Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Shikamaru stared at the grave.

It was just a large slab of stone, like all the others. Only the name carved into it made it any different. A few miserable flowers hung limply in the vase. They made the grave look even more desolate. Who even still bothered to replace them regularly? After all, it had been more than seven years.

Shikamaru guessed it was Hinata or Lee. But in truth, he had no idea. He didn’t know who even cared anymore.

He himself had never been here before—and so, he had never run into anyone else. He did visit the cemetery now and then. Out of duty to his old man. And even more so to his mother, who sometimes dragged him along. But occasionally he had come on his own. Not often, but a few times.

Just not to this grave.

He was visiting it now for the very first time. Shikamaru noticed how tense he was and briefly considered lighting a cigarette. But to do that, he’d have to walk away—and knowing himself, he wouldn’t come back.

He couldn’t smoke here. Not in front of him. He let out a snort of irritation.

He wasn’t here. There was only the bare stone and the dying flowers. Shikamaru was visiting a stone. Why had he come?

Since the war ended, he hadn’t thought much about what had happened to Neji. He had too many other things to take care of. He had to deal with the loss of his father. Be there for his mother. He had to grow up at last. Take responsibility. He had to get married. Start a family.

That was what was expected of him. That was the way life went. He wasn’t unhappy. He drifted through life, unaware of the hole in his soul that was slowly, piece by piece, growing wider and devouring him.

Years passed, and Shikamaru kept living. Until a few months ago, when the dreams began.

At first, he could hardly remember them. He’d jolt awake in the middle of the night, feeling as though the ground had been ripped from under him. It felt like everything he cared about was suddenly gone.

He wanted to scream, to get rid of that horrible feeling—but he didn’t. He thought of other things, and eventually fell back asleep. But the dreams didn’t stop. What began as a mess of emotions and blurry images became clearer. And it gained a name.

Shikamaru could no longer suppress or forget his guilt. It had never truly left him and was becoming more and more tangible.

In the dreams, he watched himself from above, standing on a dark battlefield. He was reaching out to Shikamaru, while thorned vines tried to drag him back. Shikamaru watched as the other Shikamaru pushed away the pleading hand and turned his back.

Over and over again, he dreamed similar scenes— and almost always, all he could do was watch himself fail to help, or choose not to.

And when he did try to help, the dream ended with him waking up, choking on his own breath, feeling as though his blood was trying to suffocate him. Again and again.

Until recently, when he actually woke to the sound of his own voice. He had called out his name.

Since he didn’t sleep alone, all he could do was hope his wife hadn’t heard it. But knowing her, that was nearly impossible. Still, she hadn’t said anything about it— and for that, he was deeply grateful.

But he knew things couldn’t go on like this. He had to face him. Or was it himself he had to face?

It wasn’t the first time he had lost someone. And certainly not the first time he had blamed himself. But this time, there were so many buried memories and repressed emotions, that he couldn’t handle it the same way he had with the death of his sensei Asuma, or his father.

He had told himself he would go to the cemetery. Apologize. To him. And maybe then, he’d sleep better again.

But now that he was crouching in front of the grave, he realized it didn’t change anything. He wasn’t here. And what good was it to talk to a stone?

He wasn’t here—and Shikamaru couldn't remember his voice anymore. Not the way he used to look at people. Not the shape of his smile.

It wasn’t at all like it had been with Asuma or his father. No, it was more like… he had never been there at all.

Is it because I’d forgotten him for too long?

Of course Shikamaru had been at the funeral. But there were so many people wanting to say goodbye. People who had meant far more to him—his teammates, his family. His “family”...

So Shikamaru had decided to wait, and come back another time. Alone. But that time turned into more than seven years. And now he realized: he had never come back because he had been afraid. Afraid of running into someone. Afraid of being asked uncomfortable questions. What had the two of them ever had to do with each other?

Every excuse, no matter how small, had been good enough to stay away. And now it was too late. He was no longer here. Shikamaru couldn’t even feel him anymore.

The evening sun bathed the cemetery in a warm, reddish-orange light— but the warmth didn’t reach Shikamaru. He just kept staring at the stone.

If I don’t pull myself together soon, the sun will set. Theoretically, I could sit here all night. Temari is in Sunagakure with our kid. I don’t have to sleep at home.

Shikamaru wanted to get it done today. He simply couldn’t ignore it any longer. Now was the best time. He was alone. And he had the chance to let go of the past that was crushing him. If necessary, he would stay here all night and wait for a sign. Maybe if he brought the memories back, he could bring him back too?

But even as Shikamaru tried to recall his earliest memories of him, only the images from his dreams flashed before his inner eye. And the feelings came with them. But they weren’t the feelings he associated with him. They were just despair, hopelessness, and guilt.

Again, he reached out his hand to him— and again, Shikamaru saw himself push it away. And at the same time, his voice from his dreams echoed in his mind:

“Neji!”

Chapter Text

Exploration, Strategy, Hyūga

Neji Hyūga – Shikamaru didn’t know much about him. He had been in the year above them at the Academy and belonged to the renowned Hyūga clan. And he was supposedly pretty strong and pretty arrogant. That was about all Shikamaru knew.

He was crouching behind a bush with his teammates Ino and Chōji, hiding, when he encountered Neji in the Forest of Death during the Chūnin Selection Exams. Since the three of them didn’t exactly feel like they were one of the stronger teams, they preferred not to be discovered. Their plan was to steal the scroll they needed to pass the exam from a weaker team using a clever strategy.

Neji, strangely enough, was walking through the forest completely alone, which immediately set off alarm bells in Shikamaru’s head. It had to be a trap. But before he could even exchange a glance with his teammates, he flinched at the sound of Neji’s voice.

“By the way, I can see you perfectly well, crouching behind that bush like frightened little rabbits!”

Shikamaru bit back a curse. They had been so quiet. Even Chōji hadn’t made a sound for once—and he wasn’t even snacking. But of course, the Hyūga had the Byakugan, which allowed them to see through objects. Hiding behind a bush was completely pointless.

Before he could say anything, Ino muttered, “I guess this is my big moment!” and stood up without warning. Shikamaru and Chōji were frozen in place for a moment, then reluctantly stood up to flank their teammate.

Shikamaru knew nothing good could come of Ino taking the initiative like this.

She ran a hand through her long blonde hair and struck a weirdly forced pose.
“Neji, sweetheart, finally you're here! Will you help me pass the exam? I’ll even give you a little reward.” She winked at him and flashed a sweet smile.

Shikamaru wanted to sink into the ground. How could she possibly think this kind of act would get them anywhere?

Neji just shot them a contemptuous glance and turned to walk away.
“Definitely not,” he said as he left.

Shikamaru felt almost relieved that Neji hadn’t fallen for Ino’s nonsense. Even more relieved that he seemed to be leaving them alone. But Ino didn’t seem to take it that way.

“Hey, get back here, you jerk! I’m the prettiest girl in all of Konoha—you can’t just leave me hanging like that!”

Shikamaru wanted to clamp a hand over her mouth.

Neji stopped, though he didn’t turn around.
“Are you trying to challenge me to a fight?”

Shikamaru quickly stepped in front of Ino to keep her from digging them in deeper.
“No, she didn’t mean it like that. Sorry.”

Neji paused, then replied,
“I have no interest in fighting such pathetic ninja. You’d better hope you find a scroll somewhere, or you might as well just quit now.”

And with that, he vanished into the dark forest.

Ino, who had apparently been holding her breath, let it out in a long sigh.
“He’s even more arrogant than I heard!”

Shikamaru shot her an annoyed look.
“Maybe next time you could let us in on your brilliant plan before you make us targets. I thought we were going after a weak team to steal a scroll.”

Chōji tore open a bag of chips and nodded in agreement.

“And maybe you should quit snacking in situations like this,” Shikamaru added.
“Otherwise, we really will have to do what that Hyūga said and just give up.”

“And let Sakura win? No way!” Ino replied indignantly.

As if Sakura would automatically win just because Ino dropped out, Shikamaru thought, irritated—but he kept it to himself. They were already tense enough, and it wouldn’t help to argue. What they needed now was a solid plan.

So they sat back down behind their bush and discussed their next move—assuming they could even find a team that wasn’t too dangerous for them to take on.

After planning everything out, they carefully continued through the forest. Shikamaru still remembered how it felt like they had been walking for hours, and he started to wonder what his parents would say if he failed the exam for the dumb reason of avoiding any kind of confrontation.

Well, aside from Ino’s confrontation with Neji…

But they didn’t hear or see anything suspicious—no dangerous beasts, no battling ninja. Saying they hadn’t found anyone would sound like a pretty lame excuse. Worst case, they could head straight for the tower and fight whatever teams they encountered there.

Not that they stood much of a chance…

“Shh!” Ino suddenly hissed, and Shikamaru nearly bumped his head into her shoulder because she stopped so abruptly. A moment later, Chōji ran into him from behind and almost knocked him over.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, and Shikamaru pressed his index finger to his lips to signal him to be quiet.

Then Shikamaru heard the voices too. It didn’t sound like a fight, but definitely like a confrontation. Maybe they could use it to their advantage—if two teams were battling each other, there might be a chance to get one of their scrolls.

They crept forward slowly until they could peek through the leaves and see a small clearing.

Shikamaru couldn’t clearly remember everything that happened next. He remembered seeing Sakura standing there, facing off against three unfamiliar ninja. She looked pretty beaten up. Farther back, he could see Naruto and Sasuke lying on the ground. Both appeared to be unconscious. Standing between Sakura and the strangers was Lee, apparently protecting her.

Why did Team Gai split up completely? They must be incredibly confident to be wandering around this forest alone.

Shikamaru assumed that Sakura was carrying her team’s scroll, since neither Sasuke nor Naruto looked capable of defending it. There was no point in sneaking over to try and take it from them. The chances of staying unnoticed were practically zero.

He studied the unknown ninja. It was the team from Otogakure, and he had no idea what kind of abilities they had. But it was obvious that Sakura was in serious trouble—with or without Lee’s help.

Lee then started fighting the creepy guy with the bandages around his head. He was incredibly fast, but since the enemies were still three against one, he ultimately couldn’t win, and Sakura was in danger again.

Shikamaru remembered how agonizingly long it took Ino to finally rush in and help her friend. He and Chōji joined her—not that it made much of a difference. Their attacks had no real effect, only serving as a painful reminder of how powerless they really were.

Chapter Text

Cemetery – Between Farewell and Battle

Shikamaru was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of footsteps. An older woman passed by in the distance, a small basket tucked under her arm. Visiting her husband? Her child? She didn’t seem to notice him at all, and her quiet presence only deepened the sense that he didn’t belong here.

He hoped none of his friends nor any familiar face would suddenly appear. He couldn’t explain why, but the idea made his skin crawl. As if he’d need to justify himself, explain why he was here.

This whole thing still felt like a stupid impulse. He could just stand up and leave.
But he didn’t.

There was a reason he’d come.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered at all.

So… what had happened back then, during the Chūnin Exams?

They probably would’ve lost—if Neji and Tenten hadn’t shown up and pulled the enemy’s attention away from them. And then, at some point, Sasuke had woken up and taken out that one guy—Shikamaru couldn’t even remember his name anymore.

Neji hadn’t spared Shikamaru a single glance during that first encounter. And Shikamaru, for his part, had been focused entirely on staying out of his way. There was no chance they could beat someone like him, and he knew it.

In the end, they’d had more luck than skill. The scroll they managed to steal just happened to be the one they needed. They had watched another team from the shadows, waiting. When one of them wandered off into the woods to relieve himself, they struck.

Shikamaru trapped the remaining one in his shadow, and Ino took over the girl—who likely carried the scroll. She tossed it to Chōji, and just like that, they were gone again, swallowed up by the forest.

It hadn’t felt particularly noble, but it had been enough to get them into the tower and to the next phase of the exam. That Neji’s team had arrived long before them? No surprise there.

Reaching the tower didn’t mean rest.
They were told there were still too many candidates, so now they’d be paired off for one-on-one battles, randomly selected. Shikamaru had felt a wave of exhausted despair wash over him. No break. Not yet.

Chōji and Ino had complained loudly, and rightly so.
They were all filthy, scraped up, sore, and starving. Days in the forest had worn them down to the bone.

He noticed that many of the others looked the same. Even Neji and his teammates showed signs of wear.
But they didn’t say a word. They simply listened, unmoved, while the examiner explained the next steps.

The fights that followed were mercifully brief—except for Ino’s match with Sakura, which dragged on far too long. Neither of them seemed willing to fully engage at first.

Shikamaru barely managed to lure his opponent into a shadow trap. Naruto, surprisingly, proved himself far less of a fool than Shikamaru had ever given him credit for—knocking out the overly confident Kiba in a flash.

Then came Neji’s fight with Hinata.

It was the first time Shikamaru truly saw Neji—not as a name, not as a reputation, but as a person.

At first, he seemed cold. Cruel, even. He insulted Hinata, told her to quit being a shinobi, said she didn’t have what it took. He warned her again and again to give up, because she wouldn’t stand a chance.

Shikamaru couldn’t recall every word, but even now, the memory made his stomach churn.

It had been about fate. About how you couldn’t escape it. About how you could never really change.

And it had been about the Hyūga Clan—the Main Family and the Branch Family.

Shikamaru had never paid much attention to the clan’s inner workings before. But for Neji, in that moment, it had been everything.

He’d been filled with rage. And if the proctors hadn’t intervened... maybe it would be Hinata’s grave here, not Neji’s.

No—no, that was ridiculous. His damn family would’ve probably executed him on the spot if he had harmed her. Even if it had been just an accident. Just a match.

Shikamaru felt the sting in his eyes again. He blinked quickly, trying to chase the thought away.
Trying to think of anything else.

Chūnin Exams Preparation

Shikamaru watched as Chōji shoveled piece after piece of grilled meat into his mouth without a pause.
Their sensei, Asuma, had invited them out to eat after Chōji had agreed to help Shikamaru train for the final round of the Chūnin Exams.

Shikamaru couldn’t remember ever having trained this hard or this consistently before.
For some reason, Asuma was taking his preparation for the last stage of the exams extremely seriously.
They’d spent the entire day in the forest again.

And Shikamaru had to admit—Chōji had actually been a big help. His endurance had clearly improved.
He could feel it in his body: he had more chakra to work with and could maintain his Shadow Possession Jutsu for longer than ever before.

“Great job, boys!” Asuma said—probably for the fourth time that evening.
“Thanks to you, Chōji, Shikamaru now has a real shot at beating his opponents!”

Chōji grinned, cheeks full of food, and nodded enthusiastically.
“Anytime!” he mumbled through a mouthful, and Shikamaru believed him.
With a reward like this, Chōji probably would’ve agreed to just about anything.

But even so, Shikamaru was genuinely grateful.

“I think our training program is balanced and realistic—not like whatever madness Gai has planned for the Hyūga kid. From the sound of it, they’re training day and night, non-stop, until they drop. He’s going to burn himself out before the matches even start.”

Shikamaru shrugged.
“Gai-sensei always exaggerates everything. I don’t think we should take what he says too seriously,” he muttered.

Chōji swallowed another bite and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Won’t Ino be really mad when she finds out we’ve been going out to eat without her?” he asked thoughtfully.

Asuma sighed and replied,
“I already talked to Ino’s father about it. She needs to figure out what she actually wants—as a kunoichi and as a person.
The fight with Sakura seems to have really shaken her up. She needs a bit of a break.
That’s why I didn’t even ask her to come. And I think Inoichi knows his daughter well.”

Shikamaru silently agreed.
Ino often complained about how embarrassing her father was, but it was obvious how close they were.

Chōji nodded, satisfied, and stuffed the last big piece of meat into his mouth.
Once he’d finished, he turned to Asuma.

“So… does that mean we get a day off tomorrow?” he asked hopefully.

Asuma smiled and nodded.
“Of course. You both trained hard and made solid progress. It’s important to rest, too. We’ll meet again the day after tomorrow—same time.”
Then he got up to pay the bill.

Chōji grinned at Shikamaru.
“You’re probably glad about the break too, huh?”

Shikamaru nodded tiredly, trying his best to look pleased.
But in truth, he was completely wiped out. He wasn’t even sure how he’d make it home.
His legs were sore, his head was pounding, and every bit of chakra in his body had been squeezed dry.
He felt like an old rag someone had wrung out for hours.

Chōji ended up half-dragging him home and dropping him off.
Shikamaru’s mother thanked Chōji for bringing him back, and Shikamaru barely managed to make it to his room.
He collapsed into bed fully clothed, not even bothering to pull the covers back.
“I can’t imagine anyone out there training harder than me,” he thought—
—and then he was fast asleep.

The next morning, Shikamaru was jolted awake by his scolding mother, who had discovered he’d slept in his sweaty, dirt-streaked clothes.
She dragged him out of bed and forced him into the bath.
He had fully intended to sleep through the entire day, and now that his plan had been thwarted, he was in an exceptionally foul mood.
So he decided to go for a walk, hoping to find a quiet spot where he could indulge in his favorite pastime.

The sky was a brilliant blue, broken only by a few wispy clouds.
Shikamaru wandered through the smaller streets of Konoha, hoping not to run into anyone.
Unfortunately, it seemed like the good weather had drawn all of Konoha outside—everywhere he looked, people were out and about.

He would’ve loved to retreat to the Nara Forest, but he knew that today many clan members—including his father—were busy there, using jutsu to reinforce the forest’s barriers against intruders.
And the last thing Shikamaru wanted was to get roped into helping, or worse, having exhausting conversations with relatives about his training or the upcoming exams.

So instead, his steps took him out of the village, toward the borderlands of Konoha.
There were plenty of winding paths through meadows, hills, and the outer forest, where the chances of running into someone were mercifully slim.

After walking for a while—doing his best not to dwell too much on the finals—he heard sounds to his right, beyond the trees.
The kind of sounds that could only mean one thing: training.
There was the distinct clashing of metal against metal, followed by a female voice calling out in alarm.

Could that be Gai-sensei’s students?
Normally, Lee’s shouting would’ve given them away long before this, but he was still in the hospital.
So that must have been Tenten just now, with her weapons.

Since Tenten had lost her preliminary match against Temari from Sunagakure, she was likely helping Neji Hyūga train—much like Chōji had helped him.
Had Neji already spotted him with his Byakugan?

As Shikamaru moved a little closer, he suddenly heard Tenten’s voice again, now unmistakably panicked.
“Neji? Neji, are you okay?!”
Then came a string of frantic words he couldn’t make out—but something had clearly gone wrong.

Cursing under his breath, Shikamaru broke into a run, just in case they needed help.
A few meters later, he emerged onto a clearing, where the two of them had apparently been training moments before.
The ground was littered with kunai and all sorts of weapons.
Tenten was kneeling on the forest floor, bent over Neji’s unmoving body.
She appeared to be checking whether he was still breathing.

“Is he hurt?” Shikamaru asked, and Tenten flinched in surprise.
“He just collapsed… but he’s breathing, thank god. We were only training normally—”
Her voice was high and shaky, and Shikamaru feared she was about to cry.

He gave her a quick once-over.
Tenten’s hair was a mess, strands falling into her face, and her clothes were streaked with dirt.
Neji didn’t look much better.

“How long have you two been training exactly?” he asked, as they shifted Neji into the recovery position together.
Tenten exhaled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.
“Since yesterday morning, I think… We probably should’ve listened to Gai-sensei and taken a break. But Neji was so close—he didn’t want to stop until he got it right.”

Shikamaru couldn’t help but wonder whether all his rivals were out of their minds—or if Gai-sensei’s over-the-top training methods were truly to blame for Neji pushing himself to the point of collapse.

Just then, Neji’s eyes fluttered open, and he stared up at Shikamaru, dazed.
“Hey, Neji, how do you feel?” Tenten asked gently.
Neji tried to sit up, then groaned and laid back down again.

“We should take him to the hospital,” Shikamaru suggested.
Neji slowly shook his head.
“No… hospital,” he murmured.
Tenten nodded.
“His uncle wouldn’t be thrilled if word got out that Neji overdid it during training. We should take him home instead.”

Shikamaru didn’t really get the problem, but agreed to help.
Neji sat up with effort and drank a little water. Then they each took one side and helped him to his feet.

Shikamaru was just wondering how he’d gotten dragged into this when Neji suddenly stopped and shook his head in frustration.
“I don’t have time for this. The finals are only a few days away. I was so close just now, Tenten. Let’s keep going.”

Shikamaru halted in disbelief and stared at him.
Tenten let out a long sigh, released her grip, and planted herself firmly in front of him.
“You’re not okay. And neither am I, by the way. We haven’t taken a real break in ages—and even Gai-sensei wouldn’t want us to push ourselves this far.”

Neji glared at her.
“I am okay.”
Tenten made a face and snapped back,
“First of all, I don’t believe you. And second, it’s like you don’t even care how I feel.
I need a break. We’re taking you home with Shikamaru’s help, and then I’m going to take a long bath and recover.
If you really want to train tomorrow, fine—but I swear, I won’t let it come to this again.”

Neji exhaled sharply through his nose and turned toward Shikamaru, his eyes narrowing.
“What are you doing here anyway?” he demanded, pulling away from him.
Shikamaru raised his hands in mock surrender.
“Hey, I was just looking for a quiet place. I happened to stumble across you. I only want to help.”

Neji stared at him, evaluating, and slowly seemed to settle down a little.
“It wouldn’t help you to spy on our training anyway,” he muttered.
“We’re on completely different levels—you’d never stand a chance against me in a match.”

Wow, the Hyuuga really is just as friendly as everyone says. I should just leave…

Tenten elbowed Neji in the side and scolded him, “Don’t be like that, Neji. Nara showed up after you were already unconscious. You should be grateful he’s helping you, even though you’re rivals.”

Neji lowered his gaze and said nothing. Unsure whether he should just turn around and leave, Shikamaru hesitated and waited to see if anyone would say something. When no one did, he decided he didn’t want to put up with this ridiculous situation any longer.

“Well, I guess I’ll just...,” he began, when Neji suddenly stumbled and looked like he might collapse. Instantly, Shikamaru and Tenten were at his sides to catch him.

“Do you want to sit down?” Tenten asked, worried. Neji shook his head, resigned. He seemed to struggle finding the right words. “No, I think I’m okay. I’m sorry, Nara. I really don’t feel well. You’re right, Tenten, we should stop for today. I’m sorry I didn’t consider how you were feeling. And I’m sorry I was so ungrateful. It would be very kind of you to walk me home.”

He said it flatly, still with his head lowered. Shikamaru had the impression that Neji was deeply ashamed, and immediately felt the urge to lighten the mood somehow.

“Sure, no problem. I’ve got nothing better to do anyway. Maybe I’ll get a tour of the Hyuuga compound as a reward. My dad says it’s worth seeing.”

Neji didn’t look at him and grimaced slightly, as if he were in pain.

“Alright, Neji. Just let us know if you start feeling unsteady,” Tenten told him. Then the three of them continued on their way.

When they reached the first houses, Neji no longer wanted to be supported.

“I’m fine, really. I can walk on my own. Please don’t make a big deal out of it.”

Why is he so afraid of anyone finding out about his collapse? I get that it's embarrassing, but isn't this a bit much?

Thankfully, Neji seemed to be doing better, because they made it all the way to the gate of the Hyuuga compound. A Hyuuga with a forehead protector and hair braided into a long plait opened the gate, and Neji turned back to Tenten and Shikamaru, bowing to them.

“Thank you for walking me home.”

Shikamaru was completely taken aback. Why was he suddenly being so polite—and so over the top about it?

A loud male voice called from inside the house. “Neji, where have you been all this time? You’ve neglected your duties!”

An older Hyuuga came out of the house, and both Neji and the plaited Hyuuga bowed their heads to greet him. The man had a stern expression.

“I hope my nephew hasn’t caused you any trouble. Were you training together?”

He looked first at Tenten and then at Shikamaru with cold eyes. Despite his indirect apology, his tone was clearly accusatory. Tenten nodded, and Shikamaru could sense she was uncomfortable in the presence of Neji’s uncle.

“Neji, go inside,” the older man ordered—so this must be Hiashi, the head of the Hyuuga clan. Neji gave them a brief nod goodbye and walked toward the house with the other Hyuuga. Hiashi remained and fixed them both with his gaze.

“Aren’t you Shikamaru Nara?” he asked, staring at him intently. Shikamaru could well understand why Tenten looked so uneasy—it felt like the man was peering straight into his mind with hostile intent, and he hadn’t even activated the Byakugan.

“Yes, that’s me,” Shikamaru confirmed, hoping this wouldn’t turn into an interrogation. Unfortunately, he was wrong.

“Why is my nephew training with an opponent? You’re also competing in the final round, as far as I know?”

Shikamaru groaned inwardly. The last thing he needed was gossip about weird alliances among the exam participants.

“No, Tenten was training with him. I just... ran into them on the way back.”

He thought it best not to mention Neji’s collapse. Hiashi stared at him for a few more seconds.

“I wasn’t aware Neji had any dealings with the Naras. Please give my regards to your father. Good day.”

Then he turned and walked away without even glancing at Tenten or waiting for a reply.

Shikamaru felt like he had escaped the situation relatively unscathed. He noticed Tenten visibly relax and slightly slump down.

“You okay?” he asked.

Tenten nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for coming along. I hope they let Neji rest at least a bit.”

She looked at Shikamaru thoughtfully for a moment, as if she wanted to say something, but then seemed to think better of it. Instead, she turned and stretched with a groan.

“Man, I’m beat. I’m heading home. Hope you have a good rest of the day—and good luck with your training!”

Shikamaru nodded, even though she couldn’t see it. “Thanks, get some rest.”

Then they went their separate ways.

Chapter Text

Cemetery

Shikamaru shifted around on his stool. The more he tried to remember, the more memories came flooding in. He tried to organize his thoughts and capture the beginning of their friendship. During the mission to retrieve Sasuke, Neji had nearly died—and it had been Shikamaru’s fault, since he had been the team leader. Neji had volunteered to face Kidomaru alone, but still, Shikamaru wouldn’t have blamed him if he had held him responsible for the severe injuries he’d sustained.

But he never had – and perhaps that was when their friendship truly began.

Hospital – After the Sasuke Retrieval Mission

Shikamaru knocked on the door three times and waited. When no one responded for a while, he cautiously opened it and stepped inside. The small hospital room, which held only a bed and a small table with a chair, was quiet. Neji lay there asleep, a bandage wrapped around his forehead, covered up to his chin. The bandage was likely there to hide his cursed seal, as Neji hadn’t, to Shikamaru’s knowledge, suffered any injury to the head. Shikamaru looked down at the flowers in his hand. Should he just place them on the nightstand with the others and leave?

