Chutes and Ladders
"Back for more?" Shikamaru said snidely, sitting up on the grassy hilltop. Although he wasn't too pleased being interrupted with his alone-time (as he liked to call it), he could not exactly resist smirking in the Sand-nin's face.
Temari flared. "You may be good at shougi and go," she snarled. "But you can't beat me at this!"
She dropped a large box onto the ground next to Shikamaru. He heard pieces inside jangling in protest.
"Give it up," Shikamaru muttered, falling back onto the grass to continue his cloud gazing. "I don't want to play."
"Scared you'll lose?!" she exclaimed, sitting onto the ground. She began to open the box anyway. "I know you can't defeat me in this!"
Shikamaru ignored her efforts. "Provoking me won't work."
"Get off your lazy ass, you bum!" Temari said, removing her fan from her back so she could sit easier. "If you don't, I'll whip your sorry butt!"
"God, so demanding," Shikamaru grumbled, sitting up once more. He stared at her as she began to roughly take out a large board. Her face was scrunched up in determination, something that, Shikamaru mused, made her look more like a woman. There was only silence as she began to dig through the contents of the box. Really, she didn't look too bad from where he was sitting…
Yet a question plagued him. Why was she up here playing games? With all that had happened in the past few weeks, wouldn't she find spending her time with her brothers more enjoyable? What about completing the usual genin assignments? Why bother whittling time away with frivolous games like shougi and go?
Better yet, why bother whittling time away with him?
"Why are you still here, anyway?" Shikamaru said abruptly. "Why aren't you and your annoying brothers back at the Wind Country where you belong?"
She paused. Shikamaru saw her shoulders tense slightly. "Do you want me to go?" she asked slowly.
Shikamaru gave her a look that was utterly indecipherable; Temari could only settle for staring back. They sat there for a moment, not moving from their positions, before Shikamaru abruptly turned away. "Geez," he muttered. "You're really troublesome."
She smirked. "Alright then. Let's go."
Temari turned the board so that Shikamaru could see it more clearly. He raised an eyebrow as he noted what it was.
"'Chutes and Ladders'?" he said, slightly taken aback. Temari's smirk widened.
"I'll definitely beat you today!" she exclaimed. "Maybe you should just give up now Shika-chaaaan."
Shikamaru ignored her. He dug through the box and grabbed the red piece. "I'm red. You'll be blue."
"My," she said, "Controlling, are we? It won't help you win."
"Let's just get this over with," he said, placing his marker on Start. Temari followed suit.
"Bring it, bum," she said viciously.
Shikamaru gave her a dull look. "I told you before—I'll never lose to a girl."
"I'll make you cry like one if you don't roll the dice," she retorted.
"Yeah, yeah…"
---
"I don't believe this."
Both ninjas looked up from the board. One smirked at the other, who looked like shocked.
"That gives me eight straight wins," Shikamaru said, leaning back with satisfaction. "Like I said, I wouldn't lose to a girl. Especially to you."
Temari trembled with rage. She resisted the urge to hurl the board at the boy's jubilant expression. "H-How… a-again…"
"Game over. You lose. Try again," Shikamaru said, stretching out on the grass once more.
"ONE MORE GAME!" she cried, moving their pieces back to the Start. "I only lost because I had to go down that goddamn chute that dropped me all the way down to the bottom again! It was just a slight mishap, but I definitely won't lose again!"
"This sounds familiar," Shikamaru muttered.
"Hurry up!" Temari said, impatiently slamming her hand onto the grass. "One more time!"
"I'm not playing that childish game anymore," Shikamaru said, not bothering to face her. "Once was enough."
Fury raged in the girl. This time, she actually lifted her impressive fan menacingly, but then found that picking on the weak too low even for her. She reluctantly placed the fan down, and said, in a very constrained voice, "One more game. …Please?"
"No."
"YOU ARROGANT ASSHOLE!"
"Temari. Put the fan down."
"You're doing this on purpose!"
"No, I just don't want to play Chutes and Ladders again," he muttered. "That game requires no thinking."
Temari paused. "…If I bring another game, then will you play?"
Shikamaru made no comment.
"Fine!" Temari quickly got to her feet and began to rush off. "I'll be back!" she said over her shoulder, "And when I come back, you'll get the beating of your life! You can't get rid of me that easily!"
Out of the corner of his eye, Shikamaru watched as the Sand-nin jogged away. Really. He thought to himself. She's so troublesome. He sat there for a moment, savoring the taste of victory and the memory of her shocked expression. But it wasn't until the thought of her returning to him with that same determined look on her face did he give a small, content smile.