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Chapter 6 – Case Closed?
Ding. [You've unlocked the Shikamaru Nara as an employee]
System, you're still going to make me pay for him?!, Daiko internally cursed. "Of course, I'll pay you. I'm so excited to be working together," Daiko exclaimed while shedding a single tear.
"Since we're working together… mind if I ask you about the romance novel?" Shikamaru asked.
"Hmmm, what about it?" Daiko said curiously. He didn't think there was anything out of the ordinary about the romance novel until he realized he was supposed to be a seven-year-old boy.
"Why are you writing a girly romance novel?" Shikamaru asked Daiko rather crudely.
"You know, I thought you would be smarter than that," Daiko responded jokingly however, a vein in Shikamaru's temples started bulging. "I guess you just can't appreciate literature," Daiko continued as he shrugged his shoulders helplessly.
"This is something my mom would probably appreciate but I don't understand why YOU are writing it?"
"Huh? I'm going to sell it, of course."
"Nevermind, that sounds exactly like something you would do," Shikamaru said as he rolled his eyes.
"If you keep rolling your eyes, they might get stuck like that," Daiko quipped back.
"Yeah, you and my mom keep telling me."
"Speaking of your mom, could you ask her to read my manuscript and let me know what she thinks?"
"Ugh, what a drag. Day 1 and you're already giving me work."
"That's not your real work. Your real work is this," Daiko said as he walked to his desk and picked up a file. After tossing Shikamaru the file, Daiko sat down and observed Shikamaru flipping through the pages.
"You're planning to start a theater company?" Shikamaru asked.
"Can't you at least pretend you haven't snooped through my things and act more shocked?" Daiko said disappointedly before taking a deep breath and continuing. "Yes, I'm starting a theater company. Our first play will be based on that manuscript. But I want you to come up with strategies to make this launch as big as possible."
"What a drag," Shikamaru complained as a faint smile hung on his lips. I don't completely trust you yet, Daiko. But if I work for you, eventually I'm going to figure out your secrets, Shikamaru thought. "Well, I have to get going."
"Later Shika let's talk about this during lunch tomorrow," Daiko said as Shikamaru walked out of his door. This worked out better than my original plan, Daiko thought. I was ready to let him know more about my future business plans to assuage his suspicions but who knew just letting him know I have a doujutsu would be enough to get rid of all doubt. Shikamaru probably feels like the answers he comes up with have to be true because his logical and reasoning is flawless, but his logic and reasoning will never be able to come up with an explanation like isekai'd reincarnation with a magical cheat system.
"System," Daiko said as a red screen appeared in front of him. "Employees. Shikamaru," he continued.
Employee: Nara, Shikamaru
Title: Chief Strategy Officer
Capability/Potential: D+/SS+
Cost: 2,100 Ryo/ Week
*Costs automatically increase as capability increases.
*Bonuses are mandatory for meritorious actions.
Potential Skills:
Strategic Insight: Shikamaru displays a natural affinity for games that require strategic thinking. This may translate into future prowess in strategic planning and operations.
Logical Reasoning: Shikamaru's aptitude for problem solving and logical puzzles could eventually be translated into business earnings.
Leadership: Despite his age, Shikamaru shows early signs of leadership qualities.
Ninja: Shikamaru has the potential to be an S-rank shinobi however he does not take training seriously.
I didn't even get to negotiate salary with him, Daiko thought.
That night Shikamaru got home later than usual, the front door creaked as he gently pushed it open. The lamp in the living room cast a soft, warm glow across the room, revealing his parents waiting for him.
"You're late, Shikamaru," his father, Shikaku, chided, raising an eye brow in concern. His mother, Yoshino Nara, was perched on the edge of a tatami mat, a stern look on her face.
"Sorry, I got caught up with something," Shikamaru responded, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably.
"Caught up?" his mother questioned. "You're not a ninja with missions. What were you doing?"
Shikamaru sighed, "I've started working with Daiko."
