I slapped a hand to my head. Naruto, in the midst of his encouraging Shikamaru, had accidently knocked him down into the arena.

I peeked over the railing down at him. "You alright Nara?" I called. Annoyance was clear on his face as he stared at Naruto with a mixture of anger and irritation. I smacked my brother upside the head.

"Ow!" He whined. I sighed and looked back down. "Well you're already down there. Might as well fight." I shrugged. His annoyed expression remained the same as he turned his head to me.

As Shikamaru continued to lie there, people from the audience started throwing things at him. I sweat dropped. I remember why I don't like people.

Naruto was stomping around anxiously, wanting him to get up. "Come on, come on! Get up and fight! Get it together Shikamaru! You going to get going sometime this year?!" Naruto shouted.

I sighed, leaning against the rail. What a pain.

"Well if you won't move I will!" Temari said, running towards him. Huh? The proctor hasn't even started the match.

She ignored the proctor's words and jumped up before bringing the fan down on where he lay. I raised an eyebrow at the sight.

The Nara . . . he's actually pretty decent.

The dust that infiltrated the air due to the earth's disruption cleared to show that Shikamaru wasn't where he once was.

Shikamaru was against the arena wall, staring at Temari with mild amusement. "It really doesn't make a while lot of difference to me weather I become a chunin or not, but I guess maybe I shouldn't let myself be beaten by a female."

My temple throbbed. Why that lousy little-

"So, let's do it." Temari lost her temper and went to use a wind attack with her fan on Nara. She let out a battle cry and swung.

Her tempers worse then mine. Well . . . maybe not.

When the dust subsided, Shikamaru was gone. Hm? I could sense him in a tree on the other side. His chakra smelled like grass, no, wet grass.

But if I could tell where he is then the blonde bitch down there knows as well.

I could here the loud cheering of Ino from where I was. Well, she may not seem like it most the time, but she does care about her teammates.

I didn't even bother trying to think of his strategy. Although I do pride myself of my intelligence, strength, and skill, Shikamaru is the smartest genin around. He's smarter then some jonin. He may be lazy, but his strategic skills is beyond this world.

Even I know it's beyond mine. So there's no real point in me trying to figure it out.

Shikamaru might be lazy but he's a genius.

"Get your butt in gear! Let's go Shikamaru!" Naruto called. I rolled my eyes and watched patiently. I am interested in seeing his skill, especially against her.

As much as I dislike her, I do acknowledge her ninjutsu abilities.

Shikamaru put himself in plain view. "Ninja Art: Wind Scythe Jutsu!" Temari screamed as she swung her giant fan.

The wind struck Shikamaru. The wind cut the tree and bushes. I couldn't really see much because of the dust. But I did see a shadow racing out towards her.

She saw it as well and ran back from it. When the shadow could reach out any farther she drew a line with her fan on the ground. So that's the limit his shadow can reach?

"Now I get it." The dust subsided and we could see Shikamaru, bent down a bit, his hands still in the form for his hand sign.

"Almost got me. Aren't you clever. With that Shadow Possession Jutsu of yours, you can manipulate any shadow your in. The walls shadow for instance, but there's a limit isn't there? No matter how thin you stretch it, it'll only go so far. Isn't that right?"

The smugness in her voice pissed me off to no end. Why couldn't she have been my opponent? I would've knocked her down a few pegs.

"You got me." Shikamaru responded.

I growled in annoyance. I accept that I wouldn't be able to figure out his plans until the last minute, but the fact that I can't figure it out annoys me.

And what is he doing?! He's just staring up at the clouds like he isn't in a match. I really don't understand that Nara kid. But I know he's strong. So I'll wait patiently.

Show me what you can do, Shikamaru.

He put his hands together to make a circle. I frowned, trying to think what hand sign that is. It seems so familiar, but I don't recall that being one.

He sat there for a while, eyes closed.

That's when I remembered. In school, his grades were as Naruto's, maybe even worse. But that's because he's lazy. Taking a test is a drag. But I've played him a few times in Shogi.

I never won a single game.

He'd often do exactly this. I smirked. Well, well. Shikamaru Nara, you may be more of a ninja then I thought.

He removed his hands and opened his eyes. My smirk widened. So it's begun huh?

"So you have some fighting spirit after all. HAAUH!" Temari swung her fan again. I blinked and watched Nara carefully. He was taking something out of his pouch.

A kunai. He ran behind a tree. "No use in hiding!" Temari shouted.

I waited patiently. I have no doubt Shikamaru will win. But I want to see how. "You can't hide forever. Come out COWARD!" Temari shrieked, swinging her fan again.

Suddenly a kunai was thrown at her.

She moved and Shikamaru's shadow went her way. However it was able to reach farther then before, forcing Temari back.

"You're pretty quick on your toes." Shikamaru commented.

"Now I see what you've been up to. You weren't just hiding; you were killing time, waiting for the sun to get lower and the shadow of that wall to get longer."

Though I do admit that I thought that too, I don't think it's his real strategy. But I'm not quite sure what it is.

Shikamaru smirked. "The longer the shadow, the longer your range is right?"

I blinked and laughed as I looked up at the sky. No way. Way to go Nara. "Temari! Over your head!" Kankuro shouted.

Shikamaru had made a little floating parachute with his shirt and a kunai. As it hovered over his shadow near Temari, he created a shadow within a shadow.

"OH NO!" Temari shouted as she started running away from Shikamaru's shadows.

The parachute fell to the ground and Shikamaru's shadow receded. Temari stared at the sun, probably realizing she needs to get her ass moving.

Temari was hiding behind her fan and performing some hand signs when I saw it. My eyes widened and I stared at the arena dumbfounded. "N-no way." I muttered.

I had calculated all the possibilities Shikamaru had, but this, this wasn't one of them.

My eyes were wide as I stared at the captured Temari. "It took a while, but my Shadow Possession finally worked."

I grinned wide as I stared down. He had the shadow go into the hole and behind her. Although I repaired the damages of my battle, I didn't fix them from Naruto's battle.

Well, well. Shikamaru Nara huh.

She was his puppet the moment Shikamaru entered the arena.

Shikamaru walked forward, making Temari do the same thing until they were face to face. "Checkmate." I said. Nara won.

The cheers of Naruto and Ino were the loudest. I underestimated you Nara. You're alright. Now finish her.

He raised his hand into the air and I leaned in anxiously waiting. "The hell with it, I give up."

I fell forward a bit and hit my head on the railing. Fire burned around me as I glared down at him. "Na-ra." I seethed. Naruto flinched back and moved far away from me.

The crowd erupted in an uproar, throwing insults at Shikamaru, confused as me as to why he gave up.

"What?! What did you say?!" Temari asked.

"I used up all my chakra on that Shadow Possession Jutsu, I'm good for about another ten seconds, that's it. Bummer. And here I already planned out the next two hundred moves in my head. But my chakra's running low."

I blinked. He . . . A small smile graced my lips. Well I can't stay mad at you Nara.

He held his hands out in a 'whatever' gesture. "Anyway, if I was to win this thing, it'd just be more work."

You really are something else.

"The winner, Temari." No, she's not the winner here. I looked at Shikamaru. A bored expression rested on his face. Well, well. A diamond in the rough.