Shikaniku Nara



"I have lived a thousand lives and I’ve loved a thousand loves. I’ve walked on distant worlds and seen the end of time. Because I read"

- The Malevolent Shinobi of the Shadows

Shikaniku Nara (奈良奈良, Nara Shikaniku), renowned as The Shinobi of the Shadows (忍びの影, Kage no shinobi) is a Jōnin of Konohagakure, the child of and  making him a member of both the renown  and. In his early childhood, Shikaniku was sent along with several other children to combat guerilla forces in the Land of Fire and in other lands for half a decade before returning to Konohagakure. During this time, he trained and honed his skills under the tutelage of his father, earning him a promotion to the ANBU squad under Sayuri Hatake. Ultimately, this ANBU squad would come to complete hundreds of missions under the Hatake's rule, and because of their collective success they were separated and given squads of their own to manipulate. Eventually, Shikaniku was chosen, due to his comrade becoming a magistrate for the daimyo, for the position to as the Head of Root, swearing to serve the village and protects its best interest.

Early Childhood
While many parents could tell tales of their descent into love leading to their marriage and production of children, the only tales that Shikaniku’s parents can provide are the social contracts established because of their marriage. The marriage between Shikamaru and Temari—while they may have grown to love one another in due time—was one decided several years prior to their actual wedding. Their fight during the Chuunin Exams when they were only twelve and thirteen years old would be one that would forever intertwine the two together for all of eternity. As a clan, the Nara are ones who have existed for hundreds of years prior to the formation of Konohagakure and their natural intellect has only proved to be rather helpful in their endeavors throughout the years. Despite being affiliated to a village, they have various allies and traditions with families across the shinobi world, especially as a noble clan of Konoha; a title provided to the strongest, financially stable, and more influential clans in Konohagakure. Temari was the child of the Kazekage whom himself hailed from a noble clan of Sunagakure who bore the magnet release just as the Third Kazekage did before him. Following the war between Sunagakure and Konohagakure, the necessary negotiations that allied the two nations would prosper from their promises of trade, but it would be bonded with the marriage of Shikamaru and Temari, two nobles of their respective village.

Despite the alliance's power during the Fourth Shinobi World War, the lack of a common enemy resulted in the dispersion of the alliance. Bandits, rogue shinobi and such plagued the nations across the world regardless if they were shinobi lands or not. From this perspective, even the most peaceful of people could see that war was inevitable. During this time, Shikaniku among other various graduates from the Academy would be sent to fight on the front lines of Konoha. Unlike in Shikamaru’s era where one could spend seven and eight years honing their skills in the academy, the children were exposed to harsh, rigorous training regiments that prepared them for war. Shikaniku’s particularly powerful mind was utilized; he wasn’t able to afford the luxury of being lazy like his father, thus his full potential was drawn out.

Like all shinobi entering the academy, Shikaniku was given an I.Q test and even at his young age he had an I.Q surpassing two hundred just as his father and grandfather before him. Naturally, he progressed at a rate that many of the academy instructors revered as god-like, but since he belonged to a rather ancient clan his progress was only amplified. For centuries, their shinobi had experimented with a variety of training regiments, diets, and techniques. By documenting their successes and failures, the future generations of shinobi are able to progress quickly by skipping some of the experimental steps that inhibit success. As the son of the sixteenth head of the clan, Shikaniku has knowledge documented over a course of an entire millennia at his disposal. His genius, coupled with the experiences of his ancestors and fellow clansmen multiplied his development tenfold. Within three years of attending the academy, Shikaniku graduated among the top of his class and at the age of seven, he alongside other recent graduates would be sent to the frontlines representing their clans to protect their village from acts of terrorism.

Unlike the academy where mistakes led to development, mistakes upon the frontline simply lead to one thing: death. Months after their departure to the front lines, hundreds of children and adults had been killed. If the battles didn’t kill them, the fungus, the cold, or the lack of food and water would see that they met their end. For men and women, the battlefield was gruesome, but for children it was simply unbearable. Despite being among the top of his class, Shikaniku had come close to death several times by the forces of nature or by a foe’s hand. Fortunate enough, he had been the child of the clan’s head, thus even in open battle he had clansmen dedicated to protecting his well-being. Regardless, the years he spent outside of Konoha were years that he spent slaying his enemy. Not for his village, but rather so that he would not disappoint his clan. Shikaniku had spent five years on the battlefield and at the age of twelve he had returned to Konoha for only a brief period of time; he’d have one year off from the war, but then would be sent to combat yet again.

Appearance
Raised to believe that he was better than everyone else, Shikaniku's own appearance reflects this disposition. As a result, he is normally seen smirking complacently, in such a way that many can discern that he's arrogant, even random and complete strangers; thus, many refuse to associate with him for this very reason, with the exception of women who feel the need to have a dominating and confident man. One rare occasion, even when under an immediate threat, does his complacent smirk ever falter.

Despite his lack of taijutsu training, Shikaniku was still a child of average size; being around 5”5 when he was thirteen and possessing extremely lean muscles which bulged out of his shirt, a trait many believed in being a natural indication that he was naturally skilled in taijutsu, which is an ironic assumption indeed. In addition to his size, Shikaniku was often categorized as “cute” by many of the females of his age, often subjecting him as a target of envy and jealousy from various males. Coupled with his average size, Shikaniku’s notable features made him a very attractive teenager; he possessed fair skin and bright, green eyes which shone like emeralds in the sun. His face was perfect, every feature being shaped in the correct manner and placed in the perfect place, as if his face was chiseled by the best artist. Even more impressive than his facial features was his shaggy, brown hair, a feature which everyone loved. His shaggy, brown hair was absolute astounding, evident by the fact that every strand were the same size and that they all flowed in the same direction. If one strand of hair was lying down, they all were laying down; it was so nice and extraordinary that Shikaniku rarely had to do anything to keep it as it was.

Disregarding the praise he received about his appearance, Shikaniku was still unsatisfied when being forced to wear the traditional Konoha shinobi outfit, considering the outfits as too plain, simply and ugly for his taste. As a result, Shikaniku personally requested that his own outfit be designed. Because of this, his usual attire looked nothing like that of a shinobi outfit. During his childhood, Shikaniku wore a black vest with white buttons over a white collared shirt with black buttons, to which he didn’t button the top portions of both pieces of cloth and then folded them backwards to resemble that of a V-Neck. Following this, he wore black pants which he tucked into large brown boots. Completing this outfit was a purple cloth which he tied around his waist, allowing it to hang downwards; which was followed a yellow belt which held his blade on his waist, along with black gloves as an additional accessory.

As he grew older and trained much for extensive periods of times, his appearance began to take a shift. His scrawny appearance turned into one that was muscular and as he grew older his face changed, developing more masculine features to accompany this masculine physique. Although this current appearance is much different from that of when he was younger Shikaniku still is extremely pleased and proud of himself; thus, he is often referred to as the, though this may also be because he is indeed still a very handsome man. Perhaps the most noticeable trait/evidence of his complacency is the fact that he poses when attempting to impress someone, usually during his attempts to impress a lady; often showing off of his well defined muscular build, displaying his extreme masculinity regarding his appearance.

While as a child he was called cute, Shikaniku is now referred to as handsome, if not outright stunning. This characterization is attributed to his features; who are so well defined that they seem as if they were created by God himself. Shikaniku is a fairly tall male with fair skin. He has spiky, brown hair with two long pieces hanging from both sides of his face, resembling that of sideburns. He has blue eyes which resemble the same coloring as the ocean. His nose is perfectly shaped, pointed at the tip as if it's a sword. Shikaniku interprets this shape as a symbol of his absolute power that he holds.

Never outgrowing this trait, Shikaniku still has his own clothing tailored by the best tailor in the Land of Fire, because he absolutely loathes the Konoha uniform. However, Shikaniku has adapted a more "responsible outfit" as opposed to wearing clothes for their style, despite the fact that they inhibited his movements; his clothes now allow him to move gracefully and access his techniques in a much smoother manner, due to their loose fit. Currently, Shikaniku is normally seen in a purple, v-neck shirt which reveals his broad chest and the upper portion of his abdomen which are tucked into white, silky pants in which are then tucked into his blue boots which are used to protect his "precious" feet. Completing this unique outfit is a long, blue, short sleeved haori with the Nara clan symbol on the back and a white lining on the inside which reads "The Shinobi of the Shadows", along with black, fingerless gloves and a green bandanna. Contrary to what most believe, Shikaniku assumed this appearance at the age of sixteen years old, which was over eight years ago, but his face hasn't changed or aged in the slightest, not even a single wrinkle has developed, which is because of his extensive treatment and care of his skin.

