the story finished, just gotta post all the chapters


A small boy, about the age of 10 sat in the small yet homey shrine, greedily slurping up the last of his soup, he groaned as he liked his lips, " Kaede, you make the best beef stew in the entire neighborhood."

The older woman smiled, " Thank you child, I am glad you enjoyed it."

His older sister frowned as she stared at her brother, " Did you have to enjoy it so loudly?"

He glanced at her and grinned, " Jealous I got the last bowl?"

She huffed, arms crossing, " Shut up."

He just laughed, setting the bowl on the ground before standing. She watched him, he was getting so tall, " Where you going?"

He stretched his arms over his head, " Me and some of the guys are going to throw rocks in the creek."

A hand immediately reached for her bag, " I'll go with you."

He rolled his dark brown eyes, picking up his no sleeved vest. " I'm not a baby Zhanza, I don't need a chaperon."

She frowned, watching him go, she didn't treat him like a baby, she just didn't want to see him get hurt. She wanted to protect him; he was all the family she had left.

" Here child."

She turned, seeing Kaede offering her a freshly made bowl of stew. Zhanza smiled, " Thank you Kaede."

Kaede just nodded, the girl was an orphan with her brother. She only been 18 for 3 months but already had all paperwork filed out to be her brother's legal guardian. She worked part time for 3 different jobs just to provide a roof for her brother and studied her miko abilities whenever she got a chance. " Working as hard as you are sure to bring a large appetite."

Zhanza nodded, already digging into her food, her baby brother was right, Kaede made the best stew. Kaede cleared away empty bowls, setting them to the side to be washed later. " He has a point you know. You cannot shelter him from everything."

She glanced up to the elder, then frowned, knowing what she was talking about and knowing she was right. She sighed heavily, looking into her soup, " He's all I have, I just want to make sure he's safe."

" Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. Growing up is a process we all must face, instead of protecting him, show him how to protect himself."

Zhanza frowned, eyes furrowing in thought, Kaede made a good point. She would never be able to be there for him at all times. He had to be a man, be able to protect himself and someday his wife and kids. Maybe she should loosen the reigns a bit, let him live just a little more freely of her always watchful gaze.

Kaede took a load off, sitting by the warm fire. It wasn't particularly cold today, but she had a chill she couldn't get rid of.

Zhanza immediately picked up on the sudden change in the room. Everything became stifled, as if the walls had secrets. Gently she put the bowl down, concern now on her face, " Is everything alright Kaede?"

A brown eye glanced at her then back to her hands. They were old but firm, strong with years of working and fighting to keep others safe. She frowned at her current thoughts, still conflicted with the decision she made earlier. She broke an oath and knew he would eventually find out. Eventually hold her accountable for what she did.

Zhanza watched her elder, never seeing so many upsetting emotions play on her face. Something was seriously eating at the woman, " Kaede.."

She looked up, the severity of the stare made the young girl voice catch in her throat. The look was intense with determination. Her voice thick with a hard emotion, as if she was building a wall to block out the aftershock of what she was about to say. She glanced down once again at her hands for a moment and pulled a rolled-up parchment out of her sleeve.

She did not look up as she spoke, " I asked you to come here today for a reason. I am about to ask a great deal of you child. You are my last and most trustworthy and capable student. I cannot trust anyone else with this task."

Zhanza felt a chill, a slight flicker of fear tingling under her skin, " What's going on Kaede?"

Kaede finally looked up and the girl was almost shocked to see actual tears running from the elder's brown eye. " This is my will. I have no living relatives or children of my own. I need you to take my will and keep it safe."

Zhanza frowned, confusion on her face, " Kaede, what's going on, why are you crying?"

She simply shook her head and stood, letting out a heavy breath, " The past I kept hidden for so long has finally came to light and I finally did what I felt was right. But because I choose to neglect my duties before it is now all coming back to haunt me."

Zhanza stood, completely lost to what was going on, " What past, who's light? What does this have to do with me? What's haunting you? What is going on?!"

Kaede pivoted, quite quickly for someone of her age, an urgency in her tone, " The details to the situation are unimportant! All that matters is what I am telling you now. Thousands of lives are at stake because of me. Because of what I failed to do all those years ago and now I must pay for my mistakes. This is why I need you to hold my will."

She grabbed the younger girl's arms in a firm grip, staring into chocolate brown eyes, " Can I trust in you to do this for me."

Zhanza blinked, never have she seen Kaede so aggressively demanding, this must be bigger than she thought or knew about. Slowly she nodded her head, " Yes. I'll do it."

