One "I surrender" left Temari completely stunned.
And Temari wasn't the only one stunned. Everyone watching was too!
Asuma Sarutobi nearly rolled down from above. "You bastard, Shikamaru! What nonsense are you spouting? Take that back!"
Wasn't this enough to drive people mad? Who won a match only to hand the fruits of victory over to someone else?
"Sorry, Asuma-sensei!" Shikamaru Nara scratched the back of his head. "I'm not good at hand-to-hand combat. If this had been a fight to the death, I probably would've lost long ago, so I surrender."
With that, Shikamaru Nara released the Shadow Imitation Technique and coolly walked out of the arena.
Temari remained rooted where she stood. Watching the pineapple-haired boy's back, her thoughts fell into complete disarray.
Since Shikamaru Nara had surrendered and left the field, the winner of this battle naturally became Temari.
"Are you okay?" Back in the Sand Village's section, Kankuro asked quietly. "We didn't come here for the Chunin Exams anyway. Besides, isn't it good that you became a Chunin by sheer coincidence?"
"Got it. I don't need you lecturing me." Temari immediately resumed her aloof expression.
Over on Konoha's side, Shikamaru Nara was met with a triple assault the moment he returned.
"Shikamaru? Has your brain short-circuited? Why did you surrender?" Naruto Uzumaki said, frustrated beyond belief.
"Becoming a Chunin lets you take higher-level missions, make lots of money, and become more popular with girls. Why would you refuse?"
Naruto Uzumaki, who aspired to become Hokage, simply couldn't understand it.
"Because I'm not interested in being a Chunin. Besides, the Nara clan may not be a major clan, but we don't lack money, and I've never considered girls either."
"But that doesn't give you the right to lecture me, or to sneak-attack me just now!" Shikamaru Nara