Chapter 21: Sakura and Shikamaru's Matches

Okay so I managed to get that editing I talked about done and draw it out a bit more. Maybe not as much as I could have but ah well. Check out chapter 4 where the first with Zabuza occurs if you wish to. Now I can get on with the current chapter. I may actually end this chapter at the Search for Tsunade arc since Naruto will meet Orochimaru in that time it would probably be the best opportunity for him to take Naruto. I will also include Sakura and Sasuke going with him, since I don't want to exclude Sasuke, and Jiraiya would probably think it's a good idea to bring his friends along since he's seen the curse mark and wants to counter Orochimaru's influence.

Reviews:

Guest: Thank you for your kind review and suggestions. But as I said in the notes I've already decided to have Sasuke come along.

I'm open to reviews that include constructive criticism, but not ones that include insults, rudeness, bashing of a character here, or advertisement of illegal things.

Sakura was up next, so she stayed in the ring after hugging Naruto for his victory. Her opponent Oboro walked down from his place in the stands. He looked at her with a bloodthirsty gleam in his eye. It sent a small shiver down her spine. This was something she would have to face on her own, no Naruto or Sasuke to protect and aid her.

You're the only shot at revenge I'm gonna get for your other teammate attacking me in the Forest of Death, Oboro thought as he recalled his brief fight with Sasuke.

Sakura took her place on the arena facing Oboro.

"Ready? Begin!" Gemna stated raising his hand before bringing it down.

Oboro quickly began weaving hand signs. Sakura watched intently, then Oboro began to multiply, other hims suddenly seeming to appear out of him! Was it a clone jutsu? The creation process didn't look the same as Shadow Clones, and Sakura was now more then used to seeing those as Naruto used them all the time. They always appeared in a puff of smoke. Was this is a different kind of clone? There wasn't any water nearby for Oboro to create water clones so that option was out. Whatever it was she'd just have to face it as best she could.

Sakura drew a set of kunai and threw them at the clones or whatever they were. The shuriken made contact with the clones, but they didn't vanish. They advanced on her, growling like animals. Sakura threw a kick out at the first one that approached and the same result occurred. Her blow made contact, she felt it. But the clone didn't vanish. Were they clones? Or something else.

He used genjutsu before. Sakura thought recalling watching Oboro in his last match. Maybe this is a genjutsu too!

She put her hands together. "Release!"

The figures surrounding her flickered but didn't vanish.

"Sorry, but a standard release isn't going to work against my genjutsu," Oboro's voice said. "I've trained in this since I was young."

Sakura gritted her teeth. She'd only been training with genjutsu seriously for a few months now. He had her outmatched in terms of experience. She silently cursed herself for spending so much time chasing Sasuke rather than focus on her development as a Shinobi.

She raised her fist to block the blow of an attack from one of the illusionary clones. Only to have it pass through her. She shouldn't even bother with these tricks. She had to find the real one. She leapt up into the air over the illusions. As she did so, she saw a flash of silver as a kunai knife came flying at her, narrowly missing her. She couldn't see anything, but the attack had surely come from that direction.

She ran over, weaving hand signs. A pair of clones of her appeared as well. Images that couldn't fight but would hopefully throw Oboro off. She quickly shifted with her clones so that her foe wouldn't know who the real one was. Just in time to, cause another shuriken was throw at her, hitting one of her clones which flickered and popped.

"Hahaha! Your clones are just a cheap imitation of your boyfriends jutsu!" Oboro's voice taunted.

She smirked and drew a kunai knife with a paper bomb attacked, then performed another genjutsu release. It didn't work to undo the illusion, but it would at least cause it to falter and make the jutsu as well as the real Oboro appear for a moment. Then she would have a target.

Glancing around frantically, Sakura saw the fake clones and another Oboro that was close to her who hadn't been there before. He was right under a tree with a scared set of eyes being the only expression she could see thanks to the mask over his mouth. Sakura threw her kunai knife, it exploded a few mere seconds after impact and Oboro appeared. He landed on the ground, having dived out of the way of the bomb but was still a little singed. His illusionary clones meanwhile, vanished.

Sakura went on the offensive, she and her remaining clones moved as one. Both drew shuriken, though only the real Sakura could do damage. The shuriken spun through the air and Oboro struggled to dodge, though one managed to cut his headband that protected his forehead, creating a small scratch on the edge of the metal. He grunted as he got up and growled.

"You damn girl! How dare you scratch my headband!"

"Better that then your actual forehead!" Sakura said.

He then took a look at her forehead. "You got a pretty big one huh!? Freak size!"

