Foreigner In The Sengoku Jidai
By: Patriot1776
Chapter II: Meet the Hanyou and the Rest of the Family
InuYasha was annoyed. He was crouching on the top of Kaede's hut just staring around. Shippo was beside him, playing with Kirara.
"Dammit. I hate it when Kagome has to go off like this. I thought she said that 'school' or whatever it is was over?" he said.
"I'm confused too about this. I wonder how many more years of this so called 'schooling' she has to go through." Shippo asked. InuYasha then got up and jumped down. "Hey InuYasha, where you going?"
"On to Kagome's time, where else."
"She said she'd be three days again." Shippo cautioned.
"I know. I'm not going to bring her back just yet. She's using this as so called 'vacation time', so I might as well join her to protect her." InuYasha said as he bounded off towards the well. Miroku and Sango now exited the hut.
"Shippo, where's InuYasha going?" Sango asked.
"To Kagome's era. He's so predictable." Shippo said as he shook his head. Miroku sighed then.
"Won't he ever learn that he can't force Kagome to come back when he wants her to?" he then asked.
"Probably not until Kagome's used the word on him several hundred more times." Shippo replied. Sango and Miroku both sighed.
"Of course." they both then said in unison.
-
InuYasha slid open the door to the well house and entered the shrine grounds, closing the door back. He then made his way to house and went in through the back door and into the kitchen, and was confused to see huge boxes of luggage on the floor in the living room, Jii-chan picking up a box and carrying it up the stairs, and Ayaka preparing to pick up the last two when she looked up and saw him and smiled.
"InuYasha! A good fortune! You're just in time, for we need some help." she said warmly.
"Just in time for what?" he asked.
"To help Chichi-ue and I get these luggage cases up to the guest room." she said. InuYasha raised an eyebrow in confusion, then shrugged and walked over, picking up a long, narrow box and a larger, heavier, black one with strange looking knobs and controls on it with a mesh screen on one side.
"Okay, where do I go with it?" he asked.
"Follow me." Ayaka said and started up the stairs and led the way to the guest room. Entering it, InuYasha set the boxes down.
"What's going on anyway?" he now asked. Ayaka took a deep breath.
"The number of people living here has just increased by one." she said.
"Huh? What do you mean? Are you saying you're taking in somebody? It better not be that Hobo dude." InuYasha asked. Ayaka shook her head.
"No InuYasha, it's not Hojo-san. A foreign exchange student started attending Kagome's school today, and we've wound up being who'll host him while he's here." she said.
"Foreign exchange?" InuYasha said, further confused.
"Somebody from a faraway land, not the continent, but somewhere even farther away, is moving in for now. Now InuYasha, don't get the wrong impression, but the person is a boy." InuYasha's eyes narrowed.
"He better not try anything with Kagome. Higurashi-san, why are you telling me this? What are you getting at?" he now asked, in an aggravated voice.
"The problem, InuYasha, is that it'll be impossible to keep Kagome's forays into the past with you a secret from him, since he'll be living under the same roof. I'm asking for your help in solving this problem."
"How? You want me to kill him and get rid of the body?" Ayaka burst out laughing at that. "What's so funny?"
"No, silly. Not that. What Chichi-ue and I have decided upon is this…" Ayaka said, as she went into an explanation of her plan to InuYasha.
-
Kagome and Noah were now walking back to the shrine, with her showing him the way. He was asking questions about the place, and she was answering, but her mind was elsewhere. Kagome was instead thinking about what her and her mother had discussed on the phone before they left the school:
"Mama, are you sure this is a good idea? He may freak out at this." Kagome said in a concerned voice over the phone.
"Dear, I'm afraid chichi's right. There's no way we can hide it from him for long. He'll figure it out the first time you go back after he's settled in, so we might as well tell him and show him straight up front." Ayaka replied over the phone.
"Are you sure InuYasha can convince him to keep quiet without killing him or hurting him badly?"
"I've told him that if he harms Woods-san in any way, you won't be accompanying him for a whole month."
"I sure hope you're right, mama." Kagome said, still a little doubtful.
"Kagome-chan, Kagome-chan, are you there?" Noah's voice drug her back to reality.
"Hmm?" Kagome then said.
