Present Time.
Inuyasha Fanfiction
By alandrem
Disclaimer: Blah, Blah, Blah. Same as chapter one. All brands and groups belong to their rightful owners.
Author Note: Thanks guys for the reviews both on FF.net and by e-mail. Sorry it's taking so long, but real life intrudes sometimes.
Also I'll like to give special thanks to Lightning, Naoko Cat Girl and Telosphilos for the wonderful job they did editing the chapter. You were great and fast thanks a lot again.
I also made my first attempt at an anime music video; I just finished it and would have it available through grokster, morpheous or Kazaa (It's already available here, because I still have to upload it on the following places.) Streamload, http://www.animemusicvideos.org, and my own page. I only used footage from the 1st and 2nd. Eps. It's kind of an introduction for Kagome of the Sengoku Jidai in Axel Rose's voice (Guns N' Roses Welcome to the Jungle) the song is old but I thought it fit just marvelously. Anyway it's just a first attempt, and I'm already planning a few more. The name is: Inuyasha - GNR - Welcome to the Jungle(Short).avi
Before I go on I'm making a mailing list to inform you of updates, if you want to be included please tell me on the review.
Anyway here is the chapter, hope you like it.
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The tests at Tokyo University took them only a couple of hours during which Inuyasha managed to project an image of calm assurance and familiarity with all the modern things he was presented, but it was hard, because deep inside he felt quite edgy. Basically and contrary to his usual self, he avoided arguing and complied with what was asked, speaking as little as possible. When some personal data was required, it was Nomura who answered according to what Mrs. Higurashi provided him with. It kept him from blundering into dangerous terrain.
They told him what everything was before they started and let him sniff all the fragrances that would be used during the tests. Some were quite noxious, like that gasoline, in large concentrations it made him dizzy. He was able to discern that it was the basic scent those horseless carriages; cars; smelled of. He was surprised to discover that after just one exposure to a scent he could recognize it everywhere. It was memorized with incredible ease. After that he had to sit in a room full of odd contraptions, with an even odder thingy strapped to his face. From that thingy, scents poured in different concentrations, going from barely noticeably to downright stench which caused him much trouble to withstand.
Thankfully they did not just use modern scents, some were flowers, plants and foodstuffs he could recognize and name easily. It made him feel slightly comforted to smell something familiar among so many strange things. Somewhere after the first hour they ran out of scents, at least those they categorized, so one of the assistants went out to get a hold of anything that might be used. Where he was able to get a cat, dog, a bird and some mice went beyond him.
He only had trouble when one of the assistants in charge of the scents selected, by mistake, a very strong synthetic ink and let it blow full force. Inuyasha's eyes opened wide as he gagged and managed only a grunt before he fell off the chair he was sitting on in a dead faint, unable to deal with it. Ink had that effect on him.
To Nomura's utter surprise Kojiro, the more even tempered of the two, almost beat up the assistant who made the mistake. The detective was really surprised how they had changed so dramatically from their initial reactions, not that the kid seemed to trust anyone yet, but the hostility was completely gone. Inuyasha did not seem to mind that much when Watanabe had called him pup, but he would growl or say something nasty at being called a kid.
Kojiro took charge and ordered one of the assistants to get him some oxygen to clear the kid's air ways. Inuyasha was completely out of it, but surprisingly his weak concealing spell held. It was in a diluted condition that let his aura seep, but it worked nonetheless. That was something that really puzzled the neko, normally those spells would banish when the caster was unconscious, needing some external help to keep it up. There were rumors of a scant few who could actually hold them in that condition, but to him it had been only that, rumors, until he saw it with his own eyes.
The neko was up for another surprise, now that the pup's aura was filtering almost in full force he realized it was also unusually strong*. He had never felt one such as his. Who was he really? He could tell his story about living in the forest and fighting both human and youkai was not a lie; thanks to some special training received at the Captain's insistence; but he also got the feeling there was more to it than just what he was saying. His neko curiosity was awakened and he had to find out.
After some minutes of waiting for Inuyasha to regain consciousness with no result it was finally decided to suspend the tests. They had already gone beyond what they would normally do anyway. The scientists could not believe what he was able to detect, scents that no normal human should be able to, and had gotten a bit zealous in their desire to find out how far the young man could go.
Nomura carried the young hanyou who was surprisingly light considering the strength he had shown on that grip Saturday night, while Watanabe followed with the small oxygen tank. The later had insisted they take it, knowing full well that it would take a while for the hanyou's olfactory glands to recover. Most youkai in that day and age had to deal with an olfactory overload at least once in their lifetimes, and being linked to an oxygen tank was the only known remedy.
"I guess we have to take him back to the shrine." The detective commented after strapping the kid in the back seat and taking his place on the front. "But I'm not really looking forward to dealing with Higurashi-san if we deliver him unconscious."
"You think she might forbid the pup from helping?" Watanabe asked, he had the switch on to listen to the music, but waited to turn on the car until a direction was decided.
"Yeah, not that I think it'll do any good if the kid decides he still wants to help."
"Then what is it?"
"I'm not sure… I got the feeling she was overly protective of him… and… I think there's something odd going on."
"You don't think she and the kid…" He let his word trail the implication, eyeing Inuyasha on the rear view mirror, still unconscious.
"Kojiro get your mind out of the gutter." Nomura glared at his partner. "That's not it. I actually think he's the daughter's boyfriend." He stole a glance at Inuyasha too. "There are just too many unknown things about him. I don't like mysteries and at the moment he is a big one."
"I agree. Now solving mysteries is what we do best, so we'll crack this one too. Where to Seijuro? I think he'll be fine in an hour or two, perhaps even less."
"So how come you knew exactly what to do eh?"
"Huh? Oh just something I picked up hanging at the coroners. The stench there can get pretty bad." Was the neko's nonchalant answer.
"Head to the training grounds then, and let's grab a bite to eat on the way."
"Not a bad idea."
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"Not one rumor." Miroku said sitting by a small creek with Shippou perched on his shoulder. Sango followed suit sitting out of range from his wandering hands, and signaled for Kirara to sit between them just for good measure.
"And no youkai either. But it's still early and we are not that far from the village… Inuyasha's scent must still cling to the area."
"Does it Shippou?" Miroku asked the kitsune who looked at him without a clue.
"Does it what Miroku?"
"Does Inuyasha's scent still cling to this area?"
"Hmm I'm not really sure." He said after sniffing a bit. That got him raised eyebrows from both adults. "Hey I'm just a kid!"
"Yes, but you are also a youkai and to top that a FOX youkai. You must have a very good sense of smell." The monk pointed out.
"I'm still a kid!"
"What's that supposed to mean Shippou-chan?" Sango asked. "We know you have used that sense every once in a while."
