Thanks to my body keeping me awake for over 30 hours you have gotten an update quicker than I expected. Some of you have mentioned that you like that I don't write scenes from the show but this chapter, and the next will have a few, but they are brief and mainly look into what the person in the scene is thinking, so it's not a bore to read and is actually important to the character development. I warn you so that you don't stop reading the moment you come across it. Sorry if I'm rambling but 30 HOURS!
R and R.
It was already troublesome. Ino had wanted to get there early, before most of the other participants, so he had been dragged out of bed long before he would have liked to be. They had sat around in a room that was quickly filling with mean looking Genins that were at least two years their senior. They knew going in that they were the rookies but Shikamaru had not realized that the others would be so much older than they were.
Ino didn't seem fazed by any of it and simply kept looking towards the door every time it opened. Shikamaru sighed, realizing the only reason she had insisted they arrive so early was so she would be able to spend as much time as possible with Sasuke. As he grumbled at the thought of lost sleep because of Sasuke he waved off Choji, who was offering him chips. It was far too early for junk food. He stayed seated, resting his head on the table and wishing he could go to sleep.
A high pitched squeal broke the slumber he was drifting into. Sitting up with a yawn he saw that Ino had disappeared. He looked at Choji, raising an eyebrow. His friend nodded towards the entrance. With a sigh, Shikamaru stood up walking with Choji to find the third member of their team. The last thing they needed was for something to happen to her. As they drew closer to the doors Shikamaru stopped, observing the scene in front of them. Ino had found Sasuke, and was half hanging off the boy whose posture was tense as she argued with Sakura. Naruto though, was doing the unexpected. He had stepped back, taking himself out of the line of fire of the two girls arguing.
"Oh, it's you guys," Shikamaru stated, recovering from the scene and walking forward with his hands in his pockets. Naruto looked surprised. "I knew this was going to be a drag but I didn't know it was going to be this lame."
"So all three stooges are here," Naruto retorted.
Shikamaru felt something burn in his stomach as Naruto looked at him. "Hey, you know what, pipsqueak-? Ah, forget it, you're a waste of time."
Naruto scoffed at him, looking unhappy with him. Ino saved him having to think of something to say.
"So, Sasuke's all mine." She pulled the skin under her eye as she stuck her tongue out.
"Well, well, what do you know," Kiba laughed as he walked up to the others with his team in tow, Akamaru sitting on his head. "It looks like the whole gang is back together again."
"Oh, hi, Naruto," Hinata greeted breathlessly. When Naruto turned his eyes onto her she turned red, looking down.
Shikamaru felt an emptiness appear in his stomach, which was odd, since he had eaten breakfast. It wasn't a comfortable feeling either, the emptiness sitting heavily around his abdomen.
"You guys too, huh?" Shikamaru frowned, trying to keep the growl from his voice. "Man, everyone's here for this stupid thing."
"Yep," Kiba boasted, "here we all are. The nine rookies! Hahaha, this is gonna be fun. At least, for those of us good enough to make the cut." He looked at Sasuke, making his meaning obvious. "Right, Sasuke?"
"Kiba, be careful you don't get overly confident." Sasuke smirked as Ino started to get mad behind him.
"Just wait, we're going to blow you guys away." Kiba pulled his shoulders back. "We've been training like crazy."
"What do you think we've been doing?" Naruto snapped, frowning at the boy with a dog on his head. "Sitting around picking daisies?" He pointed at Kiba. "You don't know what training means!"
Shikamaru chose to not mention that he had seen Naruto's team having a picnic. Mainly since Choji had told him about his conversation with Naruto where the blond had gotten a bridge named after him. He didn't know how though. Besides, he had just started to feel better and the last thing he wanted was the troublesome experience of being yelled at by Naruto.
"Uh, don't mind Kiba," Hinata apologized, twirling her fingers. "I'm sure he didn't really mean anything by it."
The feeling was back! He was starting to think the Hyuaga girl was causing it, though how or why he wasn't sure. He simply looked away, noticing how Naruto frowned at Hinata before shaking his head. Perhaps she was causing the same feeling in the blond as she was in Shikamaru. He hadn't really interacted with Hinata and he didn't think that Naruto had either. There were a number of jutsus that can affect people's bodies but he didn't think that someone like Hinata could do something like that.
