A/N: Chapter 3, Wow! This is going along really well! And thank you to all of you who have reviewed! Major spoilers for those of you who are not current with the manga. This story takes place after the events of chapter 313 in the manga. Please Review!
This is an R rated fic. It contains strong language, violence, and adult situations. It is not suited for readers under 17 years of age. You have been warned
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inu Yasha characters.
Recap:
The girl he so adored for her beauty, intelligence, and kindness had been lying to him and everyone else for that matter. Houjo understood her reasons. Who would believe that she traveled time and fought youkai? The girl would have been committed to an institution long ago for saying such things. Yet he knew it to be true, because now he was mixed up in her double life. As sleep finally claimed him, Houjo could not ignore the knot of fear and foreboding that welled up inside him.
Chapter 4: The Waiting Game
By dawn the storm had lessoned its intensity. The raging winds had died down some and the stinging rain was now a steady drizzle. Black clouds that seemed anchored to the skies despite the blowing wind, blocked out the sun's rays, encasing the earth in a blanket of bitter gray. The occupants within the small hut stirred slowly from their restless sleep. Each one took care to put away their bedding and prepare for the long journey ahead.
Kagome rubbed her eyes as she repacked her backpack. The rich smell of cooking soup filled her nostrils and her stomach let out an angry grumble to announce its hunger. A sheepish grin curved her lips. "Is breakfast ready?" She asked Kaede who sat in her usual place by the fire, stirring the contents of the stew pot.
"Almost, child." Was the simple reply of the aged miko.
"Well, hurry it up! I'm hungry." Inu Yasha snapped at his own stomach's protests of morning hunger. Kaede only rolled her eyes, being used to the impatient inu hanyou's demands for food.
"It smells quite good." Houjo smiled to the old priestess as he knelt beside her. Kaede only nodded in acknowledgement to his comment.
The impatient hanyou pulled back the bamboo door hanging. His keen eyes scanned the still angry storm before turning to the others. "We'll have to travel fast to get out of this storm. We'll leave after we eat." Remembering what Kaede baaba had told them about taking the annoying human boy, Inu Yasha glared at the old woman. "Why the hell do we have to take him along?" He repeated his question from the previous night.
Again Kaede rolled her eyes at the dog demon. "Inu Yasha, I cannot protect the boy as you can. The well needs to be repaired, I have many duties to perform, and I think he would be more comfortable traveling with young Kagome."
"Kaede-sama," Miroku sat down in front of the fire pit, resting his staff across his shoulder. "The boy is an innocent, and obviously cannot fight. I fear he will be in more danger if he travels with us. We cannot protect him in a battle against Naraku should it arise."
Inu Yasha snorted, "I'm not coming back until that bastard's dead." His golden eyes burned bright with intensity. "Got that, Kagome! We take everything we need now, what we don't have we can get from the other villages on the way."
Kagome looked with exasperation at her hanyou. "Inu Yasha! My pack is already overflowing. I have no more room for anything else in here."
"Perhaps you can make room for some extra healing herbs, Kagome. I know the medicines of your time are strong, but you may run out." Kaede suggested as she tasted the contents of the soup pot. "It is done. Sango, could you…" Her words were cut off as an anxious kitsune cub stuck a stack of bowls nearly in her face. "Arigato, Shippou." The priestess one by one filled the bowls full of the miso soup passing them out to the group of hungry travelers.
They ate in silence, each one thinking of the coming journey and the future that held so many uncertainties. Houjo sat beside the fire, his eyes watching the others nervously. What did the dog demon mean when he said killing the evil demon Naraku? Was Kagome actually going to be involved in a fight with such a powerful youkai? How would they protect him? They all seemed to be strong. The taijiya, Sango, was already dressed in her black battle armor, her large bone boomerang securely placed on her back. She obviously knew how to use the weapon or she would not carry such a thing. The houshi was a holy man. Houjo knew that Kagome's grandfather did exorcisms and so forth. Surely the monk had some power as well to rid spirits and demons. Certainly he carried ofuda or some other magical wards to assist him. The fox child, Houjo looked at the strange animal with intent. What could this child possibly do? He was a youkai, but one so small could not possibly be very strong. He glanced to the inu hanyou. It was obvious that Inu Yasha was strong. The half demon was always scowling, growling, or glaring, signifying his fighting spirit. Not to mention the fangs and long claws and the katana that hung at his waist. Kagome, he was still unsure of. Trying to remember what she had told him the day before, he wracked his brain. 'Kagome-san had said she was a miko? No, the reincarnation of a miko. Does that mean she has spiritual powers like the monk?' Houjo wondered. The knot of foreboding and fear he had felt all night suddenly tightened its grip on his innards. He was defenseless, with no skills to offer his now comrades. No, they were not comrades, at least not to him. They were his 'babysitters.' His lip curled in disgust at the thought. But that was how he felt. This strong bunch of demon hunters was taking him along on their journey by force, and like a helpless child he would need watching and protecting. An acute sense of helplessness overcame him, and he found himself suddenly fighting back nausea.
