A/N: And what do you know? I didn't die a horrible death. Shocking really, I know. Anyway here's the second chapter Sorry it took so long.
P.S: Alright, for their ages. This chapter is from Ages 9-10, the next one will probably be from 11-12.
Chapter 02: Getting Along
Kagome sighed as she spotted Sasuke sitting in the middle of their favorite training area. She turned towards the person standing beside her. "Hinata just go straight to the house, Neji wanted to talk to you about something." She rolled her eyes, "But you know Neji, refuses to go near the Hyuuga district. He should be in the living room with Souta, if not check his room."
Hinata looked at Sasuke then back at her before she nodded. "A-Alright Kagome, see you when you get there."
Kagome smiled before turning towards the field with another sigh, Kiyoshi crooned from her shoulder before slithering up through the air and following Hinata. She walked over to the slumped figure and sat down beside him. He didn't even twitch.
They both sat in comfortable silence for awhile before Kagome spoke quietly. "Sasuke… Why don't you come live with us? Staying in that empty compound all by yourself isn't going to help anything."
Sasuke shrugged. "Hn."
Kagome closed her eyes as the wind ruffled her hair. "Sasuke, if you stay in that house the wound in your soul will fester, infection spreading, covering you entirely and hate will submerge you."
He continued to look forward, though if anyone looked close enough they would have seen the slight furrow of his eyebrows. "...Why do you always say things like that?"
Kagome blinked. "Like what?"
"Analytical."
A small smile crept across her face. "Why Sasuke..."
He turned to look at her. "What?"
She blinked innocently, the seriousness in her eyes having receded, but still lurking in their depth. "Did you search through a dictionary for that?"
His eye twitched. "SHUT-UP."
They sat quietly for awhile. Kagome sitting cross legged as Sasuke leaned back on his arms. "I'm staying."
She looked at him through the corner of her eye. "...Nothing I say will change that, will it."
He nodded firmly. "Yes."
She smiled sadly. "You always where the most stubborn of my friends."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
~*~
Naruto's eyes widened as he pressed himself up against the wall. The only thing that separated him and the monstrosity was a thin layer of steam and mist. The demon had locked him in. There was no escaping the torture she was sure to thrust open him. He could hear the croon of death as something slithered in the air by his ear.
Kagome put her hands on her hips as she glared at Naruto through the fog, her eyes blending in with the mist that surrounded them. "Honestly Naruto, you're being ridiculous. Now either you get in there so I can get started, or I'll call Yura. God knows Neji needs a break from hiding. I'm sure she wouldn't mind dividing her attention between the both of you."
Naruto's eyes widened even more in horror before he sagged. Kagome was at least better than Yura. He shivered as he glumly walked towards her, that girl gave him the creeps. He stopped in front of her with a sigh. "What do we do?"
She grinned mischievously and he tried to back up, knowing that whenever she did that it only meant some kind of trouble. Just as he was getting out of range she flew forward and shoved him backwards.
He spun his arms cart wheeling as he lost his balance on the slippery floor and toppled backwards.
Kagome snickered as a splash crashed throughout the room and water droplets hit her. She went over to the end of the hot spring and knelt down. She fished her hand around in the water for Naruto and yanked him above the water.
She blinked innocently as he spluttered in front of her. "My, Naruto. That was quite a fall." She snickered. "Are you alright?"
He gave her a glare only an angry wet kitten could pull off, before he sighed miserably. "Just get it over with."
Kagome nodded and sat on the side of the hot spring her legs dangling in the water as Naruto sat between them. "You know if you took better care of yourself this wouldn't happen." She pulled a bag closer to her and grabbed a shampoo bottle out of it. She read the label again 'Forest Mist: Special Hair Care: Enriched Blend'. She shrugged. She'd thought it was manly enough when she bought it. Beside's she thought Forest Mist suited Naruto. She'd gotten Spring Rain for Neji and Water Lily for Sasuke who (surprisingly) used it.
Naruto was quiet for a minute. Watching as Kiyoshi dived into the water in front of him. "I didn't have hot water."
Kagome squeezed the bottle a little too hard and shampoo tumbled out of the top. She quickly scooped it into the palm of her hand as she seethed. "They told mother that you did have hot water. That everything you needed was provided for you."
His eyes drooped, as Kiyoshi flipped himself back up into the air before diving back down. "Yeah, well. They lied."
Kagome sniffed, getting a nose full of Forest as her hands continued to rub in the shampoo. "Well. The past is the past. Let's continue on with the present and the future."
He turned his head slightly. "Sometimes you're confusing."
Kagome tilted her head to the side. "How so?"
"It's like there's multiple sides of you."
Kagome smiled mysteriously. "No. That's just me."
~*~
"Kagome. I need to speak with you."
Kagome looked up from where she sat on the couch with Naruto playing go fish, the cards scattered on the middle cushion. 5 year old Souta sat in Naruto's lap examining the cards in his hand. She blinked at the seriousness on her mother's face. She glanced back at Naruto who gave her a worried look. She gave a light shrug and stood up. "Don't look at my cards Naruto. I'll have Shiori tell me if you do."
Naruto snorted. "Yeah right. Like she could tell anyway." She grinned slightly as, despite the confident words, his eyes darted towards the 3 year old girl sitting with her twin and Shippo on the living room floor, building shaky buildings out of blocks.
Her gin disappeared as she slowly walked towards her mother, she couldn't think of anything she'd done to anger her. Hoshiko held open the kitchen door before closing it ominously behind her.
Kagome fiddle with her long hair as her mother turned towards her. "Where is Sounga?"
Her hands froze, her eyes going wide. That. She hadn't been expecting that.
