Temporary Alliance Chapter 1: Resurfaced Emotions, an inuyasha fanfic

Title-- "Temporary Alliance"

Sum-- Secret of the Cursed Mask fic...Kururugi 'Yuzu' (Kaname) is forced back into the feudal era after being attacked by Naraku. There, she must deal with her quickly-resurfacing feelings for Inuyasha and the fact that he's falling for Kagome. But she's not alone.

Disclaimer-- I don't own the anime/manga series 'Inuyasha' or any of its characters. I own the videogame! --gets shot by copyright lawyer-- But...not like Bandai owns it TT.TT...

((!VRRY IMPORTANT NOTE!)) -'very' is misspelled on purpose- ---- In this fic, Kururugi Kaname is instead known as "Kururugi Yuzu"!

I would've left her name "Kaname", but it sounds too much like Kagome. Plus, there's Ayame...And I just hate it when characters' names sound too much alike or start with the same letter! Ugh! Well, 'Yuzu' isn't too bad is it? It's a cute name, and I think it suits girl-Kururugi just fine. Any objections?

If it really, REALLY bothers you all, I'll change it back to 'Kaname' (groans).

O----------O

Chapter One-- "Resurfaced Emotions"

-While reading this, kinda picture that Yuzu spent time with all of them (got all the interval events basically). So she's good friends with all of them. But the Inuyasha-events seem to have had more of an effect on her, that's all.

In Kaede's village, a monk relentlessly chased after a fast-walking demon slayer, stringing together sweet words. When he finally got her to slow down, his hand coincidentally got a firm grip on her butt. In the next moment, the monk was stumbling aside, thrown by a slap from the demon slayer.

Letting out a satisfied breath, the demon slayer continued on walking, ushering her little brother along with her. A few feet from the monk, a little fox demon frowned at the scene and shook his head. Observing all this from a high-up tree was a half-dogdemon.

O----------O

Inuyasha sighed, leaning back against the tree trunk. "Feh. Some things never change...I keep on telling Kagome, but she doesn't believe me: those two aren't in love."

Kaede had run out of things to have him do, so he decided to lounge for the remainder of the day. It was a pretty nice day out. Real peaceful. Inuyasha knew he could get use to this, if there were a few demons he could sharpen Tetsusaiga with on occasion.

This kind of weather reminded him of a certain short-haired brunette.

The half-demon shook his head as an attempt to get the girl out of his mind. Kagome had crossed back over to her time and later informed them that Yuzu seemed pretty happy, looking as if she thought what had happened in the feudal era was only a dream.

But Kagome had also said she didn't actually go up and talk to Yuzu...Which was understandable. What if Yuzu was happier thinking it had all been a dream? They had no right to take that happiness away from her.

Besides, it wasn't as if they needed her there. They missed her, but...That was no reason to break her out of her secure lifestyle. Inuyasha exhaled, wondering if he would ever see her again.

The day he first met her, with this kind of weather...It was also the same weather he saw her last.

The sun was bright, but its heat was cancelled out by the cool wind. It teased the branches, making the leaves rustle playfully against each other. Inuyasha closed his eyes, breathing in the breeze and smelling the familiar scent of mountain flowers on it. Along with--

Inuyasha's eyes snapped open as he sprang forward.

Trying to calm down his heartbeat, he reluctantly took another breath of the breeze that had carried a certain scent from the mountains...Nothing. Just flowers. The other scent that had paired along with the flowers was gone.

Still, even if for only a split second, he knew Naraku's scent anywhere. He leapt down from the branch he was perched on and made a break towards the forest on the edge of the village.

"Where are you going?"

Inuyasha stopped in mid-stride and wheeled about to faced Kagome. She was wearing the purple kimono Kaede was lending her and her hair was swirled into a bun with a pink-beaded pin. She didn't look half-bad like that.

"Just out," Inuyasha muttered. "It's so boring in this village."

But Kagome knew better. "You smelled something, didn't you? Wait up so me and the others can check it out with you. It'd be risky to go alone, even for you."

