The Wounded Deer

Chapter Eight

'Idiot,' Shikamaru berated in his mind. 'How could I've forgotten her birthday?'

The lazy Nara rushed through the crowded streets, trying to find his way over to the Konoha Shopping District to pick up Kaede's birthday present. He remembered Ino talking about Kaede's birthday coming up, but once she started talking nonstop about it, he ended up tuning her out.

::Flashback::

Shikamaru let out a loud yawn as his lazy brown eye stared up the sky, watching white clouds slowly float by.

"SHI-KA-MA-RU!" Ino emphasized each syllable, snapping Shikamaru out of his usual daydream as she gave a forceful grip of his chuunin vest.

"W-What the hell Ino-" he was cut off abruptly when he noticed her usual blue eyes had a certain angry aura in them, something that reminded him of the glare his mom usually gave him. Scary...

"Don't 'What the Hell' me! I've been trying to get your attention for the past ten minutes and what do you do, ignore me!" she yelled, tightning her grip on his vest.

"Well what do you expect, I just finished about three hours worth of paper work for the Hokage." he mumbled tiredly, averting his gaze from her piercing glare.

"Regardless, the least you could do is acknowledge me or say something to show that you're at least paying attention!"

"Maybe I would if you'd stop screaming at me..." Scratch that, he probably wouldn't even bother listening, knowing how Ino had the tendency to talk a person's ear off.

"Ugh, hopeless!" Ino sighed in defeat, shoving him away as she released her grip on his vest. Choji looked between his two teammates, while munching on a bag of his favorite barbeque flavored chips.

"C'mon Ino, cut him a little slack. He has been working more than usual lately, what with the chuunin exams coming up, he's busier than ever. I'm surprised he's not trying to catch up on some of the sleep he's missed from working overtime for the Hokage." Choji said, swallowing a mouthful of chips much to her disgust.

Ino rolled her eyes with a loud huff, crossing her arms over her chest. "All I was trying to tell him is that Kaede's birthday is coming up and we should try to do something special for her. It's her sixteenth birthday for crying out loud!"

"Give me a break Ino, you don't have to remind me. And besides, I've already got a gift for her."

Ino blinked in surprise, her lips quickly forming into a wide smile. "Oooh, really? What'd you get her?"

Shikamaru laid back down on the grass and closing his eyes as the usual bored expression returned to his face. "You'll have to wait and see..."

He resumed tuning her out, as Ino proceeded to go on and on about what to do for her.

Shikamaru panted slightly, now standing before a small jewelry store. He sighed before he walked into the store and over to the counter where he had personalized Kaede's gift.

'Hope she likes the gift...'

"Happy Birthday Kaede!" her friends chorused in unison.

Kaede had been greeted with several handfuls of confetti by Naruto and Lee along with a banner that hung on the walls that wrote Sweet Sixteen, signed by Team Seven, Eight, Ten, and Gai's team.

"Aw, you guys didn't have to do all this for me." Kaede blushed happily, smiling at her friends.

"Course we did, you don't think I'd just let you go without celebrating your birthday did you?" Ino chirped with a grin.

"Now that Kaede-chan's here..." Sakura began to say.

"We'll get you out of those work clothes and change into something a little more... appropriate for this occasion." Ino finished, both girls now staring at Kaede with a glint in their eye.

Kaede eyed the two girls in suspicion, not exactly sure what to make of the look in their eyes. But something told her it wasn't exactly good. "Um guys-"

Sakura and Ino earned a yelp from Kaede as they forcibly grabbed her by the arms and took her upstairs to Ino's bedroom, ignoring any of her petulant protests.

Kaede's gray orbs stared back at her as she looked at herself in the full-length body mirror. She was dressed up in a nice black yukata with white cherry blossoms on the front and back with her silver hair tied up in a tight bun that was held together with white flower pin, her bangs covering the top of her forehead. Sakura and Ino stood behind her with a smile.

"It looks cute on you..." Ino complimented.

"Yeah, it really does suit you." Sakura chirped with a small giggle.

"I don't see why I have to wear this in front of everyone..." Kaede mumbled, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink.

"Oh, you're not wearing this just to show off for everyone."

"What other reason would there be?" Kaede asked raised an eyebrow.

"To show off for Shikamaru of course!"

"W-What?!"