Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. In fact, I don't own anything. So no one can sue me. Mwaha.
---
Miroku sat beside the hospital bed, watching the unconscious girl slowly breathe in and out. Her head had been bandaged after the bullet was removed. She had been a lucky one for the most part. The problem was that Kagome had brain damage, and her body had forced itself into a coma.
"DON'T GIVE ME THAT BULLSHIT, SESSHOMARU!" Inuyasha shouted. "WHO THE HELL AM I BOTHERING, WENCH? EVERYONE DOWN HERE IS IN A COMA!"
Inuyasha was quite talented, Miroku had to admit. His ability to carry on an argument with his superior and the nurse was admirable. It required a lot of thought process, and Miroku knew better than anyone how Inuyasha hated thinking. He preferred to act on instinct, something he was very good at. At the moment, he seemed to be doing both. Commendable as it was to argue with two people at once, it was a stupid idea to backtalk one's superior. Then again, this had always been the relationship between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru.
"NO, YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO THAT NARAKU IS BEHIND THIS SCREW UP! WELL, WHEN THE VISITORS COMPLAIN, TELL THEM TO SHOVE IT RIGHT BACK UP THEIR ASS!"
Inuyasha was going to get in trouble, and then Miroku would be left alone with the pretty young Kagome. What a fate.
"YOU'RE IN CHARGE OF NARAKU, SO DO SOMETHING! HE ANSWERS TO YOU! YOU CAN FIRE HIM, SESSHOMARU, SO DO IT! WELL, THE SECURITY CAN SHOVE IT UP THEIR ASSES TOO!"
It was only when Inuyasha was really upset that he called Sesshomaru by his real name. Usually preferred the name "Fluffy", even to Sesshomaru's face. When his anger reached its height, however, the petty nicknames were abandoned. Inuyasha also, though Miroku knew not how it was possible, shouted louder than he usually did when seriously angered.
"TOURAN'S DEMANDING I FIRE SOMEONE, SO NOW I'M DEMANDING IT FROM YOU, AND IT BETTER BE NARAKU! IT TAKES REAL TALENT TO SAY A LIVING GIRL'S DEAD, AND—WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?"
Miroku couldn't help but smile knowingly as he listened, though all he could pick up were Inuyasha's angry shouts.
"I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE, SO YOU—YOU GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME, DAMMIT! I SAID I WASN'T LEAVING, AND I DAMN WELL AM NOT GOING ANY—GIVE ME THAT PHONE! GET AWAY FROM ME AND—YOU IDIOT! YOU JUST HUNG UP ON SESSHOMARU! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW IF HE'S GONNA FIRE NARAKU NOW? GET AWAY FROM ME, DAMMIT!"
The security must have successfully apprehended Inuyasha because his voice grew continually fainter until Miroku could no longer hear him. He contemplated for several minutes remaining with the girl—he would hate for any harm to come to her—but then his cell phone rang. He recognized the number instantly and couldn't hold back his smile as he answered.
"Watase."
"Yeah, yeah, just get your ass down here," came Inuyasha's annoyed tone.
"You sound so much better," Miroku commented.
"Hurry up," Inuyasha said. "Classes start in an hour at Shikon University, and I'm betting we'll find that brunette in one of Kagome's classes."
---
"Yes, yes," said the bubbly man. Inuyasha tried not to act repulsed. "Kagome Higurashi is in my debate class. Such a bright girl; she always wins our debates. Very clever, she's such a pleasure to have. I am her debate teacher, Mr. Takeda Nobunaga. It's a pleasure to meet you!"
"Jealousy of her intelligence could be a motive," Miroku murmured. People had killed for stupider things.
"And she was here yesterday?" Inuyasha asked.
"Oh, yes," Nobunaga said. "She won our debate, too. So very clever. She trapped Mr. Tsuzitani in two minutes and won!"
"Tsuzitani?" Inuyasha and Miroku asked simultaneously.
"Yes, Onigumo Tsuzitani," Nobunaga said. "Are you familiar with him?"
"We're familiar with his criminal record," Inuyasha said, "and his brother."
"Naraku? Oh, then you must be with CSI! Onigumo thinks very highly of his brother."
"I'll bet he does," Inuyasha said.
"Would you mind if we borrowed Onigumo for a few minutes when he comes in?" Miroku asked.
"Not at all!" Nobunaga said. "Second best debater in our class, next to Miss Higurashi, so he should have no trouble picking up what he misses."
Miroku thanked the man and followed Inuyasha to the door where they kept an eye out for Onigumo.
"Second best," Miroku said. "If Kagome were to suddenly turn up dead, Onigumo would be number one. And debate is a hard way to go down, especially when his brother is known for talking his way out of anything."
