Chapter 14: Ascension

"I'm going to be a boy today," Kagome announced, twisting her hair into a topknot.

"Don't you need to use a plain hair tie?" asked Kaede.

"Oops." Kagome dropped the embroidered silk strip she was holding and picked up a black one.

It was getting confusing switching between genders.

She wondered how they were going to choose their new Emperor today. Kagome never really paid attention in her history or politics lessons. Not to mention, the previous emperors all had heirs, so succession was hardly a problem.

Kaede set a bowl of rice in front of her. "Eat. I still don't get why you must go." It was dangerous for Kagome to be seen about – someone might recognize her.

For Kagome, she wanted to give that shogun no room to play funny tricks. Naraku would be sorry if he tried anything while she was there.

However, Kaede wasn't so sure Naraku was so easily taken down. "Naraku will be there, won't that be dangerous?"

She tossed her head lightly. "Stop fussing, Kaede, I'll be fine."

"Oi, Kei, you done?" barked Inuyasha from outside. He was still irritable over the Kagura kidnapping incident, as although Sesshoumaru hadn't blamed him outright, Inuyasha knew that Kanna would never have been able to get away if Sesshoumaru had been there.

"Coming!" Shoving a mouthful of rice into her mouth, Kagome ran to the door.

Kaede rolled her eyes. "Shoes, child."

"Oh, yeah." Kagome grabbed the pair Kaede held out to her.

"Why do you spend so much time with the hag?" asked Inuyasha suspiciously as Kagome appeared besides him.

"Oh, she was… um, my neighbour."

He began walking, but eyed her curiously. "So?"

"Well, um…" Kagome thought of something, and brightened up. "She has this completely beautiful granddaughter, about the right age to get married to. So, you know, I'm trying to… get in the grandmother's good graces."

"Ah." Smart plan, mused Inuyasha. Miroku tended to take the more direct approach, taking the girl first then consulting with angry parents and grandparents.

"Do you have a girl you like?" asked Kagome. She had no clue why she'd asked it.

His furry ears twitched. "Oh, I don't know… some geisha maybe."

"Oh."

Inuyasha looked at her curiously. "You? Surely you've been with a geisha before."

"Um…" Been one? Yes. Been with one… that was a different story. "Yeah, um, loads of times."

Inuyasha seemed impressed. "Which ones?"

Oh, shit. Now Kagome panicked. As a poor village boy she couldn't very well name all the top geisha of Gion, which were the only names she knew.

"Ready to go?" Miroku asked, descending on them.

Sighing in relief, Kagome nodded.

"Are those puny lords going to try their luck at being Emperor?" asked Inuyasha as Miroku led them through the town's winding alleys.

"Lord Houjo and Lord Kouga?" Kagome asked. She hadn't known they wanted the throne.

"You know them?" Inuyasha said.

"Oh, no, no. I've just heard of them." Kagome kicked herself sternly. She was getting too relaxed around the two guys.

Miroku looked thoughtful. "I think they won't contest the throne. Even if they wanted it they wouldn't dare piss Sesshoumaru off."

Kagome didn't see how it would piss Sesshoumaru off, considering that Sesshoumaru didn't want the throne.

"Well, it's either him or Naraku getting the throne. I wonder who they want," Miroku said.

They were meant to be at the famous Ritsuen teahouse, and although Kagome had no idea where it was it wasn't difficult to find. A crowd of screaming and pushing commoners were pushed far back, but they jostled along the main street leading to the Ritsuen anyway.

As Kagome expected, most of the daimyo lords as well as the shogun was present, gathered in a massive hall with their various retainers. Naraku hadn't brought Kagura along, but he was flanked by Kanna and Hakudoushi. Houjo was placed alongside Kouga. Lady Higurashi had come along with Bankotsu, placed on the other side. Kagome and Inuyasha sat besides Sesshoumaru, but Miroku had long disappeared.

The pervert was probably in the room next door, he just couldn't resist teahouse geisha. Kagome couldn't believe this man was actually her brother.

Naraku stood, eyes sweeping the room. There were about fifteen lords in total, most of whom were there for posterity only.

He began the meeting. "Although we mourn our beloved Emperor, we have come here today to -"

"Cut the crap, Naraku, we don't need it." Kouga interrupted. "Why don't you just come to the point?"

"Why, thank you for your eagerness," Naraku said smoothly. "Since you can't wait to get this all over, I'll humour you. We shall commence the reading of the Emperor's Will." He withdrew from his sleeves a rolled up piece of silk. Unrolling it with an air of grandeur, Naraku cleared his throat and began to read.

