Disclaimer I don't own Inuyasha all characters from the show belong to Rumiko

Rated: T for cursing

A/N: So for this timeline I decided to make 1491 the official year Kagome went into the past, add three years for Naraku and a year after his subsequent death followed by Kagome's rebirth and this story arc starts in 1495.

'Italics' - thoughts

* - explanation at the end of the story

"Speaking"

A Demon's Life

Chapter 6: Blending In

Nippon, Kyoto - 1593

'I am going to rip him a new one when I find him!'

After one hundred years together, she was sure her dear son would have learned that when she gave him a warning it was best to heed her advice. But NOOOO that would be too easy for a fox kit, especially her own son who was now a rambunctious teen kitsune. They had been back in their homeland for fifty-six years now following the passing of Sango with Miroku following his beloved wife a year later on their wedding anniversary. It was a sad time for Kagome and the rest of the Inu-tachi, who remembered the vibrant demon slayer and monk in their youth. The battles they had fought with one another against the likes of Naraku and many evildoers who roamed Japan in search of the Shikon shards. Yet, with this sadness came acceptance as the two remaining humans of the Inu-tachi had lived considerably long lives in in spite of their mortality.

They'd left behind a considerable legacy that would undoubtedly continue on well into the future. Twelve children, twenty-eight grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren to be exact. Most of them chose to stay in their mother's rebuilt Taija village, while some of them lived on in their parent's second home of Edo and a few even decided to continue in their ancestors footsteps and traveled all over the country helping those in need.

Being a demon for nearly a century she had grown considerably in power and wisdom, especially since returning to Japan. Those days of simple whims of wanting to get into a good university and hang out with her friends at WacDonalds and have a boyfriend seemed like an eons ago. Over the years her goals became less about a future far away from now and more focused on her new present. After all, even if she made it to the future to see her family, what would she be signing herself up for? To have to tell her mother that her only daughter was centuries older than her? Or to have to watch as each and everyone of her family members died from their own mortality right before her very eyes?

They were depressing thoughts that she did her best to not to linger on these days.

She figured all she could do was become strong enough to make way for a better future for those who needed her now. And when the time drew closer to her natural timeline she would agonize over what she would have to do then.

The past century with Shippo had been full of training at fox demon school and sneaking off to explore the main continent. Time seemed to passed by in a blur that way.

So much so that when they did visit for a month here and there over the years that it was always a shock to see new wrinkles added to her friend's faces, or to see a another new generation of their family started. Or worse deaths, like Lady Kaede's death. Thinking about it brought a pang to her heart. When they came back to visit the second time after she left to begin her training they received word of her passing. Even little Rin, who'd been the youngest of their rag-tag group and Sesshoumaru's ward, had settled down and married Kohaku. Leaving behind her own children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren before passing away. And her group happened to be blessed with longer lives than most during their current era. All thanks to her stockpile of health supplements and traditional medinal tomes she had stashed away over the years traveling with them. This combined with Inuyasha guarding Edo from bandit and demon attacks led to the once small farming village expanding dramatically in just half a century.

Of course with the time passing the need for demons to fall back to the shadows became a more pressing matter.

Even her best friend and first love Inuyasha who was adored by the village of Edo realized that the time to move on had come He now lived with Lord Sessoumaru in the Western Lands as his general after the Demon Battle of Komatsutchi, that took the lives of countless demons in the Western and Northern parts of Japan including the life of the faithful retainer of Lord Sesshoumaru, Jaken, nearly three decades ago.

Unfortunately with the number of humans steadily rising every year and demons numbers steadily declining over the past four decades it was necessary for safety measures to be put into place. As far as she knew, about eighty-five percent of Japan's demon race now lived in the Western Lands under Lord Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's protection. While the other fifteen percent lived in disguise much like her and Shippo, or they lived openly too stuck in their ways to believe that they would die at the hands of those they considered less than themselves. Most of the younger generations of humans saw their grandparents stories as just that fanciful stories, but still a possiblity to prepare for. Many priests now travelled the land in larger numbers alongside the various daimyos armies in case they were needed. It would probably take another century before demons would truly become nothing more than myths and legends, like how it was in her future.

It was still hard to believe she was now one of those myths. Except she would probably only be remembered as the priestess who died ridding the world of the Shikon no Tama and not the priestess who died and was reborn as a demon. And who knew if she would make it to the future with the way the country was currently being run.

