Is Naruto Really About to Kill Off Shikamaru?

If you are a fan of manga and anime, you have almost certainly heard of Naruto. The shonen series is a legend within the industry, and over the years, its heroes have tackled everything from aliens to gods. Of course, some of the story's toughest moments come when one of its heroes dies, and Boruto might be ready to take that leap. So if you haven't noticed, the whole fandom is watching Shikamaru with absolute terror in their eyes.

And this time, the ninja has deep roots with the fandom. Naruto fans are worried that Nara Shikamaru is about to die, and the whole fanbase is in a tizzy over his future.

As you can see in the slides below, fans began freaking out after Boruto put out its latest chapter. It was there readers were given an update on Kawaki and Boruto as they fought Code just beyond the village. Fans watched as Boruto was overtaken once more by Momoshiki, and things went further south when Code took Shikamaru hostage.

Now, the rogue Kara member has Shikamaru in his grasp, and Code will stop at nothing to get Kawaki on his own. If this means killing Shikamaru, well – Code is fine with shedding a bit more blood. As the manga has stressed time and again, Shikamaru knew the stakes of joining Naruto on this mission, and he will give his life for the Hidden Village without a second thought. That is why Shikamaru tells Naruto to keep fighting even if Code kills him, but we all know the Hokage isn't going to act rashly with his friend's life on the line.

For now, the Naruto fandom is understandably panicked about Shikamaru, and you can't really blame them. Naruto has killed major characters in the past, and Boruto hasn't jumped ship with any big kills at this point. But if Code wants to stress his S-rank status, he could do so easily by killing the Hidden Leaf's best strategist.

What do you make of Shikamaru's predicament right now? Do you think Naruto would consider killing off the ninja? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.