[ShikaTema] The Thirty Day Challenge

Day 1: Lost

(A/N: I will be posting Day 1 only, for I don't know when I will be able to find time again to update. When I do, I'll just publish it! I really apologise for making you wait. Q-Q)

There was no feeling but uneasiness lurking deep inside Shikamaru. He had been walking around the forest outside Konoha from a small mission Tsunade had assigned him to. The latter has been here living in the said village since birth, and even his clan; there was no way he lost his way back to Konoha.

Shikamaru snapped his tongue, obviously annoyed to the fact that he had forgotten the way back when he knew he wouldn't. A sigh was expressed next, it was showing how frustrated he is now. When I'm supposedly letting the day pass lying somewhere and slacking off... If I can find the way back, I could do those. But, geez. This is taking so much time. Troublesome...

"If this is some kind of genjutsu..," he trailed off from that.

A scratch at the back of his head was made, eyes darting around, hoping to find a path.

To his amusement, a brownish path--which seemed to had been a place where grasses don't sprout anymore--had actually told him something. Finally, I can walk to a place that actually leads somewhere. As if his mind wasn't working at the moment, Shikamaru followed the path; not even thinking of what actually lies ahead of him.

As soon as he turned left, he had seen a blonde female in black kimono, her hair tied in four ponytails. She was using a smaller version of her tessen, her hand pulling the collar part of her kimono back and fort. It was scorchingly hot; that was the only thing she could think of to get through the heat.

Grasses made small sounds, which made the lass step back quite aloof from the culprit, her tessen ready for any technique she would execute. However, her shoulders drooped when her orbs had seen a familiar, deadpan face. Nara Shikamaru. "You..?"

"Yeah, me. What about it?"

The female returned her tessen on her back, sat on a cut tree's trunk and began fanning herself again. It was quiet between the two of them until the female turned to the latter, who was now sitting back-to-back with her.

To his surprise, he flinched slightly. ...W-What's wrong with this woman..?

"What are you doing here?" She asked, tone was the usual stoic one she had.

The lad scoffed. "I could ask you the same," then looked away.

Her tone didn't change, except that she was obviously starting to banter with the other. "Didn't anyone mention to you that it's rude when one person is asking you about something but replies with another question? Really, Shikamaru. I even had in mind that you're a genius," scoffed the blonde back.

This time, it had gotten Shikamaru. All he did was sigh in annoyance, eyes landing far across his direction. I answered her question. What's wrong with that? He'd go for another round of bantering, but he would rather not to. Besides that he would put effort on something unnecessary, it would also just tire him out.

Silence had then conquered the two until the sandy blonde began again.

There she goes...

"Are you...lost..?"

That question made him jolt back to reality. He didn't want anyone to find out he was lost, not a troublesome woman like Temari. "No," he simply answered. He was thinking of sending her a reply of if I'm not, I wouldn't be here but then thought that she would be able to see another hole in his statement so Shikamaru didn't.

"Well, I am."

Even though the pineapple-haired male had known this person to be an intelligent girl who wasn't easily one for mockery--except when she first joined the Chuunin Exams--he was surprised to know that Temari wasn't afraid of telling someone they couldn't do something. Well, I'm a man. It's harder for us than girls to admit that we're lost in a forest we know. Man, so troublesome... "You are?"

"You heard me. I was supposedly going to deliver these documents to the Hokage but I lost my track back in Konoha. I tried choosing different paths, came back to the same spot I started, however to no avail," there was a short pause before she continued, handing over the papers to the male. "I would think this is some kind of genjutsu."

I knew it. She's really an intelligent one.

"Yeah, figured as much. We have been going back and forth to Konoha and Suna; there's no way we'd lose the path back to each village. The only answer for this to end is to find whatever is happening."

"But what is there to look for exactly?"

At this kind of moment, Temari immediately becomes Shikamaru's support. The man is the only person who could make the lass nothing but a support, especially when it comes to tactics. She had known how his I.Q. works, and the sandy blonde was okay with any of those. "Our first hint is this is made by a genjutsu. We cannot possibly get lost in a forest with just one path to Konoha and Suna," sighed the genius. "Slap me."

"...What?"

"Slap me," repeated the man. "In order for us to get out of this illusion, hurting ourselves is one of the ways that could help us get back to reality. So, do it." Besides, I don't want to hurt a girl. Not her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," actually, no. It would hurt but that's the only way. Shikamaru closed his eyes as he readied himself to be slapped. But then, he was surprised to see Temari lying on the floor, unconscious. What did she... The lad scanned the Suna shinobi's body, only to find a pinkish hand on her right cheek. "She...slapped herself..?"

A few moments later, the genjutsu went off.

Shikamaru's eyes familiarised himself of the forest, soon revealing an apologetic Iruka, a little genin boy and the blonde he was with minutes ago, and still is with.

"Iruka-sensei?"

"Well..," embarrassedly, Iruka scratched the back of his head, brows narrowed. "I'm really sorry for what happened. This kid," he said whilst letting the kid face Shikamaru and Temari. "...had a potential of using genjutsu, that's why we went out to train; it was supposedly Kurenai's work but she was busy with someone else."

Someone else? I had no idea who that is. He told himself sarcastically.

"We chose this place because this part is isolated and no one actually goes here; until Temari of Suna arrived. She told us everything."

Another apologetic bow was released by both Iruka and his little student, as they both made their way back to the village. "Thanks again, you two. I'd talk to the Hokage the matters of having a training ground outside Konoha," he said. Iruka made his final wave and then both Shikamaru and Temari were left in their own world again.

"So...," started Shikamaru. "I was the one who's supposedly slapped earlier. Why did you do it to yourself instead?"

Only a grin was given to the lad as her response. Then, she began walking ahead.

Surprised, small tints of red immediately spread itself across Shikamaru's face, right hand delivering a scratch on the back of his head. His eyes shifted to the side saying "I don't get her; women are troublesome."