Disclaimer: All themes Naruto are property of Mr. Masashi Kishimoto.
Here's a new version of the first chapter. I apologize to those of you who expected a new one. But I think this one expresses the author's original vision several times better. Hope you enjoy it. I will start working on the next chapter ASAP.
Chapter 1: Volumes
Nara Shikamaru was a teacher at the Village of Konoha's Ninja Academy. He walked through its doors with a distracted expression, sleepy eyes and a messy black ponytail.
"Good morning class." He started, "Our goal for today will be to learn rope escape techniques."
The students whined in chorus, most of them had already learned that basic technique from their parents or older siblings.
"Come on now all of you, let's get this over with." Shikamaru was the laziest ninja in the village; to him practically everything was troublesome.
Shikamaru handed out some pamphlets for study and went back to his desk where he busied himself with a book of some sort.
After a while, some of the kids were finished studying, others bored, so they proceeded to try and get his attention.
"Shikamaru-sensei!" One of them called out, "Will you show us your Kagemane no jutsu again?"
Shikamaru raised his head from his book in annoyance, "As troublesome as it'll be, I'll show you if you really want to see it."
As he finished his sentence, the bell signaling recess echoed throughout the school. The kids stampeded out the door, dragging him along with them.
Once outside, the students formed a circle around their teacher. "Now Shikamaru-sensei! Show us!" They yelled excitedly.
Shikamaru closed his eyes and prepared to execute his technique on one of his students. Before he could finish gathering enough chakra to do so, a familiar voice called out his name, disrupting his concentration.
"Shikamaru, the Hokage summons the chuunin teachers," said Iruka agitated, "We have to go there now."
Iruka was Shikamaru's teacher from his own Academy days.
The kids looked down disappointedly, they knew their teacher had to leave now. They'd gotten used to sudden departures such as these since the enemy attacked the village and drastically cut down the village's human resources.
"See ya Shikamaru-sensei..." They all said sadly.
Iruka went on ahead of Shikamaru, always in a hurry to be punctual.
Shikamaru would take his time to get to the Hokage's office. He went outside into the busy streets of the village. Looking up at the sky he noticed the clouds floating carelessly overhead. Shikamaru wished for a life like that, so blissfully carefree. Looking around him, he noticed how well Konoha was recovering from the attack. Buildings were rising from piles of rubble, mightier and taller than before... The Third Hokage's Will of Fire was evident in the citizens of Konoha. Pity that it took a great disaster like the attack to awaken it.
Soon enough, Shikamaru arrived at the Hokage's home, a great red tower. Izumo, one of the Hokage's assistants came forth to open the door for him. "The Hokage is waiting for you, where have you been?" he asked.
"Looking at the clouds." replied Shikamaru.
"You're hopeless..." Izumo picked up some boxes and continued about his work.
Shikamaru entered the impossibly well-kept building and proceeded to climb up a red spiral staircase. On the way up he passed portraits of the Hokages in order from first to last. The First and the Second came into view, the two who founded this village and kept it alive in times of great peril; the Third, who recently passed in the attack and spoke of Konoha's Will of Fire; the Fourth, who sealed the Nine Tails Demon to save the village from annihilation; and the Fifth, our current Hokage, a chronic gambler and alcoholic, who posses superhuman strength. She better fit the stereotype of barroom brawler than Hokage, but Shikamaru figured whoever told her that would receive a punch in the gut... And she did have her impressive medical skills going for her.
Soon after, he arrived at the Fifth's office, a well-lit room with a desk in the very back, facing the doors. Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, sat there with a mountain of paperwork.
The other chuunin backed up against the wall as the Hokage stood up and began to speak. He followed suit.
"We have an emergency," Tsunade began. "Some very precious volumes have been taken from my personal library..." She said, giving them a grave look... "And one of you is responsible."
"The contents of these volumes could be very useful to the enemy." She continued. "They contain techniques that Orochimaru could never comprehend during his life as a Konoha ninja."
The chuunin became uneasy at the mention of that name.
"I could not allow you to finish class today because the one we suspect would have escaped, and we would not have had the resources to pursue. Also, we could not have called this person alone because they would never have come, knowing their crime had been discovered."
Tsunade waited for a few moments, staring at each one of them in turns, as if expecting them to confess to the crime. When she got to Shikamaru, she seemed to motion towards the opposite end of the room, where a chuunin by the name of Aya stood. She was the newest chuunin, and a prime example of the silent, mysterious type.
Tsunade continued signaling towards the girl... She wanted him to immobilize her with his Kagemane.
Shikamaru looked around frantically for a way to covertly take hold of the girl... The only way was to use the shadows of his comrades. He would have to immobilize them all one by one until he reached the girl at the other end.
"How troublesome..." He thought. "I'm depending on the other chuunin to stay put..."
Shikamaru closed his eyes and concentrated, extending his shadow ever so slowly towards the unsuspecting girl... Or so he thought. She looked straight at him and smiled.
Shikamaru's shadow retracted. "What was that...? That smile, I've seen it before..." Suddenly, it came to him. Possessed by some illogical impulse, he stepped out of line, pointed, and called out her true name... And he couldn't be happier.