This chapter was a tough one. A scene that you will soon read, is one that I almost couldn't bring myself to write, but it was necessary.

Honestly can't believe I've updated 3 times in two weeks. I'm on a roll!

Guess what? We did it! 160 reviews! We reached my goal! I'm super excited and have to thank you all! Couldn't have done it without you! This week, my goal is 170 reviews! Do you think we can do it? If I don't get at least 10 reviews per chapter, I think that I didn't do a good job. I would love to hear from my readers, anything you have to say. Even a smiley face will do.

Thank you so much for being so faithful this story! You're the best! Enjoy! - PG

Forever & Always

Chapter 5: A Nebulous Understanding

After returning to the Higure compound, Itachi set up shop on the roof, intending to get some rest. For a brief moment, this notion was achievable. Kagome was quiet, likely due to his presence so close by.

Then they came. Their feet scrapped loudly against the gravel as they scrambled their way into the compound. Itachi immediately pegged them as civilians. He paid them no mind even when they were greeted congenially by the Higure clansmen. It wasn't until that bulbous man made a ruckus that he interfered; having seconds prior sunken into a semi-comfortable sleep only to be rudely and verbosely awakened. It frankly, ended any good feelings Itachi could have for the two newbies. His girl's own disturbed cries added fuel to the flames of Itachi's dislike.

His dislike was not likely to fade even though he sat mere feet away from both characters that he learned were named Akitoki and Hachiemon, or Hachi for short.

He watched them now, along with a morose Mushin who was stewing silently.

Despite not wanting to know an iota about either new comer, Itachi picked up on a little.

Akitoki was a tall quiet brunette in his late teens. Overall, he was a simple minded fellow, more interested in his own domesticity than loftier ambitions. He spoke calmly, with an accent that hinted at a childhood stutter, and listened intently when engaged to do so. His task, set down by his employer, was to help with preparations and childcare. He didn't think beyond the now, his only concern was completing his task to the best of his ability.

Itachi listened halfheartedly when Kaede showed him around the Higure compound, listing off the things she thought they would need to do and buy soon. Akitoki never once interrupted her, content to be led about and take notes while she spoke. "Utilities will need to be connected immediately. We cannot go on without water, lights, or sewage much longer. Her Ladyship's needs are next…" Kaede elaborated, listing numerous items that would need to be bought. Akitoki just nodded.

Itachi thus dubbed Akitoki of no harm, and found little desire to know more about him.

Hachi on the other hand, bothered him. He was like an annoying itch, tickling at the periphery of his senses and putting him on edge. Itachi didn't understand why he felt so disconcerted, but he was. There was something not right about the man.

Hachi didn't seem to notice, and if he did notice, he paid the hostility little mind. Even his near disembowelment at the boy's hands hadn't fazed him. He was courteous to a fault, if a bit more cautious.

Currently, Hachi kept himself occupied by lying on the floor in front of an awake Kagome. She was attempting to crawl to him, utterly fascinated by the man with dark circles around his beady black eyes and rotund belly. Hachi was thrilled to see her attempts, cooing gibberish encouragements with every bit of progress she made.

This, more than anything, rankled Itachi. Hachi's attention on Kagome was wrong. He shouldn't be looking at her or touching her at all. Itachi's sensor abilities screamed that the man was tainted, his chakra like a miasmic pollution whereas Kagome's was a pure wellspring. The two shouldn't mix, his mind screamed, get him away! Get him out! Protect!

Outwardly, he didn't move a muscle. His mind may have been in turmoil, but he was firmly in control of his actions. He would not interfere, no matter how badly he wanted to. It was not his place.

Itachi's struggles with himself were observed carefully by many in the room.

Mushin kept a careful eye on the boy, recognizing the imprint working its magic, while also watching the bastard rat. As much as he hated to see the man, he was very aware of why he was there and would in no way hinder him.

Miyatsu would whip him good if he even tried.

It made Mushin slightly jealous. His Master skipped him all together for the task, didn't even ask. He did understand why his Master did it, but it was still unwantedly humbling.

