InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Tree Messaging ❯ Chapter 11 ( Chapter 11 )

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

 

Nothing much to say this time…thanks for all the lovely reviews from the last chapter and enjoy this one.

 

Please R&R.

 

 

 

Chapter 11

 

 

Aki shuddered as she sunk back against the base of Goshinboku. She had used up a lot of energy, some that she didn't even have. Hopefully, that insolent hanyou realized what she had just done for him…

 

…No, Inuyasha wasn't insolent, some of the time at least. He was just ignorant of the situation. How would he have known that the Goshinboku would expel him if he transformed. Even she didn't foresee that. If only she could be freed as well…

 

Her chest began to hurt as her eyes glazed over with tears. It may have happened a long time ago, but to her, it was almost like yesterday. She rarely relived that moment, but for some reason, she couldn't get it out of her head now…

 

`Why did it have to be this way?'

 

She shook her head. It was best not to dwell on the past. What happened had happened, for whatever reason the Kami-sama had. She couldn't change it no matter what she tried.

 

Besides, she should be happy for Inuyasha as well as Kagome. She just hoped…no prayed that things would go differently this time.

 

What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them, right?

 

 

~*~

 

 

Shiori leaned back against the concrete wall. Those Alliance cronies had the perfect timing, didn't they?

 

“She went this way!” a voice shouted from below her. The hanyou curled further into her hiding space. The spot in the rooftop shed of an office building wasn't one of her favorites, but she had to work with what she had.

 

Curse her well known identity. No matter what, even if under a concealment charm, the Alliance would be able to spot her out of the crowd. She'd have to hide here until this pair left before she could head back to HQ. Hopefully, the miko had been right about her new spell.

 

Suddenly, the door to the shed flew open. Shiori stopped breathing all together in fear that they'd hear it. Her position behind an old generator hid her from the direct view of the door, but if he were to step inside…

 

She'd fight, she'd have to. She had come too far to just be caught by lowlifes like these. Slowly, her hand slid down her thigh and wrapped around a hidden knife. Her leg muscles tensed, ready to spring at any time.

 

After hearing several sniffs, her pursuer grunted and slammed the door shut. Shiori gave a mental sigh of relief, not wanting them to hear her.

 

“She's not here. Should we spread out?”

 

“No, Sessho-san told us to wait `til he got here. Besides, even if we don't smell `er, she could still be here. Didn't you hear `bout that new kuro miko?”

 

“A kuro miko? Kami-sama, just what we need…”

 

“Yeah, and what happened at Masurao…at least we get a miko outta the deal.”

 

Well, at least her delayed stop here wasn't for naught. She'd bring this news to Naraku once she got back, anything to make sure her spot in the Underground wasn't… vacated.

 

“A miko, in Tokyo?! That's crazy!”

 

Then again… The Underground already knew about this new miko. She was the reason why she was here right now, to be a distraction. Naraku wanted Sesshomaru to focus on something other than the miko right now.

 

“I'm serious!”

 

“Man, you've been hearing things. There's no way that a new miko popped out of no where, especially since the last one came only a year ago. Wonder what happened to her…”

 

“That is none of your concern,” a cold voice answered. Shiori had heard that voice before, and had barely lived to tell about it. Ninku Sesshomaru was one tough puppy, no joke implied. She had the scars to prove it.

 

“S-Sessho-san! We couldn't find her, an' we were waitin' like you asked.”

 

“You won't find her. Go back to the office. Your presence here is useless.”

 

“O-Of course, Sessho-san. Right away, c'mon Roku.”

 

“Right behind you, Dai.”

 

The hanyou listened as the two men left. Something wasn't right, Sesshomaru never gave up. What was he up to?

 

“Hanyou,” his voice broke the comfortable silence, “do not waste my time. Leave before I change my mind.”

 

Shiori inhaled sharply. He knew she was there, and he was letting her go?! Did he have a case of brain parasites or something?

 

Hesitantly, she moved from her hiding place and slowly opened the door. When she opened it a crack, she scented the air. Her sense of smell may not be like that of a canine, but it was still better than a human's. She did a double take when she couldn't smell anyone there.

