Author's Note:

Hi! This Fic is NOT a "what if"! This is an Alternative Universe; So, I encourage you to not be attached too much to canon… This Fic is, clearly, based on Naruto's world, but there will be countless details that should differ from canon. Warning: If you couldn't guess by the summary, the Shikamaru of this Fic is not the same as the canon one! His personality is totally different and his appearance is almost a complete copy of Sukehiro Yami, from Black Clover (save for some details, such as he having blue eyes). Not to mention that his background is also different. And don't expect a super-genius Shikamaru like in canon. "My" Shikamaru can be as intelligent as his canon counterpart, but his skill set will be a lot different, favoring a less tactical fighting style. Also, I first tried to write this with a first-person perspective, but it went terribly bad… Sad. Thank you and good reading!

– Normal speech.

Thoughts.

Bijū speech/Collective speech/Summon speech.

Emphasis.

Jutsu


Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.


NARAYATSU

CHAPTER ONE

Books; Oh, how he loved them! Shikamaru has always been a hyperactive kid who couldn't stop running around his clan's compound, fuelled by his endless supply of stamina. Only two things seemed to be able to get the sapphire-eyed boy in place for hours straight; a challenging match of shogi and a good selection of books. The little genius learned how to write and read almost at the same time he figured out how to speak, which was also pretty early compared to others. Since then he would read anything that crossed his path, so unquenchable was his curiosity and thirst for knowledge.

The raven-haired kid was a true autodidact and thrived with every mystery solved and lesson learned. Still, there would always be some things that it was simply impossible for the prodigy to figure out alone. One of them was the reason why the majority of Konohagakure no Sato seemed to either hate him or ignore his very existence. Of course, Shikamaru tried to get answers from his parents and the Hokage, but he never got a direct and satisfactory response.

There was also another question that always bothered him; Why was his surname different from his parents? This was another one that no one would answer, but he had a theory, at least. He was almost sure that he was adopted.

For starters; His name was Narayatsu Shikamaru, while his parents were called Nara Shikaku and Nara Yoshino. Also, he noticed that he was a bit different than other Nara members, including his parents; Although he had the same spiky raven hair that was common to the Nara, even if he didn't wear it in their trademark ponytail and opting to let it out free for the world to see in its "glorious" messiness, Shikamaru had the most unique and jewelry-like blue eyes in the village, obviously different from the dark-gray eyes of his parents. The youngster also noticed that he seemed to be a bit stronger than other Nara kids, or any kid around his age, for that matter. A few centimeters taller than even some older boys, Shikamaru already showed a buffer build. Was it genetic or the result of his constant and premature physical training, he couldn't know for sure… Maybe both? But what set the kid appart the most of the rest of the Naras was the lack of the cursed laziness that afflicted all male members of the clan.

Still, almost all of those evidences could be explained by a random mutation of his DNA or being a trait of a distant ancestor, except his surname. His unique surname was a strong reinforcement for his "adoption theory", but there was something fishy about it and he would find out what it was. After all, he knew for a fact that adopted kids would always receive their new parents' surname and not a modified one, like his own. Luckily, for Shikamaru, today was the day that he would finally find the answer for this mystery.

It was the day after his sixth birthday, the best birthday he had so far. With most parents telling their children to stay away from him, Shikamaru didn't have the opportunity to make many friends, but those he had he loved with all his heart. Akimichi Chōji and Yamanaka Ino were like siblings to him. The trio could be seen together since… Always? They were the only friends of his age and Shikamaru wouldn't trade their friendship for nothing in the universe. It was no surprise that both Chōji and Ino knew exactly what to get him; Books! Chōji didn't disappoint by giving his friend a cooking book, but Ino surprised him with her gift. Shikamaru was expecting his surrogate sister to give him a book about flowers or other plants, but the blonde girl gave him a romance called "The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi", written by Jiraiya of the Sannin. The Yamanaka was a fan of romantic novels and claimed that the book in question was the one that sparked her passion for the genre. With stars and hearts replacing her eyes, Ino described the novel as a perfect combination of ninja action and fluffy romance. She hoped that Shikamaru would give it a try, being the bookworm that he was, so she would get another friend to talk about such "syrupy" subjects. What she didn't expect was that Shikamaru would, in the near future, become an even greater fan of the genre than herself.

The Ichiraku father and daughter duo was the other pair of friends of Shikamaru's. Sure, they were older than him, but the boy would ever have a special place in his heart for them. The Ichiraku family owned a big and highly disputed restaurant specialized in Ramen dishes (that became famous after the late Yondaime Hokage, Uzumaki Kushina, had declared the place as her favorite), and they were part of the small group of people who would actually care for him. They provided the ramen for Shikamaru's party as their gift, and the boy couldn't be happier! Sure, he absolutely loved his mother's healthy home cooked meals, but the raven-haired genius had this inexplicable longing for ramen to the point that, should he went for extended periods of time without it, the boy would actually become somewhat depressed.

The twin sapphires in the kid's face shone bright when Yoshino presented him with a book about Chakra Theory and all known Chakra control exercises, written by Senju Tsunade herself. His father, though, said that it would be too troublesome to try to guess what Shikamaru would want for his birthday, so he gave his son a lousily hand-made "coupon" that was supposed to mean that Shikamaru could use it to ask for any gift in a later date. Of course, Shikaku received a painful frying pan in the head afterwards, courtesy of Yoshino.

