Hidden Innocence
Chapter 16: Memories from the Past
The music had lulled her to a complete sense of serenity. There was nothing that would ruin her mood at that exact moment. With the warmth encasing her she couldn't think of anything other than Inuyasha. Kagome raised her eyes and looked up at Inuyasha. His warm amber orbs smiled back at her as his hands held onto her a little tighter.
The music was blaring away but the two were unaware that they were way off rhythm. They swayed in their embrace and couldn't help but love it. The contact with flesh on flesh caused Kagome to blush; something that she really hated. She was a girl who didn't have those mushy feelings, but there was something about Inuyasha that broke down all her walls.
"This is nice," she heard him murmur as his head rested on top of hers.
"Yeah." She smiled as she nuzzled back into his warmth swaying to the music.
"Hey Kagome can I ask you something?" he asked. Kagome just murmured something not really hearing him over the buzz in her head. "Uh Kagome?"
She opened her eyes and looked up at Inuyasha. "Yeah? Did you say something?"
"Yeah but I don't think you can hear me," Inuyasha said with a smile as he broke the embrace and grabbed her hand. She looked down at their joined hands and smiled. When he took her to a corner of the club that wasn't as loud he sat her down on a chair. "So as I was saying."
"What were you saying?" she asked, drunk over the man standing over her. Inuyasha smirked at her dazed eyes.
"I was saying if I could ask you something."
"Inuyasha you can ask me anything you want." Kagome looked down at her hand and loved that he was still holding them.
"Do you want to do something tomorrow? You know since it's the weekend, we could go somewhere?" his eyes were smiling down at her and she misread them thinking he was inviting her to a group thing.
"Sure," she said in a sad tone. "Is the whole gang coming or just a few of them?" Inuyasha looked at her confused.
"What are you talking about? It would be just me and you."
After a moment of silence she clued in. "Oh! Just me and you…" then she realized what that meant and a wide grin appeared on her face as she responded saying…
"YES!!" yelled Kagome as she rolled off her bed. Landing hard on her butt she rubbed the sore spot as she looked at her clock. Her whole night had consisted of that one moment she shared with Inuyasha at the club. He had asked her out today and she was so excited about it.
"Man did that hurt! I need to get up though, Inuyasha said he'd come around noon so we could go out for lunch, and it's already quarter to eleven!" Kagome jumped into action and got ready. After a new record of taking forever to get ready Kagome had finally gotten what she wanted out of her appearance. She glanced back at her a clock. It had been an hour already and Inuyasha would be there soon.
As she left the room she took one last look at her room and gave a short nervous laugh, it looked as if an equivalent of both a hurricane and a thief came through her room one after the other. Things were all over the place; she just put it to the back of her mind and shut the door. Whistling all the way down stairs.
-
A man was running, he was late and he had to get to the boss before he was dead, in all literal terms. The boss, Bankotsu Fujimoto was like the Don of all Japan. He was behind some of the biggest drug heist in the history of Japan. There were people, who rivalled him, but once they crossed paths with Bankotsu they would just disappear as if they never existed, and Yoshito Higa, the man that was running, did not want to disappear.
When Yoshito finally reached the base he was out of breath and sweating like a pig from nerves. There were two men standing at the door to the base and Yoshito shuddered. He always got himself in the wrong place. He took in a deep breath before continuing, saying a mental mantra in his head, they need my, I have the information. They need me, I have the information. It calmed his nerves and gave him a false confidence that he would be okay even if he messed up because he had information.
"You're late Higa!" said one of the men standing at the door. Yoshito looked at the Kind faced man and knew that he was deadly despite his face.
"Sorry Suikotsu-san I got caught up, but I have a lot to report to Bankotsu-dono," said Yoshito with a shaky voice once again.
"You better try to conceal that stammer Higa, Nii-chan won't like it if he knew you were scared," said Kyokotsu with an evil sneer.
"Ha-hai! Thank you, I'll do my best sir!" said Yoshito as he walked down the dark hall. It felt like he was walking to his death. The atmosphere would set anyone into a set or ominous thoughts.
When he finally got to the office Yoshito took another deep breath and then gave one strong knock on the door. "Come in!" said a very jovial voice, that caused Yoshito to relax. He turned to knob and the door creaked open. When he looked in his eyes zeroed in on the one person that was important. Bankotsu was dressed like the wealthy business man that he's known to be in the real world.