"Daiko?" Shikaku repeated, "working with Daiko on what?"
"One of his businesses," Shikamaru replied vaguely, unwilling to dive into the details of the theater company just yet. "And he's paying me."
"Paying you?" his mother blinked in astonishment. "He's just a child."
"Yoshino, he's the boy that runs the dako carts around town. He's also Shikamaru's classmate at the academy," Shikaku said.
What a hard-working child, Yoshino thought. "It's good that you finally have a good influence but you can't be coming home this late, especially during a school night, and especially especially without letting us know where you are," his mother nagged. "I mean it's good to see you working voluntarily for once," she said as a smirk crawled onto her face.
Shikamaru blushed, ignoring his mother's teasing, as he reached into his bag to produce the manuscript. "Daiko gave me this to give to you. I thought you would like it, it's a romance novel he's writing."
Yoshino and Shikaku eyed the manuscript curiously, before Yoshino took it with a bemused expression. "Alright, I'll give it a look. Now, go shower and get to bed, it's late." Shikamaru left and Yoshino turned to her husband, "You've met Daiko, what's he like?"
"He's smart and hard-working but, he doesn't have any focus. He might be a business genius but he's in last place on all of the Academy's rankings. He should be training and studying right now, but he's wasting his time writing romance novels," Shikaku said as he shook his head. "How good could some kid's romance novel be anyway?"
"We'll I'll find out," she said as she got up and retired to the bedroom.
The following morning, Yoshino found herself completely engrossed in the manuscript. She finished the last page with a discontented sigh and a stream of tears falling down her face. Shikamaru, who had just entered the room, found his mother in an unusual mood.
"Oh, Shikamaru, this is fantastic!" Yoshino gushed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Daiko is so talented, you're so lucky to have friend like him."
"Is it really that good?" Shikamaru asked.
"You're mom hasn't stopped talking about it since she started reading it last night," his father said annoyed. "Now she's making me read it."
"Once, Daiko publishes this, he's going to be a sensation," Yoshino said.
"I'll let him know," Shikamaru said, heading towards the door.
As Shikamaru was about to leave for school, Yoshino stopped him at the doorstep. "Wait, Shikamaru, let me walk you to school," she said, clutching the manuscript.
"Ugh, why?" he asked, looking perplexed.
"I want to meet Daiko. I'd like him to autograph this," she shyly replied, branding the manuscript in the air. "And I think it's important to meet your friends."
Shikamaru sighed deeply, "what a drag." With a resigned shrug, Shikamaru started walking to school, his mother glued to his side. He found himself surprisingly excited at the prospect of Daiko meeting his mom. He wanted to see how Daiko would squirm and react when he was uncomfortable.
They soon arrived at the school. Upon spotting Daiko, Shikamaru led his mother towards him. "Hey, Daiko," he greeted.
Daiko turned around, a friendly smile on his face. "Hey, Shika—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Yoshino stepped forward, the manuscript in her hands. "Hello, Daiko. I'm Shikamaru's mother, Yoshino," she introduced herself. "I read your novel, and it was truly magnificent. Could I ask you for an autograph?"
Daiko grinned wildly, "Of course, Mrs. Nara. I'm glad you enjoyed my work." He took out his pen from his pocket and accepted the manuscript, "Dear Yoshino, May the love story within these pages bring a dash of romance and a touch of warmth to your life. Remember, every story is a love story if you read between the lines ;) Yours in Literature, Daiko."
Shikamaru's eye was twitching and Daiko flirted with his mom but he was taken aback when he saw his mom blushing as she received the manuscript from Daiko. "Let me know if you want me to read any of your other manuscripts, Daiko-kun," she said.
"Ms. Nara don't say that, I might just write nonstop to see you again," Daiko responded, as Shikamaru turned so red he looked ready to burst.
"Bye, mom!" he said as he pulled Daiko away.
"Oh! Have a good day at school kids!" Yoshino shouted at the kids running away.
