Title: Love Hoop

Rating: T (language warning)

DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!

MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: Well, here is the new chapter people have been waiting for. Now there are a few things I will say since most people here don't have a Tumblr. Those that are aware know that I have been given hate messages on here and Tumblr for about a month since the last update on Love Hoop. I ignored them at first saying they were nothing but stupid, but we are human and things like that do get to us eventually. So I decided to take a break from Love Hoop and get away from this fanfiction for a while. I want to let you all know that writing fanfiction is hard, but enjoyable and I hate to see that there are people out there that like to take that away from others.

Also another reason is I have been dealing with depression and low self-esteem these days. Last weekend was not the greatest and probably the darkest I went through. So I did not get near my writing and simply spoke with a good friend. Joker2113 definitely helped me get out of the dark place I was in. I am not completely healed from depression, but I am fighting through it.

Third note, this chapter was just hard to write. And the next one will be longer than this one (that I promise!)

Now, I have made you wait long enough so enjoy! The romance will be starting up in this chapter! Now don't get angry with the things I decided to do in this chapter. Someone gets a kiss in this chapter and many of you will be angry, but TRUST ME on this. The rest of them will get their special moments with Kagome! Be patient!

Enjoy!

Chapter 25 - Friends and Enemies

With a heavy sigh, Hyuga closed his eyes as he came to grab his sports bag from the floor. "Miina, go to sleep as soon as you get home." He shook his head as the symptoms of the supplements still pulsed in his head. He should have known something was off with Riko's hot pot, but it was already too late the moment everyone was knocked out.

"I thought I was going to die," sighed Shun as he walked past his captain and helped the others gather their things. It was truly a miracle to be even conscious.

The miko laughed nervously under her breath as she patted Riko's back while she sulked at the corner of the living room. "Mah, mah, we all make simple mistakes, Riko-senpai. Nothing to be ashamed of." Even she was surprised the moment life was brought back into her mind. Everyone had trouble even getting back on their feet and were shocked to find the supplements on the counter. She was sure she had seen only the main ingredients of the hot pot in the kitchen.

"That was no simple mistake, Kagome-chan," cut in Hyuga as he crossed his arms. Sending a glare to the miko, his eyes were filled with the memory of the horror. "I thought you said you saw her put normal ingredients in, Kagome-chan!"

"She kicked me out!" she exclaimed back. She could not keep an eye on their senpais all the time! With a soft sigh, she returned her attention to the coach, seeing her continued silent sulking. "There, there, Riko-senpai," she whispered while returning to pat her back.

"Kagami!" exclaimed Koganei, turning his head over his shoulder. "Let me use your bathroom."

Hearing the question, the tiger nodded to his senpai. "Ah, hai. It's out the door and to the right."

The miko stood up on her feet as Kuroko handed her school bag. "Arigatou, Kuroko-kun," she smiled as she saw Nigou set in Kuroko's bag.

"Is your head okay, Kagome-chan?" the phantom player questioned. One thing was for athletes to get supplements, but he was sure someone like Kagome who did not take them could have a different side effect. And who knew how much their coach put in the hot pot.

"I am fine," she chuckled in reply. "No need to worry," making her way in front of the group, she came to face the tall brunette. "Are you alright, Kiyoshi-senpai?" raising a brow, she caught him wince slightly.

Kiyoshi scratched his cheek lightly as he felt a slight pulse around his knee. The moment he had gotten knocked out, he had hit knee against the coffee table. Now that he was awake, the pain was barely setting in. "Just a bit tired, that is all," he chuckled. The last thing he wanted was for the others to worry.

Before she could question to make sure, a scream was heard from the hall. All heads turned to see none other than Koganei running frantically to their side. The miko blinked as he fell on his knees and noticed his finger pointing at the direction of the hall. Words barely escaped his mouth as he was caught with a dark red hue over his cheeks.

Hyuga raised a brow as he saw sweat beginning to trickle down his teammate's forehead. "Koga?"

"What's wrong, Koganei-senpai?" questioned Kagome as she saw Mitobe with a questioning look.

With his words getting caught in his throat, he was left with eyes spinning as the image was glued in his head.

"Hey, what is going on? What is all this noise about?"

Hearing the unfamiliar voice and language, eyes traveled towards the hall's entrance to see a busty blonde female putting on a white t-shirt. Eyes widened as they took in her full appearance of the woman wearing nothing but her striped underwear and the loose t-shirt as she scratched her head.

"Hm? Oh, Taiga, you came back."

"Looks like she is talking to you, Kagami-kun," blinked the miko as she saw the surprise look in the tiger's face.

"Y-You-!"

"I missed you so much!" the blonde female exclaimed as she rushed to the tiger's side and encircled her arms around his neck before pressing her lips onto his.

The Seirin males were left with wide open mouth as heat rose to their faces as they witnessed the scene. Who was this babe to be kissing the baka!?

"Oh my," the miko tilted her head to the side as she presumed the two were close.

The blonde separated her lips from the red head as she heard the loud gasps of the team. Turning her head over her shoulder, her eyebrows furrowed with curiosity. "Hey, who the hell are you guys?"

"Who the hell are you!?" they shouted back.

The miko scratched her cheek as she felt both Riko and Kuroko come to stand by her. "Talk about first impressions, huh?"

"What the hell are you doing all of sudden!?" Kagami covered his lips as he took a few steps away from the blonde. He was shocked and he was shocked to death the moment the girl had laid her lips on his.

With a shrug, the mysterious blonde female placed her hands on her hips. "What's the matter? You should have gotten used it by now."

"Why are you here in the first place, Alex!?" shouted the tiger as he noticed the attire the blonde was wearing.

"Alex…?" whispered Kagome.

Riko blinked as she tapped her chin with her index finger. "Alex? I was sure Kagami-kun mentioned his master's name being…Alex."

Having overheard their coach's words, the team took a step back in shock to hear that this blonde was actually this baka's master! "That is Kagami's master!?" they shouted in unison.

"Eh~," Kagome tilted her head to the side as she crossed her arms. 'Who would have thought?'

"Kagami-kun has been leading a secret life," whispered Kuroko as he held Nigou in his arms. The miko replied with a nod as their eyes soon avoided the glare from the tiger.

"Uruse!"

"Ah!" smiled Alex as she came to face the team. "I got it! You must be Taiga's teammates!" Giving them a wide smile, the blonde female placed her hands on her hips. "I am Alexandra Garcia. Nice to meet you!"

Silence encircled everyone as they saw her free-of-shame pose with her panties exposed to the world. Kagami wasted no time to find her pants lying near his weights and quickly threw them to her head. "Shut it and put your pants on!"

"Gee~ is that how you treat your teacher!?"

With a nervous laugh, Kagome scratched her cheek once more as a sweat drop appeared on her head. "Ano…how about some coffee?"

"Eh-ah….who…um," Koganei gulped as he saw the woman sitting in front of the coffee table as he and the rest sat on the other side staring at the blonde. It was not every day they faced a foreigner.

With a light chuckle escaping Alex's lips, the older female closed her eyes. "Oh, you don't speak much English, do you?" Opening her eyes, she gave them a genuine smile. "Then, Japanese is fine. I majored it in at college, and Taiga taught some to me, too."

A sigh of relief escaped the team's lips seeing they would have no trouble communicating.

"It's her," spoke Shun, catching the boys' attention to him looking at one of Kagami's magazines. His eyes blinked as he saw the picture of the blonde playing basketball in her red jersey. "Alexandra Garcia. She was a college state champion. She later played in the WNBA."

"The WNBA!?" explained Kawahara. "She is a pro?"

"Seriously?" blinked Fukuda.

"Well," sighed Alex, "I already retired, though. My eyesight was ruined by an illness. Now I just coach a little club team."

Riko blinked as she came to take a seat beside the blonde. Quite an accomplishment for someone to make it to the pro leagues, but it sounded like she was okay with her life now. "What are you doing in Japan, though?" that was truly a mystery and in Kagami's home nonetheless.

"Coach! Don't get so close!" exclaimed Kagami, seeing the spark in his master's eyes.

"Eh?"

"Japanese girls are so cute," whispered Alex as she placed her arm over Riko's shoulder, bringing herself closer.

"She has a kissing bug-!" Kagami's eyes widened as he saw Alex's lips connect with the coach's. Dropping his extended hand, he sighed: "I…told you."

Heat quickly rose onto the coach's cheeks as she backed away from the confused blonde. Her lips had connected with hers! She had no problem with it, but she definitely was caught off guard!

"Don't do that to everyone!" scolded Kagami as he sent a glare to Alex across the table.

Alex slammed her hand on the wooden table while facing her student. It was a simple kiss! "What are you talking about!? I only kiss girls and children!"

"I'm not asking about your kissing policy!"

Coming into the room, Kagome stopped in her steps as she noticed the female coach backed up against the wall with her hand covering her lips. "Riko-senpai?" Was everything okay? Blinking her attention back down onto the coffee table, she set the mug in front of Alex. "Ano, is everything alright? Why does everyone look so shocked?" As she took her seat next to the blonde woman, she was taken back the moment she was brought close to her face.

