Dazzling bright light peered through the window of shikamaru's room.
It was time to get up! He had many plans for the day. But the most critical was related to Naruto.
His time was limited and he had to make a couple of changes as much as fate will give him!
…..
But old habits die slowly, and even if he had an important task. He was still the same lazy shukamaru without motivation.
Many thoughts were in his head, he had to make Naruto prepared for the trouble to come for him in the future.
He was all alone in this.
He could not rely on anyone with the information in his possession, and it was imposed on him and him alone.
The young Nara wiped his eyes with his hands and looked around.
He was still in his room, the same room that he shared with his friend.
"Naruto?" said the Nara.
The blonde wasn't in bed, and there was no sign that anyone sleeping in the room.
The young genius stood up and walked out of his room in a hurry.
"Where is he?!" thought to himself the genius in a panic that wasn't typical of him.
He came into the living room of his house and saw his mother.
Yoshino welcomed her younger son with a smile and asked how he sleeps.
Shikamaru ignored her question, "mom did you see Naruto?" he asked anxiously.
His mother giggled to herself and pointed to the porch.
Shikamaru moved to the place and saw Naruto with his father.
They sat facing each other with the same Shogi table.
Naruto was looking relaxed and serene but the Nara's father was the complete opposite.
Shikaku was sweating and sat in a way that shikamaru had never seen before, while linked to the Board. He didn't know what to do. With every other opponent the Nara was able to manage without any problem.
But Naruto wasn't just anyone!
Eventually the blonde spotted his friend standing behind him.
"Good morning shikamaru! what took you so long?" he asked.
The Nara finally came out of the trance he was immersed in and answer his friend.
"I was asleep! Like you're supposed to be, how much energy do you have?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer to that question.
The blonde smiled "that's nothing! I can run all day and not feel tired at all", said proudly.
Yoshino joined her family on the terrace.
"It's true! Naruto-Kun even helped me prepare your breakfast!" she said with a smile.
"R-really?" said the pineapple head.
Yoshino positively agreed "he was so cute when he was wearing the apron!" She giggled.
"Yo-yoshino-San" the embarrassed Naruto said.
The woman giggled even more when she saw the blonde begins to blush and desperately trying to hide his face.
"And what happened here?" said to his mother, while pointing to the game which took place between the two.
She began to tell him what had happened while he was sleeping.
Two hours earlier…..
Yoshino just completed to prepare breakfast with the help of the blonde jinchuuriki.
The woman was surprised to see someone other than her so early, it was normal to the Nara's life after all.
But working with her son's young friend was a refreshing experience for her.
The energetic boy proved he can cook completely on his own, with a few minor fixes.
Naruto obviously enjoyed working and wouldn't stop smiling throughout the work.
And of course she was shikaku's wife and former ninja herself, and knew exactly who was Naruto and what he was.
She knew who the parents of the jinchuuriki were, after all she met them more than once in the time of Minato Namikaze the fourth Hokage and naruto's father.
As she watched the blonde she felt bad, but not because of him.
She was the one at fault, like many others in the village didn't give the little boy the chance he was supposed to get.
Then yesterday without any warning he showed up with her son, who already considered him his best friend.
"How could they?" She asked herself repeatedly as she looked at him.
He was just a little boy, he was not a Monster or demon!.
"Yoshino-San?" said Naruto looking at her wondering.
She gave up her thoughts and looked at him, "Yes Naruto-Kun?".
"I finished with the table and the eggs!" said the blonde with a smile while wiping his nose in innocence.
"But, do I really have to wear this apron?" he asked while looking at the large apron tied around his sides and covered almost his entire body.
"Of course!, when you're working in the kitchen, you have to keep yourself clean and neat!" she said with a big smile.
"He looks so cute in this apron!" she thought.
"So I just have to get the food to the table and wake the two lazy boys" she said.
"I can wake up the shikamaru" said Naruto with a smile.
"Then you can do this after you help me to put food on the table", she said.
They came into the living room only to see the Nara clan head sits at the same table naruto saw his friend and his father play a Shogi Game yesterday.
