NG: HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! WHOO HOOH! 2008!
Miroku: Um, NG-sama, why are you yelling?
NG: IT'S 2008! TIME TO CELEBRATE!
Miroku: Yes, we know this, but do you really have to shout?
NG: I DO IF I WANT TO ANNOY MY TWO FAVORITE HANYOUS!!
Miroku: -looks over where the two mentioned are currently tied to a chair and flinching horribly- I see, I was wondering why they tied up this time.
NG: YEAH, THEY KEPT BUGGING ME WHILE I WAS PARTYING!
Inuyasha: We were trying to stop you from drinking you crazy wench!
Nishi: Yeah now will you please shut up and let us go!
NG: SORRY, TIME TO START THE STORY!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Inuyasha characters, just Nishi and Kouji.
---------------------------------- Love: Confusing Isn't It? ----------------------------------------
Last Time
"Um Sango, it sounds to me like this could be more than just a crush. Are you in love with Miroku?" Sango's shoulders began shaking again and silent tears slipped down her face. "Oh Sango, please don't cry again. I didn't mean to upset you."
"It's not that Kagome. It's just that I've realized how completely stupid I am."
"Nani? What do you mean Sango? You're not stupid."
"I am." She replied lifting her head and wiping her tears to reveal a solemn smile. "I was stupid enough to fall in love with the biggest hentai of the century and look at me, I'm a mess. I'm sitting here crying like a baby over some guy when I should just go and beat his ass into a bloody pulp." Kagome laughed mostly in relief at the return of her friend's attitude. "Besides, Nishi would just scoff at me and say 'Tears are for babies. All they do is get your face wet and mess up your makeup.' Kagome just nodded in agreement.
"Kagome?"
"Hmm?"
"I miss her."
"Yeah, I do to."
"Do you think she's alright? Midori-san said that the police haven't found her yet. You don't think she's…" She choked slightly, holding more tears at bay.
"No Sango-chan. I believe that she's okay, wherever she is." Both girls got up and left the stall after Sango had cleaned herself up of course. They headed for their next class since lunch was over, not noticing that someone else was in that bathroom with them.
"I miss you guys too." Nishi whispered and left to go to her next class securing her black bandana and sun glasses as she left."
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"Tomorrow is shopping day Kagura and I expect every item on my list to be in my office by the end of the day, understood?"
"Hai." she responded, leaving the office.
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"Well, it's just that every time I mess up, even a little bit, I'm lucky if I come back here without anything that will bruise in the morning. Now that I think of it, since I've been here, you haven't gotten hurt once, even when we both get into trouble." Nishi couldn't help the hint of envy in her voice.
"That is because I am Naraku's right hand man, so to speak. None of these fools would dare to touch me." she explained.
"Oh," Nishi said dejectedly. 'I was just hoping there was some way for me to get out of it.' Kagura took her place on her now empty bed and Nishi went to her own to lie down.
'The kid looks so miserable.' Kagura knew the real reason why she was never treated like the rest of Naraku's lackeys. She detested it with all her might. After all, Naraku doesn't want to hurt his precious little sister.
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Chapter Twenty- Seven: The Last Straw
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"Moshi moshi Ookami residence."
"Kouji, this is Sesshoumaru."
"Hey Sesshoumaru, what's up."
"I need to borrow something from you for a while."
"Sure, what is it?"
"Do you remember the katana that you wore to Miroku's Halloween party?"
A pause. "Hai, I remember. Do you need it?"
"Hai, I do, but I only need one and both you and Kouga had one. Is either one of the two more significant?"
"Well, Kouga's has the symbol of wind on it. Mine however is just an ordinary katana. Is that helpful?"
"It is. May I come over today to pick it up?"
"Of course. I'll be here."
"Ja ne."
"Ja ne."
'Click.'
Sesshoumaru turned from the phone to wince at the condition of his room. 'Mother would have a fit. It is a good thing she does not visit often.'
As it was, Sesshoumaru had begun collecting all weapons that were mentioned in Midoriko's legend. He now had the Hirikotsu, which he had borrowed from the Taijiya's the day before, his own Tenseiga, and the Shikon no Tama. Ayame was to bring the Shakujo from her home and he was currently on his way to pick up the Kaze no Ken from Kouji. Two of the final items he knew of were lost to him for the moment, one in the possession of Kagura and the other stolen.
As he approached Kouji's door, he could hear the barking of his overzealous pup inside, possibly waiting to pounce on the new visitor. He rang the doorbell and after a few moments, in which Sesshoumaru assumed Kouji was trying to restrain the dog, the door finally opened.
"Hey Sesshoumaru. Here's what you wanted." Kouji handed him a long box. "I put it in there because it would be strange to walk down the street with a katana, even if you aren't walking home. Gomen, I would invite you in, but Kaze has been acting up lately and I don't think you want to deal with him."