"Are you okay, Houjo-kun?" Kagome asked, noticing the tensed look on her school friend's face.
"Uh…yes, I'm fine, Kagome-san, thank you for asking." Houjo replied forcing a feeble smile.
"Feh!" the hanyou snorted. "Weak human." Inu Yasha once again sensed the future boy's fear. Watching Kagome lean over toward the boy, concern in her hazel eyes, made his heart wrench. Did she have feelings for this idiot? 'No!' His mind screamed at him. 'Kagome loves me, but am I too late?' 'Too late for what?' The other voice inside his head questioned. 'You don't even know who it is you want!' 'Shut up!' As a mental battle of thoughts raged in his head, the others finished their breakfast and began preparing for the long journey.
"I was thinking of visiting Jinenji, Kaede Baachan." Kagome said to the older miko. "He has many herbs we can't get anywhere else. Several good for healing youkai." She glanced at Kiarara as she spoke, remembering how the gentle hanyou's healing herbs had saved the cat demon from Naraku's miasma.
"That's a good idea, Kagome-chan." Sango smiled. She too remembered the gift of herbs for her beloved neko companion.
Finally registering what the miko in training had said, "What the hell do you mean you want to see Jinenji? His village is a day's journey out of our way, and we've already wasted enough time!" Inu Yasha snapped.
"I need those herbs, Inu Yasha! And only Jinenji grows them! We're going, and that's final! You're the one who said we aren't coming back this way until IT'S over!" Kagome's eyes flashed, as if daring the dog demon to deny her. He only snorted a "Feh!" at the girl. Kagome smiled to herself. She had one this round in the battle of wills with her hanyou. And she didn't even have to "sit" him.
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The group had been traveling more than half a day when Inu Yasha decided to break for lunch. The rain still drizzled and the clouds never wavering from their position in the dark sky. Searching for a safe cave, the hanyou finally found an overhang large enough to shelter the group from the elements.
The ground under the hanging rock was damp but not wet. Kagome dug through her pack producing a blanket and her cooking supplies. Miroku and Sango went in search of dry wood for a fire as Inu Yasha sat down, resting his back against the rock wall of the cliff, Kiarara curled up in a tight ball next to him. Shippou sat perched on Kagome's shoulder, his tiny hands holding one of the toys Kagome had brought him from her time. Houjo sat down, exhaustion evident as he tried to relax his over exerted muscles.
"Higurashi?" Houjo's quiet voiced echoed in the stillness.
"Hmm…" She replied, engrossed in digging through her pack. "Ah-ha!" She announced happily as she pulled a large bag from the yellow rucksack. Shippou smiled hugely, his tiny fangs peering out as he grabbed the bag and raced off to sit next to Inu Yasha.
Houjo watched briefly as the two demons fought over the bag of garlic potato chips before finally coming to a truce to share the bag. "Do you always walk this much?" the boy asked. Houjo had never traveled by foot so much in his life. His body ached and cramped in protest of the unwanted exercise.
"Oh, yeah. I guess I'm used to it. I've been doing it for so long, it doesn't really bother me anymore. Though," she said as an after thought, "usually when we do get tired, we stop to rest. And usually I have my bike. But since we're heading into the mountains, my bike is pretty useless."
Inu Yasha listened to the two teenagers as he stuffed potato chips into his mouth. With any luck the runt would get so exhausted he'd fall behind and get lost. He frowned at this thought. Kagome would only sit him for being so "insensitive" to others. Shoving his hand into the bag to grab more of the delicious fried, thin potatoes, he bumped into the kitsune's smaller hand. Growling, he looked over into the determined green eyes of Shippou. "You're eating them all!"
"ME?!" Shippou exclaimed. "You're the one eating 'em all!"
"Mine!" Inu Yasha exclaimed, snatching the bag out of Shippou's reach, a smile of satisfaction on his face.
"Kagome! Inu Yasha won't share the chips!" Shippou whined, his small voice raised in pitch as he jumped onto the young miko's shoulder pouting.
"Inu Yasha! I gave those to BOTH of you!" She scolded, her eyes narrowed in a warning glare.
"Feh!" the hanyou snorted in reply. "There's only crumbs left anyway!" With that Inu Yasha rose to his feet, tossed the near empty bag at the kitsune cub, and headed off into the woods. Shippou grabbed the bag and ran off to occupy Inu Yasha's now abandoned seat, greedily dumping the remains of the chip bag into his mouth.
"Uh, Kagome-san, why do you travel with youkai if you fight youkai?" Houjo asked, eyeing the fox kit with wariness. Kagome may trust these demons, but he did not think he ever would.
Kagome stifled a laugh. 'Poor Houjo-kun, he must be really terrified by all this.' She thought as she watched his wide-eyed expression. "Inu Yasha acts all tough and stuff, but he really is very nice. And Shippou is only a kid. He has a big heart and is very sweet. I guess I sort of adopted him after his parents died."