"Only to tail something or someone I know very well… and only if it walked or moved on the ground. Oka did not get to teach me much about tracking." He said apologetically as a sad expression crossed his face. "And Otou was teaching me when the thunder brothers killed him." He finished.
"I'm sorry to have brought it up Shippou." Miroku told the kid and patted his head.
'Maybe I should tell Inuyasha. Now that he's realized he has responsibilities towards Shippou he might feel inclined to take up from where his parents left off.' He shook his head at the mental image of the bad tempered hanyou trying to train the kit. The monk could not help but smile, that young man had no patience at all. Another thought crossed his mind; perhaps he too should start taking a bit of responsibility for Shippou. At least for as long as he was around, the way things were going he was not sure how long that would be. 'I guess I need to do some serious thinking and meditate about our new situation.'
"Hey Houshi-sama what's so funny?" Sango questioned him as his smile widened and then looked thoughtful, but the smile lingered.
"Ah! Nothing Sango." He responded, then after a slight pause asked. "Shippou how would you like to learn to read and write?" Sango stared sharply at him, wondering what had gone through his head to offer that.
'Things are starting to change, and it just took one little realization. We are a family, and each of us has roles to play. Well if Houshi-sama is going to assume his role of uncle I might as well do too.' The tajiiya mussed. 'Shippou is really only a kid and he needs attention and some education.'
"Really? You would teach me?" he eyed the houshi surprised.
"If you want." The kit seemed to think it a few moments before saying.
"Yes I'll like to learn Miroku. Maybe if I can read I'll understand why Kagome has to leave us for those spell books she keeps reading."
"I can't guarantee you'll understand them, because I can't myself. They are rather confusing, and they have some strange symbols, but at least you'll be able to know what some of them say. Now let's get going, it's still early and we can reach the next village before nightfall."
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The young hanyou regained consciousness just as they finished ordering at the McDonald's drive thru. For a slight moment he was disoriented, but was able to grasp his surroundings quickly. His head hurt and breathing through his nose stung a bit. He tried to remove the mask, but Watanabe suggested that he leave it on for a while longer. He was also informed they had ordered something to eat for him too. Something called a Big Mac, two actually, fries and a coke. The last two items he recognized at least so he just shrugged and used that seldom pronounced word: thanks.
After eating, he had to admit that Big Mac thing was tasty and could have eaten at least one more. They drove to the outskirts of the city for some time, then got caught in something called a 'traffic jam' that made both police men swear and curse lengthily at half the other cars around, although it was not loud enough for anyone outside to hear. During breaks in their swearing they argued about the music, forgetting he was in the back seat. The hanyou shook his head. These two reminded him a bit of how he got along with Miroku, except there was more familiarity between the police men; almost like brothers; than what he and the bouzu shared.
'Perhaps things will change. It must be nice to get along with someone like these two do. Hanyou and human.' He mussed. 'I've kept myself closed off, but so has Miroku. Probably doesn't want to get involved with people because of his curse. And I… I was alone too long. He's older I think, but perhaps we can be closer friends, Sango too.' He reasoned, as he watched out the window, bored. Then he became aware of what he just thought and his golden eyes widened in surprise.
'Do I really want things to change?' His mind turned around the question for a few moments. 'Things have started to change already. I was able to tell them some embarrassing things and laugh in their presence.' He let out a soft sigh that went unnoticed by the other passengers thanks to the mask he still wore. 'How long since I really laughed with someone? Too long I guess, but… it was nice.' Then his thoughts centered on the kitsune.
'Ah Shippou. That's something I'm not sure I can deal with.' Another sigh as he frowned a bit. 'I'm supposed to protect him which I've already done several times before and I don't mind doing; but teach him? Nurture him?' His frown deepened.
'How exactly do I feel towards him?' Inuyasha asked himself.
'He is a nuisance, impertinent, and he goes almost any length just to annoy me, but… Sometimes he is not that bad, tries to cheer me and everyone up and does his best to be useful in a fight; not that he can, he's still too young. He helped to take care of me when I was injured more than once. And even if he knows he's going to get bumped on the head he still hangs around me more when Kagome is not around than he does with either Miroku or Sango.'
'But then I'm a youkai… at least half of one.' He went on thinking. 'So I guess he feels he has more in common with me than with them. And, well, the girls have a point, the twerp is actually cute.' He shook his head, as he glanced outside the window only to find row upon row of barely moving vehicles. It seemed they had not moved an inch since he started with this line of thought.
'How exactly do I feel towards the pup?' He asked himself yet again, and this time he decided to picture in his mind how he would feel if each of the members of his pack died.
Kagome he could not even bear the thought of it. He felt like crying; something he had not done even when his Ofukuro died. His heart compressed and the pain was so great he changed immediately his thoughts in another direction. If Sango, Miroku, Myoga-jiji, Kaede-baba and Kirara were to die he'll grieve and miss them. His heart hurt too but not as much as with Kagome. Then he pictured Shippou dead…
'Woah!' He thought at the emotions such an image brought. 'When did I get so fond of the little pest?' He felt like crying, it hurt a lot, not as much as the young woman's death, but still enough. He had been pondering about his feelings for the kitsune kit, and it never crossed his mind that he had grown to care that much for him.
'No.' He thought. 'I've known I care a lot for both Kagome and Shippou for some time. I just didn't want to admit it to myself.' Another sigh. 'How they managed to make me care goes beyond me. Thing is they both did.' He scratched his head thoughtfully. 'Now that I know what I feel the question is; can I really take the responsibility of raising him? I've been on my own since I was little… I barely remember Ofukuro, how do I go about it?' Inuyasha's head reeled thinking about the situation without really getting anywhere. He had been yawning for some time and finally just drifted into sleep.
They reached the police kennels and training grounds, where they were greeted by Captain Suzuki, the man in charge of the K9 unit. He was one of Nomura's friends and had agreed to pit his dogs against the kid; although he was skeptical. In his opinion, no man could ever compete with a dog in the sniffing department. It was impossible.
Nomura showed him the results obtained at Tokyo University and the Captain could not believe what he was reading, although he had to admit the validity of the results. The kid, Inuyasha, seemed to have a sense of smell even better than that of his precious dogs.
As Inuyasha waited for Nomura to talk with his friend, he surveyed the place, It was a large one storied building, in the middle of some fenced field. There were several humans around, but the scent that permeated the area was that of dogs. A lot of them. Some of the scents were very old, but still traceable. Before they came into the building, he had noticed one particular post outside that seemed to tell the story of all of those canines that had at one time been there.
