Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or Naruto
Chapter 14: Double, Double
Sasuke was more than amused. The reaction to Kagome and Kakashi's new found bond had been priceless. All of them had fainted, then when they woke up had asked questions, and then Naruto had asked a fairly strange question, which resulted in every one hitting him over the head and a twitching Naruto, much to Sasuke's delight.
Currently, though, everything was going fine. The concept had been accepted by everyone and Tsunade had made Kagome an official citizen to Konoha, and after much begging and nagging and bugging (much on Naruto's part) Tsunade had finally agreed to also allow Sango and Rin to become citizens. That had been a funny sight, as well. They also graduated into genin, allowing them to be able to enter the chuunin exams rapidly coming closer as a team of three, Kakashi doing double on team sensei.
Sasuke sighed as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, stepping over a random root from one of the nearby trees. He was outside of Konoha taking a walk, just to let his lungs get fresh air and to let his head clear out a bit. Outside Konoha was nice, calm and peaceful. Inside was just too…busy and crowded for him sometimes. He didn't like small spaces.
Sasuke was snapped out of his reverie when there was the sound of a twig breaking under the pressure of a foot. Sasuke looked around cautiously, and jumped high into a tree faster than the blink of an eye, and looked around from the new height. He nearly fell out of the tree when he saw the girl sitting on the same branch staring at him.
"Kagome?" he asked, but at the same time believed it not to be. This girl looked almost identical, but she had a red forehead protector on with a line through the sign of a flame, and she wore the same cloak that Itachi wore, but the neck cuff was red. Her eyes were a red brown, and her hair was in a high ponytail and was slightly wavy like Kagome's. She just sat there and watched him.
"Uchiha Sasuke." She whispered. Her hands moved and he looked down to find that the fingernails were purple, and on her right pinky finger was a ring. Sasuke glared at the ring suspiciously. He knew that sign well enough.
"Akatsuki…" he whispered. He looked back up at the girl. "Kagome, did you betray us?"
"Kagome…the name seems to bring something up, something…different. I don't like this feeling." She whispered. No, this was not Kagome. Why did she look so…similar? Suddenly, Sasuke found he had plenty more questions to ask Kagome. "I think I need to get rid of this feeling. Uchiha, I have a message for you. They say to be prepared, and don't underestimate the shadows."
"W-" he was going to say something but with a swirl of leaves, she was gone. Sasuke stared at the spot where the Kagome look-a-like had been. A message? From the Akatsuki? What for? Was it from Itachi, or from one of the other members? Too many questions, and right now he wanted different answers from a certain raven haired female.
"Shippou! Stop hiding!" Kagome groaned out, dragging her feet through the houses of the village. When had she said yes to Hide And Seek? She heard a giggle, and turned around to find a couple of kids watching her. Kagome rose an eyebrow. "Have you seen a kid about your age with orange hair and an orange tail?"
"Uh…yeah…" one said, and pointed towards another street. Kagome glared suspiciously and looked closer at the girl. Her hair had a slightly orange tint to the brown, and her eyes were a bright emerald green. Familiar emerald green.
"Shippou," Kagome said strictly, putting her hands on her hips. He was getting good at hiding his demonic scent, but she could still smell it faintly. There was a pop and a guilty looking Shippou stood before her, his black net shirt and baggy black shorts wet for some reason. "Why're you wet?"
"Hehe…I fell into the fountain…" he mumbled, scratching the back of his head. A second later, the other kids also popped and disappeared into a poof of smoke. "Like it? I was able to create a jutsu, I'm almost ready to graduate from the academy, Iruka-sensei says I'm the best illusionist he's ever seen."
"That's not much of a surprise, seeming as you're a kitsune." Kagome replied and turned around. Shippou ran up to her and walked with her.
"Did you know I'm actually much older than you?" Shippou asked, and she glanced at him.
"Yes, because I know that demons are much slower at growing." Kagome replied.
"Yep. I'm actually about 23 now." Shippou said, beaming.
