Chapter 12: A Hidden Kingdom
Unexpectedly, a group of guards surrounded Kagome's group. Judging by their armor and uniforms, Kagome knew that they were working for the Western Lord, Sesshomaru. Then the leader of the guards walked up to the group of shinobi.
"I'm Captain Masaru. You're trespassing into the Western Lord's lands. Give us your reasons." Masaru said. Before anyone could explain their reasons for accidental trespassing, Kagome spoke.
"We seek an audience with the Western Lord." Kagome said.
"What makes you think we would let you visit Sesshomaru-sama?" Masaru asked.
"I am the Shikon Miko and I demand to see the Western Lord." Kagome said. The guards began talking all at once.
"The Shikon Miko?"
"The Shikon Miko?!"
"That's impossible. The Shikon Miko disappeared over five hundred years ago."
Kagome summoned the sword that Sesshomaru had given to her during the feudal era days. Then her reiki covered her body in a glowing pink. All the guards stared in awed as she glowed. Her glow soon diminished.
"I see. Well then, follow me." Masaru said before he turned around and let Kagome's group follow after him. He was suspicious of the girl in front of him. True that she is powerful with a big amount of reiki. The sword that she had shown him was definitely a gift from the Western Lord. So she must be the Shikon Miko.
The shinobi group was quite shocked about the size of the palace. It was just as big as the Hokage Mountain! The hallways were mostly quiet as they walked down the halls. On each side of the hallway were portraits of men who had long silver hair put up in different styles. Not to mention they also had yellow amber colored eyes. They wore different outfits that had a pelt of fur on their left or right shoulder.
"Kagome-sama! Naruto-kun!"
The others turned at the voices and saw Kagome and Naruto get tackled by three kids. The first one was a girl with short black hair with emerald green eyes who was wearing a yellow kimono and a green obi around her waist. The second one was also a girl who looked a lot younger than the first girl. She had long brown auburn hair tied in a low ponytail and had blood red eyes. She was wearing a pink kimono and a dark pink obi wrapped around her waist. The third one was a boy with same hair color and eyes as the girl in pink, which he looked almost the same age as her. He was wearing a sapphire blue kimono with a pair of puffy black hakama. But there was something strange about these kids. They had short fluffy tails. Not to mention claws, fangs, and pointy ears.
"Hey guys, how've you been?" Kagome asked, ruffling their heads.
"We missed you!" The brown auburn haired girl said, wrapping her arms around Kagome's neck.
"We don't get to see you much anymore!" The brown auburn haired boy whined, clinging onto Naruto's left leg.
"Sorry, we've been training a lot and doing some missions as well." Kagome said.
"Would you like to hear about our first adventure?" Naruto asked.
"Hai!" The trio said at the same time.
"There you three are!"
Everyone turned towards the female voice and saw a woman coming walking to them. The woman was wearing a navy blue kimono and a light blue obi around her waist. She had black hair that stopped at the shoulders and blood red eyes.
"Sōten-sama!" Kagome said, smiling.
"Hello, Kagome-chan, Naruto-kun." Sōten said with a closed eye smile.
"It's great to see you again." Kagome said.
"Likewise." Sōten said, smiling.
"Sōten-sama, you already know this girl?" Masaru asked, pointing at Kagome.
"Hai, she's Shippo's summoner Kagome. The blonde boy is her brother, Naruto." Sōten said.
"Really?" Masaru asked, surprised at this fact.
"By the way, where is Shippo?" Kagome asked.
"I believe my mate is in a meeting with Sesshomaru-sama and Koga-sama along with the other lords in the audience room." Sōten said.
"Oh." Kagome said.
"I'm bringing them to Sesshomaru-sama." Masaru said.
"I see. Come on, little ones. We don't want to interrupt their meeting." Sōten said.
"But mom, they just got here."
"I know, but we'll see them later today. Right?" Sōten asked.
"Hai!" Kagome and Naruto said at the same time.
"Alright, see you then. Come on." Sōten said.
"See you later, Kagome-sama, Naruto-kun!" The children said at the same time.
Then Sōten turned around and went down the hallway with the three children behind her.
"This way." Masaru said. Kagome and the others followed behind him.
They soon arrived at a pair of doors. Masaru knocked on the door and asked for permission to enter. Kagome and the others stood outside, waiting for Masaru to let them into the audience room.
"What is it, Masaru?" A male voice asked. Masaru bowed at the waist before the Western lord and stood back up for the report.
"Pardon me, Sesshomaru-sama. But something that has happened at the summoning circle." Masaru said.
"Summoning circle?" Sesshomaru asked, brow arched. No one has used the summoning circle for over five hundred years.
