Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Inuyasha or any of its characters (why do gotta rub it in?*pouts*)

XxX

Kagome watched horror struck at the crater where she had just been standing, 'that could have been me' and she looked back up at her attacker "why?" she asked but she had a feeling she already knew the answer.

It was no longer safe here.

She had to leave.

Even if it was alone.

XxX

She groaned as she opened her eyes and at first panicked, for a moment not recognizing her surroundings than realizing where she was calmed down and then panicked again, as she glanced out the window.

"Uh-oh, Minato-Sama is not going to feel good." She hissed to herself judging by how light it was outside she could tell it was past time for a treatment. With Minato getting better and getting past the massive amount of negative energy he was forced to channel, his treatments had become few and far between, thankfully the damage wouldn't be permanent, but she still liked to give him a treatment before he begins to feel the negative effects on his health.

She jumped out of bed and rushed to Minato's room.

Placing a hand on his shoulder in order to wake him up he was really getting hot, she quietly hissed to herself again in guilt "oh-man," and felt something cool and sharp against her neck.

She shifted her gaze to lock with the now awake and open eyes of the 'yellow flash' "Minato-Sama?" she asked hesitantly; knowing some people can get loopy when they have a fever.

He huffed out a breath "Kagome-Chan? Why do I feel like…" he began and trailed off trying to think of a way to describe how he feels at the moment.

"yeah… well… I'm sorry!" she exclaimed "I probably should have treated you a few hours ago but I forgot to set my alarm last night." She said cringing in shame and embarrassment at forgetting such an important thing; just because it was Inuyasha's human night last night 'he's survived it before without any help from me, why do I have worry so much!?'

Realizing he still had a kunai to her throat she addressed him "Minato-Sama, I would like to give you a treatment but I would first appreciate it if you put the knife away." He frowned and pulling it away he said "it's called a kunai."

Kagome rolling her eye's at that said "call it what you want it's still a knife, now lay on your stomach or something I need access to your back."

He sighed tucked the kunai back in its hiding place between the mattress and the bed frame and did as she asked.

Placing her hands on his back and beginning the treatment she said "after the treatment it'll still take a while before you feel better so I'd appreciate it if you would take it easy till you do feel better, meaning: stay in bed! It would be a real shame if you didn't feel better because you didn't give your body the chance to recover" she sighed.

He sighed as well and said "yes, Kagome-Chan." Simply not feeling well enough to argue and honestly, he didn't disapprove of the idea of resting up for a while instead of going to the office.

He felt like he might really be sick, the feeling is similar to a time he had a cold. (With considerably less sneezing and considerably more aching.)

"I'll let Kushina-Chan know the situation. She'll know who to tell and what to do." Kagome sighed, removing her hands from his back, still disappointed in herself.

"She'll probably tell Jiraiya sensei and let the council know I'm not coming in today; probably tell them I'm taking the day off."

Kagome let a smile creep onto her face at that. "You'll actually take the whole day off? Really, Minato-Sama?"

Minato groaned out loud: she sounded way too happy about that. "Yes, Kagome-Chan, I intend to take the day off." he wouldn't be able to focus anyways; feeling the way he was.

"Kagome-Chan, don't try to sabotage my work by letting it get this way too often please. My work is important, even if it's just paper pushing." He commented, he didn't think Kagome would intentionally let things get this bad, he just needed to be sure.

He was right, of course. He even smiled at the affronted and vaguely horrified expression she turned to him, before it morphed into anger.

"What kind of person do you take me for!? Do I really come across as such a spiteful person? I don't enjoy seeing you in pain." her expression changed to one that looked a little hurt at the thought.

"No Kagome-Chan, you don't, you're very sweet and kind and everyone knows it, I just wanted to be sure you won't go to these lengths to make me rest, you can be very… willful on the subject, you've used force before." He recalled her force; he let her get away with it too much. He was the strongest ninja in the village (in fact being the strongest in the world was debatable) how she managed to get him to let her push him around to any extent would remain a mystery…

Okay, that was a lie, he knew exactly why. But no way was he going to let her know, all she had to do is puppy dog pout, or bat her eyelashes to get him to cave. Plus if he fought back too hard he might hurt her, that was the last thing he wanted.

"Minato-Sama," she sighed in exasperation, "I make you rest for the sake of your health, I would not deliberately ruin your health in an attempt restore it, isn't that kind of counterproductive?"She raised a brow at him a little incredulous at the idea "I may get aggressive or creative in order to make you take care of yourself, but I'm not totally crazy." She pouted at him, feeling better knowing he didn't see her in such a distasteful way, but still annoyed that he would even question if she would go this far.

'She's cute when she pouts.' Minato thought briefly.

"Sorry Kagome-Chan, you're right, I didn't really think you would, but I wanted to be sure." He smiled at her again, then winced as a hot flash, from his fever, hit him.

