Title: Through Space and Time
Rating:
Character(s): Kagome and Kyuubi
Summary: Konoha has some foreign visitors, who Kyuubi actually recognizes now that he's no longer in a rage and the seal has been weakened. Naruto wishes to help, but what can he do if Chakra has no effect on them? Naraku won't wait; Kagome will.
Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Inuyasha. Anyone who thinks otherwise must not be familiar with them.
HK: I realize that a lot of last chapter consisted of scene breaks. I hope I didn't confuse anyone. Don't worry though, this chapter is a lot better than last chapter. I tried to make it smoother.
xXx
During the night, Naruto laid on his bed, staring at his ceiling. He held his right hand in front of him and felt the Kyuubi rumble in its cage. It was fainter than earlier, but the feeling was still there. The touch Konohamaru's hand left on his wasn't normal. It almost stung, but it felt refreshing at the same time. Something Konohamaru was holding left the odd power on him, and it was strong enough, recent enough, for Naruto to still feel it. As well as the fox. Naruto let his hand fall and pondered what to do. He normally never visited the fox, it always tried to eat him. Yet, the youkai obviously knew what it was, and there was no one else to ask. Naruto closed his eyes
and walked towards the cage.
"Naruto." The nine-tails said when he was close enough. The kitsune was sitting up, though he was now smaller than normal. Naruto continued to walk closer, confident the fox wouldn't do anything he would normally try. He even said his name, and that was out of character enough.
"Fox."
"That energy, who did you touch?" He answered truthfully.
"Konohamaru. He's a friend." The fox's eyes narrowed, but it was only in thought. He wasn't angry, which was odd to witness.
"No woman?" Naruto frowned in confusion.
"Uh, none I could see."
"No item?" He shrugged.
"Just normal ninja gear." The fox rumbled in his chest and seemed to shrink in size even more. He was now the size of a small horse. The furred head pressed against the bars.
"Please..." The green eyes were closed, but the request was clear enough. Naruto walked up and scratched the beast on the cheek.
"What's wrong? Why are you acting so weird?"
"I feel her. She's near. Yet, I can't..." The fox was unsure.
"Feel who? Your mom?"
"My mother is dead. I have no family." The youkai admit. Naruto said nothing. "Yet, this is her energy. I could never forget it."
"Whose energy is it?"
"It belongs to the strongest woman I know. Strong mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. She's a miko."
"Don't miko kill demons?" Naruto asked, remembering the mumbles of adults as he passed when he was a child.
"Not this one. She befriended us, and killed those who soiled the name of demon. She kept peace and balance. She was powerful."
"Was?"
"During our last battle, all of us were separated. I believed she died."
"Your battle? You fought alongside of her?"
"Not I. She wouldn't let me. But the Princes of the West and East, the Hanyou of the human lands, the Houshi and Taijiya of the Northeast and Northwest, and the Nekomata of the Past; all of us were allies. There were more as well. We were fighting to save our lands from the Evil Hanyou who used to be human and wished to be demon. Think of the most destructive battle you've survived, and think of the damage multiplied by one-hundred. That was our fight. I do not know of the outcome."
"So that half-demon could still be alive?" Naruto asked. The green eyes opened.
"Hope that he is not, for he was very terrifying. Worse than a snake, he was a spider. I was the first hit. When I awoke, I thought I was in her time. However, I was no longer in my own world or era. I am not from this dimension, boy. I was not born in any of your planet's continents. I do not know if that bastard lives, and I do not know if I am alone. That power, though, is hers. I would recognize it anywhere." Naruto let his hand leave the furred head of the kitsune.
"So, what will I do?" Green eyes stared into blue for an unknown amount of time. Eventually, they blinked and the body backed further into its cage.
"Nothing. You will do nothing, for you can do nothing." And the Kyuubi no Kitsune proceeded to ignore Naruto, who consequently was annoyed.
X
"You're sure? It's her?" A woman asked, not letting herself be tricked so easily. Her eyes were shining with hope though, betraying her harsh voice. Inuyasha nodded, smiling.
"You'd never miss her signature. Not after that explosion. I was surprised though, that it was so much stronger. If that bastard ever comes back, he'll never know what hit him." Inuyasha finished with a glance to the man on the woman's left.