Shikaku smiled in a lazy way to the blond "morning...Want to try?" he asked.
"Ah try?, you mean to play?" he asked.
"It...It seems a bit" he said not really sure.
"It's not as hard as it looks, and I have to play against new people..I will explain it to you". The jounin commander said.
The jinjuriki felt Yoshino pushing him and he set up in front of the table.
"It's ok Naruto-Kun!, I can wake up your lazy friend after I finished some last things" she said.
Naruto looked at shikaku still feeling fear from the men.
"s-So shikaku-san, how do you play?" he asked.
Back in the present…
Shikamaru looked in a smile as he saw his friend and father play together.
shikaku finally raised his head and looked at the blonde "there was another rule I forgot to tell you!, if it's your third match and your opponent asks for a do-over you have to give him a do-over!" said the Chief with his hands trembling and sweaty.
"D-dad?! In what kind of game are you playing at?" roared shikamaru.
Shikaku ignored his son and waited for an answer from his opponent.
Naruto smiled a big smile to the older Nara, he was already gotten used to him "no problem shikaku-San!"
Shikaku smiled upon the blond answer and started to rearrange some of the pieces, but before completing Yoshino put her hand on his shoulder.
"Honey the food is getting cold" She said with a smile and a soft voice that he knew very well.
Shikaku rose from the Shogi table and walked toward the breakfast table that waited for the occupants of the house and their blond Guest.
Naruto and shikamaru sat at the table next to each other, "what happened?" asked the Nara.
The jinjuriki looked at the shape of the sweaty shikaku and then smiled to the other two "only law number 12!" he finished with a big grin.
Shikaku paused for a few seconds and then began to laugh out loud with tears in his eyes, "law number 12 exactly!"
Shikamaru and Yoshino looked at each other, "did we missed something?" they asked.
Two boys came out of the entrance of the Nara's clan compound, one Nara shikamaru and his new friend naruto uzumaki.
The two soon moved the entrance gate and started walking into the center of the village, they almost didn't notice the figure that was completely hidden from view and hiding among the shadows of the trees dressed entirely in black with a white mask that looked at them with great interest and followed everything step they took.
"Where are you going?" thought the character and followed two young children who began to move more and more until they disappeared into the village, when the character was fast behind them.
…..
…..
After having finished their breakfast shikamaru and Naruto moved from the clan and to the village to play, despite the desire of the shikaku for a rematch against the blonde boy.
The Nara's parents accompanied the two boys down to the entrance of the clan and stopped at the gate by two guards.
Naruto bowed to shikaku and Yoshino and thanked them for their great hospitality.
"We were very pleased to have you!, you're always welcome to visit Naruto-Kun!" said Yoshino smiling.
The two boys left the Nara area and continue to the village.
Shikaku looked at the two guards guarding the gate.
"From Now on you will let naruto in without any problem, do you understand?" said the Nara.
"B-but shikaku-sama!" One of the guards tried to say until he felt his insides trembling as the clan head was facing him and his partner.
"Am I clear?!" said a voice that reminded the guards why he was the commander of the jonin.
"Yes!, shikaku-sama!" said the pair in fear.
The two guards looked scared at the pair that came back into the clan area, "don't you think we should have told them that we saw shikamaru-sama and his friend already?" said one of the guards.
"And to anger shikaku-sama more? no thanks!" said one as fear passed through his body.
Yoshino was kissing her husband on the cheek while the two headed toward their home, "thank you" She whispered.
Shikaku smiled at her "You don't have to thank me, Naruto is a good kid and I believe he will be a good influence on our shikamaru!"
With two boys…
"Thanks again for inviting me shikamaru!" said Naruto.
"No problem!, I really enjoyed having you and I'm sure Mom and Dad thought the same!" he said.
"Well...I" he was trying to say.
"You heard them, they invite you themselves!" he said with a smile.
"Well I can't say no to that!" said the jinjuriki.
"So shikamaru in what do we play today?" he asked.
