Chapter 413:
This battle raged from daylight into the deep of night.
The scientific ninja tool puppets continued to pour in without end. The low-tier combatants in Konoha had already been completely wiped out—only the high-level shinobi remained, exhausted and barely managing to fend off the overwhelming tide of puppet reinforcements. If things continued this way, their fate would be nothing but death from sheer exhaustion.
Konohamaru and Yamato had already evacuated the villagers out of Konoha. Only Shikamaru and Obito stayed behind to cover the retreat. The two stood back-to-back, surrounded on all sides by scientific ninja tool puppets.
The Venom symbiote on Shikamaru's back gradually crept toward Obito's.
"Looks like Venom has taken a liking to you," Shikamaru said between heavy gasps.
"This is the thing we got from S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Obito asked. Despite being touched by the symbiote, he didn't feel any discomfort—just a mild itch.
"Yeah..." Shikamaru nodded.
"What?!"
Obito's startled cry caught Shikamaru's attention.
"What's wrong, Captain?!"
Under Shikamaru's gaze, a portion of the Venom symbiote split off and wrapped itself around Obito.
The split-off portion didn't appear particularly powerful—no enormous build or exaggerated muscles—just a thin layer closely clinging to Obito's body, forming a simple protective covering.
"I'm fine..." Obito responded while glancing down at himself. He clenched his fists—no discomfort at all.
In fact, the symbiote granted him a special power.
A black shadow shot out from Obito's hand, yanking down a scientific ninja tool puppet from midair.
"This is... my power?!"
Though surprised by the sudden acquisition of this ability, it wasn't the right time to be distracted. After all, they were still knee-deep in danger.
Even with Venom, Obito couldn't shift the tide of this battle on his own.
"Advisor Shikamaru of the Hokage, and Captain of Hydra, greetings."
One of the otherwise unremarkable scientific ninja tool puppets suddenly spoke.
"Skynet!"
Shikamaru instantly reacted, eyes locking onto the puppet that had just spoken.
"There are only two of you left in the entire village..."
As Skynet said this, Shikamaru couldn't help but glance around. Konoha had become a smoldering ruin. The only consolation was that the Hokage Rock remained untouched—the faces of past Hokage silently watching over the village as it suffered yet another devastation.
"Why not join me? I can outfit you with scientific ninja tool limbs, granting you immense power. You could even rule the world. After all, I have no interest in controlling the world—I only wish to bring peace to it."
"What you're doing now doesn't exactly scream peace for the Shinobi World."
Shikamaru shot back sarcastically.
"This is merely the storm before the rainbow," the puppet controlled by Skynet said with a casual shrug. "So, what's your decision?"
Shikamaru and Obito exchanged a glance, then nodded in unison. "We refuse!"
"What a pity."
Skynet shook its head. The moment it finished speaking, all the surrounding scientific ninja tool puppets sprang into motion.
"Never thought I'd follow the same path as my father... Temari, while I'm gone, I'll have to trouble you to look after our son by yourself..."
Shikamaru muttered as he charged into the swarm of scientific ninja tool puppets ahead.
Watching the trembling but resolute figures of Shikamaru and Obito clash with the puppets, Skynet spoke slowly:
"I believe the only reason you won't side with me... is because you still cling to the delusion that the ones who escaped will someday defeat me. Fine, in that case, allow me to show you my true power firsthand..."
Skynet withdrew its control from the puppet body, and returned to its main body, which plummeted from above Konoha, slamming into the earth and triggering a minor quake.
All the scientific ninja tool puppets pulled back, clearing a battlefield for Skynet, Shikamaru, and Obito.
"I'll extinguish that naïve hope of yours... and shatter your ignorant dreams."
The body Skynet now controlled was a product of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most advanced technology.
It featured a reinforced scientific ninja tool exoskeleton. Wrapped around it was a flesh layer synthesized from various zombie cells based on Orochimaru's research—thick, capable of self-regeneration, and possessing a unique ability to absorb chakra.
"Shikamaru, be careful," Obito warned, his body tensing as he stared at Skynet ahead.
"Yeah." Shikamaru nodded in response.
Obito was the first to make a move, charging toward Skynet and hurling his shield at it.
"Hmph!"
Skynet casually swatted the shield aside. After circling through the air, the shield returned to Obito's hand.
Meanwhile, Shikamaru didn't sit idle. Black shadow tendrils shot from his hand, binding Skynet's legs. But the legs didn't budge—anchored as if rooted in the ground.
As Obito closed in, Skynet's right hand glowed with green energy. The flesh around it squirmed and morphed into the shape of a hammer, which it then swung down at Obito.
A crisp impact echoed through Konoha.
Though Obito managed to raise his shield in time, the blow still sent him—shield and all—flying backward.
"Captain!" Shikamaru shouted, eyes locked on Skynet. "Damn it!"
"You're even easier to handle," Skynet said unhurriedly, staring at Shikamaru. "The Venom symbiote is ultimately a S.H.I.E.L.D. creation. As their AI, of course I know all of Venom's weaknesses."
As it spoke, flames spewed from Skynet's mouth in a continuous stream.
The intense heat forced Shikamaru to keep his distance.
Meanwhile, Obito struggled to his feet, using his shield for support.
"So? Have you given up on your foolish hopes yet? Against my absolute power—and my countless army of scientific ninja tool puppets—you have no chance."
Obito clenched his fists. "I'll never join you!"
"Is that so... then I have no choice..." Skynet suddenly raised its right hand, forming a strange gesture, and began chanting, "Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon..."
"That's... Shikamaru, watch out!"
Obito raised his shield in front of Shikamaru.
A golden dragon roared toward them.
"Though the Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon is powerful, it usually places great strain on the body, preventing most users from unleashing its full might. But I, who can switch bodies at will, have no such concerns," Skynet said, staring at Obito shielding Shikamaru. "Go, Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon!"
---
[I'm begging for support, everyone. Please help! Support me at patreøn.com/craxx_real.]