"So, she survived?" He whispered in wonder.
"Kouga and Sesshoumaru are on their way. They're going under the pretense of being foreign princes. You should go as civilian since this is a ninja village."
"Ninja?" The woman grinned.
"Ah, nostalgia. What do you say, Sango?" The man teased.
"Let's go now, Miroku." Sango smiled. A small mew was made from below them. Red eyes glowed near the ground, the darkness of the night hiding the small body in the shadows near the entrance of the cave.
"If you would, Kirara." Miroku asked. Kirara purred as her form grew. Two tails brushed stray flames from her transformation. Fangs glinted white in the rising moonlight as the feline head faced the entrance. She waited. Sango grabbed her giant boomerang fang, hiraikotsu, and strapped it to her back. Her exterminator outfit had long been lost, but a newer, similar, more durable one was in its place. Her bag held her other traveler belongings and she settled onto the nekomata's back.
Miroku glanced down the cliff. No humans could have come up, so it was their home. Kirara was their way in and out. He grabbed a bag of his own and sat behind his wife. Inuyasha grinned as he stood over the edge and when Kirara roared and prepared to fly, he leapt.
The InuHanyou let himself fall, wondering to himself if he should have told everyone that he didn't actually seeher. He also wondered if the youngest of their group had even survived. He was just a kit, and yet, he was the first to vanish in the explosion. As his feet touched the face of a jutting slab of stone, he wondered of his home. He kicked off, jumping higher than his first jump and he wondered if he wanted to return. This place let his human friend's age slower. Much slower, as if they were youkai. If they returned home, what would happen? Everyone had already created another, more enjoyable life here.
They were only missing two of their group. The woman who was like no other, and the kit she adopted. Hopefully though, this trip would bring everyone closer to a true reunion.
X
"Konohamaru!" The boy paused and both he and Naruto turned around. "Konohamaru-kun!" A little girl with a rabbit in her arms ran towards them as fast as she could. She grinned widely as she threw herself into a hug on the boy she called out to. Naruto snickered as the two fell. The girl didn't seem to notice. She was too excited.
"Kiki, what the heck?"
"Midnight Dogfur!" She declared loudly and with so much enthusiasm, the other two could only stare.
"What?" Both Konohamaru and Naruto asked.
"Midnight Dogfur! It's white flower with a lot of long thin petals. It gets really tall before it blooms and looks fuzzy. The older prince loves them!" She leaned in closer and placed a hand near her mouth as she gave a stage whisper. "But you can't pick them. He doesn't like them being picked. You have to show him the way to them." Naruto didn't miss the quick glance Konohamaru sent his way.
"That's great to know, Kiki. Why don't you tell me the whole story later?" The little girl giggled and hugged her toy closer to her face.
"But that was it. Everyone wanted to help prepare with the festival tomorrow, so we left early. We're gonna go back later tonight though." She stood up and waved. "I'm gonna try to find Moegi-chan before someone else tells her. Bye!" And she ran off.
"I've never heard of a Midnight Dogfur." A feminine voice commented next to them. It was Ino. Konohamaru stood up as Naruto waved hi.
"It's to a story. It's about this half-dog demon and a stone you can make a wish on. The demon has an older brother who's a prince and he's normally emotionless."
"Like Itachi?" A rock hit Naruto's head and the three faced an Uchiha who was walking towards them.
"Shut up, dobe." Naruto grinned.
"Sorry, forgot. Itachi hated flowers. Should we put some on his grave?"
"Naruto." Ino sighed. Konohamaru continued along, figuring he'd meet his friend at Ichiraku. It was where they were going.
X
Kiba could only stare. The wolf looked exhausted, but not ravenous. Why was it in the village? Akamaru said it wasn't sick, so there shouldn't be a reason it purposefully left its home. Come to think of it, where was its home? He didn't think there were any wolves nearby. The wolf panted a few more times before attempting to close its maw. It continued to pant, but it sat down now. All the nearby residents were watching from afar, waiting to Kiba to get the wolf to leave. Akamaru nudged him forward and the two cautiously walked up to the wolf.
