I'm realizing that new Sen has Kamisato Ayato vibes... hehe.

A hand on my back steadies me, stopping me from practically throwing myself over the balcony to congratulate him face-to-face. When I look back, I see Sen smiling, a stark contrast to his tearful expression from just minutes before. He stands up beside me once he's sure I won't jump and starts clapping almost proudly.

"Congratulations, Naruto!" I scream, and from our height, it echoes enough that he hears me. His arm raises in a wave at me, but I catch it falter. With a tip of his head and a raised eyebrow, I wave him down, mouthing the word "later" to him.

Finally, he runs to the exit where the other contestants are, and I see him appear beside Shino and Shikamaru. The cheering and chatter die off slowly, but I know Naruto's probably still feeling the adrenaline from his win—I hope he is. He worked his tail off for it, him and Sasuke. And... speaking of Sasuke...

He still isn't here yet. Everyone's getting antsy. It's made even worse when a Jōnin approaches the Lord Hokage to whisper something in his ear. Being as nosey as I am, I look over to try and lipread their conversation—I read Sasuke's name and the word "disqualified" and I'm out of my seat and rushing to the edge of our balcony closest to theirs.

"No, you can't!" I shout over the clamour of the spectators. The Lord Hokage and the Kazekage turns my way— I'd interrupted their conversation. I can't find myself caring. I'm about to start speaking my mind, when Sen is suddenly in front of me, pushing me back with a gentle hand. "W-What are you—"

"My lords, if I may." He bows to them, hand against his chest, and they nod. I blink at him. Suddenly, he seems... a lot more different than I'd been experiencing of him. Strangely... regal. How old is he again...?

"The guests here today are comprised of feudal lords and powerful Shinobi leaders. They have travelled nearly just as far as I have today. If you cancel this match between Sasuke Uchiha and the Kazekage's son, the highlight of the Chūnin Exams? They'll see little motivation in the Shinobi from the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind. I don't think you need an explanation, sirs, but cooperation from other nations will be strained. They're here for this match. I do not recommend cancelling it over a case of tardiness."

So... this is the power of a "prince", huh? I stop myself from laughing out loud.

"Much of the Leaf's future business may ride on this match," he says. "Give him a little more time. The boy will be here soon."

The Lord Hokage's eyebrows furrow before he sighs deeply. Adjusting his hat, he says something to the Shinobi that relayed the message, and they disappear, only to reappear next to the exam proctor. And then disappears again.

"Listen, everyone," the proctor calls out. I move back toward my seat when Sen starts guiding me there by my shoulders. "One of the competitors from the next battle hasn't arrived yet. So, we're going to postpone this match briefly and simply jump ahead to the battle that would have followed this one."

The crowd roars. I try to tune them out and turn to Sen, who seems... really pleased with himself.

"Sen? What was that about?"

"I figured I would offer a helping hand to your teammate," Sen answers. "Despite my main reason for coming to the Hidden Leaf Village, from requesting permission from your Hokage to enter being to see you again, I'm also quite interested in seeing your Uchiha friend fight again. It's quite devastating what happened to his clan, but knowing that he has the same blood of Makara, well..."

"... I understand," I say with a sigh. "But I really meant about you stepping in and speaking for me. Um... I could've said all that myself—"

"I know," he interrupts. "I only feared the risk of your passion for your friends blinding your words— keeping the topic strictly business? That's a language all leaders speak."

"I... understand," I finally give. "Thank you for helping Sasuke."

Sen smiles, and it's so dazzling to me that I end up squinting. "No thanks needed, Kari. I'd do anything to make you happy." He turns away to look back down into the stadium. I rub my cheeks out furiously and follow his gaze.

"Then onto the next battle!" the proctor announces. "So—Shino and Kankuro! Come on down."

I look down at the other competitors and see Kankuro grimace. Shino remains slate-faced, hidden behind his glasses as per usual. And suddenly, Kankuro's raising his hand.

"Proctor! I withdraw."

"Huh?!" I launch myself out of my chair again and hang over the railing—Sen is quick to grab me when I nearly tip over the edge, my balance off from being in the hospital for so long, and steady myself against the railing. "Are you kidding me?!"

This just means less time for Sasuke to get here before his match!!

"I withdraw," he repeats, "so please, advance to the next match."

The spectators, this time outraged, begin shouting again. The proctor sighs.

"Due to Kankuro's withdrawal," he calls, his tone flat, "Shino Aburame wins by default."

In the corner of my eye, I spot Sen turn toward the Lord Hokage and the Kazekage, his eyebrows narrowing. Confused, I'm about to question him for it, when in the corner of my other eye, someone drops down into the arena on her giant fan— that female Sand Ninja who'd arrived with Kankuro and Gaara.

"And you are?" the proctor asks.

"It's my turn, right?" she says, shutting the fan.

"Well, you're sure an eager one, aren't you? Fine. Let's start the next match, then. Hey!" he shouts up to Shikamaru. "You up there – get down here." I can hear him groan, even from the opposite side of the arena. "Shikamaru Nara, come on."

"Come on, Shikamaru," Naruto says, offering him an encouraging slap on the back – "You can do it!" – that sends him flying over the railing and into the arena grounds. I can only shake my head at the two of them before the rest of the crowd start tossing their garbage down at him.

"Get on your feet, loser!"

"Boo!"

"Get up off your ass!"

