Title: The Art of Avoidance

Author: Nytemiste
Series: Naruto
Characters: Um… Shikamaru x Tamari x Sasuke/Neji
Authors Notes: I really do love ficlets… Anyway, here is what I had to work with this time Elements: An Action: Swaggering walk, An Emotion: Boredom, Weather: Downpour.

My main thought with this one is that I'm really not sure how well it worked, or how 'in character' I have Shikamaru being… I think it went ok, but I'm maybe not as confident as I have been with others. I've been encouraged to post it anyway, so I hope you like it anyway. O.o

The Art of Avoidance

"How… troublesome."

It wasn't that he was a coward… well, perhaps it was precisely for that reason that he'd calculated his strategic retreat from the visiting blonde from the village in the Sand. But Shikamaru was fine with that, as long as it meant he could effectively sidetrack her growing interest in him. It wasn't that she was a bad sort, other than being strong willed, bossy, and the fact she possessed a disturbing ability to make him think of his mother. But the one thing he just couldn't deal with, was putting himself in a relationship where his health might be jeopardized... and that one potential danger was named Gaara. Shikamaru shuddered despite himself, remembering the feelings of sheer terror at witnessing what that maniac was capable of… "I think I'd rather hook up with Naruto than have that guy as a brother-in-law!"

Hopefully, if his planning worked out the way he hoped it would, she'd soon forget all about him and his life could go back to some semblance of normalcy.

Loud splashes resounded on the soaked ground at the base of his hiding place on one of the local shops rooftops, the signal that his careful calculations would soon be tested. Better get a good peek down below to make sure there's nothing that'll mess things up. It was a trait that had won him his current rank as Jounin, being able to think on his feet and plan for almost any contingency.

"Hey, Sasuke! Good match…" Neji's muted voice drifted through the clamor of the rain, signaling that the training session had finally come to a close. Down below, Neji provided a perfect distraction, stopping the rather promising candidate to his current problem to a standstill.

Good… part one, executed perfectly...

Grinning slightly, he flattened himself to near invisibility along the buildings edge. Make that… two candidates. The young men turned to head out, both talking eagerly about their progress, heedless of the rain beating down around the two of them. It was just a happy accident that the current weather assisted the carefully laid out schemes of the Jounin poised above. He'd been avoiding Tamari all day, knowing that she'd been planning on cornering him for a lunch date. She must be pretty hungry by now… and pretty pissed too. Ugh, determination like that in a girl is akin to fanaticism!

But hopefully, Neji and Sasuke could provide a bait that even she wouldn't blink at passing him up for... with hair wet, clothing clinging to their trim bodies, eyes alight with the fire of recent combat, and a slight swagger to their stride the two headed down the street... just at the very same moment Tamari came into view looking for her wayward love interest. Narrowing his eyes in concentration, he held tightly onto his breath, watching her pause, irritation clear on her face even amidst the thunderstorm that had overtaken the land.

But patience was one of Shikamaru's talents. And even though it had taken him several attempts to get this trap set up… (For it was a matter of life or death as far as he was concerned) it would be well worth it if it all panned out.

"Hey! You two! Have either of you… seen-" She glanced one last time around the empty street below before turning her eyes back to two of Kohona's most eligible young bachelors. "…………uh…" It was enough to soften even the hardest features on any young woman's face. "I mean…" Her hand reached up in a subconscious gesture to run across her hair. "have either of you seen a good place to grab a bite to eat? A girl could starve to death trying to find her way around here!"

The Jounin didn't need to see the results of his efforts, instead choosing the better part of valor as he turned to slump contentedly back to the ground. The rain was bound to last for hours, plenty of time for her to get acquainted with her new man, whichever one of those 'suckers' chose to play local host and take her to dinner.

"Good riddance. Pretty is fine… but give me boredom any day!"

The End