Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Inuyasha. They are owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Mashashi Kishimoto respectively.
Before this: Mama Higurashi was smiling to see the family regain the old happy self. "Now now everyone back to the dinner." She said.
"Okay mom. Itadakimasu." Everyone said in unison.
EXCEPTION Chapter 4: Intrusion
Half past midnight. There was silence everywhere. It was full moon. But there were thin gray clouds in the sky. Covering the moon lightly they made the sky look murky. At this time three shadows swiftly crept into the shrine. They ascended the staircase nimbly and jumped to land on the torii arch watching everywhere. The small amount of moonlight showed that they were wearing cloaks with hoods to cover their faces. They spoke to each other in hushed voices.
"Taichou are you sure that this is the right place?" A voice spoke. The voice was soft and distinctively male.
"Of course I am." The other shadow replied. This voice was also male but was deep and rougher than the before. Possibly this person was much older.
"You said the same about three times before and all those times we were in wrong places." The previous male said. There was desperation in his voice.
"What can I do if I am given wrong directions? But this time I am sure." He took out a rolled paper from somewhere which looked like a scroll. He opened it and read "Higurashi shrine. East Tokyo. Look this is the address." He showed it to the younger male.
"How am I supposed to see in the dark? Wait how could you see in the dark?"
"I have practice." The older voice said gruffly. "I have been doing these since you were in your diapers. Have some respect boy."
"Respect my foot." The young one murmured lowly.
"What did you say?"
"Who? Me? Nothing. I said nothing." The young one flailed his hands dismissively.
"Are we going to speak nonsense or going to do the work we are here for?" The third person who was quiet till now spoke up. Astonishingly this voice was female.
"Erm... yes. We are here on a mission." said the older voice "Team split up and search everywhere."
"Hai taichou." other two spoke in unison.
The three jumped down on the shrine premises and began inspection. The younger male had jumped on the branch of Goshinboku and was looking down from the height but soon descended to the ground.
"Did you find something?" The older male voice asked.
"No." The young male answered and then ventured with little hesitation "Taichou what exactly are we looking for?" There was a pause. After that the taichou said "Something suspicious."
"And what is the definition of suspicious for you?"
Another pause. This time longer than before. "I have no idea. He did not tell me."He admitted. Both males sighed.
The female on the other hand had not given up on her inspection. She was looking at everything minutely and was memorizing thoroughly. While searching for something "suspicious" her eyes were glued to a certain place. A wooden door. 'What could there be?' she thought and sliding it open she entered. There was a…well? And it was closed. She tried to open it. But the lid was too heavy for her to lift. She channeled her strength into her palms but no use. She decided on calling the others.
"Guys come and look what I found." She called for the others in a low voice. Both males' ears perked up and they joined her instantly.
"What is it that you found?" The older man asked.
"Look at this." She said pointing with her index finger.
"What is this?" The young one asked.
"Looks like a well." The old one replied.
"I think so too. I tried to open it but it is too heavy." She said.
"What?" both males were surprised. "Heavy? Even for you?" They asked.
Releasing a heavy sigh the girl nodded. It really was surprising that she was unable to lift a dinky wooden lid even when she was the strongest of her village.
"Let's try together. Come on taichou." The young male said.
"All right. On three." The taichou said. "One" All three of them hold the lid from three different sides. "Two." Their hold tightened. "Three and lift." All of them were pulling hard with their might and main. But no use, the lid did not move one inch.
What the…? It did not even budge from its place. "So now what?" The female asked. "Once more. Let's do it." All three of them tried their hardest but nothing happened. The lid was inseparable. They plopped on the ground, breathing heavily.
"Wow! I never thought that wood can be so difficult to pull." The young male voice uttered.
"Wait! It is wood. Taichou you can do this. Wood is you speciality." The girl stated enthusiastically.
"Good idea." The leader put his hands together saying "Mokuton!" His arms changed into small wooden pillars. He pushed his wooden fingers under the lid and pulled. Still it was not enough.
"I could not do it." The leader said.
The female on the other hand was thinking deeply. They had used their full strength without any result. This could not be normal. Surely there was something here. She was looking at the well with shrill eyes when her eyes zeroed on something. Some rectangular papers were stuck on the lid and sides of the well. "What are these?" She asked aloud.
"Now what did you find?" One of the male asked.
She pointed to the papers. The men looked on curiously.
"What are these? Some sort of stickers?" The young male asked.
"And there are something written on it too." The female voiced.
"Let's see what these are." The young male said while trying to claw the papers out. "These … don't… get…out." He said clawing them furiously. "This place is so weird. Everything sticks to each other like they are couples." The other two sweatdropped at his choice of phrase.
The girl thought for a moment then said "I have an idea, let me try something." Removing her gloves she put her hands together and did some quick gestures. Her hands started to glow green. She touched one paper with her power laden hand. As her hand connected the paper it started to glow pink .The two powers collided and sparked pink and green electricity everywhere.
"Now what was that?" One male asked.
