Strength is not how hard you punch

It has been years, I came to konoha and became Shikamaru, but still I remember it like it was yesterday.

I have been training at home for 4 years now, I have almost stabilized my body, and medic nin have forecasted for me to reach normal health within six months, I have lived the most monotonous life during this period.

I have not needed monitoring for my regular exercises, other than for Akimichi clans physical training. Dad has been very busy and declared me an prodigy with shadow control and Nara Yin Chakra Techniques. I may or may not have created my own custom shadow jutsu, which is more of Yin chakra nature transformation without hand signs, no name coined for it. I have avoided naming it and asked dad too to refrain from naming this in documentation and this was achieved using exhaustive shadow training.

The less is known about my technique the better it is, recently I have been hearing a lot of grumbling in the village. This is due to around last year uchiha massacre happened.

What I did for uchiha's, I had zero contact with them, I tried to create a connection with a few kids of uchiha clan whom I rarely saw in markets or during my runs but was rebuffed for my efforts. This has been bad for doing any good for them, as they were very arrogant and rude. Finally I was able to find someone, a girl who became a lynchpin to my plan.

During my regular checkups at konoha hospital, I finally made a breakthrough with the uchiha clan, there I met Izumi uchiha, she was volunteering and helping medic nin. I found her very different from uchiha in general, she had a gentle temperament and was easy to approach. During my checkup I was able to make some connections with her using my health as a tool for emotional bridge between us. She felt the need to cheer me up.

We formed a bond of friendship over the period of my monthly visits to konoha hospital. And I invited her home, went to her place. We became good friends at least I felt, maybe she saw me as a pitiful lonely junior, who cares. During the period when I came to know of uchiha shisui's death, I was alarmed because I always felt I had a lot of time to fix this issue, and everything will be alright with my intervention. I tried my best later on, but things escalated too quickly to fix anything on a large scale with the uchiha massacre. I was only able to think of one way to reduce the risk to myself by doing nothing. But my conscience was eating me. I cannot let my friend die for the mistake and greed of others.

On the evening of the massacre I arranged a party and called Izumi and a few other uchiha's whom Izumi was able to persuade to attend. The party was not known to anyone other than me and mom, even dad was in the dark. As evening arrived after the festival many uchiha children and a few of their mothers and grandmother's arrived at my house. With guests came scrutiny of anbu and root ninja's shadowing these people. There were 7 children including Izumi and 4 adults in the guests, mother cleverly arranged for few other people from erstwhile Senju clan who have married into other families or were civilians to come and made the theme of party founding member clan reunion. This was a conscious decision from my side and mom was not aware why I have involved the Nara clan but she was very happy with this party. And then just as people wanted to go back we started a bonfire and elders started telling stories of the past. This led to a very fun atmosphere, even the uchiha children were very happy to feel involved. I have called dad at an evening party with his friends, later giving them reasons to let the guests feel comfortable before coming of jonin commander. Once my dad reached home, I sighed in relief. As my planning would have backfired if somehow Root or Itachi, worse Obito would have come knocking at my house. As people were preparing to go back. An anbu came and whispered something to dad, after which my dad declared that the village was in an emergency. And guests have to wait till the matter is cleared. After a few hours I saw the third hokage and his advisor, Homura, talking to my dad at the entrance of our home. Later they called all the Uchiha and disclosed the massacre. People were hysterical, the grandmother of some kid who was laughing and telling us funny anecdotes of the past almost died of heartache. I could only sympathize with her, as I had done the most I could.

Izumi was in shock when she came to know that her crush was the murderer of her mother, which almost destroyed her psyche but the silver lining of this incident was that Izumi opened three tomoe sharingan. Hokage offered for people to stay in hospital for tonight till the clan compound is cleared and even offered a new building in the central district just for uchiha as a compensation for his guilt.

With this single action of throwing a party for the most hated people in Konoha, I have shown strength of character, I am not saying this. But it was said to me by none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi. Also my mother was applauded for her effort for trying to bring old clans together for such an event.