Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for the characters in this gentle adventure... especially for the one who wants to come clean. A nod of recognition is bent towards Rumiko Takahashi for her creative prowess where InuYasha is concerned. All due respect is also offered to Yoshihiro Togashi, whose fervid imagination is responsible for YuYu Hakusho.

An Affinity for Purity

- 25 -
Hidden in Plain Sight

Trouble was stalking his partner, but Hiei had the troublemakers in his sights. Two demonic goons had been trailing Kurama since he left the university campus, and it looked as though the redhead hadn't yet noticed. His feet might be solidly on the ground, but his head is in the clouds. Idiot. Either the kitsune was biding his time... or he was leading their enemy right to the priestess's doorstep.

When Kurama reached Higurashi Shrine, he turned in and ran lightly up the steps. Once Hiei was certain his friend was safely inside, he crouched atop the lower torii arch, hand on his sword hilt. Within moments, the two lackeys trundled into view, and the waiting demon prepared to draw; but then the most absurd thing happened. The pair blew right past the entrance and on down the street.

That was unexpected. Frowning, Hiei squinted up the shrine stairs, red eyes narrowed in concentration. They didn't see him? Wait... no. After further consideration, he realized that if he hadn't watched Kurama enter the shrine with his own two eyes, he wouldn't have known his partner was there either. They couldn't sense him, he realized dazedly. The overwhelming aura of purity surrounding the hilltop was nullifying all traces of kitsune youki. That priestess... Kagome. She's hiding him!

- 26 -
Taking Advantage

Koenma peered at Hiei and Kurama across the impressive expanse of his desk. "This case has been giving you trouble," he remarked, talking around his ever-present pacifier.

"Yes," Kurama readily admitted. "I realize it's taking longer than usual to secure the artifact, but we've located their latest hideaway. We do have a plan."

"Mmm," Koenma said, sounding dissatisfied. "Hiei recently brought something to my attention. The young woman you've been spending so much time with—Kagome. She's a priestess of considerable power."

Casting a dazed glance in his partner's direction, the redhead cautiously answered, "That's true."

"I want you to invite her to join you on this mission."

"But... she's just a normal high school girl."

"No, she's not," the toddler behind the desk calmly corrected. "Kagome Higurashi's aura of purity cancels out your own; she may very well be your best chance for success."

"She's powerful," Hiei cut in. "We can use that."

The redhead winced. "I would prefer not to drag her into this."

Koenma's brows lifted. "Youko Kurama would let an opportunity slip through his fingers?"

They're right; having Kagome along to camouflage my presence could give us the very edge we need to get our hands on the mirror. But there were so many variables, so many dangers. She could get hurt, and that wasn't a risk he wanted to take. Kurama managed a tight smile and avoided Hiei's keen gaze. "I suppose I could speak to her about it."

"Why are you hesitating? Don't you think she'll want to help?" Koenma asked curiously.

Hiei snorted, and Kurama stifled a sigh. Yes, he was hesitating, but for a very different reason. He was completely certain that Kagome would agree. "Who can say?" he replied vaguely, already racking his brain for ways to be sure she stayed safe.

- 27 -
Recruitment

"Time's up," Hiei growled from the shadows. "Talk to her tonight, or I will."

Kurama nodded distractedly and tried to slip his hands into his pockets but, finding none in his yukata, instead hooked his thumbs into his sash. "If the opportunity arises," he acknowledged before joining the steady stream of people climbing the shrine stairs.

Autumn was just around the corner, making this annual festival a farewell to summer. Kagome waited beside a stone lantern, idly fanning herself as she watched for him. Lovely. As his heart lurched, the kitsune ducked behind a vendor's cart to collect himself.

Kurama hadn't given much thought to the consequences when initiating his friendship with the young woman. He'd already made a bargain with himself; Shuuichi Minamino would exist for his mother's sake, but when his familial obligations ended, Youko could reclaim his existence. The decades he 'lost' were a small price to pay for the life he had taken. However, Kagome's loneliness also called to him, and he was loathe to abandon the young woman. Quite the opposite. Usually, Kurama blamed Shuuichi for his moments of weakness, but for once, he wondered if Youko's instincts were to blame for the sharp turn his interests had taken.

Filching a grinning kitsune mask from the display that concealed him, Kurama parted with the necessary coins before blending back into the crowd. He circled around and appeared at Kagome's side, plucking a rose from midair to offer to her. Her dazed expression melted into delight, ending the redhead's short-lived masquerade. Tipping back his mask, he smiled and said, "I apologize for keeping you waiting."

"It's okay," she assured. "What would you like to do first?"

"Let's walk for a while," he suggested, tucking her arm possessively through his own. "There's something we need to discuss."

End Note: These three drabbles were written for the Live Journal community fanfic(underscore)bakeoff and their Secret Ingredient for August 2010—Dazed. The drabbles are 216, 300, and 300 words respectively. Posted on August 23, 2010.