Snow Leopard Uchiha, Kagome
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Inuyasha, and therefore, claim no rights toward it. The only thing I own is my creativity.
To my readers: I have already written this out and the story is finished, I am typing it late. Therefore, there will be no voting on pairings, because if I change anything now, it will screw up the entire story. I will not post any of the pairings yet, as I am sure you would like it to be a surprise. If you really wish to know, leave a review with the request and I will send it to you personally. If you are anonymous, I am sorry, there is nothing I can do, as I don't reply to those. If I tell anyone the final pairings now, then I am sure I will be chewed off again, as the pairings hint in different places, but the outcome is the same. Thank you.
Ages:
Kagome – 15
Sasuke and the nine rookies – 16
Itachi – 22
Neji, Lee, and Tenten – 17
Kakashi – about 26, give or take a few years (probably shouldn't though, he might sick his ninken on you for making him seem old. )
Chapter 11
Kagome, Gaara, Itachi, Kisame, and Deidara sat at the noodle shop, Kagome, Kisame, and Deidara all happily eating while Itachi and Gaara watched in slight amusement. Itachi had only tried to look into Gaara's eyes once after they arrived, and had promptly been slapped upside the head for it, curtsy of Kagome. He had only sulked as Kisame and Deidara snickered. Kagome laid her forehead on the tabletop after her first bowl, purring. Itachi's lips quirked into a smirk/smile.
"You never really were able to eat many noodles without becoming full," he said as memories rose to the surface.
"It's cause I have the stomach of a leopard. I can eat pounds of meat, but when I comes to eating noodles, vegetables, and anything else, my stomach takes a longer time to digest," Kagome said, yawning a little.
"How was your arm injured Kagome-sama, un!" Deidara asked, earning himself a growl from Kagome.
He wanted to call her 'Kagome-Chan', but would rather have her growl tan her brother's viscous glare. After all, Itachi knew where he slept.
"Snake man attacked Gaara," Kagome replied, drinking from her soda can.
"You took a hit for him?" Itachi looked shocked.
"He was down. I wasn't in any condition to move him. I'm still not. I still need to hunt," Kagome sighed in annoyance.
"How long has it been?" her eldest brother demanded.
"Hmm…going on a month and a half," she said, her attention on a familiar aura she felt near the edge of the forest.
"Kagome!"
She winced at Itachi's raised voice. She could feel it in him. He was close to panicking.
"Relax Achi. I'm fine. As long as I don't run into Pinky," she added dryly.
Really, he had a good reason to worry. Nobody else knew but Itachi and she, but she had developed her Mangekyo Sharingan before he. At exactly 3 years of age, she had considered a snow owl her best friend. She had gotten it for her 2nd birthday, and had taking it everywhere with her, like a stuffed animal. Only, Itachi had to handle it, seeing as she wasn't strong enough.
She had loved it nonetheless. The snow owl, being an owl, attacked Kagome when she was in cub form. Panicked, Kagome had taken down the large bird of prey with almost no effort. Her 'best friend' had been her first taste of blood. Since then, she has needed to hunt every couple of days, almost like a vampire.
"After I leave, you will go hunting," Itachi commanded.
"I was trying to, when snake man found us," Kagome scoffed.
" 'Snake man's' name is Orochimaru," Kisame said dryly.
"Don't worry Achi, after you leave, I'm going man hunting," Kagome said cheerfully, causing Itachi, Kisame, Deidara, and, yes, Gaara, to choke on their drinks.
"What!"
"Perverts! I meant, I'm going to hunt Kabuto. He should be coming back soon, believing you have us and all," Kagome said, sweat dropping.
"Kabuto? Orochimaru's lapdog?" Itachi asked.
"Yes. He's from the leaf. I've seen him around enough to recognize his voice and aura," Kagome said, and Itachi's eyes narrowed.
"In other words, he has a leaf informant," he said in disgust.
Kagome stood and smiled at the three Akatsuki members.
"I'm sorry that I have to cut this short, but I must speak with the other members of my Pard. I'm sure they are worried about me, and Gaara's team is, no doubt, causing havoc without their leader. Achi, you should come visit us at the Uchiha district. Sas would be happy to see you, and I'm sure Naru would like to meet you. Bring Kisame and Deidara along as well, so long as he doesn't blow anything up," Kagome added, shooting a loot at Deidara, who chuckled sheepishly.
