Disclaimer: I do not own either Inuyasha or Rurouni Kenshin.

Chapter 9.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha and smiled. It had been a few days, but she had finally gotten the well back open. They owed it all to Sanosuke. He had sneaked past the guards posted at the temple and had blasted the tree to smithereens. The guards hadn't heard a thing thanks to the drugged sake they'd been given courtesy of Megumi-san. She had been about to go get Miroku and Inuyasha when they came looking for her. Inuyasha had just walked into the dojo one morning demanding to see Kagome. It had been a tense few moments when all the swords had been drawn, but now everything was back on track and her plans were progressing.

With all the best swordsmen coming to the dojo that evening SURELY one of them would agree to teach Inuyasha. Maybe all the sake that was being brought in would help.

The money they had retrieved from the well had been more than enough to secure the release of Anji, so Sano had recommended spending the rest on a party to celebrate and to settle old differences. Some people were coming from Kyoto, which pleased Misao-san and Soujiro-san, and this Cho person had said that he'd be there this evening with the guest of honor, Anji.

Kagome and her friends watched the members of the dojo getting ready for the party. Shippou was running through the yard being chased by Ayame and Suzume. Sano, Kenshin, Soujiro, Yahiko, Miroku, and Inuyasha were all hanging lanterns from the yard to the walls and bringing in boxes from the delivery cart outside. Kaoru, Megumi, Misao, Sango, and Kagome were all busy either getting dressed up, decorating the inside of the dojo, or helping these ladies Tae and Tsubame with cooking the food for the night. Tae had said something about the fun of catering, though she was apparently invited to the party as well.

Kagome looked out the door of the dojo to where the front gate had swung open. In stepped a young woman, and two other men who were eyeing each other as if ready to fight. Kagome slid close to listen while Kenshin came running up to them.

"Aoshi, I'm glad you could make it. Master, what are YOU doing here?" Kenshin sounded more than a little perplexed.

"Baka deshi, your woman invited me." The larger of the two men replied. He was wearing a white cloak with a red collar and looked like a giant.

The young woman stepped forward and took Kenshin's hand. "You must be Kenshin Himura, what a pleasure to finally meet you. My name is Kamatari."

Kenshin looked like he had just seen a ghost and even Kagome could tell his shocked smile was forced. "Uh, hello." He said dumbly.

Kamatari smiled and took Aoshi's arm. "Aoshi why don't you show me to where the ladies are getting ready so Kenshin can reminisce with Hiko-sama." Aoshi's expression didn't change but merely started walking towards the dojo with Kamatari in tow as Hiko looked like he was getting ready to berate Kenshin.

These are some WEIRD people. Kagome thought to herself. As if I'm in a position to throw stones. I've got a crush on a cute half-demon, and I run around time and space with a lecherous monk and a female demon hunter.

Misao was jumping off the porch running for Aoshi before they made it half way to the dojo. She jumped up hugging Aoshi around the neck and then jumping up and down with glee. Kagome couldn't blame her; he was an absolute HUNK. Kagome turned to see Sango staring appreciatively at the new arrivals. She liked Miroku, but really these guys caught the eye too.

Aoshi waited until Misao calmed down before speaking. "Misao, your message said something about having captured Soujiro."

"Yes, Aoshi-sama. I captured him outside of Tokyo and brought him here so that I could question him and find out about the location of the treasure. When we found out where it was we sent word to you. We've been able to procure the release of monk Anji and will be celebrating with him tonight. Here is Soujiro's sword." Misao pulled the sword and sheath from her belt and gave it to Aoshi.

"What you did was very stupid Misao. I wanted you to contact Soujiro, not capture him. He is very dangerous and you could have been killed." Misao's expression darkened at Aoshi's words, and she definitely looked crestfallen. That jerk, Kagome thought to herself. She knew ho much Misao had been looking forward to trying to impress her Aoshi.

