Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or it's characters; that right belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. Nor do I own Naruto or it's characters, that right belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Author's Notes: This story contains certain tropes - IE: Kagome in the role of Big sister/mother to Shippo, damsel in distress, etc, then I don't fucking care. So if you do not like that, I politely ask you to turn around and leave now. Because I don't see the point in you wasting your time and mine.

If he were alive, Sarutobi would be screaming his head off and pinching the bridge of his nose. All because of the scene before him. Which was on the edge of being explosive. The volatile stage was reached only seconds after the girl had rushed into the circle of people and wrapped herself around her child, a Kitsune. This didn't help things at all. Because the people still remembered the attack from the Kyuubi. Though the boy looked to be no more than four or five years of age.

"Really. A bunch of small-minded, bigoted people, who are drunk on their power," The girl, Kagome, snapped.

He was cringing as he heard a dark chuckle come from the Shinigami. The girl was in protective mother mode. He knew that it could be dangerous. And the people didn't know she was a miko. That, of course, is a good thing at the moment. Though when they found out... the game would be changed.

"She claims the Bijuu as her child. It must have her under its spell."

"Yeah, she is too young to be a mother!"

"If we remove the Bijuu and kill it, the poor girl will be freed."

At the outcry from the civilians, Sarutobi shuddered. He could see the lilac aura around the girl. And it was growing bigger and bigger by the second. And he didn't know what to do. He was dead.

"Any of you jerks lay a hand on my child, you will not like the consequences," the girl spat, standing up, the kit held tightly to her.

At her spoken threat, Sarutobi just watched as a Kunai was flung from one of the Ninja in the crowd. With everyone's nerves on edge, he was surprised it took this long. Though he had to admit, he was a bit worried until that Lilac aura flared and turned into a perfect 360-degree barrier, deflecting the Kunai, which upon impact made the barrier visible — eliciting a shocked gasp from most of the people in the crowd.

That was when he sensed several strong chakra levels arrive. Each one he knew very well. Meaning this could only get worse if the child continued to be threatened.

He had been tracking the girl since she climbed over the broken section of the wall. She looked like nothing more than a civilian. But he didn't think she was such since she was carrying an overly large yellow backpack that was almost half her size and double her weight. Along with the way she moved. That was a grace that came from experience in being trained for battle. Though he would admit, the girl was a bit klutzy.

Now, as she spoke out, protecting a baby Kyuubi of all things, he could see a strange halo around her. Though he wasn't sure what it was. But the moment someone threw a Kunai, which he would find that idiot and reprimand them, that halo formed a perfect barrier around her. His Sharingan could even see how it sunk into the ground to create a sphere. Just as he felt several of the elites arrived, including his father.

Taking that as a sign, he quit masking his Chakra and appeared by his father's side. Letting his gaze sweep over the civilians who looked shocked at the barrier appearing. He could tell that the barrier was not Chakra based. And as far as he could see from the girl as she glared balefully from the other side of the strangely colored barrier, had no Chakra whatsoever. Meaning that whatever she was doing to produce, it was worth inspecting if she survived.

She was livid. These people wanted to take Shippo and kill him. Just what kind of backwater world had she landed in? Though she didn't have much of a chance to think about it when something was thrown at her, causing her Reiki to react naturally and form a barrier around her and Shippo. Turning her head to glare in the direction it had come from, she got a good look at what was thrown. And she couldn't believe what she saw — a fucking Kunai of all things.

That told her just how backwater this place was. She was in a village full of Ninja! This was proof that the kami's loved to mess with her. Of course, she was just as at fault as them in this. Because she'd dropped her guard to make the wish, and now her timeline didn't exist, not that it would have after she had made the wish. She had figured it out a while ago, that for her wish to be selfless, she would have to die. The jewel and she were one thing. Midoriko had already proven it by telling her that she was Midoriko's Reincarnation and descendant.

"Mama!?" Shippo whispered in her ear.

Coming out of her thoughts, Kagome watched as one of the people, a person with pale lavender colored eyes, that were pupiless, reached for the barrier. She pursed her lips and shook her head no to the person. Who didn't even look at her as their hand crept out to touch the barrier.

