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 stared at the large crowd and stepped back a bit, bumping shoulders with Gaara, she turned and apologized with a small blush.

"You seem nervous..."

She shook her head, "all these people...are here to see us beat one another up. It's unnerving, the things that people find entertaining." She smiled, "but, I can't say I'm not excited. I haven't even seen the lineup for the fights. I was unconscious when they were shown."

Gaara glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, "you are fighting me."

Kagome's eyes widened, "really?" She grinned, "awesome!"

"Kagome," Shikamaru walked over as Kagome turned to him, "how did your mission go?" He wanted to talk to her, call it jealousy, but...she was giving too much attention to Gaara. Talking about her mission at that moment was probably not a good idea, but...well...he couldn't think of anything to say.

"Oh...it was great! It was...enlightening..." her hand dropped to a scroll she had strapped to her leg and she smiled. "I learned a great deal about myself...went on a seventeen-day diet too."

"Wait...what? You don't need to diet!" He resisted hitting his forehead at her words.

Shaking her head, she laughed, "we can talk about it in better detail tonight."

Sighing, he nodded.

"Ekem, if you are all ready...we will begin. The first match...ekhm." Hayate closed his eyes and took a breath in before opening them and looking over the ten contestants.

"Uh...question...question!" Naruto called out to Hayate.

"Hm, yes?"

He looked more tired than normal, Kagome noticed, hoping it wasn't because of her, she sighed.

"Well...Sasuke still hasn't shown up. What will happen if he doesn't get here in time for our match?"

"...well...normally, if a candidate isn't present at the time of their match, they forfeit the match and the win goes to the candidate who is present...that would be you."

"No way!" Naruto narrowed his eyes, "what if he's just running late?!"

"...ekhm...are all of you here on time?" Hayate asked.

Naruto looked at his feet and scoffed, "that's not the point! Winning because someone doesn't show up...how lame."

"Noted...ekhm. Now, if we could move on..." he turned and looked at their surroundings. "If you noticed, the terrain is different from the Preliminaries. However, ekhm ekhm, the rules remain the same."

"What rules?" Naruto asked.

Kagome chuckled as Shikamaru sighed.

"...there were no rules." Hayate muttered. "The match continues until one candidate dies, or acknowledges defeat. However, if I see that there's no point in a match continuing, then I can step in... ekhm...I will step in if I see it's pointless to continue on. You can feel free to argue...but...I'll probably ignore you anyways. Ekhm ekhm..." He sighed, "are we understood?" He waited and nodded, "good...then onto the first match. The opponents are...Shikamaru Nara and Temari of the Sand. If I didn't call your name, you can go to the waiting room. Otherwise, stay where you are."

Kagome gave Shikamaru's hand an encouraging squeeze as she stepped away from him and followed Gaara silently up the steps to the balcony where they would be waiting to be called. "Your sister seems confidant..."

"...she has every reason to be."

Stealing his hand in hers, she pulled him up the remaining steps and smiled as she dragged him to the ledge where they could clearly see the fight that was soon to take place. "Then...a bet?"

"I still haven't collected on the last bet I won."

She blushed, "oh yeah! I totally forgot...what with Orochimaru taking a bite out of me and then the preliminaries...not to mention the Mission..."

"...that mark..."

She looked at Gaara, "hm?" her hand moved to the mark on her shoulder. The mark was clear as day with the clothes she wore to the fight. Having decided to go as simple as possible, she wore a simple black crop top that had thin straps, a mesh top that was off the shoulder, long sleeved and fell past the crop top she wore. A pair of black shorts were worn with her Shinobi pack strapped at her hip, a scroll strapped to her leg, her long hair pulled up into a high ponytail that let her black wavy locks flow more freely than her braid normally allowed. She wasn't wearing anything excess...or anything overtly heavy...she was dressed to fight and win. Her hitai-ate was tied tightly around her forehead with longer than average fabric hanging over her shoulder. "Yeah...don't worry about it. I won't let this stupid little thing take control of me. I heard from Shikamaru what it did to Sasuke...it uses the desire for power against you..." she scoffed, "that's what separates me from Sasuke, I guess. I have no hunger for power...whereas...he lives for it."