Whilst everyone was focusing on Choji and Shino, Shikamaru took the time to study Naruto, something he had been deprived of for months. He still looked the same, wearing bright clothing, keeping his eyes nearly closed, but he took longer to bite. He had let Shikamaru back down from an argument, he had let Kiba boast until Kiba insinuated that his team was weak. He had only snapped in defense of… Sasuke! That was unexpected. Not only that, but the two hadn't even shared a bad look. On the contrary, they were calm around each other, both standing tall, neither ignoring nor acknowledging each other. It was unusual.
A boy named Kabuto broke him out of his evaluation of Naruto by pointing out that they had drawn attention to themselves. He honestly hadn't noticed all the people glaring at them but now that he did, he couldn't imagine how he had been oblivious. When Kabuto told them that he had tried and failed the Chunin exams seven times Shikamaru had been surprised. This guy must be an idiot. Naruto seemed to think the guy was a genius. Shikamaru nearly scoffed.
"Yeah, some expert, he's never passed!" Shikamaru pointed out at Naruto's excited words.
Kabuto at least looked embarrassed by the dark haired boy's words. "Well seventh time's the charm, that's what they say, huh?" He scratched the back of his head.
"So I guess all those rumours about the exam being hard are true. Oh man, I knew this was going to be a drag." Why did Asuma-sensei have to sign them up to this thing?
"Hang on, don't give up hope yet." Kabuto reached for something in his pouch, pulling out a deck of orange cards. "Maybe I can help you kids out a little with my ninja info cards."
"What the heck are those?" Sakura asked.
Shikamaru thought it was pretty obvious by the name, though it did make him wonder what it would say on him. He listened to Kabuto's explanation, noting when he took a jab at Shikamaru, saying he hadn't 'completely been wasting his time'. Admittedly they were impressive. Shikamaru could already think of multiple practical uses of them, except for the fact that Kabuto seemed to state that only his chakra could reveal the information. The ninja would have to change that fact to allow a selection of people to access the information in it for it to be of actual use.
He hadn't realized the politics of the exam though. However, it rose the question again about why Asuma-sensei, and the other sensei's had let rookies in on it. Especially Naruto. That guy was a political catastrophe waiting to happen. He was liable to do something stupid like punch a ninja from another village all because they looked at him wrong.
"Oh, yeah, balance of power," Naruto agreed as though that made sense to him.
"Balance of power, big deal, it's all a drag." Shikamaru was starting to get really bored with the conversation but couldn't leave, his team was there after all.
"If the balance isn't maintained one nation could end up with many more shinobi than its neighbours and it might be tempted to attack them. So they try to maintain the status quo. Makes sense, I suppose."
"Hmm." Shikamaru thought over what he said, whilst also taking in how many ninjas were in the room. It seemed like the higher ups were actually hoping for most of them to fail. That was an encouraging thought.
When Sasuke started asking about the cards information on people Shikamaru tuned in noting that Kabuto admitted to having information on them. It would have been intriguing to know what he had on them. He was not going to ask to see it though. There were some missions he wasn't so proud of and knew what he would hear from Naruto. However, he was curious about that bridge.
He heard Naruto make a noise next to him, making him look over. The blond stood there, his arms closed, his eyes almost closed, hiding the blue to them, nodding his head. He doesn't have a clue what's going on. Shikamaru tried not to sigh. Naruto was still the same idiot, even if he didn't start arguments as easily. Truthfully, Shikamaru was hoping he would do something stupid just for some entertainment.
The people Sasuke asked about were interesting, especially Gaara from the Sand but Shikamaru had no idea how the other boy would know about Gaara or someone named Rock Lee. It was clear that the other villagers weren't pulling any punches whilst the Leaf… they had put them in.
What a drag! We're never going to pass if this guy can't after seven tries. Shikamaru sighed under his breath, his hands digging deeper into his pockets. There was no helping it. He just had to do his best and hope that he and his team didn't die in the process. Hokage help him, he was even worried about Ino.
