Sengoku Jidai

Kagome climbed out of the well. It was not a rainy day this time. She was glad. " C'mon," she said, " To the village."

Birds sang and flowers were growing. Butterflies fluttered past her to rest on the flowers. The sun was rising and cast a golden glow on everything. It seemed magical.

Upon entering the village, Kagome found that most people were already awake.

" Good day to you Kagome!" a village man called.

" Good day to you as well!" she waved back.

" Kagome-sama!" cried a small girl, " You're back already?"

" Yes, I am Mikiko," Kagome hugged her, " Have you Sango?"

" Sango-sama?" Mikiko thought for a moment, " Oh yes. She was heading back to your home I think with a pail of water. Then I heard someone scream."

" Okay, thank you Mikiko. Now run along."

" Bye Kagome-sama!"

" Come on," Kagome said, " This way." She turned down a narrow alley way and came out in an abandoned square. " No one lives here anymore," she explained, " Just me and my friends."

She came up to a house and a girl's voice was heard.

" You were supposed to be up an hour ago!"

" But Sango-sama," a boy pleaded, " Why?"

" AH! GET OFF ME YOU LECHER! KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF!"

" Sango!" Kagome shouted, " I'm coming in okay?"

" Huh? Kagome, you're back already? Okay."

Kagome winked at the boys behind her and opened the door. Sango was very angry it looked and Miroku was in a chair near the door.

" Oh," Sango cried, surprised, " You brought company. Would you all do me a favour?" she asked sweetly.

" What?"

" Slap him till he's out cold," she said calmly, pointing at Miroku.

He went pale. " Kagome, you wouldn't do that to me would you?"

" Think so?" She asked, " GET THAT HAND OFF MY BACKSIDE YOU PERVERT!" She screeched. She slapped him hard.

Kurama felt his blood boil. Yoko was screaming curses in his mind at Miroku.

" Slap him!" Kagome and Sango pleaded at the boys, " As hard as you can."

Yusuke and Kuwabara had no problem with that. Calmly, they walked up and slapped him on either cheek. Hiei did as well, not that it mattered much to him. Kurama did, but his was by far the hardest, since Yoko was controlling him. Miroku was out cold.

" What a pervert," Sango muttered, " When you need Inuyasha, he's not here."

" Where is he?" Kagome asked, " After Kikyo again?"

" Probably. I'm surprised he's not in hell with her yet."

Kagome shrugged. " Oh well. I guess I should introduce you."

" Please do," Sango said cheerfully.

" Please meet Sango everyone," Kagome said, " She's a

Taiji-oku. Very powerful."

Sango bowed. " Hello," she said with a big smile.

" Now Sango," Kagome continued, " This is Yusuke Urameshi."

She shook his hand.

" Kuwabara Kazuma."

She shook his hand.

" Hiei Jaganashi."

" Hn."

She frowned slightly and didn't shake hands since he didn't offer his.

" And my best friend Shuichi Minamino, or as everyone calls him, Kurama."

He bowed and shook her hand.

" KAGOME! DID YOU BRING ME MORE PAPER!" came a high pitched voice on the floor.

" Huh? Oh, and this is Shippo." She held him up for all to see.

" Did you?" he asked, ignoring everyone else. Sango snickered.

" Yes, it's in my backpack." He scampered away.

" The one we knocked out is called Monk Miroku," Sango informed everyone, " But he doesn't act much like a monk. He's a pervert."

" Make yourselves at home," Kagome told the boys, " I'll be right back." She disappeared into another room, shutting the door behind her.

" Are you hungry at all?" Sango asked, " I doubt you've had breakfast yet."

" I am!" Yusuke said.

" Okay…oatmeal and fruit is what breakfast is. Find somewhere to sit."

" Do you need help?" Kurama asked politely.

She smiled happily. " No. But if I ask, would you please knock Miroku out. I can't stand him when he acts like that."

" Of course."

As Sango served everyone, Kagome appeared again, dressed in her miko clothes. A pure white top with flowing sleeves and long red, flowing pants that looked like a skirt.

When she noticed that all the boys were staring at her save for Kurama, she snapped irritably, " What? I'm a miko aren't I, or didn't you understand that part of the story?"

Hiei turned away and ignored her. Kuwabara stared dumbly at her until Sango hit him on the head with a wooden spoon. Yusuke, on the other hand, said, " No, we thought you dressed like a normal person."

