Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Time Traveler Meets Spirit Detective ❯ Chapter 8 ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: I don't own either Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho.

---------------

Chapter 8 - Realization

A disgruntled hanyou was guarding the group's present campsite from a tree. He did not like this. Sure, the four newcomers were strong, and each had easily taken the few demon scuffles they'd had in the last few days, but there was definitely something wrong with them! There had to be! Who would want to fight Naraku if they didn't have a good reason? No one. Therefore, there had to be something wrong with them.

That didn't explain why they were still here, why they hadn't stolen the jewel shards. Nor did it explain why, for the past couple of days since Kagome had split up his fight with the big one with orange wearing blue, the boy with slicked back black hair had been hanging around Kagome so much. For that matter, how did he get his hair like that? It wasn't natural. And he didn't believe that some goop in a bottle could do that. And the stupid clothes, they couldn't possibly be useful. Both he and Kagome were in what they called 'jeans', and that alone pissed him off. Who said they could wear clothes of the same type? Girls were supposed to wear much different clothing than guys! Even Sango wore normal clothing except in battle.

No, there was something wrong with the boy. And he had been staying in Kagome's house, which definitely didn't sit well with Inuyasha. No matter what Kagome said about her time, or how she gave an explanation for it, it couldn't possibly be proper for him to have been staying there. Sure, their parents were there, but, still, it wasn't proper. Suddenly an idea came to Inuyasha. It had to be about the jewel shards. That was it, the boy was using her to get jewel shards, because... Well, there had to be a reason, and he would find it!

Inuyasha growled at himself. Yes, that argument had made sense. "Inuyasha, you cannot leave her in limbo forever."

"Oi! What's that supposed to mean Miroku?" Inuyasha's warning growl did nothing to faze the calm looking monk. He was used to the hanyou's mannerisms after a year of traveling with him.

"It means that I see the way you look at her with the boy. She has done nothing but be friends with him, yet you watch her like a hawk. After choosing Kikyou to gather jewel shards with you, would you blame her if she did give up?" Miroku caught the hanyou's eyes firmly, letting him no that he would have no nonsense about not caring right now. His attitude was throwing off the whole group, and Miroku could tell it was bothering Kagome. She frequently sent him worried glances, she was either watching him or chatting with her new friends. Mainly with the boy who Inuyasha was jealous of, who at the moment was being forced into getting water for dinner, grumbling all the way.

"Keh. We don't need them anyway. Kagome just wants people from her era so she can have more reasons to return to her 'tests' and 'school'." Inuyasha turned away from the monk, who sighed and shook his head. "When will you learn Inuyasha?" The monk walked away, a small frown marring his features. His eyes fell on Sango and he grinned, going over to have the usual discussion he did with her.

Meanwhile, Yusuke was coming back with the water, still grumbling as he handed it to Kagome. "Why do I have to get the water? Stupid water. Stupid food that needs boiling, stupid-" "If it's so stupid perhaps you'd like to skip dinner?"

Yusuke shut up and glared at Kagome. "Oh, come on Yusuke, everyone chips in once in awhile, and so must you. All of your team does, even Hiei collected firewood at breakfast."

Yusuke snorted. "He didn't 'collect' the firewood. He found some dead trees and cut them up with his sword. Cheater."

"Hn."

Yusuke glared at the amused fire apparition above his head, swearing slightly under his breath. Finally he subsided with a slight grumble, but shifted uneasily. He had been in a bad mood all day, mostly because he could feel Inuyasha's glare on him most of the time. He didn't want to start a fight - ok, maybe just a little - but he couldn't just let the hanyou glare at him all day. It was annoying.

Finally, making sure Kagome was busy preparing dinner; Yusuke turned to meet Inuyasha's stare. 'Problem?' he mouthed to the hanyou. 'You' was the response, and Yusuke grinned, more relaxed at the obvious frustration that the dog-boy had showed in that little word. Still, what precisely Inuyasha's problem was, Yusuke didn't know.

Kagome handed out food, settling down beside Yusuke for dinner, as she had done the since they'd left the village and Inuyasha had refused to eat on the ground. She didn't hear the increase in growling from the tree, or see Yusuke's puzzled frown when he did hear it. Yusuke's eyes widened in realization, smirking as the demon growled uselessly in a tree.

He was jealous simply because a friend sat next to him? Ok, a rather pretty friend who the hanyou had emotionally hurt multiple times, but... What right did the hanyou have to get angry anyway? The poor girl deserved better than someone who had thrown her away for her previous incarnation, who was dead! Walking around, but hey, live girl here, dead walking girl there. Even Yusuke knew what the right choice to that problem was. 'Plus, Kagome's nicer than most girls, living or dead.'

Yusuke stopped working himself up to a rage, backpedaling to that though. Well, that was true, but he had only said it because she was his friend! He didn't like her like that. Yusuke smirked triumphantly, then realized he had just been arguing with himself. It wasn't much of a victory if it wasn't even real.