Her mother accurately interpreted her look. "You honestly thought I wouldn't notice? Surely I wouldn't enter the sealed room, but that doesn't mean Tsubaki wouldn't. She is the guardian of that room." Her mother's eyes grew more intense. "Though it took her awhile to notice that a fake rested in its pedestal."
Kagome would admit that that was a stupid thought she'd had. "It-It was my sword. I could do with it what I want."
Her mother glared at her. "It is the head of this clan's sword. And you are not the head of this clan yet. Where is it?"
Kagome's bright eyes turned to the side and stared down at the floor. "I...It's not here anymore."
Her mother's eyes widened as she slowly sat down. "You didn't. Kikyou said she had a vision. I didn't think... You gave it to him didn't you?"
Kagome winced before she looked back at her mother, eyes sparkling. "Mother. You should have seen it. Sounga actually CALLED to him. He practically levitated towards that room. And you know no one can feel the chakra coming from it, so there's no other explanation than-"
She jumped as Hoshiko's hand slammed against the table. "Kagome, Sounga is a sword of destruction and you handed it over to an unstable man that killed his family!? What possessed you to do that!?"
She opened her mouth to answer before she closed it. She really didn't know. Sounga had always had a will of its own. One of the most powerful weapons her family had ever come across. And they had come across a lot. Her family after all specialized in Chakra weapons. Both collecting and forging. Her family was certainly the best in that area. Her mother and her cousin Yura where particularly good at it.
She sighed and sat down and uncertain look crossing her face. "Despite how silly it sounds mom I don't know what possessed me. I... I just felt like he should have it." She looked up at her. "He's been gone for awhile now, and nothing's happened right? If he was going to use Sounga to bring upon mass destruction don't you think he would have done it already?"
Her mother rubbed her forehead. Knowing by now that nothing she said would help the situation. It was already too late anyway, and even if she'd been there she doubted she could have stopped Kagome. When her daughter got a feeling that could have a particularly explosive outcome she always went with it. "What happens if Sounga controls him?"
Kagome snorted and her mother saw a look of fleeting fondness on her daughters face. "I doubt ANYONE could REALLY control Itachi. That's like controlling a hurricane right there. He's got a will of steel." She grinned. "I'm guessing by Sasuke it runs in the family."
Her mother gave a laugh. Remembering how she'd tried to convince the boy to move in with them, really it was already a zoo in here, why not add one more? The boy had adamantly refused, and it had ended in both of them glaring at each other before Neji had announced dinner was ready, and that Naruto had successfully burnt the carrots so they were having peas instead. The farthest they'd gotten with him was a promise to come over for supper every day.
Hoshiko shook her head and waved her hand. "Alright off with you then. You're too much for me."
Kagome grinned, her blue eyes swirling as she got up and made her way back towards the living room.
"Kagome?"
She stopped and turned around. "Yes mom?"
Hoshiko looked at her. "Could you please tell me before you do something like that again?"
"Alright. If I feel like giving out anymore destructive weaponry I'll give you a heads up."
Hoshiko sighed as Kagome walked back into the living room. "Why doesn't that sound very reassuring?"
~*~
Someone cringed as a blanket was thrown on the ground, the sun beating down on the figures waiting for the blanket to be straightened out. "Why are we doing this again?"
Black hair, tinted blue in the light blinked wide eyes in confusion. "Because Hinata says it's what friends do?"
Soft blond hair was moved out of a set of periwinkle blue eyes. "Wait... Your tellin' me Hinata suggested this?"
Cloud like blue eyes glared up at him from beside a set of shaded white lavender. "So? Got a problem with it Naruto?"
Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously as he plopped down on the furry blanket. "Hehe... No, course not Kagome."
"I do have to wonder Kagome." Neji started as he sat down on the blanket, setting the basket he'd had with him in the middle, Kiyoshi remaining on his shoulder as he got situated. "Why you picked THIS blanket."
Kagome quirked an eyebrow as she to sat, moving a hand around on the blankets surface. "Because it's soft?"
Sasuke twitched from his sitting position against the tree he leaned on. "He meant it's not exactly ideal for a... a..."
Kagome head tilted to the side a grin forming across her face, her hand stopping its blanket petting. "Go ahead and say it Sasuke. Pic...nic. Picnic."
"Reminds me of the word Knickerbockers."
They all turned to stare at Naruto as he threw himself backwards, managing to keep all of his body on the blanket.
Neji shook his head, silky brown hair swinging side to side with the motion as his light lavender eyes closed. "Really Naruto. I'm not even going to ask how you came up with that."
Naruto grinned as he set his head on his hand. "So Kagome what'd you pack?"
She shrugged. "I don't know."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow, as he raised one leg to set his elbow on. "You don't know what you packed?"
Kagome grinned. "I wasn't the one who packed it," She winked at the girl sitting beside her, "Right Hinata?"
Hinata blushed lightly her finger messing with the blanket before she pulled the basket in front of Neji towards her. "Well. We'll just set it up and hope everyone likes it. I tried to pick out the food all of you liked."
Naruto grinned as he sat up eagerly. "So there's Ramen."
Sasuke cringed and Neji winced.
Kagome snorted and batted his hand away as it made a grab for the basket. "Please Naruto? Ramen? At a picnic? People don't have RAMEN at PICNICS."
Naruto gave her an affronted look. "How do you know? Have you ever gone on a picnic? Have any of you ever went on a picnic?"
One set of eyes blinked, another looked to the side, a third rolled its eyes, a fourth twitched. "Be that as it may Naruto we are not going to have Ramen at OUR picnics."
Sasuke's head snapped towards her. "Wait. There's going to be more?"
Kagome tilted her head to the side again. "Of course silly. It's what friends do."
"Can't we do something else less...I don't know... Girly."