With a sigh she moved toward the Hokage and pushed him to lie down before pulling the covers up to his chin.

"Well now that that has been cleared up," she began "it's time to rest, Minato-Sama." She left the room tossing over her shoulder "I'll back in few minutes to check on you. If you need anything before that just call for me, I'll take care of whatever it is, you stay in bed." The last bit was said a little firmer than the rest, he'd be willing to bet if she caught him out of bed she just might tie him down (or try to he was still stronger than her).

Instead of replying he just turned over and closed his eyes.

The climbed down the stairs her dream resurfaced before she forced it away, 'let the past stay in the past.' She thought to herself with a sigh, 'no use getting upset over something you can't change.'

Upon entering the kitchen, she found Kushina and Inuyasha sitting at the table talking while eating breakfast and sipping tea.

Kagome knew long before she entered the kitchen that Inuyasha was there and alright, his aura said as much, but she was still relieved to see him there in approximately the same condition as the day before.

"Good morning." Kagome greeted them, Kushina replied with her own 'good morning' and Inuyasha just nodded.

"Um… Kushina-Chan…" she began, a little embarrassed.

"Yes?" she wondered at Kagome's blush. What could have caused that?

"Um… Minato-Sama, won't be going into work today."

"Oh? This is a little last minute." She replied surprised.

It certainly wasn't like Minato to play hooky (despite knowing it would make Kagome happy, and would probably get her to back off, at least for a little while.) So she had had to ask "why? Is something wrong?"

"Well… you see… I… Ummm…" she really was embarrassed and even worse; felt horribly guilty about it: leaving Minato without treatment for so long that is.

Luckily (or unluckily, depending on how look at it) Inuyasha stepped in and finished for her, having heard the conversation between her and the blonde with his superior hearing. "Kagome, woke up late and didn't give your husband a treatment before he started feeling sick, he'll be feeling pretty bad for awhile."

Kagome turned a halfhearted glare at her friend "you make it sound like I did it on purpose!" she exclaimed indignant.

But despite her annoyance, she still looked absolutely torn apart with guilt.

'She's really sweet, but a little too hard on herself sometimes.' Kushina thought with a soft expression.

"He'll be fine Kagome: Minato's tough, he's had worse," she said with a casual wave of the hand and small, reassuring smile "he needs, what? One day of rest? He'll be fine, the village will survive and I'm sure the third won't mind filling in for one day."

Kagome gave the redhead a smile in thanks "yeah, one day, should be enough."

Kushina smirked, as a thought occurred to her, "and you'll be here taking good care of him, right?"

"Well… yes." Kagome responded a little wary of the expression the other woman was showing her.

"If anyone can take care of Minato, it's gotta be you, Kagome-Chan. I know you, you'll make sure he gets better if you have to force him." she assured, making said girl blush slightly.

And chuckled at the cute expression on her friends face: "besides that, Inuyasha will be here too, I'll probably just assist the third today." She said offhandedly then shooting Inuyasha a meaningful look that said 'look after her' they were all pretty sure that most of Kagome's attackers wouldn't attempt much so close to the house,(or in it) but better safe, than sorry.

Kagome, completely missing the look, said "okay, and if our 'pile of junk' document" she winked, with a smile, at Kushina with that "comes back through today, try to keep Hiruzen Sarutobi-Sama from looking at it too closely. I don't think he'd pull the mission to fix the orphanages, but I'd rather we not chance it." She said, as if it just occurred to her "it should be coming back around today for the final approval."

Kushina smiled and winked at her as she stood up and got ready to leave "you got it!"

Pulling on her sandals she called out a quick "see ya!" before she took off.

XxX

He took a look at the impressive stack of papers in front of him, it wasn't because it was a particularly tall stack mind you, being Hokage meant you learned how tall you could stack papers until they toppled over and practically buried you, no it was the fact it was all one document.

He looked at Kushina who had brought it in for him, her face giving nothing away, but he knew what it was about, and he had to admit he was quite impressed with the tactic used to get it approved, remembering Homura complaining about how the whole document was "ridiculous" and a "waste of everyone's time".

He however had found out the real objective of the document, while the other council members figured that it was just another way the fourth hokage's new assistant managed to distract him from his more important work.

He had the luck of turning to the page where the orphanage construction was explicated on. Having seen that and knowing the other council members the way he did, he decided to keep it to himself.

It's not that the council didn't care; it's just they cared more about other things and wouldn't deem it a priority, until it affected them and they finally recognized it as a problem. (It was just something they didn't really think about.)

He immediately stood up so he could reach the top and front page to sign it, then with a quick stamp Kushina snatched it up so quickly, you'd think it was going to suddenly grow legs and run away and the redhead was out the door with it.