Kojiro was slightly unnerved to be there more from instinctual reaction that by a real fear of dogs, and fidgeted while waiting for Nomura. Besides dogs were not really fond of him; they knew what he was, as the spell worked to fool only humans. Animals had a wider and better range of senses, not just sight. With cats there was no problem and more than once he had gotten some very interesting leads from those alley dwellers. There was one case when a house cat had told him where to find the murder weapon, his favorite human had been murdered and he felt strong dislike for the killer.
"Afraid of dogs?" Inuyasha asked, giving him an uninterested side glace.
"Not really pup." The lieutenant responded. "Just a healthy respect for the mutts, they don't like me."
"It figures. What's taking this guy so long?" He asked in his normal gruff tone.
"They are old friends from their days at the academy, so they are probably catching up on things."
'Old friends… hmmm… Old…' Inuyasha thought finally getting an idea to have revenge on the detective for calling him kid. So he approached both men, Kojiro watching intently, the hanyou had an odd expression on his face that could almost be mischief but wasn't.
"Nomura-jiji, let's go on with these tests. I don't have your time you know." He said; a wicked glint on his golden eyes.
"What did you just call me KID?" Exploded Nomura, as his friend the Captain roared with laughter. Kojiro too was laughing; Seijuro had just turned a slight shade below purple. Inuyasha though kept his face impassive, although deep inside he wanted to join the other two.
"Nomura-jiji. Are you deaf or something?" He raised an eyebrow, still ignoring the other two laughing.
"I'm not OLD! You'll call me detective kid." Nomura towered at least a head above the hanyou, and at the moment looked quite menacing. However Inuyasha had faced much worse enemies than this enraged human so he looked at him nonplussed.
"Yeah whatever, but what's taking so long?"
"I was only doing this for your sake punk. I'm not the one who passed out during the last test." That hit a nerve and Inuyasha's hand moved almost lightning fast to grab the human by the throat, and would have raised him from the floor had Kojiro not moved just as fast to stop him.
"Don't." was the neko's soft warning, a hand resting on his shoulder. There was also a very soft hiss, the meaning quite clear: do not touch this human or there'll be trouble. The younger hanyou let go.
"Damn it kid!" The detective exclaimed, rubbing his slightly sore throat. "You have a very short fuse."
"What's your name kid?" The Captain asked, Inuyasha glowered at him, but answered. Keeping in mind the courtesies used at the time.
"Inuyasha Shirosenshi." He offered his hand to the other man who took it and shook it firmly.
"I'm Captain Aritomo Suzuki, you seem to be pretty eager to go through these tests."
"If they're what I need to convince you f…" He decided that for the moment it was not necessary to antagonize the human so he watched his language. "- people that I have a good sense of smell then I go through with them."
"Ok, then let's go this way." He signaled starting to walk down the hall. "Are you coming Watanabe?"
"What? And have your crazy people complaining that their dogs get all exited? No way! I'll wait by the car or find something to do."
"Coward!" muttered Inuyasha only loud enough for the neko hanyou to hear.
"More respect to your elders pup." was the equally muttered response.
"Feh!"
They went to a room at the end of the hall where a group of people and dogs lounged about. The moment he entered the place he became the recipient of curious glances by the humans, but to his surprise the dogs knew what he was even before he entered and got a respectful greeting. They all approached him and waited for the eldest, a mixed breed male to give him the customary greeting by sniffing him out on his privates, like he would any other dog, and then raised on its hind legs and licked the hanyou's chin.
"Rurouni!" A middle aged man called, as he approached. "Heel!" The dog moved to his side with a sigh. "You must forgive him, Rurouni is really a well trained dog."
"Why should I…" He began saying. After all, that was the customary greeting among dogs and he was a dog demon. Although he had not frequented human settlements were dogs usually lived. He had dealt with them before; he looked at the dog inquiringly.
'Not allowed.' The dog's thoughts came clearly to his mind as he let out a soft woof.
'Why not?' Was the hanyou's question, he also woofed, but it was too low for the humans to hear. The other animals in the room perked their ears.
'They don't like it.' Rurouni told him.
'Then why did you do it?'
'You inu-youkai, it's proper.' The dog answered. 'The young ones need to learn proper way to greet inu-youkai.' Inuyasha just nodded. The dog also let some memories filter, he'd been rescued from the streets by an inu-youkai who took him with the humans that trained and cared for him. He was grateful. 'Inu-youkai good.' And it was then that he realized Nomura was trying to talk to him.
"Kid is there something wrong? You just broke of in the middle of the sentence." Inuyasha instinctively growled at the 'kid', but this time the five dogs in the room backed him up growling, baring fangs and bristling at the detective, to the surprise of their owners.
"Ryoushi!" "Kuroi!" "Noir!" "Rurouni!" "Sake!" The owner's called their dogs' attention. The hanyou assumed a posture that let the animals know he was pleased and gave a small smile to the canines not showing his fangs. He let out another woof, this one a little louder.
"It's Ok he's not a threat, just annoying." He said aloud and the dogs immediately stopped their threatening behavior. He went to his knees and invited them to come closer again using a modified version of dog body language; as he did not have a tail. They approached and he let them sniff and lick his chin. He also sniffed and scratched their ears, returning their introduction.
"How did you do that?" One of the owners, a young man, asked more surprised than angry. "Noir is well trained, and should not listen to anyone else except me!" Inuyasha was thoughtful for a moment. He had made them curious about him, something he did not want as he could not tell them: 'Oh I'm a dog demon and well… dogs obey me.'
"I know dogs and they like me. This is their natural way of greeting, so why not let them use it? I at least don't mind." He told her, then turning to the dogs he told them with a soft woof to go back to their humans and to treat him like one. He got some very surprised looks from the canines.
"That is the natural way they greet a leader." A man in his mid 20's commented.
"Well I'm human, they just wanted to show respect." To his words he heard two very undog like snorts, one coming from the mixed breed called Rurouni and the other from the next oldest a female from a breed he did not know; in fat he did not recognize any of their breeds; he eyed both of them warningly.
"Well guys this is Inuyasha Shirosenshi." The Captain introduced him. "He's here to compete with our dogs." There were some very skeptical looks and snorts sent in his direction even from the canines.
'Why do you need to compete with us?' A pretty long haired golden male asked, cocking its head curiously. He was young and looked quite smart.
'Yes inu-youkais have better noses.' A black beauty added.
'They don't know I'm a youkai. Besides they won't believe it anyway. But we'll show them won't we?' Wagging tails answered him.
"Let me introduce you to some of the members of the police elite K9 unit. They are our best. The one with the mixed breed is Fujimaro Ando, his dog is Rurouni." The man approached and shook his hand. "He leads the narcotic detection team. Next are Ginko Hanari and Kuroi," a beautiful black lab wagged its tail, "who happens to be one of our best flammable substances detectors. Hiroshi Isobe and Noir," he was a golden lab, "both are in customs. Nyoko Okita and Ryoushi," he was the long haired golden youngster, who yapped happily. "Don't let his youthful appearance fool you, best nose around for tracking and searching. He's one of the few dogs trained for water search."
