NG: Guess what I have good news!
Nishi: Where have you been all this time? Do you know how long people have been waiting for you to update? I mean it's been two years today!
NG: -sweat drops- Yeah, about that. A lot has been going on in the past two years and well I only just got the chance to finish writing this story.
Nishi: You mean it's finished!
NG: Yeah that's my good news. There are forty-one chapters in all and an epilogue, completely written and completely typed.
Nishi: Finally!
NG: Hey, I promised that I'd finish no matter how long it took, though it took me much longer than I thought it would. Senior year of high school was a mess and the transition to college was no piece of cake either. I will definitely be updating more regularly depending on the request. As a welcome back, I have posted three chapters and more will be on the way.
Nishi: Isn't that so kind of you. Well enough talking, let's start this thing!
NG: Alright just one more thing. Thanks in advance to anyone who reviews. I know it's been forever and I feel very guilty about how long it has taken so don't be too hard on me. If you've stuck around this long I thank you so much. Don't worry about long spaces between updates. Like I said, the story is finished so it's just a matter of posting the chapters. I just feel it's easier to read the story if I give it to you bit by bit. Oh and if you need a recap you can read chapter 20 for a major recap. Well enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters. I only own Kouji and Nishi.
---------------------------------- Love: Confusing Isn't It? ----------------------------------------
Last Time
"Kouji. I-I can't tell you how much I've missed you, all of you, but you can't tell anyone that you saw me. I wasn't supposed to be caught. This is all a big mistake."
"What are you talking about Nishi?"
"He's going to find me Kouji. I'm not supposed to be seen with you. I have to go." Nishi was now frantically looking around. She could only guess who was lurking around spying on her. Both she and Kouji were in grave danger if she didn't leave immediately.
"Are you talking about your boyfriend?" He asked, his voice emanating the feeling of hurt and anger.
"I don't have a boyfriend. I-"
But her speech was cut short by the abrupt placing of a pair of lips upon her own. The kiss shocked her into stillness. She couldn't move, couldn't think. The distance between them became less and less as he kissed her with a desperation she could never fathom to come from him. He wrapped his arms around her small frame holding her as if she'd disappear in his grasp. She soon melted into the kiss.
He tasted… heavenly. She had always dreamed of kissing Kouji, secretly wishing that they could be more than friends. Now, here she was, kissing her long time crush in the same basketball court they had met at. Kouji broke the kiss when the need for oxygen became too great. He rested his forehead against Nishi's, both breathing heavily to regain the air loss to them.
"Please, come home. I miss you. We all miss you." Kouji pleaded.
"I'm sorry. I can't." Kouji looked deep into her artificial chocolate colored orbs. He could see that she was telling the truth, and could see the pain she was going through to have to tell him this. But then again, he could feel the pain himself. He lowered his arms.
Nishi stood there unmoving and Kouji left, his dog in tow. Slowly she slid down the gate sitting on the gravel packed ground of the basketball court hugging her knees to her chest. Her heart felt as heavy as lead and dozens of thoughts swam through her head. Her emotions were running wild and were barely being contained. She hugged her knees tighter trying to suppress the overwhelming urge to cry.
'I can't cry, I promised.'
After calming herself, she realized that that was her first kiss. Timidly, she touched her lips. The tingling sensation was still there and made her heart do flip-flops. 'I just got my first kiss. And it was from Kouji.'
Her mood declined as she remembered the pain she saw in the older boy's eyes. And then she remembered the possible spy that could have seen everything. 'I am so screwed.'
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Chapter Twenty- Four: The Legend
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He stared out of his office window. The city of Tokyo buzzed with life below the twenty-five-story building at which Goshinboku Corporations resided. He smiled maliciously as he glanced over the many buildings, cars, and commuters. 'They are all so naïve. All fooled into believing that they are safe from danger. How amusing.'
He moved his attention to Tsrugi Corporations. It was not close to his own complex, but was still visible through the numerous skyscrapers. 'Tsrugi thinks he can't trust me. He believes that he is safe as well. Maybe with the help of my apprentice, I can change his opinion.'
His door suddenly swung open though he did not bother turning around to see who dare intrude on his privacy. "She's gone, Naraku. Are you finished with me yet?"