"By order of I, the Emperor in the year -"

"Inuyasha," whispered Kagome. "Do you think the emperor introduces himself that way?"

"I don't know. But that sounds too much like Naraku's style of writing for my taste," he said sourly.

"You mean you think he faked the will?" whispered Kagome.

Naraku was still reading. "I order that in the event of my passing, the shogun, Naraku Takamoto, shall be named Emperor of Japan. As of such, the role of shogun shall be merged with that of the throne and all power should be controlled by the emperor himself. Signed - "

"Liar!" shouted Kouga.

"You would call the emperor a liar?" asked Naraku dangerously.

The lesser lords looked uneasy, and started muttering amongst themselves.

"The Emperor said that one of the daimyo lords would be crowned Emperor, with the shogun as advisor," Kouga snapped. He knew he was probably too weak to be considered for the throne, but he certainly did not want Naraku's butt on it.

"Those were mere rumors," Naraku shrugged. "I have in my hands the real will."

"Rumors regarding things like the next emperor are never false!" yelled Kouga. The bastard shogun had faked the will; the question was, where was the original one?

"Calm yourself, Lord Kouga. You aren't helping yourself by shouting so disrespectfully at your next emperor. I'll let it pass for today."

"And the new Emperor's advisor?" asked Lady Higurashi. Too eagerly, noted Kagome.

"Of course, lady. I have ample evidence of your capabilities. When I am formally named Emperor, you will, of course, be my advisor." Looking around the room, Naraku smiled as though daring someone to challenge him.

Bankotsu shifted slightly. Kagome glared at him.

"I notice Lord Sesshoumaru is being awfully silent on the matter," Naraku said, turning his red eyes on Sesshoumaru.

The taiyoukai refused to be goaded. "I would like to see the will," Sesshoumaru said at last.

"You would question the emperor's will? One he wrote with his own hand, sealed with his own stamp?" Naraku asked dangerously.

The room fell silent.

"Indeed, I would, if you cannot provide more proof."

"You're saying I'm lying?"

Sesshoumaru looked thoughtful. "Why… yes."

"The nerve. You would question your Emperor's last testament, Lord Sesshoumaru?" Naraku asked dangerously. Questioning the words of an Imperial Will was tantamount to treason.

He didn't flinch. "If I'm guilty of such treason, show me the will, that I might have peace, before throwing me into prison."

Glaring, Naraku threw the will over to Sesshoumaru.

As much as his instincts told him otherwise, at first glance Sesshoumaru could see nothing wrong. Everything was in order…

"It's a fake," whispered Kagome, running her fingers along the material.

"Then how did he get imperial silk to fake it on?" Sesshoumaru asked. The exact thick, smooth feel to the silk was there.

Kagome thought hard. "I'd say bleaching."

"And how do you know?" asked Inuyasha.

It was a guess, but Kagome knew that when writing ink on silk, especially Imperial silk with a luxurious weave, the material would always retain an imprint of any pattern painted across it. This Kaede had taught her when ripping apart old kimonos to make toys for children. which is even better. Chances were that Naraku had simply removed the Emperor's original will and repainted over the silk, which would fool anyone at face value.

"If," Kagome said tentatively, "we slice the material across… It's hard, but if we can do it, there should be faint ink characters from the original script still imprinted in the middle."

"You sure?" questioned Sesshoumaru.

"Not really," confessed Kagome.

Now or never. Pulling a slim blade from his sleeve, Sesshoumaru carefully poised the blade on the edge of the silk.

"What are you doing?" demanded Naraku.

"Nothing of importance," Inuyasha said airily.

"Stop them!" shouted Naraku. "They're destroying the will!"

There were samurai warriors present, outside the hall, ready to defend the lords from assassin attack at a moment's notice. But they hesitated at Naraku's command, unsure of this new development.

Sesshoumaru took no notice. With absolute precision he slid the knife across the silk, slicing the Emperor's will into two.

"Let's see," Kagome reached for the thin halves, squinting.

Pale letters sprawled, barely discernable, across the bright silk. Letters that spelled a message different to that of Naraku's.

Well, they had Naraku now.

Word had travelled quickly. By the time the conference broke up, and a large crowd had gathered outside. They proceeded to separate into groups to follow the lords as they left, and even the likes of Inuyasha and Kagome were not exempt.

"Bah, how annoying can they get?" grumbled Inuyasha, slamming the door of a ramen shop closed behind the crowds of people pushing.

"They're just interested in the brother of their potential emperor," laughed Kagome.

"Are we eating or no?" asked Miroku. This place did fantastic Kyoto-style ramen.

"Of course we are," grumbled Inuyasha. "We make the most of lunch breaks. Especially when there's free lunch."

