Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Pasts Uncovered	By : FlameWolf666 Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female Views: 4653 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own or profit from Inuyasha. This story is just for fun!

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
Author’s Note: I’m back! Sorry for the long hiatus! I hope you guys are still willing to read after all this time.

Chapter Ten: Avoiding the Inevitable

    The group had been arguing about where to go. Inuyasha wanted to go after Kouga’s shards next. Kagome wanted to avoid a conflict. Sango didn’t care as long as they put off Kohaku until the last possible moment. As for me, I didn’t care either way. Just as long as we started getting out of the West. “There aren’t many more shards besides those. It would make it a helluva a lot easier to find the last few if we eliminate at least one known target,” the hanyou reasoned.
    “He has a point,” I interjected before Kagome could respond.
    Yawning while I lounged in a spot against a wall, I merely blinked when the entire gang turned to stare at me. “I mean, Kagome has been having trouble finding any shards that are confirmed not to belong to the wolf right?” I pointed out, wishing I could still be asleep in the cot I had been lent last night. More silence followed, Kagome trying to come up with a good argument while the half demon beside her preened.
    “Well, I mean....,” the young woman sputtered, fiddling with the skirt she wore.
    “He’s even around the same area we are,” Inuyasha added with a smirk. Probably the only time any of us had seen him happy about Kouga being anywhere near the pack.
    Knowing what I did, this whole scene was because of the Wolf Prince’s obsession with a certain reincarnated miko. Inuyasha was likely looking forward to another chance to put his perceived rival in his place. Kagome, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be in the mood to deal with any of this. Yet, she appeared to know she had no right to protest. Feeling a spike of guilt, I got to my feet to move closer.
    Placing a hand on her shoulder, I gave her a smile before taking a seat next to her. “Sorry Kags. I know this is the last thing you wanted right now but it will never get easier,” I reasoned, wincing at how it came out. To my surprise, she leaned into me before smiling up at me.
    “I know. Doesn’t make it feel any better. I just hope I can reason with him before a fight breaks out. I highly doubt that’ll happen though,” came a confession that made my heart ache for her. Still so young and she carried such a large burden.
    Giving her a one armed hug, I chuckled at her weak attempt to lighten the situation with humor. “Yeah, I doubt you’ll manage to get in a word before Kouga’s declaring you his woman,” I agreed with another yawn, feeling especially drained after yesterday.
    “Ugh, tell me about it! I just... I just wish he would stop,” she lamented while the others began to pack up for the trip.
    “So, why don’t you just tell him?” I questioned with a raised brow, swiping a lock of my ebony hair behind an ear while debating if I had to get up just yet.
    “I want to but I never get a chance to say much of anything before it all falls to shit,” sighed an exasperated response while the young woman packed up her massive backpack.
Furrowing my brow, I reluctantly got to my fee to start my own preparations.
    What she said was unfortunately very true. With what I had seen from the anime, it was just easier to ignore the problem and get away from the wolf prince as fast as possible. Still, it was just a short term solution to what could become a very bad problem in the future. Maybe, if Inuyasha was distracted for a bit, Kagome would have the space to put her foot down about the whole thing. Then again, Kouga wasn’t exactly the type to really listen to what the miko said.
Gathering the stuff my young companion had given me, I began to flesh out a plan. A plan that would have to be discussed without involving the hanyou.
    Zipping up my own bag, I made sure a certain crimson clad male wasn’t in the room before approaching the eighteen year old across the room. Leaning down I began to whisper, the gloom hanging over her lifting to reveal a devious smile. It wasn’t long before we were both whispering, making notes to involve Sango when we stopped at a hot spring. Something Kagome guaranteed would happen tonight. After that, we would have to put it in the slayer’s hands to inform Miroku.
    Right now, the best we worked out was that I would find some way to keep Inuyasha distracted. With Sango and Miroku on board, the task would be made much easier. The only problem was, neither of us had any idea what to do to keep the half-breed away from the meeting area. However, the houshi was a practiced prankster and very good at moving people like chess pieces. It was likely he would be able to offer a sound plan. Clambering onto Shippo’s balloon-like body, I gave Kagome a wave before hunkering down and closing my eyes.
    A few hours later, and after much arguing from a certain half youkai, we had landed for the night before the sun set near a hot spring. Gathering my bathing supplies, I paused when I felt a small hand tug on the leg of my jeans. Turning my head, I saw a curious Shippo giving me his best ‘kicked youkai kit’ expression. Knowing he wanted in on the plan, I simply nodded with a smile and a roll of my eyes. Straightening, I waved to get Sango and Kagome’s attention. “Shippo is gonna join us! That okay guys?” rang across the clearing.
