Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Time Traveler Meets Spirit Detective ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

{Author's Note: Hello again everyone. Sorry for taking so long.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho.

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Chapter 7 - The ultimate peacemaker; food.

The four boys all looked around, and Kagome grinned. Hiei was trying to look disinterested, while Kurama seemed to be enjoying the air. That was easy to do, even to human senses the differences in the air were obvious: there was less pollution and the smell seemed earthy too. Kagome loved it here, but in a way she always missed the smells of home too.

Yusuke looked around, looking behind where the house would have been. Trees. He looked towards where the God Tree was. He could see it, but also… more trees. In fact, about all he saw was trees. "Are there always so many trees here?"

Kagome blinked, fighting a laugh. He sounded angry, and that alone was funny. It's not as if the trees could help being there. "Well, Yusuke, I doubt they just sprung up overnight, so what's your guess?"

When he turned to glare at her, she just gave him a blankly innocent look and he rolled his eyes, still halfheartedly glaring at her. "There are too many trees here. All I can see is green, brown, green, brown, and more of the same! I mean, doesn't nature come with any other colors besides green and brown?"

Kagome turned away, trying not to choke on her laughter, while his two demon friends just looked on in amusement. Even Kuwabara and Botan seemed to think Yusuke was loosing it a bit.

"Urameshi, there just trees."

"They're stupid trees."

Kagome sighed; it was a bit unsettling to travel through time. The peaceful look was just that - a look. It was easy enough to sense all the demons about; there were plenty of small and harmless ones that were constantly around. Apparently it was putting Yusuke on edge. Still, he didn't have to go blaming the trees, now did he? She shook her head, sighing to herself before glancing around.

Inuyasha was watching, and seemed to be glaring at the boy in green. He felt Kagome's eyes on him and she tilted her head slightly, questioning him with his gaze. He shrugged, looking away with a growl. Kagome sighed, then turned back to everyone else.

"Come on guys, the village is down the path. Everyone else is there."

Botan had walked up to Kagome's side and was looking curiously down at the young kitsune as they began to walk. "Is he asleep?"

Kagome looked down in surprise. She had gotten so used to feeling Shippo in her arms or in her backpack that she sometimes forgot he was there. She smiled ruefully and nodded.

"Yeah, he's used to arguments and yelling, slaps, and can probably sleep through anything. Except a thunderstorm, but that's..." She trailed off, she felt that she could trust Yusuke, and his friends, but she wasn't sure if Shippo would want her to explain his past. She had told Yusuke that his parents had been killed by some demons that had wanted shards, and hadn't elaborated.

Botan looked at her quizzically then shrugged, dropping back slightly to keep track of the others. Yusuke was slightly behind Kagome and sped up to match her pace to look at the object of the girl's conversation. "Why would he be used to the sound of slaps? Or any of that?"

Kagome shrugged, smiling slightly. "Our group...well, everyone has some odd little quirk. Miroku, the monk with the curse I mentioned, happens to think that his curse gives him the excuse to grope pretty girls, usually at the same time he's asking them to bare his child."

Yusuke frowned and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Even you?"

Kagome nodded, thinking back on the memory. "Yeah, it was sort of funny. He was at first trying to get my piece of the jewel, which then we must have had at least a third of it. Eventually, after Inuyasha fought him, we became allies, and he popped his famous question. Inuyasha started yelling at him, and in the end I think Inuyasha lost that argument, if you could call it that. Inuyasha seems to dig himself into deep holes in situations like that."

"How the hell can you travel with people like that? Inuyasha insults you all the time, and on top of that you have a perverted monk? And you've been doing this since you were fifteen? Damn, your traveling companions seem almost as bad as the demons you guys fight."

Kagome shrugged, shaking her head. "He doesn't really grope me that much, mostly he gropes Sango. Those two have something between them, you can tell, but neither would ever admit it. Inuyasha does insult me sometimes, but he can be really nice once in awhile, and he does protect me."

Yusuke snorted, after that story she had told about Kikyou and Inuyasha, he had a hard time seeing that guy as anything but a jerk.

'Poor Kagome, it's a good thing we're here now. I can't imagine someone like him being much protection.'