Still, the gift that brought Shikamaru's tears came from Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, or Hiruzen-ji, as Shikamaru prefered to call him (and sometimes just Jiji). The old man gifted the young prodigy a huge stack of books from different subjects. He said that each one of them were hand picked to help the boy's journey to accomplish his dream of becoming Hokage and, also, dealing with the most difficult part of the job; Paperwork!

Shikamaru enjoyed every single moment of his party, but he couldn't wait to wake up the day after and dig in his new books. And it was exactly what he was doing now; Devouring one of the books that Hiruzen-ji gave him, one about laws and traditions regarding Konoha clans. Oh, he didn't choose this one at random, mind you. He had been eyeing that particular book since he first saw it. Why? Because it was the one with the better chances to have something about his different surname. And he was right. After a couple hours of reading, the six-years-old kid finally found what he was looking for. To his credit, he wasn't much surprised, only confused. Why was what he just read kept away from him? He honestly thought that it was not a big deal, mainly because he already suspected that he was adopted. But why did his parents always change the subject whenever he tried to talk about it? Well, now they wouldn't be able to avoid him anymore.


Nara Shikaku was at the entrance of his house, lazily putting on his sandals to head off. It was one of those rare days when both he and his best friends, Inoichi and Chōza, had a break from their obligations on the same day, so they had agreed to meet and catch up. As he finished, though, the sound of small footsteps made him look back. And there he was; His son, hugging a book. Almost every time Shikaku laid eyes on Shikamaru, the Nara clan-head had to suppress a chuckle. The boy was a ball of energy, but his face wore the same half-lidded lazy look as all males of the clan. A beautiful contrast, indeed. His musings were interrupted by the little guy in question, when he spoke with his ever nonchalant tone, while raising a hand from his book to throw a little wave.

- Yo!

Shikaku couldn't hide his amused smirk. Reaching his son's raven mop of a hair with his hand, the man replied.

- "Yo" to you too. What can I do for you, son? I am about to head off to meet with Inoichi and Chōza. Should I send a word to your friends?

Shikamaru leaned at his father's touch with a smile on his face. The boy always liked when Shikaku messed with his hair, the damn thing would never behave itself anyway. Not long, though, he traded a smile with a serious face and decided to get to the point, it would be too troublesome otherwise.

- Dad. I am a bastard.

Shikaku almost face planted at the sheer bluntness of the statement of his son. It took a few moments for him to regain his composure and start to go through his mind and try to guess what the hell Shikamaru was talking about. It was only when the boy showed him the title of the book he was holding that the clan-head realized what the little genius had found out. After a loud and tired sigh, Shikaku responded while pinching the bridge of his nose.

- What a drag… But you would find out eventually, I guess… Fine, wait for me in your room. I will get your mother.

Shikaku muttered under his breath something about troublesome kids. Shikamaru was about to obey the orders received, while snickering at his father's antics, when he was stopped in his tracks by the next actions of the scarred Nara. The man made a hand-seal that Shikamaru didn't see in any book or scroll he had read before and, after less than a moment, a second Shikaku came to existence in a puff of white smoke. While Shikamaru was busy being mesmerized by the display, his father gave the other Shikaku some orders.

- Tell the boys that I am going to be late. You can tell them why, of course.

While the second Shikaku got out of the house muttering something about troublesome bosses, the first Shikaku was chuckling at the expense of his son, who was wide-eyed and blinking owlish. After the front door was closed, Shikamaru looked at his father with pure excitement and curiosity in his eyes.

- Dad! What was that!? Was that a Bunshin? No, it cannot be… The hand-seal was different from what I saw and it was, certainly, not an illusion… It opened the door and even talked!

Letting out a small laugh while roughing Shikamaru's hair, the clan head decided to indulge the kid.

- That was a Bunshin, indeed. But not a regular Bunshin; The jutsu I just used was the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique).

Now, that was a cool name for a jutsu, in Shikamaru's opinion. Then again, the boy always had a weak spot for anything with Kage, Yami , Kuro or anything alike in the name. Besides the cool name, the blue-eyed genius could see the potential of a jutsu that creates a solid clone. He would, obviously, ask for his father to teach him, but he wanted to get more information about it first. It would be too troublesome to try to learn it with incomplete info.

- And what makes it special, dad? I mean, besides being solid and being able to talk?

The Nara scratched his chin for a while, pondering if he should tell his son about the forbidden jutsu or not. In the end he shrugged and decided that it wouldn't be of any harm.

- First of all, there are other kinds of Bunshin that are also solid and capable of speech, namely Elemental Bunshins. The differences between them and the Kage Bunshin are quite a few, though; While the Elemental ones can, most times, take a few hits, the Kage one is much more fragile. A solid punch is all you need to dispel it. That being said, the Elemental Bunshins need to receive orders to talk or do anything, really, while the Kage Bunshin is totally independent and capable of racionalize; It is a perfect copy of the caster.

Shikaku was half tempted to tell his son the full capabilities of the jutsu, but decided against it. He knew Shikamaru well enough to know that he would, eventually, ask to be taught the technique. Of course, Shikaku would make the boy work for it, but he also knew how determined his son was and would eventually earn it. So, it was much more fun to let the boy discover by himself about the peculiarities of the jutsu, once he learned it. The man was cut from his musing by Shikamaru, who had spent some time reflecting upon his father's words.

- So, what's the catch? The jutsu sounds too useful and I bet we would be seeing ninja casting it all over the place if it didn't have any drawbacks.

Heh, his son never failed to impress him with his sharpness.

- Well, got that right, troublesome gaki… The Kage Bunshin was created by our Nidaime Hokage and was labeled as a Kinjutsu, due to its extreme chakra requirement. One can actually die casting it if they don't have enough chakra.