The two other men in the room with Bankotsu were just as lethal, and dressed just as finely as if they never had blood on their hands. Though Yoshito that was the farthest from the truth. He stood at the threshold until he was motioned in. Bankotsu smirked as he saw the fear in Yoshito's eyes. He lived off that fear and gain pleasure from it. It sickened Yoshito but he knew if he wanted to live to see another day he had to save face.
"Ah Yoshito-kun how are you feeling?" Bankotsu asked as Yoshito walked into the room.
"I'm fine sir," said Yoshito with a smile. At that Jakotsu smirked.
"Oh my nii-chan this one's a keeper. All that silky brown hair and those grey eyes. Oh I could get lost in those eyes!" said Jakotsu with a dreamy sigh. Yoshito laughed nervously as he shied away from his left side, where Jakotsu was.
"Jakotsu don't scare off Yoshito-kun," said Bankotsu was an amused laugh.
"Yes Jakotsu, must you be such an embarrassment?" Jakotsu looked at his other brother and glared.
"Oh shut up Renkotsu, just because I am comfortable with myself doesn't mean you have to yell; besides Yoshito-kun isn't scared. Are you Yoshito-kun?" Jakotsu purred as his attention went back to Yoshito.
"No Jakotsu-kun, I'm not scared," he said, glad that he sounded perfectly normal even though his heart was beating a mile a minute.
"Okay let's get down to business, Yoshito-kun do take a seat and tell me what you learned last night," said Bankotsu as he motioned for the chair in front of his desk.
"Yes sir, while I went to the Black Widow I heard something very interesting as I was entering the club."
"Oh do tell I just love a good story!" said Jakotsu.
"Well the bouncer was approached by three girls. They was conversing with each other and this one girl kissed him and then—"
"You know this just doesn't seem to be important," said Renkotsu with an annoyed glare.
"Yeah who wants to hear about a girl kissing someone? Oh was the bouncer hot!?" Jakotsu asked with excitement.
"Wha—uh sure…I mean I don't know, I wasn't really looking," said Yoshito trying to keep everyone happy. "But what I saw is important."
"Well then do continue and just ignore my brothers," said Bankotsu.
"Well once that girl ran inside another bouncer came out asking if he should go get them out. But the first bouncer said it was fine since she was their boss's granddaughter."
"Naraku's granddaughter, eh? Well Damn that Mukotsu was never able to do a job right now matter how easy it was," said Bankotsu with a shake of his head.
"That's very interesting. Naraku's granddaughter is still alive?" asked Renkotsu to no one in particular.
"Yes I assume so sir, but there's more. I don't know if it's important but there was this boy with her and they seemed to be an item of some sort."
"Okay well then continue on then," said Bankotsu.
"Well he was one of the performers at the club and once his band was finished he went straight to the girl. They shared a dance together and then they ended up coming right beside me by the corner end of the bar. His name is Inuyasha from what the girl said and her name is Kagome," said Yoshito.
The information was very interesting and Bankotsu was glad that he had Yoshito infiltrate Naraku's 'secret' club. Bankotsu laughed at the idea. Naraku thought that he was so big and might, but in reality he was just a feeble old man who needed to be put in his place.
Bankotsu would never forgive Naraku for what he did to his biggest heist that went bad because Naraku had put a target on the man he had made a deal with. Because his partner on the trade was assassinated Bankotsu was angry and since it was Kira who had pulled the trigger he wanted revenge. And he got it but at a price losing his brother.
He didn't regret loosing his brother but it was fun playing these games with Naraku, one of the most respected men in the underworld and apart of the largest gang of Japan. He smirked again as he looked at Yoshito.
"This is all very interesting. Thank you Yoshito-kun you can go now." Yoshito nodded and escaped to freedom.
-
"Ah this is so refreshing!" said Kagome as she stood up in the convertible that Inuyasha had brought for their outing. Inuyasha smirked as he looked up as he before he tugged her down back in her seat.
"You're gonna get me in trouble if you stay up there," said Inuyasha with amusement in his voice.
"Well sorry but it's just so fun!"
"Yeah I could tell. So where do you want to go?" asked Inuyasha.
"I don't know anywhere is fine…wait I know can we go to your house!? I want to meet you Mom!" said Kagome with excitement.
"No way! I'm not taking you to my house we're going to hang out and I don't want them hovering!"
"But you said you'd introduce us! And why would they hover?" asked Kagome.
"Uh have you never met Rin? She is crazy and my mother is far off from her. Even though they're not blood related I swear that sometimes I think they are. Both of them would never leave me alone if I brought you home," said Inuyasha with a laugh.