He smirked and chuckled, he had to agree with the rest of council on one front; it was probably the girls idea, she looked entirely too satisfied when she dropped the monster of a document off with them.

"Hokage-Sama was bored" she had said in the face of their dumfounded expressions, and left, with a strange air of victory surrounding her.

She was good at her unofficial job, she took good care of the fourth, he just wondered how, with her watching him, he had managed to get sick.

A sweet girl, with a hot temper and a drive that made him feel she could put a few of Konoha ninja's 'wills of fire' to shame.

He sighed as Kushina walked in with more paper work, it looked like less then what he remembered but there was still enough to keep him busy, he really hoped Minato would only be sick for one day like Kushina predicted.

XxX

After tending to little Naruto Kagome climbed the stairs back to Minato's room, she had made some porridge and tea, not knowing if he would be nauseous or not, But not wanting to take chances.

She slowly opened the door his aura telling her he was asleep, she closed the door behind her and set down the porridge and tea on the bed side table, and moved towards the bed to wake him up. (she didn't want to, but he needed to eat.)

The second she placed a hand on his shoulder, a hand snapped out and pulled her onto the bed so she was lying with his arms wrapped around her securely.

"Minato-Sama?" she asked hesitantly.

He continued breathing steadily, and quietly, still asleep.

"Minato-Sama, please wake up." She said with more surety and volume then before.

He mumbled something that sounded like her name but continued to sleep.

Then she shouted "Minato-sama!" and somehow he still slept, that was just odd in her book, so after managing to wrestle one of her arms free (that's just not fair, he's sick and asleep, and still remains a lot stronger then her.) she brought up her free hand to check his forehead and found him burning up, hotter than he was earlier, in fact now she noticed in his embrace she was starting to get hot herself.

"He should be feeling better by now." she mused to herself "or at the very least his temperature shouldn't have risen." She thought about it for a second "unless he really is sick!" she thought worriedly.

'Unfortunately that makes sense. If I neglect from treating him long enough, then the negative energy could have affected his immune system!" she wanted to smack herself.

After a few minutes of calling for Inuyasha she remembered the sound seals around the room then resigned herself to waiting and attempting to fight her way out of his grip on her own.

XxX

After half an hour Inuyasha came up to check up on what was taking her so long and found her struggling to get free he managed to help pry her out of the unconscious blonde's grip.

"Even unconscious and sick he's still stronger than me!" she knew the few times she had managed to force her will on him, it was purely because she had managed to catch him off guard; otherwise it wouldn't have worked.

"What? I thought you just forgot a treatment?" Inuyasha asked, then he took a sniff and indeed he did smell illness 'I'd say probably the common cold, if a little on the severe side.'

"I did, but if I forget a treatment it could mean a decrease in his immune systems efficiency." She bit her lip guiltily 'how could I let it get this bad?! I'll never forget another treatment!"

Kagome fully paused for a second eyes widening and she quickly whipped her head around to face the half-demon next to her.

He gave her a startled look "What?!"Inuyasha exclaimed in his usual defensive way.

"He has a cold right?" she asked the strange look in her eyes didn't change: it only became stronger.

"Yes…" he responded cautiously, he had a bad feeling Kagome's look of guilt was gone completely and the strange look in her eyes was something he would say was either something like hope or wonder; he didn't like it!

"I can't cure a cold fast but you can!" a now grinning raven exclaimed brightly.

"I can?" he asked completely confused 'since when am I capable of that?'

"Yeah! Remember when I caught that cold and you made me that medicine that your mom made for you before!"*

"Oh yeah…" now he remembered, he had done that hadn't he, her cold had been pretty bad too.

"How did you make it? You know, you never did tell me." She said tilting her head almost as if just realizing it.

"Oh well…" he considered telling her, her brother had warned him off of telling her, so should her tell her now?

"but wait… maybe he won't even take it." Her face twisted into one of displeasure "it was pretty icky in all honesty."

He was about to tell her he would if she gave it to him, followed by the recipe, when he was reminded of the sick Hokage laying in bed by a few heavy coughs from said man.

He quickly grabbed her hand a dragged her out into the hall way and using a minor jutsu he learned from Kushina last month created a sound barrier so no one would hear them, especially the sick blond in the next room: he probably wouldn't appreciate the ingredients, he already knew he wouldn't like the taste or smell.

Given how enamored the blonde was with his friend he knew he would drink it if she asked him to. The worst case scenario she would have to put on a cute, pouty face and plead 'Please Minato-Sama, its my fault you sick, so I just want to make you feel better! Please,' something like that, but it's still best he doesn't know the ingredients. 'He maybe unconscious, but we shouldn't take any chances.'

"He'll drink it if you ask him." He said doing his best to put off telling her just what exactly it was he made her drink, even if it was quite a few years ago.