An amused smirked parted Shukaku's lips as he watched his son frown, most likely thinking about the jutsu, while nodding, and holding his chin between his thumb and index finger, and slowly making his way to his bedroom.


Shikamaru was sitting on his bed, waiting for his parents, while thinking about the Kage Bunshin. Knowing his father, there was a high chance that he didn't relay everything about the jutsu. Some would be upset about it, but not Shikamaru. Shikaku would always challenge his intellect with little puzzles and charades, and the boy simply loved them. There was some pleasant thrill whenever he managed to resolve a mystery, and this one wouldn't be different.

The Kage Bunshin seemed to be really useful, on the surface. But there was something that wasn't adding up. The first clue was the person who created it; Senju Tobirama. He was famous for numerous feats but, neither of them was accomplished just for the sake of it. According to Hiruzen-ji, the Nidaime Hokage was a very methodic man and never did anything without a clear purpose behind it. With the current information he had about the jutsu, Shikamaru found it to be too "sloppy" for the likes of one such as Tobirama.

Sure, a fully independent and sentient solid clone of himself could have plenty of uses on his everyday life. But the Nidaime Hokage only knew war during his life, and war required efficiency from those who planned to survive it. The Kage Bushin was anything but efficient, due to its cost and fragility. To use it in combat would be almost suicide, save from very niche situations, and that's pushing it. Then, there was the most important part of war; Information. Shikamaru concluded that Tobirama created the jutsu as a safer alternative to gather and transmit information in hostile territory. Still, the Bunshin would still be in hostile territory, and a simple blow would be enough to dispel it and ruin the operation, so it wasn't efficient enough for Tobirama's standards, Shikamaru supposed. He had a feeling that he would only get the final piece of the puzzle once he learned the jutsu, so the boy decided to put the thoughts of it aside, for the moment. Also, he was about to finally get some answers from his parents about another topic.


As soon as the door of his room opened, a brown and pink blur rushed towards Shikamaru and tackled him. Yoshino couldn't help herself and brought his son to a bone crushing hug while she sobbed against her little boy. Shikamaru was taken by surprise and it took him a bit of time to realize what just happened but, as he regained his bearings, the raven-haired genius returned the hug, struggling not to cry himself; He hated seeing his mother hurting and it would make his heart ache more than anything he ever experienced. Meanwhile, Shikaku waited in the background with a sad smile on his face. It took some time, but eventually Yoshino managed to calm down enough to speak.

- I-I am sorry, Shika-kun! I-I swear that we would tell you, eventually... Oh, you were not supposed to find out this way! P-please don't hate us…

Shikamaru almost chuckled at his mother's request. Hate them? Pfft… That's something on the top of the list of things that he would never be able to do. Still, Yoshino was obviously hurting and the only course of action was to reassure the kind woman.

- Mom… I could never hate you. You are my parents, no matter what! I am just… Curious, you know? I don't really care if I am the offspring of Kami-sama and the Shinigami or the unwanted child of a couple of random people. I am your son regardless. Ok?

The maturity of Shikamaru was something that still caught Yoshino off guard sometimes. His crude words made her flinch a bit, but they reassured her at the same time. Nodding slowly at her son, Yoshino picked up her boy and sat him on her lap, as she took a place at the edge of his bed, still holding on to him for her dear life. Getting comfortable with his back against his mother, and holding her hands, Shikamaru judged that it was for the best to tell them about his suspicions and how they were confirmed by the book.

- Well, I don't remember exactly when I started to suspect that I was adopted. It was probably when I first realized that my surname was different than yours, though. That and some other things, like how I look different from you both, and from the rest of the Nara, for that matter. Then, today I read in this book that there is this old tradition where it says something like "Should a clan-related child be born outside the sacred bonds of marriage, their name is fated to be marked as a Yatsu (bastard)". Then I concluded that, since I am dubbed Narayatsu Shikamaru, I am a bastard of the Nara clan. Is that correct? And what does it actually mean? The book says that a Yatsu is forbidden to hold power… I assumed it was about political power, but I can't be sure.

Shikamaru could feel Yoshino flinch and hug him tighter every time the word "bastard" left his mouth. Shikaku, on the other hand, listened to his son with a poker face, but couldn't fight the massive sigh that left his lips once he was done.

- Troublesome is an understatement… Well, I know that you don't like to sit around the bush, son, I am going to be crude; Yes, you were adopted by me and your mother on the very day of your birth. And yes; We had to register you as a Yatsu, unfortunately. As for the power that a Yatsu is forbidden to carry; You are half right. Besides being prohibited from holding any kind of political power within the clan, I am sorry to say, Shika, that you will never be allowed to learn the secrets behind the Clan's jutsus.

Well… That sucked. Shikamaru had been secretly excited for the day that he would be taught the Clan's jutsus. Not only did they seem to be versatile and with tons of strategic potential, they also sounded super cool! I mean, Kagemane no Jutsu (Shadow Imitation Technique) has its appeal, right? But the real bummer was that he wouldn't be able to recreate the legendary Ino-Shika-Chō formations with his surrogate siblings. Yoshino must have picked up his son's slightly saddened mood, if her even tighter grip was any indication of it. Reassuring his mother with a squeeze of her hands, Shikamaru shook off his previous thoughts, in order to continue the conversation.

- Well, I guess I will have to rearrange my skill-set building plan; Troublesome… Dad, you said that I cannot have political power within the clan. That means that I am still going to be Hokage, right? -The only response he got was an amused smirk from his father, while nodding, and a warm chuckle from his mother. Nodding and smirking back with confidence, the blue-eyed genius continued.