"Oh? Another kawaii girl~ and she has such beautiful eyes!" Alex inched closer to the miko's lips, unaware of her widen eyes.

"Oh no you don't! Enough with your kisses!" shouted Kagami as he quickly made his way behind Alex to grab her by her shirt. His pupils shot wide as he saw his master move to the side and make him charge into the miko.

In a blink of an eye, everyone's attention was on the duo connected by the lips. Hyuga's mouth opened wide as he pointed at Kagome's and Kagami's connection. "C-Chotto!"

The tiger's cheeks rose in hue as reality clicked back into his head. Without letting another second pass by, he quickly pushed himself away. He could not believe that his lips had touched- "Alex!"

"What?" she blinked, unsure what the whole fuss was about. It was just a simple kiss.

Kagome's ears began to block the voices around as her senpais began to scold the red head. Bringing her fingertips to her lips, she could not help but lower her eyes to her lips. She could not put it to words herself, but how long had it been since she felt like…a girl.

"That isn't fair, Kagami-kun," cut in Kuroko, surprising him and the miko with his words.

"Oi! What the hell do you mean!?" shouted the tiger as he saw the phantom player's eyes lower by a centimeter. Wait…was that glare? Was he mad?

Alex jumped from her spot as she caught sight of the ghostly haired male behind her. "Ah! W-Where did you come from?" she blinked, lowering the cup from her lips.

"I have been here the whole time," he replied. "I saw everything."

"S-Seriously?" blinked Alex as she readjusted her fallen glasses. "Oh, you are the guy Taiga mentioned. I see…"

With silence falling after Alex's words, Kagome shook her head lightly as she saw everyone avoiding eye contact. As much as she wanted to think to herself, she knew the team did not need this pregnant silence lingering forever. Turning her head to the blonde female, she sent her a smile. "So, why did you come to Japan, Alex-san?"

Alex nodded as she heard the question coming from the miko. With a small chuckle, she lowered her eyes onto her mug sitting on the coffee table. "Taiga and Tatsuya. I came to see my two apprentices play basketball."

"By Tatsuya, do you mean, that guy from Yosen you met at the street ball tournament?" questioned Kawahara as he turned his head to the tiger. "So he learned to play basketball from you too?"

The miko's eyes dropped in worry as she saw the expression slide off from Kagami's face. No doubt that Himuro's words of challenging him set his mind in waves. His eyes connected with hers for only a second as he dropped them once more as his cheeks bloomed in color.

"After I retired, I couldn't accept my reality and was acting out," continued Alex. "I played on street courts to vent my frustration. One day, this guy and Tatsuya asked me to take them on as apprentices out of nowhere. At first, I was reluctant. But, before I knew it," the smile on her lips curved even more, "I was playing basketball with a smile. Those two have grown up and are facing each other again here in Japan. Of course I am curious," bringing the mug to her lips, she took a sip of her coffee.

"Actually, we don't know that they will face each other yet," cut in Hyuga, watching as Alex spit out her coffee from the sudden information.

"What!?" she exclaimed.

Kagome scratched her cheek as she saw the confused expression on the blonde's face. "We don't have a game tomorrow, so we decided to go see the other games tomorrow night."

"R-Really?"

"Ah," smiled the miko, raising her finger to catch Alex's attention, "but you could come with us if you like, Alex-san. I am sure Kagami-kun and you would like to spend time with each other!"

"Yes!" Alex grabbed the miko's hands into her own. "Take me with you!"

'Why is Kagome-chan not afraid of her?' the team asked themselves seeing the new glow in Alex's eyes.

The echo of a ring and vibrate was caught inside the miko's ears as her eyes scrunched in hopes to completely ignore the sound. She wanted more sleep, but something was telling her otherwise. With a low grunt, Kagome turned her head towards the night stand beside her bed to see her phone vibration against the surface. Who was calling her so early?

Kagome reached for the device before bringing it to her ear with one eye cracked open. "Moshi moshi?" she was sure the person on the other side of the line could hear the tone of pure sleep.

"Kagome? Did I wake you?"

"Koga?" opening both eyes, Kagome slowly sat up. "Why are you calling me at this hour?"

"I wish I could let you sleep, my woman-"

"Koga, you are picking the wrong hour to be calling me that."

"Gomen," he chuckled through the speaker. "I am afraid someone wants to have a talk with you."

"A talk?" she yawned. Her eyes widened as she heard the name from Koga's lips.

"So~ tell me again why he wants to talk to me?" the miko eyes left the window of the car as she turned to see the wolf youkai checking his phone for any left messages. "I find it surprising that Sesshomaru-sama wants to speak with me."

The moment Koga had called her and told her of Sesshomaru's order to have a talk, she was quickly dressed and got ready. She was taken back once she saw Koga waiting outside the shrine steps with a black car behind him. She never expected to be driven to Sesshomaru's home – let alone go to his home.

With a sigh passing between his lips, Koga closed his eyes. "I can't reveal much, Kagome."

"And why not?" she raised a brow.

"Sesshomaru is going to be the one doing the talking. Even I can't understand him," Koga's eyes made contact with the girl's as he lowered his eyebrows. "You know I don't really get along with mutts. Besides," his attention was drawn to the window beside him, "we are almost there."

Hearing that their destination was close, the miko turned her head to the left to see a white mansion being in closer view. Was that Sesshomaru's home? With the car coming to a full stop, she blinked the moment the driver had opened the door for her. Giving him a bow with her head, she stepped out and blinked again as she took in the sight of the mansion. "Is this…his home?" she questioned.

"These are his original lands," Koga placed his hands in his pockets as he came to stand beside the miko.

"Sesshomaru-sama never settled for less, huh?" the miko scratched her cheek as she continued to stare at the enormous and vast landscape. "Are there demons here too?" she whispered as she followed Koga into the steps leading into the entrance.

"Most of them are refuges that had nowhere else to go, so Sesshomaru took them in," he released a scoff as he watched the doors slowly open. "He pretends he is still cold though."

Watching him walk inside, the miko was left in her own thoughts. 'But I wonder what Sesshomaru-sama wants to speak about…'

The miko's eyes wandered left and right as she walked through one of the many hallways inside Sesshomaru's mansion. She could not even remember the way towards the exit if she even tried. With Koga beside her and one of the maids in front, she was awed by the enormous paintings and historical décor around.

Moving her eyes ahead, she blinked at the sight of the red head in front of them. 'She is a youkai…'

"Surprised?" whispered Koga as a smirk appeared on his lips.

"Huh?" blinked the miko, catching the grin on the wolf youkai's lips.

"I figured you read her aura. So to answer your question, yes," Kogo sighed as he placed his phone inside his pants' pocket. "Most people in here working are youkai. Like I mentioned before, they are youkai that literally had nowhere else to go, so the mutt took them in."

A chuckle escaped Kagome's lips as she returned her eyes ahead. "Well, I am glad Sesshomaru-sama still has a heart to take others in."

Koga scoffed as he rolled his eyes at the words. "A cold heart if you ask me."

"Okaa-san!"

Hearing the familiar voice, both the miko and wolf youkai turned their heads ahead seeing the maid moving to the side and letting the kitsune run towards them. Kagome blinked before she was taken into Shippo's arms and given a tight hug.

"S-Shippo?" stuttered Kagome while feeling his chin rest on top of her head. She had to start getting used to his new height! She still pictured him as the young-small kitsune.

"What are you doing here, kitsune?" Koga raised a brow as he saw the orange haired male continuing to keep his 'woman' close to him.

"Why else?" the kitsune's eyes glided towards the wolf as he kept his 'mother' to him. "I wasn't going to let okaa-san deal with Sesshomaru by herself."

The miko leaned away to catch Shippo's attention. Did he know about what Sesshomaru want to talk about? "Shippo, do you have any idea what Sesshomaru-sama could want me for?"

"Uh, well," the kitsune sighed, "he is just a bit annoyed."

"Annoyed?"

"Aho," the wolf youkai smacked his hand behind Shippo's head as he walked past the duo, "you arent' supposed to be saying anything. Sesshomaru is going to give you hell later and don't come crying to me."

"Oi!" Shippo's arms released his 'mother' as he turned to face his attacker. "Okaa-san deserves to know! She has better things to do then come and get scold!"

'Scold?' blinked Kagome as she followed the two youkai deeper into the hall. 'Me? Sesshomaru-sama is going to scold me?' Feeling the tick on her nerve appear and twitch, she closed her eyes. 'If he does, he has another thing coming then.' Stopping in her steps, she quietly observed Koga release a sigh before knocking on the two double white doors with two purple crescent moons carved in.

No reply was heard from the other side.

With a roll of his eyes, Koga pushed the door open. He was not going to let his 'woman' waste his time because the mutt had better things to do. In fact, she had even told him that she plans to meet with her team. It was no surprise to him to find the mighty inu behind his desk reading over paperwork. "Sesshomaru, I brought Kagome."

The miko took small steps inside as she continued to observe her surroundings of Sesshomaru's office before setting her eyes on him. Left standing a few feet away from his desk, she could feel nerve wrecking sweat trickling down her cheek. What would he say? She was not afraid, but yet she was. Had she done something wrong?