Kagome wrapped her arms around Itachi's neck from behind in a hug and leaned under his straw hat to his ear.
"I mean it. Visit us this time. Actually let Sas see you and let him talk to you. It's been too many years Aniki," she whispered before pulling away, waving at the others, and walking out of the shop.
She smiled when she felt Gaara following.
"Man, she's got him on a leash, un," Deidara commented, ordering another bowl of ramen.
"I don't think either of them realize the seriousness of the situation," Kisame said, copying the blond's actions.
Both members looked at him in confusion, but, oddly, it was Itachi who spoke.
"What?"
"They are pretty close to falling in love with one another, if not having fallen already. When you told me bout your Imouto, I did a little research on leopard demons," Kisame stated proudly.
They waited for him to continue in silence.
"Well, since he was lying on the ground when attacked, it is a good guess that Kagome-sama had placed herself over him. That is a bold move in leopard ways. It's the equivalent to a wolf rolling on it's back to show its throat to its alpha. It shows that she's completely comfortable around Gaara, and trusts him to not slice her throat open while he's under her," Kisame said, sounding like a professor teaching a class.
"It must've been shocking to him. That she would protect him, un," Deidara stated.
"Why?" Itachi frowned.
"Everything about him screams 'anti-social' and 'outcast'. He must trust her now, considering that he liked her as more than a friend. His pride probably wouldn't allow him to say he liked a girl he didn't trust, un," Deidara said thoughtfully.
"I didn't know you knew so many large words Deidara!" Kisame chuckled.
"Must be from hanging around Kagome-sama all day, un," the blond replied good-naturedly.
"Are you two telling me that they're falling in love with one another as we speak?" Itachi asked in a deadly calm voice.
Both Akatsuki members busied themselves with their new ramen bowls so that they wouldn't look at the glaring Uchiha.
Kagome led the way to Neji first, and soon heard multiple trees falling. She glanced at Gaara, before they both took off for the disaster zone. Kagome easily dodged the falling trees and tackled Neji to the ground.
"Bloody hell, Neji! Your destroying the forest I hunt in!" she scolded, lifting herself off of the stunned Hyuga.
"K-Kagome!"
The female found the air knocked out of her as she lay on the ground, Neji's arms around her waist tightly and his face buried in her neck.
"I was so worried! I thought you were dead for sure! You were stabbed with silver and kava kava root (in the elixir the kunai was dipped in. it's a major muscle-relaxer, among other things. She's allergic to it.) got into your bloodstream and…"
Kagome sighed as she felt him shaking slightly against her.
"Neji, you're making it hard to breath," she told the male, and he was immediately up.
Neji hadn't gotten off of her on his own. He had been pulled off of her by Gaara, who glared at him.
"She's injured," he growled, before leaning down and gently pulling her up.
"Thanks Gaara," she said, unwrapping the bandage from her arm and freezing the reopening wound with water from her canteen that Itachi had supplied for her.
"Until I return to the Uchiha district for clean bandages, this well do," she said quietly, while both males winced at the jagged tear in her upper arm.
"Are we going to find the rest of your Pard now?" Gaara asked and she smiled.
"You're talking like me now," she pointed out cheerfully.
He blinked before letting out a huff of amusement.
"How far along is the silver in your system?"
Gaara stiffened at the male's voice. He really didn't like the male near his female.
What! Wait! Hold on! Back up! 'My female' when did I start thinking Kagome was my female? Gaara demanded of himself furiously.
Our female kit. Ours, not yours. I claim Shimiru as mine! Shukaku said proudly.
Do you hear that cub? We have a male and his demon staking claim to us, Shimiru's smooth voice sounded in Kagome's head, halting her from responding to Neji.
She held up four fingers to him, their code that Shimiru was speaking to her. The three started deeper into the woods, where she felt the group's auras.
Well, I haven't heard from you in a while Shimiru. How have you been? Kagome asked her demon conversationally.
I am not Gaara's demon! I am the mighty sand spirit Shukaku!
Hear him roar! Kagome added in a teasing tone to Gaara, using their demons as a kind of mental telephone line.
She heard him chuckle softly in her head and she turned to give him a small, secretive smile. Her heart fluttered when he answered with a small up turning of his lips.
I will not have humans making jokes at my expense! Shukaku yelled mentally.
