#nejishika

[kugakoda]

rkgk

[naruto-shipping-confessions]

Guys - they're called "ships" not "chips". Stop eating them.

[noodle1807]

looking like this = 🥺

inspired by @madtuqq's drawing

[okamirayne]

Beautiful Art by Ysvel

Every time ❤️

So many ways to say those 3 unspoken words…

[zalenciaga]

Metanoia (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/story/345379086-metanoia?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_myworks&wp_uname=Zalenciaaa Metanoia means to change one's mind; to expand it in such a way as to have a new perspective on the world or one's self.

[basiilale]

5/8/25

Fine ig you can have more shikaneji fanfiction… now choose your poison.

[erajmcouts]

Waiting Between Worlds: Shikamaru & Neji (full image on AO3)

Waiting Between Worlds - Read it on AO3

[acnproject]

CICLOS ACN / PROJETO_SHIKANEJI

C̺i̺c̺l̺o̺ V̺ | A̺C̺N̺

BEIJO NA CHUVA 𒌍 Tema: Livre 𒌍 Extensão: @Projeto_ShikaNeji 𒌍 Ficwriter: @UchihaYochi - debut 𒌍 Beta: @Immortalz 𒌍 Designer: @Uzumakiken 𒌍 Avaliação: @Moonshine1024

[kiyoshi-02]

Oohhhh NejiShika is a very good one! Do you have any headcanons? 👀

I do but they're all mostly fucking depressing 😭😭

Since like I reallllllly love Shikamaru and Temari together my biggest headcanon is that Neji was Shikamaru's first love 🥲

I know that kind of contradicts the subtle set up of Shikamaru x Temari throughout OG Naruto and beyond but yeh I really like the idea of Shikamaru and Neji being together/or at least in some sort of romantic situation lol and after Neji passes away Shikamaru would still end up with Temari in the future just after a while.

I also love the idea of Shikamaru being the one to pursue Neji, maybe he even realizes that both he and Neji have a thing for each other and at that point he goes all in with strategies of how he can convince Neji of this, since idk I kind of headcanon Neji either being in denial or just oblivious to his own feelings??

Neji's also apparently a closet pervert so that could be fun to play with LOL

Anyway I really dig that pairing and I started rereading that fic I mention before lol AND ITS SO GOOD DAMN it's been so long since I read it, highly recommend to whoever sees this!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14525394/chapters/33559935

I really wanna draw them now rahhhhhhhh expect ShikaNeji soon people 🫡

[alchely]

Me every time the fic switches off Nejishika pov: ugh it's time for another break

I don't even do it consciously, a mistery/crime solving story can only be the peak of enjoyment the first time I read it.

At least the povs in this part are a bit more interesting than the ones from the previous parts of the series.

[nejiwasalwaysright]

O my goodness this is hilarious

Art style is cute,but how do people come up with NejiShika pairing?

GENGHIS KHAN - SHIKANEJI - PAGE 2 

(Link to cover: x, Next page: x)  

Song: Genghis Khan by Miike Snow

[kugakoda]

I don't know why the quality is so bad, I'm sorry

[naruto-shipping-confessions]

[okamirayne]

Hello lovely author, I have a question if you don't mind me asking (if you do mind then feel free to ignore this) from what I recall we only ever read the scene where Naoki and Genma were captured by Shuken from Genma's POV, so I've been wondering how did Shikamaru get from where Genma hid him to where Naoki and Genma were in that scene? Like did Shikamaru just wonder on by, was Kurayami looking for Shuken to finish the game or was he found by those chimaera/hybrid people.

Now onto my rave review.

I have no words to express how much I love your work. I have sentences and scenes that are carved into my brain. Naruto has alot of dark themes but ultimately has a hopeful tone so I really like the darker tone you've created for this universe and how you don't shy away the darker topics. But what I love most is how distinct and real ALL the characters feel (I don't normally like OC in fanfics but I got invested in all of yours), they feel so lived in and how you write the relationships between the characters is just👨‍🍳💋(I absolutely adore Neji and Kiba's dynamic and lack of chemistry).

