Shikamaru is useless in a battle like this one, but is pretty awesome in the right conditions (like when he vs that akasuki member).
I was thinking he would be a better right hand man. But yer... your right... He wouldn't last 30 seconds!
Well, yeah, he cant do shit, but if he didnt give them that pip talk, they would sit next to Obito and wait in line for him to peal their skins off, meaning what Naruto, and the others did now equals Akamaru's piss U_U