Who do you think you are! I don't care if you're the nine-tailed fox! You will not insult Kagome in such a way! She is a pure blood demon you insolent homicidal bandit!
Kagome blinked at the amount of venom in Shimiru's voice and almost faltered in step.
Shimiru, I really need to hunt soon if this is how nasty you get, she sweat dropped.
This has nothing to do with hunting! That raccoon just insulted our blood! It was an insult equal to that of the mangy wolf's!
Kagome sighed aloud this time.
Take another nap Shimiru. I can deal with any insults he might throw, she commanded and the snow leopard did as told, grumbling about 'stupid homicidal rodents'.
I AM NOT A RODENT YOU STUPID FEMALE!!! Shukaku screeched so loudly in their heads that Kagome and Gaara tripped on their own feet, barely managing to catch themselves.
"Bloody hell," Kagome winced, rubbing her temples with one hand.
"What's with you two?"
Kagome looked ahead to see Neji looking back at them as he walked. She growled and shook her head and he turned back around.
"He sure has a set of lungs on him," she commented aloud, searching within her blood for the answer to Neji's first question.
"You have no idea," Gaara said softly.
Kagome's eyes lit up when she found that her body had succeeded in destroying the silver.
"Neji! The silver is out of my system now!" she called to her best friend.
He sent her a smile over his shoulder and nodded ahead of him.
"We're here," he announced as everyone in the clearing froze when they entered.
Kagome hastily jumped behind Gaara when she saw an orange blur moving toward her. It went past them and smacked into a tree. Kagome laughed.
"I learn!" she said in triumph, nudging the fallen Naruto with her foot gently.
She yipped in surprise when two strong arms wrapped about her waist from behind, careful of her arm.
"Don't scare me like that!"
Kagome blinked at the familiar words.
"Don't scare me unnecessarily like that!"
She smiled and leaned into her brother's arms as she felt warm liquid soaking into the back of her black shirt.
"I'll try not to Sas," she answered quietly.
She blinked again when she felt two strong arms wrap around her ankles and heard loud sobbing.
"Don't ever do something stupid like that again!"
She smirked at the blonde's words.
"You're one to talk about doing stupid things Naru," she said as Sasuke let go of her.
"Yeah, but I only do them to get your and Sasuke's attention! My stupid things aren't likely to get me killed!" he defended.
"Like stealing my diary isn't likely to get you killed? By the way, that diary was from when I was 7, if you had bothered to check the dates you would know that," Kagome smirked at her victory.
The blond frowned and let go of her, standing up. He reached into his jacket to pull out a pack of paper, flipping through it. Kagome arched a brow and read over his shoulder. She paled and grabbed it from Naruto, holding it out of his reach as she breathed on it, promptly freezing the packet. She then brought it down on Naruto's head, effectively breaking it into million's of pieces.
"Baka! How dare you make a copy before I could get it back!" she yelled at him as he held his head, whimpering.
"Oh, get off it Naru. Kyuubi will have already healed any bump that may have caused," she scoffed.
"Kagome-sama, who took you and Gaara-san?"
Kagome then noticed the Hokage and a group of tracking ANBU were in the clearing also. She also saw that Gaara's siblings were there, but they hadn't even attempted to approach him. She frowned at the two and waked over to stand beside the redhead.
"Achi told us that the man was called Orochimaru," Kagome said and the ANBU all gasped, thought they were trained to show no emotion.
"Itachi?"
Kagome nodded at Sasuke's questioning voice.
"Who's he been?"
All ANBU fell over anime style at Sasuke's curious voice.
"He killed your clan and you're asking 'how's he been'!" an ANBU demanded.
Kagome turned harsh eyes toward the Hokage.
"You haven't told them Sarutobi?"
The lack of title with which she addressed him showed just how angry Kagome was.
"Well, it really never came up..."
Kagome sighed and turned to face the ANBU team with a cold expression, almost rivaling Gaara's.
"When I was five, Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha over heard a Uchiha clan meeting with the elders. The elders and my mother all agreed that they would execute me," Kagome said in a bored voice, but Gaara could hear the hurt behind it.
(A/N: I'm mainly repeating this all to show the reactions of the others)
She really is like me, Gaara thought to himself, and the notion of what she had felt making him feel slightly sick.
"Lies! Why would the Uchiha clan want you dead!" it was the ANBU that had first questioned Sasuke.
"I should kill you for accusing her of such a thing."
