Gravity of Shadows

Twelve-year-old Shikamaru Nara, shortly after making Chunin, wakes up in an unfamiliar world-one without chakra, jutsu, or the comforts of the shinobi life he's always known. Weakened by the suffocating gravity of this place, both literal and figurative, Shikamaru is taken in by Angela, a sharp-tongued, resourceful Black American woman whose morally bankrupt schemes have long dictated her survival. Her daughter, Q'Wei, an equally jaded but fiercely clever girl his age, shares her mother's wit but struggles under the weight of their chaotic life.

As Shikamaru adjusts to the harshness of this new world, Angela's bold humor and cultural nuance become as baffling to him as the strange technology and customs around him. Forced into Angela's web of manipulations, Shikamaru must rely on his intellect to navigate this complex reality, forging an unlikely bond with Q'Wei, who, like him, is trapped in circumstances beyond her control.