Friends of Twenty Konoha Shinobi, a naruto fanfic

Title: Friends of Twenty Konoha Shinobi

Author: Blazer101

Disclaimer: I can own my Naruto video games and my Naruto manga, but I doubt I'll ever come close to earning the show.

Notes: Based on the LJ 20 truths format. Yeah, 'friends' is a pretty cheesy topic, but it worked out surprisingly well. I was kind of stuck on who to write about near the end, so I just picked random people. Anyway, I would appreciate your feedback. Enjoy!

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Friends of Twenty Konoha Shinobi

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Uzumaki Naruto didn't have much of a chance to call people 'friend' when he was young. Only when he joined Team 7 did he finally have friends. However, as soon as he learned what if felt like to be accepted by others and have company for once in his life, he soon had to deal with the worse hardships of all when it came to friends: love, hatred, betrayal, loss, promises, the list went on. But even with all those challenges, Naruto was not one to give in so easily. And if that was all he had to do to keep his best friends, he would do it, no question about it.

Uchiha Sasuke could've been friends with half the academy if he really wanted to. Most of the girls (Hyuuga Hinata being one of the few exceptions) would've died just to be his friend. But he knew that his mind was already set on avenging his clan, and friends would only get in the way, and his point was proven when the only thing standing in his way between him and enough power to destroy Itachi was Naruto. But there were those days where he did regret not going back to Konoha because Naruto was just trying to be a good friend and tell him what was right.

Haruno Sakura once understood the meaning of friend, but it soon became hazy for her. She thought they were the ones who stuck by her side, didn't make fun of her, the people she could talk to, and the people she could trust. Back when she was a lonely girl who cared too much about her forehead, she had really thought that Ino fit that description perfectly. However, it didn't take long for their hormones to kick in and tear their friendship apart. Though she sometimes wondered what would've happened if Sasuke was never in the picture, because she sure did get lonely sometimes.

Hatake Kakashi learned the meaning of friends in a way he wished he hadn't. Before that incident ever occurred, he only thought others as teammates and tools, because that was what shinobi were. That's why when Obito said they should go back, he thought it was a ridiculous idea. Shinobi were tools to increase the success of the mission, which meant they would be sacrificed if need be, not rescued. But when he saw his comrade – no, his friend – dying under the huge boulder, he understood what the Uchiha meant about friends being the most important part of each mission.

Inuzuka Kiba remembered the exact day he met his best friend. Now, anyone outside of the Inuzuka clan would've thought that being best friends with a dog was a ridiculous idea, but those part of the clan understood. In fact, they it all believed it was good for a shinobi to befriend their canine partner. Though they were the most useful weapon in their arsenal, they were also their life companions. And Tsume was proud to be able to say that her son learned that basic rule at a very young age.

Aburame Shino wasn't the ideal 'friend' guy. Most kids knew him as the anti-social bug freak who never talked, and he didn't really care what they said. He had his bugs, and for a while, that's all he thought he needed. But when he joined Team 8, he realized how much better it was to have human friends rather than bugs. And he didn't mind staying the extra time to train with Kurenai-sensei, or walking Hinata home after a tiresome mission, or go out to Ichiraku with Kiba, because being with them was sure less lonely then being with only his bugs.

Hyuuga Hinata was too shy to make friends. She was a sweet and caring girl, but because of the way she was raised, she didn't think that about herself. Most kids in the academy only knew her because she was a Hyuuga and the genius Neji's cousin. However, she will always remember the day a nine year old Yamanaka Ino came up to her, right after losing Sakura, and began talking to her. She wasn't sure if it was the way she spoke, or the way she sounded absolutely fearless, but Hinata felt like ever since that day, she has grown a little more courageous and had a higher respect for herself.

Yuuhi Kurenai didn't have time for friends when she was young. Being one of the few kunoichis in her class, she had to train extra hard and stay up all night mastering new jutsus. Her mother told her to give up on being a ninja and learn to cook and sew, like her. Her father told her that boys would always surpass her in anything, no matter what. But she never gave up. Instead, she trained day in and day out to prove them wrong. However, training became so much easier when she was assigned onto Team 6, the only team with two girls. From then on, she had a friend to help her accomplish her goal.

Nara Shikamaru often thought friends were troublesome. He was an only child and, with his father always out on missions and mother never having the time of day for him, he was lonely. To pass the time, he watched the clouds and soon learned how to play shougi from an old man who sat outside with a board each day. However, it wasn't until he met a boy, who always watched others play with sad eyes, did he finally escape his loneliness, even though it was only for a minute. But day after day, they began hanging out more and more, and Shikamaru finally knew what it felt like to have a brother.

