Troublesome Love (ShikaTema)

~Chapter Nineteen- Demon Desert Part 1~

-3rd person's POV-

"Where do you have to go now?" Temari asked.

"I'll have to wait right outside the rooms, so that I can switch with one of the genin," Shikamaru replied.

The two were walking towards the tower in the centre of the Demon Desert, which was where the second round was being held. However, they both had separate jobs to do during the test. 

The test was largely inspired by the "White Zetsu Army" that appeared during the Great Ninja War. During the war, many lost their trust in their comrades, not knowing who was a fake. Many others hesitated to attack enemies who wore their friend's faces. So at the Shinobi Union, the Kage decided to base the second round of the Chunin exam around that idea. To train the genin in case they were faced with such a situation again, and test their strength of will.

While the second exam mainly focused on teamwork, this time it was a little different. Firstly, each member of a team will be put in a separate room, so they can't see each other. One of them will be "kidnapped" and taken away, while a chunin level shinobi transformed into them, taking their place on the team.

Then, the two other members of the team, as well as the transformed ninja would be sent into the Demon Desert, with no instructions or goals. Instead they were simply told that they had to finish the second round within five days, or else they failed.

Temari and Shikamaru walked down the corridor towards the elevators, so they could go to the highest floor. From there, the genin teams would be monitored by drones and cameras and other jutsu. Each team was monitored by a ninja from their respective villages, and Temari was to overlook the entire thing, as in, monitor all the genin teams.

They passed some rooms which had shinobi who were ready to kidnap the genin. Is it called kidnapping if it's for an authorised exam? In any case, it's the best word for it.

The two stepped into the elevator, and as the doors were closing someone ran up at monster speed to catch the lift before it closed.

"Kimiko?" Temari said, surprised.

"Sorry, got a little late," Kimiko said, lightly panting.

"That wouldn't have been a problem if you weren't in the role you were in," Temari said.

"I'm sorry!" Kimiko bowed, apologising.

"But in any case," Temari said with a small smile. "You're the higher up right now."

Kimiko's face went slightly pink. "It feels odd, and I don't consider myself in a higher position than you anyway, Lady Temari."

The lift went up slowly and finally stopped at the top floor. "I should get going," Kimiko said, tapping the giant fan strapped to her back which was an almost replica of Temari's, just with a few tweaks in design.

As Shikamaru watched Kimiko run towards the tower's terrace, he felt a small worry for her. "For the second round back in Konoha, Anko Mitarashi was usually the proctor, and she was a pure psycho who could make genin pass out before the exam even started," he said to Temari. "Will Kimiko be alright in that position?"

"Kimiko's done this before, she was personally asked to be the head proctor for the exam," Temari replied. "She had a lot of ideas for the designing of the test, and it seems pretty tough, even for the Chunin exams.

"And besides, Kimiko likes to have her own fun every now and then," Temari added with a grin that made Shikamaru doubt everything he knew about Kimiko.

The top floor was the most busy at the moment, with shinobi preparing to put the third genin teammate under a genjutsu.

While the other two on the team would be in the Demon Desert, the third teammate who was taken away would be put under a primary state of coma. They wouldn't experience anything until the two in the Desert recognise and defeat the imposter on their team.