He hesitated for a moment, standing uncertainly in the middle of the room. Then he decided to at least try. "Neji," he said quietly. Neji didn’t respond. Shikamaru walked slowly over to the nightstand and placed the flowers in front of the two already filled vases. Just as he turned to go, he saw Neji’s eyes open, staring at him. "Thank you, Shikamaru." Neji’s voice was hoarse. Shikamaru scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "No need to thank me. It’s honestly the least I can do, considering you nearly died because of me."

He regretted the words the moment they came out. That’s not how he had meant to say it.
Neji looked at him questioningly but said nothing. Shikamaru figured he’d better get it over with quickly, so he just said it: "I’m sorry for putting you in danger like that. I feel terrible about what happened."

He hoped Neji believed him. *He wasn’t great at talking about serious matters—especially not with someone like Neji, who rarely revealed anything personal. And admitting failure was never easy, no matter who was listening.*

Neji still looked at him with that same questioning expression. Shikamaru was about to excuse himself and leave when Neji suddenly said: "That wasn’t your fault, Shikamaru. There’s nothing to forgive."

But that isn’t true!

"I was the team leader. Not only did I fail the mission—Chōji and you almost died!"
Neji sat up slightly in bed and said quietly,
"Still, it wasn’t your fault. Chōji chose to fight alone. So did I. At least that way, there was still a slim chance you’d reach Sasuke in time."
"Well, that didn’t work out so well," Shikamaru replied dryly and sat down on the only chair in the room.

They fell silent, and that unpleasant weight settled in Shikamaru’s stomach again—the one that had been there almost constantly since the failed mission. *He had never thought of himself as someone who cared much about his reputation or was particularly ambitious. But failing on his very first mission as a Chūnin, and surviving only because reinforcements from Sunagakure had arrived at the last second—that gnawed away at his sense of self-worth.*

For the first time, he had experienced what it truly meant to carry responsibility. He’d wished a thousand times that he’d been the one who ended up as badly injured as Chōji or Neji.

A small cough from Neji pulled him out of his dark thoughts.

"I want you to know—I really don’t blame you," Neji said. "I don’t know what Lady Tsunade thinks, or what the others are saying. But to me, it’s clear: the only one responsible for my injury is me. I just have to train harder and get stronger. I’d go on a mission with you again anytime, without hesitation, Shikamaru." He looked him straight in the eye. Shikamaru stared back.

How had he earned this kind of unshakable trust? Maybe because he’d seen Neji at a vulnerable moment and told him to let go of his hatred? Still, something must have clouded Neji’s judgment, because otherwise he would’ve seen right away what a failure Shikamaru really was.

And yet, Neji’s words made him feel a little less terrible.

Whatever his reasons, he doesn’t blame me—and he still seems to trust me.

Chōji reacting like that hadn’t surprised him—he was his best friend, after all. Shikamaru couldn’t imagine anything that would drive a wedge between them. But Neji... he hadn’t really known him before. And from what he’d heard about the Hyūga prodigy, Neji wasn’t exactly generous with kind words.

Of course, Shikamaru did feel deeply sorry for what Neji had gone through because of him. But he hadn’t come to the hospital to truly seek forgiveness. His mother had pushed him to apologize on behalf of the clan. Mostly, he’d just wanted to get it over with.

"Are you still in pain?" Shikamaru asked after a short pause, not knowing what else to say.

Neji shook his head slightly. "I’m alright. They patched me up pretty well. Apparently, I had a huge hole just under my shoulder and it was a very close call." A faint, bitter smile crossed his face. "Not that I’m not used to pain..."

Does he mean the Cursed Seal? Or just his everyday training—which already sounds like sheer torture to any normal person? What does his uncle think of the failed mission? Does he blame me for Neji’s injuries?

"Is he going to rip my head off?" Shikamaru asked. The question was more to himself, but Neji looked at him with interest. When Shikamaru didn’t elaborate, he asked: "Who do you mean?" "Oh—sorry, I was just wondering how your uncle feels about all this. My parents probably wouldn’t be too thrilled to get on the Hyūga clan’s bad side."

Neji sighed and looked past Shikamaru, out the window. "You really don’t need to worry about that. If anything, he’s probably more concerned that I hurt the clan’s reputation by failing to contribute to the mission’s success. He was here yesterday with Hinata and Hanabi. Not exactly warm, but... kinder than I’m used to. I think it might actually be possible, you know? This whole ‘forgiveness’ thing."

He was staring out the window, and Shikamaru thought his cheeks looked slightly redder than before. "Oh—that’s good. I’d really be happy for you if you could reconcile with your family."

Neji seemed to have taken his words—Shikamaru’s and maybe also his late father’s—to heart. "I’ve been thinking a lot about it. That hatred—it lived inside me ever since my father died. It’s still part of me. It won’t disappear overnight. But I think I can distract myself from it, focus more on my role in serving the Hyūga clan. I’ll train even harder. I’ll become stronger."

He doesn’t sound like someone talking about family, Shikamaru thought.
More like a subordinate trying to regain favor with his lord.

Shikamaru often resented the duties placed on him as the heir of the Nara clan. He always felt like his choices were made for him—like his path had already been decided: ninja academy, and one day stepping into his father’s shoes. He’d cursed that role countless times, wishing he could quit it all and live some peaceful, easy life doing the bare minimum.

But compared to Neji, he really had no right to complain.

Sure, training with Asuma wasn’t always fun—but from what he knew about Neji’s team and their instructor, it was like strolling through a spring meadow compared to climbing a mountain in the dead of winter during a blizzard.

"Then hopefully you won’t have to worry about me anymore, Shikamaru." Neji looked him straight in the eyes again, and for a moment, Shikamaru thought he saw such deep loneliness in them that he had to avert his gaze.

"I’m glad to hear that. I’m also glad you don’t blame me, even if I still see it a bit differently. But if we’re ever sent on a mission together again—I’ll try to do better, I promise."

Neji gave a dry laugh. "Maybe by then I’ll have surpassed you and be the team leader myself. Then I’ll have to figure out how to get the lazy Nara kid to actually work." "Haha!" Shikamaru chuckled and suddenly felt strangely relieved.

Neji really didn’t seem to hold it against him—not if he was joking around like this. As far as Shikamaru knew, people always spoke of Neji in a rather distant way. Even Lee and Tenten seemed to respect him more than they truly befriended him.

But what he felt now was... comfortable. *Like talking to an old friend. Like he didn’t have to watch his words or pretend to be someone else just to avoid standing out.*

He stayed a few more minutes and told Neji what had been going on in the village. Neji smiled and listened.

Eventually, a knock on the door interrupted them and a nurse entered the room.

"I should get going," Shikamaru said and stood up.

Neji nodded and said, "Thank you for visiting, Shikamaru. Please tell your parents they don’t need to worry about my family. I’m looking forward to our next mission together. And this time—we’ll make sure it’s a success."

Neji held out his hand. Shikamaru took it and gave it a brief squeeze.

From that moment on, he truly considered Neji a friend.

Chapter Text

Cemetery

This was pointless. Somehow, this still wasn’t going anywhere.
Shikamaru had managed to surrender himself to his memories—sure. But was that really bringing him any closer to Neji on an emotional level? If anything, it had only cracked open the door to more uncomfortable feelings, which now crept in like a slow, quiet tide.

Neji had already said it back then, in the hospital: that he would devote himself to serving his family. At the time, Shikamaru had simply felt relieved—relieved there wouldn’t be any consequences for him. That the Hyūga clan wouldn’t declare war on his family, as his mother had so grimly warned.

He’d been so wrapped up in his own petty problems that he’d completely missed the early signs of Neji’s change in perspective. And later on, when he had started to notice, he’d willfully looked the other way. It probably would have been too late by then anyway. But that only made the guilt over Neji’s death weigh heavier on him.

Maybe coming here today had been a mistake.

He’d told himself he would stay as long as it took—until he felt that something, anything, had shifted. He’d truly believed all he needed was a bit of time: time to face his feelings, to revisit the memories properly. But now, knee-deep in all of it, he was beginning to fear that his method was doing nothing but waking sleeping dogs.

He had his new life here in Konoha. And it wasn’t as if he was unhappy—not exactly. Building everything from the ground up had been exhausting, yes. And he often regretted how little time he had left to simply hang out with Chōji. They still met up now and then for drinks in the evening, but usually someone else would be there too. Or the night would dissolve into hours of mutual grumbling—about their wives, and how hard it was being a father.

Shikamaru felt like they used to have deeper conversations. Maybe it was the setting. Back then, they’d lie on their backs, staring up into the endless blue sky, and the thoughts would just drift.

Now, sitting in a noisy, overcrowded bar with alcohol clouding his mind, it all just felt... tiring.

And when he thought about it, he realized he had no real idea how Chōji was actually doing. What kind of person he’d become.

It was always just work and family now.
When was the last time they’d talked about the past?

It hadn’t even occurred to Shikamaru—until now—that he could confide in Chōji. But he could already picture what his friend would say:

“Come on, Shikamaru. It’s not your fault Neji chose to sacrifice himself. Don’t beat yourself up. Besides, we weren’t even that close to him, right?”

He wouldn’t understand what was going on inside Shikamaru. Not really.
Hell, Shikamaru didn’t even understand it himself.

And he had never told Chōji about his moments with Neji. Let alone that Midsummer Night...
Bringing it up now would just be unbearably awkward. And besides—he didn’t want Chōji to start worrying about him.

No. It was definitely better to deal with this on his own.

Mission Start – Team Gai and Team Asuma

Some time after Neji had been discharged from the hospital, Tsunade sent his team on an extended mission—together with Shikamaru’s.

As it later turned out, Asuma had played a part in orchestrating the whole thing. Apparently, over dinner with Gai, the two had come up with the brilliant idea that some intense Taijutsu training would do Asuma’s students good. He’d even managed to convince Tsunade—partly hoping that his team might absorb some of the discipline and energy radiating from Gai’s ever-relentless students.

They had envisioned the three-day ship journey to their destination as the perfect time for joint training.

Of course, Shikamaru’s team knew the basics of Taijutsu—but even he had to admit that both his and Ino’s fighting styles worked best within a team structure. It couldn’t hurt to build more physical strength, maybe even become more reliable in solo combat. You could never predict how a mission would unfold. Sometimes you got separated from your teammates. Sometimes you had to protect others on your own. And for that, you needed to be strong. On every level.

Though part of him was quietly looking forward to working with Neji again, he wasn’t exactly thrilled about spending the mission with Lee and his boundless, loud enthusiasm.

He sincerely hoped Neji would keep his teammate somewhat in check.

When he arrived at the village gates early that morning, it didn’t surprise him in the slightest to find the others already waiting.

“Well, look who finally decided to show up—our sleeping beauty,” Ino remarked with sugary venom.

Great, he thought. She’s already in a fantastic mood. This is going to be a delightful trip…

Chōji gave him an encouraging smile. As always, he was lugging far too much baggage—most of it, Shikamaru was certain, snacks he’d devour within the first few hours. That’s how it always went on long missions. Chōji would bring an absurd amount of chips and sweets, lose all self-control, and then spend the rest of the trip complaining about having nothing left to eat.

Ino, meanwhile, looked even more polished than usual—perfectly made up and slightly overdressed for a mission.

Shikamaru couldn’t understand how anyone would willingly get up an hour early just to do that. Honestly, he thought she looked better without the makeup anyway. But it was unusual for her to go to such lengths before a mission. She was either trying to impress the handsome Neji or attempting to outshine Tenten in the looks department. Probably both.

Or maybe—he shuddered at the thought—she was hoping there’d be a devastatingly attractive sailor on the ship, just waiting to be seduced.

It must be exhausting to be Ino.

Tenten, by contrast, wore no makeup at all. She gave Shikamaru a kind, slightly harried smile.

And Lee—for once not doing push-ups or walking on his hands—wasted no time shouting, “Let’s go, everyone! Off to the sea, yippee!”

And just like that, he darted off ahead of them.

So that’s how they do things, Shikamaru thought dryly. No formal greeting, no mission briefing—just take off at full speed.

He groaned as the others began to follow Lee without hesitation.

He wanted to protest—I’m the mission leader here. I decide when we move out!—but Lee was already gone.

“A little running will help you wake up properly,” Neji said calmly beside him. Unlike the others, he hadn’t rushed ahead.

“I’m glad we’re going on another mission together,” he added.

He gave Shikamaru one of those rare, subtle smiles, and Shikamaru merely shrugged.

“Please tell me you can rein your friend in when he bolts off like that,” he muttered. “The last thing I need is another failed mission because I couldn’t keep the group under control…”

Neji replied, “I know Lee comes off as impulsive, but he’s perfectly capable of recognizing danger and reacting appropriately. And he follows orders well—better than you’d think. Don’t worry. You’ll manage.”

Then he added with a hint of amusement, “I’d be more concerned about how you plan to stop Ino from picking fights with Tenten. Before you arrived, she was behaving… rather arrogantly.”

Shikamaru couldn’t help the smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

If Ino knew Neji thought she was arrogant… It was oddly satisfying that the feeling seemed mutual. Still, he had absolutely no intention of getting involved in whatever drama was already brewing between the two girls.

That was their battlefield—not his.

The first part of the mission passed without major incidents. By midday on the second day, they had left the dense forests surrounding Konohagakure behind and soon reached the harbor.

The sailing ship bound for Shishiyōjima wasn’t particularly large—just two sleeping cabins, each with four narrow bunks. That meant they’d have to split up for the night either by team or by gender.

On past missions, Shikamaru had often shared a tent or room with Chouji and Ino, but this time she immediately protested his suggestion. With unexpected vehemence, she insisted that she and Tenten should have a cabin to themselves. None of the boys objected, and since Shikamaru had no energy for an argument, he gave in with a resigned sigh.

Looking quite pleased with herself, Ino dragged Tenten into one of the rooms and shut the door behind them.

Poor Tenten, Shikamaru thought. Hope she survives that.

Next came the task of dividing up the bunks. Chōji and Lee quickly claimed the bottom ones, leaving the upper berths—directly above their teammates—to Shikamaru and Neji.

After brief introductions to the ship’s small crew, the journey began. The sun blazed down from a cloudless sky, and the sea was calm beneath them. It would’ve been the perfect time to lie around and do absolutely nothing—but Asuma had emphasized, more than once, that training during the voyage was a vital part of the mission.

Shikamaru had to wrestle with his laziest instincts and force himself to get everyone moving—at least a little. As expected, Lee was thrilled by the idea of group training. Tenten also seemed enthusiastic. Neji, true to form, gave a silent nod, his face unreadable.

Ino and Chōji, on the other hand, looked at Shikamaru as if he’d asked them to jump overboard and swim the rest of the way.

“What? It’s part of the mission,” Shikamaru muttered, only half-convincingly. “Take it up with Asuma. This definitely wasn’t my idea.”

Of everyone here, he was probably the least excited about sparring on the cramped deck of a ship, under a merciless sun, with no shade in sight.

“The plan is for Team Gai to give us some Taijutsu tutoring, since we’ve been kind of slacking lately. I suggest we pair off for today and—”

He shot a sharp glance at Ino, who had just opened her mouth—undoubtedly to declare she wanted to partner with Neji. (First, because she absolutely knew Tenten would wipe the floor with her in Taijutsu and refused to lose to another girl. Second, because she probably feared Lee wouldn’t hold back—regardless of whether he was facing a girl or a bear. And third, because she clearly hoped to get a little closer to the handsome Neji during training. So predictable.)

“—and!” he cut her off firmly, “Teams will be decided by rock-paper-scissors. Randomly. To keep things fair.”

Naturally, Ino protested anyway. But fortunately, she played along.

Of course, Shikamaru had his own reasons for proposing this “random” method. He was fairly certain he could predict what signs Ino and Chōji would throw, which meant he could steer the outcome while appearing completely impartial. With any luck, it would earn him a little less of Ino’s wrath than if he had just assigned the pairs himself.

“The winner of the first round will team up with Neji. Second place goes with Tenten. Loser trains with Lee.”

They formed a circle. As expected, Shikamaru crushed both their scissors with his rock. Ino bit her lip in frustration but kept quiet.

Then, to his mild surprise, Chōji beat her—paper against rock.

Which meant: Shikamaru and Neji, Chōji and Tenten, Ino and Lee.

He did feel a little sorry for Ino.

“Team Gai—just a reminder: this is training, not a death match. Not all of us were raised by a Taijutsu-obsessed teacher with zero regard for limits. You're supposed to push us, not pulverize us. And we’d really prefer to reach our destination alive and still walking. So please, keep it reasonable.”

Team Gai nodded solemnly. Shikamaru’s eyes briefly met Neji’s. He sincerely hoped he hadn’t made a terrible mistake by pairing with him.

He gave Chōji and Ino a few pointers on what to focus on during the session. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Neji lightly tug on Lee’s sleeve and whisper something to him.

Please don’t break us in half…

Thankfully, all the pairs began by calmly discussing how to start.

Shikamaru tried to keep an eye on the others, but he quickly realized he had to focus entirely on Neji.

Neji began by correcting his basic stance—pointing out flaws in his posture and explaining how breath and movement had to flow together to keep chakra circulation efficient. Then he activated his Byakugan and scanned Shikamaru up and down.

As always, that made Shikamaru uncomfortable. He couldn’t help wondering—again—if the Hyūga could see through clothes. Did they just trample on everyone’s privacy like it was nothing?

But Neji wasn’t just looking at the surface. He was looking inside. And that, Shikamaru thought with a strange flutter in his chest, was somehow worse than if he’d just been staring at his bare skin.

“Shikamaru, you really need to focus on your breathing more. You’re completely distracted—your chakra flow is flipping around like it’s doing somersaults.”

Neji’s voice was calm and steady, but Shikamaru felt like a scolded child. A flush crept up his neck, and he realized, to his annoyance, that he was blushing.

“Is that really necessary?” he snapped. “Most of us can’t see chakra points or flows, you know. Might want to remember that.”

Neji looked him straight in the eyes, his Byakugan now deactivated.

“Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there, Shikamaru. I know the Hyūga approach to Taijutsu is a little different, but this method works. Even Gai-sensei trains this way. It might seem complicated at first, since you have to think about so many things at once—but once you internalize the breathing and your chakra flow becomes stable, it gets much easier. The beginning is always the hardest part.”

Shikamaru sighed. “Unless you’re a natural like you, I suppose.”

Neji shot him a sharp look. “That’s not true, Shikamaru. I’m not a natural. I just didn’t have much else to distract me when I was a child. After my father died, I basically trained non-stop. And most of the time, I trained alone. It took a long time for my body to learn how to move. And even longer for my mind to accept that body and mind are not separate things.

You need to function as a single unit. But in order to do that, you start by breaking it down—focus on one element, like your breathing. Once you’ve mastered that, you add another layer, like a specific movement. If you can perform two things at once without needing to think about them anymore, then they’ve become a single unit. The more you integrate yourself, the easier fighting becomes. But it takes time. And effort. For everyone.”

Shikamaru hadn’t meant to irritate him. He was just frustrated—and he knew, deep down, that real progress in Taijutsu would only come through consistent, disciplined training.

Multitasking wasn’t entirely foreign to him. He could talk while thinking about something else. His control over the Shadow Technique had also improved over time. But that had been the result of long, focused effort, too.

“We only have a few days to train. I thought it might make more sense to cut a few corners. Maybe just show me some fight moves that regular mortals can actually master.”

Neji exhaled sharply through his nose. “If you don’t have a foundation, you can’t build anything. You’ll never be a real opponent for anyone who does have a strong foundation. Against someone like me, or Lee, or even Tenten—you wouldn’t stand a chance in close combat. There are no shortcuts, Shikamaru. And I’m not going to teach you any advanced techniques if you don’t get the basics right.”

Frustrated but out of arguments, Shikamaru gave in.

So they spent the next stretch of time on breathing exercises—nothing more. All aimed at making Shikamaru more aware of the way he drew air into his body.

Neji, usually so reserved, had no hesitation when it came to physical contact. He told Shikamaru to take off his shirt, then pressed his palms—firm and steady—against various points: his back, his ribs, his chest, his stomach. With each breath in and out, Neji guided him gently, adjusting posture, correcting rhythm.

It became oddly calming. Familiar, even.

Whenever Shikamaru’s breathing aligned with his chakra flow, Neji praised him in a quiet voice. From time to time, he gave new instructions.

Honestly, the training wasn’t as bad as Shikamaru had expected.

The real distraction came from Lee’s loud cheering—he seemed to be coaching Ino through a completely different kind of workout, full of high-speed drills and dramatic jumps.

Now this, Shikamaru thought, this is more what I imagined. Practicing moves. Copying techniques. Light sparring.

Tenten and Chōji appeared to be combining Taijutsu with his size-expansion jutsu, and Tenten looked absolutely thrilled by the new possibilities.

About three hours had passed when Neji gently placed both hands on Shikamaru’s temples.

He applied light, circular pressure with his fingers—almost massaging. It felt… incredible.

The air moved freely through Shikamaru’s body, smooth and easy. Neji’s fingers seemed to quiet every thought in his head. It was as if his thoughts were floating in warm cotton.

Shikamaru let out a soft hum. A second later, he realized—he was drifting. Almost asleep.

“Maybe it’s time to call it a day,” Neji said. “Ino looks like she’s about to toss Lee overboard.”

Shikamaru opened his eyes and found Neji’s face hovering just above his own, a faint smile on his lips. Flustered, he sat up quickly and turned to look at Ino. She was glaring at Lee like she was two seconds away from strangling him.

“All right, everyone, we’re done for today!” Shikamaru called, stumbling a bit as he got to his feet. His body still felt oddly light and fuzzy, like it hadn’t quite remembered how to move.

Ino gave him a quick once-over—especially his bare chest—then shot him a venomous look before storming below deck without a word.

“What’s her problem?” Shikamaru muttered.

Lee’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t think I’m a very good teacher,” he admitted. “She wasn’t actually that bad at fighting. But the only girl I’ve trained with before is Tenten—and Ino’s nothing like her. Then I saw you two doing those breathing exercises and thought, maybe that could help us too, since she kept complaining everything was too exhausting.

So I suggested we try it, and… I might have said it works best if she takes her top off as well.” He waved his hands frantically. “I didn’t mean anything by it! Tenten always does that, and she wears a tank top underneath, so I didn’t think it would upset her. I apologized a hundred times, but after that, she just ignored me.”

Shikamaru could tell he genuinely felt bad. Ino had been a bit hard to handle lately—especially when things didn’t go her way. Still, he doubted Tenten would’ve been a better match for her as a sparring partner.

And even though Neji’s approach had frustrated him at first, there was no way he was switching partners now.

He’d talk to Ino later, smooth things over. A few well-placed compliments about her performance today and a carefully worded explanation about the benefits of training with Lee should be enough to get her back on track.

“Training’s over?”

Chōji and Tenten joined them, visibly flushed from their workout. They looked like they’d been moving nonstop—but Chōji seemed genuinely pleased. Even when Shikamaru mentioned that dinner wouldn’t be ready for another hour, he didn’t complain.

“If Ino takes over the bathroom, let me know,” Shikamaru warned Tenten. “She might spend the next two hours ‘freshening up.’”

Tenten just laughed. “That’s fine. She could probably use a little cooling off right now.”

Chōji let out a loud giggle, and Shikamaru gave him a puzzled look. But Chōji didn’t notice—he was too busy grinning at Tenten.

What had gone on between them?

Luckily, it didn’t seem like Ino planned to monopolize the bathroom after all. A few minutes later, she returned to the deck, her hair freshly washed, and stretched out on a bench in the sun.

Shikamaru, who’d probably sweat the least out of everyone—aside from Neji—decided to skip the bathroom rush. Instead, he went over and sat down next to her.

“Hey Ino, you alright?”

Ino didn’t even look at him. She stayed lying back, perfectly relaxed, and replied in a pointedly calm voice:

“I know you arranged the teams on purpose. You always win that stupid game.”

Lying would’ve been pointless now, and Shikamaru knew it.

“Sorry, Ino. I just thought Neji was the most similar to me out of the three, so he’d be the best help. And since I wasn’t sure which of the other two you’d prefer, I left it to chance. Do you really think training with Lee isn’t helping you at all?”

She gave him a little jab in the side and let out a sigh.

“He’s not as bad as I thought. But I’m not going to let him grope me just because we’re training.”

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. “Did he actually try that?”

Ino pouted. “No. Not until he suggested copying you and Neji. You looked like you were having a great time with your little massage.”

Shikamaru stared out at the horizon, where soft clouds had started turning pink.

"It might’ve looked relaxing, but it was actually really demanding."

Ino let out a dry laugh but didn’t say anything else.

It wasn’t entirely a lie. At first, it had been hard to focus solely on his own body. But Neji had been an incredibly good teacher—somehow managing to draw Shikamaru fully into the task. The gentle pressure of his palms on Shikamaru’s skin had calmed him in an unexpected way.

He couldn’t picture Neji working with Ino like that.

For several reasons.

“Did you notice how Tenten has Chōji wrapped around her little finger? He really needs to stop falling for every girl who’s nice to him.”

Ino’s tone was overly casual again, but Shikamaru could tell how much it bothered her.

It wasn’t jealousy—at least not the romantic kind. Chōji was like a brother to her, and that would never change.

Just like Ino felt like a sister to Shikamaru. An annoying sister who got on his nerves more often than not—but one he really liked, and couldn’t imagine not having around.

Still, Ino had a tendency to be suspicious—sometimes downright hostile—towards other girls. Especially when it came to Chōji.

She became absurdly protective anytime a girl showed interest in him, rare as that was. Maybe she was afraid he’d get taken advantage of—because he was a genuinely good person.

But Shikamaru also suspected that, deep down, Ino couldn’t imagine a girl seriously falling for Chōji. He didn’t exactly fit the “attractive guy” stereotype, with his round belly and cheeks that always looked stuffed.

Shikamaru slid further down the bench and stretched his legs out.

“Let him have a little fun. Just because he’s in a good mood doesn’t mean he’s in love. He only cares about food anyway. There’s no room for a girl in that heart.“

Ino giggled softly. Then she opened one eye and gave Shikamaru a sharp look.

“Our mission lead probably didn’t plan on us switching partners tomorrow, did he? I could use a bit of breathing technique review, you know?”

There it was. The question he’d been expecting.

Of course he’d thought about it.

But after today’s training with Neji—which had turned out surprisingly well—and considering Neji’s solid logic about mastering the basics first, switching partners didn’t really make sense.

Even though all three had trained under Gai-sensei, their approaches were wildly different. Starting over with someone else would mean wasting time.

And besides, Chōji had been in great spirits after training with Tenten.

Ino would just have to deal with it.

“Sorry, Ino. I know Lee can be a pain. But I really think he’s the best trainer for you. Neji would probably go easy on you just because you’re a girl. And you know you and Tenten would be at each other’s throats within five minutes.