Miyatsu's use of his Tanuki vassal was purposeful. Beside the fact that Hachi was indelibly loyal to Miyatsu, the Tanuki knew a lot about what was going on.

Hachi was first and foremost a historian. He might serve Miyatsu and the Kejo as a valet at times, but mostly he buried himself in scrolls of the past, seeking anything on Miko and their Protectors. He knew everything concerning how a Chosen became a Prospect and how a Prospect became a Protector – from the beginning stages of the imprint to the ending stages, he knew what to look for in a legitimate candidate and what distinguished an illegitimate one.

Hachi may be a bumbling buffoon and consummate cheat, but he was the best suited to understanding their current predicament. Mushin could acknowledge that he would not have been up to the task.

He just, wouldn't say it out loud.

Feeling a gaze on him, Hachi looked up. His eyes pinned themselves on his Master's former student, recognizing a grudging acceptance. It didn't surprise him. Mushin would never interfere with Miyatsu's plans.

Hachi's eyes slyly slid over to the child shinobi. He didn't let his gaze linger, fully aware that the boy was watching him, but those brief seconds were enough.

The pink teardrop under the boys left eye was glaring.

His Master curiously spoke of a Chosen that was not a Prospect – an Uchiha of a shinobi clan. It was an anomaly. Hachi didn't know what to expect. Humans and half-humans were rarely Chosen by a Miko. They weren't strong enough to sustain or expand the power of the Miko into a something useful. For this reason, Hachi was skeptical of the claim that the boy could possibly be a legitimate Protector.

Hachi's observations though, gave him pause.

The boy was marked with Her Ladyship power and an imprint was forming. But, it was unusual, in that Her Ladyship's power wasn't being used but given. It wasn't what he was expecting.

So, Hachi turned to his Master's next directive – experiment. He was going to test the fragile bond between Her Ladyship and the boy.

The best way to do this was by setting up uncomfortable situations. Sitting close to Her Ladyship, looking at her, talking to her, touching her, these were all aggravations that would pluck at the bindings of the bond.

The piece du resistance was kissing her. Because Hachi was a Tanuki, it would set off a chain reaction that Hachi very much wanted to see.

It did exactly what he expected.

Itachi stood, obviously disturbed. His face had crumbled into a snarling mess of frown lines and badly restrained sneering. The teardrop's glow fluttered alongside the boy's emotions. It was entirely undetectable to the boy, but blatant to the others in the room.

"Forgive me," Itachi bowed stiffly, clearly fighting himself. "I should be returning home. I have been gone too long."

Kaede set aside what she was doing to act the part of hostess. "Of course," she said agreeably.

Hachi openly watched her push Itachi to the door. The boy's distress was palpable, but he was fighting it admirably, possibly recognizing the bond's unnatural effects. Once Itachi was beyond the doors of their home, Hachi turned to Her Ladyship. The child was steadily growing irritated the further Itachi went, subconsciously recognizing that she was without adequate protection, even though she was not alone.

Whoever committed those abdominal crimes on the mountainside in Frost were powerful enough to decimate a retinue of Higure, which left behind a major mental scar and an unquenchable fear in Her Ladyship. If over 100 men and women could not protect her, then she needed to find someone with the potential who could.

Hachi figured he knew what was going on.

Miyatsu would not be pleased.

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Fugaku was getting back from his lunch meeting with the central borough Fire Battalion Chief when he received an encrypted email from Enomoto. He opened it immediately.

The information inside was mostly tame, a cursory screening for the name Kagome.

Enomoto's investigation revealed that the name Kagome was not common. There were only a handful of people in Fire Country with it. Of those people, two were dead, one was beyond the age of interest, and the other one was the right age but a peasant in a northern province. In surrounding Countries, there were more hits. Of them, two had high probabilities of being a match to the child Fugaku was seeking.

One of the children, was a Kim from Earth Country. The other was a Hojo from the Land of Whirlpools. The file indicated that these families were large and prosperous.

Out of the two, the Hojo was of keen interest.

Enomoto found evidence that suggested the Hojo's were vassals of the Higurashi Kejoro, serving the Kejo branch specifically. There was an 86% probability, the file speculated, that the child Fugaku was seeking was Hojo Kagome, not Higure Kagome.