"Water search?" Inuyasha asked surprised.
"Yes he can detect bodies that have been underwater, as decomposing bodies produce gas it is released to the surface. He can detect it. Truthfully, I don't think you can match him, or any of the others." Nyoko Okita explained, a disdainful look on her face.
"Feh! Just watch me wench." She bristled a bit, but before she could say anything else the detective intervened.
"Judging by the results I have from Tokyo University, he might Nyoko." He had worked with her and her dog on the park killer case, so they knew each other.
"And finally Yasuo Sakai and Sake," who was a German shepherd, she was the one that snorted at the hanyou calling himself human. "They are also great for tracking and searching. Although Yasuo likes more the searching part; especially when natural disasters happen. Now let's start."
'I like.' Sake told Inuyasha. 'Yasuo understands dogs.'
They began by moving the group to another room, it was decided the first test would be a simple one, just sniffing some piece of clothing and identifying the owner. Sake sniffed it then sniffed his way to the person. Inuyasha, on the other hand, sniffed it, then the air around him and just pointed to the origin of the trail scent. Accuracy and time were the important factors of the test. First time around no one could believe it and attributed it to luck. Second time, Sake's owner was still calling it luck. The third time there was no doubt; he had surpassed the dog. It was all done with different persons. The hanyou was even faster in identifying the odor on the cloth.
"Inuyasha 1 – Dogs 0" Seijuro called the score a confident smile playing on his lips.
"There's no way he can beat all of them." Fujimaro Ando commented.
"Wanna bet?" Seijuro asked with glint in his eyes that said he believed in the young man's abilities.
"Yeah why not, there is no f****ng way he can beat Rurouni."
"How about 5000* yen?"
"It's a deal."
Nomura ended betting against all of them, except from Sake's owner; who had just been beaten although there was still another test where the dog would participate. The next was trying to locate a person hiding in some locker rooms. The test would again be repeated three times with different volunteers. They were given an item of clothing to sniff then set off as the timer started, to check who did it faster. Inuyasha again won all three sets, going in a b-line to the locker, but finding hiding people was easy, besides he also had great hearing and could detect the person's heart beat. This time he was set against Ryoushi. A volunteer from the police academy next door was ordered to move about the grounds and hide; leaving only two pieces of clothing so both Inuyasha and the dog could track them.
While the volunteer was hiding, they went on to other tests. He went against Noir detecting some hidden substances, food stuffs and guns, most were among clothes in suitcases, and boxes, others surrounded by stronger scents like coffee. Here his mnemonic ability was put to test as he had to recognize scents he had only smelled once, and that at the University labs. Again, he beat the dog at all tests.
Next he was set against Kuroi, he was allowed to sniff samples of the substances, all flammable stuff like gasoline and lighter fluid, before the actual test. He had to find each substance among sealed empty cans. He went a bit beyond what the dog could do telling them exactly what everything was, not just pointing at it. Then he was taken to an area that had been burned and told to find residues of any of the flammable stuff he scented before and to tell them where. This test was actually challenging and interesting.
It took Inuyasha more time than he expected to complete the test, and at some point he had to go on all fours, but still he was faster and more accurate than the dog. He put his ability to reason to work, and surprised everyone by telling them that to set that place on fire, it had required that they use two substances and he named them.
The following test set him against Rurouni, whose owner was not so sure anymore that his dog could win. Again he was allowed to sniff samples of the scents he was to track, but he was told most would not be the real stuff as they were forbidden substances, the dogs trained with substitutes*. Again he detected each one before the dog and named it too, but when he reached the last one he started sneezing.
"Shit! This is the damn thing those thugs smelled of! F**k!" Sneeze, sneeze. "F***ng smell I hate id." Sneeze, he still managed to find it beating the dog to the place where it was hidden. But that was the last thing his nose was able to do before it got congested.
"Inuyasha why didn't you tell us you were allergic to this?" Nomura asked the sneezing young man.
"I didn'd know!" Sneeze, sneeze. "Bud dhis happened dhe lasd dime!" Sneeze, sneeze, and sniffle. "Damn f***ng sdench!" sneeze, sneeze, sneeze, one big sniffle. Luckily some handed him some facial tissues before he made a mess of himself.
"Go back to the car; I think there's still some oxygen there. We'll tell that guy that we'll take some time before we look for him." Nomura suggested.
"Don'd know how long id be." Sneeze, sneeze, sneeze. "F***k! Kagome gave me somedhing to help."
"We have some oxygen here." Sake's owner told them. "We also have some non prescription anti-histamines. There should be something for allergies there. Why don't you come with me Inuyasha?"
"I'm not so sure he should take medications without consulting with a doctor or at least his tutor first." Nomura said.
"Damn id Nomuda!" He could not go on for a moment because of a severe sneeze attack that left his eyes tearing and the beginning of a throbbing head ache. He needed something to stop, and at the moment he did not mind what as long as the sneezing, the teary eyes and the beginning of an itching on his throat stopped. "I dold you I'm desponsible fod myself! Led's go."
'Ack! My voice is sounding funnier by the minute!' The young hanyou thought annoyed. Sake and Rurouni sat on either side of his legs and rubbed their heads against them comfortingly, trying to soothe his discomfort. He barely noticed among the sneezing attacks. The dogs' owners eyed him surprised.
'What's with the kid? Never seen Rurouni act like that with anyone besides the children or myself.' Fujimaro Ando thought as he watched the scene. He had to admit he felt a bit jealous by the attention his companion was showing Inuyasha. The rest of the groups' thoughts ran along the same line, it was obvious the young man was special, not only had he beaten the dogs at their own turf so far, but the canines liked him to the point of ignoring their training.
"I'm a doctor detective, so don't worry for your charge."
Inuyasha followed the doctor to the infirmary where he got the much needed medicine. Yasuo suggested that he might want to lie down on one of the beds for some minutes until he felt better. The hanyou was not really comfortable with the idea of lying down on an unknown place, but he did not want to explain so he only nodded. The human left him alone, saying he'll be back in half an hour to check if he felt well enough to continue with the test.
"You know, the dogs are acting strange." Fujimaro commented thoughtfully. When the rest of his group agreed, Nomura looked at them curious.
"Strange? What do you mean by that? They seem to be working as they normally do."
"That's not what Fujimaro-kun means." Ginko said and Seijuro gave her a puzzled look. "They are… I don't really know how to explain it…"
"They are acting as if they know this kid." Hiroshi finished for her.