"Hai, a group of shinobi has appeared. One of them claims that she is the Shikon Miko. I ran into Sōten-sama on the way here and she told me that the girl is Shippo-sama's summoner." Masaru said. Sesshomaru was quiet for a moment as he rubbed his chin. Masaru grew a little bit nervous. He didn't know how the Western lord would react if he found out that ningen had discovered the summoning circle.
"Let them in." Sesshomaru said.
"Right away, milord." Masaru said as he bowed at the waist and stood back up to open the door. The group walked into the room and saw the yōkai lords in front of them.
"Leave us." Sesshomaru said. The yōkai in the room and Masaru bowed and left the room. But only Sesshomaru and two other yōkai stayed in the room. The male with long white hair and golden amber eyes and pointy ears they figured was Sesshomaru-sama. But there were two more that they didn't recognize. The other one was a male with long black hair tied up in a top knot and a brown fur headband around his head and pointy ears. He also had blue eyes that were almost similar to Kagome's and Naruto's. He wore black and silver armor with brown shoulder plates and a sword that rested on his waist. They noticed the brown tail behind him as well. The one on the other side of Sesshomaru was also a male. The male had short auburn hair and emerald green eyes. They figured that this male must be Sōten's husband, Shippo. He was wearing a turquoise colored kimono that had light green leaves on it. He had four long brown auburn colored tails behind him. Sesshomaru walked towards Kagome's group. Kagome bowed and soon the others bowed also.
"Masaru has told me that you are the Shikon Miko." Sesshomaru said as he stood in front of Kagome.
"Hai. I believe the last time you saw me was when I left the feudal era." Kagome said with her head down, "Actually, I thought you would recognize me by my power."
"Hm." Sesshomaru said, "You may raise your head."
Kagome and the others raised their heads. Then Sesshomaru placed his hand on Kagome's head. This was a first for Kagome. Afterall, Sesshomaru wasn't very affectionate with others except with Rin though.
"You've been missed for a long time, miko." Sesshomaru said, softly.
"I've missed you, too Sesshomaru-sama." Kagome said, softly.
"You've shrunk since the last time we've met." Sesshomaru said. Then he removed his hand from her head.
"Well, there's an explanation for that." Kagome said, rubbing the back of her head while smiling nervously.
"You haven't introduced the members of your group." Sesshomaru said, glancing at her group.
"Oh, right! This is Naruto my teammate and brother. This is Hana, my mother. This is Iruka Umino, my teacher at the ninja academy and this is Kakashi Hatake, my jounin sensei." Kagome said.
"Why does your brother smell like a hanyō, miko?" Sesshomaru asked, staring at Naruto.
"Naruto is a jinchūriki." Kagome said.
"I see. We will talk later on the matter, miko." Sesshomaru said.
"Hai, Sesshomaru-sama." Kagome said, bowed at the waist.
"MAMA!"
Suddenly, the brown auburn haired yōkai embraced Kagome with no warning.
"I missed you so much!" He said as he rubbed his cheek against hers.
Mama?! Kakashi, Iruka, and Hana thought with wide saucer eyes. Why did this yōkai call Kagome his mama?! They could obviously tell that he was way older than Kagome. So why would the ages switch between them?
"You saw me last month, Shippo! Could you let go? I can't breathe!" Kagome said.
"Oh, sorry!" Shippo said as he gently put Kagome back on her feet.
"Hey, Shippo-sama!" Naruto said.
"Hello, Naruto-kun! Have you been training hard?" Shippo said, smiling.
"Hai!" Naruto said.
"That's good." Shippo said.
"Kagome, is it really you?" The black haired yōkai asked as he stood in front of Kagome.
"Hai." Kagome said, nodded. Unexpectedly, he grabbed ahold of her hands.
"It's so great to finally see my woman again." Koga said. A tick mark appeared on the side of Kagome's head.
"Koga." Kagome said.
"Hai?" Koga asked.
"If you continue to call 'my woman', I will purify the part of you that makes you a male." Kagome said with a closed eye smile. Then she narrowed her sapphire blue eyes at him.
"Got it?"
Koga gulped and quickly withdrew his hands, "Got it."
"Good." Kagome said, smiling once more. Everyone else sweatdropped at that moment. They knew that Kagome's temperament was quite scary.
"Kagome-chan." Hana said.
"Hai?" Kagome asked as she turned towards Hana.
"Do you know these people?" Hana asked.
"Hai. We've known each other for a long time now." Kagome said.
"What do you mean, Kagome-chan?" Iruka asked.
"We've met her in her previous life." Shippo said.
Friendship increases by visiting friends but visiting seldom.
-Ben Franklin
