Disclaimer: I own stuff just Inuyasha and Naruto are not among the things that I own, Kay?
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Kagome looked up at the sky as she walked with Kushina, Minato and Inuaysha as Jiraiya and Tsunade had already left. They had spent a few hours at the ramen stand just talking and such and she figured it was time to head back to the office (as much as she didn't like it) but she had to talk to Inuyasha first.
"tonight is going to be the night of the new moon isn't it." she said not really asking despite her phrasing. She could practically feel Inuyasha stiffen behind her.
"yeah, it is isn't it." Kushina said just realizing never too interested in the moon phases to pay too much attention and Minato just hummed his acknowledgement.
"umm… could you give me and Inuyasha a second we need to talk in private?" the look Kagome gave them was almost pleading.
Why she felt she needed to use such an expression or even ask instead of just tell them was beyond the blond and red head but they consented.
Kagome dragged Inuyasha off to the side though still walking in the same direction just out of hearing range with the hushed tone she was using.
Minato and Kushina watched as Kagome and Inuyasha began whispering to each other walking really close to one another and the proximity didn't seem uncomfortable at all and it brought to mind what was mentioned earlier how they had been together before while the hokage and his wife pondered on that Kagome and Inuyasha were discussing the predicament that tonight would bring.
"You didn't even notice?" Kagome hissed to the half-demon.
"I had other things on my mind…" Inuyasha grumbled.
Kagome sighed "you know, I don't think they even know what you are… do they even know what I am?" Kagome wondered.
"I'm not sure they care… does it matter?" Inuyasha asked.
"Hmmm… I don't know." Kagome replied then shook her head. "we'll worry about that later… I'm assuming you want to hide tonight?" she asked but already knew the answer.
"Stupid, do you even need to ask? of course!" he said.
"Whether they know what I am or not doesn't matter you're the only one who knows my secret and I'd prefer to keep it that way for as long as possible, or until I know I can trust them." He said it was obvious to both of them that they wouldn't be able to keep it from Minato and Kushina forever (they do after all live at the same house) but Inuyasha though he trusts them enough to be close to him and Kagome, is not sure if he trust them enough to reveal his secret; his monthly transformation into a human; his weakest time.
"What should we tell them? You wouldn't strike anyone as a stargazer so that's no good. How am I supposed to explain your sudden disappearance?" Kagome asked worried .
"hmmm…"
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Minato turned to the woman a t his side and asked "what do you think they're talking about? They look so serious ."
"its hard to say…" she replied.
He watched as Kagome smiled at Inuyasha and said something and he nodded with a small smile of his own and took off as she turned and headed back to them.
"Okay let's go!" she cheerfully chirped to Kushina and Minato.
"And…. what about Inuyasha?" Kushina asked.
"Oh, I had noticed that he seemed a little restless recently and you know that before we came here we were pretty much just drifters, vagabonds, wanderers, nomads; we spent a lot of time roughing it and Inuyasha misses it a little so tonight he's just going to sleep under the stars." She said although Minato a Kushina looked at the girl speculatively something told them she wasn't telling the whole truth.
"and…?" Minato drew out.
"And what?" Kagome asked nervously
"you're not telling us the whole thing Kagome-chan. What else?" Kushina jumped in.
"Uh… ummm…." She muttered looking back and forth between her redheaded friend and her Hokage and she broke down "I'm sorry, okay? It Inuyashas secret to tell! It's something he gets nervous about and he even finds it a little embarrassing, hell I wouldn't know if he could have kept it from me! Honestly I think he should tell you guys but I understand why he doesn't! he's not sure if he can trust you with this secret!"
"… something embarrassing… that he doesn't want to tell us?" Kushina asked Intrigued.
"yeah, kinda." Kagome said scratching the back of her head nervously.
"I guess most people have one or two of those…" Minato thought out loud "everybody has secrets."
"Okay…" Kushina conceded it's not surprising that he had a secret "but I hope the fact that he isn't telling us doesn't mean he doesn't trust us."
Kagome smiled at that "Kushina-chan…" she began "the fact that he entrusting my care and protection to you means a hell of a lot being that he takes my safety and wellbeing, very, very seriously. I'd say the only person in this village that he trusts more than you two is me."
Kushina wasn't sure if Kagome's comparison between trusting her and them in the village was saying much he didn't really seem to trust anyone all that much (aside from Kagome) but trusting them with Kagome's safety was saying a lot when they first came here she could remember whenever anyone got closer to Kagome then he liked, he would get tense, like he was ready to attack at any second; still did even now, often enough. unless it was them.