Besides, out of the three of us, you’re by far the best when it comes to things like breathing techniques, posture—all that foundational stuff. I mean it. Today I realized I’ve been ignoring the most important parts of training.

And I don’t know how Neji does it, but I’m actually kind of motivated to keep going tomorrow.”

Ino sighed and sat up beside him on the bench.

“Of course Mr. Perfect is the best teacher ever,” she said with exaggerated drama. “But don’t worry, Shikamaru. I’ll manage with Lee. I just don’t like him. Anyone who’s in love with Sakura has to have some kind of brain damage, don’t you think?”

She didn’t wait for a reply and got up, heading back below deck.

Shikamaru was glad everyone had agreed to spend the evening resting.

After the sun set, a cold breeze picked up, and they all retreated to the small dining area below.

Which meant Shikamaru ended up sitting with Chōji—who finally admitted to being hungry—Tenten, and Lee, who launched into an endless string of stories about past missions and heroic tales of Gai-sensei, whom he clearly idolized.

Shikamaru couldn’t help but wonder whether Lee had really recovered from the injuries he’d gotten fighting Gaara and Kimimaro.

He sure wasn’t acting like anything was wrong.

Neji was nowhere to be seen.

Ino had gone to bed early.

Even when Shikamaru got up to clean himself in the tiny bathroom and tried to settle into his narrow berth above deck, Neji still hadn’t shown up.

Just before falling asleep, Shikamaru remembered how close Neji’s face had been to his at the end of training, when he’d gently brought him out of his trance.

A warm feeling spread through his chest.

He tried to focus on his breathing, recalling the calm, steady tone of Neji’s voice as he gave instructions.

That night, Shikamaru woke up several times—either from the ship creaking and groaning in the wind, or from Lee making strange noises in his sleep, like he was mid-battle.

Shikamaru sat up and tried to see if the bunk next to his was still empty, but the cabin was pitch black.

He thought for a moment about reaching out—maybe gently touching Neji’s shoulder—but he didn’t want to startle him.

So he lay back down and drifted into a restless sleep.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Shikamaru woke from a restless dream with a queasy feeling in his stomach. Everything around him was swaying. He glanced around the cabin, but the others were already up. As he climbed shakily down from his bunk, he went to open the door to the bathroom. Of course, it was locked. “Troublesome…,” he muttered to himself, and felt his stomach churn unpleasantly as the ship suddenly seemed to drop.

“Shikamaru, you better come up! The fresh air makes you feel a little better!”

Ino had opened the door to the upper deck from outside and was peeking down the steep stairs. Her long blonde hair whipped around her face in the wind, and she was unsuccessfully trying to keep it in check with one hand. “Better put your raincoat on, or you’ll be soaked in seconds up here!”

Grumbling, Shikamaru grabbed his coat, swaying from side to side as he moved. He climbed up and stepped out into the raging storm. The others were sitting near the door under a small awning that, in this wind, offered little protection from the rain. Lee, Tenten, and Chouji—who was apparently still in the bathroom—were suffering worst from seasickness, while Ino seemed relatively lively and Neji was just the same as always.

Shikamaru had to admit that Ino was right—being outside in the fresh air did make him feel a bit better. But the wind was freezing, and even though they all had their hoods pulled low and their coats wrapped tightly around them, they were shivering. Tenten clung to Lee’s arm, who in turn clung to a wooden bucket perched in his lap.

Shikamaru sat down next to Neji, who scooted over a bit to make room.

“If the weather stays like this, we can forget about training today!” Shikamaru shouted, and was surprised to find himself a little disappointed by the thought. Neji had really done a great job yesterday.

“No way! That’s completely out of the question!” Lee replied loudly, momentarily forgetting how miserable he felt. “We can’t let a bit of wind ruin our plans! If we fight against it together, we’ll make it! I promised to be a good teacher for you, Ino, and Sensei Gai wouldn’t give up in a situation like thi—”

He stopped abruptly, horrified, and bent over his bucket.

“Ugh!” Ino exclaimed and turned away. Tenten, who had released Lee’s arm, also scooted back, but looked so green in the face she might need the bucket next.

If Shikamaru hadn’t felt so nauseous himself, he might have found their predicament a bit amusing. But right now, all he wanted was to throw up so he could feel better for at least a short while afterward.

Neji leaned slightly toward Shikamaru and said, “We could still continue some of the training, if you’d like.”

When Shikamaru gave him a questioning look, he added, “If you manage to focus on your breathing like you did yesterday, I could try stimulating your chakra flow in a way that might reduce your sensitivity to the motion. But for it to work, we should go downstairs. It’s too loud and cold out here.”

That didn’t sound bad at all. Shikamaru shrugged.

“Fine by me. Can’t get much worse anyway.”

Neji nodded and stood up.

After informing the others of their plan, they headed below deck. It wasn’t exactly quiet down there either, but the difference was still noticeable now that the wind wasn’t howling in their ears anymore. On the downside, the awful swaying of the ship felt even more intense down here.

They spotted Chouji, happily munching on a bag of chips at the table in the corner. When he saw them, he waved with the bag and called out, “Shikamaru! I figured out a really great trick. If you just eat nonstop, you don’t have time to get seasick!”

Shikamaru sighed. “I’m amazed you even have any snacks left. But at your pace, everything will be gone by lunchtime, and then your trick won’t help anymore.”

Chouji shook his head and muttered, “Maybe the storm will be over by then,” to which Neji replied, “Judging by the way it’s raging out there, it’ll probably last until at least tonight.”

With a nod to Shikamaru—apparently indicating they should start their training—Neji got up.

“Want some?” Chouji asked, holding the chip bag up to Shikamaru.

“No thanks. I think I’m better off with an empty stomach. Besides, Neji’s set on continuing our training. See you later!”

Chouji pouted as Shikamaru stood up and followed Neji. “Yeah, sure, just leave me here all alone…”

Since there was far too little space in their room, they designated the narrow but long hallway as their training area. The ship’s crew was busy up on deck with the storm anyway and wouldn’t be disturbed by them. Neji gestured for Shikamaru to lie down on the floor.

“It’s not exactly the ideal place for our training, but we don’t really have much of a choice right now. If you can manage to really concentrate, it might work. Don’t let the waves distract you too much—I’ll hold you steady.”

Shikamaru felt pretty stupid lying down right in the middle of the hallway. If it had been anyone else, he probably would’ve refused. But since Neji always meant what he said seriously, Shikamaru did as he was told. He closed his eyes and tried to let his breath flow in and out calmly and evenly. He felt Neji place his hands on his sides, holding him gently but firmly in place.

At first, it was anything but easy to focus on his breathing. The storm raged outside, and the ship was being tossed across the sea. Shikamaru imagined how he would’ve rolled back and forth if Neji weren’t holding him down. The creaking and groaning of the ship made it impossible to hear his own breath, which made everything harder. And then, suddenly, the nausea returned.

“I’ll try to warn you in time,” he said, “but I can’t promise I won’t suddenly throw up.”

Chouji’s snort behind him made Shikamaru open his eyes again.

“Did you just say ‘throw up’? I thought you said only stuck-up people used that word!”

Chouji was crouching behind Shikamaru in the hallway, nearly crushing his chip bag from laughing.

Neji, who looked slightly annoyed that Chouji had interrupted their training, asked with irritation, “What exactly is so funny about that?”

Chouji immediately stopped laughing and looked somewhat helplessly at Shikamaru. He wasn’t used to Neji speaking to him. To be more precise, he was probably still a little afraid of him. Before the Sasuke retrieval mission, he’d never had anything to do with Neji and really only knew that he had once tried to kill Hinata. Older students had always kind of unsettled him, and since Neji had never spoken a kind word to him before, Chouji avoided him whenever possible.

When Shikamaru didn’t respond, Chouji flushed a little and mumbled, “Well, normal people don’t say, ‘Oh no, I’m going to throw up,’ they say, ‘Heads up, I’m about to puke!’”

Shikamaru’s gaze shot to Neji, who didn’t seem to find that particularly funny. He looked at Chouji with cold hostility and said, “Oh, so that’s how normal people talk?”

Chouji fell silent and nodded slightly, avoiding Neji’s gaze.

Shikamaru felt guilty. He hadn’t even realized he’d started mimicking Neji’s way of speaking—so much more mature than what he was used to from his friends.

“Chouji, I’m really sorry, but could you maybe let us train in peace for a bit? It might not look like it, but it’s already hard enough for me to concentrate.”

Chouji looked at him disappointed but stood up to leave. “Yeah, sure. Sorry.”

“See you later!” Shikamaru called quickly after him, hoping Chouji wouldn’t hold it against him. He’d talk to him again later if needed.

“Then let’s continue,” Neji said, and Shikamaru closed his eyes once more.

Chapter Text

Cemetery

A soft meow pulled Shikamaru from his thoughts. He turned around, but couldn’t spot the cat anywhere. He shivered slightly. The sun had now set, and it was getting dark and cold fast. He did have a warm jacket with him, but he didn’t intend to spend the whole night in the cemetery. Still, he felt himself slowly becoming more comfortable with the situation.

Maybe it was because, even in the unlikely event that someone else showed up at the cemetery at this hour, they probably wouldn’t even notice him. The approaching darkness was oddly welcome—it might even help him with the mission he had set for himself.

He shifted around on his small stool, trying to find a more comfortable position.

Neji had managed to teach him the basics of taijutsu back then. Not that Shikamaru had had any urgent need to use taijutsu recently—but he realized how little attention he’d paid to those foundations. Sure, some things had naturally blended into his movements and jutsu, undoubtedly strengthening his attacks.

But Neji had once mentioned that certain breathing techniques not only helped regulate chakra flow positively but could also reduce stress and negative emotions.

Maybe he really should start making more use of that knowledge again.

Even if it somehow felt wrong to use a technique Neji had taught him… to forget him.

Shikamaru paused in his thoughts.

Was that really what he wanted?

Did he want to forget Neji?

He had, for years, more or less successfully done just that. He’d gone about his life without sparing a thought for his deceased friend.

He hadn’t forgotten his father. Or Asuma. And even though he had carried deep guilt over Asuma’s death, he had somehow found peace with it.

Of course, he also believed that what helped was the fact that he had avenged Asuma—by literally tearing Hidan apart for what he’d done.

But even more important was that he had allowed himself to mourn.

Had he—aside from the dreams that had been haunting him lately—ever shed a tear for Neji?

We were never that close.
I’m not the emotional type.
Why should I cry over someone who was, at best, a good acquaintance?

But those thoughts felt like a lie. Something Shikamaru told himself so he wouldn’t have to deal with the truth. Just another way to keep running away.

The more he dreamed of Neji, and the more his thoughts returned to him now, the more he realized that there had been something between them. Something special—something he had never felt again in his life.

If he wanted to get past all of this, he had to face it.
He had to face his past.

The meowing returned—louder now, and unmistakably coming from right in front of him.

Shikamaru held his breath and listened intently.

A cat appeared from behind Neji’s gravestone. Its eyes glowed eerily, reflecting the light of the lone lantern further down the path. It rubbed against the stone, then walked directly over to Shikamaru’s stool and pressed against his legs.

He couldn’t quite make out the color of its fur, but somehow, the cat had something comforting about it.

He slowly reached out his hand, holding it still for the cat to sniff. It paused for a moment—then pressed its forehead gently against his palm and began to nuzzle.

Shikamaru carefully stroked its fur and let his thoughts wander once again.

Troubled Waters

Somehow, Neji had managed to help—
even though he insisted every time that it wouldn’t have worked without Shikamaru’s own effort—
to stabilize Shikamaru’s sense of balance enough that he didn’t feel quite as seasick anymore.
Sure, the queasy feeling in his stomach lingered,
and the rocking of the ship was still just as annoying,
but at least he felt somewhat human again.

"Why can’t your teammates get rid of their seasickness the same way?"
Shikamaru asked as he sat at the small dining table with Neji and Chouji, biting into a sandwich.

Neji swallowed a mouthful and replied,
"You have to be able to sense and regulate your own chakra network really well.
The two of them are excellent taijutsu users,
but without the Byakugan, and under these conditions, it’s nearly impossible."

Shikamaru nodded, silently wondering why Neji hadn’t helped them the same way he had helped him.
But he didn’t voice the thought.
Neji probably had his reasons.

The rain finally stopped sometime in the late afternoon,
and by the time evening fell, the storm had eased a little.
Shikamaru and Chouji joined the others in the small sitting area around the dining table,
while Neji retreated into the bedroom to meditate.

When Shikamaru and Chouji sat down, Ino was in the middle of explaining to Tenten why Sakura would never have a boyfriend.
Tenten looked a little confused, but listened politely, nodding awkwardly from time to time.

Suddenly, Lee slammed his fists on the table, clearly offended.
"That’s not true at all! Sakura is a wonderful girl!
Whoever she ends up with will have an amazing wife!"

Ino gave him a look like he was a child interrupting the grown-ups during a serious conversation.
"Don’t you want to say that you’ll be that person?" she asked coolly.

Lee shrugged. "Well, I would like to say that…
But I’m not stupid.
I know Sakura’s still in love with Sasuke,
and she probably needs more time to get over him.
But in the meantime, I’ll train even harder.
Maybe one day she’ll change her mind."

"Lee, maybe it’s…"
Tenten began, only to be cut off by Ino’s raised voice.

"Sasuke would never be interested in such a violent, unladylike girl.
He probably left just to get away from her.
When he comes back, he’ll have forgotten all about her anyway."

Shikamaru groaned inwardly and shot Chouji a pained glance.
The mere mention of Sasuke still left a bitter taste of failure in his mouth.
Chouji smiled at him—though there was something oddly tense about it.
Unlike usual, when he’d already run out of snacks, he wasn’t whining about it.
That struck Shikamaru as… strange.

"It is kind of annoying, liking the best-looking guy in the whole village,"
Ino continued casually.
"Just recently, I overheard two girls I’ve never seen before in our flower shop talking about him.
One of them was completely shocked when the other told her Sasuke wasn’t in Konoha anymore.
They were both so plain and boring—like they ever stood a chance with Sasuke anyway."

Tenten laughed nervously.
She clearly wasn’t comfortable with the topic.
Maybe it was just Ino getting under her skin.

"So, what about you, Tenten? Are you a Sasuke fan too?"

Shikamaru almost thought he’d misheard.
Had Chouji—shy, soft-spoken Chouji—just asked a girl what kind of guys she liked?

Tenten shook her head, still laughing awkwardly.
"I guess I’m not like most girls.
I don’t fall for someone just because they look good.
I think I need to actually know a guy before I can like him—and I didn’t really know Sasuke at all."

Ino raised an eyebrow, visibly surprised.
"But just going by looks… you’d still say Sasuke’s the best-looking guy, right?
I mean, from the guys our age?"

Tenten glanced briefly at Lee before answering,
"I think Neji looks better.
But maybe that’s just because I know him better."

"Neji does look way better than Sasuke—that’s obvious!"
Lee exclaimed, clapping Tenten on the shoulder like a proud older brother.

As Ino started bombarding the poor, increasingly red-faced Tenten with more questions about whether there was anything going on between her and Neji,
and Lee began flailing his arms in protest,
insisting that the two of them were like siblings,
Shikamaru turned to watch his best friend—
who, strangely enough, did look disappointed that Tenten hadn’t said his name.
Could Ino actually be right?
Had Chouji somehow developed a crush on Tenten?
Oh no.
That could only lead to trouble.

"Whatever," Ino waved Lee off. "Neji might not look bad, but he’s way too arrogant and aloof!"
Shikamaru muttered before he could stop himself, "Yeah, Sasuke definitely doesn’t have that problem."
He regretted it immediately—he had wanted to stay out of this whole mess. Ino shot him a poisonous glare, then decided to ignore him and continued unfazed:
"I bet Neji’s not even into girls. That guy’s got serious issues—he nearly killed poor Hinata just because she’s from the main family. No offense, but when I really think about it, I’m actually glad he’s not my training partner. He clearly has no regard for women at all."

While Lee jumped up to defend his best friend, Tenten’s face shifted from discomfort to anger. She drew in a sharp breath, ready to give Ino a piece of her mind—
—but it was Shikamaru who raised his voice first. "Alright, that’s enough, guys. We’re not here to fight each other."

Ino spun toward him. "You seem to have hit it off really well with him, huh, Shikamaru? You even trained with him today. You—the guy who normally jumps at any excuse to skip training. I just hope you’re not turning into another arrogant jerk!"

That was when Tenten finally snapped.
"Stop talking about Neji like that! You don’t know anything about him! Just because he’s not into you doesn’t mean he’s arrogant. You’re not half as amazing as you think you are, Ino! Honestly, it was so embarrassing when you tried to flirt with him during the Chūnin Exams!"

Ino turned beet red with rage. Both girls had stood up now, clearly just moments away from launching at each other.
"That was purely strategic!" Ino snapped. "I wasn’t interested in Neji at all. And it’s bad enough that he apparently went around telling people about it. He must be really full of himself!"

Tenten snarled, "He didn’t tell anyone. I heard it from Chouji!"

Ino looked like she had just choked on her own spit.
Shikamaru could feel Chouji shrinking beside him, like he was trying to disappear. Ino hadn’t even started tearing into him yet, and already he looked like a pile of guilt. Shikamaru wanted nothing more than to disappear into the sleeping cabin.

Lee tried to calm Tenten down while Ino began berating Chouji about loyalty and betrayal.
Then, out of nowhere, Shikamaru heard something behind him—
—and a second later he nearly smashed his head on the table as a forceful gust shoved him forward.

Startled, he looked around. Tenten and Lee had apparently bumped heads, and Ino was now sitting on the floor, completely stunned. Chouji had knocked over Shikamaru’s teacup and was looking at him with wide, alarmed eyes.

"Can you please pull yourselves together?"

Neji’s voice, usually calm and composed, was sharp—cutting even. His gaze swept over the group, full of cold contempt.
"You’re worse than a bunch of toddlers."

"Did you just attack us?" Ino hissed.

Neji looked down at her, visibly annoyed.
"What you felt was merely the air current from my technique. As shinobi, you should be able to block something that minor without flinching. And if all you’re doing is sitting around and arguing, maybe it’s time you went to bed. It’s honestly pathetic how much you let your hormones control you."

Shikamaru felt like he’d just been slapped in the face.
And judging by the silence, so did the others.
Had Neji heard what they were saying?

But Ino leapt back to her feet. "We’re humans, not some Hyūga robot with no emotions!"
She sounded like a sulky child—but somehow, Shikamaru was still glad she’d at least said something.

Neji stared at her in icy silence, then turned to Shikamaru.
"Maybe you can make sure your teammates behave. I suggest we sleep in our original team formations again tonight. I have no interest in listening to this immature bickering all night."

Shikamaru looked around the room. No one said a word.
He nodded silently and helped Chouji gather their things so that Tenten could rejoin Neji and Lee in the other room.

Once they had settled into the other room, lying back on their respective bunks, Chouji started chatting casually about random things. Shikamaru played along, hoping that Ino—who now lay above him in the top bunk—would forget her rage. But she stayed completely silent for the rest of the night.

After the lights were turned off, and Shikamaru felt reasonably sure Ino had fallen asleep, he whispered:
"Hey, Chouji… are you okay? You're not mad I sent you away during training with Neji today, right?"

Chouji gave a quiet chuckle. "No worries, Shikamaru. It was just a bit weird seeing you train, you know? Especially when you actually had the perfect excuse not to. But you were right—it’s part of the mission. And if the weather clears up tomorrow, I’ll give it my all again, I promise."

Chouji was just too kind.
Shikamaru felt a flicker of guilt—he wasn’t quite sure why—but he pushed the feeling aside.

"What’s Tenten working on with you, anyway?" he asked.
He heard Chouji shift slightly in his bunk.

"She says that if I time my Partial Expansion Jutsu right, I’m basically unbeatable. And apparently breath control is the foundation for that. But the way she teaches it… it’s more like she’s counting beats in music or teaching dance steps. No lying around doing breathing exercises. Honestly, if anyone else was your partner, I’d think they were just tailoring the training for you. Like: 'How do I trick Shikamaru into training? Oh right—I’ll just make him lie down on the ground. That’s his favorite activity anyway!'"

Chouji giggled softly to himself. Shikamaru hoped Ino wouldn’t wake up.

"I’m actually really glad I didn’t get paired with Neji," Chouji added. "I think fate was kind during rock-paper-scissors. Tenten’s an awesome teacher. Too bad she seems to be into Neji."

Shikamaru wasn’t sure what to say.
Chouji had gotten his hopes up after their early training sessions. He always assumed girls avoided him because he was 'chubby'—Ino was the only exception, but she was part of the team.
He barely talked to any other girls.

Shikamaru just hoped Chouji hadn’t really fallen for Tenten.
I swear, one day I want to lead a mission without any girls again. It will be so peaceful.
There’s always some kind of drama when they’re around.
Ino really needs to chill.
And the fact that she’s still so obsessed with Sasuke—unbelievable.
Compared to Neji, Sasuke’s a total jerk.
Did Neji hear what they were saying earlier?
Is that why he was so pissed?
Does he think we were all talking trash about him?
That thought bothered Shikamaru more than it should have.

He lay awake for a long time, going over different ways he could casually let Neji know that he hadn’t really been involved in that conversation.

As he turned the possibilities over in his mind, it struck him that he didn’t actually know that much about Neji.
He couldn’t always predict his reactions.
Maybe a few months ago it would’ve been easier, but now—

He had seen glimpses of sides to Neji that didn’t fit the rumors.
Beneath the quiet, sometimes cold surface… there was something more.
When Shikamaru remembered the training, he actually felt a little excited.

What the hell is wrong with me? Normally, you’d have to drag me into training.
Neji’s like a puzzle I want to solve.
Like a math problem that takes a little longer to work through than usual.
That’s why I’m looking forward to training with him.

With that thought, Shikamaru finally drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Text

On their third day at sea, the weather had improved. The wind was still fairly strong, but thankfully the waves had evened out, and everyone’s seasickness was now manageable enough that all teams could resume their training. Shikamaru felt relieved when Neji came over right after breakfast and asked if he was ready to continue. He didn’t seem upset anymore and simply told Shikamaru to take his combat stance.

"With or without the shadow jutsu?" Shikamaru asked.

Neji thought for a moment before answering, "Your jutsu is a part of you, like a limb. It would be foolish not to use it, so it’s best to practice combining taijutsu with your shadows from the start. However, I believe you’re intelligent enough to know when your shadows are truly useful and when they’re not during a fight. So don’t get too distracted—use them only when they give you a real advantage."

Shikamaru nodded and took up a cautious stance opposite of Neji. He knew his shadow jutsu was hard to use in close combat, since both his and his opponent’s shadows would be constantly moving, making it hard to pin them down.

"Is that your usual fighting stance when facing an opponent?" Neji asked, sounding almost surprised.

Shikamaru nodded. "Something wrong?" he asked.

Neji hesitated briefly, as if analyzing him through and through with his eyes. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, he activated the Byakugan and studied Shikamaru even more closely.

"Is something off with me?" Shikamaru asked, deliberately casual, scratching the back of his head.

Neji deactivated the Byakugan and bit down lightly on his lower lip.

- 1. Neji bites his lower lip when he’s uncertain.

It was just a guess, but Shikamaru mentally filed it under the heading Neji Hyuuga.

"Your stance is terrible, Shikamaru. Your back is hunched, your gaze is directed downward, there’s no tension in your body whatsoever. I understand that you have to keep an eye on the ground because of your shadows. But even that should work without you staring at it constantly. You know your environment. You know which objects cast steady shadows and that the ship changes its angle to the sun depending on the wind. You can sense moving objects if you rely more on your other senses. You have to be absolutely aware of your surroundings as a whole. Your opponent should get only the minimum amount of your attention necessary. The rest should go toward perceiving everything around you. If you want even the slightest chance against someone like me in taijutsu, then your entire body needs to hold a tension that allows you to react within fractions of a second. Never direct your gaze to the ground—unless you can really afford to and are lulling your opponent into a false sense of security."

- 2. Neji’s preferred teaching method is to lecture his students into the ground.

"Wait, wait, please! I think I sort of get what you mean, but what exactly am I supposed to do now?" Shikamaru asked, a bit stressed.

Again, Neji didn’t answer immediately, instead clearly choosing his words carefully. "From what I can tell, one of your strengths is that you’ve already become quite attuned to your shadow technique. So now try to focus mainly on your breathing and your posture while you move. You should be able to feel intuitively when to use your shadow. Don’t waste your attention on things that don’t require it. I’m going to try attacking you now, and for now, you’ll only be dodging. Remember to let your movements arise from your breath, so that your chakra flow is optimal."

What?! He’s really going to attack me now?

Shikamaru began to panic. He had never fought Neji before, but he’d seen him in battle plenty of times. From the outside, it always looked like Neji rained down a continuous barrage of strikes on his opponent. How was he supposed to react to that? And just yesterday, a gust of air from one of Neji’s techniques had nearly slammed his head into the table.

Sure enough, Neji was already taking his fighting stance.

"Wait, I don’t know if I’m ready yet. Can’t we go over the breathing exercises again in peace?"

Neji looked a bit impatient. But he had been the one to say nothing should be rushed and that the training would take time!

"If you’re calmly focusing on your breathing, then you’re doing everything right, Shikamaru. That was the introduction, the first phase of our training. Now comes the truly difficult part."

Shikamaru swallowed. Neji clearly had a very structured idea of how this training was supposed to go—and he didn’t seem likely to be talked out of it.

"But I’m pretty sure I’ll just get turned into a puddle if you go all out!" Shikamaru blurted, hoping Neji didn’t find him as pathetic as he felt right now. He thought he saw a faint smile twitch at Neji’s lips.

"I don’t plan on seriously attacking you. This is just training. Do you really think I go all out in every training session with Lee or Tenten? I won’t use any chakra bursts against you. Trust me. But still—don’t let yourself get hit."

Shikamaru stood up straight and shifted his weight onto his left leg so he could dodge immediately. Just as he remembered that he was supposed to focus on his breathing, Neji already lunged at him. Shikamaru threw himself to the left and landed hard on the ship’s wooden deck. A second later, he felt a sharp blow to his right shoulder blade.

“Ow!” Shikamaru yelped and turned toward Neji, annoyed. “Was that really necessary?”

Neji stood calmly above him, looking completely innocent. “This isn’t about dodging individual attacks. You were supposed to try letting your movements flow from your breathing. What you just did looked more uncoordinated than a newborn deer trying to walk on its wobbly legs for the first time.”

“That still doesn’t mean you have to hurt me for no reason. And what does ‘letting your movements flow from your breathing’ even mean? You can’t just throw things out halfheartedly and expect me to instantly know what you're talking about.”