That caused many who knew Sakura from when she was young to shiver as they knew that had been something she would be bullied for. Fire lit up in Sakura's eyes and she looked furious.

"What did you say!" she yelled. "Arrgh!"

Oboro was frozen at the terrifying display that was Sakura's fury. A feeling Naruto knew all too well. Her first blow landed, sending him flying against the wall.

"Cha!" Sakura yelled as she didn't stop there.

Blow after blow fell and Oboro received a worse beating then Naruto could ever recall getting from Sakura. He had a broken arm, cracked ribs and a bloody nose.

"Remind me never to make Sakura mad," Shikamaru said.

"No kidding," Ino said. "She never liked being teased for her forehead."

"The winner is… Sakura Haruno!" Genma said.

Sakura sighed out the last of her fury. The crowd didn't call out her name like they had Naruto's as they were a bit scared of her temper display. She just smiled though, now everyone knew not to insult her forehead. She made her way into the stands reserved for the combatants where Naruto, Shino, Shikamaru, and the Sand Siblings were all standing.

"Great job Sakura," Naruto said with a little sweat drop.

She smiled, "Thanks Naruto."

Looking around though, she got worried. Someone was still not here and his match was up next.

"Where is Sasuke?" she asked.

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know."

They waited and soon Genma made an announcement.

"Because of Sasuke Uchiha not yet arriving, we will be giving him more time. In the meantime we will be moving on to the next of matches."

Shikamaru scoffed. "That means my match is already closer! Man, what a drag!"

"Kankuro and Shino Aburame! You're up!"

Shino prepared to leap down but-

"No! I forfeit!" Kankuro shouted.

Huh? Before the match had even begun?

"What's that about?" Naruto asked. "I always thought that guy liked to pick fights?"

Sakura frowned in suspicion. "Maybe there is something wrong with that puppet he has?"

…

In reality Kankuro didn't want to risk giving away everything his puppet could do in front of all these Leaf Village Ninja. He might be at a disadvantage if he did so in the coming battle. The plan to betray the Leaf was about to come to fruition. He looked over at Temari who knew was next on the matches.

I guess its all up to me. She thought as she brandished her fan.

"Very well, the next match, which was meant to be the last one, is Shikamaru Nara vs. Temari!" Genma said.

"I'm ready!" Temari said she leapt down from the stands.

"Go get her Shikamaru!" Ino said.

"You can do it!" Chojii said encouraging his best friend.

Shikamaru sighed. What's with all these matches being sped up. I'm not ready yet! Ah maybe I should just forfeit as well. I don't feel up to it!

"Hey, lazy!" Temari shouted looking up at him. "You gonna get down here or what?"

'What," Shikamaru sighed.

"Come on Shikamaru the crowd wants to see some action!" Naruto said getting up.

Shikamaru looked around the stands.

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"Eh they just wanna see Sasuke," he muttered.

"Get down there!" Naruto said as he gave Shikamaru a little push.

Unfortunately, just that little push was enough to send Shikamaru off the railing he was leaning on and land gracelessly in a heap on the ground.

"Damn you Naruto!" he shouted up at the stands.

"Kick her butt!" the blonde said.

"Not literally though!" Sakura said.

That caused a few people to laugh. They waited but Shikamaru didn't get up for a few seconds. This caused the crowd to throw boos and trash at him as they wanted a match.

"Come on Shikamaru!" Ino called from her place in the stands.

"The only one who is going to have their butt kicked here is you lazy!" Temari said as she charged in with her fan folded.

"Hey! I haven't said start yet!" Genma said behind Shikamaru.

"Yaah!" Temari unheedingly yelled as she raised her fan.

I forgot, this girl is a spunky one. I hate spunky. Shikamaru said. But now that I' m here might as well go through with it. Wouldn't be cool if I just gave up against a girl without trying.

He drew a pair of kunai and threw them at the wall nearby to create a foothold. He dodged her strike as she tried to hit him with the handle of her, their battle had begun.

Temari tried to follow up with a wind blow from her and hit him as he stood on his two kunai but he quickly vanished.

…

Shikamaru hid in the trees, staying the shadows of them and the wall to take the fullest advantage of his clans jutsu which manipulated shadows. Though he did wish for something, a hole in the ground, that would allow him to extend his range and drive his opponent into a trap. Unfortunately, there were no such holes here. Ah well, he'd just have to come up with his own plan. Casting a glance over his head he realized he had too options, wait for the sun to lower which would allow him to make the shadows go further. It was already past midday so the sun would start to lower. The other option however seemed more of a drag, but he might just have to take it. Charge in and get close to use his shadow possession jutsu on her. He hated the idea of running to an opponent head but he didn't have the current luxury of a secret weapon.