Shikamaru remember what his father told him last night, or rather what was going to happen very soon.
"Say Naruto, do you want to be strong?" asked the Nara.
"Like the fourth Hokage?" he ask.
"Exactly, so what do you say?" asked the Nara happy to see his friend still adore the men who was with his father.
"Of course!, but how?" said while scratching his head.
Shikamaru smiled and increased his pace, "follow me!"
He led his blond haired friend to a forest that was next to the playground.
The two went on for several minutes until the Nara was satisfied that they were in a quiet place where nobody will disturb them.
The two settled under high tree branches that hid the two boys from the Sun and provided shade and a place to chill and talk, it was an ideal place to rest without annoying people seeing you. "How didn't I know about this place?" thought to himself the Nara and finally turned to his friend.
"Why do you want to be strong?" asked the Nara.
Naruto looked at his friend as he relaxed on the tree trunk and closed his eyes, "I want people to accept me for who I am!" he said smiling with his fist flying into the air to show that he's serious.
"What about you shikamaru?" asked his friend.
The Nara opened his closed eyes slowly "here we go, Hope he will agree with me" he thought to himself.
"Naruto, what do you think about my parents?" he asked his friend.
The blond looked to his friend confused. "What I think about them? why do you ask?" he asked.
"I want to check something" he said with a serious face.
"Mmm...Your mom is really nice and the food she makes really good!" he finished with a smile.
"It was clear that he will start with the food", the Nara smiled and agreed with him.
"And your dad... at first he was a little scary, but after I beat him a few times in Shogi I found out he is so funny!" said naruto as he scratched his head as he normally would.
"And he's also the jonin comender!,so he must be super powerful!" he said.
The Nara wanted to ask what he meant when he said he defeated his father, but there were far more important things right now.
"I want to protect them!, that's why I want to be strong!", shikamaru finish with determination in his eyes.
He looked into the eyes of the blond jinjuriki "it's something I want more than anything! To protect my family And my friends!" he said with a big smile.
Shikamaru saw his friend's eyes twinkled with admiration to him "so what do you say?" asked the Nara.
He didn't even have to ask as he saw the blonde's face.
"Me too! i want to protect Yoshino-San and shikaku-San! And you too shikamaru!" said the blonde.
"So we have a similar goal!" said shikamaru with a smile.
"OK so we need to get strong and fast, and I have the way!" he said.
Shikamaru made a mark with both hands and shouted in a loud voice "kage bunshin no jutsu!"
The jinjuriki's eyes opened in surprise when he saw another shikamaru appears out of nowhere, "a-amazing!"
The Nara smiled "It's called kage bunshin! which is your first step".
A few hours later….
Naruto took a little more time to learn the kage bunshin, for the simple reason that he never tried or even know how to use his chakra but for someone like him who had an enormous amount of chakra that just spilled out of him it was relatively quite easy to learn the jutsu.
Naruto was able to learn the kage bunshin after a number of attempts and have already begun to jump from joy and happiness! "I'm the best! I did it!. Did you see it shikamaru?" the blonde finished with a smile.
His Black haired friend looked at him and his replicas, and by his count there ware at least 100 of them!
"Yo-your amazing Naruto! I can only create 10 every time!" said the nara in excitement.
He knew his friend would be able to learn and perform the jutsu without too much difficulty, after all...he was naruto!.
"So you're ready to start the real practice?" he asked.
"I'm always ready!, so let's start!" said the blonde.
The Nara shook his head positively and created another clone of himself with a 'poof' of smoke.
"You know what to do" said to his Clone.
The Nara clone shook his head for confirmation and walked towards the replicas of Naruto in front of him "come with me..." said while pointing to the three closest to it.
Naruto looked to his friend, "trust me" he said simply.
The blonde turned to the small army of clones that was behind him, "its ok go with him" he said to the three.
"Yes boss!" said the three while they saluted him.
Naruto watched the four going deeper into the forest, until they disappeared from view.
"Where did they go?" said the blonde.
"You will see soon" shikamaru said with a hidden smile.