Akimichi Chouji thought he wasn't good enough to have friends. The other kids he always played with told him time and time again that he was the worst player in their games and was completely useless. They made it a point that they were better off with him just not playing. And so when the pineapple haired boy first talked to him, he wondered if it was some sick prank that the others were playing on them. But he soon realized that it was no joke, because for the first time in his life, someone actually wanted to hang out with him.

Yamanaka Ino was the perfect friend to have in the academy. All the boys thought she was the prettiest in the class and not that bad of a fighter either. All the girls respected and admired her for her looks, her bravery and her spirit. But even with all of that, she never truly knew what having a best friend felt like until she came across a pink haired girl. It all started with the red ribbon she gave the crying girl and, even after their friendship ended, she kept the ribbon. That was the only proof she had that she once had a best friend.

Sarutobi Asuma was pretty popular amongst his friends. It wasn't everyone who could say they were friends with a relative of the Hokage. For a while, he pretended that he wasn't related to Sandaime to acquire friends that liked him for who he was, not for who he was related to, but it didn't work. And as they grew older, his 'friends' drifted apart from him because they had lost interest in the Hokage, and he had no real friends to rely on any more. That's part of the reason why he began smoking, because at least when he had a cigarette in his mouth, he felt a little better.

Rock Lee wish he had had friends that understood him. In fact, he wished he had friends in general. Being a chakraless-nin didn't attract too many friends. So while the others played ninja with each other or when they all went out for ramen together, he stayed and trained. He knew that he was better off that way, for his being a ninja anyway. But he couldn't have been more relieved in his life than when he was assigned to his team, because there he could be a splendid ninja and have friends, which was what he really wanted, deep down.

Hyuuga Neji thought friends were a waste of time and he certainly wasn't going to waste any of his. He had seen the other kids in his class obsess over their 'friends' and he knew they would never succeed and become true shinobi, because true shinobi can't favor teammates based on friendship. Even when he was put on Gai's team, he purposely distanced himself from the others. But it was only until he realized the exact reason why his father gave his life for his uncle did he finally realize the importance of being friends with his teammates.

Tenten didn't want friends, she wanted comrades. She wanted people who she could train with endlessly day in and day out. She wanted teammates who would stay by her side, even when the mission got ugly. She wanted fellow ninja who would live up to their role as loyal Konoha shinobi. And when she was put on her team, her expectations were met. However, what she did not expect was to get a new pair of best friends (even though Neji was too prideful to admit it and Lee was a little odd sometimes), because if people are truly great comrades, then they are truly great friends as well.

Maito Gai thought that while friends were important, enemies and rivals were better. Friends did support him, but he didn't need support. He needed someone who could push him and force him to do better. And so when he found out the young ninja who was his age but two ranks higher, he knew he had found his eternal rival. Of course the twelve year old Kakashi was extremely confused when a green spandex-clad boy challenged him to a battle, but he beat them none the less. And even though he calls Kakashi his rival, he knows that he's the closet thing he'll ever have to a best friend.

Umino Iruka tried to make friends when he was young. But after the Kyuubi attacked, his life seemed to crumble right before his very eyes. He was always the quiet one in the class, but after his parents died, he longed for any attention he could get. He soon became the class clown, but for a while, he really didn't care. That's why, twelve years later, when he saw an exact copy of himself in his class, he tried in every way possible to get him to stop. That's because he didn't want someone to make the same mistake he did of only getting people's attention instead of getting life long friends.

Uchiha Obito knew and fully understood what friends were. He was raised to believe that friends were the most important thing in the shinobi world. Without friends, a shinobi was nothing, and that was the main rule he grew up with. That's why, when he met Kakashi, he was confused as to how someone could think like that. But either way, he wasn't going to let his machine-like teammate stop him from saving his friend, even though it left him with one eye and slowly dying under a boulder. But if that was what it took to teach a friend the most important rule of all, he was glad he did it.

Morino Ibiki knew who his friends were. Being an orphan, they were the only ones he had left and he was excited to hear that his first mission as a Chuunin leader would be with them. But when he came back from his mission, all of Konoha knew about it. He had spent three weeks in the hospital because of the extent of his injuries and more than twice the time trying to regain his sanity. But it wasn't the physical torture that made him go insane. It was the sight of his friends, slowly dying a painful death one by one, in front of his eyes.

All shinobi understood what a friend was in one way or another. Other people – those who were not ninjas – could never understand the complicated bond among them. There were those who feel they were too good for friends, those who felt friends got in the way, those who were deprived of friends. Yet, they all, in one way or another, depended on friends to survive. Like when a comrade risks his life to defend the person that is precious to him. Or when a rival fights to defend one of her enemies, yet one of her own. Or when a teammate stays behind and fights a battle he knows he can't win, but does so anyway so his friends can move it.

Because no matter where they are, friends will always have their back.