Although the Nine-Tails was immensely powerful, destroying Konohagakure—the strongest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages and protected by two generations of Hokage—was still beyond its reach. Nonetheless, the Fourth Hokage's sacrifice greatly preserved the lives of the village's shinobi and civilians.
Without question, the Fourth Hokage was a hero. Even though the Nine-Tails appeared due to his wife's childbirth, no one could bring themselves to resent the young man who held such immense charisma and prestige. His death left no room for blame—only sorrow.
The Yellow Flash had always been the pride of the Hidden Leaf Village.
After a period of mourning and damage assessment, Namikaze Minato's funeral was held on the fourth morning beneath the Hokage Rock.
In this war-torn world, death was commonplace. Funerals weren't as elaborate as those on Shikamaru's previous Earth. Even though a village leader had died, the arrangements were only slightly more formal. That morning, mourners clad in black quietly made their way to the ceremony. Whether shinobi or villager, no one spoke. At most, a silent nod acknowledged an acquaintance. A heavy silence blanketed the village—not only mourning a respected leader, but also facing the harsh reality of Konoha's current vulnerability.
Not long ago, Konoha stood unrivaled in the ninja world, home to the Legendary Sannin, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Minato Namikaze. Even in continuous war with other great nations, it had never faltered. But now, the Sannin had left, the Third Hokage was aging, and the Fourth had perished. Konoha had never seemed weaker, and those who understood this were deeply uneasy.
All villagers not on duty or assigned missions came to the funeral. Nara Shikaku arrived with his wife and young son, all dressed in black. Unlike Shikamaru's brand-new formal attire, his parents' funeral clothes had clearly been worn before—a grim reminder of life as a shinobi in an age of chaos.
The weather grew gloomy as they reached the ceremonial grounds—even without rain, the air felt heavy.
Held in his mother Yoshino's arms, young Shikamaru silently stared at the photo of the Fourth Hokage.
In the picture, Minato was young and handsome, his gentle smile hiding unwavering determination and faith in his ideals.
"To rise as Fourth Hokage despite the Sannin still being in the village... What kind of prestige and personal charm did that take? A man who mastered time-space ninjutsu at such a young age... What if he had reached his full potential?" Shikamaru pondered. He glanced at the sleeping blond boy in Hiruzen's arms not far away. "But while your death salvaged your reputation, Naruto's birth was the root cause of the Nine-Tails' rampage. Rational people know he's innocent. But the ignorant—unable to blame the hero—will shift their hatred to him instead. Was your sacrifice truly worth it?"
Naruto's birth caused the seal to weaken, and it was under Minato's watch that the Nine-Tails escaped.
Without knowledge of Madara's interference, villagers could only blame Minato for failing in his duty. Had he lived, even if he lost the title of Hokage, he could have protected Naruto. Though Shikamaru knew Minato died for the village, his death doomed Naruto to a bleak childhood. Minato had clearly underestimated the darkness in human nature.
In a way, Naruto's childhood mirrored Shikamaru's past life. Born in a poor, rural area, he never fully understood the villagers' hostility. Yet fate had gifted him a brilliant mind—his ticket out of that barren land.
Despite sympathizing with Naruto, Shikamaru had no plans to help him. A man aiming to become the greatest in the ninja world wouldn't be swayed by a passing bystander.
At this moment, his attention was drawn instead to the elderly man beneath the Hokage cloak and hat.
His face darkened by age, speckled with liver spots and framed by a small goatee, the man seemed like an ordinary farmer. But his sharp gaze radiated wisdom and resolve.
This man was no ordinary elder. He was Hiruzen Sarutobi, the "Shinobi Hero," the so-called "God of Shinobi." Unlike the grief-stricken villagers, this old man's presence was calm yet commanding—a beacon in the darkness.
Judging by his weariness, Hiruzen had likely already negotiated with the Daimyō. For the coming decade, Konoha would pursue a low-profile, pacifist policy. It might seem weak, but it was a necessary move—this was the time to protect and nurture the next generation until they could inherit the Will of Fire.
The Third understood this well. He sacrificed his personal pride and decades of reputation for the village's long-term survival. Because of this, the original story's Twelve Young Ninjas could grow strong and take their place on the world stage.
As for Danzo... Shikamaru shook his head. This was why Hiruzen and future generations always suppressed him. He couldn't see the bigger picture, only playing petty games. Unlike in Shikamaru's previous life, such tactics had no place in the world of shinobi.
"What is chakra?"
"Power. Will. The foundation of every shinobi. The essence of ninjutsu."
"How is chakra formed?"
"Through rigorous training of the body and steadfast cultivation of the will."
"Good. And through combat, one develops experience and fighting spirit."
"Yes, sir!" Shikamaru replied respectfully.
Unknowingly, he had already lived seven years in this world. Since the age of four, his daily life included such Q&A drills as part of his shinobi education.
But unlike someone with cheats or "plot armor," Shikamaru hadn't advanced at a miraculous rate. Instead, he focused on theory over brute strength.
His young body limited his growth—pushing too hard could be counterproductive. Chakra training required a solid foundation. Children under seven could only handle so much. Naruto, for instance, was often injured by his own Nine-Tails chakra—it was simply too overwhelming for his undeveloped body.
Still, since chakra was a combination of spiritual and physical energy, Shikamaru's mature soul gave him an edge. While his body couldn't yet store large amounts of chakra, his disciplined physical training kept him ahead of his peers. After all, in the original series, he was still considered a key character. While not one of the prodigies blessed by fate, his talent wasn't lacking either.
Once his body matured, his solid foundation and deep theoretical knowledge would allow him to progress rapidly. Through the structured curriculum of the academy, he would soon see a leap in power.
In the original story, the Twelve Genin all had varying abilities during school, but their real differences emerged only after graduation—due to their differing physical development and life experiences.
As for being recognized as a "genius"—that was out of the question.
In this world, the title "genius" was not handed out easily. Even if a child could read a thousand characters by age three, compose poetry at four, or buy cabbage at five, they'd only be called "smart" or "clever."
Here, a genius had to consistently outshine their peers in strength, amass glory and victory, and develop a fearsome reputation—even among enemies.
Uchiha Itachi, Kakashi, Orochimaru... all earned the title by proving themselves in battle and reputation.
Parents calling their own child a genius? Laughable.
Here, only strength and survival earned respect. Weak "geniuses" were just corpses.
Don't underestimate the title. Take Orochimaru and Jiraiya, for instance—before Orochimaru defected, people revered him far more. Even Sasuke and Naruto mirrored this: Sasuke's strength was seen as natural, Naruto's as miraculous and baffling.
Being exceptional from the start drew admiration and awe. A sudden rise, however, often bred jealousy and doubt—like the difference between old nobility and nouveau riche.
If Shikamaru wanted to become Hokage, he'd need to earn the title of "genius" the hard way.
In these peaceful times, unlike during war, honor and reputation could no longer be won on the battlefield. For now, his only option was to dominate the academy—graduate with the top marks and prove his worth.
As for Sasuke—why care? He was just a child now. If Shikamaru couldn't act boldly even after reincarnation, what was the point?