Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters; that right belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. Nor do I own Naruto or its characters; that right belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Author's Note: This is the last in the Akatsuki series, and this story will lead into the next set of these Inuyasha and Naruto one-shots. Part 2 will be coming... in the future. And feature the Sand siblings, centering around Gaara.
She looked down at the piece of paper that had been laid beside her head while she slept. Her vision was blurring as she read the note over again. The message was very explicit in what it was telling her to do — leaving no room for argument, not that she would since this meant her freedom after a year of imprisonment by the crazed puppet master. Sighing, Kagome put the note back on the pillow and sat back against the cold stone wall and looked at the door to the room in which she was kept. Her mind was going back a year to the day she arrived in this strange world filled with Ninja.
Things felt off when she had gone back down the well. She couldn't detect anything, in particular, that was off. So Kagome hadn't given it much thought as she stood at the bottom of the well, glad that her three years was up and she was now going to live in Feudal Japan with her friends. Hearing the sound of movement, Kagome let a smile curled her lips.
"Hey! Can I get some help," She called out as she shifted her backpack.
When the sounds of movement stopped for a minute or two before it started again, only going away from her, Kagome narrowed her eyes as she huffed. This was not funny.
"Hey, I can hear you up there," she yelled, noting that all sounds of movement stopped.
When no further sounds came, she gave a low annoyed growl and began to climb out of the well herself. Hating how hard it was due to how much she had packed into her backpack. Which practically squished her to the wall of the well. Of which, she noted she didn't have as many vines to climb like it usually did.
"If you think I find your joke funny, you guys are not getting any of the gifts I brought you," she said as she reached the edge of the well and pulled herself up and over.
The sight that met her eyes had Kagome blinking. The clearing was unfamiliar, and there before her were two people. A blond woman and a short, squat man with a mask over his face. They both wore matching black robes with red clouds on it as they looked at her. Then it happened, something small and misshapen was before her and exploded, sending Kagome falling back into the well with a sharp yell.
When she landed at the bottom, her ears ringing as she tried to orientate herself, Kagome felt pissed. That was not cool, whatever that could have hurt her. Narrowing her eyes as she squirmed in the narrow space until she was on her two feet, Kagome grabbed one of the few vines and used the power of anger to climb from the well quickly. To see the backs of the odd duo as they continued on their way through the clearing. Letting out a loud, hissing breath, causing them to pause, turn, and look at her.
"What the heck! Someone attacked me, and you did nothing," She screeched in her anger. "What is the matter with you two!?"
The way the blond woman's visible eye widened at seeing her had Kagome's mind clicking as if something wasn't making sense. As she watched the two, the man shifted and sent a whip-like weapon at her. The way the metal point on it glistened darkly, she knew it was poison. Instinct had her pulling back and losing her precarious balance and sending her falling back as her barrier popped into being purifying the poison on the tip of the tail.
Her brain chose that time to connect the dots as she hit the bottom of the well; her backpack once again softening her fall. Those two had tried to kill her. Shock coursed through her body. Where in hell were her friends? Why were they not there to greet her? Did these people do something? Hell, who were those people. As these questions floated through her mind, Kagome wondered why her brain didn't register them the first time.
She laid there for a few long minutes hoping that when she climbed out of the well for the third time that they would be gone. After what she deemed ten to fifteen minutes, Kagome righted herself, again, and climbed out of the well. Not seeing the duo, she let out a relieved breath and pulled herself over the edge and sat on the lip. Kagome needed to figure out what was going on, and if her situation had anything to do with the strange feeling from the well.
The sound of grass being flattened caused Kagome to open her eyes. She met the single gray-blue of the blond woman. Her body stiffening as Kagome saw them lift their hand and blow on it. A faint yellow cloud of dust flew toward her, causing Kagome to call her Reiki to the surface to keep it away from her. Only to hear a low chuckle from behind her. Twisting at her waist, Kagome felt the air still in her chest as her body locked up as she inhaled a different cloud of dust that was green in color.
Mentally she was cursing up a storm as she felt her body fall sideways from whatever was used to paralyze hers. Unable to keep her eyes open as she tried to get her Reiki to purify her body of the toxin used, Kagome saw two shadows fall over as she heard, whom she presumed was the blond speak.
"Danna, you were right; she didn't die and put up that strange barrier again."
A soft 'hn' was all she heard before she passed out.
Sasori climbed out of his puppet Hiruko and stared down at the strange girl. He was pissed because whatever that barrier she produced was made from had destroyed the chakra strings for the scorpion tail of his puppet, and ultimately neutralized the poison. A feat that should be impossible as he specially created it and had iron sand mixed in making that much more toxic.
