Disclaimer: I own nothing

Rated: T

Nine Years Ago

Crimson-red eyes glared at him. And he couldn't help but glare back through Shuuichi's eyes.

'How the fuck did Hiei find this place already? And how did he get through to Ningenkai?' Youko thought with a growl, 'That little bastard!'

'Who are talking about?' Shuuichi asked warily, looking around but not sensing anything out of the ordinary, 'There's no one around.'

"Shuuichi-kun?" Kagome hesitantly asked, her voice lowering in shyness, "A-are you okay?" She stammered slightly, finally gaining back Shuuichi's attention.

"Yes, Kagome-chan," Shuuichi answered with his false boyish charm, "It was nothing. Don't worry about it." He narrowed his green eyes, trying to spot whatever Youko was currently freaking out about.

"So, Shuuichi-kun, how do you like Higure Shrine?" Higurashi-Mama asked kindly, and the demon avatar could see the hope shining in her cocoa eyes like a beacon in the dark.

"I think it's very serene here," Shuuichi answered honestly, though he definitely could go without the constant buzzing of holy energy, "I'm very interested in the Goshinboku and its history."

Higurashi-san looked a little surprised at his impressive vocabulary as he was only eight-years-old, "Yes, the Goshinboku is the founding of our shrine," Higurashi-Mama answered softly, "It was already blossomed before the Higure Shrine was even built."

Shiori's eyes lit up as an idea hit her and hit her hard, "Shuuichi, what do you think about coming back here again? If you're interested in learning about the Goshinboku, then I'm sure Higurashi-san will love to have you back here again."

Both Kagome and Shuuichi tensed, though both mothers' did not seem to notice in the least, "Of course you're welcome here at any time," Higurashi-Mama answered with a kind smile that reminded Shuuichi much of his own mother, "I'm sure that Kagome will like to see you again."

Kagome hesitantly answered as her mother's eyes landed on her person, obviously wanting an answer, "U-umm, yes, I like you, Shuuichi-kun." It honestly wasn't too hard to tell that Kagome was lying, but their mothers' were too in love with the idea of them becoming friends to even notice their true feelings.

"That would be lovely, Higurashi-san." Shuuichi said in a pleasant voice, though he felt completely the opposite internally. He winced slightly as they seemed to squeal quietly at his positive answer.

"Where is your husband?" Shiori finally turned away from the two kids as they talked about some light gossip, "I thought that Katsuya would have taken some time off." She gestured to Higurashi-san's very pregnant stomach, sipping at her tea.

"Oh, Katsuya would have liked to take some time off, but the police have a shortage of officers right now." She explained, rubbing at her round belly lovingly.

"Have you thought of a name yet?" Shiori smiled, keeping on eye on the children (Kagome was mumbling shyly and her sweet Shuuichi was trying to make her feel more comfortable).

"Souta if it's a boy and Kouka if it's a girl," Higurashi-san said, "Katsuya is hoping it's a boy." She stated fondly, smiling at the thought of her husband.

"Kagome-chan," Shuuichi asked lazily, barely paying any attention to the talk about Kagome's future younger sibling, 'Ask her if she has ever heard the name 'Hiei' before.' Youko quietly urged, still seemingly distracted by something that Shuuichi himself couldn't detect, "Have you possibly heard of the name Hiei before?" He asked in the exact same words as the kitsune did.

Kagome looked puzzled and a bit confused, "Hiei?" She blinked her unusual blue eyes, looking thoughtful and for a moment, the human side of Shuuichi thought that Kagome was quite the cute little girl. Her fear of him seemed to disappear for a second as she searched her mind for the familiar name, "Isn't that... the name of a mountain? Kinda like Mount Fuji?"

Shuuichi resisted the urge to sigh and reminded himself that Kagome was only a simple-minded human child and thus, wouldn't know too much, "Yes, it is the name of a mountain," He quickly replied, appearing to please the small girl for Youko's sake (otherwise, the damn silver fox would probably resort to giving him a headache), "That's very smart of you, Kagome-chan."

Kagome frowned, ignoring Shuuichi's praise as she shook her head, "No, I know that name from somewhere else, too," She mumbled, "I'm really sure that Jii-san said it to me once." She thought back to the boring old folktales that her grandfather always insisted on telling her, but nothing really came up.

"You don't know anyone named Hiei?" Shuuichi insisted, trying to push the girl to find the answers that he desired, "No one?"

Kagome stayed silent for a moment, her face scrunched up in frustration, "No, I don't think so," She then giggled slightly, her fear of the red-headed boy buried temporarily, "Hiei? That's kind of a funny name for a person."

Shuuichi forced the smile onto his face once again, "Yes, I suppose it is." He agreed, seeing that Kagome was getting a bit more comfortable with him.

It was step in the right direction.

Only he didn't think so.

"U-um, I know that the Goshinboku has been here for over five hundred years..." Kagome said out of the blue, surprising Shuuichi with the information, "If you like the Goshinboku and stuff..."

"That's very interesting." He smirked slightly and promised to look into the information on his own time to see what Youko was up to at that time in the Sengoku Era, 'It might tell me why Youko is so obsessed with this girl. Perhaps Kagome is the reincarnation of an old human lover?'

There was another flash of youki and Youko growled and snapped his sight back up to the leaves through Shuuichi's eyes, 'It's too bad that you can't get close to Kagome, Hiei.' Youko smirked, not expecting a reply.

'What makes you think you can?'

Youko jumped a bit, hearing Hiei's voice whisper in Shuuichi's mind. He ignored the boy's panicked questions of who was that, 'You found this place before me...' The kitsune narrowed his golden eyes in thought, and then he widened them once he realised what must have happened.

'Hiei – you? Did you actually take up guardianship of the Higurashi line? But I thought that the kitsune pup did that!'

And Shuuichi could only wonder what ties did Youko and this 'Hiei' had to the Higurashi family...