Disclaimer: So, yeah, Naruto is cool and all, but most of the characters in this story aren't mine. Only my team, consisting of Masa, Kura, and Hotaru are my own characters, and technically only Masa is mine personally. Kura and Hotaru are my bestest friends, which is why we make a good trio of ninja. So okay, this is the first chapter, which is mostly background story.

WARNING!!: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS Shounen-ai including light, and I mean light, experimenting. If you don't like the idea of two young boys kissing, then you shouldn't even be here. The M rating is for later chapters because of the violence and language that occurs as a result of this being a universe filled with ninja. If allowed, there will also be yaoi, lemon (if someone would tell me what that is!), and… well, that's all I can put of it here.

Note: This is an OCxShika, ShikaxTamari, and OCHotaruxKiba fic, so the last chapters I probably won't be able to post here. And I go into detail too, so really, if you're not supposed to read it or romance and sex aren't your things, then GO! Sheesh, it's not my fault if you get caught reading this when you aren't supposed to.

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Setting: Just outside of Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Shikamaru sighed, staring up at the clouds. He didn't see any point in going back to class, though he knew recess was over and his teacher would be furious with him for not returning. He shifted slightly, smiling as the clouds shifted and moved with the wind, the only interesting thing in a world of boredom. He knew he was smarter then the rest of his class, and he already knew what the teacher would want him to learn, so he lay under his favorite tree, doing his favorite pass time.

He was not, however, expecting a visit from his friend Masa just then, and when the young ninja poked his head to see if he was awake, he jumped up with a surprised yelp. Seeing it was Masa, he just sighed and lay back down. Masa frowned at Shikamaru, placing his 8 year old hands on his hips in a mocking style of the way his parents acted with him.

"Nara-kuuuun!" He whined out, stomping one foot impatiently, "Are you skipping class again? You know what happened last time! What's with you anyway? You skip more class then most of the other older students." Masa sat down next to him, staring at him impatiently, waiting for an answer. Shikamaru just sighed, staring at the clouds.

"Explaining things to you would be such a pain..." Saying this only served to infuriate Masa, who promptly lay down next to him and stared angrily at the clouds. He looked over at the 7 year old Shikamaru and sighed, feeling something strange clench up inside him, and it wasn't his normal kind of clenching like when he had to use the bathroom. This one was higher up, and as he grabbed for it he realized that he was grabbing his red shirt right where his heart was. Blushing, he turned away, feeling embarrassed, while Shikamaru took no notice, completely absorbed in cloud watching. He began to breathe hard, the feeling in his chest worsening as he turned away from Shikamaru, and he knew that whatever it was had to do with him. A sudden, crazy idea popped into his head, and he knew what the feeling was telling him.

"Sh-Shi-Shikamaru?" Masa asked timidly, turning slightly back to his friend. Shikamaru turned to his friend, slightly alarmed at being called by his name. The last time he had been called Shikamaru by Masa, Masa had been sick and had thrown up everywhere. Seeing his friend clutching his chest, he grew even more worried, immediately fearing the worst.

"What is it, what's wrong Masa?" Shikamaru leaned over his friend, who was red in the face. He checked for wounds, needle marks, or any sign of outer injury. This only seemed to make Masa worse, who really was somewhat enjoying the attention.

"Can... can I," Masa said shakily. Shikamaru ignored him, still searching his friend until he was stopped, his hands grabbed fiercely by Masa's. Masa swallowed in nervousness, as did Shikamaru. "Can I... kiss you, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru blinked in astonishment, then started to laugh. He soon stopped, realizing that he had somehow hurt Masa's feelings. Then he knew, Masa was serious.

"Well... I... I don't know... I mean, I didn't think guys were supposed to kiss." Shikamaru tried to pulls his hands away, but Masa wouldn't let go, even though his own were shaking. "I've never kissed another boy before. I mean, it seems kinda strange, don't you think?"

"Well, I guess so, but... I don't even know why I want to. I just... do. Please, pretty please, can I kiss you?" Masa's eyes pleaded with him, growing large and watery. Shikamaru blushed and looked away. He hated it when Masa gave him that face, it was so pathetic that it pulled the little bit of sympathy he had for others out of him.

"Fine..." he muttered, looking away to hide a slight blush that was creeping into his face. Masa's face lit up, a wide, happy smile spreading across his face before he leaned forward, blushing and puckering his lips a little. Shikamaru closed his eyes, not believing what he had just agreed to. Changing his mind, he turned back toward Masa, intent on telling him no when their lips met for the first time.

Shikamaru's eyes popped open, surprise causing him to take a sharp intake of breath through his nose. Masa's eyes remained closed, a warm feeling spreading through his body. Without knowing why, one of his hands slipped over Shikamaru's body, drawing him closer. Shikamaru pushed against him, his eyes wide with shock and fright, but the feeling of the kiss made his push weak as the same warm feeling spread through him as well. The two boys pressed close as the awkward kiss continued. Finally it stopped, leaving them breathless.

"That was... good." Masa blushed as he said it, looking shyly as the still stunned Shikamaru. Standing, he waited awkwardly for him to say something, but he remained silent. Slowly Shikamaru raised one hand and touched his lips, shaking. He knew what he had just done was something that most people would despise, most would even call it disgusting, and he had just done it with probably the only other kid who he could consider his friend.

