Normal speech
Thought
Nine-tails/Other big voices
InnerSakura
A/N:
Disclaimer
I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form. This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!
Recap:
Shikamaru: He… He won!! Seriously? I had assumed he was some lame loser type like me…
Shino: Lame…? Loser…?
Shikamaru: And look…! Everyone's cheering for him, like he's totally kick-ass. I was hoping that he would lose so I wouldn't have to try so hard to win, but now… Aw man…! What a drag…!
Temari: I'm not too surprised… This is the guy that gave Gaara a hard time… *looks over at Gaara*
Gaara: Naruto Uzumaki…
Kurenai: To pull out the Ninetails's chakra without losing himself…
Asuma: Yeah… most of the Leaf here are surprised.
3rd: Naruto… to be able to use the Ninetails's power… and to control it in a stable state… Since when did he…? Who taught him this?
Naruto was still running around, looking into the stands…
Naruto: I wonder where Hinata is… Did she see me win?
The Medic-nins rushed to collect Neji, but not before the examiner had a few words with him…
"Even a caged bird… if it's clever enough, will try to escape any way it can… never giving up its desire to freely fly in the sky. This time, you lost."
Neji: In this match I have finally understood that those who strive towards a goal that they have chosen... are truly strong. And father, I have but one goal… I want to become stronger… enough to not lose to anyone… That's how I feel now…
Shikamaru vs. Temari
Naruto was now on the observatory deck with the rest of the competitors, but the tournament had hit a snag. Sasuke still hadn't shown and the crowd was becoming annoyed. They weren't the only ones…
Shikamaru: What the heck is that guy doing? Is he planning not to come?
Shino: Confucius once said, "The wise do not approach the dangerous"… A wise decision perhaps?
Naruto: What are you talking about? He's definitely gonna show…! *crosses arms, pouts, and starts fidgeting* ...But what's taking him so long? If he doesn't show up soon, he'll be disqualified! I sort of want to fight that freak Gaara too, but that's only if he beats Sasuke.
The Hokage had decided to go on and disqualify Sasuke but was persuaded not to by the Kazekage who seemed to really want to see this match. The examiner then informed the audience that the match would be pushed back until the other matches were over.
Shikamaru: Hey, this means that my match will come up a lot sooner!!!
In actuality, it meant that his match was next since Kankuro immediately forfeited. Apparently agitated, like the crowd, Temari grabbed her giant fan and floated down. Shikamaru was then invited down as well…
Shikamaru: What the hell?! How come I'm the only one who has his matches changed around so much? Well, I guess I can also forfeit…
Naruto: Alright Shikamaru! Go for it!!
With an "encouraging" pat on the back, Naruto sent Shikamaru tumbling over the rail and to the ground below.
It would be an understatement to say that the audience wanted this match over quickly. This isn't what they wanted to see, they wanted to see the Uchiha fight…
Temari: Hey kid, get up! How long are you gonna lie there?!
Shikamaru: (Sigh)…Jeez if it isn't Ino making demands of me, it's some other blonde… *looks up at the jeering crowd with a sour puss* …They don't want to see this match. They don't even care about this match… Everyone wants to see Sasuke's fight… The jerks… They're probably angry after all this waiting that they have to watch this pathetic excuse of a match between two side acts… Since nobody cares about this fight, there isn't really any point to doing it…
Temari: What, are you gonna give up too?
Shikamaru: Aww man, another girl… Why do I always have to end up dealing with these troublesome things?
Asuma: Well… it's not like he was motivated to begin with…
Temari: IF YOU WON'T MAKE A MOVE, THEN I WILL!!!
Shikamaru: Oh man… just my luck, she's really revved up…
He took out a couple of kunai just as Temari made a great big swing for him. Dust was blasted into the air as her attack landed, but… Shikamaru used his kunais to plant himself on the wall.
Shikamaru: Ya know, I don't really want to fight… and I don't care whether or not I become a Chunin…
Temari: Good…! That just makes it easier for me…
Shikamaru: But… I'm not going to lose to a girl! Can't have a guy losing to a girl… so… I guess I'll do it!
Temari: What-ever… *swings fan*
In one swift motion Temari waved her fan, but Shikamaru managed to avoid the attack. She then noticed him hiding behind the trees…
Temari: Hah… He's quick… when it comes to running away!
