Worth a Try

Shikamaru had a habit of analysing every situation he was in, cataloguing every possible option for action each moment, even during his everyday life. It made examining courses of action while fighting that much easier. It also meant that, dependant on facial expression and reaction in a certain setting, Shikamaru could often tell what his opponent was most likely to be thinking. In certain cases, he could be almost 100% of what was running through their mind. These two options combined meant that Shikamaru had a very, very wicked idea during his fight with Tayuya. Shikamaru knew that the shadow hands gave the same amount of pressure as real hands, despite lacking their warmth. How else could one strangle someone using them? He knew that when someone experienced those hands for the first time, it was often disconcerting to have something made of shadow feel like a real touch. For some people, it sent their minds straight to the gutter – and from the momentary flash of interest on Tayuya’s face, he was willing to bet she was one of those people. The two biggest problems he was focusing on were that Tayuya was too far away for him to force the hands to her neck, and she that had enough brute strength to force herself to move even under the shadow bind. It meant that if at all possible, he needed to distract her – at least long enough to think up a decent plan. And so Shikamaru groped her using the shadow hands. Tayuya’s entire body jerked as she realised what he was doing. “What the fuck?” she half-screamed. “You little pervert, I’m gonna kill you!” Sighing, Shikamaru retracted the hands as his opponent raised the flute to her lips again. It was worth a try, he thought.

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