Author's Note: This is it! :D
No, not the end, but the beginning, know what I'm saying? ;)
Hehe, enjoy chapter ten! Reviews would make me super happy.
Oh, and I apologize if it's a little too fluffy haha.

Chapter Ten: Surrender

The next morning I woke up completely refreshed. The sun shone through my bedroom window and bathed me in the warm morning light, the birds were chirping happily from high in the trees, and children laughed as they played, enjoying the new day. The best part about the morning? The fact that I found my thoughts of Shikamaru becoming gradually easier to control. Now that made me happy.

I quickly dressed myself and headed to the training field for another day with the team. I was determined to make up for the way I had acted yesterday. I opened the front door to exit my house, breathed in the fresh morning air, and let my feet lead me to my destination. My head was held high as confidence radiated from me.

I had reached the field in no time at all, and I was pleased when I noticed that I was the first one to arrive. Immediately I began to stretch myself out so that I would be ready once Hiroshi Sensei arrived. Heh, I can't believe I actually let that punk Shikamaru get to me. I'm glad that's over!

When Hiroshi Sensei spotted me warming up for the day's work, he smiled, thrilled to see that whatever had possessed me yesterday would not be interfering today. He confessed that he was impressed by my determination. "I'm going to make up for what happened yesterday, Hiroshi Sensei." I answered as I jumped to my feet. By the time Miyuki and Katsu had showed up, I had already started training. First were ten laps around the training field, then tree exercises to warm up our chakra concentration, then sparring matches. When we finished with the general routine, he proceeded to coach us individually on our specific skills.

While Katsu was training with weights to improve his taijutsu, and Miyuki was busy trying to strengthen the effects of her genjutsu on some birds, Hiroshi Sensei wandered over to me to begin my instruction. He surprised me when he asked me what I wanted to work on.

I was confused. "You mean, I can choose?"

"I'm impressed by how hard you've worked, Yuri," he explained with a proud smile.

"Well," I started as I racked my brain for something that I wanted to learn, "I've heard of people using their chakra like a blade, hurting their opponent with a weapon they can't even see… could you teach me how to do that?"

Hiroshi Sensei unzipped his backpack and rummaged through it in search of something. In a matter of seconds he pulled out a kunai and handed it to me. "Here, take this," he said. I took the weapon and gripped it in my right hand. "You should probably start by using your chakra to extend the blade of an existing weapon before you try to create your own blade."

Hiroshi Sensei guided me through the process, providing a helpful hint here and there, but, for the most part, allowing me to figure it out for myself. My palm was beginning to burn as I continually focused large amounts of chakra to my right hand. I was disappointed when nothing had happened. "Don't get frustrated," he told me, "this technique isn't easy. It could take you weeks, if not months to master this one."

"I'll get it sooner than that," I growled, struggling to talk as I desperately tried to maintain focus. I fought through the burning pain, and just when I thought I couldn't hold on any longer, I could feel my chakra flowing more smoothly. My eyes widened in surprise as I realized I had actually managed to extend the blade, but I threw the kunai in anger when I realized it only extended about a millimeter or so. It wasn't enough to make any sort of difference.

I vowed to master the technique, but, unfortunately, the sun began to set and Hiroshi Sensei dismissed us for the night. I wanted to stay there and continue training, but Hiroshi Sensei told me to get some rest and to resume in the morning. The new technique had drained most of my chakra, and, even if I did stay, it wouldn't have been much longer before I passed out from exhaustion. I tried to convince my sensei to let me stay, but he assured me that if he had to, he would personally drag me home. Deciding that wasn't something that I wanted to happen, I started for home. Miyuki and Katsu had left while I was arguing with Hiroshi Sensei, so I was left all alone.

Shikamaru hadn't crossed my mind at all that day, and I was glad. I didn't need him messing up my training anymore than he already had. Smiling triumphantly to myself, I continued down the main road. Shopkeepers were closing up shop early for the night; the sky was unusually dark and the evening was strangely silent.

As I turned the corner, I noticed two familiar voices conversing nearby. I peeked out of the corner of my eye to find Shikamaru and Asuma Sensei exiting a shop across the street. I rolled my eyes. Great, just when I thought I'd gotten rid of him…

"So, that Yuri Myoko girl…"

Did I just hear my name?

I concentrated on their voices, trying to listen in on their conversation. I was curious as to what was being said about me.

"What about her?" Shikamaru questioned curtly. His voice held that same monotonous tone that it always did.

"Choji tells me that you ditched us the other day to hang out with her." Asuma Sensei's tone was somewhat accusing, but playfully so.

"Not exclusively for her, but yes, we talked."

"Does my little Shikamaru have a cruuush?" Asuma Sensei laughed, stretching out the word 'crush' teasingly.

"No."

It was like I had walked straight into a brick wall. A shooting pain travelled through my heart and then to every other part of my body, causing me to stop walking. The word 'no' echoed in my brain, pain throbbing through my chest as it did. It was as if out of that boy's mouth shot a bullet that tore through and destroyed my entire being, rather than a simple answer to Asuma Sensei's question. My fingers began to tremble, my lips quivering and my eyes forming tears. I merely stood there for a moment. Tiny droplets of rain began to fall from the sky, and a loud crash of thunder startled me. I did the first thing that I could think of doing. I ran.

