Well, HELLO, everyone! (welcome to my channel-)
Anyway, here is something that came to my mind. I was wondering how Shikaku learned all he knew about the Shinobi world. Well, actually, it seems pretty obvious, but I think he is the kind of guy, that, just like his son, had to be shaken up quite a bit. So here it is! There will be a second part, maybe a third. At least one will have to do with death, just like when he went to Shikamaru after Asuma's death.
I hope you enjoy! Please review and excuse possible mistakes in english, as it isn't my first language. Thank you!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. I did use Konohamaru's dad as their sensei, even though we don't talk about him in the manga/anime. (hey, he has to have a dad, doesn't he)
I am very sad about what happened to Shikaku. He truly was a character I cherished. So here's to him.
Well, he had to say, he never thought he would ever had to tell such a horrible sermon to his son.
After all, he was the one in his place about 15 years ago.
Shikaku wasn't the one who just learned his wisdom; actually, everything he ever told Shikamaru, he mostly had heard for himself, growing up. The Nara was smart. Yes, he was wise. But he thought he couldn't lecture someone if he hadn't been in the same situation, which is why the only times Shikamaru got a very strong father figure in front of him was when his dad actually knew what the boy was going through.
When he graduated from a genin to a chuunin, Shikaku was a brat. Literally; a brat. He was arrogant, sufficient, pretentious and thought the world owed him everything. Anyway, when he was sent on a mission to get info on an attack from Iwa, with his two best friends, he couldn't stop but brag about it. Hokage-sama was trusting him with defending the village.
His cockiness got them in trouble. He thought them strong enough to get against the Rock guys. They weren't. Unlike him, Chouza and Inoichi weren't Chuunin yet and had failed the exams. He had been a poor leader, but he had his young age on his side to defend the stupidity.
When they came back to Konoha, both his friends were taken by the mednins and they almost did died. He almost had got his best friends killed. He was in shock, in awe in front of his own mistake, the hugest he had ever done. He had never been so disappointed in himself.
While waiting for news on Chouza and Inoichi conditions, he talked seriously to his ex-sensei, who was just over five years older than him. He was Asuma's big brother, the future heir of the Sarutobi Clan. Guess we just don't change a winning team, right? Sarutobi & InoShikaCho seemed to go well together, at least.
He told him in his most serious voice:
« I don't want to be a Shinobi anymore. I'm just not made for it. I can't be a leader. I fucked up, Sensei. I can't do that again, I have to stop it here. »
The young chuunin got on his feet, put his hands in his pockets, his eyes never darting away from the ground.
« I'm going to see the Hokage, to give my resignation. »
« You haven't thought that through, now, have you, Shikaku? »
He didn't answer before starting to walk to get out of the hospital.
« Missions will still go on, you know. No matter if you quit or not, this will not stop. The Shinobi world won't stop because you decided that you were too much of a coward for it, Shikaku. »
This made the young chuunin stop and turn around, like he had been hit by fire.
« That's right, that's what you are: a coward. You're running away. If Inoichi and Chouza are in that state, yes, that's because of you. But maybe it had been someone else, they would have been dead. Or another, they would have been perfectly safe. You can't run away from that, from guilt, you know. It runs pretty fast, actually, and that's what you're trying to escape. Except if the next time they go on a mission without you as their leader, and die, then, the guilt will just run faster. »
« What the hell are you trying to say?! »
« If you really do care about them and love them as much as you seem to, you need to learn from your mistakes to protect them. To become a greater man and a greater Shinobi, so this won't ever happen again while they will be at your command. So you can let the guilt fade away slowly. »
Sarutobi-sensei didn't even bother looking at his student. Shikaku, however, couldn't help but stare. This guy was crazy, but nonetheless, he was smarter than him. He just outsmarted a Nara, damn it. The boy let his eyes fell again on the floor. Now, he was re-thinking his solution. He stared at the ground like he wanted to punch a hole in it. He was being too emotional, that was very troublesome. As he was starting to get angry at himself for being such a dumbass, a mednin got out of the emergency room, sweating but smiling.
« They are both out of danger! They're gonna be alright! »
It was too much, this time. He clenched his fist, now trembling while still looking at the ground. And suddenly, small raindrops fell from his chin to the concrete floor. He never cried, but he had just almost got his companions killed and got his ass kicked by his sensei. There was enough to cry about, eh.
« Tch. Crybaby. » murmured a voice, for herself, as she watched the chuunin breaking down in the middle of the hallway. Yoshino sighed, and she couldn't help but smile. He was definitely full of surprises.