"I imagine they've exchanged some pointers," Inuyasha said. "Best way to win a debate, best way to kill a competitor—you know, whatever came up."
"You really ought to get some evidence on Naraku before you openly accuse him in public," Miroku said.
"I don't need evidence. It's enough to know he did it," Inuyasha said, eyes scanning the on comers. "There!"
The boy was walking by himself, cold eyes fixed on the door. His resemblance to Naraku was unmistakable. His gaze didn't waver until Inuyasha grabbed his arm to stop him from going inside.
"Onigumo Tsuzitani?"
The boy stared coldly at Inuyasha, which Inuyasha took to be a "yes".
"Come with us."
Inuyasha had no idea where he was leading Miroku and Onigumo. They traveled down several hallways with Inuyasha inconspicuously peering through windows to find an empty classroom. The first time he thought he'd found one, he made quite a display of his entrance only to find that the class was watching a movie. Therefore he made much less of a show when he walked into the second dark classroom.
"All right," Inuyasha said, "when was the last time you saw Kagome Higurashi?"
"In Government," Onigumo said indifferently. "That's the last class I have with her."
"So you have no idea where she went after classes or who she might have been with?"
Onigumo shrugged. "She's always around Sango Natsuki. Ask her."
"Who else does Kagome spend a lot of time with?" Miroku asked, taking note of the name.
"Kouga Nagashima, Akitoki Hojo, Yuka Kirihara, Eri Suou, Ayumi Kusakabe, Hakkaku Aogiri, Ginta Kotani, Ayame Wakinosa. They're a weird group."
"How about enemies?" Inuyasha asked. "Know any enemies Kagome might have?"
Onigumo's eyes flashed. "No."
"You can't think of any enemies?" Miroku said.
"Sorry," Onigumo said, not sounding very sorry at all. "No one comes to mind."
"And you're sure Government was the last time you saw Kagome?" Miroku said.
Onigumo nodded in an annoyed way.
"Then you wouldn't have any idea where Kagome is now or what's happened to her?" Inuyasha probed.
"Don't be stupid," Onigumo said. "Of course I do. Naraku worked on her case, dolt."
"Naraku shouldn't be telling you anything about his work," Inuyasha said triumphantly. "That's confidential!"
"Well now I know what's happened to her, since you confirmed Naraku was there. Thanks." Onigumo turned away and toward the door. "I have to get back to class. Nice chatting with you."
Inuyasha looked at Miroku as the door shut. "Who is it we're looking for first?"
Miroku scrolled down his notes. "Sango Natsuki."
---
"Noon?" Inuyasha snapped. He gave an angry sigh and looked at Miroku. "I need coffee."
Miroku laughed and set down his notes on the counter. "Done."
As his friend left to get coffee, Inuyasha stole a glance at his companion's notes. "When's Kouga Nagashima's first class? It had better be before noon!"
The student administrator was a kind but ancient-looking woman that had the distinguished air of living a thousand more years than Inuyasha could ever hope to live. She was protective of the student profiles, and it taken a lot to convince her to share the student schedules with them. It had taken even more to find out her name—the only reason they knew it was because Miroku spotted her nametag.
"Kouga Nagashima has his first class at eight," Kaede Arakawa said after she searched for his schedule on her computer. "Psychology with Mr. Totosai Wakamiya."
Inuyasha scribbled the time and class down next to the name. "Akitoki Hojo."
"He is currently in English with Miss Kanna Kouji."
"Great. Yuka Kirihara."
"Debate with Mr. Takeda Nobunaga."
Inuyasha growled. They'd missed her. "What's her next class?"
Kaede looked up at Inuyasha from her computer. "Should I just print out the student's schedules that you want?"
"Sure," Inuyasha said snappishly, annoyed that he hadn't thought of this first. "I need Kouga Nagashima, Akitoki Hojo, Yuka Kirihara, Eri Suou, Ayumi Kusakabe, Hakkaku Aogiri, Ginta Kotani, and Ayame Wakinosa."
Kaede continued to stare at him. "You expect an old woman like me to remember all of that? Give me your list."
As Kaede reached out for it, Inuyasha snatched it back. "You can't have it! This is confidential information!"
"The names of a few students at Shikon University are confidential?"
"Yes!" Inuyasha said. He paused, rethinking what he had just said. "No! It's what else is on here that's confidential, stupid hag."
Kaede rolled her eyes. "You're a pleasant one." She reached for something on either side of her and then handed a pad of paper and a pen across the counter. "Then write the names down that I need to know and I won't have to see your confidential information."
