Num… num… num…
Choji sat cross-legged, calmly munching through a fresh bag of chips, his cheeks stuffed like a squirrel. The crackle of his snack echoed absurdly against the silence in the arena, as if he were the only one unfazed by the tension.
"Good riddance…" Shikamaru muttered, voice heavy with his trademark laziness. He lifted his head, eyes half-lidded, and declared. "I GIVE UP!"
The words crashed over the stadium like a storm.
"HUH?!" Temari froze mid-step, her fan trembling in her grip. Her sharp eyes widened, disbelief etched across her face.
"HAAAAAAHHHH?!" Ino bolted upright from her seat, palms slamming the railing. Her mouth hung open in complete shock.
"EEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH???"
The collective roar of the crowd rose like a tidal wave, a chorus of outrage, confusion, and sheer disbelief.
Even the nobles in their reserved seats leaned forward, muttering in irritation.
"See, I knew he would give up!" someone shouted, voice dripping with mockery.
Choji didn't even flinch. He popped another chip in his mouth and chewed with calm finality. "Though I was astonished for sure in the previous round…"
Temari's head snapped toward him, veins twitching on her temple. She snapped, her pride bristling, though her voice quivered from the absurdity of it all. "What did you say?"
Shikamaru only sighed deeply, shoulders slumping further as though the weight of existence itself pressed down on him. "I've used too much chakra to perform my jutsu multiple times."
He scratched the back of his head, his tone utterly casual despite the gasps echoing around him. "I can only stall you for another ten seconds… and that's about it."
With that, he dropped his hand, releasing the shadow binding.
Temari staggered back, free at last. She stared at him, bewildered, furious, and somehow insulted all at once, like a warrior who had just realized her victory had been handed to her, not earned.
"I thought of another two hundred moves…" Shikamaru added flatly, his eyelids lowering. "But, I am out of time and chakra…"
The crowd erupted again at those 'two hundred moves?!'
Murmurs flew like sparks, the audience unable to decide if he was a genius, a fool, or both.
Temari's fan drooped at her side. Her lips parted, but no words came. Her amber eyes narrowed, locked on Shikamaru as though trying to decipher the puzzle of him.
"This has become such a pain," He continued, voice bored, almost muttering to himself. "Fighting one match was good enough for me as it is… and I had to fight you after that…"
His tone made it sound less like a confession and more like complaining about chores.
Up on the balcony, Genma's eyes narrowed. 'This guy… he's a strange one.'
But then, even as the referee's thoughts turned, his expression hardened. Something in the air shifted, an unease he couldn't immediately place.
Shikamaru tilted his head upward and blinked.
Temari had unconsciously taken a step back.
At the same time, Genma's jaw tensed, his eyes scanning the stands with a flicker of concern.
"Hm?" Shikamaru glanced between the two of them, puzzled.
And then it came.
"SHIIIII—KAAAAA—MARUUUUUU!!"
The voice tore through the arena like a demon's roar.
Shikamaru's blood ran cold. His shoulders stiffened, his breath caught. 'Crap!'
He turned slowly, dread dripping down his spine.
Sakura stood there. Her eyes burned emerald fire, her smile sweet but terrifying in its sharpness. Her breath came hot against his face, her presence pressing down like a beast about to pounce.
Shikamaru froze, his shadow tricks useless against this brand of fury.
"You give up when you fight against her…" Sakura's voice was low, dangerous, each word measured and sharp as a kunai. She leaned in closer, their foreheads almost touching. "…but you'll overpower me???"
Shikamaru paled, beads of sweat sliding down his cheek. His hands shot up defensively.
"W-wait! There's a good reason for this!" He stammered, his usual calm logic scattering like frightened birds.
But Sakura's glare only deepened, her breath heavy, her presence unrelenting.
Shikamaru, for once, had no clever plan to escape.
Whoosh!
Iwashi landed soundlessly beside Genma, his mask glinting faintly under the sunlight. He leaned in, whispering a few quick words in the proctor's ear before vanishing as quickly as he came, leaving only a faint flutter of cloth in the air.
Genma's senbon shifted slightly in his mouth. His sharp eyes swept across the waiting contestants before locking onto the pink-haired kunoichi standing impatiently. With steady steps, he approached.
"Haruno Sakura."
"Mm?" Sakura's green eyes narrowed, irritation written all over her face.
"Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke." Genma's voice was flat, but there was weight in his words. "Are you aware of their whereabouts?"
"Huh?" Sakura blinked, then stared, unsure she'd heard correctly.
Genma's expression didn't change. His gaze was sharp as a blade.
"If they are not here in another ten minutes…" His pause dragged, allowing the tension to sink into the air. "…they will be disqualified."
"WHAAATTTT???" Sakura's shriek echoed through the stadium like an explosion. Her hands clenched into trembling fists, and she looked moments away from tearing her own hair out.
But before she could spiral further, Genma's voice boomed across the arena, amplified by chakra.
"Participants Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha... if you fail to arrive within the next ten minutes, you will be disqualified."
The announcement dropped like a kunai into the crowd.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"
"We came here just for those two matches!"
"You've got to be kidding me!"
"COME ON, WHERE ARE THEY?!"
The voices of thousands surged like a storm, overlapping into a wall of noise. Anger, impatience, and disappointment spilled over, their cries hammering against the arena walls. A few spectators even stood, waving their arms furiously, as though that might summon the missing shinobi faster.
Shikamaru sighed, covering his ear lazily with his hand. "What a drag…"
His half-lidded eyes rolled toward the arena gates. "Typical. Can't even show up on time for their own spotlight."
Genma's jaw tightened slightly around his senbon. He raised his hand, intending to calm the chaos, but before he could utter a word, two sharp cries sliced through the air.
"Who is looking for me?"
"We're here!"
The sound was crisp, cutting, and immediately commanded attention as heads whipped toward the arena entrance.
The ground trembled and dust kicked up in thick clouds as two figures landed with force, sending ripples across the stage.
The Gasps rippled through the stands.
The crowd went silent for a heartbeat, just one suspended instant, before exploding into cheers that made the stadium quake.
"They're here!"
"Finally!"
"This is what we came for!"
The dust hung in the air like a curtain, teasing the spectators with only shadows of movement. Then, slowly, the veil lifted and two figures emerged.
Naruto stood tall, his trademark grin splitting across his face, bright and unbothered.
Sasuke, beside him, carried his usual cool detachment, eyes half-lidded but sharp, his presence radiating quiet authority that made more than a few spectators fall silent in awe.
The contrast between them lit the stadium ablaze.
"Tch." Shikamaru shoved his hands into his pockets, shaking his head. "Finally here. Took them long enough…"
Sakura dropped onto her knees with an exasperated groan, her heart still pounding from panic. "You two… are the worst."
But the crowd roared louder still, their frustration forgotten in the face of the main event they had been waiting for.
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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