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Unexpected Endeavors	By : Scottishfae Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > Sessh?maru/Kagome > Sessh?maru/Kagome Views: 70550 -:- Recommendations : 4 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
Unexpected Endeavor
scottishfae

A/N: I apologize for the late update. I’ve been ill lately, which means I sleep a lot (when not at work). And just one chapter today and both Ch 7 & 8 are fairly long. See you next week~!

Arc 1: The Deal
Chapter 7: Day 6

The group had set up camp, again. Kagome silently went around and tended to the morning duties, making sure everyone was well-fed. “It wasn’t your fault, Kagome-chan,” Sango tried to placate.

The group had gotten lost.

Twice.

How that was even possible, Kagome didn’t even know. But here they were, not even a day’s travel from Inuyasha’s forest when they had set out days ago. “I feel like I’m in a twisted plot device,” Kagome bemoaned. “And I’m not sure how to get out of it--or if I even can.”

The young miko sighed. She felt wretched for leading her friends about with no progress to show for it. After all, they were really just going with her for support.

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll find him today,” Sango began. “We can’t get lost for a third day, now can we?”

Kagome shrugged. She looked around the field where they had chosen to sleep. After being lost in forests, they had moved far away from them. While there was no real hiding places around, Kagome couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. And by the looks of the others, they were struck with the same feeling.

Shippo jumped up on Miroku’s shoulder and scanned the area. His fur was standing on end. “I think we should go,” he whispered.

The monk agreed.

The group quickly packed their things, but before they could even take a step west, a voice popped up: “You’re going the wrong way.”

The humans, and Shippo by fault of being on Miroku’s shoulder, turned around.

And then around again.

They couldn’t see anyone, though the voice seemed closer than the forest’s edge.

“You were not supposed to leave your village, miko Higurashi.”

The toll of the past few days had gotten to Kagome and she simply couldn’t bring up the energy to be alarmed anymore. She sighed. It seemed everyone knew her name recently. “Could you come out, please. I feel stupid talking to the air.”

The voice giggled. A breeze parted the grass and then, standing in front of them, was a young-looking inuyoukai. She smiled at them. “Hello.”

“Hello,” Kagome replied mindlessly.

“Well, you’re certainly even more interesting than I imagined.”

Kagome crossed her arms; unsure if she should be insulted or not. “Who are you?”

“Cho.”

Kagome waited; hoping that she would elaborate. She didn’t, nor did she seem inclined to do so. “Well, Cho-san, what are you doing here? Spying on us for Sesshomaru-dono, I suppose.”

“Certainly not. I was informed to meet you at the village on the edge of Inuyasha’s forest. Needless to say, I’m surprised to find you here.”

The young miko shrugged her shoulders, not feeling very amicable at the moment. “Well, sorry, but I need to find Sesshomaru-dono. I have something to discuss with him before I...well, soon.”

The small inuyoukai giggled again. “I’m sure you do. But he will be returning home soon, and you cannot follow him there. It’s best to wait for him. I assure you he will not be long.”

Miroku stepped up. Something was bugging him. The girl...flickered. It was just slightly, but he picked it up as he looked at her through the corner of his eye. “You aren’t what you appear to be.”

Cho looked at the monk; her head cocked to the side. “Oh? Why do you say that?”

Miroku measured his words carefully. “You hide your age, though how you do it I’m unsure...” he trailed off.

Sango snapped her fingers. “That’s it! You’re the witch that lives on the far west coast. The ‘child-like witch that even the youkai court fears.’”

Cho smiled. “I wouldn’t say that. The men of the House of Inu never seem to listen to that rumor.” She winked at Kagome. “I suppose that is something we have in common.”

“I think you’re mistaken, Sesshomaru-dono isn’t scared of me.”

“I’m not talking about fear; I’m talking about respect. You have earned the respect of both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha--quite a feat considering how pig-headed both of them are.”

Kagome blushed, but giggled slightly. She averted her gaze to the ground.

“Now, I suggest we all turn around and head for this village of yours. I have business to discuss with you, and it really should be done there.”

“I don’t suppose we have a choice, do we?” Kagome voiced. “Though, you didn’t really say why we couldn’t visit Sesshomaru-dono at his home.”

Cho held out her hand, indicating they should begin walking first. The group did so, turning around to head back where they had come from. “You cannot because you are human. And while I am certain Sesshomaru would protect you there, as InuTaisho did for Izyaoi, it would still be very dangerous.”

“I’m really getting sick of this ‘human versus youkai’ thing,” Kaogme mumbled. “It ends up hurting everyone, in the end.”

“Pain and anger are quite universal,” Cho replied. “But tell me, why were you looking for Sesshomaru?”

Kagome looked at the others. There was a general uneasiness. They had just met this deceptive youkai and it was hard to trust anyone easily. Especially since Naraku had a knack for deceit. “I wanted to add a stipulation to...um, the deal.”

“Oh? What would that be?”

She decided to go with a general telling of her tale; one that had become somewhat common knowledge and wouldn’t give too much away. “Well, I suppose I should start from the beginning. I am the miko in charge of the Shikon no Tama. It somehow ended up in my body after it had been burned with the body of Kikyo-san, the last miko in its charge.

“What started this whole...adventure, I guess you could say, was when I was attacked by a centipede demon, and the jewel was ripped from my body. In order to stop the jewel from being taken, I shot an arrow--but it hit the Shikon and shattered.”