"Are you okay?"
"Oh, I was just thinking about something. Here's the steps up to the shrine. I talked to mama before we left the school and she said your things are already up in your room, just waiting for you to get them out and set them up the way you like." Kagome now said as they started up the long stairs.
"That's good. I'm eager to meet the rest of your family." Noah said as they approached the front door. Noah removed his shoes first, followed by Kagome, and Kagome then knocked on the door.
"Mama! I'm home!" Kagome, said, putting Ayaka's plan into motion. Inside, Ayaka looked at InuYasha who was standing at the top of the stairs in the house.
"Okay, InuYasha, here we go. You remember what to do, right?" Ayaka said.
"Yeah, but I still don't like this." he replied.
"I don't want to do this either, but we've got no choice." Ayaka said, she then walked over to the door and opened it. "Well, hello Woods-san! Kagome told me about you over the phone." she said. Noah then bowed respectfully.
"Arigatou, Higurashi-okaasan. Ma'am, it's truly a privilege and I'm humbled to be granted lodging here by you." he said, before standing back up.
"Come on inside." Ayaka said. Noah let Kagome enter first, and he then followed behind her.
"Higurashi-okaasan, Kagome-chan told me she has a little brother, Souta-chan is it? Where is he?" Noah now asked. InuYasha growled inwardly at the words 'Kagome-chan'.
"Musuko will be home soon. His school is farther away from here than Kagome's. Woods-san, there is somebody else here though we would like you to meet." Ayaka then took a big breath. "InuYasha, would you please come down now?" InuYasha then slowly walked down the stairs and into the living room where they were all at, but without the baseball cap on he usually wore in the modern era. Kagome and Ayaka now held their breaths and hoped that Noah would still be breathing after the next few minutes.
Noah saw InuYasha, and immediately noticed his ears, and raised his eyebrows as a curious look came to his face. He started to walk over. InuYasha had to fight back his instincts to defend himself hard as Noah approached. The next thing InuYasha felt were Noah's fingers touching and feeling his ears.
"Are…are those real?" Noah then asked. InuYasha then growled.
"Of course they are! Now would you stop touching them?" InuYasha said through clenched teeth. Noah then backed away casually and looked InuYasha over.
InuYasha meanwhile, was a little confused too. Noah's face did not match up with any other human's he had ever seen. But he could tell he was human however, for he did not have the aura of a youkai. InuYasha was also mystified too at the strange contraption Noah was wearing on his face over his eyes.
"Hmm. Traditional Feudal Japanese clothes, a katana, but rather beaten up a little. You must be as much of a history buff as I am. InuYasha's the name, wasn't it? I'm Woods, Noah. You're appearance is odd though." Noah finally said.
"Everybody says that, you look strange too yourself, not to mention how you talk." InuYasha finally said. At this, Noah grinned a big, signature Southern grin.
"Oh, I get it. You've never seen somebody not native to Japan haven't you? I'm from the United States, that's why I look different." Noah said, his Southern accent briefly becoming more apparent in his words.
"The United States? I've never heard of the place, where's it at?" InuYasha asked. Noah still continued to grin.
"Come come, now. Don't tell me you've never studied Geography have you? Surely you must know where the United States are on the globe." Noah continued. Kagome now walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Uhh, Noah-kun, he's being serious. He really does not know where the United States are. In fact, that was the first time he's ever heard of your country? This whole city of Tokyo and current day Japan is foreign to him." she said. InuYasha's eyes narrowed at Kagome a little in response of the honorific she'd just used for Noah. He turned to her and the grin was replaced with one of confusion.
"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Noah said.
"I think it'd be best to just show you. Come InuYasha, let's show him the well."
InuYasha put a clawed hand on Noah's shoulder and started to push him to the back door.
"Come on, move it. You gotta see something to understand." InuYasha said, Kagome following the two. Ayaka also followed them.
"Are we going toward the well house you were telling me about Kagome-san?" Noah now asked.
"Uh huh. There's more to it than what I told you." Kagome said as they approached the well house. Kagome opened the door and InuYasha hurriedly pushed Noah in and down to where the well actually was.
