AN: Second half to 'Innocence'. Not really much else you can say. Shikacentric. :3
Disclaimer: I own it not. Otherwise there'd be a hell of a lot more ShikaKiba fanservice… Unfortunately, I did not put any ShikaKiba in this, so you have no need to worry. There isn't really a paring to be found, tbh… n.n'
Drive
Streaks of red over the flesh speeding along as he ran. Nara Shikamaru simply watched as the Inuzuka finished his fourth lap of Konoha and started his fifth. Enthusiasm for the adrenaline rush of just running and running. Maybe he was trying to run away from any problems he was faced with as he ran round their village again and again, but… That didn't seem all too likely. After all, Kiba didn't really seem to have any problems. To run and run, just for the sake of running.
Lee was another one with boundless amounts of energy and enthusiasm and the desire to become the best, become good enough for his Sensei. While there were countless other unique motivators among the other genin, this seemed to be the most common one - the urge to proof one's self.
Sasuke, revenge on his brother. Wanting to show he was better than him. Neji, trying so hard to be as good as (no, better than) the main branch. Ino and Sakura, both trying to proof themselves to that idiot Sasuke. Everyone did it and it was so childish. Which was quite good, really. After all, every single one of the genin was still a child.
As he ran through all their names in his head, he could pick out at least one reason for how they were motivated with a drive to proof themselves. And then… Then he got to his own name. And he got stuck.
The one thing he knew to be more of a symbol of childhood than anything else… The seeking of attention and affection and a positive response…
He couldn't find it.
He tried to look for any motivation at all.
He couldn't find it.
---
It eventually took him three days of practically solid thinking and cloud watching before he could find any reason for motivation at all. All he could find was the will to survive. Perhaps the most adult reason of motivation at all. And then he wondered where the hell his childhood had gone.
Two days later, a note had appeared in the window of the Lost and Found place, just above the missing heart, brain and courage.
He wondered why he'd put it up.
But he somewhat hoped that someone could help him with it and return his innocence.
He somewhat missed it, as childish as that was in itself.