"Ok. Today we are up against Suna High School. Their team's scouting report has caught my eye. They have several outstanding batters, along with two strong pitchers. Just remember what we practiced and let's get this win. Let's go," Kakashi-sensei, the head baseball coach, spoke to his team in his classroom before they set out to wait for the bus. Assistant coach Might Guy-sensei was carrying a a large pitcher of water, handing it to Konohamaru, who struggled to carry it.
"Whoo! I can't wait to see all those Suna girls. I heard their uniforms are short!"
"Shut up Kiba. We need to focus on the game. If we lose this game, our chances to the playoffs look real slim," Neji crossed his arms and set his duffel bag down, frowning. Childish.
"No, I think we're in for the clear. Our record isn't that bad. We're probably just behind Suna High and Kumo High. That leaves Iwa Academy and Kiri High behind us," Shikamaru lazily analyzed their situation as he squatted in the shade,"So we're right in the middle of it all."
Neji simply closed his eyes and nodded. The rest of the team steps out of the locker room and gathers all their bags. Shino glances at his watch and pushes his glasses up. 5 minutes late...We need to be there early too. Being Shino, he kept to himself though.
"Where is the fucking bus? I'm ready to win against those Suna kids, dattebayo!" A blonde haired hot head 16 year-old boy mimics swinging a bat,"I already see us out there. 4 homeruns!"
Around the corner appeared a white old-school bus. It came to an ear-piercing screeching stop that made Naruto cover his ears exaggeratedly. The door opened and Kakashi-sensei took a moment to chat with the bus driver before turning and pointing to the door with his thumb,"Ok, let's go everyone."
On the bus, Choji was loudly eating a bag of chips. His pregame meal he would call it. Shikamaru cocked his head back and put his baseball cap over his face, knocking out within the first 5 minutes of the ride. Suna High was about forty minutes away so there was plenty of time for the team to fool around. A recovering Sasuke tried to keep his cool sitting next to a loud Naruto, but he kept shaking Sasuke's injured arm. Lee gave a motivational speech (something about youth and all that), as he always did on the bus before a game. Guy sensei egged him on and hyped him up further. Shino sat quietly and patiently, peering out the window. Sai was doodling on a sheet of homework. Neji was running strategies through his head. Kiba was shouting vulgar comments to Naruto across the bus. Even the waterboy, Konohamaru, was making a ruckus with the team. Kakashi had his nose in his book, as usual. A vibration in his pocket stirred Shikamaru from his nap. Groaning, he took a look at his phone.
All the girls are going to watch the game so I decided to go. See you there! - Temari. Shikamaru blinked and dug the phone back into his pocket. She didn't expect him to text back anyways. Their relationship would be seen as destructive to other couples, but the both of them understood how things worked. They were compatible in their own ways. They didn't need any lovey-dovey stuff (once in awhile it was nice though). They just worked. Suna High School. She transferred from there didn't she? The realization hit him that instant. The Suna guys would probably be all over her. These sudden thoughts blindsided him and he suddenly felt paranoid. But then he slowed down to think. These thoughts never challenged his mind. Ever. Why now? Was he just worried because of her past friends? That was stupid. He quickly shut these ideas down and resumed his nap. When they had arrived, the sun had started to sink below the horizon. They were definitely not early. That meant no time to warm up and the Konoha team made their way to the dugout. What a drag, an elongated sigh was audible through the bench. Choji made his way to Shikamaru, leaning over the railing, and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Is something troubling you?"
"What makes you say that?" Shikamaru was taken aback by the sudden question from his longtime friend.
"Well...you just look disturbed. Plus, on the bus, you had the same expression."
"Don't worry about me Choji. I'm alright," he waved his friend off and Choji merely nodded. His eyes searched for four blonde ponytails in the crowd. Scanning and scanning, it seemed impossible to spot her. His gaze stopped at the group of Konoha girls. Temari was still nowhere to be found. Letting out a disappointed grunt, he glanced at the Suna dugout and there she was. He saw her hug her brothers, which did not bother him at all. He actually hung out with her brothers at times. What did bother him, though, was when a brown-sandy haired boy greeted her way too friendly. He went in for a direct hug but Temari countered by turning to the side. A side hug huh. She returned the greeting and started to catch up. He felt guilty for "spying" on her. He never worried about petty things like this.
"We've been told the game is postponed for another 30 minutes. Referees are late. Warm up right now!" Kakashi-sensei caught the team's attention. They all nodded and put their baseball caps on. On the field, they did catching drills and practiced swinging bats. Shikamaru was working with Kakashi on his pitching, since he was the starting pitcher,"Shikamaru, you're not at your best right now."
"I know, this evening has been a drag so far," Shikamaru slung the ball to Kakashi.
"Something bothering you?" the ball made a loud sound upon its impact with the mitt. Kakashi gripped the ball and threw it back.
