Shikamaru's New Jutsu

by Crumpled

Nara Shikamaru was just about the last person one would expect to spend years honing his own, person jutsu. However, against all odds, he has completed it and is ready to show his friends. But the real question is: what does this jutsu do? HUMOR ShikaIno

Shikamaru's New Jutsu

AN: Just an idea that's been floating in my head... enjoy!

Also, this is set three years after Shippuuden, when the Konoha 11 are 18

Shikamaru was not the most active ninja. He had the qualities of a shinobi - each to a varying degree - but seemed fated to follow none of them to their full potential. He was fast... but he rarely ran, considering it troublesome. He was strong, but he relied mostly on shadow manipulation, as most Naras do. He was dedicated, but unless you knew him well, you wouldn't guess it as he showed it infrequently - usually at the place and time it was needed most. Even his off-the-charts aptitude at strategy was usually underestimated because of his lazy demeanor. So it was to everyone's great surprise when Nara Shikamaru, king of all things lazy, announced that he had completed a jutsu two years in the making.

"NANI!" Yamanaka Ino screeched, having trouble believing her ears. "You created a jutsu?"

"It was troublesome... but hai," the lazy chuunin answered, his eyes focused over her head at the puffy clouds drifting across the sky.

"A jutsu that took you two years?"

"Again, hai, Ino-chan."

"And you actually finished it?" At this point, Shikamaru lowered his gaze to Ino's disbelieving gaze, one eyebrow high above the other.

"Need I really answer this?" She blushed slightly, but didn't back down.

"Yes! Why didn't you tell us you were working on a jutsu? We could have helped!"

"It was more of a hobby than actual work," he admitted, though he didn't sound ashamed in the least. The blonde girl relaxed slightly.

"Now that's more like the Shikamaru I know and love. So when are you going to show us this jutsu?" She looked a mixture of excited, and apprehensive. Knowing Shika-kun, his jutsu could be anything, she thought, hoping not to be disappointed.

"Mah... I don't know, I only want to do it once, so I'd prefer if I showed you all at the same time. Could you ask the Konoha 11, Team Gai and Tsunade-sama to come to a training ground sometime?" Ino sweat dropped.

"Sometime? A training ground? Way to be specific, Shika-kun." He may have flushed slightly, but Ino wasn't positive. "Okay then, 4:00 at training ground one." Ino sighed. Training ground 1 was Shikamaru's usual training ground for a number of reasons. One; it was closest to the city, meaning he'd have to walk the shortest. Two; it was simplistic, adorned with only a few trees, a target, and a few training stumps on a small field. And Three - and most importantly, in Shikamaru's point of view - it had an excellent view of the sky.

"Sure, sure..." Ino said, already doubting that this technique would ever get unveiled. But she walked off without complaint to Sakura's house, hopefully getting her to join her in telling the others about his new jutsu...

Sakura's House:

"NANI? That lazybones created a jutsu? What is it, Cloud Animation jutsu?"

Naruto and Hinata's Apartment:

"That is wonderful, Ino-san! Naruto-kun and I will be there for sure-"

"Where will we be, Hina-chan?"

"We're going to see Shikamaru-san's new jutsu-"

"Shikamaru has a new jutsu? But that's imposs-" He broke off, seemingly coming to a conclusion. "SASUKE! I know this is a trap! Hah! Come out and fight, you traitor!"

"... I'll leave you two to it then..."

The Akimichi Clan House:

"Ah! So Shikamaru's finally finished it, eh? I'll see you there..."

"WAIT! WHAT'S HIS JUTSU!" (Pink haired banshee)

"CHOUJI! IF YOU DON'T TELL ME WHAT HIS NEW JUTSU IS RIGHT NOW, I'LL-" (Blonde haired banshee.)

But Chouji, sensing this outburst, had shut the door.

Neji and Tenten's Apartment:

"Shikamaru? Huh! Didn't think he had it in him." Ino looked slightly angered at this, but said nothing.

"I see. I will be there."

"Shikamaru sends his thanks!" Sakura said cheerfully. The couple snorted simultaneously.

"Doubt it," Tenten said, mirroring her, Neji's, and Ino's thoughts.

Inuzuka Clan House:

"Hah! So the lazy bastard actually created a jutsu! C'mon, Akamaru, let's work on our new jutsu! Ours is gonna throw his out of the water!"

"Woof!" Akamaru barked his agreement, and the two ran off into the woods

"... so I'll see you then, then..." Sakura finished to the open air

Training Ground 78:

"Yosh! At long last Shikamaru-san's flames of youth will shine brightly from within his lazy demeanor! I look forward to seeing the move! I'm sure it will be full of youth!"

"Thanks, Lee-kun," Sakura said resignedly at his expression of 'youthfullness.' She gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Could you tell Gai-sensei as well?"

