"Why can't you all just do as you're told?" Iruka was stood in front of four eight year olds and a dog. "You're supposed to be training as ninjas and all you ever do is mess around." He pointed at one of the boys, a blonde with his arms folded across his chest. "Encourage him to mess around," his finger moved to the boy who stood next in line, a slightly taller brunette with red fang markings on his cheek and the dog perched on top of his head. "Eat." The next in line was a short, chubby boy who, even as Iruka was scolding him for it, was eating a bag of potato chips. "And sleep," his gaze moved to the final boy in the line-up; a skinny boy who leaned against the wall with a bored look that was permanently etched onto his face. "I'll be surprised if any of you graduate," Iruka said. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"
"Can we go now?" said the boy with fang markings.
"Kiba," Iruka said. "This is important. Don't you four want to be ninjas?"
"It's just so boring sometimes, Iruka-sensei," the boy named Kiba said. "Akamaru doesn't like to sit still for long periods of time."
"Akamaru doesn't have to come to the Academy, you –"
"Now!" yelled the lazy looking boy, and the four eight year olds ran towards the window and jumped out, headed towards the practice hall.
When they got there, they were all panting.
"Shikamaru, you're the best!" said the blonde boy. "I'm going to the park for the rest of the day, are you guys coming?"
"No," replied Shikamaru, sitting down, leaning his head against the wall and closing his eyes. "I'm going to stay here and sleep."
"Choji?" the blonde boy asked turning to the largest member of the group.
"Sure, Naruto, I'll come."
"Kiba?"
"Hah! No. If my mom or sis see me in the park when I'm supposed to be in school I'll be done for."
The blonde boy, Naruto, Smiled and turned. "Fine, see you guys tomorrow. C'mon Choji." And with that, he ran towards the door.
After a few minutes, Shikamaru felt Kiba sit down beside him.
"Akamaru gets tired a lot too," he said to the other ninja-in-training. "Mom says it's because he's still young."
"My mom says the reason I sleep all the time is because I'm lazy," Shikamaru said with a grin.
Kiba smiled. "Your mom has never seen you run from Iruka-sensei."
They sat in silence for a few more minutes before Akamaru let out a small bark.
"Akamaru says he likes you," Kiba said, watching Shikamaru out of the corner of his eye. "He says he likes your hair."
Shikamaru opened his eyes and looked at the dog sat in Kiba's lap. "I like you too, Akamaru," he said, ruffling the fur on the dog's head causing the dog to bark again.
"Akamaru wants to give you a kiss," said Kiba, lifting the small white puppy.
"Kiba, don't," Shikamaru protested. "It's unhygienic-"
His protests were cut short by the long slick tongue of the excitable puppy.
It was the middle of September. Shikamaru's birthday was a week away and his parents were planning a surprise party for him. They had sent notes to the heads of several clans around the village who had children in Shikamaru's class and had received replies from almost all of them. The Yamanaka and Akimichi clans had both accepted before the invites had gone out, what with the heads of the family making up a well known Ninja formation group. The Yamanaka's daughter was also due to celebrate her birthday the weekend after as long standing tradition saw.
Shikamaru knew what his parents were planning but instead of arguing that he didn't want a party, he knew they would do it anyway. He had resigned himself to the fact that as troublesome as it was for him, his birthday was something that his parents enjoyed to celebrate.
"Oi, Shikamaru."
Shikamaru turned at the sound of his name and saw Kiba and Akamaru running over to him.
"My mom got the invite to your party," he said. "She told me to keep it a secret, but I told her you already knew."
Shikamaru smiled slightly at the wide grin plastered on the older boy's face.
"Parents are so troublesome," he sighed.
The weekend brought with it Shikamaru's party (with the next weekend being devoted to Ino Yamanaka). Shikamaru was dragged out of bed by his mother at a ridiculously early 10am.
"Mom," he said as he sat down at the table for breakfast. "Who's coming to the party later?"
"What party?" she asked, her back turned to her only son.
"Mom, don't play games. I know Kiba's coming. And Choji. Ino will probably be there too, I just want to know who else will," he said.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Eat your breakfast."
Shikamaru rolled his eyes. Three more hours and he would find out exactly who would be at his party and in eight it would be over for another year.
