[Dropped] Too Smart For My Own Good (Shikamaru Love Story)

Long Time No See

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder.

“Naomi! What’s the matter with you?”

She stood and dusted herself off, rubbing her nose that had, once again, run face-first into a tree trunk. “Nothing,” she muttered darkly, “let’s just get going.”

Truth be told, she was anxious to see Shika again, however briefly. But from that anxiety sprung self-loathing for harboring such a weakness. With such thoughts swirling in her mind, she often lost track of where she was, resulting in a scolding from Sasuke and a throbbing nose.

“That’s the seventh time it’s happened already, Naomi. If this is going to be a successful mission, you’re going to have to snap out of it and start concentrating! Honestly, you were a bad ninja as a child and you’re still a bad ninja as a young adult!”

“Shut up, Karin!” Naomi snapped. “You know nothing of life when I was little so don’t pretend like you have the slightest idea! No one likes you. I despise you, Sasuke can’t stand the thought of you, even Orochimaru can barely tolerate you!”

Sniffing haughtily, Karin shoved her nose in the air and glared down at her with condescension. “You’re one to talk. Word is, when you were little, no one gave you a second glance. No one cared about you.”

“Shut up if you know what’s good for you.”

“Apparently even your sensei didn’t like you.”

“Karin…!”

“And that Nara boy? He never had real emotions for you. He merely pitied you.”

“Watch your mouth!”

“It’s no surprise you’d have to hang out with the Jinchuuriki. He may be a freak, but I doubt he enjoyed your company, too. He probably felt desperate. Just like you.”

The last word slipped from Karin’s mouth, and Naomi slammed her against the nearest tree with such force that left even Sasuke slightly awed.

“You’re such an idiot. You can insult and abuse me as much as you want,” Nay snarled, clenching her hand around Karin’s pasty neck, “but when you involve Naruto, that’s where I cross the line. Never say anything bad about him.”

“Or what?”

Her grip on Karin’s neck tightened after the pompous red-head choked out those two words. One more word and Naomi would feel compelled to snap her little twig of a neck.

“Do you really want to know?”

Sasuke’s hand slapped away hers as he stood between the two. His face portrayed nothing, no frustration, amusement, or anything. “Bakas,” he grunted, “we’re on a mission, and in order for it to be a success, you two have to get along for about a month. So stop acting like children and get your acts together.”