Neji pressed his lips together impatiently and replied, “If you expect training not to hurt, I wonder what you’ve even been doing with Asuma up to now. You learn faster and better this way. You need to understand by now that in a real fight, you could get seriously injured. So take a few bruises during training—maybe they’ll protect you from something much worse.”

Shikamaru picked himself up and muttered under his breath, “Of course pain is a daily part of a Hyuga’s training plan…”

Neji took a few steps back and resumed his fighting stance. “Focus on your breathing and try to maintain some core tension. At the same time, don’t become too stiff—stay relaxed and try to imagine your body moving along with your breath. A good taijutsu fighter can guide his opponent into attacking the way that suits him best with the smallest of movements. But for that, you first have to become one with your body, your breathing, and your chakra flow.”

He paused briefly, watching as Shikamaru stood with feet shoulder-width apart and tried to calm his breath. Then Neji leapt at him again. This time, Shikamaru jumped to the right and quickly tried to turn around—only to feel Neji’s palm strike him in the chest.

“Keep going,” Neji commanded and followed with another strike, which Shikamaru barely avoided by ducking. The next moment he was back on the ground—Neji had swept his leg.

“Keep going!”

A few minutes later, after many painful blows all across his body, Shikamaru raised his hands and cried, “Wait, stop! This isn’t working—I need more time to prepare.”

Neji jumped back a bit and nodded. “Alright. I’ll give you some time to find yourself. Don’t focus on me more than necessary. You’re the one who matters—trust your own senses. Your body knows how to breathe, and theoretically also how to move without wasting energy. Don’t overthink it. Actually, don’t think at all—your brain deserves a break too.”

Shikamaru stood tall, closed his eyes, and focused on his breath. He felt the sharp pain in his shoulder, and in all the other places Neji had struck. He tried not to think about which direction he’d dodge next. He knew Neji would come at him from the front, and this time he wouldn’t fall—he’d land on his feet. He just needed to stay in motion more, and Neji wouldn’t be able to hit him.

Damn it, I’m already thinking again about how I should move. I’m supposed to focus on breathing? But Neji said my body already knows how it breathes… So what am I even supposed to be focusing on?

“Are you ready?” Neji called, and Shikamaru opened his eyes.

“If I’m being completely honest—not at all. I don’t know how to stop thinking. I automatically plan my next steps and try to predict how you’ll attack me. That’s just how I fight. And honestly—I don’t know if your way will ever work for me.”

Neji stared at him silently, biting his lip again.

Shikamaru could practically feel his disappointment. “Hey, I’m sorry, okay? I think you’ve got the worst taijutsu student of all time on your hands. Maybe this whole thing just isn’t gonna work for me.”

Neji took a few steps toward him and looked him in the eyes. “That’s not true! I’m sure you can learn it. I have an idea—come with me.”

And with that, he walked past Shikamaru and opened the door leading down into the ship’s belly. Shikamaru followed him, wondering what was coming next.

When would Neji finally realize that he was absolutely hopeless when it came to this?

Neji led Shikamaru into the sleeping quarters where they had stayed together on the first night.

“Sit on the top bunk over there.”

Shikamaru followed the instruction, and Neji sat cross-legged across from him on the other upper bunk. His eyes sparkled with excitement, and Shikamaru wondered what he was suddenly up to.

“Have you ever meditated?” Neji asked, sounding like he was trying to sell him some kind of new product. Shikamaru felt his mood sink even further.

“Yeah, sure. We all did that back in the Academy.”

Neji shook his head. “No, that’s not what I mean. I mean real meditation.”

“Ohhh, well why didn’t you say so right away? I thought you were talking about that widespread form of fake meditation. My bad” Shikamaru replied dryly.

Neji’s eyebrows drew together, but he didn’t respond to the provocation. He just continued calmly, “Your problem is that you can’t stop thinking. That’s also your strength, I suppose. But for Taijutsu training, it’s important that you learn to rely on your instincts and senses. Overthinking and planning too much just gets in your way.”

Shikamaru had already suspected it was going to head in this direction.

“Asuma always said that being able to think ahead gives me an advantage—that I can stay one step ahead of my enemies,” he added, hoping it didn’t come off as too whiny.

Neji nodded slowly and seemed to take a moment to choose his words carefully. Shikamaru felt slightly exposed in the cramped cabin, the two of them sitting directly across from each other on the small bunk beds. It was eerily quiet, as if the air outside had gone completely still and the ship was just floating calmly on the water.

Neji took a deep breath and tried again. “I think… if you learn now how to empty your mind and just feel, then later you’ll benefit from it in a way that lets your body react instinctively while your mind is already planning your next move. If you can pull that off, very few ninja would stand a chance against you. But in order for that to work, you have to stop thinking—for now.”

Shikamaru had to admit, what Neji was saying did make a certain kind of sense. But could that really work?

Then again—why not? He was capable of having conversations about pointless stuff with Ino and Chouji while thinking through complex strategies at the same time. So maybe it was possible to improve his reflexes and movement to a point where he wouldn’t even have to think about them anymore. Besides, he was stuck in this situation anyway, and there was no way Neji would just let him off the hook.

“Alright, I’ll give it a shot. But for the record, I’ve never once managed to completely clear my head, and I don’t want to give you false hope that you’ll be the one to change that.”

Neji nodded slowly again, then began to guide Shikamaru: first, to get into a comfortable position, then to focus on his breathing.

“If your thoughts begin to wander, let them. Just try not to interfere too much. The more you step back—that is, the more your active, thinking self steps back—the more freedom your feeling self will have.”

Shikamaru nodded and closed his eyes. He inhaled and exhaled, listening to the creaking and groaning of the ship as it gently rocked on the waves. He could faintly hear the sailors shouting things now and then, or Lee’s excited babbling voice in the distance. He wondered whether Ino had been getting along with him better today—and immediately reminded himself that he wasn’t supposed to be thinking.

He felt the aching in his body, especially the stabbing pain in his shoulder. He tried to let his thoughts drift, but his frustration over the failed training session still had too tight a grip on him.

He shifted slightly, wondering if a bunk bed was really the best place for meditation.

He opened his eyes to check if Neji was still watching him.

But Neji had his eyes closed and was sitting perfectly straight on his bunk.

That doesn’t look comfortable at all. Is he just trying to set a good example, or is that his usual meditation posture?

Shikamaru had the strange feeling that some kind of aura surrounded Neji—and he wasn’t sure if he was just imagining it. Neji’s face looked different somehow. Maybe it was the dim lighting in the cabin, but he looked… peaceful. That was the first word that came to Shikamaru’s mind.

But there was something more.

He couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Neji suddenly seemed so…

He wondered if Neji had always looked like this. It suddenly felt as if this cabin were a sacred space, and Neji was the being that lived within it. He sat there so quietly—and yet he looked more alive than ever. His dark, straight hair framed his face like a painting.

-

A beautiful painting…

-

What kind of nonsense am I thinking? I really should stop thinking altogether!

Shikamaru flinched slightly when Neji suddenly opened his eyes. “What’s wrong, Shikamaru? You almost had it just now!”

Shikamaru hoped he wasn’t blushing—and even more, that Neji hadn’t noticed how he’d been staring at him.

“Excuse me?” he asked, confused.

“Your aura was so calm, like you’d reached exactly the right state for meditation. It was only for a brief moment, but that was exactly what I was talking about.”

Shikamaru remained silent, trying to understand what exactly Neji meant. Secretly, he wondered again whether Neji had somehow sensed how he’d been watching him.

Neji waited a moment, watching him closely, and when Shikamaru didn’t respond, he asked, “Can you try to get back into that state you were in before you started actively thinking again?”

He sounded curious, and Shikamaru had the impression that Neji wanted to know exactly what had just been going on inside him. And yet, he seemed to already know more than Shikamaru was comfortable with. Shikamaru nodded and closed his eyes again—mostly to avoid further questions from Neji.

What the hell was I just thinking?!

Shikamaru tried not to think about it anymore (which was the task, after all) and instead to recall the feeling he’d just had. And he was sure he’d felt it before. When was the last time? What had he been doing? It wasn’t like his thoughts had disappeared earlier—more like they had come from inside, unprovoked. Thoughts he couldn’t consciously control.

It was a bit like watching clouds.

No, it was exactly like that. That comforting feeling that often came on its own.

Watching clouds is the same as watching Neji? What kind of crap is that.

Shikamaru figured it must’ve been the atmosphere in the cabin that had brought him into that state. And in that moment, Neji had simply been part of it—just like the wooden walls or the blanket he was sitting on.

“I don’t know if it makes sense, but I think it was similar to watching clouds.” Shikamaru kept his eyes closed.

When Neji answered, his voice sounded much closer. “Watching clouds? Why do you do that?”

Shikamaru opened his eyes and was a little startled to see Neji had activated his Byakugan and was, once again, seemingly examining him closely.

“Uh, we don’t do that as a team or anything. It’s kind of a hobby of mine.”

Now he was sure he was blushing. It just sounded so boring and uncool.

Watching clouds. Great…

But Neji didn’t seem to find it strange.

“How exactly do you watch clouds? Do you just look up at the sky?”

He deactivated the Byakugan and looked at Shikamaru with curiosity.

Shikamaru shrugged. “It depends,” he replied. “Sometimes I lie on the floor in my room and look out the window. There are a few quieter spots around Konoha that work well too. But I like it best at home, in our forest. There are more than a few good places there. Sometimes Chouji is with me and we just talk about random stuff. But when I’m alone, I think about all kinds of things, and then that feeling just comes on its own sometimes.”

Neji nodded and smiled at him encouragingly. Shikamaru immediately felt a warm sensation spread through his body like water, washing away the last traces of his bad mood.

“Well done. Then you’ve found a way to access yourself that can help you reach that state more easily.”

Somewhat nervously, Shikamaru asked, “Are you going to beat me up again now?”

Neji lowered his gaze and spoke softly. “I’m sorry if I hurt you. We grew up very differently, and it’s hard for me to imagine how you feel or how I can help you best. I’m probably not a very good teacher.”

Shikamaru wanted to say something, but Neji was already continuing.

“But I still think you made real progress just now. Because you realized how to give your brain a break. Maybe it’s best if you just keep meditating for today. We shouldn’t rush the combat training.”

He knelt down and started to climb down.

“You’re not staying?” asked Shikamaru.

Neji stopped and looked at him hesitantly. “I thought you’d relax better if you were alone,” he said apologetically.

Shikamaru didn’t know why, but he felt like Neji’s presence would help him. “I don’t mind if you watch over me a little. You can even use your Byakugan if you want. I don’t know how much use I am, but I think I make more progress with your help. Otherwise you’ll probably find me asleep in here in a few hours.”

Neji looked at him with wide eyes and seemed unsure whether it was a joke. Then he nodded dutifully and replied, “Of course. You’re the mission leader. I’ll stay with you.”

They spent the last few hours on the boat meditating.

Or at least, Shikamaru really tried to. He kept his eyes tightly closed so his thoughts wouldn’t drift in strange directions again. Still, he was keenly aware of Neji’s presence the entire time—eventually he could hear his breathing almost as clearly as his own.

At some point, he even had a feeling he could sense Neji’s chakra, gliding forward like a calm cloud, steady and reassuring.

Oddly enough, perceiving his own chakra was more difficult. It was like Neji somehow threw him off balance.

Still, he didn’t want him to leave, because he was sure that without him, he’d just give up.

After what felt like an eternity, Shikamaru sensed Neji coming out of his trance and then felt him touch his wrist. “Shikamaru! We’ll be there soon. I can already see the island. Let’s pack our things and join the others on deck.”

Shortly afterward, they stood with the others at the railing, watching the island draw closer.

Shikamaru was relieved to see that both Chouji and Ino seemed satisfied with their training day. That would probably save him a lot of complaining tonight.

All in all, he felt like he’d gotten off fairly well despite the sore spots—having Neji as a training partner wasn’t the worst.

Lee, on the other hand, looked like he’d had enough of training with Ino for now. He seemed to have given up trying to convince her to spend every free second doing fitness exercises.

Instead, he stood between Neji and Tenten with his arms around their shoulders, enthusiastically sharing his latest insights from training with Sensei Gai. Tenten shook her head and tried to counter Lee’s flood of words, but Neji didn’t seem to be listening at all.

He stared silently at the island, which was slowly growing larger, with a dark expression on his face.

Completely different again from earlier in the sleeping cabin...

Chapter Text

In the late afternoon, the ship docked at the harbor and the six shinobi said goodbye to the crew. Then they climbed into the horse-drawn carriage that was to take them to the castle of Lord Arisugawa, the client of their mission. His daughter was to be married to a wealthy merchant, and since the union of the two families would completely change the power dynamics on the island, there were also people who opposed the marriage. Shikamaru’s team was to ensure that the celebrations proceeded peacefully and without incident.

When they arrived at the castle — which, to Chōji’s disappointment, looked more like a large administrative building than an actual castle — they were greeted by two attendants, a woman and a man. The woman took Ino and Tenten with her so they could meet the bride, while the four boys followed the man to their sleeping quarters. It was a fairly spacious room with four beds that looked so comfortable that Shikamaru would have liked to cancel dinner altogether. But since they were supposed to meet the lord over dinner, that was, of course, just wishful thinking.

They had about half an hour to drop off their things and freshen up in the small bathroom. Shikamaru tossed his stuff next to one of the beds and sat down on the blanket. The mattress sank in quite a bit, and Shikamaru instantly knew he wanted to spend as much time as possible in this bed. Lee began doing sit-ups as soon as he returned from the bathroom. Neji took a few pieces of clothing from his bag and refolded them, then he, too, went into the bathroom. Chōji was chewing nervously on his lower lip, clearly looking forward to dinner. Soon, there was a knock at the door, and the attendant came to lead them to the dining hall. Ino and Tenten were already waiting by the entrance.

The dining hall was spacious and consisted mainly of a massive, long table with many chairs, a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and a few sideboards and portraits of unknown people on the walls. The attendants showed everyone to their seats, and then the lord’s family entered to welcome them once again. The wedding was to take place in two days, and before that, the lord would briefly update them on the political situation on the island. Ino and Tenten had the task of not letting the bride out of their sight on the day before the wedding, as it was forbidden for her to be in the same room as a man that day. There were a few rules that Shikamaru found strange and impractical, but which they would all have to follow.

Then the food was served. Shikamaru forgot all about his tiredness when he saw the delicious-looking dishes. There were large platters of various vegetables and a big roast pork. And just when everyone was already more than full, dessert arrived: a variety of pastries, creams, and chocolate mousse. Will there even be any food left for the wedding? he wondered, but even Chōji eventually had so much that he couldn’t eat another bite.

After dinner, the lord said: “You must be very tired from your long journey. At the end of the guest wing, you’ll find a large bath with a hot spring that you are welcome to use. If you need anything else, please ring the bell and an attendant will appear immediately. We must ask you to remain within the guest area until sunrise, as everyone is on high alert and we’d like to avoid any misunderstandings. I wish you a good night.”

With that, he stood up and left the dining room with his wife. His daughter followed an attendant, and Ino and Tenten also headed off toward the women’s quarters.

Back in their room, Shikamaru couldn’t decide. Should he just fall into bed right away, or should he wash the salty sea air off first? Since the other three had all decided to visit the hot spring bath, it probably wouldn’t be appropriate for him as mission leader to go to sleep already.

Neji had already left for the big bath, while Lee was still in the room doing push-ups at a breakneck pace. Chōji had his towel in hand and asked, “You coming, Shikamaru?”

Shikamaru lay face-down on the cozy bed and mumbled into the pillow, “If I can somehow manage to drag myself up…”

As expected, Chōji came over to the bed, rolled him onto his back with a firm grip, and held out his hand to pull Shikamaru up. How many times had they done this before? Somehow Shikamaru was glad that Neji hadn’t seen it.

At least, presumably. Who knows what he watches when no one sees he’s activated his Byakugan?

He smirked briefly and then let the thought go. Neji was way too decent to disregard privacy like that. Lazily, he reached for his towel and shuffled out of the room behind Chōji.

Lee called after them, “I’ll be right there! Only about two hundred push-ups left!” Shikamaru closed the door behind them and shook his head. How could someone be so insanely obsessed with exertion?

“Too bad the girls are sleeping somewhere else,” Chōji muttered. Shikamaru wasn’t sure what he was getting at, since they wouldn’t be bathing together anyway.

“I wonder what the lord’s daughter is like? She barely spoke during dinner.”

Neither did you—you were too busy stuffing as much food into your mouth as humanly possible.

“No idea. She seems maybe just a few years older than us. It’s awful, having to marry that young…” Shikamaru replied with a yawn.

Chōji nodded in agreement. “Yeah, she didn’t look very happy when her father talked about the wedding. Hopefully, the guy she’s marrying isn’t a total creep.”

Shikamaru wasn’t really interested in the wedding at all; he just wanted to complete the mission successfully and then have some time to rest.

Just before they opened the door to the bath, Chōji lowered his voice and whispered to Shikamaru, “Thanks for coming with me. I wouldn’t have liked being alone in there with Neji or Lee.”

Shikamaru sighed. That was just like Chōji—he was always afraid someone would make stupid comments about his body.

They stepped in and undressed. Then they entered the large bathing room and rinsed themselves off. Neji was sitting in the water with his back to them, his hair tied up in a loose knot on top of his head. Once they were clean, the two of them got into the bath and sat diagonally across from Neji.

At first, the water was almost too hot, but it quickly became pleasantly warm, and Shikamaru had to remind himself not to close his eyes—if he did, he’d probably fall fast asleep.

Chōji started talking about the delicious dinner, and Shikamaru could tell that Neji’s presence was still making him nervous. He replied with a few “yeahs” and “mmhm”s but wasn’t really in the mood for conversation.

Neji had his eyes closed, and Shikamaru wondered if he was trying to meditate—and if they were disturbing him. A wide white band covered his forehead and the cursed seal beneath it.

Shikamaru’s gaze wandered to the scar just below Neji’s left shoulder. The wound had clearly healed well, but it had left behind an ugly, red, raised mark. The unpleasant feeling of failure began to bubble up in Shikamaru’s stomach again.

“I’ve never had lemon cakes that good,” Neji said suddenly, opening his eyes.

He hadn’t said a single word since the two of them had entered the bath, so it came completely out of the blue. Chōji stared at him wide-eyed, like he couldn’t believe Neji had actually spoken to him.

Shikamaru wondered, once again, if Neji had somehow sensed that he’d been looking at him, but told himself it had to be a coincidence.

“You like sweets?” Chōji asked, surprised but clearly interested.

Neji stared at the ceiling and murmured, “Some of them. But I don’t eat them very often.”

Chōji said excitedly, “I thought those cakes were amazing too! But not as good as the roast—now that was top-tier!”

So contrary to expectations, Neji does like sweets—lemon cake, at least—but he doesn’t indulge very often. Or maybe he’s not allowed to? Who knows what kind of annoying rules the Hyuuga clan has.

A few seconds later, the door swung open and Lee strode in.

“Well, my friends! Two thousand push-ups—done! Though I might’ve lost count, so I threw in another five hundred just in case!”

Shikamaru noticed the scars on Lee’s leg and arm and figured he’d gotten off pretty easy so far. But maybe it was only a matter of time until he got his first serious injury. Then again, he wasn’t nearly as obsessed with combat as Gai-sensei’s students.

Neji had gotten up and was rinsing off again. Lee sat beside him and started talking, but Shikamaru couldn’t make out what he was saying over the noise of the water.

He wondered how Neji had managed to get out of the bath without him noticing.

“I’m heading back,” Neji said, and left the bath.

Shikamaru watched him go. With his hair tied up, his shoulder was exposed—and Shikamaru saw that there was another large scar on his shoulder blade.

So the arrow really had gone straight through him.

He shuddered at the thought that Neji’s life had only just been saved, and once again vowed to be more careful on future missions.

Neji closed the door behind him, and Lee now stood completely naked by the bath, staring suspiciously at Shikamaru.

“What?” Shikamaru asked, slightly annoyed that Lee was standing there in all his glory. “Are you afraid the water’s too hot?”

Chōji giggled. Lee’s eyebrows furrowed even deeper, but he kept staring.

Shikamaru shrugged and closed his eyes.

Finally, Lee got to the point. “Did you just look at my best friend weirdly?”

Shikamaru blinked in confusion. “Excuse me? What are you talking about?”

“You were checking out Neji’s naked body!” Lee accused, still refusing to get into the water.

“Uh, no? That’s your imagination,” Shikamaru said in an exaggeratedly bored tone, closing his eyes again.

What if Neji just heard this?

Lee only grumbled in response.

Chōji mumbled, “Not like there’s that much to see…” and giggled again.

“Neji always looks great. He trains every single day. He definitely has more to show than you do!” Lee huffed, clearly offended, and Chōji stopped giggling.

Shikamaru heard the splash as Lee finally decided to get in and hoped he wouldn’t crowd too close.

Lee had picked up just about every odd habit from his sensei—including absolutely no awareness of personal space.

But to Shikamaru’s relief, he sat diagonally across from them, more or less where Neji had been sitting before—and, finally, went quiet.

What the hell is his problem, accusing me of something like that? We’re all in the same room—it’s normal to let your eyes wander a little. What a pain.

A little while later, Shikamaru and Chōji returned to the bedroom. Neji wasn’t there. Shikamaru felt a flicker of stress—where could he be? They weren’t supposed to leave the guest quarters.

So Neji was probably still in the bathroom and would be back any moment. With a groan, Shikamaru dropped onto the bed and disappeared under the massive, soft duvet. Had he ever slept in a bed this comfortable before? He feared he might never be able to get up again.

Chōji seemed tired too—he was already lying down, staring off into space, lost in thought. A while later, just as Shikamaru was starting to drift off, Lee burst into the room and made a racket trying to put on his pajamas while doing a handstand, which immediately snapped Chōji back to life as he watched in awe and made comments.

Shikamaru blinked and noticed that Neji’s bed was still untouched. Where was he? He seemed to withdraw more often when there were several people in one spot.

A few minutes later, Lee had also disappeared under his huge duvet and was apparently already fast asleep. Shikamaru considered getting up to look for Neji, but laziness won out. Besides, he trusted Neji enough to believe he wouldn’t just ignore their host’s rules and wander off beyond the guest area.

Chapter Text

The next morning, they were jolted awake by a loud gong. Shikamaru struggled to open his sleepy eyes. Lee fell out of bed in shock and hit the floor with a thud. Neji threw off his blanket in a panic and sat up, activating his Byakugan. He relaxed a moment later and said hoarsely, “I think that was just the general wake-up call. Everyone else seems calm.”

Chōji crawled out from under his blanket with a loud yawn. “Probably the breakfast signal!” he said, instantly wide awake. Shikamaru cursed under his breath and forced himself to leave the warmth of the bed. Lee was already halfway into one of the ceremonial robes that the lord had laid out for them in the room.

The clothes were meant to make them stand out, to intimidate the lord’s enemies and show support for the wedding. They were deep purple, the color of the lord’s crest, stitched with elaborate golden trim. Over the robes, they strapped on various pieces of shiny black armor—a breastplate and arm and leg guards that were pretty heavy and, in Shikamaru’s opinion, completely useless. They restricted movement too much to be of any real use. But the lord had insisted. Clearly, the purpose was more symbolic than practical.

“Whoa, we look festive and important!” Lee exclaimed as he checked himself out in the mirror on the bedroom wall. He was right—seeing Lee dressed like that was striking. It was a massive shift from his usual bright green training suit.

“I wonder what the girls are wearing,” Chōji mused aloud.

Shikamaru caught himself staring at Neji, who had just finished getting dressed and stepped out from the corner of the room to inspect his reflection behind Lee.

Whatever they’re wearing, they won’t come close to Neji.

Shikamaru almost said it out loud but managed to hold back. Neji normally looked pale, with his fair skin and the traditional white Hyūga robes he usually wore. But the deep purple somehow made the color in his pale eyes pop. The golden trim and black armor gave him an air of elegance—almost regal. Shikamaru had to force himself to look away and keep getting dressed. That was easier said than done, since he had been struggling with the buckles on his arm guards for several minutes now.

“Here, let me help,” said Neji, suddenly so close to Shikamaru’s right ear that he nearly flinched.

Neji tightened the leather straps for him while Shikamaru just stood there awkwardly. What made things even worse was the way the tips of Neji’s hair brushed against his hand when he bent slightly forward. So Shikamaru quickly shifted the attention to poor Chōji, who was also struggling with the armor. He had been given a larger set, but he still had to squeeze himself into it.

“Thanks, I can handle the rest,” Shikamaru mumbled. “Maybe you could help Chōji…”

Chōji threw him a horrified look and raised his hands defensively. “No, no, I’m good, really—I’ve got it under control.”

But Lee had already leapt to Chōji’s side and was eyeing him critically. “Hmm. From what I can see, you definitely need help. I suggest some running drills—maybe then you’ll fit in better.”

Chōji turned bright red, and Shikamaru could see that he was doing everything he could not to explode. “Did you just call me fat?” he growled, lips pressed tightly together.

Lee, who clearly had no idea that he might have said something offensive, shook his head sincerely. “No, that’s not what I said. I’m just pointing out the obvious—you’d have an easier time fitting into this armor if you did a bit more exercise. A few hundred sit-ups at least, and maybe some—”

He didn’t get to finish, because just then the door burst open and Tenten stormed in. She wore a long dark purple dress with elegant golden designs. Aside from some arm guards, Shikamaru couldn’t see any armor on her. Her hair was done in her usual two buns, but this time they were tied with black-and-gold ribbons.

“Hey! Ever heard of knocking?” Shikamaru snapped, annoyed. “People are changing in here!”

Tenten gave him an apologetic smile, then bounded over to Neji, who was just tying his hair back into a ponytail.

“Neji! I had to ask like a thousand people for permission just to come over here for a minute. They’ve got these ridiculous rules about separating men and women. It’s so annoying!”

Neji merely nodded calmly.

“And what about Ino?” Shikamaru asked.

Tenten let out a long sigh. “Ino had to stay with Ayaka. Apparently, the bride can’t be alone the day before the wedding, and even less than that, she’s not allowed to see a man. I think there are at least ten handmaidens in the room with her right now, and still only one of us was allowed to come over.”

Chōji tried to get Tenten’s attention, still a little red in the face, and asked eagerly, “Ayaka is the prince’s daughter?”

Tenten gave him a quick nod but immediately turned back to Neji, beaming. “Neji, you look so great! I wish they’d given me trousers too—fighting in a long dress sounds really impractical.”

Chōji drew in a breath, probably about to compliment Tenten on how she looked, but Lee beat him to it. He jumped between Tenten and Neji, threw his arms around both of their shoulders, and exclaimed, “We all look amazing! It’s such a shame Sensei Gai isn’t here. We have to take a picture and send it to him! He’ll be so proud of us!”