"Well that's mean."
"I speak only the truth, now if you don't have any ideas on where you want to go then I know the perfect place!" Kagome just looked at him and then shrugged. She would willingly go with him where ever he asked her to. After twenty minutes of driving, Inuyasha pulled into a parking lot. Kagome looked at the building to her left and saw that is was a cute little diner. When they walked in everyone looked at them. A lot of the staff said hi to Inuyasha as if he was their friend.
"What's up? Why do they act like they all know you?" asked Kagome as she walked just a step behind him.
"Because they do," Inuyasha said with a smile as he grabbed Kagome's hand and brought her to an empty booth.
"Okay explain it please!" Inuyasha laughed at that. Kagome made a face thinking he was laughing at her but he just shook his head trying to reassure her but it didn't work so he decided to use words.
"I'm not laughing at you I'm just laughing out of enjoyment. Now let me explain why they all know me," said Inuyasha.
"Okay well then explain."
"Well I've been coming here since I was a little kid. My Dad came here when he was little with his parents and so it's kind of like a family tradition. So that's why everyone knows who I am here."
"Well that's cool. We don't have any family traditions like that," said Kagome with a sigh as she flipped through the menu.
"Nothing at all? Didn't your family take you some place special?" asked Inuyasha.
"Well I was just a baby when my parents died and my grand parents weren't really able to do much, with the company that they had. Running it all took time and that didn't leave much for us to do anything as a family, but I guess one thing we all did do together was train, since my dad was a tae kwon doe instructor we all had that tradition in our family," said Kagome with a smile.
"Well that's cool. I would've loved to learn that," said Inuyasha with a smile.
"Well I can teach you some time if you want," said Kagome.
"Sure that would be fun, then I'd be able to defend myself against you." That caused both of them to laugh. After their laughter died down a waitress walked over to them and smiled.
"Hi there Inuyasha, this one looks like a keeper," she smiled as she turned to Kagome, "Hi my name is Chiyoko and Inuyasha is like our little baby here. You would be the first girl he's ever brought here."
"Thanks Chiyo now if you'll excuse us we were busy," said Inuyasha as he pulled the menu over his face to hide the blush. Kagome looked from Inuyasha and Chiyoko and had a confused look on her face.
"Don't worry sweetheart he's just embarrassed, now what can I get you? I already know Inuyasha's regular so what can I get you?" asked Chiyoko. Kagome looked over the menu and her mouth started to salivate as she read all the appetizing choices.
"I think I'll have the supreme burger with chilli fries and a large coke," she said with a smile. Chiyoko grinned at the choice and took the menus.
"I think you're a definite keeper sweetheart," said Chiyoko as she walked back into the kitchen.
"Well thanks," Kagome muttered as she looked at Inuyasha. He was looking directly as her. "What?" she was getting nervous as his stare.
"Nothing it's just that's what I always get when I come here and any girl who I've ever known always gets something healthy and totally gross. They always think it impresses me that they eat grass but I think it's pathetic."
"Well you won't have to worry about me in that department, I hate the health nut's, with me it's junk food all the way!" she grinned at him and he grinned right back. Once their food came the two ate in relative silence, once they were done Inuyasha paid the bill, after a long argument with Kagome.
They got back in his car and started to drive around again. Inuyasha was deep in thought about what they should do next, when he remembered his conversation with Kagome about her father's house. "Hey Kagome?"
"Yeah?" she asked with a smile on her face while her eyes were closed and the wind was blowing through her hair.
"Can we go see you parent's house?" asked Inuyasha. Kagome opened one eye and looked at him.
"Why do you want to go there?"
"Well you said we could go see it if I wanted to sometime and it would be fun," said Inuyasha.
"Well I guess so," said Kagome. So she told him the directions to her parent's old house. They got there in fifteen minutes and when he parked in front of the house Kagome just sat in her seat. It was the first time she'd ever come to the house since she was a baby.
She didn't know what to say or do. She was unsure if she should get out of the car or just stay in it, but before she could decide Inuyasha had opened the door to her side and held out a hand to her.
She smiled as she took his hand and stood beside him on the side walk. They stared at the house. Kagome started to hear things running through her mind. Voices and screams screeched in her mind as she looked up at the house. It was a hammering buzz but she couldn't ignore it.
