Claud didn't remember exactly when he had lost consciousness or how he had ended up in this situation.
It could have happened between the third dubious cosplay video and the moment his external hard drive started heating up like a nuclear power plant.
Yet... that's not the most urgent matter right now.
After he clicked, scrolled, clicked again in a vicious and addictive cycle...
He had laughed... Yes, just laughed.
However, this laugh turned into a disaster.
Why?
Total blackout.
Claud probably experienced some kind of stroke-like crisis or something similar, and unfortunately, he didn't survive.
He suspects that it was related to his poor diet and lack of proper physical activity.
In the end, he didn't have a heroic or peaceful death surrounded by family, but just a sudden death in front of the blue light of his screen.
There was no ritual summoning or divine encounter, just him bleeding out on his keyboard.
When Claud reopened his eyes, he was lying on a Japanese futon, with a ridiculously well-folded blanket on his legs.
The ceiling was wooden, with Japanese-style beams, a detail that couldn't escape an otaku like him.
"What the hell is happening to me?"
Claud's current brain was thinking fast... No, the word "fast" would be an understatement. He felt like he had been using a 90s computer all his life and suddenly upgraded to a gaming PC.
It's thanks to this that he was able to sum up the situation so quickly and effectively.
— Hmm...
When he was about to get up from the futon, a strange moan was emitted from the neighboring futon.
"Fuck..."
A curse came out naturally as he observed the magnificent, but also terrifying, view in front of him.
Temari Nara, his wife and mother of his only son.
He got the information suddenly in his mind, and that was a trigger for what followed.
'Damn, I'm screwed!!!'
Claud... no, rather Shikamaru had completely realized his delicate situation.
He had transmigrated into the body of a jōnin ninja, who participated in the 4th Ninja War and who became the closest advisor to the current Hokage.
"Why Boruto of all things!!!"
He couldn't help massaging his temples to relax a bit because of the sudden stress.
'Calm down, you have to try to see the positive side.'
His life as Claud wasn't brilliant; he had an ordinary job and weekends either with friends or alone in front of his computer.
He wasn't an only child, so he didn't worry too much about his parents.
'Adrien was always better than me anyway, and he had a more in-tune relationship with my parents.'
In truth, his only real friend was Damien, who happened to be his younger brother Adrien's best friend.
The two men had similar tastes.
'Yeah, I'll continue as Shikamaru.'
Unlike on Earth, he had a good job and a wife he could only dream of back then.
'My only real concern is the Otsutsuki, but it's Boruto's job to deal with them.'
Finally, he mentally concluded that his priority was his survival, and secondarily, his new family.
As for the village... it was never completely destroyed anyway, so why get white hair thinking about uncontrollable things?
"Shikamaru..." After finishing his mental introspection and small planning, Shikamaru felt arms embracing him from behind.
Temari's tired voice resonated behind him.
"Uh... yes." Unconsciously, Shikamaru's nervous attitude in front of his wife took over.
'Idiot, a waifu is hugging you and you get shivers?'
"Aren't you sleeping?"
Turning around, he saw Temari observing him, clearly worried.
'Shit, I've made a blunder.'
According to his memory, Shikamaru is a heavy sleeper, and it's extremely rare to see him up at late hours.
Usually, it's when he's worried about something that's nagging at his mind.
"Sorry Temari... I was just thinking about me and... us," he said, as he turned around and took his wife in his arms.
'Sorry Shikamaru, but I'm not a coward...'
He didn't finish this thought because he received a blow from Temari and passed out directly.
"Oops, that came out on its own."
Unfortunately for Shikamaru, he wasn't dealing with a shy Hinata but with an aggressive tsundere.
'It's also his fault for saying such things late at night.'
After laying Shikamaru properly on his futon, Temari slipped inside and fell asleep embracing her husband.
The crime scene had been perfectly cleaned up.
....
'My head... I remember hugging Temari, then... blackout.'
He didn't investigate this strange phenomenon further, because according to the original Shikamaru's memory, this happens often when Temari is around.
He just needs to get used to it or stop being romantic with her.
Of course, the latter option is impossible from Shikamaru's point of view.
"Good morning, dad."
Leaving his futon, he met his son in this life.
'Knowing it and seeing it are really two different things.'
Hearing the word 'dad' sent shivers down Shikamaru's spine, but he had to quickly get used to Shikadai's way of addressing him.
"I see you're up early."
He unconsciously nodded with satisfaction, but his son's reaction was unexpected.
"Uh... you're the one who's late."
Following his gaze, he observed the time on the wall.
"...Damn."
"No big deal, Naruto will manage."
"Honey~."
As he was naturally picking up a bowl of rice and chopsticks, Temari placed her hand on his shoulder and gave him a 'tender' smile.
"Can I at least eat before??"
Temari's eyes left no room for negotiation.
In the end, he found himself on the street after a quick shower, dressed in clothes prepared by his wife.
'Stupid fanfic, I thought I could have the R18 directly if I reincarnated as a married man.'
On the way to the Hokage's office, he couldn't help mentally complaining about his authoritarian wife.
Yet, he didn't notice the tender smile on his face as he looked at the takeaway food prepared by her.
"I'll tolerate this… for the moment."
Thanks to the speed of a jōnin-level ninja, Shikamaru made it to Naruto's office in less than ten minutes.
"Send help…"