Chapter 11: Bullies

(Alternatively, Meeting A New Friend)

Author's Note: Our next time skip.

Also… It is hot as balls here in the Panhandle of Florida. Humid too. I hope those who need air conditioning have it because it's only in my room but I can't stay in here all day and it feels like 'Death' in the rest of the house. Blarg….

(Yoshino's POV)

It's been nearly a year since the attack, Yoshino thinks to herself. After Shikamaru had healed enough they had started the boys' training in earnest. And those two had certainly been up to the challenge. Even now, Shikamaru is pushing himself as hard as he can. The boy is already water walking and trains for hours every day. She'll have to start Shikamaru on some harder chakra control exercises soon since water walking comes easily to him now.

She had started him on kenjutsu kata as soon as she had learned he was interested and he took to them like a duck to water(later he told her that he had been a swordsman in his previous life and he wanted to get an early start on his training). Even though he already has a style of his own that he uses he had had no qualms about learning his mother's techniques. He eventually told her that he thought that they would fit well in his own style since his is a still incomplete style of kenjutsu even after nineteen years of practice and fighting. He has become a quick little devil of a fighter now that he is used to the Clan taijutsu but he becomes an absolute monster with a bokken in his hands when he combines his and his mother's sword styles with the Clan taijutsu. Though he cannot use the stronger techniques yet because of his height, weight, and lack of appropriate muscle mass. Those will have to wait until he gets older and stronger.

Poor Naruto, on the other hand, is still stuck on tree climbing but she thinks that the boy will soon graduate to water walking like his brother did a month ago. The little blond's chakra reserves are already massive and the Hokage expects them to grow much, much larger before he starts at the Academy in two years with Shikamaru. Naruto has taken well to the Clan taijutsu as well, though not without changes. Naruto will be a heavy hitter(rather than using the quick hit and run tactics that the Nara use when forced to engage in close quarters combat) when he grows up. He always has to be right up in his enemy's face when he fights and she thinks that's Shikamaru will one day go gray before he's forty with how much stress Naruto causes the older boy with his antics.

As for their fuinjutsu? Naruto took to it the way Shikamaru took to kenjutsu. That isn't to say Shikamaru doesn't do well in it because he certainly does. Naruto, however, will soon leave his brother behind in fuinjutsu in terms of skill. She had asked him once if that bothered him and Shikamaru had given her a strange look before saying, "I'm relearning kenjutsu and he sucks at your kenjutsu style. I'm also learning the Clan Jutsu and Naru can't learn that because he doesn't have the genetic predisposition for them. You don't see him complaining about it, though, do you? So why should I complain about his skill in fuinjutsu? It just means we'll be able to work well with each other if we're ever paired together on missions or teams since we'll know each other's skill sets. Besides, I'm not going to stop learning fuinjutsu just because he's better at it and it comes instinctively to him. I just have to work harder and smarter if I want to keep up."

Yoshino smiles to herself – she is very proud of her boys. Shikaku, she knows, is proud as well. When he'd started Shikamaru on Inton(Yin Release) six months ago the boy had caught on even quicker then Naruto had when learning fuinjutsu. Shikaku told her that he is sure that by the time the boys are ready to go to the Academy they will be far ahead of their peers. While this isn't necessarily a good thing, Yoshino doesn't think it's a bad thing for them to have a head start on the others. After all, none of the other children have ever been attacked by a pedophile before.

(When the incident had been brought up at a mandatory Clan meeting all of the Clan heads had been furious and had immediately instituted rules to better protect the children of their Clans. All small children now have to be accompanied by an adult or an older Academy student outside of their compounds. They have also been or are being taught how to defend themselves against a larger person if they are ever separated from their caretaker. The Uchiha Clan head has the Konoha Military Police Force on high alert for any children found by themselves. The children are then quickly reunited with their parents or babysitters in a bid to prevent what happened to Shikamaru and Naruto from happening to others.

After the Clans had heard that Naruto was involved it had been even worse. They speculated that perhaps the attack was a way of attacking the Nara Clan for their adoption of the Jinchūriki. Shikaku had shot that theory down instantly. He was quick to inform them that the attack had not been because of Naruto's status but rather a product of the man's twisted mind and desires. Yamanaka Inoichi had backed him stating that the man had come through T&I and that Ibiki and Anko had been very thorough in their investigation before calling him in to confirm what had been discovered. The Clans had settled down after that. The other Clans outside of the Akimichi and Yamanaka still disapprove of the adoption but Shikaku had essentially told them to shove it(She loves that man so much).)

