Shikamaru actually felt quite attached to his time at the Ninja Academy. His classmates hadn't yet faced the dark and calculating side of being a ninja. Every day, he was learning new things, and the chakra system, completely different from his previous life's knowledge, fascinated him.
After turning ten, his body began to grow quickly. The foundations he'd laid and his unwavering training gave him the illusion of making progress every day. The feeling of effort being directly rewarded with power became addicting, much like a drug. Time didn't stand still, though, and even if he was reluctant to part with it, things couldn't be reversed by personal will. Before he knew it, the academy's graduation exam was fast approaching, though in reality, the exam was more symbolic than anything else.
Unlike the many schools Shikamaru had attended in his previous life, where students learned for the sake of exams and credits, the Ninja Academy's true mission was to ensure the future of Konoha's ninjas, preparing them to survive and grow in future wars. Therefore, frequent, strict tests were held. If a student failed the same test three times, they would be demoted and forced to retake it. In the original story, the actual graduation exam was conducted by the Jonin assigned to the students. Apart from a slight change in the order, the graduation ceremony remained unchanged. Shikamaru doubted the authenticity of the book Naruto stole in the original, as even if it were real, it was undoubtedly under Sarutobi Hiruzen's watchful eye. If Water and Naruto's reckless duo could so easily steal the scroll, Konoha wouldn't deserve to be called one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. Nevertheless, this did mark the beginning of the plot unfolding.
Though Shikamaru had consistently ranked first at the academy, the curriculum only covered the basics of being a ninja.
While his father, Nara Shikaku, along with Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza formed the "Ino-Shika-Cho" trio, their combined strength couldn't change the fact that the Nara clan's unique techniques were best used when coordinating with others. This limitation would become evident as he grew.
Both Nara Shikaku and Nara Yoshino were aware that becoming a Genin in peacetime would only be the first step. The real tests lay ahead.
After a hearty dinner, which was meant to celebrate Shikamaru's graduation from the academy, there was no extravagant celebration or enthusiastic encouragement from his parents, but Shikamaru, familiar with the original story, understood their moods and wasn't upset by their behavior.
After dinner, it was time for his daily training, which was as routine as ever.
It wasn't advisable to engage in strenuous exercise right after eating, so Shikamaru began by practicing hand seals—a process that had no shortcuts, requiring constant repetition and familiarity. He paid extra attention to preserving his hands, especially his joints, since they were still young and delicate. If one didn't approach training carefully, like Lee did, overloading the body with intense physical training at a young age could lead to injuries, which would cause lasting damage. Shikamaru's future path wouldn't be as one-dimensional as Lee's; his focus would be on ninjutsu as much as taijutsu, so he couldn't afford to be careless.
The hand-seal system was the foundation of ninjutsu, not something that could be mastered easily. Shikamaru's current goal was to get the seals down and eventually practice combining them with chakra, even during movement or while distracted, so he could use ninjutsu smoothly.
After practicing hand seals, Shikamaru moved on to the chakra tree-climbing method. This wasn't easy at all. Apart from mastering chakra control, the act of moving horizontally on a tree was a challenge for his entire body.
In particular, if he hoped to replicate Kakashi's seemingly casual attitude in the original, mastering the first two steps was key. These actions required careful adjustments of chakra usage and shifting his weight—once that was done, the rest was straightforward. Ninja techniques and chakra were far from simple or shallow; they were mystical and part of a mature and profound system.
As the evening grew darker, Shikamaru ended his training and returned home. The training wasn't overly difficult, given his physical condition and chakra reserves, but it was monotonous. His peers, still children with restless spirits, found it hard to sit still and repeat such dull exercises. But once they matured, they would understand that this monotonous training was essential. A ninja's iron-willed determination wasn't formed from sudden emotional swings like "life-or-death" moments. It was forged through enduring mental monotony and physical exhaustion over time, gradually creating their own "nindo" (ninja way). Chakra was a blend of spiritual and physical energy, and each ninja had their own personal nindo, formed by the aggregation of their will and spirit.
After washing up, Shikamaru lay on his bed, reflecting on the upcoming assessment by Asuma. He suspected it might be similar to Kakashi's approach in the original, though the chances of that were slim. Konoha, with its long-established traditions, surely had more than one way to evaluate Genin. Each Jonin had their own preferences and methods. Kakashi's approach could be described as lazy and simplistic, using a bento to test teamwork—something that amused Shikamaru.
"That Water... what an overconfident idiot," Shikamaru muttered to himself. "If it weren't for Iruka, you'd have been the direct cause of Dark Naruto."