"No, it wouldn't. I'm leaving." He began to walk.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome tried to run after him, but the kimono was tight around her legs. "Stop or else I'll say your 'favorite' command word!"

"Say it as much as you like. It won't stop me."

"Inuyasha."

Inuyasha turned back around, surprised by the severity in Kagome's voice and in her eyes. He blinked a few moments before regaining composure.

"Don't worry about it," he told her. "If something dangerous does come up, I'll...Oh, for cryin' out loud, nothing's gonna happen! So, quit your nagging and glaring at me; it clashes with how nice you look. Because, I'm gonna come back, you know. Just wait here."

With that, he left her and disappeared into the forest. Kagome stood, a bit surprised at what she heard and wondered if she heard it at all. She decided she had.

"Jerk."

But she said it with a smile on her face.

O--O--O--O--O--O--O--O--O--O

"You what?" Yuzu demanded, her heart pounding.

Others on the bus looked in her direction. A black-haired girl leaned forward, blocking Yuzu from view of the other passengers. The two girls were just acquaintances, classmates, hung around the same group, and rode on the same bus. And she was among the many who had laughed at Yuzu's story about Inuyasha and the others.

And so, the black-haired girl had assumed they were close enough that she decided to hook Yuzu up with a blind date.

"Shhhhh!" she hissed. "Even though you're pretty small for your age, you sure have a big mouth. Where's that noise when you need to answer a question in class?"

"Can you blame me? How could you get me a blind date? I can't even stop blushing around guys I already know!"

The raven-haired girl waved off Yuzu's questions. "All you need to know is that his name's Hojo, he's hot, and he'll be at your house by 6 o'. Late enough to be walking in the sunset together; how romantic...He's from a different school, so he doesn't know you're crazy!"

Crazy? Yuzu thought. Oh...She must mean my story about Inuyasha. "But...but..."

Yuzu often debated with herself on whether or not to use the power of Shikigami in front of her classmates...But she concluded that she was trying to convince them, not scare them out of their minds.

The black haired girl looked at her expectantly. "What's wrong? You are going to the street festival, aren't you?"

"Y-Yeah...but..."

"But what? ...Oh, no. You're not holding back because of your imaginary boyfriend, are you? That-that Inubaka-guy!"

Yuzu blushed as her close-enough-to-be-a-friend hit the bull's eye. "It's 'Inuyasha'! And he's not imaginary; I told you!"

"Listen, Kururugi, if all goes well, you won't have to pretend you have a boyfriend. Look, don't worry. It's a group date, so Tomo-chan and I will be there with you."

"I guess so..."

O----------O

After shouting to her parents that she was home, Yuzu hurried upstairs, forgetting to take off her shoes on the way up. The house was littered with burning candles: her father's attempt to get rid of the fish smell from her mother's cooking.

Okay, first I'll take a bath and use that new shampoo and conditioner that Tomo-chan suggested. She entered her bedroom and closed the door. Ugh...I can't believe I'm not allowed to wear make-up! That Hojo-guy'll think I'm a little kid...

She looked at her chest. "Why won't you two grow faster?" She faced her closet and saw her old elementary school outfit...which was barely one size smaller than her current school uniform. "Why won't I grow faster?"

Sighing, she decided to undress. But she had only gotten her backpack off before she froze, hearing a knock on the door. Quickly, she glanced at the clock that read out "4:44".

He's here already Yuzu thought. But it's way too early! It can't be him!

Still, she tossed her backpack onto her bed and crept out of her room to sneak a peek at who was at the door. She spotted her mom walking towards the front door, humming and taking off an oven mitt. She opened the door, but Yuzu couldn't see who was on the porch due to her limited view.

"Oh, hello!" her mother chirped. "Are you a teacher from Yuzu's school?"

Yuzu jumped as her mom suddenly let out a shriek, dropping the oven mitt.

"What is it?" Yuzu's father shouted from the other room.

Her mom ran away from front door frantically, and into the other room.

"Mom?" Yuzu yelled, jumping down the stairs. "What's wrong?"

She turned to the front door that had closed. Her eyes widened as she backed away from the demonic being.

"Naraku," Yuzu whispered in disbelief. "How..."