"Yes! And if I cannot find him in 15, no, 10 minutes, then I will walk up and down the Hokage monument 20 times backwards on my hands!" And he sped off.

"I don't see how you can stand him, Sakura."

"He has a certain charm..." Sakura trailed off, looking fondly at the retreating (no longer green spandex-wearing) blob fade into the distance.

The Memorial Stone:

"I'll be there," Sakura's silver-haired sensei said, flipping a page in his small, orange book. I wonder how many times he's read that thing... Sakura thought, but brushed the thought off.

"Great! And sensei..." She cracked her knuckles menacingly, her eyes becoming shadowed behind a veil of bangs she had grown for this very purpose, "If you want to remain completely male, if you catch my drift," Kakashi gulped, "You'll be there on time." She looked up cheerfully. "Right, Kakashi-sensei?"

"R-right," he said, and scurried off, his knees slightly buckled.

"Nicely done," Ino complimented.

"Why, thank you, Ino."

Aburame Clan House:

"I will be present."

Kurenai and Asuma's House:

"Yes, Shikamaru has mentioned that he's been working on a jutsu for some time now," Asuma stroked his beard. "I will be interested to see how this turns out..."

"WAIT! SENSEI! WHAT DOES HIS JUTSU DO-"

"Darn those men and their door-closing ways."

Hokage Mansion:

"Hmm... if even the lazy twit's made a new jutsu, I'll have to make a new one, too, I guess." The female Hokage sighed. "I guess it can't be helped. SHIZUNE!"

"So can you make it, sensei?"

"I'll try, Ino, but I've got a lot of paperwork to do..." Thump! Shizune promptly fainted with a smile on her face. I've taught her so well... the black haired medic thought in a sleep-like daze.

Sai's Apartment:

"No." The door slammed. Sakura sighed in defeat.

"He's been avoiding Shikamaru ever since he proved Sai's... theory... about all the Konoha 11 guys wrong." Ino drooled slightly.

"And Naruto was so disappointed he wasn't the one to prove him wrong... Sai got so many of those jokes in when we went to The Bridge of Heaven and Earth to meet with Kabuto..."

Finally, it was 4:00, and almost all of the invitees were present to see the shadow-user's new technique. Sakura cracked her knuckles at the thought of the pain Kakashi would go through the next time she saw him. How dare he not show up!

Everyone present was shifting excitedly, waiting to see the unveiling. Finally, Shikamaru stepped in front of the crowd.

"Troublesome. I had hoped everyone would come..." The people present frowned slightly at that. It wasn't like Shikamaru to comment on things like that. "Well, anyways, here's my new technique. Shikamaru calmed himself, and began flashing seals. The older shinobi watched his hands carefully. The seals seemed to be placed in a strange order. Dragon, followed by Boar and Snake seals? He's up to something... The Hokage thought, narrowing her eyes slightly. If his seals are correct, this is meant to be neither an offensive, nor a defensive jutsu. Finally, after nearly 60 seals, he stopped with a Dragon Seal.

"Shikamaru Kata: Mendoksu Insei Jutsu!" He announced. A shock wave flattened the grass around him, reaching to the edges of the group, then stopping. The people present felt their mouths dry, and began to have a bad feeling.

"Shikamaru... explain this jutsu at once!"

"-So lame! Akamaru and I could've-"

"-Disappointed in you, I had thought-"

"-The hell was that?"

"-unyouthful display!"

"-ano, I admit I'm rather put out-"

"-SHIKAMARU! HOW DARE YOU PUT ME THROUGH ALL THE TROUBLE TO GET EVERYONE HERE-"

Shikamaru grinned widely, a rather rare sight, and put his hands into an unknown seal. Chakra fluctuated through his hands, and suddenly the crowd froze, literally. Sound and time seemed to have stopped around only the people surrounding him. Only the upright statures and (angry-sounding) breathing made it clear that they were still living. Shikamaru smiled, and closed his eyes, laid down, and gazed at the sky, and fell asleep.

When Shikamaru woke up peacefully three hours later, and saw the still frozen forms of his friends around him, he sighed and said, "As troublesome as it is to explain, this new jutsu of mine is probably the least troublesome thing I know of. Now that you all are "marked," so to speak, with my chakra, I can freeze you in any point of time. It will ware off when I do the correct seals, which can only be done by me, as it takes my chakra to unlock it." There seemed to be a slight hissing coming from Tsunade, Sakura, and Ino. "Finally, you can no longer be troublesome to me." He smiled a lazy, but happy smile, and walked off, not undoing the seals until he was comfortably on the couch. He doubted Ino would let him in the bed for quite some time. As he fell into a satisfied slumber, he heard multiple voices screaming,

"SHIKAMARU!"

AN: So how was it? Sort of random, and my idea changed halfway through (originally, he was gonna take a leaf out of Gaara's book and make a forced-sleep jutsu - but that would be too easy for others to get him awake from.)

:D

R&R,

Aquahina