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Shikamaru frowned as he watched everyone go running outside, faces bright in excitement and huddling together in groups to signify who their friends were.
His feet took him to his small group of friends as well, all while his mind traveled elsewhere, and his eyes followed.
There was a blonde boy sitting by himself, always by himself, on the swing not too far from everyone else. His food in his lap and his face devoid of the normally so cheerful smile he brought to class every day, followed by mischief that always managed to give Shikamaru a headache.
The sight was sad, to say the least.
And frustrating, to the young Nara.
Why didn’t anyone sit with him?
From what he could tell, there wasn’t really anything wrong with his fellow student. Other than his loud behavior and attention-seeking tendencies, he didn’t seem the type to stick to himself or stay away from others purposefully.
It always had Shikamaru’s brain whirling with all the different possibilities. Of all the different explanations and reasons, even when no answers came to mind.
Shikamaru poked at his food all while his mind twisted. Choji talked beside him, mouth full of food muffling his words until the raven-haired child couldn’t understand a word he was saying, not that he was truly paying any mind to it.
His eyes trailed back to the blonde kid across the lawn, still with no one by his side to talk to. Shikamaru sighed and leaned back, “do you know why Naruto doesn’t have any friends?”
Choji paused in his ramble, eyes wide as he blinked toward the Nara before he swallowed his food and spoke again, “not sure,” he shrugged, “I don’t think the other kids like him all that much.”
Shikamaru frowned at that, his eyes finally leaving the blonde boy to meet Choji’s, “they don’t like him?” is that what it was?
Choji had always been the more emotionally observant of the two, able to find the heart of any situation by just letting his eyes wander. Shikamaru wasn’t that simple. Emotions, to him, made little to no sense.
He could look at a situation and confidently tell you what the smoothest and smartest plan of action was to ensure the swiftest win, something he had been taught to do from before he had even joined the academy, but whenever a person's emotions were brought into the mix, it became much more complex and complicated.
His dad said that it just took experience, and that eventually he’ll get better at understanding how to work around things like that. But Shikamaru wasn’t so sure. Nor did he particularly want to.
Which was why he stuck around Choji, the other was always able to help him with that.
Shikamaru’s mind turned as the information was processed, and new scenarios and answers appeared, “Do you know why?”
Choji shrugged once again and continued eating, thankfully swallowing before he responded, “I dunno,” he supplied helpfully, “although, I think I remember hearing mom talk to dad about a demon. I’m not sure though.”
Shikamaru’s frown turned thoughtful as his eyes trailed back to Naruto. Demon? Naruto? Sure the blond could be annoying, but he doesn’t understand where they got demon from.
With a tired sigh Shikamaru closed his lunch box and stood, casting a side glance to Choji while his decision was finalized in his head, “You coming?”
Choji frowned at him as he slowly copied Shikamaru’s movements, “where are we going?”
Shikamaru tilted his head in Naruto’s direction, “to sit with him. It’s stupid he doesn’t have any friends.”
The Akamichi’s eyes widened before he nodded frantically. His smile growing as he started in Naruto’s direction before Shikamaru could even begin to move.
The Nara held back a sigh as he followed, feeling the headache of his decision already stabbing into his head with little mercy.
He was probably going to regret this later when his peace and quiet time diminished into nothing. But it didn’t stop his feet from moving, following after Choji with no hesitation.
Naruto looked up at their approach, his brows pinched and eyes distrustful. Shikamaru forced himself not to frown at the look and instead chose to sit down on the grass just beside the boy’s swing, with Choji doing the same right across from him.
“Heh?” Shikamaru turned toward the voice with a raised brow, Naruto was frowning at him, “What’re you guys doing?”
Shikamaru blinked slowly, “eating?”
Naruto’s frown deepened and he crossed his arms stubbornly, “No, what are you doing over here, next to me.”
Shikamaru just stared at him for a long moment, before he responded, “My answer’s still the same.”
Naruto yelled in frustration and Shikamaru felt his lip quirk at it, “No! You know what I mean!”
Thankfully Choji stepped in and saved Shikamaru from his fate of sounding like he cared, “you’re sitting alone!” he chirped, “People shouldn’t sit alone! So we decided to join you!”
Naruto’s face fell at that, his eyes wide on Choji as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
Shikamaru felt something close to panic when Naruto’s eyes grew glassy, his mind whirling as he tried to figure out what exactly they did wrong- only for a blinding grin to break out on Naruto’s cheeks, so wide his eyes were practically shut, “Thanks!” he grinned, sniffling loudly as he fought the tears that seemed stubborn on falling, “no ones done that before! So you guys are super nice!”
Shikamaru could only blink at the too-bright boy with wide eyes, unsure how to proceed and uncertain as to what the right words were.
Choji didn’t seem to have that problem as he grinned wide enough to rival Naruto’s, “It’s no problem! You seem pretty cool!”
Shikamaru nodded quietly in agreement, “Yeah, what he said.”
Naruto laughed and dropped from his swing, sitting just beside Shikamaru as he pulled his old lunch box in front of him, “I am cool, believe it!” he returned, his energy that had been lacking before suddenly returning full force, and Shikamaru couldn’t find it in himself to feel that regret he had predicted earlier. In fact, he found his own, much more muted smile joining theirs.
And that next day, despite thinking that they wouldn’t be sticking around Naruto again, they found themselves sitting beside him nearly the whole day.
And the day after that. And after that. Until they were genin with teams of their own.
But they never forgot the bond that formed between them from Shikamaru’s sudden decision. Nor did Shikamaru ever grow to regret it.