AN: I think lots of readers got confused by my "will Hojo attempt to murder Shippou?" comment at the end of the last chapter. It was supposed by be a joke, but I guess I'll never be able to pull off anything funny. So no, that will not be happening. Or will it?

I'm going to stop now before people start thinking that again.

On a side note, big hugs to those who offered to become my beta-reader, and especially to those who had to put up with my annoying test beta (you know who you are). However, after much deciding my new fantastic beta will be…

Unicorn-Hime!

So now that's all put behind us, onto the next chapter!

Pirate Pash

Chapter 15 - Assassination Attempts


She twiddled with her fingers and leaned back against the metal bar, humming softly to herself. It was quite cold now, and there was no longer sun shining through the small pane of glass.

'I wonder when Sango's going to be here…'

Kagome finally bored of the twiddling and wandered about the room, looking for something else to occupy her until they came around to check up on her. She stepped over the shattered dresser and plopped down. 'Bored…'

Staring at the aged lock on the door, she smiled to herself and decided to test it again just to assure herself. When she lightly tugged on it with her hand, the metal snapped open as if a baby had only touched it.

It had not even been a day yet, and she still hadn't left the room. She wasn't sure she would be brave enough to.

Inuyasha's words from yesterday night rang in her ears. "I'll have to take care of you first…" When she had heard that her heart almost burst. With so many pairs of eyes on her, she could barely relate to Inuyasha. How come that always had to happen with him in public?

However, one thing she found somewhat better. When she moved around on deck, instead of putting up with the accusing and hateful stares from the crew she was so used to, she could safely say half of them looked as if they sympathised with her.

Yet barely anyone spoke to her.

She had said back to him, this time her face completely screwed up in anger. "What are you doing, Inuyasha?" The young woman had asked, her fingers twiddling like just now. "I thought I said…"

"You…" He shut his eyes abruptly. "You'll be staying in the Brollet Room in the basement, alone, where the food will be sent to you in limited portions. None of the crew will speak to you down there."

"What?" She had her fists already balled up to smack him on the head. "What the hell is the Brollet Room?"

"Watch your language around the captain, woman." Hiten had muttered with a sigh. He paced next to the captain. "Once a barbarian, always a barbarian, I suppose."

"What do you mean by - "

"The Brollet Room, Kagome," Inuyasha ignored the comment and stressed her name, folding his arms across his chest. "Is a large room in the basement where you will not be in contact with anyone else for as long as the punishment lasts." His tone of voice wasn't cold, but she couldn't quite read it. She could barely believe her ears.

"And… and how long would that be?"

"Three days." He said finally. "Three days and you're free to return to the main and lower floors. However, if anyone catches you free and up here during that time your punishment will increase by a week."

"Wha - but that means I'll be locked up – like a prisoner?" She gaped and stared in astonishment. "I… I can't believe this…"

"That's exactly what you are. You should be on your knees thanking Captain Inuyasha for his exceptionally kind treatment towards you." Manten sneered.

"That's enough, Manten." Inuyasha shut him up instantly and turned to face her with a serious frown. "Kagome, I believe you should leave now."

She wasn't overly shocked, yet the pang of hurt remained. "But… but what am I supposed to do down there?"

Manten's brother joined in with the taunting despite Inuyasha's warning. "There are a few rotted corpses down there, and it's located next to the jail. Who knows, there may still be some convicts left in there from Yura's rule. You're allowed to speak with them if you wish."

She shuddered. "Sango… are they kidding?"

"I… I've never been down to this cell, Kagome. But it's all right. I'll bring you your meals…" Her friend's eyes looked worried.

"Oh…" Kagome felt tears burning in her eyes, and forced herself not to blink in case any loose ones escaped. She had to be strong… and not show her qualms in front of Manten or Hiten. She swallowed. 'It's only three days… I'm sure that's the weakest punishment Inuyasha could come up with.'

Even still, she felt like they had taken a flame and lit it under her.

Shippou cut through the silence with a calm question. "Inuyasha, only a few of us have been down there. It's not at all a pretty sight. Maybe you could lock her in another room?"

"No…" He lowered his head and gave her an apologetic look, his eyes slightly lowered; one that was shielded from the others. "She'll live down there. She'll be in her own room."

She couldn't control herself anymore and turned her face away.

"Should I take her downstairs now?" Manten asked with a pleased smile. He hadn't heard such great news in a long time, although the punishment seemed much too light for this kind of crime.

Stealing rations should have deserved a worse sentence than what the five men had to go through.