Neji looked slightly annoyed and slipped out from under Lee’s arm. Lee didn’t notice at all and kept babbling to Tenten about how she’d be able to defeat any enemy even in a ridiculous dress and that she had nothing to worry about.

Shikamaru kept his thoughts to himself—namely, that it was highly unlikely they’d have to fight anyone at all.

Chōji, clearly embarrassed to be stuffing himself into his armor while Tenten was in the room, stood awkwardly fiddling with his sleeve.

“Is there a specific reason you’re here, Tenten?” Shikamaru asked, still sounding a little annoyed.

Tenten shook off Lee’s arm and looked at him hopefully. “I just felt kind of useless over there. All they talk about is clothes and the bride’s makeup and stuff like that. But the second I even say ‘defense,’ they look at me like I spilled something on the damn wedding dress. I thought maybe I could help you guys with something instead.”

Before Shikamaru could say anything, Neji spoke up: “Tenten, it’s your duty to guard the bride. I’m sure you can manage to focus and fulfill your responsibility for a few hours. Or can’t you?”

Tenten stared at him silently, clearly disappointed.

“But if there’s nothing important for her to do there… maybe Tenten could join us on patrol?” Chōji suggested.

Tenten shot him a grateful look, and Chōji quickly stared down at his feet, blushing again.

Shikamaru could understand why she didn’t want to sit around with a bunch of women chatting about boring things—but still, that was her job, and she’d just have to deal with it.

“Sorry, Tenten, but Neji’s right. Lord Asugawa hired us to do a job, and we’re being paid to do it the way he wants. Please go back to Ino and help her keep an eye on the bride. We just need to get through the wedding tomorrow, and two days from now we’ll be on our way home again.”

Tenten and Chōji both looked disappointed.

“Hey, Tenten, I feel bad for you,” Lee said, patting her on the shoulder with a big encouraging smile. “But you’ve got this. I think the bride’s lucky to have you by her side. Ino alone wouldn’t be much help—I can say that with certainty after our training sessions!”

Tenten swallowed hard and nodded. It was obvious she wanted to argue, but she accepted her fate and took a step back. “Well then, have fun on your patrol. I guess I’ll see you at the ceremony tomorrow. If anything comes up, send a message.”

Chōji waved and said, “Say hi to Ino for us—and take care!”

Tenten nodded and reluctantly left the room.

“Poor Tenten,” Chōji mumbled.

Lee immediately squared up in front of him and said—way too loudly, “Don’t worry about her. She’ll be fine. But you really need to hurry up and finish getting dressed. Even Shikamaru is already ready.”

Shikamaru resisted the urge to jab him in the ribs—mostly because it was Lee, and with him, you could never tell whether a harmless comment might suddenly turn into a sparring match.

Instead, he walked over and said, “Hey, what’s that supposed to mean, even Shikamaru? I’ll help you, Chōji. We do need to get moving.”

Neji, who had apparently activated his Byakugan again—possibly just to check something totally unnecessary—warned them quietly, “The servant’s almost here to pick us up.”

He was standing near his bed in the corner, watching as Shikamaru and Lee helped Chōji fasten his breastplate.

3. Neji tends to use his Byakugan for things that really don’t require it. Perhaps, without ever meaning to, he had simply grown accustomed to it.

Just as they managed to finish, there was a knock at the door.

Chōji still grumbled that it was “damn uncomfortable,” but even he looked pretty good—and that was all the lord cared about anyway.

The servant led them outside, where an open carriage was already waiting. Inside sat the lord Arisugawa himself.

As they climbed in and took their seats, he said, “I hope you were able to rest well after your long journey.”

Everyone nodded, with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

Lord Arisugawa smiled smugly. “Excellent. Let me now show you our city. As I mentioned yesterday, it’s the only city on the island, and the main hub for trade is right down by the harbor. As thanks for your support, I want to show you our most beautiful landmarks. The groom is supposed to arrive this evening—he’ll surely want to meet you then.”

The carriage began to move at a leisurely pace toward the harbor.

It was a stunningly beautiful day—sky and sea competing to see which could be bluer—and Shikamaru soon found himself sweating under the heavy fabric and armor. Lee didn’t look much better, and Chōji’s forehead was already shiny with sweat.

Neji, on the other hand, showed no reaction to the heat whatsoever. He looked exactly the same as always.

4. Neji doesn’t sweat easily. Or at all.

“It’s such a shame the girls can’t join the tour. Ino is probably really upset,” Chōji muttered to Shikamaru, while the lord was busy talking to Lee, who couldn’t believe the man had never heard of his teacher’s heroic deeds and was now enthusiastically recounting them in great detail. Neji tried to rein Lee in a little, but Arisugawa didn’t seem bothered by Lee’s overflowing energy.

Shikamaru nodded. “Yeah, Ino’s gonna flip when she finds out what we got to see. Sightseeing is totally her thing.”

Apparently, Arisugawa had only been half-listening to Lee’s stories, because he now turned to Chōji and Shikamaru. “If they’d like, the two ladies are more than welcome to visit some sights the day after tomorrow, before your departure. It’s the least I can do. I wouldn’t want them to return home without seeing the most beautiful corners of our city.”

Chōji gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you. I’m sure they’d really appreciate that.”

Lord Arisugawa smiled smugly again. "Well then, gentlemen, we have arrived at the market square."

The carriage came to a stop, and they all got out. The lord led them past several stalls offering luxurious-looking garments, a wide variety of fruits, and different kinds of fish. Shikamaru noticed how the people stared at them. Many offered them samples, and an elderly woman even gifted each of them a small charm for good luck. They were colorful woven bands with tiny metal animal figures attached. The woman turned the handover into a quiet performance, her gaze locking with each of them as if searching for something only she could see. With Shikamaru and Neji, her eyes lingered, weighing, measuring—almost reluctant to move on—while Lee and Chōji received theirs after a brief, penetrating glance.

At last, her choice was made. She placed each charm with deliberate care, as though sealing some unseen promise, and left them with a deep, almost solemn bow.

Lee received a tiger, Chōji got a bear, Shikamaru an eagle, and Neji a wolf. They thanked her, and the lord explained that all these animals could be found on the island and that the charms were meant to protect them from evil once they left.

They stopped at a small plaza in the center of the market, where a fountain stood. Several tables with benches had been set up around it, and they sat down at one of them. The lord had a variety of food and drinks brought out. Shikamaru didn’t feel very hungry in the heat but helped himself to some juicy fruits that looked a bit like small peaches.

They seemed to draw a lot of attention—the crowd around them kept growing.

Yeah, sure, all of this is just a thank-you for our support… The real thank-you is obviously the payment we receive. What this actually is, is a display of power. The lord wants to show off Konoha’s support to intimidate his enemies. For an island that doesn’t train any shinobi of its own, it probably means a lot to have four of us here all at once. Even if we still don’t exactly look like full-fledged adults. Well—except for Neji, maybe…

As if Neji had read his thoughts, he glanced at him curiously. Like Chōji and Lee, he hadn’t eaten much either.

"What animal did you get?" Neji asked him.

For a moment, Shikamaru didn’t know what he meant, then remembered the charm. "Looks like an eagle," he replied and held it up for Neji to see.

Neji reached out, and Shikamaru handed it to him. He took it in his hand and gently ran his thumb over it, almost affectionately.

"It’s beautiful. Maybe it really will bring you luck." Then he handed it back.

Shikamaru wondered if Neji was actually superstitious. That didn’t fit the image he had of him at all. So he decided to investigate further before adding the thought to the pile of confusing things about Neji.

"You got the wolf?" he asked.

Neji nodded and showed him the charm.

"That suits you," Shikamaru remarked, and Neji shrugged.

"If you say so," he replied and slipped the charm back into his pocket.

Once they had finished eating—some more than others—the lord led them back to the carriage, and the tour continued along the harbor. The breeze was pleasantly cool, and Arisugawa began recounting the history of the city and the island. Shikamaru struggled to stay awake and look interested.

To his surprise, Lee turned out to be far more reliable than expected. He asked a lot of curious questions and held an in-depth conversation with the lord. Even Neji joined in from time to time.

You can tell those two are a year older than us.

Chōji just sat there in awe, listening. Shikamaru had already familiarized himself with the key facts about the island from the documents Tsunade had given him, as mission leader, so the lord’s stories didn’t exactly thrill him. Instead, he wondered if they’d get a chance for a nap later—but he doubted it. The day was probably meticulously scheduled.

Not long after, they stopped at a large temple dedicated to the island’s deity. The wedding would take place there the next day, and several people were already bustling about, hanging flower garlands and arranging the rows of benches for the guests.

Lord Arisugawa said he wasn’t particularly religious, but he still gave them a tour of the temple and pointed out many of its artworks.

"Ino would love this," Chōji whispered.

Shikamaru nodded. Hopefully, she’d have a bit of time tomorrow to look at the paintings.

As he turned around, he saw Neji had lingered farther back, studying a stone statue. It depicted an elderly woman holding a small cage in her left hand, inside which a little bird was perched. Neji stared at the statue with such intensity, it looked like he was trying to see through it. Which, technically, he could’ve done with the Byakugan.

As the others moved farther ahead, Shikamaru called softly, "Hey, we’re falling behind!"

Neji looked over at him briefly and said quietly, "Sorry." He cast the statue one last glance and then caught up with Shikamaru.

"You okay?" Shikamaru asked.

Neji nodded. "Yeah. I just find the idea a bit unsettling that something like a god might actually exist."

Shikamaru laughed quietly. "Better not say that too loudly while we’re still in the temple."

Neji nodded again and apologized once more. He looked at Shikamaru, seemed to consider saying something else, but then lowered his gaze, turned away, and quickened his steps to rejoin the others.

Chōji was waiting up ahead and gave Neji a hesitant smile as he passed—but Neji ignored him completely.

"I don’t get how you can talk to him like it’s nothing, Shikamaru," Chōji said as Shikamaru caught up with him.

Shikamaru scratched his head. "He’s actually alright when it’s just the two of us," he replied, prompting Chōji to shake his head in disbelief.

Lord Arisugawa then showed them where they’d be standing during the ceremony and what to keep an eye on. So far, no hostile forces had made an appearance, and he was quite optimistic that tomorrow would pass without incident.

The rest of the day passed in much the same way. Every now and then they sat in the carriage, listening to the lord’s endless stories—he clearly enjoyed the sound of his own voice. Occasionally they stopped to take in a notable building, like the lighthouse or the island prison. They were led through an orchard where, among many other fruits, the small peach-like ones were grown. Everywhere they went, people were bustling about.

People here really seem to enjoy working, Shikamaru thought and longed once again for the soft bed waiting in their guest room.

They made one last stop at a lookout point high on a hill. From there, the entire town stretched out before them, and beyond it lay the sea. The view was breathtaking, and for a few moments, even Shikamaru forgot how tired he was.

Chapter Text

It was already late in the afternoon by the time they returned to the castle, and the lord apologized for keeping them for so long.

“Please rest for a good hour in the guest quarters,” he said. “I’ll send a servant to fetch you for dinner. That’s when you’ll also meet my daughter’s future husband. You may, of course, remove your armor for the evening.”

Removing the armor took far less time than putting it on. Once freed of it, Shikamaru collapsed onto the bed with a groan. An hour isn’t nearly enough, he thought and nearly drifted off—if Chōji hadn’t suddenly spoken up.

“Shikamaru! Maybe we should pretend the whole tour was super boring when we talk to Ino. What do you think?” Chōji had sat down on the bed beside him.

Shikamaru grunted into his pillow. Wasn’t it obvious? Did he really have to stop dozing for this? “Yeah. Good idea. Let’s do that,” he mumbled.

A second later, he gasped as something heavy crashed onto his back, knocking the air out of his lungs.

“That’s a great idea! Let’s say the lord kept whining the whole time. Tenten hates that kind of thing!”

Apparently, Lee had decided to follow Chōji’s example and take a seat on Shikamaru’s bed—though his version of "sitting down" had a lot more force behind it.

“Get off me!” Shikamaru growled, trying to shake him off.

Lee laughed, rolled off him, and flopped down beside him instead. Shikamaru turned his head and gave him a thoroughly irritated glare.

“What are you doing?” Neji asked as he entered the room from the bath, raising an eyebrow. They probably looked like a group of toddlers roughhousing on the bed.

“Can you remove your teammate from my bed? Then I’ll take care of mine,” Shikamaru said, hoping Neji would realize he was the victim here.

All that did, though, was make Chōji grumble and retreat to his own bed. Neji ignored them and reached for his towel. Before he stepped out the door, he turned back and said, “I’m going to the onsen. I assume you don’t need my help to rest before dinner.”

Lee snickered and dropped back onto the bed—this time next to Shikamaru, not on top of him. “I’m perfectly relaxed like this. I don’t know what your problem is.”

Shikamaru groaned and rolled onto his stomach. He didn’t have the energy to argue with Lee anymore.

“Actually, taking a bath before dinner sounds like a great idea. I’ve been sweating all day,” Chōji muttered. His tone made it clear he was still a little hurt that Shikamaru hadn’t wanted him on the bed.

“We’ll have more time for a bath after dinner,” Shikamaru said. “No point in rushing now.”

Chōji stood up. “Then I’ll at least shower quickly. Anyone need to use the bathroom?”

Shikamaru shook his head, but Lee chimed in, “I went right after we got back. But if I have to go again, I’ll just walk in.”

Chōji made a horrified face. “No, please wait. I won’t be long.”

Lee laughed. “Kidding! I don’t have to go.” Chōji locked the door anyway.

Shikamaru was starting to lose patience. He turned to Lee. “Would you please occupy your own bed? I can’t relax with someone breathing down my neck.”

Lee immediately sat up, sprang to his feet, and saluted. “Of course, Mission Leader Nara! I’ve had plenty of rest anyway. Some light training is in order!”

In a flash, he dropped to the floor and began doing sit-ups.

“Fine. But count quietly,” Shikamaru muttered in exasperation.

They were supposed to be resting. Why did that lunatic have to train now? But it only confirmed what he already believed—Gai and his students were all completely insane.

Hopefully, Tenten and Ino were behaving themselves.

He wasn’t worried about Ino. She could be remarkably mature and responsible when necessary. But he didn’t know Tenten well enough to judge her. Then again, he’d never heard anything bad about Team Gai’s mission record. As far as he knew, none of their clients had ever filed a complaint.

Why hadn’t Neji been in the room last night?

In the guest area, there was only the large bath with the hot spring, our room with a small bathroom, and a tiny lounge at the end of the hall with two armchairs and a small table. Maybe he’d just wanted some peace and quiet?

Shikamaru had been so looking forward to this bed. He should’ve been savoring every second of it—but now, restlessness crept over him. Maybe it was the sound of Lee’s breathing as he worked out, or the running water in the adjacent shower.

Whatever the reason, an odd feeling took hold of him. A strong urge to go after Neji. To check on him. Make sure he was okay. Maybe it was something in Neji’s expression.

He sat up slowly. “I’ll be right back.”

Lee didn’t pause his sit-ups. “Understood, Team Leader Nara! I’ll hold the line!”

“You don’t need to shout. I’m standing right here. And stop calling me that.”

“Got it!”

When Shikamaru stepped out into the hallway, he wondered what had gotten into him. But now that he had already left the room, it would have felt strange to simply turn back and lie down again. So he made his way to the bath and entered the changing area. Neji must have already been inside, since his clothes were neatly folded and placed in one of the baskets on the shelf.

Shikamaru, who hadn’t brought a towel and hadn’t actually planned on bathing at all, stood somewhat aimlessly in the middle of the room. It felt like far too much hassle now—undressing, rinsing off, sitting in the hot water for just a short while, only to rinse off again and get dressed.

So instead, he glanced at himself in the mirror and washed his face at the single basin. His skin looked quite flushed. Hopefully it wasn’t a sunburn. Eventually, he decided to wait for Neji in the small seating area nearby. He sank into one of the armchairs and wondered how long this evening was going to drag on.

A short while later, Neji emerged from the bath. He was already dressed in the formal garments they’d been given by Arisugawa—still elegant, even without the armor. His hair was tied up. He gave a small nod. “Shikamaru.”

To Shikamaru’s surprise, Neji didn’t just pass by on his way back to the room. Instead, he sat down in the second armchair beside him. He closed his eyes briefly, seeming to relax for a few quiet seconds. Then he looked at Shikamaru again, his gaze steady and clear.

“I thought I’d find you asleep when I returned.”

Shikamaru gave a dry laugh. “I wish. But I guess we’re not exactly working with an abundance of time.”

He found that he couldn’t quite meet Neji’s eyes and leaned back into his seat, closing his own. When Neji didn’t say anything further, Shikamaru opened his eyes again—only to find Neji had indeed shut his own eyes and now breathed in a calm, even rhythm.

Shikamaru could imagine exactly how he must feel in this moment: the fatigue of the day melting away under the warmth of the water. If their roles were reversed, he would have probably fallen asleep right then and there.

And then—suddenly—he didn’t just imagine it. He could feel it.

He could sense Neji’s chakra flow—gentle, steady, peaceful. Warm and grounding. He had sensed something similar back on the ship—during meditation, and later even during active training, when he had suddenly become aware of Neji’s chakra. He had never experienced anything like that before. He wasn’t a sensory-type ninja and shouldn’t be able to feel anyone’s chakra except maybe his own. So why was Neji’s the only one he could sense so clearly? It was as if his own chakra responded to it, adjusting, resonating in harmony. The sensation was so unexpectedly comforting that he let himself sink into it, unaware of the way his eyes had settled on Neji’s face.

He felt an almost irresistible urge to reach out and touch him. To brush his fingers against Neji’s cheek, still slightly flushed from the heat—or was it from today‘s sun?

In his mind, he could feel the smooth fall of Neji’s long, dark hair. He noticed the subtle curve of his lips, the faintest hint of a smile, so much like the one he’d worn while meditating on the ship.

Even with his eyes closed, Neji was beautiful.

Shikamaru flinched inwardly. What the hell was he thinking—again?

The moment broke. The strange connection vanished. But the warmth lingered, like a fading echo in his body. Shikamaru cleared his throat, hoping to brush the atmosphere aside.

“We should probably head back. Make sure the others are ready when they come to fetch us for dinner.”

Neji gave a slight nod and followed him back to the room.

Later, they sat down for dinner, which was every bit as extravagant as the one from the night before. Tenten, Ino, and Ayaka were absent—they’d been asked to eat in their quarters.

Instead, the boys were introduced to the bride’s future husband: a wealthy merchant who spent most of the evening talking about his many business achievements.

Kanemoto wasn’t necessarily unpleasant, but he was clearly twice the bride’s age and didn’t seem particularly interested in much beyond commerce. He was the son of an old teacher of lord Arisugawa, and the two seemed to get along splendidly.

As for the Konoha shinobi, the merchant treated them with polite distance. It became clear rather quickly that he didn’t take them seriously—too young, too inexperienced.

He appeared most intrigued by Shikamaru, likely due to the famed medicinal herbs and remedies said to come from the Nara Forest. He asked him several questions, hinting at a possible business relationship with his clan.

But once it became clear that Shikamaru held no authority in such matters, his interest cooled. He simply said he’d send a letter along for Shikamaru’s father and asked no further questions. Shikamaru was relieved.

All in all, the meal passed without incident. Chouji managed to restrain himself somewhat, eating more moderately than usual. Lee, on the other hand, seemed to take an instant dislike to the merchant—especially after the man remarked that most fighting techniques were a waste of time and that money was better spent on quality weapons.

From that moment on, Lee sat in silence, occasionally casting him sharp looks.

But what stood out most to Shikamaru—especially toward the end of the meal, when dessert was served—was the way the merchant kept glancing at Neji. Not constantly, but enough for Shikamaru to notice.

It wasn’t that he said anything to him. In fact, Neji was the only one he didn’t address directly the entire evening. Was it because he was from the Hyuuga clan? Because of his unusual eyes?

The merchant carried himself with a friendly air overall, but there was something in that glance—something that made Shikamaru feel deeply uneasy.

When they were all full, the lord bid them goodnight—he wanted to spend the evening before the big wedding in the company of his old friend. Shikamaru and the others followed the servant back to the guest quarters. Lee immediately resumed training, while Neji sat down in the hallway to meditate. Chouji convinced Shikamaru to join him in the large bath again, and Shikamaru nearly fell asleep in the hot water.

That was promptly prevented by Lee, who burst in with great fanfare and tried to get Chouji to train with him for a bit, “so you’ll actually fit into the armor tomorrow.” Chōji briefly lost his temper and almost attacked Lee with his jutsu—if Shikamaru hadn’t intervened just in time, using his shadows to restrain them both with a bit of luck. The steam in the room made it hard to see, so he mostly sensed where they were rather than saw them clearly.

Lee then apologized—rather awkwardly, since saying, “I really didn’t mean anything bad by it, I just think it’d be a shame if you’re the only one tomorrow who looks like a stuffed sausage,” only made Chōji angrier instead of calming him down.

After that, Lee joined them in the water, which prompted Chōji to leave the bath in a foul mood. Lee’s face fell, and he kept insisting he didn’t understand why Chōji was mad, because he really hadn’t meant it in a bad way. Shikamaru sighed, tried for a moment longer to relax, but then decided he’d soaked long enough. After drying off and dressing, he stepped out into the hallway and found Neji still seated in one of the lounge chairs, meditating.

Shikamaru hesitated, considering whether to sit with him for a while—but then moved past him. He didn’t want to disturb him. Besides, the coziest bed imaginable was waiting for him.

Chapter Text

The next morning didn’t allow for much time. A gong drove them out of bed; they barely had time to wash up and get dressed before a servant arrived to collect them. He led them to a waiting area and handed each of them a pouch containing some bread and cheese, a few fruits, and a bottle of water. They ate quickly and didn’t talk much while doing so. Shikamaru felt tired and slightly irritable, silently hoping the day wouldn’t bring any unpleasant surprises.

Not long after, the servant returned and informed them that it was time to head to the temple. The four boys did their best to appear confident and composed—after all, it was important that the crowd saw them as serious protectors. At the carriage, they met up with Tenten and Ino, who stood alongside lord Asugawa, his wife, and the bride. The girls gave them cheerful nods. They were allowed to ride in the carriage, while the boys had to jog beside it, along with about a dozen servants. Shikamaru shook his head. The way this island insisted on keeping men and women apart struck him as completely archaic.

People lined the streets, cheering and tossing flower petals. Shikamaru remained alert, keeping a close eye on the surroundings in case anyone acted suspiciously. Neji, who was walking ahead of him, would activate his Byakugan from time to time to scan beyond the main road for any signs of an ambush. But they reached the temple without incident.

Shikamaru and Neji entered with the rest of the servants, while Chōji and Lee—assigned with the role of personal guards to lord Asugawa—stayed outside with him. Inside, Shikamaru and Neji took their positions at the base of the stairs leading up to the altar and watched the crowd pour in. Everyone wore plain yellow robes, which was apparently tradition for weddings here. The only ones who stood out were the shinobi from Konohagakure (since they weren’t locals), the bride in her white gown, and the groom, who wore a dark blue yukata.

Shikamaru wondered how long they’d have to stand around today and glanced sideways at Neji, who was watching the crowd with a stern expression. He noticed the prominent veins near Neji’s eyes and tried to imagine what he might be seeing with the Byakugan. He knew it allowed Neji to see through objects and observe faraway things in precise detail. But wasn’t it exhausting to learn how to focus on something specific? Or to adjust your vision when obstacles were in the way? He wondered if he could ask Neji about it later—or whether that was already too forward. The Hyuuga were notoriously secretive when it came to their techniques.

Without warning, Neji suddenly stood right in front of him, looking tense.
“Shikamaru, hold the line here for a moment. I spotted a group outside with smoke bombs. I should probably tell the others.”

Shikamaru nodded, slightly confused, as Neji disappeared. Aren’t I the team leader? he thought, but quickly realized that someone had to keep an eye on the crowd inside. He strained to hear whether something was happening outside, but the excited chatter of the guests was too loud—he couldn’t make out anything at all.

It felt like forever. Shikamaru was just about to consider going out to check when Neji appeared again at the temple entrance and made his way back to him.

Before stepping over to the opposite side of the stairs, he whispered, “All clear. We took care of it. They didn‘t carry any weapons. Hopefully no more issues.”

Shikamaru would’ve liked to hear the full story, but at that moment, a loud gong rang out and the crowd fell instantly silent. Those still standing in the aisles hurried to take their seats. Flute music began to play. The ceremony was starting.

A priest gave a brief speech, and then—one after another—the groom and the bride entered, accompanied by her father and the remaining four ninjas, who followed behind them. Ino and Tenten stood at the back of the altar platform while Lee and Chōji returned to the entrance to resume their guard positions.

The ceremony consisted of a lot of talking, a lot of singing, and then even more talking. Shikamaru’s feet began to ache. He had to resist the temptation to sit down on the steps right behind him, which were starting to look very inviting. At the end of the ceremony, music played once more and the newlyweds walked down the aisle, showered with petals and confetti.

Somehow, Shikamaru had made it through. But then he remembered with dread that they still had to walk all the way to the harbor.

As they stood beside the carriage, waiting for the procession to begin, Ino tapped him on the shoulder and muttered, “Pull yourself together, will you? You look like you’re about to fall asleep standing up.”

Shikamaru rolled his eyes but straightened up.

Their departure was delayed—many people came by to offer their congratulations to the newlywed couple. Neji monitored everything around them with the Byakugan, which helped Shikamaru feel somewhat at ease. Still, he kept an eye on the crowd too, just in case. Lee, taking his assignment as seriously as ever, stared down each well-wisher so intensely that a few opted to skip the personal greeting and simply wave from a safe distance.

Next to him, Shikamaru could hear Chōji’s stomach beginning to grumble.

When things finally got underway, Shikamaru couldn’t suppress a sigh of relief. He just wanted to get the whole thing over with as quickly as possible. The procession led through the lower part of the city and down to the harbor, where they came to a halt in the main marketplace. The entire square had been decorated for the wedding celebration — long tables and benches lined the sides, and the space around the central fountain had been cleared for dancing. The festivities were set to last from midday until dusk, after which the newlyweds would board the ceremonial wedding ship where they were to spend their wedding night, according to an old island tradition.

Shikamaru strongly suspected that the celebration wouldn’t actually end there, and he braced himself for a very long day.

The guests took their seats, and lunch was served. Chōji’s eyes nearly popped out of his head at the sight of all the food. Fortunately, the ninja were now also allowed to sit down and eat, with Lee and Neji volunteering to stay on guard for the time being. The others were scattered across various tables, arranged in such a way that they could quickly notice if anything suspicious occurred.

Shikamaru had taken a seat at the end of one of the tables, which gave him a clear view of the lord and the bride and groom seated nearby. In the unlikely event that someone managed to slip past Neji’s Byakugan, Shikamaru could probably catch them in time with his shadow technique.

