InuYasha Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Lost in the Sengoku Jidai?! ❯ Adventure Begins on the Wrong Foot ^-_-^ ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3: Adventure Begins on the Wrong Foot ^-_-^

Miroku, Sango and Shippou watched with fascination as Akane set up their lunch. Kagome began to help her, but it didn't ease their amazement. The girl with the short hair just continued to pull out strange things from her 'backpack', a familiar term only because they had heard Kagome say it so many times before. The boxed ramen was the only thing that was familiar to them. Metal bowls Kagome called 'pots and pans', strange weapons that Kagome said were 'utensils' for cooking, packages and packages of other solid objects which were referred to as 'instant dinners'. Food of some kind. There were strange clothes and a familiar first aid kit, which they had come to depend upon. And many other devices that left the three whirling with the strangeness of Kagome's world.

Sango and Miroku were only too happy to turn their attention away from the never-ending backpack of stuff. For the moment, Inuyasha and Ranma coming to blows was much more reassuring and somewhat familiar.

Shippou, on the other hand, lost himself in the backpack of stuff. He knew there was always some kind of good things in there that no one ever knew about. Kagome always had the sweet things she called lollipops in her bag. Maybe Akane would too.

"Um… Akane?" Kagome began worriedly as Akane began to prepare dinner. "Are you sure you should start making dinner now?"

Akane blinked and turned to Kagome. "What do you mean? Aren't we camped for the evening?" She returned her attention to the boiling water.

"Eh-to… Mm… We are…but… Maybe you should let me cook. Everyone is used to my cooking… It might be a better idea. Maybe you should get Inuyasha and Ranma to stop fighting while I cook…"

Akane shook her head. "I want to be useful, Kagome. Until a youkai shows up, I've got to show that I can do something for the group." She stirred the concoction in the pot. "Besides, this is a great time for me to practice!"

"So far it smells wonderful, Akane-san."

Kagome and Akane looked up to see Miroku sitting beside them. Sango rolled her eyes. A sweatdrop formed on Kagome's brow. "Miroku-sama, you don't understand…"

Akane smiled. "Why, thank you, Miroku-san! I hope it tastes as good as it smells!"

"Not likely!" Ranma called before Inuyasha knocked him down.

"HA! Pay more attention, pigtails! Ignore me and I might end up killing you!"

Ranma returned his attention to Inuyasha and wiped the blood off his lip. "In your dreams, dog-boy! You don't stand a chance!"

Inuyasha cracked his knuckles. "Really? You haven't landed a hit on me yet. I'm waiting, girly-man!"

"YOU'RE DEAD!"

Kagome sighed and turned her attention away from the two idiots. She saw Sango blink at them before turning her attention to Kagome. "What was that all about?" she asked, motioning a finger over at the two fighting.

Before Kagome could answer, Akane did. "Ranma's cursed. He transforms-"

"SHUT UP, AKANE!!"

"Pay attention, pigtails!"

"DAMN IT!"

Kagome shook her head and looked at Sango. "Don't worry about it, Sango-chan."

"Eep."

Kagome looked back and saw Miroku's paling face and Akane's wide eyes. Kagome was afraid to ask. "What… happened?"

Akane gave Kagome a crooked smile. Miroku is the one that answered. "She dropped the entire bottle of whatever it was in her hand into the soup."

Kagome stole a glance at the pot with the yellow smoke starting to come from it. She returned her attention back to Sango. "Sango-chan, the only thing that should worry you is our dinner."

"Kagome! That's not very nice!" Akane said halfheartedly.

Miroku gave Kagome a worried look and then briefly looked back at the pot. He gulped. "Kagome-sama, I'm sure Akane-san's soup will be fine…"

"Of course it will," Akane said with renewed confidence.

Kagome sighed. "You'll find out I guess…"

"Take THIS, dog-boy!"

"HA! Pathetic!"

* * *

"I'm really sorry about dinner…" Akane said for the hundredth time.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I know you are, Akane. Luckily, I still had some ramen left."

Sango trembled at the horrific memory of Akane's vain attempt at beef stew. The three girls were currently in a hot spring they had found near their campsite. After banning the males from there, they began to relax in their after dinner soak.

"I'll do better next time," Akane began.

"NO!" Kagome and Sango said in unison. They blinked and then began to giggle coming toward Akane. Kagome gave her friend a hug. "Don't worry about it, Akane. There's no reason for you to try so hard. Your dinner would drive youkai into fits. And you know it's true so don't pout."

Akane giggled. "I know. But I had to at least try. I figured maybe my cooking would be find in another time period."

Sango shook her head fervently. "I don't think different worlds has anything to do with it." She smiled. "We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Don't worry about it. I'm sure it'll kill some hapless youkai out there."