"No. You're to organize the men to prepare to drop the fishing lines. Shippou, you're to search for an area out of navy observation where we can stop for rations." He turned to the others. "Sango, Miroku and Hiten will return to your posts." 'I'll take her down there myself…'

They had looked doubtful, but bowed anyway. "Yes sir!"

The instant the others scattered out the doorway, she felt an irritating burning in her throat. She had begun to sputter and cough like a child, insistent on getting her words out. "Inu… Inuyasha I really didn't mean to… but they needed it… and the looks Manten and Hiten were giving me – I – I don't know… accusing…"

He watched her for a minute, watching her mumble and cover her face in an attempt to reduce her embarrassment. She turned around so he wouldn't be able to see how affected she had been by his sentence.

Kagome was shocked when her hand was pulled by his and led partially down the stairs so the other men could not see what he was planning to do. She gasped when his hands wrapped around her tightly from behind and securely around her waist.

When Inuyasha rested his head on her right shoulder, and brushed her hair aside, her breath hitched in her throat.

"No – no, Inuyasha. Please don't do this to me… please stop…" Kagome murmured silently, her words barely registering because she was trying to conceal the hurt.

"Do what?" He asked with a frown. "Tell me, what? Kagome?"

"Please… please don't act like this… act like you care for me a lot one second, and the next… the next you act like I'm nothing more than a criminal on this ship. Don't… please don't…"

He gulped and tightened his hold, causing her to gasp again. Inuyasha breathed in her ear, "Kagome, you know why I have to do this… I just wish you hadn't…"

"Hadn't what? Saved your crew from dying?" She snapped back despite their comfortable embrace. "I don't want anything to do with you if you're so different every time I face you. Because I've had enough of that and I don't think I can - "

"I'm sorry." He sighed in his most sincere voice, causing her hairs to stand up. "I'm sorry but you know why I have to do this, don't you? Just understand this, Kagome… don't make this even harder for me…."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, reaching her arms up to hold onto his. "Tell me, Inuyasha, is what I'm doing wrong? It seems like every time I try to do something right it backfires… and I just want to maintain my sanity, you know? I don't want to change … as corny as that sounds."

"I know. And that's why I've grown annoyingly attached to you."

She blushed at his comment. "Could that be because I'm the only woman on board other than Sango?"

"That too." He joked and grabbed her hand, leading her down the first long set of stairs, then the second, the latter becoming darker and quieter as they entered a near pitch-black hallway with cells on either side of the wooden floors.

"I'm scared…" She admitted truthfully, the words of Hiten reliving in her ears. Kagome tightened her grip. "Inuyasha… this is worse than my first cell…"

"Don't worry. Just stay in the room and you won't get hurt." He said softly, not doing much to calm her down; especially since she noticed a lone bone lying in the corner of a black room.

"This is a horrible déjà vu," Kagome muttered and stopped when he paused at a large wooden door. He kicked it open roughly and stumbled in, pulling Kagome behind him.

The room itself wasn't too horrible. There was plenty of sunlight and there sat a tiny lone bed in the corner. Other than that the room was bare and dead still. "Hm. See?"

"Don't leave." Her tears had long dried, and she grabbed onto his hand in her most desperate attempt to keep him there. This jerk… he was the first person she had so easily given her feelings to… if he was to lock her in here again and leave… she wouldn't be able to take it.

When he nudged the door closed with the two of them still in the room, her heart quickened. She wasn't really serious… "Wait, Kagome. I'll show you something." He pointed at the crummy bolt on the door, its hinges beginning to rust. "Watch this."

Inuyasha lightly pulled at the lock and it clicked open as if it was never locked in the first place. He grinned and pushed it back into its original position. "See? You're not even locked in. But if you keep it closed, it's locked from the outside. When they bring you the food, you are to pretend as if you are a prisoner and not move. They should have the keys."

"What is the point in that?" She asked, not amused by his attempt to lighten the situation. Kagome mumbled in rich sarcasm. "So I'll be free to roam around the basement. I'm thrilled."

"Don't start with me, woman." He said half-seriously. "At least you'll be able to move around without feeling claustrophobic."

"I WOULD be happy, had you not threatened another week on me if anyone spots me on the lower or main decks! There's nothing here, Inuyasha, but disgusting prison cells and god knows what else!" She shouted angrily, her face beginning to break out in sweat.

"You should be thankful I'm even doing this! You practically have the entire floor to yourself, you unappreciative wench!" The insult slipped out before he had a second to reconsider his words.

"Excuse me?" Her brows furrowed in anger and he could slowly make out the veins popping out of her forehead. "Unappreciative wench?"

