Disclaimer and warning: I don't own anything from this story but the plotline. Inuyasha and Naruto characters belong to other people, not me. I write for the fun of it and if you don't like my work just remember that I'm not making you read this. Please keep flames to yourself. Compliments are welcome. Criticism is a little pointless because I'm not going to go back and edit anything in this.

Please enjoy the fruits of my labour.

Chapter 4

Protection and Enemies

Kagome sighed. Thirteen attacks of low-level youkai, seven of low-mid level youkai and one recently deceased mid-level. And all this in only a span of three weeks.

"They're coming quicker and quicker," she whispered painfully to herself, "If it keeps up like this I'm going to have to move again. Either that or accept Sesshoumaru's offer," The holy energy gathered around her odd crossbow dissipated slowly, fragmenting like petals blown into the wind. With great care Kagome stowed it away and said a quick prayer for the souls of the youkai she had just purified before heading back to the Village. It was late at night and she had work in the morning. Kagome almost wondered whether or not there was even a point in trying to live a normal life. Why not just strike it out on some mountaintop and live as a hermit whose only connection to the outside world was in the youkai that sought the treasure that was born into her body?

The prospect was sounding increasingly appealing every day.

But it was not so appealing that she would attempt it just yet. No, Kagome shook her head, not yet.

When she got back to the Village all that was on her mind was to get some sleep to recharge her dwindling reserves of energy and strength. But the chances of that happening pared themselves down to near none when she felt a familiar aura within the confines of the Village walls.

"Koga?" she asked herself, groaning. "Man, just what I need. I sure hope five hundred years has calmed him down a little,"

Without even a moments thought Kagome tamped her aura down, hoping that it would be enough to slip by the wolf youkai. If not, there were always more of those sutras she used on Kakashi…

And as luck would have it she had not acted quickly enough and Koga homed right in on her like a moth to a flame.

"Kagome!" he exclaimed, coming up and grabbing her hands, "What are you doing here? That dog Sesshoumaru told me you were in a human shinobi village but didn't say why. Where have you been? How did you survive all these centuries? Are you ready to be my woman yet?"

"Uh… Hello Koga-kun. What are you doing here? I thought your lands were father north than this," Kagome tried to tug her hands out of his grasp, but alas he prove to be too determined.

"When I heard Sesshoumaru say that you were alive I had to see for myself. You are, after all, my woman,"

"Koga-kun, I'm not your woman," she protested.

"Sure you are," he insisted, "And I promise to protect you for as long as I live,"

"Koga-kun," Kagome said with more force, "I am not your woman. Nor will I ever be, I'm sorry,"

"I understand Kagome-chan," Koga smiled patronizingly at her, "you need to think it over, right?"

Kagome felt like screaming. "No. No need to think it over. Koga you are a good friend but that is all. Go back to your lands, watch over your pack. Leave me here and in your memories," she sent a small jolt of power through her hands, enough to startle him into letting go, and bid him farewell. The chances of her words actually taking hold? Next to none. But right now she did not care. She was tired, needed a bath and the last thing she wanted to deal with was an amorous wolf.

"So who's the guy that's been following you around, Kagome-chan?" Ino asked pointedly when Kagome stopped in at the flower shop. Kagome's head dropped onto the counter as she slumped over.

"Heavens spare me. That's Koga. He fancies himself in love with me and won't take a hint," she moaned pathetically, "And if I thought you or anyone other than me could take care of him I'd ask you to leave his body in a dumpster. Unfortunately he's more than anyone in this village could handle. With the possible exception of Naruto-san,"

"Why Naruto?" Ino asked curiously, sneaking surreptitious glances of the youkai that just happened to be leaning against a wall of a business across the street.

Kagome shrugged, her head still stuck to the countertop, "It's his business,"

"You mean the Kyuubi?"

"If you already know then all I can say is yes," she lifted her head, "How do you know about the youkai in him?"

"It kinda came out a couple of years back. Most of the others our age know, along with all of the adults,"

"A heavy burden for him to live with," Kagome frowned, a faraway look in her eyes. Ino studied her curiously.