 

Slowly, she pushed the door fully open, ready for an attack. None came. She glanced around the rooftop and the sky, but saw nothing. The only thing she could smell was the fading scent of those two patrollers and Sesshomaru.

 

She walked over to the edge of the building and looked down. The streets were crawling with humans, as was the norm.

 

“`Stop wasting my time', huh? So Naraku, looks like Sesshomaru saw through your plan…” the hanyou slumped down on the gravel covered roof and let go of the breath she was holding.

 

Leave before I change my mind.

 

“Sesshomaru, just what are you up to?”

 

 

~*~

 

 

“Inuyasha, is it really you?” Kagome asked…again…

 

The human next to her rolled his eyes, “Do you know anyone else who wears a red hitoe and matching hakama?!”

 

The conference room was almost empty except for the three teenagers. Most of the other youkai had left because of the problems popping up all over down-town Tokyo.

 

“Are you really the younger brother of Sessho-san?” a curious Moriko asked.

 

“You look rather human and young to be his brother. But I do remember him mentioning a hanyou brother a few centuries ago…” the short man in doorway stated.

 

“Feh.” Inuyasha looked up at the man, “Oi, how'd you know I was a hanyou?”

 

“It's rather simple actually,” he pushed off from the doorframe and took the seat next to Kagome. “Anyone in the city would have been able to feel that surge of reiki that came from that sacred tree. I put two and two together, wasn't fond of the four I got, but what can you do? I brought you back here so that when you turned back to your normal self, humans wouldn't see it. The last thing we need right now is for more humans to find out about our existence…”

 

“Otou, try to be nice, please?” Moriko pleaded.

 

“Wait, you're Moriko-chan's father?” Kagome looked the man over. He looked like the stereotype Japanese male, save for being a bit shorter. The new miko had to remind herself that this was kitsune she was dealing with. He was probably under a disguise. This would take some getting used to.

 

“Shippou is the name. And what is yours, fair miko?” he took her hand and kissed the back of it, causing Kagome to blush.

 

“Hey, don't you dare touch her!” Inuyasha got in front of the miko and knocked her hand away from the kitsune.

 

“My, aren't we protective? Sorry, I didn't realize you already had a claim on her.”

 

“W-what?” Inuyasha grounded out, a blush forming on his face.

 

“Claim??” Kagome squeaked.

 

“Why yes. Its youkai custom to…”

 

“Whoa, hold on a second, claim?! What do you mean by that?” Kagome's blush challenged Inuyasha's.

 

“Well, you see…”

 

“Kitsune,” a squeaky voice came through the door, “Sessomaru-sama requests your presence in his office.”

 

Kagome blanched at the site of the little kappa. He looked under two feet tall and his high, squeaky voice gave her a headache.

 

“Of course, Jaken.”

 

Inuyasha on the other hand, only saw a very short man walking over to Shippou to lead him out of the room.

 

“Wow, I've never seen a real kappa before…” Kagome said in awe.

 

“Yeah, you don't see many of them around anymore,” Moriko stated, “It's mainly because of their small size. You see, our concealment charms can only cover up so much.”

 

“Wait,” Inuyasha stopped them, “you mean that guy was a youkai?”

 

“Why yes, what else would he be?” Moriko asked.

 

“He…looked human,” the adolescent admitted.

 

“You can't see through the spells…” the miko realized.

 

“Maybe it's because he's human,” Moriko mused. “It's not unheard of when hanyou go through their…erm…change, that they can't see through our concealment spells.”

 

“Why the hell not?”

 

The young kitsune didn't like getting yelled at by the hanyou, but she couldn't blame him. He was new here; after all, “It's because of the way the spells are made. They only allow those will youki or reiki to see through them. So when you turn human…”

 

“Yeah, I lose my youki.”

 

“But this only happens when you're purified, right?” Kagome asked.

 

Moriko caught Inuyasha's glare before she could answer the miko. Why didn't he want to tell her?

 

Suddenly, the occupants of the room felt a pulse of power.

 

“Keh, took long enough…”

 

 

 

~~

 

A/N

 

kuro miko - `dark shrine maiden', which is the literal translation, or just `dark priestess'