The Beast Inside (Shikamaru x OC)

Chapter 11

While Yura thought she would be the first one to arrive at the meeting point, she was surprised to find her friend with the high ponytail leaning against the gates, arms crossed.

- You're quick, the young girl remarked as she placed her belongings next to the Chunin's backpack. 

He shrugged, looking up at the kunoichi. 

- There's no time to loose, so...

Yura nodded solemnly, leaning against the gate as well without saying a word. They stood there in silence for a few minutes, while in the distance, the sun set behind the mountains.

- I don't understand the motivations of this organization, Shikamaru suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence. Collecting the tailed beasts to gain power... sure. But... what for ? 

Yura simply shrugged, biting her inner cheek.

Since she arrived in Konoha, or in other words, for as long as she could remember, her condition had always been a secret, and only a few individuals, carefully selected, knew that the village of Konoha were home to not one, but two jinchuurikis.

Back then, her condition, as well as Naruto's, was more considered a dormant threat; a power to be harnessed in order to ensure that an event like the day of the Fourth Hokage's death would never happen again. However... since this mysterious organization had emerged, the threat was no longer just internal, but external. Lurking in the shadows. 

Keeping this secret buried deep had not always been easy. In fact, a few years ago, an... incident had almost revealed the true nature of the young girl to the rest of the village. Though, after weeks spent in the hospital, under the pretext of an injury during training, she had managed to keep the secret, and her team had never found out the whole story. 

***5 years ago***

- She attempted a Chidori... didn't go quite well, Kakashi had claimed, trying to reassure a particularly worried young Shikamaru who had come to bring flowers to his friend in recovery.

- I didn't know Yura could perform that attack," the young shinobi had frowned, surprised. 

- Well, her presence here clearly shows that no, she doesn't fully masters it, the jonin had replied, smiling.

- How troublesome, Shikamaru had muttered before pushing open the hospital room door and placing his flowers in a vase by his sleeping friend's bedside.

He had sat on the edge of her bed, waiting for her to wake up so he wouldn't miss her reaction to the flowers. Damn, he had bypassed his parents' curfew to go pick them at the edge of the Konoha's forest, because he knew how much Yura loved them.

- Hmmm, Shika? The sleepy girl had mumbled, opening one eye tiredly. I don't know what they gave me, but I slept like a... oh !

The girl's gaze had landed on the bouquet of flowers on her bedside table, and she tried to sit up despite her sore body.

- Hey, easy. The doctors said you need to lay down...

She turned to her friend, a smile spreading across her face.

- You brought me flowers... she stammered, touched. Thank you so much, Shika. They're my favorites...

- Oh, those were on my way, he replied with a shrug, avoiding his friend's gaze, fearing she would notice his cheeks tinted pink.

The girl nodded, then turned her head towards the window. She didn't know what excuse Kakashi-sensei had come up with to justify her presence here. Having to lie to her friends was unbearable. Especially to Shikamaru. Indeed, she hated lying above anything else. And lying to her best friend, when they told each other everything, and had always been there for each other... that was a step above.

***present***

- Hey Yura, it's going to be okay, you know. We'll save Gaara and protect Naruto.

Shikamaru's remark brought her out of her thoughts, and she looked up at her friend. Although he tried to  reassure her about this perilous mission, it didn't remove the weight she felt in her stomach. Like a bad feeling, which she tried to hide with a smile.

- Aha yes, I know ! I mean, with Kakashi and Asuma-sensei, we're at no risk, after all ! she said in a falsely cheerful tone. And speaking of which...

She spotted in the distance the silhouettes of the two senseis, walking towards the village gates, closely followed by Choji, Sakura, and a handful of Jonins whose names she didn't know.

- Hmm... We're only missing Naruto... Kakashi concluded as he approached them.

- I stopped by his place on my way here, Sakura shrugged. But he wasn't there...

- Oi, time's ticking... a voice said from the other side of the gates.

Yura frowned as she realized that their blond friend had actually been standing there all this time, waiting for them a few meters away.

- We didn't even see you... Yura remarked as she grabbed her backpack.

Naruto simply stared at the horizon. Yura knew all too well about the friendship between the young ninja and the Kazekage. She approached him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

- Everything will be fine, Naruto, she said gently, trying to sound as convincing as Shikamaru earlier.

However, her worries about the mission betrayed her, despite her efforts.

"At least I hope so", she thought.