Part of Your World

When Mesuko woke up many hours later it was well into the middle of the night, she opened her eyes slowly; groggy and dry they stung a little from so much crying. "Ugggh…" she whined in a deep tone. "Sucks." She laid in bed unable to fall back asleep, looking around her tiny home, her bed and a dresser were pretty much the only things in it, she had two small cabinets large enough to hold a few scrolls and imperishable food, she imagined it being taken away, the only thing she had left at this point was going to be taken in six days unless she found a way to either move it on someone's property or find a pack animal to haul all her crap and get the hell out of dodge. "Maybe I'll take a walk, look for a farm or something…. Oh I don't know…"

Shikamaru couldn't get a wink of sleep that night which was very unlike him. Luckily he didn't have a mission tomorrow or else he would be shit outta luck. He decided that it would be best to go for a walk, and unwilling to disturb the deer tonight he walked with his own two feet. With his hands shoved in his pockets he walked down a dirt road, small farms and little houses dotted the street, at the very end of it was a lush forest full of life, poachers were strictly forbidden and the forest was always being watched, some people often even believed that it was haunted, but Shikamaru knew better. The forest tonight had a beautiful glow from the moon and even though it was dark out he didn't need a lantern, he knew the forest like the back of his hand, doesn't mean he didn't take any gear with him, he wasn't stupid after all.

Shikamaru took the longest path through the forest, this particular trail lead a circle around the entire property and lead to the village, that just so happened to also lead right to Mesuko's wagon. Looking down at the dirt the path, it was rarely used for its inconvenient length to the village, he saw several sets of barefoot tacks, the same size foot however. He noted that it was the path that Mesuko would use to travel back and forth between the village and her wagon. 'I wonder what we look like to her…' he looked back at the cluster of houses that belonged to his clan members. 'Maybe a place like this… would be a home to someone like her, perhaps the entire clan is searching for one place that is just like this…' her previous conversation came back to him.

"We used to live on this land together."

'Together hmmm…' He followed her little footsteps blindly down the trail. 'Maybe her sticking around wouldn't be so bad, I know she was training to be the next leader, person thing, of her clan, she could act as an advisor to reconnect her clan to society… and maybe even find a place to call a real home.' He thought back to her tiny wagon, which had no bathroom or kitchen, just a bed and couple of shelves. 'She's not going to be able to make it o her own… What a drag…'

Mesuko paced the outside of her wagon, 'What to do? What to do?' she asked herself, 'I could go catch a wild horse… Hah!' she started laughing to herself, out loud.

"There's nothing funny about this situation." A very deep, very close, voice spoke to her. She turned in all directions to look for someone, but found no one, not even a mouse.

( A/N: For the sake of saving you the trouble I'm going to say that this voice is that of James Earl Jones. Aka Mufasa from the Lion King. Which I do not own. Moving on.)

"Who's there?" her voice shaking a little.

"Have you all ready forgotten? After all the help I gave you." The voiced scorned her.

"I- I don't know what you mean. Where are you?" she turned in all directions searching frantically for someone who wasn't there.

"I am everywhere, and nowhere, all around you and within you." The man's voice was bottomless and it rung in her ears and vibrated her core.

"That doesn't make any sense!" her chest was tight and her heart pounding quickly, she was becoming more frightened the more he spoke, as if it kept getting louder and louder.

"Look harder…" he said in a softer but still deep tone. Mesuko took a deep breath calming herself a little, looking all directions, until she saw something she couldn't quite explain. A shadow on the ground, hers yes, but it was not her, instead it was a shadow of large deer with great antlers, extending from her feet.

The shadow then began rise from the ground as if brought to life just by her seeing it, a great deer twice the height of herself stood in front of her smokey and see-though. Rather than looking like a real deer this beast was like a 3-D tribal tattoo, only being whole in the sense that he was made of shadows. "What are you?" she asked in awe.

"I am a spirit. It was I who helped you fight those bandits."

"That can't be! I heard more than one voice!" she said.

"I am not the only one watching over you." Her eyes widened in shock.

"Watching over me?" This massive deer nodded his head. "I don't understand, why show yourself now? Why have I never heard you before? Seen you or this-this other spirit?" The male spirit looked to the deep forest.

"It is this place, this forest is your home and being here makes you stronger."

"Then it makes you stronger as well?" she asked.

"No. I have always been here, when you grow stronger so will your vision." The deer started to walk towards the forest.

"Wait!" she said running after him. "I have so many questions!" she reached out her hand to touch him but he only turned to black smoke, dissipating right before her eyes. Her hand still extended in air her eyes focused on something else, a young boy who was beginning to walk into the gorge. "Shikamaru." She said quietly.

"Hmm?" he looked in her direction, she was still a few meters away but close enough to make eye contact. "What are you doing up at this hour?" he asked her.

"I could ask you the same thing." She said, "And why are you coming so close to my wagon?" she asked suspiciously.

"Whys your wagon so close to my forest?" he challenged.

"Because that's where it's always been."