"Well, yes…"

The last thing on earth he should have done was insult her in the prime of her anger. Using every ounce of strength in her body, she shoved him in the chest with her hands, sending him crashing into the dusty wall and onto the floor. "GET OUT! GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"

He picked himself up and felt his head for any bumps. "Christ…calm down, Kagome…"

"I said GET OUT!" Glancing around for anything to hurl at the conceited captain, her eyes landed on the small wooden dresser resting near her feet. This would do.

He spotted her vengeful and furious glare as it connected with the heavy piece of furniture and quickly scampered up. What in the world was wrong with this woman now? "Woah… Kagome, stop whatever you're thinking of doing…"

It was too late. She had already picked up the dresser with both hands and raised it above her head. One strike in the head with that and even he would be in a ton of pain. She quietly whispered into the still air. "Shut up and get out of here before I do."

How dare this weak woman threaten him? And with a dresser no less? But rather than showing her who had more brawn in their childish battle, he decided to back down. It may have been the tears streaming loosely from her eyes that really made him stop. 'She's… she's crying. What the hell did I do now?'

"Leave…" She sobbed, trying to wipe her tears away but not able to because of her occupied hands. He sighed when her arms began to quake from the overbearing weight.

Having seen Kagome cry a few times before, he also noticed this time her face appeared a little… different? Her entire face was flamed and her lips were pouted in an attempt not to sob again. Inuyasha couldn't bare much more of this.

"Fine. Keh!" Not letting her win their argument, he snorted rudely and spun around, slamming the door behind him in the most nonchalant way he could.

He tried to tell himself that he wasn't at all affected by her full-blown cries after the dropping of the dresser onto the floor- the same dresser that could have knocked him senseless. He covered his ears when he picked up the whimpers and sobs that rang through the hallways. 'Stop lying to yourself, you asshole…"

When he stepped back onto the main deck, Sango was standing as if she were gazing at stars at noon. She snapped out of her state when she noticed his return from the basement. "Inuyasha? Is Kagome all right?"

"She's fine." He fibbed again, praying the woman's cries couldn't be heard three floors up. Kagome would probably never forgive him for this… why did he have to be put into such stressful spots all the time?

Sango shook her head disapprovingly. "So when should I bring down her dinner?"

"You're not going to." He pointed out. "I'll be sending somebody else to do that."

"Captain, but why?" Sango raised an eyebrow. "I promised the girl I would."

He looked around a bit in the buzzing of the crowd, and pointed a finger at any random person. His finger landed on a young man, no older than twenty-five, running past them at that exact moment. "Hey you!"

The man stopped and looked over at Inuyasha with a baffled stare. He pointed at himself, and when the captain nodded, made his way over. His hair was quite odd, with only a patch of black spiked up against the rest of his short blond hair. His eyes also looked exhausted, because he had these dark bags resting under his eyes. "You called for me, captain?"

"Ha – have I seen you before?" Inuyasha asked, trying to trace a name with the face. This young man didn't look at all familiar, but there were definitely a few faces on board he had yet to learn.

"Probably, sir." He folded his hands on his lap politely, his head lowered. The man seemed somewhat tense. "I have served you for a while now."

"I don't believe you look too familiar." Sango pointed out, not knowing every single name herself. She really had to learn their forenames one of these days. "Erm… do you know my name?"

"Miss Sango."

"Good." She nodded, pleased with the polite man. But she could never be too sure. "And the name of the other girl aboard?"

"Kagome…"

Inuyasha looked uninterested as he interrupted the two. "Well, whatever. What's your name?"

"My name… is Ginta." He replied softly.

"Ginta? Well, I have a new task for you. You'll be bringing the Kagome girl her meals three times a day to the basement, is that understood?" He handed Ginta the metal set of keys, ones he knew didn't really have a purpose.

"Of course, captain." The man smiled to himself. "I will not let you down."


Kagome pulled on the lock once again. Then she locked it. Then she unlocked it. She was way too bored for her own good. "Where are you, Sango?"

She faintly smiled at an earlier memory of Inuyasha's completely shocked face when she lifted that piece of furniture. His eyes seemed to have rolled forwards at the sight of her doing so. Served that bastard right…

Why had she gotten so peeved? Normally his insults didn't get to her that badly, but after this… and then throwing an insult at her… it just didn't work. It was as if her inner wall keeping her sanity bared had been kicked down and stomped on after his comment.

'Keep my sanity? Am I nuts?' She laughed at herself. Maybe she was going a little nuts after all. Inuyasha was irritated with her, and no one else aboard exactly wanted to speak with her. She didn't belong anywhere she went…

Suddenly, loud footsteps stomped towards her room, and Kagome instantly relocked the door. 'What am I doing this for… it's only Sango…' The prisoner sat down and awaited the woman to come in so they could chat for a while.

