Chapter 43:
The Nightmare Begins!!
" Aaaaaaaaahhh," Jakotsu stretched out his arms in the air, letting out a sigh of relief. " Finally free from the torture of hospital nurses."
" That's cause you wouldn't stay still on your bed," Suikotsu said as he walked beside his recovered friend. " Honestly, I've never heard of a patient, running around the hospital chasing after cute guys, with broken ribs.
Jakotsu shrugged, " I couldn't resist. It's sooooo boring just staying still in that cheap ass bed. I thought I was gonna die of boredom. So, where's Bankotsu, by the way?"
" Bankotsu should be gathering information on the whereabouts about Renkotsu. Ever since the day he shot you, he's been missing. Oh, he also told Kagura that we quit the contract between Naraku about going after Inuyasha and Higurashi Kagome."
" What!!?" Jakotsu widen his eyes, " Quit going after Inuyasha!!? B…but I haven't even confessed to him yet! He can't just do that!"
Suikotsu rolled his eyes at his friend. " Forget him, you'll never have the chance to anyways. I'm pretty sure, like every other guy, he's straight. He's not interested in going out with some guy."
" Aw, this sucks." Jakotsu folded his arms and pouts. " Well…so, what are we going to do once we find Renkotsu?"
" . . . . . ." Suikotsu placed a hand under his chin.
What is Bankotsu planning to do? Surely, he'll punish Renkotsu for betraying the ' Shichinintai', but like Jakotsu, he, himself, doesn't want to see his friend being sent to jail by those damned police. After all…they've been working together for a long time. Besides, this is all Naraku's fault.
If Naraku hadn't provoked Renkotsu…then maybe this wouldn't have happened.
" Hey, Suikotsu. Earth to Suikotsu!!?"
" Huh? Hm?" Suikotsu blinked his eyes, " What?"
" Isn't that Naraku over there?" Jakotsu said, pointing out his finger, which Suikotsu pushed down.
" It's rude to point!" He said and then followed Jakotsu's gaze, " Naraku? Where?"
Suikotsu squinted his eyes and surely, he saw a familiar figure walking through the crowd of people in front of them. The figure held a serious expression, and doesn't seem to notice them. Jakotsu leaned forward, and narrowed his eyes.
" Hmm? Looks like he's heading somewhere. What do we do, Suikotsu?" He asked.
" We'll follow him. Bankotsu would want to know what he's planning anyways."
The two ' Shichinin-tai' followed closely behind him, killing their presence so they wouldn't be noticed. The figure didn't seem to care about the people bumping into him as he walked through the crowd. Suikotsu narrowed his eyes as he watched the figure. Surely, this person seems different from the Naraku he knew. He looks like him, but holds a different aura. A more…a gentler aura than the intensely, murderous aura Naraku held. Could it be a twin? He thought as they continued to follow him. They saw him turn a corner behind an old building and stopped to take a peek inside.
" Where do you think he's heading?" Jakotsu whispered.
Suikotsu just stayed silent, his eyes still narrowed, and stared at the figure's back as it continued to walk into the darkness. They followed as to not loose sight of him but once they reached the dead end, he was gone.
" Wha…?" Suikotsu approached the wall and looked around. " How could he…!?"
" Hey, Suikotsu!" He heard his friend's voice and turned. Jakotsu was standing next to a small opening, just under the metal stairs, hidden in mountains of boxes and trashcans. " You think he might've went through here?"
Suikotsu examined the small opening. It was small enough for only one person to go through at a time, and to see that there were no cobwebs or anything, the opening seemed to be used recently. He found a few spots of blood, but not new…probably about a year old or so, and made a thoughtful expression.
" Hey, Jakotsu." He spoke after a while, " You think you can go through?"
Compared to Jakotsu's small and slender body, his body is built big and tough like Bankotsu's so it would be impossible for him to go through such a small opening without getting stuck. Jakotsu bent down and looked around the opening, placing a finger under his chin.