…
…
"Ah! Hey shikamaru!, how dare you say that ramen is not real food?!" said the blonde out of nowhere.
The boy just smiled "I didn't say anything...".
The blonde paused and scratched his head "But I'm sure that...you".
"Ah! you said it again and you punched me!" he said angrily, while pointing at his friend.
Shikamaru smiled "are you sure?" he asked.
Naruto stopped and looked at him "It wasn't you...Your clone?".
"Bingo!, then you understand now?" asked the Nara.
"So...your clone says or does anything, and then he...Hit my clone and I know what he said?" Said Naruto still doesn't completely understand the process.
"Right! Now, my clone took yours to a place far from us and told them something. Then it struck them hard or dispel as it caused the same result! as Your clones dispel their memories come back to you!" the nara explained.
Naruto's eyes were opened wide "so if my clones are learning something...So it mean's I also knew them?" said the blonde.
"That's right!".
"WOW!, so I can learn every jutsu!?. I am going to be so cool and strong!" said the jinjuriki in exsaitmant.
"Very nice Naruto!, but that's not all!" said the Nara and had naruto look at him in wonder.
"You can gather information, causing confusion in the enemy lines or improve your chances against a large number of people!" he ended up explaining the different forms in which the blond will begin to use the jutsu, which he was so famous for in the future because of it.
The blonde's eyes twinkled with excitement when he realized the potential of all the pranks that he could execute at the same time!, the Anbu won't know what hit them!.
"So I guess you're pretty happy with what I thought you?" asked the Nara.
"You bet! the Anbu who constantly follow me around will know not to mess with me!" he said loudly.
The warning lamp illuminated in the mind of the Nara "N-naruto it wouldn't be a good idea for someone else to know that you can use the kage bunshin" he said.
"W-why not?" Said the blonde with a bit of disappointment in his voice was obvious.
"kage bunshin is forbidden jutsu that only jonin can use officially, and if someone finds out that I taught it to you..." The nara has not finished his remarks but Naruto realized that the end result won't be good at all.
"I see! So don't worry!" the blonde said with a smile.
shikamaru finally calmed down when he know that he can count on his friend and pulled out a small white scroll.
"more jutsu?"
"Not exactly, but something just as important!" said nara when he bit his thumb, causing small drips of blood to come out.
"What are you doing?!" asked Naruto as he saw his friend bleeding.
but shikamaru did not answer and just open the scroll which he hold, then wiped his bleeding thumb on it.
Poof!
from the scroll came several books and scrolls.
"s-shikamaru That was?" said the blonde stuttering.
The Nara shook his head, "Yes Naruto, it's a storage scroll like your clan was so famous for! even if it's not on the same level.
"s-shikamaru...Are you...an uzumaki like me!?" he asked.
"N-no Naruto, did you forgot that I am a nara?" said.
"So how do you know?" said the skeptical jinjuriki.
The Nara smiled to his friend and started to explain to him that anyone can learn the art of sealing, but only the real masters were the uzumaki!, except for the forte hokaga of course.
"But first we start with the basic things," said shikamaru as he held three books in his hands. he gave a sign to Naruto and the blonde come immediately.
the Black haired shikamaru gave him one of the books as he looked at its cover "chakra control?" said the blonde.
"can you make a few more clones?" asked the Nara.
Naruto shook his head and did his famous symbol, "kage bunshin no jutsu!".
Poof!
behind Naruto appeared 150 more clones, some were scattered among the trees and some on the branches above the heads of the two.
"will That be enough?" said Naruto smiling and waiting for a response from his dazed friend.
"yes...I think that's enough" he said After returning to himself.
"And now give a 100 clones to study this book, each one of them mast remember one page at least until they remember it perfectly!", he said.
"And this is for the other 100" he said while giving hair a second book that on its cover was listed 'martial arts-Basic'.
The blond turned towards his clones and ordered them as Commander in the army.
the clones have disappeared into the woods with the remaining doubles of Nara until the only few that were under the tree were one Naruto uzumaki and shikamaru Nara and the 50 doubles of the blonde.