Kagome raised her eyebrow. "Excuse me? Girly? Lots of families have picnics so why can't friends? Where practically like family, aren't we?"
Everyone stared at everyone else. Kagome's eyes the only ones completely steady. Two smiles and one grin broke out as Sasuke looked to the side. "Yeah. I guess so."
~*~
Temari's eyes widened as she felt the wave of sand rushing towards her back, wisps of it flowing over her shoulder. Her heart thumped fearfully in her chest as she saw the slightly sadistic smile curl Gaara's lips as he stood in front of her, hands crossed over his chest. She cursed and rolled to the side, her fan pushing painfully into her back. The sand hit the ground where she'd been standing with a rattling hiss. She didn't give herself time to feel relief as she pushed herself off the ground and into a back flip, landing a good 50 feet away from Gaara.
She winced slightly as pain lanced up her back. She never liked the training session's she had to take with Gaara. He didn't treat them like 'training'. She had no doubt in her mind that if he could kill them he would. As it was, their father forbade it, which she knew was the only reason her and Kankuro ever survived them.
Temari winced again as she looked over towards Kankuro. His leg was broken, he hadn't moved out of the way of Gaara's Sand Coffin in time. At least his arm wasn't touched this time. She spoke up hesitantly. "Alright Gaara. Were done."
Gaara frowned and seemed to want to say something, but someone else broke the minute of silence.
A lyrical chime filled the sand covered training ground they resided in. "Gaara!"
She saw Gaara's eyes widen as his arms left there crossed position in a rare show of shock. "Kagome...?"
Temari watched in horror as a black blur slammed into him. Gaara didn't let ANYONE touch him. Though there where very few who tried, and even then it was to harm him. She couldn't remember anyone who would WILLINGLY hug Gaara.
Of course, she noted as she watched the unidentified girl wrap her arms around Gaara's neck with a soft laugh, that changed now. Something she could only describe as a thing wrapped around there necks, its legs coming to rest lightly on Gaara's shoulder.
She saw Kankuro's mouth fall open through the side of her vision, and almost did the same when, instead of Gaara's sand, his arms hesitantly rose to encircle the petite girl.
The girl let go of Gaara and said something to him, her hands gesticulating wildly around her. Temari caught the smile that flitted across his face as he listened to her.
She jumped slightly as the girl stopped abruptly and turned to look at her. Curiosity fill the girls eyes as she said something to Gaara, never taking her eyes off her. She flinched slightly as Gaara turned to look at her with a frown.
Gaara spoke to the girl, the frown still firmly in place. She watched as the girl rolled her eyes and started walking towards her. Gaara stayed where he was, the frown never leaving. The thing stayed on his shoulder its body wiggling slightly in the air as it wrapped lightly around his neck; it's rolling molten eyes staring at her.
Temari stood up straighter as the girl stopped in front of her. Her head tilted to the side and her icy eyes flashing silver as they stared thoughtfully up into her dark turquoise ones.
The girl nodded to herself, seeming to have come to some kind of conclusion, and spoke, the same wind chime like voice that had called to Gaara earlier ghosting past her lips. "Hello. My names Kagome." The girl -Kagome- stuck out her hand, a smile wavering across her face before it settled firmly.
Temari eyed her for a minute before grabbing her hand in a firm handshake. "Hello. I'm Temari." She hesitated before plowing on. "Gaara's...sister."
Kagome turned her head to the side, the tilt still in place, and she heard Kankuro's voice pop up from behind her. "Kankuro. Nice to meet you."
A smile curved the girl's lips as her eyes filled with mirth. Temari knew it must have been because of Kankuro's position; right now he shouldn't be pleased to meet ANYONE.
Kagome turned back to her; something akin to sadness filled her eyes. "It's very nice to meet Gaara's... siblings." Her eyes continued to swirl from blue to silver as she held Temari's turquoise orbs. "It's very courageous of you, to continue to stay with him, even though you are so scared. Most wouldn't even be able to do that much." Kagome's eyes drifted away from hers as she looked at their surroundings. "But I think you should take a look at all of those who walk the sand... and find out who the real demons are." Her eyes met hers again. "I wonder which one you deem as worse... Those who are hated for something they cannot control? Or those who hate people they do not know?"
Temari's eyes widened as the girl held her gaze a while longer before turning away.
Kagome's demeanor changed rapidly once again as she jogged up to Gaara who'd turned himself away from them, apparently carrying on a whispered conversation with the worm. She held her hand out to him, a grin on her face. Temari could hear what Kagome was saying this time. "Well come on Gaara." Her grin turned mischievous. "Let's go do something wicked."
Temari and Kankuro where left gaping as Kagome pulled their brother along behind her.
~*~
He sighed, eyes going towards the sky. "So troublesome."
Her eyes narrowed, her hands going to her hips. "So annoying."
He looked at her in boredom. She responded with the same. They both sighed and turned their heads to the side.
"Shikamaru Nara."
"Kagome Higurashi."
"Nice to meet you."
~*~
Kagome let out a scream as Naruto hit the tree beside her, blood running down from the wound in his stomach as he slid to the branch unconscious. She shook her head and clamped her teeth down on her tongue, making it bleed. Now was NOT the time to act like a cliché girl. She tore her gaze away from Naruto rather forcefully, turning towards the enemy with a snarl. She hated this. The man was only targeting Naruto. She needed to distract him, pull him away. Hopefully someone who actually MATTERED would find them soon.
Her blue eyes spun silver as guttural words left her lips, far different from her usual ethereal voice. "What do you think you're doing?"
The Ninja almost dropped the kunai he was spinning in his hands at the sound of her voice. The grin on his face faltered before it came back. "Taking out the trash of course. Now step out of the way Higurashi, the Hokage wouldn't like it very much if I killed Ibiki's truth detector."