Unfortunately, his focus was being tested by the woman sitting next to him, who kept bombarding him with questions. He tried to deflect her politely, but she didn’t seem to notice that she was bothering him. Not even when the man beside her — presumably her husband — bluntly told her not to distract the ninja from his duties, did she stop chatting.

So Shikamaru started asking her a few questions of his own and pretended to listen with interest while mentally checking in on the others.

He ate quickly and then relieved Neji of his post. He was glad to escape the chatty woman, though now he was back to standing again.

He watched the cheerful crowd and wondered how people could talk and eat so much. He couldn’t see Chōji from where he was standing, but he imagined his friend was still enjoying the delicious food. Tenten, seated a few tables over, was engaged in conversation with an elderly couple, but Shikamaru could tell that her eyes never strayed far from the wedding table. Ino sat farther back, and from time to time, her voice rose above the others — laughing or exclaiming excitedly.

Only Neji didn’t seem to be interacting with anyone around him. He sat quietly at the edge of the table, activating his Byakugan every so often. Shikamaru had no idea how he managed to be left alone like that, but maybe it was just something in his presence. Maybe it was something else. This island really did have strange rules. He’d have to ask him later if he had some kind of trick.

As lunch drew to a close, Lord Arisugawa stood up and gave a long speech — during which Shikamaru nearly fell asleep. The midday heat wasn’t helping, and he had to make a conscious effort to stay alert.

Then came a speech from the groom, followed by several important figures from the city who stood to offer their congratulations.

Shikamaru had just begun to fear it would never end when the lord finally said, “Well, I think we’ve talked enough — now it’s time to celebrate!”

The crowd erupted in cheers, and the musicians struck up a tune. Instantly, the area around the fountain transformed into a whirl of spinning dancers. Shikamaru couldn’t fathom why anyone would voluntarily move so much in this heat.

“Ugh, I’m stuffed…” Chōji groaned, pushing through the crowd to join him.

“I can imagine,” Shikamaru replied dryly.

Suddenly, Lord Arisugawa appeared in front of them.

“Thank you for your service. I think you can start enjoying yourselves now as well. If the cowards were going to try something, they would’ve done it before the ceremony. Perhaps you can take turns so that at least two of you are keeping watch at all times. My servants and the groom’s bodyguards have also been instructed to make sure no unauthorized guests enter the festivities, so nothing should happen.”

He gave them a generous smile and disappeared back into the crowd.

Chōji looked at Shikamaru questioningly.

“I think that was permission to go dance,” Shikamaru guessed aloud.

Chōji’s eyes widened slightly. “Oh wow — that’s not exactly what I would’ve thought he meant by ‘enjoy ourselves.’”

Shikamaru agreed. But at least it seemed like they were allowed to rest a little. The two of them sat down at one of the now nearly empty tables with large glasses of water and watched the people celebrate.

“What was that earlier about those people Neji spotted with the Byakugan?” Shikamaru asked.

Chōji explained that he hadn’t seen everything clearly, but apparently a small group of men had tried to sneak into the temple using smoke bombs hidden under their robes.

“They claimed they just wanted to stir up a bit of chaos, nothing truly dangerous. They gave fake names to get in. There was already some confusion before Neji stepped outside. But then Lord Arisugawa was apparently really grateful that Neji spotted the smoke bombs — it gave them a solid reason to deny the men entry.”

Shikamaru nodded, relieved that the men hadn’t carried real weapons. It now seemed pretty unlikely they had intended to do anything serious — and certainly not now, after the ceremony had already taken place.

"Look, Ino's got an admirer!" Chōji pointed toward the crowd of dancing people.

It took Shikamaru a few seconds to spot her among them all. Sure enough, Ino was dancing with a young man and looked genuinely happy.

"Not just one, from the looks of it." Shikamaru nodded toward a few guys who were watching Ino closely, clearly waiting for their turn to dance with her.

Chōji whistled. "Well, she is really pretty, and that blonde hair of hers probably stands out a lot around here. Do you think we should go over and keep an eye on her?"

Shikamaru grunted. "Nah. If something’s off, Ino can take care of herself. She seems to be enjoying herself. If we show up now, she’ll probably just get annoyed."

Chōji hesitated, not fully convinced, but eventually nodded.

A few minutes later, Team Gai joined them.

"What a celebration, huh?" Lee called out loudly as he and the others sat down across from Shikamaru.

"The food was amazing!" Tenten added.

Chōji agreed with enthusiasm.

"What’s Ino doing over there?" Neji asked, sounding a little concerned.

Shikamaru answered, since Chōji didn’t react. "She’s dancing. Lord Arisugawa told us we could enjoy ourselves—as long as we rotate so that at least two of us are always keeping an eye on things."

Neji nodded and closed his eyes briefly. Had the frequent use of the Byakugan strained them?

Just then, Tenten tugged on his arm. "Neji, let’s dance!"

Neji looked at her, startled. "Dance?" he echoed, sounding a bit overwhelmed.

"Yeah, yeah! We’ve earned it!" She jumped to her feet and pulled him up with her. Neji flushed slightly and started to stammer.

"But—shouldn’t we keep watching? What if—"

"This is a wedding, Neji, and the music is great. It’s tradition to dance at weddings. Come on, I promise you’ll have fun!"

She dragged him off toward the dance floor. The three boys stared after them, mouths slightly open.

Note: Who would’ve thought—Neji Hyuuga can’t dance.

Shikamaru had never seen Neji look so helpless. Tenten had completely caught him off guard.

He hoped they’d stay near the edge of the dance floor so they could still keep an eye on them.

"But Neji didn’t even want to dance. Why didn’t she ask one of us instead?" Chōji asked, Lee turned toward him, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Can you even dance, Chōji?" he added, almost accusingly.

Chōji looked downcast and shook his head. "Not really. Especially not in this armor."

"And you?" he asked Lee.

Lee laughed and nodded with confidence. "Of course I can. It’s not all that different from Taijutsu, really—you just try not to injure your partner. The music’s usually too slow, though, so it’s not nearly as fun. Gai-sensei used to teach us dance steps and made us incorporate them into our training."

Had Team Gai ever not included something in their training?

Shikamaru and Chōji groaned in unison.

Then Shikamaru noticed how Tenten and Neji were now turning in a slow, graceful circle to the rhythm of the music.

Okay, scratch that. Neji Hyuuga can dance—like, really well.

Shikamaru stared at the pair, wondering if they had done this before. It looked so natural, so effortless.

A moment later, Lee suddenly sprang to his feet and dashed toward a girl standing at the edge of the dance floor. She looked about their age, had her black hair braided into two long pigtails, and was tapping her foot along to the music. When Lee appeared in front of her, she was clearly a bit taken aback by his enthusiasm. But he beamed so sincerely that she couldn't help but laugh and actually let him lead her onto the dance floor.

"Should we step in?" Chōji asked, sounding slightly worried.

Shikamaru shook his head. "I think Lee can restrain himself when dancing with a girl."

Chōji didn’t look convinced. "Maybe you’re right. Otherwise, Neji and Tenten would’ve probably stopped him already."

Shikamaru grunted.

If they’ve even noticed what’s going on around them. They look really caught up in their dance…

A strange feeling started to spread in Shikamaru’s stomach, and he wondered if he’d eaten something that didn’t agree with him.

"Do you think Tenten might be in love with him?"

Shikamaru blinked at Chōji. "What?" he asked—more sharply than he meant to.

Chōji didn’t take his eyes off the dancing pair. "She once said she thinks he’s good-looking. And they’ve known each other forever. I mean, they’re not exactly dancing like just friends."

The unpleasant feeling in Shikamaru’s gut grew stronger. He frowned and looked at his best friend.

"I think it looks like a normal dance. It’s not like they’re pressed up against each other or anything. And Neji didn’t look all that thrilled to be dragged into it. You’re not into her, are you, Chouji?"

Chōji swallowed and started wiping a lone juice stain off the table with a napkin. "So you don’t think she’s into him like that?"

Shikamaru shrugged.

What do I know about how girls feel, anyway?

She looked really happy, laughing as she spun around with Neji.

Neji, on the other hand, showed barely any emotion.

Could there be something going on between them that no one else knew about? Technically, sure.

But… it didn’t really fit with Neji. Did it?

Shikamaru suddenly stood up. "I’m gonna get another drink. You want anything?"

Chōji shook his head. "Nah, I don’t wanna keep running to the bathroom. When do we finally get to take off this armor? It’s completely useless anyway…"

After refilling his glass, Shikamaru decided to walk around for a bit. He watched the people still sitting at the tables, chatting and laughing. Some kids were running around the benches playing tag or hide-and-seek, others danced alone or in pairs to the music, farther away from the main dance floor.

Shikamaru wished for nothing more than to get this whole celebration over with and fall into that ridiculously cozy bed.

Chōji hadn’t answered his question, but he didn’t really need to. His reaction had said enough. Then again, Chōji had always fallen in love unusually fast. Even when they were kids, he was constantly crushing on some girl—most of the time without ever having talked to her.

So why did this time bother him so much? Was it because they were older now, and the idea of having a girlfriend was slowly becoming more realistic?

Shikamaru couldn’t imagine what it would be like if Chōji had a girlfriend. He probably wouldn’t have time for him anymore.

On the other hand, he also couldn’t imagine Tenten being interested in Chōji like that. She always seemed like she only had training on her mind—just like her two teammates. But now, out of nowhere, she’d gotten Neji to dance with her.

Shikamaru swore under his breath as he tripped over a child who had suddenly darted into his legs. Half of his untouched juice splashed onto the floor and over his hand. He set the glass down on the nearest table and looked around for a napkin to dry himself off.

Suddenly, Neji was standing right in front of him, holding out a cloth.

“Here, Shikamaru.”

Surprised, Shikamaru took it and only realized as he was already wiping his hand dry that it wasn’t a napkin—it was a small piece of fabric, clearly Neji’s own handkerchief.

“Sorry, I got it dirty,” he muttered awkwardly, looking down at the cloth.

Neji gave a small shake of his head and took it back.

“It’s fine. That’s what it’s for.”

Then, with a faint smirk:

“Were you planning on spilling the rest of your drink too, or might I have a sip?”

Shikamaru silently handed him the glass and looked over toward the dance floor in confusion. Tenten and Ino were dancing in a big circle with the other women, while the men clapped along from the outside. Shikamaru could see Lee bouncing back and forth excitedly, clearly struggling to hold himself back.

“I’m surprised he’s not already doing a solo in the center,” he muttered.

Neji chuckled quietly.

“He loves dancing at these kinds of events. Once, we were on a mission where the villagers threw a little festival to thank us. I think that’s when he discovered his passion for it.”

Shikamaru glanced at Neji from the side. “And you?” he asked.

Neji leaned back slightly and looked up at the sky. “It’s fine, I guess. To me it just feels like a sequence of training steps—just with music. But I could do without it, too.”

Shikamaru nodded, instantly feeling a little better.

As he sat there next to Neji, watching the people around them, the strange feeling in his stomach began to settle.

Every time he thought Neji was somehow miles ahead of him—more grown-up, living in a completely different world—he’d soon find something that reminded him how alike they actually were.

Just sitting next to him in silence filled him with a strange kind of ease. Like, suddenly, everything became less complicated.

“I don’t get how you can dance in this heat. Aren’t you boiling in that outfit?” he asked, after Neji had once again scanned the surroundings with his Byakugan.

Neji hesitated before answering, and didn’t look at him. “It’s hot, yes—but it doesn’t bother me that much.”

He looked at Shikamaru with an almost bashful little smile. Shikamaru paused for a moment—Neji didn’t smile often, and definitely not like that! Instinctively, Shikamaru returned his gaze and suddenly felt incredibly nervous. He had to break eye contact as a strange tingling spread through his body, making him feel like he was about to lose control over himself.

“I should probably check on Chōji,” he said abruptly. “Otherwise he’ll wonder where I went.” He stood up.

“You two are really good friends,” Neji said.

He said it like he was confirming something someone had once told him.

Shikamaru hesitated, unsure whether he should respond.

“You want to come with me?” he asked—because suddenly, he didn’t want to leave Neji sitting there alone.

Neji looked almost surprised by the question, and seemed to think about it for a moment.

Neji always takes his time before answering, Shikamaru thought. Almost like every word had to be carefully weighed first.

Then Neji stood up and silently followed Shikamaru.

They reached Chōji just as Ino and Tenten arrived as well. The two girls had flushed faces and were carrying an entire jug of water, which, as Shikamaru guessed, they’d likely finish off in no time.

“What was that girl’s deal?” Ino was asking Chōji as Shikamaru and Neji sat down with them.

“Uh… she asked if I wanted to dance,” Chōji stammered, clearly bracing himself for a lecture from Ino.

“Why didn’t you accept the invitation?!” Ino cried, scandalized. Chōji shrank in on himself.

“I don’t know… I didn’t want to embarrass her. I can’t dance at all. I would've just ended up stepping on her feet, probably. And it’s way too hot. I think she only asked me out of politeness anyway.”

Ino was thoroughly outraged.

“Who cares why she asked? If you keep passing up chances like that, you’ll never become a real man. And what do you think—how hot do you think I am right now? You think that stopped me from having a little fun? Honestly, you live just to eat, don’t you?”

Chōji stared at his knees and said nothing.

Meanwhile, Tenten turned to Neji.

“Neji, can you check if my hair still looks okay? That last dance was a little intense…”

She turned around and let him inspect her hair. Sure enough, the knot on the left side had come slightly undone.

Neji glanced at it and said, “It’s fine.”

Tenten turned to him with a skeptical look.

“No, Ino said I should fix my hair. I bet it looks weird.”

Neji frowned.

“The left knot might be a bit looser than the right.”

Tenten looked at him expectantly.

“I’d like to look presentable—it’s part of our mission too, after all. Can you help me?”

Shikamaru clearly saw Neji bite his lower lip for a brief moment. Then he said:

“Please ask Ino. She’s probably better at this than I am.”

Tenten looked at him with brief disappointment, as though she'd been sure Neji would help her. Then she turned toward Ino—sparing poor Chōji from further scolding.

Shikamaru kept watching Neji, who looked rather uncomfortable about having turned Tenten down.

He had seen with his own eyes how easily Neji could do his own hair perfectly—and his was much longer than Tenten’s.

So why hadn’t he helped her?
And why was Shikamaru… kind of glad about it?

“Where’s Lee, anyway?” Shikamaru asked, not wanting to neglect his duties as mission leader and wondering whether Lee should really be left unsupervised for that long.

Neji activated his Byakugan for a brief moment to search for him.

“He’s farther back on the dance floor. From the looks of it, he’ll be dancing for quite a while. Should I go get him?”

Shikamaru shook his head.

“Leave him be. As far as I’m concerned, he can dance all night. I’m planning on keeping watch until the end anyway.”

Ino gave him a suspicious look.

“It really wouldn’t kill you to loosen up a little. Move around. I’m sure there are a few girls here who’d love to dance with you, but if you keep looking like you’re bored out of your mind, none of them will dare to ask.”

Shikamaru grumbled irritably.

“Good.”

That made Neji let out a quiet laugh.

Ino shot Shikamaru a sharp look and sighed in frustration.

Chapter Text

A few more hours passed as Shikamaru and the others walked around, kept an eye on things, or chatted with the locals. The music was interrupted at one point for a small play reenacting a legend from the island’s early days. Shikamaru noticed that all the animals shown in the play were the same as those depicted in the good luck charms they’d been given—but he couldn’t get himself to appreciate the wooden acting of the performers.
After that, a magician appeared with a few monkeys, performing magic tricks, and then the dancing resumed.

As the sun slowly began to set, the bride and groom were escorted to the harbor by everyone—young and old alike—toward the ship waiting for them. A small fireworks display sent them off as the vessel pulled away from the pier.

Then the Lord Arisugawa gave a brief speech, ending with the encouragement to celebrate until dawn. The crowd cheered and made their way back to the marketplace.

Only Neji remained standing at the pier, staring after the ship. Shikamaru saw Tenten glance back at him and hesitate—but then Ino called her, and she rejoined the others.

Shikamaru couldn’t see Neji’s face, but he looked incredibly lonely, standing there by the sea as the sky above him darkened. Still, he didn’t go back to Neji—he wouldn’t have known what to say to him anyway and he didn’t want to leave Chōji behind again.

They returned to the tables and finally had dinner. Most people had already eaten earlier, but they had agreed to wait until the ship departed. Besides, apart from Chōji, no one was really hungry anymore—they’d all eaten plenty already.

Shikamaru was relieved to see that Ino and Tenten seemed to be getting along again. Maybe dancing together had brought them a bit closer. Even when Lee joined the conversation, Ino responded as if they’d been friends for years.

In contrast, she seemed to be holding a grudge against him and Chōji—she didn’t include them in the conversation at all and acted as if they weren’t even there.

Chōji looked a bit downcast, probably because he was worried about what Tenten thought of him… and maybe also because of the whole Tenten and Neji thing.

When Neji still hadn’t come back, even after they had finished eating, Shikamaru got up under the pretext of clearing away some dirty dishes. Chōji thanked him and rubbed his stomach. Shikamaru brought the dishes over to the washing tent and then headed back toward the pier. And sure enough, Neji was still standing there exactly as they had left him. Just as Shikamaru was about to quietly call out to him, Neji turned to face him.

“I wasn’t hungry. I just needed a short break from all the noise over there.”

Shikamaru stepped up beside him and looked down into the dark water, where the moon was now reflected. “It really is kind of nice to get away from all the commotion for a bit.”

He hesitated, and a long pause followed, with neither of them speaking as they both stared out at the sea.

Eventually, Shikamaru forced himself to ask. “Are you okay?”

Neji didn’t respond at first and kept his gaze fixed on the smooth surface of the water. “Everything’s fine. I just don’t particularly enjoy things like this. Big celebrations with so many people. It reminds me of something from my childhood I’d rather forget.”

His voice wavered a little, and he shivered slightly, as if he were cold. Shikamaru had to resist the sudden urge to put his arm around him. Neji looked so vulnerable and at the same time so reserved, like no one had ever truly been there to listen to him.

When Neji didn’t continue, Shikamaru said: “I don’t particularly like this kind of thing either. I don’t get why everything always has to be so over-the-top. We’ve all eaten ourselves sick, and there’s still way too much food left. Are they just going to throw it all out? The adults drink so much they probably won’t even remember the party tomorrow. And the bride didn’t seem all that thrilled to be marrying that merchant. But everyone’s pretending like it’s the happiest day of her life. Tomorrow it’ll be a massive effort to clear away all the tables and benches and decorations and trash, and no one will have slept enough. And most of the people here don’t even really know each other. The whole thing’s just… exhausting.”

Now Neji finally turned his gaze away from the water and looked at Shikamaru. “You’re right,” he said, nodding. “It really is a bit exhausting.”

Then he looked up at the moon, and Shikamaru had the impression that his pale eyes were starting to shimmer in the moonlight. He tried to look away—but couldn’t. He felt like he had never seen anything so beautiful.

He nearly flinched in surprise when Neji suddenly turned his head and looked him straight in the eyes. “We should probably go back to the others. I’m looking forward to training with you again on the way home.”

He paused briefly and then added, “Shikamaru.”

Then he gave him a small smile and turned his back on the sea. Together, they made their way back to the celebration and rejoined the others.

Shikamaru spent most of the rest of the evening just sitting around. The girls disappeared back onto the dance floor, and at some point Lee returned to get something to drink, only to vanish again right after. A little later, Lord Arisugawa came over to express his thanks. He had thoughtfully arranged for a carriage to stand by, ready to take them back to the castle whenever they wished. He himself would stay until dawn.

Since the girls absolutely wanted to keep dancing, Shikamaru reluctantly decided they would stay a little longer. Ino would make his life hell if he cut the party short just because he wanted to go to sleep.

A few times, local girls came over to Neji and Shikamaru, asking if they’d like to dance, but they politely declined, using the excuse that they needed to keep watch. About another hour passed this way, until Ino, Tenten, and Lee returned for a short break and something to drink. Ino complained that her feet were killing her.

Just as Shikamaru was about to suggest calling it a night, the young man Ino had danced with earlier in the day showed up. Shyly, he asked if she’d like another dance. Instantly, Ino—apparently having forgotten all about her aching feet—jumped up happily and let herself be led away.

Tenten looked around uncertainly and then asked, “Does anyone else maybe feel like dancing? The music is really great!”

Shikamaru watched as Chōji immediately turned beet red and seemed completely unable to say a word.

Lee, on the other hand, didn’t need to be asked twice. “Of course! I’m always up for dancing!”

Although he had already jumped up, he suddenly paused. “Unless Neji wants to dance with you again?” he asked, raising his eyebrows at Neji.

Neji shook his head. “No, thank you. I’d rather keep watch for a little while longer. You never know if something might still happen.”

Tenten rolled her eyes for a moment but didn’t say anything. Then, quite suddenly, Chōji overcame his hesitation and called out: “Well then—I’d like to dance now, if that’s okay!!”

Shikamaru stared at him with his mouth open. Lee stepped in front of Chōji like he was about to make a grand speech, but instead just held out his fist and then theatrically let his thumb spring upward—probably to show he thought it was awesome. Tenten smiled at Chōji. “Come on, we can dance as a trio.”

Shikamaru was pretty sure that wasn’t exactly how Chōji had imagined it, but still, he followed the other two out onto the dance floor.

Now Shikamaru was alone with Neji again. That had been happening a lot lately, somehow. He didn’t know what to talk about. But that was the pleasant thing about Neji’s presence—he didn’t feel like he had to say anything at all. They simply sat there in silence and watched the others enjoying themselves.

After a while, Neji asked, “Would it be alright if I closed my eyes for a few minutes?”

Shikamaru nodded, wondering if Neji was as tired as he was.

“Did you overuse the Byakugan?” he asked.

Neji shook his head. “No, it’s fine. It just hurts a little. I did use it a lot today, but not too much. I’m just trying to rest my eyes a bit so I’ll still be useful tomorrow.”

Shikamaru wondered whether Neji always thought so much about his duties. He himself couldn’t even begin to think about tomorrow’s journey yet. All he wanted was to crawl into bed. Still, he kept his eyes open and let his gaze drift sideways every now and then.

Neji looked as though he were sleeping. But Shikamaru thought he could feel his chakra—restless, flickering. Maybe because he was sitting so close? If what he sensed was real, why was Neji so unsettled? Had he overstrained the Byakugan after all? Was it interfering with his chakra network? Or was it the festival—bringing back memories too difficult to bear?

Growing up as a child of the Hyūga clan surely wasn’t easy. And in the branch family on top of that. Until recently, Shikamaru hadn’t even known what that actually meant for people like Neji. Now he understood in theory—but he still couldn’t truly imagine it. He would have liked to ask Neji, but he didn’t want to push too hard.

Without noticing it, he had shifted a little closer, drawn to the chakra presence beside him. Eventually, he closed his eyes too and let the gentle waves of Neji’s chakra carry him off.

“Hey, you sleepyhead—wake up!”

Shikamaru opened his eyes in confusion as he was being shaken by Lee’s strong arms.

“You’re taking a nap on Neji while we’re dancing?”

Shikamaru sat bolt upright, startled. Had he really dozed off?
“What?” he managed, staring at Lee, bewildered.

“You were using Neji’s shoulder as a pillow!” Lee explained, grinning mischievously.

Shikamaru scratched the back of his head. “Sorry.”

Neji stood up and smoothed down his robes with both hands.
“It doesn’t bother me. But it’s quite late. I’ll fetch the others so we can head to bed soon. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day for us.”

Once Neji had left, Lee looked at Shikamaru as if he’d seen right through him.
“I don’t think Neji’s ever let anyone sleep on his shoulder before. You must have quite the effect on him. I noticed that right away.”

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. “Nonsense. We’re just really tired.”

But Lee wasn’t deterred.
“Neji is my best friend. And my rival. If you want him, you’ll have to get through me first!”

Shikamaru felt his temper flare. He was already exhausted, and his patience was wearing thin.
“Cut it out. I don’t want anything from Neji. I’m just damn tired and want to go to sleep.”

Lee raised both hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. I didn’t mean anything by it.
Still, you should be proud. If Neji likes you, that means something. He doesn’t hand out affection easily.”

Shikamaru stood up and stretched, as well as he could in his armor. He tried to ignore the look Lee was giving him.

Just then, Neji returned with the others in tow. Together they walked back to the road, where the carriage was waiting for them, just as promised.

Ino, Chōji, and Tenten were chattering excitedly. Apparently, the young man Ino had danced with earlier had asked if she’d consider staying here and marrying him.
Chōji had been ready to give him a good scare, but it hadn’t been necessary—Ino had made it perfectly clear that, firstly, she was way too young to marry, and secondly, someone was already waiting for her back in Konoha.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes in annoyance. Ino could be so ridiculously stubborn. After all, Sasuke wasn’t even in Konoha right now, and had never shown the slightest interest in her.

On the other hand, it was probably good that she had turned the guy down so firmly—he seemed to have gotten the message and didn’t press the matter.

The whole ride back to the castle was filled with chaotic chatter. Shikamaru glanced at Neji every now and then, trying to gauge whether he was upset about being used as a pillow.
But Neji had his eyes closed most of the time and gave no sign of acknowledging him.

When they finally arrived back at the castle, they said goodnight to the girls and headed up to their room.
Shikamaru wanted nothing more than to get out of his armor and into bed, but first they had to help Chōji, who probably wouldn’t have managed it on his own.

Once Shikamaru had finally changed into his sleeping clothes and gotten ready for bed in the small bathroom, he sank gratefully onto his futon.

Neji decided to pay the hot springs a short visit once more, and Lee went with him.
Shikamaru didn’t even notice when they came back—he was fast asleep within minutes.

Chapter Text

Shikamaru lay in his bunk, already half-drifting into sleep, while faint voices still murmured beneath him—Lee and Chōji getting ready for bed. Then he heard footsteps on the ladder. A soft creak as someone pulled themself up.

Neji.

But instead of climbing into his own bed, he knelt beside Shikamaru on his bed and looked at him. Shikamaru lifted his head, blinking. Before he could say anything, Neji leaned down—so close that his breath brushed Shikamaru’s ear.

“The others mustn’t notice”, he whispered.

A shiver ran through Shikamaru’s body. It wasn’t unpleasant—on the contrary. It was like a jolt of electricity, warm and soft and completely new.

Then Neji slowly opened his robe. He exposed his shoulders, and the fabric rustled softly as it slid down his arms. His upper body emerged from the darkness like from mist: pale, flawless, almost glowing.

Shikamaru couldn’t look away. He had seen him a few times before—but not like this. Never like this.

