Gai: So, you have decided to venture back into the strange and mystical world of Sharingank's mind, have you? Brave, brave souls...

Sharingank: :vein pulsates in forehead: Just say some more. Go ahead.

Gai: Just stating the facts, that's all.

Sharingank:pulls out steel-tipped boxing gloves: Do you wanna go? This is MY STORY! MINE! NOT YOURS! Do you want me to put you in a pink ballerina costume? I can rewrite everything...change the title of the story...make your defeat even more humiliating...

Gai: ...SO! This next chapter is going to be exciting:sweatdrops:

Kakashi: :snickering: Baka

Gai: :glares: Geezer

Kakashi: Pansy

Sharingank: Woah. Guys, come on. Don't start this again. It's time to see Shikamaru get drunk! Won't that be fun:grins evilly:

Shikamaru: Oh dear lord...

Chapter 6: Was This Supposed to be a Drinking Contest?

Whenever Naruto set out to do something, it was always bound to be big. He completely immersed himself in the task at hand, often giving more than was required. The masquerade was proving to be no different. When it was time for dinner to be served, curtains near the front of the ballroom were lifted, revealing one long, polished oak table laden with all manner of delicacies, each arranged beautifully on exquisite porcelain serving dishes. Even more spectacular was the ice sculpture fountain that served as the centerpiece of the table. Shaped like the symbol of the Leaf Village, it was a true masterpiece of craftsmanship, the ice sparkling pink and blue against the steady flow of water that spouted from a special tap built into the sculpture from beneath. Naruto had commissioned the sculpture from a friend of Sakura's who was skilled at carving, and he was not disappointed. As people began forming a line near the table, commenting on Naruto's artistic genius with the decorating, the Hokage could not help but feel incredibly proud of himself. Sakura had wanted a party that would rival those in fairytales, so he went to great lengths to give her one. Kakashi's grand entrance had only increased the fantasy-like atmosphere, delighting the guests and creating quite a stir among the female population of the Leaf, most of whom could not keep their eyes off of the tall Jounin. He merely brushed the attention aside and focused on enjoying the evening with his friends.

Gai, in order to make up for his defeat, decided to retaliate by telling stories of his and Kakashi's childhood to the people, including Lee, who were sitting at his table. Most of the stories, not surprisingly, put particular emphasis on Kakashi's losses and Gai's wins. At his own table nearby, Kakashi did his best to tune out the sound of Gai's voice, but every time he lost focus it would break through, somehow magnified in his ears. Everyone else at the table seemed unable to hold a conversation long enough before curiosity won out, their voices tapering off as Gai's tales became more and more outrageous. Finally, Naruto decided to take the initiative and asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

"So, how exactly did this rivalry come about between you two?" He said casually, masking the burning curiosity that he felt.

"Eh?" Kakashi, who had been listening to Gai's warped account of one of their games of rock/paper/scissors, turned his head in Naruto's direction and found twelve pairs of eyes staring at him expectantly. "Er, sorry. What did you say?"

Naruto repeated the question, and everyone at the table leaned forward, waiting for Kakashi's reply. Kakashi mulled it over in his head, trying to decide whether or not he wanted to indulge aspects of his past. Whether it was from the absence of his mask or some other unknown factor, he determined that he was feeling open today. Asuma and Kurenai exchanged a look that made them appear even more crowish than their costumes. Kakashi was very expressive on the rare occasions that he told stories, liking to speak with his hands, which always proved amusing.

"Well, let's see," he said, drumming the gloved fingers of one hand on the table while spearing a piece of potato on his fork with the other. He popped the potato in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "It started at the Academy, wouldn't you say?" He said, looking to Asuma, who nodded, grinning.

"That rascal had it in for you the minute you saw each other." He laughed.

An absent smile made its way to Kakashi's face as his childhood came rushing back. "I remember one day when we were learning about hand seals, he sat right behind me and kept throwing wads of paper at my head. He was always trying to provoke me, just because I never got mad, and that ticked him off. I think that day was the first time I ever really lost my temper." Both he and Asuma burst into laughter at the memory. Kurenai had attended Academy a bit later than the other two, so this story was as new to her as it was to Naruto and the gang.

"What did you do?" She asked.

Kakashi's answering grin was wolfish. "I said, point blank, that if he did it again, I'd turn around and punch him in the face."

"Oh no," Sakura said, closing her eyes and giggling. She had a feeling she knew where this was going. "He did it again, didn't he?"

Kakashi nodded. "He thought I was just joking around, so he kept doing it. He stopped after I clocked him though. I got in huge trouble for that one," he said amidst laughter, both his own and his audience's. "And I think that's what started the entire rivalry thing. Gai became obsessed with beating me from that point on because I made him look stupid in front of our classmates. I never took it seriously until today, actually, even when he trained for years to defeat my Sharingan." He shrugged. "Ah well. He's got spirit, which counts for something, I guess." He said as Gai's voice rose in a bad imitation of Kakashi. "Very...spirited."

Everyone laughed, and then started in on their dinners, one mystery surrounding Hatake Kakashi finally solved. About halfway through the meal, Anko, dressed in a stunning white gown adorned with tiny crystals, a white half-mask covering her eyes, made her way to the table, a determined look on her face. Lively swing-music began playing in the background, and couples started heading to the floor.

"I want to dance, and I need a partner." Anko said to Kakashi, grabbing his hand and towing him from the table, receiving glares from the various ladies who had been heading in Kakashi's direction for that very purpose. Kakashi looked back over his shoulder at his friends with raised eyebrows before he allowed himself to be pulled along, raising no objections. Asuma and Kurenai joined them soon after, leaving Naruto and his year-mates to their own devices.

