Chapter 10
"If it were Sasuke, he would not agree with just overseeing the written exam. You're so damn unmotivated!" Temari remarks peevishly. This trip is, again, a waste of her time and she doesn't mind letting Kamaru know of her displeasure.
An uncharacteristic furious look fleetingly passes over Shikamaru's eyes. He suddenly mutters angrily, "If you hate it so much, why do you keep coming here?" The hands on his pockets clench and his back straightens as he walks slightly faster towards the Suna gate. After all it is also his responsibility to see the Konoha kunoichi off.
"It's not because of you, if that's what you think! I told you before I don't like owing favours so, until it's cancelled, expect me to be here," Temari answers, her tone defensive.
"Tch, I told you not to bother about it. You are just being troublesome," Shikamaru quietly snaps; his tone quite even but it's apparent that he is more than mildly irritated.
Temari glares towards Kamaru, trying at first to match his faster thread. Even without the unexpected mulish tone of voice, that unusual pace alone indicates to Temari how much Kamaru must want to get rid of her. Temari halts in her stride and continues to look fiercely at Kamaru's back, noticing finally his tense shoulders. He must really hate me. It doesn't matter; I hate him more, Temari thinks, equally annoyed.
Shikamaru reaches first the opening between the two monoliths, the stairs-like boulders that is Suna's gate to the outside world. Shikamaru leans his back on the boulder and looks at the opposite one, waiting for the abnormally slow Temari. Shikamaru's expression has returned to his usual unbothered countenance.
Temari has now reached Kamaru, blocking his view of the opposite wall. "Oi Lazy, I said I'm going." Temari raises her voice to capture Kamaru's obviously wondering attention.
"Tch, bye," Shikamaru replies, ending his reverie. He then adds tonelessly, "I'll see you in five months."
Temari stares at the now composed young man then finally answers, "Yeah." Temari bites both her lips to stop her smile from showing, waves her hand, turns and is gone.
Shikamaru remains rooted on the spot, and travels back to the past.
The fourth Kazekage still doesn't receive any visitors from Konoha except the third Hokage. Either Shikamaru or Kankuro deals with the unwanted guests. Somehow there is a deeper reason for that than simple disrespect on the part of the Kazekage and Shikamaru thinks it revolves around Temari but he still can't place his finger on how exactly. Except for that talk with his father three years ago, his father has never broached the subject again.
Shikamaru trudges back towards the training ground. The area has several rock boulders and cacti and other shrubs from which shadows are cast. Shikamaru has long realized the inherent weakness of his jutsu and that, without shade, he is powerless.
Suna's landscape could be as barren as just sand in all directions. Growing up, in situations where there's no shadow to manipulate, Shikamaru has always relied on his intelligence but sometimes he needs Kankuro's puppets or Gaara's sand for the shade they cast.
It's just luck that, prior to that first mission with Temari, Shikamaru has discovered the Invisible Shadow Thread Jutsu while utilizing the shadows cast by Gaara's hurling sand. After that first mission with Temari, wherein the enemy's jutsu had used water spurts, cascade and water bomb in which splashes of water were abundant and after that talk with his father regarding his assassination mission, Shikamaru has farther improved the jutsu to the point that it's almost invisible. However, there are several requirements for the jutsu to work. First, the shadow source should be moving and, second, the source particle should be small. The tinier the source of the shadow, the thinner he could mould the shadow into threads.
Shikamaru has only to clutch a fist of sand and fling it out and Temari would probably unwittingly keep it moving in the air. But in a way that is the weakness of his jutsu, he needs someone to keep the particles afloat. So far in the only mission he and Temari had together, Temari had unknowingly helped him with the water sprays.
He needs to overcome that flaw of his technique, so he trains. He can't, after all, predict when it might be needed for him to do more than check and mend Genin papers. With Temari growing grouchier with their responsibilities in the Chuunin exams, he should be prepared. Considering that it is still paramount that Temari shouldn't see how his jutsu works.
Shikamaru grabs a fist of sand and hurls it high upwards. The tiny light brown particles obstruct the sun as they slowly fall to the ground. Shikamaru has already timed it perfectly; before the last grain of sand hits the ground, he is already kicking the loose earth to sustain his Invisible Shadow Thread hold on a rabbit that has innocently caught his attention. Shikamaru mercilessly twists the furry animal's neck and breaks it.
And Sasuke...Sasuke is just probably someone like Lee, right?
TBC
1/29.2/16/11
~7/5/11AF~