CLOUD ENVY - S. Nara

When the Levee Breaks

As they approached, Amaya's eyes met Shikamaru's questioning ones. 

"Who's this guy?" Naruto questioned, his eyes briefly flickering down to the arena making sure he hadn't missed the start of Sasuke's match. "Oh are you Maya's friends!? Hi i'm-" To their utter surprise the man held out a large hand in delight only to be interrupted by Amaya, who swiftly grabbed his wrist and retracted his hand. 

"He's an old friend. That's all, we're gonna go catch up- I'll be back in a bit." She spoke with little effort to conceal the anger in her voice before turning the dumbfounded man around and giving him a short nudge to the hallway just adjacent to the balcony. Covering up his confusion- he shot the two boys a charming smile waiving over his shoulder before fading down the dark hall. Amaya briskly went to follow but was stopped when Shikamaru grabbed her upper arm. 

'What the hell is going on with you?" He questioned lowly. She met his hardened eyes coldly, yet all she really wanted to do was tell him everything on her mind. "I can't explain right now." 

Her response was short, and by the look on his face- not sufficing. 

"Remember the conversation we had before we came here." 

He furrowed his brows.

"Nervous you'll see someone you know?"

"Yeah, I am," 

His eyes softened and he loosened his grip. 

"So do we hate this guy?" Amaya paused for a moment, before throwing her head back  and letting out a bubbly laugh. Though he narrowly broke his neutral facade, his eyes glinted with amusement at his out of character remark. She continued to laugh shaking her head and wiping a tear from her eye, he let her go with a small scowl.  

"No, we don't hate him... he actually is an old friend." She smiled fondly at the Nara, silently thanking him for lifting her spirits. Shikamaru on the other hand let out an internal sigh at the sight of her gleaming honey eyes. "But..." She trailed off looking down the hall hesitantly. 

"You didn't want to see your old friends." He finished for her.

"No, I didn't," She began sheepishly, shoving a hand in one of her pockets. "We weren't exactly upstanding citizens..." He watched her squirm, not able to meet his gaze. This was her trying, trying to open up- even if it was awkward and half-worded. A small smile seemed to find its way on to his lips while he watched her. 

"Go, you'll catch up with us later." Her head whipped back towards him, shocked at his response. 

Before she knew it she was slowly back pedaling, with a small grin. 

"I'll see ya," She hummed 

He returned her expression.

"Yeah..." With that she turned and he lost sight of her figure down the hall. He stared for a moment, before he felt the presence of eyes on him. Turning back towards the balcony he found Naruto standing oddly close with narrowed eyes. 

"What's up with you guys?" 

Shikamaru blinked at the Uzumaki for a moment before opening his mouth to respond. Though, rather than speaking, he instead reached up and ruffled the boy's blond hair into his face. 

"Shut up you idiot." 

-----

"What are you thinking?" Amaya grunted shoving the man into the wall. 

The pair stood in a long empty tunnel of the arena that led to the stands, she stood in front of him with a glare. 

"That's rich! you're competing in a test that's put on for thousands of people- and you were the one who was always lecturing people about anonymity." The man laughed.