Author's Notes: This chapter was revised on January 24, 2006.
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-June 7th-
Entry at 5:07AM
I played the message again, desperately hoping that it was just a one-time glitch. But, much to my dismay, it wasn't. I turned and handed the phone back to Bankotsu.
"What's going on?" Inuyasha questioned seeing the tension that was building.
Bankotsu took a deep breath and replied, "Jakotsu was trying to warn us, but- the phone went dead."
"Warn us?"
"He said," Bankotsu paused and somewhat sadly continued, "Said that I shouldn't trust one of the other five. I don't know who though, since it cut off."
Inuyasha crossed his arms, "Well my guess would be Renkotsu or Suikotsu."
He sighed running a hand through his bangs, "Looks like Jakotsu's the only one I can truly rely on right now."
"Is there any way we could narrow it down?" I questioned.
"I'm not so sure anymore. I wouldn't have distrusted any one of them until this, but now... Renkotsu went behind my back and Suikotsu's not been himself and I'm just not sure about anything anymore," He replied burying his face in his hands.
"This must be so hard for you," I remarked quietly, trying to comfort him if I could.
He nodded and pulled out his wallet. From inside he produced a tattered newspaper clipping.
"What's that?" I asked moving closer.
"Our first big heist together," He replied dejectedly, "First time we made the headlines."
He extended it to my reach and I delicately took it from him. It appeared to have been taken by a reporter as the seven were fleeing the scene. Bankotsu had turned to face the camera- pulling down his eyelid and sticking out his tongue. Holding onto his arm as if to keep him running, was Jakotsu, smiling just as widely. Behind them was Suikotsu who'd paused to flip-off the cameraman and the remaining other four were all in the background running from the scene as well.
"That's how things used to be, just one strange family of sorts for all of us. I just want to go back to that- go back to life as normal."
I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "And we'll keep trying our hardest to help you, but right now we all need to sleep. We can't get anything done if we are all walking around like zombies."
Bankotsu shrugged in reply, "Just let me call Mukotsu really quick. I think I can trust him since I doubt he'd steal his own potions."
I nodded and watched as he dialed.
"Hey Mukotsu. I don't care if you're busy- I need you to do something. Go stay with Suikotsu. Your idiotic devil-fruit potion or whatever it is can wait. Why? Because I want to make sure he's okay and that he doesn't do anything he shouldn't be doing. Fine- just a second, okay?"
He turned to me and covered the phone.
"Kagome, can you do me a favor?"
"Uh...what?"
"Convince Mukotsu to go keep an eye on Suikotsu. He has a weakness for girls so he should listen to you."
I blinked, "Ehhh?"
"He's too wrapped up in his new potion to listen to me."
"Well...okay," I replied hesitantly
It's for the good of the case, I thought to myself.
Taking the phone from him, I spoke, "Hello, Mukotsu."
"Well, if it isn't the lovely Kagome. What can I do for you sweetheart?"
I winced, and tried to act as nice as possible, "Well, I'm still really worried about Jakotsu; and since Suikotsu might be the one who's unconsciously doing things, I was wondering if you could go watch him. I'd do it myself, but we've been out all night and I still haven't slept."
"Oh, you poor dear. I'll go watch him, don't you worry. You just get your beauty sleep and I'll make sure Suikotsu stays put."
Good, it worked. Now to seal it...I thought to myself before replying, "Thanks so much, Mukotsu. This really means a lot to me."
Yeah, just go baby-sit him for us, I want to sleep. My mind added, I was so tired.
"Could you put Bankotsu back on? I need to ask him something," Mukotsu asked.
"Sure," I replied returning the phone to its owner. I then listened as they talked.
"What is it Mukotsu? Hmm? He called you? Oh, so Ginkotsu let him have the phone and he called you? I see. Yeah, I used that room with the deadbolt on the outside that we use when you don't want Kyoukotsu to eat your things. Hmm? It's because he took Jakotsu to Naraku's. Exactly, I don't trust him much right now either but Ginkotsu and Kyoukotsu are watching him and that door's locked. Sure, I'll let you go. Thanks for watching Suikotsu for us. Goodnight," Bankotsu said ending the conversation and putting the phone away.
"What was that about?" I asked yawning.
"Renkotsu got pissed about me putting him in a deadbolted room and somehow talked Ginkotsu into letting him have a phone long enough to call and whine to Mukotsu about it."
"A deadbolted room?" Inuyasha inquired from my desk chair.
"We have a room that we placed the deadbolt on the outside of. It was so we could keep Kyoukotsu from snacking on Mukotsu's poisons when he worked on them at that apartment."
"Ah..." I rubbed my eyes. "I'll worry about it later, need to sleep..." I muttered walking over to the couch, grabbing the blanket and laying down.
Bankotsu was about to lay down where he was the night before when Inuyasha pushed him aside, "I'll stay there, you can sleep by the door."
"Oh, you hoping that she'll roll off onto you this time?"
"Shut up! I just don't want her rolling on you, that's all!" He retorted, face flushing red.
"Then why don't you sleep by the desk and I'll sleep by the door, and then she can't roll on anyone?" Bankotsu continued.
Inuyasha went quiet, and finally grabbed up the blanket and laid down next to the couch muttering, "You're stupid, let me sleep."
Bankotsu took a third blanket I'd set out earlier and went over to a clear spot on the floor.
"Goodnight, you two," He said quietly.
"Goodnight," I replied. Then after hearing nothing but silence I reached down and nudged Inuyasha.
"Yeah, yeah...goodnight and stuff," He mumbled before starting to fake snore so I wouldn't make him say anymore.
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It was a little after eleven the next morning when I finally woke up and apparently Inuyasha and Bankotsu were still sleeping.
