Nara Shikamaru; 6 Years Later

Age 18

-Mistakes-

"Miss Hokage."

The Hokage looked up.

"What is it?" she said.

"I hate to sound like a broken record, but please pay attention." I repeated for probably the one-hundredth time.

"Fine, fine…" she said, picking up the papers and stacking them uselessly.

I sighed.

Ever since I outright refused to join the ANBU Squad, the Hokage has been treating me like I only recently had been promoted to jounin. Like some kind of rookie.

But that didn't stop her from giving me so much work to do that I usually had to spend the night in my office completing the assignments and assessments. I had seen more jounin and chuunin and ANBU exams in the past four years than I ever want to see in my entire life, but I get the feeling that it's never really going to stop.

Then, after the exam, we have to sit down and discuss which ninja will be promoted.

Though, I usually did most of the work and the Hokage just gave the okay to my thought processes.

"I've singled out the three that performed the best." I told her. "The rest of the fighters don't need a second look."

"So let's get this over with." The Hokage said, rolling her eyes.

I looked down at the paper I was holding. On top, read 'Aburame Shino' and had a small picture under his name.

"Aburame Shino; age eighteen." I read.

"He's a creepy young man!" the Hokage said immediately.

I nodded and agreed. I wasn't going to deny it, but I also wasn't going to let it sway my decision on whether or not to promote him.

"Let's see…he made it to the finals…" I said, peering at the notes I had taken. Things were always so blurry, but I hated the thought of needing reading glasses since I was only eighteen. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if my eyes were already going.

"Yes, I remember him." The Hokage said.

"It was his third jounin exam and he's been a Chuunin ever since age thirteen…" I continued. "He's very skilled."

"Well what do you think then?" the Hokage asked. "Should we make him a jounin or what?"

I hate it when she asked that question. As if I could just answer on a whim with a simple yes or no.

"There's a lot to consider here." I went on, continuing to shuffle through my notes. "He doesn't work well with others. All his teammates he ever went on missions with complain about his lack of teamwork skills."

"So no?" the Hokage said.

"That's not what I'm saying." I said. "I happen to believe that Aburame Shino would make a very excellent addition to our jounin team."

"Then what are we talking about?" said the Hokage, sounding frustrated even though clearly I was the one with the right to be frustrated.

"I'm just saying that he has to be put with a very large group where it wouldn't matter if he didn't contribute to the team… or go on missions by himself." I said. "He would have to be put on a team with at least five other people to be effective…"

I trailed off when I noticed the Hokage was playing with her pencil.

"Miss Hokage…" I said.

"I know, I know!" she exclaimed as if I was out of line. "You're just going in circles! We're going to be here all day at this rate! Should we make him a jounin or not?"

"I say yes." I said.

"YES then!" said the Hokage in a huff. "Next!"

It's a wonder she ever managed anything on her own.

I handed the paper to a chuunin I did not know who was standing behind me. He had just recently been promoted to his title so he was eager to complete jobs for us…

…The poor fool.

"Take this to Aburame Shino and inform him to come to the Hokage's office for a short meeting immediately." I said.

"Yes sir!" he said, disappearing without a word of question.

When I looked back at the Hokage, I was surprised to see that she was writing something down. I leaned over to see that she was actually drawing a doodle.

I cleared my throat.

"Miss Hokage…"

"I'm listening!" she said.

"Next up is Rock Lee." I said. "Age nineteen… he's been a chuunin since age fifteen. This is his first jounin exam."

"I like him." The Hokage said immediately. "Let's make him a jounin."

I slapped my forehead.

"You can't make someone a jounin just because you like him!" I told her, though she should have known that.

"AND he's a very good ninja!" said the Hokage defensively, but that was really just an after thought. I could tell.

"That may be true," I said. "But it can be incredibly dangerous to put Rock Lee on a jounin team."

"Why?" the Hokage asked.

"Rock Lee can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu." I said. "I don't know why, but he's just somehow incapable of it."

"So what are you saying?" the Hokage asked.

"I'm saying that he should take another year…maybe two… to improve more on his taijutsu." I said. "His enthusiasm and heart is there but it's just too big of a risk to take. What's worse, he tends to jump into things before thinking about them."

"So…what are you saying?" the Hokage repeated.

"I'm saying…maybe next year." I translated.