"What jerks!" My grip on the balcony tightens. "Come on, Shikamaru! You can watch the clouds later!"

Temari, his opponent, laughs. "What is it?" she asks him. "You gonna give up?"

"C'mon, c'mon!" Naruto yells down. "Get up and fight! Get it together, Shikamaru! You gonna get going sometime this year?!"

"Well, if you won't move," Temari calls, "I will!"

"Hey! I haven't started the match yet!"

She pays the proctor no mind on her way toward Shikamaru, who pulls out a pair of kunai in time to meet her giant fan that she'd swung over his head. Instead, it hits the ground, as he'd bothered to move only seconds before it could reach him. Temari looks up to where Shikamaru stands on his own kunai, puncturing the wall of the stadium, and smirks. She lifts her fan and unfolds it to send a heavy blow at the ground. The dust that is swept up briefly obscures our vision of the fight until Shikamaru appears above the cloud, having jumped.

"Go for it, Shikamaru!" I hear Ino scream. "Use that super-awesome technique on her and take 'er down!!" Beside her is Kyōharu, who's hand is on a doom-and-gloom Sakura's shoulder. "Yeah! Go, Shikamaru!!"

"Get your butt in gear!" Naruto shouts. "Let's go, Shikamaru!!"

"Ninja Art—Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

Temari opens her fan once more, dragging it through the air. Visible blades of wind dance along the ground in Shikamaru's direction. Arms raised in front of his face, he manages to avoid her attack while the rest of the ground and the trees behind him are scarred. Closing her fan appears to end the attack. Another dust cloud appears, and from under it, Shikamaru's Shadow Possession Jutsu.

Temari gasps, hightailing it toward the other side of the arena. Just when his Jutsu is about to catch up to her, it stops, and so does she, drawing a line in the dirt with the butt of her fan.

"Now I get it," she says, her teeth gritted. "Almost got me— aren't you clever? With that Shadow Possession Jutsu of yours, you can manipulate any shadow you're in." He starts panting. "The wall's shadow, for instance. But there's a limit, isn't there? No matter how thin you stretch it, it can only reach so far. Isn't that right?"

"You got me," Shikamaru calls, wearing a smirk of his own. Leaning back against the wall of the arena, he glances up toward the clouds before his hands form an unfamiliar hand sign; one I can't recognize as one for Ninjutsu. No, actually—he'd made it once before, when we played shogi in the hospital that one time. So then, it must be some kind of habit he has when he's trying to focus or make up a strategy.

His knuckles separate from each other to reach into his back pocket.

"So, you have some fighting spirit after all?" Temari says, grinning a little too cockily for my liking. She uses the same technique as before, but rather than avoid it, Shikamaru sits back down in the shadows while tugging his vest off.

Or maybe he hasn't made a strategy, I think, huffing.

When Temari's Jutsu finishes, Shikamaru tosses the kunai at her. She jumps out of the way, easily avoiding where it stabs into the earth. He throws another one, and this time, she uses her fan as a shield. Shikamaru's hands press together, and he sends his Shadow Possession Jutsu at her. The shock on her face pleases me more than I thought it was going to that I laugh.

"You're pretty quick on your toes," he tells her.

"Now I see what you've been up to!" Temari calls back. "You weren't just hiding; you were killing time, just waiting for the sun to get lower, and the shadow of that wall to get longer. The longer the shadow, the farther your range is, right?!"

Shikamaru stays silent. And then...

"Temari!" Kankuro shouts. "Over your head!"

Shikamaru's vest, tied to his headband, and tied to his kunai he'd pulled out a moment ago, falls slowly from high above Temari's head. Sen begins applauding him, his lips drawn into a thin line.

"She's talented," Sen starts, "but it's not enough—that boy is incredible. The longer he stretches out this match, the lower the sun gets. The longer the shadows, the deeper his range is. An absolutely brilliant strategy."

Sen... I turn back to the match, a strange happiness bubbling in my chest. You have a nice smile.

Hiding behind her open fan doesn't do a thing. With his Shadow Possession Jutsu, he sends it into the hole Naruto had dug during his match, and as Temari stupidly created her own blind spot, she doesn't notice it until it's too late.

"Turn around," Shikamaru says. "I'll let you."

Her hands clasp together and her body trembles when she realizes she can't move. I can't help myself when I laugh out loud. Shikamaru looks over his shoulder, forcing Temari to do the same, her eyes widening with confusion.

"Don't you recognize that hole?" Shikamaru asks her. "It's where Naruto popped out of the ground and knocked Neji for a loop. The hole in front of you is where he went into the ground. The two are connected."

"Now I see," she says through gritted teeth. "I never thought of the shadows underground."

"And that was your mistake." He walks toward her, making her do the same.

"She's completely helpless!!" I nearly screech from excitement.

"You got her!" Ino shouts. "Way to go!"

Shikamaru raises his hand. So does Temari.

"Okay, that's it," Shikamaru says. "I give up."

The most silent five seconds pass by until the stadium erupts into verbal chaos. I only wish I had something to throw at him like everybody else had been about a half an hour ago.

"He what?" Sen demands, his fist balled up in his frustration.

"Shikamaru, what the hell?!" I shout down at him. His shoulders go slack when he groans up at me. "You're really something else, you know?!"

And over my ranting, I catch him mention his "low chakra" – which is true, it is low – and the proctor announces Temari as the winner.

Updated May 11th, 2022 | 2,103 words