Kagome noticed his angry looked and sighed, but she brightened quickly as the trees started to thin and the village came into view.

"Look Yusuke, we're away from the 'stupid trees' now. Happy?" She giggled as she talked and he gave her a sour look.

"Yeah, yeah. You don't have to laugh at me. It just felt creepy in there."

She stopped laughing and she gave him a reassuring look. "Don't worry, there are lots of small demons about everywhere, mostly harmless. That's probably what put you on edge."

They were interrupted as everyone moved in behind them, giving the village a curious look. The villagers were mostly working the fields, and a few had stopped to stare at the newcomers.

"Where are your friends Kagome? We should introduce ourselves." Botan looked around after saying this, eager to met the friend of the miko girl.

Kagome nodded, and started towards Kaede's hut, seeing the small form of Kirara from where she was standing. Yusuke followed, glancing curiously at the two-tailed cat. What had Kagome mentioned about it? Something about flying and fire. Yusuke shrugged, watching as Kagome went into the hut. Botan and the guys waited patiently, hearing shouts from inside. Finally two more figures emerged, and a now-awake Shippo was riding on Kagome's shoulder.

Miroku and Sango eyed the newcomers, and the boys stared back at them. Kagome looked between them, waiting for someone to start the introductions. Finally she cleared her throat and gestured towards Miroku and Sango.

"This is Sango, Miroku, and the fire cat Kirara." She pointed to each, Miroku bowing as he was mentioned, Sango inclining her head, and the fire cat simply meowed.

Kuwabara stared at the cat, his eyes seemed to be glued to its tails. "It, it really does have two tails."

Kirara meowed and gave a slight purr, as if trying to say she was good. Kuwabara blinked, and then grinned. "I love kitties!"

There proceeded the meeting of Kuwabara and Kirara, which both seemed to enjoy. Kagome moved her gave back and forth between Kirara and Kuwabara in surprise. "Does he speak cat? Because I could swear that they're communicating somehow."

Yusuke was stifling a laugh. It never failed to amuse him how much Kuwabara liked cats. He managed to straighten his face to look at Kagome. "Nah, I think he just spends so much time around them that he's learned how to read them."

Sango cleared her throat, looking pointedly at the boys then at Kagome. Kagome blushed and nodded in understanding.

"Sango, Miroku, these are the guys on the spirit detective team, and Botan, who has two jobs, but at the moment is acting as the assistant of the Spirit Detectives, since her other job would require her to be in the future. The guys are Yusuke,"

"Hey."

"Kurama,"

"A pleasure to meet you both."

"Kuwabara,"

Kuwabara looked up and straightened, patting the fire cat one last time before letting her go. "Yeah, I'm the great Kuwabara."

"And Hiei."

Hiei glared as the two looked at him expectantly. He was introduced; he didn't need to exchange some silly ningen greetings. The female ningen frowned, her eyes narrowing, while the male simply shrugged and turned to the miko.

"It is good to see you have returned Kagome. You left so suddenly last time."

"Yeah, we were sure that Inuyasha had gone to far this time." Sango looked pointedly onto the roof of the hut behind them. Kikyou had taken two shards. True, she had helped collect them, but weren't they partly Inuyasha's to, not just hers? Sango shook her head as if to shake away her anger. She couldn't understand how Kagome was so forgiving. She loved the hanyou too much.

Kagome read the slight changes of expression on Sango's face sadly. Then she smiled, and looked behind her at Botan, motioning her forward.

"As I said before, this is Botan, she'll be helping too."

Botan smiled, holding her hand out to the two in front of her. Sango went to take it, but was beaten to it by Miroku. Of course, his motives were totally innocent. Miroku gripped her hand, bringing it up in front of him with one hand, and starting his speech.

"Ah, it is so nice to meet you Lady Botan, your beauty outshines-"

"Miroku!" Kagome and Sango warned him at the same time. Sango jerked him backwards by his loose robes as Miroku sighed sadly. Sango glared at him before smiling apologetically at the blue-haired girl.

"Sorry, his hand tend to wander, and I don't think you would have liked being groped."

Botan nodded gratefully in relief. "It's fine, Kagome told me about it earlier, thanks, I'll watch out from now on."