It's hard to believe she used to admire Toyotomi Hideyoshi for his cultural legacy that helped to give order to her country when she was in history class back in middle school. Making better roads, providing order and law for citizens so bandit attacks were cut in half, the rise of a stronger Japan, along with many more implements that benefited the mortals of this time. Except she wasn't human and some of the laws he implemented such as the census and strict class system, meant traveling freely and nameless as she had been was not an option anymore. And as a demon in disguise having a name wasn't a good thing. When you committed acts, whether good or bad under a name people tended to remember you more. But alas she was now forced to have a name in order to live as freely as she possibly could.

'Sure in villages far from the influence of the daimyos and other minor lords I can still walk somewhat freely, but there is less country and more industrialization as each year passes.'

Sighing at her melancholy thoughts, she kept her feelers pressed outwards hoping to pick out her son's youki.

Currently, she was posed as Sutāraito Hitomiko, son of a warrior caste loyal to the Hitomiko clan. Apparently, she had underestimated the power and influence of Akitoki Hojo, future Hojo's descendant, in the past; or perhaps she should say Kagome Hojo, daughter of the lord of the Hitomiko clan and his wife. It had been a sorto of creepy surprise to find out he met someone who looked similar to her human self and shared her same name; who he then married soon after the Kaguya incident. She also had Rin-chan to thank for her new identity. She had apparently spread stories about the Shikon Miko achieving immortality for her great deeds in saving the world—even if it was far from the whole truth. It helped her out when a chance encounter with the current lord of the Hojo clan who had grown up hearing his father's detailed stories of Kagome, the Shikon Miko, who saved Japan along with a half-demon, taija, monk, fox kit, and neko demon. He proclaimed it was only right considering all she had done for his father and subsequently his mother who would never have met him had it not been for her. His boon not only allowed her to travel freely under his mother's family name, it also allowed her to carry a weapon openly. Something only samurai and those of the warrior caste were permitted to carry now thanks to Hideyoshi's new laws.

Her tails swayed back and forth beneath the charm spell she had in place, the bells tied to each end tinkling softly with each swaying movement. She had grown in height and power the past century—thank Kami-sama. Standing at five foot eight now she was even taller than when she had been as a human. Her concealment charms allowed her to take on the appearance she had when she was human—well the male version of her human self at the very least. She wore a red fire rat haori similar to Inuyasha's with a black vest and black hakamas and a black sash that held her katana and wakizashi at her waist, pairing her outfit with solid black leather boots lined with soft fur. Her long hair was tied at the nape of her neck with a black leather tie and a single silver bell attached to it.

She entered the market area, as the pull led her towards a stall with several girls fawning around it.

"Mister Hitomiko, please tell me my fortune next," a girl pushed forward to the front of the group of women, placing her palm facing upward into the male fortune teller's hand.

Her son had grown and stood at five foot four with the appearance of a fifteen year old boy now, his auburn hair stood out among a sea of black, brown, and grey hair. He wore the outfit she had made for him after his last growth spurt, a light green haori with peach blossoms adorning it and paired with dark blue hakamas.

Her eye twitched and she felt a headache coming on as her son began to speak her fortune, proclaiming she would encounter a handsome merchant who would sweep her off her feet and that she would live a life of luxury and splendor. Finishing his fortune with a kiss to her upraised palm and winking at her. The girl swooned as more clambered to have their fortunes told as well.

"Oh so this is what you have been doing with your time Shippo," Kagome approached the stall with a single brow raised.

Shippo paled before smiling sheepishly, "Brother, I was simply using my gifts to give these women their fortunes."

"Oh is that so? Then I will assume you finished those tasks I asked you to do for me, hmmm?"

His feet shuffled, before he bowed. "Forgive me brother, I should not have gotten sidetracked from my duties—Sorry ladies, but I must return to my filial duties."

There were awws and sighs as none could protest to a son fulfilling his filial duties.

As soon as they were far enough away from the market, Kagome cuffed him on the back of the neck.

"Ma, what was that for?!"

"Baka! You should know better than to draw so much attention to yourself, especially here. I told you Kyoto is undergoing many changes and that we need to avoid drawing the eyes of humans," she whispered the last bit. "Right now the country is at war with Joseon* and the Ming*, they're snatching up every able-bodied warrior they can find and despite how we may go about our lives we are technically samurai serving under the Hitomiko clan thus we can be conscripted to serve in the war, understand?"

Shippo nodded sulking for a few minutes, before he sprung to life again.

"Why don't we serve in the army, it might be fun and it would be like old times. Fighting to keep our homeland safe?"