"Don't be so hard on the kid Aoshi," Kamatari giggled. "She did pretty well the last time I fought her, and I'm sure Soujiro likes her too much to kill her." Misao's face twisted into a look of panic-stricken horror as she looked back and forth between Kamatari and Aoshi. "What makes you say that?" She said numbly.

"Well, you're alive for starters." Kamatari said simply. "That and Soujiro's sword doesn't have any blood on it. I doubt he would have given it to you unless he really trusted you. You should be flattered, trust doesn't come easy to men like him."

Aoshi handed the sword back to Misao. "You should give this back to its rightful owner." Aoshi said in his usual emotionless voice. He and Kamatari then swept past Misao towards the dojo, Kamatari still clinging to Aoshi's arm. Misao stood there for a moment looking at their retreating backs with her mouth hanging wide open. She then stomped off.

The last Kagome saw them she had Soujiro by the front of the gi stomping off towards the back of the dojo practically dragging the boy behind her as she went. Her expression was murderous.

"Man, it's like watching a soap opera." Kagome said turning back into the dojo. Kaoru was welcoming Kamatari. After a few minutes, Misao returned without Soujiro's sword and a look of utter despair all over her face.

With most of the party preparations made, the women all sat down to tea while the men started cleaning up and getting ready themselves. The women all sat down and began to gossip over tea. Kagome looked over and saw that Kamatari hadn't joined the rest of them. The woman sat alone by the door looking out at the sky as afternoon settled into evening.

Kaoru went over to speak to her, and after a few minutes got her to come over and join the rest of them. "Kaoru-san, who's the funny looking guy in red out there?" Kamatari said confused.

Kagome sighed. She was getting tired of explaining everything. Kaoru looked at Kagome and she started reciting the story of the gang from the past who were here looking for a sword tutor. Why not? I'd rather be truthful than get caught up in all sorts of lies later. I just wished everybody didn't look at me like I was crazy.

When she finished, the ladies all looked at her as if she was crazy, except for Kaoru. "Honey, you're weirder than I am." Kamatari said flatly. Kagome looked at Kamatari with a puzzled look until Kaoru spoke.

"She's telling the truth you guys." Everybody then looked at Kaoru. "I was there when she destroyed one of those demons. It was the one that stuffed that tree down the well up at the temple in the first place."

"I had wondered how a tree got wedged in there like that." Misao said slowly looking at Kagome as if for the first time. "This all seems a little bit much though, Kaoru are you pulling my leg?"

"Why would she be pulling your leg?" Shippou said as he scampered into the room followed by Ayame and Suzume.

None of the ladies had been formally introduced to Shippou or the others since their arrival that morning, so none of them were prepared for Shippou. Megumi was the first one to speak. "Is that a tail on that kid?"

Kagome nodded and patted Megumi on the back. "It's OK, he's a good demon."

Shippou came running over and leaped into Kagome's lap. He then scrambled up onto her shoulder. "Kagome, Inuyasha said that Sano told him there was a fox lady somewhere in here! Please, introduce me to her!"

Megumi had a startled expression on her face, but then gathered her composure. "Sano's talking about me is he?"

Shippou crawled over and looked at Megumi. "Hey, you don't look like a fox!"

"It's a nickname." Misao offered blankly. She was starting to notice the non-human features on Shippou as well and realizing they weren't funny clothes for children to wear.

Shippou obviously looked disappointed. Kagome reached over and picked him up as he sniffled a little. Ayame and Suzume immediately started lifting his spirits. "Show them Sano, Shippou." They cried in unison. "Yeah, make Sano."

Kagome let down Shippou, who sighed, but was smiling and obviously enjoying himself. There was a loud pop and suddenly Sano was standing amongst them, except he had a foxtail. The women gasped, but the girls just bounced around squealing.

With hard evidence in front of them the other women had no choice but to accept Kagome's story at face value. The sat in silence for a few moments, as Shippou entertained the girls with his top. He was having a blast.

Misao finally sat down her tea, and looked at the rest of them. "I guess it's a night for revelations then. Kamatari-san, I have a question for you."