She watches her boys do their respective routines with a smile on her face for a little while longer before calling them to her.

(Shikamaru's POV)

"I don't get why you keep insisting on taking us to that gods' forsaken park," Shikamaru grumbles as he walks beside his mother.

His mother snorts, "Oh, really now?"

"I get that you want me and Naru to socialize but people won't let their kids play with Naru and, by extension, me," he says. He looks up at her with a frown and continues before Naru can say anything, "not that I'd want to have anything to do with anyone shallow enough to treat any person like they treat Naru. It isn't right and I don't want any part in it."

(He's seen enough of that from before when he'd been enhanced. People had often called the enhanced monsters, freaks, aberrations, and abominations because of Shinra and he had been one of the people that they saw as such. He may not have ever been a SOLDIER but his too bright dark eyes gave him away as something less than human in the eyes of bigots. He had been targeted several times along with Zack, Cloud, and Vincent. Those people had never succeeded in their attempts to kill them but it didn't stop them from trying again. Not until the world had gone to hell, at least.

Then they, the very same bigots that had tried to have the four of them put down, were demanding that they protect them and others like them. There was a very clear chain of command in AVALANCHE and since those people were trying to take over, AVALANCHE had shot them down by saying that they would not take in anyone who would disrupt the defenses of whatever encampment they made. Hyo had taken great joy in physically removing them from his small property where AVALANCHE had gathered at the time. Unfortunately, they would be forced to move all too soon.)

Naru nods from beside him and says, "Yeah, me too. I'd rather go to the library or practice my tree walking."

Their mother sighs, "I know but you never know when you might meet someone new who will get along with both of you. I'd rather you be bored at the park and meet someone then be at the library or training all the time and never meet a person who might become a good friend."

Shikamaru sighs and stares up at the sky, "Mendokuse… Well, at least there are clouds in the sky today. We can cloud watch for a while, right Naru?"

"Right!"

Their mother sighs again, fondly exasperated, "You're your otou-san's sons."

Shikamaru turns his head and smirks at her, "We're your kids too, kaa-san. Otherwise, we wouldn't be as active as we are. Have you heard how much tou-san complains about us being demanding, high-maintenance brats?"

Naru starts giggling, "It's funny to listen to him!"

"Silly boys, of course, I've heard. You two badger him from the moment he gets home and you don't let him have a moment's rest until supper time!" She laughs, "I've never heard him complain more in the time I've known him! He's certainly getting more exercise than before, though, so that's a good thing. And I don't think he's annoyed at all. He's really proud of both of you boys. He's just complaining because he can."

Shikamaru chuckles and turns his face back to the shy(some days he still can't get over how blue it is or how white the clouds are. When it rains he is still surprised to see and smell how clean it is. He doesn't think he'll ever get over how clean his home is or how full of life it is. He hopes he'll never stop being pleasantly surprised by this life he has now).

It doesn't take them long to reach the playground after their conversation finishes and Shikamaru is content with the comfortable silence(he may be able to talk now but he is more than used to silence and he never takes his ability to speak for granted. Most of the time his words are carefully weighed before he says anything. He is rarely careless with words(he knows the power they hold and how easily they can be used to hurt)). He grabs Naru's wrist and starts looking for a good place to cloud watch that won't be invaded by screaming howler monkeys(it's still so rude, he knows, but he's used to kids who know how to be quiet when they play or, at least, they never got too loud). Naru, who is perfectly content to be led around by his wrist when he isn't getting distracted, comments on potential spots for them to settle down at.

Then they both hear it, "We don't want you playing with us! You'll just slow us down. Hey! You two! You want to play Ninja with us?"

Shikamaru and his brother turn as one. Shikamaru rakes his hard gaze over the group of children and snorts in distaste, "No, we don't. However, you...You're an Akimichi, aren't you?"

The chubby boy with reddish-brown hair and swirls on his cheeks flush and nods shyly and Shikamaru frowns as he watches him for a moment. Then, "Do you want to cloud watch with my brother and me? Our tou-san is friends and teammates with an Akimichi and he's pretty cool for the most part so neither of us has any issues hanging out with you. Unlike these immature brats."

Shikamaru's disdain for the group of children is so clear that the leader of them flushes in anger, "Hey, who do you think you are?! You're a brat too!"