“I had wondered how the jewel had been broken,” Cho mused. “Where was Inuyasha during this?”

Kagome took a deep breath. She was trying her best to leave out any mention of the well, to withhold suspicion of its capabilities. “Inuyasha was still sealed until the Shikon was stolen. I was able to break the seal and, in return, he began helping to find the Shikon pieces.”

“Now I know you’re stretching the truth. Inuyasha was never that...agreeable.”

“She didn’t say he wasn’t without his own agenda,” Sango joined in. “We all are, except Shippo-chan.”

The little kitsune puffed up at being mentioned. He was trying so hard to put on a brave front in front of the other youkai. Without Inuyasha present, he felt it was his duty to protect Kagome.

“True,” Kagome began. “As we began collecting the shards we found out that Naraku, the person who had tricked Inuyasha and Kikyo-san so many years earlier in an attempt to steal the Shikon, had begun to collect the shards as well. Miroku-san joined Inuyasha and I because he needs to destroy Naraku to cure a curse that Naraku put on his family.”

Miroku held up his cursed hand. “Within my palm is thekazanna; a wind tunnel that sucks everything in when I take off the sacred, protective beads. If Naraku is not defeated the kazanna will eventually consume my body as well.”

Cho nodded, having heard some of the monk’s story from other sources before. “And you?” she asked Sango. “What is your ‘agenda’?”

“Naraku tricked my family, and used my brother, to destroy my village. He still manipulates my brother to do his bidding. I want Naraku dead to avenge my Taijiya village and to get back my brother.”

“And what does Inuyasha want? I assume, miko, your desire is to return the jewel whole, again.”

“Yes, and to help my friends. Inuyasha wants to become a full youkai by wishing upon the jewel.”

Cho had listened intently and politely to each of the member’s stories, until just then. She snorted. “I wish InuTashio had never brought Izyaoi to the Western Palace. He should have left her at the Momoiro Estate.”

“Momoiro Estate?”

“I assume you will be seeing it soon. It’s a safe house, surrounded by layers of sacred seals and barriers, to protect the mother and future child of...well, it was built by InuTashio for Izyaoi and Inuyasha. I was never clear on his reasons, but in her late months of pregnancy, Izyaoi was brought to the Western Palace. Though, if I had to venture a guess, it would have been pride; a constant vice of the House of Inu, as I’m sure you’ve noted.

“Amaya, Sesshomaru’s mother, InuTashio married for duty; for political alliances, and because his own great father wished it of him. Izyaoi...well, Izyaoi he loved. He never glowed as he did when she was with child, and--hanyou or not--there was no mistaking that Inuyasha was his most beloved son.”

“No wonder Sesshomaru-dono doesn’t like Inuyasha,” Sango noted.

Cho looked at the Taijiya oddly. “Not like Inuyasha? True, Sesshomaru is extremely hard on him, but that’s the only way he knows how to help him: to push him to be stronger. Sesshomaru has always been very fond of Inuyasha. He was very close to Izyaoi, actually, in the short time they had together. It was no secret that Amaya’s love for her eldest son was limited to that of his being the heir. She held no affection for InuTashio either.”

“Wait,” Kagome interrupted. They had been walking as they talked, but she stopped. The rest of the group stopped with her. “You said ‘eldest son,’ does that mean Sesshomaru-dono and Inuyasha have another brother?”

“Well, Sesshomaru has another half-brother: Haru, and is the son of Amaya and her favorite lover. Sesshomaru and Haru are a contradiction, and they have a much more...strained relationship.”

“Wow,” Miroku exclaimed. “That’s hard to imagine.”

Cho laughed. “As I said before, Sesshomaru cares for Inuyasha; even if only for the reason that he is the son of his first friend.”

“Okay, yeah,” Kagome laughed. “Now I know you’re stretching the truth. That sounds nothing like the Sesshomaru-dono we know.”

Cho hummed. “I suspect you’ll be learning more about him than any of us know.” She winked at the miko.

“I see you still have no shame,” a gruff voice came from their right.

Inuyasha stood there. His cheeks were slightly flushed--he had either pushed himself to reach the rest of the group, or he had overhead the conversation.

“You learn to abandon shame when you’ve lived as long as I have,” Cho answered cheerfully.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome. “I thought you were going to find Sesshomaru.”

“We were, but...well, we didn’t. Then Cho informed us he went home.”

The hanyou frowned. “So, you’re heading back. Good.”

“So, why did you decide to join us?” Miroku asked.

“Like hell I would allow you two to protect Kagome. Someone had to come and watch over you lot.”

“Uh-huh,” Miroku answered, unconvinced. “And this would have nothing to do with that tell-tale dirt cloud over there?”

He pointed to their left. Kagome’s shoulder slumped as she groaned. Cho looked at her inquisitively. “What is it miko?”

“You might as well call me Kagome,” she began. “Everyone else does and, well, I feel like we’re going to have you around for awhile. And, that is Koga.”

“The wolf prince? What is he doing here?”

“A long story,” Kagome muttered. “And I’ve had enough of stories for the day.”

The witch nodded. She would ask later. Kagome was certainly proving to be a very interesting, and entertaining, woman. To be a human, and have so many youkai attached to her--well, it was unheard of.

There was a tug on Cho’s sleeve. The fox kit stood there. “Yes, sweetie?” Cho asked.

“You never asked why I was traveling around with them.”

The inuyoukai held out her hand. Shippo took it. “You can tell me as we walk.”
- 7
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- 9
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Unexpected Endeavors