Personality
"Most people are born inherently good, but he was the exception. As a baby, he wanted to hurt people, never wanted to share anything. The only time he cracked a smile was when suffering were brought onto people. It seems he never truly grew out if either. However, there is only one person that I can say he truly cares about, and if the time comes when she dies, his wrath will consume the world"

- Shikamaru speaking about his son

Shikaniku, The Arrogant
Essentially raised to believe that he was god, Shikaniku is an extremely arrogant individual who possess little to no ability in congratulating or complimenting others on their skills because of his extreme case of complacency. His arrogance has affected how he battles, often underestimating opponents despite their reputation and how he presents himself, often requiring his outfits to be tailored by the best. Shikaniku's arrogance is the most noticeable of his characteristics as a human being, but even more so is responsible for several other traits, which normally reveal this self-indulged pride that he holds for himself; a pride which has only increased as his powers grow stronger. Stemming from his arrogant nature, Shikaniku is a very flippant man who seemingly goes out of his own to anger or frustrate anyone else, casually mouthing off to even the strongest of foes, because he basically loves rubbing people the wrong way. While majority of the time this seems to just be a mean-move made by Shikaniku, he has noted that he casually mouths off to his opponents to anger them and force them to make a mistake due to that anger, making it a strategic move as well which displays a bit of Shikaniku's intelligence which is normally hidden behind his arrogant disposition. During his mission to guard the Daimyo as a child, Shikaniku is never serious during that trip, though he states he could have been if he wanted to, and was never without a witty comment or comeback to his opponents. Attributed to his pride-full attitude, Shikaniku is also never seen fighting at his full potential, believing himself into being much stronger than his opponents, which occurs a large majority of the time. Shikaniku is simply unflappable, never showing fear when things don't go his way, such as being ambushed by large groups of bandits and also Jonin-level shinobi. Even when battling for the lives of himself or others, Shikaniku will still underestimate his opponent and hold back, simply to make the fight more interesting and longer; this trait revealing a bit of his child-like nature, as he was essentially without a transition stage between a child and a adult, thus he never ridden himself of these child-like habits such as joking around, playing tag and sleeping with his brown teddy bear, Brown-San.

Shikaniku, The Lustful
Finding pride in his beauty, feeling as if he had to be beautiful or else some dire consequences was in place, this deadly sin is responsible for Shikaniku's physical attraction to himself. Lust, the word to describe an extreme urge to partake in sexual activities to appease one's desire. Shikaniku himself is very lustful, this sin being as strongly infused into his being as his pride. As a result, Shikaniku is a very very large big pervert, doing almost anything to get what he wants; the booty. Because of how lustful he is, Shikaniku rarely ever discriminates between man and woman, thus both genders are within his sexual grasp. Regardless of woman and man, Shikaniku will approach them with the same intent to get the bounty that he's awaiting. However, realizing that a rude, ugly man never gets the bounty, Shikaniku has developed traits that will better help him acquire the treat that he so desires.

Charisma, a big trait for sociable people to have, Shikaniku must be charismatic to be likable; having a compelling attraction that everyone is seemingly drawn to. Being charismatic is no easy task, for it requires specific traits that allow one to do so. For hundreds of years, people have made use of these traits to appear charismatic, even if it meant acting. Because these traits are the success to being charismatic, Shikaniku does them consistently. The first of those traits is actually Shikaniku's first deadly sin of pride. Because Shikaniku is confident, however he often mask the extremity of his arrogance just a bit to make himself likable, he radiates an aura of power which charms anyone seeking someone of a higher stature. Being confident allows Shikaniku to speak openly in one to one, or one to hundred group settings without being rattled and this powerful sense of positivity often spreads to others, boosting their own confidence as well.

Optimism is another aspect of charisma, or rather appearing optimistic is very important to relate to other. By trying to understand and see the best in others' ideas and plans, always remaining very cheerful and "bubbly". He rarely ever give up hope in situations, remaining hopeful that everything will play out accordingly. Often, Shikaniku's first deadly sin of pride adds on to this, his arrogance making him unflappable and calm in all situations, as he believes he can handle most situations without much effort thus worries little. Such positivity and optimism often serve as a weapon for Shikaniku to use to get others to enjoy his presence.

Another part of being charismatic is being witty, capable of coming up with jokes that will make people laugh without trying too hard. Shikaniku employs his witty humor by using multiple strategies. The first is laughing at himself. By poking himself, people often realize how self assertive and comfortable he is with himself and will generally be more comfortable around him. The second strategy is being capable of joking with a large variety of people. Depending on the personality of the group, Shikaniku often changes the content and offensive nature of his jokes accordingly. Because most younger people often display more offense attitudes, to the ignorance that they have because of the lack of experience, Shikaniku will use more offensive jokes within that group setting. However, with older people, he uses less offensive jokes and ensuring that they generate a small, but genuine chuckle from his audience. The third and final strategy Shikaniku employs is timing. Because different times calls for different levels of seriousness, Shikaniku very rarely continuously tell jokes, instead waiting for the perfect time to employ them.

Naturally adept at this because of his shinobi nature, but with even more practice due to his lustful disposition, Shikaniku is an emotional player. By employing different tactics, he can appear charismatic, rude, or even crazy. However, these tactics are not the only things that he uses. As a shinobi, especially one who had undergone shinobi training, he is capable of restraining and accessing his emotions with relative ease. He can appear happy, sad, frustrated, or even nervous; he uses physical motions to convincingly make this flawless. Often enough, he uses his emotions to enhance his charm. In a situations where someone has passed, even if Shikaniku doesn't know the person, he can make himself appear saddened, convincing others that he has a heart of gold even though he most likely didn't care. In situations where someone has received an award or good news, Shikaniku can suddenly become very excited. By changing his emotions at any given situation, using physical movements and diction to make his acting flawless, he can easily relate to others through some sort of empathetic relationship.

The last and most important trait that makes up Shikaniku's charismatic disposition is that he is very engaged with others. He proves that he is very interesting, fabricating stories or telling true ones that is concisely and articulated communicated that makes the story easy to follow without much trouble. Once again using bodily motions, he uses tons of eye contact and even small gestures to help assist with his speech and to help articulate the message properly. However, while proving to being interesting, Shikaniku acts as if he is very interested. Due to his photographic memory, he remembers anything he sees or hears and can instantly draw it from the depths of his brain. Able to recall details, he can ask insightful questions at later times and coordinate events that relate to someone's particular interest since he can recall whatever they say, gaining respect and admiration from that specific person.

Shikaniku, The Sloth
Sloth is described as spiritual and emotional apathy, the lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern. However, since it is infused with several other sins equally, it counterbalances the lazy nature of Shikaniku so that he just doesn't sit around and die. However, Shikaniku is very apathetic. Because of his superiority complex and because of his slothful nature, he cares very little about things that do not concern his immediate interest. Whether they are his citizens of Yakigakure, the Daimyō or Kage, Shikaniku will rarely ever feel anything if they were to die or pass painfully. Physical torture on others barely makes the Nara Male flinch, simply sitting with a blank expression as he tears his victims limb from limb. Death is nothing to Shikaniku.

Because of his apathetic nature, Shikaniku cherishes human lives, other than a few, very loosely. Only those that are essential to his ambitions are in his immediate concern. As a result, he is truly very cold and pitiless. As a result, Shikaniku is normally calm and collected, caring very little about what others say or about others generally. His apathetic attitude allows him to suppress his emotions, for they are nearly nonexistent, quite easily. Even when directly insulted, he is never angered. When someone close to him dies, he doesn't feel sadness. When the situation becomes very tense and inconvenient, he does not get stressed. Without the interference of emotions, Shikaniku is virtually able to hide his true nature and carry out his shinobi missions effectively. However, while Shikaniku is apathetic, all of his emotional knowledge comes from interactions. Though he doesn't feel them as much, or because this trait suppresses them some, he can easily judge others and comprehend their emotional status.

