Ashley's POV

I feel my wet clothes, soaked with a mixture of water and sweat, sticking to my skin, as I grit my teeth together and stare hard at the target only a few metres away. I swipe my long fringe from my face, my hair determined to stick to my face, as I take another tentative step forwards.

I can feel my arms and legs trembling, both from fatigue and from pain. I've been walking on the lake and trying to retrieve my headband for three hours already today, not to mention the previous four weeks or so of doing the same thing.

All while still wearing these weights too. I barely notice them anymore if I'm honest, but they do start to feel heavy after a few hours of wear. Not to mention, being blown up over and over again, almost every day.

I've been getting so close to retrieving my headband from this stupid lake, but controlling my chakra like this is still so difficult, and I always end up stuffing up before I can grab it. What makes it even harder, is that every time I get blasted from the lake and land back on the dirt, I have to hurry and step back out onto the water, without a break to recover.

Kyoku watches me like a hawk. If I don't get back onto the water immediately, she lunges for me, almost as if she's just been waiting for the opportunity to hurt me further. She's merciless.

And yet, any time I ask for help, whether it be how I should be channelling my chakra, or how to visualise what I'm supposed to be doing, she's always more than happy to advise me. Mind you, she does it in that cool, calm voice that really grinds my gears.

I've yet to see any other expression on her face. It's like nothing phases her. Like she's above such stupidity. Whether she's beating me up, or I'm celebrating a goal with my training, her expression always remains the same. It's really frustrating.

A big part of me still hates her, but there is, admittedly, a tiny part of me that finds her interesting. She's not like anyone else I've met before.

Which, in the end, is probably a good thing. Kyoku has shared very tiny details about herself and her time in the ANBU over the last five months, and it certainly makes me even more wary of her. It's like she inferred when I first met her. People with kind hearts don't belong in the ANBU Black Ops, and some people are more suited to the work than others.

Kyoku seems to be very well suited to being an ANBU.

"Ack!" I grunt, my lapse of concentration causing one foot to suddenly pass through the water's surface. I squeeze my eyes closed, just as something explodes beneath my feet.

Feeling that familiar, yet excruciating, blast of a bomb lash against the skin of my leg, I am blown high into the air. I am unable to control myself as I tumble wildly, before suddenly slamming into the ground on my side, hitting my head.

I lay there for a few moments, completely winded, as my shoulder and head throb with pain. My legs shake, as if I am cold, though in actuality, I am just in a lot of pain. I suck in a sharp breath and release it slowly, turning my head to look up, as Kyoku leans over me, her arms crossed.

She watches me with those half-lidded eyes of hers, no expression on her face. I know that she's just waiting for me to move though, seeing as I always immediately jump up and go again. Instead of climbing to my feet however, I find myself beginning to scowl at her expression.

I get really tired of Kyoku standing over me while I writhe around in pain on the ground, like a helpless worm. I'm tired of constantly worrying about her hitting me, and I'm tired of feeling the skin of my legs and feet burning from those bomb blasts. Not to mention, the soles of my feet stinging from having my chakra focused in them for such long periods of time.

I'm tired of feeling like I'm not improving, like I'm just dragging along behind everyone else. What's even the point of doing this stupid training? I'm not getting anywhere like this. It's been five months of what feels like constant failure and frustration. And while Sakura's learning cool medical Jutsu and Naruto is out there somewhere, getting stronger and learning cool new attacks, I'm lying here in the dirt. Again.

"Dammit!" I shout, my irritation boiling over, as I sit up and raise my fist. Angry, I slam it down into the ground, only for the dirt to crumble away beneath my knuckles, a faint tremor passing underneath me.

I blink in surprise, staring down into the small crater that my punch has created, in disbelief. I barely even notice the painful pulsing in my knuckles, as I slowly look to my hand.

How had I managed to do that?! I've never been able to punch that hard before!

While I had been able to focus chakra into my fists before starting my training with Kyoku, my punches have never had the destructive force to shatter the ground like that. And while my punch may still be nothing compared to that of Lady Tsunade or Kyoku, I'm still shocked at the small crater sitting right in front of me.

"Your chakra control is improving" Kyoku points out, dragging my attention over to her, my eyes wide. She too looks at the crater I have just created, the corner of her mouth turning up, before she turns her teal eyes to me. "Sometimes it may not seem like you're changing, despite all of the hard work that you do. However, every drop of water raises the ocean. You cannot train without improving. It may not seem noticeable at first, but given time and persistence, the fruits of your labour will become apparent."

