Lean on Me...
Summary: She was found at such a young age, taken in by Shikaku, not as a daughter, but as a wife in training for his youngest son. How will this affect the Nara Clan...more specifically the laid back, easy going, semi-lazy...Shikamaru?
Anime: InuYasha/Naruto
Pairing: Shikamaru/Kagome
Genre: Romance/Comfort/Hurt
Rated: M for Mature
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AGES RIGHT NOW
AGES
Kagome – 11
Rookie Nine – 12
Neji – 13
Itachi - 18
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Kagome pushed open the doors of the Chuunin Examination Hall, it was only the first floor, and the scroll made it clear that all applicants were to meet on the third floor. So walking to her left, she made it towards the second floor and started down the hall towards the staircase that would lead to the third floor. Coming to quite the scene in front of her, she looked curiously at the childishly familiar forms that stood by guarding the doors to the second floors stairway. Watching from a distance for a moment she seemed confused to see them pushing the other applicants of the Chuunin Exam around. One in a green jumpsuit whom she knew as Rock Lee, was knocked to the floor and all because they wouldn't let anyone pass through. She noticed Neji beside Lee, and their female partner Tenten, neither of which she cared to confront. Looking back to the two who blocked everyone's way,she closed her eyes and sighed before making a choice. As many times as she and her teammates hung out with the two, she wanted to say they wouldn't try anything on her...yet...
She stepped forward and made herself known to the two adults, not bothering to say anything to either, she pushed by but was stopped by a hand. Looking to her wrist, she glanced up coldly at the familiar face of Kotetsu, one of the gates guards. "...you want me to make a scene?"
Kotetsu's eyes widened and Izumo was the one to place a hand on his and draw him back. "We can make a scene," Kotetsu said coolly.
"I need to get to the third floor, I will either do this without the hassle of fighting you, or I will do this after washing my hands of you."
"Third floor?"
'Neither of you can compare to Itachi Uchiha...I can't be fooled by such a weak Genjutsu!'
The two stared long and hard at Kagome before they both stepped aside.
"What did she mean by the third floor, this is the third floor." Ami said in annoyance as she followed Kagome inside with Fuki beside her.
Kagome ignored the mouthy girl and walked on towards the end of the hall and made her way upstairs to the second floor.
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Fuki and Ami glanced over to Kagome who was sitting in a seat towards the far right of the room. They two were sitting down in their own seats, being separated since teammates couldn't sit next to one another. Not that it mattered, they weren't even close. Ami was glaring hatefully at the pencil in her hand and muttering about one thing or another, but Fuki...Fuki couldn't take her eyes off of Kagome. She was calm and relaxed, any bout of nervousness she might have had, she didn't make obvious to anyone.
"Sasuke! Where have you been?! Haha, boy, you have no idea how much I was hoping you'd show up here. I've missed those brooding good looks of yours!"
"Hey you porker, back off, he's mine!"
"Miss. Forehead, they let you in?!"
Kagome turned her eyes over towards the group of kids coming through the door, although, they were garnering attention, Kagome was beyond attention. She was being given the ugliest of looks. She was eleven years old, so she was a year younger than even the group of nine who were already being called the "Rookie Nine".
Kagome cleared her throat and the nine turned their gaze back to the large group of participants for the Chuunin Exam.
"We seem to have garnered some unwanted attention..." Sakura said as she stepped back a bit.
"Unwanted attention, that describes it perfectly. You don't want to be the center of attention quite yet."
Kagome looked on at the group as some silver haired nin walked over and started up a conversation with the group. She could make out some of it, but she wasn't all that interested in what was being said, truth be told.
Shikamaru sighed. "Man, what a drag." He looked to see who it was that had called to their attention and he lifted his head towards Kagome in acknowledgment.
This didn't go unnoticed by Ino who looked on with depressed eyes at Shikamaru who seemed to give all of his attention to Kagome. The younger girl stood and started to make her way over to him, as if silently called on. Ino narrowed her eyes, but kept her opinion to herself. Hell, it wasn't like she hated the girl or anything, she just...why did it have to be Shikamaru? Her arms slackened on Sasuke's shoulders, this went noticed by Sasuke who glanced curiously at her from over his shoulder and took in the direction she was looking in, though...he said nothing.
"I wouldn't go making a spectacle of yourselves. You've already made a memorable impression...look around."
Ino turned harsh eyes to the nin and snapped, "who asked you!? Who are you?!"
"My name is Yakushi, Kabuto but I'm not who you should be worried about. That group there, they are from the rain village, and over there, hidden mist...then sand...and others still. Everyone is sensitive right now, very touchy...they all are; this exam makes everyone tense. You don't want to rub them the wrong way...not right now."