Kagome sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Shippo I told you before, we can't live how we used to. Sure maintaining your form while walking down a street is easier for you now, but in combat it would be too easy for your charm to fail and you still haven't curbed that habit of using your powers when you shouldn't," they entered into a more deserted part of the city, a rarity but good for them at the moment. "Humans have slowly forgotten about demons. Low level demons get away with being written off as animals or deformed humans, but that can easily change if higher-tiered demons like ourselves start showing off our abilities all willy nilly. Then those stories their grandparents told them start becoming more believable and next thing you know were smack-dab in the middle of another war. Except this time it'll be more than the rapidly declining number of demons could possibly bear. We would surely be wiped out of existence like how it is in my future timeline."

Shippo pouted, understanding his mother's reasoning. But the past three decades had been boring, even Inuyasha hadn't been much fun to be around anymore. He was all serious now and didn't have time to travel or play around with them anymore. Even Jaken who he used to play tricks on when he visited the Western castle was gone due to the last war with the humans and their new weapons.

"Gomen mother, I just wish things could be as they used to ya'know. I miss those days so much, I wish we hadn't left as quickly as we did back then. Sango, Miroku, Kohaku, Rin, even stinky Jaken are gone. Kirara has been missing since Rin's death, while Kouga and his pack haven't been heard from in thirty years since they retreated deeper into the wilds after the war. I wonder some days what could have been if we hadn't left, if we had stayed and helped out more. I don't want to live in the shadows of society unable to live freely, unable to help if its needed or explore the world at our whim just because humans despise us. Or worse continue to be something we're not. Why can't we go back mama, or at the very least help when we have the power to do so," he was sniffling now, unshed tears brimming in his eyes.

Cursing softly, she pulled her son into a hug. Combing her fingers through his hair.

"I'm sorry I don't mean to be hard on you Shippo. It's—It's hard I know. I have so much knowledge of what shall become of this country and it kills me that even as I live through it I can't prevent it all. Time travel is already a tricky thing, as there are things that must come to pass or we risk upsetting the balance of this world. It may be horrible to witness it, but we can't change the past because it's hard to bare. We are not the kamis, it is not our place."

Shippo pulled back, "But you already did change the past. Even without the jewel it is inevitable I would have perished without my father, but you saved me. What about all those villages that were hit with plague and you brought medicine from the future to save them back then. I bet a bunch of them were supposed to die, but because of you they are alive. You've already changed their futures, so why can't we make this country change for the better? You should be dead, but because I had hope and love in my heart Inari-sama saved you. You live in the vessel of a kami, so why can't we mama?"

Kagome was stunned.

She hadn't thought about that.

Honestly the past century, she had saved many lives with her knowledge of future medicine and herbs. She'd even relayed some of her medicinal knowledge to the Hojo clan for their false identities, despite it being a boon. Maybe they could change the future maybe not too much, but small things here and there. Maybe youkai wouldn't be dead in the future and humans wouldn't have to suffer so many tragedies. They could change the future for the better.

"Okay Shippo, I will ponder on it more in depth later. We'll make the future better than what I remember, for humans and youkai alike, but it still can't be too big of a change I'd hate to live to see armageddon in my original timeline."

"Really ma, pinky promise," he had an ear splitting grin on his face as he outstretched his hand with his pinky sticking out.

Giggling she hooked her pinky around his, "Pinky promise."

"Soo where do we start mama?"

Her lips pursed, as she thought about it before smiling.

"I hope you still remember Hanja you learned from Hachi-san."

"Hanja...uggh the Joseon language. I remember it...mostly," he stuck out his tongue, scratching the back of his head as he tried to recall all the characters that made up the Joseon language.

"Well you better start practicing again, because we'll be enlisting in the shadow unit."

"Shadow unit?"

"Don't worry I explain more later. For now let's go complete what you should have been doing instead of sweet-talking those innocent ladies out of their fortune."

Shippo rubbed the back of his head, smiling sheepishly, "Hai hai."

Kagome smiled, walking with a little more pep in her step, 'We'll change this world for the better!'

Review tell me what you think.

Joseon - Old name for Korea

Ming - Old name for China during the Ming dynasty

Sutāraito - Starlight

Hanja - Korean written language

Kaede's death - Edo Village, 1500 (69 yrs old)

Sango's death - Taija Village, 1537 (65 yrs old)

Miroku's death - Taija Village, 1538 (64 yrs old)

Kohaku's death - Outskirts of Inuyasha's Forest, 1550 (69 yrs old)

Rin's death - Edo Village, 1564 (81 yrs old)

Jakens's death - Western Lands of Japan, 1568 (495 yrs old)