"Don't mock me, old woman," Inuyasha snarled, beginning to write down the names.
Kaede had opened her mouth to speak, but the phone rang at that precise moment. She picked it up and, with a tone that showed she had done it a thousand times, said, "Kaede Arakawa, student administrator at Shikon University, speaking. How may I help you?"
Inuyasha couldn't hear the person on the other line, but he noticed Kaede's expression changes even as he wrote. In fact, her expression changed so many times that he stopped concentrating on what he was writing just to watch her. She seemed to be in robotic mode when she answered the telephone, then went to surprise, then to contentment, then to shock (which was different from surprise because shock was some kind of bad surprise), and then there was silence.
Kaede's mouth was slightly open, and after a moment of gaining control of herself, she glanced up at Inuyasha warily and said into the phone, "Kikyo, how did you come across this information?"
Inuyasha's eyes widened. Kikyo…?
Kaede again looked cautiously at Inuyasha. "Yes… Kagome is dead."
With catlike reflexes, Inuyasha snatched the phone away and jammed it to his ear. "Kikyo?"
There was a pause on the other end of the line.
"Inuyasha?"
"Kikyo!" Inuyasha said. "What are you calling here for?"
There was another pause.
"I wanted to see if it was true that Kagome Higurashi was dead," Kikyo Mashima said.
"Who told you she was dead?"
Another pause.
"Kikyo, who told you?" Inuyasha pressed.
Another pause, and then an intake of breath.
"A policeman. I went to Kagome's house this morning and there was police tape everywhere. A policeman wouldn't allow me inside and told me there had been a double homicide. There are only two people who live in that house. Is Aunt Arisa dead too?"
Inuyasha did a double take. "Aunt?"
"Kagome Higurashi is my cousin."
So it was true: you did learn new things every day. "Kikyo…" Inuyasha said, pausing as he let out his breath, unsure how to continue. "Yeah, Arisa Higurashi is dead. Kagome isn't, though. That policeman was wrong. Kagome survived."
There was another pause.
"Kikyo?"
There was a weak laugh at the other end of the line. "She's okay. Kagome survived. She's all right!"
Inuyasha slowly smiled. "Yeah."
"Where is she?"
"At FSH," Inuyasha said, referencing the Four Souls Hospital. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should tell her Kagome's condition, but couldn't bring himself to destroy the relief that had come over his girlfriend. Instead he said, "Hey, I'll come by your place tonight, all right? Around eightish?"
"Good," Kikyo said. "I can't wait to see you."
"Me too," Inuyasha said. "Bye, Kikyo."
"Goodbye."
Inuyasha handed Kaede the phone. She quickly put the phone to her ear, but silence on the other end indicated Kikyo had already hung up. Kaede did the same.
"What was that about?" Kaede said.
"Why was Kikyo calling an old hag like you?" Inuyasha asked.
Kaede looked affronted. "I am Kikyo's older sister! Who are you?"
Inuyasha's eyes widened. Kikyo never mentioned a cousin or a sister. Then again, she didn't like to do much talking. "I'm her boyfriend."
It was Kaede's turn to be surprised. Her eyes grew to the size of plates, and then in an instant narrowed into slits. "I don't like you."
Inuyasha found his attitude again. "Good, 'cause I don't like you either, old woman!"
"If you lay a hand on my sister—"
"COFFEE!" Miroku said exuberantly as he walked through the door. "I even took the liberty of getting Miss Arakawa one."
It took Kaede a moment to revert from her lethal demeanor, but after a moment she smiled at Miroku. "Ah, thank you. You seem much more suitable than this buffoon who tags along with you."
Inuyasha's vein pulsed. "Suitable for what? And I don't tag along with him!"
"Be quiet," Kaede said dismissively, taking the coffee Miroku offered. "Thank you very much, Mr…?"
"Please, call me Miroku," Miroku said charmingly.
"Miroku," Kaede said, smiling all the more. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"And to you, Miss Arakawa," Miroku said. His next question seemed to be directed at either of the two. "Have we got our schedules yet?"
"I was just getting on that," Kaede said. She snatched the paper away from Inuyasha, who had forgotten to hand it to her when he finished writing. After one glance at it, she glared at Inuyasha. "Come now, how am I supposed to read this? Can't you do anything right?"
"It looks as though you two have gotten along well," Miroku said with a smile. "Here, give me the list, Miss Arakawa, and I will rewrite it for you."
"Oh, such a kind young man," Kaede said, "unlike some people."
"All right, hag, if you're going to keep talking this bullshit, I'm—!"
"Inuyasha," Miroku chastised as he revised Inuyasha's work, "you mustn't use such language in front of a lady."