Kamatari seemed a little surprised but looked at Misao expectantly, "Yes?"

"Is Aoshi gay?"

The entire room went dead silent except for the children. The women looked at each other to see the different expressions on each other's faces. The only people who didn't have eyes the size of basketballs were Megumi and Misao.

"Wh-Why do you ask?" Kamatari said uneasily.

"Because you're muscling in on MY man." Misao said darkly.

Kagome didn't have anything in this conversation, but her confusion was apparent. She looked at Kamatari and suddenly things came in on her in a rush. "You mean that she's a…"

"I prefer to be thought of as a woman." Kamatari said haughtily. "And to answer your question, I have no idea. You didn't seem to be getting anywhere so I thought 'Why not'. He didn't even flinch when I made a pass at him. Since then though I've noticed he doesn't flinch, period."

"I've always suspected as much," Megumi added. Everyone looked at her suddenly. Misao looked ready to cry.

"When he was working for the man that had enslaved me, he wouldn't associate with women. Sorry Misao, but I tried to seduce him once to get him to help me escape. Needless to say, it didn't work. He never went carousing with his other men, and he always kept to himself. I figured if I couldn't seduce him then he was either an exceptionally devoted husband or else he was gay." Megumi went back to sipping her tea.

Misao looked at the other ladies with embarrassment. "What did you try to do?" She said curiously.

"None of your business." Megumi said. "I wouldn't suggest it for your problems with him. I also wouldn't want to repeat such things in front of Tsubame. Needless to say, he's the only man I've ever known to resist it."

"Resist IT?" Kaoru said uneasily.

"I drugged him OK." Megumi said hotly. "It helps with all the other things that I'm NOT going to mention."

The odd silence returned as the women mulled over Misao's love problems. This was becoming an issue for all of them to work on.

"Why do you want a man that's a chunk of ice anyway?" Kamatari said to Misao. "I have to admit, not getting anywhere with a man can be pretty painful. Trust me, I know from experience. I've been pretty much getting ready to give up on Aoshi as just someone to flirt with until I find a more willing man."

"He's the only man I've ever loved. I've known him nearly all my life. There's times when I think he sees me as nothing more than a child, but then he'll do something that makes me think he's sees me as an adult. The only other possibility is that he sees me as a little sister, but I think that would be even worse than being thought of as a child. I might outgrow that. I guess 'ice' best describes him all around though."

"Be thankful." Kagome said gloomily.

"What do you mean, Kagome?" Misao said confused.

"Inuyasha is like fire. He used to love another woman, and I look just like her. He thought she betrayed him though and then he started hating her. When he looks at me, I don't know if he sees her or me. Then she showed back up in his life and was trying to kill him. It was all a great big mess. He has so many issues with his own past that I can't seem to break through. He can be a real jerk sometimes and just when I think I'm ready to give up on him he does something sweet and I catch myself falling in love with him all over again." Kagome's own words surprised her. She'd never mentioned love and Inuyasha in the same sentence, but this was one of the few chances she'd ever have to seek advice from women who might understand her situation.

"I feel your pain." Kaoru said next to her. "Kenshin is like the wind. He slips through my fingers when I try to hold on to him. I can no more control him than I can the air around us. He can be as gentle as the breeze or as strong and destructive as the hurricane. His past is also an issue, but he won't share it with me. I want nothing more than to hold him and let him know how much he means to me, but I keep chickening out and letting the moment pass. I'm so worried that if I pursue him fully he'll slip from my fingers and blow away."

Sango sighed. "I guess it's my turn. I do feel something for Miroku, but I don't know how to describe it. It may be love, but I'm not sure. He can be a slimy, sneaky little pervert, but he can also be one of the noblest men I've ever met. I have no doubt he would gladly sacrifice his life to save mine. He has risked it several times over for each of us. I simply don't know how much of his surface that he shows to the outside world is real and what he's really like on the inside. I appreciate the fact that he'd die for me, but faithful? I have some serious doubts. He's like water, murky at times and at times clear, but you never really know what's beneath the surface."