Both Shippo and Koga moved to the side and stood side-to-side as they heard the silence shared between the two. It was not every day the infamous miko that saved the feudal era stood in front of the Great Sesshomaru. In fact, even they were nervous for the miko. Although they had a rough idea what Sesshomaru wanted to talk about, they were not sure how he would bring it up.

Kagome parted her lips apart to speak only to be stopped by Sesshomaru's palm coming in view.

"This Sesshomaru will cut to the chase, miko," lowering the papers from his golden orbs, the inu youkai kept his gaze on the female. "This Sesshomaru saw what happened during the last match."

'The last match?' blinked Kagome. What was he talking about?

Sesshomaru's eyes traveled over to the wolf youkai as they narrowed slightly. "This was made clear, but I suspect the wolf did not get my order across." Returning his piercing gaze on the miko, he intertwined his fingers together as his elbows rested over the flat surface of his desk. "You used your miko abilities while saving that phantom player on your team."

It finally clicked on Kagome where this talk was going. She had reacted without thinking in helping Kuroko when he was close to hitting the court walls. She could not let him get hurt like that when she knew there was a way to help! "Sesshomaru-sama, with all due respect-"

"This Sesshomaru will not have you endanger our youkai identities and yours. Using your miko abilities out in the open is a risk. This Sesshomaru won't allow it and this Sesshomaru made it clear to the wolf to inform you that no one is to know of our identities. No matter how close they are to you."

Kagome's eyes widened slowly as she fully registered his words into her head. Did that mean she could not tell Seirin? Nothing about her?

The true her…?

The inu youkai closed his eyes as he heard no reply from the miko. "This Sesshomaru will not allow it-"

"Sumimazen, Sesshomaru-sama," Kagome cut him off, receiving surprised blinks from Koga and Shippo. Did she have the guts to interrupt him like that? No. But she could make her own decisions. Her past was for her to decide who needed to know. "I have nothing but respect for you, Sesshomaru-sama."

The inu slowly opened his eyes as he kept his golden glare on the girl in front of his desk. He could smell no fear on her, but she was sweating slightly out of nerves.

"But this is my life, Sesshomaru-sama. I understand telling someone about my past is putting all of you in risk, but please trust me that I would not tell just anyone. If I do some to tell someone about my true self, it solely means that I have come to trust that person fully."

Keeping his eyes on her, he lowered his hands onto his desk.

"I saved Kuroko-kun because I knew I could. I hate seeing the people I are about hurt and I would feel even worse about it if I knew I could do something. I am not hopeless nor weak, Sesshomaru-sama," the miko kept her head high. She was not going to turn back now take back the words she was releasing. Was she thinking of telling Seirin of herself? Perhaps. Was it the right time? Of course not. Even she knew. "If I had to save them knowing someone could catch me using my abilities, I would not give it a second thought. I am a miko by blood and help those in need, Sesshomaru-sama. Simple as that."

Letting silence run between the two as they shared stares, the miko was not sure if she should say more. Was he angry? Did he go against his orders? Of course she did, but she was not a child. She knew what she was doing.

The inu youkai tilted his head up slightly as he released a low sigh under his breath. The miko was right in some ways, but no one outside the youkai world were ready to know about them. No regular human could take in as easily. Closing his eyes, he gave the miko a nod. "This Sesshomaru presumes you plan on telling your team about your past."

Kagome bit her lip as she lowered her eyes.

"They are not ready to know, miko. They are not ready to know about youkai nor the past," Sesshomaru slowly reached to the side of his desk as he opened the drawer on top. "You cannot say anything when you have not had closure."

"Closure?" she blinked, returning her eyes ahead of her. Following his movements of his hand, she was silent upon seeing the small red box he took out. Without any words or questions, the miko waited as Sesshomaru slid the box across his desk for the miko to see. "What is this?"

"This Sesshomaru advices you not to open it until the wolf has taken you elsewhere," he spoke while reaching for a pen. "Remember this Sesshomaru's words, miko. Let time pass first before you decide to say anything."

Slowly, Kagome walked forward and grabbed the box into her hands. Nothing on the lid to give her a clue what it was. Why could she not open it here?

"Koga," spoke Sesshomaru.

"Hai, hai," nodded the wolf youkai as he placed his hand over the miko's shoulder. "Let's go, Kagome," he gave her a small smile before tilting his head to the side. "I am taking you somewhere else."

"Where?" she questioned.

"You will see."

Watching the wolf youkai head towards the double doors, she took one last glance down at the box before giving Shippo a smile. She turned to face the inu youkai once again and gave him a ninety degree bow. "Arigatou, Sesshomaru-sama." She did not expect a reply, but that did not stop her from sending him a smile herself.

Shippo sighed as he watched his 'mother' leave the room with the wolf. Placing his hands inside his pockets, he chuckled before turning to face the inu. "Did not want to see her reaction if she opened the box?"

"This Sesshomaru was told to deliver it to the miko if the paths were crossed," Sesshomaru's eyes traveled side-to-side as he began to read the contents of the paper in front of him. "The job is done."

"How nice of you," snickered the kitsune, receiving a glare.

Where on earth was she? Why was she taken here? Looking over her shoulder, the miko blinked a she held the red box close to her. "Ano, Koga…what are we doing here?" She returned her eyes ahead, seeing the entrance to a Japanese cemetery. Not only was it a cemetery, but it looked like one of the ones that only those with money could afford with such expensive tombstones and greenery. For a cemetery, it definitely looked peaceful with all the flowers and plants around. Why was she even here?

"Look for a tombstone with a crescent moon," sighed Koga as he leaned against the car's door. Even he was nervous to bring the miko. He was not sure how she would react to see what Sesshomaru wanted her to see. "Keep going straight until you find a cherry blossom tree at the end. Across from it is where the tombstone lays."

"But…why a tombstone?" she blinked as she continued to stare at the entrance.

"You will see," he smiled back. "Go ahead. I will wait for you here until you are ready to comeback."

Left confused, Kagome lowered her eyes once more onto the box. Was she supposed to open it there? Taking her steps forward, she slowly made her observations around of the rectangular tombstones with its offerings of food and flowers. Was this a cemetery to those with money? It sure looked like it.

'Where is the cherry blossom tree?' she questioned herself as she continued to look for the tombstone. A tombstone with a crescent moon? She was afraid to even know what it was. She had a feeling she already knew.

The miko spotted the cherry blossom tree at the end of the rows of the tombstones. Making her way forward, she blinked as she looked up the wilted tree. 'I bet it must look beautiful here when this blooms.' Her mind clicked back to Koga's words. 'Across from the tree?' Kagome slowly turned her head to see the crescent moon engraved on the tombstone.

Her eyes slowly lowered to see the engraved name. With pupils widening, she was left frozen in her spot. Even with Koga having told her about it, she could not believe what she was seeing. The reality in front of her was hurting more than she thought.

The miko's lips quivered as her hands trembled with each small step she took towards the tombstone. Was this what Sesshomaru meant by closure? The closure to know that he was resting in peace?

Extending her arm out, her finger tips brushed against the name. Even the feel of his name on a tombstone pained her. Her eyes landed on the red box in her palm. She was afraid to see what it contained, but she knew she had to. Something told her that whatever was inside was calling out to her.

Slowly, her free hand removed the lid before moving it under the box. With wide eyes, she could not believe what she was seeing. Something she was sure she would never see again. Her fingers carefully lifted the object out of the box to see the old beads that carried so many memories of her 'sit' command.

With tears streaming down her cheeks, she released her soft cries once her fingers wrapped around the given beads. School and basketball had kept her mind of things, but she had no idea how much she was keeping it inside. The closure she needed was finally there.

Inuyasha was resting in peace.

As Koga crossed his arms, he closed his eyes in thought. 'Should I have gone with her?' He knew it would be hard on the miko to see Inuyasha's name on a tombstone. The reality was solid in this cemetery. Of course being a hanyou did not allow them to live as long as a full blooded youkai. 'But Kagome is strong.'

With a soft sigh, the wolf youkai checked the time on his watch before hearing the steps of another person coming close. Koga raised his eyes to see a male with red hair stepping into the cemetery. 'Huh? A high school student?'

He raised a brow as he observed the mysterious male continue down the straight. 'I have a feeling I have seen him somewhere else before…'

"Just how many times did I tell you to 'sit'?" a chuckle ran past the miko's lips as she stood in front of the tombstone. After her tears had become dry, her memories had slowly backtracked to the happy and enjoyable moments she had with the hanyou. To the other demons it may had seem like years, but it was recent for her since the last time she had seen Inuyasha.

Looking down at the beads in her hand once more, she gave herself a smile. "I do hope you are resting in peace with Kikyou, Inuyasha. Along with Sango-chan, Miroku, Kaede, Rin." Oh how fragile a human life was.

Kagome gently placed the beads back in the box before feeling a pair of eyes on her. Slowly, she turned her head to the right only to see a pair of heterochromatic eyes. She blinked slowly before realizing the identity of the person.