I found it interesting that Shikamaru is kinda like a bridge between Naruto and Sasuke's traumas (Neji's pointed out similarities in HHU, the whole Orochimaru/Shuken thing and they've have all been hurt in some way by Konoha, Uchiha Massacre; System of lies -despite the good intentions- etc).

Chapter 10 was wild. The mental link reveal had me reeling for all the angst potential it holds. I wonder if that is how Naruto will find out about NejiShika🤔(if he does). None of the rookie13 are aware of their relationship, right? Wouldn't that be a fun reaction. I'm really loving the flashback scenes and Naruto's POV. I'm rooting for him to get his validation about the Kusa mission especially after he got dismissed by the other rookie12 in UTS (I find it funny how Sakura uses medical jargon to keep Naruto from suspecting anything but thats an instant tell).

Thank you for all the hard work you've put in to bring us readers this amazing story💕

Hello my dear Rave Review Anon, 💕

Firstly, I welcome your question, so thanks for taking the time! I'll do my best to answer. I appreciate your patience with me getting round to responding to you. 🙏🏼

[...] from what I recall we only ever read the scene where Naoki and Genma were captured by Shuken from Genma's POV, so I've been wondering how did Shikamaru get from where Genma hid him to where Naoki and Genma were in that scene? Like did Shikamaru just wonder on by, was Kurayami looking for Shuken to finish the game or was he found by those chimaera/hybrid people.

This is an excellent question which addresses a decision I regret making when it came to editing UtS. I chopped a whole heck of a lot of stuff out. I can add clarity here, in lieu of writing a chapter (maybe slipping it into a flashback might work better). You are correct in that Kurayami did his whole hostile takeover at that point and was the one who led Shikamaru back to where Shuken was holding Genma and Naoki. It would've been a semi fugue state in which Shikamaru operated, which is why he holds no memory of it. This is why it was told from Genma's limited POV. In order to fully write it, it would need to be told from Kurayami's perspective, and his full-on emergence came towards the latter end of UtS, where he was focused on annihilating Shuken, rather than reliving his memories. Shikamaru's flashbacks often came with big ass blanks in his head, due to the alter switch.

Simply put: Shikamaru woke up in a fugue state, was directed by Kurayami, ended up locating Genma and Naoki and losing his shit when seeing Shuken. Kurayami semi-disabled Shuken, at which point Naoki moved to shut Kurayami down and seal up Shikamaru's mind, getting a knife in the back (courtesey of batshit still-live-and-stabbing Shuken) for his efforts. Genma picked up Shikamaru and he and Naoki had to hightail it the hell outta there - which sadly resulted in Naoki succumbing to his injuries (as far as Genma knew) and telling Genma to go on without him. Shikamaru's little wander into the lion's den was experienced through Genma's POV, which is why there were blanks. It would need to be Shuken or Kurayami's POV to get the full picture and I regret not adding a different POV lens to that scene; though there's always room for flashbacks from Kurayami's perspective (or possibly Shikamaru's given that he'd integrated Kurayami by the end of UtS). I hope this answers your question, luv? Forgive the confusion, I appreciate it would've left question marks hanging. God knows Genma was WTF'ing his way through that experience.

I have no words to express how much I love your work.

And I fail royally when it comes to expressing how much I love that you love my insanity, you glorious reviewer.💜🫶🏼💜

Naruto has alot of dark themes but ultimately has a hopeful tone so I really like the darker tone you've created for this universe and how you don't shy away the darker topics.

Thank you, my luv, I am dastardly like that and I appreciate that the darker themes and tone don't make you go running for the hills. I have big love for you being in the trenches with these characters. Everyone has their comfort zones, and I am distinctively shit at giving much warning other than the bare-minimum kind of tags (habit of being an ffnet creature rather than an AO3 one). My human wiring is tangled up in the veins of these issues, and while that's sometimes gotten me flak, I will always tell the story that wants to be told and hope I do it justice.

But what I love most is how distinct and real ALL the characters feel (I don't normally like OC in fanfics but I got invested in all of yours), they feel so lived in and how you write the relationships between the characters is just👨‍🍳💋(I absolutely adore Neji and Kiba's dynamic and lack of chemistry).

