A/N: I feel as though I should put some kind of disclaimer on here, stating that I'm writing Shikaku's advice for entertainment and not for people to actually use in real life. But everyone already knew that, right?

I also meant to mention this in my author's notes in the last chapter, but I wanted to stick with the Japanese tradition of the age of 20 being considered a milestone, and that's the reason I chose to have Shikaku want to give the journal to Shikamaru on his 20th birthday.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed! ^_^ That always encourages me, and I'm glad you liked it!

And a01...don't worry, Shikaku will bring it up eventually. ;)

~Shikaku on friendship~

Dear Shikamaru,

When it comes to friends...let's face it. You can't always pick them.

Sure, what everyone says seems to contradict this, but trust me.

There's always going to be that one guy you really don't know why you're friends with.

You know, the obnoxious one you don't even remember how you were introduced to.

The childhood friend that never seemed to grow up.

The guy that only ever shows up if you're buying.

The one that you just know is going to start an argument with another friend that you're going to have to mediate.

In our case, a slightly mouthy Yamanaka and an all-too sensitive Akimichi. Yes, those are traits Ino and Choji share with their fathers. I'd like to tell you they'll grow out of it, but I promised I wouldn't lie to you in here.

Just accept that the three of you will be bugging the crap out of each other for the rest of your natural lives, and you'll be fine.

Right. Back on topic. Friends.

Well, you see son...friendship takes...a lot of give and take.

Like me, Inochi, and Choza. Choza takes our food, and we give it to him. Hmmm, hold on, that was a bad example. Okay okay, Choza and I give Inochi horrible advice on how to handle a daughter, and he takes it anyway-wait, that's not right either...

Oh, forget it, the three of us are a terrible example to use.

My point is, your friendship with anybody can't be all about you. It has to be about your friend, too.

You'll have to put some things aside, and when they need you (or even if they don't), be there for them.

And if you're lucky enough to have a true friend, then maybe someday, when you need them, they'll be there for you.

Why, look at me and Inochi...when your mother went into labor, and we went to the hospital, Inochi stayed with me the whole time. In return, I was able to give him moral support when Ino was born. And no, it had absolutely nothing to with the fact that I never had to leave the hospital.

You have to accept each other for who you are, as well. You can't go trying to change your friends, even for what you may think is for the 'better', and you shouldn't let them try to change you, either.

Again, look at Inochi, Choza and I. I'm a lazy bum who can never be bothered to do anything, Choza is roughly the size of both Inochi and I, and Inochi has that really stupid hair, and yet none of us has ever tried to change that about each other.

That being said, a good friend will change you for the better. Not intentionally, you might not even realize it at first, but a true friendship will always make you a better man, son.

You'll want to strive to be that better person...if not for yourself, then for your friends.

Never bad-mouth or speak ill of a friend, even if they aren't there. You wouldn't want them doing the same to you. (And my comments on Inochi's hair don't count, because we have been teasing each other about our hair for years. There is a difference between bad-mouthing and good-natured teasing with an old best friend.)

A true friend is someone you would do anything for, without expecting anything in return.

One good, true friend is always worth more than a dozen fake friends.

I don't know if you've ever heard of this, but there's a saying I've always been fond of:

A friend will come bail you out of jail, but your best friend will be sitting there beside you saying "Damn, we screwed up. But that sure was fun!"

Which is true, though you should always keep in mind that, when there is three of you, at least one of you should try to not get caught, that way you have someone to come post bail. Also, try to make sure you get caught with the Akimichi. Yamanakas make better character witnesses in court.

Don't judge, you'll do something stupid when you're seventeen, too. Okay, and when you're twenty. And twenty-one.

This is supposed to be for advice, remember? Maybe now you'll think twice before doing something really stupid that will probably involve sake. Or impressing a girl. But never mind that, that's a topic for another occasion.

This may seem like a stupid thing to bring up, considering your age now, but you should always try to share with your friends.

Never let a girl (or a guy) come between you and a friend.

Always stick up for your friends.

Never forget a real friend, and always remember who your real friends are.

Sometimes, you won't realize the impact a friend made until years later. Sometimes when it's too late to matter.

Even as a ninja, son...it's okay to cry for the loss of a friend. There is always a time and place for that.

And don't worry about not always being able to pick your friends. Sometimes it's just destiny.

You just won't realize it until later.

Your Father

A/N: When I was done writing this, a scene from the manga came to mind, when Shikamaru is talking to his father about Naruto. He (Shikamaru) says that there's something about Naruto that makes even him want to get up and walk beside him. That made me think about Shikaku's line that a friend will change you for the better, sometimes without realizing it.

*And on my note in the entry, Shikamaru and Ino's birthdays are one day apart (the 22nd and 23rd of September), so it would stand to reason that their mothers would have both been in the hospital at the same time. Meaning that Shikaku would probably have already been at the hospital when Ino was born anyway, so the whole 'moral support' thing may or may not have been him simply being there at the right time. You'll notice he doesn't mention when Choji was born! ;)