Hey guys. Here's a simple equation:
If a Writer's Block and b Tons of Homework Every Day Including Projects I Had to Do Over Winter Break, then what does a + b equal?
It equals me not being able to write a chapter for so long. That school piles me with so much work every day it's a miracle I can remember where I left off here. Also, yeah, this chapter isn't exactly what most people call "long" but I'm updating at 1:30AM at night here. Gimme a break, please. Not to mention they gave me a report to write over the weekend. See what I mean?
I'm gonna try as hard as humanly possible to update again on Saturday or Sunday, I really don't know. And yes, I realize I haven't updated for over two months, my sincere apologies not only to the fact that you guys had to wait so long, but also to the fact that I have to do all this work giving me less time to write and generally do fun things.
I also gotta thank you guys for keeping my story on Favorites or my story on Alert all this time while I hadn't updated for 2 months. Thanks, you guys rock.
Also, uhm, yay for Chapter 10? Do I get a party or a trophy or something for actually maintaining 10 chapters? I thought not. Anywho, enjoy the chapter. Shikamaru vs. Kankuro.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own...your soul. Okay, that was a joke, calm down.
"The fourth fight, Nara Shikamaru against Kankuro, Begin!"
Everyone was watching intensely. Back in the Chuunin Exams, they thought Shikamaru's fight would be boring, but due to his high strategy they saw it was quite engaging. They wouldn't make the same mistake. Shikamaru stood silent and stared at Kankuro who also stood there. Some one had to make the first move...however, a wrong move at the beginning of the fight could tell the outcome of the match. Shikamaru decided he might as well get it done with.
In one swift movement Shikamaru reached into his small pouch and pulled out a double ended kunai with an explosive tag attached to the middle of it. He noticed that right behind Kankuro was a large rocky pillar along with others. Setting off the tag he threw the kunai at high-speed towards the column in which it quickly impaled it. A split second of silence passed before the explosion set off. Shikamaru brought his arms in front of his face right before it, but he was still blown away and he crashed into the earth wall holding the audience. Kankuro was no where to be seen when the smoke faded and Shikamaru was in clear view. With a quick burst of speed Shikamaru managed to scale one of the columns by putting chakra in the soles of his feet as anyone would. Once he reached the top, he scanned the area carefully. He saw nothing in all direction. Yet, that was when he heard it.
A 'whoosh' sound. The sound of a kunai flying through the air, and just like that, a kunai has pierced Shikamaru's arm. Wobbling from the intensity of the sudden hit, Shikamaru stumbled and fell backwards, off the column. That column was at least ten or twenty feet high. He might not be able to continue on with the fight if he landed on his back from that height. He was running out of time...no, he was out of time. It was as if he had just received a godsend because something saved him. A second before he hit the ground, Kankuro's puppet, Karasu, was holding Shikamaru upside down in the air by his ankle. Shikamaru expected what happened next to happen. Using very precise movement of his fingers, Kankuro made Karasu throw Shikamaru half way against the battlefield. Shikamaru landed on his stomach and slid to a stop. Standing up, he quickly took off his vest (meaning now he only had his fishnet shirt on) and wrapped the vest around the bleeding stab and tied it to prevent it from getting infected. He looked up to Kankuro and Karasu with a bit of glory on his face. He already had his plan without much thinking done. This alerted Asuma and Kurenai in the Waiting Area.
"He's already got his strategy," Asuma said in a cocky voice.
"He didn't go through his thinking phase?" Kurenai asked Asuma.
"Not exactly...he's been in this situation before!"
Ino looked up at her sensei. "When was that?"
"The Chuunin Exam Preliminaries!" Asuma said with a grin. "When he fought Kin, her bells had thin strings. Strings that thin don't make shadows at low levels. Kankuro is using chakra threads to control Karasu, and they're just as thin as Kin's."
"Oh yeah!" Naruto exclaimed with excitement! "And look at Kankuro's hands!"
It was true. Shikamaru could easily win using that strategy. Kankuro was fighting with his hands low, and if his hands were low, the chakra threads were low. Shikamaru took his chance. Leaping forward into the air with a kunai in hand, Kankuro responded by sending Karasu forward shooting out dozens of kunai every few seconds. Shikamaru, landing from his leap, quickly made the hand seal and his shadow began to extend. There was a major drawback though. He couldn't move during his Kage Mane no Jutsu or else it wouldn't work. As his shadow curved around Karasu and subdued itself underneath the chakra threads, Karasu released a dozen more kunai straight for Shikamaru. If Shikamaru didn't bind himself to Kankuro soon, it would be over. The shadow scurried along as the kunai flew towards him. He also noticed something else...where the kunai were going. Only two would be a problem: one headed for his center chest and one headed for the middle of his face around the nose. He didn't have to worry though...
Kankuro was now bound to Shikamaru. In an instant Shikamaru ducked dodging the barrage of kunai that were headed his way. Standing back up straight, he sighed with relief. It looked as if Shikamaru was the definite victor. Kankuro seemed to have a desperate expression on his face...what would he do? What could he do? What should he do?
"First I have to get rip of that troublesome contraption," Shikamaru said suddenly, alerting everyone.
Shikamaru was a couple of feet away from Karasu. Kankuro's left side was facing Karasu. As Shikamaru silently walked over to Karasu, Kankuro went further away from it. Shikamaru inspected the machine quickly; he only had around three minutes left with his Kage Mane. Another amazing idea then hit Shikamaru.
Shikamaru pulled out a single explosive tag. Kankuro followed his movements but nothing happened on his side. Placing the tag on Karasu's face, he quickly set it off and ran in such a direction that while the distance between Shikamaru and Karasu increased, the distance between Kankuro and Karasu increased. Noticing the tag was just about ready to explode, he quickly released his shadow a split second before the explosion took place.
As the explosion...well...exploded...Shikamaru ran and took cover with his back against a column. Kankuro went flying through the air colliding with a pillar. His rib cage and arms were badly damaged, and he had dozens of burns over his body. He was not in ideal shape. The pieces of wood from Karasu were scattered about the area. Then, in a small puff of smoke, Genma appeared in the center of the area.
"Nara Shikamaru advances. Now we need Hyuuga Hinata and Haruno Sakura to come up here, and a little faster than our previous contestants."
Shikamaru walked over Kankuro and held out a hand with a light and small grin. Kankuro accepted and managed to stand up. The Medical Ninja then quickly ran off with Kankuro. Shikamaru was also taken away so the stab could be properly treated. Hinata slowly walked forward, thumbs trembling with an emotion she could not exactly comprehend. Sakura raised an eyebrow at her and shrugged, simply walking ahead of her. They both stood together at the center of the stage, face to face.
"Hyuuga Hinata against Haruno Sakura, the fifth match. Also, please remember; this is not a cat fight. Fight like you learned how to fight. Go ahead and start."