"Daiko, what are you doing flirting with my mother," Shikamaru said angrily with his fist cocked back.
"I don't know what you're talking about Shika," Daiko replied as innocently as he could. "Besides we're right outside of class." The bell chimed and the chatter among the academy students intensified before Daiko slipped away, "let's talk during lunch," he said as he ran away.
During lunch Daiko disappeared causing Shikamaru to wander the halls searching for him. As Shikamaru turned the corner he could vaguely hear Daiko and Sasuke arguing. Shikamaru crept to the end of the hall and hid behind the corner as he eavesdropped on the private conversation.
"Be real, what would I have to gain by training with the dead-last," Sasuke said with a snort.
"Fine, I'll let you eat at my dako stand for free," Daiko acquiesced.
"For life," Sasuke said with a smile.
"For as long as you fight me," Daiko replied with a bigger smile. "By the way, I fight better when I'm not in school."
Daiko wants to fight Sasuke, Shikamaru thought as he fled back to the classroom. He ran and ran until he rounded the last corner, entering the hallway where his class was, before abruptly coming to a slow walk. He entered the classroom and took his seat.
"Did you find Daiko?" Choji asked as he stuffed chips into his mouth.
"No," Shikamaru lied.
"Oh, there he is," Choji responded pointing to the door.
Daiko walked up to me and asked, "Hey what are you doing after school?"
"Nothing," Shikamaru responded.
"Let's meet after school to talk about the theater company."
"Where do you want to meet?"
"Let's meet at the abandoned park at 5," Daiko suggested.
Hmmm, that's an hour after school gets out. He must be planning to fight Sasuke during that time, Shikamaru thought. "Okay," Shikamaru replied.
"Hey, can I come?" Choji asked.
Shikamaru looked at Daiko interested how he would respond. If he doesn't let Choji come I might have a convenient excuse to quit, Shikamaru thought.
"Yeah, no problem, Choji," Daiko said with a shrug. "Three heads are better than two."
"Thanks Daiko!" Choji responded as Shikamaru hid the small grin that was starting to form on his lips.
As the last bell rang, a swarm of students ran out of the academy building. Daiko and Sasuke had snuck out before the frenzy and ran through Konoha's backstreets towards the abandoned park.
The abandoned park was full of weeds and unkempt grass but there was a large sand pit in the back, which used to be called the battleground. Daiko and Sasuke faced each other, their eyes communicating different messages. Daiko's gaze was filled with burning determination while Sasuke looked like he could care less that a fight was about to begin.
Taking his stance, Daiko let his training in taijutsu take over. He took a deep breath grounding himself as he watched Sasuke. The Uchiha did not adopt a stance, his hands were in the pockets of his black shorts, however his eyes signaled he was ready.
Daiko shot forward with trained precision, as Sasuke's eyes slightly bulged when he noticed Daiko's speed. Sasuke was barely able to take his hands out of his pockets before Daiko's fists came shooting towards his head. Sasuke was able to barely dodge one of the fists before guiding the second fist away using a swift and fluid palm strike. He then unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks that pushed Daiko back. How is he able to keep up with me, Sasuke thought growing frustrated.
"By the way Sasuke, feel free to use jutsus or weapons," Daiko said.
"Is the dead last looking down on me," Sasuke mused as he backflipped away and grabbed a handful of shuriken from his pouch and threw them at Daiko.
Initially surprised, Daiko ducked and weaved and managed to dodge all of the projectiles skillfully as he sprinted towards Sasuke. Sasuke moved to block an incoming punch but instead found himself taking a kick to the midsection. The fight escalated as Sasuke's frustration was growing palpable before he finally lost control. After Daiko dodged one of his kicks, Sasuke unleashed a small fireball jutsu.
Sasuke heaved as his fireball continued to burn. As the fireball went out Sasuke gulped as he noticed a familiar figure standing in front of him. His older brother, Itachi Uchiha, had jumped in front of Daiko and protected him from the fireball at the last minute. With a disapproving look he said, "Sasuke, we need to talk."