"No, not really. Just some things on my mind," Shikamaru caught it and repeated the routine.
"Don't let it get in the way of your performance. You are crucial to the success of this team. Don't make me get Sai to be the starting pitcher."
"Hn," Shikamaru nodded and continued practicing his pitches. A whistle blew and the officials called the head coaches of each team to talk.
"Keep your mind clear," Kakashi removed his glove and strolled over to Suna's coach Baki and the referee, leaving Shikamaru to return to the dugout. As he regrouped with his baseball squad in the dugout, he couldn't help but peek over at Temari. She was seated with the Konoha girls now but two Suna girls were with her. He recognised one of them, as he saw her with Gaara whenever he came to their house. Matsuri was it?
"Shikamaru."
Said boy's head snapped around and his eyes found Choji standing behind him. He remained silent,"It's about Temari right?"
"W-What? No-
"Don't lie to me. I can see right through you. I felt what you were feeling before. When we played against Kumo High, I couldn't help but feel jealous with all the boys talking to Karui. I talked to her afterwards, and she assured me there was nothing to worry about. She even grabbed me and kissed me in front of the whole crowd."
Temari kissing Shikamaru in front of the Suna team. In front of that "friendly" guy. Now that was a sight that Shikamaru could envision,"Heh, I guess I was stressing over nothing. Thanks Choji."
"Also, give it your 100% today, especially with her watching. Her eyes are fixed on you," Choji winked at his friend which caused him to slightly blush at the thought.
Temari had just finished catching up with her brothers. She saw many old friends and familiar faces. She caught up with her old Algebra teacher, Baki-sensei along with some friends. It was then that Daimaru came at her in the dugout. He couldn't have been more obvious, still drooling all over her. He went in for a direct hug and she panicked. Quickly, she turned to the side and gave him a side hug. Phew. A couple of the Suna baseball players snickered suspiciously and left the scene. Temari caught up with the boy briefly, not wanting to be rude. They were childhood friends after all, he just got creepy somewhere along the way.
"Temari!" She whipped her head around to see two girls rush and hug her,"We missed you so much! How have you been?"
"Everything's been the same I guess. Matsuri are you coming over for dinner later?" The brunette nodded and turned to her friend.
"Yukata do you want to come over too?" Well that's more work for me...Temari immediately regretted bringing up the topic.
"I'd like to, but I can't. I have to work on this presentation thing for tomorrow," the three girls made their way to the bleachers and Temari introduced them to the Konoha girls.
"Sai is so cute when he's throwing!"
"Hmph. Sasuke-kun is way better. Just wait til his arm heals!" A pink headed girl and a blonde headed girl clashed heads but gathered their composure when they saw that Temari had brought company.
"Heyyy! Nice to meet you, I'm Ino!"
"Hiii! I'm Sakura, pleasure to meet you!" The two girls shot each other a death glare.
"Matsuri," the girl greeted with a smile. The darker haired girl next to her waved,"And this is Yukata."
"H-Hey guys, the game's starting," Hinata chimed in and the group focused their attention in front of them. The sky had turned dark and the bright lights were focused on the field. Neji was first up to bat. His white eyes stared intensely into the Suna pitcher, Daimaru's eyes. As the pitcher started his motion, Neji tensed and prepared. As the ball left the hand of Suna, Neji timed the swing perfectly and the ball took flight. Dropping the bat, he sprinted towards 1st. The Suna defense fumbled the ball and Neji decided to run off to second. Safe!
"Go Neji! Good job!" TenTen shot up from her seat and rose her fists.
"Someone's happy," Ino teased TenTen, who realized what she just did and sat back down, blushing. Next up, a blonde haired, whiskered, boy stepped up to the plate.
"N-Naruto-kun," Hinata let that escape her mouth as she saw Naruto focus, waiting for the ball,"Do your best!"
Naruto failed to register the ball traveling towards him and did not react fast enough. Strike one!. He huffed in frustration and returned to his stance.
"He can't hear that Hinata, say it louder," Temari teased the timid girl and she blushed. Egging her on, Temari continued,"Come on. He probably missed the ball because he didn't hear some words of encouragement."
"N-NARUTO KUN! DO YOUR BEST!" Hinata yelled loudly and noticed Naruto's lips curve upwards. As the ball came, he changed stances and bunted the ball, taking off to first. The moment the ball was live, Neji darted towards third base and managed to be safe. The Konoha team was off to a hot start. As the inning continued, Neji managed to score but Naruto was tagged out at third. Kiba was close to scoring but had gotten tagged out last second. Shino almost swung a homer but it was short by a bit.
When it was time for Konoha to go on defense, they had only scored 1 point so far.
"Well Shikamaru, it's your time to shine," Kakashi patted him on the back when he walked towards the field,"Remember what we practiced."