" Hmm…I guess I could. But what do you want me to do?"
" Just go in and see how far it goes, and just peek in and see what's inside. If there's nothing, then just come back out. We'll look for some other entrance, he might've gone through."
"…And if there's something?"
" Just come back out anyways, and tell me what you saw. We'll come back later with Bankotsu." Suikotsu stared at his friend's face, " And don't do anything stupid." He pressed.
Jakotsu winked, " Gotcha' !"
Suikotsu watched as Jakotsu took off his jacket and lay himself down on the dirty ground. He then slowly crawled into the small opening, blinking his eyes in the darkness, coughing from the dust inside.
" You see anything?" He heard Suikotsu's voice outside.
" Nothing yet…ugh…" He grunted and moved up to see a light in the end. " I think I see something." Sweat rolled down his neck as he slowly crawled up the narrow, dark tunnel towards the light. As soon as he reached, he squinted his eyes from the brightness and waited his eyes to get used to it.
He seemed to be in somekind of a ventilation opening of some laboratory, as he sees people dressed in familiar white coats, which he remembers seeing the doctors at the hospital wearing. They seem to be working on something since they were pouring some unfamiliar color liquid into a bottle with some different colored liquid in it. At the end of the lab, he saw several big glass pods filled with some greenish liquid. He remembers seeing those in movies, where they have a human or some animal inside for some experimental reasons. But the glass pods he sees now are empty.
' What the hell is this?' He thought as sweat continued to trickle down his face, ' That's way too many people in one place.'
The people dressed in white coats moved back and forth into the room. Some holding a glass bottle in their hands, some working on the machines and computers, some writing something down on the paper they were working on, just too many people.
' Hm?' Jakotsu then sees a familiar figure. ' Hey, it's him! Naraku!'
But the figure seemed to be hiding behind the machines, spying into the people with a serious expression. Jakotsu sees him sticking his head out from the machine at times, and pulling his head back behind again.
' What the hell is he doing? He can get caught so easily like that.'
After a few moments of spying, Jakotsu saw the figure then slowly moved across the room, without being seen, keeping his head down; towards the area where the glass pods are located. He could've looked on a little longer but he felt a tug behind him, and reluctantly moved back out the dark tunnel.
" So…" Suikotsu started, " What took you so long? Did you see anything?"
" Yeah," Jakotsu answered as he dusted himself, " A lot of people…wearing white. Doing stuff…I don't know, couldn't really tell. But I guess you could call it a laboratory. Oh yeah, and I also saw Naraku! He was…I couldn't tell what he was trying to do…but I guess he was trying to spy on those people. Well…he sucked at it though…"
" A lab?" Suikotsu made a thoughtful expression, " And Naraku…was spying on them?"
" Yeah…I guess you can say that…" Jakotsu picked his ears, " But I tell ya', he sucked. You call that spying?"
" Forget about if he sucked or not! We gotta tell Bankotsu about this!"
"…Yeah, sure. But can we see Inuyasha!!? Plea-------se!!!?"
----- ----------- -------
" Kagura…"
Kagura turns to find her sister, and folds her arms. " What? Are you going to tell me to run into Kouga's arms or something?"
"…I will not let you die…" Kanna spoke softly, " I will not let Naraku…kill you."
Kagura turns her gaze to the baby, who was fast asleep on the bed behind her. " Yeah…well…I don't intend to get killed that easily." She placed a hand over her left chest, feeling the heartbeat of her heart. " And I don't intend to die that fast. Why do you care anyways, Kanna? You're in the same state as me, you should be worrying about yourself."
" Kagura…I will not let you die."
" Stop saying that like that's the only thing you can say!" Kagura shouted, but softly as though to not wake the baby. " You know well that we can't oppose to Naraku as long as he has that ! As long as he has that thing in his hand, he'll use it to threaten us!"