The owners of the ramen shop were only too happy to feed Inuyasha now that it was rumoured the Lord of the Western Lands might take the throne.

Though of course, Kouga was still highly interested. Kagome glanced at Miroku behind his back.

Yes, Miroku was in the running too, he just didn't know it.

On the other side of town, the shogun, who was decidedly not in the running, was livid. Kanna didn't know what to do, except to try and calm him down. This left her with no choice but to consult her mirror.

"My lord," Kanna said quietly, afraid to agitate Naraku when he was in so foul a mood. He had even forgotten about Kagura, merely staring at the ceiling of his bedroom with a face blacker than thunder.

"What?" barked Naraku.

"You have found the Higurashi girl, and I have found the Higurashi boy."

The first good news all day. Naraku looked at her expectantly. "Who is he? Where is he? Is he a priest in a temple?"

Kanna's mirror shimmered gently, before showing Kagome with Inuyasha and Miroku at a noodle shop somewhere.

"That houshi!" Naraku all but shrieked. The one that followed Inuyasha around like a dog. The one who had always been a few rooms away from Naraku.

He was beginning to feel every person he was out to kill or capture was always dangled right in front of his nose, within arm's reach.

This was bad. This was really, really bad. The samurai were in chaos over the faking of the will and Naraku would never gain their loyalty. Since Houjo and Kouga were unlikely to become emperor and Sesshoumaru didn't want to… The next Emperor might well be the priest sharing a cheap bowl of ramen with Kagome and the hanyou.

"I'm turning gay," Inuyasha confided quietly.

"What?" whispered Miroku, staring.

"That Kei," sighed Inuyasha.

"Who?" Miroku glanced over at the far end of the room. Thank god Kei was busy ordering more ramen from the front counter, and wasn't paying attention.

"Who else?" snapped Inuyasha.

Looking at Kei again, Miroku found that he was beginning to understand Inuyasha's feelings. There was a subtle, but ever-present effeminate air about Kei. Everything – the way he walked, did his hair, even the way he held his chopsticks… He was even better at being a girl than Jakotsu ever would be.

"You sure?" asked Miroku seriously.

"If I wasn't sure, it wouldn't have been tormenting me ever since he arrived at the recruit camp," grumbled Inuyasha. "I know I'm not gay."

"Trust me, Inuyasha," Miroku said in an assuring voice. "If Kei was a woman, the men would be over her. But he's not, so you'd better go consult Jakotsu over that one."

Watching Inuyasha and Miroku whisper in a corner, Kagome gave up trying to hear what they were discussing, and drowned herself in another cup of rice wine.

She wondered if Sesshoumaru would ever be convinced to take up the throne. Naraku would resist any Emperor, but it was only because he himself couldn't resist being the Emperor.

Slowly, she picked up bits of pickled seaweed, crunching them down with relish. She had to admit, the palace did have fine chefs. If she wasn't careful she would soon become fat. At least sake was virtually fat-free; the way she gulped it down to rinse down her food, she was lucky she wasn't stoned already.

A group of samurai pushed their way into the shop, swords clanging noisily as they shouted orders to the harried staff.

"I say the shogun becomes emperor, fake will or not!" growled one man with a missing eye. Naraku paid warriors well, at least, he knew the benefits of a strong army and made sure to reward the men who served him without question.

"He's obviously up to no good, faking a will," another argued, very flushed in the face. The samurai all stunk of wine, but they ordered more anyway.

"Takada's right, the shogun is definitely not becoming Emperor," yet another samurai said.

"Definitely not that little pretty boy Houjo," snorted one.

"Nor that loud-mouth Kouga, god damned, he's such a bastard! He's got designs on that Higurashi daughter and he's not even good enough on her."

"Che! What nonsense you hear! Kouga loves his women young, that's all. Nothing wrong with that."

Someone suggested the Higurashi stepmother, to loud dissension.

"I'll commit seppukku before having that Lady Higurashi on the throne." One of the men shivered. "She's such a shrew, and she's not even of noble blood. We're not having an old haggish whore on the throne, that's for sure."

"Well, we seem to be running out of candidates, the way you all shoot them down!" yelled one, drinking his sake straight from the jar.

"The younger Lady Higurashi?"

"We haven't heard hide or hair of her since she came back from the geisha house. I think she's hiding."

"Bah. Lord Sesshoumaru, then."

"Him and his stupid servant?"

"Who else, you fool?"

"Heh," the guy hiccuped. "Me?"

"You? Becoming Emperor? I'll kick your ass!" One samurai flew at the unfortunate man, while the others stood back shaking their heads.

One way or the other, the future of Japan hung in the balance.