He didn't answer her, only stared at her with a thin smile. Yuzu yelped as a tentacle shot past her, knocking over a stream of candles. Miasma steamed from Naraku, blowing the fires about.

Everything around Yuzu flared, including the paper sliding door that lead to the room her parents were in. And behind her, she heard her mom shriek again as the miasma howled in, tearing through the burning paper doors.

"Mom! Dad!" she cried out, whirling around.

She reached out towards the burning wall, but a green tentacle grabbed her wrist and tossed her aside; she barely missed a patch of flames. She gasped as a shadow covered her.

"Shikigami, please help!" she prayed.

Naraku hissed, knocked back by a blast of red. Yuzu jumped for the stairs. There was no way she could take Naraku on her own...It had been a struggle even when she was with the others. She needed the others right now...She wanted Inuyasha.

InuyashaInuyashaInuyashaInuyasha... she chanted in her mind.

"Inuyasha!" she yelped as the tentacles coiled around her legs, dragging her back down the steps. Rolling over to face Naraku once more, Yuzu summoned the power of Shikigami again. "Shikigami, attack!"

Naraku was halted by the red blast once more and Yuzu scrambled up the steps. Maybe she could escape through her window...It still had the ladder next to it from when her father was fixing the tiles on the roof earlier.

But would her parents be able to get out? Of course. They weren't dead from the miasma. They would make it. They would make it.

Dad...Mom... Yuzu bit her bottom lip, getting back onto her feet as she reached the top step. She ran towards her room. Please be okay!

The floor before her erupted and she was thrown back by the force. Naraku appeared from the flames.

"I-Inuyasha...help me," Yuzu whispered, scooting away from Naraku. She could feel her back pressed against the wall behind her. She shut her eyes tightly, tears falling as Naraku approached her. "Help..."

A tentacle brushed against her leg.

"GET ME OUT OF HERE!" she bawled.

The cry halted as the floor beneath her shifted.

She stared at Naraku with wide eyes as the floorboards collapsed, completely, from the surrounding flames eating at it. The hole lit up in flares, briefly, fed by the fallen wood, but no body of the young girl.

Naraku smirked. That was one thing out of his way.

Softly groaning, his eyes rolled to the back of his head. The red eye on his torso closed and faded into his clothes. His feudal kimono began to change into a more modern-like tuxedo. His tentacles shrunk back and his hair grew shorter until it was at a buzz.

Now, in Naraku's place was a middle-aged man.

"What the--?" he murmured, looking around, confused. He tried to look for a way out, but he was surrounded by fire. "Where am I? Someone, help me! HELP!"

He heard a creaking sound above and looked up...and then screamed as the ceiling fell on top of him.

O--O--O--O--O--O--O--O--O--O

Back in the feudal era, two wolf demons ran with a pack of wolves through a forest. Their breaths were ragged and their footing was clumsy from exhaustion. All wolf demons were born with an above average speed, but if a wolf demon was especially fast, it ran within a whirlwind.

An already fast-footed wolf demon with shards of the Shikon Jewel in his legs was bordering on impossible to keep up with.

"Koga, slow down!" Ginta gasped, struggling to keep up with the young clan leader.

"How 'bout you two hurry up?" was Koga's distant-sounding retort.

Ginta groaned, turning to the other wolf demon choking on Koga's dust. "That guy's way too stubborn! You need to have a cool head to be the clan-leader! Renjou's definitely gonna steal that spot away if Koga keeps going off on his own so much."

"Don't let Koga hear you say that!" Hakkaku warned.

"Well, it's true! And now he says he smelled Naraku! Inuyasha and Kagome said Naraku was gone for good."

"Would you keep it down before Koga--...Huh?" Hakkaku blinked, spotting something in the sky. "Hey, Koga, I see something!"

The two wolf demons came to a stop, the wolves surrounding them. A whirlwind shoved through the brush of the thick forest, its currents slowing to a rest as Koga dropped out of it.

Hakkaku pointed. "What do you make of that?"

Koga looked up. Above was what looked like a hole in the sky, fire spiraling out from within it. Like a kind of fiery vortex. And out of it, dropped a small form.

