Author's Notes: This chapter was revised on January 24, 2006.

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-June 8th-

Entry at 3:47PM

Letting my mind once again read over the text, I voiced my question aloud.

"Onigumo?"

"Ah- yeah, the name associated with Naraku. Dad never did find out anything more about him except that they are brothers," Shippou replied.

So- they are brothers. I thought to myself, letting that fact run through my mind.

"Just a second, Shippou. I'll have my associate check up on him," I said, turning towards Inuyasha.

"Not him I hope," The young boy muttered.

"Keh! I can do this- I just have to…"

"Um…actually I was gonna call Sango," I butted in, reaching for my cell phone.

The room went silent, and then Souten started laughing.

"Shut up! She just wants Sango to do it because well- I can't use the cell phone so there!" He retorted, pointing to his strange white ears.

Shaking my head, I dialed the number and waited for an answer.

"Hello?"

I paused recognizing Miroku's voice, having forgotten for a moment that he was over at Sango's house as well.

"Hello Miroku- where's Sango, I need to ask her something."

"Ah Kagome- let me go get her," He replied.

After the shuffling subsided I heard him call out, "Sango! Phone!"

Listening closely, I picked up her footsteps as she walked in. I also could hear part of their conversation.

"Who is it?"

"Kagome."

"Oh, did they find out something?"

"Well, I don't know- she wanted to speak to you," Miroku intoned, noting his irritation that I didn't tell him anything.

"Don't look at me like that- it's my house and I'm her best friend, it's not like she's going to go divulging everything to you."

"So you're thinking she might have- upped the relationship with Inuyasha?"

"Well- why else would she not want to tell you?"

I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply. I would not butt in when I wasn't even supposed to be listening, then again they probably knew I'd listen in…

"If it's anything juicy you have to let me know," Miroku practically pleaded.

"Whatever, Miroku. The kids are in the kitchen icing the cookies. You think you can handle that?"

"You were making cookies?" He questioned.

"Rin insisted, plus- I had that old recipe of Mother's."

"I'm certain they will be delicious if they were made with your lovely hands, Sango."

A conversation paused, then as expected the sound of Sango's hand impacting on Miroku's face was heard.

Finally the phone was lifted back up.

"Kagome?"

"Ah, Sango can you do a favor for me?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"I'm needing information on an Onigumo Sarudoushi."

"Sarudoushi?" The pitch of her voice hitched a tad in shock.

"It's supposedly Naraku's brother. His name is tied in with some of the transactions we've uncovered that he made in the past. So it has to connect."

"This could be what we're looking for."

"Exactly."

"I'll start searching right away," She paused then spoke away from the receiver, "Miroku- what in the world?"

"Sorry Sango, it seems I've gotten more frosting on me than on the cookies. And um…it's all over the kitchen."

She sighed, "I'll call you back once I find something, Kagome."

I smirked, not able to resist getting even for their conversation about Inuyasha and me earlier, "Just don't get too involved cleaning that frosting off Miroku."

"Kagome!" I could hear the blush in her voice, and had to hold back a laugh.

"Sorry, sorry. But you really got to give him a hand at least for trying."

"I suppose. Well I'd better go before my kitchen is trashed. Bye Kagome."

"Bye, Sango."

I smiled to myself, if my hunch was correct this Onigumo person was the answer to everything.

Tucking the cell phone back into my pocket, I turned my attention back to the young boy that had helped us out so much.

"She's going to look right now, Shippou. I think this might be the lead we've been looking for."

"Well I'm glad I was able to put the information in capable hands. Those blundering police officers wouldn't know what to do with such valuable information," He replied, wincing a bit as he moved his bandaged leg the wrong way.

"Shippou, don't…" Souten had begun to protest his comment when a loud crash came from the hallway.

Standing quickly, I went and stuck my head out the door to see what was going on.

"Let go of me," Bankotsu said, prying the other braided-man's grasp off him.

"I'm a police officer- you're a gang member."

"I'm not doing anything wrong!"

"Yeah, leave Mr. Bankotsu alone!" Chiyo spoke up.

Yuuta walked over and kicked the young officer in the leg, "Let him go!"

"Why are you here anyways? One of your members in for some bullet wounds?" The police officer said crossing his arms and still on defense.

"I'm waiting for the detectives to finish talking to one of the kids down here."

"Detectives?" He questioned, "I thought all the leads on the Hakushin case had been closed."

"Not that," Bankotsu muttered, "One of my men has gone missing due to Naraku. They're trying to find him."

The officer's face softened as he looked to the side, "Missing persons case, no wonder I wasn't informed. I'm not allowed on those anymore since that bastard Naraku went and ruined my career."

Pausing the gang leader took one step towards him, his eyes were downcast, but his voice was firm, "Naraku's fucked over tons of people- you're not the first. After hiring us to work for him one week, he ends up kidnapping and…god knows what else he's done to Jakotsu since then. What else could be worse than having that bastard take the one person you care most about from you?"

A moment of silence passed before the officer quietly replied, "I accidentally shot a young boy's Father because of Naraku. He's now an orphan and hates all police officers because of me. What makes it even worse- is what it's done to my sister."

"Your sister? Oh," He offered a forced smile as he recalled the young girl from before, "You must mean Souten. She was looking for you awhile back….Hiten, right?"

"Yeah that's right. She's my sister."

"What happened to her?" Bankotsu said slowly.