    To no one’s surprise, Inuyasha immediately jumped from his tree to voice his objection. “Th’Hell it is! Lil runt should stay here with me an’ the pervert,” he protested loudly, arms folded stubbornly while he glared down at the young kitsune.
    “Are we really still having this argument Inuyasha? He’s just a kit! There’s no harm in letting him bathe with us,” Kagome argued, walking over to her longtime companion with an exasperated expression on her pale face.
    “He may be a kid to you but he’s older than he looks! Youkai age slower than humans, especially kitsune, tanooki, dragon, cat, inu, tree and turtle. Shippo is nearly as old as I am!” snarled a response, a stunned silence falling after.
    Slowly, me, Kagome and Sango all turn to look at a beet red Shippo. Avoiding all of our gazes, he stared steadfastly as his tiny hands while fumbling with his fingers. “Doesn’t mean I don’t still have the mentality of a small child,” he whispered in his defence, his tail’s fur poofing to twice its normal size due to his discomfort.
    “I mean, I know more than a ningen child about... adult things but I still don’t wanna do them myself,” continued his meek explanation, his cheeks flaming red while he shot Inuyasha a rather dirty look for bringing this up in the first place.
    While not all that well versed in youkai biology, I understood what the poor kit was trying to get across. Before I could assure him, however, his adoptive mother was scooping him up into her arms with a comforting noise. Then the young teen was walking toward the hot springs, acting like the previous conversation had never happened. Sango and I both followed close behind, silently impressed with the younger female’s skillful handling of the extremely awkward situation. “That was off-some Kagome,” the slayer praised with a smile, the strange word she used making me do a double take. I took about a split second to figure out what she had been trying to say and I was biting my lip to keep in a laugh.
    “I think you mean ‘awesome’ Sango,” the futuristic miko corrected, just a hint of laughter as she led us expertly to the nearby springs.
    Soon enough, the other women were stripping like they didn’t have a care in the world. I, on the other hand, felt all too self conscious. We weren’t that far from camp and Miroku wasn’t exactly known for resisting the urge to peek. Not to mention the fact I wasn’t entirely comfortable being naked in front of anyone. The only thing that helped was that these two didn’t even seem to care about the other person’s nudity. They seemed so natural with one another that I was almost jealous.
    Rubbing my left arm with my right hand, I forced my embarrassment to the back of my mind and slowly began to remove my own clothing. Once nude, I grabbed my sword and practically sprinted into the water; skin tingling from the imagined gaze of countless eyes. Swimming over to the corner furthest from the others, I was honestly grateful for the murkiness of the water. Gesturing for some shampoo as well as some soap, I began to wash myself while the other two laughed and bonded over memories of past battles.
    After a matter of moments I had relaxed while the conversation died down, Shippo floating around on an inflatable innertube Kagome had given him. “I didn’t just bring you out here to have a bath,” the teen finally mentioned, almost seeming ashamed and staring at the rippling surface of the mineral spring. Just that sentence had both me and Shippo at attention but for much different reasons. Sango, on the other hand, simply seemed to be calmly listening.
    “Kouga’s pretty close. I’m sure I could get him to give me his shards, if a certain Hanyou wasn’t around,” continued a small voice, accentuated by the sound of water splashing.
    “Would you like me to inform Miroku and get him involved as well?”came a calm question that helped ease the tension considerably.
    Smiling, Kagome nodded enthusiastically. “We were hoping you would! Miroku is very good at causing distractions and, if all else fails, you could just knock Inuyasha out with Hirakotsu,” chirped an energetic response while I proceeded to exit the springs to get dressed.
    “If I’m helping Miroku with Inuyasha, who will accompany you to see Kouga? I’m not comfortable with sending you off alone,” the taijiya pointed out while I tied my sword to a few of the belt loops on my pants.
    “Me,” I stated, bracing for a large amount of unease. After all, I was still fairly new and learning how to handle my own powers as well as my weapon.
    I wasn’t disappointed, the look of horror on Sango’s face making me wince. I certainly hadn’t expected her to react that strongly. Some part of me felt sad that I hadn’t at least earned a small amount of trust when it came to my fighting prowess. “But you haven’t really been tested! Are you sure you can handle enemy youkai or even Kouga himself?” came a question that helped explain her point of view just a bit.