"A-Akashi-kun?" she whispered. What was he doing here? A cemetery of all places. Keeping still, the miko noticed his attire of a formal white collar shirt and black dressed pants. Did he have someone to visit here in the cemetery?

Watching him walk towards the tombstone across Inuyasha's, she blinked curiously as to his arrival. Silence only grew between them as he stood in front of the tombstone he continued to stare at. Should she say something? Was it right to speak up or even question his presence? Scratching her cheek lightly, her eyes landed on the wilted cherry blossom tree. The last time she faced him was the day he practically wanted to stab the scissors into Kagami.

'Not the best first impression if you ask me,' she sighed mentally. If she could be honest, she did not have the best image of him now.

"I don't recall seeing you here before."

The miko's ears caught his words, returning her gaze onto his back. Was he talking to her?

"I have come here for many years and this is the first time I see you here. No doubt you are visiting someone. Didn't think I would see you here of all places, Higurashi-san."

"Neither did I," she replied, setting her eyes back on Inuyasha's tombstone, "but despite our differences, Akashi-kun, I don't think this is the right place to bring them up. So even if I am still annoyed at you for what you pulled the last time, I will forget it for now."

Akashi's lips curved into a small smirk as he took in the miko's words. "Well said. A cemetery should be a resting place for the souls. No need to place a rivalry in such a place."

Kagome nodded before returning her eyes onto the box in her hands. She was surprised by his wisdom and maturity at such a young age. Sure she was the same age as he, but even she had experienced life and death situations. Had Akashi experienced something traumatic? Perhaps he had lost something to mature him this way.

"Death is such an ironic thing," Akashi slowly raised his head to stare at the branches of the tree above. "To us alive, death is seen as an unfortunate event to the ones we love, but after the grieving, it sets our minds at ease."

The miko's eyes blinked as she remained silent staring at his back. She could not see him as the arrogant captain she had met. This was a softer side of him. A side she knew he would not show too many – not even to himself. Coming back to see Inuyasha's name engraved on the tombstone, her cerulean orbs softened. "Death is a part of life. As painful as it is, it helps us grow and find a new strength we didn't know we had. Many see weakness in grieving, but personally, it calms my heart."

The Rakuzan captain chuckled under his breath before turning to face the miko. Her maturity level was definitely different compared to those around him. "You are very wise, Higurashi-san."

Watching him set a bouquet of flowers over the tombstone, the miko was left a bit curious. This was such a different side of Akashi.

"I hope you have good day, Higurashi-san. Take care of Seirin," his gold eye glided to the corner as he watched her closely. "Do take care of Tetsuya for me. Tetsuya seems to have gotten attached. I can see why, though."

'Attached?' she blinked. Following his form beginning to walk away with her eyes, she caught sight of Koga coming towards them. For only a moment, the wolf youkai stopped in his tracks as the red head walked past him with no word of greeting nor eye contact.

"Who was that?" questioned Koga, keeping his own gaze glued on Akashi's back. "Do you know him?"

The miko sighed under her breath as she turned her head to stare at the tombstone he visited. "I thought I did…"

Koga raised a brow before coming to check the time on his watch. "You know the game is about to start, right? I am sure Seirin will be wondering where you went."

"Right," Kagome nodded slowly as she came to give one last look at Inuyasha's grave.

"Ah, sumimazen, sumimazen," with a heavy sigh, the miko made it to her seat beside Riko. She did not think she would come this late, but at least she had made it to see the second game. "I made it."

Seirin blinked in unison as they observed the tired miko. Where had she been? They had called her and she did not reply until Riko had called her during the break in between. "Where were you, Kagome-chan?" questioned Riko.

Scratching her cheek, Kagome sighed once more. "Koga kept me occupied with his talking. Gomen, gomen. Some things came up last minute that I wasn't planning."

"Is everything alright?" asked Kiyoshi, as he sat on the other side of the miko.

"Everything is okay," she chuckled before coming to stare at the beads now hanging around her neck. "I was just given something by an old friend."

The phantom player and tiger blinked as they noticed the small smile appearing on the miko's lips. Where had those beads come from? If she had gone to talk to Koga, was it something related to basketball?

"Well, I am glad you made it on time, Kagome-chan!" smiled Alex, cutting into the conversation as she sat beside her student. "The game hasn't been bad at all. At least you made it for the second game. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from Japanese basketball. I should apologize for that one."

"Have I missed anything?" blinked the miko, seeing the two teams bow before leaving to their benches.

"The last two teams were lacking in size and power, but their speed and strategies are impressive," chuckled the blonde. Even she was surprised by how well high school teams were playing. "Furthermore, every player is excellent, too."

The miko nodded, agreeing with her words. Of course each player was excellent, but she suspected Seirin was waiting for Alex to witness the Generation of Miracles. "Who are the next teams?" she questioned.

Hyuga raised the tournament bracket from his lap before his eyes scrunched. "Onita High versus…Shutoku High."

'Shutoku?' Kagome gave out a wide eyed blink. So that meant-

"My, that number seven guy who just came onto the court," smirked Alex, seeing a player from Onita High with brown hair coming to warm up the team, "he certainly has potential."

"They made it to the top four in the Inter-High last year," commented Shun as he kept his eyes on the brunette. "That is Kobayashi Keisuke of Onita High."

Hyuga sighed as he crossed his arms, seeing where Alex was reading his potential. "At one hundred and eighty-eight centimeters, he is an unusually tall point guard for Japan. He is an all-rounder who can pass and score. He is one of the best players in the country."

"He has something special," smiled Alex, seeing the determination in Keisuke's eyes. "He is pretty good if you ask me."

Kagome blinked as she caught sight of the familiar orange jersey coming onto the court. With a sigh, her eyes landed on the green haired shooting guard. She could feel his aura rising as he neared the court. No doubt his concentration was locked in.

"But," cut in Kagami, narrowing his eyes on the green haired player, "his opponent today is…"

Alex's eyes widened as she read his potential while hearing the name escape the miko's lips. "Midorima Shintaro."

In a matter of minutes, Seirin sat unsurprised the moment Midorima took the first three-pointer shot of the first quarter. No doubt that he had improved himself.

"Sugoi…," whispered Alex. Never in her basketball career had she seen something like this. The Generation of Miracles, huh? Her interest had definitely peaked.

"Mah, I can never get used to seeing the Generation of Miracles play," sighed Hyuga as he stood from his seat. With Shutoku winning the game (no shock to them) they were left in deep thought what was to come for them. The Seirin captain adjusted the strap of his sports bag as he and Riko lead the team out the doors with the rest of the audience making their way towards the exits. "Honestly, it is depressing."

Kiyoshi nodded as he looked at the tournament bracket in his hands. "Every schools was chosen from its prefecture for its strength. None of them are weak. However, teams with members from the Generation of Miracles are exceptional. They make veterans indistinguishable from ordinary players."

"We know that!" cut in Riko, turning around to face the team. Just where was this negativity coming from? "Besides, the most important thing is our next game."

Walking beside the miko, Alex placed her hands inside her pockets as she kept her eyes on the team's backs. "Kagome-chan?"

"Hm?" she blinked.

"What can you tell me about the Generation of Miracles? Taiga mentioned them before, but I am guessing the one in the last game, Midorima Shintaro is one of them."

Kagome remained silent as she came to stare at Kuroko's back as he and the tiger spoke to each other. With a low sigh under her breath, the miko gave Alex a nod. "He is one of them, but I am afraid the rest of the Generation of Miracles are like…monsters. Their skills are at a whole other level. The last game Seirin went against, Tōō, they struggled. Probably the most difficult game as of yet."

"Your tournament bracket says if you win the next game, Seirin will be going against Yosen," commented Alex in a whisper. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Kagami's back. "I am afraid Taiga is in trouble."

"In…trouble?" she blinked again.

"Who is the next team we are going against?" questioned Furihata, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Ah," taking out the paper herself, Kagome stopped in her steps as she searched for their next game. "It looks like Nakamiya South."

Riko nodded as she placed her hands on her hips. "Let's head home and review the data on Nakamiya South."

"Yeah!" the shouted in unison.

"Will you be coming with us, Alex-san?" asked Kuroko as he turned his head over his shoulder to see the small smile on her lips.

"About that…," she chuckled before coming to grab the tiger's collar and pulling him close.

"Oi!"

"Wari, but could I borrow this guy for a while?" she questioned, seeing the confused blinks on Seirin as she kept her grip tight on the tiger.

Hyuga blinked while raising a brow. "Eh?"

"I will make sure he is back in time for your next game," Alex continued, narrowing her eyes behind her glasses. "Please."

Taking a glance towards the female coach, Kagome gave her a small nod. She was not sure what Alex had in mind, but if she could tell Kagami was in trouble for the next game, then perhaps they had to trust Alex in this.

Riko released a sigh as she closed her eyes. "Very well."

"Arigatou," smiled Alex before pulling the tiger way from the team.

"Do you know why she took him away?"

