She to He

Summary: Who would have thought that an elder woman could cause your life to do a complete 180? Kagome was just an ordinary girl...well, maybe normal isn't the right word, but...this has nothing to do with her odd trips down the well. This is a story about one run in that turned her life into an odd...romance.?.? Kagome/Gaara.

Anime/Manga: InuYasha/Naruto

Rated: M (Excessive Violence) (Excessive Sexual Themes) (Mild Language) (Medium Blood and Gore)

Disclaimer: Do you really have to ask? No I don't own InuYasha or Naruto.

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Chapter VI

Forming Bonds and Meeting of the Past!

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(Year 2002, Modern Era, Konoha)

Kagome took in the deadpanned expression on Sand Boy'sface before smiling and sitting next to him.

"I'm Kagome, what's your name?"

He stared at her for a brief moment before answering. "Gaara no Subaki..." She smiled as he gave her his title.

'I have a title too...' She thought childishly. 'I just can't say it out loud, Kagome Higurashi, Shikon no Miko.' She smiled at the childish thought. "So what are you doing all the way out here?" She asked, though, looking around she figured that no one really needed a reason to want to be out here. It was peaceful and serene compared to the lively village that borderlines the beautiful lake on the Uchiha property. "Actually, don't answer that. It was a stupid question. The answer is obvious."

He raised a brow, waiting for her to continue.

"It's a good place to come when you want to think...or forget... Although, the silence could be dangerous too..."

"How do you figure?"

"There are many things that we want to forget, the silence...at times can make forgetting...almost impossible. It leaves you with too much time to think and your mind wanders to those painful thoughts that plague your dreams and make it hard to cleanse your soul...or more importantly...your heart."

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Gaara had noticed when the boy had started talking in a daze. His speech had been his thoughts right around the part where he said..."almost impossible"That was when his eyes had glazed over.

'No doubt from memories...' He knew what he meant though. That is why he came here. Before he got here his mind had been wandering to the day he had died...Sasori had killed him...his partner...Deidara had caused all that trouble in his village with those chakra infused clay bombs of his.

"You okay?" He turned to face the boy...Kagome. Surprisingly he had thought at first glance that Kagome was a girl. Thankfully, he hadn't said that out loud.

"I'm fine." Finally, thinking back to a while ago, he let curiosity get the better of him. "Why were you yelling on your way here?"

"...You remember that part about wanting to forget? Yeah, well, that's one of those things...that I wanted to forget! I was called something that I didn't like..."

"There aren't many names that you can call a guy that they don't like...what were you called?"

"...to~s..." He mumbled. The word or words an incoherent murmur.

"Care to repeat that."

"He called me...toots."

Gaara felt a tug at the corner of his lips but resisted the urge to smile or laugh, instead opted for asking another question. "Who called you toots, if you don't mind me asking, and why?"

"It was Kisame, the damn blue shark like Akatsuki member, and he did it...to annoy me."

Gaara glanced at the boy next to him and decided to take his...interrogation...a step farther.

"Why are you trying to help them? Did they ask for redemption? Have they ever tried to change their ways in the past?"

"I...I have never been one to stand by and watch as someone throws what could be a great life...away. I looked into Deidara's eyes and...I saw Jakotsu, a mercenary...who was brought back to life along with his seven brothers, also mercenaries...forced to fight for a man who used them and sent them on missions that ended in their deaths. I had actually spoken a few times with him and Bankotsu, the leader of the seven...they were afraid to die again, and wanted to live for once. Jakotsu had joined because his little sister had been killed before him, he was taken care of by Bankotsu and they became brother like figures to each other...Bankotsu had watched all of his five brothers die, and his sixth brother...Jakotsu, died in his arms. Jakotsu wanted to protect Bankotsu but he died too. Then when they were brought back to life only to be forced to fight again...it frightened them. I didn't care for the others. They enjoyed the kill...but those two cherished their brothers and would kill to protect them. I saw the same fear of death and want for protecting in Deidara's eyes, just like Jakotsu's. That's what started my reasoning behind finding their salvation."

"...they don't deserve it, they're monsters. Plagues to the villages they came from."

Kagome frowned. "There is no such thing. I believe that everyone has a hidden monster within them, but to call someone a plague to their village...I don't think it's our place to say that. If you can smile...a real smile...then you are human... I think that because we don't know their story behind what they did, we cruelly call them names and push them away. Condemning them and in the end...we push them farther into the roles that we gave them."

"Roles?"

"Yes, if you call a child a liar, they start to think you will never believe them, even if they tell the truth. So they tell a lie that you'll believe, and it just...sticks. They start lying about things more and more out of habit, till finally, their whole life is one big lie beneath a headstone with a false name and a fake history."

"What about...calling a child...a monster? What would that child turn into? Would he turn into a monster or rebuke against the title given?"

"...I think it can go both ways. I think that it depends on the circumstances. If someone grows up with a dark background, with people calling then a monster, or trying to hurt them, then yes, I can see them turning into what they labeled that child. If the child grew up with hurtful remarks and the same name calling, but by chance, someone was there for them to converse with and hold that child close...then that child might be lucky enough that they continue fighting for the hope of being accepting one day."

"..." Gaara said nothing more to that.

"Is that...what happened to you?" Gaara's eyes widened and in a swirl of sand he vanished without as much as goodbye.

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Kagome smiled sadly at the spot the boy had been sitting. She stood up and stretched her arms.

"It's sad that people can treat others like that...calling them that kind of name...don't you think so...Shikamaru?" Shikamaru came out from the spot behind the tree where he had been hiding. A bored expression marred his features.

"...it can be troublesome at times..."

"Sit with me?" She questioned with a smile. He walked over and sat down before lying back on the grass and looking up at the clouded sky.