"Yeah, but that's not really it." Nyoko commented. "Ryoushi knows you Nomura-kun…" she ran a hand through her hair trying to find a good way to explain. "He doesn't treat you like he would my husband or me. In fact, he was willing to attack you when you came. Golden Retrievers are one of the most loving breeds of dogs around; they really don't have it in them to be aggressive. In fact it was a lot of trouble to teach him to attack." The detective still looked puzzled.
"Why would a search dog need to attack?"
"Sometimes when we're doing rescue jobs during natural disasters people get a bit crazy from grief when we can't locate their loved ones." Nyoko explained. "Rescue teams have been attacked and injured on those occasions. Besides when tracking fugitives you're bound to catch up with them sooner or later. In those circumstances you're likely to be attacked."
"I see… but why are you surprised he was ready to go against me then?"
"I didn't tell him to, neither did anyone here. They reacted to something the kid did, just as they stopped when he told them to…"
"That's just not normal!" Ginko interrupted.
"What they are trying to say is that these dogs are trained to obey only us. To be friendly only if we say it's Ok, to stay in one place no matter what's happening around them, to eat only when and what we give them." Fujimaro explained. "Rurouni is six and he has never ignored his training like he did when Inuyasha arrived. Where did you meet this kid? What can you tell us about him that explains this?"
Nomura was silent for a long time pondering what he knew of Inuyasha Shirosenshi, which unfortunately was almost nothing, except that he was an orphan that had recently arrived at the Sunset shrine and been sort of adopted by the family. He still could not remember where he heard that name before and it was beginning to bother him.
"I found him a couple of days ago sniffing a crime scene, his description of what went on there was surprising, he found things that the coroners confirmed later. I really don't know much about him yet, except that he's an orphan. But I'm intrigued and so is Kojiro, so we're going to be looking at his background closely." He rubbed his neck thoughtfully.
An hour later Inuyasha was feeling well enough to be able to finish the test. The remaining one was to follow the tracks of the volunteer and find him. He was set against both Sake and Ryoushi and since it was already getting late they'd all go at the same time.
They were given a T-shirt and a cap to sniff that belonged to the volunteer; both made Inuyasha sneeze. The faint odor of the substance that produced his allergy was present, but he dismissed it since it was really just a trace and he thought it was probably residue from the other test that was still bothering him.
After getting a whiff of the scent they had to trace both dogs started after the trail. They were outside and judging by their antics the subject had walked all over the grounds several times. There were many other odors there, more humans and many dogs. It was during this test that his experience living on his own in the forest tracking youkai and hunting would do him the most good. The dogs might have great noses, but he had many more years of experience; besides he also had a brain to go with his sense of smell.
Instead of following the dogs sniffing all over the place Inuyasha decided to concentrate somewhere else. It was obvious the man was not outside, nowhere to hide there, and the building had many good places. So he closed his eyes, opened his mouth slightly and breathed through both using his taste buds as an aid to his nose. He turned around in place slowly trying to feel where the air was coming and if the man had moved up or downwind.
A few moments later he caught the strongest scent cone; he got on all fours and sniffed. The most recent trail came from the building's front door so he moved in that direction discarding the oldest odors that overlapped the trail. The guy had been clever creating a confusing path.
"Hey kid where are you going? The trail seems to be over there!" Detective Nomura said pointing toward the training grounds.
"Feh! There's no where to hide there. The newest scent trail leads inside." Was all the hanyou told him before going into the building.
Due to the many odors that permeated the structure the hanyou decided to move on all fours and keep his nose close to the ground. It didn't take him long to find the right path and move along it, the dogs were still outside. Nomura and the Captain were close on his heals observing his movements. Both men found it rather fascinating the way he moved fast keeping his nose close to the ground in a position that for everyone else would have been uncomfortable and slowed their advance. It was obvious he'd done this many times before.
"You seem to have done this many times before Inuyasha." The Captain finally commented curious. The hanyou kept sniffing not deigning to answer.
"That's how I met him Aritomo." Nomura told his friend who had not been present when he talked with the dog owners. "He was sniffing a crime scene." Inuyasha turned to give a warning look to the detective. He did not want Kagome involved. Seijuro made some pacifying gestures. He had no intention of mentioning the girl.
"You were?" Inuyasha shrugged and went back to sniffing.
"Yeah he was; gave me a better description of the crime scene than those guys at the coroner's. They confirmed most of his findings later, although I'm still waiting for some results."
"You are only working on the 'Park Killer' case at the moment, aren't you Seijuro?" Both Inuyasha and Nomura tensed realizing that they needed some excuse that did not involve Kagome. As much as the hanyou hated explaining his actions he had to this time.
'F**k! Damn nosy humans! I better make something up that sounds convincing… But what?' He thought a bit before finally saying.
"You seemed to be going nowhere in catching this guy, I thought you could use some help." Inwardly he cringed, that sounded so lame to his ears but he thought it'll make sense to the Captain.
"You seem to think highly of your gift." For a moment Inuyasha was a bit confused.
'My gift?' He thought surprised, and then he realized he must be talking about his nose. 'Well for a human it must be a gift.' He reasoned, scratching his head a bit, he missed his claws.
"You've seen the results. So you be the judge." He said his voice a little harsh.
He reached the end of the building and the trail, the guy was hiding in one of the training rooms. He stood up, entered the room and sniffed the air again he also paid close attention to the sounds. A strong rhythmic heartbeat and breathing could be heard coming from the utility closet on the far end and he walked straight to the place.
"He is sleeping in here." Inuyasha said pointing to the closet.
"How do you know he's sleeping?" Captain Suzuki asked. The hanyou just shrugged, but Nomura was reminded of a comment the kid made Saturday night.
Flashback
"The kid didn't even know what hit him." Inuyasha went on ignoring the comment.
"Kid? They were probably older than you." Was the low comment, he had not intended for the kid, as he thought of Inuyasha, to hear. But of course the aforementioned dog-demon had exceptional hearing.
"There isn't the scent of fear in his blood or around the place. And the figure of the girl had only the faintest traces of his blood near the head. And I heard that. Higurashi-sama forgot to mention I have good hearing also."
End of Flashback
"Really Inuyasha, how do you know he's sleeping?" Nomura insisted, again the hanyou shrugged and refused to answer.
"See for yourselves." He said instead and opened the door to show a very large man wearing a cadet uniform fast asleep.
"You told me Saturday that you have very good hearing… could it be possible that you could hear him in there?"
'I'm allowing this guy to see too much.' Inuyasha thought eyeing the cop through narrowed eyes. 'He's too damn nosy… If I'm not careful he might find out I'm half youkai.'
"Come on Seijuro that's not possible!" Aritomo Suzuki exclaimed believing. His friend was starting to go crazy, but he was still a bit puzzled about how Inuyasha had found out the cadet was asleep.