"Faithful and men shouldn't be used in the same sentence." Megumi said cynically. "I've never had a very high opinion of the species. Take Sano for instance. That rooster head is brash and impetuous. He's arrogant, unreliable, and a blockhead. I'd have to describe him as wood. He'd proclaim his undying love without thinking only to find out later what he was feeling was nothing but lust in the first place. He is so immature that it'll be years before he's ready for any sort of REAL relationship."

"You sound frustrated about it Megumi-dono." Kamatari said sagely.

Megumi dropped the walls for a moment to look at the rest of the women around her. "Maybe a little. I'd like nothing more than to find a man that was mature enough to be interested in something more than just getting a woman to sleep with him. I've thought I've found one before, but I've been hurt so many times when I turned out to be wrong."

"At least the rest of you HAVE someone to worry over," Tae said. "All I've ever had time for was my business and now I'm starting to get too old to be acting like a young girl. I think that's why I try to get so involved in everybody else's love lives. My own is so non-existent."

The other women around the circle nodded compassionately. Kaoru smiled as Kagome noticed she was looking at someone else in their little circle. "What about you Tsubame. I know Yahiko must drive you as crazy as the rest of the men drive us. He's a pain to me sometimes that's for sure."

The young girl Tsubame blushed deeply and tried to hide her face. "Kawaii" was all she said.

"Yeah Tsubame, what makes you mad at Yahiko." Megumi persisted.

"Nothing." Tsubame said shyly.

"You're kidding." Misao said in disbelief.

"Impossible." Kaoru muttered.

"Yeah, right." Megumi snorted.

"Nothing?" Sango asked incredulously.

"Surely there's something." Kamatari said with interest.

"No," Tsubame said shyly, "he always tries to protect me and help me with my work. He comes to visit me all the time and he brings me flowers." Tsubame closed her eyes as if imagining. "He acts so tough in front of everybody else because he doesn't want to look like a weak little boy, but he's strong and brave and I know he loves me as much as I love him. When he holds me, I feel warm, safe, and loved. My heart races whenever he kisses me too." Tsubame suddenly jerked awake as if suddenly remembering where she was and whom she was with. She went deep red blushing and tried to hide her face again. "Kawaii."

There was a long silence before Tae said it. "There's one in every group I guess."

"Yeah" the rest of the women said miserably in unison.

"I think it's sweet Tsubame. You give the rest of us something to hope for." Kagome said honestly.

The women sipped their tea quietly waiting for the party to start when Kagome heard something from the front yard. "Is there anybody here?" a man's voice was saying.

Kaoru got up and went to the door. Everyone else followed after to see four people standing at the gate of the dojo. Anji, Cho, Saitoh, and some woman were all standing at the front gate. "Come in," Kaoru said anxiously looking to make sure that Shippou was out of sight. "We're glad you're here. Now the party can get started."

Cho walked up to Kaoru. I hope you don't mind and all, I invited the boss and his wife."

"That's OK," Kaoru said sweetly. "I've been wanting to meet Tokio-san for quite some time now." Kaoru walked up to Tokio and escorted her into the dojo leaving the men standing around. "The men are around back getting ready," Kagome said helpfully.

The party wasn't long in starting. Sano had already broken into the sake and had been toasting Anji even before he got there. Everyone came into the main hall of the dojo to eat. Kagome noticed that some of the men eyed each other warily, but for the most part everything was going well.

After the meal was finished and the dishes had been cleared away they all sat around chatting comfortably as the men began to unwind with the sake. Kagome quite liked it here. It wasn't the history she envisioned for this era.

Kagome was thinking of Inuyasha when an idea struck her. The men were loosened up a bit, and in some cases more than a bit she thought looking at Cho passed out already from trying to out drink Sano. She got up and went to her bag and scratched around until she found something that she thought might work wonders. She came back into the room and sat down unzipping a case and setting her battery operated CD player on the floor. It was meant for earphones, but she had a speaker attachment.