The high probability was due in part to the information Enomoto found concerning the Higure clan. Of their members, records showed that no Higure couples were expecting or new parents. There were absolutely no records indicating pregnancy or a recent birth among any of their female members. In fact, the youngest member of their clan was a four-year-old male named Sota. Enomoto found that his mother was Arashi Masagi, younger sister to clan head: Arashi Masao. She was not alive, a victim of the massacre in Frost. Sota's father was Higure Nobu. Based on eye witness reports, both father and son were in Water Country.

The reason for a 14% improbability was because Hojo Kagome was currently in the Land of Whirlpools. That wasn't to say the child wasn't in Konoha, but it was unlikely.

For this reason, Enomoto assessed that there was little proof that the child Fugaku's wife wanted was a Higure. It wasn't impossible, but it also wasn't likely.

To be sure, Enomoto followed up on Fugaku's request to look into recent Konoha medical records. Fugaku was clear that his wife visited a Hospital near the North borough, but wasn't sure if she visited Namikaze Memorial, White Fang Emergency Center, or Forest View General Hospital.

Enomoto found the information for him easily. From visitor logs, Uchiha Mikoto had gone to Forest View.

Enomoto's investigation into Forest View initially drudged up nothing out of the ordinary. There were over 50 children at Forest View with various maladies. A deeper look dug up several confidential files. One of these files was an exception.

Enomoto was unable to access the file. A trap exception limited his access and made the file unviewable excepted when printed. Enomoto knew not to try to print the file. Any attempt would immediately alert authorities to his interest. Instead, he looked into the file's code. What he found, sent up red flags. There were access lines with two specific IP addresses, meaning that the document could only be accessed from these addresses, but the addresses were not to computers. One address was a printer in the Hospital Director's office, the other was to a printer in the Hokage's.

Whoever the patient was, Enomoto assessed, they were important enough for the Hokage to want to keep their identity secret.

The investigative file ended with this and a request for further instructions.

Fugaku leaned back in his chair, eyes closed in contemplation. His curiosity was piqued.

"Sir?"

Fugaku didn't need to open his eyes, to know it was his assistant. "Yes?"

"It's 2:00."

Fugaku grunted, sat up, and turned off his computer. "Thank you, I will be going now."

His assistant nodded and left.

Fugaku was not far behind.

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Itachi knew there was a punishment awaiting him when he returned home. In a shinobi family like his, mistakes – even small ones - were met with harsh consequences. Mistakes were dangerous in their line of work; a lack of foresight could lead to enemy infiltration, death, or war. He could not mess up – ever.

He knew this, had known this since he was seven and left a secret technique scroll on a table in the family parlor. The consequence for that was the death of his cat, Chonchun, from said technique.

He still remembered his father's words as he burned the poor creature alive.

'For every action, there is a consequence. You must always know what the consequences might be and how they might affect you or others. This incident, you might think it small and my actions excessive, but a scroll of that caliber in the wrong hands can be used against you, your family, your teammates, your people. Remember this well. You are a shinobi, lives are in your hands.'

Itachi had made many mistakes since then, but none of the punishments or consequences he received compared to that incident.

He would never forget that one.

Itachi didn't dither. He went straight home. He would face his punishment head on, fear or trepidation would only make it worse.

Itachi's mother was waiting for him on the porch. It was no surprise, she would have felt him coming the moment he reached the gates of the compound.

He stopped a respectable distance away and kept his shoulders squared. His eyes remained on her face, which was stern but not unkind. In her hand's she held a half an inch thick bamboo cane. Servants stood behind her, along with several curious clan members. It was rare that the Uchiha heir would be punished, but when it did happen many would flock to see it.

Itachi grit his teeth, but otherwise did not outwardly show his disgruntlement.

"Welcome home, my son," His mother greeted archly. "I expected you much sooner."

Indeed, she would have expected him to receive his punishment after supper. It probably would have been better. Of course, he hadn't expected to stay the whole night on top of the Higure's roof. He would have submitted to the punishment much sooner if not for his preoccupation, even now he fought to stay focused on the situation and not immediately run back to Kagome's side.