I tilt my head at that, brows furrowing slightly as I give Kyoku a suspicious look.

Is she encouraging me?

Kyoku turns her head, looking out over the lake, before I see her gaze drifting back over to me, the woman watching me from the corner of her eye.

"......You have five seconds to get back on the water" she warns me casually, words that cause me to scramble to my feet. This time however, it's not because I'm afraid.

I bare my teeth in a smirk, focusing chakra back into my feet again, ignoring the different senses pain aching and burning throughout my body, as I step out onto the lake again.

Feeling invigorated by the sudden revelation that I have actually improved, even if only slightly, I find myself walking closer and closer to my headband, a sense of determination inside me that I haven't felt for awhile.

While maybe only a small victory, I feel like I haven't had any solid proof that I've been improving over the last few months. Yeah, maybe I've noticed that I move a little faster during the few times I've trained with Team Eight recently, but they had all clearly been improving as well.

That punch in the dirt is the first solid proof I've had that the last five months haven't been for nothing. It makes me eager to keep going, to see how strong I can become. Once I can complete this training, we'll move on to something else. Kyoku has said that she's slowly working on easing me into tougher and tougher training, to get my body used to the changes needed to improve my chakra network.

While I haven't enjoyed the training at all, that one little punch has suddenly made me excited about what we're going to be doing next.

I'll show Sakura and Naruto both, that between the three of us, I'm definitely going to be the strongest the next time we're all together again!

"I got it!" I yell victoriously, reaching out and snatching my headband from the target, before holding it high in the air. "Ha!"

Before I can wallow in my joy for too long however, my celebration causes me to lose concentration, which results in both of my feet slipping into the water. Before I can so much as let out a cry of surprise, a thunderous boom erupts below me, and I am once again blasted high up into the air.

I scrunch my face up at the pain, hugging my headband tight to my chest as I tumble through the air. I hit the ground with a painful crunch, my body curled up, as blood seeps from the fresh new burns on my legs. My breath ragged, I lift my head as Kyoku walks over, my head feeling as if it is spinning.

I barely notice any of that though, grinning at the blue haired woman as I roll over onto my back and tie my Leaf headband back around my neck.

"I finally did it" I laugh breathlessly, a huge sense of relief washing over my as I lay my arms out to my sides, probably looking like a dying starfish.

Now looming over me, seemingly trying to inspect my injuries, I make eye contact with my emotionless teacher, not overly sure what she's thinking now that I have succeeded. She may still hit me. I wouldn't put it past her, considering she seems to enjoy it so much.

To my immense surprise however, I see Kyoku's mouth turn up into a small smile, an expression that I've yet to see on her face since I met her five months ago. I didn't even think she knew how to smile!

"Good job" the woman says simply, closing her eyes as she straightens up and walks away from me.

Ashley's POV

"Tag?" I repeat dubiously, one eyebrow quirked as I look up at Kiba, who is standing in my doorway, grinning.

Having only gotten home from yet another boring C Rank mission yesterday, I had been given today off, as per usual. Kyoku always gives me a day off after a mission for some reason, even if I'm uninjured. I don't really know why, but it's hardly something I'm going to complain about.

Only moments earlier, someone had started banging loudly on my door, and obviously that had turned out to be Kiba, as well as Akamaru. While I had been happy to see him, as being at home alone can be somewhat boring, his suggestion had certainly surprised me.

"Yeah!" Kiba says eagerly. "A bunch of us are gonna play. It'll be great!"

".....How did the idea of Tag even come up?" I question, tilting my head to the side.

"It started off as a joke when we ran into Team Ten earlier" Kiba explains with a shrug, "But then it kinda just turned into a real thing. Lee, Tenten and, can you believe it, even Neji are all gonna join as well."

"Neji is going to play Tag?" I ask, incredulous. "Well, now I'm convinced. I have to see that."

"It'll be great" Kiba laughs, folding his hands behind his head as I step out of my house. "I haven't played Tag since I was a kid! But I used to play it with Shikamaru, Choji and Naruto all the time. We would even cut class to play Tag. Iruka Sensei used to get so mad at us for it."

Barking happily, Akamaru bounds ahead of us as we begin to walk, the Ninken's tail wagging with excitement.

"You all cut class together as kids?" I smile at the thought of them all playing together as small children, before heaving a sigh. "I wish I'd gone to school with you guys. It would have been fun...."

"Nah, school was pretty boring" Kiba tells me, clearly trying to make me feel better. "It was only fun when we ran out of class. I spent a lot of my time in detention anyway."