    “While I’m still inexperienced in battle, I really don’t think this will be that dangerous of an endeavor. Its not as if Kouga is a threat to Kagome and I highly doubt many youkai would be around one as strong as he is,” I countered, drawing my katana and surrounding the blade with flames.
    “That would only leave wandering humans and those happen to be very susceptible to enchanted weaponry,” I finished, meeting her eyes steadily while I maintained the flame.
    After a few moments, Sango smiled ever so slightly before nodding. “Alright. I will leave Kagome’s safety in your hands. Do me proud,” the taijiya conceded, holdin out a gloved hand. Releasing the flames and resheathing my sword, I took her hand in mine; knowing it was much more than a handshake. It was an agreement between two warriors. Something that could not be broken without dire consequences.
    “You have my word,” whispered from my lips, a heavy silence passing between us.
    The next day, while Inuyasha was off hunting, Sango took the opportunity to inform Miroku of what was going on while Kagome and I prepared for our trek to talk with Kouga. Hopefully, the thick skulled male would listen to reason and give us his shards. If not, we would have no choice but to take them by force. If that happened, I could only hope all my hard work training would pay off. While the reincarnated priestess picked up her bow and quiver, Shippo assumed her shape. “Now, you remember what to tell ‘Yasha about Jade here, right?” she questioned while I took a few practice swings with my sword.
    “Of course I do! She’s off in the forest practicing her sword skills,” the disguised kit countered, sounding disturbingly like Kagome. Even the small tail he usually kept was absent, showing just how much the young kitsune had learned about shapeshifting.
    “Exactly. And Kilala is with her, helping to keep an eye out for wandering youkai,” the young woman encouraged, smiling while said fire-cat transformed into her large form.
    Hopping onto the feline’s back, I helped the younger woman up as well. Once we were both settled, the nekomata was in the air, heading directly toward where Kagome sensed Kouga’s youki. All too soon, they were landing just a few feet outside the camp, both of us sliding to the ground. Kilala changed back to her smaller self, clambering up onto my shoulder while a couple wolves came out to examine us. One was dressed in furs and leathers while the other was adorned in likely pillaged armor. Yet, I felt no threat from the pair; finding them more familiar the closer they got. As they swarmed the young female, their identity hit me like a ton of bricks.
    Bearing his iconic gray and black hairdo, Ginta was enveloping a resigned Kagome into a hug. Waiting eagerly for his turn and bearing his usual white mohawk was Hakkaku. “Sister!” they exclaimed in unison, too distracted by their joy to notice my presence. Deciding to hang back rather than startle the pair, I kept an eye out for their alpha. Thankfully, it appeared he was either gone or busy at the moment.
    “Hey guys, I’m happy to see you too. Let me introduce my friend,” Came a greeting as well as an introduction while she motioned to me.
    Taking my cue, I stepped forward; making sure to keep my body language friendly as I approached. While I had expected my companion’s opinion to go far with the pair, I didn’t expect them to swarm me as well; rubbing against me any opportunity they could get. Figuring it was their way to mark me as pack, I let them continue; being careful not to make any threatening movements. Once they were finished, Hakkaku ran off into the massive cave that served as their camp. “Kouga will be so happy to see you,” Ginta gushed, wrapping his arms around both of us while he grinned.
    A bit disconcerted by how touchy the wolf was, I fought a strong urge to shove away and endured the unwanted contact. Thankfully, it only lasted until a familiar dust tornado came into view. Sticking close to Kagome, I kept an eye on the dust devil as it stopped and dissipated to reveal a very smug Kouga. Almost immediately his gaze shifted to me and his head tilted to the side curiously. Tail lifting slightly, the leader of the pack circled me; seeming to assess my intentions for himself. After a few tense seconds, he accepted my presence and returned the bulk of his attention to my teenage companion. “Its been a long time since I’ve seen my woman. Did you finally decide to defect from dog breath’s group to ours? Is your companion also wanting to integrate?” purred his rough baritone, the feralness of it sending shivers up my spine.
    Stiffening slightly, I kept a wary eye on the two; Kilala watching the other pair from my shoulder. “Neither of us are here to join your pack,” I responded firmly, keeping my tone stern but not aggressive. To Kagome’s surprise, this got their attention immediately. All three were now staring at me curiously, Kouga frowning slightly.
    “She’s right! We’re here because... because we need the shards you have,” the young priestess informed, shifting nervously when Kouga refocused his gaze on her.
    For a few moments, the Wolf Prince simply stared at her. Then he began to laugh, scooping her up into his arms and spinning her while Kilala and I watched with bemusement. “Oh Kagome, you’ve finally decided to ask for your marriage gift! That makes me so happy! You’ll want for nothing, my Queen. However, you will have to wait until I’ve defeated Naraku,” the youkai gushed as he set her back on her feet.
