XI: The Spectacle

Shikamaru sat in a restaurant, eminently annoyed. One might say that it the company that was to blame, but that would be unfairly blaming the company that was actually there. Across the table from him was Temari, who was feeling very much the same way.

It had been a month since the two had agreed to begin dating, though in truth they were only doing so in the limited definition of the term, though not entirely through their own choice. They had been having dates at least once a week, meeting for a meal or a walk in a park as their busy schedules. This was the limit of their interactions, but their busy lives was not the only reason.

Temari moved the few remaining scraps of food on her plate. "She still watching?" she asked as she lifted a bite up to her mouth.

"Yeah," Shikamaru replied, looking out the window. He could sense Ino somewhere on the other side, looking at them. It might not have been her even, but one of her jutsu. With the way she'd been developing her skills in the Yamanaka secret techniques she might even be directly watching them herself, but using some sort of intermediary to check up on them whenever she wished. "I don't think anyone else has joined her this time, at least."

"I think you're right," Temari said, nodding. She pushed the last vestiges of her food away from her. "I mean, seriously, they're all at least chonin level, jonin or even beyond. At the very least they can spy on us without us figuring it out so quickly every time."

"It's not like its an actual mission," Shikamaru mused. "They're probably not being as careful as they could be." Indeed, he and Temari had noticed nearly all of their friends in the leaf village watching them from the shadows at one time or another, Ino was merely the most frequent offender. Even Kage-level ninja like Naruto and ones with Kage-level responsibilities like Kakashi had joined in on occasion and it had hardly escaped either Shikamaru's or Temari's senses. Those were just the times that they had sensed them. Both were fully aware that every one of their friends were competent at tracking, scouting, and infiltration, and were fully capable of hiding their presence from them to at least a certain degree. That only served to make them paranoid that they were being watched at all times, even when they had every reason to believe that they were not.

The new couple stood up and walked over to the counter to pay their bill. Shikamaru moved to pay for it himself, but Temari beat him to it. They smiled and laughed at their little game, but it was somewhat hallow, as they could feel the watchful presence shift outside, an indescribable sixth sense that was like a tingling in the back of their minds.

"I…don't suppose," Shikamaru began, with the nervousness of a schoolboy asking out his first girl, "that you'd…like to come over, or something?"

Temari reacted with a shiver that ran down her spine, almost imperceptible to anyone but him. "No, I don't think so." She glanced over at the window above their table.

Shikamaru understood and felt the same way, asking only out of some sense that it's the kind of thing that he's supposed to do and the fact it felt so unnatural for them to be so reticent to do so. The idea that they could be watched at any given moment, even if the watchers were well meaning, made them nervous to meet anywhere other than in public. They both went home alone.

Shikamaru sat in his office at the Hokage Residence, bored out of his skull. Not for a lack of anything to do, there was always something to do when you work for the Hokage, but rather because he couldn't bring himself to actually do much. He glanced out the window, where he saw a bird perch itself on a tree branch outside and look directly at his office window.

"Tsk," Shikamaru spat, turning away from the sight. He then took a deep breath. "Know what may not even be Ino," he rationalized, "could just be one of any number of birds." He looked back over his shoulder, the bird still sitting on its branch, seemingly minding its own business, cleaning its feathers.

Finally, Shikamaru decided to just leave for a moment, maybe go to one of the break rooms. He could find something to eat, take his mind off his situation. More importantly, they didn't have windows.

"Another break Shikamaru?" the young jonin heard as he exited his office. Turning, he saw Shizune walking past with an armful of boxes and files. "Seem to be taking a lot lately." She grunted as she adjusted the weight in her arms.

"Yeah," Shikamaru answered vaguely. "I mean, no…I've just been distracted lately with this whole…thing."

"Ah," Shizune replied as she resumed her path. "Well, you two are the hottest new item since well…Naruto and Hinata, I suppose."

"Yeah," Shikamaru said. He stood there a moment, staring at the door to his office. He reached out for the handle and, after a moment of hesitation, he opened it and stepped back into the room.

He didn't walk back to his chair, or even think about it. Instead, he just stood in the doorway, looking out the window. The bird was still there, unmoved from its perch. It took a break preening its feathers to look up at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru shook his head, annoyed more than anything else. Then, looking once more out the window, he noticed that directly beyond the bird in its tree was the Sand Embassy.

"Ah, what a - ow!" he exclaimed as the door to his office opened behind him, hitting him in the back.

"Eh, Shikamaru," Choji began as he stepped into the room, "um, what are you doing just standing in the doorway?"

"Nothing," Shikamaru replied, rubbing his back and stepping out into the room. "Now, what do you want?"

"Oh, nothing," the Akimichi said, "I just thought you ought to know that Naruto's back from his big secret mission, I was just on the way to tell Kakashi-sensei."

"Oh, ok," Shikamaru stated. "Wait," he suddenly exclaimed, his eyes widening in a moment of recognition, "Would you happen to know where he is right now?"

"Hanging out at the Hokage Monument, if I'm not mistaken," Choji answered.

