Inuyasha was annoyed…why was he annoyed? Because the minute he set foot in the Western Palace…he was escorted to Sesshomaru's study and instructed to READ, word for word READ all the files and reports that came in. It's been an hour since he arrived, and instead of drinking all the sake he can, eating all the meat noodle soup he can…he was reading Kanji…the JOY of it…

"…Security breach in Prime Minister Kyo's estate at 5am this morning…the suspects were en-route to the building Prime Minister Kyo's eldest daughter, and confirmed to be off Minister Ryo's household…" Inuyasha read out loud before sighing 'Keh what is wrong with that man, storming the Prime Minister's estate in the dead of night wearing their own crest?'

"Minister Ryo demands compensation for the random brutalizing of his guards, asking for a large section of the Prime Minister's land…" Inuyasha wanted to shred the scroll so badly now. 'Baka Official at least try to cover your own tracks before arrogantly demanding retribution!'

"Prime Minister Kyo demands retribution for opposing party defiling his daughter and disrupting the family" 'What the heck, he only peeked at your daughter sleeping…sure it's bad but it doesn't need to be brought to the attention of my brother, it can easily be settled between the two privately.'

Feeling annoyed and confused at the complexities of court, Inuyasha ran a bell on the desk, intending to ask for a bottle of sake, and a plate of snacks. Maybe Rin's sweet little cakes, and mochi. If not a plate of dried, seasoned meat was nice along with the sake. It'll make the rest of the document easier to read. Besides all that thinking made him hungry, and it's been a while since he's had any good drinks. The village didn't offer much.

Inuyasha was irked at the waiting he had to do for someone to answer his call. Rin's letters to Kagome told how all the girl had to do was ring and someone was at her beck and call. The names and words on the scrolls started looking like dish names. Inuyasha even caught himself wondering if the scroll itself got it's colour from being dropped into soy sauce. Everything about it seemed to be mocking him. "Haha We're not edible...we're not edible." Kanji was hard to read, but he could manage normally...now under hunger the letters started reminding him of ramen and that clear rice-noodle sometimes used in sashimi.

The servant that came in about 10 minutes later, looked at him with surprise. Inuyasha didn't blame the man, he had been gnawing on the brush...his hungry mind thinking it looked like Karaage (fried chicken)... But the servant's shocked face soon melted into that way to familiar look of disdain.

"What do you want half-breed" If he weren't so hungry, and tired...scratching the man's throat with his claws would be very tempting. Or even grabbing Tessaiga...but right now all he could think of is food, and the servant's head looked like a small golden piece of Rin's tamagoyaki...

"You got a problem with me, servant?" Inuyasha hated food that was too salty, and this egg-man in front of him was way to salty.

"Who, me? I won't dare, you're Sesshomaru-sama's Half brother after all, and the Guard Dog of the Shikon Priestess."

Inuyasha growled at the stress on the word "half" and the obvious disgust when he said, "Shikon Priestess" Standing up Inuyasha grabbed the man by the collar of his cotton robe. He hated double edged swords...remembering hearing them so often as a child.

"Listen bud, I don't care what your issue is with me, but I am not a guard dog and I won't let you talk about Kagome in such a tone!"

"Humans are all the same worthless scum, especially peasants who are good for nothing. Bothersome mouths that don't know how to shut up"

"Heh, I dare you so say that, in that same hateful tone, to Rin. If you can do that, I'll respect you"

"Don't you dare talk about Lady Rin so casually Half-breed, she's the Master's mate, and a very smart girl, unlike the one you guard so faithfully"

"Oi I told you not to call me a guard dog! And Kagome is just as good as Rin!"

"Keh, like you'd know you lawless, uncouth cad, you're own father never even saw you, and your mother was disowned because of you. You're nothing but a disgrace to all. It's a miracle Sesshomaru-sama tolerates you. There are other much better than you to…"

Something in Inuyasha's mind clicked, the servant before him…must be loyal to either Minister Ryo or Prime Minster Kyo. He talked just like the missives, very arrogant, very self-righteous. The two were currently at each others throats…which was good, or his brother would have to worry about a possible political upheaval just because of Rin. So what if she wore his Mokomoko? She is the Lady isn't she? She has a right to wear one...

'All this trouble...for ONE PIECE OF FASHION?! What was up with these people did they have nothing better to do with their time?' That thought made Inuyasha smirk almost as scarily as Sesshomaru when he goes to kill. This master-servant...once he finds out the names were going to suffer... SNOW SHOVELLING for a week. He'd be kind and provide the shovels of course..the BIG wide heavy ones from Kagome's time, and sentence them to shovelling all the snow around the city.