'Wow, this house is pretty nice. How does a tae kwon doe instructor be able to afford this?' thought Inuyasha as he stared up at the house. He stared intently at the house; something about it seemed really familiar. "3534 Lotus drive," he muttered.
When he glanced over at Kagome to ask her what her parents' names were, he saw that she had her hands on her head with her back hunched over. She was shaking, and kept covering and uncovering her ears, as if she was testing what she was hearing. Then all of a sudden she started to scream.
"Stop it! Get it out of my head!"
"Kagome?! What's wrong?" asked Inuyasha as he turned fully towards her.
"Stop it! Please Inuyasha make it stop!" she asked with tears in her eyes as she looked up at him. There was so much fear in her face that Inuyasha was scared to touch her.
"Kagome, what do you want me to stop?" he asked tentatively as he touched her arm. She screamed again as she heard a loud gunshot in her mind.
"The noise! Inuyasha the noise make it stop!! Please!" she said with a searing scream as she fell to the floor her arms still covering her ears.
"Kagome! Kagome what noise?! I don't hear anything," said Inuyasha.
"Please, just stop, let them go! No!" she cried out when she heard a cry from another woman. Her hand shot out in an attempt to reach out for no one in particular.
"Kagome, what's going on?" asked Inuyasha as he picked her up. She was crying by now. The screams had subsided by the tears were falling and she was murmuring something as she buried her face in his shoulder and neck. "It's okay I'll get you away from here."
Inuyasha carried Kagome to his car and placed her in her seat. She curled up into herself as she shook. She started to hear sirens and grief welled up inside her. The tears never stopped falling. Inuyasha didn't understand what happened but he knew he had to help her.
So he drove back to her house and once they were back in the driveway Inuyasha got out and opened the door to her side. She had fallen asleep and her face was tearstained. He picked her up trying not to wake her and walked over to the door.
Kagura opened the door and was worried at what she saw. "What happened to her!?" she asked as she let Inuyasha into the house.
"I'm sorry Mrs. Nakao; I'm not really sure what happened. We went to the house that her parents were from and then she started to scream about the noise and then she started crying. I put her back in the car and when we got here she was asleep," said Inuyasha.
"Oh my, well Inuyasha could you bring her up to her room?" asked Kagura.
"Of course," said Inuyasha. He followed Kagura all the way up to her room and placed her in the bed. Kagome shifted on the bed and opened her eyes. Her vision was blurred but she could clearly see Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha could you stay here with her for a second while I go call her grand father?" asked Kagura.
"Sure thing," said Inuyasha as he turned towards Kagome as Kagura left.
"Inu…" Kagome had tried to talk but the ringing in her head started again and her arms went back to her head.
"Shh, Kagome just take it easy. I don't know what spooked you but you're fine now," said Inuyasha as he kissed her on the temple. It eased her then and she looked up at him.
"Thank you Inuyasha." She tried a smile as she fell back into sleep. That was when Kagura came back into the room with the phone in her hands.
"Inuyasha dear thank you for looking after her while she went through this. Naraku is on his way home right now," said Kagura.
"It was no problem at all Mrs. Nakao, do you know what's wrong though?" asked Inuyasha.
"I'm not really sure, dear but you don't have to worry. You probably have other things to do today," said Kagura just a little shifty.
"No, it's no problem. I had actually planned to spend the day with Kagome so I have nothing else planned," said Inuyasha with a reassuring smile.
"No I insist dear. Naraku will probably be very emotional when he gets here. He's very protective of Kagome and I think it'll be better if you're not here when he gets here."
"Are you sure? I'd really like to help Kagome any way I can," said Inuyasha.
"I promise to call you when she's better, now just get going before he gets here," said Kagura with a smile as she pushed him out of the room. Inuyasha let out a sigh as he left the room and went to his car. He looked at the house once more before getting into his car and driving off.
-
Inuyasha went straight home, not wanting to deal with any one. When Inuyasha got back to the house he couldn't get the past couple of hours out of his mind. The house was on his mind just as much as Kagome's episode. Inuyasha couldn't place where he seen it before but he knew he had seen it some where.
When he got into the house he walked up the stairs. As he was walking Inuyasha's mom was coming down them. She looked down at her son and could tell that he was in a deep train of thought. She stepped in front of his path and Inuyasha bumped right into her. Izayoi smiled as her son snapped back into reality. Inuyasha looked up at his mom and smiled.
"Inuyasha what's on your mind sweetheart?" she asked.
"Huh… oh well I was just thinking about this house I went to see with Kagome today," answered Inuyasha.