"Sango-chan, you're so mean."

The girls burst out laughing.

Meanwhile with the guys…

Miroku was currently sitting on a 'sat' Inuyasha, drilling a grumbling Ranma. He had noticed the 'girly-man' comment as well as was curious as to what Inuyasha knew that he didn't. Shippou was interested as well. But information from Ranma wasn't forthcoming. And all Inuyasha did was curse at Miroku.

"Why won't you tell us your curse, Ranma?" Miroku had already taken to calling Ranma by his given name with the same tone he spoke to Inuyasha. After all, the two were cut from the same cloth. "We all know Inuyasha's and I told you mine. It is time for you to reveal information."

"Do you always talk like an old man?" Ranma grumbled. He then abruptly yelped from the whap of Miroku's staff. "What'd you do that for?!"

"I do not talk like an old man. You talk as crudely as Inuyasha. He's allowed. He's a hanyou and doesn't know better. You're a human. You should have at least some manners."

Shippou rolled his eyes. "It's hopeless, Miroku. They're exactly alike."

Miroku nodded solemnly. "You're right, Shippou. I don't know what Kagome-sama and Akane-san see in these two." Sigh. "It's a pity that they're attracted to this unruly, rude kind. It would be so much nicer if they preferred me…"

Shippou narrowed his eyes at Miroku. Ranma inched away.

But Inuyasha couldn't help but say something. "They're smart. They don't like perverted monks who are always feeling up on them. Even Sango won't have anything to do with you."

Miroku's eyes narrowed and he whammed his staff against Inuyasha's head.

"TEME~!!!"

Shippou shook his head. "You asked for it."

Back with the girls…

"You do know those two are going to fighting the entire time, right? Until they settle the score. It's going to get so irritating after a while, I just know it," Akane said.

Kagome nodded. "I think I've concluded that neither of them will ever win. They're both too stubborn to lose to the other."

Sango groaned. "So we're going to have to put up with more of today?" She sunk deeper into the warm water. "I think I'll find better company with Miroku after all…"

Akane turned to Sango. "Aren't you two a couple?" Kagome paled and tried to stave Akane off. But it was too late. "I thought you two were already together." Kagome sighed and began to move behind a rock.

"Where are you going, Kagome-chan?" Sango said moving toward Kagome. "What have you been telling Akane-chan…?"

"Oops."

Kagome let out a little squeal as Sango chased after her, splashing toward her. Akane got caught in the middle as Kagome went behind her for cover. Akane tried to protect herself but only ended up laughing and splashing at Sango. A war with splashing ensued, leaving the trio laughing and breathless.

The guys…

Inuyasha's ears twitched with the sound of female laughter. Miroku, observant as ever, saw them.

"Oh? Curious, Inuyasha? Are you tempted to go peek? I know I am."

"Lecherous houshi," Inuyasha spat, ignoring the red that came to his cheeks.

Miroku pouted. "Now, that isn't very nice. Just because I appreciate the female form doesn't mean I'm lecherous."

Shippou rolled his eyes. "This is from the guy who asks every woman he sees to bear his child."

Miroku huffed. "I've got a valid reason for doing it. It has nothing to do with lechery or perversion."

Ranma snorted. "I've seen Akane naked a bunch of times. I'm not interested in seeing more."

Miroku lifted an eyebrow. "Really? You and Inuyasha feel the same way then?" Inuyasha nodded. Miroku smiled. "Very well then. You both shouldn't mind if I take a peek then. Shippou, watch them."

"What?!" the kitsune said. But Miroku had already begun to move stealthily toward the hot springs where the women could still be heard giggling and splashing.

It only took a moment before Inuyasha and Ranma got up and went quickly after him. Shippou let out a little squeal and followed.

In that moment… eyes found the groups' camp and supplies.

* * *

"I can't believe you three," Kagome said as she stomped through the woods to the campsite, a towel wrapped around her. "You have the gall to come peeping and then deny it! At least, Miroku was truthful about his peeping!"

Miroku rubbed the bump on his head. "What point was there in denying it?" Sango hovered near him, towel wrapped around her, eyes blazing. Miroku scooted forward, half cowering away from her violent aura.

"I just can't believe Ranma would actually stoop so low! He's walked in on me hundreds of times-"

"You've walked in on me too," Ranma muttered walking dejectedly behind her.

"But to actually go willingly to peep!" Akane fumed.

"I told you! Me and Inuyasha were just trying to stop the perverted monk-"

"I resent that remark," Miroku said and Sango bonked him again.

Inuyasha growled from within the forest. Kagome had sat him so fiercely that he still couldn't move much. All they could hear now was him cursing.

Kagome was about to sit him again and grab the nearest water so she could splash Ranma when she stumbled onto their camp.