"You heard the Captain, that's not possible."
The smoky odor that made him sneeze was stronger in there and he sneezed a couple of times waking up the guy; thankfully the medicine was still in his system so he did not get an attack only some tickling sensations on his nose and the resumption of the headache. Inuyasha eyed the man curiously wondering why he smelled of a drug if it was supposed to be forbidden, especially to the police. At least that was what he understood from the conversations he heard during the drug locating test.
Captain Suzuki was impressed and he got even more so when he and Nomura went to tell his team the test was over as Inuyasha had found the guy. His dogs were just entering the building following the track too far behind. Ryoushi had gone into one of the rooms, while Sake sniffed the hall. Their handlers close by.
"Guys the test is over." He told them.
"What?" Nyoko asked surprised, signaling Ryoushi to sit.
"But… We are just starting!" Yasuo complained.
"Well Inuyasha has already…" He did not finish.
"A$$**le! I only asked you a question! You don't have to try to hit me!" The hanyou's angry voice interrupted him.
"That's none of your damn business freak!" The cadet responded.
"Grrrrrr! Who are you calling freak?"
"Are you stupid or something? Competing against dogs, that white hair that looks like an old man's and those odd eyes? YOU are a FREAK KID! Ung!" The last was preceded by a punching noise.
"Damn! That kid is going to become a real pain!" Exclaimed Nomura racing to the room, the cadet was much larger and probably better trained at fighting, even if Inuyasha was fast and by what he'd been able to tell stronger than he appeared, he was still only 15.
To his surprise when he reached the room, he found that Inuyasha was having no trouble at all, the man could be bigger, but the hanyou was much faster, and at the moment he was avoiding quite easily the cadet's punches.
The human threw a kick aimed at his chin, Inuyasha ducked and kicked the supporting leg of his opponent and with a small back flip he was out of range even before the man crashed to the ground. His opponent was on his feet in no time, used a combination of punches to face and chest that the hanyou easily blocked. Then he used a combination of his own; careful not to use his full strength otherwise he'll probably kill the human. The cadet managed to block most of them; he was a good fighter and his mass was deceiving for he was also fast and light on his feet.
By this time they had quite an audience and even when the Captain wanted to stop the fight, he was convinced not to. Nomura wanted to know what the kid was capable of doing. He'd shown incredible speed and strength before on those two occasions he'd been grabbed by the neck without so much as a warning. He considered himself an above average fighter, and not just with a sword; he should have been able to sense and block him.
Inuyasha leaped over his opponent and twisted midair to land facing the cadet's back, wanting to grab him by the neck to subdue him, but his move was read and the human turned to face the young man hoping to finally land a punch on the elusive kid. Yet again the hanyou was faster, with a back summersault he was out of reach, with enough space to try a leaping kick* like the ones he saw in that movie. The ones Kagome tried so hard to convince him were just pretending. He jumped twisting in the air at the time his right leg extended; mimicking the movement perfectly and gaining both strength and impulse; his sneaker clad foot connected with the cadet's jaw sending him sprawling backwards. Inuyasha landed nimbly and kept a defensive posture for a few moments but the man did not stand again.
"It works!" He said very softly to himself.
'Ha! I proved her wrong! Guess I'll need to practice those other moves, if this one worked the others might too." He scratched his head thoughtfully where his ears were supposed to be, already seeing the benefits that could be obtained, his fighting ability for a start would really improve. "The kid at the park was right, that TV thingy is a good thing for learning, and this sneaker thing hits harder than my foot alone. I wonder if it'll have any effect on a fight against a demon.' He had a very satisfied smirk on his face and was not even breathing hard.
Fujimaro Ando started clapping and the others followed suit, startling him, the young man was not even aware they were there. He cursed himself for not being alert; a mistake like this could cost not only his life but that of any of his pack members back home. Anyway it felt good to receive the applause recognizing he was good. Of course he always knew he was, but it was nice for a change to have other people recognizing his skill. The guys at home rarely praised him.
"You're good kid." Ginko Hanari told him as she and the others approached him with the exception of Yasuo who went to check on the fallen man.
"So you can fight as well as smell." Ando stated, as his dog moved to Inuyasha's side and insinuated his head on his hand. The inu-youkai absently scratched the ears, then the other dogs followed suit.
"Of course I can! Who do you take me for? I wouldn't be alive if I…" The young man looked clearly offended that his ability to fight was even questioned.
"But what was this all about?" Nomura interrupted eyeing him suspiciously; the kid could hold his own on a fight. And right now he looked like he was about to start another.
The cadet had a defined style reflecting long time of training in martial arts. Inuyasha, on the other hand, had no style he could recognize. It was like the kid had taken bits and pieces and used them as he saw fit. Some of his moves seemed to be the basis for modern martial techniques, others were archaic versions no longer taught and yet others he could not really recognize what they were. His moves had lacked the finesse, and to a point beauty, the katas had obtained over the years, still they were perfectly executed. The kid was agile, strong, fast, incredibly fast, and his reactions were quick. But that last kick just did not fit in, it was a perfectly executed Tae Kwon Do move not the type a beginner could perform. The mystery was only increasing and it began to irk the detective's inquisitive nature. He definitely had to talk about all that transpired with Kojiro; perhaps the kid had told him something that could explain the mystery.
"That's Eisuke Joshuda." Nyoko said. "He's a trouble maker, I suppose he was sent here to gain some good merits, they probably are going to throw him out if he does not behave."
"I just asked him a question… and he tried to hit me." Inuyasha sounded annoyed.
"And what did you ask?" Hiroshi asked, looking curiously at the prone figure of the cadet.
"I only asked why he smelled of that 'drug' if it's supposed to be illegal." He said using the terms he'd heard them use. A few gaping mouths regarded him, thinking he was either naïve or stupid, that was something you just did not ask outright.
"Oh you didn't?" The woman Nyoko asked surprised. She felt more inclined to think after the day's demonstration that he was naïve, but she could be wrong.
"Yeah I did, he was making my nose itch."
"Well if he is using drugs I better report him. That's not acceptable behavior for a police officer." The Captain commented.
"Let's see what Rurouni has to say." The dog hearing its name left Inuyasha's side and approached his master waiting for his command. "Rurouni search! Search!" He also made a hand signal, and the canine immediately went about the room sniffing until he reached the still unconscious man. There he stood and barked. "Well… You know he's quite accurate." He told the Captain.
"I'll take some blood samples later." Yasuo told the Captain. "The Academy's headmaster will surely want medical proof."
"Well since this is all, I think the kid and I must leave." Nomura said propelling a surprised Inuyasha through the door.
"I'll send the report on this test to your Captain tomorrow Seijuro. I'm sure he is going to be pleased."