Hiten hung his head, "The boy whose dad I shot- she's got a crush on him."

My eyes widened as my suspicions about the situation became clear, and I quickly looked back into the room- hoping and praying that they children didn't overhear it… but, they had.

Shippou looked completely heartbroken as he slowly shifted his gaze to Souten, "Your…your brother? He was the one who killed my Father?"

I bit my lip, wanting badly to console the young boy but knowing it was Souten's place to speak, not mine.

"Shippou, I can explain!" She protested under his saddened glare.

"You lied to me! Why didn't you just tell me?"

"Because then you'd hate me. I didn't want you to be all alone. And I knew if you found out it was my brother, you wouldn't want to talk to me anymore."

"They killed my Father!" Shippou reiterated, his youthful face holding back the tears that were demanding to be let free.

"And my record isn't the only thing suffering because of that," Hiten remarked from the doorway having overheard the situation in the room.

"Hiten…" The young girl said, slowly making her way towards her brother.

"You ever hear of an 'accident' kid? Or did you forget what that means?"

Shippou looked away and Hiten continued.

"Do you honestly think I would purposely ruin my entire career and upset my little sister just for the hell of it?"

The room fell silent as his words echoed slightly off the walls. I could tell at this rate, nothing was going to be resolved and so, I took it upon myself to step in.

"Shippou, I know things have been hard on you. Losing someone you love and care about is never easy; but you shouldn't hold this against them. Hiten's job and Souten's friendship with you were both affected by this event as well. You're all the victims here. I think just about anyone who's gotten tangled in Naraku's web is a victim, even Naraku himself."

"Miss Kagome," The young boy said, gazing up at me and trying to muster some inner strength on his own.

"Please, Shippou. Your Father wouldn't want to see you at odds like this, would he?"

Raising his eyes towards Souten, then lowering them to the computer he held in his hands, the red-headed boy muttered a reply, "You have presented valid points, detective. Allowing my bitterness due to grief to affect my opinions of others is petty and immature," He paused, then looked to the brother and sister, "Souten, Hiten- I apologize for my childish actions."

Souten smiled, rushing to his side and after a moment's hesitation she embraced him, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Shippou."

Pulling back, he placed his hands on her shoulders, "Don't worry, Souten. We should both just out these vindictive and vengeful feelings behind us and attempt to move on."

She nodded with a smile, then turned to look to Hiten, waiting for his say in the matter.

"Hmph. Don't worry about it kid, as long as you don't hurt Souten I could care less what you do."

I smiled on seeing the issue resolved, then right as I was about to speak up again, the ringing of my cell phone caught my attention.

"Hello?"

"Kagome- we've got something big with this Onigumo thing," Sango's excited voice said over the line.

"What? What did you find?"

"When the Sarudoushi estate burned down, he was severely injured to the point he had to stay in the hospital for treatment for seven months. The hospital he was registered at is the very one you're in at this moment."

"He was here? When?" I could see Inuyasha moving closer so he could listen in better.

"About two years ago, and you know what that means?"

Quickly running all the facts through my head, I figured it out, "Two years, plus seven months- right about when Naraku's crime movements began."

"Exactly. After the release from the hospital he was supposedly moved into a residency in Okugi City. The address is about two blocks away from the one under the name of Naraku, his daughter and his roommate's apartment."

"So what happened? Do we know anything past that?"

"Perhaps I can be of assistance again," The distinct voice of our friendly police chief said as he stood in the doorway. The other detectives were there along with Kanna and the other officer that Kanna had mentioned aside from Hiten.

"Mr. Takeda? Just a moment Sango," I covered the phone and waited to see what information he'd found.

"I just received a call from the mental institution where Naraku had been taken. They've ID-ed his condition as a deep state hypnosis, and based on the facts you left, they believe the trigger for it was the sound of a dog whistle."

"The dog whistle, then that means…."

"No one except those with extremely sensitive hearing could notice when he was being controlled," Inuyasha said, stating the conclusion I'd just made.

"Well, Mr. Takeda and I think we just found out your puppet master, thanks to some help from Shippou here."

The man stepped forward, "And who might that be?"

I paused, and spoke back into the phone, "Sango, can you print off all the information you've gathered and come back up here soon? Okay, we should still be here. I'll try and get the medical records from Kaede. Thanks again. Bye."

Looking back over to the group by the door, I continued, "Naraku's brother Onigumo. We found his name tied in with some transactions made, and I think perhaps he's the person behind this mess."

About to say more in explanation, I stopped on seeing Bankotsu trying to push through the mass of people at the doorway.

"Kagome! Kagome we've got something!" He said rushing forward.

"What? What…"

He held his cell phone to my ear and played the message.

"Hey, this is Musou. I've got Jakotsu's whereabouts narrowed down to three rooms here in this wing, and once whoever just came in leaves I'll check it out. Head down here as soon as you can."

Handing the phone back to him, I smiled, "Go ahead and go if you want. We've got some things to finish up here. Just call me if anything happens."

"All right," Bankotsu replied making his way back out the door, his mood obviously brightened.

I turned to Inuyasha and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Come on, we've got work to do so we can get this case closed."

"Keh," He muttered crossing his arms, then very softly under his breath he muttered, "Okay, Kagome."

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Preview for Chapter 25:

Our detectives have their lead, Musou's very close to locating Jakotsu, and things are generally looking up. But evil doesn't give up easily, as our detectives are sure to find out.