"Hey!" Naruto moved to Kagome's other side and made to say something but was stopped by a pair of fingers on his forehead.

"Wha-"

"Don't start arguing with me, it's true. I care a lot for Sasuke, but he pisses me off sometimes. I can see it in his eyes, and it'll either brake him, or brake his teammates. Something will give in the end. He's still chasing after a shadow he can't see..."

Naruto pouted but sighed as he turned away, not saying anything in response.

"You are certain that you do not hunger for power?" Gaara asked, "isn't that only natural? To want to be stronger?"

Kagome shrugged, "I can't afford to be power hungry."

"Kagome, protect the people who are important to you, no matter what the costs may be."

She stared down at Shikamaru as he sat behind a tree and avoided a large gust of wind. He glanced up at her for a moment and her eyes met his. "...I promised Itachi...that I would protect the people who are important to me...no matter what the costs may be."

Gaara watched her, but he added nothing to her comment as he moved his attention back to the match. He listened to Kagome, while watching his sisters fight.

Kagome watched Shikamaru look down thoughtfully and smiled as he pulled a kunai out.

"...whatever you hear after tonight, I want you to know and understand this...I love my brother, and I love my village...

"Itachi?" Naruto asked, "who's that?"

Shaking her head, she closed her eyes and listened to the cheering and heavy winds. "...someone important to me."

"...I also have grown very fond of you...for that reason, I have chosen this path." He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead.

Naruto frowned, "so, doesn't that mean he's one of those people you aim to protect?"

"Thank you..."

Opening her eyes, she turned and regarded Naruto with a careful gaze, "...indeed, it does. I will lay down my life...to protect him...and to protect his brother...this village...the Nara's...Sakura...Genma and Hayate...the Sand Siblings...you..." she smiled as Naruto's eyes widened, "don't look so surprised, I have no family. So, the friends that I've made here, are precious to me."

"Thank you..."

She looked out over the edge, watching as Shikamaru darted out after Temari with a Kunai drawn as he maneuvered himself around the arena below, his jacket missing as he flipped aside to avoid another blast from the large fan Temari held in her hand.

"He sounds like someone I'd like to meet..." Naruto said as he leaned on the palm of his hand. His eyes following the active Shikamaru below them. "...look at him go!"

Kagome smiled, "he's in it to win...but...winning doesn't seem like Shikamaru's style."

Laughing, Naruto grinned at the battle below. "You aren't wrong..."

"...don't get me wrong..." she let her head touch the stone of the ledge she was leaning on, "I want him to win...but it just seems too..."

"Troublesome?" Naruto supplied.

"Mm...yeah...that's the word I was looking for."

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Shikamaru caught the girl in front of him by the wrist as he twisted her around so that her back was to his chest, his Kunai to her throat. He used the moment to catch a breath as she tried to think of a way out. "Could you just give up?" Her foot came up as an answer and he jumped away to avoid getting kicked, a line of red on her neck where his Kunai had laid moments ago. He didn't like all the work and effort he was having to put forth for this. Casting his shadow possession Jutsu forward, she jumped out of the way just as he'd suspected she would. Above, a familiar jacket supplied a shadow a bit past her, his shadow shooting in the opposite direction of her and crossing with the small ball of black behind her. He smirked when she turned around to follow his shadow with her eyes. Splitting his shadow into two, the first shadow arched towards her and the second snuck up behind her.

"Check," he called out, loud enough that she heard and turned to see the one behind her. However, it was too late for her to move out of the way as she was entrapped by his shadow. "...mate..." another hand sign had the second shadow winding around her body and wrapping around her neck. "Give up."

"...n-no..."

"Tch...so troublesome..." he tightened his grip slightly around her neck with the shadow, '...I just have to make her pass out.' He frowned, "if I win this, I have to fight the winner of the next fight...right?"

Hayate, who was a good few feet out of the way of the fight, coughed before supplying a nod to his question.

Sighing heavily, he loosened his grip and raised his hand, "I-"

"Shikamaru!"

