Kurenai shall use her Jedi Master powers to make sure you DON'T notice the horrible, glaring plot hole in this chapter. Work your magic, Kurenai.
Naruto Primer: Nara Shikamaru
Box
"HEAR YE HEAR YE!!" the Hokage yelled as he slammed his hammer down on his table. The murmur in the room slowly quieted down and everyone turned their attention to the Hokage. "I have an extremely important mission for one of you, that is why I have called all the jounins and chuunins here today."
"What do you need done, Hokage?" asked some random nameless jounin.
"It's a vital mission that is crucial to my survival." The Hokage replied ominously. Everyone in the room gasped. "And I have already come up with the perfect candidate for the job. Nara…Shikamaru."
The camera panned in on Shikamaru who was in the way back of the room next to his dadoo, not looking like he was paying very much attention. The crowd gasped on cue again as they all turned around and looked at Shikamaru. "Are you up for the job, Shikamaru?"
The entire room was hanging on Shikamaru's words. "I guess…" he answered somewhat nervously. He didn't think such an important mission that was crucial to the Hokage's survival should be placed upon the shoulders of the newest and youngest one there. Especially since he was the newest and youngest CHUUNIN. As the murmuring among the other jounins and chuunins there started up again, it only made Shikamaru feel even more nervous. What if he messed up? This sure was troublesome.
"Very well." Said the Hokage. "Please come to my current residence after the meeting. Everyone is dismissed!!"
The other high-ranking ninjas filed out of the room slowly, stealing glances at Shikamaru as they left.
"Shikamaru, this is your most important mission." Said Shikato, putting his hands on Shikamaru's shoulders. "I have only one piece of advice for you. Don't mess it up. Got it?"
"Right…" said Shikamaru with an annoyed expression on his face. Shikato and Shikamaru then split paths, Shikato going home and Shikamaru going to the Hokage's house.
When he arrived, the only other person who was there was the Hokage. "Thanks for coming, Shikamaru." Said the Hokage. "You're probably wondering why I have asked you to perform this extremely important mission for me. Simply put, none of the other high-ranking ninjas qualify. This mission requires youth, patience, strategic planning, stealth…" he paused. "Actually, I just need a babysitter."
Just then, Konohamaru jumped out from behind the Hokage's back. "I'M TOO OLD TO HAVE A BABYSITTER!!!" yelled Konohamaru.
"Uh…" said Shikamaru, backing up slightly.
"I trust you'll take good care of him." Said the Hokage quickly as he ran out the door as fast as he could.
Shikamaru and Konohamaru stared at each other for a good while. Shikamaru couldn't possibly think of ANYTHING that could potentially be more troublesome than babysitting, even WITH his vast IQ.
"Well…" Shikamaru began as he grabbed the remote to the television. "How about you watch television?"
"I don't want to watch television." Said Konohamaru. "I want to play Box."
"Play Box?" Shikamaru said.
"Yeah!" said Konohamaru. "I'M Konohamaru Princess Queen and YOU'RE the evil witch, Box! Every morning you dress me in a pretty outfit to wear to school but, on my way to school, you kidnap me! Then I have to escape and then you chase me around! After that, I forgive you and then you make me a NEW outfit! The cycle continues until I get bored!"
"Play Box?" Shikamaru repeated as he got the mother of all 'This is so troublesome…' faces.
"YES!!" yelled Konohamaru. "If you don't play Box with me then I'm going to throw a fit!!"
"How about we play until I get bored?" Shikamaru suggested.
"No!" said Konohamaru. "Until I get bored!!"
Shikamaru sighed and then got in his thinking stance. He had to think of a way to avoid playing Box, but still play it so that Konohamaru wouldn't throw a fit. He would also have to play in such a way that Konohamaru could quickly get bored, but not be suspicious of the fact that Shikamaru was attempting to get him bored.
"All right, Konohamaru Princess Queen." Said Shikamaru. "I have the perfect outfit for you in mind. What I need are belts and blankets and a large shirt."
"RIGHT!!" said Konohamaru Princess Queen as he ran off to retrieve all the things that Box required to make his beautiful outfit. He returned with an armful of belts, blankets and the very largest shirt he could find and dropped it all right in front of Shikamaru. "Dress me, Box."
Shikamaru picked up one of the blankets and Konohamaru stretched his arms out. "No, put your arms down by your side." Shikamaru instructed. Konohamaru obeyed and then Shikamaru proceeded to wrap the blanket around and around Konohamaru's body so that he looked like a little pig in a blanket, which is kind of, ironically, what he is. Then, Shikamaru took the belts and put them all up and down Konohamaru to make sure the blankets would stay on. Finally, he slipped the huge shirt over it all.
"There you go." Shikamaru said.
"I can hardly move." Said Konohamaru.
"What's the matter, Konohamaru Princess Queen?" said Shikamaru. "Don't you love the outfit that Box has made you?"
"Of course I do!" Konohamaru insisted.
"Now take this basket of fruit to your grandmother." Said Shikamaru as he stuck the handle of a basket of plastic fruit in Konohamaru's mouth. "Your grandmother is right upstairs. After you're done doing that, I will chase you around and make you a new outfit."
"Okay!" said Konohamaru as he started hopping off ever so slowly. Shikamaru then leaned on the windowsill and looked out the window at the clouds going by.
Who knows how long that went by for until Konohamaru was back in front of Shikamaru again with the basket of fruit still in his mouth? "What happened?" Shikamaru asked. "I thought you were going to deliver that fruit to your grandmother."
Konohamaru spit the basket out. "I fell over too much!" he complained. "I don't want to wear this anymore!"
"Well I'm not making you another one." Shikamaru said.
"I don't want to play Box anymore anyway!" said Konohamaru.
So Shikamaru took all the blankets and belts off Konohamaru. It was actually a surprisingly long process that was quite annoying and troublesome, but at least he didn't have to chase Konohamaru around the room and make him a new outfit.
"I think I just want to watch television now." Said Konohamaru as he shuffled off to the television and turned it on with the remote.
Shikamaru walked over to the kitchen area to find a note on the counter. It said, "Shikamaru, in my rush to get out of there before you could argue, I was most likely unable to tell you that I will be back at 10:30. Konohamaru's bedtime is 8:30."
"10:30?" Shikamaru complained to himself. You see, in the world of Shikamaru, there is no such time as 10:30. Not at night, not in the morning. He goes to bed at around 9:00 and wakes up at around 11:30. See? No 10:30. Not at all.
In about three hours, Konohamaru would be going to bed so then Shikamaru would be free to do anything he pleased. Which was nothing. So he figured he'd just set Konohamaru up with a movie or two and then let him vegetate until it was bedtime. He didn't even have to go into his thinking pose to think up that one.