She hissed. "YOU are the only trash here."
The Ninja snarled at her and charged. "I won't take lip from a 9 year old, even IF she's from one of the most prominent clans in the village."
Kagome slid to the side and hopped calmly onto another branch. This was working well. He seemed the type who couldn't control himself when angry. Good, she could use this to her advantage. She swiftly turned back towards him, a pleasant smile forming on her lips as she watched him slide to a stop at the end of the branch, almost falling off. "And I won't take lip from a nobody ninja who can't even stay on his feet properly."
The Ninja turned to her and seemed ready to charge again. She frowned slightly as he stopped himself and stood up straight, a grin forming on his face. His eyes flickered to the side and she followed them. Her eyes widened in horror as he took off.
"No!" She screamed as she lanced after him. She used her whole body and hit him in the side, right before he reached Naruto. She winced and he gasped in pain as she pushed him off the branch, her speed taking her with him.
Kagome pushed the Ninja away from her right before her back hit a tree branch. She gave a cry as the branch cracked then broke, sending her tumbling down into another one. She felt her ribs crack as the met another branch and she rolled slightly before she fell off it, continuing her journey towards the ground. Her stomach heaved as it landed forcefully on a large one, the spindly twigs snapping and tearing through her clothes, creating scratches along her body. She closed her eyes tightly as she hit one last branch and sailed head first towards the ground, nothing left to slow her down.
Kagome's breath left her as something pliable hit her in the side, taking her with it to the left. Her eyes opened wide when she felt her body vibrate as whoever grabbed her hit a tree branch and shot upwards. A soft croon resounding through her ears as something rested lightly on her stomach. Her eyes came into focused and she looked up at the person holding her as they hit another branch and rose again. She let out a sigh of relief, even as her ribs cracked in pain. "Kakashi."
~*~
Naruto winced as something hit his shoulder. Blood slowly leaked from a sizeable scratch. He moved it to make sure the bone wasn't bruised. "Geez Kagome. What happened to injury free practice?"
He heard a scoff from beside him and the branch shook slightly under the new weight. "Stupid, where doing actual training here. What do you think would happen if you where against a real enemy? They'd purposefully miss just to save you from agony? Get real." A smirk formed on his lips. "And that wasn't Kagome. That was Neji... Loser."
Naruto snarled at him. "Shut-up bastard. I wasn't askin' you!"
Hinata laughed hesitantly as she lightly landed beside Sasuke. "Now, now-"
A voice he recognized as Neji's came from out of the trees surrounding them. "You guys. How do you plan to stay hidden if you can't even keep quiet?"
Naruto huffed crossing his arms and turning away from Sasuke. "I don't see why I have to be with Sasuke anyway. We OBVIOUSLY don't get along. It's pointless to stick us on the same team. Of COURSE were going to lose."
"STUPID!" Something smacked him in the back of the head.
He knelt down and grabbed his head. "Oww, Kagome! You abuser! What the hell was that for?"
Kagome's voice floated up from behind him. "We're training here with the people we work the worst with, and as stated by yourself earlier you and Sasuke get along like me and green beans."
Neji's eyebrow rose from where he stood directly behind her. "You try to kill your green beans?"
Kagome tilted her head back so she could see him, and let a smile curl her lips. "Only when no one's looking."
Neji's hand rose to cover up a smile as Kagome moved her head back down to stare at her two friends as Naruto stomped his foot and pointed at them. "That makes no sense! You and Neji get along fine when training so why are you guys on a team!?"
Kagome's head tilted to the side, her eyes swirling as her hands came up to rest on her hips. "Because Neji, Hinata, and I work well with any pairing."
Sasuke sighed. "So, why then, is Hinata with us?"
Kagome raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms with a shrug. "She's the buffer, obviously."
Hinata's shoulders hunched as a mumble left her lips. "That's cruel Kagome."
Naruto's hand rose to cover his mouth as he turned his hand and whispered past Sasuke to her, "She is kind of cruel when she's training isn't she? And acting like a trainer when the only thing she's good at is long range combat. I bet if we were in an open field even if I was paired with Sasuke we could beat her no pro- Ow! AGAIN!? What are you throwing at me?" Naruto rubbed his head as he picked up what she threw at him, he blinked. "What... is this?"
"...Lychee fruit. Your breakfast."
Hinata jumped slightly as Naruto threw the fruit down on the ground shattering it, his whole continence turning dark. "You've got to be fucking kidding me!"
Kagome raised an eyebrow, a serious look in her eyes though her lip twitched. "Well I'm not... kidding you I mean. Until you and Sasuke can work together BOTH of you will be stuck ONLY eating Lychee fruits."
Sasuke's hands fell from there folded position. "Now wait just a-"
Naruto blocked Sasuke. "What kind of punishment is that!?"
Sasuke shoved him away, his eye twitching furiously. "And why am I included in it?"
Naruto caught his balance from the shove and glared back at her. "You can't make me!"
"Well... it's an unexpected punishment of course. And because you're just as much a part of the problem as Naruto is, Sasuke. Or was it someone else calling him a loser and stupid? And I might not be able to make you, but the Hokage can and he thought it was a brilliant plan."
Sasuke ignored the last part and focused on the answer to his question. "You called him stupid too!"
Kagome's nose stuck up, making her look snobbish though mischief swirled her eyes. "That's because I'm his superior."
Naruto's voice rose up in a roar. "You ARE NOT!"
Neji rubbed the bridge of his nose with a sigh as Hinata continued to stare down at the shattered Lychee fruit. This was going to take forever.
