NOBILITY | 𝐕𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒! 𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐎

THIRTY.1

WELCOME TO THE KUNOICHI PATH. BY CHOOSING THIS PATH. YOU WILL REMAIN IN KONOHA THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE BOOK.

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TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER..

SHIPPUDEN ERA —

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[NAME]'s PERSPECTIVE

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It was late one night, the sounds of crickets gathering in waves as the soft pat of feet against dirt was the only other thing cutting through the quiet. Lantern light from the compound had faded long behind them, leaving only the pale glow of the moon and the rustle of leaves overhead.

"Where are you taking me exactly?" she whispered, tugging the hem of her cloak tighter. Shikamaru's hands were shoved lazily into his pockets, his posture as unbothered as ever, but his pace was brisk, his eyes scanning the dark.

"Troublesome," he muttered. "If I told you, you'd just ask why." Her brow furrowed, but the corners of her mouth twitched. He always said that—an excuse, a shield, the only way he knew how to cover the fact that he did care, sometimes more than he wanted to admit.

The path sloped downhill, dew-slick grass brushing her sandals. She stumbled once, catching herself before he could notice, but of course, he did. Without looking back, his voice drifted low:

"Careful. You've been cooped up too long—you're losing your footing." Heat pricked her cheeks, half from irritation, half from something softer. "I didn't ask you to drag me out here, you know."

"No," he said simply. "But you needed it." The words hit sharper than she expected. She glanced at him, but his face remained unreadable, profile lit faintly in silver. There was something steadying about him, like a tether—someone who could see the weight pressing her down even when she tried to mask it.

They reached a clearing beyond the training fields, where fireflies pulsed dimly in the tall grass. Shikamaru finally stopped, tipping his head back to look at the stars as if they might explain why he'd gone through the trouble. "This is it?" she asked, arching a brow. "You risked sneaking me out of the Hyūga compound... for this?"

He shrugged, dropping down into the grass with that same easy grace. "It's quiet. No eyes, no rules. Just... space." She stood for a long moment, uncertain, until he patted the ground beside him without looking. With a sigh, she lowered herself onto the grass, the cool earth seeping through her clothes.

The silence stretched, filled only by crickets and the hum of night. "Everyone's changing. Getting stronger. The world's... moving fast." Shikamaru said suddenly, voice softer than usual. He paused, tilting his head toward her. "But some things shouldn't have to."

Her throat tightened. She wanted to ask what he meant—if he was talking about her, or himself—but she didn't. Instead, she whispered, "Sometimes it feels like no matter how much I change, they'll never see me as anything more than... what I was born into. What I have to be."

Shikamaru exhaled, a low hum. He plucked a blade of grass, twisting it between his fingers. "That's the drag about fate. People use it as an excuse. Makes them blind. But you—" he cut himself off, shaking his head. "You're more than that. Always have been."