Hearing the voice beside her, the miko turned to see Kuroko's gaze on her person. "Oh, Kuroko-kun." Feeling her shoulders drop slightly, Kagome shook her head. "Not entirely sure, but I have a feeling Alex-san knows something on Yosen that Kagami-kun should know about…," following the team behind, she gave out a sigh. "If we do come to face Yosen, I have a feeling it will be much tougher than dealing with Tōō." Catching Kuroko stop in his steps, the miko looked over her shoulder to see his eyes down on the floor. "Kuroko-kun?"

"Then that means we need to come with new strategies," he whispered loud enough for the miko hear. "Kagome-chan, could you do me a favor?"

"Huh?" she blinked.

"What was that about, Alex?" asked Kagami as he walked behind the blonde. After she had dragged him to an empty outside court, he was wondering what was so important that Alex needed to pull him away from his team. It was only on rare occasions she would get this serious.

Alex released a sigh as she kept her back turned to the tiger. "The Generation of Miracles you mentioned…I didn't expect them to be that good. I asked Kagome-chan about them and in her own words – they are monsters. I couldn't agree more after witnessing one of them. Since you have beaten one, as long as you don't underestimate your opponents, you should easily win your second and third games. However," her eyes narrowed at the empty court ahead, "it is unfortunate you will have to face Yosen after that. Not only do they have one monster, but after you returned to Japan, Tatsuya polished his street ball skills under my tutelage. You could say he is on par with one of those monsters now."

Kagami's eyes widened slightly as he was taken back by the news. Himuro was almost as equal as the Generation of Miracles?

"As a result of his training, your matchup with Tatsuya couldn't be worse," she shook her head, closing her eyes. "I wasn't going to say anything, but it's not quite fair. I don't know how much you can do in a couple of days," turning to face the confused red head, she slowly opened her eyes to make eye contact, "but there is something I haven't taught you yet."

Kagome sighed under her breath as she checked the time on her cell phone. Not only had Kuroko asked Riko and the rest of the team permission for them to go elsewhere, but now she was annoyed that the phantom player had made her text someone she never dreamed of texting first. First!

And here they stood outside Maji Burger as Kuroko spun the ball over his index finger. Lifting a brow, the miko sighed once more with a shake of her head. "I can't believe you made me do this, Kuroko-kun. You know how I feel about it…," flipping her phone close, Kagome looked around her surroundings to see young couples and other people enjoying the night. 'Why does everyone make me contact him? Can't they do it themselves?' Damn her soft nature. Of course Kuroko and the rest could easily convince her with anything.

"Sumimazen," he apologized, "but you are the only person he listens to. If I had texted him, he wouldn't have come."

"But still…," she sighed, turning her body to face the phantom player. No doubt that he was going to think that this was a date of some sort.

"Domo."

The miko stilled as she heard Kuroko's greeting with his eyes glued to whoever was behind her. Slowly, she turned her head over her shoulder to see the familiar scowl on the Tōō's ace. With a twitch of her lip, she gulped her nerves.

"Don't give me that," he glared back before coming to stare at the miko. "Oi, I thought you wanted to meet up with me alone. Wasn't this a date?"

"I never said that," she blinked with a bored look. "I simply told you to meet up in front of Maji Burger."

"Then why the hell is Tetsu doing here?" he questioned tilting his head towards the phantom player. It was bad enough he was meeting with two people who had defeated him.

Kuroko took a step forward as he caught Aomine's attention. "Let me be direct," he spoke, receiving blinks from both the miko and Aomine. "Aomine-kun…teach me to shoot."

"Eh?" Aomine's eyes widened after hearing the request. Was he being serious?

Kagome kept her gaze on the phantom player as she watched the serious expression on Kuroko's face. Teach him how to shoot? Why Aomine of all people? She knew Aomine was the best shooter out there, but could Kuroko even learn how to in a matter of days? 'That is if Aomine-kun agrees to the request.' Keeping herself quiet, her mind wander off to the reasons why Kuroko would ask for such a request. 'It makes sense why he would want to learn. If Kuroko-kun can't learn to shoot, his Vanishing Drive will lose its effectiveness. He knows he needs to learn a new way to trick his opponents.'

"Can't do," replied Aomine, cutting into the miko's thoughts.

"Huh?" blinked Kuroko.

"I won't teach someone who just beat me how to shoot," he placed his hands into his jackets' pockets before closing his eyes.

'Now I see why Kuroko-kun brought me in the first place,' the miko's eyes dropped as she came to realize that Kuroko knew Aomine would decline. She sighed the moment she caught Kuroko turning his head to her. 'He wants me to ask for him!' She did not want to, but knowing this would help Kuroko and the team, she had to swallow her pride. Kagome turned to face the tan male, but avoided her eyes to meet his. "A-Aomine-kun, could you please? It wouldn't hurt to teach him."

"Huh?" he raised a brow. This was a miracle to hear her ask for something out of him. With a chuckle escaping his lips, he revealed a smirk. "Oh? What is this? Is neko-chan begging?"

'He is really enjoying this, huh?' Kagome's eyebrow twitched the more she came to stare his smug look. 'Can I hit him? Can I sit him!?'

"Well," he spoke, raising one finger to the two Seirin members, "I can teach Tetsu how to shoot on one condition."

"What…condition?" Kagome questioned. She regretted even asking him that question.

Adjusting Kuroko's bag over her shoulder, the miko watched as Kuroko bounce the ball in place in the middle of the outside court near their location. She still could not believe that she had taken Aomine's condition and now here he was observing Kuroko's shooting ability. With a gentle sigh, she shook the thoughts away before seeing the tan male's attire.

"You know," she whispered, catching his attention, "this is the first time I see you outside basketball clothing. Never expected you to wear a jacket and pants."

"Huh?" he raised a brow. "It is winter, onna. You want me to wear my uniform in this weather?"

"I was just saying," she chuckled. He definitely had a short temper.

With a low grunt, Aomine's eyes landed on the beads hanging around the miko's neck. That was a first. They look ancient the more the observed them. The paint slightly chipped off with what looked like stone? "Huh? What are you doing wearing such an old necklace?"

Blinking to his question, the miko lowered her eyes to the beads resting on her chest. With her fingers slowly coming up to brush against the ancient artifact, she released a low chuckle. "These belonged to the person I loved."

"Huh?" he blinked. "Then why are you still wearing something that belonged to your ex?"

Taking a pause, Kagome raised her eyes to see the phantom player taking his aim. "He passed away and I barely found out. I was given his necklace today."

Aomine's lips slowly pressed together after hearing her. Lowering his eyes down, he gave out a sigh. What was he supposed to say to that now? His hand rose to scratch the back of his neck while closing his eyes. "I am sorry…"

"It's okay," she smile as she shivered slightly with the cold air dancing between them. "At least I know he didn't suffer."

Their attentions were drawn to the phantom player releasing the ball toward the hoop before it made contact with the rim. Kagome's sweat drop appeared as she saw the ball bounce back to Kuroko's feet.

Kuroko bent down to grab the ball before turning to face the tan male. "How was that?"

"You can't be serious!" he shouted. "What the hell am I supposed to feel after you drag me out here to show off your crappy shooting!? There is something wrong with someone who beats a guy and makes him teach him how to shoot the next day!"

"We can always cancel this and forget about your condition," Kagome cut in, receiving a glare from the Tōō ace. "Besides," tilting her head towards the phantom player, she directed Aomine to look over, "you already agreed to it."

Aomine's eyebrows furrowed the more he saw Kuroko's expression. With a heavy sigh, the tan male walked over to stand under the hoop before sliding down onto the ground. His elbow came to rest over his knee with his eyes glued on the ground. "I haven't slept since then."

"Eh?" blinked Kuroko.

Kagome tilted her head to the side as she saw Aomine's closed eyes. He hasn't slept since their game? Is that what he meant?

"I went home, ate, took a bath, then I went to lie down," Aomine continued, slowly opening his eyes once more to see his shoes, "but I couldn't sleep. My body was exhausted, but when I closed my eyes, I saw scenes from the game. I had forgotten how that felt. My chest feels tight, I feel nauseous like I am going to puke, and my head is pounding." Another sigh passed between his lips as memories of the game against Seirin flashed into his head. "Since I forgot about it, I kind of missed it, but now that I have experienced it again, I don't miss it at all. It still just sucks. It was an awful night."

The miko's shoulders slumped as she stood beside the phantom player. Both of them seeing the soft expression they rarely saw Aomine wear. Aomine was still hurt over his loss and they could not blame him with the streak he had for years. His loss was an eye opener in the most painful way.

"But," he sighed once more, "that is why I want to play basketball again so soon."

"Aomine-kun…," whispered Kagome seeing the Tōō ace beginning to stand from his spot and take off his blue jacket. The passion still ran in his veins and she could see it in his aura that he had calmed down.

"Oh man," he shook his head. "Talking about it made me want to play." Throwing his jacket over the miko's head gently, Aomine walked past her. "Wear it. That sweater can't help you in this weather" Making eye contact with the phantom player, he sighed. "I can't help myself, so I will play with you."

"Eh?"

"I am saying I will teach you to shoot," walking past Kuroko, Aomine continued to speak. "Besides, I want my date with neko-chan so let us finish this deal."