She suddenly frowned, " But can you at least tell me what's going on?"

Kaede placed the letter in her hand then touched her shoulder, " If I was to die, read it and it will tell you what to do next."

Zhanza nodded, " I will do as you ask."

Kaede nodded. " Go to your brother."

Zhanza bowed her head for a moment before turning, heading for the door.

Kaede stood there for a moment, watching the door slide closed. She turned to the darkness of the next room and frowned. " Are you going to watch me all night?"

A figure separated from the shadow; Gruff stepped into the room dressed in all black. Those green eyes hard and narrowed, " It was smart of you to leave a will."

Kaede simply nodded, " I knew you would come."

He stepped closer, " I have only one question. Why?"

Kaede frowned, taking a cautious step back, " She needs to know what she really is."

Gruff stepped closer, the inu had an entire file on his daughter that he had to get rid of. He was already looking into what she really was. Kaede gave the demon lord exactly what he wanted, she told so much personal information without consent, " It was not your place to tell."

" And it's not yours to keep it from her."

He frowned, " I am her father. I do what's best to protect her."

Kaede backed against her kitchenette, " You have been lying to her for almost 16 years."

He frowned at the accusation, " It was the right thing to do, she cannot control it."

" How do you know? She is so much stronger than she was when she was a child. How do you know she can't control it?"

Green eyes narrowed, a hand wrapped around a fragile neck, cutting off the elder's air supply. " Because I seen what was inside of her. I am her father and I say what's best for her. You broke a vow." He threatened, a dangerous gleam in his glowing green eyes.

Kaede coughed, realizing she was at least a foot off the ground. " I can't breathe." she gasped out.

Gruff simply stared at her, his tightened on the neck he was using to hold Kaede's body up. Her face was starting to turn blue, he just watched, his hand squeezing just a bit more. Kaede slapped weakly at the hand around her neck, seeing spots before her eye, " Please." she gasped out.

Gruff stared at her for moment longer, his face void of any expression. His back pocket started to vibrate; he knew from the ringtone who it was. He suddenly opened her hand, letting Kaede drop to the ground with a plop. Kaede coughed, taking in deep breaths, rubbing her sore neck. Gruff simply turned away, " Your life is not spared, your death is simply delayed." he said walking away, pulling out his phone.

He pressed it to his ear as he stepped outside, " Are you alright?"

" Kagome was taken."

Gruff paused at the male's voice calling from his daughter's number, " Lord Sesshomaru? What happened?"

" We are at your office; I will explain once you get here."

Gruff frowned as the line disconnected, he shook his head, this was not good. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach and his intuition was always right. Sesshomaru was not the only one doing research on his daughter, he had the feeling Naraku knew exactly what Kagome was. And this war was part of his plans to use her in some way. He surrounded himself with his magic, his body turning to matter as he orbed himself back to his office.


Ayame was rolling her eyes, Hampton was being an idiot for the 100th time today. At times she actually wondered how they became so close; the man was an absolute moron.

" Let me just get a picture."

Ayame frowned, " Stupid, would you relax, they're just shoes."

The tiger glanced behind him, he was bent by the lord of the west's feet, " Uh Hello. These are the limited addition red Kobe 8s. Only 100 pairs were made, and they were sold out before they even came out. Do you know how much these shoes are worth."

Ayame put her hands on her hips, " Our friend was just kidnapped and you're over here drooling over her husband's sneakers. Are you serious right now!"

He just pulled out his phone, tapping on the camera, " I never thought I'd see them in real life."

Sesshomaru glanced down, mentally he smirked, he wasn't expecting the tiger to know what type of shoes he was wearing but as soon as he and Rin walked in the office the man eyes went as wide as saucers. He immediately dropped to the ground to inspect the shoes to make sure they were real. Once he realized they were, he has been nonstop obsessing over them, the demon lord was flattered. Speaking of Rin, she has yet to let go of his arm and has been hiding behind him since they got here. He wondered for a moment if she was in shock, it wouldn't be too farfetched of a thought. The girl was just chased across roof tops by men with guns and almost fell to her death. Even though she was very mature for her age, she was only 10, it was a lot to take in.

He had just hung up the phone with Gruff and wasn't surprised when a green mist suddenly powdered the room before converting to light. Gruff then stepped out of the portal and looked around. Sesshomaru expected something like this, he knew the man had some means of transportation that didn't include flying or a car. He felt those green eyes land on him before slowly looking him over, his brow went up as they landed on his feet, " Are those..."

Hampton grinned with a nod, " I said the same thing."