"You sound like you know what you're talking about,"

"I… I knew a hanyou many years ago," the miko admitted, "He and Naruto probably had similar experiences growing up. Inuyasha had no one to turn to and neither the humans nor the youkai would take him in because of his mixed blood. It was sad… so sad,"

Ino looked away, feeling a little guilty.

"But that's neither here nor there and now's not the time to brood about their tragedies," Kagome steeled herself, "Do you sell wolfsbane here?"

"Kagome-chan," Ino leveled an exasperated stare at the miko, "this is a flower shop. Try a herbalist,"

"Brilliant idea,"

"Just out of curiosity, what do you want wolfsbane for?"

"To get rid of a pest,"

Ino looked very confused. Kagome left the little flower shop whistling to herself.

It only took one threat of shoving a packet of purified wolfsbane down Koga's throat to get him to leave Konoha. For now. Kagome felt very smug for even thinking of it.

As it was, now that the days had leveled out to something of a routine she was expecting something else to disrupt her quiet life. Something other than power-hungry youkai, that was. Said interruption came in the form of a hastily scribbled note that had been slipped underneath her door.

Kagome: have an emergency mission to the Rock country. Should be back in a week. Please forgive me. Lee

Kagome shrugged and left the note on the desk. One week without having to worry about teaching. She could live with that. In fact, she decided, she might even use that time to explore the Village.

So she packed herself a small dinner and set out one day after work. The streets were crowded, as they were wont to be at this time of day, but that did not faze the little miko. She was from Tokyo after all and these crowds were nothing compared to navigating the Ginza.

She had walked not even six streets over from her building when she felt an amazingly unique aura, one that brought a smile to her lips.

"Oi! Kagome-san!" Naruto waved from across the street and pushed his way through.

"Naruto-san," Kagome smiled at the blond, "fancy meeting you here,"

"Just got off duty," he shrugged, "What are you doing here? I thought you were training Fuzzy Brows,"

"Lee's on a mission so I have some time off," she shrugged, "I thought I'd explore the Village and maybe get lost,"

"Want a guide?" he offered. Kagome shrugged and told him that she did not mind.

"Just so long as you don't expect me to buy you ramen," she stipulated, "I can't afford your appetite,"

"No worries. I just ate," he grinned and scratched the back of his head, "So what do you want to see?"

"Well, I just figured that I'd walk around for a while to get a feel for what's where. Nothing exciting,"

"So I'll play bodyguard," Naruto laughed.

"My hero," Kagome joked along with him, "So, what can you tell me about this part of town?"

"Not much," he admitted right away, shrugging, "other than this was one of my least hit places when I was a kid,"

Kagome leveled him with an amused look, "Don't tell me. You were quite the troublemaker, weren't you?"

"The best!" the blond jinchuuriki bragged with a sunny, cocky grin.

"What changed? Or has anything changed?"

"I got busy. People acknowledge me now. Guess you could say some things have changed,"

"Change is good," Kagome nodded to herself, "Then again, change can be bad too. If my life hadn't changed I wouldn't be here. I'd still be living back home at the shrine not even knowing or caring that I was a miko,"

"But is living like this so bad?" he asked, sliding into semi-seriousness. Kagome just smiled a tired smile, saying nothing. Naruto wisely dropped the subject.

So, she had found the closest native mischief maker. Figures. Even after all of those centuries she didn't change. It was just so perfect, so amusing. So Kagome.

Taking out his chequebook he wrote out a figure in flowing, practiced script. He signed his current name and dated the cheque with a wide, mischievous grin that showed off a set of inhumanly sharp teeth. Oh, this was probably going to be the best prank he played on Kagome ever. Now that he knew were she lived, where she worked, what she did in her spare time, everything, this was going to be even more fun.

He wanted to see if she could guess just who he was.

Kagome flipped on the lights in her little apartment and frowned at the slip of paper resting on the floor just inside the door. She bent down, setting her purse next to her shed shoes and picked the cheque up. Another one. This was the third such cheque, made out to her and signed by someone she had never met before. She had done an internet search of his name and apparently he was some big time businessman. But no matter how much she wracked her brains Kagome could not think of a reason why he would be sending her money. And by cheque under her apartment door no less!