Sesshoumaru nodded in agreement hearing the dog's loud yips and barks. "That is fine. I did not plan on staying. Good day."
"Yeah, see ya."
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"Arigatou Tsrugi-san." Ayame said as she sipped her tea. She was waiting for Sesshoumaru to return from Kouga's house with the Kaze no Ken. Ayame sighed at the thought of her boyfriend. It seemed that he was getting suspicious of her constant visits to the Tsrugi household and also a bit jealous. 'Rin is getting pretty suspicious too.'
Just as that thought entered her mind, the front door opened and in walked Sesshoumaru. He gave quick greetings to both his mother and her and beckoned for her to follow him upstairs. "Arigatou for the tea and your company Tsrugi-san." She said bowing.
"Oh no problem dear. Now run along."
Ayame grabbed her package containing the Shakujo and headed upstairs. She entered Sesshoumaru's room, which had begun to look worse and worse every time she came in here.
"So, what are we working on today?" she asked the young man now unlocking his safe in which he kept the computer chip he found in the Tenseiga and the Hirikotsu.
"We will extract the remaining computer chips from the last two weapons." he replied taking the chips out and placing them on the table.
"How do you know that the last weapons contain computer chips?"
"I recognized a pattern in the legend. All four of these weapons, the Hirikotsu, the Shakujo, the Kaze no Ken, and the Tensegia, were used to create the fifth, the Shikon no Tama. I believe that each holds a piece used to assemble this Shikon no Tama." he said gesturing to the jewel on his desk.
"Okay, that makes sense." Ayame agreed. She picked up a magnifying glass and the staff that she had brought with her as Sesshoumaru opened the box to the Kaze no Ken. Ayame examined every inch of the staff from the top to bottom until she came across the kanji for south at the base of it. Knowing that she could not very well cut through gold, she began to search for another way of opening it. Finally, she found that twisting the bottom off opened the staff and out feel another computer chip.
"Found it!" she declared.
"As did I." Sesshoumaru said holding up his piece. All four chips were placed on the table.
"So now, all we have to do is figure out what these things are used for." Ayame said thinking aloud.
"These pieces are each small enough to fit inside of the Shikon no Tama."
Ayame eyed the tiny chips skeptically. "Yeah, maybe, but the jewel is perfectly round. There are no slots or indentations where we could place the chips."
"That is why we need the keys."
"Huh?"
"The Tetsusaiga and the Himistu Hikari."
"Oh that's right." She said thoughtfully. "Midoriko said that those two weapons were the keys."
'Without the keys, there isn't much we can do, and both of those are missing.'
"What do we do now?" Now that they were stuck, she wasn't of much use to Sesshoumaru anymore.
"We will return the weapons to their owners, all except the Shikon no Tama. I will lock these pieces along with the jewel in my safe. I will return Taijiya's boomerang and Kouji's katana. You may take your staff home."
"Oh, I could take the katana over to Kouji. I'm going there anyway."
"Very well. I will call you if I am in need of your assistance again."
"Sure thing Sesshoumaru. Ja ne." She waved goodbye even with the two packages under her arm and headed out the door.
Sesshoumaru locked the items in the safe and picked up the Hirikotsu planning on dropping it off on the way to his father's company. There he was sure to find some evidence that would help put Naraku Yami behind bars and Nishi out of that hell hole she was trapped in. There was something suspicious about Naraku's sudden emergence into the business world. Naraku had never been heard of before and all of a sudden became one of the top five weaponry distributors in all of Japan. 'He is too young and inexperienced to accomplish a feat like that, unless he had been planning it for a long while.'
The previous owner of Goshinboku Corporations was a man by the name of Hitomi Kagewaki. He was fairly young himself but had been running the business along side his father for many years. Unfortunately, he was very sickly and was not able to keep the business running under the Kagewaki name. Everyone was sure that the vice-president Toshiro Yamanake would inherit the position as he was a close friend of the Kagewaki's and the most suitable candidate. However, the mysterious Naraku Yami had somehow managed to snag the position. Naraku posing as Onigumo had only been in charge for one year until Goshinboku Corporations matched Tsrugi Corporations. This information unnerved the future VP of the family business.
'It takes nearly a year just to settle into a new position let alone bring the company neck and neck with the competition. Especially if you've never worked in the corporation before.' Sesshoumaru dropped the large boomerang off at Sango's home and continued on his way to his father's office.
The drive took about a half an hour giving Sesshoumaru time to think. The large steel framed building came into view with the gold word Tsrugi shinning in the afternoon sun. He easily walked through the front doors, security already knowing who he was. Greetings such as 'Good afternoon Tsrugi-san' and 'Hello Tsrugi-san' greeted him as he walked through the many halls towards his father's office. A young man sat at the desk in front of his father's office.
