"Shit!" Shikamaru yelled, "What are you doing?!"
The trapdoor led to a steep, smooth slide. They already went quite fast as they fell, but, despite all the curves, their speed increased drastically as they went.
"I thought you wanted to rescue me!" Temari yelled back, laughing up at Shikamaru. In some strange way, this situation was funny, now that he was here. She promptly realized that she was still holding on to him tightly. Instantly she let go and shifted her eyes to her feet, hoping that he wouldn't see her blush.
Temari now focussed on spotting the end of the tunnel. It didn't take long for it to come, so she held her fan ready to open and jump on. That way, their landing would be gentle, no matter how long the drop. Everything went according to plan, until Shikamaru decided to grab on to the wall, instead of jump on the fan with Temari.
"Come!" she urged him, "Hop on!"
"Yeah, that won't work," he said and lashed a shadow out at her to fetch her and pull her onto the ledge he was standing on.
"Do you smell that?" he asked her and nodded down, "You don't want to land into that."
Temari smelled it, alright... Below them, she saw a swamp with bubbling, yellow-ish brown water. Each bursting bubble produced a wet farting noise and sour looking vapour. Half decayed tree-remains floated softly on the ripples. Foul as it looked and sounded, it smelled a thousand times worse. It was nothing like any loathsome odour they'd ever inhaled.
"Oooh, my god!" Temari uttered, "What is that?!"
"I don't know," Shikamaru grimaced, "But I doubt it's something you'll be able to wash off in this lifetime."
Carefully they shuffled down the ledge until eventually they saw a path slither through the swamp, that led up to the wall.
"Safe?" Temari checked with Shikamaru.
"Let's try it," he answered and jumped down.
Temari followed immediately. They had to push themselves away from the wall mid-jump, as they suddenly saw something that appeared to be alive crouched at the base. After they had landed, they took a curious look at it.
"Chouji?" Temari then asked.
The huddled up figure looked up sleepily.
"It's really you!" Temari cried, "I'm so happy to see you're okay!"
The large guy grinned at her.
"I'm glad to see you, too! Although I don't think I'm okay," he held his nose shut, "Dis sbell is gilling be!" he moaned.
"I agree, stranger," Shikamaru said, "So let's get out of here."
"Oh, ah, right: Shikamaru, this is Chouji – Chouji, Shikamaru," Temari quickly introduced them, "Now, let's get moving."
After walking for a few minutes, breathing as little as possible, they came across a rickety looking wooden bridge, or rather a series of planks tied together that had been laid out across the water. It rested on, what looked like the remains of a collapsed stone crossing. The fumes of the swamp must have degraded the cement that had held the stones together.
As they walked up to it, someone unexpectedly jumped down from a tree, yelling "Stop! Stop I say!" and blocked the way.
It was a tall and thin, green clad boy with extremely thick eyebrows, a round face and glossy black, bowl-cut style hair. He assumed a solid looking fighting stance.
"What now?!" Temari cried, "Move over, I have to get across."
"Without my permission, no one may cross!" the hold-up stated theatrically.
"Ugh… we have to get out of this stench…!" Shikamaru moaned.
"It smells so baahaad," Chouji added.
"Stench? Of what stench speaketh thou?" the showboat wondered.
The three stared at him blankly and he stared back with a questioning look, as if he could really smell nothing. It was Shikamaru who eventually broke the silence.
"You're kidding, right?" he asked, incredulously.
The boy inhaled deeply. "Haaa," he sighed blissfully, "The air is sweet and fragrant… And none may pass without my permission!" he snapped.
Temari groaned, "Get out of the way!" She started walking in the direction of the bridge-guardian.
"I warn thee, I'm sworn to do my duty!" he cried.
In a flash Temari was ready to strike with her fan and the blockade had resumed his defensive stance, but Shikamaru intervened.
"You vowed not to let anyone pass without your permission?" he asked the green knight with a bored voice.
"That is correct!" he proudly answered as he raised his chin and chest.
"So can we get your permission to pass?" Shikamaru asked simply.
The guard slumped and stared amazed at Shikamaru, whereupon he glanced at his companions.
"Yes," he stated after a moment of pondering.
"Great, let's go," Shikamaru said curtly and walked toward the bridge.
He left the others staring after him in disbelief.
"Er… what just happened?" Chouji wondered.
"Thanks, Shikamaru," Temari said, still slightly dazed, "That saved a whole lot of time."
Shikamaru said nothing and kept walking, but she managed to catch a glimpse of a smile.
When he reached the other side the bridge-keeper dashed after him.
"Before this day, never have I met my match in battle," he exclaimed when he had reached Shikamaru, who stood waiting at the end of the bridge, "Yet this noble knight defeated me, using merely his wit!"
Shikamaru shrugged.
"Sir Shikamaru, if that is thy name," the boy continued in a solemn tone, "now I, sir Rock Lee, yield to thee. Come, let us be brothers henceforth and fight for the right as one!"
"I suppose..." Shikamaru indifferently replied.
"Amazing, Shikamaru! You got yourself a brother!" Chouji shouted across the water.
"Now let's go find my brother," Temari remarked bitterly and stepped on the bridge. It was long and thin and it shook dangerously. When she was halfway the bridge sir Lee must have thought that Temari was in need of moral support, because he called "Have no fear, sweet lady! This bridge has lasted for a thousand years!" He patted proudly on the remains of the stone bridge. Obviously the affected cement could not handle the touch, because the construction abruptly started falling apart.
Temari was now close enough to jump to the other side. She gave a swing with her fan for extra speed and landed safely on the other side of the water.
"Guys?" she heard Chouji shout after them, with a trace of panic in his voice, "Guys! Don't tell me I'm stuck here?! What should I do?!"
"It's alright, Chouji," Shikamaru called back, "If you break apart your side of the bridge, you can drop the stones in the water. It should be shallow. You can make a path until at least halfway across and jump from there."
While Chouji did as he was instructed, Temari glanced at Shikamaru, hesitated for a bit and said "You're kind of clever, aren't you?"
"I suppose," he repeated and pretended to be very interested in Chouji's progress. Temari followed his example and so they stood silently side by side, while sir Lee enthusiastically shouted encouragements to Chouji.
As soon as the small giant caught up to them they resumed their journey. As sir Lee had no more bridge to guard, he decided to join them on Temari's quest.
"By the way, oh noble knight, where is thy steed?" Temari joked.
"Don't be absurd, my charming damsel! I do not require a steed, for I am my own!" sir Rock Lee spoke at once, but then thought for a second, "Or, my lady, I shall be yours if you wish it!"
"What?! No!" Temari hurriedly replied, "I can walk on my own, thank you!"