"Now, Noah-kun, what I didn't tell you about this well is that it happens to be a time portal to Sengoku Jidai era of Japan's history, 500 years into the past. InuYasha and I jump into it and dissappear, reappearing in the well as it existed 500 years in the past." Kagome explained, Ayaka now appearing in the door.
"I'll believe that load of hogwash if you show me some proof." Noah then said sternly.
"You want proof then, you're gonna get it. Kagome let's demonstrate it." InuYasha said rudely
"Fine by me InuYasha. Mama, we'll be back in less than a minute." Kagome said. Noah watched carefully then as Kagome put her arm around InuYasha and they both jumped into the well. His eyes opened wide as he then saw a blue light fill the well momentarily, and then disappear. He walked up to the well and looked in, and his face took on a shocked look as he did not see Kagome or InuYasha at the bottom of the well. A few seconds later, the blue light returned and Kagome and InuYasha reappeared in the bottom of the well. They both noticed Noah looking in.
"Now you believe us?" InuYasha asked. Noah was still slack jawed for a moment before he shook his head and regained his thoughtful composure.
"You've convinced me that this well is indeed not normal, but now I'm wanting to see for myself where this dimensional gate of a well leads." Noah said.
"Fine. I'll take you to the other side." InuYasha said as he jumped up back to the top of the well, to lead him in. Noah was surprised at how high he could jump.
"Wait InuYasha!" Kagome then said.
"Yes, hold up a moment." Ayaka said.
"What?" InuYasha asked.
"InuYasha, don't you think it'd be a tad dangerous to do that? I mean, Noah does not have any kind of weapon with him." Kagome said.
"I agree. This is too big of a risk, InuYasha." Ayaka said.
"Kagome-chan, Higurashi-okaasan, I only want to see what's on the other side where the well is. InuYasha, just take me to the top of well so I can see if everything's changed, then bring me back." Noah said.
"That's what I was planning on." InuYasha said.
"Well, okay then. But be back in less than a minute. Kagome, go back and get them if they aren't back immediately." Ayaka said.
"Got it." Kagome said.
"Okay, you ready? Get on my back." InuYasha said to Noah. He was a little skeptical, but shrugged his shoulders and complied. InuYasha then jumped back in and Kagome saw them disappear.
To Noah, when InuYasha jumped in, he saw everything go purple, and he saw all kinds of lights. After a few seconds, they finally landed at the bottom, but Noah immediately noticed the inside of the well wasn't as dark as it was before. He looked up and saw a clear blue sky instead of the roof of the well house. InuYasha then jumped out of the well and the reality hit Noah.
Looking around, Noah saw that they were now in a clearing, with forest all around them. He nodded.
"So InuYasha, this is what your Japan looks like?" he now asked.
"Damn straight. You still got any doubt in that head of yours?" InuYasha replied.
"Nope, go ahead and take me back. I've done some studying of the Sengoku Jidai and I have an idea of how dangerous this time was." he replied.
"Your damn right it's dangerous here. Here we go, we're going back." InuYasha said as he jumped back into the well.
-
After Noah and InuYasha had dropped back in to the well and disappeared, Kagome had climbed up the ladder Jii-chan had fashioned to help her get out. When she did and she saw her mother, they both let out a collective sigh.
"Well, mama, it seems to be going ok so far." Kagome said.
"So far. Let's hope it stays this way. How long you planning to stay here?" Ayaka now asked her daughter. Kagome let out another sigh.
"I was planning on staying only three days, but since Noah-kun has suddenly showed up, I think it'd be better for me to stay here to walk him around the school until he's comfortable with it." she replied. They then heard an ethereal hum as Noah and InuYasha reappeared in the well. Kagome and Ayaka turned around simultaneously to see InuYasha jump out of the well. "How was it?" Kagome asked.
"Strange, I'll say that. You two have got to take back there again." Noah said.
"Keh! Yeah right. You'll just get in the way and become another helpless mortal I'll be stuck with protecting." InuYasha said.
"Hey!" Kagome said.
"On the contrary, InuYasha-san, I've studied a few forms of martial arts, and I do have something in the stuff I brought with me from America that might be of good use in the Sengoku Jidai." Noah said.
"Yeah, I bet." InuYasha said in a mocking tone. Noah grinned at him a little.