~*~
Kagome sat down in the plush chair offered to her by a ninja before he vanished only leaving puffs of smoke beside her. Her ponytail swung slightly as she tried to turn her nose away from the smoke. Kiyoshi hissed violently as his sensitive nose breathed in the fumes, he took off from her shoulder and slithered up to cling to the ceiling.
"Don't you hate it when that happens?"
Kagome tilted her head to the side as she blinked at the man sitting in the desk in front of her. "Sir?"
The old man waved his hand around. "The smoke. Isn't good for the lungs I say."
Kagome nodded sagely. "Yeah, it is pretty annoying."
The Hokage leaned forward into his chair his lip twitching as he looked at the girl practically engulfed in the overly large comfy chair. "Don't you and Hinata have a solution for that?"
Kagome grinned before she shrugged. "It's a work in progress."
The Hokage nodded. Remembering the conversation he'd over heard. Kagome had been tired of the smoke and Hinata had pointed out that it wasn't very secretive if a ninja actually 'popped' into a place and smoke billowed about. Anyone within the area could hear the pop and smell the smoke if not see it. "I see."
A moment of silence filled the room before the Hokage spoke again. "Tea?"
Kagome eyed him. "What kind?"
He eyed her back. "What kind do you want?"
She smiled sweetly folding her hands in her lap. "What kind do you have?"
His face took on a blank look as his hands folded on the desk in front of him. "Lots of kinds."
Her smile stayed in place as she tilted her head "Which includes?"
The Hokage twitched. "Kagome. Every time..."
She sighed before she leaned back in her chair with a childish pout. "Fine then, peppermint."
The Hokage nodded and a ninja appeared and set it on the stand beside her chair before puffing back out. She picked it up and took a sip.
The Hokage flipped through some papers, pretending to study them. "So... How's Naruto?"
Kagome's eyes narrowed as she put her cup down on the plate she was holding. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"
The Hokage looked out the window at his side. "He always gives me the same answer."
She raised an eyebrow. "And you think it's not the right answer?"
He looked at her. "I think he hides things from me."
She shrugged. "Perhaps he thinks you'll worry too much."
The Hokage laughed. "I won't worry myself into shirking my duties if that's what he thinks."
She tilted her head to the side. "Then tell him so."
He sighed, and watched as the Gekkou Suushuuka came into view before leaving again. "I doubt he'd give me the real answer even then."
She looked at the ceiling. "Maybe the answers he gives you are mostly true."
He looked at her curiously. "Oh?"
She picked her teacup back up swirling the tea inside. "He's alright. He only comes home once in awhile now with bruises and cuts. They heal fast enough, thanks to his treasure."
The Hokage was silent a minute before he spoke, still slightly perturbed by the fact that Kagome called the demon a 'treasure'. "Why don't you guys help him?"
She scoffed. "You know why. It's lessened now that he's learning to fight, has friends, and lives with my family. We stay with him as much as possible and although Naruto is happy for that, to know he has people who care, he's also angered by it. He... doesn't like feeling weak. No one does. So while we can stay with him most of the time, we can't stay with him all the time."
"Hmm..."
She watched the tea swirl in her cup, a sad look on her face. "It's not something where happy with. But... it's something we ALL have to live with."
The Hokage sighed. "I suppose your right... How's the tea."
A playful smile crossed her face. "It was better last time. There's not enough peppermint in it."
He snorted."That's because that's actual peppermint tea, not regular tea loaded with peppermint sticks."
She shrugged and took another sip. "My ways better."
He smiled at her. In some ways she was more than grown up and in others she was still a child. A rare mix, usually it was one or the other.
He steepled his fingers and leaned forward. "I heard you've made a friend in one of the Kazekage's sons."
He watched as Kagome slowly pulled the glass away from her lips. A gaze he'd never seen before focused on him. Blank, unreadable eyes met his mildly surprised ones as a voice devoid of emotion left her lips. "What about him?"
He leaned back in his chair, a slight smile coming over his face. "Nothing." Ibiki was right. She was too perceptive. "Just curious. What's he like?"
She blinked slowly, the normal look entering her eyes again. "Like Naruto in many ways."
"Really?"
She smiled down into her cup. "Yes. But there also completely different. Would be surprised what a change of atmosphere could actually do to someone." She looked up at him. "But then again, maybe not."
His eyes narrowed. "Nothing I could say to that then."
Kagome stood from her chair placing her cup back on the table before she gave a slight bow; Kiyoshi stopped his wondering and came to rest lightly on her shoulder after she raised herself. "If you don't mind Hokage, I have to be going. Neji has some shopping he needs to do, new gear. I want to help him pick it out."
He nodded and she walked to the door before she paused. "Hokage..."
He looked at her back. "Yes?"
"I won't use him. So don't ask me too."
He smiled. "I realized that."
She nodded and turned her head sideways to give him a grin. "I know you did. Just thought I'd voice it."
Sarutobi shook his head and gave a light laugh. That girl's personality reminded him of a broken mood ring he'd had once. Damn thing could never stay on one color.
~*~
Silver sparkled as Kagome's blue eyes surveyed her current area of residence. Her legs kicked against the bench she sat on in the cozy upper class restaurant with her friends, earning funny looks from the other occupants for their training attire. Her chin rested on her hand as she surveyed the people, who awkwardly evaded her gaze. "So, how was everyone's day?"
An uncomfortable silence followed.
Kagome blinked at the silence, and turned towards her friends in surprise. "Not that good, huh?"
Whitish eyes looked down. "...M-My father yelled at me again."
Blonde hair drooped more than usual. "...We didn't go to the ramen shop like usual."
A black eye twitched. "..."
Long brown hair ruffled as a sigh escaped the owner. "...I met my teammates today."
Three sets of eyes landed on Neji, who's gaze was set on glaring at the people staring at them.
