Day 5 – The One Everyone Listens To
Shikamaru came to a very annoying realization that morning.
People were waiting for him.
"Morning, Shikamaru!"
He blinked.
Sakura smiled at him. Naruto waved both arms. Even Kiba gave a nod.
"…When did this happen," Shikamaru muttered.
Choji handed him a snack. "After yesterday."
Shikamaru sighed. Troublesome.
Academy – Morning Lesson
Iruka wrote TACTICS & DECISION-MAKING on the board.
"Today," he said, "we'll solve a scenario together."
He drew a simple map: forest, river, bridge, enemy unit.
"Your mission: get the scroll across the river without being detected."
Hands shot up.
Naruto: "Clone rush!"
Sakura: "Distraction!"
Kiba: "Head-on!"
Iruka smiled. "Shikamaru?"
Shikamaru froze. "Me?"
"Yes."
Every eye turned to him.
He rubbed his temple. "You're all overthinking it."
He walked to the board—slow, reluctant.
"The problem isn't the enemy," he said. "It's the bridge."
He erased it.
"Go upstream. Water's loud. Visibility's bad. Enemies expect the obvious path."
The room went quiet.
"…That's it?" Naruto asked.
Shikamaru nodded. "Less effort."
Iruka smiled. "Exactly."
For the first time, Shikamaru didn't look away when people nodded.
Practical Exercise
Iruka split them into groups.
This time, the group naturally looked at Shikamaru.
Naruto grinned. "What's the plan, boss?"
"…Stop calling me that."
But Shikamaru pointed anyway. "Naruto, clones—quiet ones. Sakura, watch angles. Choji, carry the scroll."
They moved.
Smooth. Simple. Effective.
They finished first.
Iruka checked the time, surprised. "Well done."
Naruto whispered, "We're awesome."
Shikamaru replied, "…Adequate."
Lunch – A New Habit
Shikamaru sat under his usual tree.
He expected silence.
Instead, people joined him.
Sakura asked questions. Kiba argued ideas. Naruto bragged. Choji shared snacks.
Shikamaru listened.
Corrected gently.
Didn't complain.
Huh, he thought. Teaching is less work than fixing mistakes later.
Afternoon – Surprise Quiz
Iruka handed out papers.
Groans.
Shikamaru finished first.
He waited.
Naruto stared at his paper like it had personally betrayed him.
Shikamaru leaned over. "…Question three. Think angles."
Naruto blinked. "…OH."
Iruka pretended not to notice.
End of Class
Iruka called out. "Before you go—"
The room quieted.
"Today showed something important," Iruka said. "Strength isn't always loud. Leadership isn't always obvious."
His eyes rested on Shikamaru.
Shikamaru scratched his cheek. "This is getting embarrassing."
The class laughed.
But it was warm laughter.
Evening – Cloud Report
Shikamaru lay on the grass outside the Academy.
Naruto flopped down beside him. "You're like… smart-smart."
"Don't spread it around."
Naruto grinned. "Too late."
Shikamaru watched the clouds drift.
I don't need to be Hokage, he thought.
Just someone people can rely on.
The darkness inside him stayed quiet—proud, patient, unnecessary today.
"…What a drag," he said softly.
But this time, he didn't mean it.