"Oh really?"
"Yeah it's just that that was the first time I've been there but it felt as if I've been there before. Like I've seen it before but I don't think I've ever been there," said Inuyasha in frustration.
"Oh where is this house that you speak of?" asked Izayoi hoping that she could help.
"Uh its address is 3534 lotus drive," said Inuyasha. He noticed that once he said that address his mom went stiff. "Uh mom is something wrong?"
"Huh… of nothings wrong."
"So do you know the place?" he asked. Izayoi regained her composure.
"Yes as a matter of fact I do."
"Really? How?" asked Inuyasha, really anxious to know.
"Here come with me," said Izayoi as she took her son's hand in hers and lead her son back down the stairs. She took him to the living room. She went to the mantle of the fire place and picked up a picture frame and brought it to her son. Inuyasha took the picture and looked at it. He looked at the background of the picture ignoring the two ladies holding babies and his eyes grew with shock when he recognized the house in the background as the same one that he visited just a while ago.
"Mom why do we have a picture of that house?" he asked.
"Well honey, you see that lady that's holding the baby?"
"Yeah."
"Well that's Kimiko Higurashi, she was my best friend. Ever since we met we were inseparable and the baby in that picture is her daughter. I think her name was Kazume," said Izayoi.
"Really are you sure the baby's name wasn't Kagome?"
"I'm not sure," said Izayoi as she grabbed the picture and looked at it. "Oh Kimiko…"
"Mom what happened to them?"
"Oh. Well this picture was taken when you were about five months old. We went to go visit Kimiko, Kira and their baby. She had just come back from the hospital. Then about two months after that visit someone went to their house late at night and killed them all. It was all over the news, their whole family was killed. There were no survivors. It was such a tragic story especially since my goddaughter of two months was killed. Who would be so cruel?" said Izayoi as she started to cry thinking about the Higurashi's.
"Mom are you okay?" he asked concerned about his other.
"Yeah honey I'm fine."
"Well I have a question, the reason Kagome took me to that house was because she told me that her dad owned that house, and well Kagome doesn't have a mom or a dad cause they both died and her last name is Higurashi so would that mean that she is your goddaughter?" asked Inuyasha.
Izayoi was silent, just processing what her son had just told her.
"Mom?
"Yeah?"
"Well do you think she could be?"
"You know what, I think she just might be," said Izayoi.
"Really?"
"Yeah I think so, but how could she be alive, when she was reported dead by the police?"
"Well she lived with her grandparents," answered Inuyasha.
"Well that makes sense, Naraku always liked to be very quiet about these kinds of things."
"I guess, wait you said Naraku! So that must be Kagome's parents!"
"Yes it can be a possibility."
"Well this is just too much," said Inuyasha as he thought about what his life could have been like if Kagome and he grew up together.
"Honey do you think you could bring her over one day? I would love to meet her."
"Okay," said Inuyasha as he left the room. He ran back upstairs to his room. He went on the net and typed into a search engine: Higurashi murder. A whole bunch of websites were given. He clicked on one of the links and read the short article.
Higurashi Murder Still Unsolved
The most controversial murder case in Tokyo. A young couple murdered in their own home. A tae kwon doe instructor and a stay at home mom were targeted by members of the deadly seven. Question is why this couple was their target. The supposed murderer was said to be found dead about two blocks away, shot to death with multiple shots. Who shot the assailant when the target was both murdered? The mother and father were both dead, their child of only two months nowhere to be found and presumed to be dead. A most tragic fate for the newly wed couple and their daughter during their first Christmas together as a family. To this day this case had yet to be solved.
Once Inuyasha read the article he was horrified. All of that happened to the Higurashi's. All of that happened to her parents. "No wonder why she was hearing all those noises when she went to the house today. It was that night and all those noises were flooding her mind."
He turned off the computer not wanting to dwell on the tragedy that Kagome's family had to face. He walked over to his bed and fell on it. He felt tired and wanted nothing better than to just sleep. The whole day was supposed to be perfect, spending his day with Kagome. Getting to know each other better over a candle lit dinner and ending it off with a walk under the moon light. But everything went down hill, because he wanted to go to that house. Unleashing all sorts of emotions onto her.
Inuyasha let out a groan as he rolled onto his stomach and pressed his face into the pillow as he willed his mind to stop thinking…
-
A/N: There's the next chapter! Can you believe what happened!? Well tell me what you think about it! I loved writing it and I hope you liked reading!