"I don't mind showing my skills a little." he then said calmly.
"What are you waiting for then, come at me!" InuYasha said as he cracked his claws.
"Wait Noah-kun! Don't!" Kagome said. Noah approached InuYasha calmly, then suddenly lashed out with a fast punch that landed right on InuYasha's nose.
The next thing InuYasha knew he'd been kneed hard in the ribs and felt a pair of hands grab him behind the head. Noah then brought InuYasha's head down with his hands and slammed him right between the eyes with his knee-cap. Noah then let go and backed away and InuYasha stumbled around, dazed and confused.
"Need any more proof?" Noah asked. InuYasha only growled at him a little as he shook his head to clear the stars out of his vision. "Hey, there' s something I'm wondering now." Noah said as he turned back to Kagome and then looked back at InuYasha. "Why are you two traveling back and forth between here and the Sengoku Jidai?" he asked.
"I'm afraid it's a long story." Kagome said.
"You can tell it to me while you and InuYasha help me get my stuff out and get my room set up." he replied. InuYasha was still growling at him as they left the well house and made they're way over to the shrine house. As they did, Jii-chan came out of the main building of the shrine complex and started toward them.
"Jii-chan. There you are! I've been wondering where you were." Kagome said as he approached.
"I had been doing a little tidying up, Kagome-chan." Jii-chan said as he then noticed Noah. "And you must be the foreign exchange student?" Noah bowed respectfully to him.
"Indeed I am, Higurashi-ojiisan. Woods, Noah. I have to say that so far, this shrine is excellent and well kept up." he said.
"Thanks for the compliment. I try to keep it as tidy as I can."
"Chichi-ue, we're going inside to help Woods-san get his things in order in his room." Ayaka said.
"Count me out of it, I'm bushed now." They made their way to the shrine house and Kagome started to explaining to Noah about the her adventures in the Sengoku Jidai with InuYasha.
As her, InuYasha and Noah entered Noah's room, Noah asked a question.
"So you're saying there's youkai running around? InuYasha-san you must be one then, which explains your looks. What kind of a youkai are you?" he asked. InuYasha just growled.
"It's not important." he said through clenched teeth.
"Hey, don't get all huffy. I actually think your ears make you look cool. The hair's what I'm still getting used to." Noah said as he opened up one suitcase and got a large, 3'x5' American flag out of it. "Ahh, Old Glory." He said as he admired the flag.
"What's that?" InuYasha asked.
"InuYasha, in this time, countries and other sovereign governments have their own flag they fly to help distinguish themselves from other nations. That's the United States national flag Noah-kun's holding. Noah-kun, you bring that to help remind you of home?" Kagome asked.
"Kagome, why the hell are you calling Noah Noah-kun? You're not starting to like him like you do Kouga are you?" InuYasha said in an aggravated tone.
"Don't you start! I don't have any feelings for Kouga-kun and I don't have any for him! I just met him today for kami's sake!" Kagome said, pointing at Noah as she said it.
"Then why the 'kun'?" InuYasha asked angrily.
"Hey, now hold your horses you two. Nothing to start fighting about." Noah said as he stepped between the now arguing hanyou and girl and separated them. "InuYasha-san, apparently Japanese has changed a little in the 500 years between your time and the present. Today InuYasha-san, boys and girls socialize together much more often than in your time, on a daily basis in fact. In this time the 'kun' honorific doesn't necessarily mean a boy and a girl are having a romantic relationship or that a girl necessarily likes the boy in question she's referring to as 'kun'. Boys who are buddies today are used to calling each other 'kun' too, InuYasha-kun, and Kagome's just used to referring to non-romantic male friends with 'kun', so lay off on her." Noah then said to InuYasha's face. InuYasha again showed a confused look at Noah starting to use 'kun' as well, but it was gone in an instant.
"Keh. So now you're taking her side in this too and are starting like her as well?" InuYasha now said angrily.
"Osuwari." Kagome said. WHAM She had finally had enough of this. Noah's eyes opened wide in shock.
"Okay, what just happened?" Noah asked in a surprised voice. Kagome ignored him and stared down at InuYasha menacingly.