"It's a person!" Ginta realized.

Koga smirked. "A person...Alright, then."

He jumped up onto a ledge of a nearby cliff. And he climbed, springing from ledge to ledge.

"Where do you think he's going?" Ginta asked.

"People don't fall out of the sky everyday," Hakkaku explained. "He probably thinks it's a connection to Naraku."

"I swear...And when it's not Naraku, it's all about Kagome with that guy! Renjou's definitely gonna take his place as a better clan-leader."

"Stop saying that! Koga'd tear you limb-from-limb."

"That'd only prove my point, you know."

"Let's just catch up to him."

O----------O

Yuzu was terrified. She held her skirt down so the wind wouldn't reveal at least the front of her panties. But she knew that wouldn't help her as she plummeted head-first down to earth.

First Naraku attacks in the present, then my house's on fire, then I'm falling into the fire, now I'm falling outta the sky---WHAT'S GOING ON?

The realization of how close she was to the ground broke through her confusion.

"EEEEEEEYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH--!"

Koga leapt from a last ledge and grunted, catching the falling person in mid-air. Yuzu looked up and their eyes caught.

"Koga!"

"You're...that girl."

The wolf demon landed on a slope and skidded to flat grounds where he let the girl down. Kagome had told him that this girl returned to her own time and was likely to never return...so why was she here?

And why was she such a mess? Her clothes were darkened by black as if she had been sitting in front of a fire, and she smelled of smoke.

"Um...thanks," she murmured quietly.

"Yuzu?"

The girl looked up, recognizing the voice immediately.

"Inuyasha!" she exclaimed, running to him as he entered the forest clearing. She stopped in front of him, too shy to hug him. Instead, she smiled. "I'm so happy to see you!"

Inuyasha grinned back. "It's great to see you, too. I almost doubted I'd ever talk to you again."

Yuzu blushed, her eyes falling to her shoes. "I...Inuya--"

"Hey! What're you doing here?"

Yuzu looked back up to see Inuyasha striding past her. He was glaring at Koga.

"Oh! He saved me!" Yuzu explained, running up beside the half-demon. "I would've had a broken neck if he didn't come along! Seriously! So don't fight him."

But Inuyasha didn't back down. "What was he doing here in the first place?"

"Probably the same as you, mutt," Koga answered stiffly. "Caught scent of Naraku. As in the one you thought you defeated. Geez. You really can't take care of anything, can you?"

"Shut up! You wanna go?" Inuyasha unsheathed the Tetsusaiga. "C'mon, then!"

"Wait a sec!" Yuzu stumbled in between them, her arms spread out. "You guys smelled Naraku? I was just attacked by Naraku!"

Inuyasha lowered Tetsusaiga. "Say what?"

Even Koga's attention was taken away from fighting with Inuyasha. Yuzu sighed in relief, lowering her arms.

"In my own time," she continued. "He came to my house and attacked out of nowhere! And my mom was freaking out--"

Yuzu's eyes widened and she gasped.

"My parents! I have to go back!" She ran forward and grabbed the front of Inuyasha's robe. "My...my mom 'n' dad...Naraku used his miasma--and the house was on fire--they're probably..."

Inuyasha took one of her hands and grasped it. "Don't jump to conclusions. Get on my back; we're going to Kaede's village."

"What? Kyaa!"

Yuzu yelled out as Inuyasha turned his back towards her and grabbed her arms, propping her onto his back. She could feel herself heating up as Inuyasha's hands bridged under her butt as a shelf to keep her on his back.

For a moment only one hand was used to hold her up as Inuyasha turned to Koga, sheathing Tetsusaiga.

"We'll finish this another time, mangy wolf."

Koga didn't answer immediately, eyeing the beet-red girl hiding her face behind Inuyasha's shoulder. "Yeah? Just be ready to have your face shoved in the dirt, mutt."

"Whatever."

With that, Inuyasha took his exit. Seconds later, Hakkaku and Ginta finally caught up to Koga, the wolves just as tired as they were. They had questioned about the person that had been falling out of the sky and where it went.

