A/N: This was originally posted onto LiveJournal for iyfic(underscore)contest's week 117 theme. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of "InuYasha" by Rumiko Takahashi nor the wonderful world she has created.

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Kagome breathed heavily in and out as the professor passed by her desk. The young girl could feel her insides quench and her fingers tighten as he came to a stop and instantly her eyes found refuge elsewhere.

"Miss Higurashi," the man called, yet received no answer but a tightened grip to her pencil— so much that Kagome could feel it splintering. "Miss Higurashi!" His voice echoed louder with further force as he thrust a small stack of well-worn papers back upon her— covered in red ink.

"Miss Higurashi, would you care to explain this?"

Kagome's mind ran helplessly. Several corners of the papers had been chewed off thanks to the many hours she had spent alongside Kilala. The poor kitten had playfully given it a few nibbles before curling up in her lap for the night. At the time it had seemed quite innocent, but now Kagome saw exactly how much damage the feline's small teeth had accomplished.

Back in the feudal era, the group's fire flickered calmly. It had been quite an unusual day as there had been neither threat of attack nor any scent of any jewel shards. Still, what remained most unusual was that the air about the compound was not of the calm sort. InuYasha had positioned himself high in a tree close-by, arms crossed and ears twitching aggravatingly as his lips curled exposing his fangs.

Kagome gazed dazedly into the flames and gave a quick tightening of her embrace upon Shippou as he lay across her left arm, the only one of the group to have found rest. Both Miroku and Sango had settled into a separate edge of the campsite and as Kagome used her free hand to lightly stroke the fur of the small cat demon. She purred in response before quickly leaping from her previous spot at Kagome's sight to head in the direction of her master, Sango. It had been several hours since the sound of the two's quarrelling had been heard and yet still Kagome doubted that they had fallen into sleep.

Turning back to her notebook, Kagome thought once more and after a few moments of deep though, scribed her answer onto the page: Oda Nobunaga.

She liked birds, Kagome noted mentally as she starred off out the window, much to her professor's growing nerve. The thoughts of the feudal era slowly melded back into the recess of her mind as the present began rapping its pestering finger against her back— but then again Kagome was surprised to find that the present's name was Yuri.

"Snap out of it Kagome." The young girl hissed out of concern. She skipped glances between her dazed friend and the teacher looming above them and it only fueled her plight. Kagome mumbled incoherently, identifying that she had heard the girl, but seeing the message was still not clear, Yuri whispered chidingly once more. "Just take the papers Kagome. If this has something to do with your medical condition than just tell him, but at least try not to embarrass yourself further."

Giving an exasperated sigh, Kagome finally came away from her thoughts and back to schoolwork as she took possession of her grimy stack of papers. A light sheen of dirt splayed across the front of the leaflets and right over the heading, dripping down the sides Kagome could see the remnants of blood— InuYasha's blood. Kagome frowned as she remembered the hanyou's injuries, but then smiled in remembrance of his embrace— resulting in the droplets.

Clearing his throat, the man brought the girl's attention to him yet again as Kagome's eyes were forced to turn from the smudged, crinkled, and dusty paperwork. "I will not repeat myself again Miss Higurashi, 'Would you care to explain this?' The physical state of your work is unacceptable." Kagome lifted her head high and with solemn honesty, answered him.

"No— you wouldn't believe me anyway."

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As always, I would love and be honored to have any reviews/comments/suggestions that my fantabulous readers may have. I treasure them all!

Truly yours,

Mickey-the-Mouse