Shikamaru: … Even though I said all that, a guy can't just go around hitting women. So…
Ino: YEAH!! BUST HER UP SHIKAMARU!! HIT HER WITH A SUPER ULTIMATE TECHNIQUE AND TAKE HER DOWN!!! MAKE THAT LITTLE GIRL CRY!!!
Temari: Let's see… He's a ninja that uses shadows… so he's probably trying to lure me into the trees where there'll be lots of cover… but there's no way I'm gonna fall for that.
Shikamaru: Oh man… Why do I always end up fighting women? If this keeps up… I'm gonna get a reputation as a woman beater.
Chouji: Hmm, for Shikamaru to be in the finals… it seems kind of out of place, doesn't it? *sits next to Ino*
Ino: Don't say that! Sure he doesn't have any special techniques, or as spirited as others, but… Shikamaru's really great at planning strategies, right? I get the feeling that that's how we were able to survive until the final preliminary rounds, you know!
Chouji: Mmm, yeah, I guess… but he'll just quit anyway. I'm tellin' ya, he's definitely gonna give up. He feels things like this are such a hassle.
Ino: And I'm saying he won't! Just now he jumped down into the ring on his own… He seemed unusually revved up to go! I'm sure that there are some things he gets pretty hot about! GO SHIKAMARU!!
Temari was waiting for his attack, but Shikamaru seemed to be out of it. He was just looking up at the clouds…
Shikamaru: Oh man… Those clouds are so lucky… so free… More to the point, I didn't feel like doing this at all to begin with… I only became a ninja because I thought life would be more interesting as one…maybe get the chance to do whatever I want. I suppose things aren't just gonna be that simple…
Temari: What is he doing with that dumb expression on his face? Is he mocking me!? *vein pops up on forehead*
Irritated at the sudden pause, and since Shikamaru wasn't gonna make a move…
Temari: "NINJA ART: WIND SCYTHE JUTSU"!!
With one mighty swing of her giant opened fan, Temari created a wind that ripped through the arena. TenTen noted that this was the same way that she had been defeated as the wind tore through many of the trees.
From out of nowhere, a shadow raced towards Temari. Not wanting to be caught, she quickly retreated until it stopped and she was a safe distance away…
Temari: Ah… Now I get it. I've seen through your jutsu! Looks like there is a limit to how much you can manipulate the shape of your shadow, isn't there…? No matter how thin you stretch it, it'll only reach so far… right?
Shikamaru: Haha… That's right…
Temari: And now I now just where that limit is… Even using the wall's shadow, his jutsu can only reach … … *making a line with her fan* …15 meters and 32 centimeters… That's the range of his attack. If I can just stay on this side of the line, he can't get me…
Kankuro: She's measured his range… That puts things in her favor… Temari's even better at ranged combat than she is at close combat. This match is as good as over…
Shikamaru had to think of something, and fast…
Kurenai: What is that?
Asuma: It's a habit… He knows how to slowly take his time… He actually enjoys it, like an old geezer. He even likes things like Shogi and Go. I've been playing against him also recently, and… when he's backed into a corner, he does that. It's a sign that he's working on some strategy. As a result, I've never won a game against him… not even once.
Kurenai: But this is a real fight, not some game…
Asuma: Strategy in a game is no different than strategy on the field of battle. So, I guess you could say that Shikamaru's got the mind of a great general… Just you watch…
Kurenai: Yeah, but I saw his grades when they were deciding the genin assignments… He was around the same level as Naruto, maybe worse…
Asuma: He always claimed it was too troublesome to even move a pencil for the written exams… It seemed that he would rather take a nap than take a written exam. Once… it struck me as strange that he could be so good at strategic games despite his grades… so I had him take an IQ test disguised as a game. I wasn't really taking it seriously at the time…
Kurenai: … So…what happened…?
Asuma: He sure was a diamond in the rough… He's beyond genius. The kid's got an IQ over 200!
Kurenai: Two… Two hundred?
Asuma: He's done planning! Now it begins!
Temari: Looks you're finally going to get a little serious!
Temari swung her fan, creating another devastating gale. Shikamaru quickly took cover behind a tree…
Temari: How long are you gonna keep running away? THERE'S NO USE IN HIDING SO GIVE UP ALREADY!