"Not always." He said, "You could move it ya know, it has wheels." He was attempting to bring up the conversation from earlier, that way if he accidently said anything about it, she wouldn't know he was the deer all along.

"And where exactly would I move it?" she asked angrily.

" Who knows… not like anybody would notice it moving a few feet… you probably couldn't move it very far." He added the last part quickly hoping she would find a deeper meaning without letting his secret out.

"I don't want to move it a few feet… I want to move it out of the country." He stared into her golden eyes for a moment, before turning his to look down the path, then back at her nodding to it. She followed him silently down the trail. "Why are you out so late?" she asked him quietly.

"Couldn't sleep… you?"

"Same… or too much, I don't know."

"Hmh." He grunted in response. He shoved his hands in his pockets and they walked silently through the outskirts of the forest. He swished his thoughts around for a time before speaking to her again. "What will you do?" he asked her.

"I… it doesn't matter." She said quickly.

"Don't be so defensive."

"I'm not being defensive!"

"Yeah. You are." When she started to look angry he said, "You don't know do you."

"No. I don't!" she yelled.

"Well then, what will you do if you're forced to stay here?" his serious tone made her gut curdle. When she didn't answer him he said, "How will you make it though winter in that wagon?" it wasn't a question.

"I won't." She said firmly.

"Then where will you go?"

"I'll just have to find a way to make it back to my clan!"

"You have to be reasonable!" he said stopping, standing in front of her, forcing her to pay attention to him. "Think of other options before jumping to impossible conclusions!"

"Well if you had just given me a deer I wouldn't be in such a mess right now!"

"Ughh!" 'If you had just stolen a deer like I wanted you to you wouldn't be in this mess either!' "What mess could that be?" he asked finally able to bring up yesterday's incident. She spilled her guts…

"I can't buy a pack animal because I have no money so I can't move my wagon away sooo the stupid police are gonna take my wagon because I'm squatting on government land, and before you say it! I can't get a job in the village because they all hate my entire clan!"

"Hmm. I guess that's a bit of a struggle… But did you look everywhere?" he asked her.

"What?" she asked out of breath.

"I'm sure that there might be one or two people in the village who don't hate you, and you might be forced to have to stay here, so instead of worrying about that tiny wagon maybe you should look into an apartment."

"No…" she said quietly, "I don't want to…" She looked into his brown eyes her own filled with some emotion he couldn't place, but somehow he knew what she meant.

"If you don't want to leave, then you'll have to ask for permission to stay."

"Who do I ask?" she said even quieter than before.

"My dad." Her eyes widened in realizing that he was next in line for head of house. "Or my mom, she pretty much has a say in everything." He added sarcastically. Mesuko sighed heavily, it still seemed hopeless. "You could always rejoin your clan next year…"

"No." the thought of not having a family, or something that moderately resembled a friend, for a year frightened her more than anything she had ever faced, to be utterly alone and unwanted… "I'll stay till I can afford an animal, any animal, then I'm leaving!"

"What will you do in winter? Does that wagon even have a stove?"

"Then I guess I should start looking right away!" she argued.

"Look I know you're scared but-!"

"I'm not scared! You have no idea-!"

"You're terrified!" he shouted, 'I'm a god damn ninja I know when someone's scared and right now you feel cornered and you think no will help because of who you are but if you would stop being so afraid and just look around you, you'll see that there is always someone who would try to help!' He didn't know why but he suddenly couldn't say that out loud, his throat was frozen, but he was sure he would regret it later…

"I swear you think you know everything!" she said angrily.

"I do know everything!" 'Well I said that just fine… great.'

"Well then why don't you just predict my foot up your ass cause if you say one more thing that's what's gonna happen!" She turned on heel and began stomping back to her wagon.

'I was so close…' he thought watching her walk away.

It was early morning before Shikamaru made it home, his father was in the kitchen reading the news, his mother would most likely be up soon. "Hey dad…"

"Hmm?" his father flipped down the paper to look at his son.

Mesuko stomped around her wagon kicking the sides as she walked around, 'Why is he right?!' "Why is he right?!" she repeated out loud, "How can someone know me so well and barely know my name! I don't think he's ever even called me by my name! Jerk. What's his deal?" She slammed open the door violently, "I'm not going to the village!" she said to no one, "And I'm not gonna walk by your house today!" she pointed in the direction of Shikamaru's home. "I'm just…. Not going to do anything…" Her body fell to the soft grass and she stared up whimsically to the clouds, attempting to banish Shikamaru's lesson from her mind.

Shikamaru was on his way to Choji's house when he saw Neji going into Yamanaka Flowers, when he heard him say hello to Ino he found himself quite intrigued… "Hey guys…" he said casually leaning against the door frame.

"Hi Shikamaru." Ino greeted him cheerfully.

"Shikamaru, I need a favor." Neji said to him.