He sent his shadow at her but she was too far out of range. Smirking as she realized this, she made a line in the dirt with the butt of her fan. Shikamaru sighed.

Guess I'll have to charge in as soon as I see her let her guard down. What a drag. He thought.

He waited for a few minutes, for whatever reason, Temari wasn't quickly going on the offensive to defeat him.

It would be easy for me to simply go in and beat him, but right now I need to stall for time until Sasuke arrives, Temari thought. I can do this all day if I need to.

They stood stationary for a while, then Shikamaru suddenly tried another shadow position jutsu. It stretched out toward her but she knew its limit now. It couldn't reach her. But to her surprise it reached the line she'd made in the dirt and continued coming. She quickly leapt back to evade the jutsu another few feet. Fortunately for her it didn't go too far. Looking up, she realized the sun was slowly going down, which worked in the favor of Shikamaru. The shadows would get bigger the lower the sun got. She'd have to calculate the height of the sun and the length of the shadow.

No problem. She thought.

"Temari! Above you!" Kankuro's voice shouted from the combatants stands.

She looked up at her brother's voice and saw something floating in midair. It was a jacket attached to a kunai knife, floating around like a parachute. She looked and saw that while she had briefly looked up at the sun Shikamaru had removed his jacket and created a makeshift parachute which created... another shadow that passed right in front of her!

Her eyes widened as the shadow line of Shikamaru's jutsu extended. She was forced once again to retreat, this time leaping not just once but multiple times around the area. She thought it was the end for sure.

If this doesn't work then my only option left will be to charge in and try to get close enough to possess her with my own shadow. Shikamaru thought.

Once the parachute finally hit the ground, Shikamaru's extra range vanished and

Dammit. Now I have to charge in as soon as I see an opening. What a drag.

He looked at his jacket where it landed. He could also retrieve it and use it again to create an extension shadow. But Temari would likely expect that. He could perhaps use that to his advantage though. Yeah, that could work. It was time to wrap this up.

Temari likewise felt the same way. The longer this battle goes on the more his range increases, I have to end this quickly. I've stalled for as much time as I can afford.

She stuck her fan out in the ground so that it blocked her from view. She could create a diversion with the clone jutsu drawn Shikamaru's attention then get him with her Wind Scythe Jutsu. She prepared to create the hand sign.

But Shikamaru however, had seen his opening. He got his feet and ran in as soon as the fan blocked her from view. Unfortunately for her it worked both ways. He couldn't see her, and she couldn't see him. He quickly weaved a hand sign and created a clone image that ran in the direction of his jacket. His feet made small sounds on the dirt as he ran. But it was enough to tip Temari off that her opponent was on the move and getting closer.

She looked out in the direction of the clone heading to the jacket.

He's trying to recover his jacket. Oh no you don't!

She picked up her fan and, "Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

Her attack threw a large amount of wind at him, but he just vanished and she realized he'd used the same strategy she had planned to use. The clone was just a distraction. She looked around and saw him coming up behind her. She tried to throw another wind jutsu at him but was a fraction of a second too slow. He got in close, stopping the fan with his kunai knife. He then took control of his shadow and that of the fan. She felt his control extend to her body.

Damn it. He got me. This slacker clown outsmarted me. Temari thought.

She wouldn't admit it but she was impressed. The only thing that could be more impressive would be if he did something even more unexpected like strike from underground or something. She'd lost, that was clear as he made her drop her fan while still keeping hold of his kunai. He then made her take just a small step up to him then so that her throat was just an inch away from his knife blade.

"Guess I should consider myself lucky, if I had been much further away I would have been out of chakra by the time I reached you," Shikamaru said. "Then I would have forfeited and given you the match."

Her eyes widened at that.

"Well, you got me," she said as she looked at the kunai just inches away. "I forfeit."

Genma nodded. "The winner is, Shikamaru Nara!"

The crowd that had booed at Shikamaru earlier yelled with enthusiasm. But there was still one problem. Sasuke had not arrived.

…

"Where is he!" Naruto yelled.

But at that very moment, both Sasuke and Kakashi appeared. Leaves blew around them.

"Sorry we were late," Kakashi said.

Well I had to make a little alteration due to remembering that in my previous battle I didn't have Naruto go underground to take Neji by surprise since he overpowered him in this au. So Shikamaru couldn't take advantage of that hole to catch Temari from behind.