"Then my father still has more experience than you." Kagome replied. "He's 36."
"I know." Shippou replied with a small pout. Kagome rolled her eyes.
"Hurry up," she mumbled and then bounded off, leaving behind a slightly confused Shippou. He sighed and jumped after her, using his chakra and his youkai energy. They arrived to Sasuke's place soon after. Shippou groaned as they sat on the couch.
"Why do you always do that to me?" he asked. For some reason Kagome was much faster than he was.
"Because you're too slow for me, and I need to get you to push yourself, you need more strict training. The academy isn't doing a very good job in that category." Kagome replied, closing her eyes softly. Shippou huffed. They both jumped as the door was slammed open. A very agitated Sasuke came through the door.
"Kagome…I need to speak with you…" he said slowly, and Kagome winced. She didn't know what she had done, in fact, she didn't even remember seeing him today. He had been gone when she had woken up from what she knew.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"I saw you-well, someone like you-in the forest." Sasuke said. "She looked identical to you but her eyes were more narrow and slightly red. She had a red headband around her forehead with a line going through it and a flame in the center, and she wore the Akatsuki uniform."
"And…?" Kagome asked slowly.
"Well, is there something you haven't been telling us?" he ground out, looking slightly dangerous. Kagome looked at him with wide eyes.
"Are you accusing that I'm a traitor?" Kagome asked. Sasuke seemed to pause.
"Maybe I am…" he replied. But he seemed to relax slightly, almost as if he didn't believe it himself and that it was a silly idea. In fact, it was, because Kagome would never do that. She was too…well, there was no word for it, really, but to try to explain it then he would probably say loyal and kind.
"Why would I do that? I've told you everything about me, I don't lie, and I most certainly wouldn't lie to my own father!" Kagome yelled at him. He winced slightly.
"Fine, I get the point…" he mumbled, then looked back at her. "Is there…anyone who looks almost identical to you?"
"…" something seemed to make Kagome suddenly shadow her eyes, and a dangerous air was about her. Shippou knew, almost immediately, who she was thinking about. "Her name is Kikyou. She…" Kagome bit her lip and looked back up at Sasuke. Should she tell him everything? Her heart wanted to, but her mind said it would only cause problems. But after so long of holding it, Kagome didn't know how much longer she could wait.
"Kagome is her reincarnation." Shippou said. "Kagome was reborn from Kikyou, she holds Kikyou's soul."
"She was brought back to life…well, somewhat brought back to life. She fed on the souls of young, dead women with part of Kagome's soul inside of her, and she had vowed to bring InuYasha back to hell with her. She was a walking clay-pot, the witch who had brought her back was foolish to think Kikyou would actually obey her. She had killed her own creator." Sango appeared in the doorway.
"Do you think it was her?" Sasuke asked. "She said she recognized Kagome's name, but she seemed to not really know where from."
"Kikyou knows my name well." Kagome replied. "She wears the attire of a priestess with cold brown eyes, paler skin than normal and her hair in a low ponytail that trails down her back." Kagome's eyes were clouded over as she remembered the woman. "The one you saw was not her."
"Then who was it?" Sasuke asked. "Is there anyone else?"
"No…not anyone but Rin." Kagome replied. "And Rin doesn't even look nearly as close to me as Kikyou." She was surprised that Sasuke had not asked any questions to Sango's explanation of Kikyou. Who wouldn't be curious about someone who was a clay pot who fed on souls? Right now, though, something told her he didn't really care.
"Ah…Kagome-chan…" Kakashi was coming in, looking slightly sheepish. "I heard your little conversation…and…I may be able to explain…I kind of forgot to tell you something…" he said slowly. Kagome felt a squirm in her stomach. She knew this wouldn't be good, and had a small idea in her head what it was. "Well, actually, I just kind of forgot about her…but you're mother had two children that night…"
"I have…" Kagome began slowly, breathing slowly in and out. "A twin…?"
