A/N: Woo, I really like being able to put out long chapters. It makes me feel accomplished haha. Anyways, hopefully you enjoy this chapter. Also, pay attention to each of their "minds" as it will tie into what their individual stories will be. It's confusing now but it will all make sense and come together throughout the story.
Please, review and let me know what you thought!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Inuyasha.
"It's beautiful…"
The forest didn't change much, it was just much more brighter than it was just a second - or was it a minute, hour? - ago. The timing doesn't really matter. All that matter was how pretty and bright and pulling it truly was.
Naturally, the scene was much too warm to be called normal but it was a nice kind of warm. Like, nothing could go wrong - no darkness, no evil. Just warm, and bright, and pretty…
What was that? Is someone calling me?
"Come closer… Let me heal your pain."
Pain? What pain? I don't feel a thing…
"Kagome!"
"Come on, Gome-chan!"
"Don't call me that!"
"You're so slow… Geez, so troublesome."
What…? Who are they? I don't -
"Remember…"
Screams. Blood. Anger. Resentment. Revenge.
"Argh… No!"
The forest was no longer there. No beautiful, lush trees forming the dense forest. The grassy meadow disappearing into a barren battlefield filled with mountains upon mountains of rotting flesh.
Stepping forward, pale eyes took in the blood littering the ground in puddles as if it rained the thick, red substance instead of a cleansing water.
"Isn't it beautiful?"
Laughter.
Turning around, eyes looked on in envy as a figure danced among the dead, feet never tumbling no matter how clumsy the dance seemed to be.
The figure stopped to look and despite the blood smeared on their face and clothes, despite the manic grin and crazy gleam in the beautiful eyes, the figure seemed…
"Beautiful…"
"Please. Help!"
Cries and screams of pain. Of regret. Of hopelessness.
That's all that will be left of this world in the end.
"There's nothing you can do."
I know, I know…
"You've failed us."
Believe me, I know.
"It's not okay!"
It never will be.
A musical tone broke through the darkness. The empty darkness - no light, no way to see in front of you. It's just a never ending void of nothing.
Lips whispered but no words came out. Dull, blue eyes slowly fell closed as the darkness finally entered his body.
The musical tone was someone laughing - someone happy and full of light.
Lips whispered once more.
And only these words tumbled from them…
"... I'm scared."
Kikyo did not like leaving her students behind and utterly defenseless but she knew it was something she must do if she wanted the rest of their training to go as she planned.
Of course, imagine her surprise when the constant chakra flow she felt coming from them suddenly vanished one after the other. 'Looks like they discovered how to fully meditate. That was quick,' Kikyo thought as she nodded her thanks to the restaurant owner handing her the food she ordered earlier.
"I'm surprised to see you here, Kikyo-san. Did your students pass your test already?"
Kikyo looked at the newcomer with a secretive smile. "Ah, not yet. Though, they are well on their way to figuring it out. Thing is, the timer I have set is soon to run out."
Kikyo watched as the shinobi took the seat next to her. Oh, she knew why he showed up. He doesn't usually eat here as his favorite place to eat is the barbeque he frequents with her newest student, Kagome.
Yes, she knew exactly why Asuma Sarutobi approached her. "The test I have initiated was made specifically for this particular team. I have no doubt that they will pass."
Asuma looked at the Jounin that was responsible for Kagome. She has a reputation for being a harsh instructor. She's only had one team before but after they were sent on a mission and ambushed by rogue nins, she has been known to be "picky." Those that were to be under her tutelage are given specific survival training that would utilize what she believes to be the strong point of the team. Thing is, they never pass.
Asuma searched high and low in hopes of hearing of Kagome passing. He knew that the girl was very capable; however, she was to be working with a team that she knew nothing about.
'But from what Genma says, she is slowly remembering. Is that good?' Asuma took a side long glance at the graceful female next to him. 'Or bad?'
"What is their test then?" He asked.
Kikyo chuckled at the male. "My hopes are that they can unlock their spiritual potential that I know they are capable of."