The girl put her hand under her chin thinking deeply and started "I knew something was up. These are not some ordinary papers. They have powers. It does not feel like chakra but powerful and effective nonetheless and the things written on them probably some kind of spells or something. I believe they are seals."
"Seals can be used in the form of stickers? Is that even possible? And why would someone seal a rusty well?"
"I have no answer for your question."
"Put the flashlight on. I need to see them." Their leader voiced. The light flashed on the papers. The man looked over them and said "This writing is unknown to me. I mean they do look like Japanese but the characters are… ancient. Although the writing looks like hardly old. It is uncanny that people in these days can read and write these characters."
"More mystery then." The girl said rubbing her chin.
"Well at least we found something."The young voice said in a complaining voice "Now let's get outside. This place is so small and suffocating".
They went outside the well house. The girl slid the door shut as silently as possible.
The clouds had moved over from the moon. The cool breeze blew past ruffling the branches of Goshinboku. The silvery light fell on the shrine and made look everything so beautiful. It looked almost…magical.
"So pretty!" The young male was moved "I wish I had my sketchbook with me. This night is going wasted." The girl smacked lightly on his head. "This is not time for this."
"Yes. We have gotten what we came for. Now we should leave. I have to report about this." Their leader voiced.
"All right" They leaped on the roofs and vanished in the darkness.
In the morning
It was near 6 o'clock in the morning. The sun would be up soon. The reddish hue in the eastern sky was the proof. Kagome had gotten up earlier that morning and had started her chores of the day. They had to keep the shrine premises clean. The visitors would be coming soon and as the shrine maiden it was her job.
Winter season was drawing nearer. The morning was chilly and windy. She was wearing jeans with a pullover and a comforter covering her head and ears. Still she was shivering inside. Removing the dry leaves with broomstick she heaped them at one side. The wind blew past her with a 'whoosh'. Shivering, she rubbed her gloved hands together, it was so cold! Hearing a ruffling sound she looked back only to see that the wind had messed up her just – removed dry leaves. She sighed in dismay. She had to do it all over again.
She placed the offering box outside the shrine. The visitors always put some money in it after prayer. Last day only a few people were present so the income was not very good. She hoped for better today. They were already on tight budget.
Christmas would be coming soon along with New Year. It was the time when people came into shrines to have blessings for themselves and their family. It was the time when the offering box was overflowed with money and other gifts. Everyone did not offer money. Many people also offered sweets like manju and mochi. It was also the time to sell trinkets which her grandfather treasured so fondly. Little good-luck charms for good health, safe delivery of new mothers, good scores in exams for students and ofudas to hang on the front door etc.
'I am mostly finished' she thought to herself. Only left work was to sweep the stairs and the well house. Then it would be done for the day 'Hm. Okay I will do that after breakfast' she nodded to herself.
After the breakfast as she was sweeping the stairs she heard her brother's voice "Nee san back away. Let me go". She looked behind only to see her brother was rushing past her. She stepped away from his way just in time otherwise they would have collided.
"Hey, hey Souta why are you in such a hurry?"
He said jogging on the spot "I am horribly late nee san .We'll talk later." And he was gone.
Kagome smiled seeing her brother's antics. She had finished sweeping the stairs. Visitors had also started to come one by one. 'Fine' she thought to herself 'Now straight to the well house.'
As soon as she slid the door open of the well house her mind made a hitch. Something did not feel right. She went inside. She could not find anything suspicious though. She descended the stairs looking for anything when her eyes fell on the sealing sutras on the lid. She looked closely. There were three parallel marks on one of them and some of them were torn on the corners like someone had clawed them or tried to rip them out from the well.
Now this was something she expected in the least. No one knew about the well house or its purpose exactly. She and her grandfather had sealed it a week ago feeling that there was no way it would open again. Now someone had messed with it without her knowledge. Her first thought was 'Could it be some youkai?' She felt both excited and skeptic. 'But mama said that youkais were not in this era anymore.' But again she could be wrong.
What if there were youkais after these? But then again youkai could not get past lest touch the sutras. They would be zapped immediately. Only if the youkais were very strong as of Sesshoumaru sama? There was a faint chance that he might survive to the modern era. But there was also the faintest chance that he would want to find her of all people as his distaste for humans was not a hidden fact. Then what ?
She called forth her reiki on her palms. Her hands glowed pink as she touched the sutras. There was a stale energy signature of a different type of power. It was not youki but she could not put her hands on what it was. She did not find anything threatening though. Still it was the proof that someone was here, he had touched the sutras and also had tampered with them. That was not accepted. There was her family too. What if they try to harm them? She had to do something.
Concentrating her reiki she summoned a pink barrier that covered everything from the torii arch to the goshinboku protecting her home. Nothing malicious could pass through now and even if it was as strong as to pass through she would know and she would be ready.
A/N: Hello guys. I know I am late. I am extremely sorry. So please forgive me.
In a previous review someone gave me an opinion to write more detailed facts. I took it into my heart. In this chapter I have tried to do details as much as possible. So please read and review if I had done right or there are still flaws and point them out. Btw can you guys figure out who the intruders are? There are hints given. Let me know if you did.
Also Happy Diwali to all of you :)