Kagome blinked, her feet stopped there pounding on the cushioned bench as she looked past Sasuke to focus on him. "Really? Then why do you look so down?"
Naruto tilted his head to the side, before he winced as his bruised jaw cracked. He's gotten in another tiff with some angry villagers. "If I had teammates I'd be overjoyed. I mean, I can't WAIT to get mine."
Sasuke snorted and folded his arms. "Stop talking about them like there ITEMS Naruto."
Naruto stuck his tongue out at him, to which he received a roll of the eyes. "So mature."
Naruto twitched and glared at him. "What can I say? 10 year old maturity runs in the family."
Sasuke smirked. "Impressive Naruto. I wasn't expecting something like that to come from something like you."
Hinata held up her hands in a placating gesture as Naruto started to stand. "N-Now, now-"
Kagome glared at them. "Yeah, this was about Neji. NOT about you guys."
Neji gave a rare playful smile focusing back on his friends. "Yeah, thanks for stealing my spotlight."
Kagome glanced at him with a smile, mischief lighting her face. "Let me rephrase that. This was about Neji's teammates."
Neji rolled his eyes, if it had been anyone else a huff would have followed. "Ha-ha."
Hinata spoke up in a rare (and increasing) show of courage. "S-So... What's wrong with them?"
Neji took up the same position Kagome had started out with, with a sigh. "There...just... I don't know... WEIRD."
Silence accompanied his sentence, but didn't stay at the table for long. Laughter erupted as people turned to look at them with aghast expression.
Neji's eye twitched. "It's not funny."
Hinata wiped tears away from her eyes as Sasuke looked down at the table, his lip twitching. Naruto ended up speaking his voice coming out in a wheeze as he tried to catch his breath. "Yes it is."
Neji sighed again. Talking to them really wasn't worth it.
Kagome's foot swung out nonchalantly and hit Naruto who sat across from her. His head hit the table as he unconsciously reached for his bruised shin. He cursed and diverted his hands up to his forehead. Kagome looked past Sasuke, so she could see Neji, ignoring Naruto's glare. "So, what are they like?"
"Well, it's like this..."
~*~
Kagome tilted her head to the side as she looked over the boys shoulder as his hand wisped across the painting sitting on a pedestal in front of him. As his hand continued to flow in different patterns, blank white turned into fantasy forests, imaginary image's taking form on canvas. Kagome would admit that the art itself was beautiful. Unfortunately it was lacking.
"What do you want?" The boy asked, his voice bland of any emotions, as his hand continued to snake across the canvas.
A smile tilted the corner of her lips. "Just looking."
He sneered, the only emotion he'd shone since she stood there. "Admiring it are you?"
Kagome shrugged. "Not really. It's rather ugly."
The boy stopped painting, his hand freezing in a curved position. He slowly turned to look at her, his face as blank as his voice. "What?"
She looked down at him. Her face and voice as blank as his, her iridescent crystal eyes emotionless. "It's missing something all artists should have, which leaves it ugly."
She turned and started to walk away, she heard something tumble and a hand grabbed her arm. She jerked her head around and stared into black eyes, an emotion that hadn't entered them in years, floating in there darkness. "What's missing?"
She tilted her head back, her eyes showing an inner sadness she wasn't showing. "What you're feeling."
~*~
"Naruto, you freak! Get back here! I'm going to kill you!"
"It was only a peck on the cheek!"
"AAARGGGH!"
Kagome paused in licking her ice cream as the voices reached her ears, what in the...? Someone slammed into her arm before they continued their mad dash past her. Her ice-cream went careening out of her hand as she spun backwards into Sasuke, who, though surprised, managed to steady her without either of them falling to the ground. She watched in horror (and Sasuke in amusement) as her ice cream arched through the air before splattering all over the person chasing there vibrant friend.
She winced as the green mint slopped through the bubblegum hair and down the face, the cone going down more rapidly to plop onto the ground. Her misty eyes widened as the ice cream covered girl raised her hand and slowly slid it down her face, before pulling it away and staring at it in shock.
Kagome let out a whimper, clutching tightly to the boy beside her. "My ice cream."
Sasuke patted her back, though the amused smirk still held his face. "Don't worry; I'm sure Naruto will buy you a new one."
Sakura froze as she heard that voice; she turned to the side and sure enough spotted Sasuke, Higurashi clinging to him like a complete girl as she looked back at her in horror. Her face flamed in embarrassment as she realized what she must have looked like. "Sa-Sasuke. H-How are you?"
She watched as his eyebrow rose slowly. "Thoroughly amused."
A mortified look took over as his unabashed words reached her, and her lower lip wobbled. She glared at Higurashi. "This is all YOUR fault."
Kagome's mouth fell open. "No it's not! Naruto ran into me!"
"But it was your ice cream!"
"That NARUTO knocked from my hands. The same Naruto YOU where chasing. NONE of this would have happened if you hadn't been chasing him!"
Sakura's hand flew towards where Naruto had exited the scene. "I was chasing him for a reason!"
Kagome's foot hit the ground in one of her rare temper tantrums. "I don't care! I want my ice cream back!"
Sakura huffed and crossed her arms. "Well, if I could pull it all out of my hair I'd give it back."
Kagome's eye twitched. "It's no good anymore! You-"
Sasuke bumped his shoulder against hers getting bored with the conversation, before he started to walk away, hands in his pockets. "Come on, I'll get you a new one, I doubt will see Naruto for the rest of the day."
Sakura's arms fell to the side as she gaped at him. Did he not care that she was covered in Ice cream? He was just going to walk away without helping her?
Kagome ran after him, silky hair swinging as her eyes sparkled. "Mint?"
He shrugged, not bothering to look back at the dairy covered girl. "Whatever."