Had Asuma been drinking or eating something, he would have spat it out by now. "Are you out of your mind? There is a reason why shinobi do not practice that art, Kikyo-san."
Kikyo stopped eating and turned to look sharply at the shinobi lecturing. "Are you telling me how to train my team, Asuma-san? Need I remind you that Kagome is not your responsibility or student but mine?"
Asuma stopped his tirade and glared at the kunoichi beside him. He wanted to say something - anything - but he knew she was right. He has no right to speak against her methods as they were now her students.
He sighed as he looked to the shop owner. "Sake, please. The whole bottle."
"Remember?"
Yes.
The girl's head tilted in confusion. "I don't want to remember. I like how I feel right now - so nice, so warm."
Remember.
Eyes narrowed in anger and defiance. "No!"
It was childish but she did not want to leave. Why go back?
"Kagome?"
The girl gasped before turning around.
"What's going on?"
Hakudoshi.
"I know you…"
Hakudoshi looked at the girl in front of him - the one that was dancing just a few moments ago. He had figured out who she was - as well as what was going on. He was, after all, a certified genius.
Meditation is a tricky thing when involving one's mind. To fully delve into the deep recesses of one's own thoughts and consciousness, you must first deal with what your mind has put up as a barrier, even from itself.
He was able to push past his own and hopefully, in doing so, he could get to Kagome before they set forth finding their third teammate.
"Yes," Hakudoshi answered carefully - the eyes before him spoke of innocence and he knew shattering that will make him lose Kagome altogether. "You know me and I know you. We are teammates, Kagome."
"Teammates. Like, friends?" Kagome asked, her smile widening.
Hakudoshi stared at her as he tried to wonder what caused her to be so… hopeful and innocent.
He deduced that during the time they were separated, someone managed to wipe all of her memory away but what did they leave behind?
"Yeah," He gruffly answered as he took a look around trying to find a way to release his mind's spirit genjutsu so that he could get to Kagome's. "Friends. Listen, I need your help."
It was a long shot but he had to get her to help him and he figured she'd be able to find what he was looking for with her bright eyes.
"Really?" She asked and all he did was nod back at her, his eyes looking into the too bright blue eyes that sparkled to life. "Okay!"
"Good," He said as he stepped closer to her and held out his hand. "Now, take my hand and look through my own eyes."
Kagome tilted her head but did as her new friend said. With a second's hesitation, Kagome took the boy's hand and entered a new world. Gasping in shock, Kagome tried to pull her hand away only to find that the boy tightened his hold on her hand.
"W- what are you d-doing? Le-let go! I don't want to be here," Kagome whimpered as she tugged against the strange boy. She wanted to go back to her pretty and bright world. She didn't like the vast coldness here.
"Kagome, open your eyes! Don't you see? Nothing is real here!" Hakudoshi yelled as Kagome's emotions caused the world around them to shift into some sort of a mix between the two. He knew he couldn't let her go, if he did she would forever be lost in her own mind. "I need you to wake up and help me!"
Kagome struggled a bit more but the boy's helplessness in his voice caused her to slowly come to a stop. He sounded so scared and helpless.
"Please…"
Kagome finally opened her eyes and as she did, the world around them faded as her mind fully awakened and allowed her to be free. Hakudoshi's hand let hers fall back to her side as she looked around at the darkness.
"What- what's going on? Where are we?" Kagome asked as she turned around only to be met with the same emptiness.
"Bankotsu's mind," Hakudoshi answered as he finally allowed himself to feel relieved at the fact that Kagome had finally let herself wake up, in a sense.
Kagome turned back to him in shock. "What? Is that an insult to him?"
Hakudoshi smirked a bit as he realized that while he didn't think of it as an insult seeing as he felt something much more dangerous in this subconscious, Kagome still thought that he threw out an insult to their comrade. "Kagome, I had not meant in that sort of way; however, clearly you thought that about him."