"I'd have probably cut class with you" I muse, smirking at the idea.

"I doubt it" Kiba scoffs. "None of the girls really liked us. Except for Hinata, but she's always been nice to everyone. You'd have probably just thought I was annoying."

"I think that now, so you're probably right" I tease, earning myself a wry grin from Kiba, his sharp teeth showing.

"I'm so annoying, yet you agreed to date me" he counters, to which I immediately turn my head away, my face warming.

"Th-That doesn't mean you're not annoying!" I state hotly, something that makes Kiba chuckle quietly.

We continue walking through the Village, until we come to one of the open training fields, where I can see that a small group of people have already gathered.

"Hey you two!" Ino calls out, turning away from Choji and Shikamaru as we approach, both hands on her hips. "Hurry up. We've been waiting for ages!"

"Shut up" Kiba sighs raggedly, waving Ino off, "It's only been like, ten minutes."

"It's been longer than that!" Ino barks, glaring over at her teammates. "Right you guys?!"

"Sure" Choji agrees with a shrug. "I dunno, I wasn't keeping track of time."

"It was long enough to be a major drag" Shikamaru complains, yawning loudly. "Is this everyone?"

"Now that Ashley is here, we can begin!" Lee cheers, his eyes sparkling.

"Hello, by the way" Tenten says pointedly, waving at me as she sweat drops.

"Oh!" Ino squeaks, blinking. "Right, sorry. Hi Ashley, good morning."

"Good morning Ashley-chan" Hinata greets me with a soft smile, while Shino nods his head in acknowledgement.

"Morning everyone" I respond, crossing my arms over my chest. "So, what exactly is the plan here? I haven't played Tag since I was about five years old, so I can't remember the rules."

"It's a game for children" Neji says disapprovingly, looking bored. "It shouldn't be too hard for you."

"Oh really?" I asks, smirking a little as I raise one eyebrow at the Hyuga. "If it's just a game for kids, then why are you here?"

Neji casts me a sidelong glance at this, though he remains silent, seemingly not wanting to answer. My smirk widens at his lack of reaction, however. He clearly wants to play as well, he's just too stubborn to admit it!

"What version of Tag are we playing?" Choji wonders out loud, while Shikamaru closes his eyes and rubs at his forehead.

"I don't even know why I let you guys drag me into this" he sighs. "Running around like this is not exactly how I wanted to spend my day off......"

"It'll be fun to play a game with your friends Shikamaru" Ino reminds the Nara, pouting at him. "You're so not social at all!"

"I was thinking it would be fun to play ANBU and Rogues" Lee suggests, pointing one finger up into the air, as Kiba, Ino, Choji and Tenten all murmur their agreement.

I tilt my head to the side, a question mark appearing over my head.

"What's ANBU and Rogues?" I inquire, only to pause when everyone turns to look at me in disbelief.

"What do you mean?" Ino asks, apparently perplexed by my question. "Haven't you ever played ANBU and Rogues before?"

"We all played it as kids" Tenten informs me, smiling at the memory. "It's a classic games for kids in the Leaf. It's been ages since I've played it though."

"Well, in case you've all forgotten" I respond, feeling a little defensive, "I didn't grow up here. So how would I know?"

"......Oh yeah, duh" Choji laughs, smacking a palm to his forehead. "How could we all forget that?"

"It's super easy Angel" Kiba explains, turning to me as everyone realises that I've never played this game before. "Half of us will be playing as Rogues, which means you just gotta evade the people playing as ANBU. The ANBU are trying to catch the Rogues, and if a Rogue gets tagged by an ANBU, they have to go into jail, which will just be a spot that we mark out. Another Rogue can free the ones in jail if they can get past all of the ANBU though."

".....So, if I'm a Rogue" I say slowly, trying to understand the rules, "I just have to avoid getting caught. And if I'm an ANBU, I have to catch as any Rogues as I can?"

"Right!" Kiba confirms enthusiastically, clearly eager to play the game.

"How do you win the game?"

"The ANBU win if they can catch all of the Rogues" Lee pipes up, seemingly just as excited as Kiba. "The Rogues will win if they can evade the ANBU for a certain amount of time."

"Let's say....five minutes?" Kiba suggests, before glancing around at all of the others, who all nod in agreement. "After that, we swap sides. And we keep going until we get sick of it. Ya get it?"

"Got it" I smirk darkly, an expression that causes a few of my friends to sweat drop. "I know you all said that it's just a kid's game, but I plan on winning."

