Till The Wind Changes ✔

X. Departure

"That farewell kiss which resembles greeting, that last glance of love which becomes the sharpest pang of sorrow."

- George Elliot

﹌﹌﹌

He carefully studied her face as she analyzed the board in front of them. He observed with a beam on his face the way her brows furrowed as she tried to make up her mind about what should be her next move. Shikamaru found her unconscious facial display quite a spectacle by itself. He had never seen a woman of her characteristics, usually so decisive and confident, display so much doubts to make a move.

Having to wait was quite troublesome, but he entertained himself by discovering the behaviour patterns in the facial expression of the kunoichi. He knew, by his own experience, that everyone had a pattern that they most likely follow when stuck in a movement. He was calm and composed. It had become a habit of his to just close his eyes and arrange his hands in the shape of a circle, with each finger connecting with its other hand counterpart. It helped him to think clearly, more organized.

She, well, she was different. A desert flower, rough yet surprisingly beautiful. She clearly hated to feel she didn't have control over the situation. Her brows will be furrowed as she rested her head on the back of her hand and sporadically touched her hair pulling it out of her eyes. Those large teal eyes scanned the board inexhaustibly, consistently looking in desperation for the hamartia, that fatal burden that could cost Shikamaru the game, give her the win.

Shikamaru chuckled at this thought. Like that was going to happen. She hadn't beaten him in a game of shogi before and he doubts she'll beat him anytime soon.

Her fingers started wandering across the board, reaching forward. She barely skimmed the top of a piece before withdrawing her hand with a soft sight and a disappointed look. Her left hand went right back to her hair, raking her fingers lightly through her sandy locks. It was right there when Shikamaru was able to confirm his theory, she was frustrated or thinking really hard, probably both.

Shikamaru allowed himself to wander away in his thoughts. It had been only a week since he had taught her to play shogi, and she was learning quite fast. However, that didn't surprise him at all, he knew she was a troublesome yet intelligent woman. Unfortunately, between their work at the Academy, his missions and her new position as a delegate of Sunagakure, they rarely had time to see each other outside of work at all. So, when they got some time they would sit down and play a match and, although it might sound crazy, it was through these matches that Shikamaru got to know her the best.

He still couldn't believe that she accepted to play shogi with him that first time. He rarely got any new opponent and although playing with Asuma would always hold a special meaning to him he was glad to find a new, decent rival. Since the Chunin Exams, he had wondered what it would be like to play against her but given her troublesome nature, he thought that, just like his mom, she would completely deny playing against him. To his surprise she accepted, though now he had come up to think better about it, she'll probably accept searching for that one-on-one rematch she reproached at him.

He never could understand her obsession with a match in which she had beaten him. Well, actually she had won two fights against him, on the exams and the one in which she let him escape. However, she would keep on existing. She won neither of them, in the first one she won the match while she lost the battle and in the second one she won the battle but she lost the match. Following her logic they were at a null point; neither of them had completely defeated the other, and to some extent, he couldn't deny her troublesome logic.

To be completely fair, he was also quite surprised by their matches at the Chunin Exams. She had surprised him. It was the first time another ninja of his age was able to foil many of his strategies and even outwit him. Thinking back to that time, no matter how he looked at it, that was her win. From that moment Shikamaru knew she was definitely different. Now, he was thankful she was strong-headed enough to be unable to see it the same way he did.