Sunlight Casts a Shadow

2

For the rest of their time at the academy, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Chōji hung out together. Shikamaru continued to supply Naruto with lunches, under the excuse that his mother was so troublesome that she would always pack him more than he could possibly eat on his own.

Fact of the matter is, after that first time on the roof, Shikamaru went home and told his mother, Yoshino, and had a long conversation with her about the issue.

Shikamaru raced into the house, a very uncharacteristic action that immediately gained his mother's attention.

"Tadaima!" Shikamaru called as he swiftly removed his shoes.

Yoshino met him at the entrance to the kitchen, drying her hands on her apron. "Okaeri, Shikamaru. Why are you in such a hurry?"

Shikamaru became a bit sheepish, instantly calming down and returning to his lazy behavior. He slipped his hands into his pockets before he continued on. "Could you make a large enough lunch for me to share it with two people from now on?"

Yoshino was confused. "Who would you be sharing with? I know you normally share with Chōji, but who would the second person be?"

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head. "It's Naruto. He mentioned something about not having lunch, so I figured I could help him out, you know?"

This made his mother perk up a bit. Yoshino had been friends with both Minato, and Naruto's mother, Kushina. In fact, she had been on Minato's Genin team all those years ago. Knowing that her son was getting along with their child warmed her heart.

"How did this come about?"

"He didn't have any lunch, and from what I had observed, it seemed like he hasn't had a lunch really since we've been in the academy. At first I thought he may have forgotten it constantly, especially with his reputation of being the idiot dead last in our year, but now I'm not so sure. Today, when he came to class, he was his loud, annoying self, but the second everyone else turned their attention away from him, it was like a mask fell off. So I watched him at lunch time today, and saw him just sitting on the swing in front of the building, all alone, and not even looking like he wanted to eat.

"I went up to him and invited him to join Chōji and I for lunch. He said he didn't have one, so I offered up the rest of mine, that I was planning on giving to Chōji until the idiot gave himself a stomachache. He did something that really surprised me too. He went up to Chōji and simply touched him, his hand glowed like a medical ninjutsu, except orange instead of green, and Chōji was fine again."

Yoshino didn't know what to say at first. She was just as surprised by that action as her son.

"So do you think you could make me enough lunch so I can share it with both him and Chōji for the rest of the academy? I don't want him to starve any more than it seems like he already is if I can help it."

Yoshino smiled at her son. He was growing into a very kind young man, and was helping out his friends when they need it.

"I'd be happy to do that for you, dear. Now go wash up, its almost time for dinner. And make sure you keep an eye on that boy for me."

Finally, it was the day of the graduation exams. Over the remainder of their academy time, Shikamaru became more confused by Naruto's behavior. He'd see him interacting with his classmates like he was an idiot and accepting any of their insults with a smile and a laugh, but the second they were gone, and he believed he was alone, his smile would fall, his eyes would dull, and it would almost seem like he was a completely different person. Someone who was hurt by everything that was said to him.