AN: Alright, I know I should be working on my own story, on my own SI-OC fic instead of writing this oneshot. But after a month of trying and failing to write, I suppose I'm very much justified in attempting to write about something else, if only for refreshing my pen.

And ah, oh yeah, this kind of writing style is based on another fic's – namely, 'Sunshine and Stormclouds' by Elelith, which is, again, a recursive fic for DOS.

So, one could say this is a fic of a fic of a fic.

*sigh* Well. Carrying on now –'Dreaming of Sunshine" is by Silver Queen. Shikako is hers, and Naruto is Kishimoto's. I own nothing.

Inuzuka Kiba is in awe.

Because while damn him for being in awe of a Nara of all people – seriously, the people in that clan are lazy – he thinks it's very much justified that he, a proud and strong Inuzuka, could say that he was in awe of Team 7's one and only girl in their team.

"She told me that if explosives didn't solve your problems, you weren't using enough." He hears Ino say, almost too soft to hear even with enhanced hearing amidst all the loud cheers. "She didn't say anything about being able to do this!"

This, being the very much awesome field jutsu that Shikako called her… what was it again, ah – City of Pillars. Even Kiba could see the uses of that jutsu – after all, if Shikako used it on him, most of his big techniques would become less than useless.

Of course, that's also the point where she warns Gaara of the paper bombs inside his sand, and Ino's words are proven right as explosions happen. Again.

They should really start calling her Bomber Shikako.

"She dropped a whole pillar on me." Sasuke in turn replies to his once-upon-a-time hardcore fangirl. "If it's Gaara, then she has to pull up on her game."

Right at that moment, as if timed, Shikako does just that. Pull up a scroll, and drop a freaking pillar of pure rock over Gaara. Of course, it doesn't do much other than distract the juggernaut that is the Sand Jinchuuriki, but it is extremely flashy.

The pillar explodes, and Kiba could hear the cheers from the civilian audience get louder in response.

In amidst it all, Kiba recalls a familiar time – in another Chuunin Exam, where he was once again a participant in between fellow participants and friends...

"You threatened him, didn't you?"

Shikamaru gives a shrug – an action that Kiba would've never batted an eye over, if it weren't for the situation. Shikako was, after all, accusing her own brother of scaring off the goddamn last Uchiha of all people.

So when Shikamaru doesn't speak up after, Kiba gives a loud scoff.

"Shikamaru?" He mouths the name almost as if it rhymed with lazy. "He's about as threatening as Hinata!"

Mind you though, even if Kiba would never say it at loud, he would never want to see Hinata angry at any rate. After all, not only that it would mean something happened so badly it made Hinata of all people angry, it also meant that Hinata, the person on his team who could kill with a soft tap of her fingers, was angry.

"Kiba," the subject of his thoughts murmured at his side, "I-I'm sure Shikamaru…"

Sometimes he didn't know whether to thank the gods that he gained the softest Hyuuga in the bunch or not.

His thoughts on the apparent pros and cons on having the Hyuuga heiress as a teammate is derailed, as Shikako turns to him with a look that seemed to smug for his tastes.

"Don't you know the saying?" She grins, her face almost reminiscent of his sister Hana's. "The three things any Konoha shinobi fears: an angry Aburame, a focused Inuzuka… and a motivated Nara."

At her words, immediately Kiba recalls such situations.

Shino, during one of their training spars where Kiba accidentally killed more than half of his colony. Hana, scary as she was whenever she got mad at him. And the crossover: the memory of Shibi, Shino's dad, and his mom, as their eyes watched over Kiba and Shino as children during that night Hinata was kidnapped…

He hides the shiver at such a memory. Instead, Kiba forces a laugh.

"Yeah, I've heard that." Knew it, felt it. But he was an Inuzuka, so he wasn't about to show fear, especially at such an old memory. "But you are a Nara and you seem plenty motivated to me."

Oh, wasn't it so much that he didn't believe it at the time? After all, look at her now…

She smiles at him. "Best be scared, then, ne?"

Scared? No. Inuzuka Kiba didn't do being scared.

That's why he was in awe. Because when you simply didn't become scared, that was the result. Pure awe.

And then, she takes out that sword. Takes it out, lights it up, and quite simply cuts up and shocks away the sand that tries to get her and his awe is doubled. Kiba had thought that he was catching up. He learned Fang Wolf Fang for that reason – after all, after he saw Naruto of all people summon a gigantic frog and match up to Gaara, he realized that he was being left behind.

Naruto, with his uncountable clones and vast reserves of stamina and skills. Sasuke, with his Sharingan that was a friggin cheat against anything and everything. Shikamaru of all people, for managing to get through hell and high water with nary a scratch.

Now, even the weakest link of Team 7 wasn't so weak after all.

And even as Kiba tries or wants to laugh at the trick Shikako then plays against Gaara – imagine, faking a jutsu here of all places – he can't because he knows that if it was him who was fighting Shikako instead of Gaara, Shikako wouldn't even have to do that kind of tactics.

Because if it was him who fought Shikako, he would lose within five minutes.

Kiba finally washes his mind of any thoughts of being stronger than Shikako the moment she uses a third element – water, after using earth and lightning – because really, he is starting to think the only reason Naruto even became a Chuunin was because of her.

Even back then, wasn't she the one who thought of using Naruto to defeat Gaara and succeed?

"Explode!"

His ears wince at the resultant explosions. Again.

Beside him, he feels Ino give him a short nudge. The Yamanaka's eyes are understanding as she gazes on him and picks up on his thoughts more than anybody else could.

"Yeah, I know." Kiba doesn't have to hear her speak to know what she means. "Let's train together sometime after this – I'm not planning to be left behind."

And if there is a massive consensus between that and his fellow non-Team 7 Rookies, well… it was Shikako's fault if anybody asked.

AN: I don't like this ending, but methinks it's good enough for a 45-minute impromptu write-up.

Ah, oh well. If I get the idea for writing up another DOS recursive fanfic, I'll post it up here.