Physically, sloth is described as the unwillingness to waste motions. Shikaniku only does what is necessary, evident in battle, rarely wasting even a single motion. His motions are merciless, he tries to kill or incapacitate them swiftly. However, similar to his father, the Nara does not enjoy fighting, finding it much too "troublesome". In addition, Shikaniku rarely ever moves on his own, preferring to have his Root Shinobi provide transportation from place to place, or creating his own animal made from his shadows to move him around so that he doesn't have to himself.

Shikaniku, The Envious
Envy, described as the intense desire to acquire the superior qualities of another, is another sin that generates the known Shikaniku. While a deadly sin, since it is intertwined perfectly with the others, it generates qualities that are set to make up the emotion. To understand and to acquire the qualities of another person, they must first notice that person and recognize that the person's superior nature. As a result, Shikaniku is truly a realist, being fully capable of acknowledging another's strength and superiority to his own. Seeing things as they already are, Shikaniku's strongest attribute from his envious nature is his perception. He believes the world is an infinite spectacle, allowing this to happen and not interpreting things through his experiences but rather as it happens. A neutral force, he is neither good nor bad, immoral nor moral but rather truly neutral. Choosing to watch events, Shikaniku considers himself a "player" rather than a manipulator. He plays his cards and allow events to unfold.

Also because of his arrogance and his actual neutrality, Shikaniku tends to perceive everything as being perfect. If it does not directly influence himself, or even if it does, he does not stress over situations that he probably should. Because of his willingness to get involved and watch rather than force, he often plays cards that cause catastrophic damage to people. A scientific truthfully, Shikaniku only desires to know and understand everything. To acquire all of the world's techniques, to stand among as the primordial being. Practicing, experimenting is all considered art to the Nara, regardless of whom is hurt in the process. For this, he is truthfully a sociopath to those who know of his experiments, which are very few.

However, as much as he is a sociopath, Shikaniku is truly a philosopher. Not immoral or moral but rather amoral, he tends to discard morality and grey areas to avoid contaminating the situation at hand with petty emotions. When conducting these experiments, Shikaniku processes one thought "survival of the fittest" and since he believes that he is the most fit he should be the survivor. Regardless, he understands that risk must be taken and is willing to gamble anything, including his own life to further promote his being and develop into a deity. Calmed, collective and charismatic, Shikaniku manages to mask this sociopathy with his charisma while only allowing it to surface in the presence of those that will never see the light of day; people who will be sacrificed in his experiments.

Shikaniku, The Wrathful
Though masked under his charisma, wrath is still embodied just as much as the other deadly sins, infused into his being. Wrath is ultimately described as the ultimate form of anger, fury and hate at times. Though he rarely ever shows it, Shikaniku is generally very wrathful. A physical embodiment of wrath, he has qualities to express his angry nature. While it is weaved generally into his everyday personality, it is more of all shown during his battles. Because of his wrath, Shikaniku is not a very patient individual and is rather inpatient. Quick to be offended, he never lets a single world go unanswered. For those that disrespect the Nara, unless they serve some valuable insight or of some importance to his plans, will find themselves quickly sliced down. He is aggressive, augmentative, never allowing his contention to go unheard. When his plan is countered, Shikaniku never lets up. He refutes a person’s point, just for the sake of refuting. This is often responsible for his witty remarks, often making a comeback regardless.

An extension of his wrath, Shikaniku possesses a massive Killing Intent, so much that he has to forcefully suppress it to avoid scaring off others. When he becomes angered especially, or rather when he allows his killing intent to go unrestrained, it is powerful enough to give off illusions. Illusions in which the person is consumed by shadows, enveloped entirely and exposed to their wrathful nature. Tugging and pulling, scratching, clawing, anything that they can do to express their disdain for the person. Thousands of shadows, souls they represent, cry out in agony, drowning the listener in their unforgettable cries.

Unlike most people who are wrathful or wishing to kill others, Shikaniku never really shows “anger” in terms. Rather, he becomes noticeably sadistic and sinister. When in the heat of battle he simply laughs hysterically and smiles at his opponent. Expressing delight in slicing them up, his movements become virtually unpredictable. Rather than use direct assaults, Shikaniku bends his body, using his incredible dexterity to change his position. Bloodthirsty, nothing short of taking actual hits and slices from his opponent, is within Shikaniku's reach when crazed. More madness than rage, Shikaniku's wrathful nature is insanity embodied. His thinking deteriorates, all reasoning dissipates, and he becomes an absolute killing machine.

Shikaniku, The Greedy
Greed, the sin of desiring possessions, the necessity to obtain material objects. Money, gold, clothes are all apart of these objects that one wishes to obtain. Infused equally as the other sins, Shikaniku has shown himself to be a very greedy person. He will rarely initiate any action of any sort unless it can, or will, compensate him for his valiant efforts. Tying in with his slothful disposition, he doesn't waste any actions on anything other than his own self benefit in which he hopes to obtain something he didn't have. As such, the Nara finds money to be more valuable then what it already is. Since his childhood, everything Shikaniku did was to obtain money for himself and for his clan. S-Rank Missions, A-Rank Missions, partnering with criminal agencies is among the few mere things he would do to obtain the green. However, because he desires so much money, Shikaniku is often conserved when simply giving the money away. Only if he believes it will bring him something of equal value, then he will spend his money.

Shikaniku, The Hungry
The last deadly sin deals with the excessive intake of food, gluttony. Similar to greed in such a manner, gluttony deals only with desiring food and that alone. Gluttony has seven major portions that establish it as gluttony. The first form of hunger is Praepropere, eating too soon. Shikaniku often eats meals before the meals are meant to be taken in. Within a few short hours, or rather every hour, the Nara is seen engaging in a full course meal. Tying in with the second form of hunger, Nimis – eating too much. When Shikaniku partakes in hourly meals, his meals are gargantuan. Thirty bowls of food, nothing less than that is enough to fill Shikaniku's appetite. While prodigious, Shikaniku rarely takes a long time while eating. The third form of hunger, Forente, the Nara leader eats very wildly. Most times, he prefer to eat in private to avoid exposing such a habit to others and presenting himself as less charismatic. This wild nature is a result of Shikaniku being incapable of containing his eager (Ardenter) as the food is exceptionally delicious to the shadow manipulator. His appreciation for the materials he consumes, Studiose (eating too daintly), Shikaniku fully taste every bit of the food he eats and appreciates it. Eating it any way he wishes to acquire the full taste of the food, Shikaniku licks his fingers, smacks his lips when eating, crunches extremely loudly, etc. Regardless of his seemingly manner-less habits, he does possess some elegance. Laute, the act of eating too expensively, is where his elegance is portrayed. He only orders the finest foods from the finest chefs, often giving them prodigious money to prepare him the best meals possible.

Senjō
For years they had worked together in missions, seen one another in meetings with the hokage, and various other business related encounters, but the tale of love begins in a mere restaurant in the center of Konoha. Their initial encounter, however, was one of obvious attraction. Both bore relatively mutual emotions revolving around their noticeable physical attraction to one another, but throughout their conversation the power and authority that each possessed pulled them closer together. But, when he tried to pull her closer into his grasp, Senjō rejected him. Yet again, she required him to prove whether he was worthy enough for her to even consider. Never in his life had he been rejected: the Second hand to the hokage, the leader of the Nara, the commander of all the regular forces and the defibrillator of ROOT, the amount of authority, respect, and finances that Shikaniku held stood higher than any man in the village with the exception of the Seigetsu. Rarely does he find women deny him service, but she did, and it made him only desire her even more. By the time that he is promoted to the Jonin Commander of Konohagakure, Shikaniku and Senjō's relationship has developed to the point where the two engage in several activities: sharing hotel rooms, annoying one another, sharing money (by that she takes his money off course), etc. In his dreams, Shikaniku fights to preserve the world for her and only for her. Rather than just have a physical attraction, the Nara begins to truly development a concept that he hadn't known: love. Inevitably, their relationship progresses to the point where Shikaniku professes his undying love for Senjō, and asks for her hand in marriage, to which she agrees. Within a year, the two wed, and within another two or three years, they give birth to their first and only child Sumire Nara. Over the next twenty years, the two endure a variety of challenges raising Sumire, while also progressing their own career as shinobi. Despite these obstacles they face, their relationship remains as strong as they day they married, and continues to do so despite their differences.