She gripped the clothes of her chest tightly, " You know Naraku…he's been like that. And now that…" She turns to the sleeping baby and narrows her eyes angrily and in disgust, " And now that thing has been created…things will get worse! That baby is Naraku's clone! And he'll be the same as Naraku is, cruel and heartless…cunning…and loves to ruin people's life. You know that this is the chance to stop everything now! If I can just…" She grabs a fruit knife, which was placed next to her and approached the sleeping form, " If I can just kill this baby right now…then everything will be over! No more of this organization crap, no more of these following orders bullshit, no more…of Naraku!"
" Kagura…" Kanna spoke softly again, " You know well that it's useless. Even if you are able to kill the baby, Naraku will still kill you. Is that…what you want?"
" Then what do you expect me to do!? Just stay still and do nothing!?"
"…Cooperate with Inuyasha."
" What?"
" Inuyasha…and Higurashi Kagome. They can help you…"
" That's bullshit. I don't cooperate with people." Kagura folds her arms, " And let me guess…you're going to tell me to cooperate with Kouga, too, huh?"
" Ha…I guessed it right, didn't I? Well, that ain't happening. I…"
" Kagura…"
Kanna interrupted her sister and stares into those ruby eyes for a moment. She soon closed her blank, void eyes as a small, weak smile formed on her white, expressionless face.
I promised to protect you. As one being the older sister…
I will not let Naraku ruin your life.
Kagura…you don't know, do you? That you're already free…you are free to do whatever you want. You don't have to be scared of him anymore…
But I can't say it…because…just for a little more while…I want to you to stay by me…before the time comes.
So please forgive me, Kagura. But then…when the time comes…
You will understand.
That's why for now…
" I love you…Kagura."
As being your only sister…
-------- --------------- ----------
" I'm ho---me!" Kagome said as soon as she opened the door of her house and entered. Inuyasha followed right behind. She cocked her head, not hearing the usual reply she hears everytime she comes home. " Mom? Is anyone home?"
She walked into the kitchen to see the lights off and once again tilted her head in confusion. " Weird…she's usually home at this time."
Inuyasha looked around the kitchen as soon as he came in, his eyes narrowed. Kagome walked pass him and into the living room, searching for her family.
" Souta? Ojii-chan? Where did everyone go?" She suddenly gasped as though she thought of something and turns around to face Inuyasha. " Did the organization captured them!!?"
Inuyasha shook his head, " I don't know, Kagome…but…"
" I'm home!!!"
Kagome lifts her head with relief by her mother's voice at the door. She ran towards the door, welcoming her mother, who was holding several plastic bags in her arms.
" Mom! Where were you!!?" She shouted, surprising her mother.
" Well, I just saw that our refrigerator was empty, so I went to the store to buy some ingredients for our dinner. I'm sorry I didn't leave a note, I was in a hurry and I didn't think it would take long. Did I worry you?" Ms. Higurashi spoke with a smile, holding up the plastic bags she held on her arms as though to show her.
Kagome sighed in relief again, " No…you didn't. You just…well, all right, you kinda scared me. I thought you were…"
" Hm?" Ms. Higurashi noticed Inuyasha behind her, " Oh, hello, Inuyasha-kun. I'm sorry I didn't see you. Would you care to stay for dinner? I'm making Curry Rice today."
"Uh…" Inuyasha looked at Kagome, who nods her head, " Umm…yes. Thank you…for your offer."
Ms. Higurashi smiled, " You're welcome." She walked towards the kitchen and started with her cooking.
Kagome watched her mother's back while she cooked. Should she talk to her? Tell her everything she knows? About the organization. About her secret. About her father…Everything? What would her mother say? What would she think?
Mother…
She gripped her hands tightly to stop the trembling, but not matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop the shaking of her body. She suddenly looked up, feeling a small pressure on her shoulders, to see Inuyasha, with his hand pressing onto her shaking shoulder, smiling down at her.