The site that she had found even had a picture of her benefactor: a dashing portrait of a smiling man with a finely boned heart-shaped face with forest green eyes and unruly black hair mixing into a sure heartbreaker. Nothing Kagome was unfamiliar with as a result of her dealings with youma. Still, she would like to be able to meet the man in order to (a) thank him for his generosity and (b) ask him why.

Why her? And why so much? Five hundred thousand yen was a little much to be handing out to one person every week. Generosity was nice and all but there was a line that indicated insanity.

A jaunty tune spilled forth from her purse and Kagome fished around for her cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Kagome-chan? How are you?"

"Momma! I'm going great. How are you and everyone else?" Kagome sunk to rest on her folded futon, curling her feet underneath her.

"Grandpa's been having some problems with his joints and Souta's team won the tournament and will be advancing to the city tournament,"

"Really? That's wonderful. And tell Grandpa he should try Noni. I've been doing some research and I've hear it helps,"

"I'll pass that along. Your friends say hello and Sesshoumaru came in a couple days ago. I think you should take a job under him. It wouldn't do you harm to have him as your protecting Lord,"

"Momma," Kagome sighed, "I have to be able to pick up and move in a second. And working for Sesshoumaru-"

"It would give him an excuse to protect you. You know he respects you enough for that. Why else would he offer? You know Sesshoumaru isn't the type of man that would offer something like that so lightly," Mrs. Higurashi said seriously.

"I'm not going to drag anyone else into this mess. It's mine to deal with,"

"Kagome…"

"Let me do this on my own, Momma. Please,"

Silence reigned on the phone connection for several long seconds before her mother acquiesced very reluctantly, "Alright Kagome. Just call if anything happens or if you need anything,"

"I will," Kagome promised and wished her mother a good night before disconnecting and switching the phone off. She slumped against the wall and stared out the lone window. Not much of a view. She wished she hadn't had to make that promise, a promise she wouldn't keep, couldn't keep. How could she make her mother worry. If something happened to her and she told it would only confirm her mother's nightmares.

Never.

At length Kagome stirred enough to pull a book off of the stack she had growing in a corner. The cheque was still in her hand and she frowned down at it for a moment before slipping it into her purse. It couldn't be a mistake. Her name was always printed clearly on the front. She felt strange, depositing cheques from someone she knew nothing about, but she wasn't complaining. If worse came to worst she could always beg Sesshoumaru to help her out if it came to a legal matter of debate.

May it never come to that, Kagome prayed, with the gods blessings.

"So are you and Kakashi-sensei going out yet?" Sakura pressed. Kagome almost choked on her riceball and had to take a moment to regain her balance.

"What?"

"Are you and Kakashi-sensei going out yet?" the pink-haired kunoichi repeated slowly.

"Sakura-kun, I haven't seen Hatake-san for at least a week now,"

"So? He's on an emergency mission,"

Kagome blinked, "Will he be okay? I mean, I heard that what you guys do can be really dangerous,"

"I'm sure Kakashi-sensei will be fine," Sakura reassured her friend and winced as the sutra in Lee's hand exploded violently, singeing cloth wrappings and skin alike.

"Crap! Lee! Get to the hospital right now! Today's lesson is over," Kagome ordered, her eyes wide. Lee nodded and sprinted away, holding his hand away from his body but still sheltered from further harm. Kagome waved Sakura after him, smiling a little as she was suddenly alone on the edge of the forest. She decided to take a walk, maybe explore the forest a little. Might as well since she had the time and she did need some herbs after all. Kagome sent a prayer skyward for Kaede, thanking her for teaching her about herbs and the like.

Not knowing what kind of healing they would be able to do for her cousin Kagome set out to search for the proper plants to make a healing and soothing poultice.

It only took him a couple of minutes of careful observation to ascertain what types of plants she was looking for. When he did, smiling at her thoughtfulness, he force-grew more of the same kind and several that held similar properties of healing and numbing. Anything for her.

He shrunk back a little as she turned to face the general direction in which he was hidden. His eyes twinkled as she searched the trees for him, confusion etched across her face. She could not find him, even with her skills. Then again, one does not survive the better part of half a millennia without learning some tricks. One of the pluses.

He grinned when she finally gave up her search. His record was still perfect! Not once in all the weeks he had been following her had she caught a glimpse of him.