"How are you so sure?" she asked a little annoyed, she knew if she got him to drink it he would be better by the next day, but she still didn't want to make him drink that stuff.

"He's a ninja and he lets his guard down around you, he obviously trusts you." He replied in a tone that struck Kagome as odd for a second, then remembered that trust is something of a dicey subject when it comes to Inuyasha; trusting is not something that Inuyasha does easily, and is something he is very uncomfortable discussing on any level.

She was the first person (probably other than his mother) who he truly trusted. Her expression softened to her friend, and then she quickly tried to cover it up: Inuyasha wouldn't appreciate the recognition of his vulnerability.

"Right of course!" she tried for reassured instead and it seemed to work since he relaxed a bit.

"So… what is actually in it?" she asked changing the subject completely much to his relief, but then he cringed.

"Well you see…" he began.

XxX

"Something wrong?" the third Hokage looked up from the paperwork he was reading over, at his current assistant who's bored expression facing window, suddenly turned to a scowl.

"Yeah, but could you give me just a second." Her smile was, if nothing else, fake, he'd sooner believe his ex-students excuse about spying into the women's bath being for research, instead of his own perversions, than believe that's true and happy smile.

Whatever it was about, he didn't feel like exerting much effort to stop her or cool her temper (she was nicknamed the red-hot habanero for a reason) the worst that would happen, was the medics would get some extra practice.

"Sure, could you pick-up some lunch while you're out?" he asked lunch time would be rolling around pretty soon and he didn't want to eat in the cafeteria.

"Of course." Her tone sent chills up the third hokage's spine. He felt a little sorry for the unfortunate person to be on the receiving end of Kushina's temper.

XxX

Inuyasha felt a familiar feeling, it came right before he experienced significant amounts of pain: he'd gone and pissed of someone that he shouldn't have.

"Inuyasha," it wasn't said particularly loudly but the inflection in which it was said had him shivering in fear, but it was also in a voice he recognized 'Kushina' she was a strong woman and not one you crossed unless you wanted trouble and a lot of pain; she had a temper to rival Kagome's, while he was fairly certain she wouldn't do him any permanent damage, he still remained wary.

With a slow and cautious turn, he faced the redheaded Kuniochi and wondered what he had done to upset her so much. (he knew it must have been him if her B-line of doom was anything to go by.)

"What are you doing out here? How could you leave Kagome alone? If Minato was too sick to argue with her about going to work then he is too sick to look out for her." She hissed her unspoken words as clear as her spoken ones 'you'd better have a good explinaton!'

"Well," he began a little nervously "first off we're pretty sure no one will attack while she's at the house" Kushina only seemed to get angrier, she was vibrating in rage "and she's not alone, you were the one who told the pervert of a sage about the blond idiot getting sick." He sighed seeing her begin to lose her steam "so he's there right now, and the only reason I'm out here is to pick up so ingredients for a good cold medicine, I wouldn't have left otherwise."

"you make cold medicine? Since when?" she asked skeptically no longer angry but curious about this new and unexpected development.

It was an interesting sight to see Inuyasha fidget and look away in an almost bashful manner "my… mother made it for me… when I got sick." He said quietly, shyly. Then with a scoff the look turned into the more common scowl that he wore obviously uncomfortable with all the sentimental stuff.

'his mother? I wonder what she was like.' It was at times like this that reminded her that she really didn't know a lot about Inuyasha or Kagome, with the way he behaved it made her think he didn't have a mother but judging by his expression he cared dearly for the woman.

"Anyway I had to get the ingredients, because there ain't no way I'm letting Kagome leave the house while your Hokage is like this." He felt better knowing that she was spending time with one of the strongest people in the village when she left the house, because she went straight from the house to the office no one was likely to cause her too much harm while she was working with the village leader close by but an encounter in the market could be something else entirely especially while Minato was sick.

"Yeah, good call." she said her thoughts obviously running along the same lines as his. She really should have known better, Inuyasha would never leave Kagome alone unless she was in capable hands, and the only one more capable then Jiraiya was Minato who is currently sick.

Then it hit her "Wait! I thought she had just missed a treatment, Minato's sick? With a cold?" she asked.

That could be bad she had told the third it would only be one day!

"Yeah, apparently missing a treatment screwd up his immune system, so he got sick." He shrugged "The medicine I'm getting the ingredients for works pretty well. so he should get better in no time."

She sighed in relief "Oh, good… what's in it?" she asked.

Her curiosity only grew when he began to act a little shifty "ummm…" he began remembering Kagome's reaction she had become pale and ahd taken a few deep breathes before saying "at least it works" and decided to reply with "it probably better you don't know in case you need it some time too."

XxX

And that's that.

Sorry It's been so long. I've been really busy lately.

Fortunately my motivation had a random spark of energy from nowhere and had me typing and posting so… *shrugs* here you go.