- Good! So, I have nothing to worry about! But I have to ask; Why did you have to register me as a Yatsu?

Shikaku and Yoshino exchanged obvious worried looks, before the brunette woman answered the question with a firm but kind tone.

- I am sorry, Shika, but we cannot answer this question right now. In fact, that's something that only Hokage-sama can do. When we adopted you he promised us that he would tell you once you became Genin, not a day before that, but not a day after too. For now, the only thing that I can say is that we could only adopt you under the condition of registering you as a Yatsu. I know that you are a curious little one, son, but can you drop this for a few years? I know that you won't be graduating until you are eighteen, and that's a long time, but can you do that for mommy?

Well, that sucked too… One more mystery to be solved, but this one would only eat his brain inside out if he kept thinking about it. Also, whenever Yoshino asked Shikamaru anything in the way she did, the boy couldn't deny it. It was physically impossible for him to do so. Nodding his head as saying "yes", the young one was rewarded with a warm kiss on top of his head. As his son indulged himself with Yoshino's love, Shikaku approached the duo and sat beside them, getting their attention. The clan-head gently put a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder, before asking.

- Do you want to know who your father was?

To the kid's credit he didn't even look surprised. Instead, he responded with a mischievous smirk on his lips.

- If you mean my other father, then yes!

Earning a chuckle from both his parents, Shikamaru felt his mother pull apart from him for a few moments, before hugging him again. Once she did, the brunette was holding a picture of four people in front of him. All four were wearing Konoha's Jōnin attire with a katana strapped on their backs and were posing with their arms crossed in their chests. Three of them were teenagers, two girls and one boy. The girl on one of the points Shikamaru easily recognized as Yoshino, wearing her hitai-ate on the forehead; Her kind smile was impossible to miss. The other was in the middle and almost made the blue-eyed genius gasp. Immediately he recognized her as his idol; Uzumaki Kushina, the Yondaime Hokage. She had long and silken blood-red hair and used her hitai-ate to hold a black mantle that covered her shoulders, opening in the front and gradually making its way to her lower back (A/N: I don't know if I managed to describe the mantle well… Try to imagine the mantle of the Black Bulls from Black Clover, but without the hood and the bull logo. Now imagine that it is held together near the neck by a Leaf hitai-ate and the fabric is cut in a leaf shape that reaches the lower back. Argh! I am terrible at describing clothes! I can try drawing it, if you really want to… The mantle will appear again…). Her enormous grin made the Uzumaki close her eyes when the picture was taken, but Shikamaru saw them in a picture at Hiruzen-ji's office, and he was proud to have eyes that looked so similar to his idol's!

He also noticed that Kushina was very tall and strong built, probably taller and more muscular than any kunoichi he had seen so far. He had to double take when he laid eyes on the lone boy of the trio, for it was like looking at an older version of himself, save for the dark-gray eyes (A/N: Pretty much the teenage version of Yami from Black Clover). The last person in the picture positioned himself at the back of the trio. He was a very tall man with spiky and long white hair wearing a horned hitai-ate on his forehead with the kanji 油 (Abura - Oil) written on it. His grin rivaled Kushina's and Shikamaru identified him as Jiraiya of the Sannin.

- I am sure you didn't know until now, Shika-kun, but your mommy used to be a kick ass kunoichi! This photo was taken after my teammates and I were promoted to Jōnin. Now, I know that you would recognize this beautiful girl here as your mommy, hehehe! This ugly pervert on the back is Jiraiya-sensei. This one in the middle was Kushi-chan! And the lazy ass of a boy here was your father, Nara Shikazu, Shikaku's older brother.

That was one of those rare moments that Shikamaru's mind went blank. That single picture had so much information (awesome information!) that it was hard for the boy to process. Shaking off his dizziness, Shikamaru couldn't help but to see his mother in a new light; He never knew that she was a kunoichi at some point of her life, and a Jōnin, mind you! Not only that, but she was a teammate of Uzumaki Kushina and a student of one of the legendary Sannin! His mother was certainly badass before, but now she was a tenfold! His biological father didn't look much in the picture, but Shikamaru knew better than to judge "a book by its cover", much less a Nara shinobi; Shikazu had to be at least as awesome as his father. The blue-eyed genius took his time to take in every detail of the picture, before asking his mother a question that had been bothering him since she revealed this bit of her past.

- Mom, why didn't you tell me you were kunoichi before!? You have to tell me about your missions! I bet you kicked ass day in and out! Hehe! But… Why are you not in the ranks anymore?

Yoshino had to laugh at his son's antics, before assuming a melancholic countenance.

- I did kick my fair share of ass, alright! But I was forced to retire by the end of the Third War… I was leading a scout squad behind the enemy's lines. We were ambushed… I managed to hold our enemies enough to make sure that my squad could flee. I defeated all of them, in the end, but the last one used his last breath to cast a Doton jutsu that wounded my right leg and my tummy… I was lucky that my leg healed well enough for me not to have a limp. But not enough to go back to active duty, unfortunately. And, do you remember that time when you asked your father and I for a little sister and, after we denied it, you found that book about how babies were made? Well, the reason that I said that your father and I couldn't give you sister was because of that wound in my tummy.

Shikamaru had the decency to blush a bit remembering the event. He just wanted to understand why his parents wouldn't give him a little sister, and ended up almost fainting while reading about human reproduction. Needless to say that his parents had to give him a pretty early talk. Now he was sad to learn that his dear mother's leg and womb were maimed, but he couldn't hide the awe he felt upon hearing Yoshino's deeds.

