Everyone knew that Shikamaru was a beast at Shogi. He could beat an advanced player in less than fifteen minutes, and he could beat a beginner in less than three moves. Shikamaru was loved and revered throughout the five nations as a master of logic...until that fateful day.
Shikamaru was wrapping up his thirty-seventh victory that morning. It's good to be smart, he thought. Suddenly, Naruto popped his spiky head up.
"Hey, Shikamaru!" He waved. "There's a new game out! It's called...Cheese." Naruto nodded self-importantly. "They're having a tournament. Wanna come with me to see?"
Shikamaru sighed. "Fine. As long as it isn't a drag..." he muttered.
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The twosome made their way to the village square. A banner was flapping in the wind. "Chess Tournament," Shikamaru read.
Naruto nodded. "Yeah. I meant to say chess."
Shikamaru read the instructions posted underneath the banner. Chess was very similar to Shogi. Shikamaru snickered to himself and signed up for the tournament. This was gonna be a walk in the park.
"Up next...Shikamaru v.s. Choji!" The announcer ...announced.
The match was over in less than a minute. Shikamaru lost.
He demanded a rematch, and lost. He played every person he knew, including a three-month old disabled baby, and lost.
Shikamaru just could not win a game of chess.
Shikamaru was forever disgraced. He crawled into a corner of his room, still clutching a rook, and cried himself to sleep.