"I... I have to go." Shikamaru said as he stood, not looking at Masa. Masa gasped slightly, feeling hurt as the other boy turned and began to run. He took a few steps forward and stopped, knowing he shouldn't pester him. Shikamaru never liked it when he bothered him about things, and besides, he knew he would see him the next day anyway, they went to the same school.

Smiling, Masa turned back to the school, knowing he would be late, but glad he had shared that moment with Shikamaru.

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"What?! What are you talking about?!" Masa cried, panicked as his parents sat around the dinner table.

"Your father got a promotion but we have to move out of Konoha, which means that you're going to have to go to a different school." His mother looked at him, forcing a smile, "I'm sorry honey, but I'm sure you're going to make new frie-"

"NO!" Masa screamed, startling both of his parents. The young boy turned and picked up his backpack, throwing open the door and running outside before his parents could stop him. "I'm not leaving! EVER!"

Masa leaped from building to building, heading for the forest that was his roundabout way of getting to Shikamaru's house. He didn't want to go, but he knew that what he had said was pointless. He couldn't live on his own, and Shikamaru had been so scared about them kissing, he probably wouldn't want him in his house. Masa still wanted to see him one last time, so he decided to set up a meeting with him before he left.

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Shikamaru woke with a start, hearing a small thud next to his bed. Looking over, he saw a kunai stuck into the floor. A small note was attached to it, and read;

Dearest Shikamaru,

I have to leave soon. I want to see you one last time before I do. Meet me by your favorite tree before school. Please come.

There was no name, but Shikamaru figured out who it was fairly easily. The images of earlier that day surfaced again, the look in Masa's golden eyes when he asked to kiss him, his joyous expression afterward, the fear in those eyes as he had run away. Shikamaru felt his chest tighten again, his mixed feelings for his friend making his head pound and his vision swirl. He decided he would try and sleep, then go to his friend tomorrow and discuss what this was becoming, and what he wanted it to be.

--- The Next Day

Masa waited, his yellow eyes scanning the dimming horizon. He had delivered his message to Shikamaru during the previous night, and had watched as his friend read the message before going back to bed. He knew Shikamaru wanted to see him, after all, he would never leave something like that just hanging there, and he wouldn't leave him by the tree.

Would he?

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"What do you mean I can't go?" Shikamaru shouted, pulling at the arm of the adult holding his own. Iruka kept his grip though, despite the grim struggling of the young boy.

"I'm sorry Shikamaru, but I can't. You've missed enough class as it is, and I can't just let you miss more. It's my responsibility as your teacher to keep you here and teach you about being a ninja." Iruka sighed as the boy continued to struggle against his grip. The young boy had said that he had somewhere important to be, and it baffled the teacher as to what he thought was more important then learning the art of being a ninja. He gently pulled Shikamaru close to him as the boy began to cry, embracing him as a mentor in order to comfort him. Shikamaru, wailing and sobbing, clung to his sensei's vest.

"But… I… he wants to see me and…" Shikamaru started through his sobbing in an effort to explain his situation to his teacher. He wouldn't have acted this way, and he didn't know why he was now, but he wanted his sensei to know why he had to leave.

Iruka pulled the boy away, looking into his eyes with concern. "Who wants to see you Shikamaru? Lord Hokage?"

"No! It's… it's Masamune, it's his last day here and he wants to see me before he goes!" Shikamaru wasn't crying anymore, but now he was screaming, his fear of missing his friend before he left driving him to be angry at his teacher for holding him back.

Iruka was stricken. Masamune's true reason for leaving was supposed to be a secret, his distant family having been found with traitorous intents toward the Hokage, and so he and his family had been forced to leave. If he told Shikamaru why he left, the boy might be convinced to turn against the Hokage as well. But Iruka understood that Shikamaru and Masamune's friendship was something special to both of them. Both were amazingly intelligent, and while it caused Shikamaru to be lazy, it caused Masa to be distractible and hyperactive. The two were opposites, but because they were so much brighter then the other students, had found friendship through their intelligence.

"Oh… Shikamaru, I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do." Iruka said, trying to comfort the screaming child, but it only served to enrage him.

"Then let me go! I have to go see him!" Shikamaru yelled again, pulling against his sensei's grip again. Iruka sighed, knowing he wasn't supposed to do what he was about to, but it was the only way he could keep the boy from hurting himself. He gently tapped the boys head with a finger, sending a small bit of chakra through his finger. The boys eyes widened, then his lids closed and he fell forward. Iruka caught the now unconscious boy, shaking his head with regret. He knew that it would be hard for Shikamaru, now that there wasn't anyone left who he wanted to be friends with. He carried the boy back to class and sat him as his seat, setting him into a comfortable position until he came to.

As Iruka taught his class, the sleeping Shikamaru was dreaming of his friend. In his dreams, he ran after Masa, his friend just standing there waiting for him. But as he ran, his dreams turned to nightmares as his friend seemed to slip away, getting farther as he ran to get closer. He tried yelling to him, but his voice wouldn't work. His dream slowly ended with him alone, crying softly after Masa's image had faded completely. There had been so many things he had wanted to say, but he couldn't now. Masa was gone, and there was nothing he could do about it.

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So, what do you think? Critiques? Comments? Compliments? I'd love any and all of those, so LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!! Okay?

I'm working on more chapters, so don't worry. You'll get more of this soon. And I hope my later chapters will be better.