"Why Kagura, how nice of you to barge in…uninvited…again." He greeted turning around, a look of mild annoyance on his face.
"We go through this all of the time. You should know me by now."
'Yes, and there are many reasons why I regret that.' The business owner thought.
"Who was deployed to watch over our little 'Chiyu?'?"
Kagura frowned lightly. "I sent Kanna to watch her."
Naraku's expression soon mirrored Kagura's. "Why would you send that girl on a stealth mission? She sticks out like a sore thumb." The red eyed woman glared pointedly at Naraku.
"Kanna is very capable of this mission. She happens to be eerily quiet and since its broad daylight, all of that white won't really matter."
"Why did you not send Bankostu or Hiten-" A smirk appeared on his features. "You're protecting her aren't you? Afraid Hiten will hurt your 'little buddy.' Still think you can protect her. Don't forget, what happened the last time you tried to protect someone from me." Kagura visibly winced.
Naraku was enjoying torturing this woman. In fact, he found pleasure in seeing the pain of others and knowing he was the cause. It was like an early birthday present.
"Why?"
The dark haired man sat in his seat, hands clasped together on his desk. "Do elaborate, would you?"
"Why did you send her out on a mission she was unprepared for? Why do you keep her here in the first place? She is of no use to you anymore. In fact, I don't believe Kikyou's word has anything to do with her anymore. I think you're keeping her here for another reason." Naraku hummed to himself.
"You seem to be very nosy Kagura. But I shall indulge you with a bit of information." He paused, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. Kagura took a seat, though grudgingly, knowing the only way to get what she wanted was to do what he wanted.
"The girl was sent on the mission to test her. When she undoubtedly failed, she was punished to… put her in her place, so to speak. And as you can see, it has worked, quite well in fact."
Kagura glared hatefully at the uncaring businessman before her. "You took it too far. There was no reason for you to hurt her so badly." Naraku sat back in his high leather back chair, his red eyes reflecting his superiority over all and held power that could determine one's fate with a snap of his fingers.
"Kagura, Kagura, Kagura. How severely my apprentice is punished is none of your business." Kagura's eyes sparked for a moment, but he passed that as a sign of her anger. He smirked, realizing how much he was truly aggravating her when she had come to most likely aggravate him.
"I believe you should be preparing for your next assignment. Wouldn't do to well if you should fail also now would it." Kagura stood up and headed towards the door.
"I never fail." She stated confidently with pride only she could posses.
"Never?" he inquired in a tone that held much more than a question.
Her steps faltered and she flinched slightly at her lack of emotional control as an unbidden memory flooded her mind. She recomposed herself and continued her previous route as if she had never heard a word he had said.
'Kagura, so easy to push her buttons.'
A beeping noise to the right of his phone brought his attention away from thoughts concerning the rebellious woman. Pressing the intercom button, he awaited the small noise indicating that he could speak. "What is it Yura?"
"That girl Kanna is here to see you, sir. Shall I send her up?" the voice of his secretary rang through his office.
"Send her up." It wasn't long before a light tapping reached his ears and he invited the young girl he knew was standing outside into his office.
"Yes Kanna, what do you have to report?" he questioned, knowing she would not take the initiative to speak. This girl was always eerily quiet.
"The girl, Nishi, will return shortly Naraku-sama." She answered in her monotonous voice. Naraku couldn't help the slight tremor of discomfort that ran through him. The mere presence of this white haired female was quite unnerving, not to mention her emotionless tone of voice. And he thought he was cold.
"Was she well behaved?" Kanna nodded her head, her white tresses falling over her face briefly only to rest back over her shoulder further enhancing her ghostly appearance.
"Hai, Naraku-sama. She was well behaved." Naraku contemplated this for about a fraction of a second. That answer seemed a bit farfetched. Nishi behaving herself, it sounded completely ridiculous. But Kanna's gaze held no emotion that could prove her to be lying. In fact, they were nearly lifeless.
"Very well, you are dismissed." She exited Naraku's office without a second glance. Though if you looked closely enough, you could see the slightest hint of a smirk upon her lips.
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'No… No… Hmm, not quite.' Sesshoumaru scanned through the various books in his father's library, hoping to find something on his latest research topic. 'Hmm, this may be of some use.'