It was clear that Kaede could not have adored Miroku more.
"Shut up!" Inuyasha snapped. "If I wanted your opinion, I'd have asked for it!"
"Except that you don't ask for anything," Miroku said. "You either demand it or don't say anything, so I have to speak up for myself all the time so you can keep your pride."
Another vein throbbed. "I DO NOT—!"
"Done!" Miroku interrupted, paying his companion no attention whatsoever. "I hope this helps you, Miss Arakawa."
"Call me Kaede," Kaede said with a smile, taking the list from Miroku. "Oh, here we are. Now I understand, since some people are capable of writing in the English language. Yes, Mr. Nagashima, Mr. Hojo, Miss Kirihara, Miss Suou, Miss Kusakabe, Mr. Aogiri, Mr. Kotani, Miss Wakinosa… wait, Miss Wakinosa?"
"Is there a problem, Kaede?" Miroku asked kindly.
"I'm afraid I don't know a Miss Wakinosa," Kaede said. She turned to her computer and searched for Ayame Wakinosa. A single result popped up, and Kaede clicked it for a picture and information. She recognized the girl immediately. "Ah, yes, Ayame. Mrs. Nagashima."
"Mrs. Nagashima?" Inuyasha asked in surprise as Miroku looked over his list.
"That's the same name as Kouga Nagashima," Miroku said.
"Yes," Kaede said, making a point of ignoring Inuyasha and answering only to Miroku. This caused another vein to pop, but Inuyasha remained silent so that he could hear the explanation. "Her real name must be Ayame Wakinosa, but she tells everyone her name is Ayame Nagashima. She's got her heart set on marrying Mr. Nagashima, you see. Poor girl."
"Poor girl?" Miroku asked.
"Yes," Kaede said. "It's very sweet, what she's doing, but Mr. Nagashima doesn't return her feelings, that much is obvious. He's had his heart set on Kagome since the day he met her. Ayame won't give up, though. She hasn't stopped telling people her name is Ayame Nagashima since she met Koga when she first arrived a year after he did. He was already courting Kagome by this time, of course."
"So Koga is dating Kagome?" Miroku asked.
"Well, not quite," Kaede said, smiling at Miroku. "He claims he loves Kagome, but I've never heard Kagome say the same to him. They talk all the time and have several classes together, and there have been plenty of rumors that they were dating, of course, but I've seen no actual evidence for that."
There was a beep behind Kaede, and she turned around to grab several papers from the printer behind her. She handed them to Miroku with that same admiring smile. "Here you are."
"Thank you, Kaede," Miroku said with a charming smile of his own. "You've been invaluable to us."
"I'm glad to be of help," Kaede said. "Come back whenever you need anything, anything at all."
"Thank you for the offer," Miroku said. "I look forward to taking you up on it. And now we must be on our way. Until we meet again."
"Goodbye!" Kaede said, waving to Miroku from her desk.
Inuyasha huffed and glared at Miroku as soon as the door shut behind them. "Feh. What was that?"
"What was what?" Miroku asked innocently.
"That woman was in her seventies, eighties! You were hitting on her!"
"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Inuyasha," Miroku said, smiling. "I was simply establishing a good relationship."
"'A good relationship'," Inuyasha said mockingly. "I'd call you a pedophile, except that woman was three times your age."
"Really, Inuyasha," Miroku said, "you need to start thinking more. That was the student administrator, and thanks to me, we've got connections with her now. Did you hear what she said? 'Come back whenever you need anything at all.' Now she'll be willing to help us in the future."
"Why the hell would we want to talk to her again?" Inuyasha said.
Miroku sighed. "You'll never learn."
"Not likely."
"So what happened to make you two go at each other so?"
"Nothing," Inuyasha said intemperately.
"Mm hmm," Miroku said. "But that's the tone of 'nothing' that really means 'something'."
"Go screw someone."
"How I would like that after an all nighter," Miroku said dramatically. "Then again, I'm sure there are plenty of beautiful girls on the campus that would only be too happy to bare—"
"You know, I think I liked you better when you were an old-lady-phile," Inuyasha said sadistically.
---
A/N:
I love the weekends. Like, you have no idea how happy weekends make me. TGIF is, of course, wonderful, but I still have school on Friday. TGIS rocks my socks. Screw Fridays. Who needs them when you've got Saturdays, which also include new anime episodes? Really, how can Fridays compete?
Next chapter, Inuyasha and Miroku are scheduled to meet Kouga Nagashima. Past that, I can only imagine what's going to happen.
Thankx for reading, but since you've bothered to read it, take a moment (or several, since long reviews rock) to review it and tell me your opinions. Thankx again!
Riles
