- Mangaka : Yano, Takashi and Kishimoto, Masashi (Original Story)
- Publisher : VIZ Media
- Genre : Action, Adventure, Fantasy
- Published : March 2021
One problem is more than enough to break the alliance of the Five Kages and lead to the Fifth Great Ninja War. It is Shikamaru’s job to make sure that doesn’t happen. Other than that, he and his family have problems of their own that drive them apart. What will he do to mend his family problems while saving the world?
Contains Spoilers
Discussion Time
After the disturbance from Otsutsuki clan during the Chunin exams and the Five Kage Summit, peace has restored to the ninja world… for now. Another problem has arisen when Kurotsuchi, Fourth Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, suddenly brings out the use of scientific ninja tools to the meeting and uses that topic to force Naruto to release Konoha’s secrets. In a ninja world, that doesn’t make sense as every nation possess secrets of their own and such action is disrespectful when it comes to nationwide confidential information. Of course, every other Kages are surprised by Kurotsuchi’s attempt, and the discussion creates an awkward situation. This is where Shikamaru have to find the root of the problem and maintain the relationship of the five hidden villages and also making up for his fault for missing out on his wedding anniversary with Temari.
1. Politics
Some of you may not like politics, but it is an excellent way to learn about it to a certain extent to understand the inner workings of how the Kages and Daimyo work in the Ninja world. The exciting part of this story is that some similarities can be related to reality, but not all, so please consider that this is a work of fiction.
Back to the topic, Shikamaru works as the Hokage’s advisor. Meaning his boss is Naruto. Most of you probably know that Naruto is an optimistic and kind person who believes that everyone would ensure peace of their nations. You will get to read Shikamaru’s perspective on how he operates as a ninja and an advisor. There are so many things to consider both inside and outside of Konoha Village.
With Naruto serves as a light in the ninja world, Shikamaru prefers to work in the shadow to do the dirty work. By dirty work, we mean gathering information and making tough calls that might jeopardize the safety of individuals to gain advantages for Naruto, and you know that Naruto doesn’t like those course of actions. Shikamaru will always think of the possibilities to prevent a war and forge a path for Naruto to move forward.
2. Being a Father
Shikamaru has gone through the Great Fourth Ninja War and experiences the horror and suffering of it. That is the main drive for him to prevent potential wars no matter what it takes for everyone’s safety, especially his family. Being a Hokage’s advisor requires much paperwork that covers a range of issues within the village, including memorizing the applications of future developments and explain the reasons for rejections to clients. That kind of job doesn’t give Shikamaru a decent amount of time to spend with his family, and he doesn’t get enough experience to understand what it is to be a father.
The worst part is that Shikamaru forgot his wedding anniversary to his wife, Temari. Of course, he suffered from her cold gazes and anger. To all the husbands and wives out there, never forget your wedding anniversary, or you will suffer the wrath of your significant other. But Shikamaru does feel bad for not being there for his family. It is a dilemma for him to balance work and family when his work involves the entire Konoha village. He may be smart when it comes to working, but family matters are not his forte.
Final Thoughts
There wasn’t much to say about Naruto: Shikamaru’s Story—Mourning Clouds as the theme is heavily focused on the topics mentioned above. It is an exciting perspective and light novel that gives us an idea of how the Shikamaru and Naruto work in a political position, including how Shikamaru feels about his family at the same time. If you are interested in politics and the challenging experience of being a father who spends most of his time working for his family and being awkward with them, you might be interested in this light novel. If you have read this light novel, let us know down in the comments below!
Author: Nobodies17