Apparently, he was.
~*~
"Crazy old hag."
Hinata laughed as Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Really? You'd actually call that lady a crazy hag?"
Sai continued to examine the lady Kagome had pointed at. "I don't think she's to stable."
Kagome's head tilted to the side as she and Hinata examined the lady too. She had her purse strung over one hand as her light hair shined in the sun and her eyes sparkled beautifully as she laughed along with the store vendor she was purchasing fruits from. The same fruit vendor Kagome got her supply of fruits from (Named Dr. Pawpaw, the doctor of all things fruity). Hinata's voice broke the silence. "She looks pretty stable."
Sai shrugged, gray eyes dull, as a little kid scampered past him. "Looks can be deceiving."
Kagome snickered. "Like your look, right?"
Sai's completely blank face and equally blank voice answered her. "What about me is deceiving?"
Kagome's lip wobbled before she laughed. "I'm sorry! I could help it. You're face is just so..."
Sai blinked slowly. "I don't see why you're laughing. I have a handsome face."
Kagome continued to laugh harder as Hinata spoke up. "I don't think that's what Kagome was talking about."
"Then what is she talking about? You're in are way old man."
Kagome's head shot up. "Sai! That's rude! Don't..." Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the man. "Oh... It's you." Her head turned towards the side, "Never mind."
Hinata's hand fisted her shirt sleeve. "F-Father. G-Good to s-see y-ou."
Her father, Hiashi's glare turned from Kagome to her. "What are you doing?"
Hinata looked down. "I-I'm-"
Hiashi's glare heightened. "What have I told you about hanging out with her kind?"
Kagome's eyes widened slightly before they narrowed dangerously. "So, along with being a terror on her mentality and a barricade for any form of fighting augmentation, you've also decided she's better off without friends?"
Hiashi turned his glare back to her. "I think she's better off without you."
Kagome's arms crossed. "And I think that's for her to decide."
Hiashi's voice came out in a hiss. "I am her parent."
Kagome scoffed. "Obviously not a very good one."
"Excuse me?"
She moved to the side and spread her arm out, clearing a path, her eyes never leaving his. "By all means, your excused."
Sai's blank eyes looked between them as Hinata's hand tightened on her shirt sleeve. "Kagome..."
Kagome looked at Hinata before looking at the people stopping to stare. She sighed, her hand falling to her side. She turned back to the man standing in front of them. She winced as her brain caught up with her mouth. She had to fix this, she had to be nice to him, Hinata was going to be the one to suffer from it, she lived with him. Her voice was slightly unstable as she forced it out of her mouth. "Please excuse my rude behavior. I haven't been in a good mood lately. All we were doing was shopping for clothes for the new school year. That should be acceptable right...sir."
Hiashi, also noticing the people stopping gave a curt nod, though the glare never left his face. "Fine. Hinata, I will see you when you get home."
He stalked off the scene, leaving the three children to stand in silence.
Kagome glanced worriedly at Hinata. Wondering if she was going to be ok when she got home. Her only girl best friend looked positively frightened.
"...It could have been worse. I could have called him a pansy ass."
Kagome sighed though she smiled as Hinata let out a giggle. "Thanks for that boost in moral support there Sai."
He shrugged eyes unblinking as he set off down the street. "I do the best I can."
~*~
"Umm... Let's see. I suppose I'll have... err... hmmm..."
Sasuke twitched, coal eyes narrowing in on his target. "Kagome."
She tilted her head to the side, away from the large menu behind the chef's head. "Yes?"
Sasuke's head slowly turned towards the girl sitting in the stool beside him. "It's a RAMEN shop."
She raised an eyebrow. "Yeah... So? Why the statement of obviousness?"
Sasuke sighed. "It's only Ramen. Just pick one."
Naruto leaned forward in his stool so he could glare at Sasuke past Neji and Kagome. "Hey, Hey, Hey. Don't diss the Ramen. That's like...dissing the higher powers."
Sasuke scoffed. "It is not, you reject."
Naruto's eye twitched as he continued to glare at him, Kiyoshi's soft croons from his shoulder not dimming his rising anger. "Is too!"
Sasuke crossed his arms and turned his head to the side. "Idiot."
Naruto's hand slammed against the table as he stood up, Kiyoshi jumping off of his shoulder for a safer perch on Sai. "Don't call me that bastard!"
Hinata winced from beside Sai, who continued to act like he was there by himself. "P-Please calm down. Both of you."
Sasuke looked to the side. "Hn."
Naruto sat down. "Feh!"
Kagome thumped her fist into her open hand. "Ahh!"
They all jumped. Neji looked towards Kagome."What is it?"
"I'll have Teriyaki, sir."
~*~
Kagome's head snapped to the side, blood welling up in her mouth. She heard Naruto snarl behind her and Sasuke yell her name from across the room. She could JUST hear what he was thinking; WHY did I have sit on the other side of the room again?
She moved her head back and winced, spitting out the blood in her mouth.
She heard Hinata's gasp next. "K-Kiba!"
She closed her eyes, wincing slightly as Hinata tried to check her cheek. She'd get a bruise for sure. Her voice came out in a whisper. "Was that REALLY necessary?"
Kiba took a step back. "Sh-Shutup Higurashi! It's your fault! You're the one that stepped in the way!" He looked at Naruto behind her. "What, have to have a girl stand up for you!?"
"Kiba! Behind you!"
Kiba just barely had enough time to spin around before he hit one of the desks behind him with a yelp as a body slammed into him. Kagome's eyes widened as the two bodies skidded across the desk and fell onto the floor in a tangle of limbs. "Sasuke! What the-"
A blur shot past her and jumped in. "Hey Sasuke! Kiba's min! Get your own target!"
