Well that surely aswered most of my questions... mostly.

And we are still at chapter 8... How Exciting.

I was kinda expecting it For shikas plan not to work but I actually did want to also see how the festival would go. I also would have loved to see more shika and his mom have couple more fluff and scenes. But overall this is a nice change of pace.

Huh I just realized how parallel the two deaths were. Shisui and Itachis. Both have been suicide and with their younger brother and leaving a gift and a memory behind. Before everything went to shit. Its a nice thought that I never would have noticed if it wasnt for the A/N

Its getting fun. And tension are rising. And Its new. I wanna know what happened to shikamaru though. Like...

Thanks for the hard work love the story _
Please don't drop _

It looks like you may not come back to this since it's been so long, so I just wanted to say how much I've enjoyed this.

It's interesting that Kazuki finds comfort in the differences between his former mother and the woman he's spending time with now. I guess if she were too similar to the woman he remembers it would be painful, like he hoped to replace her and the mother he just lost. The balance between adult Shikamaru and child Kazuki makes for an intriguing situation.

Shikamaru reacted about like I'd expect to meeting Shikaku. Part of it's a childish wish (Daddy will make it better.) while it's also the fact that he knows how capable his Nara father is. He's been struggling alone and it didn't work except to save his and Sasuke's lives, which might or might not have been in danger from Itachi. He's in a lot of pain because of that. How could he not be?
Their finding an affinity over shogi fits, too. I'd bet that he was encouraged to do more active things than play strategic games, being an Uchiha. He must crave a decent opponent (I imagine him trying to get Sasuke to join him for a game on rainy days. Or Naruto!?)

Shikamaru's careful plans were disrupted and, ironically, so were Itachi's. Danzo's deviousness outdid them both.
Now I have to wonder if you'll continue to follow Itachi, who won't stop caring about his brothers or puzzling over the riddle that is Kazuki.

Definitely a village full of ninjas. Clan secrets, family secrets, and now branch secrets. I wonder what Mikoto never showed her husband?
It looks as if Shikaku never had a child at all if Shikamaru wasn't born. That's a shame. I wonder what they'll make of each other when they meet? They have very similar temperaments.

You manage to slip in lighter, brotherly moments and friendship building without watering down the evolving crises.
Itachi is approaching his doom and I don't know if the massacre is preventable. I don't know if the Uchiha rebellion is preventable. Which keeps me reading. ;)
Shikamaru's nightmare memories and secret training seem to be exhausting him even as his chakra levels are increasing (to fuel the Sharingan or to feed the Nara techniques he isn't supposed to have access to?). Seeing him connecting with the deer was touching. It may be the only connection he can have with his onetime clan.
He's also unintentionally earned Naruto's devotion as well as strengthening both his and Choji's friendship. At this point in time, nobody has ever done anything to protect Naruto. He'll remember.

I've never given thought to the logistics of the massacre, but you obviously have. Itachi couldn't have slaughtered all those people in their beds, not without somebody waking up. The Uchiha were supposed to be among the village's best, after all.
Choosing a cerebral character like Shikamaru creates a different vibe from a more physical character trying to change the past. Sometimes a character gets sent back, but unearthing secrets and acting stealthily is just so not their style that it's hard to believe them doing it well. Shikamaru always looks for the lever that can accomplish the task with the least effort and greatest efficiency. Since that task is to save the village and as many of its people as possible, he'll be very determined.

Ooooooh I love this!
I wonder what missions the two teams have!
And I really like how everything is slowly changing because of little differences - now, I have no clue what will happen with Mizuki and which side he'll end up on
And I love all of Shikaku's and Shikamaru's slow realisations and their interactions too
I love how this story is written!

I... wasn't expecting to like this story so much.
To be honest, even though I really liked the main characters, the plot didn't seem appealing to me.
I was oh so wrong haha.
(I am a big lover of reincarnation fics. What I especially like about your story is that Kazuki doesn't want to be 100% sure to having been Shikamaru.)
Even though it's been aroud five years since the last time you updated it, I hope to see you back around