[Dropped] Too Smart For My Own Good (Shikamaru Love Story)

Shika's Final Battle

“How troublesome. I’m off!” he called behind him as he left the house to prepare for the dueling segment of the Chuunin Exams. As he turned back around, hands in pockets, he stopped short and smirked. “Came to walk me to school?” he teased the purple-eyed kunoichi.

“No!” she defended, blushing fiercely. “Just came to scope out Naruto’s competition.”

Shika sighed and rolled his eyes. “You know, it hurts when you insult me. Can’t believe I’m below Naruto now.” He slung a languid arm around her shoulders as they walked, and although she blushed a deeper scarlet, he felt giddy to realize that she didn’t move to shake it off.

Naomi feared the rest of the walk would be held in an awkward silence, but knowing Naruto, she brightened in relief the second she saw him.

“Naruto! Over here!” she called over, laughing. The fiery blonde looked at them and sauntered over with an all-too-knowing smirk. “Am I interrupting something?”

“Of course not, walk with us,” Naomi demanded a bit too desperately. Shika smirked down at her and chuckled.

“Embarrassed, are we?”

“Embarrassed I have to be seen walking with your lazy ass,” she chided with a toss of her head.

Placing a hand to his heart, he muttered, “Troublesome girl.”

Naomi noticed in sorrow as no one offered her a seat when she approached the stands. Sakura and Kiba turned away and whispered to each other, pretending not to see her. Hinata blushed in apology and averted her gaze elsewhere. It figured. No one liked her.

The rest of the villagers shuddered and scooted away whenever she approached them. She wanted a good seat, but she didn’t want everyone to hate her more than she already did. In the end, she had no choice but to accept an abandoned row in the very back. She couldn’t see anything except the Hokage and Kazekage, who sat in their special booth to the right of her.

But luckily for her, voices carried well in the arena, and she could hear almost all being said. Unfortunately, most were about her.

In a futile attempt to shut them out, she tried to watch the fights with all the earnest she could muster. She couldn’t concentrate on even one until she faintly heard Shika’s name amongst the uproar.

I have to get a closer look, she thought, sliding stealthily along the edges. She practically molded herself against the Kages’ box in order to approach undetected. From the corner of her eye, she realized the Kazekage had been watching her with blatant curiosity, and secretly, she enjoyed it. Sure, no one else bothered to give her the slightest bit of attention, but when the only one who did was the Kazekage, it had to make up for something.

“Shoot,” she muttered below her breath—though she didn’t quite say shoot—as another head blocked her vision of the field. She wormed her way closer to the arena, cursing and relocating every time something or someone refused her an unblocked image of the fight. And still, the Kazekage watched her.

It shot a chill through her spine. It had been rather flattering at first, but now she felt rather exposed. No matter where she went, she could sense his unwavering stare boring holes into her back. There was nowhere to run; there was nowhere to hide. Naomi was defenseless against him. She’d returned to the helpless, vulnerable, frail girl she was before.

The next time she managed a glimpse at Shika, the battle had adjourned. Shika had his blonde-haired opponent trapped in his Shadow Possession Jutsu, and both their hands were raised in a sign of surrender. Naomi’s heart fluttered in swelling pride and satisfaction as she mustered a smug grin.

Shika had won—

“I give up.”

The lopsided grin slipped from her expression; she gawked openly at Shika when his voice swirled into her ears. He—he what?

 

“No!” Naomi hissed, clenching her hands into tight fists on the railing. “You idiot, don’t give up now!”

His blasé orbs found hers in the audience. “Don’t sweat it, Nay. There’s always next year.”

But that was just it. What if there wasn’t? What if he died in some freak accident on the battlefield? What if he disappeared? Nay had pinned all her hopes and desires onto Shika becoming a Chuunin. Now he was just wasting all his preparation, all his training…everything? Just because he felt like it?

He rolled his eyes at her infuriated visage. “You worry too much.”

With another flare of intense, passionate hatred, she bit her tongue to keep from crying out in rage. She held her breath and puffed out her cheeks, to the point where they began to turn red, then slowly fade to purple.

That bastard. She was going to murder him.

“Hey, Nay? You don’t look so good…”

She glared at him, with a clear “Bite me!” message engraved in her livid look.

And then she fainted.