They sat in a surprisingly comfortable silence, Kagome leaned back against the tree, and her eyes falling shut after a few minutes. "So when did you get back?"

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Shikamaru glanced at the feminine boy and raised a brow at the relaxed figure next to him. "About twenty minutes ago. I got here when I saw Neji walking Shiko home and decided to find out what was wrong. So after reporting back to the Hokage's, I found that she wasn't there. I headed to the place where everyone was gathered around, that being your apartment..." Kagome laughed a bit at that. "I watched as Kakashi led them away and I handed her my teams report as she and me passed each other. She let me go and as I came up to the apartment you kind of left through the window so I followed you and, well, I didn't want to interrupt you, besides, I got quite a bit of information from that conversation of yours and Gaara's."

"I see." Kagome smiled softly.

'He really is...like a girl...'

"Can I ask you something...?"

"You just did, but go ahead."

"...Are you...uh, um...AUGH! Never mind…."

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She frowned and moved so that she was facing a flustered Shikamaru. "Am I what?"

"It's nothing, ignore me."

"No, I want to know what you were going to ask. I'll answer." She smiled, 'Or try to at least.'

"..." He sighed. "It's not important."

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(Elsewhere)

Cold lifeless eyes stared into the frightened eyes of a young blonde with blue eyes.

"Pretty, pretty...I'll take your soul...look at me, into my eyes, pretty."

"N-no, no, NO! GET BACK!"

"Quiet down, it will not hurt pretty, just a soft pull from inside."

"PLEASE, SOMEONE HELP!"

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Kagome stopped pestering Shikamaru to ask what it was he was going to ask. Something pulled at her mind, calling her and she stood up suddenly and looked past the Uchiha's property. She took off running, quite aware of Shikamaru following with a worried look in his eyes.

"Kagome! What's wrong?"

"I-I'm not sure..." She ran past the disconsolate Sasuke who looked up in confusion but did nothing more then watch the two pass him. 'This pull, something...familiar...'

"SASUKE! GO GET SESSHOUMARU!" She yelled at Sasuke in exigency, not once slowing her dash towards what her mind told her was trouble.

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The blonde turned in an attempt to run when a branch wrapped firmly around her.

"STOP IT! LET ME GO, LET M―MmMamm!" Her words cut off by another branch wrapping around her head and forcing its way around her mouth like a gag.

"Look into my eyes, pretty!"

Her blue eyes closed shut tightly as she tried turning her head away from the old hag before her.

"WANDERER!"

The branches gave way and the blonde fell in a heap to the dirt ground.

"A familiar voice?" She turned around and felt the familiar miko energy.

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Kagome knew now...why she felt this pull. It was her right to take revenge on this old woman for cursing her to the body that she was now confined to. "Leave her alone!" Kagome said in a cold and dark tenor that sent chills down Shikamaru and the fallen blonde's spine.

"The reincarnation of Midoriko...you're...THE GIRL WHO GOT AWAY!"

Kagome only glared.

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"..." Shikamaru exchanged looks with Ino, then turned back to look at Kagome... 'Does that mean...but I thought that Kagome was just feminine...I hadn't actually thought that...he was...a she...'

"So you...remember me..." Kagome said coolly. "Then you should know...I'm going to kill you..."

"Is that...wise. I am the only one whom can reverse the curse on your body."

Kagome felt the arrival of Sesshoumaru, Itachi, Deidara, Kisame, Sasori, Sasuke, Neji, Tsunade and Kakashi.

"I thought I said Sesshoumaru, why are the others here?"

Sasuke looked at Kagome and sighed. "They were there, they followed."

"Whatever, it matters not. I just need to know, if this woman is capable of turning me...back into a female. I grow tired of this male body, and to be quite honest...I'd like to be capable of bathing without a blindfold."

Kakashi chuckled at that, but the others stared in confusion, except for Sesshoumaru who moved to Kagome's side.

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"She put a curse on you that was meant to kill you...your body changing was..."

"Midoriko's doing...yes, I am quite aware of this. I just wanted to confirm that she could do nothing for me."

"We searched for a long time after you left, however, it seems that...only the one who dealt the curse, can remove it."

Kagome's glare hardened at Sesshoumaru's words. "I haven't spoken to Midoriko since she changed my body, so...I'm stuck like this...Then, I'LL KILL THE WITCH THAT CAUSED THIS PROBLEM IN THE FIRST PLACE!" She charged the old woman who placed an aged hand up and formed a barrier around her blocking the punch. The elder woman's eyes started to glow a sickly dark purple and black.

"You won't win...pretty..."

"We'll see..." Kagome's eyes glowed a vibrant pink...her hair was carried in the energy that burst from around her feet. Her entire body glowing with the same pink glow as her body was carried into the sky. "Tell me hag, how long have you waited, to serve the fiend of the underworld."

"...600 plus years...I will continue to wait until he accepts me. You know of whom I speak."

"Of course, all demons go to hell...you wish to see Inu no Taisho...but he will still only have eyes for three, you are not one of those three."

The elder woman looked on scornfully at Kagome through unseeing eyes.

"This ends...NOW!" Pink energy shot out as the elder woman countered with her own black energy, the two clashing violently. Everyone moved out of the way, jumping back as far as they could without being out of range to see the fight.

"What is going on?" Neji asked the singular thought that plagued most of their minds.

"She is getting back what dignity she lost, 500 years ago." Sesshoumaru answered, though not doing much to calm their curiosity or stop the headache of confusion.

Suddenly the elder woman smirked and, without another word...a light enclosed around her and a large blast of the conflicting energies pushed Kagome back into someone causing them to fly back with the impact of the blow. Kagome looked up and her eyes widened in distress...the elder woman had...vanished...

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Me: La Di Da, I updated. ^_^''

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