- Alright! My mom is a hero! -The boy was rewarded by a bone crushing hug and warm giggles from his mother. Though, the moment was interrupted by a loud throat clearing from Shikaku, who looked annoyed.

- You know, I was pretty heroic in the war too! -The only response the man got was a couple of full belly laughs at the expense of his jealousy.

It took a few minutes, but mother and son eventually settled down. Looking once again at his mother's team picture, Shikamaru's eyes were drawn towards the image of his biological father.

- And what about dad-Shikazu? What was he like? What happened to him? I am not complaining, but why did he give me to you? And… Who is my biological mother?

The series of questions provoked different emotions within Shikaku. He was amused and glad for the affectioned nickname his son gave to his late brother. He could clearly remember how excited Shikazu became when he heard about his wife's pregnancy. This also saddened the clan head a bit, for he missed his big brother dearly. A streak of happiness and pride also hit the lazy Nara when his son showed no aversion to the fact of being adopted by him and Yoshino. And he internally grimaced at the last question. He hated to lie to Shikamaru.

- Shikazu and I were very different physically, as you can see, for I took more to father's side while he looked a lot like mom's family. But we were a lot alike personality wise, though I think he was even lazier than me, hehe… He was a good man, for sure, but sometimes could be a bit too reclusive. Which leads me to your last questions; Months prior to the Kyūbi attack he "vanished". Well, he did leave a note saying that he would be out of the village for quite some time, but that was it. He returned during the attack with you in hands. The only thing he said to us was "This is Shikamaru, my son. Please, take care of him like he was your own", before rushing off to fight the Kyūbi alongside Yondaime-sama. Unfortunately, my brother perished before the beast's fury… I am sorry to say, son, but we don't know how your mother was. We didn't even know that Shikazu was seeing anyone, for that matter.

Rather being sad by dad-Shikazu's death or his shady behavior, Shikamaru could only think how fortunate he was by being related with three heroes; His father, dad-Shikazu and, the biggest one in his opinion, his mother!

- Man, Jiraiya-sama sure knows how to train heroes! It's settled; I am going to be a hero too! But not any hero; I will make sure that no other war arises, so no one has to be maimed needlessly like mom was! And that's a promise!

Pumping his fist into the air, Shikamaru gasped for air when his parents crushed his bones in a hug, showing him their support. Although Shikaku couldn't hold his laughter upon seeing his son's seemingly lazy expression and voice shouting such enthusiastic words. An amusing contrast indeed. Glaring a bit at his father, Shikamaru suddenly remembered another important topic, now that his curiosity about his family was quenched.

- Oh! Dad, mom! Can you teach me the Kage Bunshin? -Yoshino almost jumped at the request. But, before she could decide what to answer, her husband spoke first.

- Troublesome son… Tell you what; Wait here for a bit while your mother and I talk about it, ok?

The raven-haired boy wasn't expecting for his father to comply immediately, anyway, so he simply agreed with the request, while his parents took off from his room. Shikaku led Yoshino to their own bedroom and closed the door after both were in. Turning to his wife, the clan-head smiled fondly at the woman's cute pout that she was wearing while thinking. Not long, though, the brunette broke the silence.

- I guess he saw you performing the jutsu, huh? -The man only nodded, having the decency of looking just a bit sheepish. Letting out a tired sigh, Shikaku continued the conversation.

- So, what do you think? -Having already thought about the subject on their way to their room, Yoshino didn't hesitate to answer.

- Honestly, I think this is a great opportunity for him! I mean, I want him to be strong enough on his own so he would never need to touch that chakra… If Kushi-chan managed to become the strongest ninja in the Nations without it, Shika-kun definitely can do it too! Also, I am sure that he was sad to know that he won't be learning the clan's jutsus, this could be a chance for some kind of "compensation", don't you agree? Of course, I would never be ok if I didn't think it was safe for him. But I can sense more than enough chakra within him to spam that damn jutsu day in and out with no worries! -Shikaku could only smirk at his wife while lazily nodding.

- My thoughts exactly. Troublesome kid… Ok then. But I am not handing it to him, the gaki will have to work a bit for it. Oh, by the way, I didn't tell him the main feature of it, I want to see him figuring it out on his own. -Smirking mischievously back at her husband, Yoshino responded.

- Good! If you have missed this opportunity to challenge him I would make you sleep with the deers for a week! -The lazy man chuckled at the statement, even knowing that she meant every word of it. Shikaku stepped forward and laced Yoshino in his arms by her waist. Looking deep into her eyes, he was rewarded by an equally loving stare and the warm sensation of her hands around his neck. Smiling fondly at the brunette, the clan-head spoke his mind.

- I think I never thanked Shikazu enough for introducing me to you. -Smirking playfully to the scarred man, Yoshino teased in response.

- Oh, really? And here I was thinking that you found me too troublesome

The last word was spoken husky and seductively at Shikaku's ear, making the man shiver and tighten his embrace onto his wife.

- Oh, but you are a troublesome woman. But, the only trouble you give me, is the one kind that I like. -Having enough teasing, Yoshino happily rewarded her husband's flirting with a deep and loving kiss. It wasn't long, but held the same passion that the couple shared since their first one, years ago. The, now, healthily flustered brunette pulled from their lip-lock and swayed her hips on her way to their room's door, only stopping before opening it to look back at her husband winking suggestively.

