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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When I was younger, I wanted to be a Kunoichi of the Leaf Village. I thrived for praise and thrived for success. I needed to be useful. When I turned eleven, I was placed on a three-man team. I was placed on a three-man team with two Tokubetsu Jounin. I was already a year younger than the others at the academy, and on a team with two accomplished and highly praised Jounin, I was useful. No, I really wasn't. I was just there, riding along on their shadows. It's not good enough! I'm not good enough! I need to get stronger; I need to get faster, better...I need to. If I can't, I'll never be able to protect what's important to Sensei...or what's important to me.

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Leaves crunched under the weight of her feet as she stepped out onto the battlefield. Her eyes taking in the battered Naruto and Gaara, she stepped up beside Temari who was looking out at them with Kankuro held limply in her arms. "Wow..." she paid not mind to Temari who jumped at her voice and turned in surprise to look at her. "What kind of massive battle took place here?"

"...you missed it..." Temari sighed, "I need to get my brother out of here."

"I'll take Naruto, then." Kagome stepped past the blonde and walked towards the number one knuckleheaded ninja of Konoha. "Hey, Naruto..." she called out to the boy as he inch wormed his way over to Gaara. "I think you've both had enough. Let's...let's stop fighting." She felt a presence and turned to see Sasuke standing behind her.

"K-Kagome."

"Yeah, it's me." She smiled sadly. "Orochimaru has abandoned the mission, the Kazekage...he was killed...by Orochimaru before he ever made it to Konoha."

Temari stilled in her motions, "what?! Father...the Kazekage was..."

Kagome helped Naruto into a sitting position as Sasuke knelt beside him and guided an arm over his shoulder. Bringing her necklace out, she rested it over Naruto's shoulders and a pink glow settled around him like a warm blanket. She looked towards Temari, "your father was blinded by Orochimaru, and then killed by him. I'm sorry, Temari...for your loss, and for ours." She pulled her hand away, feeling the arrival of another person, she acknowledged them with a slight incline of her head and a soft breath of air escaped her as she felt the ease of relief fill her. 'Shikamaru!'

"Ours?" Naruto looked up at Kagome, "what do you mean?"

"Sasuke...when this is all said and done, you and I have a mission. For now," she walked towards Temari who moved into a protective stance in front of her brothers. "Stand down, Temari. There is no more reason to fight, and your brother needs to be healed."

"Wait," Naruto pushed himself up off the ground and stumbled over to Kagome, "what loss?! Who did we lose?"

She shook her head, "the Third Hokage didn't survive the fight with Orochimaru."

"..."

Gaara stared up into her eyes as she healed him. His aquamarine eyes followed a stray tear for a moment before he lifted a hand slowly, his finger tracing the path along her cheek that the tear had stolen upon.

"Old man, no way..."

She looked over her shoulder and took in the shaking shoulders of Naruto, "hey, I have a favor to ask you, Naruto."

"W-what's that?"

"Lord Hokage wanted me to deliver a message to Konohamaru, his grandson, but I'm not all that close to the kid. You...you're...closer to him, than I am. He asked for me to tell him "not to let the Fire die"."

Naruto shook his head and choked back his own tears, "you're serious. He's really dead."

Bowing her head to her knees, tears poured endlessly from her eyes as a hand found her shoulder. It was familiar. 'Shikamaru...'

Holding her in his arms, Shikamaru let what she'd revealed crash down on his shoulders. Even as he tried to sooth her, he felt his hands trembling in her hair as he ran his fingers through the loose, long black locks.

Gaara sat up beside the two, his hand fell to his side as he looked lifelessly at the landscape that had been destroyed by his and Naruto's battle. Sniffling beside him alerted him to his own sister as she cried for the loss of their own father. He felt nothing for the man, personally, but that was him. "Temari, let's leave."

"G-Gaara?" Temari watched her little brother stand up as he walked past Kagome and over to Naruto. The group surrounding them turned their eyes to him as he knelt in front of the blonde.