The only response was a nod. Shikamaru slipped his glove on and made his way to the pitcher's mound. A ball was tossed to him by the referee and the play started. He took in a deep breath and ran through his routine. He drew the ball back and launched it towards the batter, aiming for Choji, the catcher's glove. It was completely off target. Shikamaru grunted and took the ball back. What the fuck was that? He went through his routine once more and threw it towards the batter a second time. Off target again. The batter couldn't even attempt because it nearly hit him. The Suna player glared at Shikamaru, who did not even acknowledge him. Instead, he stood lazily at the mound, catching the ball and going through his routine again. This time, he took a glance at Temari, a look of confidence rested on her face. Troublesome woman. He grinned and threw the ball fast. The batter missed his swing. Strike 1. Another pitch resulted in the same outcome. Strike 2. One more pitch needed to get this guy out. Shikamaru licked his lips in determination, went through his pitching routine, and propelled the fast ball. Choji caught the ball and grinned at Shikamaru, who returned with a calm smirk. Strike 3. Out. The Suna batter walked back to the dugout, defeated.
He sure is hot when he pitches, Temari couldn't help but stare intensely at him, grabbing the attention of the group of giggling girls. His spiky ponytail that poked out under his cap especially caught Temari's attention. He looks so fine when his hair is down like that.
"Ooh Temari! Is that your boyfriend?" Yukata looked at Temari, suspiciously.
"Well-"
"What?! You never told me about him!" Matsuri whined.
"And yet everyone at Konoha knows about them!" Ino chimed in.
"Why are you blushing Temari? What's there to be embarrassed about?" TenTen teased the teal-eyed girl.
"Hey! You're one to talk! We all know you have a thing for Neji, you're just in denial!" That sure shut TenTen up, leaving her redfaced.
"Hey isn't that your brother Temari?" Sakura noticed as their attention was directed to the field. A brown haired boy with purple paint under his eyes stepped up to the plate. He flashed Shikamaru his smile, a smile that Shikamaru knew all too well. Kankuro. He returned the smile and began pitching. 2 strikes already and Kankuro was more than determined. Just one more, Shikamaru told himself as he fixed the brim of his cap. He gripped the baseball hard and threw a fastball. Kankuro swung the bat and it made contact with the ball. He dashed off to first and then second, as Kiba scrambled the initial catch. Kankuro grinned and eyed the third base. He was counting on Gaara to succeed in the next bat. As the inning carried on, Suna led with a score of 2. Several innings had passed and now the score was 7-8, Suna in the lead. The game was way too close to be comfortable for the Konoha squad. The bench players were sweating of nervousness. Sai and Lee had pitched for a few innings, letting Shikamaru rest until the final inning. The 9th and final inning started and Rock Lee was third to bat. He swung and the ball went to Gaara in the outfield but the distance of the ball did not matter. Whatever skills he lacked in batting, he made it up with his speed. Lee was able to sprint to second base, leaving the Suna defense scrambling.
"Shikamaru, one of our batters has gotten injured. I need you to step up."
"What? I-I'm not good at that! Kakashi-sensei you know that-"
"GO! Let your youth guide you Shikamaru!" Guy-sensei outburst and a defeated Shikamaru made his way to the plate. He hadn't had to bat since the second game of the season against Kiri, and that was a disaster. Focus. His eyes darted to the score, 7-8. Focus. He stared at Daimaru starting his motion. Focus. Shikamaru's eyes zeroed in on the ball. With one swift motion the ball was in flight. Focus! He swung the bat and the ball clinked but went towards the dugout. Foul ball. He took his stance again, remaining attentive to the pitcher's movements. Troublesome. As the ball traveled towards him, he timed it and struck it. It didn't go far, but it was far enough. He only needed to make it to first base. In his peripherals, he saw Lee dash towards third, reaching it before the defense could react. Shikamaru reached first base and sighed in relief. A certain Uchiha stepped up to the plate, smirking. Kakashi-sensei is actually going to play him? Sasuke had recently recovered from an arm injury. He has to be rusty-
CLANK! The ball soared in the air. It approached the fence but stopped short, hitting it instead of passing. The three Konoha runners dashed to rotate. The ball is far...I'm taking the gamble. Lee had already ran home, tying the score. Now Shikamaru was making a run for it, going from 1st to 2nd to 3rd. He was staring at home plate, sprinting as fast as his legs could carry him. The ball was being passed around, getting closer and closer to him. This was bad. He needed to get to home right now. It was as if his body acted on instinct. Shikamaru slid feet first, the dirt getting all on his uniform pants. He was so close he could feel it. The ball was coming his way. The Suna catcher came forward and went for it. Shit! He closed his eyes and only hoped he could be safe in time. Right before the ball made contact with the catcher's mitt, Shikamaru's fully passed the plate. Score. Smirking, he picked himself up, dusted off, and returned to the dugout where cheers were heard. It was now 9-8. Sasuke was able to reach 2nd base and Naruto set out to bat next, hoping to score another point. This was their last chance on the offensive end.