Kagome shook her head. "NO! There will be no targeting! We're all going to get into trou-umph." Kagome's words ended as she was pushed to the side roughly, the class successfully erupting into chaos as almost everybody joined the fight. Her ribs hit the corner of a desk and jolted her forward from the impact, slamming her into another desk before she fell to the floor with a groan. She shook her head with a wince before looking up. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw Hinata accidently punch someone in the face. If it where any other time she would have been laughing as Hinata bent down and tried to apologize. She grabbed onto the desk in front of her and heaved herself up, balancing heavily on it to keep from falling.
Why did these things always have to happen to her?
She got a face full of pink hair as a body slammed into her desk, almost causing her to lose her balance. Angry lime eyes glared at her. "Higurashi! You started this so stop it! Oh no! Sasuke's face!"
She huffed trying to get air back in her lungs as she rolled her eyes. Really? They were like...10 and 1/2 years old. How could you possibly become so obsessed with someone at 10 and 1/2 years old when puberty hadn't even hit yet? She felt sorry for her friend when it actually did, his stalkers would be even worse.
She wheezed. "If you hadn't noticed Sakura I tried. Then I got hit in the side, hit a desk, smashed my other side, rebounded and hit another desk, smashing my stomach and then fell to the ground in an ungraceful heap. Now I'm trying to catch my breath. YOU do something, your still un-winded aren't you? Oh, Look at that. Never mind, no need for you. Ino's already wading her way towards Sasuke. I bet he'll thank her tremendously for the helping hand."
Sakura spun around and sure enough there was Ino pulling the hair of someone who'd grabbed Sasuke from behind. She gave a frustrated scream directed at Ino and plowed into the mess, fists swinging.
Sorry Sasuke, but some sacrifices where necessary for Kagome's greater good.
She finally managed to pull herself to her feet, testing her ribs out as she pushed her long black hair out of her face. She 'hmphed' at the crowd before looking around, spotting two of the only people she was positive would never join in on something like this. She made her way up the stairs heavily before throwing herself into a seat next to the two in the very back row.
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at her. "Not going to save your friends?"
She shrugged her shoulders as she slouched in her seat. "Hey, I tried, I failed. I'm willing to live with that guilt."
Shikamaru snorted. "No, you just don't want to get in trouble when Iruka enters the room."
She grinned playfully at him. "Why Shikamaru, whatever gave you that idea?"
"Your previous statement before you where slammed into the side of a desk like a ping-pong ball."
Kagome's eyebrows furrowed as she rubbed her side. "Yeah, I didn't think I'd bounce like that either."
"What in the world is going on in here!?"
Kagome head snapped to the front as she raised her hand immediately, an expression of innocence resting on her face as her big light blue eyes widened. An eyebrow was raised as angry eyes landed on her and she lowered her hand. "Iruka-sensei. I saw everything. Kiba started it."
Iruka's angry eyes landed on Kiba, who had frozen in the middle of a hair grabbing contest with Ino. "Kiba! What do you have to say for yourself?"
He gaped like a fish for a minute before his anger took over. "How can you believe her? She's in on it to!"
"I don't see her pulling the hair out of another person's skull. In fact, I don't see her acting like a complete moron at all. As far as I'm concerned the only smart people in this classroom are those three up there!"
Kagome's merry eyes landed on the two beside her. "And Walla! The Fighting has stopped. My revenge on Kiba guaranteed. And I didn't have to punch anyone either."
~*~
Black hair swung from side to side. "What are you doing here?"
"It's peaceful. At this place."
"I suppose so." She tilted her head to the side, her blue eyes becoming lighter, as she examined the giant rock. "I wouldn't exactly call it ideal."
His insouciant tone was a question to her statement. "Hmm, Really?"
She tilted her head back unseeing eyes looking at the darkening sky. "This path. That path. The right path. The wrong path. The one more walked. The one less traveled. They are all different. Nothing is what it seems. Everything will change. The future is many, just like the choices we make."
He pulled his startled eyes away from the grave and looked at her. "What?"
Silver eyes looked through him. "Was the path you chose... the one you wanted?"
His eyes widened before they closed a light laugh left his covered mouth. "I can't change it now even if I wanted to, can I?"
She was quite a moment. "The past does not differ. It is steady. Never changing. Always the same. A stone to steady you." She looked past him. "Like the memories you so cling too." She looked back at him. "To change is in a human's nature, yet you refuse to let your memories drift. Refuse to let the present carve out a new flow. Remembering is an honor for those who have fallen. Guilt is refusal to see what they've accomplished with their sacrifice. A dishonor to them and their path." She looked at him. Her eyes focusing. "Would they like what you have become?"
There was silence before the mask he wore moved. "No. Probably not."
"Then yes, you can change your future. Using their memories as your river, and not your rock."
A/N: Alright there you go people. Sorry it took so long. Hopefully the next chapter will delve more deeply into Kagome's family and the land they live in. But I don't know. I'm still deciding if I want to wait until they get older. We'll see. Also I put this up as fast as possible so any mistakes won't be fixed until later when I go through it again.
I know some people are probably wondering why Kagome's personality differs so greatly in some scenes compared to other. I was trying to show that she wasn't all seriousness. While that is part of her personality it's just a portion of it. For the most part she's still a kid, though at times it wouldn't seem like it. And the one thing I liked about Kagome from Inuyasha is despite everything she saw, all the murdering and that she didn't become all serious, or completely depressed. She was still technically a happy-go-lucky person. Not a lot of people could do that, so I liked how her character was.
Oh, right I forgot to put this in the last chapter. Who do you want her to end up with? Review to tell me, or if you want you can e-mail me or just send me a message with who you want, any of the three will work.
