Interlude - Shikamaru

Being a ninja was never really your dream. Honestly, lazing around and just enjoying things as they came was the closest thing to a "dream" that you had. Of course, your parents wouldn't have any of that. It was such a bother. Ninja or not, they wanted you to make something of yourself. Even if you were just a little kid, they knew you were smarter than average. Of course, they didn't t know how much smarter you were untill you'd outsmarted the grown-ups.

It was the first time you actually tried.

Genius.

Prodigy.

They called you so many things, yet those titles meant nothing to you. What you learned was that standing out had put a great deal of attention on you.

"We expect great things from you?"

"Do us proud!"

It was all so... bothersome and frustrating. Your days of lazing around and enjoying yourself vanished, leaving nothing but bookworm and studying. If it weren't for your parents, you'd likely still be doing that. They can be a bit of a drag at times, but in the end, you love them.

"We want what's best for you, Shika."

"Is all of this too much? If so, let us know."

The life of a responsible, disciplined, and charismatic prodigy was not one you wanted. So, knowing that your parents would love you no matter what, you took a match and burnt it all away. They called you lazy. They said you'd never amount to anything. They told you to straighten up or you'd end up like all the other dunderhead ninja running around.

In the end, they wanted a genius that would do everything for them, so you challenged them. A game of wits. It was extremely annoying, but if you didn't do something, everyone would keep badgering your parents. The Hokage signed off on it, and with him as your witness, you faced off against one of the Nara Clan's most wise members.

You'd like to say it was a close match... but it wasn't. Still, too great of a victory and you'd just expedite the issue. Thus, the story of Shikamaru Nara's victory won by the skin of his teeth became the truth. You just wanted a simple life, so, in the end, you settled for the life of a ninja. It was what your parents chose, and honestly, having shadows at your beck and call did sound kinda cool.

School was boring at first. The lessons were simple and you picked them up without issue. As the days passed, you found entertainment in watching your peers. They all had little quirks, but none were as interesting as one Sasuke Uchiha. Supposedly, he was another "genius," yet he didn't act like it. Rather than learn, it was as if he already knew half the things being taught.

You'd keep an eye on him, you thought to yourself. It was sure to keep the boredom at bay.

Eventually, you found a friend in Choji. He kept his emotions on his sleeve, and always carried around good snacks. As time passed, Sasuke himself became a friend. He was a friend to everyone and coupled with his odd behaviour, you got curious.

He looked at everyone as if they were children and he wasn't. The simplest of games bored him, but not the same way they bored you. You didn't find them mentally stimulating enough, but it seemed he saw them beneath him. And then there were his eyes. You'd never seen eyes like that on any other kid.

The more time you spent around him, the more you realized that Uchiha Sasuke was no child. There were childish sides to him, but the way he walked, talked, and interacted with the world reminded you of an adult. It was just a theory, but you suspected he might be an adult. Clearly, no one else noticed. Was it just you? Had he always been like that?

With nothing else to do, you went about investigating. It's surprising what people will tell a kid they don't think much of. Either way, It seemed he'd always been a bit odd, even from the day he was born. A part of you considered pointing this out to an adult, but something stopped you.

Surprisingly, for someone that was supposed to be an adult, Sasuke wasn't exactly the most confident of people. Quite a few things scared him, yet time and time again, he'd step forward if it meant helping his friends. Whether it was defending someone from older students or walking into a dirty bathroom, he'd still do it. The turning point must have been when you, Choji, and he stepped into the Hokage tower.

It was no secret that he was terrified of the man. No one wouldn't have blamed him if he changed his mind or went to find someone else. It would have been the easy answer, yet he stepped forward, scared and all. It seemed your friendship really mattered to him and that he'd gladly face his fears to help out a friend.

Someone like that couldn't be a bad person, you figured.

Sasuke was a true friend, and you'd take this theory of yours to the grave.

For, it was not he who charged headlong into combat without fear that was brave; It was he who raised his sword for his friends, fear in his heart, that was truly brave.