"Well, yes." Kakashi said. Kagome's eye twitched and her breathing became less and less even. Her face was slightly red as she closed her eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she ground out. "How…can…you…FORGET…about something LIKE THAT?"
"Uh…" he began. Kagome got up and hit him over the head, then stomped off. She was obviously not taking this well. Sango ran after her, and every one in the room just stood there.
"Kagome," Sango called, catching up with her. "He obviously didn't mean to. He said he had forgotten."
"How can he forget something so important, though?" Kagome asked. "Why would he forget his own daughters?"
"Maybe he wanted to forget, to get rid of the pain." Sango replied, grabbing Kagome's arm. Kagome spun around and faced her best friend. "Sasuke said she was a member of the Akatsuki from what she was wearing, right? Well, maybe Kakashi didn't want to accept the fact that his own daughter had become something so…cruel."
"No…Sasuke also said she wore a different headband he didn't recognize." Kagome replied. She sighed shakily. "She was most likely sent away when she was born, to a different village, and she grew up not knowing about her family until later. Maybe that's why she rebelled against her village and became an Akatsuki, and why she was accepted, because she was filled with rage and the perfect warrior."
"She's been taken by wrath, then." Sango said. "Kagome, maybe it wasn't Kakashi's fault, maybe there's something different about her that they sensed, something dangerous."
"Then why didn't they send me away…?" Kagome whispered, reaching for the Shikon jewel in her pocket. As soon as she touched it she felt a strange tingle run up her arm. "The Shikon jewel was inside of me my whole life until I turned fifteen, why didn't they send me away when they also most likely sensed it? The Shikon jewel is more dangerous than most things out there, Sango-chan."
"I know, and maybe they did. Maybe they found the well and sent you there, and Kakashi was aloud to go for a few years then had to come back. Kagome, there are so many reasons out there, maybe you should talk with your father." Sango said softly. Kagome bit her lip and nodded.
"Yes…" she whispered. They both turned back to the house and Kagome bit her lip again. Sango took her hand and the two walked back to the house, where Kakashi was found waiting for them, but Sasuke and Shippou were gone. "Where'd the guys go?"
"They went looking for you…must have gone the wrong way." Kakashi replied.
"I need to talk with you." Kagome said.
"It's about Mitsuki, isn't it?" he asked.
"If that's the name of my new found twin, then yes," Kagome replied.
"We sent her away. She has something inside of her. Something…abnormal. The same thing inside of Naruto." Kakashi replied.
"What's inside of Naruto?"
"He has the Kyuubi inside of him, sealed. The fourth Hokage died because of this, sealing it inside of his own son. He said he wanted Naruto to be looked upon as a hero, not a beast, but it seemed to backfire. Naruto is shunned, and his childhood was spent in denial and loneliness." Kakashi said softly. "To the people, he is just the beast in human form, but it's not true."
"So…that's the demonic feeling we get from him?" Kagome asked, and Kakashi nodded. "And my sister has the same thing inside of her?"
"No, the Kyuubi is his own beast. She has a different beast inside of her, the dog, Houkou, the five-tailed demon." Kakashi replied. "It was sealed inside of her by her grandfather. She is dangerous, very dangerous, and she also would've been shunned if she had stayed here, but the Village Of The Flames took her in, used her, they were glad that she had this beast inside of her."
"That's horrible! Why would people do that?" Kagome asked.
"Suki is something different now. She has let the beast take control of her, she is a child I am not so proud of." Kakashi whispered.
"You're horrible, too, for not believing in her and supporting her. For letting her go so easily." Kagome replied.
"I didn't let her go easily. I begged for her to stay, I begged to bring her to Tokyo with your mother, but they said she was too dangerous, and her being in a world they could not reach was something they could not accept. They sent you away, as well, but I was able to convince them to let me keep you away from the world here, and that it would lay dormant in your body." Kakashi whispered.
"You mean one of those things were inside of me?" Kagome demanded.