But all Koga told them was to go back to the clan lair and that he'd be back later.

Koga left them again, chasing after Inuyasha and Yuzu. He couldn't get the girl out of his head. Well, more like how emotional the girl was around Inuyasha, and Inuyasha's indifference to it besides the care for a friend.

What's her relationship with the mutt?

If it was as Koga hoped it'd be, that girl could be a big help on winning Kagome.

O--O--O--O--O--O--O--O--O--O

"I'm so sorry, Yuzu...," Kagome murmured.

She said this after coming out of the well again.

Yuzu had been warmly welcomed back after she arrived in the village with Inuyasha. But her and Inuyasha's expressions told them it wasn't a time for happiness. And after she explained the situation, Kagome, in her school uniform, jumped into the Bone-Eaters Well.

During the wait, the others tried to comfort Yuzu. They succeeded in taking her mind off it. Sango and Kohaku with their words, Shippo with his magic tricks, Miroku with a casual grope or two, and...With Inuyasha, Yuzu felt him being there was enough. So she sat very close next to him.

Koga, whose presence was unknown because he was hidden, took note of this as well.

Kagome had come back out of the well half an hour later and Yuzu already understood when she saw the expression on Kagome's face. Then, Kagome knelt down in front of Yuzu and hugged the younger girl.

"It's okay," Yuzu mumbled, but her voice was quiet and she sounded as if she was trying to convince herself instead of them. "...I'm fine, really...I'm fine."

I don't wanna be weak.

With that thought in mind, Yuzu pulled away from Kagome and began to ramble.

"I mean, worse has happened, right? Not like it's the end of the world. Don't worry about me! My parents wouldn't have wanted me to cry, anyway. They would want me to live happily, and maybe avenge their deaths on the way. Crying won't bring 'em back. So what're we sitting here, feeling sorry for me for? Let's talk about Naraku, instead, the cold bastard! Haha, I said 'bastard'."

All this she said with a happy smile.

"Er, I need to go to the bathroom," she chirped, standing up. "I'll meet you all at Kaede's place."

Before anyone could argue with her, she dashed into the forest. Surprising everyone, Inuyasha stood up as well and began to follow her.

"Yuzu!"

"Inuyasha, wait!" Kagome yawped suddenly.

Inuyasha turned around, startled. "Huh? What is it?"

"Um...I..." Kagome shook her head. "Never mind. It's nothing."

"Kagome?"

Kagome stepped past him. "I-I'm going to Kaede's house now."

Are you gonna follow Kagome, mutt, Koga asked, or the other girl instead?

"Alright," Inuyasha agreed. "I'll meet you and the others there."

Koga stealthily moved away from the scene. The woods were damp from autumn rainfall, so that was enough to block Koga's scent from reaching Inuyasha's nose. Otherwise, Koga wouldn't have bothered following them.

He picked that girl over Kagome. Koga grinned in interest. Now to talk to that kid, myself.

O----------O

Yuzu paced deeper into the woods, but stopped. She didn't want to get lost...That'd be even more trouble for the others. She shook her head and blinked rapidly; anything to bar away the tears that she knew were going to come.

As a child, when she was sad, she'd usually go into a closet and cry where no one could see her.

"But...I'm sad now," she mumbled. "And there's no closet."

So what do I do? I don't wanna look weak. Mom...Dad...

She shut her eyes tightly and faced the sky, but she could feel tears trickling through her eyelashes.

What do I do...?

"Yuzu!"

She jumped, startled and whirled around. "Inuyasha!"

He was running to her. She dried her eyes on her sleeve before looking up to face him again. By then, he was standing right in front of her.

"...Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

But her voice broke when she replied. And she found herself wanting to break down even more. Then, Inuyasha did something she'd never expect of him. He gently took Yuzu by the shoulders and hugged her tightly; his head was rested on hers.

Yuzu almost died.

"Inu...yasha?" she croaked when she found at least some of her voice.

"I never knew my father, so I didn't feel remorse when I heard he was dead. But my mother raised me. I wasn't as young as you are now..."