" Inu…yasha…" She whispered. Her trembling finally stopping after seeing Inuyasha's smile.
" Scared, Kagome?" He asked.
Kagome moved her head down, staring at the wooden flooring under her. " No." She said as she slowly lifted her face with a firm voice. " Thank you…Inuyasha."
Just that time, Ms. Higurashi came in. " What are you two doing standing there? You guys can just sit and wait in the living room. It won't take long."
Suddenly, the bell rang and Ms. Higurashi left to answer it. She soon came back after a few minutes and said, " Souta just called and he said that he will be sleeping over at Takuya-kun's place. Will that be all right with you, Kagome? …Kagome?"
" Huh?" Kagome looked up, " Oh, um…yeah! That will be fine with me. Where's Ojii-chan, by the way?"
" Ojii-chan should still be at the temple. He was so excited this morning because he found the ancient scrolls he have been looking for today. He should be cleaning out the boxes and all. Are you two really just going to stand there or not? We do have sofas, you know?"
Kagome smiled nervously and then started to push Inuyasha into the living room, to his surprise. " Aha! That's right! Let's go, Inuyasha!!"
" H…hey! Wa…"
Ms. Higurashi watched as Kagome and Inuyasha entered the living room and lowered her eyelids sadly.
" The organization is desperate…" Kojiro said as he held her in his arms, " They really want her dead. At any cost…"
" What…do you want me to do?"
" Nothing." He said, and lets go of her, staring straight in her eyes. " The organization is not after you yet…but it's only a matter of time. I promise I will end everything…and you do know…that the time is approaching."
" Yes…but I don't have the medicine."
" Neither do I. But, I have asked Kagewaki to steal it from them."
" But he surely can't withstand against them alone!" Ms. Higurashi widen her eyes, " He'll be killed!"
" Yes, I know. That is why I am going to help him. But with Abi and Goryoumaru lurking around, it will be hard. I want you to tell Kagome to be careful. With the time approaching, they will do anything to get their hands on her."
"…I will. You…be careful, too."
Kojiro looked surprised for a second but soon smiles. " …I will."
Ms. Higurashi turns her head to the calendar hanging on the wall. ' Kagome…'
---- --------- ------ ----
A tall, broad figure walked through the busy streets wearing a long, black cloak. He had mid-short black hair and piercing brown eyes, holding a wicked smile on his face. He looked up to see someone familiar walking towards him among the crowds and smirked.
He continued to walk forward, as though nothing have happened. But as soon as they got closed to each other, he spoke in some foreign language, like a secret code or something, which some of the people in crowd turned their heads at at the unfamiliar language. The person he was talking to seem to understood him since she spoke back to him with the same language.
" So…have you got any information where that traitor is?"
" I met him…" She replied as she tucks in some of her long black hairs behind her ear, " He's planning on something. I can see it in his eyes."
" Really? Nasty little brat, is he?" He snickered. " By the way, I met Hiten. Well, not really what you call meet…I saw him. And I found a very interesting prey…"
Abi curled her red lips into a smile, " You mean that Sakasagami Yura woman?"
" Oh? You know her?"
" Hm. She's the reason why Hiten betrayed the organization."
" Ooh, is that jealousy I hear in your tone?"
" Hush!"
Goryoumaru chuckled, " Well anyways…it would be really nice…to be able to play with her. How nice it would look to see her in her own pool of blood. Red, red…red."
"…You really do scare me. No wonder you're the number one. By the way, Naraku has taken over the organization. He is our new boss now…I suppose."
" Naraku?"
" Kagewaki's younger twin brother. Though, he's more corrupted than the older."
" I see…How is He doing?"
" Naraku should be taking care of him. The time is approaching…we need to find Higurashi Kagome now."
" Kuku…I know a way."
