Becoming Higurashi
Jessylane318
Kagome stroked Souta's hair as he hugged her tightly, ignoring the stares. The leader, Kakashi, had been studying them surreptitiously from behind some perverted orange book since bringing them together. She didn't trust him or these kids.
They moved to stealthily to be normal children. They glided when they walked, well, except for the blonde; he just sort of bounced everywhere. The only normal one was the old drunk, and he smelled so strongly of sake that she had to stand a good ten meters away and try to ignore his oddly guilty glances.
Either way, something was wrong with this group, and as thankful as she was for their help, she was hardly about to trust them with their deepest secrets.
"So, Kagome right, what are you two doing around these parts?"
"We were visiting some friends of mine, but I guess we got a little turned around. Thank you very much for saving us, you have our deepest thanks."
Kagome bowed, and quickly nudged Souta sharply that he should do the same. He reluctantly leaned into a slight bow. How did Mama handle him? Was he always this stubborn?
"Where are you heading?"
She blinked. Where were they heading? She saw Souta give her a pointed stared and felt like smacking him. She was not telling this stranger they were heading for a well in the middle of nowhere. That was the way you get locked up for craziness.
"I bet they're heading to Wave Country like us!" shouted the blonde, grinning like a loon. She could have kissed the boy, but politely refrained.
"Heh," she muttered, rubbing her arm as she smiled, "you two, huh?"
She wasn't sure if they bought it or not, but Kakashi did the strange eye-smile and nodded without any more questions.
"We're about a two day's walk from wave, we should be there soon," said the old man, Tazuna, ignoring the odd interrogation. He turned towards her and Souta and gave a wide, drunk smile. "Are you travelling with us? These woods aren't so safe anymore."
Kakashi's one eye narrowed.
"Oh? Is their something we should know?"
Kagome looked in confusion at the group, feeling oddly awkward. She felt Souta try and shift away from her, but she gripped his shoulder tightly, ninja weren't to be trusted. In ways they were far more dangerous than demons. Demons tended to be honest about their blood-hungry ways; ninja were the darker human counter-parts. She had only met one once in passing during her time in the feudal era. He had been a strange man who had spent so much time with the demons that they had taught him how to manipulate his energies to fight. Shippo had tried to explain it, but it just didn't make any sense. Of course, InuYasha's muttering didn't help.
InuYasha…
Gods how she missed him.
The group walked slowly to the East and she had found herself subconsciously out pacing them several times. They walked in an easy format though, the three kids surround Tazuna and Kakashi in the rear. Souta fit in easily, taking the left flank with Sakura at the front. She didn't miss the small blushes as he looked at the girl.
It just made her want to leave all the more. Hadn't she learned this lesson the hard way? She'd be damned if she let him get hurt like that too.
She sighed and stopped, waiting a good few feet in front of the group. Sakura looked worn out from the quick pace, and both Souta and Sasuke seemed a little off, though she had trouble seeing past the later's aloofness. Tazuna, however, looked like the alcohol and steady sun weren't agreeing so well with his stomach.
"I guess we should stop?" she asked, looking towards Kakashi and then back towards the children. Naruto protested loudly, and Kagome wondered for the thousandth time if he had any other setting. It seemed it was either loud or louder.
"Aye, my cute little students appear worn out by your pace," replied the captain.
She blushed and sat in one of the more shaded spots near the lake, but far enough away from the trees to not get bitten by ants. Souta, however, didn't even look before plopping against the nearby willow, and Kagome debated whether to tell him he would be itching for the rest of the night.
Taking advantage of their rest, Kakashi moved to sit near her, allowing the strange little eye smile.
"So where are you from?" Beneath the jovial tone, Kagome heard the steel edge.
"The Village of Edo," she replied, deciding it would be safer to use then Tokyo. Her instincts were correct when his smile turned into an inquisitive look.
"Edo, I've never heard of that Village. Is it in the land of Fire?"
She swallowed, shaking her head. Land of Fire? What was that, a volcano? And they had said Land of Wave earlier as well… Perhaps she should just pick an element and hope for the best? Wind maybe or Earth?
"No, it's a rather small village in the land of Earth."
He nodded solemnly and she couldn't tell if she had passed the test or not.
"That is quite a long journey, where is your equipment?"
"We were met by bandits several nights ago, who took all of out stuff. We were hoping to get replacements, but they took our money as well." Kagome felt rather proud of herself for the lie, rubbing her arm with a smile.
"Souta!" she said suddenly, watching him scratch his back against the willow. "What are you doing?"
"My back itches, I was just…"
"Of course, you're rubbing it against a tree covered in ants!"
He jumped up in a second, all his fatigue gone as he looked at where he sat and noticed at once the swarm of ants. Letting out a loud screech, he turned in circles, stomping the ground, and trying helplessly to get the little creatures off of him. She smiled softly at his dance, until Sakura got up to help him, pushing away the little creatures roughly from his back.
The blush was back, and this time Sakura was smiling coyly, almost embarrassed.
"Why didn't you tell me!" shrieked the boy. She was seriously beginning to doubt the wisdom of travelling with this group; Naruto and the girl were already rubbing off on him.
"If you had been paying attention you would have noticed," she said easily, lifting an eyebrow. Or he could have sat by her. She couldn't afford to baby him out here, not on this side of the well.