'Don't remind me,' Kagome lowered the jacket to her arms as she caught his scent. 'Is this cologne? It smells like cinnamon.' Raising her eyes to meet the phantom player's, she blinked upon seeing his smile. Her lips reacted back knowing why Kuroko was smiling. He was glad to have his former teammate back.

Aomine heard the small chuckle from the phantom player before turning his head over his shoulder. "What are you two smiling about?"

"We used to practice like this a lot in middle school," smiled Kuroko, turning to face the tan male.

"Just hurry up and shoot! You said you don't have much time!"

As she placed Aomine's jacket over her shoulders, she could not help but smile while watching the two former Teiko members play together. It soothed her heart to see the smiles on their faces. As she took a closer look at Aomine's and Kuroko's faces, she felt her heart thump, making her hand slowly raise over her chest. If anything, she wanted to bring those smiles back on the Generation of Miracles. She wanted people to enjoy life.

She wanted her friends happy.

Hearing the alarm beside his window, Kagami's hand reached out from under his sheets before turning off the sound to assist his awakening. He sat up, feeling his muscles stiff as he tried to stretch them out. Placing his hand over his right shoulder, he could feel the tension. 'I still feel a little tired. I was up late training with Alex last night.'

The tiger got off from his bed as he made his way down the hallway of his apartment. 'And Alex said to have practice before the game today. Not sure how I feel about that, but in order to keep winning, I need to become stronger. I have to do it.' With a yawn, he opened the door leading to his living room only to let his eyes widened at the sight in front of him.

There stood Alex in her full naked glory with a red towel over her damp hair as she drank milk right from the carton. Did this woman have no shame!?

"Oh?" blinked Alex before lowering the carton from her lips. "Ohayo. Did you sleep well?"

Kagami was quick to grab her clothing laying on the floor before throwing them towards his master. "I told you to put on some clothes!"

"Yeah, but don't throw clothes at me!" she shouted back. With a low huff, the blonde female grabbed her undergarments before placing them on and giving the tiger a raised brow. "Don't act shy. You have seen me naked multiple times already."

"Doesn't mean it is natural!" he exclaimed.

A smirk made its way onto Alex's lips as she caught his annoyance. "Oh? Are you saying that seeing me has no effect on you?" Grabbing her white t-shirt, she released a chuckle. "I bet if you saw Kagome-chan naked, you would be flustered and blushing like a baka."

The tiger's cheeks bloomed in color as he took in the words to his imagination. Shaking his head, he quickly turned his back on his master. "U-Uruse! Kagome wouldn't get naked out on the open!"

Seeing the red head walk towards the hallway, she could not help but chuckle. 'Oh young love.' Her blue eyes narrowed, catching Kagami trying to rub his muscles over his shoulder. 'I guess we trained a little hard last night. Our time is limited, though. He has to practice hard. How much he will learn depends not on Taiga's stamina, but on his mental strength.'

Sighing under her breath, the miko's eyes scanned the new tournament bracket in her hands as she stood outside Seirin's locker. 'The third day of the Winter Cup is already here. Time sure flies. Over the first and second days, every first-round game was completed. The fifty participating schools were reduced by nearly half - to thirty two.' Her eyes scrunched as she read the familiar teams on the paper. 'No surprise to see each of the Generation of Miracles' teams on here.'

Hearing the door open, she leaned away from the wall and greeted the team with a smile. Hyuga gave her a nod before turning to face his team after Riko had given them the plan. "Let's go!" he shouted.

"Yeah!" they replied in unison.

'The second round of games has finally started,' Kagome's shoulder's slumped seeing their confident auras as she followed them out into the court. Making their way toward their bench, she placed her clipboard down as the rest of the team sat.

"Alright," spoke Riko as she faced the team, "our opponent's strength is a slow-half court game. It's not a good matchup for a fast-paced team like ours, so we will change our starting lineup and see how things go. Hyuga-kun, Izuki-kun, Teppei, Mitobe-kun, and Tsuchida-kun! These five will be our starters!"

"Yeah!" the five shouted before making their way into the court.

Hyuga blinked as he looked behind his shoulder and noticed the miko coming to sit in between the first year duo. "Oi, don't look so worried right before the game!"

"I am not worried," nodded Kagami as he placed his hands on his knee.

"Then let me hear you!" he exclaimed.

Kagome chuckled as she she heard the first years on the bench cheer for their team. Of course Hyuga was back to his 'senpai' scolding ways. Was she nervous? Slightly, but she had to trust her team. They were one game away before challenging Yosen. 'Ganbatte, Seirin.' Blinking, she caught sight of a familiar pair of eyes across the court. The miko's expression softened the moment she came to see Akashi's person with crossed arms. Was he there to observe Seirin?

"What are you staring at, Kagome-chan?" questioned Kuroko.

"Huh?" she blinked her staring away, returning back to the matter in hand. "Uh, it's nothing. I was just lost in thought."

"Oh?" blinked Shippo as he observed the game from the suite above. After convincing Koga to come with him to watch the games, he did not even think twice in taking Sesshomaru's suite key for the stadium. He flinched as he saw Seirin play against Nakamiya South. He knew something was wrong, but after watching Izuki miss the pass, he was wondering if Seirin was lost in thought. "This is the first time I see the team so disconnected. And here I thought they were getting stronger."

"Yeah," sighed Koga as he crossed his arms, "but the stronger team doesn't always win. You might even say they will lose." His eyes narrowed as he saw Hyuga missing the jump to block one of the shots made by the opposite team.

"What do you mean?" questioned the kitsune.

Koga scratched the back of his head as he closed his eyes after seeing the score board with Nakamiya South in the lead. "There are two reasons. The first is Seirin is far from hitting their stride today. Against Tōō, all five Seirin players gave one-hundred percent, no, one-hundred and twenty percent. But that hardly ever happens. You couldn't keep that up every game."

"What is the other reason?" Shippo raised a brow.

Releasing a chuckle on his breath, the wolf youkai slowly opened his eyes. "They beat Tōō. They say you should never let your guard down after a victory. It is like our own battles against demons. We get cocky. After you win, everyone lets their guard down. Confidence and arrogance are two sides of the same coin. In other words, in today's game, Seirin's greatest enemy is themselves." He sighed as he caught sight of Riko calling out a time-out at the referee table and the worry in Kagome's eyes.

Kagome sighed under her breath as she watched the five players come to sit on the bench as they made way for them to catch their breath. Handing Kiyoshi and Mitobe a water bottle, she heard Riko's voice.

"Listen closely, guys-"

"Coach," sighed Hyuga, stopping Riko from saying anything further, "hold up." He already knew what the problem was. It was not only the people around that were witnessing their mistakes, but the players themselves were. "Kagome-chan, do you have the tournament bracket?"

"Uh, hai," she nodded before coming to take out the paper from her clipboard. Handing the paper to the captain, she watched silently as his finger came to point at the middle.

"Look," he spoke, feeling everyone lean for a closer look. "I am sure everyone knows, but this is what we are aiming for. Every one of the fifty schools here fought tooth and nail through their preliminaries to represent their prefectures. Every school is carrying the wishes of the teams they defeated in the preliminaries. They practiced until they were puking up blood and survived desperate battles. Only one school can beat them all. Of course being the best in Japan isn't easy! Everyone is desperate. Letting your guard down for a second is fatal. I know it makes sense in your heads, but I think we still have weaknesses in our hearts."

Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath before setting his eyes on the two females standing before him with questioning looks. "Coach. Kagome-chan, hit us with your best shot so we can get our heads on straight."

Kagome took a step back at the sudden request. Hit them? Was he being serious?!

"Eh?" Riko began to rub her shoulder as a smile sprung on her lips. "But I am so weak." She gave the miko a smirk as her eyes narrowed slightly. "Come help me, Kagome-chan."

"A-Ah….I don't know," she whispered, scratching her cheek. The only people she ever hit was Koga, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kagami. Hitting her senpais was another thing.

"You seem really excited," Hyuga's eyebrow twitched. "Hurry up and get it over with."

"Captain," spoke Kagami as he caught Hyuga's attention. "Kuroko and I are ready to go any time. If things get bad, put us in sooner rather than later."

"Huh?" he glared with his nerve throbbing over his forehead. "Don't worry about us, baka!" The side of his hand came down onto the tiger's head as he gave him his scolding. "If we need your help to win here, we are in no position to be calling ourselves the best in Japan."

The miko smiled as she watched the five stand up to prepare themselves for the upcoming hits. "It is nice having senpais you can count on, huh?" she questioned, gaining the tiger's attention.

"Kagome-chan~ come on."

Kagome sighed as she heard Riko calling out her name. 'Guess I need to hit them all too…'

With the buzzer calling the players back on, Kagome was left staring at the red hand prints on each of the player's left side of their cheek. 'I hope it doesn't sting…,' she never thought she would be forced to hit someone like that. Fanning her hand up and down gently, she could feel her skin throbbing from slapping so many cheeks.

"I am disappointed in myself," sighed Riko as she sat beside the miko.

"You?" blinked Kagome. "I think they have a bad image of me now, Riko-senpai."