Abi smirked, " I will leave that to you then. I will find Higurashi Kojiro. He may be hiding and running good for now…but I will find him. Even if I have to take the family hostage. Just that annoying bitch is in the way. That bitch from the police department. What was her name? Oh yes…Otsuu, that's right. She and her police friends are securing the area…I can't move around much."
Goryoumaru narrowed his eyes dangerously as he takes a glance at her, " You know that no more mistakes are forgiven. Think that if you mess this up…your life will end just right there."
"…Understood."
--- ---------- ------- ----
Kikyou was walking along the park, her book in her arms, her long, silky black hair flowing as she walked. It has been a good day so far. Nothing new. Nothing bad. Just good.
A smile formed on her lips but soon turned into a frown sensing a familiar and the same time hateful presence behind her.
" What is it that you want, Naraku?"
Naraku appeared from the shadows of the trees with his usual evil smile. " It's been a long time since I talked to you, Kikyou. Did you miss me?"
" Like I would. What the hell do you want now?"
" Ah, that was disappointing." Naraku said with his smug expression. " You do know about Higurashi Kagome's secret, don't you? I came here to talk about it."
" Hm." Kikyou smirked, " And what are you trying to say? That you want me to help you get Kagome in your hands?"
Naraku smirked, " Precisely. You're sharp as usual, Kikyou. I want her. Right now, as soon as possible. But there certain things that blocks my way. Inuyasha…for instance."
Kikyou narrows her brown eyes. " What do you want me to do? Lure Inuyasha away from Kagome so you can get your hands on her?"
" Got it right again, Kikyou." Naraku widens his evil grin. " Yes. I want you to help me. Though, I wouldn't force you if you don't want to. But think of it, once I get Kagome into my hands…you will be able to get back the relationship you once lost with Inuyasha again."
" What are you…"
" Don't think I don't know, Kikyou. I know everything. Inuyasha broke up with you so he can be with Kagome. Isn't that right?"
Kikyou gritted her teeth, " …Naraku."
" Kukuku…now, now. Don't be so angry with me. It is not I…but Higurashi Kagome you should be angry with. It is because of her, after all, Inuyasha have left you. Don't you want her to be gone? Don't worry…after we are done with what we want with her…we are planning to kill her. She is destined to die anyways. Whether they don't inject the medicine in time or not…she will die. That is…her future." Naraku narrowed his eyes evilly. " But in order for her to die, Inuyasha…and Kagewaki, along with the others, are in the way. We need to separate them. But with I, alone…it would be impossible."
" You have your so called 'organization' to do the job."
" The organization is busy with other plans. Abi and Goryoumaru are after her too…but I don't quite trust them. But you…who hold a grudge against her…may be able to help me. That is why I ask you."
Kikyou made a thoughtful moment. Would it be right to trust him or not? After all, this is Naraku she would have to deal with.
" …All right, Naraku. I will help you with your so-called plans. But remember this, if you even dare try to deceive me…I promise I will make you go to Hell painfully."
Naraku smirked. He then lowers his waist, as though to bow. " As you wish…"
Kuku…Human hearts are so easy to control. Especially a woman in love.
Kikyou…
Once I am done with Higurashi Kagome….
You will be next.
No one will be able to stop me.
No one…
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- Hikaru
Hello there! Hikaru here! Sorry for not updating for such a long time. I've been...er…busy lately.
Well, anyways, I hope you guys liked the chapter!!! Hm…I've wondered whether I should make Kikyou help Naraku or not…
But in the end, I've decided she would help him. Who knows? She might have her own reasons? :: smile ::
Again, anyways, what is Naraku up to!!? Would Kagome be able to escape from the organization's hands!!? What about the others!!? (Gods, I'm asking the same questions over and over, am I?)
Oh, and a lil' announcement. I won't be updating in a while because of personal reasons, but no worries!! I'll be back soon(or I think)!! I just need to fix some problems I'm dealing with right now…
So, till next time around! Bye!