Shikamaru Nara

CANNON CHARACTER TEMPLATE:

Name: Shikamaru Nara

Gender: male

Alliance/LivingArea: Konoha

Age: 15

Looks:

Clan(optional): Nara

Personality: Shikamaru Nara is the sort of unenthusiastic person who would rather take a nap than get excited over something, and likes the thinking games that older men are usually into, such as Shogi and Go. A testament to that is the fact that Shikamaru even decides to sleep during the attack on Konoha by the Sand and Sound Villages, as he thought it would be too troublesome to get up and fight. Another example occurs before his fight with Temari. Shikamaru contemplates forfeiting, but is forced to compete when pushed into the arena by Naruto. When thrust into action-laden situations, uncomfortable situations, or indeed, any situation at all that would require him to exert himself, he tends to remark "How troublesome" (the English dub uses a similar phrase, "What a drag"). He is fully aware of this side of his personality and even dubs himself "the number one at running away" or "the number one coward."
However, when duty calls, Shikamaru has a strong moral compass and sense of commitment to his comrades. Even though by his own testimony he lacks bravery, he will sacrifice himself and face almost certain death for the sake of his friends without a second thought, such as when he stayed behind to confront a team of Sound ninja, giving Naruto enough time to catch up with Sasuke. Since he has been promoted to Chunin, his responsibility for the lives of his friends has weighed very heavily on him on occasion. Shikamaru is a brilliant strategist, and though his sensei, Asuma Sarutobi, often plays Shogi and Go against Shikamaru, Asuma has never actually managed to beat him. Asuma got suspicious upon realizing that Shikamaru was so good at board games despite his abysmal grades, which were almost as low as Naruto's. As a result, Asuma administered an IQ test disguised as a game to Shikamaru, which revealed that Shikamaru was a genius with an IQ of over 200. Shikamaru had felt that even moving his pencil in class was a bother and always slept through tests, resulting in his low grades. Shikamaru has a habit of putting his fingers together to create a square and closing his eyes so he can concentrate and come up with a strategy. Once he does, which often takes only a few minutes, he is is able to think ten moves ahead of his opponent with over a hundred strategies ready to be used. Shikamaru has a longstanding friendship with Chōji Akimichi, in whom he has complete trust. Before they were promoted to Chuunin rank, Shikamaru, Chouji and Ino Yamanaka were on the same Genin team under Asuma. Their fathers were on the same team as well. Their teamwork is unparalleled. Shikamaru's most distinctive character trait is that he finds all women bossy and "troublesome." Given his mother's tyrannical personality, this isn't too surprising; however, his father shares the exact same attitude despite marrying her in the first place. He considers the Sand ninja Temari to be the most troublesome woman he knows, followed closely by Ino and his mother. Despite his near sexist attitude he has expressed a notably mature interest in marriage and raising a family. Just before he is about to be killed during the Destruction of Konoha arc, he thinks about how he wanted his life to go: "Marry someone who is not too ugly and not too pretty. Have two children, first a girl, then a boy. Retire after my daughter is married and my son becomes a successful ninja, and spend the rest of my life playing Shogi or Go. Then die before my wife." His favorite dish is mackerel and kelp; his least is boiled eggs. His hobbies are napping, Shogi, and cloud watching. He has also recently taken up smoking as something he picked up from Asuma, even using his sensei's lighter (which is similar to a zippo), but he does mention that he'll stop after he avenges Asuma's death. His favorite phrase is "Live each day quietly."




Ninja Rank: chunin.

