Shikamaru Decides
This happened a few months after Naruto left Konoha to train with Jiraiya-sama. Temari, Gaara, Shino and Neji are already chuunin. Shikamaru is already an examiner for the exam.
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Chapter 1: The Candidates
"What's up, Shikamaru?" greeted a sweet voice.
"Huh?" the laziest shinobi in Konoha replied. "Temari? What're you doing here?" he said trying to sound like he cared. 'Damn, why did I answer? This is going to get troublesome.'
Temari sat beside the half asleep Shikamaru, "The Kazekage-sama gave me a few weeks off since he thought that I needed a vacation after all I've done."
'What a drag. She'll be here for a few more weeks. This is going to be such a pain.' He thought. "I was just asking why you're here at my spot…"
"I was bored so I decided to irritate someone, and you were the first one that came to mind." Temari said smiling down at Shikamaru. "Why? Is there a problem with that?" the look in her eye said the message, say something stupid and I'll kill you.
Shikamaru understood, "I can't believe you following your younger brother's orders… That's so lame…"
Bad choice of words.
Temari seized her giant fan, and aimed it at Shikamaru. The genius though, used Kage no Mane to stop the enraged beast.
"I hate you. Using a paralyzing jutsu, cheater!" Temari retorded while stuck in the half swing position by Shikamaru's shadow jutsu.
Shikamaru was sweating like hell, the seventy pound fan was coming closer and closer, Temari was not joking around.
"Okay, okay, I'll let you go if you promise not to hurt me, deal?" Shikamaru said.
"Why? That's not a fair deal! I don't get anything!" she said as she tried to force her way out of the jutsu.
The struggle between the two shinobi continued until another shinobi appeared before them. It was Genma, the proctor for the third test in their chuunin exam.
"Shikamaru Nara, the Hokage-sama is requesting you in her office, she says to come immediately." He said as he puffed into smoke.
Shikamaru was in a tight spot, he had to release Temari. He used the jutsu to lower Temari's hand and throw away her fan. He ran away the moment he released the kunoichi from his shadow.
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Shikamaru arrived at the village hall quickly, you would to I you believed Temari was chasing you. He climbed to Tsunade-sama's office. He opened the doors only to be greeted by another troublesome woman.
"Good afternoon, Shika-kun." Said Ino.
Shikamaru saw that she must had been talking with Tsunade-sama. 'What a drag. I barely got away from Temari, now I have to put up with two troublesome women. At the least though, they're not as troublesome as Temari.'
"You asked for me, Hokage-sama?" Shikamaru said with a lazy tone in his voice.
Even though Tsunade was Hokage, Shikamaru and Naruto's respect for her was not intended for a Hokage. They saw her to be a lazy, drunk gambler, who was just lucky to have amazing shinobi skills.
Tsunade put her hands together and rested her chin on it. "The chuunin exam will start three weeks from now, better start preparing it, examiner."
'She woke me up for this? I might have as well stayed with Temari watching the clouds.' He said to himself.
"Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji, Sakura and the others are also among the candidates. Please don't get soft because they'll be taking the exam too." Tsunade said in alow tone.
Shikamaru looked surprised, he tilted his head backwards to look at Tsunade, "Hokage-sama, do not take this the wrong way, but, I don't care who's taking the chuunin exam, I went through a lot in my first mission as a leader, I can't let someone without the proper skill lead a mission, I can't let what happened to us, take place again." He turned to face Tsunade, "Besides, if I do that, they'll kill me, and that would be such a pain." He finished as he turned away and walked out of the room.
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"Hey there, Shika-kun!" Ino greeted him as he walked out of the building.
Shikamaru turned to look at her, "Oh, hi Ino." 'What a drag, this is going to be a pain. Now she won't leave me alone.'
Shikamaru walked away from the building heading to the town to grab some food. Ino followed him and walked by his side.
'What a pain. How am I supposed to eat now? She's gonna ask me to treat her or something.'
"Shika-kun, where are you going?" Ino asked sweetly.
"Ichiraku, I have to eat too." Shikamaru said.
Ino opened her mouth to speak, "I'm not treating you." Shikamaru cut her off.
"Shika-kun! Your such a cheap skate! Why won't you treat me to ramen? It's relatively cheap." Ino replied angrily.
"Then why don't you treat yourself." Shikamaru said lazily.
Ino argued with Shikamaru all the way to Ichiraku. Ever since Naruto left, only very few people have been eating at Ichiraku Ramen. So, only Ino and Shikamaru were there to eat.
Shikamaru slurped his ramen.
"Shika-kun, who else are taking the chuunin exam this time? That is, besides me and Sakura." Ino said looking at the slowly eating Shikamaru.
Shikamaru lowered his chopsticks, "Chouji, Lee, TenTen, Hinata, Kankuruo and Kiba."
Ino's eyes flashed, 'So much competition, so little time. I have to show them all how strong I am.'
'What a drag… She thinks I'm going to let them off easy because I'm the examiner.' He sighed.
"Ino, why do you pester me like this? You make me treat you almost every day. Don't you have anyone else to pester?" Shikamaru said.
Ino stopped slurping her ramen. There was a sad look on her face. She laid her hands on her lap.
'Oh no! Now I have to listen to her talk saly. What a pain.' He thought.
Ino looked down, "Chouji, Kiba, Shino and Lee are always training. Shino and Neji scare the hell out of me. I tried Hinata but felt so bad after it, Tenten doesn't seem to have enough for herself. Naruto's off somewhere, and Sakura, I just don't want to. It's like you're the only one that's by me for the past few months. I know I'm not that grateful for it, but it's like you are the only one that can help me out. So, Thanks, Shika-kun."
Shikamaru looked surprised, 'Tsunade fell apart, Ino's thanking me, Temari greeted me nicely. What's happening to the troublesome women today.'
Ino returned to eating her ramen, this time though she ate it quickly.
"Fine." Shikamaru sighed after they finished, "I'll pay this time."
"Oh, Thank You, Shika-kun!" Ino lunged a hug at him.
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