/ / / / /
He wouldn't admit it but Naruto's words had helped him. He had been given a way out, one that ensured his team was safe. It had been tempting. All he had to do was raise his hand and say he was out, that it was too troublesome. Then Naruto had raised his hand, shocking Shikamaru. He never thought Naruto would quit. But then he opened his mouth! He had shouted how he would be Hokage even if he was a Genin for the rest of his life. It was no secret that Naruto struggled with these types of exams. He could read now, but he still wasn't that skilled. The chances of him getting the answer wrong were high, and yet, he refused to back down. Naruto was going to go for his dream, even if he had to do it the hard way.
How could Shikamaru, who had no issue in answering the questions without cheating, back out from something he found so easy? It wouldn't be fair to Naruto, or to his team. He had to trust Choji and Ino to look after themselves, to be strong enough to handle themselves and if, in the next round, they were in danger, he would help them.
He stayed seated. No matter how much he tried to stare determinedly at the instructor, he still found his eyes going to Naruto. The blond sat straight, confident, ignoring the blushing girl gazing at him.
She likes him! He realized, ignoring the hollow feeling to his chest. Hinata likes Naruto!
It had never occurred to him that there might be a girl out there who had a crush on Naruto. Why would they? He was loud, idiotic, admittedly funny, but rash as well. Shikamaru could never predict what stupid thing he was going to do next. Like when he shouted to the entire room his name and that he would beat them. Or when he yelled in the exam just moments ago! Though that wasn't stupid, that was brave. Shikamaru did have to acknowledge that Naruto was brave, but he wasn't very strong. He would probably lose a fight to a puppy.
He smirked at Naruto's back. It was obvious how much he had affected those in the room. Naruto's words, and the feeling he created in that exam stayed with Shikamaru. He couldn't shake it, even when they entered the forest the next day. Truthfully his nerve might have been shaken if he didn't have it, sitting at the back of his mind.
When he had seen Sakura having to defend her team by herself he had frozen. He had made it seem like it was Ino's choice what they did but in truth he had every intention of jumping out. Both Naruto and Sasuke were unconscious, badly beaten. He didn't know what happened, but he knew it was bad. When Choji had tried to run he had grabbed his scarf, telling Choji that he couldn't leave a girl to fight alone. The words tasted like lemons in his mouth. Choji was strong but he was a coward at times. Lucky for Shikamaru their enemy had said the F word. It was disappointing that two thirds of Team Seven were out cold. They would have been jealous that they wouldn't have been able to move let alone throw scornful words at them.
Once the enemy had retreated it was Choji's and Shikamaru's job to wake up Naruto, the only one still unconscious. The dark haired boy had been fine with that… until Naruto started talking in his sleep. He was kicking and flailing the whole time.
"Sakura, I need to protect you," Naruto muttered. "Sakura!"
He stopped breathing for a minute before he had to repress the urge to growl. Anger was building in him, making him glare down at the form on the ground.
"Ts, this is embarrassing," he spat, noticing that Choji nodded, though he quirked an eyebrow. Shikamaru quickly found a plank of wood, which seemed out of place given how well shaped it was. Clasping it in both his hands, he aimed, making contact with Naruto's crown. He took satisfaction with the yelp that rang out.
Naruto blithered about danger and some woman with a snake, or a snake neck. He wasn't very clear. They chose to leave him oblivious about what had occurred, simply assuring him that his team mates were as safe as they looked. The look of relief that came over his face at those words caused mixed feelings in Shikamaru. Part of him wanted to hit Naruto with the plank of wood again, preferably harder this time, and another part wanted to tell him how his team had stepped in, that he would have stepped in even if Ino and Choji abandoned him. He felt his mouth opening though what was going to come out was beyond him. Before he could find out the hard way he closed his mouth with a sharp click.
He gave them a tilt to his head as his team left. As they walked away something reached his ears, something that dispelled the anger pooling in his abdomen.
"Sakura, are you alright? The last thing I remember is you being attacked. You and Sasuke are okay, aren't you?"
