometimes find "bothersome".

Quotes

 * (To Temari) "It really doesn't matter to me if I ever become a chūnin or not, but I guess I shouldn't let myself be beaten by a female, so let's do it."
 * (To himself while fighting Temari) "Oh, man… those clouds are so lucky… so free… More to the point, I didn't feel like doing this in the first place…And I only became a ninja because I thought life would've been more interesting as one… I suppose things aren't gonna be that simple."
 * (About women, to his father) "C'mon. You know what they're like. You can never figure them out. You never know where you could stand with them. The smallest things could put you in their bad side. Always playing little mind games with you. Trying to make you do what they want. They're just a big pain basically."
 * (About Sasuke) "I never really liked Sasuke, but all the same, he's a member of Konoha; he's a comrade and I'll put my life on the line to help him, that's the way of our village. I know I usually seem like a pretty lazy guy but not today, because now I'm responsible for your lives too."
 * (To Tayuya) "How many times do I have to tell you? The first move is always a feint. It's the most basic thing to land a hit with the second move."
 * (To Tayuya) "Socking a defenceless woman goes against my policy, but, you don't seem in any way defenceless."
 * (To himself) "Ughh. Great. What's the point in setting the alarm if I'm going to wake up before it goes off? What a total waste. Now I've gotta shut it off but I don't feel like moving. But if I don't shut it off it will just keep ringing and ringing. It makes me tired just thinking about the whole thing. Some mornings are such a drag…"
 * (To Hidan) "See, you and I have different beliefs. I believe in the Will of Fire. That pathetic Lord Jashin or whatever isn't your God any more. I am. The only one bringing down vengeance is me."
 * (To Tsunade) "We're not stupid enough to go out there planning to die."
 * (To Kurenai) "When you have that kid, I'll have to protect it. So I've gotta grow up to be a cool adult, too!"
 * (To Naruto) "My master entrusted me with a lot, from big things to little things. It's the same for you an unlimited number of things, don't you think it's about time for us, to be the ones who entrust not the entrusted, it's a pain in the ass but I can't say that; Someday you'll be the one to treat others to ramen and you'll be called Master Naruto… we can't stay kids forever, like Asuma and Jiraiya I wanna be as cool as them."
 * (To the Allied Shinobi Forces) "No matter how little the power, it can still be used in some way. We might be useless but at some point we might turn out useful too. Even a little power could change the future of the world. That's why we must always be focused and not let that moment slip away."

Knownable Relatives

 * Nara Shikaku (Father/dead)
 * Nara Yoshino (Mother)
 * Akimichi Choji (Childhood best Friend/teammate)
 * Uzumaki Naruto (Second Childhood Best Friend/Surrogate Little Brother)
 * Yamanaka Ino (Childhood classmate and friend/teammate)
 * Umino Iruka (Childhood Sensei)
 * Sarutobi Asuma (Sensei/dead)
 * Temari (Love Interest)

Trivia
According to the databook(s):
 * In the omake at the end of Naruto Shippūden episode 75, Shikamaru told Asuma that Naruto: Shippūden would now be called Shikamaru: Shippūden after rejecting his idea of renaming it Asuma: Shippūden. The logo appeared with the title, and two silhouettes appeared facing each other: that of Shikamaru and Temari ].
 * Shikamaru ranked as high as the 4th most popular character in Naruto, according to the third Naruto character popularity poll. He ranked 5th in the next poll. He was 10th in the sixth. In the seventh he was 9th, making this the fifth consecutive poll he was in the top 10.
 * Other than Naruto, Shikamaru is the only one of the Konoha 11 who did not move up in rank during the timeskip, though he was already a chūnin before the time skip.
 * After Asuma's death, Shikamaru temporarily took up Asuma's habit of smoking. The cigarettes were removed from the English manga and the English version of the anime, the smoke instead is being shown to come from Asuma's lighter.
 * Shikamaru's hobbies are taking naps and playing shogi against formidable opponents.
 * Shikamaru desires to fight no one, and always tries to avoid getting into trouble in the first place.
 * Shikamaru's favourite foods are mackerel and kelp, his least favourite are boiled eggs.
 * Shikamaru has completed 39 official missions in total: 8 D-rank, 3 C-rank, 9 B-rank, 19 A-rank, 0 S-rank.
 * Shikamaru's most used phrase is "How troublesome" (面倒くせい, mendōkusei; English TV "What a Drag").
 * He and Uzumaki Naruto are the only two male Konoha 11 members that uses a catchphrase at the end of their sentences.

Voice Actors

 * Japanese : Shotaro Morikubo


 * English : Tom Gibis

all information on Nara Shikamaru is from http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Shikamaru_Nara