"You bet Aritomo." He made a pause then told the rest of the guys. "Don't think I'll forget you owe me guys, I'll be back on payday." He told them with a greedy glint on his eyes. The comment was greeted with a collective groan, as well as farewells.
They found Kojiro in the car going through some pending paper work that had been faxed to the academy's machine and listening to music. He complained that it took them too long and he was bored to death, but when asked he informed them he received most of the autopsies results. They confirmed what Inuyasha had told Nomura so far, even to the point where semen that did not belong to kid 2 and two different types of DNA where found on the blood stains at the end of the alley; exactly where he said they would be. They also proved that a condom found among the garbage in one of the trash cans belonged to kid 2; the reason why the dog demon had not found his 'musk' on girl 2.
It was already dusk when the neko hanyou started driving toward the sunset shrine. Again they got caught in that thing called a traffic jam; or as Kojiro called it rush hour. Inuyasha felt exhausted, the headache that started with the allergic reaction was back in full force as it had not really left him, just had remained in the background. The young hanyou had to admit that never in his entire life had he used his sense of smell or his memory as thoroughly as he did that day. It was more tiring than he expected; his shoulder muscles ached and he realized he had been tense even though he was sure he would do well; so he got comfortable on the back seat and took a much deserved nap.
When Seijuro realized that Inuyasha was sleeping he decided to bring his partner up to date on the kid's antics during the tests. Inwardly Kojiro groaned, the pup was going to blow up his cover if he kept acting like that. In fact, he might just let out in the open that demons were really still around disguised as humans. Which he was sure would be disastrous. He better have another conversation with him and stress the importance of keeping demon existence a secret.
Seijuro then went on talking about the fight and the odd mixture of techniques; this was after all what puzzled him the most, where had someone as young as Inuyasha picked those archaic moves? Had someone taught them to him? This began to intrigue Kojiro more than he already was, he had yet to see Inuyasha fight, but above all he had to find out more about the pup.
"Inuyasha wake up." Seijuro called in a normal tone of voice. They were parked in front of the shrine's steps, the kid had been asleep for at least an hour and it was already dark.
"Huh?" Was the hanyou's sleepy response. For a moment he was completely disoriented, it took him a few seconds to wake himself. He shook his head slowly as the headache was pounding his brains into mush, to clear it from the fogginess of sleep.
"We're at the shrine." Kojiro informed him. "We'll drop you here, then we'll go to pick Miss Kazumi Yamamoto and come back to talk to your girl."
"She's not my girl!" He barked blushing, thankful that it was dark and they could not see it.
"So you say, so you say." Nomura chuckled. "Now get out, we'll be back in an hour." The young man just nodded as he went out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kagome was just finishing her homework when she felt the familiar sensation that was Inuyasha close by. The young woman expected him to appear by the window any moment as he usually did. Instead, it took him at least 10 minutes and he came through the door wearing modern clothes, a cap on his trousers back pocket, on his feet he wore socks and his hair was in a disheveled ponytail bangs included. He looked very tired and she could not help but stare at him.
"What?" He asked her gruffly. He was not really in a good mood wanting only to find a nice branch on a quiet and dark place where he could snooze unmolested until morning.
"Huh? Nothing…" She said quickly noticing his foul mood. He raised an eyebrow.
"Then why were you staring at me like that?" He walked to her bed and sat on the floor before it resting his back and head against it, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples.
"Why are you dressed in modern clothes? And why didn't you come up here when you arrived?" She finally asked, slightly annoyed. He had promised to teach her to fight, but he had not appeared after leaving the day before for the Sengoku Jidai. He had probably forgotten it.
"Your mother caught me before I did, told me the 'police men' are coming tonight. She wants me to be here when you talk to them." He told her in a low voice, thinking it was enough of an explanation. His were eyes still closed, but he had the heels of his hands pressing gently on his eyes for a second then went on rubbing his temples.
"And you agreed?" There was complete surprise on her voice
"Feh!" was his response, he much rather be sleeping, but knew that Kojiro would scare her when he arrived.
He had to think a way to distract her without actually telling her he had already met the neko hanyou and that at the moment there was nothing to fear from him. But he could not think straight with the headache he harbored at the moment, in fact, before he closed his eyes he could barely see straight. Kagome noticed the way he was acting and got the hint that he was not well.
"Inuyasha are you Ok?" She asked as she kneeled in front of him, looking at the young man with concern. He nodded, but that only made the pain worse and he could not suppress a grunt. "I don't think so, what's wrong?"
"I'm fine wench, I'm a demon remember?" He still kept his eyes closed, only wanting for her to shut up.
"FINE!" She exclaimed a bit exasperated and that made him visible wince, the volume of her voice hurt. "I was only asking!"
"Feh! Damn bitch you don't have to shout!" Again his tone of voice was low if a bit laced with an underlying growl.
"I'M NOT A BITCH! AND I'M NOT SHOUTING!" She was getting angry.
"F***k! You are shouting f***ng wench!" He did open his eyes to try and glare at her, but only for a few moments, and then turned away as he felt his eyes cross because he had trouble focusing.
"SIT!" She said moving away to avoid getting plastered on the floor by the dog demon.
THUMP
Inuyasha saw the world explode in flash of white painful light the moment his head hit the floor, it stunned him into silence and he felt he would pass out as for a moment there was nothing but pain. He began to worry, never in his life had he ever had a headache like the one he was experiencing at the moment, not even when he was reading the scrolls; and that 'sit' had only made things worst. The young inu-youkai could not suppress a whimper and as the effects of the spell waned he just curled up into a tight ball cradling his head, his pride forgotten because he could not think.
"Ung!" Was his response, she expected the usual torrent of curses and name calling but it did not come. In fact, he did not even make his usual gestures and that began to worry her especially when a very soft whimper escaped his lips as his hands went to his head his eyes remained closed and he assumed a fetal position, completely ignoring the fact that she was there watching him.
"Inuyasha? What's wrong?" She was very concerned now. The young woman approached him gingerly; a hand tentatively touched one of his claws. There was no response just another soft whimper. "I'm sorry I said 'it'; please tell me what's wrong!" There was a pleading note on her voice.
"My head, my head feels like it's going to explode." He finally whispered in a voice full of pain.
"Oh God! And I said 'it', I'm so sorry Inuyasha. I'll get you something for it don't worry." She whispered. Her mother suffered occasional severe migraines and she knew light and loud sounds would make it feel worse. "Come on lay on the bed, while I tell Mama, She's sure to have something that'll help." The young woman pulled him up gently, he tried to resist not really wanting to appear weak, but she ignored it and he was not in any condition for another fight.