"Ah, it is good to see you again Tsrugi-san. I will page your father and notify him of your arrival." The secretary said. He pressed the intercom button relaying a message to Inutashio, buzzing Sesshoumaru in. He nodded in thanks before entering.
"Sesshoumaru, what brings you here today?" Inutashio greeted smiling brightly.
"I am here to ask you something pertaining to Hitomi Kagewaki"
"Hitomi Kagewaki? Ah yes, the previous owner of Goshiboku Corporations. What about him?" Before answering, Sesshoumaru seated himself comfortably in one of his father's chairs.
"How is it that Yami-san came to obtaining Kagewaki-san's position?" Inutashio's eyebrows creased slightly in mild displeasure, then straightened as a curious smile graced his lips.
"Why the sudden interest, musuko?"
"I would like to know a little bit more about our rival company. If you are considering merging with Goshinboku Corporations, I thought I should learn more about it." Inutashio eyed his son curiously and knew this was about more than just getting information on a rival company. If that were the case, Sesshoumaru would have just looked up the company online or in the company library. He decided to test his theory.
"Well son, I can put your mind to rest. We will not be merging with Goshinboku. I find that there's nothing wrong with a healthy rivalry and I do not trust that a merger will be successful." Sesshoumaru mentally growled. He knew what is father was trying to do. He was being nosy and did not believe the story that he had told him.
"That is good to hear, however; I would still like to know the answer to my question." Inutashio smiled. He knew that there was more to it than a quest for knowledge.
"Yami-san came into possession of Goshinboku Corporations after Kagewaki-san's death. Kagewaki-san was very ill when he inherited the company from his father and needed to find someone to give it to before he died. In his will Kagewaki-san had given complete ownership of Goshinboku to Onigumo Yami."
"What of his Vice President, was he not eligible for the position?"
Inutashio leaned back further in his chair. "That's the mystery of it all. Everyone believed that the VP would become the new president, but instead, a newcomer acquired the position."
"So Onigumo never worked in Goshinboku before becoming the President?"
"He did, but not in Goshinboku as much as for it. He was an intern at one of Goshinboku's lesser law firms." Sesshoumaru contemplated this.
'Intern to an attorney. He must have used that position to get where he is now. Somehow.'
"Thank you for the information father, I will be going now." Inutashio nodded as his son left his office. Sesshoumaru exited the building quickly getting into his car and driving home.
'None of that information was of much use to me. I already knew most of it.' Sesshoumaru relaxed slightly, knowing it was going to be a long drive home.
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"Hey Rin, I'm home." Ayame said placing her belongings in their proper place. When she received no response, she glanced at her cousin who was sitting quietly at her desk immersed in some book. She seemed to be depressed about something.
"Rin-chan, are you alright?" Rin closed the book, which Ayame realized was a photo album, but still kept her back to her cousin.
"Ayame, do you think he still likes me?" Ayame was puzzled by this question.
"Who?"
"Sesshoumaru. I mean, he hasn't talked to me for almost a week. Every date has been canceled and every time I try to talk to him he says he's busy." Ayame was slightly shocked by this. She knew that Sesshoumaru was very busy with his research for his father, but she didn't realize that he had completely neglected Rin.
"Ayame, you've been helping him with his work a lot. Do you think he still likes me?" Rin had now laid her head on the desk. Ayame sighed.
"Of course Sesshoumaru still likes you. You know how he is when he gets caught up in his work. Sometimes he's almost inhuman the way he constantly pushes himself into his work."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive." Ayame said making a mental note to grill Sesshoumaru's ass for doing that to her cousin. "Hey, um Rin, I'll be right back. I'm going to go make a phone call alright?"
"Yeah sure."
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Kagura sped towards Sesshoumaru's house finding the message too important not to give it to him personally. She knew on her part that it was probably the dumbest thing she could be doing at the moment. She was practically writing her own will and destroying her own chances of ever getting free, but after today, after what happened she was willing to risk everything to get Sesshoumaru this information.
'I can't believe it. This just isn't real.' Kagura shuddered at the memory of what brought her racing down the streets in her brother's car.
------------------------------------------Flashback-------------------------------------------------
She had just returned from the errand Naraku had given her. She was only able to retrieve the Hirikotsu and the Kaze no Ken, which she knew Naraku would not be pleased with. Every other item was too heavily guarded. She figured that she'd go back for it another day, after all the yelling from Naraku. Kagura walked over to Naraku's office to hand him her findings and get chewed out for her failure; however, he was not there.
'Must be doing some 'errands'.' Instead, she headed for the training area, which had become sort of a dojo in the many years she had been here. Noises were coming from the closed room meaning someone was already using it.