"That is the spirit Ashley!" Lee cheers, pumping both fists into the air, his eyes sparkling again. "I will also do my best to win!"

"Just don't hurt yourself" Neji murmurs, subtly rolling his eyes. "Or anyone else."

As we all begin to chat amongst ourselves, with Choji eagerly sharing some stories of his school days, when he, Shikamaru, Kiba and Naruto would ditch school, the Inuzuka and Akamaru run off to find some sticks.

They soon come back however, with Kiba snapping the sticks and holding them out towards us, the ends hidden in his fists so we can't see their lengths.

"Okay, so if there's eleven of us" Kiba says, "There's gonna be six on one team and five on the other."

"Eleven of us?" Tenten asks, glancing around in confusion. "Who's the eleventh player?"

"Akamaru" Kiba states dryly, not impressed that Tenten had forgotten the Ninken. "He wants to play too."

"Should I summon one of my Wolves then, to make it even?" I suggest, to which Kiba's face brightens.

"Yeah, that'd be great Angel!" he says appreciatively, though I can see that some of my friends look a little apprehensive at the idea.

"Could you.....not summon one of the big, scary ones?" Ino asks timidly.

"Yeah, sure" I agree casually, performing a hand sign. "I was going to summon my smallest Wolf. She'll probably enjoy the game more than any of the others anyway. Summoning Jutsu!"

I press my palm down onto the ground, and disappear into a cloud of smoke, as Tiez appears before me. As the smoke begins to clear away, I watch as the purple Wolf blinks in surprise and glances around, before her eyes land on me, one eyebrow quirked.

"What'd you only summon me for?" she asks, seemingly a little suspicious. "You never only summon me."

"We're gonna play a game of Tag" I answer, crouched down to be more eye level with Tiez, "And I thought you might want to join us."

"Tag?" Tiez repeats, tilting her head. "What the heck.....Am I allowed to kill people?"

"No!" Ino shouts from behind me, sounding horrified.

"It's a friendly game" I say pointedly, before letting out a short laugh. "You've been hanging around Kai too much."

My friends and I quickly explain the rules of the game to Tiez, with the small Wolf looking more excited as she grasps the concept. We all take turns choosing a stick, with me holding up one of the short ones.

Kiba then informs us all that those of us with the short sticks are ANBU, while those with the longer ones are the Rogues.

I see Tiez bare her fangs in a sinister grin, the Wolf excited to be playing as one of the Rogues, alongside Shino, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba and Neji. Akamaru bounds over to me, barking his proclamation of planning to win, the pup puffing out his chest.

"That's right Akamaru" I grin at the opposing team, "We're definitely gonna catch all those Rogues and teach them a lesson!"

"Pft" Kiba scoffs, taking one step forwards and holding up a fist. "Yeah right Angel! Look at this team. There's no way we're gonna lose to you guys!"

"The fuzz ain't gonna catch me" Tiez declares.

I look back at my own team, only to see an uncertain Ino, a hesitant looking Hinata, and a deadpanning Tenten, who is watching Lee pump both fists into the air, his eyes sparkling. I hear him babbling something about a competition between youth, but in all honesty, I can't really understand him because of how fast he's speaking.

Kiba and Shino both draw faint lines into the dirt with the heels of their shoes, marking out a boundary for the caught Rogues to stay in once caught, like an invisible prison.

"Alright!" Kiba calls out, stepping back over to his team. "Is everyone ready to start?"

"Yeah!" Tiez barks, jumping from side to side.

"Good to go."

"As ready as I'll ever be....."

"I am also ready!"

"Arf arf!"

"You bet" I smirk at Kiba, already having a plan in mind to help my team win quickly.

"Great" Kiba grins right back. "Then let's start!"

As the Rogues all begin to leap backwards from my team, I immediately drop down and place both palms against the ground. I can't help but smirk again, as the earth rises up beneath the opposing team and wraps itself around their legs, holding them securely in place.

"Alright team" I say casually, rising to my feet and sauntering towards our ensnared opponents, "Let's put these Rogues in prison."

"Hey!" Choji cries out, trying to pull himself free, as a smug looking Ino skips over to him and taps him on the shoulder. "No fair!"

"I'm sure this is against the rules" Neji protests, glaring between Tenten and Lee as they approach him.

"There are no rules when it comes to catching law breakers Neji, my friend" Lee states brightly, whilst Tenten slaps Neji on the back, smiling broadly.