Or what was left of it.

Everyone behind her was surprised at her abrupt stop and when around her to look. All they could do was hang their mouths open in astonishment.

Everything had been ransacked and rummaged. Their food was gone, Kagome's pack, Akane and Ranma's supplies missing, and what was left was scattered randomly around what used to be their campsite. Akane quickly ran to what was left and let out a startled yelp.

She turned to the group with a shocked expression.

"All my clothes are gone except for my gi…" she whispered.

Sango immediately flew to her own things and let out a sigh of relief. Her clothes were still in tact. Ranma went to Akane and noted that all of his clothes were missing. The only thing he had left were the ones on his body. Miroku and Shippou checked most of the other supplies and Shippou howled in sadness when he realized his stash of candies had also been taken. Kagome went toward where she had left her things, just as Inuyasha emerged from the woods behind them. Her face paled.

"They took all my clothes…" she whispered.

The group was silent as they looked at each other. Sango clutched her clothes to her body and Akane did the same. Ranma just shook his head in disbelief. Miroku was silently consoling a distressed Shippou. Inuyasha cracked his knuckles. "Then what are we standing around waiting for." He sniffed the air. "It wasn't youkai. The thieves are human." He grinned. "We'll have then by daybreak."

"But I wanted to sleep now," Shippou whimpered.

Sango shook her head. "If we wait, Inuyasha would probably lose the scent. We have to find the thieves." Akane, Ranma, and Miroku nodded.

Kagome let out a familiar Inuyasha curse before speaking. "All well and good, but all of you have got something to wear." Kagome looked down at herself; at the towel still around her and gripped in her hand. "All I have is this towel!"

Inuyasha walked over to her, talking off his fire-rat jacket and put it around her without a word. Kagome blinked and looked up at him. He avoided her eyes and his cheeks turned a bit pink. Then he grinned.

"If we're all ready…" He pulled out Tetsuaiga. "Let's go hunt some thieves!"

* * *

To make a long story short, the group didn't find the thieves. Inuyasha's nose led them to a little town were pieces of what might have been Akane, Ranma and Kagome's clothes were being worn by normal, every-day Sengoku Jidai peasants. A couple of kids were sucking on what could have been lollipops (to Shippou's distress) and some old folks were sucking on steaming Styrofoam cups…probably filled with ramen noodles. They managed to find was Kagome and Akane's first aid kits and persuaded the old women in possession to give it to them. It was much harder, taking Kagome's bike back away from the young man who had been attached to it. Inuyasha's fangs and claws and Ranma's cracking knuckles settled the matter.

Once they concluded that there was no way to get their clothes back, Ranma and Akane resigned themselves to their fate. She'd wear her gi for the rest of the vacation and he'd wear the same Chinese outfit the entire time. Kagome, on the other hand, refused to continue wandering around in only Inuyasha's jacket. So Miroku and Sango gathered what little money they had left (that hadn't been stolen) and got Kagome all they could afford. The only thing they would offer was a short, white kimono looking outfit with miko-like sleeves and a high neck that was buttoned to one side [think Chiaki from Zenki]. At least she could still ride her bike in it and not be indecent.

And (as far as Kagome was concerned) she didn't look like Kikyo in it. That made it all the more acceptable.

Sango thought she looked adorable. Miroku said it suited her. Akane said if they had any money left she'd get something like that for herself, Ranma gave her a thumbs up, Shippou said he liked it better than her normal clothes… But Inuyasha didn't say a thing. All he did was stare at her.

It made her wonder briefly if she did look like Kikyo or not. She resisted the temptation of using one of her arrows to purge words out of him.

The group retired early (considering they'd been up all night) and as usual, in the best house in town. Miroku did the usual rounds of sealing off make-believe negative energies while the group enjoyed a hearty meal and turned in early.

Kagome, Akane, Sango and Shippou managed to get a room for themselves.

"Kagome?" Akane said, just as Sango and Shippou fell asleep and she was starting to nod off herself.

"Mm?"

"Do you guys always get to stay in places like these?"

"Usually."

"So every rich house in a town has got evil spirits?"

"Pretty much. Miroku-sama is clever. He isn't much of a monk, despite the fact that he's supposed to be one."

"I've noticed."

"He's got his good points."

"So does Inuyasha and Ranma, ne?"

"Mm. At least they didn't try to fight while in town."

"At least."

"This vacation-adventure didn't start very well did it?"

"My trip to Nerima was just about as interesting."

"Well, we had the psychos to deal with."

"And you're in a different time period. Same thing."

"I guess you're right."

"Of course, I am."

Akane nodded and snuggled into her soft futon. "Good night, Kagome."

"Night, Akane," Kagome responded and closed her eyes. Wondering briefly what would happen tomorrow.