"Is that The Itachi Uchiha!" Choji said looking starstruck.
"I'm surprised you know Itachi, but then again considering he graduated the academy and became a chunin before most of us even become genin it's not surprising you've heard of him," Shikamaru said from behind the bush he and Choji were hiding behind. Hmmm, I didn't think Daiko would be this strong.
"What are they saying?" Choji asked.
"I didn't mean to…" Sasuke said as he glanced at his own hands.
"Don't worry Sasuke, I know. I think it was just an accident," Daiko said. "Besides I said you could use jutsus."
"But it could have hit you, and you didn't use any…" Sasuke's voice trailed off, his guilt apparent.
"But it didn't," Daiko interjected. "Thanks to your brother. Speaking of which thank you Itachi-san," Daiko said with a bow. "You have a very kind heart."
Itachi's gaze that had been lingering on Sasuke had landed on Daiko. The dako cart boy, interesting, he thought to himself amusedly. "Daiko," Itachi greeted, his voice cool and collected, "you performed better than I thought you would. Sasuke you would benefit more from training with Daiko." Sasuke looked down, his mind was reeling at the thought of his brother acknowledging Daiko. A silence settled over the trio, before Itachi excused himself while taking Sasuke away.
After a few minutes, Shikamaru and Choji came out of the bush they were hiding in and pretended they had just wandered in.
"Hey Daiko," Shikamaru shouted.
"Hey, Shika," Daiko responded.
"You look rough, what happened to you?" Shikamaru asked.
"Don't you remember, we just saw him fighting Sasuke," Choji responded. Shikamaru glared at Choji while Daiko laughed at the both of them.
"Yeah, Sasuke just kicked my ass," Daiko admitted with a laugh.
"But you did pretty good Daiko," Choji said as he offered him some chips.
"Thanks, Choji," Daiko said as he took some chips.
Shikamaru felt awkward after seeng something he knew he shouldn't have. "So let's talk business, Daiko."
"To make our theater company an instant hit, we need to do something unusual. We need to build curiosity and anticipation," Daiko said. "What are your suggestions? Oh, and we don't have that much money," Daiko said with a smile.
Shikamaru assumed his thinking pose as he started to break down the problem. For all his claims of disliking trouble, he had a mind that lived for complex problems. With a slight chuckle, he looked up at Daiko. "So you want a shortcut to fame, that's going to be a little tough," he said, "but, not impossible."
"I take it you have a plan?" Daiko asked looking more relieved.
"Not exactly," Shikamaru replied, scratching the back of his head. "But I do have a couple of ideas."
"Let's hear them," Daiko said.
"You're planning on publishing that manuscript right?"
"Yeah, I just haven't found a publisher yet."
"If you get it published, I know my mom can get the Allied Mothers Force to buy it. Since your book made my mom such a big fan, once they're fans of your work they would definitely drag their families to go watch the play when it comes out," Shikamaru said dejected at the thought that his mom would definitely be dragging him to go see this play.
"Hmmm, that's a good idea," Daiko said. "But, we still need something that'll move more tickets."
"If we get more of the community involved with the production, they'll be curious to see a production they've contributed to," Shikamaru said. "So if we have open auditions and get local Konohanians working on the sets and costumes, they would talk about the play and we would save money."
"That's simple, and it might work," Daiko said, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Shikamaru, you're a genius. We need to get people talking about the play. Why might they talk about our play?"
"Because it's really good-"
"Of course, it'll be really good. I wrote it," Daiko interrupted. I stole it, is more like it, he thought. "But, what if it's the most expensive play ever made."
"I thought you didn't have the money," Shikamaru said, his brows furrowed in confusion.
"People would talk about it though, the most expensive play ever made," Daiko said with a wild maniacal grin.
I'm trying to practice my writing, so I've been trying different things in each chapter. Sorry the voice changes from chapter to chapter. But you can also help my leaving a review and letting me know which voice you prefer!