Three and a half hours later and Shikamaru wasn't disappointed.
"Happy birthday, Shikamaru-kun," Ino said, handing Shikamaru his present.
"Thanks, Ino," he replied.
Setting the gift down on a table with the rest of his gifts, he looked around. Almost everyone in his class was there; everyone except Naruto and Sasuke. While he didn't mind so much about Sasuke not being there, he missed his loud friend's presence.
"Having fun, birthday boy?"
Shikamaru whirled around to see Kiba and the ever present Akamaru stood in front of him.
"Yeah," he replied. "It's a drag but it's not as bad as I thought it would be."
Akamaru gave a small bark.
"Akamaru says 'happy birthday'," Kiba told him.
Shikamaru chuckled quietly. "Thanks," he said.
In the time he had known Kiba, he had always known Akamaru to 'say' things. Sometimes they were normal, everyday things and other times they were things Kiba didn't want to admit to saying. Sometimes, Shikamaru even thought that the small dog was a cover for some of the things Kiba had said.
"Akamaru wants to give you a kiss," Kiba told him, lifting the dog off his head and holding him in front of the younger boy.
"Ah, Kiba, no," Shikamaru protested. "That's really unhygien-"
He was cut off by the small dog licking his face.
"Yahoo!"
Shikamaru recognised his friend's cheer immediately. It meant he'd passed. The boys were now twelve years old and they had just sat their final Shinobi exam. Passing meant they were finally ninja.
Sure enough, when Kiba walked out of the exam room with Akamaru in his customary place on top of his head, he was holding a hitai-ate.
In their small group of 'dead-lasts', Choji and now Kiba had passed, leaving Shikamaru and Naruto.
When Shikamaru's name was called, he looked over at his friends. Choji gave him an encouraging smile, Naruto, a thumbs up and Kiba winked before running over and saying, "Akamaru said 'good luck'."
Not that he needed luck of course. He simply had to make three bunshin to pass, a simple feat for anyone who could mould and control their Chakra.
Ten minutes later he exited the exam room holding his own hitai-ate. He made his way over to his friends and was congratulated with a few slaps to the back.
"Hey, Shikamaru," Kiba said, taking Akamaru off his head. "Akamaru wants to give you kiss."
Before he could start his usual protests, the animal was licking his face.
Shikamaru was 14. The Chūnin exams were upon them again and for the first time since his own Chūnin exam, they were being held in Konoha. Out of the nine rookies in his graduating class, three were still Genin; Hyūga Hinata, Kiba and Naruto. Naruto wasn't sitting this exam, Shikamaru didn't even know where Naruto was; but Kiba and Hinata were both determined that this time they would pass. They had both made it to the final rounds and would not have to fight each other unless they both made it to the final.
The night before the final exam was due to start, Kiba, Shikamaru and Choji had gone out to eat Ramen. They were now making their way home, Shikamaru insisting that Kiba would need all the rest he could get. Choji had left the pair just after they had left Ichiraku's and Kiba and Shikamaru who lived in the same direction had started home, that was until Kiba spotted the ice cream stand.
"C'mon, Shikamaru. Half hour longer isn't going to screw up my chances," Kiba said as he dragged the now slightly taller teen towards the stand. "Look, we can get one of the ones that you snap in two then it'll only take half as long."
"Whatever, Kiba. It's not my exam," Shikamaru said.
After Kiba had bought the ice cream, he and Shikamaru stopped by the park and sat on a bench to eat them. Shikamaru laid his head back and started watching the clouds.
"Hey, Shikamaru," Kiba said.
Shikamaru sat up and looked at his friend.
"Akamaru wants to give you a kiss," Kiba said, his voice filled with apprehension.
"Kiba, not tonight," Shikamaru said. "It's really unhy-"
Instead of being cut off by the now quite large Akamaru, Shikamaru was cut off by a pair of warm lips, softly placed on his own. Reacting instinctively, Shikamaru cupped Kiba's face and kissed him back, softly. When they broke apart a few seconds later, both teens' eyes were wide.
"I wish I had a dog," Shikamaru said quietly after a few seconds had passed.
"Why?" Kiba asked.
"So I could tell you that he wants to give you a kiss," Shikamaru replied, leaning in and kiss his older friend.