Kagome blushed as she realized that she had, in fact, jumped to the wrongful conclusion. "Then what?" Kagome asked in an attempt to get the situation resolved and away from her embarrassing moment.
"This is what he feels every day - lonely. Behind this lies Bankotsu's mind and the chaos that inhabits it," Hakudoshi answered with a sidelong glance at the female next to him.
Kagome turned and gaped at him. "That was an insult, Haku!"
At hearing his old nickname, Hakudoshi frowned and turned from her. "Come along, we have to find our teammate."
As he walked away from her, Kagome tried to figure out why he got so cold towards her within a fraction of a second. Her deduction: Hakudoshi does not like nicknames.
With a nod to that thought, Kagome ran off towards his fading silhouette.
Kikyo was enjoying her dinner as she waited for the final hours to fall. Asuma had long after disappeared as he realized early on that Kikyo was not going to give any more information away on her student's training session. As she took a sip from her cup, Kikyo felt two of her student's chakra signatures flare to life - though it was still dull.
"Hmm, looks like they managed to break through their minds' initial barriers," Kikyo said to herself as she downed the cup and stood from her chair. Placing money onto the table to cover her bill, Kikyo took off at a leisurely pace towards where her students are located.
"How much longer until we find him?" Kagome had to ask after what seemed to be an hour of no talking and endless darkness.
"Who knows? Loneliness is vast and filled with an emptiness that seems to go on forever. Because of that, we could walk for days on end until we find him. Right now, we are feeling what he is feeling which is empty, alone, and… scared," Hakudoshi whispered out the last part.
Kagome hummed before her eyes blazed in determination. "Well, in that case. Bankotsu!"
Hakudoshi practically jumped out of his skin at the sudden yell from his female companion. "What are you doing?" He hissed out.
Kagome just looked at him with a raised brow. "What do you think? Calling out to our friend. Walking around in the dark with no known destination will not work and I'm pretty sure we are running out of time. What better way to pull someone out of their slumber than to wake them up?"
With that, Kagome went back to yelling out Bankotsu's name with Hakudoshi staring at the girl as if she lost her mind.
"Staring at me won't help any, Hakudoshi."
Rolling his eyes, Hakudoshi joined in the yelling though his much less noisier than hers.
Bankotsu stayed where he was as he was continually scared of becoming lost in the darkness. The musical laughter disappeared a while back and he didn't know what to do. He tried to call for the person who was laughing to come back as he had hopes of being found or for some semblance of company.
It was lonely.
"-kotsu!"
Looking up from the ground, Bankotsu stared at the darkness around him. "What?" He whispered.
"Wh- are - ou?"
"What are you asking?" Bankotsu countered back.
"Come on! Stop hiding already!"
It was a female voice, something close to what the laughter he heard a while ago sounded like. Could it be?
"I'm here! Where are you?" He asked the voice.
"Bankotsu!" A small laugh followed. "Help me call his name, _!"
"Okay, okay," A new voice answered back. "Bankotsu…"
It wasn't yelled out loud but it was still clear. That must mean that… "They're close!"
"_, how do you know this will help?" The female voice asked as she took a pause in calling for him.
"You're the one who started it, so why not tell me the answer to the question, _."
"Hmph, some help you are, _." A slight pause before - "Bankotsu, come on! This place gives me the creeps."
As the voices got closer, Bankotsu realized that they won't truly find him unless he got up and helped them. With that thought in mind, he stood from his place and started towards where the voices seemed to be coming from.
"I'm here!" He called out. "Can you hear me?"
"Did you hear that?" Kagome stopped in her place. Sure, she couldn't really make it out but it was a voice.
"It has to be Bankotsu," Hakudoshi said, his voice light as he allowed his relief to show.
Kagome had to hold in her smile as she realized that he was just as worried as she was about their comrade. "Come on," Kagome grabbed onto his hand and took off, all the while calling out to Bankotsu.
"I hear you! Please, find me."
