FearTear88: Thank you for all the reviews hehe. Are Japanese restaurants rare? I've always lived where Japanese cuisine had some impact, so there were always a couple options around. Reading your reviews reminds me of how food is such a good conduit for friendship, which I somehow did not put together as I was writing the chapters? Anyway, I think we can all agree that food is great ;)
Chunin Exams II
Superstition
Shikamaru did well in even numbers.
Team Asuma – four people. Shikamaru and Choji. Shikamaru and Asuma. Even Ino was almost chill on her own. His work on the Chunin exams was alright when it was with Temari, his diplomatic partner from Suna. She was witty, funny, and down-to-earth. It did not hurt that she was ridiculously gorgeous and powerful, nor that she was as sharp as her killer pigtails, which Shikamaru had actually seen her use to attack Kankuro when he got on her nerves.
"Okay. Well, since you're taking over the exams and have made such a big fuss over how it's being operated, you get to choose," Tsunade said sweetly, smiling as though Shikamaru were her favorite little nephew and deserved a pat-pat for being such a good boy. He noticed she didn't have anything in her hands to break. Apparently, the ceramics district loved her for breaking so many cups and plates with her freakish strength.
"Ah, so troublesome," he mumbled, despairing.
"What's that?"
"Nothing, Hokage-sama," he sighed, and dragged his feet on the way out once Tsunade had cheerfully shooed him out. How was it that the blondes were the most trouble?
"Why not just be straightforward with them?" Shikaku asked patiently at the breakfast table.
"No!" Shikamaru and Yoshino yelled at the same time, and the two regarded each other in surprise.
"I don't know why I'm so surprised," Yoshino said, grinning as the shock wore off. "You're my son, after all. You'll know what to do."
"I will?" Shikamaru asked weakly, but Yoshino gave him no more hints other than to declare her confidence in her son and boot him out the door the first chance she got.
Of course, that was when Ino and Temari, who had become fast friends, spotted him lurking outside Choji's house.
"Hi," he said miserably. "What are you talking about? Never mind, it's not important-," he interrupted himself, when both girls shouted over him.
"Not you," Temari said, grinning.
"Guess who just made Jonin!" Ino squealed, throwing her arm around Temari's shoulders.
"Wow," Shikamaru managed. "Congratulations."
"Gee thanks," Temari said with a scowl and a shared roll of the eyes with Ino.
Three was an odd number. Shikamaru did not do well in odd numbers.
"Why do you look more like a kicked dog than usual, Shikamaru?" Ino snapped, obviously unhappy with his lackluster response.
"It's just-," he began.
"Y'know what, it doesn't matter," Temari snapped. "We have to talk about the upcoming Chunin exams."
"Oh yeah, about that-," he tried again.
"D'you know that Tsunade-sama asked me to help this year? Apparently, I scared a lot of the higher ups last year!" Ino squealed excitedly.
"Like I was saying-," Shikamaru tried again.
"Really? Wish I'd been there to see," Temari gushed, and laughed as Ino began to bounce up and down.
"Maybe we'll get to work together!" she said excitedly, clasping Temari's hands in her own.
"Shut up!"
Both girls turned slowly to look at Shikamaru, their blue eyes – one pair dark, one pair light – gleaming menacingly. Three was an odd number. Shikamaru did not do well in odd numbers.
"Did you just-," Ino said in disbelief.
"-Tell us to shut up?" Temari finished, her voice lowering into a threatening growl.
Shikamaru was very aware of her bristling pigtails and how spiky those points were, and how Ino had just set her jaw the way she did before she threw hands.
"Yes," he said, swallowing past the lump in his throat. "I have some news about the Chunin exams."
"Oh?" Temari asked, quirking a judgy brow.
"Do tell," Ino drawled.
"This year, I will be overseeing the entirety of the Chunin exams," he said seriously. "This means that I get to choose who does what in each stage, and how each stage will be organized. I haven't finalized any of the details yet, but it's most likely that Ino will help oversee the Forest of Death, since you have sensor abilities and can use medical ninjutsu that might come in handy in such a complicated terrain, and Temari will be most effectual overseeing the one-on-one fights."
The girls exchanged looks, then shrugged.
"Okay," Temari said, digging in her ear with a pinky finger.
"I'm still stoked," Ino laughed, hitting Shikamaru in the shoulder. He bounced back, annoyed.
"Hey, congrats on the promotion, then," Temari said. "You can buy drinks."
"You just made Jonin," Shikamaru pointed out.
"And I paid for drinks in Suna when it happened," she replied evenly.
"None of us can drink yet," he argued.
"We're old enough to die," Ino quipped with a giggle. Temari laughed.
"Fair point, that," Shikamaru grumbled, but smiled as he allowed himself to be led away.
"'S a good thing Choji's away on a mission then, huh?" Temari asked, and Ino cackled beside her.
I got the idea for this story from the thought that the smartest of us can be the most superstitious sometimes.
I like the idea that Shikamaru would have a couple of irrational things that he would hold onto, just a little.
Thanks for reading, as always :)