Chapter 403: Venom Returns
Outskirts of the Survivor Base.
"This is the place..."
Shikamaru came to a halt, scanning his surroundings. He never expected the Venom symbiote to be so close—so close that it hadn't even left the survivor base before being discovered.
People whose eyes had lost the light known as "hope" were hiding among the ruins. A few stray dogs gnawed on human corpses sprawled across the ground.
"It's in the sewers."
Shikamaru lifted the manhole cover and descended the ladder.
The screeching of rats echoed alongside a nauseating stench that rushed up to meet him.
My name is Nara Shikamaru. I'm a high-ranking official in the Hidden Leaf Village, the Hokage's assistant, and the smartest person in the village—without exception. I used to be bonded with a lifeform called Venom, but it has since left me. And when it did, it took half of my soul with it.
I can't live without it—at least not right now. The enemies emerging in the ninja world grow stronger by the day. Whether it's to protect the one I love or the village I love, I need power.
And I'm well aware of how dangerous Venom is. If I leave it unchecked, it'll only become another threat to the ninja world.
The best-case scenario is that it agrees to return to me. If not, I'll have no choice but to destroy it right here and now. No one understands how dangerous a hungry Venom can be better than I do.
"It's just ahead..."
Shikamaru could sense Venom's presence—like a phantom limb, a lost part of himself he could still feel.
As he continued forward, he began to see human remains and charred corpses of small animals—roasted over makeshift fires.
"...Looks like some survivors were hiding here, living off roasted rats..."
Shikamaru analyzed, reconstructing the scene in his mind.
A few starving people had hidden away here, roasting rats to stay alive. But one day, an unexpected creature broke the fragile peace.
"I'm seeing it again... And with this feeling, it must know I'm here for it..."
The closer he got, the stronger the sensation became.
"We're here."
Shikamaru suddenly stopped. Pitch blackness stretched before him—he couldn't even see his hand in front of his face. But thanks to the link between them, Shikamaru could still clearly sense Venom lurking in the shadows, silently watching him.
"I know you're here. Come out. You should know by now—you can't hide from me."
Shikamaru stared into the darkness. There was nothing to be seen, but he was certain.
"I won't let you keep feeding! No matter what, I will stop you!"
That said, he didn't actually have many ways to stop Venom.
He couldn't be sure whether Venom would return to him out of old affection—or if it now saw him as just another meal.
But Shikamaru leaned toward the former. After all, Venom had passed up many chances to possess others along the way. It had deliberately refrained.
There was no response, and Shikamaru's patience was gradually wearing thin. Suddenly, without warning, a hideous black head emerged from the darkness.
It was Venom—Shikamaru knew it immediately.
"Grrrrrr..."
Venom growled lowly at him. Others might not understand what it was saying, but Shikamaru, fluent in "Venom-speak," heard it clearly.
"The hunger... for flesh..." Shikamaru frowned. "I can compromise. No good people—but bad ones are fair game."
He needed Venom's power, and this was the only concession he could make.
"..."
Venom was clearly still hesitating.
"Come back to me, Venom. Please."
Shikamaru reached out and stroked Venom's body.
Venom's flesh squirmed in response—its way of showing comfort and pleasure.
Solving this without a fight would be the best outcome.
Under Shikamaru's gentle touch, Venom acted like a puppy.
Slowly, Venom's body began to wrap around Shikamaru. It sniffed at his face, then licked his cheek with its tongue.
Sensing no hostility from the symbiote, Shikamaru remained calm and unflinching.
"Let's become one again, Venom."
He spread his arms.
Venom enveloped him once more, fusing with his body.
"I swear—we won't be separated again."
...
He climbed back up the ladder to the surface.
Amid a battlefield engulfed in flames.
"What the hell...?"
Shikamaru was momentarily confused.
"No! Stop!"
A man staggered and fell to the ground, with a Scientific Ninja Tool Puppet in pursuit.
"You promised! You said if I led you to the survivors, you'd let me go!"
The man crawled backwards across the ground, shouting desperately.
"Humans... must die..."
The puppet spoke in broken, robotic speech.
It fired a Rasengan from its arm cannon, striking the man and killing him instantly.
"Venom!"
Shikamaru called out, and black liquid burst from his body, completely covering him.
Venom had returned.
His shadow wrapped around the man's corpse and dragged it over—where Venom devoured it in a single gulp.
At the same time, Shikamaru's sudden transformation caught the attention of the puppet.
"Well, now that I've eaten, let's go!"
Shikamaru leapt forward and punched the puppet in the face, sending it flying.
But he knew full well—this level of force wasn't enough to destroy it.
The Scientific Ninja Tool Puppet quickly got back up and opened fire on Venom with its weapon.
"That kind of attack won't work on me."
Step by step, Shikamaru approached the puppet.
But then, the puppet fired a Fireball Jutsu from its weapon. The blazing fireball struck Venom, forcing the symbiote to retreat from Shikamaru's body. The flames blasted Shikamaru away, completely exposed and unprotected.
Venom splattered to the ground like a puddle of liquid.
"Cough... cough..."
Clutching his chest, Shikamaru struggled to his feet.
Venom... is afraid of fire? That's something he hadn't known.
The tides had turned.
The puppet approached, one step at a time, aiming its weapon directly at Shikamaru.
"Shikamaru!"
A girl's voice rang out from behind the puppet.
"Temari?!"
Shikamaru looked in shock at the young Temari. "Run! Get out of here!"
Her voice didn't catch the puppet's attention—after all, it planned to kill one target at a time.