Miroku simply smiled at the slight glares he was getting from the boys and curiously eyed them all. Those two were demons, the one with red hair, and the one with black, but Kagome seemed to think they were all right, even if he could hear Inuyasha's growling from here. After all, Inuyasha hadn't really welcomed him, yet he was now he was Inuyasha's friend, even if the hanyou himself might not admit it.

"Miroku, Sango, where is Kaede? I want to talk to her about the new members of our group, and..." Kagome hesitated, she didn't want them getting their hopes up about her worth in battle if she told them how she believed she was finally coming into her own with her powers.

"...and ask about shard rumors."

She was surprised how easy the lie came to her, but she saw Miroku frown, as if sensing her lie. Sango didn't seem to suspect a thing and answered her immediately.

"She's out picking herbs, you should be able to find her easily."

Kagome nodded, and started off, stopping and looking back at everyone. "Why don't you get to know each other, I'm sure you all have much to talk about if we're all going to be traveling together. See you later!"

Botan remembered the scrolls she had in her own little backpack and almost went after her. Then she shook her head. She'd give them to her later, after Kagome had talked to this 'Kaede' woman. She turned to everyone else, watching as they stared at each other with the background growls from the hanyou on the roof. Botan put on a smile and clapped her hands.

"So, who wants to tell something about themselves?"

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Kagome smoothed her green skirts anxiously as she waited for Kaede to finish at that particular section of herbs. The old woman had told her to wait and they would talk when she was finished. So here she was, watching her pick herbs. Kagome bit her lip in doubt. Maybe she was imagining things. Maybe she just thought that her powers were getting better. Maybe-

"So, what problems do ye have for me young Kagome?" a voice interrupted. Kagome jumped slightly and turned a hesitant smile to Kaede.

"Well... Lately my miko senses seem a bit chaotic. They keep flaring up, and my powers seem to be growing. But I'm not sure, it could be my imagination, but if feels..." She trailed off, looking hopefully at Kaede.

Kaede's face crinkled into a smile. Of course the girl was nervous about it, the hanyou had called her weak many times, and she knew the girl was sensitive to such things. So sensitive, that even with the proof in front of her eyes, she couldn't help doubting her powers were getting stronger. Kaede chuckled at the worried expression on her face, it was natural for this to happen.

"Be troubled not, this is natural when you have been using you miko powers so much, that ye powers would begin to fulfill their potential. Kikyo went through much the same when she was a child, I was told. Most miko's do not go through it, the powers they access at the first are all they have, but with ones like you, you need to learn how to channel your powers adequately. Come, tell me what has been happening with ye lately," She said all this gently, motioning for them to sit down nearby while they talked.

~-~

Kagome walked back to the village, her mind trying to catch up with all the information she had been given. Of course, both had been confused why her powers would have lashed out at the vase, until Kagome remembered that she had gotten it as a birthday present from her grandfather when she was younger. That of course, meant that it probably had something to do with demons. And to think, one of his more normal looking presents was the one that actually had been made from a demon. If she remembered correctly, from the bones of a demon, painted with some special something or other. She hadn't really paid attention to his lectures. Sometimes she wished now that she had.

'Maybe if I had listened to him more often, I never would have fallen in the well, and the jewel never would have been broken. Then again, I never would have met any of my friends here, or Yusuke and the others in my own time if I had never fallen in the well.'

Kagome grinned, she didn't know the four boys well, but they were certainly interesting. Kagome's cheerful face dropped as she came closer to the village, hearing suspiciously what sounded like fighting up ahead. A short jog later, and sure enough, everyone except Botan was outside the hut and there was a fight - or maybe two, it was a little hard to tell - going on, and the villagers seemed to think it was quality entertainment.

Yusuke turned to look as she came up the path and grinned, at least he wouldn't be the one getting in trouble. He wasn't the one who had made comments about how he could feel the presence of demons in the woods. Nor was he the one who had gotten offended in thinking that was a challenge to how well he took care of said forest. Nope, he hadn't started this fight. 'For once.' he thought with a smirk.

Kagome eyed Yusuke's smirk suspiciously, then turned to the fighting pair. "So...how did this happen?"