Kagome left the room and told Asami of the hanyou's problem, she understood and got her pills a glass of water and an ice bag and then went to her daughter's room where the young man lay on the bed curled into a ball. The Higurashi woman turned off the light and a relieved sigh could be heard, then she approached the bed signaling to Kagome to turn on the lamp on her desk, sitting beside him she spoke very softly.
"Take these pills, they'll help. And you'll start to feel better in about 10 minutes." He sat carefully and took the proffered medicine and the glass of water, gulping the pills and almost half the contents of the glass. Then she signaled for him to lie down again and gave him the ice bag. "Now keep that on you head, it'll make you feel better too while the pills take effect." Again he did as he was told, he doubted in his pain ridden mind that a cold bag could make him feel better, but as soon as the cold seeped through his skull the pain eased a bit and he could not help a another relieved sigh. "Just stay here a while, take a short nap if you can and I'll call you when the police arrive." She stood and moved to the door, Kagome followed her. "Why don't you keep him company Kagome?" He daughter nodded a bit surprised then she left.
Kagome did not know what to do, so she just sat on the bed beside him, one of her hands of its own volition began caressing his head lightly, moving closer to his ears that were a bit flattened by the ice bag. She managed to scratch one. It was a soothing gesture and he did not tell her off, so they stayed like that for some time. He had not asked this time to use her lap, but he had moved and snuggled trying to find a comfortable position until she ended offering it, he accepted it.
About 40 minutes later, Inuyasha was feeling much better. The headache was gone and he just let himself enjoy Kagome's attentions, something he began to appreciate. He just loved the way she scratched his ears and the feel of her hands softly massaging his skull or running through his hair. He might just get addicted to the sensation, it made him feel so cared for, relaxed and at ease, like he really had no care in the world, and purring also contributed to the overall feeling.
Kagome wore a soft pleased smile, completely enjoying the moment, and hoped they could share more of this kind of quiet times, as they were so rare. He might not love her like he did Kykyou, but at least he trusted her more than he ever trusted the Miko, enough to put his head on her lap and hands, to let himself relax and let her see him in a vulnerable situation. Seeing him like that completely at ease and allowing her to share it was worth any fights or hard times they had, for the young woman it was enough.
The door bell rang and both Inuyasha and Kagome tensed, but from different reasons. He because of Kojiro and the fact that he still had no clue how he was going to reassure her that she was in no danger. And her because she dreaded having to recount the incident at the park, she still had nightmares; and they were much worse than what really happened; especially because she was not the only one being hurt.
On Friday it had been her, but Saturday and Sunday she had seen 4 other girls; one she was sure had been a youkai which surprised the young woman to no end. Those poor young women were raped and tortured and she saw it all, could almost feel it too. She had not told anyone yet dismissing the nightmares as an overreaction, but still the young Miko felt quite disturbed.
They both left the room, Inuyasha following her. So far Kagome had not detected the neko hanyou, still he watched her closely for any sign that something disturbed the young woman. As they came down the stairs he noticed she was beginning to tense, he could smell her nervousness, anxiety and even the sweat from the palms of her hands. Out of an instinctive reaction, he placed a hand comfortingly on her shoulder, the message clear 'I'm here'.
Kagome turned a bit surprised, but felt grateful for his presence and his support. She was so worried about talking to the police that at first the young woman did not notice the slightly familiar sensation on the back of her mind, in fact for a moment she attributed it to Inuyasha's youki, because it was not threatening. But it did not take her long to realize it was not him and it nagged her senses, tugging at her consciousness to acknowledge and name it.
As they came to the bottom of the stairs she faced nervously the group of people standing there watching her. Her mother talked to the man she saw on the news; the detective in charge of the 'Park Killer' case. He was very tall, lean and well built, he had longish sandy blond hair that at the moment was a bit disheveled, the beginning of a beard just a slight shade darker than his hair, and when he turned to look at her she realized he had blue eyes, wore a roguish grin and a very striking appearance. The man was handsome and he looked foreign. She smiled at him and his grin turned into a wide smile. Kagome blushed, Inuyasha behind her growled low on his throat a bit jealous.
The woman had very short dark hair, brown eyes and did not even reach the detective's shoulder. She was not really pretty, but had a pleasant expression on her face. She carried a large sketch pad and a small back pack, she also smiled and Kagome returned it with a nod. It was only then that the young Miko became aware of the other person in the room. For only a split second she saw a man, about Inuyasha's height, with reddish brown extremely short hair, green eyes and average features, not handsome but not ugly either, but then everything changed.
He had tawny skin, short orange striped hair, like a tabby's, a pair of cat like ears that reminded her of Inuyasha's with the exception that they were the color of the hair. The hands were deceptively clawless, but somehow she knew he had very sharp ones, the same as the fangs that showed through his smile. Green slitted eyes regarded her with curiosity and more than a touch of surprise. There was nothing dangerous or threatening in his eyes or posture, but still she could not help but be afraid. Kagome took a few steps backward only to crash against the inu-youkai's chest.
'Youkai!' Her mind screamed finally naming the sensation, the urge to run away not letting her think straight for a moment. 'No! He's a hanyou! A neko hanyou!' She wanted to back away even more to go to the relative safety of her bedroom or into the well, but could not pressed as she was against the dog-demon, who to her utter surprise was not doing or saying anything!
"Inuyasha?!" She whispered to low for the humans to hear but both demons did. Her tone was laden with fear, worry and an inquiry.
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A/N: I'm sorry but I just could not help but leave you with a cliffhanger. I know, this is evil, but I swear the next chapter will be out in no time.
I want to get a little more action and also some more romance so wait for it on the next chapter.
All of the following is just information for the background of the story. Read it if you feel like it, if not it's not really important.
* After going through all the episodes of the Inuyasha anime a few times; I have (1-56, 58-59, 62) and the manga volumes I own (2-3, 9-11, 15-16 although I've read all the translations Chris Rijk has on his website so far) I came to the conclusion that Inuyasha fights mostly with his fists; when not using Tetsusaiga. This is an important reference for future chapters, as I don't want to wander too far from what the anime and the manga project. (OOC)
* Just for information last I checked the exchange rate was $1 dollar for 119 yens. And a DVD I wanted to buy from a Japanese vendor was 4800 yens.
* I also checked and most training programs for drug detecting dogs allege they don't use the real thing in training their animals. I'm assuming they are telling the truth. But who knows for sure?
*SPOILER ALERT!!!!! (That's why it's at the end)
Touttousai (The guy on the flying three eyed cow that built Testusaiga and Tenseiga) Comments on ep. 54. That to use Tetsusaiga's ultimate attack the Bakaryuuha a powerful aura that can overcome the enemy's youki is needed. He does not believe Inuyasha has one but to his immense surprise our favorite hanyou proves him wrong. wrong.