It All Started With A Smell

Chapter 8 - Not A Demon

It wasn't really surprising, given how he eats, but nonetheless, Shikamaru still trekked down the corridor to the room the nurse had rudely read out for him. The way she acted you would think he had said something offensive like her red nose hairs didn't match her black hair... which it didn't, but he kept that to himself. Deciding to forget the disgruntled woman, Shikamaru knocked on the door to Choji's hospital room. When he heard his friend give him permission to enter, he slid the door open, waving the basket of fruit for his friend to see. Choji groaned, looking pale.

"Shikamaru, don't be mean! I'm not allowed to eat for at least another twelve hours." Choji groaned again, lying back against the mound of pillows behind him. No doubt his mother had come by. His friend looked pale under his red swirls.

"Yeah, the doctors told me just before I came in. At least you know I did bring you something." Shikamaru sat on the chair next to Shikamaru's bed, putting the fruit basket on the floor, out of Choji's sight. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Not really. Sorry I won't be able to help with training."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Don't worry. Asuma-Sensei gave me the day off until the finals. If I'm not good enough now then I won't be with a day more of training."

"I'm sure you will make it, Shikamaru." Choji gave his friend a smile before he suddenly looked serious. "Did you hear about Naruto?"

It was hard to describe the feeling that washed through him. It was something akin to swallowing cement. He tried to form his face into a look of mild interest whereas he wants to shake the answers about Naruto out of Choji whilst also running out of the room to find Naruto and check on her himself.

"What about him?"

"He's been unconscious for three days now. The nurses found him outside beside a big frog footprint. His chakra plummeted and there were stories about a giant toad... a couple of people even tried to say that the Fourth Hokage was back from the dead... those people were drunk though." Choji gave a soft smile. "Don't worry. When I heard them talking I made sure to ask how he was. They expect him to wake up sometime soon. So he will be awake for tomorrow... though I don't know if he will be okay to compete."

"I don't know why you bothered to ask," Shikamaru said as he fidgeted in his seat before giving his best friend a small smile. "Thanks."

He expected Choji to comment. Instead he yawned widely and somewhat over dramatically. "My parents were here a couple of minutes ago and apparently Asuma-Sensei is going to drop by later. Who would have thought it was so exhausting to be sick."

"How about I go so you can get some rest?" Shikamaru stood up, the shogi board bumping against his fingers as he picked up his basket.

"Thanks." Choji watched Shikamaru walk towards the door before speaking up again. "Can you visit Naruto? I don't know if he'll have anyone. Sakura seems to forget about him thanks to Sasuke and Sasuke and Kakashi-Sensei are too busy training. Not to mention I'm pretty sure his new sensei is the reason he is in the hospital. Do you think you could?"

Shikamaru stood with his hand on the open door. "Sure. It's a drag but I suppose I could... for you, I mean."

"Of course. Thanks, Shikamaru." Choji grinned as Shikamaru waved and walked out, closing the door behind him. He went to the reception desk to ask where Naruto's room was but he received an odd reply. The nurse gave him the room number but then looked darkly at Shikamaru.

"I don't know why you want to visit that monster. It would just be easier if he stayed asleep... or just died." The nurse walked away, ramming her shoulder into Shikamaru's as she did. She had boney shoulders.