The Wounded Deer

Chapter Twenty Three

Author Note: Okay, so after working on this chapter bit by bit for a little over a month, and some of the final plot work, I've FINALLY managed to finish this chapter up. So I thank everyone for being patient with me as well as giving me reviews & other feedback for this story. You guys are ALL just plain awesome. Saying that I'm touched would be putting it mildly. *coughs* Anyway, I'll go ahead and shut-up and let you all enjoy this update! ^-^

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“Hey, did you hear?  Shikamaru is going out with Kaede!”

“What, there’s just no way.”

“It’s true, Aki told me who heard from Miki who heard from Ino saying that she saw the two of them holding hands!”

“Kaede and Shikamaru, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”

“Ohmigod, Kaede-chan, why didn't you tell me you were going out with Shikamaru?"

Throughout the night, Shikamaru tossed and turned in his bed as he mulled over his last conversation with Kaede.  With Kaede’s sudden outburst clouding his mind, the old rumors he once heard in the past resurfaced to his subconscious, keeping him from getting a restful sleep.  Although it was mostly due to what Kaede had said to him.

“I didn't want to risk losing what I had with you!”

And risk losing what she had with him?  If Shikamaru didn’t know any better, the way she sounded… it was almost as if she was in lo—

‘That can’t be right.’ Shikamaru eyes snapped open and he quickly shook his head. ‘Last night she said she used to believe those stupid rumors for a short time and humored the thought, that’s not the same thing.  Besides, even if she did have feelings for me, why would she be dating someone else?  She seemed to look pretty cozy with Sayu.’

“Wait…” Shikamaru suddenly bolted upright from his bed, startled by his own snide thought. “Where the hell did that come from?”

Knowing he would get no response, he gave a frustrated sigh before turning his eyes towards the clock resting on his dresser.  It was three in the morning and he was still up.

 ‘Looks like I won’t be getting any sleep tonight.’ Shikamaru let himself fall back until his head met with his pillow, glaring up at the ceiling. ‘What the hell is happening? I’m probably about two minutes away from completely losing my mind.’

More importantly, he began to wonder as he pulled his bed sheets over his head, what was he supposed to do?  He was mulling over how Kaede apparently used to think they’d end up together one day, but he was with Temari.  He thought he was content with the way things were, but now… now he wasn’t so sure how he felt.  One thing he was sure of, pretending he never had the conversation with Kaede in the first place just wasn’t an option for him.  It was already out in the open and he knew it wasn’t gonna go away even if he listened to Kaede and tried to forget about what she said.  Not when it was keeping him from getting any sleep.

‘Sorry Kaede, it’s a drag, but I don’t think I can leave this alone just yet…’

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Temari stood in front of the entrance of the Hokage Residence, her teal eyes looking over the semi-empty streets of Konohagakure in search for a familiar ponytailed wearing chūnin.