He plucked a book from one of the shelves scanning over the contents inside before climbing down the ladder. His father had a vast collection of books that he was lucky enough to get permission to use today. It was rare that his father allowed anyone into his private library, not because there were bad books or naughty magazines, which there weren't, but because it was Inutashio's own place of refuge.
Sesshoumaru laid the book titled 'Ancient Legends' on the table where various assortments of books related to this topic lie in neat piles around his notes. His father only let him use his resources because Sesshoumaru had told him he needed to research something dealing with the legend, and while he was here he figured he'd do just that.
The eldest Tsrugi brother pulled up a chair to the table, opening the book he had just laid on the table to the table of content. Skimming down the section headings, he found the one he was looking for. 'Midoriko's Legend. It's the same legend Miroku told at the Halloween party.'
The legend of Midoriko is a legend that dates back to the days of Feudal Japan, also known as the Warring States Era. During Midoriko's time, there was a massive war taking place on the land of Japan between humans and demons. It was said that there were four major groups fighting each other for dominance over all of the land.
To the north resided the taijya; a group of demon slayers who fought along side their leader Chikara, a powerful warrior who wished to rid the world of demons for good. The south is where the spiritually powerful monks lived, ruled by their leader Reigenki. Their goal was to purify the world of all evils. These were the two human groups fighting in the battle. The ookami youkai, or wolf demon tribe, thrived in the eastern regions of Japan. Their leader Hayaku lead them into battles fiercely in hopes to rid the world of those he believed to be human scum. The final group, the inu youkai, or dog demons, ruled the west under their leader Inushiro. His reasons for fighting were not always clear, but it appeared he fought to create the land to his liking.
Midoriko was a miko, or a priestess and the most powerful of her day. She wished for peace in Japan and took it upon herself to find a way to bring the four rulers to a compromise. With her kind heart and selfless acts of caring she traveled in each of the four cardinal directions befriending each ruler in her own way. There was but one fault to Midoriko's plan.
Near the end of her travels, she went to visit the western ruler Inushiro. She spent much time with him in his castle, eventually falling in love with the inu youkai. The problem with this was that it was forbidden for miko's to fall in love and this love clouded her vision. Now her mission was not solely to protect the people of Japan, but to protect her love for Inushiro.
After gaining the trust of each ruler she traveled to her own home preparing to put her plan into action. Using her miko powers, she masked the energies of all four enemies. They were all to meet at her home on the night of the new moon. Midoriko had promised them each weapons that would help to end the war. Each arrived at the priestess's hut one after the other, neither realizing the others' presence until Midoriko lifted the spell cast upon each of them. There was instant chaos as each person recognized whom they shared company with, but it never got past shouts, curses and loud banging because of the barriers stopping any attacks from commencing. Each shouted of the betrayal they felt towards the miko. She proclaimed that she had not betrayed them and that she was fighting for peace.
Each ruler immediately feared death from this woman who was so wise and powerful that she could deceive the four most powerful rulers in Japan. They instantly began using whatever techniques they knew to get out of the barrier. Before her powers failed her Midoriko quickly made mention of the powerful weapon she had promised them. She told them that they might have the weapon as long as they promised to keep Japan a peaceful place by protecting their own lands and helping one another protect the entire country of Japan. Reluctantly they agreed.
There was another catch to this process. Each would have to give their weapon to the priestess. She explained that she would take a small portion of each of their souls that resided in their weapons and infuse them together into the most powerful weapon ever created. Each was a bit skeptical, but Inushiro was first to give his weapon showing his trust in her capabilities.
Inushiro's weapon was a sword called the Tenseiga, a sword of healing. Hayaku's weapon was a katana known for its speed called the Kaze no Ken. Reigenki presented a mystical staff called a Shakujo and Chikara presented a giant bone boomerang called the Hirikotsu known for its immense power.
Trusting that no one longer wanted to kill the other, Midoriko lowered her barriers, releasing her four captives from their prisons. Using her holy powers, she fused the four souls into her heart, creating a small pink jewel, which she extracted from her own heart. This jewel was called the Shikon no Tama, or the Jewel of Four Souls.