Houjo looked at her with huge, brown eyes. "You adopted him? Like, you're his mom or something?"
Kagome did laugh this time, "Yeah, I guess I kind of did. I protect him and keep him safe when I'm here in the Sengoku Jidai. I tuck him in at night, and tell him bedtime stories. And of course, feed him."
Shippou stopped eating at Kagome's words. A teary smile split his face, flashing his fangs. He suddenly sprang up slamming into Kagome's chest. She caught him with open arms before falling backwards, giggling with joy at the fox child. Shippou nuzzled his face into her stomach, hiding the tears that were now streaming down his cheeks.
Houjo could not believe that the girl before him was the same Higurashi Kagome who he attended school with. The quiet, shy schoolgirl who was always sick was actually a demon hunter, the "mother" to a fox demon child, and traveled five hundred years in the past with other demons. He grabbed his head, trying to make sense of it all and stave off the dizzying feeling he was once again experiencing.
"You lecherous, perverted monk! If you touch me again, I'll remove a part of your anatomy you will need to produce children!" Sango screamed as she and Miroku returned. A small pile of wood was held in each of their arms.
"But Sango, my love, how can I resist when you are bent over presenting me with such perfection and beauty?" The monk asked, keeping a fair amount of distance between him and his intended.
Dropping the pile of wood beside Kagome and Houjo, Sango hissed, "One more time, houshi-sama and, and…."
"Sango! Please, forgive me, gomen nasai!" Miroku held up his hands in front of him, trying to placate the fuming beauty.
Houjo's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he listened to the two future lovers argue. As realization set in, "Houshi-dono, y-you…touched Sango-san's body?" All eyes stared at the incredulous boy. "You're a holy man! A monk! How could you do such a thing?"
"Relax, Houbo!" Inu Yasha smirked as he returned, carrying three freshly killed rabbits. "The bouzu does it all the time. Besides, she already promised to bear his children." An involuntary shudder overcame the hanyou at this. The image of many little hentai Miroku's running about was not a pleasant thought.
Kagome giggled as she stacked the wood and lit the fire. Sango blushed furiously, her cheeks competing with the crimson hue of Inu Yasha's haori. Houjo felt sick. As much as he knew, monks were not supposed to marry or do any of those kinds of things. "B-but… you're a monk! You're supposed to…to be celibate!" Houjo exclaimed in amazement.
"Correction, Houjo-kun," Kagome smiled, "Delinquent monk." Miroku feigned a mask of purity and innocence at the conversation of his perverted nature.
"And you're okay with this, Kagome-san?" Houjo blinked at his school friend, trying to see if perhaps she were a demon in disguise.
"As long as he keeps his hands off Kagome, who cares what the letch does!" Inu Yasha growled. His golden orbs bore into both the lecherous monk and the pale faced future boy. Quickly side glancing at said girl, Inu Yasha frowned, her smile had faded and her face was now scrunched up in serious thought. 'We really need to talk, and soon…' Finally deciding that before they left Jinenji's village, he and the miko would have the talk they desperately needed, the hanyou sat back against the cliff wall, watching through half closed eyes the strange Houjo and his Kagome.
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Black slit eyes glowed an eerie yellow as they peered through the wet canopy of a densely branched tree. The group had finally decided to rest. How the humans could keep pace with the youkai, even if he were just a hanyou, was beyond her. They must be exceptional humans, but then again, she had heard that they were strong youkai hunters. Her eyes rested on the boy who was presently getting yelled at by the hanyou. Thinking back, she could not recall the mention of a second human male in the group. The hanyou, yes. He was what brought her here. The taijiya and houshi had fairly dangerous reputations themselves against youkai. Eyes resting on the young miko who was now cooking the late afternoon meal, a smile curved her lips, flashing long, sharp fangs. The miko was said to be the half-breed's mate. Sniffing the rain dampened air, she smelt no claim on the girl. But it didn't matter to her if she were claimed or not, mating was not her purpose with this band of travelers. She would follow and watch the group of demon exterminators. And when the time was right she would make herself known. Until then, she leaned back against the trunk of the tree, her long tail curling around the branch under her. Closing her yellow brown eyes, she fell into a light sleep, dreaming of the revenge she so desperately needed, and wondering who the strange clothed human male was.
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A/N: Gomen it took so long to update! I had this chapter ready to go, then lost the disc. Luckily I found it again! So, what did you think? Not the greatest, but I finally got to introduce my mysterious new OC, and what revenge is she seeking and against who? Hmm…I wonder! As for poor Houjo, I am going to be making him a little OOC from this point on…why you ask? Because, though we all know him to be the clueless wonder boy, in reality I see him as just being very shy and raised by a very traditional family…so what's the point you ask? Well, starting next chapter, Houjo will actually have a clue, and a different side to his "Duh?!" personality will be revealed. And I don't think Inu Yasha or Miroku will like it one bit!!!! More spoilers to come next chapter too! You have been warned! AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED!!!! And please read and review this new chapter!!!