"I wish you hadn't hit us though, Kagome-chan," commented Kuroko, catching both females' attention.

The miko flinched as she saw the red print of her hand over not only Kuroko's cheek, but also on Kagami's. She had gotten carried away with Riko telling her to take care of the first-years while she took care of the second-years. She did not even know why the people on the bench needed to be hit! "Gomen!" her hand quickly came to touch Kuroko's cheek as gently as possible before releasing a sigh. "I guess I got carried away." Turning her head to the red head, she gave them an apologetic look. "Gomenasai."

Kagami jolted slightly from her eyes before turning away from her gaze. He could feel his cheeks already beginning to heat up and becoming darker than the hand print.

Both Kagome and Kuroko blinked as they noticed his behavior. This was definitely new to them.

"What the hell!?" shouted Koga as he witnessed the miko's fingers coming to touch the phantom player's cheek. Not to mention that look she gave Kagami!

"Eh~," blinked Shippo as he rested his chin over his palm. Now that he was observing from that height, he could see what the look in Kagami's and Kuroko's eyes meant. He was not young anymore to now know what they two were thinking. "I am starting to think those two may have feelings for okaa-san."

"What did you say!?" the wolf youkai exclaimed, turning to face the kitsune. "You can't be serious! Those two!? That is absurd!" Was he jealous? Of course he was! No one else was supposed to get close in a romantic way to his 'woman'.

Shippo sighed as he gave the wolf youkai a bored look. "You have always been the oblivious type." Ignoring the glare from the wolf, he returned his attention back onto the court and seeing Seirin beginning to come back to their old selves. "Looks like Seirin is winning now."

Calming himself, Koga sighed before nodding as he saw the scoreboard. "Looks like it. After this game, Yosen will be having their next game."

"Yosen, huh?" whispered Shippo. "No doubt who will come to be victorious."

The buzzer echoed off as the game came to an end. Seirin jumped in victory as they prevailed and won their second game of the tournament! Hyuga threw his fist in the air as the rest of his teammates followed suit.

"Yosh!" he shouted with a grin.

Riko and Kagome gave each other a smile as they were given the chance to release their worries. After the teams gave their respective bows, they all returned to their locker rooms with Seirin continuing on their excitement.

The miko exhaled with a smile as she saw their grins. Now the real trouble was coming, but she would enjoy this moment to the fullest.

"I see you all did well. I was worried there for a second."

Hearing the familiar voice, Seirin turned around to see Alex waving at them before they came to enter their locker room. "Alex-san," smiled Kagome, "I thought you had left."

"Of course not," she chuckled. "So? Are you going to stay for the rest of the games?"

"No," sighed Riko. "Seeing that we might be going against Yosen in the next match, I am afraid we should practice as much as possible. Who knows what they got under their sleeve."

"Then why not have Kagome stay here with us?"

The team turned once more to see not only Koga walking towards them, but also Shippo coming behind him. Kagome blinked as she was brought into Shippo's arms. "Okaa-san! I am so glad to see you again! I really missed you!"

"Y-You saw me yesterday, Shippo," she muffled into his chest.

Riko and the rest of the team bowed as they saw Koga giving them a nod in greeting. "Are you two staying to see the games?"

"Some observing here and there," replied Koga. "I agree with you that Seirin should do some training. After seeing today's results and the gameplay that was given, I think I shouldn't remind you all that cockiness will lead you nowhere. Never underestimate your opponents, Seirin."

'Says the one who always underestimated Naraku,' sighed Kagome as she was released from Shippo's hug.

"Well, it might not be a bad idea to have Kagome-chan here to observe the next team," Riko placed her fingers under her chin in thought. Even she wished she could tape the game. "I am guessing Yosen is the next team to play."

Koga nodded as he tilted his head towards the entrance of the court. "They will be starting soon."

"Do you mind if I come?" Alex spoke, catching Koga's and Shippo's attention. "I would like to see Yosen play in this next game. I am quite curious."

"Oh?" blinked the wolf. "Now who might you be? I have never seen you around."

Kagome's eyebrow twitched as she caught his toothy grin coming out. Before he could introduce himself with a cheesy line, Kagome's fingers came to grab his cheeks tightly with just one hand. "Koga, watch it. This isn't the place to be flirting with everyone you have your eyes on."

"Is my woman jealous-"

The miko tightened her hold on his cheeks between her fingers as she heard him beg for mercy. With a sigh, she turned towards the team with a smile after letting the wolf go. "I can tape the game if you want, Riko-senpai."

"Yeah, that would help us in analyzing the team later," she nodded. Waving Kagome and Alex goodbye, she adjusted the strap over her bag. At least she would have first-person information on Yosen before they went against them.

Koganei gulped as he came to scratch his cheek. "Kagome-chan can be scary sometimes…"

"I think it her way of showing affection," chuckled Kiyoshi. "You can tell she and Koga are close."

"Too close for him to be getting hit like that," Hyuga's eyebrow twitched.

Seirin was curious to know how they came to meet, but another part of them just did not want to come to feel sorry for the personal trainer.

Lowering the video camera down, Kagome could not believe what she was seeing. The more she looked at the score board, the more her mind could not put the pieces together. At the beginning of Yosen's match, Alex had sat next to Koga's seat as she sat in the middle of her two youkai friends and were amazed how quickly Yosen was to make points, but that was not was she expecting.

"Is this even possible?" she whispered.

She was expecting a game between two teams, not a game with only one playing!

"This is definitely unheard of," sighed Koga as his eyes narrowed on the score board. Even he was shocked.

"Eighty-one to zero, huh?" commented Shippo as he shook his head. "That team didn't even have a chance." Taking out two lollipops from his pocket, he placed one over the miko's lap. "I need some sugar now after witnessing that."

Alex's eyebrows furrowed as she caught sight of her other student talking with what she guessed was the other member of the Generation of Miracles. 'Kagome-chan was right. Teams with the Generation of Miracles are monsters. Taiga and his team are in trouble.'

"I don't think Seirin will believe the results," sighed Kagome as she looked down to her video camera screen. Even she could not believe it and Yosen was their next opponent.

As Alex and Kagome walked down the hallway of the stadium, nothing was shared between them. Even Koga and Shippo said nothing after seeing the last results of Yosen's game. With Kagome giving Shippo a hug and telling them goodbye, she was back in her thoughts. 'Is Seirin in true danger now? Yosen didn't even let the other team score at least once…'

She had to come up with a plan. She had to remember every detail from every single player. 'At least the video will help me to analyze.'

"Oh?"

Hearing Alex's voice, Kagome caught the blonde female stopping in her steps as her eyes remained glued ahead. "Is something wrong, Alex-san?"

"Those guys…" she whispered back, blinking at the sight of a familiar male the whole team behind him.

Kagome blinked as she noticed the Yosen team walking towards them. 'Yosen? Are they already coming out?' Before she could question, in a blink of an eye, she watched Alex run towards Kagami's childhood friend. "M-Matte, Alex-san!"

"Tatsuya! I've missed you!" she exclaimed, making his team stop in their steps as they watched the blonde place her arm over Himuro's shoulder. Who on earth was this blonde!?

"Alex!" blinked Himuro, taken back by her sudden appearance. "What a surprise to see you. When did you come to Japan?"

Kagome sighed the moment Alex inched her lips close to Himuro's. 'She surely doesn't waste time.' She could see the shock in Yosen's faces as they noticed the close proximity the foreign woman was taking.

Himuro chuckled under his breath before placing his finger over Alex's lips. "Don't do that, Alex. People don't often kiss here."

"What?" sighed Alex. "You're no fun."

"Anyway," he smiled, seeing her disappointed expression, "why don't we go somewhere we can be alone to talk?" Turning towards his teammates, he looked at the captain of his team while ignoring his wide open mouth. "Sumimazen, but could I step out for a minute? I will be right back."

The Yosen captain nodded slowly as he watched Alex giving them a peace sign. "Ah…yeah."

Kagome stopped in her steps behind the blonde as she came to face her. "Alex-san, w-where are you going?"

"I am going to have a talk with my student here. I will be right back, Kagome-chan," she smiled as she laid a kiss on the miko's cheek.

The miko was left speechless while turning her head to see both Himuro and Alex leaving not only her, but her with the team! A shiver ran down the miko's spine as she could feel eyes on her back. Slowly turning around, she was found staring at the Yosen's wide eyed expression.

"Ah, Gome-chin."

Kagome blinked as she was noticed the purple haired male coming towards her. Taking a step back, she dug for the lollipop inside her pocket before bringing it out for the tall male. "H-Here," she gulped. No doubt he was coming to pick her up and she definitely did not want that when his teammates were around or in public for that matter.

Murasakibara's eyebrow rose before taking the lollipop into his hand. "Eh~ Gome-chin actually brought me a candy? Gome-chin loves me."

"Please don't think that," her eyebrow twitched.

"C-Chotto matte. I am dumbstruck here," commented the vice-captain as his eyes switched from the miko to where Alex had left with their player. "Who was that blonde girl anyways and who is this now?"

"Why!?" exclaimed the captain, startling the miko from his sudden outburst.