Up until this point Shikamaru had been fine, completely content to sit and listen to the chatter of others as he ate, especially since the attention was not on him. He could have happily remained in the background the rest of the night, but, of course, fate dealt him a different hand. The conversation began innocently enough, with the rather basic inquiries into romantic relationships, but it soon shifted to one relationship in particular, that of Shikamaru and Ino. Immediately, Shikamaru began growing uncomfortable. Usually he would leave at a time like this and allow the gossip and giggling to continue without him, but he was now in a situation where that was not an option. If he even tried to go somewhere else, Ino would be on him faster than he could blink, and he didn't really care for the idea of being scolded right now. So he stayed put, though it was difficult to resist the urge to hide underneath the table. The only thing that stopped him was the tiny sense of dignity that Ino hadn't managed to bruise. That, and his friends, who were evilly tossing in their own questions about Shikamaru's marriage, would never let him hear the end of it. When the talk switched to bedroom activities, however, he just about dropped dead.

"Oh, you'd never guess it," Ino began impishly in response to a rather pointed question, "especially being the lazy bum that he is." She gave Shikamaru a look full of mischief, and continued. "But his stamina is amazing."

At that, the girls dissolved into fits of giggling, and the guys hooted and hollered, slapping Shikamaru, whose face now resembled a ripe tomato, on the back. Oh...my...lord... He sank into his chair, the picture of misery. They have no mercy. None of them.

"So you're a tiger, eh?" Chouji said, nudging him in the ribs and waggling his eyebrows. Shikamaru blinked, then made a small choking noise in his throat before letting his head fall to the table with a thump. This night had just taken a sharp turn for the worst. He could hear his friends laughing uproariously, the sound interlaced with the girls' giggles and naughty whispering. He was so distraught that he didn't even realize his friends had left the table until Gaara poked him on the shoulder. He lifted his head, glaring at the red-haired Sand-nin.

"I don't want to hear it, Gaara. Not one single word." Shikamaru said flatly.

"Ah," Gaara replied. "In one of those moods, I see."

"Shut up."

"That's hardly a way to speak to a friend, now is it?"

"Gaara, seriously. If you're just going to patronize me, then go bug someone else."

"Oh bother," Gaara said, heaving an exaggerated sigh. "I suppose I'll just get to the point then. Do you see that nice little corner over there?" He motioned with his head to the left, and Shikamaru, his eyes shifting in that direction, noticed a small, unobtrusive table set up there that he didn't remember seeing before.

"Yes," he slowly replied.

"I'm so glad." He grinned, and Shikamaru's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Come along then. You look like you could use a lift."

"What are you talking about?"

"A drink, Shikamaru. Honestly. You can be so dense sometimes."

Shikamaru let that pass. "I'm not really much of a drinker. Thanks anyway, though."

Gaara knew exactly what to do to change that. Making his eyes wide, he said in a deprecatingly childish voice, "What? Is ickle Shikamawu afwaid of a widdle dwinkie?"

Shikamaru's eyebrow began to twitch, and his mouth opened, but no sound came out. "Excuse me?" He finally managed to croak.

"Oh well. I guess I'll just have to tell the others that you preferred to sit and chit- chat with the ladies instead of joining us." With a swirl of his waistcoat, he turned his back on Shikamaru and began to walk away, silently counting down in his head. "Three, two, one..."

"Wait just a second, you eyebrow-less freak!"

"And there it is," Gaara said to himself, smiling. He glanced over his shoulder. "Yes?"

Shikamaru stalked over to the Sand-nin, fuming, that small sense of dignity bruised. "Did you just call me a woman?"

"I suppose you could say that."

The dark haired Jounin stared, a wild look in his eyes. Without another word, he marched over to the table, Gaara close behind him, and slammed his fist on the surface. "So, you all think that I'm a little pansy- ass who can't handle my drink, do you?"

Naruto, Chouji, Kiba, Neiji, and Lee all stared in wonder at the sudden flare of temper in their normally stoic friend. Obviously, whatever Gaara did had worked.

"I don't know where you came up with an idea like that," Neiji replied innocently.

Shikamaru grabbed a shot glass and held it out. "Fill it!" He demanded, and Neiji complied, looking at Gaara with raised brows. He only smiled and shrugged.

Meanwhile Shikamaru downed the contents of the glass, shaking his head and blinking furiously. When he got over the burning sensation in his throat, he realized that he actually liked the stuff. "What was that?"

"Vodka." Kiba replied, taking a shot of it himself. "Good shit, eh?"

A maniacal grin made its way to Shikamaru's face, and he leaned forward, placing his hands on either side of the table. "Very good shit." His eyes shifted from one face to the next, his grin growing wider. "I'm going to out drink every last one of you morons. Especially you," he said menacingly to Gaara, who smirked back at him.

"I'd like to see you try, little man."

Ino looked suspiciously in the direction that Shikamaru went storming off to, not entirely sure if she should be concerned or not. She thought about it for about for a bit longer before deciding that he was old enough now to take care of himself without her fussing over him. He would just get embarrassed if she were to go over there and check on him, anyway, so she allowed herself to fall back into the gossip with her girlfriends.

He'll be fine.

Sharingank: DUM DE DUM DUM! What's going to happen next:evil laughter:

Shikamaru: Why do you feel the need to do this to me? I've never done anything to you!

Sharingank: But this is fun! Don't you think this is fun?

Shikamaru: NO

Sharingank: Oh hush. Yes you do. Listen to that inner voice. "You are having fun!" it says.

Shikamaru: You're deranged, woman. That's all I have to say