"Yes, Naruto, we are fine. The enemy retreated, thanks to you. They left just after you lost consciousness."
"I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry I left you by yourself. I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm glad Shikamaru and the others were here. Remind me to thank them for protecting my team."
"I will. I thanked them for protecting my team too."
A smile slid onto his face as all negative feelings disappearing from within his chest. One line seemed to stick with him. No matter how much he tried he couldn't shake one particular line. I'm glad Shikamaru and the others were here. It replayed over and over, whenever his smile slipped it would resound, bringing it back in full force. It was after a good ten minute walk that he stopped, his eyes wide.
Oh what a drag! He shouted in his mind, realizing that it wasn't Hinata causing him problems the day before, and he didn't have heart problems back in the academy. Just like minutes ago his emotions, and apparently the speed of his heart, were being effected by something else. That impulsive blond was the cause of all of this. When his team mates stopped and looked at him in worry he pushed it to the back of his mind, deciding to deal with it at a later date.
They had to focus on getting an earth scroll, which took them four days. The Chunin that greeted them was one Shikamaru had seen in the first section of the exams. He had chin length brown hair and looked at them with amusement. Once he had congratulated them he led them into the rest of the tower, showing them their sleeping quarters where they could rest until the exams finished the next day. This unfortunately gave him time to think.
He couldn't work it out. What did this mean for him? What if he was wrong? Why did he still refer to Naruto as he instead of she? Was it only because he didn't know why Naruto hid her gender and didn't want to be the one to reveal her secret? He couldn't work out what questions he was asking let alone the answers to said questions. Snapping out of his thoughts he noticing that he had his fingers positioned with his fingertips touching. He had been told it was a nervous habit. Choji was sitting next to him, not making a noise. For once he wasn't even munching on anything. Shikamaru looked at him, opening his mouth before closing it and looking away. He couldn't honestly say what was running through his mind. It would be mortifying.
Thinking it over, he finally opened his mouth, not looking at Choji next to him though. "I'm having an issue with a puzzle. Do you think you could help me?"
"I can do my best."
"When Ino said that Sakura looked like a boy, it sparked a question in my head. Sakura likes Sasuke, but imagine if Sakura actually looked like a boy, not just how Ino says she does. If the situation was reversed and Sasuke liked Sakura, who looked like a boy, would that make him gay, even if his 99% sure she's a girl? Would that 1% make him gay? Or is he still straight?" Shikamaru hoped his question was coherent and that he kept his uncertainty from his voice.
Choji was silent for a while before making a thoughtful noise and opening his mouth. "It depends on whether 99% of him knew Sakura was a girl, or believed it." At the confused look he received, he elaborated. "I am 99% certain that Brussels sprouts are healthy, but I don't believe something that nasty can be healthy, therefore, to me, they aren't. So if Sasuke, in your scenario, believes that Sakura is a girl, then he is attracted to female Sakura. If she turned out to be a he and Sasuke still found Sakura attractive, then he either can look past gender because it's not something that affects him, or he is attracted to boys."
Shikamaru mulled over what his friend had told him. He wanted to say he was 100% sure that Naruto was a girl but he knew that, logically, he couldn't say that, since he had no definitive proof. He believed without a doubt that Naruto was a girl. "Thank you, Choji, you helped me to solve my puzzle." He may not show it but he was glad to have Choji as his friend.
Nodding, Choji stood up, stretching his legs. "You know, even if Sasuke did like a male Sakura, my opinion of him wouldn't change. That's not something that can change the way I view a person."
For a moment he found himself in a state of surprise. There was no way Choji could mean what he thought he did. The way his friend only gave him a brief look out of the corner of his eye let him know that yes, he did. With a small smile, Shikamaru stood too. "That's good to know."
"Do you want to go to the mess hall? Or do you want to stay here and have me bring us something to eat?"
"Nah, we can just go to the mess hall. It shouldn't be too troublesome." He walked with his friend out of the room feeling settled.