Zenjou Kaguya
Zenjou and Shikaniku have a fairly complicated relationship. Both have hired one another, and in some cases have cooperated willingly to eliminate a threat, but they remain enemies at large. As the leader of the Nanabake and Root, they clash indirectly through their men. Both being responsible for the slaughtering of their own fellow shinobi, one would naturally assume that they are particularly hostile to one another. Instead, both men hold prodigious respect for the other, despite their immature quirks.

Chakra Prowess
Though Kage are generally elected in the world, it is undeniable that many in its position have been related; The first hokage, the second hokage, and the fifth hokage share direct ties, along with the fourth and seventh who are father and son. In Kumogakaure, following the Third Raikage's death, his son immediately succeeded him, though, because the fourth lacked any children, his right hand ultimately succeeded him as a fifth. Iwagakure follows a similar pattern of succession as the first, third, and fourth are simply the grandchild of the previous. However, what is truly interesting is that the Jinchūriki of these villages are often directly related to the Kages. Thus, it is obvious that the power within the village is generally maintained by a single line. Sunagakure is no different from any other village in this regard. The Fifth, whom was once a Jinchūriki, is the son of the Fourth who shared the rare Kekkei Genkai of the Third Kazekage suggesting a potential relation between those two as well.

Being blessed with the genetics of these monsters that came before him, credited to having a mother who hails from a clan of Jinchūriki and Kazekage, has proved beneficial in Shikaniku's development as a shinobi. Part of what he has inherited from his ancestors is their incredible reserve of potent chakra that has allowed them to ascend above their shinobi, and that has allowed them to suppress and conquer the spirits of nature that are sealed within them. His reserves have always been evident; before he was a shinobi, Shikaniku could access some of his clan's higher level techniques that often took them years to develop the chakra necessary to perform it. During his time in the ANBU, he found the strength of his chakra further increased. He was a man who had fought in wars for decades. His mind had been forged into a impenetrable wall, and his body was honed into the ultimate sphere. As a fully fledged ninja, by emitting his chakra into the world around him, it could take visible form even unfocused, and when released it caused dense atmospheric reactions. Though, even with all of his accomplishments, the greatest testimony to his enormous reserves is that he is in possession of two elemental affinities, and his development of a third, non elemental, affinity Yin Release.

Taijutsu
The notion of being a ninja revolves around one being able to dodge arrows, leap from tree to tree and other feats that people hail as godly. Despite taijutsu being one of his less used skills, he possesses some special attributes which classify him as particularly talented in the respective field. Custom made regiments and training schedules have been mandatory in his everyday life. By exercising regularly to maintain his physique, Shikaniku has maintained an impressive conditioning that many desire. Everyday, he finds some way to exercise, but often times he alternates exercising cardio and strength. The more muscle that you get, the more it will challenge your cardiovascular system. As a result, to truly build the condition one requires you must train both. One day Shikaniku could lift weights, do a thousand pull ups, then run five miles continuously until he is satisfied. Between these exercises however, Shikaniku doesn't allow himself the pleasure of resting for ninety seconds or even five seconds. Unless he physically is unable to continue, he will move from training method to another and input himself in the same manner.

His training exercises differ from week to week through various activities and martial arts. Using the same exact methods to hone one's body is ineffective due to the human body's ability to adapt to routines within two weeks. In addition to the hellish activities he puts himself through day by day, Shikaniku is a very healthy eater and sleeper for the amount of energy he uses. Although many people believe that eating as little as possible to maintain your physique is the proper path, the truth is that you exercises extensively uses prodigious energy. To prevent your body from converting muscle to create more energy, one must eat to ensure your body has enough energy for the activities that you are you going to partake in. Shikaniku consumes an enormous supply of food so much that people consider it unreal. But, while the amount he consumes is vast the food that he consumes is often high quality, thus proves to be very healthy. Chocolate and other unhealthy desserts aren't daily treats. Equally as important, Shikaniku gets approximately eight to ten hours of sleep a night with two or three twenty minute naps during his day. Rest is equally as important as working and eating; it gives your body time to adjust and to heal. With these habits that he has created for himself, he has developed his superb conditioning.

Unlike ninjutsu and genjutsu, taijutsu is a form of combat that every ninja uses regardless if they are talented in it or not. Though most shinobi attempt to compensate for their apparent lack of skill in martial arts, the best shinobi are the ones capable of fighting entire armies with taijutsu alone. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, it was a taijutsu user who threatened the life of the ten-tails Jinchūriki, Madara Uchiha, and had it not been for sheer luck the Uchiha would have perished at that very moment. Especially following the Fourth War, once it has been proven that ninjutsu and genjutsu become ultimately useless against certain opponents, ninja began exposing themselves more and more to taijutsu. Shinobi of each land quickly educated themselves and developed specific martial art forms native to their ninja, all in an attempt to counter the teachings and techniques of shinobi from other villages. As a member of the ANBU force, and a child who had known nothing but war, Shikaniku was often exposed to these forms.

Notably, more apparent out of all of his physical attributes, Shikaniku's acrobatic prowess stands above all. Agility, defined as the ability to rapidly respond or change by adapting its initial stable configuration; the ability to change one's body position effectively, it makes use of a combination of balance, bodily coordination, speed, reflexes and endurance. In conjunction of his these things, Shikaniku can instantaneously shift motions entirely, effectively dodge attacks point blank, swing from most surfaces and other gymnastic feats consisting of back-flips, somersaults and cartwheels. Physically, Shikaniku is capable of dodging attacks and attacking from virtually any position or direction without much effort. Often in close range combat, striking Shikaniku is almost nearly impossible, using his agility to dodge attacks by slithering away from them, bending his body in ways that are unimaginable.

By training his cardiovascular system alongside his skeletal system, Shikaniku has developed endurance that befits his title as a shinobi. Subjecting himself to hellish training was absolutely necessary if not mandatory and subject to even more punishment to his own body under his own philosophy. To simply become the best required the greatest training regiment, but to be able to endure such a regiment he would need the endurance to further increase the malevolence of his methods. As a teenager, Shikaniku was already using one hundred pound weights on his legs just as he walked around, running three miles every two or three hours and many more activities. The increase in muscular density makes it much harder for one to damage him because of an increase in mass. Such density coupled with his body adjusting constantly to withstand the unimaginable training he puts himself through. Extensive physical activities do very little to Shikaniku; he is built to handle longer battles.

His most recognize attribute is the raw speed that he possesses due to his developed muscles. On average, Shikaniku wears an extra three hundred pounds upon his legs in addition to the weight he already has to carry giving him a total of around four hundred and fifty pounds. His legs have adjusted to this massive amount of weight positively. When training specifically to increase the power in his legs during his marathons, the weight increases by an extra two hundred pounds. By the end of most exercises, he is incapable of moving his legs due to the stress he places on them during these marathons and everyday life in general. However, while he has had to rest for extensive periods of time to deal with these injuries in the past, Shikaniku's speed is tremendously affected. To quote himself, he is "faster than fast" who's intellect, he becomes a very annoying opponent to truly deal with.

Genjutsu
As a master manipulator of the forces of yin coupled with his impressive intellect, Genjutsu has often come to Shikaniku almost as a second nature since it requires both of these principles: Yin Release and Intellect. His employment of genjutsu if not commonly used alone, but instead used in conjunction with his own attacks, either making them undetectable in terms of sight, hearing, smell, touch and even taste. The undetectable attack is the most dangerous. Shikaniku has become a rather adept user allowing him to use simple illusions that disguise whether or not one of his eyes are open to complicated illusions where his target may find themselves drenched in their deepest and darkest memories. The simple illusions cost less chakra and are much easier to produce at a quicker rate while the complicated illusions truly destroy the psyche of anyone who encounters it.

At a young age, Shikaniku discerned that the employment of genjutsu originated from the yin of one’s energy, that being the spiritual energy. By injecting a person with one’s own spiritual energy, they caused a disturbance in their chakra which travels to the most foreward portion of their brain, as that portion of the brain is responsible for the senses in the human body. As such, Shikaniku has discovered that by when using the yin force to control darkness, he can implant genjutsu, using darkness as a medium of chakra exchange between him and into the desired target. Shikaniku uses his genjutsu for the three different purposes, these being his main reasons for using them. The first it to mask his own ninjutsu, in which the genjutsu isn't really complicated as it is normally just a single illusion cast to hide the effects of his ninjutsu.