Shikamaru stares at him with an unreadable expression. "Me? Well, I'm not rude like you are so I suppose I'll introduce myself. I am Nara Shikamaru, the sixteenth heir and future head of the Nara Clan. My tou-san is Nara Shikaku, the head of our Clan and Jōnin Commander of Konoha's Shinobi Forces. This is my little brother, Naruto."

The other kids start murmuring to themselves at his answer and then the chubby boy speaks up softly. "I'm Akimichi Chōji. I think my tou-san is friends with your tou-san."

"Aa? Akimichi Chōza, the head of the Akimichi Clan?" Shikamaru asks.

Chōji nods happily as the whispering increases. "Is it really okay for me to come with you two?"

Naru blurts out, "Yeah! Shika-nii and I like to try and predict what shapes the clouds will take and it'd be nice to have a third opinion! 'Sides, Shika-nii is a really good judge of character and if he thinks you're okay then you must be pretty cool!"

Chōji smiles shyly, "Really? I don't think that I am… I'm pretty average."

Shikamaru rolls his eyes, "I wouldn't give you an if I didn't mean what I said. I'm not some sort of cruel guy who'd do something like that. If I say something you can be sure that I've already thought it over before saying it. So…are you coming with us?"

"Hai!" Chōji darts over to them with a shy grin. "Thank you, Nara-san."

Shikamaru flinches away and gives him a freaked out look. "It's Shikamaru, not Nara-san. That's my tou-san and I'm not nearly old enough to be a Nara-san. Besides, I'm not big on the honorifics thing."

"You can call me Naru," his brother chirps.

"Ah, then please call me Chōji!" The other boy says with a pleased smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you both!"

"Nice to meet you too, Chōji," Shikamaru says with a nod. "You have anything you want to say to these guys?"

Chōji shakes his head. "I'd rather just leave if you don't mind."

"Fine by me." Shikamaru turns and starts walking away with his left hand still clutching his brother's wrist.

He begins to lead them towards the outskirts of the playground and Chōji looks around before saying, "Is it okay for us to be all the way out here? I don't think any of the adults can see us here."

"It's fine," Naru says. "Shika-nii and I have an ANBU guard so we can be out here. Kaa-chan and tou-chan are really paranoid but they have a reason to be so I don't mind."

Chōji's jaw drops in shock, "Really?! Why?"

Shikamaru turns his head to look at the other boy better as he says calmly, "We were attacked last year by a pedophile. I got beat up pretty bad trying to fight the psycho off. Apparently, that guy had been watching me and Naru for a few weeks whenever we were off the Clan grounds and finally decided to make a move when we went to the library. Dumb of him to follow us in really but you can't really reason with crazy people."

Chōji gapes at him before he whispers, "That was you guys? I'm so sorry!. Tou-san told me that two Clan kids had gotten attacked by a really bad man so all of us kids have to be really careful about who we trust outside of our family."

Naru gives the chubby boy a weak smile but Shikamaru waves away the apology dismissively. "You don't need to apologize. It's not like you knew us until now and it isn't your fault. Besides, I look at it this way – it's done and over with, nothing more to be done about what happened. All I can do now is get stronger to stop anyone else from trying the same thing and move on from it. If I dwell on it I'll never be able to do that. Yeah, it still freaks me out that someone was able to get that close to me and Naru but I can't be running scared for the rest of my life. I've got too much to do with my life, too much to live for, and too many people relying on me to run like that. Does that make sense?"

Chōji nods contemplatively before he smiles at Shikamaru, "Yeah, it does. You're really smart Shikamaru."

He shrugs, "Tou-san says I'm a genius but I've never been formally tested. Naru's no slouch himself either. He just turns his intelligence to other things – like pranks..."

Naru laughs, "You love it, you know it!"

Shikamaru snorts, "Like a fungus, or mold, it grows on you whether you want it to or not."

"Oi! I'm not a fungus!"

"Sure act like one sometimes," Shikamaru shoots back. Chōji giggles at their banter and he smiles to himself as the Akimichi relaxes. Eventually, the other boy gets pulled into their antics and Shikamaru feels like something has just slotted into place.

(It feels like he has just found a piece of himself he hadn't known was missing. What a curious thing.)

Author's Note #2: So Shikamaru and Naruto have now met Chōji and befriended him.

So I have a question for my readers. You've read this far and there have been some clues both in the summary and the story itself. In fact, the ending is a clue in and of itself! What do you think has happened to bring our little hero to where he is now?