/ / / / /
They would go away. Naruto was weak, idiotic, rash, boisterous, rude and he didn't care for strategy at all. There was nothing appealing about him and eventually Shikamaru's feelings would wake up to themselves and realize that. It would save him the embarrassment of anyone finding out how much influence the blond had over him. He reminded himself of this fact again and again as they lined up in front of the Hokage in some sort of indoor fighting grounds. His anger at having to have a preliminary round helped to dispel any thoughts that his revolution had caused to sit in his mind.
When they were asked if anyone wanted to withdraw Naruto seemed especially shocked that Kabuto put up his hand, saying that he just didn't have the energy and was injured. No wonder he never passed. But Shikamaru found it odd. Why would someone come so close, try so hard and not want to try and see it to the end? If he felt as though he was going to die during the preliminary he could always forfeit. There was something wrong with that guy and Shikamaru was sure his feelings didn't stem from the fact that Naruto gave him attention. Something just didn't sit right but he had no way of working out what it was.
The rules were explained to them before the first two people were chosen. Surprise, surprise it was Sasuke, going up against a Leaf member from Kabuto's team. Shikamaru's team, along with everyone else, headed towards the stairs that would take them to the balcony above. Sakura and Naruto stayed behind to wish Sasuke luck and to greet Kakashi-sensei. Shikamaru's own sensei gave him an unusual smile when the three Genins stopped in front of him. He just raised an eyebrow in return before feeling someone tap his shoulder.
Turning, he found Naruto standing there staring at him. With his blond hair falling around his forehead protector his blue eyes appeared brighter. Shikamaru put his hands into his pockets, looking down at Sasuke and his opponent.
"What is it?"
"I wanted to thank you and your team for helping us. With Sasuke and I unconscious there was no way those Sound asses would be stopped. Without you… well, I don't really want to think about what would have happened. Anyway, thank you. You didn't have to help us but you did and I… I owe you one."
Shikamaru noticed Naruto scratch the back of his head before nodding to Choji and Ino. He looked back at the blond in front of him, not knowing what to say. "You don't owe me."
"Yes, I do!" He was taking it so seriously that Shikamaru was forced into silence. "You are annoying, and sleep most of the time, and are so lazy that you can't even be bothered to argue about anything you care about, or be passionate about anything," the dark haired boy bit his tongue, not trusting himself to speak, "but no matter what, I've got your back whenever you need me."
He knew his mouth was hanging open. He also knew that his team, bar Asuma-sensei, was also looking at Naruto with surprise. The blond had never sounded so sincere or grounded to Shikamaru. There went his heart again, making him feel like he was going to have a heart attack. Troublesome.
Naruto seemed to realize that they had no reply because he gave Shikamaru a soft smile, which did NOT cause any pink to appear on Shikamaru's face, before walking back to Sakura.
"Kick his ass, Sasuke!" Naruto cheered, pumping his fist in the air. Sasuke actually smirked at hearing the loud words.
"Do you have to be so obnoxious?" Sakura scoffed.
Naruto put his arm around Sakura's shoulders, pulling her close. "We have to cheer on our team mate. Aren't you proud to be in Team Kakashi?"
Sakura tried to frown but a smile broke out across her face. "Go Sasuke, show them how it's done!"
"Yeah!"
"Team Kakashi, huh?"
Asuma-sensei's words made him jump. Looking over his shoulder he saw his sensei studying the other team, paying close attention to the blond. "That boy certainly has heart. But I wonder why they don't call themselves Team Seven."
That wasn't important to Shikamaru. What he was wondering was why did Naruto have to make things harder for him? Shikamaru tried to pay full attention to the fight, he really did, but no matter what he found himself looking over at Team Kakashi at far too frequent intervals. He was trying to work out what Naruto was thinking, why he promised to help Shikamaru. He said it so naturally but seemed to also realize the weight of what he was saying. In many ways he had just promised to lay his life down for Shikamaru. Part of him wanted to tell Naruto that that wasn't necessary, or a safe promise… another part, that he didn't know existed, wanted to take Naruto's word and hold him to it. Though it was probably not in the sense that Naruto intended.
He gave a start when Naruto yelled. Once shooting him a look he leant against the wall, crossing his arms.
