Shikamaru dragged his feet lazily as he yawned widely on a nice morning in Konoha. In one arm he was carrying a basket of deer antlers his mother was making him drop off at the medicine and herbal shop. Shikamaru sighed as he complained to himself. ‘That is so troublesome. I’ve been away on missions for the past couple of weeks and all I wanted was a couple of days to recover. So what do she do? She barges into my room early in the morning and drops this basket on my stomach, forcing me awake. I will never see what dad sees in her.’
Making his way through the mid-morning crowd Shikamaru continued to grumble to himself all the way up to the shop.
The bells hanging above the shop’s entrance chimed as Shikamaru walked through. There was only one other customer in the shop, and she was browsing through a section of herbs when she looked up, her brown eyes resting on Shikamaru. She smiled at him, causing Shikamaru to stop in his tracks momentarily. His previous annoyances also ceased for the moment as he was surprised to see his long time friend.
“Shikamaru,” the girl with brown eyes and long, black hair said with a smile. “I didn’t know it was possible for you to wake up this early.”
Shikamaru smirked. “If it were up to me I wouldn’t be awake this early,” he admitted. Lifting the basket in his hand he gave it a little shake. “My mom wanted me to drop these things off.”
The shop-keeper emerged from the back of the store at that moment. The elderly man smiled at the girl. “Saya-san, have you found everything- oh Shikamaru-san! Is that a new basket of antlers?”
Shikamaru looked at Saya, who waved at hand at him. “Finish your business first,” she said. “I still have some things I’m looking for.”
Shikamaru nodded and went to the counter to let the shop-keeper sort through the antlers.
After the antler’s were paid for, Shikamaru went back to Saya who was now looking at jars with contents that were almost unidentifiable.
Shikamaru took in Saya’s appearance, noting that she, just like himself, was in normal attire instead of wearing her usual clothes that she wore during training and on missions. “How’s your training going with Kurenai-sensei,” Shikamaru asked.
Saya gave Shikamaru a knowing look before answering. “Fine,” she said. “We haven’t been training much lately. So I’ve been occupying myself with other things between missions.”
Shikamaru glanced down at the basket on the crook of Saya’s arm that was filled with jars and packets of herbs and medicines. Shikamaru knew that Saya was a Genjutsu master as well as a medic-nin. She was also a proficient weapon master. Like him, she was a Chuunin, having become one the same time he did.
There was a pause in conversation for a moment as Shikamaru idly watched Saya read the labels of the jar. Finally, she smiled. “Okay, I’m done,” she said, looking into her basket.
“Your mother has also given me a chore,” Saya said with a small laugh.
Shikamaru’s eyes widened with surprise before he sighed. “That woman,” he muttered.
Saya laughed again. “Don’t worry about it, I’m glad to help,” she said as she walked to the counter. “Your mom wanted me to prepare a special ointment for your deer. It’s the least I can do for your clan. You’ve always allowed me to get the best pick when I ask for it.”
Shikamaru sighed again, putting his hands in his pockets. “You shouldn’t have to do that,” he said. “The antlers are for the village, so you should feel obligated to do this for my mother.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Saya insisted again, waiting for the shop-keeper to make her change.
The bells chimed once more as Saya and Shikamaru left the shop together. “Where are you heading,” Saya asked.
“Home,” Shikamaru said. “I just remembered Asuma-sensei is coming to meet me later.”
“I’m walking back to my house too,” Saya said. “We can walk together,” she offered.
Shikamaru blinked at Saya before smiling lightly and nodding, following her. They walked in a comfortable silence for a while, taking in the sights and sounds of the village. Children running in front of them, pretending to be ninja, shop-keepers taking care of the outside appearance of their shop, occasionally waving to the two chuunin.
As they crossed a small bridge, a sound of little footsteps echoed behind them.
“Saya-nee-chan! Saya-nee-chan!”
Saya stopped to see a couple of young girls running behind her and Shikamaru. Each girl was carrying a handful of flowers.
Saya smiled at them as Shikamaru watched on, more interested than he looked. “Saya-nee-chan,” one of the girls said again with a huge grin, showing she was missing a tooth. “Guess what we found out!”
Saya feigned a puzzled look. “What happened,” she asked.
“We’re starting at the Academy soon,” the other girl squealed happily.
Saya beamed at them. “Good for you!” She then nodded her head at Shikamaru. “He teaches there on occasion too,” Saya said.
The girls stared at Shikamaru in awe before bowing to him quickly which made him blush lightly. “Saya,” he grumbled. “why’d you have to tell them? This is troublesome.”
Saya smiled at him before turning to the girls again. “I’m proud of you two,” she said. “Are you going to grow and be strong kunochi?”
“Yes!”
“Just like you Saya-nee-chan!”
The girls remembered the flowers in their hands. “These are for you,” one of them said as the other tapped her arm.
“Saya-nee-chan, are you on a date?”
Saya’s eyes widened as her cheeks quickly turned red. She laughed nervously. “Of course not,” she said. “Shikamaru has been my friend since we were your age.”
“Wow!”
Saya laughed again, regaining her composure. “Now run back home, you two. Help your mom out!” The girls ran away laughing as Saya tucked the flowers in her basket.
Shikamaru scratched his cheek lightly as the last of the red disappeared from his cheek. Saya heard him mutter something about kids and assumptions.
“Who were they,” Shikamaru asked as they neared Saya’s clan compound.
“Some girls from the village that found me training one day,” she said, shrugging. “They’re sweet kids.”
Saya smiled at Shikamaru as they neared the gates of her compound. “Well, it was fun seeing you again,” she said. “Please tell your mom I will have the ointment ready by the end of today.”
Shikamaru smirked at Saya. “Am I your messenger now?”
“Yep!”
“Troublesome…”
Saya laughed once more before she disappeared behind the gates of her clan home. Shikamaru rubbed his neck as he made a right and walked in the direction of his home. For as long as he had known Saya, she had always had a sunny disposition. Another thing he knew about her was that no matter how much time he spent with her he never grew annoyed as he did with Ino, his mother, and sometimes Sakura.
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Story notes: This takes place in the Shippuden time, and if things go according to my plans, a couple years later. :]
I suppose this story could be considered "fluff" from time to time, so I have labeled it as such.
And if you aren't up to date with the latest Naruto happenings, then I'm sorry, but there are major spoilers in this story. -_-
Chapter notes: This chapter introduces Saya. She has a biography so I hope you read that to really get to know her character!