His eyes widened and he turned to face the opening where the other candidates were waiting and watching him. "..."

"You've got this! Win!"

'...she says that...' He stared at the desperate blue eyes of Kagome; her fingers clenched tightly over the ledge of the lookout. 'But...I don't want to fight again...it's such a bother. Damn...' he groaned, "looks like I have no choice. I was going to give up...but," he tightened his grip and watched as her eyes slowly began to close as she brought a shaky hand up and over her head.

"...g-give..."

He raised a brow and loosened his grip only slightly.

"...I-I give..." she choked on her own words as air became scarce.

"A little louder," Hayate said, trying to make sure that she was clear with what she was saying.

"I...I give up!"

Somehow, it felt as if he was torturing her. Shikamaru closed his eyes as his shadow finally left her neck and Hayate called the match in his favor.

Shikamaru walked towards the blonde as she dropped to her knees. A feeling of lightheadedness had no doubt struck her pretty hard as she coughed and tried to calm her breathing. He held his hand out in front of her and raised a brow as her eyes met his laced in confusion. "Take it, they have to start the next match."

She warily took his hand and struggled to keep her balance as he pulled her up to her feet. Listening as Gaara and Kagome were called to the arena. He helped her for a few moments as she regained her equilibrium and pulled herself together. A blush on her cheeks as she pulled her hand out of his and stormed past him in annoyance.

'She's upset...tch...what about me? Like I wanted this outcome...' he sighed, walking into the stairway, he stopped as he watched Kagome and Gaara come down.

"I'm so proud!" She ran over and threw her arms around his neck, his hands catching her by the waist in his surprise as he blushed a bit and looked away to hide his embarrassment.

"I don't see what the big deal is..."

"Seriously?" Kagome tilted her head, "Naruto and I were both certain that winning would be too much work. We figured you would give up."

"Then why did you tell me to win?" He looked down at her as his cheeks returned to their normal color.

Smiling up at him, she shook her head and laughed, "because...I wanted to see you follow through. I saw your hand go up and knew you were about to call it quits. I really wanted to see you win though...I'm needy like that."

Resting his forehead against her's, his eyes closed, "then it's no surprise that I'll ask no less from you." He opened his eyes and caught hers in a warm gaze.

"...am I allowed to?"

He smirked at the familiar question, watching as she let her hands fall away from his neck, her eyes stayed on his for a moment longer before she turned and ran out of his hands and to the arena where Hayate and Gaara had been waiting for her; both watching her from where they stood waiting.

Shikamaru watched for a few seconds before he headed up the steps and made his way to where Naruto was leaning over the ledge. Walking to his friend, he let his arm drape over the blonde's shoulder and let out a heavy and over exaggerated sigh.

"What's that for?!"

He looked lazily up at Naruto from where he was drooping beside him, "I won."

"Yeah! It was great!" Naruto grinned, "but why do you look like you lost?"

"It feels like I lost..." he rested an elbow on the stone wall and his head touched his palm as he waited for the next fight to start. "Seriously...now I have to fight whoever wins this fight...and I can tell you, I don't really have a desire to go up against either of them. I should have just given up...damn...what a bother."

Naruto laughed and shook his head, "I'll never understand you, Shikamaru. Kagome was so loud though, she took us by surprise when she suddenly yelled out for you to win. I think...you really made her happy."

Shikamaru's arm dropped from Naruto's shoulder and he draped it over the wall, "...if it really makes her happy...then it's fine...once in a while."

"Of course, wouldn't want anyone to think you were an overachiever."

Rolling his eyes, he didn't dignify Naruto's sarcasm with an answer. Hayate started the match below and Kagome shot forward, this signaled the start of the next match...the start...and what a start...

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Me: Here is chapter 49! I can't tell if I'm getting better at fight scenes or worse, it's always so difficult to describe what's playing out in my head. Anyways, review and let me know what you think! I'll start the next chapter, but it's 4:50am, and like normal, I get off at 6am and so I may not finish it today. However, I can guarantee it'll be up tomorrow...well, tonight...if it's not up in the next hour. LOVE YOU ALL!