"Ugh, whatever" Shikamaru sighs, hanging his head back, as Akamaru runs over and swats at his knee.

"Arf arf!" the Ninken barks victoriously.

"Sorry Shino-kun" Hinata apologises, reaching out and gingerly placing her hand on the Aburame's forearm.

"It's alright Hinata" Shino says calmly. "You're not the one who cheated."

"What's cheating about it?" I ask, stopping in front of a fuming Kiba and watching him writhe around to try and tug himself free. "You said we had to capture the Rogues, so that's what I did."

"You're not supposed to use Jutsu or anything!" Kiba barks at me, deadpanning when I close my eyes and smile at him, before I reach up and pat him on top of the head, effectively getting him out. "You're a real piece of work, ya know that?"

"Well, how was I supposed to know that we can't use our abilities?" I huff, crossing my arms and raising one eyebrow. "You never explained that part."

Kiba pouts at me in silence for a few moments, before abruptly hanging his head and letting out a sigh.

"Fine" he concedes. "I forgot that you wouldn't know that part. Can you just let us go and then we'll try again?"

"Alright" I agree, lowering my arms, to which the earth ensnaring my friends recedes. I smile innocently at Kiba. "Try not to be a sore loser when I win again in the next round, okay?"

Third Person's POV

Ashley carefully peers around the tree she had hidden behind, watching as Shino and Tenten duke it out ahead of her. She had sensed the two fighting and had decided to follow. While it may seem an underhanded tactic, Ashley planned to take the headbands from whoever was the victor in this fight.

About thirty minutes earlier, everyone had grown tired of playing ANBU and Rogues, to which a still very energetic Lee had suggested Scarf Tag. Ashley of course, hadn't know what that was either, but upon hearing the explanation, she had been eager to try.

The rules were simple. Steal the headbands from as many opponents as you could, and when time was up, whoever collected the most headbands was the winner. Better yet, it had been ascertained that yes, this time, everyone was allowed to use their abilities, though no one was allowed to actually hurt anyone else.

While everyone was allowed to move freely throughout the Village, an agreed upon boundary had been set, otherwise it would have been too difficult to play with such a small amount of people. A flare would be set off from the training grounds they had started from once an hour had passed, signalling the end of the game.

Within thirty minutes, Ashley had managed to steal a headband from both Choji and Shikamaru, tying the two of them around her left arm. And now, Ashley was hoping to steal two more from Tenten and Shino.

The Minami stands perfectly still, watching as Tenten and Shino attack each other from a distance, with the Aburame sending his insects after Tenten in waves. The brunette is able to counter Shino with relative ease however, using her scrolls to summon hoards of weapons and shields, almost rendering the Aburame's attacks useless.

Ashley hadn't seen much of Tenten's fighting abilities before, but to be able to summon so many items in such quick succession had obviously taken a lot of training. The Summoning Jutsu took up a lot of chakra, and it wasn't something that everybody had the ability to do, so while Ashley was watching to take advantage of the situation, she was also just impressed by what she was seeing.

Suddenly, Ashley's body jolts, and her eyes roll into the back of her head, before she collapses to the ground. Within a few seconds however, Ashley slowly sits up and climbs to her feet, one hand resting on the tree for support.

Raising her eyes to check that Shino and Tenten hadn't noticed her presence, Ashley smirks to herself, before spinning on her heel and jogging away. After a few moments, Ashley comes to a stop, looking down at Ino's unconscious body, sitting with her back propped up against a tree, the girl hidden behind a large bush.

"Sorry Ashley" Ashley apologises out loud, quickly untying the headbands from her arm and the one from around her neck, "But you didn't hide very well. I hope you don't hold it against me, but I'm taking my teammate's headbands, as well as yours. I plan on winning today!"

Ashley grins as she ties the headbands around Ino's neck, the girl's usual headband also tied around her waist. As soon as she is done, Ashley turns around and sprints away, wanting to put as much distance between Ino's body and hers.

"I'm glad there's no monster in your mind today Ashley" Ashley mutters, as Ino recalls the time she had tried to take over Ashley's body that time in the Land of Ambience. "That was really scary....."

Having run for a few minutes, and satisfied that she has covered enough distance, Ashley places her hands together in a hand sign, as Ino transfers her mind back into her own body. As the Yamanaka's mind leaves Ashley's body, she slumps back to the ground.

The Minami lets out a low groan as she pushes herself up into a sitting position, blinking her bleary eyes slowly, feeling dazed. Ashley turns her head from side to side, trying to figure out where she is, only for realisation to dawn on her.

