Title: Song for a Dancer

Characters: Nara Shikamaru, Tenten, mention of Yamanaka Ino

Song artist: Stephen Speaks

Summary: Because Tenten was so beautiful dancing alone, and she seemed so content, so happy in her solitude, that Shikamaru did not think it proper for him to intrude.

Shikamaru was speechless.

In hindsight, he figured it shouldn't have been too surprising; he wasn't exactly talkative, not when Ino pretty much did all the talking for their little group. He only spoke when he deemed he should, and although words came pretty easy to him—genius that he was—Shikamaru usually preferred to keep quiet, finding some conversations too troublesome to bother butting in.

Except that being speechless at the very moment involved watching a fiery kunoichi spin at incredible speed, while summoning and throwing a barrage of weapons everywhere.

It wasn't even intentional—or so he told himself—spying on Team Gai's sole kunoichi while she experimented on improving Soshoryu, her signature move. He was merely out for a walk (near Team Gai's usual training grounds, of all places), looking for a decent place to take a nap (because Ino was currently hunting him down in an effort to set him up with a pretty girl wearing a signature twin-bun hairstyle), when he accidentally came across the training kunoichi (although the loud explosions from half a mile away should have been a dead giveaway).

Shikamaru silently watched as Tenten dropped back to the ground, heaving short breaths from using up too much chakra. He heard her tsk, summoned all her weapons back to her scroll, and prepared for another round. She had failed back then, literally got whipped by Temari's gigantic fan, but the Soshoryu Shikamaru was seeing right now was nowhere near the size and power of what she used during the exams.

And he found her beautiful.

Ino would have a field day if she heard me say that out loud, he muttered to himself when he finally started to get his bearings back.

For a fraction of a second, an irrational desire came over him to reveal himself, to join Tenten in her training, to watch her up close as she spun and spun and spun. The rational side of his brain quickly took over, however, and he stopped himself from stepping into the clearing.

Because Tenten was so beautiful dancing alone, and she seemed so content, so happy in her solitude, that Shikamaru did not think it proper for him to intrude.

So he stood behind a tree and admired her from afar, wondering if it was okay to forgo his usual afternoon nap for the chance to watch her train.

She's so beautiful, he thought, and found himself smiling a content, lazy smile, when a kunai suddenly zipped past his ear, almost nipping his earlobe.

The shadow jutsu user quickly scampered away from Team Gai's training ground, not bothering to find out if it was an accident—Tenten was throwing weapons everywhere, after all—or if the kunoichi somehow sensed that someone was spying on her.

And deadly, Shikamaru thought miserably, as he hopped from tree to tree, farther and farther away from the clearing. Definitely deadly.

You guys are wonderful. The reviews really warmed my heart. Because of that, you all deserve a wonderful heap of cookie rain!

Hope you enjoy this next installment!

And see the first chapter for a not-really-so-important note at the bottom of the page.

Reviews will be lovely, and flames will be used to roast marshmallows.