Tsunade rubbed her temples trying to ward off a growing headache. That silver-haired youkai's words kept echoing throughout her mind as an endless mantra. She had done some research on the name he had given her: Taisho Sesshoumaru. According to her sources he was a well established business man and owner/CEO of Taisho Inc., a conglomerate of so many different fields that it was a book all unto itself just to list them. not much else was known, just that he had inherited the business from his father who inherited from his father and so on and so forth. He was married with children, that much was also known, but the strange thing was that no one seemed to know who he was married to or even what his children's names were.

An enigma with claws, that was what he was. And he wanted no harm to come to a 'Higurashi Kagome,' a miko that she could not find. Hence the current meeting.

"People," She called out, gathering the present jounin's attention. The group of shinobi fell silent, waiting. "As another order of business there has been an order," a quite ripple of surprise at her choice of words, "for the protection of a certain someone that apparently resides within our Village walls. Someone of great power and influence has…" she dithered over her next word, "requested the protection of a Higurashi Kagome--"

"Kagome-san?" Naruto piped up, interrupting as he sat up from his slouch, eyes wide, "Who wants her protected?"

"You know her?" Tsunade exclaimed, suddenly sitting forward.

"She lives in my building. Ino and Choji introduced us when she applied for a job at the flower shop," he shrugged innocently.

Tsunade dropped her head into her hands, "Figures. You would. Just figures. Anyways, as I was going to say, her protection is near top priority. Naruto, if you would bring her in I would like to meet her. The rest of you should stick around somewhere so you can see what she looks like so you know her when you see her," she dismissed the lot and paid little attention to their respectful departures.

It would just figure that Naruto had known her all along. Why hadn't she thought to ask the brat in the first place?

Because he was a jinchuuriki, that's why. And from all the legends miko hated and exterminated youkai. If that were all true then he would not be alive anymore. Then again, if that were true then why would a youkai be advocating her utmost security? Nothing she knew about the girl made any sense.

It was a mere quarter hour before Naruto strolled into her office with a small woman following behind. Tsunade was taken aback that such a tiny woman could be so important to the power who had the Village in a near unknown chokehold over her health and well-being. But there was something about her that confused the Medicnin right off. It seemed like she had no chakra, like Lee.

"Kagome-san, this is the Hokage. Baa-chan, meet Kagome-san," Naruto introduced impishly. Tsunade glowered at the blond but turned a bright, if a little forced, smile on Kagome.

"So you are Higurashi Kagome-san," she said for starters, "I have heard of you,"

"Obviously, Hokage-sama, or else you would not have sent Naruto-san to kidnap me in the middle of my job," Kagome returned, a playful twinkle in her sapphire blue eyes, "So what can I do for you?"

"We have had a… request for your safety,"

"From who?" Kagome lifted an eyebrow, settling herself into a waiting chair that Naruto had produced for her.

"Taisho Sesshoumaru,"

"Sesshoumaru-sama? He didn't!" she exclaimed, eyes widening with sudden emotion.

"You know him?" state the obvious, but it had to be asked.

"I have known Sesshoumaru-sama since he was still a new Lord, in power for only a bare century. He and I are old allies and friends but I told him that I did not need his protection," she pursed her lips and glared down at her hands, "But I should have expected something like this from him. Getting anything through his skull is an act of sheer will and not something I particularly excel at. I thought he had accepted my answer but I guess not. Forgive me for bringing him down upon your Village, Hokage-sama, it was not what I had planned,"

"And what had you planned, Kagome-san?" Tsunade asked, curious. Naruto scratched his arm, listening in with more respect than Tsunade thought he possessed.

"I had hoped to loose the attention of a group that was seeking something that has been entrusted to me to protect," was the enigmatic answer the Hokage got.

"Youkai?" Naruto asked, speaking at last.

Kagome nodded, "Low-class mostly. Some mid-class as well but so far no high-class. Thankfully the high-class youkai are too confident in their own power to care about the object I protect, otherwise I really would move up into the mountains away from anyone,"

"And just what is it that you protect?"