"It was your grandmother who did it for you. It wasn't one of the nine youkai, but a different one. A fox." Kakashi replied. "Just a fox, a youkai that was causing troubles. A lot of troubles. It needed to be gotten rid of, the men couldn't kill it, and the beast was attacking the same night as the dog, and so your grandparents made the ultimate sacrifices. They knew it would most likely ruin your childhoods, but they sensed you and Suki were strong. Maybe they should have switched the babies, you seem to be more reliable."
"I have a fox inside of me…?" Kagome asked. He nodded softly. "Great…" she whispered. "Just great."
"It would explain why Shippou is always so clingy towards you and why he sees you as a motherly-figure." Sango said with a shrug. Kagome groaned.
"I can't believe this! Why didn't you tell me?" Kagome snapped, glaring at Kakashi, who shrugged.
"I was waiting for the right time, and this isn't exactly it but it was brought up so I just told you anyways." He replied. Kagome's eye twitched.
"Thanks." She mumbled, crossing her arms. "Just great. I have a fox inside of me, and if anyone in the village finds out I'm gunna be shunned, won't I?"
"They won't know and they forgot about you long ago." Kakashi replied and Kagome glared at him.
"Do you really think I care?" she snapped, her hands curling into fists. "They will find out, dad, and watch as everything collapses and no one even looks at me!"
"Do you know what Naruto fears?" Kakashi whispered, looking down. "He fears that very thing, Kagome, and people know about him very well. They will bring their children up to detest him and people like him. Don't think you are the only one, because you're not. There are many others, Kagome, many. Inside of you is Kyuubi's daughter. There are nine tails for that fox as well. She was more dangerous than you think.
"I regret deeply for ignoring Naruto, for not realizing that he needed attention when he was younger, because despite his mask…Naruto is broken. He tried so hard to keep his mask from falling, then one day a foreigner comes and greets him kindly, and she befriends him becomes a sister-like-figure to him. He didn't dare tell her in fear of her shunning him as well."
"I didn't do that, Kakashi." Kagome whispered, "He did it all on his own. I gave him a push, that was all. He didn't quite treat it right, he should have told me, maybe he would've realized I was a good friend, but Sakura and Sasuke knew all along and they stuck with him, didn't they? It was hardly me, I just helped him see. He'll be fine now, he knows people care about him."
"Interesting speech." Kakashi replied.
"Thanks." Kagome beamed at him, suddenly happy. "Now, about this fox inside of me, what's her name and how do I talk with her? I wouldn't mind having someone to talk to at all times, and knowing I'm not just going crazy."
"We haven't figured out her name, truthfully. As for talking to her, you could try and speak with Naruto. I know he had contact with Kyuubi, and talks to him every now and then." Kakashi replied, looking up solemnly.
"Right…Kakashi doesn't have a slit personality to deal with…I forgot." Sango said with a small shake of the head and Kagome snorted while Kakashi sweat-dropped.
"I don't like being called schizophrenic Sango-chan." Kagome said between laughter. Sango just shrugged.
"It's practically what it is, Kagome-kun, just a split personality in your head." She said. Kagome huffed, glaring at her best friend playfully.
"Whatever, Sango. As if you don't." she replied. "I've seen the way your expressions change when we're not talking for a while, you'll be angry then amused then sad and then frustrated all within a few seconds as if there's various people talking all at once using your face to show their emotions."
"Shut up…" Sango mumbled. "I get bored…I didn't know the expressions slipped."
"Bored?" Kagome asked, raising an eyebrow. "Or was it because you actually enjoy their company?"
"Well, you would too if you could create the perfect people to hang out with." Sango replied defiantly. Kagome winced. "Oh…gomen, Kagome-chan."
"It's fine." Kagome whispered, fingering the jewel in her pocket. "Otto-san, you don't know about my past, do you?"
"No, I don't." Kakashi replied.
"Well, seeming as you're my blood, I might as well tell you everything about the Feudal Era and who we really are." Kagome sat down on the couch. "You might want to sit, this is going to take a long time."
End Chapter