Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine
Being a dad means teaching your kids to stand on their own two feet. Literally and philosophically.
Kiba had handed the responsibility of teaching Kiyoshi and Shikavivi to walk to Shikamaru. It was hard teaching one kid to walk, imagine teaching twins. Not only two but two at the same time. The most troublesome in the world. Before being married and after being a ninja.
"Seriously, can't you guys learn how to walk on your own?" Shikamaru mumbled to the two toddlers in front of him. They were sucking on their pacifiers staring up at their Papa wondering what this was all leading to. Shikamaru sighed. "I guess we have to do this. C'mon on." Shikamaru did a rapid hand-sign and created two shadow hands to hold Shikavivi's hands in the air while he held Kiyoshi's.
He lead them around the room for a bit until he deiced to break the hand sign and let go. He sucked in his breath and hoped Kiyo and Vivi didn't fall. Kiba was a bit overprotective of his children. To his surprise and pride the children were walking/wobbling fine on their own.
He felt kinda good that he had been the one to teach his kids how to walk.
Years later the Kiyoshi and Shikavivi took the chunin exams. Just like their good ole' dad they passed on the first try. Actually Shikavivi passed on the second try but she demanded a rematch soon as her first battle was done that it counted as one. Or at least that what's she said to the ref before he could say otherwise.
"Thanks dad." Vivi hugged her father tightly. "Kiyo, get in on the hug." Kiyo looked onto the scene warily. He was book-smart not emotion-smart. Don't think he's like an Uchiha. He has plenty of emotions, he's just what Shikamaru would be like with slightly less laziness and even more intelligence.
But he joined in on the hug. "What is this for?" Shikamaru asked. His children were covered in battle scars and he knew the hug was causing them a slight bit of pain.
"For teaching us how to walk."
Author's Note: If it wasn't so late at night when I was writing this, I might have cried. This one has to be the most tear-jerking. I can totally see something like this happening to Shikamaru. This one also mentions where fatherhood would fall into the lives of Sasuke, Gaara. Shikamaru, and Kakashi. Being a ninja is the hardest. Being a husband is the easiest. And being a dad is right in the middle.