Shikamaru is Naruto's best friend.

[Naruto Ninetails]

One of the strongest bonds that should be focused on is between Naruto and Shikamaru. Not Sasuke. Shikamaru is Naruto's best friend out of all the characters in the series and I will explain why. Unfortunately Naruto is too blind by his ambition to save Sasuke to see what a great friend he has in front of him. Of all the characters, they can relate the most.

Both Naruto and Shikamaru lost their mentors, who meant a lot to them, and were taught many great things by their sensei's. When Jiraiya was killed, Shikamaru asked Naruto to walk with him. He tells Naruto that he can relate with him because he lost his sensei like himself.
We see Shikamaru's maturity and his response to Asuma's death. In the previous panel Shikamaru tells Naruto he will never get anywhere in his life if he keeps dicking around. In the current panel Shikamaru tells him he's not in the position to do that anymore. Shikamaru's advice and comfort towards Naruto just proves what a good friend he is. Shikamaru's maturity and similar life experiences is what makes those two click as great friends compared to Sasuke. Both of them were looked at as weak in the beginning. Both of them had hidden potential that needed pushes along the way to become what they are today.
We see that Shikamaru has Naruto's back and is willing to help him. What other character has offered Naruto help without it being required to work with him? Exactly.
It's a damn shame the friendship between these two isn't focused much. Naruto needs to open up his eyes and look at what he has in the village. In my opinion, his relationship with everyone in the village is more important than the bond he has with Sasuke. Other people have acknowledged Naruto. Sometimes you just can't save a person and have to accept it. Naruto has people who care a lot about him

[Kages]

Yeah

[ozanozbek]

Yepp :D :D

[EMS Sasuke123]

Don't be stupid.

[Senju clan24]

no Iruka is to be honest

[Kages]

no Iruka is to be honest

Yeah him too. And Jiraiya, Minato, Hiruzen, and Obito relate a lot too.

[KGB Kakuzu]

Yeah I agree...when the two interact it kind of send like they are indeed close friends. Especially things like the Inheritors of the Will of Fire movie...Shikamaru wants nothing more thzn to help, but his hands are tied due to the whole King thing..

I mean it is either him or Sakura....the two are practically like brother and sister to me lol

[AaaaNinja]

Aaaaawwwwwwwwuuuuuuuuh.

[Senju clan24]

Yeah him too. And Jiraiya, Minato, Hiruzen, and Obito relate a lot too.

LOL iruka is still alive haha...but i said iruka because he was the first from the village to accept Naruto... And he cryed when Naruto went to war

[Naruto Ninetails]

LOL iruka is still alive haha...but i said iruka because he was the first from the village to accept Naruto... And he cryed when Naruto went to war

haha

[Prometheus Beta]

Ffs Shikamaru should've been a main character from the beginning, he's far more interesting of a character than Sakura at the very least.

[Sea Of Thy Soul]

Sasuke's entire clan, including his parents were killed during the Uchiha massacre.

Naruto's parents were killed when he was an infant child due to the Nine Tailed Demon Fox rampaging on the Hidden Leaf.

Both of them were loners at some point, though, Naruto's was longer.

All of that happened in part 1. So, who know's?

[narut2]

You are right. I don't see sasuke turning good and becoming friends with naruto again. Maybe he'll overlook sasuke and replaces him with shikamaru just like he did with hinata over sakura.

[swagking]

Even if sasuke and naruto don't have a friendship, they will always be best friends in naruto's heart. Shikamaru is just a really close friend to naruto probably his second bestfriend after sasuke. Shikamaru's bestfriend is choji but he does consider naruto a good friend and is always there for him. Naruto's "new bestfriend" candidates I'd say are shikamaru, sakura, sai, lee and gaara.

[Sasunarufan13]

Naruto himself has clearly stated he considers Sasuke his best friend and Shikamaru just a close friend. Naruto strove to be better because he wanted to be acknowledged by Sasuke, not Shikamaru. He has a strong bond with Sasuke because they share more similarities than him and Shikamaru.

Shikamaru didn't even have much screentime in the first serie. A few talks and a few popped up similarities when they are older, isn't the same as suddenly having a strong bond with each other.
Yes, Naruto considers him a good friend. But he still sees Sasuke as his best friend.

Honestly, the bond between Naruto and Sasuke has been and will be the main focus of the entire serie. Almost the whole Shippuden serie focuses on the bond between those two and one of Naruto's goals is to bring Sasuke back.
If Shikamaru was to play suddenly the role of best friend for Naruto (by the way I'm pretty sure Shikamaru is best friends with Chouji because he was seen to be comforting him once as well and they are usually seen together), then Kishimoto-sensei would have done more to show that bond by now.

[The Great Narumaki]

nah too troublesome.

[★Sir Derp Obito]

When Naruto becomes Hokage, Shiki will indeed be his best friend doing all the paperworks for him

[The Great Narumaki]

sasuke. otherwise no plot.

[vegetaHATAKE]

True shikamaru has knocked some sense into naruto a lot of times :y

[pinkspider2000]

I would say Sakura is is best friend too.

[Hyugaaa]

lol that makes sense

[Penguin2640]

I like this alot!

[Called a Genius]

Gaara and Naruto >>>

[GiantShuriken]

I'd put Sasuke and Gaara ahead of him.

[Deadly In Pink]

Gaara and Naruto >>>

Yup. I love the Shikamaru/Naruto friendship, but I think Gaara and Naruto can relate even more that Shika and Naruto.

The thing with Naruto is that he's always so obsessed with whatever it is he's doing that he doesn't notice how much the other characters have started to care about him. He's Mr. popular and he doesn't even know it.