A/N: A small number to thank for reviews: Elrond-76, MaN610v3r, Melibells, Rukia'sReflection, AnimeFreakAmanda, and Rabe Addler. And thank you to anyone who put this or its author on their lists.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach and Inuyasha characters, mangas, animes, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Tite Kubo et al and Rumiko Takahashi et al respectively.

Secrets Abound

Part Two: The Inutachi

Inuyasha stared at the small group of supernaturally gifted high school students and had to refrain from snorting. Who did they think they were kidding? Anyone with the smallest amount of spiritual or demonic power could tell that they were no ordinary humans. The tall, orange haired teen with what seemed like a permanent scowl on his face was looking him straight in the eye as if daring him to challenge their right to be there.

The half dog demon failed to realize that he was looking at a carbon copy of himself at that age. Higurashi-jijii was still lecturing him in one ear and he was thankful that he had a bandana on. Normally he would have simply worn a concealment charm but as his brother had pointed out when he'd called the younger Taisho at the ungodly early hour of fourth thirty in the morning, since these children had saved the world, there was little doubting that they had enough power to see through even the strongest of Shippou's illusions. Better to go with the tried and true method of covering the ears with a bandana rather than risk exposure.

Five hundred years ago when they'd defeated the evil half demon Naraku and destroyed the Shikon Jewel for good, they'd thought that they would never have to worry about a great threat to the world ever again. Sango had set aside her demon slaying profession in favor of gifting the perverted monk Miroku a family and he'd settled down with Kagome once she'd returned to him three years after the Final Battle. Shippou had often left the village to work on his fox magic and Kirara had gone with Sango's brother Kohaku to teach him and protect him as she'd done with the elder taijiya. The fire cat was nothing if not loyal. Inuyasha's brother Sesshoumaru had left his "adopted" daughter, Rin, in his village so that she could grow up in relative safety while the demon lord had gone on to conquer other youkai tribes and land.

Human wars had raged around them and eventually they'd realized something eerie. The humans of Inuyasha's group were not aging. Neither the elder priestess Kaede nor Sesshoumaru could explain why; however, they'd come to the same conclusion. Exposure to large amounts of youki must have at some point altered their aging process. The aristocratic dog demon had even accused his younger half-brother of performing some sort of clan ritual to ensure that he'd never be alone again.

Thankfully when Inuyasha had looked at him in total incomprehension, Sesshoumaru had realized how foolish such an accusation was. With only a warning never to go against the clan head's rule, the older of Inutaisho's two sons had left them in peace.

Until Kagome's time drew near. Then he had used every bit of knowledge she'd possessed to establish himself in the human business world. Becoming rich in that way helped hide the existence of youkai from the world. However, just because they hid, didn't mean they didn't know about Shinigami and Hollows. Having seen what the creatures were capable of, Sesshoumaru had done as much research as he could without exposing them to the unknown beings.

Then, almost a year ago all Hades had broken lose in a suburb on the outskirts of Tokyo. The team assigned to watch the city and monitor the comings and goings of Shinigami were alerted to the awakened powers of Ichigo Kurosaki. They'd investigated what they could and stood by in hopes that the Taisho clan would not have to interfere. The inutachi had feared that another Naraku had been born and that the young people fighting him and his minions would not be able to succeed.

Luckily they were proven wrong and had quietly returned to their normal lives, their presence during the Winter War undetected by all those involved. So now, when Inuyasha had heard from the old priest that the first years from Karakura High were coming there, he'd known that his brother was going to have a fit. And he had. The Sunset Shrine held too many secrets for teenagers who could see passed illusions created by demons to visit. The God Tree still exuded a power all its own and the Bone Eater's Well, while no longer a time portal, was still of enough interest thanks to Higurashi-jijii's "legends," to make curious students push the envelope. Those two things alone would not have been enough to disturb the usually unflappable Taiyoukai of Japan but Kurosaki and his friends held powers that the demon lord did not fully understand. Keeping the demon world a secret from outsiders was something Sesshoumaru wanted to maintain at all costs. He did not like the fact that the Shinigami held powers that he himself did not know how to counteract.

In order to smooth things over, Inuyasha had agreed to stay at the shrine while Kagome attended her university classes. Kagome in turn had promised her brother-in-law that she would oversee the touring group of high school students so that her grandfather didn't inadvertently spill the beans. Something the half dog demon was not altogether sure the elder Higurashi was capable of stopping himself from doing.

"Oi, Jijii, it looks like a bigger crowd than you thought. Why don't I take a smaller group and let you show the rest the shrine itself." Inuyasha gestured towards the "Substitute Group," their auras of mistrust very much apparent to his demon nose.

"Well…" the priest began but was interrupted by the smooth "salesman" voice of Miroku.

"Please, sir, allow us to help. We're just as knowledgeable about the shrine and its grounds. It would make telling all those wonderful tales so much easier." The monk and his wife stood behind the class, their smiles open and friendly. Violet eyes met gold over the heads of the students and Inuyasha nodded his head in silent thanks. Obviously Kagome had called for backup.

"That's right, Higurashi-jiisan. I'd like to tell a few," a young male voice came from the house. Standing in the kitchen doorway was Shippou, the fox demon's emerald eyes shining with mischief. His auburn hair glinted in the sunlight. Kagome's mother stood behind him, worry in her eyes.

"Do let them help, Father," she said; her normal cheerfulness missing.

"Oh, all right. Ochi-sensei, you seem like a sensible sort. You break them up into groups," the old man said. He knew he couldn't win with so many against him taking charge.

"Good, I'll take this group," Inuyasha said. He would take the ones with power away from the others. While his friends had strength and power of their own, he was their leader when all was said and done. He'd take on the more dangerous of the teens if necessary. "Follow me and we'll begin at the old well house."

Kurosaki and his friends followed silently, their tense behavior telling him that they wanted to know exactly what he was and why the God Tree had spiritual powers. Inuyasha wasn't going to give over any information that he didn't receive in return. "Now then, do you have any questions? Is there a particular story you would like to hear?"

The orange haired daiko straightened his slouched posture and cleared his throat. "We want to know what you are."

Inuyasha smiled meaningfully, allowing the group to see his fangs. The girls and one boy gasped in surprise while the others took a stance that the half demon knew all too well. "It's quid pro quo, kid. You tell, I tell."

The dark haired boy with glasses opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by the loud roar of a Hollow echoing over the shrine grounds. Normally the shrine boasted a barrier that kept most evil spirits and demons at bay but Kagome hadn't had time that morning to reinforce it so the Hollow was able to fly right over their heads. "I've got it," the lanky teen said, summoning a bow made of spiritual energy and made to shoot it down.

Another arrow, this one surrounded by pure reiki beat him to it and purified the blighted soul. "I suggest, Quincy, that you begin learning how to purify rather than destroy." Kagome's cool and patient voice reached Inuyasha's ears, allowing the half dog demon to relax somewhat.

"How did you…"

"We know quite a bit, Uryuu Ishida. Unfortunately for you, it is not enough to satisfy my brother-in-law. And as the Taiyoukai of Japan, his opinion is the only one that matters in our world." Priestess' robes blew in the gentle breeze, clearly telling all those who cared to look who she was, and Kagome smiled warmly at the gathering of wary teens. The orange haired adolescent was sporting a look that her husband had often worn during the Feudal Era and still did upon occasion. Resisting the urge to sigh, the Miko no Shikon prepared herself.

This was going to take a while.