Ah, damn. 🥹💖 I am so, so touched, chuffed, and ridiculously thrilled that you felt invested in my OCs. Though I've joked about interpretive dance being my only way to express my gratitude, I have no moves which wouldn't result in dislocation and hospitalisation. So please just know the feels are doing insane little flips and fancy twirls inside my writer's heart. 💖

Ha! Neji and Kiba.

Yes, well...chalk and cheese, oil and water...the list goes on...so does Kiba's insufferable ribbing. 😅

I found it interesting that Shikamaru is kinda like a bridge between Naruto and Sasuke's traumas (Neji's pointed out similarities in HHU, the whole Orochimaru/Shuken thing and they've have all been hurt in some way by Konoha, Uchiha Massacre; System of lies -despite the good intentions- etc).

Very true, luv. Those parallels are spot on.

Chapter 10 was wild. The mental link reveal had me reeling for all the angst potential it holds. I wonder if that is how Naruto will find out about NejiShika🤔(if he does). None of the rookie13 are aware of their relationship, right? Wouldn't that be a fun reaction.

*grins* Yes indeed. Sometimes I'm surprised by how much a character does or doesn't know and sometimes it only ever comes as I write. *waggles eyebrows*

I'm really loving the flashback scenes and Naruto's POV. I'm rooting for him to get his validation about the Kusa mission especially after he got dismissed by the other rookie12 in UTS (I find it funny how Sakura uses medical jargon to keep Naruto from suspecting anything but thats an instant tell).

Aw! I'm glad you're enjoying them. It's a whole new experience being in Naruto's POV. Especially when he's hurting.

I'm so glad I watched Shippuden from start to finish...that was a marathon worth investing in. And yes, precisely. He's more clued in than he lets on...or realises on a conscious level. It feels very reactive, visceral, and instinctive with Naruto. So different to writing Shikamaru, Neji, and other cerebral or controlled characters.

Thank you for all the hard work you've put in to bring us readers this amazing story💕

And thank you in return for being so kind and supportive as to give me this beautiful exchange via your feedback. It's the payoff that keeps me persisting when I'm getting hamstringed by burnout or low motivation. I appreciate it so damn much. You reviewers are precious. I salute you, dear Rave Review Anon, and I thank you again for making the time to reach out in solidarity and support - it matters in ways I can't express❤️💜❤️

[nocusbonkus]

I didn't take it as an attack, I just disagreed with what you said. I wanted to take the opportunity to discuss two of my favorite characters, Shikamaru and Neji— Neji if I had to choose one :)

The caption was meant to be mostly humorous— I don't think being injured constantly is special to him, but commonplace with shinobi of his level. It's just especially obvious next to Shikamaru, who, like I said, is a much more conservative fighter (which brings him value as a leader) and who's safety is prioritized over others as their strategist (as emphasized by Asuma).

Canon, unfortunately, also has never been explicit about the working dynamics within the Hyuga clan. It's never been clear the kind of work Neji may or may not have under the head family outside of training Hinata.

If you mean whether or not I ship Shikamaru and Neji, yes, it was in the tags :) if you mean the dynamic NejiShika vs ShikaNeji— I personally do not care and I don't think they would either. While it is extremely delightful as a shipper to see them always beside each other in official art, I believe there was a thought process behind this. During the Sasuke Retrieval Mission, Shikamaru and Neji were prominent side characters that played similarly important roles within the arc. Secondly, they both have neutral, earthy color palettes (and other complimentary features) that are easy to pair up for the sake of composition.

It actually wasn't the official art that made me ship them, though— with how I binged Naruto, I barely saw any before I started slowing down post Season 5 😭. It was watching the Sasuke Retrieval Mission and witnessing how well they played off of each other, how seamless their teamwork, and how strong their field chemistry was that did. It's easy to brush off their dynamic as "two smart characters getting along", but I think it's more than that.