Ayame frowned, " Enough with the shoes already! What about Kagome?"

Gruff nodded, " Right, absolutely." he walked over and bent, " But first let me get a picture."

Hampton laughed as Gruff's flash went off and he stood, he glanced to the demon lord, " So what happened?"

Sesshomaru shook his head, " A gang tried to take Rin from my home, Kagome and I gave chase for a few blocks and ended up on the roof of some building. She fell over and a portal opened up beneath her."

Gruff frowned, " Were they using modified weapons?"

Sesshomaru nodded, " Naraku's behind this."

Green eyes glanced down to the small girl, she shrunk under the stare and pressed herself against the back of the demon lord. She was scared, they all can smell it, he bent, " You wanna go lay down kid?"

She shook her head, the hand not on Sesshomaru's wrist grabbing a hand full of his shirt, burying her face into his back. Amber eyes glanced down before he raised his hand, Rin looked up as it was placed on her head, he simply nodded, " I will not leave without you."

The small girl blinked, tears in her brown eyes at what she lost today, another mother she felt so strongly for. She couldn't lose the only thing she had left of Kagome, the true love she had for her husband, " Promise?"

He rubbed her head softly, " Promise."

She nodded and wiped her eyes before turning to the man that was still bending, " You want me to wait in her office?"

Gruff nodded," If that's alright with you."

Rin agreed, " Okay." she turned to the demon lord, " I'll wait in her office."

Sesshomaru patted her head once more before she smiled and slowly walked off. Gruff stood, watching the small girl go, he was surprised at the connection the girl and demon lord had. He was sure having her around was Kagome's idea, but the small girl now walked away coated in the inu's aura. The demon lord was more protective of her than he realized.

Gruff turned, " So this is going to be some bad news on top of bad news." he said, walking over to the monitors on the other side of the room.

Hampton raised a brow, " What you mean?"

The only supposed human in the room just frowned, picking up a remote and pressing a button. The screen behind him lit up and showed pins on a map around the city. He turned looking at it, " The tracker Kagome got on Kagura is still operational. These are all her locations in the last 24 hours."

The tiger shook his head, it looked like random locations to him, " And?"

Green eyes glanced over his shoulder for a moment before he stepped forward and tapped a finger on one of the pins, " She spent at least 20 minutes on Downman Rd."

Ayame frowned, " That's where the Shikon Academy for the Holy is."

And the tiger shook his head, not catching on, " So?"

Ayame rolled her eyes, looking to her partner, " Kikyou works there."

Hampton blinked then frowned, " Another kidnapping." he then made a face, " What would they want with Kikyou though?"

Sesshomaru was thinking the same thing, what could Naraku plans be that would involve Kikyou? It was a set up, it had to be, nothing was making sense. All the plays and moves Naraku was making, it couldn't just be because he wanted to start a war. This was about Kagome, he knew it, everything this hanyou was doing was for his wife. But why? Why was he obsessed with her? Kagome's voice suddenly whispered in his head, He's the reason I went to jail that night.

Sesshomaru frowned, he then heard Kaede's voice, I don't know what happened that night, Gruff made her mind forget most of it and anything to do with the demon inside her.

His frown deepened as his mind tried to put the puzzle pieces together, she is the key to this war. He suddenly blinked, the pieces clicking into place, " He's going to recreate that night."

Everyone turned to him, " What?"

Before Sesshomaru can open his mouth, a hand landed on his shoulder, " Can I speak with you for a moment."

The demon lord looked to his supposed father-in-law with a frown, before nodding and following him into his office.

Gruff let him walk in first before turning and locking the door, Sesshomaru felt the barrier encase them, shutting out the outside world. His defenses went up as he stepped back keeping his eyes on the man before him.

Gruff just turned, he can feel the anticipation in the aura of the young demon lord, he shook his head, " What did Kaede tell you?"

Sesshomaru raised a brow at the accurate assumption, how did this man know he seen the priestess. Has he been following him this entire time, researching him as he researched his wife, " You are the one who stole the file out of my father's home."

Gruff just nodded, being honest, " Yes."

Sesshomaru crossed his arms, " What are you?"

" What did Kaede tell you about Kagome."

The demon lord frowned, " I'm sure you already know."

Gruff took a step closer, " Do you believe it?"

Sesshomaru stood his ground, not intimidated, " Yes."

Gruff sighed, then shook his head, " She loves you." he mumbled, before taking a seat in one of his recliners. " I hope you know that."

Sesshomaru raised a brow at the sudden change to the conversation, slowly he took a seat across from the man, " How do you know its love?"