- Now, let's go back to Shika-kun, shall we? I can give you more… Trouble tonight, darling~…

- Heh, troublesome woman indeed… -Thought a shivering Shikaku, who couldn't wait for the damn Sun to retreat west already.


Shikamaru used his brief time alone to consider the possibilities. He couldn't be sure if his parents would agree with his request, so he had to be prepared for both scenarios. Truth be told, he wouldn't be able to do much should they refuse. He had a trump card, though it was a weak one. But, should they agree, he knew for a fact that they wouldn't just say "Oh, sure! Just do this and that and you are good to go, son!". No, they would make him earn the technique and Shikamaru always welcomed this type of challenge. What the boy had to do now was to prepare himself for whatever task he would have to do, and for that he first needed to deduce what were the possible tasks.

The little genius' brain worked fast and quickly remembered a small detail about the Kage Bunshin; It was a Kinjutsu! Meaning that those who knew it were few, and those with permission to teach it were even fewer. Of course, if there was one person in Konoha that would be allowed to teach a Kinjutsu to others it would be the Hokage. So, the task would most likely be to convince Hiruzen-ji to teach him the Kage Bunshin. But how should a six-years-old boy convince a veteran shinobi of anything?

The blue-eyed kid's musings were cut short when his parents entered his room once again. Both chuckled amusingly at their son who, despite his lazy appearance, radiated excitement. But they had an act to play, so they quickly steeled themselves and made their faces look blank. Shikaku was the one with the plan, so it was him who spoke, after a long and deep breath.

- No.

Shikamaru had to face-plant, at this oh-so-elaborated response. But it was part of the challenge, and he knew it. Without pulling his face out of the floor, the blue-eyed boy produced his trump card; The gift coupon that Shikaku presented him yesterday. It wasn't a guarantee, but it was all he had right now. Due to his current position, the raven-haired kid couldn't see his father's reaction, only hear his voice.

- Huh, troublesome… I could bet that you would use it to convince me into buying you a katana. Are you sure you want to use it with this jutsu? You know that that coupon is the only chance we will give you of having a katana before your graduation, right?

Shikamaru couldn't avoid frowning at that. He loved swords and wanted to trade his bokken for a real katana as soon as possible and he could tell that his father was using his desire against him. Now he had to decide and analyze the pros and cons of his options as fast as he could, while slowly getting up from the floor. If he chose to let go from the Kage Bunshin and have his father buy him the sword he always wanted, what would be his gains, besides having a cool katana? If he was being honest with himself, not much. Sure, he could get familiar with a real blade sooner and it could be beneficial to his skill growth, but not immediately. Shikamaru would be the first to admit that his body was still too weak to endure real Kenjutsu battles and, until a few years from there, it would make no significant difference for him to train Kenjutsu katas with a katana instead of his bokken.

Still, if he chose to get the jutsu, it would be nothing more than a bet, for its "secret" could be disappointing. Except, it wouldn't, he thought. Again he reminded himself that the jutsu's creator was Senju Tobirama, a man whose creations were considered a work of art and genius. This jutsu should not be an exception. Even so, there was a little voice in his head saying that "every rule has its exceptions". So, Shikamaru decided to analyze the Kage Bunshin without taking in consideration the supposed secret. Summing up, the jutsu was an expensive physical clone of the caster. Was it more valuable than a sword? In the long run, Shikamaru concluded that it was. He could already think of a bunch of training methods that he could pull out with it. Hell, even if he casted a clone per day to help his mother with her chores while he was in the academy it would already be much more valuable than a katana. No, forget the training methods he thought before, helping out his mother was more important than any jutsu or weapon! He smirked at his parents, for he had an answer.

- Yep! I am sure! I know that a solid Bunshin can do much more for us right now than a sword in my hands. Besides, once I am Genin I can save money in no time to buy me a nice katana! Well, that and I have a hunch that dad didn't tell me everything about the Kage Bunshin, and I can't wait to discover what it is.

Yoshino and Shikaku smiled proudly at their son's choice of words and sharp mind. Reaching forward, the scarred man snatched the coupon out of Shikamaru's hand.

- Very well. There is only one problem; This ticket can only buy you the opportunity to earn a chance to learn the jutsu.

The blue-eyed genius smirked; Of course, it couldn't be simple. He nodded for his father to continue.

- You see, being a Kinjutsu of the Leaf, we could get in trouble if we just go and teach you. I've heard that prison is too troublesome, so I am avoiding it if I can. But, here is the deal; If you manage to get a written authorization from Hokage-sama, either your mother or I shall teach you the thing.

More or less what Shikamaru was expecting! Shikaku didn't mention any time limit, but the young genius was set on learning the technique as quickly as possible. Wasting no more time, the sapphire-eyed kid rushed to a tight triple hug with his parents, before speeding to do his favorite pastime whenever he wanted to think; Tender the deers.


It was a few minutes past 9am when Shikamaru started tending the deers of the Nara clan, and he had a couple hours before his mother would start making lunch. He didn't actually have to help her, but he enjoyed learning to cook with her. The task of convincing Hiruzen-ji of letting him learn a Kinjutsu was one that most would consider impossible. But Shikamaru wasn't most. Of course, simply putting on his puppy eyes and asking nicely wouldn't work. It sure was an effective weapon whenever he wanted an extra bowl of ramen, but it was a village secret he was talking about here.

