Arron and Trexx

Chapter 34

Third person pov

Arron ended up settling underneath a tree to watch. She was nervous, her shoulders tense and square. Shikamaru made it a point to turn and look at her every few minutes just so he could give her a reassuring smile. It was the lazy kind that made Arron relax just a little. Trexx sat next to her, soaking in the shadows the leaves above him cast. 

"Ino, you need to cast your jutsu two seconds later." Shikamaru told the Yamanaka, his hands in his pockets. He glanced over at Arron, who gazed at him adamantly just as she'd been doing since they got here. She blinked at him with her large, dark eyes. Wisps of hair were beginning to fall out of her ponytail, framing her face. He almost couldn't help but smile.

"Alright. I think I can do that." Ino nodded. "And stop making googly eyes at Arron over there! It's distracting!"

Shikamaru's head snapped in her direction, and he had to stop his cheeks from flaring up. He narrowed his eyes. "I'm not. I'm just looking to make sure she's okay." He said in a defensive tone. And he was! Arron needed all the reassurance that she could get. She was clearly very nervous about being here. This was a huge step for her! He couldn't just leave her to handle it all on her own. He needed to do all he could for her.

"Yeah, whatever. I'm sure that's all it is." Ino scoffed, rolling her eyes. Choji's grinning told Shikamaru that he agreed with the Yamanaka. Asuma didn't say a word, his arms folded over his chest. He stared at Shikamaru with a look that made the Nara feel tense and awkward. Asuma was her godfather, after all.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered before he sighed. "Let's just get this over with. We've been working on this technique for weeks, and I know we're close. So let's just shut up and do it, yeah?"

"Shikamaru's right. I think we've almost got it. There are just some minor tweaks, and then we've got it in the bag." Choji agreed, throwing some chips in his mouth. A thin sheen of sweat covered his face. He wiped his forehead on his forearm. It didn't do much but smear it. Shikamaru sighed. He was also beginning to sweat quite a bit. 

As they continued to train, Arron found her gaze wandering to the shadows around them. The longer she stared, the more they seemed to move. Not just with the swaying of the branches above them, either. They seemed to squirm, twisting towards her. The curled through the grass, snaking towards her. She stared as they climbed atop her feet, circling her ankles and pulling themselves up her legs. They seemed alive.

"Arron." Trexx grumbled, drawing her attention. "Shadow."

She nodded, seeming to understand. She knew her clan had a strong connection to the shadows. She could barely remember anything about her family, but small fragments were there. A fuzzy memory of her clan, big and prosperous, fought its way into her mind. She remembered looking out her window and watching them train. They brought shadows to life, raising them from the ground and shooting them at each other. She could remember the dark masses fighting against each other as her fellow clan-members honed their skills.

She brought out her hand, watching as the shadows moved to cover it. Trexx put a hand on her shoulder, and she felt a buzz. It moved from where his large hand was all the way down her arm, shooting to the palm of her hand. She watched a tendril of shadow swim into the air shakily, seeming to dance in the wind.

Trexx removed his hand, and the shadow continued. Arron, curious, prompted it more. She focused on making it solid. Firm in its stance. It stopped shaking almost immediately, swaying like a snake waiting to strike. More shadows raised from her hand, joining it and making it bigger. Stronger. She watched it spin through the air, stretching higher and farther than she thought it could.

Shikamaru glanced over to see several tendrils of shadow circling Arron's body, all originating from her hand. He froze, and this caused his teammates to stop as well. "What's wrong, Shikamaru?" Asuma asked his student. Shikamaru didn't respond, but he nodded towards Arron. 

Asuma followed his gaze, and froze at what he saw. His mouth fell open. "She has it." He said. "She managed to get their kekkai genkai."