Yusuke felt a headache coming on. Thinking was bad for you. What he needed was a good fight. Where were all the demons when you needed them?

~~_~~

The next morning they were all traveling again. Kagome shifted her eyes worriedly from Inuyasha to Yusuke. Now both seemed to have something wrong with them. Kagome sighed in frustration. Shippo nuzzled into her hair, trying to comfort her from his position on her shoulder.

She smiled; Shippo was always trying to make her feel better, even when he had no idea what was wrong. Sometimes she wondered what the group would be like without Shippo. She shuddered to think of it. His playful antics gave some life to the group, especially when they all needed to have some fun. Even if it was usually at Inuyasha's expense.

She turned at a slight tap on her shoulder, seeing Botan in what was apparently her normal attire, a long pink kimono. "What is it Botan?" The girl was shifting slightly nervously, and Kagome tilted her head in an obviously questioning manner. Shippo looked at them both and decided this was going to be boring. He ran ahead to go see what Kurama was doing.

"Actually, I have some scrolls that you might like to see. Koenma gave them to me. It's about your miko powers..." Botan trailed off, but Kagome's eyes brightened. "Really? Scrolls about miko powers?" Botan nodded in relief as she began to talk to Kagome, taking out the scrolls.

Kagome was almost ecstatic over hearing about the writings. At least now perhaps she wouldn't have to struggle over it alone. She had managed to start setting aside an hour after dinner to try and practice, but she couldn't seem to reach her powers no matter how much she cleared her mind. Maybe these scrolls could help. Though, Kaede had said it might be months before she could channel it into her hands, but she should at least learn to calm her aura.

~~

As the two girls began talking, up ahead Kurama was watching in amusement at the brief glaring match the fire apparition and exterminator held. "You know Hiei, you shouldn't have gotten her so mad earlier. Going around calling people 'stupid ningen wench' doesn't get you many friends."

"I don't need friends fox. Is it my fault she was being incredibly annoying?"

"Well, actually, you were staring at them."

"I was wondering why the miko girls was traveling with obviously weak ningens." Hiei sneered, meeting the glare coming down on him from the flying cat demon.

"The miko is ningen herself, and I'm sure these people will be useful in battle."

"Hn."

Kurama sighed as the fire apparition abruptly ended their conversation. He looked around briefly, watching in amusement as Kuwabara stared at the flying cat. At least they had found something Kuwabara liked about this era. His gaze moved on to the hanyou, who was jumping from tree to tree, occasionally glaring at Yusuke, and unsurprisingly having him glare back.

The monk and the demon exterminator were on the cat, flying above to keep watch. And the two other girls were talking quietly to each other. Which left the kit, Shippo. In fact where was he?

Kurama searched for the kit with his senses, and looked down in surprise at where he smelled the kit. A curious gaze met his own and Kurama smiled. "Hello Shippo."

"Hi! Kagome and Botan were starting to talk about boring stuff, from what I heard after I left something about miko's. So I came up here to see you!"

"Really? Why would Botan be talking about miko's with Kagome? I didn't know she knew much about them."

Shippo shook his head, and with a single bound was on Kurama's shoulder. Kurama wasn't surprised; the little fox kit seemed to enjoy being with him. After the kit had told him the story of how his parents had died, Kurama had no problems tolerating the kit's presence. It was even enjoyable most of the time. It had been a long time since he had seen a kitsune child.

Anything more that Shippo or Kurama would have said was interrupted by Kagome. "Hey guys, looks like we get to have your first shard fight. I sense shards that way, through the forest." She pointed to her left and slightly forward. Immediately everyone snapped to attention, turning in that direction.

The group started to travel through the trees, looking for any signs of demons. Kagome kept walking in an unwavering line, feeling the pull of the shard. Finally she stopped, closing her eyes and shuddering from the taint she felt from the shard. Behind her she heard Shippo give a squeak as he looked at the stretch of land in front of them. She opened her eyes, looking at the gruesome sight.

Carcasses, some looking to be only half eaten, had been thrown around the clearing. And a clearing it was, the trees abruptly ended, a few uprooted ones hiding some a few of the many holes around the clearing. Giant holes that Kagome didn't want to think about. The carcasses and giant holes were leading her to believe that there was a nasty, very large demon about. As the group entered the clearing hesitantly, they realized that those 'holes' were in fact tunnels. Tunnels that had entrances twice the height of any of them, with it being an almost perfect circle all around.

"Hey wen - Er, Kagome, where's the shard?" Kagome eyed Inuyasha suspiciously as he changed what he had been about to say, but shrugged, letting it go until later. She let the pull of the shard enter her mind and gasped, gulping as she looked at the tunnels. She raised a hand, pointing it in front of her and downwards. Everyone watched her hand and groaned.

Yusuke adjusted his dark green jacket, looking around and giving a halfhearted smirk.

"So... did anybody think to bring flashlights?"

--------------