Gruff smirked, " I never seen my Kagome like this around anyone, especially a man. The way she glows around you. The way she smiles around you. The girl is head over heels." He nodded softly, " I've known her for so long, I know her better than she knows herself."

Sesshomaru blinked, " You are not human."

Gruff just agreed, " No I'm not. I am a Keeper of Fate, created by Izanami to keep the lines of destiny straight and moving forward."

Sesshomaru raised a brow, " What does that mean?"

Gruff chuckled softly, " Kid, I've been on this earth before anything was created, I helped nurture life into existence. Each species down to the different types of plants have been touched by my hands to help them grow into what they are now."

" You are immortal."

" Yes, I am."

" Then what are you doing here?"

Gruff just leaned back in his chair, " Kagome." he smiled at the thought, " I was told 20 years before she was born to create the agency. I was actually upset I had to stay in one spot for so long, working everyday like a normal person. But then one day Izanami calls on me."

He smiled, " She showed me an image of Kagome in her cell fighting for dear life against the demons that were attacking her."

Sesshomaru blinked at the plural, " I thought there was only one."

Gruff blinked as well, " As many times as you touched her, you never felt the scar on her side?"

Sesshomaru shook his head, Gruff raised a brow, " Under her tattoo. That's why she got the damn thing, to cover it up."

Sesshomaru again just shook his head, Gruff just frowned, " Naraku encountered her demon and now wants to pull it out of her."

" Is that why you decided to suddenly share?"

He shook his head, " No, I'm telling you this because I need you to understand that no one else can know the truth about Kagome."

Sesshomaru frowned, " Her team needs to know if they are to rescue her."

Gruff disagreed, " There is no rescuing Kagome from this demon, it is a part of her like the priestess is a part of Kikyou. She will live with this demon for the rest of her life, pulling its spirit out of her will kill her."

" Is that why you used magic to keep it a secret from her."

Gruff frowned, standing, " The less she knows, the better."

Sesshomaru stood as well, " That is not your call, she is an adult."

The man suddenly turned to the demon lord, his eyes flashing blue for a moment, his anger spiking the air around them, " Do not attempt to tell me what is best for this world or my Kagome."

Sesshomaru stood his ground though he felt his skin tingle from the ancient power that radiated off the man, " She is not a child anymore, she can make her own choices."

Gruff glared at him for a moment, then shook his head turning away, " Don't say a word to the team about this or Kagome. I will rescue her on my own."

Sesshomaru stepped forward, the words coming out his mouth before he had a chance to censor himself, " The fuck you are."

Gruff blinked, then turned to the demon lord, he raised a brow, staring at the man's face for a moment, " You love her."

Sesshomaru blinked, taken back at the sudden statement, his mouth opened but then closed. He suddenly shook his head, " She's my responsibility, I'm coming too."

Gruff stared at the demon for a little longer, a whisper in his head telling him to comply, he nodded, " Alright but if you die, I'm not bringing you back."

Sesshomaru raised a brow, " You can do that?"

Gruff just smirked and turned, unlocking the door and walking out the room. Sesshomaru followed the man back to the debriefing room. He clapped his hands to get the teams attention, " Alright people its crisis time. A war is starting." He looked to Hampton, " Sync up with local PD and get a control on the riots that are breaking out."

He then turned to Ayame, " Sink any shipment that's coming in with those modified guns on them."

The wolf raised a brow, " What about Kagome?"

Gruff nodded, " I'm on her, I need you two to make sure the rebels don't collide until I return."

They both nodded, never one to disobey or question their boss, " On it." they said, turning, heading towards the weapon's room.

Sesshomaru raised a brow as they left the room, he felt his pocket vibrate before he reached down and pulled out his phone. He frowned at the latest text on Kagome's phone, " They want So'unga in exchange for Kagome."

He turned to Gruff, " Why would they want the sword of death?"

Gruff just raised a brow, " Why do you think I know?"

" Do you?"

" If I did, I probably shouldn't share."

" The council needs to know what's going on."

Gruff just nodded, " And they will. After it's over. Let's go."

Sesshomaru walked with him to the elevator, " Where are we going?"

" To get the sword and Souta, he has to come with us."

Sesshomaru shook his head, " Kagome will not be happy if we put her brother in any danger."

" We'll just have to look out for him, but he has to come with us."

" Why?"

Green eyes glanced over, " You know, you ask a lot of questions for the silent type."

Sesshomaru raised a brow, he could see where Kagome got her mannerisms from, he didn't respond to the bait. Knowing he was just changing the subject, " Let's just get my wife."


more to come