Summary: Konoha witnesses the power of a true miko and has a few unpleasant home truths literally rubbed into her face.
AN: Disclaimer in chapter one
...ooO The Clash Ooo...
Sarutobi Umeshi sighed as he ignored the argument building. All the outbursts so far had been minor but Danzou was fanning the flames. The civilians on the Council were easily manipulated since they had no real concept of what they were facing... a bijuu of legends.
"Sandaime-sama! The Yondaime is back! There is a lady and a child with him!" A Chuunin messenger yelled.
Sarutobi impolitely Shunshuned out to the courtyard where the Yondaime was surrounded by the ANBU and shinobi still capable of fighting. The rest were designated towards moving the civilians and younger genins into the shelters.
The woman was young and quite attractive with her black hair and gray blue eyes dressed in green hakamas, a white top and sensible covered boots. She wore a satchel slung across her torso, and was currently handing out her arrows to the more agile shinobi. This left her with only three arrows for her traditional bow though she carried a staff topped by a brass ornament of jangling rings.
The child was no more than four years with bright red hair and leaf green eyes with curiously slit-shaped pupils in a childs green yukata with embroidered with burnished autumn leaves. She clung to the older womans hakamas and refused to let go even when one of the jounin kunoichi tried to coax her away.
"Tamako stays with me." It was the first words Sarutobi heard from this unknown ally of Minatos.
"She will be hurt!" The kunoichi protested.
The woman glared. "She will be far safer with me than with any of you." She turned towards the Yondaime, her expression marginally softer. "The arrows need to be deployed, buried head first into the ground in a line no more than fifty yards apart at least two hundred yards in front of the walls. Order your people to stay behind it."
Minatos expression was curious. "You are going to raise a barrier using the arrows as anchors." It was a statement. He had seen her do this before on a lesser scale. "Can't you use other mediums?"
"It will take hours to prepare the sutras."
"What about kunai?" The Fuuin Master persisted and held out a standard kunai.
The woman snorted and accepted the weapon. Her hand glowed pink, then the metal before it crumbled into fragments. "Metal is useless. The container must be at least once living. Wood, paper, bone. Even the ink I use have to be specially prepared." She turned away her eyes distant. "Hurry! I can feel the youki! Every Konohan is to be behind it!"
The Yondaime snapped. "Do it! Form a line of arrows. Stretch it out as much as possible. If you have arrows snap the metal heads and alternate them with Kagomes arrows."
The shinobi jumped to follow the instructions.
With some qualms everyone moved behind the line leaving only their leader with a stranger he had put his faith in, a fragile looking woman with unknown powers.
Soon everyone could see the massive form rising above the trees, trampling through the forest in a straight line.
The woman, Kagome, turned away from the bijuu, to face the walls, and focused. Soon everyone could see a pink haze build around her, more dense around her hands. Then the energy condensed in a crackle of pink lightening that danced around the staff and down into the earth.
Then the arrows responded, crackling with the same pink energy that danced around, leaping out and seeking another anchor, another shaft some distance away. The chain reaction continued until there was a chain of pink lightening connecting the arrow shafts.
The woman drew a symbol in the air with the tip of the staff, a symbol of some alien ancient language that glowed pink. Then she spoke one phrase.
"Barrier Wall."
The lightening danced and leapt into the air before falling to an anchor three shafts away. The process repeated until there was a lattice wall of lightening between the shinobi and their Hokage, between the shinobi and the Bijuu.
She turned away and spoke. Her words were clear.
"I do not guarantee their safety. But if they cross the Barrier I can guarantee their death, by my hands or the Kyuubi. Remember the terms of our agreement Minato-kun."
What was even more shocking was the Yondaimes response. "Of course."
"Good." And then she faced the Bijuu that was now looming close.
The pink aura built around her until it was laced with blue and white. Then it exploded in a column of light that expanded away until it struck the Kyuubi.
To the shinobis shock the Kyuubi screamed in agony and recoiled hastily away, raw burnt looking patches of flesh in very visible spots. This woman had somehow done what all Konohas katon jutsus and kinjutsus had failed to do. She had Hurt the Kyuubi.
Then she spoke, her words projecting.
"This ningen, Namikaze Minato, is under My Protection. He stands between you and your target and so I must stop you. Argue your case before this Miko and if you have cause Namikaze Minato has agreed to harvest the blood price you demand from the guilty party hiding behind these walls or in this Realm as payment."