" How dare you?" Sango asked, horrified, " That is what all Miko's wear here. Kagome is a miko and she too follows the custom of wearing the Miko's clothes.

" Shut up Yusuke!" Kagome snapped, " Get used to it. Believe me, right now, I could injure you so badly, that you couldn't walk for a month. Just ask Sango, I did that to Miroku once for…inappropriate feelings…"

Sango nodded in agreement.

He turned back to his food, which was now cold.

" Now, does anyone want to tour the Village?" Kagome asked,

" I gotta introduce you to Kaede, the other miko of the Village too. She'll want to know about you."

Kurama and Hiei nodded. Kuwabara was lost in the conversation, and Yusuke was ready to leave. His food was too cold now.

" What about you Sango?" Kagome asked, " Whatch'a gonna do?"

She shrugged. " I have to go and train."

Kagome raised an eyebrow. " Again?"

Sango glared at her. " Yes," she answered irritably.

" Sango," Kagome said as gently as she could, " Training isn't going to bring him back."

Sango's eyes blazed. " What would you know?" she snapped,

" I have to train! It's the way of a Demon Slayer! It's not because of him that I train!"

Kagome didn't answer. Instead, she beckoned to her friends to follow her. Outside, she was very angry.

" What was that about?" Hiei asked.

" Whenever she's feeling lonely, she trains. And its an escape to get away and think about her dead brother, who died by Naraku. He was our enemy, who we finally defeated. Her brother, Kohaku, died a year ago today. She swears she'll be with him again."

" The only way she can," Kurama began.

" Yes," Kagome nodded, " Is to kill herself. But does she listen to me about any of this? NO. She's really stubborn when she wants to be."

Yusuke sweat dropped.

" Who are they?" snarled a voice from behind them.

Kagome turned. " Where've you been?" she asked the silver haired hanyou icily.

" I told you that you weren't allowed to bring them here!" he shot at her, ignoring her question.

" I can do what I damn well want," she countered, " You're not the boss of me."

" So what? They aren't supposed to be here," Inuyasha snarled.

" You know what? Sit boy!"

The magical necklace around him glowed and he slammed into the ground. " Don't tell me what I can and can't do," she said in a soft voice, " Or it'll be the end of you."

With that being said, she left. The others followed her, as did Inuyasha, muttering to himself behind them all. It began to annoy Hiei a little bit.

" Will you shut up?" he snapped at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha glared at him. " No."

Hiei glared at him.

" We're here," Kagome announced, " Will you two stop that pathetic bickering!" she asked at the two of them who were glaring at each other unblinkingly. She knocked on the door.

There was a shuffling sound and the door opened to reveal an old lady, with a bent back and an eye patch over one eye. Her face was covered with wrinkles from many years of living and much wisdom.

" Lady Kaede," Kagome bowed to show respect. " I brought some friends and I thought you should meet them. I am giving them free access to come here anytime."

Kaede eyed her questioningly then motioned for them to enter her home.

" Very well," she croaked, " Bring them forward."

Kagome pushed Yusuke up first.

" What is ye name?" asked Kaede.

" Urameshi Yusuke," he answered her. " Spirit Detective for Koenma of the Spirit World."

It was clear that Kaede had never heard about any of what he told her, but she didn't ask questions. Yusuke returned to his place and pushed Kuwabara forward.

" Name?"

" Kazuma Kuwabara," he replied, trembling.

" Ye need not be afraid of me," she said, " I won't bite ye."

Kuwabara left without saying anything more.

Kurama walked up and bowed. " Minamino Shuichi, but you may call me Kurama," he said.

She nodded.

Kagome pulled Hiei away from Inuyasha and pushed him forward.

" What is ye name?" Kaede croaked.

" Hn."

She frowned at him, making her wrinkles deepen. " I asked you a question and I expect it to be answered."

" He doesn't talk much," Yusuke said quickly, " His name is Hiei."

Kaede nodded.

" Is that all Lady Kagome?" she asked.

" No. I told you how many time to stop calling me 'Lady'! I may be a miko and Kikyo may have demanded it, but I do not wish to be called it."

Kaede smiled. " It shows respect thought," she replied wisely.

" To show me respect," Kagome answered, " Is to follow my request." She turned on her heel and left the house. Kurama was the only one who bowed to Kaede as they left. She was taking a liking to him, soft and gentle like her Kagome but obviously powerful, also like Kagome.