"To what Take over as LORD? HAH, you can on home and tell your master whoever that I'd like to see him try and challenge Sesshomaru. BUT he must first get past ME! Sesshomaru's my brother and I don't care how much he hates me, I'm not letting one of his subordinates think he's a weak Lord just because he loves Rin!"

The servant's eyes widened at the Hanyou who looks so dumb, whose language was so coarse, whose personality was brusque and prickly with no sense of decorum. He was supposed to be easy to fool. But the Hanyou had in a matter of minutes figured out that he was an impostor…

"Hehe, well played Hanyou, let's see if you can live up to your bold words" before he jumped through the window. The voice sounded somewhat familiar...like someone he should know...that boggled the mind..

'Keh, this one is also a hare brain…thanks for confirming my suspicions though'

"But now… HOW AM I SUPPOSED GET ANY SAKE OR SNACKS IF I DON'T KNOW WHO TO TRUST?"

Rrr...Grrrrr...Who? Inuyasha looked around the room, and sniffed the air, finding himself truly alone...then the noise?

RRrr...GGRRRgggrrr...Oh, it was his stomach...Inuyasha sat down with a huff of annoyance, the insistent rumbling of his stomach, made his own growls...no scratch that Sesshomaru's angry growls sound nice. And he didn't know how to get food and drinks in this maze of a house. Follow his ears? Nah to much trouble...Follow his nose? Might end up somewhere he doesn't want to be. His eyes didn't even need to be mentioned...he can't tell north from south with all the red/white walls around here.

"ALL THIS TROUBLE AND HUNGER FOR A PIECE OF FUR!? RIN YOU OWE ME BIG, AND DON'T EVEN TRY TO HIDE BEHIND YOUR MATE!" He started murmuring about all kinds of soups, cakes, and main course items he wanted Rin to cook for him. The scrolls on the desk started their merry taunting again. To Inuyasha they seem to be saying "Haha now you have no choice but to finish and beg your brother for food!"

'SHUT UP YOU STUPID SCROLLS, OR YOU'LL TASTE MY WIND SCAR!'

In a room not far away Sesshomaru laughed at his brother's wails. Imagining his brother sitting at the low desk drooling over imaginary food, while reading through the boring scrolls. Probably some ministers names would likely turn into Minister Miso Soup, and Minister Saba Shioyaki, or Minister Tempura and Minister Katsuo Tataki...Sesshomaru laughed harder at imagining the faces actually turning into those dishes...He won't mind getting up at 6am for court if he got to have Saba Shioyaki everyday.

Mean Rin looked incredulous at her mate laughing for what appeared to be no reason. When it finally died down, a weird smile stayed on her mate's face. It wasn't that one that screamed death…nor was it the warm loving one she sees daily…it looked like the one on Hahaue's painting featuring a young Sesshomaru playing with his dad…that mischievous, playful smile Hahaue said disappeared when Chichiue died…Should she be worried for her mate's mental health?

"Rin, Do NOT let him overwork himself EVER again...Get him to relax more" She muttered to herself..."Ah, we can go to the hot springs more and travel like before!" As she got lost in planning how she can get more time for the two of them in the New Year, Rin eventually started daydreaming about an afternoon spend doing nothing but enjoying each other instead. The young Lady was so lost in her musing that she completely forgot her mate had sensitive ears and heard everything. Not only that he had a very sensitive nose...and her thoughts made her body react...much to his delight.

But of course he won't say at least not until much later. He liked his pillow, it was warm and soft...Rin always is. And more importantly he was not in a rush for her to introduce his head to the floor. "This one would like to spend more time with Rin too..." he said very quietly...his stomach growled...loudly startling both. "Although this one could do with a Maguro no Zuke-don...that Rin cooks..." Shifting a bit to get off his warm pillow, and order some food. "Saba Shioyaki is also acceptable, if Rin cooks it" He adds after hearing that dish sprout from the mouth of a certain Hanyou down the hall whose stomach was growling just as loudly.

'This one is not jealous that Rin used to cook for Inuyasha...he is not...This one doesn't care, he only curious...'

A/N: I'm trying to make Sesshomaru jelly of Inuyasha...let me know I did it alright! Sorry for all the food ramble...I was hungry and sleepy while writing this...

A/N 2: Oops sorry...Note to self don't post anything while half asleep...this is the right chapter.