"Okay, I guess you're right." She smiled Kagome was clearly the most important thing in the world to him and while she would admit to a bit of jealousy, she felt that the fact they were trusted with her safety was a testament to his trust in them that was what she could like.
"Anyway you should probably get home and take Naruto-chan off Rin-chans hands, despite her willingness to take Naruto-chan, I could tell she just got off the double-shift she's probably really tired.
"Oh, really?" Kushina asked surprised.
"yeah… she looked and sounded tired. Its not only field ninjas that are short handed Kushina-chan, I'm worried that maybe I shouldn't have let her but when I mentioned that I was looking for someone to look after him she jumped at the opportunity to babysit."
"Okay once I get there I'll make sure she gets some rest." Kushina sighed and headed back home to take her brat off of the chunin's hands.
"Okay, Minato-sama we can go back to the office to make sure you don't have any paper work before we head home okay."
"Alright, Kagome-chan." He smiled.
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Minato sighed in an almost depressed way on the way back to the house
"Minato-sama, you sound depressed but you don't have any paper work that's a good thing!" Kagome exclaimed.
"I know I just… don't know what to do; tomorrow without any paperwork to do, I'll be beyond bored. And before you suggest it, I can't think of anything else I want to do that I need to fill out paper work for."
"Hmmm…" Her eyebrows furrowed in thought and he watched her he had to wonder what she was thinking about.
"Then maybe you should just take tomorrow off or just go in late and leave earlier than usual." She shrugged
"I thought you admired my work ethic Kagome-Chan. Slacking off, showing up late, doesn't sound very hard working to me." he teased.
She gave him a little smirk and said "your work ethic and your health are two very different things Minato-sama besides its good to take breaks, it'll make you feel refreshed and ready for more, it'll help you work more efficiently."
She giggled when she heard her hokage sigh.
"Besides you could use this time to be with Kushina-chan." She giggled again at his shocked look.
"I've noticed you and Kushina-chan haven't been able to spend much time together and it's important to spend time together to keep a relationship strong." She nodded at her own statement.
Minato sighed he ought to tell her the truth.
He grabbed the priestess' wrist to stop her and she turned to him tilting her head in question
He took a breath and began "Kagome-chan about that…"
"yes? What is it Minato-sama?" she asked not sure if she liked how nervous he seemed.
Seeing his hesitation she tried to reassure him, "Minato-sama you know you can talk to me about anything right?"
He took a deep breath and let it out "me and Kushina… we decided to split up."
At Kagome's shocked face he continued "me and her haven't seen each other a whole lot recently, we've both been busy and I guess we've both drifted apart, not that we don't still care for each other it's just not the same anymore."
"I'm so sorry Minato-sama." She said a little saddened and then it hit her. "Wait, now you're going to be single?"
At her abrupt change in tone he turned to her a bit surprised and replied "well… yes, I guess so…"
"damn it" she muttered "your good looking, powerful with both fighting and stature, and you've a got a good personality and sense of humor" she gave a frustrated sigh "keeping women from bugging you at work or home is going to be a full time job, in and of itself." She continued by grumbling about being a 'good looking approachable man' and 'having women after him even when he was still married.'
He chuckled "poor Kagome-chan and you have to spend all day with such a person."
"It's not that that bothers me Minato-sama; it's the fact that I'm going to be sifting out who is showing up for legitimate reasons or to gain your favor and get in your pants… unless you'd prefer I let them in…" she trailed.
The shocked and even a little horrified look told her everything she needed to know, but Minato decided to let her know exactly what he thought of that "you distract me enough at work all by yourself! I don't need more distractions."
Kagome frowned at that "I'm making sure you're taking care of yourself; of your health, not trying to seduce you to my bed Minato-sama." She huffed and pouted
He chuckled again she could be so cute and childish at times "well that just makes you my work wife."
"God forbid I become your real wife: I get enough crap as it is." She sighed
That got his attention "how so?" he didn't have high hopes but maybe she would slip up.
"Remember how I mentioned Kimi-chan earlier today? How she mentioned you two were separating and how it was time for me to strike?" Looking a different direction with an embarrassed expression and therefore didn't notice her hokage's slightly disappointed silent sigh
"Well maybe you should." He suggested playfully recovering from his disappointment at her lack of slip up.
She gave a dry chuckle at that "isn't that a little bit of a contrived idea? The boss and his female assistant cannoodling in the office." She tilted her head with dry look.
"I don't know, just thought the idea needed legitimizing." He responded with s playful smile.
She rolled her eyes and smiled fondly at their bantering she would have done that with Inuyasha but that always turned into arguments she was glad that her hokage was more light hearted than her half-demon friend as they continued on their way back to the house.