"I don't understand...how you can do anything for anyone other than yourself. However," he held a hand up to stop Naruto from interrupting him. "I hope that I too am lucky enough, to one day, have people that I can protect...the way you do."

"Gaara..." Naruto reached out a hand to grab the red head, but he was already standing and walking back towards his sister to depart.

It didn't take long for the sand siblings to disappear from their sights. Sitting in Shikamaru's arms, Kagome wanted to stay in the safety of those arms, but she knew better than to think they had time to waste. She had missions that needed to be completed, and the Village needed to be cleaned up. Then, on top of that, there was the headcount. Who had died, who all had lost their lives in this pointless battle? Strong arms tightened around her, and she glanced up into the worried eyes that belonged to Shikamaru. "...I'm still not strong enough...to protect what's important to me."

Sasuke, Naruto and Shikamaru stared lost at Kagome. That phrase was heavy, it was something that they each continued to think, but never cared to voice out loud. Yet, here she was, voicing her pain in a way that they could never hope to. "Kagome..."

"I'll become stronger, Shikamaru. I need to become stronger. There are so many whom I want to protect. The precious family I've made here in Konoha. The Villagers...you, Naruto and Sasuke...I need to get stronger...or I'll lose everyone that's important."

"No, no, Kagome, you can't put this kind of heavy burden on your shoulders." Shikamaru buried his head in her neck and shook his head desperately, "you can't, such a burden will only break you!"

She felt her eyes burning with the weight of her tears, exhaustion was kicking in and her heart was pounding painfully in her chest while her throat tightened in her emotional distress. "...Itachi-Sensei...what should I do?"

Sasuke, who was standing behind Shikamaru and Naruto, both of which were coddling Kagome in her distress, glared down at the girl and her whispered plea. She was calling out for help, from a murderer. He tightened his fists at his side, and stopped himself from snarling in his anger, "what was the mission you and I had to complete?" He didn't think he could work together with her.

"Sasuke?" Shikamaru frowned, looking back at the Uchiha.

"...Genma will explain it to you. I'm not allowed to say anything yet. Too many emotions running rampant. He said I'm already a loose cannon with my emotions...one is enough, he doesn't want to deal with any others."

"Yeah, but why me? I'm not part of your team?"

"This mission, was given by the Third Hokage, as his dying breath."

'What the hell kind of mission is it?!' Shikamaru sighed, "enough of this! Let's go take care of the others, and then we can find out what's going on in the Village."

Sasuke and Naruto were still looking at Kagome who had shown she had a knack for leaving them in suspense with dramatic pauses. Neither were sure what exactly had happened, but the Third had apparently said a few things to Kagome and they were all curious about what the old man could have told her on his dying bed. All but Shikamaru, that is. He lifted her into his arms and ran off towards Sakura and Ino. Kagome, even if it wasn't with Healing Chakra, was the only Healer they had on hand, and he had a priority to the Village right now. Knowing that she was alive and well, meant that he now had to focus on the Village as a whole.

"Sasuke?" Naruto called out to his friend, "Is the Itachi she keeps mentioning, the same Itachi as your brother?"

Sasuke looked at Naruto, a feeling of defeat lingered around him, "yeah, she was my brothers one and only student. I hate that she still clings to him as her Sensei, but as I think about it, I can't help but feel bad for her. She'll drive herself insane thinking about him...trying to please him. Tch, I'll kill him for what he did."

Too much was going on. Naruto couldn't begin to keep up with the emotions that were heavy in the air. Anger, hurt, discomfort, grief and misery...it was all muddled together in one massive mush of feelings.

"Let's catch up to the others, if you're feeling fit for running."

"Fit?" Naruto tightened his fist and forced a smile, "I'm feeling great! Let's take care of Konoha! We should head back to Kakashi and find out if there's any lingering Sand or Sound nin in Konoha."

"Right, let's go,"

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Me: Here is chapter 61! Please review, I know I'm posting a lot of chapters, but please consider the time that's gone into writing. Send Love Through and Review~!