Kagome glanced at Gaara before brushing her shoulder against his. He looked at her for a moment before nodding, seemingly passive.
S-She can calm Gaara with a touch!
The thought was simultaneous in Temari and Kankuro's heads.
"I don't lie. You can ask Sasuke what he heard with his own ears if you don't believe me," Kagome stated calmly, allowing her brother to take over the explanation.
"I heard them very clearly, as did Itachi. They were going to kill her because, as a baby, a demon bonded with her with out anybody, save our father, knowing. Itachi was merely saving our little sister from being wrongly executed for something she didn't have a choice with," Sasuke finished for her.
"Can you truly prosecute him for saving a loved one?"
The ANBU members turned to look at Neji in confusion.
"Why does a Hyuga stand up for an Uchiha?" one demanded.
"I met Itachi-san the day he killed them. Earlier that day, Kagome saved me from a wild leopard and Itachi-san carried me back to the Uchiha district, since I was injured. He gave Sasuke a speech that, along with Kagome, changed my view on the Uchiha clan. He is very wise and I, for one, support his decision to save Kagome," Neji said in a deadpan voice.
Kagome watched in amusement as three ANBU feinted.
"Way to go Neji. I thought we agreed not to speak of that?" she asked.
"I don't mind. I was you after all," Neji shrugged.
"Wont Hiashi lecture you if he finds out? Possibly kick you out of the clan, kill you?" she asked in concern.
"He wont hear of it. Trust me. The only ANBU here are branch Hyuga. They wont dare go against me," Neji smirked, glancing at the ANBU, who visibly flinched.
"Sarutobi-sama, do you think you can heal this before I continue with the original story?" Kagome asked as she felt the throbbing in her arm start again.
"Let's see it," the Hokage said, sighing, and walked up to her.
Kagome placed a hand over the ice on her upper arm and focused on it, willing it to melt. The cold water trickled down her arm, revealing the jagged flesh. She felt tears sting her eyes as the fresh air bit at the open wound. The Hokage whistled.
"That's a nasty wound Kagome-sama. I'll do my best, but there will definitely be a scar," he said and she nodded.
As he started performing the seals, she breathed deeply, knowing that it would probably hurt worse to heal the wound than receiving it. She exhaled quickly when she felt the flesh pulling itself back together and mending. She had trails of ice on her cheeks by the time it was done healing. She opened her eyes when she felt a cool, soft hand brush the ice away.
She looked up into Gaara's teal eyes and smiled at the warmth she saw hidden within them. Then she knew. She was falling for him. Hard.
She straightened her form and looked at her arm. Touching it, she felt that it was completely healed, but that didn't stop it from leaving a black, strangely realistic, lightening shaped scar along the side of her arm.
"Thank you Sarutobi-sama," she said, smiling gently at the old man.
"Would you tell us the rest now?" he asked and she nodded.
Kagome explained what happened and everyone, including Gaara, who had been unconscious most of the time, listened, captivated. He went pale at the details of how she had gotten the wound while defending him. He went paler at the thought of her almost dieing. Because of him.
"Never, ever do that again," he said quietly, after she had finished.
She blinked and turned to look at him in confusion.
"Do what?" she asked.
"Never put yourself in such danger. You could have died because of me," he said, looking at the ground.
And my stupid actions, he added silently.
Kagome smiled and stepped in front of him. Carefully, she slipped her arms underneath his and wrapped them about his waist. She buried her face against his neck and inhaled his sandalwood scent. She smiled against is skin when she felt his arms slowly wrap around her shoulders tightly, to pull her closer, so that his chin rested on her head.
"But I didn't die," she whispered against his skin.
Temari and Kankuro's jaws were to the floor. (Figuratively)
"G-Gaara is hugging somebody?" Temari whispered in confusion.
"A girl no less," Kankuro whispered in awe.
"Kagome, are you ready for the Chunin exams tomorrow?"
Kagome looked up as Naruto entered her room that night, and nodded. She had already laid out her cloths for the next day, along with her weapons. She had decided on wearing her baggy black, knee length shorts and a normal black t-shirt with the Uchiha fan on the back.
"What are you going to do if you need to battle against Gaara?" he asked and she sighed and shifted to her leopard form, relieved that she had a single tail instead of six.
She jumped into her bead and curled up before answering.
"I'll deal with that when I comes," she said and closed her eyes.