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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"Lord Hokage," Kagome stepped between the Hokage and Orochimaru, "please stay behind me until the others can find a way through the barrier."
"Kagome, I couldn't possibly think to leave this to you. No, this is between me, and Orochimaru."
Kagome shook her head, her hand settling on a scroll on her left thigh, "I can't let him near you," throwing the scroll out across her arm, she bit her thumb and slid it across the scroll, a familiar poof sounded and her Scimitar fell heavily into her outstretched hand. Spinning above and behind her before letting it settle firmly before her in a ready stance.
"How adorable. You think you can fight me? A Sanin Level Shinobi."
"I have no delusions of winning, Orochimaru. I know I'm not strong enough to defeat a Legendary Sanin. However, I said it before in the forest. I made a promise to Itachi-Sensei! His brother, and this village...I will fight to protect the things that matter the most to Itachi-Sensei! AHH~!" She charged forward, the blade of the Scimitar came down hard on the rooftop and sent a fissure through the tiles and structure of the roof. "Ninja Art: Feral Surge!" Swiping her weapon through the air, bursts of stone shot forward from the roof and were sent hurling dangerously towards Orochimaru who jumped backwards to avoid the onslaught. Skidding across the rooftop as he brought a hand down and flipped up and over the torrent of stones.
"You've got a few fun attacks, but you must be running out of Chakra, Kagome."
"I'll be fine," she smirked, "I just have to hold you off long enough for the ANBU black ops to find a way through this barrier."
Orochimaru glowered in annoyance, "I don't care to deal with little brats that don't know when to stay out of the way!"
Dodging a kick and spinning out of the way of a fist and backhand, Kagome brought her Scimitar down and blocked his knee as she twisted the blade and brought it down across his front. He was quick. Quicker than Gaara, quicker than Lee. She felt the air leave her as she was suddenly kicked backwards, nearly sliding into the barrier, she brought the blade of her Scimitar down into the roof and slowed her skid. "...damn." She fought back a cringe of pain as she brought her hand to her stomach.
"Heh," Orochimaru chuckled, "from above, you looked quite impressive, but I see now that you're just an above average kid. You can't hope to defeat me...so just stay down and watch the adults fight."
Kagome was shaking in her irritation. Hearing him go on like he was undefeatable. Acting as if he'd already won the fight!? She listened to him mock her, calling her above average, she scoffed at his choice of words before pulling her Scimitar from the roof and pointing it towards the Hokage who was raising his hands to spout off one jutsu or another. "I told you, I can't let you fight! So long as I've got breath in my body, I won't let him touch you!"
"Kagome..."
"What an annoying kid!"
"Yeah," she grinned, "maybe I am a bit annoying. The Shinobi of the Leaf are like that; we just don't know when to give up!" Spinning her Scimitar above her head before bringing it in front of her and slamming it down into the roof between herself and Orochimaru, "NINJA ART: OCTET FORESHOCK!"
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POOOSH~!
Genma and Kakashi tore their eyes from the shinobi around them, looking up at the barrier that was filling with what looked like dirt from an explosion. "Looks like things are heating up inside the barrier. Kagome, the Hokage and Kazekage..." Genma sighed, "I should be up there with them!" He caught a kunai against his Senbon and knocked the assailant back with a well-placed kick. "Yet here I am!" He thrust a senbon forward and watched it pierce another shinobi through the shoulder.
Kakashi shook his head, "don't worry about Kagome and the Hokage, they can hold off until the ANBU get inside the barrier."
"Easy for you to say. It's not your teammate that's inside that barrier."
"Genma, we need to focus on the task at hand," Hayate sighed, "ahem! For now, this is our priority."
"We got careless; their numbers have increased dramatically." Gai frowned, turning his eyes up towards the barrier, "wait, look inside the barrier. That's..."
Kakashi glanced towards the barrier and his eyes widened a fraction, "Orochimaru."
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Ino looked ahead at Naruto and Sasuke, the two were leading the group of them ahead as they made to catch up to Gaara. Beside her was Kiba and Chouji, both of which had been awoken by Sakura and Naruto alongside herself. Neji was following from behind with Shikamaru leading their group up ahead with Kakashi's scouter hound. "Kagome..." She chanced a glance backwards; a hand took hers and she looked to her right where Sakura was running beside her.
"She'll be fine. Kagome is with the Hokage."
"...and the Kazekage." Shikamaru said aloud, "the very Kazekage who's broken the treaty with the Fire Nation."
"..." Sakura glared at Shikamaru as she felt Ino tense beside her. "Yeah, thanks for that."
"I'm not saying this to be a jerk. I'm saying this because it's a fact, and arguably it's the most important one." Shikamaru sighed, "Kagome is strong, she held her own against Gaara for quite some time before she lost her match. I'm confidant she's able to protect herself against normal shinobi. The Kazekage isn't a normal shinobi though. Kagome doesn't stand a chance against a Kage."
"..." Neji sighed, "he's not wrong." He pointed ahead, "I see them up ahead. We aren't too far away now."
Ino grinned, "then let's take care of these Sand nin then go back and help Kagome!"
"Sounds good to me," moving a bit faster, Shikamaru set his sights ahead as his mind turned back to Kagome leaping from the look out as she made her way to the Hokage. She'd reacted in a way that the Jounin did, and while he was proud of her, he also wished she was with him where he could see to her safety. 'Be patient Kagome. Once we take care of Gaara, Temari and Kankuro...damn it...' another thought occurred to him. He couldn't help but consider her friendship with the three siblings. The fact that Gaara hadn't just knocked him out in the lookout, that the three hadn't attacked them at all. "There may be hope where the Sand Siblings are concerned."
"What are you talking about?" Sakura turned a bit so she could see Shikamaru, "they are traitors."
"...they are following orders...however, they had the chance to attack us and didn't. Think back, Sakura. We were up in the lookout, and there's not many who could pose a challenge to Gaara's sand. He could have wiped the floor with us."
Naruto smirked, "you noticed that too? I was thinking about it. Gaara...he...he didn't want to hurt Kagome's friends. That's what I think."
Nodding, Shikamaru sighed, "if they have reservations about hurting us, then they must have reservations about attacking Konoha. That's what I think." He tilted his head a bit and sped up, "oi, Shino!"
The insect shinobi ahead slowed down and glanced over his shoulders a bit as he took in the sight of the large group behind him. "Quite the number of you. I'm surprised that so many could overcome the Genjutsu."
"You shouldn't be," Sakura frowned, "we've all come a long way."
"Everyone be quiet!" Sasuke snapped, frustration evident in his voice. "We're being followed!"
"Looks that way," Shikamaru sighed, "you guys should continue onward then, I can take care of these guys."
"We've enough hands to stay in pairs," Sakura said as she sped up enough so that she was beside Shikamaru, "let one of us help you."
"...three are following us, I'd like to keep Naruto and Sasuke together. Neji, if you aren't opposed to lending a hand..."
Neji nodded, "I'll hang back with you, it won't take us long to catch up to the others once we've taken care of our pursuers."
"Then, I'll leave the group in your...paws, Pakun." Shikamaru and Neji split off from the group and Ino glanced back as she continued running forward from next to Chouji and Kiba.
"Ino, keep your eyes forward," Naruto said calmly as he slowed down a pace to be beside her. When she looked back towards him, he nodded his head slightly, "we're all in this together, so long as even one of us is alive, we'll continue to move forward. So, don't you dare look back."
"Right!"
He grinned, "...atta girl."
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Me: Here is chapter 58! I'm back doing that thing you all like so much! Tell me what you think in a review~! Send Love Through!