Chapter18: A Gentle Heart

The golden glow of the late afternoon sun spilled across the Academy courtyard, casting long, dreamy shadows beneath the trees. Most students had gone home, the clamor of the day fading into gentle rustling leaves and the distant clinking of wind chimes from a nearby shop.

At the far side of the yard, Shikamaru and Choji lounged under a tree—Shikamaru half-dozing with arms behind his head, Choji crunching on dumplings like each bite was sacred.

"Mmm... this one's got extra sesame," Choji mumbled, cheeks puffed with food.

Shikamaru sighed. "Peace and snacks. The only way to end a troublesome day."

But then—

"You think you're better than us? Just because you're a Hyūga?"

That voice—sharp, cruel—cut through the quiet like a blade. Shikamaru's eyes flicked open.

Down by the corner of the building, three older boys had surrounded Hinata. One jabbed a finger at her chest.

"My cousin got hit by someone from your clan. Bet it was you."

"Spying freak," another sneered. "Those eyes give me the creeps."

The third one bent down and picked up a jagged stone. "Let's see if they help you dodge this!"

Hinata didn't speak. She just trembled. Her knees buckled slightly as she ducked her head, arms barely raised.

Choji paused mid-chew. "Hey, Shikamaru—"

But Shikamaru was already standing.

Shadow rippled at his feet like a living thing.

Before the stone could fly, Shikamaru's hand flicked.

"Shadow Possession: Snap Bind."

The bully's arm jerked—then launched the rock in a completely different direction. Thunk! It slammed into the forehead of the kid standing beside him, who staggered and fell with a yelp.

"OW! What the—?!"

Before anyone could react, Shikamaru was moving. His shadow darted forward like a serpent. With effortless precision, beneath the second bully's feet, forcing him to stumble sideways—straight into a low punch to the gut. He folded like laundry.

The third one barely turned before Shikamaru's fist cracked across his jaw. Three seconds. Three bodies down.

Hinata's eyes widened.

Shikamaru stood in front of her, arms slightly spread. His usual lazy expression was gone, replaced by something unreadable. Calm. Cold. Dangerous.

One of the bullies groaned. "Y-you're just an academy student… I'm a genin…"

"Yeah?" Shikamaru said flatly. "And you just tried to attack a Hyūga heir, in public, in front of witnesses."

The boy's face paled.

"Go ahead," Shikamaru added. "Report me. See how long your shinobi career lasts once the clan elders hear about this."

That did it.

They scrambled up and ran.

…Or tried to.

From the rooftop above, watching in gleeful silence, sat the true audience: Kiba, Shino, and Choji, all crouched like theatre critics on break.

"There it is," Kiba grinned. "Knew he'd go full Nara on 'em."

"Spectacular," Shino said with uncharacteristic appreciation.

The bullies didn't get far. As they tried to run.

BAM! Kiba dropped like a wolf out of the sky, body-checking one into the dirt.

SNAP! Choji's arms moved in a blur. He wrapped around another mid-run, flipping him into a headlock while still holding his snack pouch.

Shino didn't even leave the roof. His kikaichū buzzed down in a silent swarm, surrounding the third boy in a pulsating halo of fear. The boy froze mid-step, eyes wide.

Moments later, the scene had transformed.

The three groaning bullies were now furniture.

Kiba sat cross-legged on one's back like a nobleman on a throne.

Choji perched on another's stomach, using his shoulders as a snack table.

Shino placed one leg on the last one's back like a footrest, as if it were a perfectly ordinary stool.

"Don't move," Kiba warned, popping open a chip bag. "You squeak, and I swear I'll let Akamaru chew your pants."

One bully whimpered.

The other tried to mumble.

THWACK! Shino kicked him lightly with perfect timing.

"Silence. The show's reaching its emotional climax."

Down below, Shikamaru had turned to Hinata, who was still trembling, hands clutched near her chest.

"…Are you crazy?" he muttered, exasperated. "You could've fought back! They weren't even strong."

Hinata tried to speak but only managed a whisper.

"I-I didn't want to… hurt anyone."

Shikamaru groaned and rubbed his forehead.

"You ducked your head, Hinata. They were about to throw stone at you."

Tears welled in her eyes again, and she looked away. He stared for a moment, then let out a sigh and crouched slightly.

"I didn't mean to yell," he muttered. "It just… ticked me off, okay?"

Hinata looked up, surprised.

"Usually, you glare at me with those Byakugan eyes like you wanna kill me while playing uno. Why not them?"

She blinked.

"My mother always told me to be gentle… and kind."

Shikamaru's face softened. "Being kind is good. But being too gentle is like saying 'go ahead and walk all over me.' Your mom wouldn't want that either."

She sniffled.

"What if it wasn't you? What if it was someone else tomorrow? Someone you care about? Would you still just… stand there?"

"…No!" Hinata blurted, eyes wide.

He smirked.

"Good. Then next time someone tries that crap, you don't duck. You stare them down. Like you do to me during surprise tests."

Hinata laughed. Just a little. But it was real.

She didn't notice the gallery—until Choji wiped a tear and whispered, "So moving…"

Kiba tossed a chip in his mouth. "This is peak cinema. Drama. Romance. Redemption."

Shino nodded. "I give it five stars."

When Hinata turned and saw them—and what they were sitting on—her face turned the color of a tomato.

Shikamaru looked too—and groaned.

"…They're sitting on people. Why are they sitting on people?!"

Just then, Naruto and Ino strolled around the corner.

"Hey, what's going on?" Naruto asked, blinking at the tableau.

"Bro," Kiba said solemnly, "You missed the greatest story arc in academy history."

Ino's eyes found Hinata and Shikamaru—one red-faced, the other slouched and silently begging the ground to open up.

"Oooooooh?" she said, smirking. "Did we interrupt a moment?"

Naruto looked from the chairs, to the crying bullies, to the chip-eating trio, to the blushing Hyūga.

"Wait. Was this… a date?"

"NO!" both Shikamaru and Hinata blurted at once, faces redder than a fire jutsu.

Kiba grinned. "Let's call it what it is—Shikamaru Nara: The Lazy Genius and the Secret Princess."

He dramatically scribbled the title on a chip wrapper.

Shino nodded. "It will be remembered."

Chapter end....