WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 178, "Our Fathers' Example," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
If there's one character in Boruto who's continued the tough love habit as he's grown up, it's Shikamaru. While characters like Naruto and Boruto suffered, Shikamaru and his dad, Shikaku, as orphans, just never had warm parental relationships -- with theirs mostly boiling down to discussing Konoha's war tactics and the new generation of shinobi over chess.
Unfortunately, Shikamaru's been treating his son, Shikadai, the same way. However, Episode 178 of the Boruto anime brings an epiphany to the Hokage's advisor and in the process, Shikamaru finally learns not to repeat his dad's mistake.
Shikaku's cold disposition made Shikamaru disinterested in being a shinobi. We initially thought it was him being lazy but it was actually a means of rebelling against his dad -- a trusted hero and leader of the sensory perception ninja team. His father was one of the most respected ninja around, which is why Shikamaru decided to get better and work with Naruto to stop threats like the Akatsuki, Madara, Obito, and eventually, Kaguya.
Sadly, it's the war against the Rabbit Princess that would leave a bloody stain on Shikamaru's life, with a Tailed Beast chakra bomb blowing his dad's unit to bits just before they sent a plan on how to defeat Kaguya. It haunted Shikamaru ever since, leading him to adopt more of his dad's persona -- maybe out of honor but also to remember the man he was. Shikadai, however, hasn't really been receiving his dad's lessons the best way, with his mom, Temari, actually being the one he goes to. She went from a cruel ninja in the Hidden Sand to someone more loving, which is why Shikamaru thinks he can leave that aspect of parenting to her.
But when Ao comes to town, he reveals key info as the only survivor of the bomb, letting Shikamaru and Ino know their dads loved them, were proud of them, and boasted of their talents. Though it comes a bit late, this approval makes the tactician break down as he always wanted that badge of acceptance. Immediately, there's a change within him; an air of sensitivity and love flowing, which causes Ino to comfort her son, Inojin. Shikamaru follows suit and takes his son for dinner but surprisingly, it's not their usual business-like approach, with Shikadai taken aback at how his dad is.
Shikamaru's compliments, hopeful attitude and overall optimism clearly impress on the kid, and they bond like father and son should. At this point, they're proud of each other and eager to meet tomorrow with open arms. It bodes well for Shikadai, who's a great partner for Boruto in the field, and indicates that they could follow their fathers as Hokage and advisor, too.
Only time will tell but for now, but after such great performances with Team 7 recently, Shikadai is finally getting his dad's approval, and he's eager to be a better shinobi for it.
