Just a quickie two-shot I did...did one then the other 2 hours later. Note the chapters are named after who they're about...not who's talking.
---------------------------------------------------------------------Shikamaru : The Other Half
I've known him for years. Or at least I thought I did.
Ever since we were 4, we've been acquaintances. The Yamanakas and the Naras have worked with each other on many occasions. So it wasn't a big surprise that father would introduce me to this boy at such an early age. Both families wanted us to be close; it would make for "another perfect team of shinobi" later on. I didn't see why...he slept through class and always gave half-effort...he spent more time watching the clouds than learning his techniques.
He was always so...uninterested. He distanced himself from everything, too bored with life to engage himself in it. I'm the exact opposite way, so it surprised me that I could even stand being around him. He didn't understand most of the things I talk about on a regular basis...no, he didn't care about anything I talked about on a regular basis. But...he still bothered to listen. Still, a guy who trudges through life instead of running through it...he'll never be anything special. I could manipulate him into doing whatever I wanted by just bothering him enough.
But the last year has changed all that. Now that we've been on the same team, I know the other half...what he tends to hide from others for some reason. His intelligence is amazing (when you can get through his thick skull to turn his brain on). He knows his techniques well, and he's a great planner. And now that he's a chuunin...other people see his skill. Funny how things change so quickly...
It's scary, really. Suddenly, he gets motivated about things, and all this...will comes out of nowhere. When he gets hot about something, he backs up his friends, and uses his abilities to the limit. He even stands up straight, without his hands on his hips. It just...doesn't seem like Shikamaru anymore. This new guy is 1000 times cooler than Shikamaru ever was!
But...when things are peaceful, he is too. He still sits and watches the clouds. He doesn't get loud...he doesn't waste movement. It's like...that silent type of strength-the kind that always passes the test of time. The strength that can fight endlessly for what it believes in yet still appreciate the peace to the fullest. I envy that in him.
He's actually kind of cute when he's motivated...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------A silent stare into the clouds
Confirms the truth as clear as day
Peace is always better for the mind
Small wars are not worth fighting
Only allow those things that have meaning
To cause you trouble...
...Or else your life will be an endless war.