Because of the power used to create this weapon of peace, Midoriko died shortly after. Inushiro revived her using his sword, the Tenseiga. Together they lived as mates until Midoriko died of old age. Inushiro did not revive her then, but instead let her rest in peace. Before her death however, Midoriko gave her friends two more gifts. To her mate, she gave a sword called the Tetsusaiga, a weapon to protect, and to her other friends she gave them a bow called the Himistu Hikari (Secret Light) in remembrance of her. Her last words were said to be. 'These are the key.'
Because they were both human, Chikara and Reigenki died a few years later. The two remaining demons, Inushiro and Hayaku, buried Midoriko's treasure never to be seen again. Inushiro and Hayaku continued to carry out Midoriko's dream of peace though it would never be truly acquired and to this day Midoriko's treasure forever remains hidden.
'For someone who wanted peace, she certainly had quite a bit of weapons.' Sesshoumaru scanned over his notes, trying to understand exactly what he was supposed to be deciphering. 'My father said it is supposed to be a blue print to a new technology. The weapons mentioned in the legend, could they have something to do with the technology?'
Sesshoumaru wrote a list of all the weapons mentioned in the story. 'The Tenseiga. It has the same name as the sword I own. I doubt that is a coincidence… Hirikotsu, giant bone boomerang.' He thought hard for a while. 'I've seen one before, at the Halloween party, but who had it?'
An image of a female dressed in a slayer's uniform flashed in his vision. 'Taijya. Her boomerang may be the one in the legend. Miroku had a staff, possibly the Shakujo and either Kouji or Kouga wore a katana. I noticed the weapons before, but didn't realize what importance they held. It truly is a strange occurrence that all four weapons happened to be in one room at the same time, owned by all who are friends.'
The white haired teen flipped to the next page of his notes. 'The weapon that Midoriko created, the Shikon no Tama, I believe it is owned by the younger Higurashi female. Whatever the technology is, the Shikon must be the main piece or else it wouldn't have been the strongest weapon created.' The next two weapons listed seemed to be different than the others.
'The Tetsusaiga,' That was the sword stolen from their home on Christmas Eve and still had yet to be found. 'and the Himitsu Hikari, Midoriko called them the 'key' before she died, but why?'
Sesshoumaru closed the borrowed book and his own notebook. He had heard mention of the legend before and noticed the weapons having some relation to the story during the Halloween party, but hadn't realized the importance of them. It appeared that somehow all of the pieces of the puzzle had all been right under his nose. If he had known about the true origin of the legend this mystery could have been solved by now and his father's company could have already been number one in the nation.
'Now one piece is missing. But who could have stolen it?' Sesshoumaru recalled the Halloween party, and that Nishi said that Naraku had been there. 'Is it possible that Naraku could have deciphered part of the legend as well?'
But the only flaw with that logic was that the legend was not copied many times. There were few that actually had the original story. Otherwise it was told by word of mouth, and even then it was never accurate. Naraku would have a hard time finding an original. 'Unless, that scroll that Miroku read from at the party was also stolen, without our knowledge.'
Gathering his books and notes, Sesshoumaru exited the library, locking the door behind him. He went to his own room and placed his load in a secure location where he was sure no one would discover them. Then he picked up his phone dialing the number he wished and waited for the person on the other end to pick up.
"Moshi moshi. Houshi residence. May I ask who is speaking?"
"Ayame, this is Sesshoumaru, is Miroku there?"
"Nope, not here."
"Are you sure?"
"Hai, I just got back from Kouga's house a few minutes ago, and no one was here. Why is something wrong? Maybe I can help."
Sesshoumaru thought for a moment. 'Maybe she could help. Nishi said that this girl may be of some assistance to me.'
"Perhaps you can help. Can you recall the scroll your cousin read from at the Halloween party?" There was a pause on the other end and then.
"You mean the Legend of Midoriko. Sure I do. Doshite? (Why?)"
"I would like to look at it. Is it possible that I may stop by to do that?"
"Gomen Sesshoumaru. It's been missing for weeks, since the party. My uncle was so mad. It's the main attraction at our shrine."
Strangely enough, Sesshoumaru wasn't too surprised to hear that. He was debating on whether or not to enlist the help of this girl. He didn't want too many people involved. Higurashi was already in it and she was enough trouble. Perhaps there was a way for Ayame to help without getting her involved.
"Ayame, what if I were to tell you that that scroll was stolen from you?"
"Nani?"
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NG: On to the next chapter!