After carefully stepping over Inuyasha, I decided I'd run home quickly and get some clean clothes and take a well-deserved hot shower. As I was scrawling out a note, I heard Inuyasha stir behind me.
"Where are you going?" He asked sleepily.
"Just going to run home and clean up, you should probably do the same once Bankotsu wakes up."
"I'm up now," Bankotsu said sitting up, "And I should probably do the same."
I realized that meant he'd have to go back to his house, "Will you be okay, Bankotsu?"
He nodded, "I'll deal with it and if you don't mind, I'll go from there to Suikotsu's place. I'll call you once I have a chance to talk with him and Mukotsu."
"All right," I said grabbing up a few things before heading for the door, "Inuyasha, try not to get in a huge fight with your brother again. I don't need you whining while we work on the case this afternoon."
"Hmph," He snorted, crossing his arms, "Then why don't you inform him that it's not nice to screw with the water temperature while someone else is in the shower?"
I laughed a bit, "Like you haven't done the same to him."
"...Whatever," He muttered in reply.
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We all went back to our respective houses, Inuyasha and I planning to meet back at the office in about an hour and a half.
As I was trying to turn the key in my door's lock, someone opened it from the inside. It was my little brother.
"Sis, you're home!" He said smiling.
"Hi Souta, is Mama out?"
"Yeah, she is. Where were you the last couple of nights? I know you called and said something about the case you're on. Least that's what Mom told me."
"I stayed at the office with Inuyasha and Bankotsu," I replied, then instantly regretted my choice of words.
Souta grinned, "With Inuyasha? And then another guy too? Sis, I never knew! So who's the other boyfriend?"
Leave it to my brother to always bring my love life up. I decided a quick explanation would be best, "Bankotsu is the client, and he can't go home because it'll upset him because his close friend is missing. Inuyasha stayed because he didn't want me to stay alone with him. Yes, I slept on the couch and they both slept somewhere else in the room- not with me. And now, I'm going to go take a shower.," I finished, turning the corner before he could reply.
I headed up the stairs, watching out for our cat Buyo who was lounging on one of the steps, and went about taking a relaxing shower.
As promised, an hour and a half or so later I headed back to the office. This time, I made sure to take some extra clothes and things with me. When I got there, I ran into Inuyasha as I headed up the stairs.
"Any problems with your half-brother?" I asked on seeing his scowl.
"He was at his office, but Rin left a stupid picture for me."
I smiled, "Well that can't be too bad, I mean..." I stopped as the wadded drawing was shoved into my hands. It was a picture of Inuyasha and I kissing, Rin-style art. I blushed. "I see the issue now."
"Yeah. I just showed you because- well if Rin asked if I did as she asked and you hadn't seen it, she'd get mad and...yeah...stuff like that."
I could tell he was getting embarrassed too, and decided a change of subject would be nice, "So what do you think on all the information we found out about Renkotsu?"
"Don't trust him. Even Bankotsu doesn't and that makes me even more so."
I nodded as I opened the door.
Inside the office, our two other associates were already at work. Sango was by the desk and it looked as if Miroku had just answered the phone.
"Oh, just a second, he's here now," He said to the person on the other end.
"Who is it, Miroku?" I asked as he held the receiver out towards Inuyasha.
"His half-brother."
Inuyasha glared at the receiver then at Miroku.
"Miroku..." He grumbled.
"What? It's just your brother; not my fault he called."
"The phone. It doesn't work, you idiot." He said gesturing to his ears and then to the length of the receiver.
"Oh, sorry. I always forget that," Miroku replied turning and hitting the speaker button.
The calm voice of Sesshoumaru spoke over the line, "Inuyasha, are you and your partner there?"
"Yeah yeah, what do you want?" He retorted.
"Kagura found out something interesting last night, and I think you might want to know about it."
"And what's that?" I asked.
"Rin," He said calmly, and I could hear the little girl stand and walk across the room.
"I'll get her," I heard a knock on a door, before Rin's voice called out, "Miss Kagura! Sesshoumaru needs you to talk to the others now."
A muffled reply came back, "Just a second."
I heard a door open and then the dripping of water. Kagura's voice spoke up, "What is it, Sesshoumaru?"
"Miss Kagura's all wet!" Rin chimed in.
"Well I was in the shower, kid," She remarked.
"Kagura, explain to them about the information you got," Sesshoumaru said as calmly as ever.
Footsteps told me she was walking over, "Sure."
"Want a bigger towel, Miss Kagura? That one's kinda small," Rin questioned.
I blinked. How was it Sesshoumaru remained so calm if Kagura was standing around in only a towel? Talk about self-control.
"What in the hell, Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha yelled out.
So he wondered about the towel thing too, I thought to myself, as he continued.
"When the hell did you get a shower in your office? That's not fair!"
I blanched. Leave it to him to completely ignore the fact a barely clad woman is currently speaking with his brother and wonder about the shower.
"Later, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru replied coolly, "Kagura?"
"Oh yes. I got a call a little after we split up last night from Musou. He said Naraku was acting really strange. Apparently one minute he was acting fine, and the next he clutched at his head and started freaking out, yelling "Stop it! Stop it!" to someone or something. Musou said he was like a different person completely. I was wondering if you knew anything that might connect with this."
I thought, and then it clicked. Mukotsu's potions were stolen along with a half-made one for Suikotsu.
"I think he might have taken one of Mukotsu's stolen potions."
"Potions?" She asked.
"And since that one was only a half done one for Suikotsu's multiple personality disorder- maybe it's affecting Naraku somehow," I said, thinking to myself, And if Naraku splits into two personalities, this could get really ugly.
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Preview for Chapter 11:
Naraku's not acting himself, so that might explain where that half-made potion ended up. But can our detectives manage a Naraku that has two sides, or will they have to turn to Suikotsu for help?