"Oww, that hurts!"
Shikamaru yelped as a sharp pain shot through his hands. He glared at Kamizuki Hikari, his lips twitching. "Hikari-senpai, couldn’t you be a little gentler?"
"Shikamaru, you’re a man. How can you not handle a little pain?" Hikari scoffed, looking down at him with disdain.
He had been kind enough to clean Shikamaru’s wounds, yet this guy had the nerve to complain.
Fine then—he’d rember this for the next training session.
Shikamaru, still wincing in pain, suddenly shuddered.
’Why does it feel like soone is plotting against ?’
Beside him, Ino glanced at Shikamaru, her eyes red and watery, as if she were about to cry.
’Shikamaru, you idiot, do you think the sa dicine doesn’t hurt when applied to my wounds?!’
Shikamaru caught her gaze.
’Wait... is Ino secretly blaming ?’
Hikari remained blissfully unaware that Ino had unintentionally taken the heat for him—not that he would care even if he knew.
As if Shikamaru would dare to fight him.
And even if he did, could he possibly win?
"A real man has to learn to endure hardship, got it?" Hikari finished wrapping Shikamaru’s hands with a bandage and nodded in satisfaction at his handiwork. "Not bad, I’m improving!"
"Definitely better. When you bandaged Chōji, it looked ten tis worse!" Tenten teased, glancing over.
Ino looked at her own neatly wrapped hands, then at Shikamaru’s ssy ones, and burst into laughter.
Good thing Tenten had helped her. If it was Hikari, she’d probably be crying for real.
The three of them were in high spirits—only Shikamaru was miserable.
Shikamaru: Life is just too cruel to .
"Shikamaru, after training this afternoon, go ho and prepare so healing ointnt with bone-strengthening properties. Bring so for Chōji and Ino too. You’ll need to endure it for the next few days."
"Hikari-senpai!" Shikamaru’s eyes lit up as if he had deciphered the hidden aning in Hikari’s words. "Are you saying that after these few days, we won’t have to suffer like this anymore?"
Hikari grinned. "Of course not. I ant that after these few days, you’ll just get used to it!"
Shikamaru: ???
Shikamaru: (⊙_⊙)
’Couldn’t you have just said that from the start?!’
’Do you have any idea how much emotional damage that gives ?!’
"Wait, isn’t that Tsunade-sama?" Shikamaru, surprised, tried to stand and greet her but stumbled and fell flat. Instinctively, he tried to brace himself with his hands, but Hikari grabbed them and yanked him forward. Shikamaru faceplanted, getting a mouthful of dirt.
"Careful! This dicine is expensive. If you ruin it, I’ll have to reapply it, and that’s just a hassle!" Hikari lanted, staring mournfully at Shikamaru’s hands—or more accurately, the dicine on them.
Shikamaru: %$#@&!
"What’s he saying?" Hikari asked curiously.
Tenten giggled and shook her head, feigning ignorance.
Seeing Shikamaru’s pitiful state, Ino timidly raised her hand. "Um... I think he’s asking you to help him up."
"Oh, is that so?" Hikari nodded sagely before personally hauling Shikamaru to his feet. "Look at you, being so careless!"
Shikamaru was about to spit out the dirt in his mouth when Hikari’s words made him roll his eyes so hard he nearly passed out.
’I want a new teacher. One that’s pretty, gentle, and treats nicely... like a big sister!’
"Tsunade-sama!" Ino imdiately bowed as Tsunade approached.
Shikamaru hurried to follow suit. "Tsunade-sa—pfft—I didn’t an to—"
Tsunade looked at Shikamaru, then threw Hikari a sharp glare.
’Nice work, you idiot. Think I can’t see what you did?’
"Shikamaru, I’ve heard that the deer raised by the Nara clan sotis eat dirt, but I never expected you to share that habit!"
Tears welled up in Shikamaru’s eyes as Tsunade teased him. He felt utterly exhausted.
All he wanted now was to crawl back into his cozy little bed and quietly lick his wounds in peace.
His heart was tired. His love was dead.
"Keep up your training."
"You three work hard. One day, you’ll take over your dads jobs and let them finally retire!"
"Good luck!"
With a flick of her sleeve, Tsunade strode away from the training ground.
Shikamaru watched her retreating back in silence.
’Take over my dad’s job? Tsunade-sama, you’re definitely overestimating . Let’s revisit that when he’s in his seventies or eighties.’
The laziness ingrained in his DNA made Shikamaru deeply uninterested in inheriting Shikaku’s responsibilities.
"Alright, let’s eat. Finish up quickly, then you two will continue with the first stage of training!"
"Wait a sec, Hikari-senpai, why just the two of us?" Shikamaru felt like he’d stumbled upon a critical detail.
Hikari patted Chōji’s shoulder. "Chōji has already completed the first stage. Now, he’s moving on to the second one."
Shikamaru: "WHAT?!"
Ino: "No way!"
Seeing their disbelieving faces, Chōji grinned happily.
"It’s all thanks to Hikari-senpai’s guidance. I’ve passed the first stage."
"Oh no, no. That’s your own talent shining through, Chōji."
"Nah, it’s your teaching, Hikari-senpai!"
"No, no. Your natural talent made it easy!"
"Hikari-senpai—"
"You two still want to eat, or should I throw your food away?!" Tenten snapped, finally unable to take it anymore.
Shikamaru & Ino: Tenten is aweso! Go, Tenten!
Though surprised that Chōji had passed the first phase, the two weren’t resentful—just a bit envious.
But ignoring them to shower each other with praise? That was a bit much.
As for Tenten—she had one simple reason to be upset.
It had taken her two days to complete first stage, and Hikari had praised her as a genius back then.
Now, he was saying the sa thing to Chōji?!
He wasn’t the sa Hikari-senpai she once knew... the one who only had eyes for her.
"Let’s eat!" Hikari quickly distributed the lunch boxes—one for each of them, except Chōji, who got two.
This wasn’t favoritism; the Akimichi clan’s appetite was just naturally larger. Even two portions might not be enough to fill him up.
"Thanks for the al, Hikari-senpai!" Shikamaru said with rare sincerity.
"No need."
"But really—"
"Actually, it’s not treating you. Tenten paid for this. Once you finish the first stage, go take missions and pay her back, got it?"
Shikamaru: ’Why did I even open my mouth?’
"It’s just a al, no big deal! Besides, I’m here as a sparring partner for a mission, so I’m actually earning a bit!" Tenten explained, trying to ease Shikamaru’s suffering.
Shikamaru: ’Maybe Hikari-senpai isn’t as bad as I thought!’
As if sensing his thoughts, Kamizuki Hikari wagged his finger. "Don’t get your hopes up. You also need to pay Tenten back for the dicine and bandages. Plus, the mission posting fee will be deducted from your mission rewards later."
Shikamaru: ’...Forget what I said. Hikari-senpai is absolutely the worst.’
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Read 40 advanced Chapters on my P@treon.
/KakuzuTL
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