The second is to mask his own presence, in which he uses several simple genjutsu which makes undetectable by those with the most perfect senses. The last is torture, which requires very complicated genjutsu blended in with one another, rather than stacked and piled over one another as they are in the second method. These illusions are often made to break one spiritually, while simultaneously masking the effects of several ninjutsu being cast on them which causes significant amounts of pain, to such an extent that they believe that the illusions are real.

Unlike several insightful, well trained illusionist, Shikaniku does not directly use any of the five senses nor just a simple employment of the yin release as a medium to use his genjutsu. Instead, he implements his genjutsu through the use of shadows. In this manner, the genjutsu is disguised, hidden within the forces of darkness as it threatens to eat away its opponent. The medium, more than anything, is exceptionally efficient. Rarely does he ever require large supplies of chakra to inject his opponent with to cause these hallucinations of a madman, as the exchange between the darkness and the desired target is nearly perfect, with very little of the incredible spiritual chakra being lost. Thus, once they've come in contact with this darkness, they are injected, infused with the hallucinatory energy and are encapsulated in Shikaniku's fantasies; sick and twisted in nature.

Witnessing the rapid increase of dōjutsu users and illusionist, Shikaniku's implementation of genjutsu makes it nearly impossible for himself to be placed under a spell. As his shadow is connected to his being, Shikaniku will often inject himself with his very own spiritual speed rivals the most elite of shinobi; he can cover vast distances in the blink of an eye before the unaided eye can notice. Coupled with his quick reflexes due to his overdeveloped energies to prevent himself from being influenced by others. Obviously, this is a tiring method of protecting himself, which is why it is rarely continuously active and is only used when he realizes that he's in the presence of a genjutsu user.

A large majority of the genjutsu that Shikaniku creates attacks three senses to achieve their devastating effects:

Sight: This sense, although not used as a medium, is Shikaniku's second favored distortions. Not only because of how effective it proves to be on and off the battlefield, but also due to the fact that he can make his target see whatever he wants, as he believes that the eyes and sight are the window to one's soul. Without that window, that person is closed out from the outside world, forever lost and drowned in their own sorrow and failures. With respective control over this window, the more influence that he would have over their inner sanctuary. Shikaniku seeks to drown these people, break their souls and inner will, destroying their last bit of humanity. Once their souls are broken, Shikaniku leaves them to rot in their own sorrow, abandoning them to pick up their remaining shards of hope and life.

Although most are left to rot in the darkness of their souls, those who seem to be of use to the malevolent, ambitious nara, they are kept within his genjutsu for as long as their services are required. When utilized in this manner, Shikaniku continuously feeds them illusions that they inevitably take for reality, for their minds are altered with to such an extent that they soon forget what reality is and simply accept what they see as their reality, as the truth. Their reality becomes what the nara wants it to be, and they do his bidding unconsciously. In addition, because they illusions are continuous, genjutsu dissipation is almost impossible, for the energy which fuels these illusions are continuously being implanted into their being, thus the flow of chakra is constantly disrupted.

These illusions, as opposed to the ones used to destroy the hope, the will that the desired target possesses are instead used to make them think that what they see is reality. For this very reason, the first illusion tends to be the genjutsu that Shikaniku originally implanted failing and them being rescued, then tortured by the very people who saved them. Then, he makes himself appear as some sort of savior, someone who saved them, obviously with a different appearance. Anything, any illusion to make them loyal to this persona, facade that he created to ensure that they become his own personal slave. The illusions that are fed to them after this all depend on the circumstances, often making someone appear as the enemy who Shikaniku wishes to use them against.

Touch: Shikaniku's first most favored distortion, but second most used out of all of the five, he finds it extremely useful, even more than that of the sense of sight. Finding it heavily underestimate, overlooked by every illusionist, he hopes to reveal the usefulness of genjutsu that involves the sense of touch to the world. Unveiling its worth to the world, Shikaniku has one major use for this sense. This use is what he seeks to cause, something that he believes will benefit humanity and unite them under a single goal: Pain.

Commonly, the sense of touch is affiliated with pain. Using this, he can use his spiritual energy to inflict intense pain onto his opponent, overstimulating their body and rendering them incapable of motion or the ability to mold chakra. As such, they are rendered motionless, helpless for once intense, agonizing pain is caused. Even after the genjutsu has been removed, the pain is still felt across the body. Paralyzed, unable to mold chakra, renders one incapable of using genjutsu, ninjutsu or taijutsu. With all three options removed, the target is left defenseless and susceptible to Shikaniku's ninjutsu.

More impressive than this, Shikaniku is capable of rendering his opponent incapable of sensing pain. Pain, despite being extremely disturbing, is indeed a protective mechanism which alerts the body and allow it to perceive that it is being damaged. Without this ability, one could easily overlook a bleeding wound and die as a result, from blood loss, overlook the fact that their is a lack of oxygen in the air and suddenly pass out and die. Essentially, without this mechanism to detect the body's failures, one could surely succumb to death. Shikaniku, often exploits this by removing this mechanism, to mask the damage done by his physical attacks. For this reason, Shikaniku greatly enjoys distorting the sense of touch.

Hearing: His third most favored distortion along with being the third most used distortion, Shikaniku's manipulation of the sense of sound differs from many as he has applied three major methods of distorting it. In truth, while sound his third most used sense, Shikaniku claims that it is often his first, for two of three methods that he use when distorting this sense exist within the two other senses as well. Using his energy to control one's sense, Shikaniku seeks to infect them with the screams of those they love, cause paralysis and removing their ability to communicate with others. The first method, Shikaniku attempts to overflow his opponent's sense of sounds with the screams and cries of those they love or loved, echoing throughout their ears for generations. Using this, this attempts to further break their spirit, for they hear the screams of loved ones, but are incapable of discerning where they screams are coming from. They are driven insane, for they are helpless in nature. This method is only used when he seeks to leave them tattered, broken, usually used for interrogation as he does when distorting the sense of sight.

The second method, when Shikaniku attempts to cause paralysis, he distorts one's sense of sound by creating a hallucination in which an extremely high pitched sound is emitted constantly. The vibrations generated cause intense paralyzing pain, rendering them immobile and without the ability to move, for their bodies are overloaded, overwhelmed with pain. As such they are rendered incapable of molding chakra, moving, thus just as when Shikaniku distorts one's sense of touch, they are rendered defenseless and are highly vulnerable to another attack.

The last method involves removing one's ability to communicate, for without the ability to hear, one cannot communicate as quickly as they would be capable of, thus this sense is often distorted when Shikaniku seeks to destroy groups of people. Overwhelming them with the turmoil of being incapable of communicating, along with using ninjutsu to attack them, those who rely on teamwork find it very difficult to arrange an attack alongside a teammate and are forced to attack alone against Shikaniku, who had probably already accessed the shadows of the area, giving him more power over the battlefield. Attacks against him alone are nearly useless and without the ability to communicate, they are surely doomed.

Bringer-of-Darkness Technique: A technique originally created by the Hashirama Senju, Shikaniku inevitably discovered it's existence and devised a technique which sought to exploit the same result of this technique. The original bringer of darkness technique surrounds an opponent in complete darkness, rendering their eyes useless as the genjutsu stops their ability to see. In his attempt to counter those who rely on their eyes, Shikaniku recreated the same effect of this technique, but implementing it is much different than Hashirama once did. By using a ninjutsu which turns his shadow into a foggy mist of darkness, Shikaniku already makes it difficult for his enemy to see. Surrounded by the shadow mist which makes the visibility of his opponent completely gone, it disguises the genjutsu, making it seem as if it didn't even exist. The shadow mist is used a medium, for it is simply a shadow of Shikaniku's creation. The hallucinatory energy is transferred from every particle of the shadowy mist, injected into his opponent. As the energy is transferred, the mist disappears, but their vision remains blurry and distorted, for the genjutsu is now active. Recognizing a genjutsu such as this is very difficult, for they simply think the mist has gotten thicker as opposed to a genjutsu being used in play.