Skills/Specialties: Ninjutsu


History/Background Story: During the second phase of the Chunin Exam, Shikamaru, along with Choji and Ino, come to the aid of Team 7 during Sakura Haruno's battle with the attacking Team Dosu. Choji attempts to run away, claiming that he is reluctant to die. Shikamaru tells him that he too thinks the situation "troublesome", yet says that after Ino has revealed herself, there is no way that they men can back out of it. Shikamaru takes his place in the Ino-Shika-Cho battle formation, Choji having been fired up by Zaku's comment that he was fat. Dosu Kinuta attempts to come to Zaku's aid, as Choji's Human Bullet Tank technique threatens to crush him, but is unable to due to the fact that he has been trapped by Shikamaru's Shadow Imitation Technique. Shikamaru proceeds to make Dosu perform some humorous motions. Ino tells Shikamaru to protect her body as she uses her Mind Body Switch Technique on Kin Tsuchi. Ino readies one of Kin's kunai as she threatens the rest of Team Dosu that she will kill Kin if they don't retreat and surrender their scroll. Shikamaru is the first to notice that Dosu and Zaku are preparing to attack Kin themselves. Knowing that Kin's death would actually result in Ino's, he attempts to warn his teammates, but is too late. Although Ino survives, she is indeed injured by the attack, and Shikamaru grows concerned. Soon after, Sasuke Uchiha awakens, his newly received cursed seal activated. As Sasuke prepares to attack Team Dosu, Shikamaru tells Ino and Choji to join him in abandoning their roles in the battle as Sasuke's onslaught ensues. After Dosu retreats, leaving one of his scrolls behind for Team 7, Shikamaru leaves with his teammates, eventually reaching the tower at the center of the Forest of Death. Initially introduced as nothing more than a lazy person who is always complaining, it is during his organized matches in the Chuunin Exam that Shikamaru earns acclaim as a keen strategist. In his preliminary battle, he defeats Kin Tsuchi by sneaking his shadow under the thin strings she is using to control her bells; she does not notice that a string that thin and that far from the floor should not be making a shadow. Shikamaru then takes a shuriken from his pouch, with Kin, caught in his Shadow Imitation Technique, doing the same thing. Because of Kin's increased proximity to the wall of the arena, she knocks herself unconscious as Shikamaru ducks under her projectile. Shikamaru's shining point during the arc is his battle with Temari, where it initially seems as if he is just pointlessly attempting strategy after strategy, and that it is only a matter of time until one of her powerful wind attacks catches him. His strategies range from simply buying time for the sun to set, furthering the range of his shadow, to sending out a makeshift parachute, made from his own jacket and a kunai knife, to make a new shadow for the same purpose. He is in fact manipulating her into a position in front of the exit to a tunnel which was dug out by Naruto during an earlier match, where he can guarantee that she is caught by his shadow from behind. However, after Temari is actually caught in his shadow imitation, he then simply forfeits the match, remarking that despite having thought of about 200 other possible strategies, he'd run out of chakra due to the extensive use of his shadow techniques. Moreover, he says he does not like to hurt or hit women. Plus, to his testimony, continuing would've been troublesome anyway, so he decided to give up. Despite having forfeited, Shikamaru's brilliant strategy impressed everyone, including the Hokage. As a result of his decisive tactical skills, he is the only Genin to become a Chuunin after this Chuunin Exam. Invasion of Konoha arc Later, when Konohagakure is attacked by Sunagakure and Otogakure, Shikamaru is one of only three Genin who successfully dispels the sleeping genjutsu cast on the Chuunin Exam third phase stadium. However, he pretends to be caught in the illusion so that he can lie there and not do anything, only to be 'awakened' by Sakura attempting to dispel the genjutsu for him. Shikamaru, Naruto, and Sakura head off to find Sasuke, who has followed Gaara's trail determined to end their battle. As they pursue Sasuke, they discover that eight Sound ninja are following them, and Shikamaru chooses to stay behind so he can stall them while the others continue to pursue Sasuke. Using a clever strategy, he is able to trap all eight with his shadow. However, a ninth Sound ninja hides in the trees, protecting the captured eight against Shikamaru's attacks. Despite correctly predicting the presence of the ninth ninja, he cannot fight off the Sound ninja after being drained from his earlier match against Temari. Fortunately, his sensei, Asuma, comes in to help him and defeats all nine Sound ninja singlehandedly. Sasuke Retrieval arc Shikamaru leads the Sasuke retrieval squad during the Sasuke Retrieval arc. Shikamaru's first job as a Chuunin is to lead the team, consisting of Naruto, Neji Hyuga, Akimichi Chōji, Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru on a mission to retrieve Sasuke when the latter flees Konoha. Shikamaru forms an intricate plan in which the team travels in a line. Kiba and Akamaru are placed in front, for they know the geography well, would easily detect any traps laid before them, and would be safe even when isolated from the rest of the group, due to their working together. Shikamaru places himself second, for he would be able to converse with Kiba easily, and send hand signs to the rest of the group. Naruto is put in the center of the group, as his "explosive" nature would make him perfect at the "center of help." Choji is placed fourth, for his strength makes him perfect for use as a "home base" by the rest of the group. Neji is placed last, as his Byakugan would allow him to perform the most difficult job of scanning the area, detecting any attacks from the rear. The plan, however, falls apart because of the interference of the "Sound Four," a specialized team of ninja who are specifically sent by Orochimaru to ensure that Sasuke arrives at Otogakure safely. Although Shikamaru attempts to sneak up on the Sound Four, the team's presence is detected, and the Sound Four launch an attack. Shikamaru tries to trap all of the four with his Shadow Imitation, but fails. The team is eventually trapped in a prison of earth by Jirobo, a member of the Sound Four. Only Choji's strength allows the team to escape from Jirobo's cage before all of their chakra is sapped away by one of Jirobo's techniques.

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