She raises her left arm, her eyes widening, before she reaches up to grab at her own neck. Unable to feel her headband in its usual place, Ashley leaps to her feet, her eyes blazing.

"Dammit Ino!" Ashley growls in frustration. "That was so sneaky!"

Focusing her Katsuryoku, Ashley tries to sense for the fight between Tenten and Shino again, still wanting to grab both of their headbands. Able to feel that the two are still fighting, Ashley heads back in their direction, though this time, the blonde is sure to remain vigilant of any movement around her.

She didn't want to risk another sneak attack......Although, seeing as Ashley didn't currently have any headbands, a sneak attack wouldn't really matter right now.

Coming to a stop near the fight, Ashley is able to see that Shino seems to have overpowered Tenten, with the girl now sitting on the ground, and a straight faced Shino looking down at her. Tenten heaves a dramatic sigh and hangs her head backwards, before untying the headband from her forehead and handing it over to Shino, looking unimpressed.

It wasn't so much that Shino had beaten her per se, it was just that the thought of those creepy crawling on her had freaked Tenten out.

Before Tenten or Shino can react, earth suddenly shoots up out of the ground on either side of Tenten. The two pieces of earth curve over the top of Tenten's head, trapping her inside a small dome of earth.

A kunai is then thrown at Shino, the sharp knife piercing through the material part of Tenten's headband and ripping it from the Aburame's hand, before pinning it to a nearby tree.

"Ashley...." Shino deduces, turning his head as the blonde leaps into his view.

"Sorry Shino" Ashley says with a smirk, "I've gotta make up for some lost numbers real fast."

Not allowing Shino any time to attack her, Ashley raises her arms, which causes more rock to rise up beneath the tall boy. His arms are quickly encased in the earth, rendering him both unable to move away, or release insects from his sleeve.

Moving quickly, Ashley bounds over to Shino and reach up, snatching the headband from his forehead, before running to collect Tenten's headband from the tree It had been pinned to.

"Thanks for these!" Ashley shouts gratefully, holding up both headbands to Shino, before turning and running back into the trees.

Shino merely watches in silence as Ashley disappears, before looking down at his arms, processing what had just happened. Before he can think for too long however, the earthen dome that had imprisoned Tenten suddenly explodes.

Shino turns his head away as small pieces of debris fly in all directions, with Tenten bursting out of the dome, a large mace held in her hands. She glares in all directions, pausing when she spots the trapped Shino not too far from her.

"She got yours too?" Tenten asks dryly, heaving a deep sigh when Shino nods. "Well, our fight was a huge waste then......Alright, brace yourself. I'll get you out of that."

".....Please don't break any of my fingers" Shino asks seriously, to which Tenten shrugs, as she raises the mase over her head.

"No promises" she grins.

Ashley stares down at Shikamaru in shock, seeing the four headbands that he has tied around his arm. More surprising than that though, is that Shikamaru is just lying on top of a building, his hands folded behind his head.

Ashley had initially been following after Kiba, who she had managed to sense up ahead, when she had come to a screeching halt upon spotting Shikamaru. The Nara clearly hadn't seen her yet, his eyes focused up on the clouds above, much to Ashley's delight.

While Shikamaru was incredibly smart, and there was very little chance she could win against him if he had time to think of a plan, Ashley knew that she'd be able to defeat him if she was able to pull off a surprise attack.

Crouching down, Ashley inspects the lower down building, wondering what the best way to attack will be, when Shikamaru lets out a long sigh and tilts his head back. Ashley pauses, when she sees that Shikamaru is now looking up at her, seemingly bored.

".....You're sitting right on one of the wires I set up" he advises, causing a surprised Ashley to look down.

Sure enough, crushed beneath the soles of her shoes, Ashley can see a thin wire, so well hidden, that the blonde hadn't even noticed it. She raises her head again, only to see that Shikamaru is now on his feet and facing her. He smirks, and throws something at the ground, before a thick cloud of smoke billows through the air.

"A smoke bomb?" Ashley scoffs, rising to her feet. "You really think that's gonna work on me? Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

As Ashley leaps down to the building Shikamaru had been lying on, she places her hand in front of her mouth and exhales a blast of chakra infused wind. The whirlwind easily cuts through the smoke from Shikamaru's bomb, the cloud blowing away as Ashley lands in a crouched position.

She whirls around, trying to see Shikamaru, only to find that the Nara is no longer on the roof top.