Tonight was the night Naruto would first experience being acknowledged by someone, a pivotal turning point in his life. Shikamaru reflected on how Naruto, betrayed by those he trusted, would find someone who would accept him, and how his persistence in seeking others' recognition would finally pay off.
"Destined child, I hope you don't end up on the opposite side of me... Otherwise, you'll meet an early demise..."
The next morning, Shikamaru had already prepared his outfit. He reluctantly wore the signature hairstyle of the Nara clan, the distinctive ponytail, and donned a black high-neck shirt and blue cropped pants. He checked his ninja tool pouch—essential tools that required careful preparation—before leaving the house after saying goodbye to his parents.
The previous day, the graduates had been informed to return to the academy for grouping. Shikamaru and a few close friends agreed to meet up and head to school together, not wanting to be late.
After waiting for about five or six minutes, Choji, Ino, Kiba, and Shino arrived, and the five of them walked to school together, their new Konoha headbands proudly displayed on their foreheads, all looking quite pleased with themselves.
"Kiba, do you think the three of us will be put in the same group?" Kiba asked while pointing at Shino. Kiba had always looked down on Choji, who was always eating, but felt more comfortable with Shikamaru and Shino, who were better at academics and had a more compatible personality.
"This is impossible," Shikamaru answered before Shino could reply. "The Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans have long-standing ties. Since your parents are part of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, it's unlikely they'd separate us."
Hearing this, Kiba looked at Ino and Choji, noticing their expressions of disdain. He hadn't expected to ask such an ignorant question.
"Though, Kiba, there's still a good chance you'll be put with Shino," Shikamaru added, reassuring him. "You're good at taijutsu, but your theoretical knowledge isn't great. Shino and Ino are the opposite. You're impulsive, and Shino is calm, so if you two are grouped together, you'd balance each other out. The academy would probably notice that."
"Really? I hadn't thought about that," Kiba said, looking slightly embarrassed. Shino, who had been quiet until now, glanced at Shikamaru with a bit of surprise.
The walk to school wasn't long, and they quickly arrived. As expected, they found Naruto proudly showing off his new headband. He seemed full of ambition, looking like he was ready to conquer the world.
At this point, the plot hadn't diverged much.
As in the original, Iruka gave a brief speech, then began grouping the students. As Shikamaru had predicted, even though he had been first in school, he was grouped with Ino and Choji. No one was foolish enough to separate the new Ino-Shika-Cho trio.
Naruto and Sasuke were grouped together. Having Kakashi, one of the strongest Jonin, as their leader was the perfect fit, as he would mentor both the Jinchuriki Naruto and the Sharingan-wielding Sasuke.
Asuma Sarutobi, though having a laid-back and somewhat careless demeanor, was still a reliable leader compared to Kakashi. He didn't make the trio wait long before leading them to the school's rooftop.
"From today on, I will be the instructor for your squad. My name is Asuma Sarutobi, but you can just call me Asuma-sensei." Asuma introduced himself briefly, maintaining the same features as the Third Hokage, but his scruffy appearance and relaxed manner might make him seem untrustworthy to the younger students like Ino. As he prepared to light a cigarette, Ino shot him a glaring look, causing Asuma to smile wryly. He merely held the cigarette in his mouth without lighting it and continued, "I enjoy smoking, and I hate places where I can't. My goal is to defeat everyone in the village using Shogi. Now, it's your turn to introduce yourselves."
He motioned toward Shikamaru, the group's leader, with a friendly gesture.
Unlike the lazy Shikamaru of the original, the current Shikamaru had become the core of the new Ino-Shika-Cho trio, a fact that Asuma, a Jonin, quickly noticed.
"I'm Nara Shikamaru, I like to think, and I hate noise. My dream is..." Shikamaru paused and said, "My dream is to become a great ninja who can protect Konoha." There was no need to mention Hokage like Naruto did, stirring up unnecessary resistance. After all, a Hokage was also a great ninja who protected Konoha.
Ino and Choji then introduced themselves.
"Today, I'll give you the day to get to know each other and build camaraderie. Tomorrow at 9 AM, bring your ninja tools and meet at the gate. I'll test you," Asuma announced before walking off, ignoring Ino's raised hand for more details.
"What does this test mean? Why didn't Asuma-sensei explain anything?" Ino muttered, dissatisfied.
"The clone jutsu has been tested many times before, don't you think it's too simple?" Shikamaru replied flatly.
"Yeah, I thought it was strange too. I stayed up all night worrying about it," Choji added.
"If the academy only judged whether you could use jutsu to determine if you were ready to be a Genin, that would be too irresponsible," Shikamaru continued. "The real test is definitely tomorrow. We need to be mentally prepared."
Ino and Choji nodded solemnly, their faces serious.