She waved her fan once more but this time she was surprised to see a kunai flying straight towards her. She quickly moved to avoid it and was nearly captured by Shikamaru's shadow. Luckily, she was still behind the line…
Temari: Ha! It's no use! As long as I'm behind the line, there's no wa… Oh No!
The shadow was growing longer and stretched across the line but just missed Temari as she jumped further back…
Shikamaru: Very good… You're pretty quick on your toes…
Temari: I guess that that was what you were up to… You were killing time, waiting for the sun to drop lower so yours and the shadows of the wall would grow longer… The closer the sunset, the longer the shadows grow, and the longer your range is…! From the height of the sun and judging from the earlier attacks, my calculations say that this should be the limit of his jutsu…
Kankuro: TEMARI! ABOVE YOU!!!
Shino: I see…
She looked up to see Shikamaru's shirt in the form of a parachute weighed down by his headband and a kunai. It had created a shadow and allowed Shikamaru to extend his a little more. Temari evaded it as much as she could before she was finally relieved due to the parachute dropping and the shadow reaching its limit once again…
Temari: I hadn't even noticed the little change to his attire… To use his shirt as a parachute to add to the shadow… he's quite an impressive fellow. He drew my attention to the ground with the shadow attack so that I wouldn't notice what was going on above… then when I finally notice the parachute I'm attacked from below as well… A sneaky plan to create an opening… but now it's all clear to me! The "Shadow Possession Jutsu" is a lot more dangerous than I thought!
Kurenai: His plan wasn't good enough…
Asuma: Yeah… his opponent is pretty bright herself. She thinks ahead just like him…
Temari: If I keep this up, his shadow will keep growing and he'll keep expanding his reach. I have to end it here… I'll divert his attention with a clone that'll jump from behind the fan, and with that opening… I'll use all my chakra to create the strongest possible wind and rip him apart! Right now his shadow is…
Temari checked to make sure that he still couldn't reach her. Everything checked out and she was ready to carry out her plan. She started by trying to create a clone, but…
Temari: Im… Impossible! No… No way… my body…
Shikamaru: Heh… Finally… the "Shadow Possession Jutsu" worked…!
Temari: Wha…?
Kankuro: What happened?
Kurenai: That boy… Just how many moves ahead was he thinking?
Asuma: That's Shikamaru's strength…
Temari: Why… won't my body move? Your shadow couldn't have reached this far…
Shikamaru: Since I don't want to explain everything in detail, how about I just show you what's behind you…?
He turned his head and Temari turned hers as well. What she saw surprised her. Shikamaru used the hole created from Naruto's fight with Neji to sneak his shadow behind her.
Asuma: Heh, it's like planning ahead in chess. He kept forcing her to measure the distance he could reach with his shadow to distract her from the hole which was the final trap. She fought only taking into account the visible shadows and neglected to consider the hidden shadow that caught her from behind…
Temari: I don't believe it…! The whole time I thought I was keeping out of range of his jutsu, when I was really walking right into it… Thi… This guy…
Shikamaru walked forward and Temari along with him…
Temari: Wha… What are you gonna do…!?
Everyone was on the edge of their seats. At first, no one was interested in this match, but now… Everyone was wondering what he would do for a finale…
Temari thought of every possible thing that her opponent could do to her in this situation. He could grab a kunai and use it on her or perhaps some shurikens. Shikamaru lifted his arm half way up, as did Temari. She noticed just how close they were, only an arm's length, but Shikamaru hadn't pulled out any weapons. With his hand so close to her, she began to wonder what he could be planning. A few more thoughts raced through her head and she slightly blushed as she concentrated on Shikamaru's hand as it began to move again, along with hers…
Shikamaru: That's it…… I give up…
The entire stadium, every single person, nearly fell on their faces when they heard this. Such an incredible nail-bitter, ending in such a way… It was downright… pathetic!
Chouji: See… I told you he'd give up. Looks like I know Shikamaru a little bit better that you do, Ino…
Temari: Wha… WHAT?!
Shikamaru: I give up.
Temari: … You… You've gotta be kidding me. You had this match won and you're giving up now! *face turning red* …Why?