Who are you? Why are you here? Akamaru asked. The wolf looked at them and surprisingly wagged his tail.
I come with my Alpha. He chases the wind, so I was quickly left behind. The rest of us who followed will be meeting here soon. We've been trying to find him.
"Sorry, but you and your pack will have to leave. Please understand, this territory belongs to Konoha and her people." Kiba spoke, taking out his canteen and using Akamaru's travel bowl to give the wolf water. He wagged his tail more and accepted the drink. He spoke as he drank.
Your village had word beforehand. We were welcomed. We are no ordinary pack.
"Oi, Unari! Have you found him yet?" Kiba watched with curiosity as two people in the weirdest attire came running through the gates towards the wolf, dog, and shinobi. They wore fur pelt and leather chest armor. Primitive, yet also exotic. Kiba had never seen anything like it. By the time they were near enough to pet Unari the wolf, Kiba realized that he should have been on guard. Watching as the two panted hard and tried to catch their breath as Unari had, Kiba chose not to do anything.
Hakkaku, Ginta, I could find no trace of Kouga. The wolf's ears were low. One of the two, the one with a mohawk, sighed and looked around, but he didn't seem surprised. Kiba figured this happened often. Some Alpha. After a while, the other man noticed Kiba and Akamaru. He smiled kindly, not showing teeth. Kiba also gave a small grin with a nod.
"I'm Hakkaku. This is Ginta and Unari. Our leader, Kouga, is a really fast traveler. He hates being slow and is looking forward to the festival your village is preparing. I wondered if we should have actually come through the front gates, but Kouga's scent didn't and we would have needed him since he had our papers." Before Kiba could think to question the two about their credibility for staying in Konoha, Akamaru spoke the question that stuck in his mind from the explanation.
His scent? Akamaru quirked an ear. Kiba glanced at the wolf and realized that these two were communicating with it.
"You can understand canines?" He asked with wide surprised eyes. They were almost like his own clan.
"You can." The other, Ginta said easily, as if it were normal. Kiba grinned. He knew he was going to definitely volunteer as their guide.
"I'm Kiba. Inuzuka Kiba."
"Nice to meet you." The two said as Unari barked. Kiba put away his water and Akamaru's bowl and began to lead them towards the Hokage's tower. He waved to the civilians that everything was under control.
"So, this Kouga is a prince?" Ginta smiled and began to speak.
"Yeah. He used to rule a mountainous terrain, but we've been traveling a lot so our homelands have probably been reclaimed. It's alright though. We're all together."
"If he's a prince, how is he already ruling? Shouldn't he be a King or Lord to be in charge?"
"He hasn't quiet accepted Ayame as his wife. He pines over a woman he can't have." Hakkaku answered, trying to pay attention to the conversation and the sights at the same time.
"Isn't that dangerous? Wouldn't that mess with his decisions for the pack, er, clan?"
"Oh no, he puts everyone before himself. He's a great ruler. But, at times like this..." Ginta sighed loudly and Unari whined.
He doesn't forget about us, but he does forget we can't run like he does. At that moment, a body landed quietly in front of the five. Kiba couldn't tell where he came from, but he wasn't alarmed. He was dressed similar to Hakkaku and Ginta, only he had less wild eyes and a long ponytail made from high on his head. He raised an eyebrow at Kiba and Akamaru before looking at his companions.
"Yo." Kiba immediately thought of Kakashi and wondered if he was going to get along with him.
"Kouga!" The others called happily. Kiba imagined the wolf tails hanging behind Ginta and Hakkaku pelt to have wagged. Kouga gave them a nod of acknowledgement before holding a hand out to Kiba.
"Kouga, Alpha of the Yorozoku." Kiba raised an eyebrow but shook the hand anyway. He shivered slightly as he imagined he felt claws. Inhuman claws. He didn't look.
"Inuzuka Kiba, shinobi of Konohagakure." Kouga grinned and Kiba stared at the fangs.
"Ah, so you know where your village Alpha is?" Kiba gulped and Akamaru was really quiet. They were too wolfish to be human.
"Uh, yeah. I'll take you to her." He hoped it was a wise decision. The incident of the Kyuubi was flashed in his memory, but Kouga and his pack mates didn't seem too dangerous...