The Kyuubi snarled and erupted into a massive ball of blue-green flames and energy that shrank and condensed into a humanoid form. Then the energy retreated into the humanoid form within, a tall male with scarlet hair and bloody eyes. Sharp fangs, jagged green markings, narrow tipped ears clearly indicated his unhuman heritage. The flames coalesced into a green haori and dark brown hakamas and black boots. Claws glinted through the blue flames forming around the clenching and unclenching empty hands.
"Miko." The word was a curse, greeting, demand, question, all in one.
"I am Hiragushi Kagome." The woman spoke coolly.
Red retreated allowing green to flicker through. "Sesshoumarus Bitch."
Kagome stiffened. "Your senses and skills are deplorable. I thought kitsunes were experts at seduction and capable of determining ones sexual experience."
The now-human Kyuubi stiffened at this jab. "You are a virgin. But you are His Bitch, the only Alpha female he acknowledges as Pack." He snorted. "The only ningen strong enough to be part of His Pack."
Kagome pinched the bridge of her nose. "Lets not talk about Sesshoumaru. Lets start with your name, lineage and rank."
The Kyuubi stiffened but grudgingly answered. "Aoshi. Son of Kenshin and Mitzumaki. Burning Leaf. Sixth dan."
Kagomes eyes widened. "Mitzumaki-san? Kin to Tomoe, mated to Takashi?"
Aoshi nodded stiffly eyes wandering to the small girl clinging to Kagomes hakamas. "Is that...?"
Kagome pushed the girl child forward, eyes flashing a warning. "This is Tamako, third of Tomoes litter, Sesshoumarus ward. She is Mine!"
Aoshi nodded mutely, stomping on the instinctive urge to fight or flee from this tiny threat to his existence. How on earth did his kin tolerate being so close to such a powerful purifying aura? The kit was completely at ease, the pink aura seemed to blanket and wrap around the small form protectively.
The Yondaime was very surprised. He had never expected the Kyuubi to be Tamakos relative! Then the kit herself spoke.
"Why are you mad at Minato-jii-sans village?"
Red began to bleed into green once more. "They stole the contract from Inaris shrine!"
Kagome frowned and looked at the Yondaime who was very confused and said so.
"Aoshi-san, I don't know what contract you speak of. I don't know who is responsible for this theft."
Aoshi snarled and struggled to control himself. "The Original Contract! The one signed between the Burning Leaf Clan and Senju Hashirama, the one who founded this village!"
Brown eyes widened. "You mean the Shodaime?"
"YESS! Where do you fools think Hashirama got his mastery over plants and nature? From Me! The avatar of the Burning Leaf Clan! And now some power hungry idiot has the gall to imagine he can force the Blessing!" His aura burst into flames. "I'll raze this village to the ground first than allow some weak ningen to steal My Power!" Red eyes focused on something behind Konohas Walls. "There is one who has a shadowed imitation of My Gift and I want it and the Contract Back!" He hissed.
Kagome stepped back and glared at the Barrier. She made a gesture and it fell. The shinobis recoiled as they fell the full effects of Aoshis aura. And then she spoke in icy cold tones.
"Youkai Gifts always have a price that must be paid. Take your Stolen Gift from the poor fool. But do not Kill."
Aoshi smiled savagely and made a brief gesture.
Somewhere behind the walls a young boy screamed in agony; a long painful drawn out sound that ended abruptly.
The taiyoukai kitsune frowned and looked at the Yondaime.
"The boy will live. The Gift was grafted into his cells. You may wish to locate him to find out who is responsible."
Kagome hissed through clenched teeth. "Cloning or gene splicing?"
Aoshi shrugged. "I know not, just that my power resides in one who is Not one of Mine. A complete unknown."
"I've seen this time and time again, some weak pathetic ningen stealing youkai talismans and cheating upon bargains to find short cuts to power." She glared at the Yondaime. "Find the Contract. Deliver the heads of all involved in this theft to Aoshi." She turned to the kitsune. "Give Minato-kun time. You will have your payment in blood and flesh."
Aoshi nodded stiffly and glared at the Yondaime who met his eyes. Grudging respect found common ground. "You have one lunar cycle." He turned to the miko. "I will inform Sesshoumaru-sama of events."
Kagome sighed and nodded as she pushed the small child forward. "Please take Tamako-chan with you. The next few weeks... will be busy. I will not have time to keep an eye on her."
Aoshi nodded and lifted the girl up and within the circle of his arms. Then he vanished in a pillar of blue-green flames.
Kagomes face hardened as she turned to the Yondaime. "Gather your forces Minato-kun. You have a village to scour."
...ooOoo...
TBC…
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