Inuyasha breathed in and Yuzu could picture him closing his eyes. She closed hers, too, comforted by the sound of his heart. She pressed her cheek against his chest and gripped his red robe. She no longer felt like crying.

"I mean, I was still a little kid when she died," Inuyasha went on, "but...in human years, I was a little older than you. So, I can relate to what you're going through. If you need someone to talk to and don't want the 'pity' treatment...think of me as a friend."

He released her. And she was compelled to scream.

She was also compelled to jump on him and screech, 'HOLD ME AGAIN, DAMN YOU! AND KISS ME THIS TIME! THEN, TAKE MY VIRGINITY AND MARRY ME!' But she decided against it. Because she could never release that much energy and emotion to pull it off.

Besides, it would probably scare him and if that happened, he was likely to never hug her again.

"Let's go back," Inuyasha yawned, stretching. He turned and began to walk away. "The others are waiting for us."

Yuzu sighed. I wonder if I'll ever be brave enough to actually tell him how I feel. Last time, I didn't have enough time and now that I do... Yuzu blinked. Hold on...

O--O

"Inuyasha, I...I...love you!"

O--O

That's right! I told him before! But does he remember?

"Inuyasha!" Yuzu called, running after him. She caught up so that they were side-by-side and walking. "Do you...remember what I said? Right before I left this era the last time, I mean. When that light was surrounding me..."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah. You yelled my name. Then, you were gone. Why? Did you say something else?"

"...No. No, I didn't say anything."

O----------O

That night, Yuzu had the worst sleep she'd ever gotten.

O--O--O--O--O--O--O--O--O--O

Yuzu winced, prodding her face again. It felt numb. All of her did. She went to bed at the same time as everyone else. But it seemed like only five minutes that she was getting up to the rising sun.

Her back ached, her chest felt constricted.

And she, herself, just felt heavy. Hot and cold at the same time. The night before, everyone said their most comforting words. That had only made Yuzu feel worse. She had also made sure to sleep as far away from Inuyasha as she could.

The next morning, everyone offered their company, but she convinced them that she wanted to be alone. Even though that was the last thing she wanted to feel. Now, she walked in the woods, not wandering too far away from the village.

They didn't bring up Naraku, not wanting to remind Yuzu of her parents.

He never heard me tell him how I felt...How I still feel...No! I am not gonna fall in love this time! I'm not. I'm--...Oh, I'm blushing, aren't I?

Yuzu sunk down to the grass, slumping.

"I don't wanna fall in love with him again...But that's exactly what's happening!"

She looked up and picked a flower. Feeling pathetic, she began to pluck the petals.

"Inuyasha loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not..."

"Yet," a gruff voice said, intruding the quiet.

Yuzu yawped, flinging the flower and whirling about with wide eyes. Standing not too far away was a certain black-haired wolf demon, raising an eyebrow at her spastic reaction.

"Koga?" Yuzu exclaimed, turning a bright red. "W-What are...How much did you...Oh, no! Now I look like an idiot! Koga, Koga! You can't tell anyone about what I just said! Please! I'll do anything! I swear! Just don't--"

"Shut up," Koga growled in irritation.

Yuzu recoiled. "Erm..."

"Hey, don't cower like that. It disgusts me."

"I'm sorry!" He's like Inuyasha...Only a whole lot worser!

Koga scowled. She's a little like Kagome. Only this kid's got no guts whatsoever.

The wolf demon stepped closer to the trembling girl. He looked her up and down, ideas unrolling in his mind as he played over the information he had collected from the day before and today.

There wasn't a full plan, only thoughts.

"So...You love the mutt," Koga snickered, towering over her.

Yuzu nodded meekly, still blushing.

"I see." He smirked, kneeling down so that their faces were inches apart. "I think we can work this out."

i felt kinda sad, writing the part where kuru-chan's house burns down...i mean, poor hojo! he had enough trouble trying to get kago-chan to date him. now he thinks his blind date burned up? gosh...

lmao. okay, okay. i suppose i feel sorry for kururugi's dead parents, too.

and i kno, i kno. that part about the guy burning in the fire was confusing...it'll be explained later. promise!