"I know what you're thinking," She said, coming down to stand in front of him, the cane hanging at her side. She leaned forward and wrapped him in a hug. She kissed the side of his head, lingering. "I didn't tell your father. This is between us. He would have gone too far if he knew, but I will not go easy on you." She whispered pulling back and placing a kiss to his forehead.

Truth was, he hadn't been thinking that. Certainly, the punishment would have been far worse if his father did know, but he was certain his mother would dole out something just as severe. She could be creative when she was upset, and he had definitely upset her.

She'd been kind at supper, letting him be. Her patience was gone by this point.

Mikoto nodded to a servant off to the side, who curtsied and ran off. Itachi noticed this halfheartedly.

The servant returned with an old woman.

Itachi lost his composure.

"My lady," Ami, Itachi's former nursemaid, bowed. "You called for me?"

Mikoto nodded. "Kneel Ami, and accept the heir's punishment."

Ami's eyes widened. She was an old woman, well into her 70s, with a frail set of bones and bad knees. To kneel would hurt her immensely, but to receive his punishment was liable to kill her. She knew this and looked at Itachi, stricken.

Itachi fell apart. "Please, Mother! It's not Ami's fault!" Tears formed in his eyes as he looked at the woman who took care of him in his mother's stead. In all but truth, she was his grandmother.

Mikoto held no sympathy. A gesture from her and two male clan's members gripped his arms. "You know what you've done. I told you there would be a punishment. This is it. You did not think, you ignored protocol. I will not just slap you on the wrist. You must learn."

"Please," he cried, "let me accept the punishment. It is me who erred, so it is me who should be punished. Ami knows nothing!"

His mother's eyes hardened. "But that's a lie, isn't it?"

Itachi didn't know what she meant, but then his conversation from the day before came back to him. Ami was the first to see Kagome, she even questioned him concerning Kagome's presence, and then did nothing. She should have reported his suspicious activity directly to Mikoto. She was a former shinobi, she knew that missions were not back to back. His silence should have triggered her doubts, by not doing so she erred just as much as he.

Ultimately, it was his fault that he didn't follow protocol and take Kagome to the hospital. It was also his fault that he didn't go to the Hokage. If he had, Ami would not be in this position. By not doing what he was supposed to do, she would suffer.

His horrified understanding must have shown on his face. "I see you realize your own folly." His mother handed her cane to an older male servant. Itachi recognized him as one of the outdoor staff. The man accepted the cane as if it were a precious sword.

By this point, over 20 members of the clan were present, along with all of the main house's servants. In total, he guessed, there were at least 50 people watching, and he hated every single one of them.

Ami was forced to kneel on the courtyard's gravel. She cried out in pain, unused to the position that was forced upon her.

"You will accept the heir's punishment?" Mikoto phrased it as a question, but it was not.

Ami had no choice. She bowed her head submissively. "Yes, my Lady."

Itachi didn't know what to do. He tried to struggle against the men holding him. They held on admirably. "Please Mother!" He begged. It was undignified and unlikely to do anything. "Please don't do this!" He still tried.

It went on deaf ears. "You will strike her 40 times. Count them aloud." Mikoto ordered, heading back to the porch to take a seat and watch the proceedings.

The first four lashings made Itachi cry out along with Ami, but by the fifth he was silent in resigned despair. On the 10th lashing, Ami fell to her hands, incapable of holding herself up right.

The lashings were harsh, completely unrestrained. Whatever pent up frustrations the male servant had, he was putting every one of them into his swings. Each blow was devastating to the old woman.

The crowd of watchers grimaced. Some, knowing Ami and disturbed by the brutality, couldn't stand it and left. The rest, mostly shinobi who had seen and experienced worse, stuck around, commenting on the gruesome affair casually, as if it were the weather.

By the 20th lashing, Ami was lying flat on her stomach and no longer crying out. The back of her cotton kimono was coming apart under the abuse and splotches of blood were appearing.

30 lashes passed. Ami's breathing was labored and sporadic. She was barely awake. Each blow impacted with a crunch and squelch that splattered blood onto the gravel.

