Chronicles of the Lazy-ass Ninja!

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Chapter 7: Team 8

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Disclaimer: I'm not Kishimoto, so… yeah that's about it.

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Shikamaru sat quietly at his desk with a dull expression on his face. He had thought that since he had passed the genin exam, he wouldn't have to come to school anymore. The photo session had thrown him off. He imagined he'd have a personal tutor from now on that would train him and teach him advanced jutsus. Apparently he was wrong because once again Iruka sensei was in front of them.

You may wonder why you're all gathered here. It's simple: you will all be separated in teams of three from now on.

He raised an eyebrow; there goes that personal tutor theory.

- Each team will be under the supervision of a jonin, who will serve as captain and mentor for each group. Now since balancing teams was an issue, I have personally handpicked each member of each team, so that they can perform to their utmost potential.

Shikamaru smelled a bluff here: there was no way to team up the "drop out four" that would bring out their potential. Probably because they hadn't shown any sing of potential to begin with. He simply hoped he would be with Choji somewhere.

The teams announced held little interest for the genius until he heard Naruto's name. He raised his head with minimal effort, and noticed the defeated look of Sakura next to him. Apparently, she was paired with him. When he saw that no other student in the room looked depressed, He dreaded that he was the third member. Not that he wouldn't enjoy teaming up with the dobe… no, actually, he wouldn't. Between the energetic idiot and the goody-two-shoes, Shikamaru already knew that team would be hell; the recent events only reinforcing his opinion. But when he looked at the class again, he noticed that the girls weren't particularly happy. He pondered for a second, to finally conclude that only one thing would make girls sad; he got the confirmation that Sasuke was indeed the last member of team seven by the exaggerated gloating of the pink head over Ino. Relief once again, but he feared, like last time, that it would be outlived

- Team 8 will consist of Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuuga Hinata, and Akimichi Choji.

Shikamaru nearly choked and shot a glance at his best friend, who was staring at him with the same distressful look. He was surprised he wasn't in the same team as Choji. He sincerely wondered how this new found team would take care of his friend. He wasn't troubled by Hinata: from what he had seen so far, she was reserved and polite. She didn't look like the kind of preson that would like to tease either, so he guessed Choji and the Hyuuga offspring could work decently well. Now Kiba was another case altogether. He was an incorrigible joker, and Shikamaru even recalled saving him two or three times of an enraged Choji the dog boy called fat behind his back. The genius hoped Choji wouldn't kill the member of the Inuzuka clan before he understood not to provoke him.

With that said, Shikamaru still didn't know in what team he was. And as he pondered, a thought came up; This couldn't get… Shikamaru stopped this dangerous reflection at once. Though he really starting to think that not being with his best friend in a team wasn't that terrible - more like the end of the world really - in the far depths of his mind he knew he evil powers of that sentence. Maybe the fact that he mentally shut up averted the crisis; he could only hope. When he went back to pay attention to his homeroom teacher, he had already cited the members forming team 9.

- And now for the last team: team 10 will be made of Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru and Aburame Shino…

- I refuse!!

Everybody turned around to look at the only person to actually protest out loud against a teacher during the team assignments. The aspiring ninja even stood up, making him the target of every pair of eyes, and boy were they surprised. Even Shikamaru himself was amazed; for the culprit was none other than… himself! Everyone in the whole town knew of the Nara laziness, and it seemed Shikamaru was set to outclass all of his predecessors, so the fact that he not only argued, but stood up in protest had shocked everyone in the room, including the said Nara. But he shook that feeling of actually spending some energy thinking that they had to have seen this coming; of all of the people Shikamaru could've been teamed up with, Ino was the worst. She was loud, bossy, nagging… literally the second coming of his mother! Add to that that she was blonde – he actually wasn't that chauvinistic, but lacked a better word to define her personality –, fighting with Sakura for the position of number one Sasuke fan – that position never existed… it goes to show how far their obsession went – and actually though she had what she called "ultimate sexiness" and kept gloating over it 24/7 made one thing crystal clear for our genius: nothing good could ever come out of her. In fact, he theorized that she had the power to actually mentally debilitate anyone near her. He had proof in the pink head, who would rapidly dropped in IQ every time she had an argument with the blonde aspiring kunoichi.

- Pardon? Said Iruka, still shocked about the sudden outburst.

- It was already wrong of you to put me in a different team than Choji, but there's no way in hell I'll be paired up with that dumb blonde! He said pointing at the person, who was more than annoyed.

- Like anyone would want to be paired up with the second dead last.

But Shikamaru, not even paying attention to Ino to begin with, marched straight to the teacher and asked for a private talk. He unexpectedly accepted and they both stepped out of the rooms under the mixed curious murmurs of the class and the insults of the raging Yamanaka.

- Are you crazy sensei! Putting me in the same team as Ino!? Why, we'd probably be at each other's throats before even beginning the first mission; And what about Choji!? You know damn well we've never been apart; he's the only guy I actually get along with. And don't forget he'll kill Kiba as soon as he'll call him a fasto… which shouldn't take more than a day.