I didn't know exactly where I was going, but I didn't care. I wanted to be as far away from that asshole Shikamaru as I possibly could. The rain fell harder and lightning illuminated the dark sky. I ran.

Tears began streaming down my face as I slowly lost control of myself. Sniffles gradually turned into loud sobs. My hands were clenched into tight fists and my hurrying feet splashed against the puddles in the road. And I ran.

The end of the road signified my departure from Konoha, but I continued into the forest until I had grown too tired to run any longer. My knees shook until they finally collapsed. Lying in the mud, I tried desperately to stop myself from breaking down. I didn't even understand why I was so upset in the first place. It's not like I really cared about Shikamaru anyway…

I stood up and began furiously throwing punches into a sopping wet tree until my fists were sore and my knuckles began to bleed. I turned myself around, leaning my back against the tree trunk, and looked into the sky. Strands of my wet hair stuck to my face, causing droplets of water to drip down the skin of my face and neck. Seconds turned to minutes, and I was still standing in that spot, unable to move. I felt so weak, but I didn't have the will to do anything about it. What is wrong with me? Why do I feel this way?

Without warning, the tension in my shoulders faded. I unintentionally let my hands and arms fall limp at my sides, but it wasn't until let my eyes wander downward that I understood why.

There stood Shikamaru, his hands limp at his sides, just as mine were. His shadow possession jutsu had connected our shadows, and now he controlled me. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Go away," I spat.

"Yuri-"

"I said go away, Shikamaru!"

He seemed taken aback for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. "Yuri," he said, raising his voice over the pounding rain and rolling thunder, "as long as our shadows are connected, whatever I do, you do." I recognized the explanation of his jutsu from the night in the forest. "You might as well listen to what I have to say."

I let my eyes relax, signaling for him to start explaining why he had followed me into the forest.

He took a few steps closer, and I was forced to do the same. We were now just a few feet apart. "Are you upset because you heard what I said to Asuma Sensei?"

"It doesn't matter," I stubbornly replied, avoiding the question.

"Answer me!" He pleaded, his usual calmness seemed to wash away in the storm. When I didn't answer, Shikamaru continued, "I don't understand. You don't like me; you've made that very clear over the past few years."

I stayed silent, my eyes on the ground, as I listened to his wavering voice.

"I thought maybe that could change. In the forest, I thought that maybe you were finally starting to see me for who I truly am, but it's obvious that you will always view me as the 'irritating, lazy-ass shinobi,' and you'll never like me."

"Maybe I don't like you!" I shouted, fighting against another pool of tears that had once again formed in my eyes. If I were able to move on my own, my fists would have been clenched in anger at my sides. I paused for a moment to think about everything that had been happening the past few days, and I was surprised when everything suddenly seemed to click in my mind. The uncontrollable thoughts of him that disrupted my everyday life… maybe I did have feelings for him. Maybe I was just repressing those feelings because of my own personal bias from the Academy five years ago…

The rain dribbled down his face, and his ponytail began to sag as the water weighed it down. I studied him again, immediately noticing a change. His eyes weren't the usual detached black orbs that hid behind tired eyelids. He seemed to gaze back at me with emotion. Whether that emotion was fear, anger, or despair, I wasn't sure, but it didn't matter. I knew, deep down, that he wasn't the same boy that I had gone to school with. In the forest, it became clear that he had grown into a strong and talented shinobi, and when he rescued me, underneath my dislike for him I must have known that he really wasn't as careless as he had once been. He was different now... and I was just now beginning to see it.

I felt myself surrender to my suppressed feelings, and, incidentally, the storm died down until the thunder had stopped until it was only drizzling. "Or… maybe I do…" I whispered.

As I finished speaking my confession, his face expressed a new emotion. Surprise, perhaps.

Shikamaru and I, still bound together by the shadows, began stepping closer and closer to each other in unison, until our faces were just inches apart. His hands rose to cup my face, and my hands found his face as well. I felt my body quiver, not because I was cold, but because I was nervous. He and I were so close to each other. He gazed into my eyes for a moment, his lips forming into a victorious smile, before whispering, "Yuri, you are one troublesome woman."

He released the shadow possession jutsu before slowly leaning in to press his lips to mine. I was stunned at first, but I quickly allowed myself to relax into him when I realized how good his soft lips had felt. Without realizing what I was doing, I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he let his hands linger on my hips.

The gentle kisses soon became deeper and more passionate. His tongue brushed against my lower lip, requesting entry, and I immediately obliged by parting my lips. Our tongues met in an electrifying dance that sent shivers down my spine and made my heart race. Our wet bodies pressed tightly against each other as we yearned for more. My mind went completely blank, conquered by the feeling of him; I don't even think I remembered to breathe.

Shikamaru began softy nibbling on my lower lip, and the shock waves of pleasure that pulsated throughout my entire body nearly caused my knees to give out. I let out a quiet moan, and I could feel his mouth contort into a satisfied smirk as he caught my lips in another deep kiss.

Suddenly recognizing the noise I had just made, I quickly pulled away from the kiss to hide my reddening face against his chest. He laughed lightly, but wrapped his arms around my waist and affectionately rested his head against the top of mine.

We remained in the forest in each other's arms for a few minutes before returning to Konoha.