On the 38th lashing, Ami convulsed violently. Itachi begged for his mother to call a halt to the proceedings. She didn't, her lips were pursed resolutely. She knew this might happen, and was indifferent to it. Mikoto would not lift a finger to help. It didn't matter that she knew Ami, in her mind, this had to happen.

The 40th lashing was met with absolute silence as the servant backed away from Ami. In his hands, the bamboo cane dripped with blood.

Ami continued to convulse, her body a battered mess. Her kimono was in shreds and so was her back. Every inch was bruised black and bleeding from raised welts.

Itachi cried, completely devastated. His high-pitched whines startled many clan members who had never seen the boy react so emotionally. Itachi though, was beyond the point where he could keep it in.

His mother came to him then, dismissing is handlers and pulling him into a hug. Itachi tried to push her away, but she resisted him.

"I hate you!" He said. "Let me go!"

Mikoto didn't say anything, just held him. He fought her the entire time.

Behind them, a clan member leaned over Ami to check for a pulse.

She was alive, barely.

Many of the adults shared looks, knowing that Ami likely wouldn't survive the night.

The same clan member who checked her pulse, picked Ami up off the ground and positioned her on his back. She hung there limply, arms draped over his shoulders. The man gingerly walked out of the courtyard with her slightly dragging behind him, taking her to their clan's clinic.

Itachi noticed none of this while trapped in his mother's embrace.

"Let me go!" He demanded, anger suffusing his tone. "She needs me!"

"She gone, Itachi." His mother said, pulling back. "They've taken her to the clinic."

He pushed at her fierce grip, his head turning in the direction she indicated. "Please," he pleaded, "Let me go."

Mikoto shook her head. "No, you will not go to her. You have done enough."

Her words stopped him cold. He looked at her, pain in his eyes. "What?"

"You have done enough," she repeated. "Now, go to your room, sleep. Your teacher tells me you have a mission tomorrow. I expect you to be there early."

Itachi stared at her in surprise. She was so calm, like nothing had happened. Ami could be dead, and she didn't care.

It brought back his father's words. 'For every action, there is a consequence.' He had done this. It was his fault. This was his consequence.

His body became limp.

Seeing that her son had calmed, Mikoto let him go.

Heart heavy, Itachi trudged numbly into the house, ignoring the servants going back to their duties, and into his room. He collapsed onto his bed, eyes dully looking at his white walls.

The teardrop under his eye pulsed, but went unnoticed.

He felt so empty.

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"Well?"

Hachi turned sedately to the voice at his back. He knew who it was, Mushin was very distinctive.

"Well what?" He asked.

Mushin harrumphed. "I know you know something. Is he or is he not a Chosen?"

Hachi turned back to look out over the rock garden. It was behind the main house, beautifully set up with white sand expertly raked into intricate patterns. The rocks at the center of many of the pits were a pure black, obsidian probably, and they jutted up at many angles. It was meant to represent land and water, chaos and stillness, yin and yang. Apt, considering their conversation.

"To say he is would be just as foolishness as to say he isn't. No matter what I think, he will need to be tested." Hachi said.

Mushin thought about this. "You still know something."

Hachi sighed. "My years of researching has given me the ability to know many things."

"Don't play with me, rat. I have not patience for your games." Mushin growled.

Hachi was not fazed. "You are such an Arashi." He teased. "Always so passionate."

"Will you just answer my question already?" Mushin grumbled. He didn't want to spend any more time with the rat bastard than he had to.

Hachi sighed. "Very well." He turned to his master's former student, making sure to look directly into his green eyes. "I don't think he's her match."

Mushin seemed pleased, though Hachi didn't know why. "What are you basing your belief on?" He asked.

Mushin was not the type to take any statement at face value, not even if it aligned with his own thoughts. He always required more evidence.

Hachi very much appreciated this trait of his. "Mostly because his bond is unusual."

Mushin frowned. "How?"