From the very beginning, Shikamaru established himself as someone Neji could trust to lead. Not only was he detail oriented, took everyone's capabilities into account and planned ahead, but that Shikamaru, someone the team is placing their trust in, trusts them in turn. Trusts Neji, especially, in turn. Neji, who is surrounded by Shikamaru's childhood friends who he'd trust and have close bonds with, was tasked with the most difficult job because Shikamaru recognized (and recognizes) his extremely robust skillset. Fandom forgets his genius, but Shikamaru never will.

But what really gained Neji's respect was Shikamaru explicitly stating that the most important thing about this mission was that they were rescuing a fellow Konoha nin, and that he was willing to lay down his life for that. That was the way of Konoha shinobi. Even though he didn't like Sasuke, Sasuke was a comrade and they were tasked with the mission of taking him back. Neji, an emotionally driven person, is shown that Shikamaru thought there was value in that way of thinking, that that was what was most important and what drives Konoha shinobi to do what they do, that he thinks this way too.

This sets up their dynamic for the rest of the arc. Shikamaru, who had already respected Neji as a shinobi, expresses this and is rewarded with Neji's trust. Neji, acting on that, cooperates extremely well with Shikamaru throughout the mission, going so far as being proactive about his role and not only doing what he was told to do. There is a stark difference between how Shikamaru leads the others vs Neji, in which he doesn't really lead Neji. He works with him. Shikamaru as their strategist needs constant information about their situation in order to do his job, and Neji with the Byakugan never fails to deliver this and more. He and Shikamaru bounce ideas off of each other and they only get more and more comfortable working together the longer they do. It was a little shocking to witness that, throughout one day, Shikamaru and Neji had gone from what they were before (which wasn't really anything and even a little negative), to co-leading the mission together. The mission where Shikamaru says if they don't do what he says, they'd die. Shikamaru, when he and Neji separately concluded that the team had to split up, appointed Neji as the leader for the other team, once again, over the rest of their teammates who are all Shikamaru’s childhood friends.

The preparation for the mission wasn't just a one-and-done trigger for their trust for each other and how well they'd cooperate together, however. You can see the gradual improvement of their teamwork throughout the day and how that also extends to their opinion of one another. Neji, having been proven wrong about Shikamaru being a wimp (his words), starts paying closer attention to him and tries to guess what he's thinking... Quite explicitly. He starts playing this role of "explaining what Shikamaru is thinking" to the rest of their team without ever being told what he's thinking by Shikamaru himself. Not only is he always right (no doubt because he is also smart), but Shikamaru even...likes that? Shikamaru always respected Neji, but I don't think he particularly cared for Neji as a person (probably thought he was uptight) until this mission. When the team was trapped in Jirobo's jutsu Shikamaru lied about betraying the rest of them, and everybody's trust (even Choji's, momentarily) in him wavered except for Neji's. Neji continued to observe what Shikamaru was doing (you can see him just staring at him in the background) and slowly piece together Shikamaru's strategy in his mind. When he tells the rest of the group what it was and only asking for Shikamaru's confirmation after, Shikamaru only gives his amused-smirk-huff thing as his answer. He then proceeds to ask Neji to throw a kunai towards a crater in the wall that everyone can see, instead of himself or Choji who was literally beside it.

That doesn't even scratch the surface of all the moments Shikamaru and Neji are curious of each other/express their trust in one another. I'd love to go on and on and I genuinely could make a break down on their relationship and how it changed during the Sasuke Retrieval Arc, but this is long enough as it is. This mission, though it's what started it, isn't even a fraction of why I ship these two together, either. I thought I'd elaborate as a treat for my fellow Shikanejis to find, as well :)

And lastly, being misogynistic isn't only applicable to heterosexual men, plenty of queer men are too. I think Shikamaru would be hard pressed to endlessly defend himself as heterosexual, as that'd take way too much time, effort, and a frustrating conversation he'd rather avoid. Would he claim to like men, though? I don't know. I personally see Shikamaru and Neji as a "it ended up happening" on Shikamaru's end. Funnily enough, I *do* think he has a preference for more feminine qualities, though I don't think he knows.

post-mission debriefing (where neji is always in the hospital)

[tenshi-senpie]

𝘉𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘴

Shikamaru: @frogkingrile

📷: doryokun