Shikamaru walked away from the group and stopped a few feet away, standing in front of him was Kagome who looked happily into his eyes before turning her attention to the guy with the silver hair. He was pulling out a deck of cards and showing them to the rookie nine. After revealing that he was taking the exam for the seventh time consecutively, Kagome would have been surprised if he didn't have all the inside dirt of every one of the Ninja Villages.
Shikamaru sighed in boredom as he too listened to the guy talk on and on about the balance of power and such.
Sasuke stepped forward, "do those cards of yours have any information on the candidates...individually?"
Perking up at the inquiry, Kagome too had been wondering something similarly, but not quite the same.
"They might, you have someone special in mind?"
"I might."
Kabuto put the card back with the deck and straightened them neatly, "well, I can't promise my information is complete or perfect, but I've got something on just about everyone. Including you guys of course. So, which one is it? Tell me anything you known about them, a description, where they're from, whatever...anything at all."
Sasuke spoke again, "he's Gaara of the Desert, and there's Rock Lee of the Leaf Village while you're at it."
"Man, that's no fun, you even know their names. That makes it easy."
Kagome watched curiously, turning her eyes to the nin who were still furiously gazing upon the group of rookies, she sighed. She looked back as Kabuto revealed the first card, Rock Lee. She was familiar with him, since she'd been in class with him for a little bit. He shared classes with herself, Neji and Tenten...the two others who made up his team. "He's on Gai-Sensei's team, right?" Kagome asked.
Sakura nodded, "yeah, the creepy Sensei who Rock Lee styles his hair after! They're both so weird..."
"Ah...my memory of Rock Lee...he's a hard worker...and kind of silly, but he's good...very good. His Taijutsu is still the only thing that's off the charts..." she pointed out as she looked at the stats on the card from upside down.
"Yes, it looks like he's a year older than you guys. Mission experience is eleven C ranks and twenty D ranks. Like you said, his squad leader is Gai-Sensei, and his Taijutsu over the last twelve months has radically improved, but the other skills leave much to be desired."
Kagome smiled, "Rock Lee...doesn't need any other skills."
Kabuto frowned, looking up he turned his eyes to Kagome. "What does that mean?"
"I mean, his speed and Taijutsu more than make up for his lack of Chakra use."
Shikamaru frowned, "you seem confidant in that."
"I am, again, it's been quite some time since I've been in class with Rock Lee, but I know that the Rock Lee from then...if he trained the way he did...than right now, he is more than able to take down any one of these squads on his own."
Kabuto looked thoughtfully down at his card before the information vanished and he laid out the second card. "Moving on, Gaara of the Desert. Mission experience, eight C rank, and...get this, one B rank as a Genin. There's not a lot of information on this guy, he was a rookie from another land originally...but there is this. He survived every mission without getting a scratch on him."
Shikamaru looked stunned, "the dudes done a B rank mission as a Genin...and has never even been injured?!"
Kagome looked uncomfortable, thinking about her C rank mission she'd just gotten back from, after the mission report was made, it had been pushed to a B rank mission as well. Those were not easy missions. To come out of it without a scratch, "...how daunting." She turned to see Sakura trying to talk Naruto out of a state of what appeared to be shock.
He growled and turned suddenly towards the entire room of nin, "AHHHH! MY NAME IS UZUMAKI, NARUTO! AND I'M GONNA BEAT EVERY ONE OF YA! BEEEEEEELIEVE IT!"
The rookie nine became much livelier with Naruto's declaration, Kagome couldn't help smiling. "Oh..." she turned to Kabuto and stepped up to him. Capturing the attention of the rookie nine, she spoke in a lower voice so not to be overheard by anyone outside of their group. "Those cards of yours..."
"My info cards? What about them?"
"I know you have information on those here, but what of those from previous exams?"
"...Previous exams? Someone you know?"
"Not quite," Kagome frowned, "I mean...I know him, but not on a personal level, no."
"Oh? Then what is it?"
"...it's someone...I'm looking for. Someone who should be here...but I would like to address him with more than just his name..."
Shikamaru frowned and stared curiously at Kagome's back, "who?"
"yes, what is this nin's name, I might have information on them." Kabuto said as he placed his deck on the ground once more.
"...his name..." she closed her eyes and took a calming breath.
Ino placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder, the sullen look on the smaller girls face was heartbreaking. "Kagome?"
Kabuto asked once more, "whats the name?"
"...Orochimaru..."
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Me: Here is chapter twenty-six! I hope you guys are all still with me, let me know what you think, nyan! Geeze, what ever will you guys do? I'm spoiling you with all these updates...and this chapter was much longer than the others, lol. Just kidding, I have another chapter started, I'm thinking it'll be up much later tonight. Anyways, review~!