InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Tree Messaging ❯ Chapter 12 ( Chapter 12 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

 

Hey ya'll. Thanks for the reviews from the last chapter. I'm sorry for the long delay, but I've recently found out that life can really suck.

Back on track, I tried to make this chapter long to make up for the long wait. I realized that I've been stuck on one fixed day for the past five chapters (six counting this one), so I tried to fit everything I could into this chapter so I can move on in the next.

A/N: I revised some of my earlier chapters, so be sure to read them whenever I post them, which won't be for awhile.

 

 

 

Chapter 12

 

 

“Surely you jest, Sesshomaru-sama,” Shippou pleaded with the taiyoukai.

 

“No,” the female wolf sitting in the chair argued, “No, this can't be…” She looked at the youkai behind the wooden desk with watery eyes, pleading him to say this was all one big, horrible joke.

 

Sesshomaru gave them both a hard stare, “You know as well as I do that I would never joke about something this dire; I am not kitsune, remember. I caught his scent while looking for the bat hanyou. There is no mistake.”

 

“But he's dead!” Ayame cried. Tears were running freely down her face, her fist clenching the arms of the chair. “I killed him myself…”

 

“Ayame…” Shippou walked over to her.

 

“No Shippou-kun, it had to be done, or else he would've gotten Moriko too…”

 

The kitsune wrapped his arms around the sobbing ookami, “And I thank Inari everyday for what you did.” He sighed, “I don't know what I would have done if I had lost both of them…”

 

“Kitsune,” the taiyoukai had walked over from his desk and placed a hand on his shoulder, “He is alive. We must think of the future instead of the past. You still have a daughter to think about.”

 

“I know, Sesshomaru-sama, but…” Shippou tightened his hold on Ayame.

 

“The miko's description matches perfectly to that of the wolf, and there is no mistaking the scent I found today. There has not been any new ookami in Japan in over a century either. It is him.”

 

“But Kouga is dead! I saw him fall; not even a youkai could have survived falling from the top of the Handan Building…” the ookami cried.

 

“Indeed. Yet you know the power of a canine youkai's nose, having one yourself. You must face the fact that that godforsaken wolf is still out there.”

 

“You would take the word of a…a child over that of one of your oldest agents? Kouga is dead; nothing you say will change that!” She pushed away from Shippou and stormed out of the room, tears still streaming down her face.

 

“That…could have gone better…” the kitsune sighed as he collapsed into the now vacated chair.

 

The taiyoukai raised an eyebrow, “And you are taking the news rather well, kitsune. I would suspect that by now you would be tearing up Tokyo looking for him.”

 

Shippou growled, “You have no idea how much I want to; to find him and rip out his entrails…but I have to think about Moriko…”

 

Sesshomaru didn't say anything else. He walked back to his desk and looked out one of the windows into the school yard.

 

“Hard to believe it's been seventy years, ne?”

 

“And you have yet to move on…”

 

 

“…I'm not sure Moriko would be ready for something like that…”

 

“Do not use your daughter as an excuse for holding back. She only wants what is best for you.”

 

Shippou snorted, “Since when do you get so familiar?”

 

Sesshomaru didn't answer, but said, “You are dismissed. Before you leave the grounds, send my brother and the miko in.”

 

The kitsune stood and bowed, “Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

“Well, it looks like we need to get you a concealment spell,” Moriko giggled as she watched Inuyasha change back into a hanyou. His black hair slowly bled silver and his human ears shifted from the sides of his head to the top.

 

“Keh.” He looked at the girl, “What happened to you?” The human girl who was sitting beofre him had suddenly changed into a kitsune girl. Her flaming red hair cascaded down her back and stopped right at the top of her tail. Her green eyes pierced his golden ones in annoyance.

 

The kitsune crossed her arms, “Nothing happened to me, you changed back into a hanyou, getting your youki back, which allows you to see through my spell.”

 

“So, you're youkai?”

 

“The tail gives it away, doesn't it?” she asked sarcastically as the said appendage twitched.

 

“Keh, look, can we get out of here now? I want to get as far away from my brother as I can.”

 

“Not before we get you a concealment spell.”