He couldn’t stop himself. He raised a hand. Touched him. Just with his fingertips, gently. The skin beneath his hand was warm, alive, inviting. Neji breathed evenly, allowed it, only smiled—and then placed his own hand on Shikamaru’s cheek—tender, but insistent.

Their lips met slowly.

The kiss was soft, and then it deepened. Shikamaru let out a quiet moan before he could stop himself, sinking into the moment. His whole body tensed, craving more, aching to lose himself in this feeling—

—and then it was gone.

Shikamaru jolted upright as if struck. His heart was pounding, his skin burning, the blanket clinging to his body. Everything around him was dark, but it felt like he was standing in blinding light.

A dream! Just a damn dream.

He propped himself up on one elbow, peering into the darkness. All was quiet. No sound, only the steady breathing of the others. No Neji beside him. Only now did it dawn on him: they were on the island. No longer on the ship.

He ran a hand over his face. His whole body still thrummed like it was full of static. His heart was pounding so hard it almost hurt. And there was more—a throbbing pressure between his legs, and a sense of nakedness, though he was fully dressed.

Shikamaru bit his lip. Had he… in his sleep…?

Had someone heard him?

He didn’t dare move. What if Lee was awake? Or Neji himself? Had he said his name? Moaned? Shifted in his sleep?

It was too dark to see anything.

He turned on his side, pulled the blanket tighter around himself, and tried to ignore the burning knot in his stomach. But the dream clung to him like sweat—the images, the feeling, Neji’s voice.

Why had he dreamed something like that? And why had his body reacted as if it hadn’t been a dream at all, but real?

It took a long time for his pulse to steady. And even longer before he dared to close his eyes again.

The next morning, Shikamaru was woken by Chōji. It was nearly noon, and they were supposed to start getting ready for breakfast.

Shikamaru felt as if he’d only slept a few minutes instead of several hours—despite the comfortable bed. He wondered if the dream was to blame, but quickly pushed the thought aside, refusing to dwell on it.

The shinobi packed their belongings, and just as Shikamaru turned around for one last glance at the bed to say goodbye, Ino and Tenten burst into the room to fetch them.

“Lord Arisugawa invited us to see a few sights on the way to the harbor,” Ino announced while they were still eating breakfast, “since we missed out the day before yesterday.”

Shikamaru cursed internally. He couldn‘t understand how anyone would be so energetic after last night. He had a headache, was in a bad mood, and just wanted to get to the ship as quickly as possible and rest.

But once again, things weren’t going according to plan.

After breakfast, a servant led them to the entrance hall, where they were told to wait for a short while. Soon, Lord Arisugawa appeared to bid them farewell. He thanked them warmly and gave each of them a small parting gift.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to accompany you to the harbor,” he said, “as I’ve now been awake for nearly thirty hours and desperately need sleep. But I’ve instructed the coachman to take you wherever you’d like to go on your way to the ship. I wish you all a safe journey home—and I am deeply in your debt. Please give the Hokage my regards.”

Then he handed Shikamaru an envelope from Kanemoto for his father and bowed to them.

After they had taken their seats in the carriage, Shikamaru looked over at Neji for the first time that day. He was sitting diagonally across from him next to Lee, staring out toward the sea. He hadn’t said more than a few words all day and was staying out of the conversation even now.

The others were still talking about the celebration the night before and Ino’s marriage proposal. She brushed it off as something trivial, but Shikamaru knew very well that she was secretly thrilled about it.

They made another stop at the viewpoint and visited a small garden where all kinds of flowers were in bloom and fruits were being cultivated. Lee tried to retell some of the stories and legends they had heard from Lord Arisugawa. As usual, everything took far longer than Shikamaru would have liked, but he was very relieved when they finally arrived at the ship in the late afternoon.

Each of them had grabbed a bowl of warm, local stew, some bread, and small meat skewers from the market—which now looked as if no festival had ever taken place there—and were now full and satisfied. They thanked the coachman and boarded the ship that would take them back home.

As their original transport ship had already set sail, the lord had arranged an alternative for them. They had to get acquainted with the new crew and reassign themselves to sleeping cabins, each of which had only three beds. So they decided that each team should share a cabin and stowed away their belongings.

Shikamaru then announced that they should use the evening to rest and start training again the next morning.

“Are we keeping the same training pairs as on the trip here?” Ino wanted to know.

Shikamaru briefly met Neji’s gaze and immediately felt a wave of nervousness. Was it really a good idea to train with Neji after that strange dream?

“Well, it would make sense, I think. What do you guys say?”

Lee saluted. “We’ll follow your orders, Mission Leader Nara!”

“Cut it out,” Shikamaru snapped at him, and Lee saluted again.

Ino looked around uncertainly and shrugged.

“I’m fine with keeping it the same. It was fun!” Tenten chimed in, and Chōji turned visibly red.

Neji gave a small nod, and that seemed to settle the matter.

Shikamaru instructed them to make sure they took enough breaks during training tomorrow and to coordinate with each other so that everyone could get as much out of it as possible.

“I’m going to bed early tonight, and I’d recommend you do the same so we’re all rested and can get back into our normal sleep rhythms.”

Everyone agreed.

Shikamaru stayed on deck for a little while with the others, watching as the island grew smaller and the sun slowly began to set. Then he went down into the belly of the ship and got ready for bed. Ino would sleep on the top bunk, and the two boys would take the bottom ones. Shikamaru hoped he could fall asleep before the others came in—but his thoughts kept circling back to the dream from the night before.

He had never dreamed anything like that before. He figured he must’ve subconsciously half-heard Neji and Lee entering the room while he was half-asleep, and that was why he’d dreamed about it. It had felt so real, and it had taken him a while to realize where he actually was and that it had all just been a dream.

But why would he dream something like that—especially about Neji? He wasn’t interested in love or kissing, and if he was, then definitely not with a boy!

Maybe it was because he’d gotten to know Neji so much better in such a short time. Maybe it was because Neji, with his long, silky hair and perfectly shaped face, gave off something… vaguely feminine?

Shikamaru tried to dismiss it as a stupid dream that meant nothing and told himself it was just because he was at that age when the body tended to act a little crazy. But deep down, he’d always thought he was above being affected by such things.

He tossed and turned, overthinking it, even though he knew it wouldn’t lead anywhere.

Eventually, Chōji and Ino came into the cabin and were surprised to see that Shikamaru was still awake. For some reason, that meant they took it as an invitation to talk his ears off—and even after they’d all gotten into bed, the chatter didn’t stop for quite a while.

This time, though, Shikamaru was almost grateful for it. It distracted him from his confused thoughts—and eventually, he did fall asleep.

Cemetery.

Shikamaru had clearly misjudged the temperature. A short while after the sun had gone down, he’d put on his warm jacket. But by now, it had grown much colder, and the small cat that had curled up at his feet leapt up in fright when a sudden chill shook him from his thoughts and made him shiver slightly.

“Hey, sorry,” he mumbled to it, holding out his hand. The cat kept its distance, eyeing him with suspicion.

Shikamaru shook his head. “Suit yourself.”

Yes, he had miscalculated. It wasn’t just colder than he had expected—it was also taking much longer. But now, Shikamaru sensed that he had to be on the right track. An hour ago, it had felt impossible to access any real memories of Neji. Now, he could place himself much more clearly in his past self’s shoes. But he also knew that he still needed more time. Much more. Even if he stayed here all night, it might not be enough. He couldn’t afford to rush this. He had to sift through the memories thoroughly, recall the smallest details as clearly as possible. He had to try and slowly unearth the feelings he’d locked away.

“There are no shortcuts...” Shikamaru murmured to himself—and Neji’s voice echoed in his mind, repeating the words he had once said to him during training.

Shikamaru sighed and slowly sank forward onto his knees. He stretched out his right arm and placed his hand against the cold gravestone.

“I need more time. If I stay here too long, I’ll just catch a cold. But you’re not here anyway, are you? You’re not trapped inside a gravestone. You’re free—just like you always wanted to be...”

His voice gave out, and he felt a lump rise in his throat.

Stop pretending he can hear you. He doesn’t. And even if he did—he probably wouldn’t want to listen. You turned your back on him and went on living your life without him. You didn’t even try to save him, even though he was your friend. Even though he meant something to you. Just because it was easier to close your eyes.

Then the cat meowed again. Shikamaru’s thoughts flickered to a very specific memory—

A moment from a long-ago summer in Konohagakure. He heard the same soft meowing… and Neji’s cheerful laughter beside it. Fireflies glowed in the background, and Shikamaru remembered an unbelievably sweet taste in his mouth…

Then it was dark again, and his eyes wandered back to the cat, which was still watching him from a distance.

Could it be? No, it had to be a coincidence. Could that little kitten from back then really have survived all the disasters that had hit the village since—and now be living here, on this cemetery?

It was simply too dark to see the cat’s fur color clearly. It had to be a coincidence.

Shikamaru stood up, stretched, and reached for the stool. He’d have to continue at home. Or maybe the next night. It was just too cold now—and once again, he wasn’t even sure whether any of this would lead to anything in the end.

Without saying another word to Neji, he turned and slowly made his way toward the cemetery gate. Shortly after he had left, he suddenly sensed a foreign presence that pulled him out of his thoughts. He lifted his head and tried to locate the source—but the sensation had already vanished.

He stayed focused all the way home, trying to sense it again—but it didn’t return. Eventually, he arrived at home and went to bed.

Chapter Text

Beneath the Day‘s Sun

The next day brought a bright blue sky with a few lonely clouds and a favorable wind. They all had breakfast together and then split up into their respective training groups. Neji and Shikamaru agreed to start with meditation, which proved difficult, since the sailors on this ship were much louder than those on the one before. They were constantly shouting at one another, laughing or cursing.

Shikamaru struggled to find his calm.

They changed locations and sat toward the front of the deck, where Shikamaru was told to watch the sea. It worked a bit better there, though Neji still didn’t seem entirely satisfied with the result.

“You mustn’t resist the thoughts that come to you on their own, Shikamaru,” Neji said. “Even if you can’t control them—they’re still a part of you.”

Neji seemed to see right through him—more than Shikamaru was comfortable with. But at least he didn’t know which thoughts Shikamaru had been trying so hard to push away. Otherwise, he probably would’ve ended the session then and there.

Eventually, Neji decided things weren’t likely to improve anytime soon, and they got up.

Then came a long critique of Shikamaru’s posture—until they were once again standing face-to-face, and Shikamaru was supposed to try dodging Neji’s attacks.

Even though Neji had clearly noticed that Shikamaru was having trouble relying on his instincts today, he showed no mercy.

Shikamaru soon longed to switch partners; he couldn’t imagine that Chōji or Ino were suffering even half as much as he was right now.

Neji kept pushing him harder and harder, and Shikamaru was on the verge of quitting the training altogether and retreating to the sleeping cabin. If it hadn’t been for those occasional glances from Neji—like he was searching for something. A brief hesitation, a clear uncertainty on his face. Something was off about him.

An eternity later, with sweat pouring down his face and pain shooting through every limb, Neji finally said, “Let’s take a break.”

Shikamaru looked up in disbelief. “Seriously? Already?”

Neji either didn’t catch the sarcasm or chose to ignore it.

“You need a break now. If we keep going like this, it’s clearly not going to get any better. We should eat something and try a different approach later.”

Shikamaru didn’t need to be told twice.

He downed nearly half a liter of water and slumped onto the bench where he and Neji had sat that morning to meditate.

The warm wind dried the sweat on his face as he tried to recover from the brutal training.

Had he ever trained this hard before?
Maybe Neji wasn’t such a great teacher after all.
It couldn’t possibly be helpful to break your student down this thoroughly.
Shikamaru hadn’t even stood a chance at keeping up with him.

Even when he’d secretly tried to use his shadow technique to slow Neji down, Neji had outmaneuvered him with ease.

He’d almost suggested going back to the breathing exercise—
But that probably wasn’t the best idea, not with Neji getting that close again.
No matter how hard Shikamaru tried not to think about the dream, it kept slipping into his mind.

It was just a stupid dream from a hormonal teenager! No reason to lose your mind over it.

Eventually, the six shinobi had lunch together and then split up again to continue training.

Neji took his time eating, so much so that the others had already returned to practicing while Shikamaru still sat with him at the table.

“Are you okay?” Neji asked carefully—and Shikamaru could tell he was troubled by how the training had gone.

“Well… saying ‘okay’ would be a lie.”

He tried to phrase it gently, not wanting to frustrate Neji even more—though Neji hadn’t exactly shown much concern for his well-being earlier.

Neji lowered his head and stared at his plate.

Shikamaru waited for an apology, or something like it—but Neji said nothing.

Shikamaru sighed. “I’m afraid our taijutsu levels are just too far apart. If you want me to improve, you might need to try seeing things more from my perspective. And like you said yourself—training takes time, and there are no shortcuts. Right?”

Why am I trying to cheer him up when he just beat the hell out of me?

Finally, Neji nodded, took the last spoonful of stew, and then gave Shikamaru a brief smile.

It was a tiny smile—so subtle Shikamaru almost missed it.

“Thank you, Shikamaru. You’re right. I was too eager, and I’m sorry. I’ll try to be more patient with you. I’m just afraid that’s not one of my strengths… since I’ve always been far too strict with myself, too.”

He wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood up.

“So—if you’re not completely fed up with my training methods—I’d like to try again. Just… a little differently this time.”

It turned out that the training wasn’t all that different from before—except that this time, Neji held back considerably with his strikes. Somehow, he always managed to pull away at the last second, letting the motion glide past Shikamaru without making contact.

“Hit,” he called each time, even though he hadn’t touched him.

But Shikamaru knew Neji would have landed every one of those blows—and that stung his pride even more than the actual hits from earlier had hurt his body.

After a while though, Shikamaru began to notice a strange pattern in the rhythm of attacks and evasions. It was as if they’d tuned in to one another so deeply that their bodies moved on instinct alone.

At first, he hadn’t even realized it. But then—suddenly—he could feel Neji’s chakra flow. And it was as if his own chakra had begun to align with it.

Neji didn’t seem to land his hits as often now—and that wasn’t because Shikamaru had suddenly gotten faster or better at faking which direction he was going to dodge. It felt… a little like dancing.

When Neji stepped forward, Shikamaru moved back in the same instant. When Neji turned to one side, Shikamaru had already shifted to the other.

Was this what Neji meant—that my body should move on its own?

Exactly as that thought crossed his mind, Shikamaru stumbled—and the delicate rhythm collapsed. An instant later, Neji’s shin slammed painfully into his own, and Shikamaru dropped to the floor, gasping for air.

“Sorry—the kick wasn’t intentional,” Neji said quickly. “You suddenly broke the rhythm, and my body attacked automatically. I couldn’t stop it in time.”

“That pattern of movement…” Shikamaru began, hoping he wasn’t about to embarrass himself with the question. “Is that what you meant earlier—when you said I should let my body take control?”

Neji sat down beside him on the floor. “Something like that, yes. You’d adapted to my movements, and moved in sync with me. I didn’t think that kind of adjustment could happen so quickly, honestly—but your movement changed entirely at some point. Maybe there’s a hidden talent for taijutsu inside you, after all.”

Shikamaru gave a dry laugh. “Come on—admit it. You saw that secret talent from the beginning with your Byakugan, didn’t you? Otherwise you’d never have agreed to train the lazy Nara.”

Neji shook his head. “That’s not something you can see with the Byakugan.”

Okay, number seven on the list of things I’m now absolutely sure of: Neji Hyūga does not understand irony.

Shikamaru looked at him—and suddenly that dream came rushing back to the front of his mind. He broke eye contact in a hurry and cleared his throat.

“But maybe you’re right,” he said. “I didn’t even notice how I started syncing with you. It really did feel like my body was just… doing it on its own. And the moment I became aware of it, it all fell apart.”

Neji nodded silently and didn’t say anything for a while. Then he stood up and offered Shikamaru his hand to help him up.

“I think that’s enough for today. You need to give your body some rest. Try meditating a bit more. And I’d recommend doing at least a little strength training every day. No matter how well your breath and movement align, it won’t mean much in an actual fight if your muscles can’t keep up.”

Shikamaru sighed, hearing once again the same words Asuma had drilled into him over and over.

“Your intelligence might be your greatest strength—but if you’re caught in a duel with an unknown enemy, even the best strategy might not be enough to save you. Train your body, so you’re ready for situations like that. To hold someone with your shadow technique takes a ton of chakra—and the stronger your body is, the more chakra you’ll have at your disposal. In the end, the one who wins is the one who sharpens both mind and body.”

Shikamaru hated strength and endurance training more than anything—but he had to admit, he’d need to put in more effort if he wanted to stand a chance on tough missions. And he definitely didn’t want a repeat of what had happened during the Sasuke Retrieval Mission.

Neji gave him an encouraging smile. “If the lazy Nara can’t bring himself to train, maybe he should find a training partner—someone to work with him and keep him motivated. I’m sure your best friend could use a bit more training too.”

He nodded toward Chōji, who was lying on the deck farther back, wheezing heavily while Tenten seemed to be giving him a stern talking-to. Shikamaru just grunted.

Neji frowned slightly. “I’m serious, Shikamaru. If you work a little harder each day than you do now, it’ll pay off. I’m not saying you need to start doing Sensei Gai’s full workout routine.”

“Nice to hear you people are at least aware how crazy you are,” Shikamaru shot back.

Neji shrugged. “To me, it’s not much harder than the training I’ve always done alone. Since the Chūnin Exams, my uncle’s been teaching me the more advanced Hyūga techniques as well. There’s not much time in the day I’m not training, unless I’m away on a mission. But I’ve learned some things, too—like the importance of taking breaks and training the mind as well. That’s where meditation comes in.”

Shikamaru nodded, imagining what Neji’s usual daily routine must be like. They really did come from two completely different worlds.

“What do you mean by training the mind?” he asked curiously.

Neji hesitated for a moment, then answered quietly. “I’ve started reading books. I never used to read on my own—only what we had to read at the Academy. But when I was little, my father used to read to me a lot. And somehow… I started again a while ago. Actually, it was after our mission—when I had to stay in the hospital. Sensei Gai brought me a book about a shinobi’s adventures, and I wanted to distract myself from the pain, so I read it.”

“It’s a bit like meditation—only instead of diving into yourself, you dive into someone else’s thoughts. You explore other worlds. I think it’s important to understand different perspectives. It helps you react better to unexpected situations in missions or battles, and make faster decisions…”

He trailed off, and Shikamaru nodded in agreement.

Neji turned away and walked over to the railing, looking down at the water. “And I’ve started learning Shogi,” he murmured—so quietly that Shikamaru didn’t catch it at first, but a second later, the words clicked into place.

“Shogi?” he asked, and Neji gave a small nod. Shikamaru thought he saw a hint of pink on Neji’s cheeks.

“I heard you’re an excellent Shogi player,” Neji said.

Shikamaru scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “Well… that’s what people say who don’t know how to judge. I’ve never beaten my dad—not even once. So I can’t be that good.”

Neji turned away from the ocean and looked Shikamaru straight in the eyes. “You’re far too modest. Sensei Gai said that Sensei Asuma always loses to you at Shogi. He’s twice your age—I think that’s a pretty impressive achievement. Beating your own teacher with ease.”

Shikamaru felt himself blushing and shrugged. “It’s just Shogi. Doesn’t help much on a mission.”

Neji opened his mouth to argue, but Shikamaru cut him off. “If you want,” he said, “I can teach you the basics of Shogi—kind of as repayment for you training me in Taijutsu. It’s probably the only thing I can teach you, so if you don’t accept, I won’t have a way to return the favor.”

Neji nodded. “Alright. But I haven’t gotten very far yet.”

Shikamaru laughed. “Yeah, well, same here with Taijutsu. I can be very patient, so don’t worry about that. Besides, I already tried teaching Chōji how to play—and I’m pretty sure you won’t be half as exhausting as he was.”

Neji nodded again, then smiled. “I’m looking forward to our upcoming Shogi training.”

That evening, the shinobi sat on the deck together, watching as the sky turned orange and the sun slowly began to set.

Lee suddenly jumped to his feet and grabbed his gift—the one Lord Arisugawa had given each of them. He unwrapped it almost ceremoniously and let out a loud cry of joy when he saw what was inside. “Aaah, guys, look at this! Isn’t it amazing?” He waved around a small wooden plaque, and at first Shikamaru couldn’t even tell what it was supposed to be.

But when Lee passed it around for everyone to see, Shikamaru realized it was an image that had been carefully transferred onto smooth wood, almost like magic. In the picture, the six of them were dressed in the dark robes and armor of the lord's house.

“I really wanted us to take a photo together, remember? But everything was so hectic, I totally forgot. How thoughtful of him! I bet he gave one to everyone!” That sent Ino and Tenten hurrying to the sleeping quarters to grab the rest of the packages. Sure enough, everyone had received one.

But to their surprise, each picture was a little different—and on closer inspection, it became clear that they weren’t photos at all, but incredibly detailed drawings that looked like photos. Lee was over the moon, wondering aloud whether he should give his picture to Sensei Gai or keep it for himself.

Then he seemed to have another idea, and he put a hand on Neji’s shoulder. “Neji, you always said you don’t have space for photos. If you don’t want to keep yours, maybe we could give it to our sensei?”

But Neji shook his head. “I’d like to keep it,” he said firmly—and Lee dropped the subject.

The next day passed in a flash. It was very windy, and for some of them—Shikamaru included—the nausea returned now and then, though luckily not as badly as on the journey there. Somehow, they still managed to keep up their training.

In the afternoon, the different teams gave brief overviews of how they had trained and what kind of progress they had made. Shikamaru was genuinely impressed by how effectively the others had used their time.

Ino was going at Lee with such force that he half-feared she might injure him, but Lee only laughed and kept cheering her on. Even Neji nodded in approval—undeniable proof, in Shikamaru’s eyes, that Ino had improved a great deal in a short time.

Chōji had apparently focused mostly on defense and managed, to some extent, to block Tenten’s quick, successive strikes and kicks. Shikamaru felt almost ashamed—he had the impression that he had the least to show for himself.

Neji stood up and explained their approach. “We started with the basics, similar to the others: breathing, posture, and synchronizing movement. Shikamaru still struggles with letting go of conscious control, but when he manages to do so, his improvement is evident.”

He kept it short and concise, but Shikamaru felt as if a teacher had just used him as a classroom example. Things only got worse when they attempted a brief demonstration of their training results—and Shikamaru completely failed to find the rhythm of Neji’s attacks.

Still, the others applauded politely after the performance, and the three trainers handed their students rough outlines of how they could continue training in the future.

Ino’s sheet was covered in scribbles and countless recommendations for various fitness exercises. Chōji’s plan was written in short bullet points, summarizing the most important aspects of their recent training.

Neji had written only a few things for Shikamaru, in his immaculate handwriting:

• Breathing.
• Posture.
• Let go of control — cloud watching.
• Regular strength training, even if it’s just a little.
• I’m looking forward to losing to you in Shogi.

Shikamaru stared at Neji’s handwriting and wondered whether he would end up disappointing his expectations completely.

What if Neji asked me in a few days or weeks how my training had gone, and I had to admit I hadn’t continued at all? Knowing myself, I just can’t imagine mustering the motivation. Or maybe he could?

Eventually, a light rain began to fall, and they all retreated inside.

When they were finally lying in their small, uncomfortable beds, Shikamaru felt oddly restless. They would probably arrive by late morning the next day—the wind had been favorable for the entire trip. The mission had been anything but difficult, and still, Shikamaru was quietly pleased that everything had gone so smoothly.

So why this uneasy feeling in my stomach?

He turned from side to side, listening to the groaning of the ship and the sound of water slapping against the hull. His mind kept replaying their training, Neji leaping at him again and again. Suddenly, he felt a strong urge to move his legs and sat up in bed.

It took a moment of mental persuasion to leave the warmth of his blanket, but then he got up and made his way to the bathroom. After he was done, he decided to check whether the rain had stopped. He climbed the stairs to the deck and stepped out into the cool night air.

It was no longer raining. The sky stretched above him, dominated by a huge, radiant full moon, around which a few clouds had gathered.

Shikamaru just stood there, staring up at the sky, watching the clouds pass in front of the moon, trying to dampen its light—but again and again, the moon broke through until its glow finally freed itself completely.

Only when he lowered his gaze to admire the moon’s reflection on the sea did he notice the figure standing at the very front of the deck, facing upward, hands on the railing.

Shikamaru froze in place, as if in a trance, watching Neji’s long hair and the wide sleeves of his white sleeping robe flutter in the wind.

Beneath the Moon‘s Light

The urge to see his face grew stronger and stronger. At last, Shikamaru gave up the view before him and walked to the front of the ship to stand beside Neji.

“Can’t sleep?” Neji asked without looking at him.

Shikamaru had to find his voice first—it felt as if he’d just woken up from a dream that had lasted forever. "Not really. I keep running our training through my head. Not on purpose—it just plays on repeat by itself."

He paused and waited, but Neji didn’t say anything.

Shikamaru leaned his arms on the railing and stared down at the moon’s reflection on the water. He noticed Neji shiver beside him and asked if he was cold.

Neji nodded and gestured toward the bench behind them. “Maybe we should sit down. It’s a bit more sheltered over there.”

Shikamaru had only meant to take a short walk before heading back to bed. He felt like it would be smarter to say he wanted to try sleeping again—but before he realized it, he was already sitting next to Neji on the bench. There they sat, still watching the clouds trying to hide the moon.

“It was the same for me,” Neji said after a few quiet minutes, with nothing but the sound of the sea in the background. “I kept thinking about our training. I’m sure I could’ve done a better job. I’m sorry for how poorly I handled things.”

Shikamaru looked at him. He had clearly taken the task of teaching him Taijutsu to heart.

"If you’d like, I could ask Sensei Gai to give you one-on-one lessons. He probably doesn’t have much free time, but I’m sure he—"

Shikamaru quickly cut him off. "No, no, that’s really not necessary. I mean… it’s kind of you to think about that, but honestly, I can’t imagine a better teacher than you. At least when it comes to Taijutsu."

Shikamaru felt a flicker of unease. It wasn’t so much what Neji said—but how he said it. The words came too quickly, as if they hadn’t been planned at all, but had slipped out in a moment of carelessness. Suddenly, Neji seemed almost hurried, as if afraid he might run out of time. I feel a faint tug in my chest, a quiet sense that there’s more simmering beneath the surface than Neji is letting on.

“Asuma tried to get us into it more than once, but he wasn’t persistent enough. And look, obviously you’ve never taught anyone before—you have to try out methods first, figure out what works and what doesn’t.”

Neji clenched his hands into fists and shook his head. “No, I should’ve done better. It’s still hard for me to open up to people.” He hesitated and gave Shikamaru a brief sideways glance. "I don't know why I'm even telling you this..."