"Her? Hahaha! Another woman takes the reins! Ah I just know I'll enjoy my stay here. Anything a woman watches over is sure to be pleasant. Tell me about her while we walk, pup." Kouga patted Kiba's back and Kiba could only laugh away his fears. He knew, just KNEW, this man wouldn't do anything harmful. Akamaru wagged his tail and fell into step with Unari. They knew they were going to be great friends.
X
She pondered what to wear for later. Pretty soon, she was going to run out of stories. Well, no, that wasn't true. She'd always have stories to share with the children who came to visit her. But she was starting to finish the more exciting ones. She sighed.
"I wonder where Inuyasha and the others are. And what they're doing." Kagome sighed. She was feeling melancholy. "And Shippo."
"Who's Shippo?" Kagome started violently enough to fall off her seat on the story rock and turned quickly to face the laughter of an amused boy.
"Ri! You startled me!" She said before starting to laugh softly as well. He smiled and didn't bother to apologize.
"Well, I couldn't help it. So, who's Shippo? Your boyfriend?" He teased.
"Oh no!" Kagome laughed. "He's my son!" Ri frowned.
"Son? You're married?"
"No, I'm not. I adopted him."
"Oh!" Childish enlightenment shone immediately. "Can we meet him?" Ri didn't miss the momentary dullness that reflected in Kagome's eyes.
"I wish you could. But I haven't seen him in a while." Kagome smiled gently. "So, Ri, why are you here? I thought you wished to help with the festival decorations in your realm." Ri grinned.
"Mom and Dad don't need help with the booth, so I thought that maybe I could decorate the Sanctuary for you!" Kagome offered a patronizing smile as she gestured to the front of the shop behind the boy. He turned and watched as the building began to magically decorate itself, just like its mirror self in his own realm. He pouted and turned back to her. "Aw man." He whined as he kicked the ground. She said nothing as he looked around and saw the rest of the realm recreate the newest additions to his village. He glanced at her and looked at the trunk of the tree she was always under.
"Well, why don't you tell me about this festival?" She suggested, getting comfortable on her story stone. He sat next to her and she had to give him an encouraging nudge.
"Well, it's a new idea really, that's why everyone's so excited. Konohamaru-kun says it's a secret way to celebrate Naruto's half-birthday since he's not liked during his real birthday. No one in the village knows this so they're just thinking it's to celebrate the services of our shinobi."
"Naruto." Kagome said softly, the name familiar to her. "He's Konohamaru-kun's rival, correct?"
"Yup! He's so cool. I don't know why the adults prefer to ignore him. He used to pull pranks, but so did Konohamaru-kun, so I know it's not that. He told me it had something to do with Naruto's birthday, but I don't see why the Kyuubi attack has anything to do with it."
"Hm." Kagome watched as some booths displayed their fresh foods for the day. The festival wasn't until tomorrow. Kagome wondered if this fox that was in the village was Shippo. No, it couldn't be. Kyuubi meant nine-tails. Shippo is just a kit; he only had one tail. Her eyes faded as she turned deeper into her thoughts. After a while of thinking of the possibilities of her friends' survival, an echo of her name brought her back.
"Kagome-chan? Kagome-chan? Kagome-chan, can we decorate the tree?"
"The Goshinboku? Well, I suppose so..." Kagome looked thoughtfully at the tree she had found again and stayed near for all the years she's been in this world. She figured it would be a meeting place for her companions, but no one had shown up yet. Perhaps she really was the lone survivor of their battle. She held Ri still, preventing him from running down the street happily to begin, as she watched the tree seem to nod its approval. "Yes, you may. You have to tell everyone to decorate their own ornament of their dearest wish to hang in its branches." The boy nodded his head vigorously.
"'Kay! Since it's a celebration for Naruto, I'll have him make one too!" He declared as he ran off to spread the news.
"Naruto might be too old for wishes, Ri." Kagome said to herself. She stood up and touched the tree's bark. "Or not. You disagree with me, don't you?" The tree thrummed with its power beneath her fingers. "What is it that you know?" The tree was silent. Kagome sighed and looked around.
