Earrings never really appealed to Temari. She never understood why girls would spend hours cooing over that stuff. As far as she was concerned, accessories were ridiculously breakable, expensive, impractical for a kunoichi like her and just got in her way, especially earrings.

While she was sure that 99.9% of the girls her age had gotten their ears pierced, Temari didn't bother about it. Why subject herself to pain and discomfort and risk of infection and who knew what else came along with poking a sharp metal needle through her earlobes? Plus, wouldn't earrings give an enemy who snuck close enough the chance to tear them out of her ears and effectively distract her for a few precious moments in battle.

It didn't matter that Kankuro screamed at her in hair-tearing exasperation that no enemy would even be able to get within her sightlines without being blown into oblivion, let alone reach out to grab her ears.

It didn't matter either that she got to know a certain man in Konoha who did wear earrings and actually looked good with them, or that her intense dislike for those potentially magnetic objects was slowly being rubbed away with each day they spent together.

She wasn't going to go near any of those soon, no way was she subjecting herself to unnecessary pain just for earrings, not even if-

"What's so bad about getting your ears pierced?"

Not even if that particular earring-wearing Konoha male was half-heartedly trying to convince her otherwise.

"Nara, for the last time, I absolutely refuse to let a psychotic old woman with a sharp instrument near my precious ears." She growled through clenched teeth.

Shikamaru's ear studs glinted in the sunlight as he turned over to get a better look at the irritated blonde before him. His dark calm eyes met fiery teal ones. How such a peaceful eye colour could contain so much chaos was beyond him. They stayed like that for a while longer, glaring at each other wordlessly before Shikamaru sighed and stood up.

"Let's spar."

"Here? Now?!"

Well this was weird.

"Haven't you been bugging me for a rematch ever since forever? Stand up and fight, troublesome woman."

Temari's eyebrows shot up so high they almost disappeared into the blonde bangs plastered to her forehead. Sure, she had always been demanding a rematch with him, but he'd always call her troublesome then continue to stare at the clouds. It didn't take an IQ of over 200 to figure out that this was definitely a ploy.

She stood up to face him and folded her arms defiantly.

"So what's the catch, genius?"

Shikamaru mirrored her stance. Even with his vacant expression, glee was radiating off every single pore of his body.

"Consequences, woman, consequences. You win this fight and I'll do whatever you want me to for a week. I win, and we'll go together to get your ears pierced first thing next morning. See? I'm even giving you a whole night to mentally prepare yourself."

"Che, don't sound so confident that you'll win, crybaby."

Urgh, she should have known.

She should have known that her pride wouldn't allow her to back out of a fight.

She should have known that the crybaby pineapple knew that as well.

Most importantly, she should have known that he'd been doing some serious training under Tsunade while she was back in Suna.

If Shikamaru didn't wipe that pleased smirk off his face she was going to murder a living thing soon, preferably someone with a pineapple for a head.

"That. Wasn't. Fair." She hissed through gritted teeth and glared at him from the ground, her arms forced into the air in submission. Why oh why did she ever agree to this.

"All's fair in love and war." His face was composed and bored as usual, but a grin was tugging at his lips as he released the jutsu and watched her struggle to her feet. "Well then, what was it that we agreed on previously?"

If looks could kill, the Nara boy would have been rendered completely unrecognizable by needles, kunai and every sharp object in the vicinity. His returning stare was calm and triumphant. He was so going to pay for this one day.