Embracing Forces of Darkness: A side technique used to work alongside the Bringer of Darkness Technique, Shikaniku attempts to further incapacitate his opponent by disrupting their sense of hearing, employing the first method of creating forever lasting screams of agony from within the darkness. With this, he removes the ability to detect the opponent via hearing, for their sight is drowned in darkness and without light, seeing is near impossible. As many do not possess keen sense of smell, Shikaniku developed this to prevent his attacks from being detected in their entirety, for the imperceptible attack is the best strike. Unlike the bringer of darkness, Shikaniku does not attempt to use a genjutsu to mask this technique, but instead utilizes the genjutsu to mask this genjutsu. Ordinarily, he seeks to only use this technique when in large groups, confusing the entire team trapped in the genjutsu by making them hear the screams of one another. Unable to hear anything other than their teammates scream in agony, as if they were dying, most find it difficult to focus on defeating Shikaniku and will often jump to protect their teammates, who aren't really screaming. An illusion wrapped within an illusion, perhaps the highest form of sense distortion.

Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique: Shikaniku's most powerful technique is this one and for good reason. This genjutsu, unlike any other, is truly unique in implementation and the effect that it causes. Unlike most genjutsu which seek to drive one insane by using their darkest fears as a way to condemn them to damnation, this technique seeks to reveal their "true" nature and help them embrace who they truly are by revealing the evil that exist in their souls. A manipulation of every one of the five senses, this genjutsu is nearly impossible to stop alone, for their senses are overloaded to such a point that their ability to mold chakra is quite impossible. Their darkest memories, shoved into their eyes to watch forever. Drowned in their darkest thoughts, then saved by their dark selves that they are also forced to confront. If those under this spell are not persuaded to accept their "true" nature, they are surely driven insane by being surrounded and drenched in their malevolent thoughts and sins.

Nara Clan Techniques
Part of what defines Shikaniku is that he is the child of the Nara Clan's genius,, and it has always been an identity he's been associated with. He inherited his father's intelligence, charisma, looks, and his future. Slated to be the next leader of the Nara, in an era where the land was plagued by wars, Shikaniku was forced to perfect his clan's techniques. His mastery of his clan's techniques can not be attributed to his intellect, work ethic, or practice alone. Naturally, even moreso than the rest of his clan, Shikaniku's chakra was exceptionally compatible with his hiden, and required very little molding for it to manipulate their shadows. Being of the Kazekage lineage, Shikaniku, unlike some of the Nara, did not have to build the necessary reserves to overpower another individual or develop the chakra control to preserve and retain the effects of the technique. A few years ahead of his fellow clansmen, mentally (his genius) and physically (his chakra), Shikaniku came to master his clan's techniques at seven years old. Shikaniku's mastery over the shadows comes from his perfect synergy and rather unique methods of utilizing the techniques of his clans. Although the conventional use of the techniques prove beneficial, Shikaniku takes their concepts and expands upon them. By combining concepts and principles, he is blessed with feats that many of his clansmen dream of. Manifesting constructs, blanketing villages in dark fog, changing his shadow's size as large as a home, or as small as a fruit fly, are relatively simple feats for any Nara clansmen once they acknowledge the ability to do so.
 * : Among the Nara Clan, this technique is recognized as one of the most difficult to grasp, but once it is obtained it proves more than beneficial. Conventionally, it is used to move large bodies such as their Akimichi partners, and surely Shikaniku uses it in the same way. With his shadow, he can lift things several thousand times his bodyweight, and toss shinobi with an equivalent force. Naturally, the technique's strength is proportionate to the amount of chakra used; Shikaniku's above average reserves of potent, ominous energy amplifies this technique to strengths beyond the likes of his own fellow clansmen. During his venture to perfect this jutsu, he uncovered the principle that allows it to function correctly: power. The strength of the shadow increases to levels seen only in steel, allowing the shadow to support the insurmountable weight of the massive object. Experimentation with this technique eventually led to Shikaniku devising a method to use the shadow as a defense, and attack simultaneously. Through the use of chakra flow to channel his hiden energy into his body, Shikaniku can coat his body in the shadow-clutch technique, and harden his shadow to a level rivaling, or surpassing, steel, greatly increasing his offensive power and defenses simultaneously.
 * : As a genin level technique, many of the Nara find it quite helpful in battle because of its low chakra cost, and simplicity. In truth, the technique is particularly simple. Shaping one's shadow into the form of sharp needles and commanding them to dig into the flesh of their opponent is entirely straightforward, but what Shikaniku learned from this technique was how to truly shape his shadow in accordance to his imagination. If they could become sharp needles, then why couldn't they become a bird, an animal, a plant, or a weapon? His curiosity prompted him to experiment, and with time his control over the size, and shape of the shadows he manipulated did grow more powerful. In this current day and age, his shadows are ony limited by his imagination. With a few extra handseals, and a little more chakra, Shikaniku can transform his shadow from a tentacle, or a reflection of his body, into a giant wall, toad, hundreds of shuriken, or even into a shadowy mist.
 * : Though a rather elementary technique, Shikaniku's practice and intellect has allowed him to develop it extensively. By using his shadow as a medium rather than a scroll, Shikaniku allows it to serve as a storage device. When activating the technique, anything that makes contact with his shadow is pulled into its abyss: fire, water, kunai, and even people. Though, like all techniques, its speed and chakra is proportional to the mass of the object being sealed. As a result, larger objects, such as people, take a notably longer period of time than if he was absorbing a technique. By using the, Shikaniku can release any of these objects from his shadow at whim.
 * : All ninja techniques are built around the foundations of ninjutsu: Body Replacement Technique, Generic Sealing Technique, and even the Transformation Technique. Fortunately, Shikaniku discovered this at an early age, and began devising his own ninjutsu using these as a basis. For much of his time in the academy, he was largely incapable of performing the transformation technique due to his rather poor chakra control. As a result, he practiced it more than all of his other jutsu. Afterall, it was a requirement to pass the academy, and as the future leader of the Nara, failure was not an option. Even still, with all of the effort and assistance from his father, Shikaniku was unable to pick up the mechanics of the technique. Rocks, trees, and fences were easy for him to transform into, but when it came to people, he was simply unable to do it. Unfortunately, the next day was the exam. When he stepped into the room, Shikaniku was certain his failure was inevitable, and despite being able to perform all of these other techniques, they asked him to transform into anything. Concentrating his mind, and preparing his chakra, Shikaniku allowed instinct to take over and transform him into the thing he knew best: his shadow. It was inanimate, but humanistic; it was the perfect transformation.


 * This eventually evolved as Shikaniku perfected this specific transformation, and bettered his chakra control with experience, ultimately becoming his signature technique. By transforming into his shadow, he is given a variety of physiological advantages than he had prior to the metamorphosis. By using the principles he has learned from his hiden techniques, Shikaniku can shape and control his shadowy-body at will. Channeling his yin chakra into himself, or by removing yin chakra, he can subsequently become intangible and tangible at will. What is most noticeable about becoming intangible, with the exception of phasing through most attacks, is the increase in speeds that it grants. As the shadow is the absence of light, a shadow is defined as the last photon leaving. By this rule, shadows excel at the exact same speed as light.


 * When combined with a human body, fused, adopted, the newly fused being adopts the nature of a shadow and the physical laws. As such, Shikaniku is an exceptionally fast shinobi and is able to travel at speeds that are much faster than he could if he weren't an illusion, for these speeds, when tangible, would have detrimental effects on his body. By combining his ability to become tangible and intangible at will, in that of a split second, Shikaniku is often seen as untouchable. This transformation is not just limited to Shikaniku however; he can even utilize the transformation technique on inanimate objects: rocks, kunai, swords, etc. Built off of this technique, Shikaniku has devised a fighting style that makes use of these things ability to become intangible and tangible at his command to often surprise his enemy, or avoid and penetrate defenses that he wouldn't normally be able to penetrate.

It manifest itself when light passes through the body, but when darkness reigns it hides to prevent its own corruption. Typically, the shadow is stuck following the movement of the spirit for all of eternity, but the Nara Clan are the one exception. Through years of struggle, the Nara Clan devised a chakra universally capable of connecting their shadow—and by extension their soul—to the shadow of another, forcing that person into a game of imitation. Serving as the clan's most popular technique, Shikaniku spent time practicing over and over, not only to perfect it, but to advance it beyond comprehension. The restrictions and limitations of this technique are determined by the caster's chakra; his strong chakra is the reason such limitations don't extent. He can split his shadow several times, extend it miles across the battlefield, maintain its strength for years to come, and use it thousands of times without breaking strength.