"Thanks," Shikamaru replied as he walked out of the office, past his friend.

Standing on the roof of the Hokage Residence, the great stone face of the Third Hokage loomed large over Shikamaru as he stepped out onto the roof.

"Hey, Naruto, you up here?" he yelled.

Shikamaru's voice rang out, followed by a moment of still silence. Then the voice of Naruto called out in response, "Shikamaru? That you?" The blonde ninja's head poked out from the plateau on top of the monument, looking down at Shikamaru. He jumped, landing in front of the Nara.

"Needed something, Shikamaru?" Naruto asked the Nara.

"Nothing really important," Shikamaru answered. "It's just…" he paused, putting into context for the first time the personal nature of his question. He scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Just what?" Naruto prompted, leaning in towards Shikamaru.

"Well, um. Oh, this is such a drag," Shikamaru stammered on. "Ok. When you and Hinata started dating you guys…well, I'm sure you drew a lot of attention and, um. Look, what I really want to know is, how did you guys deal with it?!"

"Hm?" Naruto replied, processing the question. "Well, we used to get a lot of people snooping around us. Too be honest, I didn't really know what to do about them. But Hinata, oh, you should have seen her," he said, his eyes suddenly lighting up as he started talking about his girlfriend. "Once, we were trying to get some alone time, you we could, you know." The world's greatest ninja unsubtly attempted to convey his meaning through borderline obscene gestures.

"Yeah, just go on, Naruto," Shikamaru said impatiently.

"Ok," Naruto replied defensively. "Anyway, some guy was following us, had a camera, so I guess he was trying to sneak a picture. Hinata sensed him and before I knew what she'd hit him with one of those air palm attacks and sent him flying 30 feet through the air." He moved his arms above his head, mimicking the arc of an object in flight, his voice and mannerisms filled with excitement and obvious admiration of his love.

"Anyway," Naruto continued, "after that people stopped bothering us as much. And when they did she'd just scare them straight. I mean, Hinata might seem all sweet and nice and stuff, but she can be really scary when she wants to be."
"I know," Shikamaru replied with a chuckle.

"Naruto?" A faint cry could be heard coming from the plateau.

"Um, just a minute, honey!" Naruto called back, laughing nervously to himself.

"Huh? Oh damn it." Shikamaru said, holding his handd to his face. "Here I am asking you about…" he shock his head in annoyance at himself. "I'm sorry, man."

"Hey, don't worry, Shikamaru," Naruto said, smiling, before leapt back up to the top of the monument.

Shikamaru turned and left the lovers to their rendezvous.

The bird was gone. Shikamaru was standing out in front of the Hokage Residence, looking up at the tree outside his office window. He looked back down across the street, focused on the Sand Embassy, almost to the exclusion of all else. He didn't notice the people walking about, the young genin quietly gawking at him, or the receptionist who tried to welcome him into the embassy. Before long he was standing at the door to Temari's office.

"Shikamaru, what are you doing here?" Temari asked as the Leaf shinobi walked into her office unannounced.

"Oh, nothing, I was just wondering if you'd like to go to the park, perhaps?" Shikamaru said with a smoothness that didn't match his state of mind. It would have fooled anyway watching, save for a select few such as the one watching him.

"Sure," Temari replied with a practiced shrug that would have fooled anyone that didn't know her like Shikamaru did. She stood up and together she and Shikamaru left the embassy.

They made their way to one of the many parks in the village, where Shikamaru led his girlfriend to one of the benches and sat down.

"So what is this about?" Temari asked.

"Nothing," Shikamaru replied, "I have a plan."

Temari smirked. "Oh, for what? I'm dying to see."

Out of the corner of his eye Shikamaru saw a bird land in a nearby tree. "You'll see," he whispered, smiling with a manufactured casualness. "Just, talk to me. Or at least look like it."

"Ok," Temari said with a loud chuckle. That turned into a full fledged laughing fit as she rested her head on his shoulder as if he'd just told her the greatest joke she had ever heard.

Shikamaru smiled at her display and saw a second bird join the first. Quickly a third joined it. Holding his hands in his lap he slowly moved through the signs for the Shadow Pull Jutsu. A tendril of shadow slithered from under the bench and up the tree. Carefully positioning this shadow, he prepared his strike.

"Now," Shikamaru said. The shadow sprang up and wrapped itself around the three birds, tight enough to prevent them from escaping but not so tight as to harm them. Turning his head he looked at the birds. Two were panicing as any bird would be if it were suddenly grabbed by a shadow. The third merely looked at Shikamaru blankly. He smiled at it.

"Well," Temari said as Shikamaru brought the birds within arm's reach of them. "So, is the first step in your plan to become king of the birds? Do please tell me the next step of your grand strategy."

"To wait," Shikamaru replied simply.

"Ah," Temari emoted. She looked over and, noticing the unnaturally calm bird, reached out to touch it. "Hm, curious. I wonder…"

Any thoughts they might have had were interrupted by a scream in the distance, yelling, "Shikamaru!"