The boy also didn't have any convincing argument, or reason for that matter, to present the Kage. But the blue-eyed boy once read that "When logic fails, passion finds its home". In this case, it meant bribery. Yeah, the thought of a kid bribing The God of Shinobi sounded stupid to him too, at first… Shikamaru didn't have anything that would interest the old man enough for him to be corrupted. Hell, the boy almost didn't have any material possessions! But, even if he had, he knew that pretty things wouldn't appeal to the eyes of the humble Professor. Now, that was a hint on it self; The Professor.

Sarutobi Hiruzen earned the moniker after mastering every single jutsu created by Konoha. Such a feat wouldn't be possible if the man wasn't thirsty for knowledge, and said thirst could be explored. The problem was; What Shikamaru knew was probably only a drop in the ocean compared with what the Sandaime Hokage knew. But the boy didn't need much… No; Like a single kunai is all a ninja needs to kill a reckless opponent, all Shikamaru needed was a single piece of critical information that would interest Hiruzen-ji. But what? Shikamaru drifted away, trying to remember all he could about the conversations he had with the old man so far, looking for some kind of pattern, looking for something that the Kage desperately wanted. The boy almost facepalmed when he found his answer remembering that last time he met his Jiji; Yesterday at his birthday party.

After presenting Shikamaru with a mountain of books, the Sarutobi took his time to explain to the boy what each of those books could be useful for, once he became Hokage. At some point, though, Hiruzen started to complain about the never ending stream of paperwork that he had to deal with everyday. The elder shinobi swore that this was the worst part of the job and almost cursed the Yondaime everyday for dying on him, forcing him back to the torture he called paperwork. Ok, Shikamaru was close to finding a solution, he could feel it! As the boy mindlessly tagged a newborn deer with its identification number, the blue-eyed kid felt his neck burn a little under the hot Sun. Looking up, he deduced that, by the position of the morning star, his mother should be about to start making lunch.

- I guess I should go back inside, once I finish with this little one… Man, if I already had the Kage Bunshin in my sleeve I could just send one to help mom. Heh, talk about multi… Tasking… -The boy trailed off in his thoughts as his eyes went wide upon the realization; He found the solution!

Quickly finishing his task of tagging and mockingly baptizing the deer as "Deer", as he did with all of those he tagged, Shikamaru raced inside his house and took a shower, before heading to help his mother.


Shikamaru entered the kitchen to see his mother already halfway finished preparing their food. The boy quickly made his way to her side and asked for instructions. As he worked on his assignment, the raven-haired kid was repeatedly going through his plan; It was perfect! But it wasn't… As they started to eat, without the presence of Shikaku, who would lunch with his friends today, Shikamaru's frown deepened more and more. His plan was solid, but there was always the chance that Hiruzen-ji wouldn't bite the bait. The boy needed the old man to throw away logic completely and embrace passion for his dear life in order for his plan to work. He needed the Hokage to be desperate. The Sarutobi needed to be reminded how much he hated paperwork. But how? The young genius' musings were interrupted by the sound of his mother clearing her throat.

- Shika-kun? Are you ok?

Yoshino had a quizzical look on her face, not quite worried, just curious about what her son could be thinking about so deeply. Shaking off his previous worries for the moment, Shikamaru responded with a smile, after swallowing the food that was in his mouth.

- Don't worry, mom, I'm ok! Just thinking about how I am going to convince Hiruzen-ji to give me permission to learn the jutsu, you know? I have a plan, but it is not flawless, so I am trying to pull together a plan B or something like that. -Offering a proud smile at her son, Yoshino nodded, satisfied with the boy's dedication.

- I am cheering for you, dear! Oh, speaking of which; How is the deer that was born last week? -Shikamaru couldn't help but laugh at his mother's pun, before answering.

- It seemed to be happy and didn't seem to be bothered much by the tag I put today. Oh, and I named it! -Yoshino playfully rolled her eyes at his son's antics. She knew very well what name the animal got, but she would ask just for the fun of it.

- Deer?

- Yes?

The duo tried not to laugh at their little inside joke, but they failed miserably. After both managed to calm down enough, Yoshino spoke once again, between chuckles.

- I think I should hire someone else for "naming duty", Shika-kun! -Shikamaru only managed to nod while still trying to fight his laughter. But then he suddenly stopped, his eyes growing bigger than the plate his food was on. His mother just gave him the idea he needed! With a mischievous smirk on his face, the boy declared to Yoshino.

- Mom! After lunch I am going to need paper… Lots of it!


It was around 3pm and Sarutobi Hiruzen could be seen inside his office during a short break from his duty, happily smoking from his pipe. Except, he wasn't happy. No; The old man was glaring at a large stack of paperwork at his table, trying his best to set the abomination on fire just by looking at it. He was cursing his past self for leaving early yesterday to little Shikamaru's party, making some of his work to accumulate with today's obligations. The Professor's thoughts of hate were interrupted by the chirpy voice of his assistant at the intercom.

- Hokage-sama? Shikamaru-kun is here requesting an audience.

- Send him in. -The Hokage answered, now in a much better mood. The boy was always a good company to have around, and he sure could use a bit of the little genius' positive attitude right now. Shikamaru entered the Hokage's office and promptly ran to give his surrogate grandfather a big hug. Since they were alone, there was no need for formalities. As soon as the kid got comfortable in the seat in front of him, Sarutobi began to converse.

- Good to see you here, my boy. But I must say that I wasn't expecting to see you so soon… -Shikamaru looked a bit sheepish before answering.

- I just thought that I should stop by to thank you again for your gift Jiji, I know every book you gave me will help my journey immensely! Well, that and to thank you for reserving a bit of your time to come to my party, I know that you are pretty busy…

At the word "busy", Hiruzen instinctively narrowed his eyes to the pile of papers that he was glaring at before and mumbled under his breath.