    “M-marriage gift?! No! Me wanting the shards has nothing to do with...,” the bewildered teen began to protest, only to be interrupted by the over enthusiastic canine demon.
    “No need to be shy anymore my love. Since you’ve formally accepted my proposal, however, I can no longer entrust you to dog breath. Especially since you’ll soon be bearing the future of my clan. Have your companion go back to inform your former pack,” he continued, wrapping a hand around her wrist and tugging her toward his pack’s current hiding spot.
    Taking that as my cue, I stepped forward; placing my own hand on top of his. “That is quite enough. Please, let her go,” I ordered, meeting his azure eyes with my own. Immediately, Ginta and Hakkaku were flanking me while their leader continued to meet my gaze. Yet, I didn’t flinch; only releasing his hand when he finally let go of Kagome.
    “Who do you think you are? Ordering around the Prince of Wolves,” snarled out of him, while Kagome looked at each of us in a panic.
    “Please! Stop! Jade is only here to make sure you listen to me and nothing else,” she pleaded, finally commanding his attention once more.
    The moment he was looking at her, she became shy. “I’ve been trying to tell you this since you became so taken with me. I don’t want to be your mate. I already love Inuyasha. Besides, don’t you already have Ayame?” she explained quietly, making sure to maintain eye contact.
    “Ayame? You’re worried about her? She was just a pup when I made that promise,” the fur clad male scoffed, tail twitching in an aggitated manner.
    I could only watch the pair while they conversed, making sure to keep a peripheral eye on what Ginta and Hakkaku were doing. So far, they weren’t making any moves to take Kagome but I wasn’t about to take any chances. “So, does she mean nothing to you?! She loves you Kouga and that’s so much more than I will ever be prepared to offer,” Kagome responded heatedly, a fire burning in her chocolate eyes. Chuckling, I couldn’t help but smirk at the obviously dumbstruck Wolf Prince. After watching Inuyasha moon after Kikyou for so long, it had to rankle her that she was being put in the same position by another man.
    “Besides, I know she means more to you than you let on. That you’re hoping to use me to chase her away. That you fear for her safety because of what Kagura did to your pack,” she continued, softening slightly but not blunting her words in the slightest. It had been a long time come and it was all things Kouga had been trying not to hear for years.
    Tail drooping slightly, the Eastern ruler raised a hand to make a feeble protest; only to be stopped by Kagome making a sharp, cutting motion. “Stop. Stop lying to me, Ayame and, most importantly, stop lying to yourself,” she spat, glaring as the male’s stance changed from one of confidence to almost terrified.
    “I can’t right now. You alone should know that. Naraku has spies everywhere and if he knew about...,” trailed off his explanation, hanging in the air as his eyes moved away from hers.
    Kagome only stared at him, a sympathetic expression on her young face. Relaxing just the tiniest bit, I moved toward Ginta and Hakkaku. They seemed nice enough and making more friends couldn’t possibly hurt. The fact that they grinned at me in a companionable manner certainly helped. Meanwhile, their leader was giving the young priestess an apologetic glance. “Forgive me Kagome. For both not hearing your voice for so long and not being able to grant your wish. At least not yet,” he whispered, a thoughtful gleam coming into his azure orbs.
    “I need them to defeat Naraku but I can offer a compromise, as much as I hate it. I owe you that much for all these years,” he continued, pursing his lips like he had just eaten a lemon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~At the Camp~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    “You did WHAT??” screeched into the otherwise quiet forest, sending a flurry of birds fleeing into the air.
    “Take it easy, Dog Breath. This is temporary and I like it just as much as you do,” Kouga snarled, pinching the bridge of his nose while Kagome did her utmost to calm a livid Inuyasha.
    “Like Hell I’m going to agree to any of this! You have about as much chance of joining us as that bastard Sesshomaru does,” the hanyou spat, Tessaiga already drawn and fully transformed.
    Letting out a sigh, Kagome took a step forward. Knowing what was coming, I began to laugh outright; moving to stand with Sango, Miroku and Shippo. Sure enough, a certain three letter word was uttered into the air. Oh so simple and yet extremely effective. “Sit.” With only enough time to shoot the teen a look of betrayal, the half dog was slammed into the ground with enough force to leave quite a crater.
    “Welcome to the pack Kouga, Ginta, Hakkaku,” I greeted enthusiastically, smiling at the bewildered and amused trio.
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