"Dinner is served."

Wait… Sango didn't have a man's voice. Not only that, but the voice was completely unrecognizable to her ears. It surely wasn't Inuyasha, Miroku, Hojo, or anyone else's voice that she knew. Who was this person?

She watched silently as the crappy lock began to fidget, and after a while, it snapped open and fluttered onto the ground. In walked a skinny young man with a tray in his hands, and once he was in he kicked the door closed. She gaped. "Who are you?"

"I will be responsible for bringing all your meals, ma'am. My name is Ginta."

She stared at the odd-haired man. "Ginta? But wasn't Sango - ?"

"She was, but the captain asked that I do it." He beamed a friendly smile before setting down the tray on the floor before her. "What happened here?" He asked when he noticed the smashed pieces of wood by his feet.

"Oh… nothing much." A tiny smile graced her lips. Something was definitely wrong with this boy. He seemed to be a little too… open? "You could say I got in a little argument."

"Are you sure it was little? Doesn't look that way to me." He began to take the food off the tray and placed it onto the floor for her. "So, how has it been in here so far?"

At first sight she had expected another insensitive jerk, but for the man to speak with her so casually and so amiably – it surprised her. "As pleasant as this filthy little room could be."

"Hm. Figured." Ginta nodded and began to back out of the room, opening the door with one hand as he walked. He picked up the useless lock and reattached it, giving her one last wave before leaving. "Well, I'll be seeing you, Miss Kagome. Stay safe in here."

"Of course." Kagome garbled. This guy was completely foreign, but his presence seemed assuring enough. Yet something sent up a flag at the back of her mind. Why exactly had the captain sent a man down here and not Sango?


"Inuyasha! Look what I caught!" Shippou reeled in his fishing line composed of wood and string and peered at his fabulous prize: a silver salmon the size of his arm. He was balancing on the edge of the ship. "I told you guys I'd catch a fish first! You all owe me a meal."

"That doesn't exactly qualify as a win, Shippou." Miroku pointed out, still waiting impatiently for his catch. Perhaps he was cursed with amphibians? "Look at it. It's a Shippou-sized fish. No win."

The child glared at him with the fish proudly held between his hands. "We never agreed to size, jerk. I remember we just said the first person to catch anything."

He sighed. "Maybe you should stick to navigating…"

"No way!" Shippou chuckled and hooked another worm onto his metal hook, flinging it into the ocean. "This is so much better than sitting in that stuffy room looking at books."

"Good going, Shippou." Inuyasha watched, pleased that there were actually fish around in this starving area. "Catch about a few hundred more."

Hojo stood off to the side and watched the others, his injured arm strapped with a white bandage across his chest. He had been feeling miserable for the past few days, not quite wanting to believe the seriousness of his loss. He covered his eyes from the sun. "Are there any more lines?"

Sango looked up from her resting position, leaning against a wooden board. "Hojo… do you think that's such a good idea? I mean, it's probably better not to put too much strain on it."

"Oh…" His eyes drooped as he turned his face away. "That's alright… I understand."

"Hojo! Stand up straight and look her in the eyes." Inuyasha pointed out, his mind still mostly focused on Kagome even after twenty-four hours. "No real man would cower away from that. Be thankful you're still alive and well!"

The young man began to sniffle discreetly, wiping his nose with his final free arm. "Yes sir. It's just that… I… I am….no -" His words were no more than unclear mumbles after that.

Shippou looked over his shoulder at the weeping man, bored. "It's okay Hojo. I mean, at least you don't have to take part in our battles."

"… and you can help Shippou in the navigation room."

"Don't forget you'd be able to help cook and clean."

"In other words," Inuyasha cleared his throat. "Everything he did before but with one less arm?"

Everyone nodded and Hojo stopped his sniffling, finally managing to retain a somewhat dignified appearance. "I apologize for being so pathetic… I just feel like I'm of no use to you guys anymore – and – and if I had to leave now I don't know what I would do."

"You won't be going anywhere. In fact, members of my crew who lose a body part in battle get a higher percentage of our prize to make up for it. Pirate rules." The captain pointed out, heading off to another direction - the direction of the basement. "So I don't want to see you cry again. I have to see enough of that as it is."

Hojo watched him in surprise. "Honest, sir? Oh wow, I didn't know that… I – I - thank you."