"Okay, whatever." She shrugged. "Are we done yet?"

"No, there's one more." I said.

"Who?" the Hokage asked, perking up at the fact that there was only one left.

"Hyuuga Neji, age nineteen." I answered, turning to the final page.

She slumped back in her chair with a look of confusion and distraught on her face. I couldn't figure out what it was for.

"He's probably our best chuunin." I said. "He's been a chuunin for four years and competed in last year's jounin exam. He could, no doubt, beat a lot of our jounins in a fight…on his own."

She didn't look convinced.

So I went on. "He's got incredible tactical analysis and it's quite obvious that he really wants to become a jounin."

The Hokage looked like she was thinking for the first time that day.

"There's nothing to think about here." I said, a little annoyed that she had finally began to consider things now that the choice was obvious. "He completely blew out the competition in the tournament."

She didn't answer.

Last year, she had had the same reaction when I had brought Neji's name up as an obvious shoo-in to the jounin rank. Eventually, she had told me that he needed more training.

I didn't argue with her since it was ultimately her decision, but I couldn't believe she was struggling so much once again.

"Miss Hokage…" I said. "I HIGHLY advise to promote Neji. He is an essential addition to our jounin squad."

The Hokage picked up her pencil and began playing with it again.

"Miss Hokage." I said.

"I don't know, Shikamaru." She said, repositioning herself in her seat.

I shook my head. Neji was a better ninja than me and here I was debating with someone on his ability.

"It IS your decision." I said. "But I can't understand why you're not making him a jounin. All you're doing is keeping one of our best ninjas from progressing to a higher level."

The Hokage mumbled something.

"What was that?" I asked.

"He needs more training." She said, though I could barely understand her.

"I cannot begin to fathom your reasoning for coming to that conclusion." I said. "And it is your decision so what you say goes. So all I can do is recommend one last time that you promote him to the jounin rank."

She didn't take her eyes off the pencil she was playing with.

"I've made my decision." She said after a long pause. "He needs more training."

I frowned. I had never considered Neji to be a pal of mine… or even on my list of people that I liked. But really… this had to be something personal because it just didn't make any sense.

"Very well." I said with a sigh. "Though I think you're making a mistake."

"Our village has survived this long without him becoming a jounin." The Hokage said as if that validated and justified her unreasonable choice. "We'll be fine. We won't crumble."

"I still think it's a mistake." I said, gathering a few of my papers and putting them in order.

"Don't say that again, Shikamaru." She said sharply.

"Yes ma'am." I said.

I made my way to the door.

There had to be something going on that I wasn't being told about.

"Oh, Shikamaru?" she said, getting her usual tone back.

"What is it?" I asked, turning around.

"I've got to go and do some things." She said, standing up. "Will you stay here and hand out the jounin vests?"

"What?" I said. She knew I hated doing that. "What could you possibly have to do?"

"Well, you know the Consolidation team from last year?" she said.

"Yeah." I said. That was the team Chouji was on. Chouji…wow, had it really been a year? "They should be coming back any day now."

"No," the Hokage corrected. "Gai has decided to keep them for an extra year."

I don't think I really grasped the concept for a good ten seconds.

"…He can do that?" I said finally.

The Hokage paused. "Technically, no." she said. "I have to go and meet with him now to discuss his reasoning and inform the families. You understand, don't you?"

"…I guess…" I said with a sigh. I guess I'd rather hand out the vests than do what she was going to go do.

"Okay, great." Said the Hokage as she went to the door and left.

I felt a headache coming on as I sat down back in my seat.

I looked at the paper on the top of the stack that had Neji's picture on it. What exactly was going on?

Suddenly, the ninja I had sent earlier to get Shino came in.

"Miss Hoka—" he began, and then looked around. "Er…Mr. Shikamaru sir, Aburame Shino is here."

"Okay then…" I said, reaching under the desk and pulling out a green jounin vest.

I stood up and went to the door just as Shino walked in.

"Congratulations Shino." I said. "You are now a jounin."

He took the vest from me.

"What are you going to do now?" I said. I don't know WHAT possessed me to crack a 'What are you going to do now?' joke. Especially since I'm me and he's Shino.

I felt kind of stupid because there's no way Shino would understand that.

He looked at his vest and then back up at me.

"I'm going to Disney Land."