"Where'd you go Shikamaru?" Ashley wonders out loud, walking over to the roof's edge and peering down at the ground. "You're not that fast, so you can't have gotten far."

"Wow, that's rude" an amused voice says from behind Ashley, causing her to spin back around. She spots Shikamaru as he jumps back up, having hidden himself over the building's edge. The Nara then crouches down and places his hands together, a shadow immediately stretching away from him and attaching itself to Ashley's.

"Ack!" Ashley grunts, her whole body suddenly feeling paralysed. The blonde tries to move her legs, but finds that they, as well as the rest of her body parts, refuse to cooperate with her.

"I've never caught you in my Shadow Possession, have I?" Shikamaru asks, rising to his feet. He slowly begins to walk towards Ashley, the Minami mirroring his actions against her will. "I may not be as strong as some of you guys, but my Jutsu seems to work well for this kind of thing. Although, it's kind of a drag, because it takes so much chakra."

Ashley glowers up at Shikamaru as the two young Ninja come to stop right in front of each other. Shikamaru watches Ashley's face with a straight expression, before the girl's annoyed look causes him to smirk.

He reaches out and begins to untie the two headbands from around Ashley's arm, with the blonde doing the same, although there are no headbands for her hands to untie.

"Looks like I may surprise everyone and actually win this game" Shikamaru muses, thinking it somewhat ironic, considering he hadn't initially wanted to play. "That's six headbands now."

"Laugh it up Shika-kun" Ashley warns darkly, "Because the second you release me from this Jutsu, I'm coming for those six headbands."

Shikamaru pauses at this, a bead of sweat forming on the side of his head. He hadn't planned for running into Ashley exactly, but this had been his plan for anyone who may have come across him while he was resting on the roof top.

There had been wires set up all around his perimeter, all attached to a kunai that Shikamaru had been holding on to. Seeing that Ashley had been his opponent however, Shikamaru knew that he couldn't escape to the ground, as he had been initially planning. She'd be able to track his movements through the earth if he did that. So he had instead, thrown a smoke bomb to cover himself and then had hung over the side of the building, knowing that Ashley wouldn't be able to sense him.

It seemed his plan had worked to at least surprise Ashley and capture her, but from here, Shikamaru didn't really know what to do. It was true that Ashley was faster than him, and no doubt stronger, so if she was going to pursue him when the chakra for his Jutsu ran out, Shikamaru didn't really have much of a plan to counter that yet.

"Maybe I'll just keep you like this until the flare goes off" Shikamaru says with a shrug. "There's not that long left now."

Ashley lets out a low growl, as Shikamaru begins taking steps backwards, forcing her to do the same. The Nara sits down on the roof top's edge, watching Ashley carefully, as she perches on the opposite edge.

"......I doubt you've got the chakra" Ashley states, not actually sure if that is true.

"Well, we'll soon find out" Shikamaru chuckles sheepishly. ".....Man, what a drag......"

For the next two minutes, Shikamaru manages to keep Ashley imprisoned within his Shadow Possession Jutsu, though he finds that he is beginning to sweat.

Ashley had been right of course. There was no way he'd be able to keep this up for much longer. The Jutsu would drain all of his chakra, and then he wouldn't even be able to attempt to defend himself against Ashley's evident attack.

Ashley, staring hard at the shadow on the ground, blinks, when she realises that she is now able to wriggle her fingers a little. She smirks to herself, raising her gaze to Shikamaru, who looks as though he is struggling a little.

"Don't be stubborn Shika-kun" Ashley taunts. "We both know how this is gonna end."

Taking a moment to mull over Ashley's words, Shikamaru hangs his head and runs a hand down the back of his neck, before releasing his Jutsu.

"Fine" Shikamaru concedes, holding up both hands. "You're right. I can't hold the Jutsu for long enough. What a total pain....."

Ashley grins to herself victoriously, shaking off the slight tingling feeling in her arms and legs, before she scurries over to Shikamaru, who is still sitting down.

"Nice try Shika-kun" Ashley compliments, holding her hand out for the headbands. "It was a pretty good plan, except for-"

"Sorry Ashley" Shikamaru interrupts, a knowing smile on his face, as he places his hands together.

"What're you-" Ashley cuts herself off, noticing something tugging on her arm. Glancing down, she spots a thin, shadowy tendril pulling Shino and Tenten's headbands from her arm. Looking back to Shikamaru in confusion, the girl is just in time to see the Nara cheekily salute her, before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Now alone on the rooftop, Ashley blinks in disbelief, before glancing around, wide eyed. She replays the entire encounter in her head, wondering what on earth had just happened.

