The Fox Sage

Ch. 12 : Tension

Many days had passed. Naruto returned, once he did the whole team reported what had happened, they had found Sauske but couldn't bring him back. Soon a search for the Akatsuki began, she wasn't sure how it was going to go down, there was still many members left. Ino, Choji and Asuma all came by to see her, Ino in particular, had started to be a pretty close friend, she asked all of them about Shikamaru. Ino said she hadn't seen him since that day at the barbeque place, Choji said he went to his place but he wasn't there, Asuma had said he played a game of shogi with him and he seemed fine. "Kakashi, can I please go see Shikamaru?" Ray asked, "not by yourself, you really shouldn't leave at all but if you were to just go speak with him then come back quickly with a Jounin" he adjusted in his hospital bed. "How do I get somebody to take me?" she asked, "you probably should have asked Asuma before he left earlier" Kakashi was still reading that same book. "Damn, your right" she sighed frustrated, "you know for somebody so intelligent I would think you would have thought of that, your different around Shikamaru" he chuckled, "no I'm not" Ray crossed her arms embarrassed, and frustrated that she couldn't leave, especially now that Kakashi was ranting about her being 'different' around Shikamaru. "Whatever you say" he flipped a page in his book.

"Hey, I forgot..." Asuma peaked his head around the door only to quickly be interrupted, "Asuma!" Ray ran to the door, "uhhh...yes" he looked down to her fully standing in the door way. "Can you please take me somewhere?" she begged, he looked to Kakashi before returning his attention to Ray, "Where?" he asked, simply. Kakashi chuckled at his response, "shut up" Ray whined whipping around to face Kakashi, "to...Shikamaru's place" she blushed once she turned her attention back to Asuma. He smirked, "yea I can" Ray smiled, but was still massively embarrassed, Asuma began to walk out the door when Kakashi caught his attention, "what did you forget?" he asked, "oh it can wait" Asuma smiled before walking away, Ray in tow.

"Thank you Asuma sensei" Ray walked next to him, "it's not a problem, I don't mind playing escort, I just had plans for that night when Tsunade asked me to watch you" Asuma explained, "well I'm glad I'm not too much of a burden" she smiled, "not at all, so why do you want to talk with Shikamaru, you have been asking about him a lot" he looked to Ray accusingly, but light hearted, "Oh, have I?" Ray looked away to hide her embarrassment rubbing the back of her head, "you have" he pressed the question. "Oh, well you know, people check up on friends right" she chuckled uncomfortably, "sure" he chuckled amused by her lack of composure. "Here we are" he walked to the front door knocking, "hey Asuma" Shikaku opened the door, "what do you need?" Shikaku asked in his deep, alluring voice. 'I wonder if Shikamaru will have that voice when he gets older?' Ray thought to herself. "Well Ray here wanted to see Shikamaru" Asuma smiled childishly, "I see, come in" Shikaku stood aside letting the two of them in, "he's in the shogi room" Shikaku pointed the direction Ray should go. "Thank you, Mr. Nara," Ray bowed, "I'm going to talk with Shikaku, go on" Asuma sat at a table nearby, Ray nodded before disappearing through the door way.

Ray made her way to the room where her and Shikamaru had played a game of shogi that night Pein appeared. Once she reached it she found him playing by himself, she knocked on the wall since the door was open, "hey" she stated shyly. Shikamaru looked up to see Ray standing in the doorway, "I thought you had to stick with Kakashi?" Shikamaru returned his attention back to the shogi board, "can I come in?" she asked, her hands behind her back. Shikamaru signaled her to enter the room, she smiled as she made her way to the other side of the shogi board. Shikamaru began setting it up for a new game then signaled her to begin, "so, are you afraid of me?" Ray asked as she moved her first piece. Shikamaru kept his eyes on the board, "no" he moved his piece. Ray looked to him disappointed, she was hoping for a little more than no, even if he said he was "ok" she moved her piece. "Then why did you leave like that?" she asked, Shikamaru sat quietly keeping his attention on the board still. They played for a few minutes Shikamaru remaining quiet the whole time, Ray was tired of the silence, "you could have said something" Shikamaru continued to stay quiet as the game went on. After a few more minutes of silence Ray made her final move before Shikamaru won the game, "well I was hoping to talk to you even if you did hate me, but I guess I'll leave" Ray spoke sadly as she stood up. She began to walk to the door when Shikamaru finally spoke, "wait" he sighed, Ray turned around watching him stand up. "I don't know" he made his way to her, "don't know what?" she looked at him confused, "why I left like that" he stopped, surprisingly close to her. "How do you not know" she took a step back, forcing her to realize how close she was to the wall. "I just don't, just know I don't hate you, I don't dislike you in any way" he began to close the gap between them, looking as if he was in some sort of trance, Ray's back was already against the wall so she wasn't sure what to do. "Ray we need to go" they both heard Asuma's voice from afar, breaking Shikamaru's focus on Ray. "I'm glad we were able to talk, and I'm glad you don't hate me" Ray stated before sliding away from between him and the wall, making her way towards the front of the house. 'What was that?' Ray thought to herself putting her hand on her chest, 'why is my heart beating so fast.' Once she reached Asuma she had regained her composure, "sorry to keep you waiting" she approached Asuma who was standing at the door, "it's fine, you have been gone to long though" he opened the door, they then left back to the hospital. 'What is happening' Shikamaru placed his hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat, 'am I sick?'