Back home after training, Shikage's head was still fuzzy from exhaustion, but his eyes immediately locked onto the fat red envelope sitting on the low table.
He walked over, picked it up, and gave it a quick heft—at least 100,000 ryo.
The source was obvious.
Shikage smiled faintly.
"The old man's not half bad."
"Just wonder where he hid the cash this time."
"Mom finds out, he's gonna catch hell."
In his previous life he'd had no mother and grew up getting beaten by his father. Whenever the loneliness hit too hard, manga had been his only escape.
So he felt zero resentment about being reincarnated here.
If anything, being born into the Nara clan felt like winning the lottery.
Parents who were reasonable and loved their family.
A little brother who was sensible, obedient, and sharp as a tack.
Life didn't get any better than this.
A warm feeling spread through his chest. He decided to reward himself for the night.
He pulled out the Scroll of Seals and started studying Impure World Reincarnation.
Even if his parents died someday, he could always drag them back out of the dirt.
...
Ever since returning home, Shikage had settled into a simple three-point routine: eat, train, sleep.
Before he knew it, a full week had passed.
He'd only gained one level—the beasts in the Naka River forest were basically extinct thanks to his shadow clones.
The daily quest attribute points, on the other hand, kept rolling in and pushed his strength up another notch.
He had noticed, though, that attribute points were starting to lose some punch.
Made sense. Points were fixed. People weren't.
The same boost that felt huge for a mid-chūnin was just okay for someone knocking on jōnin's door.
Still, Shikage wasn't greedy. He actually loved the steady, reliable feeling of getting stronger.
Luck stayed true to form.
The random box gave him nothing good—only a storage scroll useful for everyday junk.
Peaceful, fulfilling days. That was Nara clan life.
Shikage knew it wouldn't last forever.
He just hadn't expected it to end this soon.
While he was sunbathing at the training ground, a hospital messenger arrived.
Face grim, he headed to Konoha Hospital. From a distance he could already see his parents standing outside a patient room.
He walked up and asked calmly.
"Dad, how bad is Shikamaru's injury?"
Nara Shikaku was smoking—a rare sight.
"He's okay. Just a broken arm."
Yoshino's eyes were red. The usually strict mother snapped.
"Just?"
"It's a comminuted fracture!"
"If it doesn't heal right he could have permanent damage!"
"That's career-ending for a shinobi!"
Shikaku frowned and stayed silent.
Shikage first calmed his upset mother, then stepped into the room. He looked at Shikamaru's arm wrapped thick in bandages and teased.
"Well, look at that."
"No school for at least two weeks. Lucky you."
Shikamaru had expected his brother to be furious like their parents, so the light jab caught him off guard. He blinked, then grinned.
"Bro, I almost forgot."
"Two weeks off—Naruto's gonna be so jealous."
After a little small talk, Shikage pointed at the bandaged arm.
"Who did it?"
Shikamaru went quiet. Last time his brother said he'd "collect some interest," Nara Kizashi turned up dead a few days later.
He had no proof, but instinct told him it was connected.
So when Shikage asked, he hesitated.
But seeing the calm smile on his brother's face, Shikamaru finally answered.
"Nara…"
It took Shikage a second to place the name.
Same generation as Nara Kizashi, except this guy's "elder" wasn't his father—it was his older brother, Nara Shiozui.
A slightly younger member of the clan's rising stars, loyal to the Danzō faction.
Full jōnin, master of Shadow Binding and Imitation, aggressive personality, always pushing radical ideas.
His little brother—the one who shattered Shikamaru's arm—was in his fifth year at the Academy, graduating next year.
Spoiled, nasty temper.
Shikage had personally disciplined him multiple times back when he was still teaching.
"Guess I went too easy on him before."
Hearing Shikage mutter, Shikamaru guessed what he was thinking. He opened his mouth and whispered.
"Bro… don't go too hard on him."
"…But don't go too easy either."
Shikamaru hated trouble, but he wasn't afraid of it.
Even a lazy fish had pride. Getting beaten like this had lit a fire in his gut.
"Why'd he come after you?"
Shikage pressed.
"Uh…" Shikamaru scratched his head. "He was messing with Ino. I couldn't just watch."
"Heh. Got some balls after all." Shikage chuckled and lightly patted his brother's head.
"You did good. Rest up, heal properly, then get back to studying."
"The rest… leave it to me."
Shikage turned and left the room. The smile on his face vanished.
"No one should be allowed to bully others and walk away without paying the price."
Outside the room, Shikage looked at his father, eyes serious.
Shikaku read the look instantly. He said something to Yoshino, then followed Shikage up to the rooftop.
"Dad, call a clan meeting tomorrow."
Shikaku frowned.
"What are you planning?"
He knew exactly how smart his son was. Shikage had clearly realized Shikamaru's injury wasn't some random kid fight.
This was the Danzō faction inside the Nara clan putting pressure on him as clan head.
Calling a meeting right now carried obvious meaning.
He assumed Shikage wanted to use the clan's collective power to force Nara Shiozui to apologize.
That would be difficult.
The Nara weren't ruled by him alone. The Danzō faction had grown strong enough to have real say.
A child getting hurt—even if the child was the clan head's son—wouldn't be enough to swing the elders to his side.
More importantly, Shikaku already saw Nara Shiozui's real goal: using this to "avenge" Nara Suzaku.
Even without proof linking Suzaku's death to him, the Danzō faction all believed it.
If Nara Shiozui acted ruthless and strong enough, he'd win the support of most of the faction.
If Shikaku moved against him now, it would unite the entire Danzō side against the main branch—"You already killed one of us. You want to crush the next?"
Then he'd have to face Danzō's full pressure.
Shikaku was Hiruzen's trusted advisor, sure.
But he wasn't sure how far Hiruzen would go anymore. The old Third had lost the fire and decisiveness of his youth.
If Hiruzen backed down, the Nara clan might survive, but his own family…
Shikage's answer surprised him.
"Dad, you were right to worry before."
"I was being too naive."
"Against shinobi, fists are always faster than brains."
"Some idiots never think about consequences."
"Shinobi are like stray dogs. Give them food, water, a roof—they'll still bite you."
"But smack them with a stick a few times and they learn real quick."