".....Was that....." Ashley mutters, a vein beginning to pulse on the side of her head, "....Just a clone? Shikamaru! What is with Team Ten being so sneaky today? Argh!"

"I can't believe Shikamaru won" Ino mutters, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "Of all people."

"Congratulations on your victory Shikamaru!" Lee says cheerfully, giving the Nara a bright smile and a thumbs up. "The better man has won today!"

"How did you even manage to get six headbands?" Neji demands to know, stepping forwards.

The Hyuga had been able to collect and keep four headbands, and had assumed no one else would be able to get more than him. He had been shocked upon seeing Shikamaru, when the Nara had sauntered over to the training grounds, arriving last of course.

"Well, I managed to get four from Ino" Shikamaru explains boredly, hands in his pockets as he shrugs his shoulders, "And then I got two more from Ashley."

"You let Shikamaru take two headbands from you?" Kiba asks dryly, looking to Ashley, who immediately pulls a face back at him.

"I didn't let him take them" the blonde argues, huffing. "I managed to get Shikamaru's earlier, but he.......I guess he outsmarted me later on......"

"Same here" Ino sighs dramatically, holding her arms out to her sides, palms up. "There's really no competing with Shikamaru once he actually uses that brain of his."

"I almost feel like Team Ten ganged up on me for revenge" Ashley complains, retying her own headband back around her neck. "First I got Choji and Shika-kun's headbands, and then Ino mind switched with me to take them. Then I got two from Tenten and Shino, and Shika-kun tricked me out of them."

"You used underhanded tactics to get mine" Shino points out, to which Ashley gasps, feigning offense.

"And mine" Tenten adds, grinning as she points an accusing finger at the Minami. "I was too busy fighting off a huge colony of bugs to notice you!"

"I would never use underhanded tactics Shino" Ashley states, closing her eyes and smiling innocently. "I can't believe you'd even accuse me of something like that."

"That's not very nice Shino-kun" Hinata scolds gently, looking between the Aburame and Ashley uncertainly. "We shouldn't accuse our friends of-"

"Ha, yeah right Angel!" Kiba barks sarcastically, slinging an arm around Ashley's neck. "You'd be the first of any of us to fight dirty."

"That feels ironic, coming from you" Ashley points out, blushing a little at the Inuzuka's sudden closeness. She playfully shoves Kiba away, before placing her hands on her hips. "So, what now?"

"Let's go get all you can eat barbeque!" Choji suggests eagerly, his eyes shining. "All this running around has made me work up a huge appetite!"

"Your appetite is always huge" Ino points out in a flat tone.

"Yes!" Ashley cheers, punching one fist into the air. "Barbeque! I'm starving too!"

"Hm, barbeque does sound good...." Tenten murmurs to herself, tapping her chin in thought. "Lee, Neji? Are you guys coming?"

"Certainly not."

"Of course!"

The Hyuga's shoulders droop a little as Lee agrees to attend, the enthusiastic boy slapping Neji on the back to encourage him to join in as well.

"Well duh" Kiba grins, giving a thumbs up as Akamaru jumps onto his shoulder, tail wagging. "Me and Akamaru are totally gonna come. You guys are comin too, right?"

"O-Oh, yes" Hinata confirms, fidgeting a little as she nods her head.

"I'll come too" Shino says, also nodding. "Ashley still hasn't admitted that she used an underhanded tactic to steal my headband."

"I won't have time to argue with you Shino" Ashley states dismissively, scurrying over to Choji and holding one fist up, her eyes blazing. "I'll be having another rematch with Choji!"

"Challenge accepted!" Choji immediately agrees, fire burning in his eyes as well. "You can try all you like Ashley, but no one beats me when it comes to eating barbeque!"

"We'll see about that" Ashley smirks, grabbing onto the end of Choji's scarf and tugging him forwards. "Come on! Let's get your defeat over with!"

"I was just about to say the same thing!" Choji counters, tugging himself free and charging after Ashley.

Watching Ashley and their teammate run off ahead, both Ino and Shikamaru let out heavy sighs, with the Nara tilting his head backwards.

"They're so weird" Ino can't help but laugh. "Come on then Shikamaru. We'd better make sure Choji doesn't eat any under cooked meat this time."

"It's not like he'll learn his lesson even if he does" Shikamaru mutters. "Especially not with Ashley encouraging him like that...."