The entirety of her realm was being changed for tomorrow. Except the tree. Perhaps, for the story to be told during the festivities, she will dress as a kitsune. Kagome nodded to herself as she began to walk to the house she was staying in. She would wear her priestess outfit and carry her bow. She hadn't used it around the children before and they would be excited to see her make a light show with her powers. She would use her advanced magic, her more recently obtained ability since arriving in this world, and she would create the illusion of fox ears and nine tails. Red, of course, since Shippo was a rusty color. Yes, that sounded nice. She would be crimson, but the children would know her so they won't be afraid. She would talk about her son. A kitsune.
X
"I understand. Tomorrow is the celebration of your warriors." Sesshoumaru said evenly in front of the woman in front of him who looked younger than she really was. Rin giggled next to him and a human looking Jaken with pale yellow hair and light green eyes refused to make a sound. Kohaku let himself smile at the imp who still carried the Nintoujou.
"Yes, and on behalf of Konoha I thank you for visiting and hope you enjoy your stay." Rin giggled again and Jaken glared at her.
"Control yourself, girl." He whispered harshly before glancing at Tsunade quickly and redirecting his gaze to the floor. Kohaku sighed and rolled his eyes. Tsunade only quirked an eyebrow.
"We would like to know the true reason for the festivities." Sesshoumaru spoke, not acknowledging the behavior of his entourage. The Godaime blinked in surprise.
"True reason? I assure you nothing is being held from you. This is a celebration for our shinobi." Sesshoumaru didn't move and continued to stare at the busty blond. He turned his head to the smiling girl at his right, where Jaken wanted to stand.
"Rin." The command was unspoken, but Rin grinned harder.
"Yes, Milord." She vanished, surprising Tsunade at the lack of chakra. The few Anbu in the room tensed.
"Jaken."
"Milord?" Jaken straightened up and paid full attention to Sesshoumaru.
"Tend to Ah-Un and return to us afterwards." The human looking imp bowed lowly before walking confidently out of the room. The Anbu didn't let him pass and drew their weapons in suspicion. Jaken glared and held the staff towards them, the old man's face ready to spit fire like a dragon and Kohaku readied his own demon bone scythe, raising the tension in the room. "Lower your weapons, they are our hosts." At this command, the ninja were the only ones to hold their weapons, aimed at the now calm faces of Sesshoumaru's wards. Sesshoumaru glanced towards Tsunade and she also put her men at ease. Jaken left and Kohaku returned to Sesshoumaru's side.
"I, I am sorry for that. We've never seen weapons such as those."
"Understandable. You will not see them again." The Anbu tensed again as Rin returned on top of the back of Tsunade's chair, but they did nothing. Tsunade wondered how this girl, barely Chuunin age, was able to avoid detection.
"Rin, you frighten them." Kohaku rebuked gently. She only smiled, still.
"What have you found?" The girl leaped with a ninja grace in front of her Lord and leaned casually on the desk behind her.
"The idea came from a boy named Saratobi Konohamaru, named after the village itself and owning the surname of the third generation ruler. He is friends with a human boy older than him who is shunned for circumstances he couldn't control and which are against the law to speak about." She flashed a grin towards the woman behind her and continued. "It involved a kitsune though." She paused a moment to let this fact sit. Kohaku spoke in hope.
"Shippo-kun?" Rin shrugged.
"It had nine tails and was the embodiment of power, but it was red. Konohamaru-kun found out this boy doesn't celebrate his birthday due to these circumstances, consequences of the village's ignorance and prejudice. He brought the idea up as a celebration of the older boy's half-birthday under the pretense that the village celebrates all of her shinobi." Rin stated. Sesshoumaru let his gaze drift to the shocked woman sitting in front of him.
"I see."
"Konohamaru-kun told only the children of Konoha this plan and explained the cover-up to Tsunade-chan. We were not lied to. She simply didn't know either."
"Who are you?" Tsunade whispered. It was believable and achieved in such a short amount of time and so thoroughly, it had to be true. How else would they know Konohamaru and Naruto? And in so much detail? The girl must be Sesshoumaru-sama's most trusted warrior and guard.