"No InuYasha. He's not defending me at all, he was trying to point out another difference between this era and the Sengoku Jidai, and you are really getting on my nerves right now." she said in a cold voice. InuYasha started to growl a little. Noah decided to not press for how Kagome had subdued him with just one word.
"Hey, can we just forget about this spat for the moment and get back to the task at hand? Seeing people fight like this is not something I particularly enjoy." Noah said as he then carefully laid the stars & stripes flag of the United States on the bed and then removed another flag from the suitcase as InuYasha got back to his feet. This one was different and had two large stripes running three-fourths of it's length, the top one red and the bottom one white. A blue field occupied the remaining one-fourth of it. A white star was in the center of the blue field, with a yellow 'N' and 'C' flanking the star. Above and below the star and letters were two yellow ribbons with dates in them, the top ribbon containing the date 'May 20th, 1775', the bottom one having a date of 'April 12th, 1776'. Both Kagome and InuYasha raised an eyebrow at it. "This," Noah started, "is the state flag of North Carolina. InuYasha, you know how the daimyos of your time each have their own banner or colors they use right?"
"Yeah." he said.
"That's what the deal with this is. North Carolina is one of 50 separate territories within the United States, except these territories aren't at war with one another. Instead, there's a single central government that has a limited amount of control over all the territories. North Carolina is the territory my home town is in." InuYasha now got the idea and nodded. Kagome went and got some tacks and her and InuYasha helped Noah then put the two flags up in his room. They spent the next few minutes getting clothes out of the suitcases and putting them in the closet, when downstairs they heard a "Mama, I'm home!"
"Oh! Ototo is home!" Kagome said. Noah smiled.
"How old is he?" he asked.
"Ototo's only 10 years old. Come on, I want you to meet him!" Kagome said. Her, Noah and InuYasha left Noah's room and went downstairs. InuYasha was the first person Souta saw.
"OH! InuYasha's here!" Souta said, a huge smile coming to his face. "What brings you here today?" he asked.
"I do." Noah said as he stepped out from steps. A confused look came to Souta's face.
"Who are you?" Souta asked.
"Woods, Noah. Souta-kun, I'm a foreign exchange student from America. You and your family's home have become my dwelling for the year I'll be here." Noah said.
"You're from America? How cool! Can you show me your room? It's the guest room right?" Souta asked.
"You're correct, it is."
"Let me tell okaasan how my day went, then I'll meet you in there." Souta said as he went into the kitchen. InuYasha, Kagome, and Noah went back up to the guest room, and Noah walked over to a long D-shaped box and opened it, and pulling out a large, compound hunting bow. InuYasha raised a confused eyebrow.
"What the hell is that?" he asked.
"A compound hunting bow? Noah, what is that for?" Kagome asked.
"I was planning on going on a hunting trip or two while I was here in Japan, but I guess instead this'll be used in the Sengoku Jidai instead. InuYasha-kun, this is modern version of the bow that's used to shoot arrows in your time. It's much more powerful, but also much easier to use." InuYasha's eyes opened a little.
"Now wait just a minute. You're not going back with us just yet." InuYasha then said.
"I know. I know. I wasn't going to ask you both to take me back immediately. Hey wait a minute, y'all haven't told me yet why you're traveling back and forth, but that can wait until after supper." InuYasha then walked up and looked at the hunting bow, then asked.
"Are they still using bows today for warfare?" InuYasha asked.
"Not for warfare, but bows still have a big use for hunting. As I said, this is the modern version of them." Noah said. He then put the bow back up and walked over to the long case that InuYasha had carried up earlier that day and opened it. Kagome's eyes opened wide in awe, while InuYasha's confused look stayed. Inside the case was a Fender Telecaster electric guitar.
"Ah, my guitar. This is what I'm wanting to show Souta." Noah said. He got out a few cables, and pulled over the strange, meshed box with knobs on it, the amplifier, that InuYasha had also carried up earlier, plugged it into the wall, and then the guitar into it, and turned it on. He fiddled with the knobs a little, and then played a chord on the guitar. TWAAAANNNNGGGG InuYasha's mouth dropped open at hearing how loud the instrument was. "Hmm. Outta tune a little. Not a surprise." Noah said. He started plucking the strings and fiddling with the knobs located at the top of neck and fretboard of the instrument. "There we go." They now heard the sounds of someone approaching the room, and Souta stepped into the room.