Bankotsu had stopped in his venture to find them through the darkness as he felt that no matter how close they sound, they might never find him. Thing is, he doesn't even know who they are. He could hear them but every time they would say a name, he could never hear it. It just becomes static as if he isn't supposed to know their names. Which is weird because they know his.
"Please! I don't know which way to go!" He yelled out in desperation.
"I can hear you," The female voice said as if in shock. "_, come on! He's close!"
Bankotsu had stopped all motions. He was heard. They could hear him. They… sounded so familiar.
"Who are you?" He asked.
"Are you kidding? _, please tell me he is kidding!" The female said, her tone exasperated which was slightly insulting.
'As if I know who she is...'
"Remember, _, this is his mind. The loneliness, the darkness, rules out any thought of actually having friends. That would be the reason for his memory loss," The male voice said in a calming matter though, for some reason, Bankotsu still felt insulted.
"Oi, kid. I have friends!" Bankotsu yelled out involuntarily. His eyes widened as he tried to realize why he said it so suddenly.
"Be nice, Hakudoshi…"
Hakudoshi. Hakudoshi. Hakudoshi…
Yelling out as the name resounded in his head, Bankotsu was finally able to put a name and face to the voices he heard.
The female with a beautiful voice and musical laughter. The male with a deep, calming voice with a tint of a condescending tone. Kagome. Hakudoshi.
His friends.
Just as he thought that, the darkness slowly began to disappear and gave way to a very familiar clearing. As his eyes adjusted to the bright sun, he was able to make out two figures who were rubbing at their eyes in the same manner as he was. 'That means that they really were there…'
"Kagome, Hakudoshi!" He called out to them and watched as they stopped what they were doing and looked to where they heard him. As all his eyes met with theirs, a large grin broke out.
He took off after them and watched as Kagome ran to meet him while Hakudoshi followed at a slightly slower pace. As they met in the middle, Kagome threw herself into his arms.
As contact was made, the clearing blurred out and dimmed down. Letting her go, all three turned and were met with their respective bodies all sleeping peacefully.
"Woah," Bankotsu breathed out.
"No kidding," Kagome agreed. She moved closer to her sleeping body and realized that there was something keeping her from fully being able to approach. Looking at the spiritual arrows holding her body in place, she realized that there was a genjutsu in place. "No way, Kikyo-sensei is amazing!"
"What are you talking about, Kags?" Bankotsu asked, the nickname falling from his lips easily and making said female blush.
Pushing it aside, Kagome looked back at her male counterparts. "Don't you see? While Kikyo-sensei placed these spiritual arrows here to hold us into place, there is still chakra forming them. The two forming, she was able to place a genjutsu on them. Basically, break the jutsu and we can fully access our spirit!"
Bankotsu and Hakudoshi looked to their female teammate with slight skepticism.
Kagome deflated at their looks. "Okay, I'm not completely sure if that's what it but just look at the arrows holding our bodies in place. From what I know about spiritual energy mixing with a ninja's mind and chakra, anything could happen."
Hakudoshi did what she said and fully allowed his mind to open up to the possibility. As he looked at the chakra arrows with the spiritual energy flowing along it, he saw small strings of chakra flowing into their bodies and coiling around until they planted onto their heads or, more specifically, their minds.
Bankotsu, though slightly still confused, was able to see the small telltale sign of a genjutsu encasing their minds. "Of course, it all makes sense."
Kagome nodded in agreement with a smirk on her face. "She really is an amazing kunoichi. Putting a genjutsu on our minds to strengthen our mind's natural barriers. It's almost foolproof to keep the enemy in a fully encased slumber. Should the genjutsu be stronger, the shinobi could place their opponent in a forever slumber."
Hakudoshi hummed in fascination.
Bankotsu listened to Kagome's awe-filled explanation with rapture. 'Maybe meditating and unlocking our spiritual potential won't be so bad after all...'
"Well then," Hakudoshi spoke with a smirk as the other two turned to face him, "what are we waiting for? We have a test to finish."