Naruto Promo Sets Up Shikamaru's Life-or-Death Gamble
Shikamaru has long been a major character in the Shonen franchise from the mind of Masashi Kishimoto, using his shadow abilities to help the ninjas of the Hidden Leaf Village more times than we can count. With the ninja now being the right-hand man for Naruto, it seems that a promo for the next chapter of Boruto's manga is hinting that Shikamaru is laying everything on the line in the battle against Code and his new allies in the newly formed interpretation of the Kara Organization.
Shikamaru's strength has never quite been from his jutsu, though his control of the shadows has definitely helped him out in quite a few battles over the decades of stories arriving from the Ninja World. What Shikamaru has primarily been known for during his ninja career is his mind, with the shadow-wielding warrior becoming one of the first ninjas of Naruto's class to become a Chunin during the earlier days of the Shonen franchise. While Shikamaru hasn't spent his adult years on the frontlines for the most part, things have changed recently as he has accompanied the Seventh Hokage on a number of fights against Code and the Kara Organization, though now, Shikamaru is on his own.
In a preview for Chapter 70 of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, it seems that Shikamaru is set to lay everything on the line, with many fans wondering if this will finally be the battle that spells doom for the long-running ninja of Konoha after a number of close shaves throughout the sequel series:
"There is a dilemma… at the mercy of Ada's ability, what is the strategy that Shikamaru intends to use?"
Currently, in Boruto's anime, Shikamaru is safe and sound thanks to not being a part of the current journey of Team 7, with Boruto and his friends fighting away from Konoha and the Kara Organization still sticking to the shadows following the death of Jigen. Needless to say, it might be quite some time before we see the current events of the manga play out on the small screen.
Do you think that Shikamaru is done for in the pages of Boruto? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Hidden Leaf Village.