Curious about her ability, Sasori knelt and pushed her dark hair from her face and looked at her paralyzed, sleeping form. She had a beauty to her that would be perfect for one of his puppets. Especially if he could keep that strange barrier to nullify stuff, in that instant, he made a snap decision he'd take her with them and get her to talk about her ability and teach him the technique, in case, and then turned her into a puppet. One that would be unassuming in large crowds.
Reaching out, he picked the girl up after detaching her from her backpack. She was light as a feather as he turned and put her into Hiruko. Turning back, he motioned to a stunned Deidara to pick up her bag and bring it. Only to watch as the idiot lifted the bag and grunted.
"Danna, how the hell did that midget carry this thing? It's heavy," Deidara said as he finally shouldered it. "And are you gonna turn her into your next puppet?"
Giving a dark glare, Sasori didn't even bother to answer the idiot and climbed back into his puppet. With the girl in a small ball at the back of Hiruko, he still had plenty of room inside of his battle puppet. They had to make it back to Amegakure. And the trek was going to be a bit longer now because he had to make sure that the girl stayed both paralyzed and asleep, only allowed to wake enough to relieve herself. He'd be damned if she'd defile his puppet with her bodily fluids, then convince Pein to allow him to keep her.
Kagome's body hurt as she stayed still willing her limbs to stop tingling as she slowly stretched it out on the mattress she was laying on. She couldn't determine how long she was inside that puppet with the Pinnochio like man that was currently staring down at her. She knew he wasn't too happy with her since he had to keep giving her more substantial and stronger doses of whatever he was using to keep her immobile. Not her fault, her body purified the stuff.
Shifting her arms to stretch them out, flinching at the pinprick sensation crawling along her flesh, Kagome heard the telltale rattle of a chain. Lifting her head a little to look, she saw that only one wrist was cuffed to the bed, and the chain seemed to be reasonably long. Rolling her eyes as she glanced back to the red-headed Pinnochio, conveying with her eyes (vocal cords not yet responsive) that she was not impressed.
If it affected the man, he didn't show it. Then again, when one was made of wood, didn't that mean that they couldn't show emotions? Blinking and focusing on just past him, allowing her Reiki to flood her eyes a little to see his aura. Not expecting to see his aura concentrated only around his chest, Kagome flicked her eyes back to his. She saw how they narrowed slightly as his head tilted a little to the side.
"What did you do woman," the Pinnochio man asked.
Kagome did her best to arch an eyebrow, though she wasn't sure if she succeeded since her body was still mostly unresponsive to her commands. Quickly Kagome decided it was best to humor this living puppet before her. Slowly she worked her mouth, trying to speak, only getting a few guttural sounds to emerge from between her lips. When he just stared at her, she smiled to the best of her ability, hoping her face didn't only half respond and look like she was having a stroke.
"Dammit, that last dose is still coursing through your body. I figured it would have been removed by whatever technique you use," Sasori muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. "It doesn't matter; Master said I could keep you to explore your jutsu and try and master it before turning you into one of my living puppets."
At his words, dread-filled Kagome's stomach like a heavyweight She had been in bad situations before. Like with the Thunder Brothers, or that one weirdo from the Band of 7. But to hear someone say he wanted to turn her into a living puppet was freaking scary because she was looking at one when she stared at him. Though, something told her she wouldn't have her mind to be autonomous. No, this man reeked of someone who was an uber control freak.
Sasori paused the modification he was making to his newest puppet, the fourth Kazekage of Sand. Lifting his head and turning it almost a perfect one-eighty to look back at his captive of the last six months, seeing her eyes blazing as she glared at his buffoon of a partner. Who just had to bring in the idiot Jashinist. Setting his tools down on the table, creeping to the edge of his workroom, Sasori peeked out to watch what was going to happen.
Kagome had been rather candid with him about her abilities once she got her voice back. There were times he wished her vocal cords were still paralyzed. Though she was more observant than even she realized and he used it to his benefit, especially when it came to how creative she could get when on a small tangent. He knew that she was different, not like any person he'd ever heard of, starting with that she was a legit priestess, which was why she kept purifying any toxin that came in contact with her person.
He had asked her how she acquired that power. Her answer was less than satisfactory. It was hereditary, and the chances of it being passed on were slim. Not that he'd let anyone impregnate the young woman, no, since she said that there was the off chance she took after the old school beliefs that if Kagome lost her virginity, then she lost her powers. Either way was a lose-lose situation for him.
As he stood there watching, he felt surprised as Kagome stood from where she was sitting on his bed, hands on her hips as she glared unafraid of the Jashinist. Who was reacting rather badly toward Kagome, claiming she was a heathen. His words drew a soft, tinkling laugh come from Kagome's lips as she retorted back that he was the heathen, following a dark god of blood, death, and ritual sacrifice. He personally hated Hidan and avoided him as much as possible, so he would be knocking Deidara around later for bringing the bastard into his room for entertainment.
