Naruto: Shikamaru’s Story--A Cloud Drifting in the Silent Dark (Naruto Novels Book 2)

To start off, I’d say this really does seem to draw out a more mature Shikamaru. This is a great story which gives good insight of what is to be expected following the fourth great ninja war. You can read the description of this book to give brief a description but I don’t believe it really says enough. Shikamaru is battling the pressure of being a key figure in the shaping of the shinobi world. Peace is what he seeks for all the villages but answers for what he wants from life and how to make it all blend together is an ever-wide but short road. That is what he’s really looking for. Words of similar ideals can be deceiving and he must realize his own path and how that is beneficial for all the nations. Maybe then he can be lifted of the weight he carries and find what he’s truly looking for. I find this book harder to explain than Kakashi’s novel, possibly, because this wasn’t as interesting. Still, this book is interesting. It ties into the story well. Even if this may be considered filler, I’d say this book is cannon. (This last part is kind of a spoiler but not really. So look out ahead.) My only problem, which isn’t big but more relatable, is that this character is insanely smart and this book is more about him realizing he should slow down. Finding the answers comes in time and sometimes the answers find you. He’s not really showing his smarts in this book, but instead, simply being the first to notice, what to me, seems blatantly obvious.

It was great to read about a secondary, yet a very important character from the Naruto franchise. Shikamaru's always been an intriguing character with side story potential so I'm glad we finally got one. As for the actual story I'm breaking down my ratings into the following categories: Story plot: 4 (not as enjoyable as Kakashi's book, but it showcased Shikamaru's character magnificently) Writing: 5 (I believe these books are direct translations from the Japanese versions so I was very impressed when the book read like it had been written by an English author) Characters: 5 (I LOVE that Naruto, Sasuke, basically all the major characters don't come in to save the day. This is truly Shikamaru's book. That being said it was still nice to see small cameos of the other characters)

Totally not what you are expecting. Shikamaru is definitely the same smart person he always was. look forward to his development as an adult and how he views the world change including the decisions he makes based on those views. Original characters are developed enough to add real value to the story, albeit they do stand in direct contrast to the characters we know and love from Naruto. Look out for the plot twist. A few ideas are mere tendrils of what could be and leave the reader wanting and slightly unsatisfied but overall a great contribution to the Naruto Collection

While it's not great literature, Shikamaru's story is a well written story with a much better translation than Kakashi's story had. It was fun to spend time in the head of the laziest master tactician in the Hidden Leaf Village. His relationship with Tamari was insightful as well. It's great that he could be sent flying so dramatically by his friends and be so phlegmatic about it.

While I enjoyed Kakashi's Story, this novel certainly surpassed its predecessor in just about every aspect. If you have to choose between buying one of those two, I recommend this one. No major spoilers: Shikamaru's character in the anime has always bored me a little bit. However, from the start of this novel, I became more and more of a fan while reading his thought process. Where Kakashi's Story felt a bit like fan-fiction with convoluted action sequences that would have been better published as a manga, Shikamaru's Story fully takes advantage of printed word by presenting Shikamaru's philosophies and internal conflicts with satisfying action sequences. It gives a more thorough look on the introspective of one of the Naruto universe's most intellectual characters. The newly introduced side characters aren't all that captivating, but getting the deeper perspective from Shikamaru makes up for that. The main villain is a bit more interesting that the other typical villains in the Naruto universe. Overall, I obviously enjoyed this book and will probably read it again in the future. If you liked Kakashi's Story or you were a bit underwhelmed by it, then you may enjoy this one....and don't worry, he doesn't say, "What a drag," every other line like he does in the anime.

Shikamaru is a favorite character of mine. I read the book in three days. Thought the ending was cute. Very shikamaru. The extra character development is appreciated. Gonna order the Sasuke and Sakura book next.

Para los que somos fans... excelente

Shikamaru Hiden é uma novel essencial para os fãs de Naruto. A novel se passa 2 anos após a Quarta Guerra Mundial Ninja, e nela, vemos um grande crescimento e amadurecimento de Shikamaru como homem e shinobi. Shikamaru ainda possuí dúvidas sobre seu futuro, e começa até levar tudo muito a sério demais (deixando de falar “que saco” por exemplo, seu principal bordão), achando que era isso que faltava em sua vida. Com o passar do tempo, e as experiências que ele vai tendo, ele percebe que tudo precisasse de um equilíbrio, pois ser “sério” demais também não é bom. Vemos também um desenvolvimento de romance entre ele e Temari, algo que não fica muito explícito na adaptação feita no final de Naruto Shippuden (essa novel foi adaptada no final de Naruto Shippuden, logo após a luta final entre Naruto x Sasuke), e vemos uma ligação bem forte entre os dois, antes mesmo de darem uma chance um ao outro. Como leitora da editora Vizmedia, agradeço a a Amazon por trazer as novels de Naruto importadas para o Brasil, pois quem é fã e gosta de qualidade de tradução, sempre vai preferir comprar da Viz do que da Panini.

Very nice and interesting one. Naruto fan are going to love this. I really liked it as it's very entertaining.

great story, very shikamaru, loved it

Amazon UK delayed the release of this novel, so it arrived on the 21st of February. It would be really great if they could release the novels at the same time as Amazon US. As for the novel itself, it was really great! It had a better flow from Kakashi's Story novel, Shikamaru's Story also had better translation and I did not spot any spelling mistakes this time. If you are a fan of the Naruto franchise, I definitely recommend reading Shikamaru's Story — A Cloud Drifting in the Silent Dark. This novel takes place after Kakashi becomes the Hokage, two years after the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War. Shikamaru is wondering how his life went so awry, as he was increasingly heaped with responsibilities, culminating with his most recent job of advising the five Kage and coordinating missions for the Shinobi Union, the successor to the Allied Shinobi Forces.