The shadows

ch35

Naruto was nervous. A few days ago was Shikamaru's birthday.

He invited Naruto during their regular shogi match. Naruto didn't have a choice but to accept. It was a small event between the Ino-Shika-Cho families in an Akimichi restaurant.

Naruto made sure to be on his best behavior. He made small talk with the clan heads and devoted most of his attention to his friends. The dinner was uneventful. Finally, it was time for the cake and presents. Ino got Shikamaru a cactus and told him how to care for it.

Choji got him a small portable shogi board. His family got him some training supplies; it was finally time for Naruto's gift. "Happy birthday Shikamaru. I hope you like your gift." Naruto gave him the neatly wrapped box.

Shikamaru opened the box was a scroll. It was emerald green with designs of trees and nature in gold. Shikamaru opened the scroll. Inside the scroll, four names were written with faded ink. "What is this?" he asked.

"It's a summoning scroll. It is a contract to squirrels." Naruto said.

Shikamaru's eyes widened as he looked at the scroll again. He paid attention to the names written. "Uzumaki?" he asked.

"Yes, the scroll belonged to my clan. They are very clever and known for their speed and ability to go unnoticed. It makes them great for spying without being noticed. Of course, they can also be aggressive." Naruto said with a slight chuckle.

"Naruto-kun, are you sure it is OK for him to take it?" Shikaku asked. It was then that everyone was looking at them with awe and disbelief.

"Of course. It is not like there are many Uzumakis around, and I am the current clan head. I have a contract with the Foxes, and they won't really suit me. Plus, I always planned on giving this to Shikamaru. From the moment I found the scroll, it reminded me of him. I'm sure he can use them to their fullest potential." Naruto said as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Still, summoning scrolls are quite rare." Shikaku tried again.

"I am quite sure Shikaku-sama. Shikamaru is my friend." Naruto said with a warm smile.

Naruto then guided Shikamaru on how to sign it and showed him the hand signs of summoning. It took him a few tries, but he managed to summon a squirrel. It was an adorable brown squirrel with dark patterns.

After some confusion and introduction, they cut the cake and had a great time. Before it was time to go, Shikaku invited Naruto for a shogi match.

Naruto accepted, which brought him to now, where he was getting ready for dinner with the Naras. He made his way there, carefully holding a parcel. He knew that Shikaku wanted to use the opportunity to interrogate him.

While Naruto was friendly with many Jonin and spent quite some time in the Jonin lounge, he tried to avoid Shikaku as much as possible. There was a reason that the man was deemed a genius. While Naruto was sure that Shikaku didn't suspect anything close to the truth, he didn't want to give out unnecessary information.

He wasn't going to burden anyone with a future he was going to prevent. He had already taken many steps toward his plan, so it was only a matter of time. He couldn't let anyone know his true plans. He finally reached their compound and entered after a talk with the guards.

Shikamaru was waiting for him near the door. There was a small white squirrel sleeping on his shoulder. "Hey, Shikamaru. Who is the little guy?" Naruto asked.

"Hi, Naruto. This is Shiro. She is one of my summons. The boss insisted I spend some time with one of the younger ones to learn more about their ways and skills." Shikamaru said as he absentmindedly brought a hand and petted her head.