How Troublesome

Chapter 10: The Aggravating Academy

Hisoka cleared his throat nervously. "Well, let's start walking to the academy, shall we?"

Shikamaru shrugged, "Sure," and started walking forward. He noticed that Hisoka purposely stepped in between Shikamaru and Kazuo, probably with good reason, like keeping a homicide from occurring. As they walked the streets, Hisoka acted as a shinobi tour guide, pointing out shops and landmarks. He reminded Shikamaru a little of Iruka, just less motherly, and Kazuo was like Kakashi. He shuddered inwardly. There really didn't need to be more Kakashi's in the world, not that there was anything wrong with the man. It was just astounding the level of perverseness that he attained.

Kazuo interrupted Hisoka's description of the history of one of the statues. "So, Naruto's your girlfriend, right?"

Shikamaru eyed him. "Yes." Where was the lecherous bastard going with this?

"Huh. It just seems a little odd. You guys don't really act like it. Is the relationship going badly?" Kazuo asked in a deliberately casual voice.

Shikamaru twitched and tried to keep an apathetic expression on his face instead of the murderous scowl that would be more appropriate for his emotions. Well, maybe the reason that they didn't act like boyfriend and girlfriend were because they weren't, not that he could tell Kazuo that. He wouldn't mind having Naruto as a girlfriend, but... he tried to clear his thoughts. That was not the right thing to think about on a mission. In reply, he leveled a bored glare at Kazuo, and said, "No, it's not going badly at all. We're happy together." Although, back off before I disembowel you, was what he really wanted to say.

"Really? Because that's not what it looks like," Kazuo said, whistling.

Shikamaru's hand twitched towards where he usually kept his kunai and shuriken, only to realize that they weren't there.

The air got tense, and then Hisoka exclaimed loudly, "Oh! Look! There's the academy. We're here already, and the girls should be here soon." A person couldn't look more relieved than he did at that point. He probably was ecstatic that they had gotten to the school without blood being shed.

Shikamaru left off glaring at Kazuo, who had been glaring back, and looked around.

The academy, unlike most of the other buildings, was light, whitewashed stone and made out of heavy blocks. The building had an odd grace about its "L" shaped wings, but it also looked solid, and like it could survive the wear and tear of several jutsus gone wrong. As they was almost everywhere in the town, a thick green lawn was in front of the building, but around the corner of the building, behind it, there was the bare, brown, almost reddish, earth that he associated with training grounds. The multiple floored building loomed over them, but it was actually welcoming and cheerful.

Now, the three were standing in front of the building in silence that quickly became awkward.

Kazuo broke it. "So, about Naru-"

Hisoka punched his friend in the shoulder, sending him slamming into the wall with a satisfying cracking sound and accompanied by a small cloud of dust. Hisoka laughed nervously. "I'm sorry about him. He's a horn-dog and an idiot. He really isn't a bad person, though," he said as Kazuo groaned in the background.

Shikamaru smiled, more at the fact Kazuo had gotten pummeled than at the fact that Hisoka was apologizing, but said lazily, "I got it. I know a person like him."

Hisoka looked pained at the mention there might be another person like Kazuo, but said, "Hopefully, the girls won't take too long. There's a lot of the academy to show you, and I'm sure that you will want to get settled in before nightfall."

Almost as if they had sensed his words, two pairs of footsteps sounded.

Shikamaru turned to greet them, and then everything that he had planned to say flew completely out of his head. Naruto was... wow. It was amazing how that puny three-lettered word was the only word that described how Naruto looked.