"Thank you Rin." The girl bowed her head, low enough to be respectful, but not as low as Jaken's. Tsunade wondered just what else the girl could do, and how much she does for her lord. "You may be free." The respectful aura vanished as Rin grabbed Kohaku's hand and ran out the door with a gleeful giggle, destroying Tsunade's thoughts of her being his guard.
"Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama! I will win you a gift!" The children, for that was what they were, left.
"I thought..." Tsunade wasn't able to finish her bare whisper. The Anbu were shocked as well as Sesshoumaru calmly walked towards the door. He paused and turned to her after she fell silent.
"You thought I required their protection? A foolish thought. I am more than capable of handling myself. They merely follow me for that it what they wish." Tsunade saw red seep into the color of his irises, and the tattoo stripes on his thin face became uneven and, demonic. He bared a fang, but as soon as Tsunade blinked, the image was replaced with his earlier stoic, if not teasing expression on a feminine face. She heard the Anbu behind her bump the wall from weak knees and knew she didn't imagine the sight. "I thank you for your hospitality on behalf of my wards and myself." And he walked out, footsteps making no sound at all.
Another demon? Tsunade swallowed the lump in her throat. She prayed that this wouldn't be another Kyuubi incident. Shizune ran in, startled by the sudden alarm the Anbu reacted with towards her arrival. They nodded a sheepish apology.
"Tsunade, the second prince has arrived. His name is Kouga." As soon as the words left her best friend's mouth, an unfamiliar face poked into and room and analyzed everyone with a critical gaze. Sharp green-blue eyes observed the room in detail and tanned skin suggested a life of the outdoors. Dark hair hung under the peaking head and soon the rest of the body followed with two other strangers and two unfamiliar dogs, or were they wolves?, and Kiba and Akamaru. The foreigners were wearing leather armor reminiscent of Sesshoumaru's own armor. However, instead of an addition of a breastplate of what looked like an animal's jaw, these three had fur to further decorate themselves. They wore no cloth, only animal skin.
"Say, you're pretty strong for a woman!" The first man said with a grin, causing a twitch to make its home under Tsunade's left eye. His animals sat near the door, out of the way of the entrance. He made no attempt of hiding his curiosity about the shinobi in the room. "And my wolves are scared of ya!" He said, looking more happy than disappointed at their behavior.
"Wolves?" Tsunade asked.
"Yup. Unari and Kawa. I brought Kawa as a gift for your village. I'd give her to you, but I didn't know if you'd be able to keep her so the offer's free to whomever you wish. Preferable someone who'd be able to take her many places and maybe even fight. You're a shinobi village and I heard you have a clan that uses a similar fighting method." He was certainly more free-spoken than Sesshoumaru. Tsunade, despite the intimidating appearances, found herself relaxing.
"Our Inuzuka clan." She offered as an explanation.
"Inuzuka?" Kouga looked back at Kiba and looked slightly affronted. "More dogs?" Kiba frowned and Akamaru looked insulted. After a moment, Kouga continued with a shrug. "Whatever. Better than an idiot have her. I'd still prefer if you took her in, Tsunade was it?" She smiled, having a good feeling about this man.
"Yes. I am Tsunade, Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato." Kouga sat on her desk with a light hop and sniffed the air in front of her before grinning. She didn't do anything, surprised by the speed and following action.
"I'm Kouga, Alpha of the Yorozoku. My packmates, Ginta," The dark haired man nodded. "and Hakkaku." The one with the mohawk waved. "Also Unari," The wolf with dark brown fur let his tongue fall for a moment. "And Kawa, if you want her." The dark blond wolf with white paws and beautiful brown eyes looked at her.
"Kawa, of the Yorozoku. I wait for your acceptance to your den." Yorozoku... didn't that have a demonic meaning? Tsunade noticed Kouga's too-pointed-to-be-human ears proudly shown under his furred headband. As well as his elongated canines shining with his grin, which were much more distinct than Kiba's family. Tsunade wondered if her village was safe, and why demons seemed to be making a renewed appearance into the lives of humans.
xXx TBC xXx
HK: Thank you for reading, and I hope you have some thoughts you'd like to share with me. Constructive criticism is very much welcome and encouragement with smiley faces are begged for. See you next chapter!
Last Edit: 29Aug12