 

“Its not like you can walk around with those dog ears, Inuyasha. People would start to ask questions,” Kagome insisted.

 

“Like I care…”

 

“Oh I think you would,” Shippou said from the doorway. To the hanyou, and everyone in the room, he still appeared human, “Humans have changed since your time. They'd want to run tests on you to see how you functioned, what your habits are, etc, not to mention that through you, they'd discover the entire youkai world. So if I were you, I'd shut up and just get a damn concealment charm.”

 

“And where am I supposed to get one?” the hanyou slammed his arms into the sleeves of his hitoe.

 

“I can make one now that will make you look like a human, but I need something to tie it down to.”

 

“How come?” Kagome asked.

 

“Simple, if we didn't tie it down to something, anyone could dispel it, even humans,” Moriko explained.

 

Kagome thought for a moment and then grabbed the string hanging around her neck. She slipped the string, along with the arrowhead tied to it, over her head and handed it to Shippou.

 

“Would this work, Shippou-san?”

 

The kitsune looked at the small object and nodded, “That will work. I'll only put a small temporary spell on it now, since I don't have the time to place a permanent one.”

 

Shippou took the arrowhead from Kagome and placed it between his clasped hands. He muttered a few words and his hands shone a bright green. Slowly, he inspected the object then handed it over to Inuyasha.

 

“That should do for now. Be sure to come by my father's store tomorrow before noon.”

 

“Why?” the hanyou asked as he took the arrowhead from the kitsune and began to sniff it.

 

“Because the spell would wear off by then.”

 

“We'll come,” Kagome said before Inuyasha could answer. She grabbed the arrowhead from his hand and slipped it over his head.

 

“Good, it's in Asakuso, Nakamise-dori Street to be exact. It's not far from Senso-ji Temple. I think your dog friend here could sniff us out if need be.”

 

“Keh.”

 

“Thank you, Shippou-san. We'll see you tomorrow then.”

 

“Good-bye, Kagome-san, it was nice to meet you,” Moriko said before moving next to her father, “Remember, come before noon.”

 

Before they left the room, Shippou turned around and looked at Inuyasha, “By the way, Sesshomaru-sama wanted to see you two in his office.”

 

“What the hell does he want?”

 

He shrugged, “He didn't say, but you better not keep him waiting.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

“What the hell is wrong with you?!”

 

“Look, it's not my fault!” the ookami youkai insisted, “You were in trouble, so I figured I'd give Sesshomaru something else to go after other than you.”

 

Two figures could be seen on the top of the Handan Building in downtown Tokyo. The sun was low in the horizon and a small sliver of the moon could be seen in the sky.

 

“I can't believe how stupid you are!” the hanyou screeched. “Sesshomaru could have found you; then what would you do?”

 

“I…uh…”

 

“Just as I thought…” Shiori raised an eyebrow, “How you have lived for so long with such a small brain, I'll never know.”

 

“Hey! I'm not that stupid…”

 

The bat hanyou thought for a moment, “We can't let Naraku know about this.”

 

“Huh? Why not?” Kouga asked her.

 

“If he found out that Sesshomaru knows that you're alive, it'd be a one-way ticket to the Resort for you,” Shiori explained. “You are his secret weapon with the Alliance thinking you're dead. That's the only thing keeping you here.

 

“Naraku will find out sooner or later though, meaning that unless you do something, he'll kill you. Now what could you do…?”

 

“Stop worrying about it. This isn't your problem.” He shrugged and looked down at the street below. People busily moved from one end of the street to the other in the evening rush hour

 

“What are you talking about? Of course this is my problem. You're like family to me; if you go, I won't have anyone to talk to.”

 

Kouga continued to look over the side of the building, deep in thought. “The jewel; Naraku wants me to get it from that girl…” he said to himself.

 

“That seems like the only plausible thing I can think of. Either that or…” the hanyou let the sentence hang in the air.

 

“You know I can't, not after what happened.”

 

“But if you had to...”

 

“No Shiori,” the ookami said sternly, “if I go back there, I will be killed.”

 

Shiori shook her head, “You got into a big mess here. But no matter what, I'll be there for you, aniki.”

