( Hello all!, I'm new on the writing curcuit. So this is one of my few fanfictions, and it is a new story that I had thought of. So hopefully I will get reviews that are both good and bad. I want to improve and see where I need to work on. So enjoy! )

What a day it has been, the rebuilding of the leaf village was underway. As we follow the hero of this story, the only person that should deserve a story. Shikamaru! the name shrouded by darkness and willing to come up with any battle plan. Yes, this story is about him and how if things went differently. He could have done more than anyone could have imagined from his simple boring self. Welp, here we go with the new show.

It has been about three weeks, since the sand and sound village had attacked the leaf. Despite it all, we were still alive and made a treaty with the sand village. So no more problems with come from them, yet we had lose the 3rd Hokage during the battle. Leaving the village in confusion, who would be the next hokage in line for the title. Naruto wasn't good enough yet, so many of the other ninja's would come up to take the title.

I on the other hand, just didn't care for it at all. I rather take it easy, so I did for the time being as evaded hanging out with anyone today. It had been a long time, since I had watched the clouds in the sky. Usually I would be forced to take care of the rebuilding, Choji comes to get me about getting food, or Ino just sprouting about girl stuff.

It was all a little too much for me to do, so I just decided to hide away in the training fields this fine evening. Going to one of my favorite spots, where I could look at the clouds and not have the sun get in my eyes. I had moved over to the tree, before finally dropping on the floor with my arms and legs spread out.

" This is so much better, than working at day "

Was all I said too well? Myself in this empty area. Looking at the clouds was my favorite pass time, next to shogi of course. Looking up at the clouds, they had always been a mystery to me. Always changing like a person would, sometimes emotions, other times the very existence of what they the clouds were changing emotions, the images of shogi pieces, weapons, and just regular clouds moved along the sky.

What had always held them up there was a mystery as well. I usually went with the basic respond that it was there because something wanted it there. Really wasn't into looking that one up, it was such a drag to do it. My mind seemed to weaver as I felt rather tired at this moment in time. After a few more minutes of staring, I had fallen asleep at my spot, letting myself drift off into a dream state.

Inside the dream was myself, I was back at the battle for the leaf village. I saw Temari again, she was fighting with her brother Gaara. I knew that was her flesh and blood, it was for the honor of her village after all. Then another image had came into my mind, it was me stopping a group of Sound ninja's from attacking the village. It felt good stopping the enemy, winning the battle even if I had almost died from it.

One of these days, I would need to get stronger to protect the village. To do that, I would need to have a reason to change...yet there wasn't one at all. I was just sitting around being lazy, it wasn't like anyone had given me a agenda to do better now. More images of the village had went through my mind, until I had came to a stop at Naruto.

He was always getting stronger, some won't admit it but he had saved the village. I was there with them at the time, so I knew that he would always grow to become stronger to protect the village that had shunned him.

I envied him very much, but maybe I should follow his example. Well that wouldn't happen today at all, it would be too troublesome. Despite this all, I had awoken rather quickly because I had heard the sound of battle. It seems that I had slept for hours, because it was already Night time.

The battle was within the forest, and I had pulled out a Kunai before heading out to see what it was. When I reached the conflict it was Neji and Hinata fighting each other, for a moment it looked like training until it turned into a double-edged sword.

Neji had blocked her palm, then slammed his palm into the center of her chest. Making sure that he had hit the heart, then tossed her to the side. She was in pain from his attack and couldn't even muster the power to get back up. Just like the chunin exam, she was coughing up blood over the ground floor. Neji had walked over to her and looked down at Hinata, a look of disgust in his eyes.

" You're pathetic, You need more training to even get to my level "

" No, I can still fig...ahhh! "

Neji had kicked Hinata in her stomach, before he started to walk away from her. Not even looking back at her. He stopped for a moment in his tracks as he was pondering something.

" I'ii tell your father that you are training, hopefully you will get back by morning "

She didn't try to get up from the floor this time, being that she was too injured to move at this moment. I had watched the whole exchange and I knew that Neji was just that way. Yet, this was going to far and just leaving her to die out here. After Neji was gone from the field, I had started to walk closer to hinata to see if she was fine. Despite it all, I had to help her for some odd reason. It was because I knew her for so long being in the academy. I could hear numbles from her, and stopped to listen to what she had to say.

" I must...become stronger. For my own sake..but it's just hurts so much. I need to..."

She had finally fainted from the pain it seems, and I stood over her motionless body. Deciding on what to do now, looking over her was all I could do at this moment. Her small fragile body and timid face was always, what I saw in her. Now, I had a choice to either help her or just leave her alone to do things on her own training. At the back of my mind, it told me to help her and I just rolled my eyes at myself.

I wrapped my arms around her small frame, and pulled her into my arms.

She was really warm, it was all I could feel as I held her. I shook my head from that thought as it was not me at all. So I just started to walk with her in my arms, but where would I go...I couldn't take her home right now. So that meant...I would need to take her to my home, what a drag. I guess it is because I have a code of honor, when it came to women.

" I guess, I'll have to take care of you "

It was all I said to her, before I started to walk towards my home now. I at least had some medicine that can be used to treat her wounds. It was all I could do for now, hopefully it would help her. Of course, I have to say...this has grown rather troublesome for me. I hadn't expected this outcome at all.