Chapter 3 : A Plan

"Huff... huffff. Finally, I caught you damn rabb.... Rabbit," Shikamaru said as he was holding a white rabbit in his hands.

It was much much harder to catch this rabbit. It's Fast and agile, but above anything, it can do illusion.

All the time he thought that he caught the summon, he found himself phasing through the rabbit, finding that all this time he was chasing an illusion. Sometimes it turned into a ball or a cat to run away from him. Overall, this rabbit has zero battle power but it's really good at distracting. 

[First Summon Shadow Rabbit.]

It's good for distraction and camouflage. No matter how much he tried, there was no way for him to catch it.

Ultimately he had to devise a plan and use his shadow technique to to catch it.

"So, what I am supposed to do now, kill you to make a contract with you ?" Shikamaru asked in confusion. 

"Chip chip," the rabbit sounded and then suddenly turned into a shadow. And then it vanish like it never existed there before.

[Ding, congratulations on taming First Summon Illusion Rabbit] 

"That it," Shikamaru thought and then made a hand gesture with both of his hands, it was the exact gesture shown in the scroll. 

And just like before his shadow extended and a white rabbit appeared out of nowhere. But this time around, the rabbit was not running away, it was not avoiding him. He also wanted to know how many of these little guys he could summon, unfortunately only one.

According to the scroll, it very much depends on the Shikigami how many he can summon, what will there size will be or whether he can merge them with other shikigami.

Slowly extending his hand, he tried to touch the rabbit and to his surprise, like acting on his own thoughts the rabbit leaned forward and patted himself on his hand.

"Cool," he muttered with a sense of accomplishment.

According to the scroll, he can give mental commands to the rabbit, so he does. And the rabbit moved just like he wanted to, it's not exactly how he wanted to but it worked nonetheless.

----

After resting for a while, Shikamaru finally decided to take a walk. This was his way of re-learning the village. And while he was doing that, he was also making a plan for himself.

'Considering that from the graduation to the chunin exam, there are 6 months. I currently have only 7 months to prepare myself. If the finals of the chunin exam are considered then 8.

There is no way that I can increase my taijutsu in just under 7 months. Shikamaru was never the physical kind of a character. And today I just saw myself as I have to run behind that damn rabbit, that my physical condition is not even as good as normal academy students.

I can't even complain about it being unfair, Shikamaru or I to be exact, hardly do any physical exercise. This is a weakness, I need to fix this. 

Now I'm not becoming a Rock Lee or Might Guy any time soon, but I can at least improve in the next 7 months so that it doesn't hold me down. If I can handle myself against someone like Kiba in a pure hand-to-hand fight and stamina, then maybe I will consider it a success, but aiming high, let's make the goal to defeat Naruto in pure Taijutsu. Always aim high right ' He thought and mentally made a physical exercise routine which he will be doing from now on.

It was nothing excessive but this exercise at least will fix his out-of-the-shape body. 

And then there is the real arsenal of Shikamaru. Chakra, Shadow technique and his mind.

'Let me add some chakra control exercise to my routine. Start with a leaf sticking to water and tree walking. I also need to improve my chakra if possible, so I should give more time to chakra control and empty out my reserves to expand them.

And lastly is the Ninjutsu technique. I don't have any offensive technique right now. This is the biggest problem. Shikamaru from the beginning never had any powerful attack under his belt. ' 

"I'm not a frontal attack kind of a character anyways, but I have to have something which can give me an edge, besides my ten-shadow technique," Shikamaru said while raising his hand. Looking at his own palm he thought.

"Rasengan," 

" I might only have enough chakra to pull off 1 or maybe 2 but that's fine. That will give me an edge. And I can also add a sword with a short blade to my arsenal. I don't need to be a frontal assault guy. I don't have that kind of power anyway. But I can play Assassin. And that with my Ten Shadows. I can do it, for sure.

If I want to live in this dangerous world then I have to get stronger. Ten Shadow would have been enough if only I didn't know what the future holds for the shinobi world. And although Sasuke and Naruto did save the world in the anime, at what cost and what if they fail this time around becuase of my interference? I even if I try can't replicate the footprints of the original Shikmaru. So the story is gonna change one way or another.

I shouldn't compare myself with monsters like Madara or Ten Tails, hell not even someone like Naruto or Sasuke. I can't beat them, maybe the 10th summon can but I can't. No, I rather think about how to stop from from appearing. Yes, I can't play the game like Sasuke or Naruto. No, rather I have to act like a real Ninja. From the shadows. That's the only way for me." He said to himself and then finally reached home.

Upon entering his house, he saw his father sitting there, a cigarette in his mouth while looking much like his adult version which he remembered from the Boruto era.

'With my actions plan for the next 6 or 7 months. I will be changing how Shikamaru act, there is no way that Shikaku Nara, the best mind in Konoha right now doesn't realise what I am up to.

It will be better to explain myself beforehand and get him to train me.' Thinking this, Shikamaru's mind started to work and then he approached his father.

"Father, mind a shogi match with me,".

----

"You have gotten better," Shikaku said.

"Nah, just putting more effort today,"

"Why ?"

"So that you know that it's me," 

"Huh, and why do I need to know that ?" 

"Because I am putting effort...

No more like I wanted to put more effort from today onwards," 

Shikaku's eyes narrowed, trying to understand what his son was thinking. He saw Shikamaru acting different, more active. He noticed it by just how he came late today and the sweat and dirt was on his body.

He didn't doubt his son being an imposter but here he was, his own son clearing out that he is not. There are not many people who can play shogi like him and his son, and there are certainly not many who can perfectly replicate how his son plays shogi.

So there is no doubt that he is his son. But then why suddenly he is putting in the effort? Or is he under a genjutsu?

No there was no way that he didn't see a chakra disturbance in Shikamaru from his close. There is no genjutsu.

"And why are you putting effort," Shikaku asked but still in his nonchalant tone.

"Becuase I want to get stronger," Shikamaru said with casual lazy eyes but there was resolve in his voice. There was power and determination behind in voice.

Shikaku was taken aback, even forgetting to move his next piece in the game. 

Now he finally started to ponder, what was happening, what was going on with his son.

"Why ?" He again asked with the same nonchalant voice but Shikamaru noticed that it was deeper.

"Because I want to be ready, it is better to shed blood in the training ground than to on a battlefield," Shikamaru was being honest. Shikaku could see in his eyes.

"Okay, let's train then after dinner," Shikaku just said and then checked mate Shikamaru with one move.

"Oh, that was a nasty move," 

xxx

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