"Hey, Sasuke, you okay?" The boy was half hanging over the railing, grinning. "Hey, Sasuke, you won but in such an uncool way." The dark haired boy was sitting on his behind, with his legs out in front of him and his sensei standing behind him. "You came out looking like you were the one who got beat up. Hahaha."
"Idiot, give me a break! You little-" Sasuke retorted, panting, though not giving Naruto nearly as dark a look as Shikamaru expected. "All well." Sasuke shocked those who knew him from the academy by smiling at the blond, seeming to find his taunt amusing.
"Haha, I knew all the time that he would be okay," Ino gushed.
This could be the end of the line for us, Shikamaru reasoned, noticing that the fight had actually been of high caliber and didn't last too long. He was good at a one on one fight… if he had time to plan it out. Unfortunately he didn't know who his opponent was or their abilities. Luckily they probably didn't know him either.
"Man, I'm hungry," Choji whined.
Admittedly Shikamaru found it funny that Kakashi-Sensei seemed to treat Sasuke as a child. A disobedient one. He couldn't understand all of what they were saying but he did understand that Kakashi-Sensei wouldn't take Sasuke arguing with him.
All the fights were fairly intense, making Shikamaru feel more and more disheartened. Naruto seemed to get more and more eager to have his turn. After the break they received to go to the bathroom and get something to eat, he noticed that Naruto had changed his attitude a little.
"Well, no matter who they pick it will be two weirdos cause this contest is choc-full of them!" He was frowning as he spoke and Shikamaru couldn't help but agree with him. The fights had all been unusual.
"Well, you're one to talk," Kakashi-Sensei joked, his arms crossed.
"Yeah, good point," Sakura agreed.
"Hey, give me a break!"
Shikamaru tried not to laugh at the fact that Ino and Sakura were chosen. He heard Asuma-Sensei gasp, though he didn't know why the man was so surprised. He knew that his students would have to be chosen eventually. Or maybe it was that he had heard about Sakura from Ino, about how they had been friends for so long, only to become rivals over Sasuke. Looking at him Shikamaru saw Asuma-Sensei watching Sakura and Ino walk down the stairs, glaring at each other. His dark eyes trailed over the last member of Team Kakashi before making eye contact with Shikamaru.
"That's Sakura?" Asuma-Sensei asked in an astounded voice.
"Yeah," Shikamaru confirmed with a shrug, his hands going to his pockets.
His eyes slid back to the blond. "And who is that?" He looked at Shikamaru, only to look back at the blond, then Shikamaru again.
"Uzumaki, Naruto." The shocked look on his sensei's face made no sense to him. Why would a person's name cause such an expression? He didn't even know what emotions were flickering over his features. His eyes were wide, his smoke staying in his gaping mouth thanks to the dry saliva on his lip. Once again his eyes flickered from Shikamaru to Naruto, seeming to study the boy before he noticed he was staring. He closed his mouth and gave his head a slight shake, crossing his arms. Looking hard at the girls on the ground below, he acted as though nothing happened.
Following his example Shikamaru looked down at the arena. "For all the people for Ino to go up against it would have to be Sakura. What a mess!
"I know, I hope Ino will be okay," Choji muttered into his arms that were resting on the railing.
"GO, SAKURA! YOU CAN DO IT!" Naruto screamed, cupping his hands to get extra volume. "DON'T LOSE!"
The fight started and their moves seemed odd. They were holding back. Naruto didn't notice and became infuriated when Shikamaru called him a fool. He could really be an idiot and Shikamaru enjoyed reminding himself that he could beat Naruto in a verbal fight without effort. He could also beat him in a physical one too.
The fight eventually escalated into a real fight, surprising them all. Unsurprisingly, the fight ended in a draw, both girls loosing. Even though, the two girls certainly looked fine with the outcome, even happy to some extent. He was curious as to what happened to Ino's jutsu. That had never happened before. Ino had yelled something about two spirits, which was something Shikamaru had never heard about. He tried to ignore the fact that Sakura seemed to be able to do such at Naruto's words.
The more Naruto had to wait the louder he got. Shikamaru filled his time with analyzing the fights, which seemed to confuse Naruto when he spoke out loud about his observations.
