Clash of the Geniuses: Shikamaru vs Neji!

(Really sorry about the wait everybody. Let's just say...well...sometimes things are so crazy you can't even begin to understand. I hope this MEGA UPDATE helps make up for it, & yes, I did have to put it in caps.)

The next round is about to begin, when Sakura sits down behind Naruto & Hinata. "Hey, umm, Hinata?", Naruto asks warily. She blushes & smiles at him, "Yes, Naruto?", he steadily inquires, "Would you...I don't know, maybe wanna go for some ramen after this?", she grins as her face turns a bright pink & nods excitedly, "Yes Naruto! Of....of course I would.". They smile at each other before relaxing in their seats. Hinata leans & rests her head on Naruto's shoulder, surprising him a little, & forcing Sakura to try & control herself. "Cha! That bitch! Wait...am I jealous?", Inner Sakura asks herself. "No, you just wish to be in her seat with Naruto.", she tells herself. She thinks for a moment before Inner Sakura yells, "CHA! THAT'S WHAT BEING JEALOUS IS!". Sakura rolls her eyes & says to herself, "I can't believe I'm jealous, especially when it has to do with Naruto & Hinata.".

Shikamaru is standing in the pit, for some reason Sakura has no idea why seeing as how she was busy arguing with herself, but it's safe to assume that Shikamaru is next. "GO SHIKAMARU! WOOOOO", Sakura cheers loudly, prompting the others to look at her like she's crazy. Not even Ino is doing that, & they're on the same team. However, she still is pretty beat up from her fight so maybe that's the only reason why she wasn't jumping up & down with Sakura.

Neji walks out, draped in Hyuga clan robes & stands in front of Shikamaru. "Well this is going to be good.", Sasuke says, sounding as close to excited as he gets. "Yeah, 2 friggin' geniuses like those guys, it's gonna be awesome! All they need now is you, oh mighty genius Sasuke.", Naruto replies with a bit of a laugh. Sasuke leans back & responds, "Hn, maybe. Honestly though, Sakura's way smarter than me, if there was gonna be a 3rd person, I'd pick her.". Naruto stops laughing & goes silent. Sakura looks over at him & he shrugs before looking back at Naruto, then focusing on the fight that's just about to start.

The gong sounds, Shikamaru slaps his hands together & jumps into the shadow of the wall of the pit.

Sacred Obsidian Jutsu

The shadow Shikamaru stands in surrounds him, wrapping him in an orb of pitch-black chakra. As the chakra retreats into Shikamaru, the armor forms, & everyone looks at him. It's different from Ino's & Sakura's. His leggings extend all the way down his legs, massive spikes near his ankles that just barely touch the ground. His arms are entirely covered as well, & around the outside of his wrists he has several curved spikes, similar to the ones near his ankles. Neji activates his Byakugan & scans him, seeing the massive increase in his chakra. You can see the morbid surprise on his face.

Shikamaru disappears, & Neji quickly scans the area to find him. He spins around quickly to find Shikamaru right behind him, a slight smirk on his face. Neji attacks him, Shikamaru doing nothing but standing there, looking at him. The Hyuga boy jumps back & sees Shikamaru disappear again. He lands on his feet, & feels a tapping on his back. He spins around & goes to strike, but his arm is grabbed. "Even if you figure it out Neji, you can't stop me.", Shikamaru states firmly. Neji glares at him & replies, "I know you're toying with me, we both know you've already got me beat. You can travel through shadows now, possibly hide in them as well. I can dodge all I want, but your armor limits my Gentle Fist's effectiveness to almost nothing. You're faster, stronger & smarter than me, plus that armor has increased your chakra by at least 15-fold. So go ahead, finis.....".

Tsunade declares, "This fight is over! The winner, Shikamaru Nara!". The crowd boos, some of them start to throw food. A few even through kunai at them. Shikamaru quickly gets Neji to safety while the Kages get everyone to settle down. They hear a massive shriek, a monsterous sound from outside. They both cautiously check to see what it was, only to find that the crowd & both Gaara & Tsunade were staring at Yagura in amazment & shock. He simply wipes his face with a cloth & says, "Shouldn't we continue?"

Ninja Facts: Neji Hyuga

The genius of the Hyuga clan, Hinata's cousin, the number 1 rookie of his graduating class, & the only Genin from the Chunin Exams arc to have become a full-fledged Jonin. A member of the Hyuga branch family, he wasn't supposed to be gifted, but he is & that has helped to wedge the 2 sides back together, at least in some small ways.

Age: 17
Birthday: July 3rd
Weight: 119.5 lbs
Height: 5'7" (approx.)
Rank: Jonin
Chakra Type: Water
Signature Jutsus: Gentle Fist Taijutsu, 8 Trigrams Empty Palm, 8 Trigrams Rotation, 8 Trigrams 64 Palms
Reg. #: 012587
Mission Stats: 26 D-rank, 19 C-rank, 4 B-rank, 11 A-rank, 2 S-rank

Random Points of Interest

Neji means "whirl" or "screw" in Japanese

"Nejia" is a Chinese Martial Art that focuses on internal chi. The style uses a lot of spinning techiniques, which maybe or may not have been an influence.

He is 1 of only 2 known Hyuga Clan members not to have a name starting with "H", the other being Ko Hyuga.

In the manga, Neji's curse mark was that of a "Manji", but was changed in the anime due to it looking like a swastika. (really it's a sauvastika, but it is just a swastika that faces the left...oh well)

His favorite hobby is meditation (bbooooooring! XD)

His favorite food is herring soba, while his least favorite is pumpkins.

He also has a low tolerance for spicy foods.

Notable Quotes

"Naruto...sometimes your eyes are better than mine."

"Because Naruto...you saved me from the darkness."

(About Lee & Guy) "As usual, I can't keep up with the craziness."

(About Guy) "He's so childish. He acts like a seven year old!"

Did you learn something? You better, cuz Neji is badass! Anyway....come back soon for more Ninja Facts!