Stony silence. Kagome got to her feet with all the dignity of a queen. "I don't believe that that is any of your business. The less people who know what it is I carry the better for all around me. Too many people have died already and I refuse to allow anyone else come to harm. That is one of the reasons why I refused Sesshoumaru-sama's offer to be put under his protection. I am not powerless and I can and will protect myself against anything that tries to take it from me," she said with cold, clipped emotion. Tsunade sat back, startled by the change in the tiny slip of a girl. Gone was the young woman with large innocent eyes. Those strangely bright blue eyes flared with a righteous light of their own. Conviction oozed from her every pore. In short, she had transformed into what could be stereotyped at a proud queen.

"I mean no offense," she said before Kagome could turn to leave, "but if there is something in this Village that is a danger to my people I have a right to know,"

Kagome considered the Hokage and her words carefully, "It is a jewel. A cursed Jewel of Four Souls,"

"The Shikon," Naruto breathed, eyes wide.

Kagome's head whipped around to stare at him, wary distrust colouring her normally cheery aura. "Is that your knowledge or the kitsune's inside you?" she all but demanded.

"Wait," Tsunade interrupted before Naruto could answer, "What is this Shikon?"

Kagome said nothing, her mouth stubbornly sealed shut.

"According to Kyuubi," Naruto said slowly, answering both women at the same time, "it is a jewel created by the last will of a miko thousands of years ago who was fighting a hopeless battle against countless youkai. He says that if it falls into the hands of a youkai it will grant them unimaginable power,"

"Not unimaginable," Kagome corrected wearily, "trust me, for those who have already died defending it and me, that power can be all to real. Even the few that managed to survive will not ever forget it,"

"That bad?"

"Worse," Kagome looked up, eyes hardened as much as a blooded ANBU, "The last time the Shikon fell into the hands of a youkai – a hanyou! – it changed the shape of history. Terror has nothing on what he did with only shards of it. He began with only the powers of transformation and deception and with every sliver, every fragment, he only got more powerful and more dangerous. If you took your worst, wildest and bloodiest nightmare you would have one day under his reign,"

Silence fell in the Hokage office.

"The last time the Shikon surfaced was five hundred years ago," Naruto said slowly.

Kagome nodded, "And only a select few have survived through to today. Sesshoumaru-sama is one of them,"

"So it is not you he wants protected, it is the jewel," Tsunade deduced.

"Sesshoumaru-sama could care less about the jewel. He thinks it's a useless trinket that the powerless use to entertain illusions of grandeur," Kagome was quick to slash the Hokage's conclusion with her words, "Sesshoumaru-sama is an inuyoukai and wishes me protected because he sees me as someone in his pack, someone under his protection whether I wish it or no,"

"And how do you know him?"

"I have answered more than enough of your questions, Hokage-sama," Kagome decided, "If you wish to ask me any more then I request that Sesshoumaru-sama be present. But chances that he'll be in the area within the next month or so are slim as his wife is having a child very soon, so don't hold your breath. The Shikon is none of your concern and I would appreciate it if you tactfully ignored the fact I even exist. Do that and we will get along famously, since all I came here for was to be lost in the masses,"

"Why?" Tsunade was confused, "Why, if you are the guardian of something so desired by youkai, do you not want protection?"

Kagome's eyes dulled, "Because if I have it my way then no one else will ever have to die for me," And with that she spun on her heel and walked gracefully out of the office leaving one stunned Hokage and one thoughtful shinobi in her wake.

"Naruto," Tsunade sighed, rubbing her temples, "What do you know about the Shikon. I want to know everything,"

Kagome's nerves were screaming at her as she walked home that night from training Lee. The nights were getting progressively longer and so it was already dark by the time they finished and started heading home. Now more people knew about the jewel that she had been born to protect and purify, a thought that troubled the young miko. And it did not help that she could feel someone watching her.

Quickening her steps in hopes of reaching the safety of her apartment, Kagome almost tripped. She managed to catch herself but that split moment of instability brought about more than she had ever imagined it could. Pain exploded in the base of her skull bringing an explosion of bright white light followed swiftly by darkness and oblivion.

A man dressed wholly in mottled gray with a strange hitaeate tied loosely over his forehead picked up the unconscious miko and vanished.

AN: Don't hit me! It's all gonna be good, trust me! I should know, i've got this whole thing written already! Chapter 4/17