Yusuke shrugged. "Kuwabara made some comment. Inuyasha took offense. They took it outside and started fighting. Surprisingly they're keeping it in check, only punching. Kuwabara's losing."

Kagome shook her head, then pointed beyond the fighting pair, and Yusuke followed the direction. "I meant that."

"Oh. Hiei made comments about humans and after they traded a few remarks, him and your friend... Sango? Yeah, anyway, they started glaring, the only reason it doesn't get into a full fledged is Kurama and Shippo keep distracting Hiei with Shippo's illusions. And Miroku distracts Sango. The kid's got some pretty neat tricks, different than Kurama's powers."

Kagome raised any eyebrow at Yusuke, whose attention seemed to be going back to the two boys fighting. Kagome rolled her eyes at the enthusiasm Yusuke showed for the mock battle. 'Boys.'

"I really should ask why you aren't trying to split up the fight...but by the way you seem to be enjoying it as much as the villagers, I'm not going to bother. Besides, I know one sure way to stop Inuyasha from fighting."

Yusuke looked at her curiously, wondering if she was going to 'sit' the dog-boy. She just smiled back at him innocently and he first looked puzzled, then wary. That 'I'm as innocent as a kitten' look was impossibly cute - but he wasn't stupid enough to believe it. Besides, kittens had a tendency to use your hand as a chew toy. He never could understand Kuwabara's fascination with them.

Yusuke watched her take out what looked like cooking supplies, and then a thing of ramen. "Uh, Kagome? I thought you were going to be stopping the fight, not cooking lunch?"

Kagome looked up and grinned at him, not answering the questioning tone. A few minutes later she stood up, the ramen was ready. She looked at Shippo and beckoned him over. The kit skirted around, looking up at her in puzzlement. Kagome waved her hand at Inuyasha then glanced at the ramen that she had made for everyone. She handed one to Shippo and Yusuke, who was looking at her as if she was crazy. She gave him another grin, before taking up another helping of ramen and turning.

"Inuyasha! The ramen's ready. That counts for everyone. If all of you don't stop that and get over here, I'm going to feed all of it to Shippo!"

Everyone stopped at Kagome's statement, most in puzzlement, but Kuwabara's stomach was growling from the fighting, and at the word ramen, Inuyasha's ears had perked up. In an instant he had grabbed the ramen from her hands and crossed his legs to sit down and wolf it down. Kagome's eyes rolled, and she looked around to find that Miroku and Kurama were coming over, Sango and Hiei following while still glaring at each other.

Botan's head popped out of the hut and saw them all sitting down to eat in a halfway-civilized manner, and immediately joined them. "Kagome!" She began joyously. "You're back. And you got them to stop fighting. If I'd known it was this easy to get boys to stop fighting, I'd carry around snack foods all the time."

Yusuke has simply been watching everyone eat for a bit, while picking at his own food. Somehow he and dog-boy's eye's had met, and the other boy growled at him. Yusuke's eyes narrowed and he simply slowly ate his food, not noticing the half-demon had begun to do the same. There was an ill concealed challenge in both their eyes, and just as they both began to put aside their food, one voice interrupted them cheerily. "Hey, Inuyasha, Yusuke, you two should finish your food, I've never seen you finish so slowly Inuyasha. Are you sick?"

As Kagome finished her speech she bent down to search Inuyasha's face worriedly. Yusuke snorted, but ate the rest of his meal quickly.

"Keh." Inuyasha's answer was typical, but seeing Kagome's face fall, he added on to his statement. "I'm fine Kagome. Demons don't get sick!" He still managed to say it arrogantly, but it was better than just a 'Keh'.

Kagome smiled at Inuyasha, then sat down with her meal in the only place left, next to Yusuke. Inuyasha choked back another growl; he didn't want to upset her again today. He'd already been sat enough for one day, and guilt was one emotion he wanted nothing to do with.

Shippo had watched as the three interacted, and grimaced as she showed so much concern toward Inuyasha. Sure, he protected her, but that he kept throwing her away for Kikyou. The kitsune shook his little head. Well, maybe Kagome would just settle with being Inuyasha's friend. That would be good, and more peaceful. Besides, then it would give other people a chance to love Kagome, as long as Inuyasha didn't scare them away.

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