^/^

Neji was walking down the pathway that lead out of the village, when he came upon a small gorge outside the Nara forest he spotted a small wagon, he didn't need to look very hard to find Mesuko she was laying in the grass a few feet away from the wagon. However instead of walking over to her he appeared right at her feet causing her to scream and jump away from him.

"You're too slow." Neji said strictly, "You're going to have to be a lot faster than that."

"What?" she asked slightly dumbfounded, "Why do I need to be fast?"

"If you want to fight me of course."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" She raised her hands defensively, "I-I don't want to fight anybody!"

"Ready yourself!"

"What!?" she yelled. But Neji only lunged at her, when she tried to block him putting up both arms he weaved his hand right through a gap punching her in the gut. Mesuko tumbled to the ground clutching her stomach wincing from the sharp pain.

"That won't do. Get Up." He said with an authoritative tone. When she climbed up she took two steps back.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked slightly frightened.

"Get ready." He said.

"Wait!" he shot out his hands and she tried to doge this time to his left but he twirled on his hoot and kicked her in the same spot again. She was sent a few feet away this time rolling through the dirt.

"Get Up!" He yelled at her again. She tried to stand but her legs were shaky from the pain in her, now bruised, stomach area. "On your feet Mesuko." Neji lunged at her with his right hand extended outward aiming for her stomach with pointed fingers, this time she went to block only her stomach area but instead of hitting her there his fingers hit her right shoulder and her brought his knee up and slammed it against her abdomen sending her crashing into the side of her wagon as Neji berated her with two more kicks. She tumbled to the ground and her eyes stung with tears.

"Why?!" she screamed.

"Show me what you can do." He said. She said nothing because talking hurt but only looked at him quizzically, "That mark, I want to see what it does, and you are going to show me." He said with a powerful tone.

"When did you see it?" she asked quietly.

"I can see a lot of things, I can see your chakra points," his eyes became strained and the veins on his temple protruded from the strain of sending chakra to them. "That mark is filled with chakra and I want to see what you are capable of." His stare sent chills through her body, he was looking right through her and she could feel it.

"I- I don't know either… I'm not a warrior…"

"Obviously. That's why I'm trying to train you, today I was only seeing what you can do. Tomorrow the real thing begins." He said that and began to walk away.

"Wait! What do I get out of this?" she asked him.

"Don't you want to learn too?"

"Yes… But I have more important things to worry about right now." He turned and faced her.

"I'll think of a way to help, and tomorrow we'll make a deal." After that he disappeared in a blurry escape.

'Yeah sure…' Mesuko laid on the ground for a very long time before ambling to her feet. "I still need to find a job… I suppose I could head to town." After trying to take a few steps her whole body ached, "You gotta be kidding me… please don't tell me that life will be like this from now on… ughhh." She groaned.

When Mesuko had entered the large village she headed straight for the market district, becoming entirely overwhelmed she had no idea where to start. Her thoughts traveled to Ino after helping her before maybe she could send her in the right direction again. She headed for the flower shop once more.

"He-Hello?" she found herself suddenly nervous. 'Is it rude of me to ask for help again?'

"Well hi there!" Ino said, still cheerful. "Come in please."

"Hi, uh, Ino… I was… wondering, do you know of any shops who might be looking for… an employee…. Or something."

"Hmmm." She put her finger to her chin, "Well… we could use some help around here if you're interested." Ino smiled widely at her.

"Wait! Really? You mean it?!" Mesuko was in shock, what was the chance that the first place she went to wanted to hire her!

"Yeah!" she said coming out from behind the counter, "Come here I'll show you around."

Mesuko was on her way home, Ino had let her work today and she had made her a lunch, her step was filled with hope as things seemed to finally be turning around. It was evening now and she was only half way home when her thoughts wandered to Shikamaru. 'I should apologize… He was right after all…' As if reading her mind said ninja was heading in her direction. 'Damn it all! I didn't mean right now!' She thought about turning around and pretending like she hadn't seen him coming right at her… "Oh yay…" she said with a sarcastically grim tone.

"Oh so you think I'm happy to see you after this morning." He said while slightly glaring at her.

"Look about this morning-."

"Save it. I really don't care." He said in an uninterested tone, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Look I wanted to ap-!"

"I said I don't care!" he brushed past her swiftly. "I don't need your apology, besides I know just how proud of a person you are so don't think I'm fooled by your little act to get me on your side."

"What did you say?!" she shouted at him! He faced her with venom in his stare.

"I'm not ganna give you what you want just because you're being nice now. You made it pretty clear you don't want to make friends so why try?" He turned on his heel and briskly walked away leaving her in the dust angry and puzzled.

"Fine if that's the way he wants it, I don't care!" she tried to walk away just as quickly but awkwardly limped from all the pain in her stomach, "Jerk hole, ass- piece of crap under my foot…" she stopped for a moment, "That was the worst comeback ever… Ughh… hate you." On her way home it had started to drizzle, and by the time she made it home the rain was pouring down hard. Drenched and cold she huddled under the blankets for warmth but soon drifted off to sleep, a long day was ahead of her and she didn't even know it yet…