 

“Thanks…imouto.”

 

The hanyou moved over next to Kouga and joined him in watching the evening rush hour. She enjoyed spending time with the wolf, and it was moments like this she cherished the most; just being with each other and enjoying things around them.

 

Suddenly, Kouga's head whipped around and sniffed at the air, “Ayame…”

 

“We'd better get out of here then. If she saw you…”

 

Without saying a word, they both jumped onto the next building, and from there, to the streets.

 

 

~*~

 

 

“Nuh uh, there's no way in hell!”

 

Kagome slapped her forehead with her hand. It was apparent that Inuyasha had family problems…but this was ridiculous. The hanyou himself was glaring daggers at his brother sitting at his desk.

 

“It would be wise to take this offer, Inuyasha. I am being overly generous, but you are family,” the taiyoukai said calmly. He was typing something on his desktop computer while keeping an eye on the fuming hanyou across the room.

 

“And since when do you care?” Inuyasha snapped.

 

“It will shame both you and chichi-ue if you refuse to do so.”

 

“Well, this is new,” the hanyou said , “First you worry about my education, and now my honor. Five centuries does a lot of shit to a youkai.”

 

“Same could be said of you, little brother. You have yet to take a physical strike at me. Is it possible that the miko is making you go soft?”

 

“I have a name…” Kagome mumbled.

 

“Leave her out of this,” Inuyasha growled. “I can read, write and do simple arithmetic; I don't see why I have to learn anything else.”

 

Sesshomaru sighed, “If that is the case, then I will have to find someone else to protect the miko…perhaps the kitsune could…”

 

Inuyasha's growl escalated, “I'm not letting anyone else near Kagome.”

 

The taiyoukai inwardly smirked, “Then do you accept my offer of attending my school?”

 

The hanyou scowled, but nodded. There was no way he'd let a lousy kitsune, or anyone else for that matter, get near the young miko.

 

Sesshomaru grunted, “It is good to see that head of yours is not merely a decoration. Now for your living arrangements…”

 

“Oi, I said I'd go to this damn school of yours, not come and live with you.”

 

“Don't be ridiculous,” the taiyoukai snorted, “I would never let filth like you into my home. It would take years just to get the stench out.”

 

“Well, then what did you have in mind?” Sesshomaru looked over towards Kagome, who suddenly saw what he was implying.

 

“Me…? You want him to come live with me?”

 

“You want me to live with her?!”

 

Kagome glared at the hanyou, “What's wrong with my home?!”

 

Inuyasha sputtered, “Nothing, it's just that, I mean its…it's not like that!”

 

Sesshomaru cleared his throat, “It would seem most appropriate, seeing as he will be your protector throughout this whole ordeal.”

 

“And what am I supposed to tell my mother? `Hey Mama, there's a new exchange student at school who needs a place to stay, and guess who was chosen to host him?'”

 

 

~*~

 

 

“That's wonderful dear! So when is he going to be coming to stay?”

 

Mrs. Higurashi was looking down at the letter Kagome had brought home from school. It briefly explained what was going on according to the story she and the brothers had come up with earlier that day. The young miko thanked all one hundred and eight kami that her mother bought the story.

 

“Kouken Inuyasha…what a strange name…”

 

“He's from the Nansei Islands. He'll be coming tomorrow with the headmaster.”

 

“Well then,” her mother said cheerfully, “We have to start cleaning, and I have to think of what to make for dinner… Ji-chan will probably want to clean the shrine in the morning… Get a move on, Kagome; I'll need your help.”

 

The young miko sighed as she went over to the laundry room to grab the cleaning supplies. So much for watching Sailor Moon tonight.

 

~*~

 

A/N: Guys, I swear I like Koga. I'm not trying to bash his character or anything.

Terms:

aniki- older brother

imouto- little sister

chichi-ue- formal way of saying `father', mainly in samurai families before the Mieji era

Ji-chan- grandpa

Nansei Islands (Ryukyuan Islands in English speaking countries)

Kouken - `guardian' I thought is was more appropaite than Ninku (stoic)

 

Ok, hopefully the next chapter won't take as long to get out. Ja ne.