"Say shikamaru what about them?" said the blonde, while he pointed to remaining clones standing behind him.
"They are going to fight me...Everyone at the same time!" said the Nara in laziness.
"W-what?, you can't be serious shikamaru its 50 against 1!" said Naruto slightly worried.
The Nara smiled and got into a fighting stance and began to move from side to side while jumping.
"I would be worried about them rather than myself if I were you!" he said with a sparkle in his eyes.
the blond army began to shake and took a step back in fear.
"Come to me with all you got!" said the Nara.
The battle between the nara to clones didn't last long.
Naruto stared open-mouthed at what happened in front of him for a few minutes, He has never seen anyone fighting 50 other opponents at the same time and coming out without a scratch.
It was impossible to call it a battle,It was a massacre!. a massacre with shikamaru standing with his hands in his pockets and a small smile on his face.
"So what do you think?" asked the Nara.
"T-that was amazing!" cried the blonde.
The Nara stared at the blond, "n-no...I meant if you noticed something wan you saw me fight?" he asked at last.
"if I saw?" he asked.
The blonde came to a thinking stance as shikamaru was sitting under the tree shade and closed his eyes, trying to take advantage of the time he has to...Simply being himself.
Naruto continued with his thinking until he finally approached his sleeping friend with his arms still folded together and said, "I didn't see it but I felt it...". He sat down next to shikamaru and looked at him, "are those the memories of my clones?", he asked.
"Exactly!" said the Nara as his eyes were closed with a smile on his face.
"And how do we proceed now?" asked the blonde who settled by his friend.
shikamaru continued his silence and did not say a Word, but finally he opened his eyes and looked toward the sky.
"Sometimes you need...to Relax and think" said the Lazy boy.
"but..But it's so boring..." Naruto yelped.
"...This is important", Said shikamaru in a tired voice and without motivation.
The blonde was skeptical about the whole thing, but he relied on his new friend.
Finally, despite the doubts of the blond he settled by the Nara and folded his legs and put his hands together. to the nara's eye's Naruto looked like a monk in a monastery, He looked so peaceful and calm.
The Nara smiled one last time and closed his eyes again and tried to grab a few hours of sleep.
A few hours later.
The two boys went out of the forest where they were and began to walk back towards the village, or more accurately to playground where they first met. At the same time Naruto was happy and proud of himself and did not tried to hide his smile that was in full view.
"That was fun!" said the blonde, "I feel so awake!, like I have so much more energy!".
shikamaru was sweating slightly "how can an Energy Monster as you get any more Energy?" he thought to himself as he gazed at his friend. "Really?, then let's see you reach the slides before me!" said the nara and began to run.
"Hey!, not fair!" cried the blond as he saw that shikamaru started running, and began running hoping to make it and to prove his point.
shikamaru arrived first and sat on one of the slides behind him and looked to his friend who came after him with a sour face, "you cheated!" said the blond.
"Hey you're the one who said he had a lot more energy", said the nara with a smile on his face that increasingly angry Naruto. The blonde had his hands togethet and looked at him, "it still wasn't fair..." he Said.
"Hey!,shikamaru!" sound a voice called for the nara.
The blonde and the black head looked toward the sound and saw a child running toward them.
"choji!..." Thought shikamaru seeing his best friend running towards them.
choji had brown hair with swirl marks on his cheeks that were typical of all members of his clan with black eyes full of joy and life. He was wearing a green shirt which the top was a white as it was hiding his pants and black sandals.
Finally, after a short run the Akimichi came to the two boys.
"It is you who shikamaru!, I didn't think you would come out to play unless your mom made you!" he ended up with a smile on his face.
"was I really that bad?" he thought to himself but exit out of his thoughts when he heard the blonde next to him. "shikamaru who this?" said Naruto looking at the new kid who was a close friend to his new friend.
"ahh...this is choji akimichi Naruto! He and I were best friends since young age!" said shikamaru and then turned to choji. "choji this is Naruto uzumaki he is my new friend!" the nara ended and took a step back to let the two get to know each other.