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Kagome smiled at the sight in front of her: It looked like after sending Rin home Kushina had taken Naruto off her hands and had fallen asleep in the rocking chair with the little guy, and they both looked so content and peaceful.
'This would be perfect if I had a camera.' It was such a perfect picture, but she knew she had to ruin it; if Kushina slept there all night she might be sore in the morning.
She approached and gently shook Kushina's shoulder "Kushina-chan, wake up." She said quietly to keep from waking the sleeping baby.
Slowly the red head opened her eyes to look at Kagome and looked around for a second confused and then waking up completely Kagome carefully took to the baby from his mother and placed him in the crib, careful not to wake him.
"I must have dozed off…" Kushina commented.
"I would have left you, but it's not good sleeping sitting up." She said smiling at the red head.
Her face sobered "Minato-sama told me you two are splitting up." Judging by the way Kushina stiffened she guessed that she hadn't known that Minato was going to tell her but she relaxed.
"Well yes, we'll always care for each other, just not the way we once had. Minato had the papers drawn up yesterday, they should be ready in a few days." At the depressed look on Kagome's face she decided to comfort her "It's what we want Kagome-chan."
"Okay, if you're sure, but I'm going to be dealing with a lot of new bride candidates…" she pouted.
"well I hope you don't get too jealous." Kushina smirked at her friend.
Kagome's face went blank and turned her expression morphing into confusion. "What do you mean Kushina-chan?"
Kushina blinked at her blatant confusion she was almost certain that Kagome had feelings for Minato the same way he had feelings for her either that or she under estimated this girls friendliness "I mean Minato being flirted with and hit on left and right."
"Well, certainly that would get annoying Kushina–chan but… jealousy? No. I like Minato-sama but… even if I liked him in the way you're insinuating, I have no place to get jealous we're not together besides my job is to help Minato-sama and make things easier for him me getting jealous over something like that, is only making things harder." She rebuffed
"you do realize you don't have an actual job description, it's well known you're some kind of unofficial assistant, you're not even getting paid." Kushina responded dryly.
"Kushina-chan, you and Minato-sama are letting me stay with you in your house, that is payment enough, and I don't need an actual job description to know how to do it, official or not and I want to do it well." Kagome returned feeling a little affronted for some reason. Like she would do anything less than her best at her job simply because there was no official description for her, it didn't stop her from trying her best for the jewel, that she can't help but partially blame for everything that's been happening to her for the past several years, and it wouldn't stop her now!
Realizing that she may have insulted her Kushina apologized "I'm sorry its just the way act with him seems a little friendly… more so than most people are,"
Kagome blinked a little befuddled "am I not also friendly with you Kushina-chan and Inuyasha and Tsunade-san and Jiraiya-san" and kagome paused at that and added on "well to a certain extent anyway."
"Well, yes but it seems a bit different with Minato." Kushina said tilting her head
Kagome sighed and looked out he window before turning to leave the nursery "I… admire him a great deal." The look she turned to the red head held such an array of emotions that she felt a little lost and could really read them all "I'm not sure if I could have done what he did seal a demon within my own child knowing it would kill me and that if something happened to his other parent…" she paused and trailed off before starting up again "and knowing the type of stigma he could be forced to face in the future…" she sighed again
"I don't think I could have done that and I'm not sure how I feel about it but… I respect him, he became hokage not for the power… for the sake of having power or clout, but so he could have the power to help people to protect the village he loves and he went into it knowing the responsibility and stress of the job and the risks and took it all graciously, for the most part." Kushina giggled at Kagome mumbling about 'difficult village leaders not paying attention to their health' it was something she had noticed as one of Kagome's cute little quirks, mumbling to herself about things like that.
But upon what Kagome said about Minato she was glad she saw it that way, because that was how it was.
There were many people in the village who would like to be hokage for the power it would grant them or the clout and recognition they would get and envied him for it without knowing what it meant to be hokage; to lead the village, it meant putting the village and the people in it before yourself. It was a responsibility that was great and horrible. (and apparently distracted her husband from his health.)
"you know Minato takes his job very seriously." She said with a small smile at the petulantly grumbling girl.
"I know but part of his job is keeping himself in good shape and he's not doing that very well if he's tired and starving himself which he would do if I let him!" she huffed like a spoiled child told to eat her vegetables and she didn't want to.
Kushina chuckled and headed up to her room to grab a change of cloths she would sleep in the guest room next to the nursery tonight and by the end of the week it should be her room permanently or at least for a good while anyway.
"well it's obvious you care about him dearly." She said to the girl who was also headed to the same room probably for Minato's before bed treatment.
"just because he's my boss doesn't mean we can't be friends too." She said with a fond smile.