And, as on cue, the door to their class snapped open under the wait of the Inuzuka offspring, followed closely by a fulminating "big boned" blonde. Iruka quickly dashed to take care of the wounded boy, while Shikamaru tried to calm down his friend. Only succeeding after numerous attempts, and almost risking his life in the process. At least Kiba would remember about the power of words and their devastating results. The only problem was: for how long would that be? Eventually the commotion died, and Kiba's terrorized face told the student and teacher that they would be able to continue their discussion in relative peace. The chunnin replied:

- well, I know this is kind of annoying…

- It's troublesome.

- …Right. I know it is, but you haven't given me much of a choice here: I must put you in teams according to your abilities. Sadly, putting you in the same team would give you too much of a disadvantage. While in Taijutsu I know you two fair well, it is the academic and strategic aspect of your future that I'm worried about.

If Shikamaru had known his lazyness would bite him back in such a painful way, he would have probably had put more effort into his studies. That though in itself was enough to make him want to hurl: that doing something troublesome could lead into preventing something even more troublesome. Yet that didn't resolve his current problem. Searching franticly for an escape route, Shikamaru put his left hand in his pocket while scratching his head. He came in contact with a piece of paper. The Nara immediately recognized the paper for that team assignment he had from Sakura; he had been to lazy to even get rid of it. But now that paper was his way out of this mess.

- Well, sensei, if it's about that…

Shikamaru stopped when he saw the look of his teacher. Something wasn't right, yet he couldn't put his finger on it. But he went on anyway; it was all or nothing at this point.

- You don't have to worry about it.

- Really? And why would that be?

- Beacause… you know… that praiseworthy piece of work Sakura and I did? Well, it was all me actually.

For a moment, Iruka looked at him with scrutinizing eyes, like he was trying to figure out if the young boy in front of him was lying or not, then burst into a victorious and brief laugh. Seeing the utter confusion on his pupil's face he explained:

- So… you finally decided to confess, eh.

- Ah!? So you knew...

- … that Sakura wasn't the one responsible for that grade? …Or about that brilliant brain of yours? Of course I knew.

- Then why did you…?

- Because someone never stays after class when I summon him without his friend, the teacher said while poking the said someone. Besides, even if I told you I knew about it, that wouldn't have changed your behavior the slightest. Listen, I knew reorganizing the teams that way with you being with Ino would have you jumping and reacting. I didn't expect that much of a reaction though.

Shikamaru had to hand it to the teacher in front of him: he really knew his students. He took the bait like it was a soft pillow.

- Anyways this was a simple and friendly warning: past this point, acting as carefree and lazily as you've been doing will cost you your life at some point. Unfortunately, I won't team you up with Choji if you keep it up.

- Why?

- Because I don't want you to be responsible for your best friend's death.

The Pineapple head's eyes were wide opened after hearing that, he was slowly starting to understand what his teacher was trying to tell him.

- You understand that if I have to pair you up with Choji, you'll have to be the strategic help of the team. I figured you'd end up in that position sooner or later, but the way the teams are laid out right now, they will be able to survive until it is needed.

Shikamaru couldn't believe how much thought Iruka-sensei had put into this. As a shogi amateur, he was among the best in the class to understand the importance of a well balanced team. His new found respect for his teacher only kept increasing.

- I hope you don't feel too bad about that little prank.

- Nah, I'm good. Actually I'm glad it happened. I didn't think you were that good to tell the truth, but you got me there. I shouldn't have underestimated you.

- You're right, afterall I am a chuunin, he said with a grin that wasn't unlike Naruto's. Well, since you've learned your lesson, I guess team you'll be with Choji in team ten.

- Thanks.

Of course, the young Nara was bursting with joy inside, but he didn't want to act ecstatic in front of his teacher. Being humiliated once was enough for today. But the matter wasn't quite solved yet.

- Wait, does that mean I'm still stuck with Ino?

- Yep, you must have at least some kind of punishment for being too lazy all this time…

Everyone was surprised when the teacher announced the slight changes to the teams. It didn't matter much, but some argued that Shikamaru had received an unmerited favor. That quickly died down when the realized Ino was still in his team. Their rivalry was known around the academy, and frankly, nobody wanted to get between these two. Even Sakura couldn't anger Ino like Shikamaru could. The rest of the meeting went without further events of the sort, and soon everyone had soon left the room, anticipating their meeting with their future teacher.

Later, while Iruka was discussing the parings with his peers:

- Most of your teams are well thought out, but I still don't understand why you had to put that lazy Nara with Yamanaka and Akimichi.

- I trust they'll make a heck of a team in the future.

- But I still think…

- Wait a second, said another coworker. Just take a look at their names, Shinji.

- Hmm? I don't see what you…!? No… way! Iruka, never mind what I just said, you're a genius afterall.

The young chuunin receive all that praise while scratching his head. It was only days later that he would understand why they would say that, and boy was he surprised.

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A/N: I'll try to update more often. As usual reviews would be much appreciated. Still only two reviews…. u-u'

BTW: There will be more action starting the next couple of chapters.