'Might as well check it out. Maybe I'll find a sparring partner.' She opened the door only to be shocked stock still.
"Hiten! What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" she yelled in outrage as she dashed into the area knocking the disgusting man off of the girl lying motionless on the hard wood floor.
"K-Kagura-sama, I-I was just havin' a little fun with her that's all." Hiten stuttered, visibly paling at the woman's wrath.
"How- how dare you!" she screeched and made a dash for him managing to get a few hits on him before kicking him where it hurt. A small bit of satisfaction filled her as she watched him pass out from the pain, or maybe it was from fear. She didn't really care at the moment. All that mattered now was whether or not Nishi was okay. She ran over to Nishi whose eyes had become devoid of life completely.
"Nishi! Nishi wake up damn it!" Kagura shouted shaking the girl to consciousness. Slowly she received a response as Nishi blinked at her then stared at Kagura with her eyes much duller than normal. She looked down at herself noticing her lack of a decent top. Luckily, Hiten had gotten no farther then that. She then looked at Kagura, a confused look in her eye.
"Kagura? What are you doing here?" said teen nearly gasped at the complete lack of emotion in her voice.
"Nishi, are you alright? Did he hurt you?" Kagura received one of the coldest glares she ever had in her life.
"What do you think Kagura? What do you think happens everyday I have to spar with him?"
"He's-he's tried this before."
"No, this is the first time he's ever tried to-to…" Nishi stayed quiet and got off the floor. Crossing her arms over her chest she made her way out of the dojo favoring her good leg.
"Wait, where are you going?" Kagura questioned going after her.
"To my room." She responded while continuing her limp to their shared quarters.
"Here." Kagura said, removing her jacket and handing it to the girl. Nishi took the jacket and put it on, never breaking her stride.
Kagura walked along next to her glancing at the girl every so often. She actually seemed fine. Though she sported many scrapes and bruises, and her clothes were torn, her attitude about the whole ordeal seemed calm. And that was what scared Kagura the most. Most girls would have broken down into hysterics after such an experience or at least act out in anger, but Nishi didn't. It was as if she had become void of all emotions and had cut herself off from reality.
'That's it! I've had it!' Kagura thought angrily. 'I will not stand for this shit anymore. It's time I get Nishi out of this place and fast.' As soon as they reached the room, Kagura scrambled to gather Nishi's things into one pile on her bed.
"Kagura, what are you doing?" came Nishi's deadpan voice.
"I'm getting you out of here."
Nishi sat on the bed and got under the covers. "I'm not going." She muttered.
"What the hell are you talking about? All of these months we've been planning on getting out of here. Now I say let's go and you say you're not going!"
"Kagura what makes you think that we'll ever make it out of here?"
"Nishi, we have to get out of here. This has become too dangerous. You were almost raped for goodness sake!" Nishi flinched at Kagura's tone.
"I'm not going. I'm not going to be hit anymore. I'm not going through anymore pain." Kagura stared at Nishi's look of defiance.
"Fine. Stay here. See if I care." Kagura called as she marched out the door. She slammed it shut and leaned against the door taking a deep breath. 'Calm down Kagura. Nishi has just been through a lot. She's confused, scared, and has no idea what she's talking about.'
Kagura knew that now was the time to leave. Things were getting too intense and she needed Naraku behind bars in order for Nishi to feel safe enough to leave. There was only one way to incriminate that bastard and that was to expose him for who he really was. Kagura knew where the information was and who was the only person she could trust to give it to. The only problem was that Naraku wouldn't hesitate to kill her if he found out what she was planning on doing, sister or not. There was no other choice. This had to end soon, or who knew what else would happen.
--------------------------------------End Flashback---------------------------------------------
Now here she was approaching Sesshoumaru's door, nervous as hell mind you because you could never tell who was watching. After ringing the doorbell, she waited impatiently for someone to answer which took all of about five seconds.
"Hai, how may I help you?" The woman at the door asked eyeing her strangely.
'Oh that's right I didn't change my outfit.' Kagura was wearing her usual outfit that she used to go on missions. Basically there was a whole lot of black. "Hello ma'am." Kagura said bowing. "I have a message for Sesshoumaru Tsrugi. Is he home?"
"Uh, no he isn't home yet. May I ask what this is about?"
"Oh, this is about that research project he's doing. I was just bringing by some information that he asked for. Do you mind giving it to him for me? I can't stay long."
"Of course dear." Tsrugi-san said taking the package from Kagura. "What's your name dear-" But Kagura had already left, speeding down the street towards her 'home'. Besides, she only trusted the brat by herself for a short amount of time.
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NG: Well things are really starting to get serious. The story will be more serious as it continues. I've decided that since it is the first day of the new year, I will update two chapters today. Don't forget to review this one and tell me what you think!
