Becoming Higurashi

Jessylane318

It really wasn't fair, Souta considered silently as he watched the team move away slowly. Why did they get to learn while he just had to sit around all day and listen to that Inari brat whine?

So the kid lost his dad, get over it! Him and Kagome had lost their dad in a shrine fire when he was three. The only memory he had of the man were on the VHS records Mama kept in the cabinet under lock and key. At least he had actual memories.

Souta sighed and peered quietly at Kagome who looked just as glum to see the kids go.

Kakashi had been less then pleased with everyone upon awakening, especially Kagome. He had quite bluntly refuted her entire story and then questioned her motives in putting not only him in danger with her actions, but his entire team. Kakashi had chewed Kagome out for a good ten minutes before Naruto had broken the monologue with some sarcastic remark.

That had earned everyone, including him, a nasty punishment. Naruto was to train in the mornings with his teams before reporting to the bridge-builder to help with construction-no ninjutsu allowed (which is what they called their freaky powers).

Sakura, who had not taken charge, was assigned cleaning duty, and would be responsible for tending the yard, and when she finished that, the neighbor's yard, and then the next neighbor.

Sasuke, who Kakashi had the least to say about, was to help the fishermen after training. He had the least strenuous activity, and Souta couldn't help but wonder why the boy was so upset.

Because they were not his team, Kakashi had no real ability to order them around, but Souta almost wished he would, if only to stop the disappointing looks and for something to do. He had tried to help Sakura with her work, but Kakashi had made a point of letting him know that he was not to be alone with Sakura.

Personally, Souta found it all a little harsh. Surely them coming to save him wasn't such a bad thing? Yeah, they had lied, but seriously, what were they supposed to say? We come from a decrepit well? Yeah, were arguing and just happened to fall in. Can we go home now?

"UGH!" Souta said with annoyance, stretching back and staring at the overcast sky. Did it really have to rain here every day? How depressing! "There is like nothing to do around here! And why is he being such a jerk…"

"Hush," Kagome chastised, rolling her eyes. "He has every right to be angry, if it were InuYasha I doubt we'd have-"

"Damn Kagome!" he cried, cutting her off as a familiar anger bubbled within. "Does everything have to be about him?"

She looked hurt at his words, and he felt a small amount of guilt before it was covered by a nasty anger. Why did she always have to obsess about him? It wasn't healthy, it never had been!

"Can't you just let him go? It's been months, and you said it yourself, he loves Kikyo! Can't you just move on?"

"You shouldn't talk about things you don't understand," Kagome whispered softly. Standing silently, she walked away. Souta felt the urge to call to her, but pride choked back his apologies.

He looked down as she disappeared, and felt a small pain rise in his chest, gnawing at his heart. He was so preoccupied he barely heard the steps and jumped at the large hand pressed against his shoulder.

"Ahh, Souta, I think we need to talk…."

Looking up, Souta found himself staring at that familiar eye—Kakashi…

"About what?" he asked suddenly his fingers moving to iron out the wrinkles in his dirty slacks. They were uncomfortably tight, as he had to borrow a pair from Inari. Kagome had been luckier considering Inari's mom was almost the same size.

"I think you know what," said the ninja evenly pushing him down into sitting position before standing in front of him near the steps. "Explain."

Souta swallowed thickly, not sure what to say and what not.

Kagome still didn't trust the ninja or his children (especially Sakura for some strange reason) and had made it clear that he wasn't to either. But he found himself liking the strange group. Naruto was so open and honest it was hard to be upset around him. That, and Kakashi had protected them from the strange ninja, surely he couldn't be that bad?

Almost as if sensing his shifting thoughts, Kakashi's menacing aura died away and he came to sit by him, quietly.

How could a man that had been so kind be bad?

"I'm sorry," he started out, not really sure where to begin. "My sister… She's had it hard. She doesn't want me to tell you anything because she thinks your going to hurt us, but I don't think you will or else you'd have done it already."

Kakashi nodded but otherwise remained silent, clearly waiting for him to continue. After a few moments of struggling to find the words, he finally huffed and stuffed his face in his hand.

"I'm not sure where to begin."

"Perhaps," said the ninja, more serious then he ever remembered, "You should try the beginning."

"There are two though." Souta muttered, trying to decide how to phrase everything. He shook his head before continuing on. "Alright, so Kagome and I live on a Shrine very far away. One day, when Kagome turned 15, a demon attacked her and pulled a special jewel out of her side. Because she's a priestess she was able to purify the demon, but somewhere along the way she broke the jewel."

He sighed and rubbed his head, trying to remember the story at that point.

"I don't remember a lot of the details but she met InuYasha, who she fell in love with, and some other people. They collected the pieces and then a really bad guy collected the other pieces, his name was Naraku. Eventually they had a huge battle and Kagome's group won, but in the end she had to go home and she's never been the same since."

Kakashi nodded again and Souta smiled a little, he really was a good listener. Why couldn't Kagome like someone like him instead of InuYasha? He bet Kakashi would never cheat on a girl with their dead reincarnation.

He felt a bead of sweat drop. But then again that had to be one of a kind. Only Kagome could get into a situation like that!

"And then?" the ninja asked, pressing them to the next 'beginning.'

"Well, we were arguing because she was being stupid and just sitting around doing nothing but moping about InuYasha, and he's gone now, and there really isn't any point in thinking about someone who isn't coming back. And well, I got mad at her and we had a fight and then something weird happened and we ended up here."

He watched Kakashi's face drop in annoyance.

"You just happened to appear here from where you were?"

"Well… yeah… I know it sounds crazy we were arguing one minute and then the next we were here, and I don't really know what happened!" he moved again to smooth the wrinkles in his pants and noticed Kakashi's patented stare.

"I see," replied the ninja, his face a mask of concentration. "Then answer me one last thing."

"Okay?"

"Do you think Sakura's hot?"

Souta could literally feel his mind turning to goo.