"Sure." Inuyasha mumbled, already halfway down the stairs. He hadn't been able to sleep last night because of the horrified expression he had witnessed on her fragile face, and before she could have a chance to break out of the room and murder somebody he needed to go calm her down.

'What if she throws something at me when I walk in the door?'

He sped up and made his way to the bottom floor, the faint foul odour in the hallway tickled his nostrils. The captain stopped in front of the door and began to think of some intelligent words to say to the irritated girl. His mind got to the better of him. 'You know you want to do more than just talk.'

He shut out the voice in his head and placed a hand lightly on the door. The girl only a few meters from him, although she couldn't see him, was luring him in. Something about her made him not able to stay pissed at her for long.

Never had he felt so attracted to another person like that – it was more than her looks. Yet, he was hurting her in ways he probably could never imagine. She tried to expose her kindness and what did he do? Throw her into a dirty prison cell to please the others.

Kagome Higurashi was messing with his emotions and he despised that fact. Before her or Kikyou came along, he could pull off the heartless-bastard image and anybody would have believed it. Kikyou may have changed him slightly, but it was Kagome who actually got him to bend the rules impeccably.

Three days in a manageable room for stealing water? He couldn't lie to himself. He had purposely not brought out the rulebook to read from because he knew what was inside for the seriousness of that crime.

If any Man shall steel any Thing in the Company, or game, to the Value of a Piece of Eight, he shall be marooned or shot.

He did not bother to follow every rule, he usually adjusted it to his own well-being. If anybody had a problem with it they wisely chose not to let him know. But he may have pushed it a little too far this time around with her. Inuyasha could never shoot an innocent woman, let alone Kagome, and maroon her on an island? The chances of that were even slimmer.

'She's going to bring me down, that's for sure. But then… why can't I get rid of her?' He sighed, repeating the same question that even sounded old to himself. 'I don't love her though.'

He shoved the heavy door aside, pushing it away from him and gaped at the sight that was presented before him.

The Ginta boy was cross-legged and leaning against the wall, facing whom other than Kagome. Before he barged in, he spotted she had been grinning while talking to him. Oddly enough, he had been too caught up in his own thoughts to overhear them.

"I – eep! Inuyasha? Wha – what are you doing in here?"

"What the fu - ?" He snarled despite them not doing anything. He could not help the inappropriate images of them canoodling in the days he had been upstairs. He slammed the door harshly behind him to ensure no one escaped. "So now I'm not allowed to come in here? ON MY OWN BOAT? Who do you think you are anyway, Kagome?"

"What do you mean by that?" She retorted, standing back to meet his eye level.

"Him! That's what!" The captain pointed at the confused Ginta leaning against the wall. "What's your name again? Ginta? What the hell do you think you're doing? I asked you to bring her food, not sit in here and talk with her for hours! Is this what you two have been doing during these two days?"

"Leave him out of this, jerk!" She stormed up to him until her face was millimetres from this. "Ginta's a wonderful boy! He's a great person to talk to! So what? Am I not allowed to talk to anyone during these damn three days?"

"NO!"

"Well, too bad. I enjoy his company a lot more than yours right now. And if you don't mind, we were in the middle of a funny story." She folded her arms hastily across her chest. "So leave."

"You…" Inuyasha turned his angry stare to the mysterious man, who had already gotten up. "Who the hell are you anyway? I'm sure now I don't know what the hell you are! What is a crap-face like you doing on my boat? Explain yourself or you will regret it!"

"Explain myself?" Ginta dusted himself off, taking another step toward the fuming captain. "I don't believe that is necessary. Right, Kagome?"

"Ginta, what do you mean - ?"

In the instant that Inuyasha turned to look at the girl, a sharp fist quickly imbedded into his stomach, right to the left of his navel. "Oof!" Ginta knew precisely where the body's most sensitive nerve was, and with that light punch Inuyasha's mind spiralled outwards - almost as if his brain had just decided to stop functioning for the while being.

Kagome stared, completely stunned by what the thin man had done to Inuyasha in a fraction of the second, enough to leave the captain sprawled out by her feet. She gasped, her voice no longer functioning. "Wh – wha - "

"It was lovely to talk to you, Miss Kagome." Ginta neared her with a small grin, his knuckles cracking. She squirmed back on the floor with her mouth hanging open; unable to scream for her life. "I enjoyed it a lot."

Kagome had no idea what he did. But just like that.

She was out in a second.


AN: Well, I hope you all enjoyed that chapter. My new beta-reader did an excellent job, and I really liked how it turned out in the end.

One piece of bad news: To those of you that were wondering where "The Red Card" went, it has been removed by the administration, so I'm kind of depressed by that. Hopefully it will be reposted.