"A true Protector uses the power of the Miko to fuel their abilities. The keyword being use. The bond, even early on, works like a syphon. When necessary, a Protector is able to pump power form the Miko into themselves and use it to protect and serve. The bond that young the Uchiha has with Her Ladyship is different. It's not so much a syphon as a funnel. She has all the control." Hachi explained.

Mushin was not sure he understood. "Are you saying she is pulling energy from him?"

"No," Hachi shook his head. "A Miko could never steal energy from another. She is giving him energy."

"What?"

"I know," Hachi said. "It's strange. That's not how the bond should work. And, the energy she is giving him is tinged with her emotions. There are parts of their bond that seem to be the same as a normal one. He feels bound to protect her when she feels there is danger. But Her Ladyship, because of her traumatic experience, is constantly sending out vibes that she is in danger, which is making the boy overly protective. And, to make matters worse, she's giving him her energy. He's so wound up it's a wonder he hasn't done something reckless in order to keep her safe."

Mushin, Hachi could tell, did not like this one bit. "Can it be stopped."

Hachi hesitated. "I am not sure. I have never seen anything like it. I will have to research and find out more."

"You still haven't answered my question though. Why don't you think he's her match?" Mushin said.

Hachi turned away, heading back into the house. Mushin followed. "Because, to me, I do not see a normal bond. Her Ladyship has made this bond, punched a hole right into Uchiha's young soul and latched on out of fear, not compatibility. A natural bond should have a mixing effect and go both ways so that both can benefit. Their bond though, feeds from her to him but not back."

"A Miko knows their Protector just like a Protector knows their Miko." Mushin quoted. The line was drilled into his head when he was 15 by Miyatsu, and studying to take up the mantle of an Arashi.

Hachi nodded. "It's soul deep."

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Spruce and fir trees mixed with pine all throughout the mountainous landscape of Frost Country. There were a few old trees among the bunch, but the majority were young, mature trees did not last long in a country were deforestation was a problem.

Among the trees walked a woman.

Her hair was pulled back into a tail at her the nape of her neck. She wore a red kimono that was embroidered with the image of a kirin –her family's crest. She wore a set of pale pink pearls around her neck and diamond clips on her ears. The overall image was very elegant, but entirely wrong for a nature outing.

Still she wondered, gingerly picking her way across the uneven landscape. Night was falling in the Land of Frost, kicking up a cold wind that danced among the trees and sang a dangerous lullaby.

The elegantly dressed woman paid it no mind as she made her way to an abandoned shrine hidden at the back of Frost Country's tallest mountain.

There, in a small dingy hut with a wooden Buddha for companionship, she waited.

Her wait was not long.

A man, burly in his arms, landed in front of the dilapidated shrine. He wore a black haori and hakama and hid half of his face steel mask. His head was bowed submissively, silently, aware that his place was not to speak but to obey.

"She survived." The woman's voice was like bells, soothing and gentle.

The man looked to his mistress with brilliant amber eyes, in them the woman read determination.

This pleased her. "For us to succeed, she cannot survive."

Her statement was followed by silence. Neither man nor woman needed to speak, both knew what would come next.

AN: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. We're starting to get a little information concerning this new Naruto+Inuyasha World. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Also I have edited all previous chapters, and there are quiet a few changes. Do tell me if you see any glaring mistakes if you go back and read any of them.

Question: Do you know who the man and woman in the last scene are? If you do, I'll give you a preview to the next chapter.

Quick mention: The Protector + Miko bond is very complicated. It will be explained more as we go, but what you need to know is that the bond is not romantic in anyway. The Miko and her Protector are meant to work together to protect and serve the people of the land. If they don't, they become corrupted. This will also be explained.

Also, I know that Mikoto's punishment seemed harsh. Maybe 5 years ago I would have had her slap his wrist and that's it. After reading Koontz, Stephen King, and GRRM, there is no way I could be so kind. As Shinobi, like Fugaku said, they have lives in their hands, and so you're seeing the often careless disregard they have for that life. To them, a lashing is nothing. Rather, it's an apt punishment to teach their son with. To them, he needs to learn the harsher realities of life, not be enabled and cuddled. Of course, what they did was wrong, and that too will be explored later on.

Thank you for reading! Tootles!