[ShikaTema] Serendipity

Chapter 28: The Fall

Silently and carefully, Shikamaru crouched as he watched the movement of the culprit. Jinbou, huh? Is that him? He glanced at the piece of paper where Jinbou's face was printed, given by the three loyal ninjas of Suna--Yukata, Matsuri and Mikoshi. I can't be wrong. That's definitely him.

"Hey, if you're going to keep hiding, we would get to nowhere."

That line made him jolt in surprise. However, even if there was a small of drop of sweat on his right temple, he stood with a cool facial expression and demeanour, then showed himself at the culprit without hesitations at all; right hand inside his pocket. "Says the one who used reanimated people to get revenge. Also, the one hiding around the village and not showing himself," the pineapple-haired guy scratched the back of his neck. "Was that me? I'm certain I haven't done that much."

His mocking had successfully gotten in the enemy's nerves, Jinbou's eyebrows furrowing in annoyance. "You talk too much!" Without thinking, Jinbou approached Shikamaru, a sharp dagger on his hand ready to kill the shinobi of Konohagakure.

Shit! Quickly, the younger one began running away, eyes looking from corner to corner to check if his opponent was catching up or not. Shikamaru somehow miscalculated that his mocking would aggravate the other so much. Such quick response was something he didn't quite expect. Knowing how smart the latter is, and knowing ahead that the culprit will come after him, Shikamaru lured him to the farthest isolated place inside the village, the ran in circles.

"Why the hell do you keep running in circles?!" Even more annoyed, Jinbou asked. He threw his dagger madly, then slapping ground spikes toward the slimmer lad.

Shikamaru didn't answer his question, thus kept avoiding the spikes which might put him to his death. In the silence he was making, it almost as if his breathing was the only thing people around could hear. After a few seconds, he made hand signs behind him. It wasn't for the execution of his shadow, but for Matsuri.

The female nodded, telling him that he had gotten his message. Using the weapon Jouhyou she got back when Gaara was teaching her, she threw it across the field, its rope tying both of Jinbou's feet, making him fall on the ground.

"Dammit! Where did this-" His question to himself didn't finish, for he had seen Matsuri's shadow right across to where he was lying. Found you! Jinbou executed more of his ground element spikes and through them to where the lass was. However...

A strong wind emitted therein, pushing those spikes away. There revealed a grinning woman, eyes telling Jinbou if that was everything he could do. Revenge isn't good. But sometimes, it is. "Is that it?" Provoked the sandy blonde.

Tch. "You. You talk too much!" Aggravated, he approached the other this time, leaving Shikamaru standing in there.

Again, with his usual demeanour, scratching the back of his head, the pineapple-haired male started talking. "Hey, hey," he began. "I'm still here," continued the lad, right hand inside his pocket again.

As soon as Jinbou turned to the lazy shinobi of Konoha, he had his eyebrows in furrow now. These lowlife ninjas are getting on my nerves! He told himself. Though confused of who he's supposedly attacking first, Jinbou decided to take down the brain of this group. Nara Shikamaru. "I'll get you down first! You're too annoying!"

"Go ahead," provoked Shikamaru.

From his pocket was a string he pulled, various clicking sounds were heard around the place they were standing right now. A small smirk appeared across Shikamaru's lips--the smirk that appears very unusually, that smirk which clearly said 'revenge'.

Not being too deaf in his age, Jinbou was able to hear those sounds. Eyes darted around the place, checking and thinking if he was right. There was a second of silence until it was broken by loud explosions that was executed in a circular range. That range was where Jinbou was standing. Even if he wanted to endure the pain badly, he couldn't. The burning was hurting him, resulting to him letting out a scream of pain. "Damn it! Damn it all!" He cursed.

Dark smokes were emitted, as a sign that an explosion happened in the place not too long since. When the fire subsided, the medical team, who were sent by Sakura but was called by Yukata, arrived. Healing wouldn't make anything better because when the medics checked his pulse, he was already dead.

Temari, Matsuri and Shikamaru stood beside each other, watching how the assigned people clean what started to be a mess. "I guess that puts an end to it," stated Temari, a smile of relief on her lips, eyes locked on the scene they left a few minutes ago.

Matsuri, however, was feeling proud of herself. This wasn't the first time she was able to lend help to people close to her, but this one was definitely one of the hardest missions she took. The lass was imagining the what ifs--like failing of using her Jouhyou back then. Yet, this mission they had succeeded to do was something that made her believe in herself more. It urged her to help more people in the future.

A pink-haired female then approached the sandy blonde of Suna, a sweet smile was flashed towards her as a sign of her greeting. "Temari-san, can you check your wound if it has healed completely?" She turned to Shikamaru with a comically mad facial expression, eyes in complete white.

Shikamaru had known what that meant so he turned away, and kept a few distance from the girls. Sakura and Matsuri served as a barricade for anyone who's going to attempt peeking.

With a surprised expression, teal hues glanced back at the pink-haired lass. "It healed perfectly."

Upon seeing it herself, Sakura felt relieved. "That's more okay. You can freely make gestures now, Temari-san. Congratulations on recovering!"

Only a smile was given back to Sakura. Her hues looked at the female ninja of Konoha as she made her way out of the village, together with the medics. For the last time, she bid farewell so as Shikamaru, Temari and Matsuri. All's well that ends well.

"I've heard your wounds healed completely?" Confirmed Shikamaru.

"Yeah. What's with it?" Asked Temari back, slightly tilting her head to the side.

"I was wondering if I can take you on a match. You could say it could also be your way to take revenge on me after what happened to us back in the Chuunin Exams," explained the lad, hands inside his pockets.

A smirk ran on Temari's lips. "Sure. Just don't go around crying to me after you lose."

"Might be the other way around; who knows?"

They kept mocking each other as they went outside the village to find a place where they could start the match Shikamaru proposed.

Matsuri was left there, dumbfounded. "Um, Temari-san..? Shikamaru-san..?"