Unlike the puppet style used by Sunagakure shinobi revolving around manipulating their wooden creations via threads, Shikaniku has discovered another means of controlling these puppets which have proved much more effective and easier. Unlike puppet masters that must learn how to truly manipulate the body by using threads, Shikaniku eliminates such a learning curve by using the Shadow Imitation Technique; a technique that allows the Nara clansmen to manipulate something by controlling the shadow. The need to master the motor functions of a person was nonexistent. While most puppeteers are forced to spend years learning how to control their instrument with a single threat, Shikaniku was experimenting with whether he could manipulate one hundred or two hundred upon his first day of training.

Unlike people, these puppets have no conscious of their own thus the manipulation doesn't require Shikaniku's motion to move. Simply by injecting them with his will through the use of his yin release already present in his shadow can they move in without Shikaniku lifting a finger. From household chores to running errands, these puppets became his greatest tools. Since these puppets are tied to his intellect, the amount he can control is simply incredible rivaling even the powerful puppet master Sasori who also managed to control a vast amount through a similar process albeit with chakra threads. Because Shikaniku's medium of manipulation are the shadows on the ground, simply cutting through them will be impossible. Unless once can completely destroy the shadow, the connection between he and the puppet can not be broken. However, by simply covering the shadow by exposing it to complete darkness or complete light then the shadow will cease to exist and Shikaniku's manipulation comes to a halt. Typically, he creates a single clone that manipulates hundreds of these puppets so that he, the original, can fight freely without having to strategize for hundreds simultaneously.

Shadow Absorption
This technique was one used by the very first of the Nara Clan and preceded their shadow-manipulation abilities, establishing them almost. For centuries following however, this technique would generally become more lost and lost and labeled forbidden due to the mental burden it places. A millennia later, Shikaniku would come to awaken this technique by sheer coincidence which has led to his extremely varied skill-set all incorporating different styles into his shadow-manipulations. While the Nara supply form to their shadows to grant their dark doppelgangers an array of feats, this technique focuses on assimilating individuals by removing their form and leaving them as nothing but a blob of chakra. In this technique lies four handseals all intended for a specific technique in this process of assimilating individuals.

The first handseal Rat activates the beginning handseal which allows him to extend his shadow towards the desired targets. Fusing their shadows, Shikaniku is given domain over their own shadow and movements just as he would his own shadow and body. The second handseal boar commands their shadow two fuse with the body turning them into a living shadow similar to his own shadow-like transformation. The third handseal is where Shikaniku pulls their shadow-like body closer to his and into his own. The last handseal seals the deal; his shadow is stricken of all form and anything in it. His shadow becomes the imprint on the ground that many fail to notice, and all unused chakra in it returns back to the wielder. For anything trapped in his shadow, it also becomes stricken of all form. The result of these people, whom has now become nothing but form is erased from the world. All that is left is the chakra that remains which is returned to Shikaniku: their experiences and physical energies included. With such, everything that they were or may be are now Shikaniku.

For most of the older ancestors of shinobi other than those of the true bloodline descending from the creator of the technique, they lacked the mental power to sustain the personalities/experiences/sensations that are latched onto the chakra, thus very few actual Nara are capable of doing so. Born as the son Shikamaru who descends directly from the originator of the Nara clan, Shikaniku is one capable of using this technique while maintaining the physical strain that deals with it; his ability to harness his own memories unlike his father and grandfather before him through the use of his mindscape, makes him an even better candidate. For this, Shikaniku has assimilated the experiences and physical actions of hundreds of shinobi he deem worthy to being absorbed; his growth has been amplified because of it.
 * Shadow Absorption Immortality Technique: Those who run out of chakra die; that is a fact. Long before the Sage of Sixth Paths distributed this life energy however, people thrived. The world had been littered with mankind for millennium. For centuries, scientist spent years trying to discern how humans were able to continue living prior to receiving chakra. Why had we even existed? This inquiry led to the development of the first Jinchūriki. After capturing the chakra behemoth, these scientist infused it into a test subject and they gradually watched as it shaped his body and mind. He had grown nimble like a cat, his eyes adapted, and he became nocturnally functional. However, what they noticed more or less was that his habits had grown even more cat-like: milk had become his favorite drink to consume, yarn surprisingly grew more interesting, etc. After observing this behavior, the scientist, in an attempt to save this man from his unique transformation, removed the tailed beast from him, and like all Jinchuriki he perished as a result.


 * Under this conclusion, it was obvious to the scientist, that chakra and the soul were somehow connected. Years of research would commence, and several people would be used as sacrifices to obtain the necessary data. It was for this reason that Matatabi had become revered as a demon of death, but with each death the scientist drew more conclusions until they had found their answers. The human soul naturally attached itself to chakra. It was for this reason that when a Jinchūriki's tailed beast was extracted that they died. By removing the beast, a being made completely of chakra, one's soul was removed with it. When the body had been devoid of any chakra, the soul would gradually fade away with it.


 * When stripping these people of all form leaving nothing but their chakra, Shikaniku inadvertently stole their chained soul with it. Because of this, Shikaniku is blessed with a skill that alchemist have spent centuries attempting to garner: immortality, or so he calls it. A sword piercing his heart, his body being blown to smithereens; with every death he seems to simply return entirely unharmed. There are no tricks in which he will use illusions to make it appear as if he was stuck. When his heart is pierced, and his body blown to smithereens, he is struck and his body is truly destroyed. Similarly to a technique used by those who wield the Rinnegan, Shikaniku infuses himself with a new life. Rather than give his own soul for the death god to claim, Shikaniku offers a soul from his reservoir. As each soul that resides in the human world possesses a life force, they are unable to take life with them to the afterworld, and are forced to release it so that the death god can claim their essence. The recipient of this life energy is Shikaniku, who's body is reconstructed and rejuvenated using it.


 * For such reason, killing Shikaniku is a task attainable by those strong enough to survive him a thousand times. He has assimilated thousands of lives and people; he is considered immortal by those who know his secret. With every life force he takes, while he is granted the ability to die those amount of times, Shikaniku has access to their array of skills and special abilities. His skills with every kenjutsu, shuriken, and taijutsu styles of the five great nations and even some forms belonging to the samurai are considered master tier. The sheer supply of skills that he has is impressive in its own right, however what many find jaw-breaking is the level in which he can employ these skills. Unlike those wielders of the Sharingan, Shikaniku is assimilating skills rather than copying them. Because of this, he takes in the experiences of those whom he steals these skills from. Their failures and successes become his own; he takes the time that they spent training and adopt it as his own. Thus, he copies their skills and uses them to a level that match those whom he acquired it from, making this particular assimilation much more valuable than that of the Sharingan.

Nature Transformations
Through advanced chakra control, one is able (ableit with handseals, or mediation) to alter the properties of chakra. There are five basic phases in which one can transform their energy into, and because the human body is a reflection of the earth, these phases can be found in nature as the five elements. By converting one's chakra into one of these phases, one is able to influence the elements in reality, and/or if the chakra is potent enough they can create elements entirely. However, because of the complexity of the transformation, very few shinobi are capable of utilizing more than a single element—their affinity. An affinity is often determined by genetics, or environmental influences, but regardless of its origin, it is almost impossible for a shinobi to not properly use their own, especially if they devote time training it.

Because of the chakra being naturally willing to change, learning other nature transformations require a great deal of time and effort, thus those with two or three usually stand as an elite shinobi of their respective village. Thanks to the bloodline ability of his mother's clan, the magnet release, Shikaniku has been blessed with two elemental nature affinities as opposed to one, allowing him to easily use the wind and earth elements. Though, he has dedicated time to practicing these two phases of energy, Shikaniku states that he, in his own right, is not a master of either element and only claims proficiency. What he takes a great deal of pride in is his Magnet Release, a bloodline limit created by combining the wind and earth nature transformations, having dedicated a great portion of his time to mastering it, and using it alongside his own Nara Clan Hiden to amplify its productiveness.

Unlike his forefathers who often use their Magnet Release to manipulate large quantities of gold dust and iron sad as means of controlling the Shukaku, Shikaniku, having never been exposed to the rage of the beast, has developed his in a way similar to of. By channeling his chakra into anything he touches, Shikaniku can give any object a magnetic field, thus turning anything into a personal magnet of his. Through practice, he has learned to determine what magnetic field to give a person, (whether he wants it to be "positive" or "negative"), and by giving certain fields different properties, he can cause them to either attract or repel from one another. It is not uncommon for Shikaniku to give his opponent a separate charge than their shadow, causing a constant attraction between the two. Since a shadow is an illusion, and thus can not be physically moved, his opponent is generally pinned to the earth, and incapable of motion.