Was this the captain of the team? 'I think his name was…Okamura Kenichi?'

Okamura's tears streamed down his cheeks like a waterfall as angry tick pulsed on his forehead. "Didn't Himuro get a letter from a girl the other day, Fukui!?"

"Yeah, you're right," nodded Fukui.

"And now this tall bastard has this kawaii girl giving him sweets!? I have never even had a girl talk to me!" dropping to his knees, Okamura continued his cries of despair. "Were they lying when they said joining the basketball team would make me popular?!"

The miko's eyebrow twitched as she heard Okamura's words. 'T-That is why he joined!? You got to be kidding me…'

"It's not like that," sighed Fukui as he placed his hand over his captain's shoulder. "Whether or not you play basketball, you will never be popular."

"Hidoi!" shouted the captain.

'Well that was harsh,' sighed the miko. What was she even doing here? Could she leave? This was not her team to deal with.

"You should start by getting rid of those sideburns and that chin," spoke the tall transfer student behind him. "You are even scaring the girl, Captain."

"H-How am I supposed to get rid of my chin, Wei Liu!?" he exclaimed back.

"Can Gome-chin and I go eat some snacks together?" cut in Murasakibara, receiving a confused look from the miko.

Okamura's eyes widened as he watched the tall male continue to suck on his lollipop. 'He isn't even going to tease me!?' Placing his hand over his mouth, he struggled to keep in the remaining tears inside his eyes. "I'm sick of this team! No one respects the captain." Setting his eyes on the miko, he leaned in close as she leaned back for personal space. "Y-You don't think I am ugly right?! A girl will talk to me, right!?"

"U-Uh…" what kind of questioned was she brought with? Kagome's lip twitched as she gave him a small nod. "I am sure someone will come and love you for who you are, ano, Okamura-san."

"Ah! You know my name!" the Yosen captain turned towards his teammates. "She knows my name! It is meant to be!"

'Meant to be?' blinked the miko.

"Gome-chin is mine," cut in Murasakibara as he brought the miko close to his person while holding the lollipop in his other hand. "You can't have her, Captain."

"Oi! Who said that!?" she exclaimed. He couldn't just claim her that way! The Generation of Miracles were beginning to get to full of themselves at this point.

"Hai, hai. That is enough joking around."

The miko blinked out her yells as she came to see a slightly older female with long black hair wearing business attire come into the team's line of sight. 'Ah, she is Yosen's captain from what Koga told me during the game.'

"Coach Araki?" whispered Fukui.

"I got the Seirin videos from our recon team," she sighed before showing them the DVD inside the case between her fingers. "Let's go back to the hotel."

Narrowing her eyes down slightly, Kagome came to see Araki's eyes meet hers. So Yosen had their hands on information on them. Now she knew could confirm that Yosen was wasting no time.

"And who is this?" questioned Araki.

"Gome-chin," answered Murasakibara.

"Gome….chin?" she repeated.

"Higurashi Kagome," the miko bowed down slightly before coming to face the female coach. "I am Seirin's manager."

The Yosen team's eyes widened as she revealed her identity. She was Seirin's manager!? Then how did Murasakibara know her and even get along with her? "You are part of Seirin's team?" questioned Fukui, catching the miko's attention.

"I see," whispered Araki, lowering the DVD to her side. "I have heard Seirin has come to have a high reputation. I hope you don't mind us reviewing your team's data."

"As long as you don't mind us reviewing yours," she smiled, showing them the video camera. Giving her one last bow, she straightened herself. "I should return to my team."

"Yes," nodded Araki with a chuckle under her breath. "The next time we see you and your team will be on the court." Watching the miko leave, she released a sigh. She did not recall on Seirin having a manager, although rumors were circulating that someone in the team was a great observer. "We should be careful with her," she whispered, catching her teammate's attentions. "I am afraid she could be our biggest threat in the next game."

"Where did Alex-san go?" whispered Kagome as she stepped outside the stadium. She never thought she would encounter the whole Yosen team or the coach for that matter. She could feel her energy drained already. 'Such a long day…,' she sighed before catching sight of the blonde female standing in front of Himuro. 'Ah there they are.' Taking a step forward, the miko stopped as she noticed Himuro's aura slowly rising. It was not until she heard his voice, cutting off Alex's smile that made her unsure if this was the friend Kagami cherished.

"Alex…," spoke Himuro, "could you stop treating me like a kid?" his eyes narrowed as he watched the blonde's expression in confusion. Hearing her speak about Kagami learning a new move and she cheering for the two them – it was obvious Alex did not understand what this game meant. "I don't enjoy it. This isn't some child's quarrel. Taiga is only my enemy now."

Kagome's eyes widened slightly along with Alex's as they heard the words escape Himuro's mouth. Did he really think of Kagami that way now? After so many years he was disregarding their past relationship as brothers.

"You are not my mother," he continued as his fingers curled into his palm. "I am grateful you taught me to play basketball, but…I am stronger than you now."

Narrowing her eyes back, Alex watched as Himuro turned his back on her before giving her a nod. So Himuro was taking this path? Without a word back, her eyes landed on the miko giving Himuro a glare back. Had she listened to their conversation? Would she tell Kagami later?

"Ah, you are Taiga's friend, right?" smiled Himuro, unaffected by Kagome's tight glare. "How is Taiga doing?"

She could not take his smile sincerely after hearing talk with Alex. He truly meant in becoming Kagami's enemy, but she knew Kagami could not see it that way himself. If anything, Kagami was having trouble accepting that he was going to go against Himuro. Keeping her head high, she gave him a nod. "Are you sure about becoming Kagami-kun's enemy?"

Himuro raised an eyebrow at the question. Why was she asking such a thing when he had made it clear.

"It isn't my business – that I know, but Kagami-kun is a dear friend of mine. I know he doesn't think of you as an enemy in this upcoming match, Himuro-san."

Keeping his lips pressed, Himuro's eye slowly tightened before relaxing down to send a smile to the miko. "I will see Seirin and Taiga the day after tomorrow. Do tell Taiga to get enough rest."

As Himuro walked past her, Kagome was left to turn to face his back while Alex came to stand beside her. His aura was conflicting within himself. This was not a match against old friends. This was a match against themselves and their feelings.

"This game won't be easy," sighed Alex as she scratched the back of her head.

Kagome nodded slowly as she lowered her eyes onto the video camera in her hand. 'Kagami-kun and Seirin will not only have to deal with Murasakibara-kun, but also Himuro-san. The moment I show them this video, they will be speechless.'

"Are you heading to Taiga's apartment?" questioned Alex, grabbing the miko's attention.

"Yeah, Riko-senpai said to meet there to review Yosen's game after their practice."

Alex shook her head as she returned her hand into her pockets. "The surprise they will get once they see the score."

"Game over!"

Eyes widened as the final score was shown on the television inside Kagami's apartment. They had expected to see Yosen's tactics from Kagome's video, but they never thought to see the final score ending with a zero on the opposite team. Yosen had completely defeated them.

The miko sat at the back of the room as the rest of the boys along with Riko sat in the front with their eyes glued on the screen. She knew they would be taken back, but even she could not believe what a strong team Yosen was. 'And now they have Murasakibara-kun and Himuro-san.'

"That was crazy," whispered Shun as his eyes brows furrowed.

"That was a basketball game, right?" Koganei's eyebrow twitched as she turned his head towards the coach.

As Riko clicked on the rewind button, she heard Hyuga's voice coming to speak out as he studied Yosen's plays. "In a localy tournament, that score wouldn't be unreasonable in a game between a strong school and a weak one, but this a national tournament."

"It was more unbelievable in person," sighed Alex as she leaned against the wall of the living room.

"It is the complete opposite of Tōō's super aggressive style. They don't give up a single point to their opponents," Kiyoshi's eyes narrowed as he saw Murasakibara on the screen. He would be his toughest opponent yet – once again.

"It's not enough to call their overwhelming defense impregnable," sighed Riko, resting her fingers under her chin. "This is the power of Yosen High."

Curious to see the miko's reaction, Kuroko slowly turned his head over his shoulder and blinked at the sight of the silent manager. Her eyes glued on her lap as her fingers played tapped against each other. "Kagome-chan?" he whispered.

Her ears rung with the call of her name before bringing her head up to meet Kuroko's gaze. Blinking once, she noticed his worried expression on her person. Releasing her breath softly, she presented him with a smile before giving him a reassuring nod. 'I have one day to get as much information I can on Yosen's data, but…,' her eyes slowly rose to stare at Kagami's back as he spoke with Kiyoshi on the defense they should take against Yosen, 'I think will need to talk to someone else that knows Murasakibara-kun well.'

MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: And that is a wrap for this chapter! I will say this now...Kagome will be showing her abilities to ONE person very soon. Take a guess who it will be. I dare you. Also, can you guess who Kagome will go talk to? Next chapter a bunch of things will start up with romance, Yosen vs. Seirin, and Kagome showing her abilities to one person.

I hope you really enjoyed. I want to thank you all for the reviews thus far. Never thought this story would come this far. I truly am grateful to all of you! To think it all started with a one-shot.

Please review?

Ja~ne!