- You have no idea…

Shikamaru followed the elder's eyes and it took everything from him not to grin like a mad man. His plan was in action.

- Damn, that's a lot of paperwork, Hiruzen-ji! I must say, after what you said yesterday I almost reconsidered my dream of becoming Hokage… Luckily, today I saw dad cast a jutsu that will help me beat the Bane of the Kages in no time! -Hiruzen could barely refrain his eyes from shining with curiosity, excitement and despair.

- Is that so, Shika-kun? And what was this jutsu of your father's? -Sarutobi felt his heart beating faster, but managed to talk nonchalantly. Shikamaru felt a bit nervous. The next line of his plan was the most risky of all, for there was a chance for Hiruzen-ji to figure it out before the end. But, if he timed it right, it should be a success.

- Unfortunately, dad said that he can't teach me the jutsu without a superior's authorization… -As Shikamaru was pouting in "frustration", Hiruzen frowned at the statement. A jutsu that needed authorization to be taught? There weren't many above Shikaku in the chain of command and, at the moment, Hiruzen couldn't remember such a rule. Although he wasn't given much time to ponder about it; Shikamaru gasped in surprise, as if he had a sudden insight, taking the old man out of his thoughts.

- I have an idea, Hiruzen-ji! What if you authorize mom and dad to teach me? In return I will tell you what this jutsu is! -Shiakamaru barely managed to hide his cringe. He tried his best, but the way he frased still sounded awfully fake and forced. But, luckily, his timing was right; Moments after his proposition, a knock was heard from the door, not giving Hiruzen time to think much about the boy's slip. As the Hokage voiced his authorization for the person who knocked to enter, the poor figure of Sarutobi's assistant passed through the door frame. The small woman was carrying an inhumane pile of papers that almost made her fall over twice on her way to the Leader's desk. As she carefully sat the stack of terror at the table, the woman took a few breaths before speaking.

- I am sorry for intruding, Hokage-sama. I was waiting for your interval to end before delivering… This… That arrived earlier. Excuse me. -And, with a respectful bow to the Kage and a polite smile to the raven-haired boy, the assistant showed herself out of the office.

Sarutobi felt like crying… A lot… His mind was briefly blank while he stared at the monstrocity that his oh-so-compassionate assistant just dropped at his desk, making him lose the quick smirk that graced his surrogate grandson's lips. Slowly, the elder turned his face to the boy once again, who was looking at him innocently, like nothing had just happened. A thin line of rational thought passed through the Kage's brain, but his broken spirit got rid of it quickly.

- Shikamaru is obviously up to something but… FUCK IT! I am too old for this shit, anyway! I was supposed to be retired, for Kami sake! If the price for peace is letting a kid bribe me, I say; HELL YEAH!

While the Sandaime Hokage was raging inside, outside he remained impassive. Clearing his throat, he finally spoke sagely.

- Very well, Shika-kun, I shall accept your offer. But I have to insist that you honor your end of the bargain first. You have to understand that I must judge beforehand if said jutsu can actually help me. That and I have to know the name of the technique in order to write on the scroll which I shall authorize the teaching of it. -Shikamaru barely contained a smirk from slipping out. Both elder and child shook each other's hands, in an unspoken vow of honor. As soon as the deal was settled, though, the boy let a shit eating grin out, before simply speaking the name of the "mysterious" jutsu.

- Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!

Sarutobi felt like crying… Again… To his credit, though, he managed to keep his front unshaken, while internally the Professor was hammering his head on the floor while cursing his own stupidity for never having thought about using the technique against his greatest enemy. While writing down the authorization, Hiruzen thought about alerting the young one about the dangers of the jutsu, but he was mentaly and emotionally exhausted. Also, he trusted that Yoshino would be sure to put the boy's safety before anything else. Silently, the Hokage stumped his seal on the paper, and handed the scroll to the triumphant looking kid.

Shikamaru was beyond giddy. It took everything from him not to snatch the scroll from his surrogate grandfather's hands as soon as he was done. After a big hug and an enthusiastic "thank you", the sapphire-eyed genius shot out from the office at full speed. Chuckling at the boy's antics, Hiruzen brought two Kage Bunshins to life, who reluctantly started to work at the pile of papers that he was working on before his break. As he was lazily smoking on his pipe, until a sudden shiver crossed his spine. He couldn't explain why, but he felt the urge to take a look at the papers that his assistant just brought in. It was a request from the Nara clan, and an odd one. It formally asked for the Hokage to nickname one of their deers… He felt another shiver, and produced another paper from the pile; The same request, but for a different deer. The third sheet had the same, and the fourth, and fifth and-... It was then that he noticed; Neither of them had the Nara clan's seal. Shock took over the old man when he finally realized what happened; He was played… By a brat!


Shikamaru couldn't stop from grinning like a mad man as he made his way home, making people glare at him even harder than before. Not that he minded, anyway. He did it! He couldn't wait to tell his parents all about it and have them teach him the jutsu. His musings were interrupted, however, for his own loud laughter, as he heard a certain old man screaming from the top of his lungs.

- SHIIKAAAMAAAARUUUUU!


A/N: I hope you liked it! Sorry about the AN middle text, by the way. I hated doing it, but I felt it was necessary. As for the Yatsu thing (and any other japanese word, you might see in my Fics); I literally Google-translated the word "Bastard" to japanese and "Yatsu" was the result I got :v. Please, leave a review and tell me what you thought about this chapter! Bye!