"Wow! A guitar! Woods-san, are you going to play something on that guitar?" Souta asked excitedly.
"Uh-huh, but I got a question to ask you and your sister first."
"What is it?" Kagome asked.
"How proficient are you two in understanding the English language? What I'm going to sing I can sing in Japanese, but it'll sound better in the language it was written in."
"I know a lot of it, but I'm not quite fluent in it yet." said Kagome in English, her Japanese accent thick in her speech.
"Same on the knowing the basics of it, but I'm further behind on being fluent." Souta also said in English, but he was stumbling more. InuYasha was now confused. He didn't recognize at all what Kagome and Souta just said.
"What's this 'Eeeenggliiish'?" InuYasha asked.
"My native language InuYasha-kun. I'm going to sing this song in it. If you want, I'll re-sing it in Japanese for all of you after I finish." Noah said.
"Uh, no thanks, you don't have to." InuYasha said.
"Sing it already!" Souta said, jumping up and down. Noah smiled and then started playing. The sounds coming from the guitar amplifier seemed to put InuYasha into a trance. After a few bars, Noah started to sing:
"My grandmother owned a nightclub on the Arkansas-Oklahoma line
Momma put me on a greyhound, and I went to stay with her in the summertime
I'd box up those empty longnecks and stack'em in the back and make a ham
Then at night she'd let me sneak out of the kitchen and sit in with the band
Yes, i have sacked some quarterbacks and broke my share of bones along the way
I knew it wouldn't last forever, semi-pro always means semi-paid
I started climbin' drillin' rigs, I'm oil field trash and proud as i can be
Then I took my songs and guitar and sang 'em to a man from Tennessee
I've played every beer joint tavern from New York City out to Pasadena
Every corn dog fair and rodeo and sold out every basketball arena
I like to get down with my boys in Afghanistan and Baghdad City too
I am a red, white and blue blood graduate of Honkytonk U
A star can't burn forever, and the brightest ones will someday lose their shine
But the glass wont ever be half empty in my optimistic mind
I'll still have a song to sing and a band to turn it up and play it loud
As long as there's a bar room with a corner stage and a honkytonk crowd
I've played every beer joint tavern from New York City out to Pasadena
Every corn dog fair and rodeo and sold out ever basketball arena
I like to get down with my boys in Afghanistan and Baghdad City too
Son, I'm a red, white, and blue blood graduate of Honkytonk U
That's right a red, white, and blue blood graduate of Honkytonk U"
When Noah finished, Kagome and Souta started clapping. Noah stood up and gave a bow.
"Well, were you able to understand the words?" Noah asked Kagome and Souta.
"Yeah, I under stood them. That was a cool song!" Souta said.
"What was that song about? I didn't understand it. And how does that strange instrument work? I've seem some shamisen, but this thing doesn't look anything like one." InuYasha said.
"Basically that song was a singer and guitar player telling his story of how he became famous. This instrument, although stringed like a shamisen, is much different. This thing uses technology that's only been around since the early part of last century, and is a recent invention." Noah explained.
"It sure does sound strange." InuYasha replied, still staring at the guitar and amplifier. Just then Ayaka entered the room.
"Dinner is ready. Noah-san, that was a good song we heard you play downstairs. If you're going to play that guitar, here's the rule for it: no playing loud after 8:00 PM." she said. Noah got up bowed, and spoke.
"Of course, Higurashi-sama, I understand." he then stood back up, put the guitar back in it's case, and turned off the amp. Then him, Kagome, Souta, and InuYasha followed Ayaka downstairs to the kitchen for dinner.
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Author's Notes:
I apologize for not putting any notes in the previous chapter, but with this story, I'm hoping to develop my plot development skills and character development skills. The song I had myself sing in this chapter was 'Honkytonk U' by Toby Keith.
When leaving reviews, I'd like specific feedback on the accuracy of my use of Japanese honorifics, whether I'm using them correctly or not. And also please point out any other techinical flaws you find with it. Oh, almost forgot, I gave Kagome's mother the name of Ayaka in this story to make her easier to refer to.