The guy is such an idiot. His fight will probably be over within a minute.
During his fight he could hear Naruto commenting, and not in a positive light. It pissed him off more than it should have, and he might have started showing off just a little. Not that Naruto noticed.
"Even a good for nothing lazy bum gets to win his match! When will I get my turn," Naruto whined as Shikamaru walked back up to the balcony.
He tried not to sigh as he held back a flinch. It would be so much easier if he didn't care what the blond thought, but he just couldn't seem to reach that point. It was simpler when he didn't know how he felt about Naruto. If he could go back to before that troublesome moment he would do it without a second thought.
Naruto started cheering, having been selected to fight against Kiba. Kiba sounded just as thrilled. Shikamaru didn't know why Naruto was so happy though. He really was going to be defeated by a puppy! He thought he was proven right when Naruto was knocked to the ground by an elbow to the gut from Kiba.
"Thought as much." He smirked, happy that he won his match and Naruto was taken out in seconds.
"I thought Kiba would be too much for him but that was fast," Ino admitted.
He noticed that Sakura and Kakashi-Sensei shared a look before Sakura gave a smile that seemed as though she knew the answers to some coveted secrets. Then Naruto got to his feet.
"Don't ever! Don't ever underestimate me!"
He couldn't help but smile. Huh, the kid's came a long way. Shikamaru could tell now that Naruto had taken the hit on purpose.
The blond admitted he wanted to judge Kiba's strength and taunted him, saying Akamaru would be a better fight. That's when he really was beaten by a puppy. Naruto was left in a heap on the ground when the smoke disappeared, Akamaru prancing back to Kiba smugly.
Who would have thought a dog could look cocky!
Only, it wasn't Akamaru, it was Naruto, disguised as the white dog.
I can't believe he bit Kiba, but how did he manage a transformation jutsu, he sucked at them. Wait! That shadow clone, it's holding Akamaru, which means it's not the type we learnt at the academy. They are only for distractions. His is solid, like Asuma-Sensei's. How did he do that?
"Wow," Ino started, sounding a mix between shocked and impressed. "Is that really Naruto? Who would have thought that Naruto would be a match for Kiba?"
"To balance a transformation jutsu and a clone jutsu at the same time, there is no way he should be able to do that!" He had no idea how Naruto had managed to learn that in the half a dozen months after four years of failure in the academy. "I don't know what happened but this isn't the same Naruto we used to know."
He didn't know how that sat with him. Now he couldn't tell who would win the fight, and admittedly he was intrigued. Part of him… missed the old Naruto, partly because it was so easy to convince himself that there was nothing to like about the blond. The new Naruto… he had potential, and Shikamaru found himself studying him closely.
There were many times when everyone, Shikamaru especially, thought that Kiba had Naruto beat. Naruto's battle was definitely the most intense so far. But then Naruto had done something that no one saw coming. A double transformation. From Kiba to Akamaru, confusing Kiba.
Brilliant! That was the only word Shikamaru could think to call it. He greedily evaluated Naruto, trying to work out how he had come up with that move. The dark haired boy wouldn't have thought of it, no matter how much time he had. Naruto had come up with it in seconds, whilst being beaten down by two spinning beasts with high chakra levels. He had studied his opponent, thinking of a way to create an opening, since he knew Kiba wouldn't give him one. He had succeeded in removing one of his enemies without having to even land a hit. Even Naruto's team mate had looked surprised.
"A smart shinobi is careful about how he uses his jutsu so it doesn't come back to bite him in the butt, dummy," Naruto pointed out, grinning and giving Kiba the thumbs down.
He still hadn't thought Naruto could beat Kiba, yet he had, though how he eliminated Kiba's nose was… odd. His 'super secret, killer move' was actually impressive. Shikamaru didn't even know how to create one solid clone, let alone four. He wasn't so sure anymore if he could beat Naruto in a physical fight. At least he still had the verbal edge.
"Unbelievable! Who would have thought he would beat Kiba." Shikamaru couldn't help the smile that broke out. It was so impressive that he didn't even know where to start. He always was interesting to study.