"Nice to meet you Naruto!" he said with a smile on his face as he offered his hand for the blond. Naruto hesitated for a second, but accepted the akimichi's hand and gave him a smile, "nice to meet you too choji!".
The Nara stared with confirmed look wan he saw his two best friends get along with each other very quickly!, he opened his eyes in surprise when he got the memories created from his clones. From what he got from them the Anbu that followed after the fake Naruto took the bait and did not suspected anything.
The Nara joined his two friends. "What are you guys talking about?".
"He just told me how you and him become friends!" said the blonde jinjuriki. "I knew from the beginning that you're nice!".
The Nara scratched his head in confusion, "a..Anyway! what shall we play?" he asked the other two.
"Catch, hide-and-seek?" said the blonde.
"Choji!".
the Three boys's turned their heads at the sound.
the Three saw Ino Yamanaka coming toward them.
ino had short blond platinum hair with a small green clip on its side, she was wearing an orange shirt with black stripe on her sleeves. black pants with purple stockings and black sandals.
"It really was you shikamaru!, why didn't you tell him that I am here as wall choji?!" she said with some anger in her voice.
The Akimichi scratched his head in embarrassment, "sorry ino I just forgotten!" he said with a smile.
The platinum blonde turned to the Nara with a smile, "hi shikamaru its rare to see you without your parents!, you came to play a little at last?" she asked.
The Nara lowered his head slightly so that his eyes were hidden from others, as Intense anger began bubbling out of his body and he began to shake slightly. The smiling face and her innocent angered him so much that he thought he could scream and kill something.
"shikamaru?" she questioned for a second time when noticing that he has not yet replied.
"Now is not the time for that!, I still have time to stop...that.." Thought to himself.
His face turned to the other, "Hey ino! What's up?" he replied with a happy smile.
"I'm fine" she replied with a smile, "me and choji waited for my friend so we can play all together!. But if you want to join, we'd love to!" she said.
As choji agreed with a smile he tern to naruto "Naruto do you want to join us?" asked his friend.
"Ah?,i...I can play with everybody?" said the blonde in anticipation.
"Who is this?" questioned ino that eventually noticed the other blonde standing between her two friends.
"this is Naruto uzumaki! and he is our new friend!". Said the Nara while laying his hand on Naruto's shoulder.
The female blonde approached Naruto and looked at him with interest, and finally she smiled. "hey! I am ino yamanaka its nice to meet you Naruto!" finished with a smile.
"M-me too...Nice to meet you ino! "said Naruto embarrassed when she approached him.
"So who's your friend?" said shikamaru as he already knew who was to come.
"ino!...ino!" said another girl as she approach the team.
"Sakura..." shikamaru said in a whisper that no one heard and closed his eyes to try and bury his anger.
the Pink haired girl reached the Group and hid directly behind ino.
"This is Sakura!" said ino as she introduced her friend to the three boys'.
Sakura had short pink hair with green sapphire eyes and a large red ribbon and tied to her head that made her resemble a bunny, she wore a small black shirt with small cuts on both sleeves. White shorts and Brown sandals.
She welcomed everyone whit a small smile and looked directly to Naruto.
"Nice to meet you Naruto!" she Said weakly.
At that moment shikamaru's eyes opened in terror, he just received the memories of his clones whose just finished training whit naruto's clones.
"Oh no" He said to himself.
"Nice to meet you...!" Naruto didn't get to finish his words and just lost consciousness as he fell on his back with a loud noise.
"Naruto!" called the panicked ino and choji when they saw their new friend falling backward.
Sakura looked innocently as the blonde just fainted suddenly for no reason at all, and rushed into his side and to try to help him.
"I've got a bad feeling about this" The Nara thought to himself, hopefully nothing tiring will come of it.
Author notes.
Here is another episode of 'one more chance'! Hope you enjoyed it and tell me what you think.
also Someone said in the comments that shikamaru became OOC, but can you blame him?. he is trying to prevent the canon future!, so of cores he will act different!. And try to change what's to come!.