"GO Shikamaru! GO Lee! I'm so proud of them!" Ino exclaimed ever so loudly. Temari just dumbly smiled and searched for him in the dugout. She was gonna pounce on him after the game. As Naruto swung and hit, the group cheered loudly for them. Sasuke took off for 3rd and Naruto to 1st. Just one more successful bat and another point is gained. A pale boy stepped up to the plate and Ino could not help but shriek some more,"Go Sai! Hit it out of this park!"
"Tch, Konoha girls...They would never survive a day at Suna."
"Yeah, they're just a bunch of privileged rich girls. It's rubbing off on Temari like hell. Why's Matsuri and Yukata even involved with them?" The shit talking had now begun in the Suna dugout. As hostility rises between the two teams, the game was only getting closer. That is until Sai bunt the ball and allowed Sasuke to score before Naruto was tagged out. The score was now 10-8, Konoha in favor.
"We'll show them what real offense is," A Suna player muttered under his breath as they got up to switch sides.
"You look confident, Daimaru."
"Yeah, I'm planning on asking Temari to a date after the game. When we win the game that is," the cocky pitcher seemed too confident at the moment. Team captain Gaara walked through the talkative group, causing all of them to shut up. Suna was able to score off of Gaara's strong hit. The next two plays proved worthless, as Daimaru was struck out by Shikamaru's impressive pitching. Only one more out and we got this game. Please don't be too much of a drag. Shikamaru could only think as he examined the scoreboard. 10-9. A redhead, that still looked like he belonged in primary school, stepped up to the plate. The crowd cheered his name on.
Sasori. He's one of the better batters of Suna. This is going to be troublesome. One pitch down and it was a strike. Another pitch. Strike. One pitch left and Shikamaru saw the fire that sparked in Sasori's eyes. Shikamaru decided his best option was to curve the ball. As the ball left his hand, it was way off, but then curved towards Choji. But Sasori knew what was happening. He swung the bat hard and took off as he saw it fly. Kiba was able to grab it and threw a long distance pass to Shino at 2nd base. Sasori was already gone and off to 3rd base. He was running straight for the score to tie. Konoha fumbled the ball a bit and it reached Lee. He bolted to Sasori but realized he could not reach in time, chucking the ball to Choji at home. Sasori was going for the slide, all eyes on him, crowd on its feet. Sasori's foot was so close to the base, but before he was able to reach it, Choji caught the ball and tagged him out in a blink of an eye. Stunned, Sasori could only stare blankly in awe. He had just cost Suna the game. A hand tore him from his trance and he rose his gaze to find Choji offering to help him up. He took it and sluggishly trampled back to the dugout.
That was game. Konoha had barely survived and beat Suna by one close point. The two teams got in lines to high-five each other, showing their sportsmanship. As Shikamaru passed Daimaru, Daimaru glared at him, only to be ignored. Hmph. Ponytail thinking he's so great of a pitcher. He looked in the crowd, searching for four blonde ponytails, planning to do what he told his teammates earlier. In the corner of his eye, he caught her on the field, walking towards the Konoha team. It was now or never.
"Hey, Tem-" WHAT THE FUCK?! He saw her wrap her hands around the lazy ponytailed pitcher's neck and give him a deep long kiss. After witnessing that, Daimaru stormed away enraged, taking out his anger on his teammates. Matsuri ran to Gaara and hugged as they gravitated towards Naruto and Hinata. Gaara and Naruto finally had a chance to catch up.
"What was that for?"
"You did good. And what? I'm not allowed to kiss my own boyfriend?" Shikamaru chuckled and kissed her once more.
"Well, I have to head back with the team. See you tomorrow?" he slung duffel bag on his shoulder and turned to the bus.
"Wait, I'll meet you at school. Let's go out to eat."
"It's kind of late isn't it?" Shikamaru lazily turned his head around and checked his phone. 8:09 I still have that troublesome paper to write...
"Hey Shikamaru! The team is going out for ramen! Let's hurry up and get back to school so we can go, dattebayo!" an overly-motivated Naruto wrapped an arm around Shikamaru, who stood crossing his arms,"The girls are coming along too! Temari you can right, eh?"
The girl turned and smirked at Shikamaru, raising a finger to point at him,"Yeah, I'll be there. And you will too."
Temari dashed off to go see tell her brothers about dinner. Kankuro wasn't too happy but Gaara proposed they go also, being good friends with the Konoha team. She shrugged and told them not to bug her or else she would starve them for the rest of the week. Shikamaru could only smile at Temari's interaction with her brothers. She turned and smiled at him and waved. See you at Ichiraku. She mouthed and he nodded. How troublesome, I guess I'm going...