Author's Note: Hello everyone! So I realize that the last chapter was nothing special, since it was just the Genin exam, but I promise the story will pick up. And, keep in mind, there is some sweet Shikamaru action as the story progresses. ;)

Now, without further ado, I present to you Chapter Two of Shadow Possession of the Heart.

Chapter Two: Training

I awoke the next morning with a smile. Dreaming of the day I passed my exam at the Academy five years ago never failed to put me in a good mood. I was so excited to become a ninja, and now I was a Chunin on an amazing squad with the greatest sensei I could have ever asked for. I sat up in my bed, stretching my arms and yawning before getting ready for the day.

I dressed in muted navy Capri shorts, a black t-shirt, and my green Chunin flak jacket. I combed my short, spiky red hair before putting it up into a ponytail. My bangs fell in my face, contrasting my vibrant emerald eyes. I tied my headband around my forehead, the metal plate gleaming against the light.

Once I had eaten and brushed my teeth, I strapped my pouch (stocked full of kunai and shuriken) around my right leg and made my way outside.

I met Miyuki at the training field. Even when Hiroshi Sensei (our team's leader) gave us the weekend off, Miyuki and I always managed to set aside a little training time. When I arrived, she was dangling upside down on a tree branch. Hiroshi Sensei was always amazed at her ability to control her chakra. I let out a small chuckle. "Wow, Yuki, you don't waste any time do you?"

"What do you mean?" She asked as she let herself gracefully return to earth.

"Showing off your amazing talents, of course!"

Miyuki was the type of person who understood everything right away. She didn't have to work hard to master a new jutsu or skill. Everything just sort of came to her. I was much different. I had to work hard. I could train for weeks on a new technique and Miyuki could have it mastered in half the time. I often stayed late at the training field after everyone else had gone home, just so I made sure I wasn't falling behind.

"You really think I'm that talented, Yuri?" Not to mention her modesty. Miyuki was basically perfect, and I couldn't help being completely jealous of her.

"Of course you are. Now, what should we do first?"

"Shuriken?" She suggested.

I smiled, pulling four shuriken out of my pouch. "Let's do it!"

We threw our weapons at the wooden training logs, spitting competitive remarks and insults at each other (jokingly, of course). We laughed, enjoying the warm sunshine on our smiling faces as we trained together.

Suddenly we heard a groan. We stopped throwing our weapons and listened, wondering where it had come from. It sounded close. I grabbed a kunai out of my bag, and Miyuki quickly followed my lead. "Who's there?" I asked.

From behind one of the training logs, Shikamaru appeared, yawning loudly and stretching his back. "Oh, hey guys," he mumbled.

"Shikamaru!" I shouted, throwing my kunai into the dirt.

Miyuki smiled and waved. "Hi there, Shikamaru."

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest.

Shikamaru leaned against the log, shoving his hands into his pockets and dropping his gaze to the ground. "Asuma Sensei, Ino, Choji, and I trained here last night. I just didn't feel like walking home. Fell asleep out here."

I rolled my eyes. Typical Shikamaru. He's just as lazy as ever. "Well Miyuki and I are training now. So unless you would like to volunteer as my training dummy-"

"Alright, alright," Shikamaru interjected, "I'm leaving." As he passed us, I heard him mutter under his breath the usual "What a drag," and "women are so troublesome."

Once he was out of sight, Miyuki turned to me and asked, "Why were you so mean to him? He probably just trained so hard that he couldn't walk home."

I scoffed, whipping a kunai at the wood, "He's so lazy! I can't even believe he made it to Genin, let alone Chunin. He makes all of us look bad."

"I heard his fight with Temari at the Chunin exam was incredibly brilliant-"

"But he quit, Yuki! What kind of ninja quits while he's ahead? He should have finished her off. It's so irritating…"

Miyuki grinned. "You know…"

"What?"

"If I didn't know any better… I'd say that your insults are just an attempt to hide the fact that you like him."

I glared at her, pursing my lips. In a low, threatening voice, I answered, "Never."

We both laughed and continued our training.