The other women looked at her curiously. They had been kind enough to explain things to Tokio. The sake had made explanation unnecessary to most of the men. Those that hadn't already been told were either passed out or oblivious. Kagome gave them a wink and started flipping through her CDs. She had some that would probably scare the pants off most of them; hard rock was definitely out. She flipped until she found some slow easy listening music, just the kind for slow dancing close together.

"I have some appropriate magic for the evening," Kagome said.

"Oh?" Kamatari said, "Like what?"

"How about a little music and dancing?" Kagome said impishly.

Kamatari looked at Kagome's things. "Is that some sort of music box? I saw one in one of the western shops in Yokohama once. You couldn't really dance to it."

Kagome grinned widely. "This one is a little bit more advanced."

Kagome put in one of her favorite instrumentals. She'd always dreamed of a going to a high school dance. She probably never would get the chance now, but she could have the next best thing.

The men all looked around for the band as the music filled the dojo hall. After unsuccessfully finding it they merely shrugged and went back to their talking. To his merit, and since he wasn't already half drunk, Yahiko was the first to get the hint. He shyly walked over to Tsubame and held out his hand. As the two of them made their way into the hall and started dancing slowly, the other men started to take notice.

Kagome noticed that the other men were looking decidedly uncomfortable as they watched Yahiko dancing with Tsubame and they all started looking towards the women, only to find an assortment of pleading, hopeful, and in some cases threatening stares. Inuyasha was naturally oblivious to the whole affair.

Saitoh got up and led his wife to the floor soon after. Everyone stared. He was an excellent dancer, and so was she. You just didn't expect men like Saitoh to be good at much of anything outside of combat. The women went back to looking at the men expectantly.

Kagome wasn't surprised to see Miroku get up next. He started walking towards the women and was starting to steer away from Sango's penetrating gaze until Kagome pinched Sango hard enough to make her jump to her feet. Miroku smiled and held out his hand. Sango shot Kagome a nasty look that softened when she saw the hand held out to her. She took it almost shyly and went to dance.

Next to her a discussion was heating up. "If you don't, I will." Kamatari said to a blushing Misao. "But…" Misao tried to protest.

Misao didn't get a chance to retort as Soujiro walked up to the two of them. "Uh, Misao-dono?"

Misao looked up with a startled expression at Soujiro. "Yes?"

Soujiro looked at her sheepishly. "I wanted to apologize for embarrassing you in front of Yahiko, would you like to dance?"

"Smooth kid." Kamatari said with a chuckle.

Misao was speechless and kept looking back, but was led to the floor by Soujiro.

"I guess that leaves, sweet cheeks for me then." Kamatari said getting up and heading for the men. 'She' made a great show of it. Men came running to get dance partners as she neared them.

Sano had Megumi and was headed for the floor, "Don't argue, just PLEASE come on."

"Uh, Kaoru-dono, this unworthy one would like…"

"Yes, Kenshin." Kaoru said jumping up and heading for the floor with him in tow.

Kagome sighed and looked over at Tae who looked back sympathetically. Inuyasha was asleep.

Kamatari had dragged Aoshi up and was dragging him towards the drill hall turned dance floor. His faced betrayed no uneasiness or emotion, as usual.

Kagome looked down and sighed. Even the gay guy was getting more attention than she was. Why did Inuyasha always have to be so…

"Man, I'm glad that guy's gone." Inuyasha said sitting down next to her.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha and tried to fight the anger. Inuyasha looked at her with an odd look. "Kagome, what's wrong. You look like you're about to cry."

Kagome choked on the words. This was always the hard part. She could never get it out. Tae laid a hand on her arm and looked at Inuyasha. "She's just been sitting here wishing that some handsome young man would come up and ask her to dance. No young girl wants to be left alone when there's music and a dance to be had." Kagome suddenly blushed and looked at Inuyasha. How would he react?

Inuyasha got up and then held down his hand to Kagome. Kagome found herself looking up at him as he lifted her to her feet. Not a word was said, but he escorted her to the room and to the dance.