The moment Kagome reached out and grabbed the prayer beads around the white-haired man's neck, Sasori tensed fingers twitching as chakra pooled at the tips to use a puppet in case Hidan retaliated. Only feel his mouth drop open as a lilac halo flared around Kagome, causing a massive, pure pressure to fill the room as she jerked down on the prayer beads, shouting Sit boy. And Hidan did as commanded, leaving a smug-looking Kagome on the bed, brushing her hands together as she looked down at the immobile and cursing Hidan.
Sasori felt a small amount of pride at how she handled herself. That and Hidan seemed unable to stand up from the floor thanks to her holy power, which had retracted, causing the pressure in the room to dissipate. Sasori caught Kagome's gaze, as her blue eyes shone in mischief, telling him that she knew he had been there the whole time. Not bothering to give any response, he made his way back to his table.
When he situated back in his seat, Sasori called out, "Deidara, I want that thing out of my room, before I dismember it and bury the parts of its body parts in various countries."
The tone he used let his assigned partner know he was likely to murder him as well. So the sounds of scrambling had him smirking a little. Something he had started to do more often, thanks to Kagome.
Kagome sighed. It had been two months since the letter Sasori had allotted had passed. She knew that he was part of a criminal organization and that he had been reporting to his Master or Leader Pein about her abilities. And since Sasori wasn't back with Dei-Dei as she had come to call his partner, Kagome knew it was time for her to get the hell out of dodge.
Shifting her body a little, she reached under the pillow where she had stored the key he had left for her. Making quick work of unlocking the cuff and rubbing her tender wrist as she inspected it and saw that there was shiny skin where the metal had rubbed against it continuously. Frowning at the thin scar, Kagome knew it would be a reminder of her time as a captive to a rather interesting man, who saw all life as artwork that must be preserved for eternity.
Slipping from the bed, Kagome went to where her backpack sat, grinning darkly as she released the fuda slip that sealed it shut. Something that she had refused to tell Sasori about. Having some personal effects in there that she hadn't wanted him, or anyone, to see. The gift she had initially been packed for her friends long taken out and shown. Kagome found out that they had those things in this world. Of course, Dei-DDei had enjoyed both the cup of noodles and coloring books.
Finding a pair of pants, socks, and loafers, Kagome dressed before snagging her hairbrush and hair scrunchy. Doing her hair up in a high and tight bun, Kagome closed her bag and lifted it, to carry it into the workshop. The only place she had been forbidden from going when she walked around on her leash. Peeking in, she saw what Sasori had left for her on the table and cackled. The puppet looked like a baby with black curly hair and bright blue eyes similar to her own. The irony that a sterile, asexual doll would create a miniature puppet in the likeness of what a baby would look like if she had one.
Picking it up carefully, Kagome noted that the skin tone was more like Sasori's than her own, and the mouth and nose most definitely resembled his as well. It left an odd taste on the back of her tongue. She was pretty sure that Sasori was incapable of feeling any feelings that would constitute along the lines of affection. Then again, she could be wrong.
Opening her backpack, Kagome placed the puppet in it and then closed and reactivated the seal on it. Carefully she went to the far wall and ran her hand along the wall until her fingers found the hidden catch and pressed it. Soon the wall was opened to reveal a tiny crawl space that she and her backpack would barely fit in. Wrinkling her nose at the musty smell that wafted out from it, Kagome got on her hands and knees and wiggled her way into the tiny space, making sure to close the wall behind her, Kagome started down the passage that was an emergency escape route for Sasori.
Blinking tired eyes as she looked up at the clear blue sky, Kagome sighed. It had been two years since her escape from the base in Amegakure. She had searched out clues about what had happened to Sasori and Deidara. What she learned had her feeling sad, but it didn't stop her. Sasori had given her a job to do, and she was hell-bent on completing it.
Though she had waited for those two extra years since war broke out and she had learned that the Akatsuki were involved with it, so Kagome had tried to keep any attention from herself, which was harder than one would think, since she was a real magnet for trouble. Some people were hunting her because they had heard about her when she was a prisoner of Sasori's.
They were a tenacious lot and kept on her heels when she stayed in one place too long. Dropping her gaze from the sky, Kagome looked towards the gates of the small town where a caravan was getting ready to leave. This opportunity was her golden ticket. They were heading to Suna, the exact place she needed to get to according to Sasori's letter. Shouldering her bag and adjusting the sling that she wore across her chest, with the little puppet that Sasori had made in it — giving the illusion of her being a mother traveling with her child. Kagome walked towards the tall man calling out orders, ready to negotiate the fee for her to hitch a ride along with them.
THE END!