He looked almost desperate, and Shikamaru didn’t know how to respond. Without thinking, he reached out and placed his hand on Neji’s fist, gently opening it.

Neji looked at him in surprise, with wide eyes. Shikamaru felt his face grow warm and hoped Neji wouldn’t notice. He let go of Neji’s cold hand and cleared his throat.

“You just had a particularly difficult student. My strengths lie elsewhere. I wouldn’t have gotten nearly this far without you. I mean that, Neji. Don’t beat yourself up over it, alright?”

Neji nodded and turned his gaze back to the moon. Shikamaru added, “Besides, it makes me feel like the biggest idiot if you’re that frustrated with my progress.”

Neji stared at him, startled. “That’s not what I meant. You made real progress in a short amount of time. I… I’m just...” He trailed off, seeming to search for the right words. “It’s a shame our journey is already coming to an end,” he finished softly.

Shikamaru thought of Neji’s family and wondered if things had improved between them. Has he ever really forgiven them, or is this still eating him up inside?

As if reading his thoughts, Neji said, “I’m trying to let go of my resentment toward the main family, but it’s a lot harder than I thought. Sometimes I wonder if my father is still watching me somehow, and if he’s disappointed.”

His voice sounded fractured, but Shikamaru couldn’t read any emotion on his face. He remained silent, unsure of what to say. The dead watching the living… does anyone really believe that?

“I don’t remember him very well,” Neji continued, “but when I was a child he always praised me for being kind and helpful, as he put it. He said it was important to be open and generous with others, because that’s how you learn to accept yourself. And that everyone’s been through terrible things, so you need to be considerate and forgiving. But for years, I believed the main family had murdered him, and that filled me with so much hatred I couldn’t follow his principles anymore. I think my father would want me to be like I was back then. But I don’t believe I can ever be that person again. I’m distant and hard on others—because that’s how I am with myself.”

He fell silent again, and Shikamaru wondered whether Neji had ever confided in anyone before—or if he was the first.

And I’m sitting here, being trusted with it… how do I even respond to that?

“Do you feel like anything’s changed lately with your family?” Shikamaru asked when Neji didn’t continue.

“Yes,” Neji said, “things have definitely changed since the Chuunin Exams. My uncle is now training me personally, and I’ve learned new techniques that are normally reserved for members of the main family. He assigned me a room in the main house and wants me to eat with them and take part in family matters. But despite all that, I don’t think he feels anything fatherly toward me—not even affection. It’s hard to explain. Everything is still very distant and formal at home. He’s not particularly warm toward his daughters either. And the clan elders are not at all pleased that certain privileges are now being extended to me. I was punished for hurting Hinata in the exams, but I’m certain most of them thought the punishment was too lenient. So yes, a lot has changed—and some of it has been for the better. But even so, I still find it hard to truly give myself over to the main family with my whole heart.”

Shikamaru couldn’t really imagine what Neji’s life had been like. To feel that division between the main and branch families even as a child, to lose the only parent you had, and then be forced to serve the very people responsible… how do you even cope with that?

“How did they punish you?” Shikamaru asked.

Neji lowered his gaze. “They activated the curse seal. My uncle did it himself. They actually wanted Hinata to do it, but she just cried, and then he activated it in her place.”

Shikamaru hoped he wasn’t pushing too far with his questions, but he wanted to help Neji somehow—and he couldn’t do that if he had no idea what Neji had been through. "And what exactly happens when they activate the seal?"

Neji shrugged as if was nothing. “At first, it just hurts. It feels like your head is about to explode, and then the pain spreads through your whole body. Every single nerve burns. And if they keep it activated for too long, it eventually destroys the brain’s nerve tissue and leads to death. That’s probably what the elders would’ve preferred, but my uncle stopped it in time by deactivating the seal. Just recently, he even assured me that he’s forbidden anyone except himself or his daughter from using the curse seal on me. Nice, huh?” He gave a dry laugh.

Shikamaru couldn’t tell if he meant that sarcastically or not. Nice… yeah, nice. Sounds totally manageable.

“Why would your own relatives want you dead?” he asked in disbelief.

Neji said nothing. Shikamaru waited, but no answer came. Neji had his eyes fixed on the moon, as if he hadn’t even heard the question. So Shikamaru fell silent too and watched the moon get swallowed completely by the next dark cloud.

Maybe it’s better not to ask too much right now. If Neji wanted to say something, he would.

Shikamaru wasn’t good at comforting people. He tended to list off logical arguments explaining why there was no reason to feel sad in the first place—which never went over well with Ino. And Chōji? Chōji could probably be cheered up with a simple hug. But Shikamaru didn’t like hugs and would never initiate one himself. He never knew what to say to Chōji when he was upset because his parents had scolded him, or to Ino, who was devastated that Sasuke still hadn’t declared his love for her. When he did say something, it usually made things worse.

What can you even say to someone whose own family has tortured him and threatened him with death? Nothing. There’s nothing.

So Shikamaru said nothing. Above them, the moon looked like it was caught in the grasp of the clouds—dim and distant, like a lamp draped in black cloth. The air had turned colder, and Shikamaru began to shiver. Without even realizing it, he inched closer to Neji, as if his presence alone might be enough to ward off the chill.

Neji turned his head, speaking in a low murmur. “I’m sorry for dumping all that on you. That was pathetic. I should be grateful my uncle is treating me this generously, after what happened during the Chūnin Exams. Thank you for listening.” He said it too formally, too stiffly—like he was reciting something at a ceremony, not talking to someone sitting beside him in the dark. It didn’t sound like he meant it. But Shikamaru had the distinct feeling Neji was trying to convince himself that he did.

“I didn’t know him,” Shikamaru heard himself say, “but I’m pretty sure your father would be proud of you.” He hadn’t planned to say that. The words had simply slipped out.

Just then, the full moon broke free from its prison of clouds and spilled silver light across Neji’s face. It was so bright Shikamaru almost had to squint—but he didn’t. He couldn’t.

Because what he saw… it was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on.

Tears shimmered in Neji’s pale eyes like the whole night sky had been caught in them. The moonlight, the slowly retreating clouds—it all looked more real in his eyes than it did in the world around them. He was trying not to cry. Shikamaru could see it. And it broke something inside him.

Before he knew what he was doing, his body leaned forward—unthinking, unstoppable—and suddenly, his lips were pressed softly against Neji’s. Time held its breath. Shikamaru could feel the tremble in Neji’s lips, and realized he was shaking too. But Neji didn’t pull away.

For a few heartbeats, they stayed like that. Just a gentle kiss. No more, no less. Then, as if waking from a dream, Shikamaru pulled back.

What the hell am I doing? Why the hell did I just do that? Is this because of that stupid dream? God, Neji’s a guy—have I completely lost it?

His thoughts were spiraling now, panicked and too fast to hold. He half-expected Neji to slap him. Or worse. But Neji hadn’t moved. Hadn’t flinched. The kiss hadn’t lasted more than a few seconds, but still—he hadn’t pulled away. Shikamaru stared at him, wide-eyed. Neji stared back, just as stunned. Neither of them said a word.

At the very least, Neji didn’t seem sad anymore. Shikamaru jumped to his feet like the bench had burned him. This was, hands down, the most mortifying situation he had ever been in. He had to fix this. Say something. Do something. And then get the hell out of there.

He cleared his throat. “Sorry. I don’t know why I did that. I should probably go to bed.”

Neji nodded slowly. He still didn’t say anything. Still wasn’t angry. He just looked at Shikamaru with those wide, unreadable eyes, like time hadn’t started moving again for him yet. Shikamaru could feel his blood rushing in his ears. He was terrified that if he stayed even a second longer, his body might betray him again.

“Good night,” he said, voice low, and turned sharply to leave—retreating toward his sleeping quarters like a fugitive.

“Good night, Shikamaru.” Shikamaru didn’t turn around again and left the deck behind.

When he finally lay back in his bed, Chōji, whom he had accidentally woken, whispered, “Shikamaru, where were you?” “I just went to the bathroom,” he lied, turning toward the wall to make it clear that he wanted to sleep. “Good night.” “Oh, alright then. Sleep well,” Chōji replied softly. Shikamaru could tell from his tone that he had actually wanted to talk, but Shikamaru couldn't deal with that right now—he needed to figure out what the hell had just happened.

One thing was certain: what had happened was incredibly embarrassing. Shikamaru couldn’t imagine what Neji must think of him, and he was still surprised Neji hadn’t thrown him overboard. The only explanation he could come up with was that Neji had been so stunned he hadn’t processed what was happening in time.

How could this even happen? Normally, I’d never do something like that. But that weird dream already threw me off. And those thoughts that kept creeping in during meditation... The real problem must be that I let my body take control. Just like during training—only that was the goal then.

If I’d been more careful, I never would’ve done something like that. That’s for sure. But then there’s the next question. Why the hell are these thoughts—and... ideas—even in my head in the first place? Damn puberty.

In the end, Shikamaru had to settle on blaming it on his age. Like it or not, he was apparently no longer immune to silly things like love or certain physical urges he really didn’t want to think about.

Still, Neji was a guy—even if, with his long, silky hair, pale flawless skin, and delicate face, there was something almost feminine about him. But Neji was a guy. Shikamaru had seen his naked body in the onsen—his muscles...

The thought of Neji’s soft lips sent a wave of heat through Shikamaru’s entire body. Neji hadn’t pulled away. His lips had been tightly closed—but had they, just before the kiss ended, opened slightly? Or was Shikamaru imagining that? Had Neji gone to bed by now, or was he still out there, watching the moon and the clouds fight for dominance in the sky?

Shikamaru tried to push the thoughts aside and focus on what mattered:

1. He had kissed Neji—regardless of the reason.
2. Neji hadn’t fought back and hadn’t said a word.
3. Shikamaru needed to figure out how to deal with the situation now.

The simplest option would probably be to pretend nothing had happened. Luckily, this was their last night on the ship, and he wouldn’t have to be alone with Neji again. He’d be able to avoid him on the journey back to Konohagakure. On the other hand, he had more or less promised to teach him shōgi. Maybe Neji wouldn’t want that anymore. But what if he did?

In the end, Shikamaru decided to trust that he could keep better control of his body from now on. He’d been warned—he knew now what could happen. He wouldn’t let it happen again. Shikamaru tossed and turned in bed with his thoughts for quite a while, until he finally drifted into a deep, though unfortunately short, sleep.

The next morning, Shikamaru was woken by a loud knock at the cabin door—it was the signal that they were about to dock at the harbor. He was exhausted and in a foul mood, but told himself it was best to get moving quickly so he could crawl into his own bed at home as soon as possible.

They covered the first part of the journey by cart. A farmer from a village near the forest edge had intended to bring cargo to a ship that never arrived, so he had room for six people and let them ride along for a modest price. Since Shikamaru was in a hurry, he simply decided on his own—without asking the others—that they would continue on foot from the village without spending the night there, like they had on the way to the coast.

He ignored the complaints from Ino, Tenten, and Chōji, and they kept moving. That night, they paused only briefly when it got too dark to travel further. When Neji volunteered to take the first watch, Shikamaru immediately knew he had to find someone else to take his place. Fortunately, Lee offered to keep watch with Neji, so the others could get some rest. A bit later, Shikamaru and Chōji took over, and Ino and Tenten did the final watch together. Thankfully, the night passed without incident, and Shikamaru had managed to get through the entire day saying nothing more to Neji than “Good morning” and “Good night.” He had avoided his gaze as much as possible, so he couldn’t even say whether Neji was avoiding him, too.

By the time they finally reached Konohagakure the following evening, completely worn out, Shikamaru felt like he hadn’t properly slept in weeks. The only one still in a good mood was Lee. This time, Shikamaru was even grateful for his babbling and motivational shouts as they made their way through the forest—he had the sense that everyone else, including himself, was in a terrible mood. They barely spoke, yet somehow Lee managed to make people laugh now and then or start small conversations.

When they finally said their goodbyes at the village gate, Shikamaru simply thanked them for their good work and wished everyone a restful night. Once home, he tried to brush off his parents, who of course wanted to know everything about the mission. But he still had to sit down at the table and eat a small dinner before his mother would let him go to bed.

“Tomorrow, I want you to tell us everything in detail!” she said firmly as Shikamaru disappeared into his room. “And take a bath first! I just put clean sheets on your bed earlier. Don’t you dare lie down stinking like that, you hear me?”

Of course that had to come up. She could be a bit more understanding—I’ve been gone forever. Grumbling, he quickly showered and hoped it would count as “good enough” for his mom. Then he got dressed for bed and lay down.

He tried not to think about the last few days and fall asleep as quickly as possible. But guilt tugged at him. He felt bad for ruining the final days of the mission with his lousy mood. It had actually been a good mission overall, and they had gotten along better than he’d expected—aside from a few minor arguments that hadn’t really mattered. Hopefully, Chōji and Ino would forgive him. Knowing them, things could probably be smoothed over. Maybe there’d be a few days of awkward tension—but that was fine.

With Neji, it was more complicated. Or maybe it wasn’t. Shikamaru told himself it was better if everyone just went their separate ways. They probably wouldn’t train together much anymore. Maybe not at all. Neji was ambitious, disciplined, way more serious about all this than he was—someone like that was better off focusing on more important things. It was fine. Really.

The less we see each other, the sooner that damn night will fade into the background where it belongs.

Chapter Text

Shikamaru didn’t wake until noon and was deeply relieved to have the house to himself, with no one around to nag him. He noticed that, while he hadn’t had any nightmares, Neji had very much been present in his dreams. Maybe that was a sign that his self-prescribed therapy was actually starting to work.

He ate a small breakfast and considered how to best spend his day off. Since he wanted to make as much progress as possible before his wife returned, he decided to swallow his pride and speak to someone who had been very close to Neji.

It took him ages to dig through the old keepsake box until he finally found the small pouch he’d been looking for.

Even then, it still took a significant amount of willpower to put his plan into action—but eventually, he headed out. The streets were bustling, and Shikamaru tried to remember exactly what Konohagakure had looked like during his childhood. It had grown, changed completely in some ways, but the layout of the streets and houses was still familiar to him.

Finally, he found himself standing in front of the shop, eyeing the sign with the opening hours. To his relief, he had remembered the lunch break correctly and rang the bell. It took a moment, so he rang again.

Please be home.

He was fairly sure that if the door didn’t open now, he wouldn’t find the nerve to come back a second time. At the same time, part of him hoped the whole thing might just be spared him after all—and he flinched a little when the door swung open.

Tenten looked clearly annoyed at being disturbed during her lunch break, but when she recognized him, confusion crept into her expression.

“Oh, hey Shikamaru. Did I forget a weapons shipment?” she asked, slipping into her professional tone almost immediately.

He shook his head. “No, everything’s fine. I…” He hesitated briefly, then decided it was best to just say it. “There’s something I’d like to talk to you about. If you’ve got the time—preferably now.”

Tenten only looked more puzzled. “What’s it about?” she asked, making no move to invite him inside.

Shikamaru suppressed the urge to scratch the back of his head, like he always did when something made him uncomfortable. Instead, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat and silently cursed himself for not coming up with a proper pretext before showing up. But he had sensed that if he thought about it too much in advance, he wouldn’t have come at all.

“Could I maybe come in?” he asked, trying not to sound too irritated.

Tenten raised an eyebrow. “You sure it’s appropriate to enter the house of an unmarried woman while your wife’s out of the country? I’m not really in the mood to explain myself to her.”

Awkward.

Shikamaru had already suspected that Tenten would be reluctant to talk to him about anything personal. It was no secret that she didn’t get along with Temari. Temari might not approve if she ever found out—but this wasn’t something that involved her. It was a quiet matter, something that belonged only to him and Neji. Tenten‘s remark annoyed him enough that he almost turned and left on the spot.

“Please, Tenten. It’s important. It’s about… it’s about Neji.”

It was as if a shadow passed over her face at the mention of that name. She pressed her lips together tightly, and Shikamaru could see that she was on the verge of slamming the door in his face.

“I can’t explain it all out here in the street,” he said quickly. “But I know you understood him better than most. And I’m asking you—just give me a few minutes of your time. Let me say what I have to say, and then I’ll leave you alone. Forever, if that’s what you want.”

Tenten hesitated, staring at him with a blank expression. Finally, she let out a reluctant sigh and opened the door a little wider, inviting him in. She led him into a small living room and gestured for him to take a seat on the couch.

“I’ll make us some tea. Wait a second,” she said, disappearing into the kitchen.

Shikamaru took in the clutter of the room. Weapon parts and scrolls were strewn across large piles of books. He glanced around, looking for photos. He remembered that a picture of her Genin team used to hang in her shop. But in the living room, there wasn’t a single photo in sight. The walls were covered only with weapons and drawings of weapons—probably designs Tenten had drawn herself.

“I don’t know what you’re hoping to get out of this, and I’ll tell you right now—I’m not interested in having an affair with you. I’m happy on my own, and I don’t need a man to feel good about myself, or whatever it is people say.”

Tenten placed the tea on the low living room table and looked Shikamaru coolly in the eyes.

Shikamaru stared at her, horrified.

Did she really think I came here with the intention of trying to seduce her? Me, of all people?

Why does she have to make this so difficult?

He shook his head and placed the pouch in front of him.

“Don’t worry,” he muttered. “I’m already overwhelmed with one woman—why would I want a second?”

Tenten made a sound—half snort, half bitter laugh, though Shikamaru couldn’t tell which. He decided to ignore it. He hadn’t expected this much hostility.

“I think it’s best if I get straight to the point.”

Tenten nodded in agreement and sat down across from him. Shikamaru swallowed and tried to gather his thoughts.

“Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what happened with Neji.”

Tenten’s eyes were fixed on her teacup, her index finger slowly tracing the raised decorative curls along the outer surface.

“What about Neji?” she asked flatly.

Shikamaru tried a different approach.

“What I mean is... I’ve never talked to anyone about this before, and I’m sorry it has to be you, but there’s no other way. It’s not just that I’ve been thinking about him a lot. I’ve been dreaming about him. Nightmares, actually. I mean, I guess we all still have the occasional nightmare about the war—but these dreams are always about Neji. About the way he died.”

Tenten kept tracing the edge of the cup in silence. Shikamaru wondered how she could keep holding it—it had to be too hot by now. He went on.

“I was never that close to him, so I don’t understand why these dreams are hitting me now, all of a sudden, after so many years. But it’s really starting to get to me. I need to get past it somehow. It’s getting worse. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep peacefully again until I figure this out.”

He hesitated.

“I blame myself for his death. At least partly.”

Tenten finally lifted her gaze, and what Shikamaru saw in her eyes was pure hatred.

“You blame yourself? Why? Why would you think you had anything to do with it? You weren’t even there when it happened. Neji chose to sacrifice himself to save Naruto and Hinata. It had nothing to do with you!”

Shikamaru straightened his posture, forcing himself to meet her glare.

“I told him he had to let go of his hatred for the main family. I know I didn’t mean that much to him, not really—but there were times when he tried to open up to me, and I didn’t help him.”

Tenten drew a sharp breath, but Shikamaru hurried on.

“Look, Tenten. I didn’t really know him that well. We had a few… personal conversations, but that was long before the war. I’m not trying to make myself more important than I am. I just need one honest answer to one question. Did Neji ever talk to you about me? About… something that happened between us? That’s all I need to know.”

Tenten looked down again, and Shikamaru waited. She said nothing.

A minute passed. He kept waiting. He could see the conflict in her face.

There is something. Neji had told her something. Her reaction gives it away completely. But will she share it with me?

It was obvious that she didn’t like him very much—especially not right now.

Finally, she began to speak. Her voice was low and flat, without any emotion. She never looked up at him once, as though she were reading a script written across the surface of her tea.

“I really don’t know what you think you’ll get out of this,” she said slowly, “but I’ll try to answer your question. Neji came to me shortly before we went to war. He asked me to hold on to a letter. To give it to you if anything happened to him. I didn’t want to hear it and just brushed him off.”

She paused.

“I’d already known for a while that something was… off between the two of you. When Lee told me after our mission on Shishiyōjima that Neji let you fall asleep on his shoulder at the wedding party, I had a hunch something weird was going on. But I ignored it. Then, every now and then, Neji would say things about you. He always defended you if someone talked behind your back. He respected you—far too much, honestly, considering how little you deserved it.

I didn’t think much of it at the time. I was young and stupid. I guess I’d had a bit of a crush on him since the Academy. He was so cool, untouchable, and… mysterious.

But after the Chunin Exams, he slowly started to change. I noticed how he tried to open up more. Interact with us more. Sometimes he even joked around a little. But things like physical closeness… affection… those were always really hard for him.

Then there was that training on the ship. He treated you differently than he treated Lee or me. It was like he’d made it his life’s mission to teach you Taijutsu—even though it was obvious you had zero talent for it. He put so much thought into it. Even long after the mission was over.

He was just… different when it came to you. Even when he talked about you. It was weird. And yes, it unsettled me. But even then, I still didn’t give it much thought.

Then at some point, I found out you two had been meeting to play shogi. Before he changed, he never would’ve wasted his time on something like that. But he really was changing—bit by bit—and I chalked it up to that.”

Tenten took a sip of her tea and stared at a large shuriken hanging on the wall behind Shikamaru.

Shikamaru’s stomach churned. He had to force himself to stay seated, to keep listening.

I will not run away. Not today.

Finally, Tenten spoke again, and this time she looked Shikamaru in the eye.

“I think the first time I really started to suspect something was when Neji suddenly vanished without a trace at the summer festival. He told us he couldn’t join the celebration because he had to escort his cousins. But when we ran into them, Hinata said Neji had been looking for us. Only—Neji would have found us if he’d been looking. That’s out of the question. And something about him was different after that festival. Different in a way that felt... fundamental. He was never very emotional, but we noticed his moods were more erratic, and a bit later his attitude toward you completely changed. I knew you two had a falling out, but he never said what had happened. Honestly, I was relieved when your friendship ended.”

Shikamaru felt his breath catch at those words. Yes, they had fought, and yes, after that they no longer met up—not for shogi, not for training. But he had never thought of it as the end of a friendship. Hearing it framed that way, even after all these years, hurt more than he was prepared for.

Tenten cleared her throat.

“Neji seemed more balanced after he stopped seeing you. Happier, even. Like a weight had been lifted off him. But now I realize he just buried himself in training to distract himself from everything else.”

Shikamaru nodded and took a sip of tea, grateful for the excuse not to respond. Tenten sighed, defeated, and continued.

“So, like I said, Neji came to me right before our deployment and asked me to take a letter—one I was supposed to give you if something happened to him. I was just so shocked. He seemed so certain he wouldn’t be coming back. And that he’d written a letter for you of all people. I didn’t want to hear it, but for some reason, I asked him outright if he was in love with you. Or why else he’d write you a letter. He didn’t deny it. He didn’t confirm it either—but that kind of made it obvious.”

Shikamaru felt something in him twist as Tenten spoke the words, but he forced himself to keep his expression neutral.

“I asked him if something had happened between you two, and then he said you’d taken him into the Nara woods and that you kissed. Or something like that. It was weird, the way he said it. I don’t think he would’ve ever told me if he hadn’t believed he was about to die. I was just shocked. Neji, of all people—coming from such a strict, traditional family—and then doing something like that...”

Her voice faltered, and Shikamaru feared she might cry. Again she paused, her fingers tracing the edge of her teacup.

“I’ve thought about it a lot since then. I think he really loved you. I don’t know how you felt about him or why you’ve suddenly shown up after all these years wanting to talk about him.”

She paused again, and then added in a biting tone, “Maybe you’re right. Maybe it really is your fault, what happened.”

Shikamaru simply nodded, silent, even as a storm of emotion tore through him. They both sat there in silence, sipping their tea. Finally, Shikamaru asked a question he immediately wished he could take back, but it was already out of his mouth.

“And you... did you love Neji?”

Tenten set her cup down with a sharp clack and glared at him. Shikamaru saw her eyes were glassy with tears and cursed himself for not keeping quiet.

“This isn’t about me, Shikamaru. I never told him, and it wouldn’t have made any difference anyway,” she said sharply, her voice raised. The regret in her words was unmistakable.

To Shikamaru’s dismay, he felt his own eyes sting. He swallowed hard to push back the lump rising in his throat.
It was probably a good thing to be able to cry for Neji, but this was not the time. He hadn’t come here to be comforted, and he hadn’t meant to hurt Tenten either.

“I’m sorry, Tenten. That was a stupid question. Do you know what happened to the letter?” he asked softly.

Tenten wiped away a tear with one finger.

“I didn’t take it. I was angry, and hurt, and I didn’t want it—afraid I might read it, too. I think he planned to give it to Hinata after that. Maybe you should ask her. You can tell her I mentioned that Neji once wrote you a letter, if that makes it easier. Then you don’t have to tell her anything... embarrassing.”

Shikamaru nodded gratefully. Tenten stood up, clearly signaling that the conversation was over and he should go. But Shikamaru felt he owed her at least a little honesty. He couldn’t afford for rumors to spread about him in the village—especially not now. He drew a deep breath and looked her straight in the eye.

"Tenten," Shikamaru began quietly, "all I can say is how deeply sorry I am for what happened. I didn’t help Neji when he needed it most, and now my past mistakes are catching up with me. But I’ve made up my mind—I won’t keep running away from them.

What Neji told you... it’s true. I took him into the deepest parts of the Nara forest, places no Hyuuga had ever set foot in before. I shared secrets with him—secrets no outsider was ever supposed to know. And I think there was something between us… something that was far more than just friendship.

But we were too young, both dealing with our own issues—though mine were hardly worth mentioning compared to his. I gave him something no one else had ever given him. And then I destroyed it. I let him down.

I should have talked to him more, should’ve forced myself to try a little harder to save... whatever it was we had. But I was lazy. I was ignorant. I took the path of least resistance—and Neji paid the price.

I don’t know if things would’ve turned out differently if I’d just tried a bit harder. I’m sorry, and I know there’s no way I can ever make it right. But please… keep this to yourself. Temari doesn’t know about any of this. I’m trying to carry it on my own for now.

Thank you… for telling me what you did."

With that, he stood up and held out the pouch to her. Tenten took it hesitantly, then opened it. She pulled out the charm—shaped like a wolf—and the picture Lord Arisugawa had given them as a thank-you gift. She stared at the photograph for a long moment and ran her finger silently across Neji’s face. Then she looked up at Shikamaru, confused.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Neji gave me that charm. I figured I’d give it to you… I don’t deserve to keep it."

Tenten examined the wolf more closely, then shook her head. "He gave it to you. He wanted you to have it."

She placed both items back into the pouch and tossed it back to him.

"I still have the photo from that mission. You keep this one.
I know Neji still means something to you—I can feel it. Because it‘s the same for me.
And don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. I don’t want people speaking badly about him."

Shikamaru nodded and thanked her again. Then he left the house.