Though, of all techniques, that is not the most impressive within his arsenal. Only under circumstances where he is definite of victory will he use his magnet release by itself, however for a large majority of the time, Shikaniku uses it in conjunction with his ability to flow chakra into his shadow. By combining his bloodline ability with the hiden of his clan, he is able to induce both effects onto his opponent if one is introduced. When magnetizing his opponent, he is able to flow his chakra into their being, and by extension, by mixing his yin release with his nature transformation, Shikaniku can send his chakra into his opponent's shadow, magnetizing and inducing shadow paralysis upon them. The opposite occurs when he induces his shadow paralysis upon someone; they become magnetized by having magnetic chakra flow into their body, while his yin consumes their shadow.

Bukijutsu
Though his ANBU training exposed him to a variety of weapons and tools, it was ultimately his parents that decided it'd be best for him to learn the proper forms of a blade. As a child, even Shikaniku's swordplay was special. When placed under dire circumstances, Shikaniku's latent abilities awakened, seemingly responding to a sudden fluctuation in Shikaniku's spiritual energy. When activated, the child's own shadow became alive, acting purely in defense. It would shape itself into forms to protect the Nara, slicing and devouring anything that approached without warning or hesitation. Friend or foe, no one was allowed near the child, and for this very reason Shikaniku was chosen by The Anbu. Originally, Shikaniku's control over this ability was fairly poor. He could truly only use it when he was placed under severe mental stress, thus this ability was often not utilized for taijutsu purposes. It wouldn't be until his training with The Anbu, that he would properly learn control, for once he understood how his clan's techniques functioned, then he could replicate the fluctuations of his spiritual energy without forcing himself into an emotional state of dissatisfaction. With control over his own abilities, Shikaniku has combined his shadow's ability to manifest instantaneously and it's ability to bend and defend accordingly to his will, with his own general kenjutsu skills to achieve a devastating fighting style. A form of unique kenjutsu, with every strike comes one followed behind by his shadow, using the physical feints and attacks to create openings for his shadow to deal the devastating blow.

Because he is formally educated in the proper manner to utilize a blade, Shikaniku's kenjutsu forms are often quite polished, making use of the basic principles of the blade. Infused with advanced training in all sword techniques, combined with his own incredible acrobatic prowess, the limits of his swordsman is truthfully outstanding, as he is capable of virtually defending and attacking from all possible positions. His swordsplay is typically filled with feints that creates opening, causing misdirection from his enemies. Combined with his speed, his feints are often fast, quick, leaving him capable of creating openings with a single motion. The feigning techniques utilize effective moments of the blade and of the body. Twisting one's body to match the feign of the blade is often the most convincing, but for many shinobi, switching directions is too difficult, thus the application of this feigning method is rarely used in combat. However, Shikaniku's agile nature allows for such, as he can change direction so spontaneously, that he can strike down his opponent before they have the opportunity to properly respond to the feign. For those who do detect, dodging the next strike is difficult in it's own right, for even if they manage to dodge Shikaniku's physical attack, his shadow comes right behind him, attacking the position where they dodged too.

Intelligence
With the clan known for their intelligence along with his lineage's genetic genius, Shikaniku's greatest assest is indeed his intellect which is seen as supernatural by those outside of the Nara. Both naturally and artifically enhanced, Shikaniku stands as one of Konoha's greatest mind like his father and before him. During his initial ANBU training, Shikaniku was taught how to fight alone and for this reason he had to always be not only observant, analytical and attentive, but even more so than the enemy shinobi. He had to see faster, analyze quicker and respond before the enemy shinobi could especially in this time of war. He exercised this ability countless numbers of time, against other ninja whom were also being drilled with the same mentality. With every training session against his peers, he proved capable of running several thousands of simulations and choose the best one within seconds.

His genius allows him to recall anything that he has directly interacted with: seen, heard, touches, smell, tasted. Any little detail can be seen and examined twenty years later as if it occured yesterday. For this reason, he is an encyclopedia of knowledge, having acquired a vast amount. Conversations with others, books he read, overhead conversations from adults around him, games of shogi and observed battles are among the many things Shikaniku remembers almost as if he had just experienced them. For this very reason, he is a genius similar to, and. His training, techniques and forms are all engrained in his brain and as he acquires more knowledge he can practice them and improve his skills. A single demonstration of the technique is enough to allow Shikaniku to break it down over a course of time and learn it for himself. Because of his remarkable memorization and incredible intuition, his growth rate is truly incredible and that is the reason he is recognized a child prodigy.

As the leader of the Nara Clan, Shikaniku has mastered every aspect of the clan and has read the thoroughly and over and over again despite his photographic memory. As a result, he has full understanding of the concepts inside of the medical book. He can recall any medical herb, medical procedures and the effect of those things on the spot and can complete the actual procedure and prepare any herb when given the proper tools, making him a well rounded and well versed doctor who relies on actual skill rather than ninjutsu to heal others. In addition to being capable of identifying the herb, procedure and their effects, he can also identify and analyze the problem of someone else upon a single person. Also, because he completes medical procedures on others, Shikaniku has been inadvertently memorized the human anatomy, which he can use during battle to strike weak points in the body such as their vitals, organs or nerves, making him even more dangerous than he is without this knowledge.

Next, due to his arrogant disposition he is usually unflappable, even when facing danger directly in the face. Because of this, he is normally calm and composed, granting him the ability to recall everything clearly and devise a strategy to handle the situation in nearly the same amount of time in which he can recall details. More impressive than this ability is how he manages to devise the best strategy to assist him in a situation and how quickly he can do so. He is capable of acting on a moment’s notice. He can out think his opponent by being several steps ahead of them and can act before they can even make their next move. In fact, it can be argued that he is several steps ahead of the entire shinobi world because of his strategy and extremely formulated plan to conquer the world, and how advanced they are. Due to his extensive use of his spiritual energy and coupled with his massive intellect, Shikaniku has developed a mindscape; a world inside of his head similar to some who uses their minds to communicate with their tailed beast. A place that keeps his thoughts organized in different forms rather than words, this internal world is what allows him to store his massive collection of acquired knowledge. Shikaniku's mindscape is a massive forest with many different deer running about. The trees are all different, their leaves reflecting different colors and the texture of their bark differing with every single one. Each tree represents a different experience, a dialogue, a training session, a battle, etc. The deer, created by Shikaniku through several different fuinjutsu seals and barrier ninjutsu, are the guardians of his information; prevents anyone from easily accessing his glorious information. To tap into this secret world requires concentration, the ability to break through the various traps he has set forth as the deer themselves all inherit special abilities that can change in the blink of an eye. Consciously attached to himself, he can warp this world instantly and change it.

Knowledge
"What you know is that everyone has a shadow. What you don't know is that every shadow whispers. And I'm the only one who listens"

- Shikaniku speaking about his spies As the leader of Root and the Jōnin Commander, Shikaniku commands an army of assassins and spies intent on following his word. Under his rule, they have infiltrated the lands and have returned home with documents in their possession. With each successful mission, Shikaniku's library grows; what men most fear is this vast sea of secrets. Interrogation, espionage, and blackmailing are just a few methods he utilize to acquire knowledge. Despite these various effective sources of information, Shikaniku is no fool. The only shinobi that another can truly trust is themselves; information is best acquired through one's own experience. In Shikaniku's case, knowledge is best acquired through the information he takes.

As a member of the ANBU, Shikaniku has been inserted into countless numbers of towns and organizations employed as a double agent for Konoha. His charisma, charming looks and particularly useful skills proved helpful in his quest to acquire acquaintances during his time as an agent. Sometimes, he'd choose to betray them, but other times he would report back to Konoha unsuccessful. Secretly, he had formed truces with these towns and organizations to exchange information whenever they acquired it, or to simply remain silent. In doing so, he established personal connections with people across the lands to serve as his personal shadows.

Equipment

 *  (解毒薬, Gedokuyaku):
 *  (手配書, Bingo-Bukku):
 *  (増血丸, Zōketsugan):
 *  (チャクラ刀, Chakura Tō):
 *  (チャクラ刀, Chakura Tō):
 *  (チャクラ刀, Chakura Tō):

Trivia

 * Shikaniku's yearly salary, as the Head of Root is approximately three hundred thousand dollars.