Genma flicked his senbon casually between his teeth as he turned toward the waiting room. His voice rang out sharp and commanding.
"The next two contestants... step onto the field!"
The announcement had barely left his lips when the stadium erupted into chaos.
"YEAH, HURRY IT UP!" Someone bellowed from the stands.
"WE WANT UCHIHA VS. THE SAND!" Another voice joined in.
"SHOW US THE HYŪGA!" A third cried, almost frothing with excitement.
The chants began to overlap, a wild mix of speculation and favoritism.
"That match? Please, the Hyūga will crush anyone!" one man sneered confidently.
"Are you blind?" Another shot back. "Young Master Naruto is the one who'll win! Mark my words!"
"Don't forget," A third leaned forward eagerly, "this is the clash between last year's top rookies and this year's No. 1! This is history in the making!"
The air vibrated with tension and anticipation. Even the Kage box was buzzing softly with side conversations, though all eyes remained fixed on the arena floor.
Inside the waiting room, the atmosphere was completely different.
'Why does it always have to be a girl, damn it…' Shikamaru muttered darkly, rubbing the back of his neck. His face twisted in quiet despair. 'First that Sound chick, then Sakura, and now this one from the Sand…'
He slouched further against the wall, letting his eyes drift lazily toward the patch of sky visible above the stadium.
The clouds floated by, slow and shapeless.
'Such a drag…' He sighed inwardly.
Meanwhile, Sakura stood up sharply. Her fists clenched. Her pulse thumped in her ears, half nerves, half excitement.
'It's my turn!' She told herself, a surge of determination lighting her chest as she turned toward the staircase leading down. But just as she was about to move, her eyes flickered to the side.
She saw Shikamaru Nara, who was still leaning, still slouching, still looking as if this entire ordeal was nothing but a chore forced upon him, not even the decency to look alive.
Her jaw tightened, and she snapped. "SHIKAMARU!!"
Shikamaru blinked once, lazily turning his head toward her. He saw her mouth moving, her expression fierce, her energy radiating like a fireball ready to burst.
But to him was just a loud, irritating noise.
All he could really see was the headache dancing across his vision.
"Huh…?" He mumbled, sticking his pinky into his ear, cleaning it as if her fiery glare didn't exist.
Sakura's eye twitched and stared at her.
"It's our turn to battle!" She ground out through clenched teeth, each syllable sharp as kunai.
"I hear ya…" Shikamaru muttered, still more interested in dislodging a speck of wax than acknowledging the weight of the fight ahead.
The sheer audacity made Sakura want to throttle him.
'THIS BOY!!' She screamed inside her head, her blood boiling.
With a sharp humph, she spun around, pink hair whipping behind her like a banner. Her steps toward the staircase were loud, fast, and filled with righteous fury.
Shikamaru just yawned, his hands slipping lazily into his pockets as he followed at a snail's pace.
The two of them descended onto the battlefield in the most mismatched pair of energies imaginable.
------
"Such a drag…" Shikamaru muttered under his breath as his sandals touched the arena floor. His voice was low, almost lost under the roar of the stadium, but the words carried his entire spirit in them.
"START THE DAMN BATTLE ALREADY!" A man from the stands roared, his voice echoing across the stone walls.
Shikamaru's head tilted lazily in that direction, his eyes half-lidded.
'Easy for you to say… you don't have to move a muscle. I have to actually fight… how troublesome…' He sighed, dragging his feet a little more just to prove a point.
"Shikamaru! Hurry up!" Sakura's impatient voice cut across the arena like a kunai.
When his gaze finally shifted forward, she was already there, standing tall beside Genma, hands on her hips, tapping her foot against the ground in barely concealed irritation. The pink-haired kunoichi radiated energy, her sharp emerald eyes fixed squarely on him.
'She's fired up. Great…' Shikamaru thought, scratching the back of his head. 'Well, I can only do my best to finish this quickly… the sooner it's over, the sooner I can go back to cloud-watching.'
With another heavy sigh, he finally stopped opposite Sakura.
The distance between them seemed smaller than it should have, her determination pressing against his lazy calm.
From the audience seating, Asuma leaned back in his chair, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his sharp eyes following every small gesture Shikamaru made.
Beside him, Kurenai sat in silence, her crimson eyes reflecting both curiosity and anticipation.
Neither spoke at first, but when Sakura straightened her back like a kunoichi ready for war, Asuma broke the quiet.
"Shikamaru's lazy," He admitted with a faint smirk. His exhale released a lazy curl of smoke. "But he's got his pride. If she pushes him hard enough, he'll answer."
Kurenai folded her arms. Her gaze softened, almost maternal, as it lingered on Sakura. "This is the first time we'll really see her growth… under Kakashi's recommendation, she's been balancing my genjutsu guidance and her team's training. I want to see how far she's come."
Ino leaned forward from her seat, eyes darting between her best friend and her teammate. For a moment, a pang of jealousy pricked her chest. 'If I had beaten Sakura… I would've been the one down there. I'd be the one facing Shikamaru…'
Her lips pressed into a pout. But then she clenched her fists tightly against the railing, eyes narrowing. 'Hmph! Forget it. That pink-haired idiot better not embarrass herself. She'd better go hold back or else, she will ruin the plan.'
She suddenly stood up, cupping her hands around her mouth.
"GIVE HER A BEATING, SHIKAMARU! SHOW HER THAT 16-HIT COMBO OF YOURS!" She hollered at the top of her lungs.
Shikamaru froze mid-step, his face contorting into one of disbelief. His eye twitched. 'Sixteen-hit combo? Since when do I have something like that?'
He tilted his head, staring back at Ino with blank incredulity. Then, without missing a beat, he let out an enormous yawn, stretching his arms above his head. "Hooaahhh…"
The audience laughed, clapped, and shouted in equal measure, half entertained, half irritated by his nonchalance.
Genma's sharp gaze flickered between the two genin.
Sakura was tense, her chakra steady but coiled like a spring, her knuckles white at her sides.
Shikamaru stood there as if he'd rather be anywhere else, his shadow stretching lazily under the sun, mirroring his posture.
"Are you both ready?" Genma asked, his senbon shifting slightly between his teeth.
"Mm!" Sakura nodded firmly, her eyes locked onto her opponent.
"Mm." Shikamaru gave the faintest tilt of his head, his hands already sliding into his pockets.
Genma raised a hand, and his voice carried like steel across the coliseum.
"Then… the third match! Nara Shikamaru versus Haruno Sakura of the Hidden Leaf… BEGIN!"
The crowd erupted into a thunderous roar, the clash of two familiar names sparking wild anticipation.
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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