Shikamaru: The continuous use of my jutsu used up all of my chakra. I can only bind you for about 10 more seconds. I had thought up about 200 more moves, but… it looks like I'm done. It'd be pointless to continue the match because I wouldn't be able do much else aside from taijutsu, and you'd probably just blow me away before I could even get close. I'm also getting tired of this… One match is enough for me.
Shikamaru's hold on Temari was released and he began to walk away as she was pronounced the winner…
Ino: Aahh!! What a waste of a chance to advance!!
Chouji: That's just the way he is… a lazy, whining, no-good slacker…
Kurenai: Jeez… Is he motivated or not…? But… his intellect and strategic skills are a higher level of a mere genin. If this was an actual mission with a 4 member team, Shikamaru's victory would've been definitive the moment he caught her. Well, it's like he won the battle but lost the match.
Asuma: It's true that he doesn't seem to have any motivation, but you could also say that that allows him to have calm and collected decision making. Because he knows his own strengths and skill, he doesn't panic in battle and doesn't lose his cool. Even in the worst condition, he can act calmly. When you talk about the mental makeup necessary for a Chunin, Shikamaru has the most important abilities that would make for a good leader.
Izumo: When you measure the value of a small unit leader, protecting the team from danger is usually more important than completing a mission…
Kotetsu: In information gathering, you can't be saying "I completed the mission, but my team was wiped out." You need a guy that can balance the risks, sacrifices, and the mission on a scale. If you can't act and think with the lives of the team as the top priority, you don't have what it takes to be a Chunin. Too bad he gave up, but… What do you think?
Naruto: Why did he give up…? That idiot! This pisses me off, I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind!!
Naruto jumped down and quickly ran up to Shikamaru. He already knew what was on his mind as he marched up to him and began to turn his back…
Naruto: IDIOT!! DON'T YOU WALK AWAY FROM ME…!!
Shikamaru: I don't really feel like a lecture from the idiot that doesn't know when to give up right now…
Naruto: WHY DID YOU GIVE UP WHEN YOU COULD HAVE WON?! I know that you aren't nearly out of chakra, you lazy bum!
Shikamaru: Hey, hey…! Keep it down…! That doesn't matter now so just forget it… Let's enjoy the next fight…
Temari: Wha…? He still had chakra left…? But… then why…?
Lee and his sensei, Gai, had just arrived at the stadium and made their way to find some empty seats. This proved to be difficult as the place was packed. Luckily they found a few of their new friends. Sakura was even considerate enough to offer Lee her seat but he declined…
Sakura: Well… how are you feeling?
Lee: I am doing well. My recovery is coming along nicely.
Gai: He has the passion of youth to spur him on, so he should be back in action in no time…!! Hopefully…
Lee: I know that we are late but can you tell me what has happened so far?
Sakura: Well… most of the first round has already been completed. The only match left is… *sad look crosses face*
Ino: … Heh… um… let's see… *fumbling trying to draw attention away from Sakura* …The match that just concluded was Shikamaru versus that Sand kunoichi, Temari. He had the match won, but… HE GAVE UP, THAT IDIOT! *red face, ears fuming*… *realizes everyone's watching & regains composure* …Oh… um… Before that it was supposed to be Shino against the other Sand guy, but that Kankuro guy forfeited. Perhaps the most shocking match was Naruto versus Neji and get this… Naruto won!
Lee: …… I… I see… Naruto, you did what I could not!
A smile crept onto his face. It did not last long however as the crowd began to become impatient that the next match had not begun. Lee then realized that the only ones not mentioned fighting were Sasuke and Gaara. He began to feel worried as he had a bad feeling about Sasuke's opponent…
Naruto and Shikamaru were standing in the center of the arena with the examiner…
Shikamaru: Jeez… these guys are really upset… What a drag… If these people don't get what they want, a riot might break out. Is Sasuke really that great…? I was kind of hoping to find out myself, but if he doesn't show then he'll forfeit. If that happens then Naruto'll have to face that freak Gaara… Could he…
Shikamaru looked over at Naruto who looked up. For a second, Shikamaru could have sworn he heard him mumble something like "it's about time." He looked up as well to see a whirlwind of leaves appear right in front of them…
End of chapter...
Shikamaru fights a good fight but loses anyway...
The tournament continues... or does it?
Next chapter: The Sand vs. The Leaf's Red-eyed Beast...?