And Kushina decided that was at least better than just obligatory caring and friendship was probably better than nothing although she might want to mention to him that the unofficial assistantship might be a bit of an obstacle "although she'd be surprised if her soon to be ex-husband hadn't already figured it out.) and maybe start plotting away to make Kagome confess to getting attacked, the girl was as stubborn as she was kind.
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"Minato-sama" Kagome called out while kocking on the room door deciding to change into her pajamas first as it seemed the blonde was in the shower earlier.
After being bid to come in by him he was sitting on the bed in a pair of boxers despite this not being the first time she had seen him like this, since it was his preferred sleep wear, she still couldn't help but blush he was well built muscular but not overly so and tan but not dark and fresh out of the shower
Kagome closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath and let it out willing the blush away from her face and Kushina's earlier accusations out of her head.
"ready for you treatment?" she said holding up her faintly glowing hands.
"Yeah" he sighed with a small smile turning his back to her as she climbed on to the bed behind him and placed her hands on his back and channeling her energy to travel throughout his body using his spinal column as sort of transportation system for her energy.
If Kagome was to be completely honest with herself she would have to admit she really didn't know how she felt for Minato he was Kind, funny, determined and serious about his work, but what she felt she wouldn't really call love, although she hadn't known him for long and didn't really know how she felt about him she knew that she cared about him and in all honestly that's all that she really mattered to her.
Even if what she felt was stronger than friendship it didn't really matter anyways she knew part of the hokage's duty was to give up part of his personal life too, as in marriage; according to what she had been told by Kushina and Minato, their marriage had been as much for political reasons as it was for love Minato would no doubt marry again for the sake of his village and she would be there to support him.
And then Kagome paled at the thought of how people are going to react to the divorce, if the marriage was for political reasons then was getting a divorce okay? and if not what would happen to the couple she and Inuyasha lived with?
After checking his chakra system Kagome decided that Minato would be good for a while and smiled "okay. thats good for now Minato-sama but you know my treatment doesn't do much good if you don't get enough rest so try to sleep a bit more tonight I'll be back at three A.M. for your next treatment and I expect you to try and get some more sleep then. Okay?" she said looking down at him using a maternal you-don't-want-to-disagree-with-me tone.
"Yes Kagome-chan." He said in an almost reluctant 'Yes mother' kind of way.
She gave him a big grin and flounced over to the door to leave and turned around to close the door and murmured a quick "sleep tight, Mianto-sama." Upon closing the door she spread out her senses and found Kushina was in bed in the guest room right next to the nursery although not asleep yet she figured it was safe to sneak out the back into the forest to check on Inuyasha, no doubt he had already gone through the transformation.
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After grabbing a few blankets and pillows she went to look for her now human friend.
"Inuyasha…" not too loudly but loud enough that she knew Inuyasha would hear her since she could sense him pretty close by.
After stepping out from behind a tree, he looked at what his best friend was carrying and shot a half hearted dirty look.
"Don't you look at me like that Inuyasha." She told him sternly "it's going to be cold tonight, and I'd rather you not get hypothermia." She shoved the bedding into his hands and despite his sour look Inuyasha took it.
He may be annoyed by how Kagome acted at times, but he was touched by how much she cared for him, not that he'd ever admit it out loud or to anyone but himself, but how he ever doubted her was a mystery until he thought about why they were even here, he felt Kagome had every right to hate him, be mad at him and turn him away he felt she had a legitimate reason to, that had nothing to do with his heritage, but she never did, even though she had to leave because of his choices and finally Inuyasha made a choice that he wouldn't regret.
Kagome had always chosen him, over her family, her friends, her schooling, her future, she had chosen him over everything else and now her choosing him and him choosing something else had her paying for his mistakes, but now he was making a choice and he knew it was the right choice he was choosing her this time and he would continue doing so because she was his rock, the one steadfast thing in his life that he knew he could always rely on and somehow he had only realized when it was nearly too late but thank god it wasn't.
"sleep well Inuyasha." She said breaking him out of his thoughts.
"Yeah, you too Kagome." He said turning away he would be close to the house in case she needed him even if he wasn't much help in human form if she needed him he would be there, until the day he died he would always be there for her, like she had been for him.
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Wow an update only a few day past forever… sorry I've been distracted and preparing for schooling I am going to be going to school full time in few months so how I update might change my updates may come even more rarely or there may not even be a change who knows.
This chapter… meh not sure how I feel about the ending… oh well here it is anyways.
I would like to thank: Guest, TheKitsuneClan, Cersesi, Kimori Takahashi and cowgirl125. For their wonderful reviews.
Please continue to review and let me know what you think! ^_^