He'd arrived just in time to see the strangely colored barrier, which had his nerves both on edge and soothed. This feeling was familiar, and he could not place it. But the moment he saw the clan head for the Uchiha's reach out for the barrier, he found his body moving quickly and grasping Hiashi's hand before it could touch the barrier.

"I wouldn't recommend doing that. You should know not to touch something when you have no clue what it is," He said just loud enough to be heard clearly.

The dark look he got from the clan head was worth it. Then again, not many would stop a clan head from making a critical mistake. Turning his gaze towards the girl, who now had her gaze on him. He saw that she had blue eyes that seemed to glow faintly. Only to feel his jaw drop as she spoke very clearly.

"Well, at least one person has a head on their shoulders. He'd have been purified with that taint to his blood if he touched my barrier. Hell, almost half of this darn village carries a taint. And all of it seems to be related in groups..."

There was no way to describe what he felt. If he felt anything since he was dead, he could sense that something was wrong. The moment Kagome spoke up about the clans and claiming their blood was tainted. Which had him mentally asking himself that it might be demonic, before shoving the professor in him to the side. Now was not the time. And from the way she was swaying and the soft curse came from the Shinigami, he knew this was not a good thing.

Before he could speak up, he was pulled forward as the Shinigami crossed into the barrier, dragging him right along. It was starting to become a regular thing for him. Not that Sarutobi liked it. But the fact that the Shinigami was going to her side said a lot to him.

"Look! She summoned something?"

"Hey, that thing looks like the Shinigami that the third summoned."

"Isn't that the third?"

Blinking, Sarutobi looked around at everyone gathered. The looks on their faces were awe mixed with horror. And as he met the eyes of a few of his shinobi, seeing the color drain from their faces. They could see him now that he was inside the barrier as well. When he turned to look at Kagome, he saw she was slowly sinking to her knees. Her blue eyes were more silver, and she was growing paler by the second. Cluing him in on the fact that maintaining the barrier was eating at whatever she was using.

"I will say this only once. If any harm comes to Lady Miko, Kagome, you will have to deal with some serious consequences because Enma himself has an investment in her. That also means her kit... child Shippo," Ryuk said in a low hiss.

The soft groan that came from behind him was one that Sarutobi knew well. It was one he'd given plenty of times over the years due to Naruto's pranks. And he knew it was not a good thing to announce that Kagome was a Miko. This didn't bode well.

"I suggest Hiruzen Sarutobi, that you chose two of your most trusted and respected servants to watch over her," Ryuk hissed at him. "And quickly."

He got the message loud and clear. It wasn't said, but with Kagome beginning to grow weaker, that meant the barrier would drop. Quickly he looked through the crowd of those gathered. And was amazed at what he was seeing. There was a strange halo all around each person. Narrowing his eyes as he passed quickly over the Uchiha and Hyuuga clan heads, as well as the Inuzuka and Yamanaka... before stopping for a second on the Nara and dismissing him as well. It would not be wise to have any of the clans get their hands on the girl.

With a smile, he spoke up, "Even though I am dead, this will be some of the last orders I issue to those who are Ninja of Konoha. Morino, Ibiki, and Hatake, Kakashi, I want you all to watch over and protect Kagome. And for my successor, I want Senju, Tsunade found and brought back by any means."

The moment the last word left his mouth, he saw the barrier flicker once, twice, and on the third time, it was gone. He looked back at the girl to see her slumped to the side, her kit patting worried at her face—his soft cries tearing at him. Then the world began to swim around him. The village and its people began to fade away from view.

"I hope you have chosen well," can the soft hiss from the Shinigami.

Looking up at him, he just smiled a knowing smile. He was secure in his choice. Both were utterly loyal to the village and the Hokage. Without the Hokage, they didn't answer the elders, his old teammates, nor would they respond to the clan heads. Neither would cave in to the demands that would be made. But if he wanted to be honest, instead of Kakashi, he had wanted to put his most loyal Ninja and Anbu on the job. That thought would have given the Uchiha Clan a finger hold they didn't need.

Already once they avoided a disaster with the head of that clan. Fugaku was power-hungry to an extreme. And had already tried once, though it was not proven, to usurp his position as Hokage a few months after the Kyuubi attack and the Yondaime had been killed. No, Sarutobi knew he had chosen right. Though, he wondered how Morino was going to react because he saw a similar glow in the small aura around the man.

TBC!