Author's Note: Please don't be angry! I know that this is so very overdue but I lost all the chapters that I have worked on and when that happened, I just lost all inspiration for this story as I was very disappointed at the fact that it was all gone. So, after a slight hiatus, I have come back and started this chapter once more. It's slightly different than what I had originally but hopefully it's not too bad.

Anyways, I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter and please! Let me know what you guys think!

Disclaimer: I do not own nor do I make money off of Inuyasha/Naruto or the characters. They belong to their respectful owners!

The sudden cold that pushed through their natural defenses and into their bones was enough to make all three shinobi pause as they hit the water's surface and sunk beneath. Their eyes clenched shut as they momentarily forgot the threat that was attacking them.

Kagome made to gasp in shock but a hand had clasped over her mouth before any air was let out. Looking to her right, she followed the arm and noticed Hakudoshi. Nodding, they took off towards the shore, Bankotsu already swimming as fast as possible.

Kagome felt a shift within the waters and knew that their attacker was upon them and just as she felt the presence coming closer, it suddenly stopped letting Kagome know that their sensei was still upon the boat and distracting their predator. Pumping chakra within her limbs, Kagome pushed her body to move faster in hopes of getting out of the water to face their opponent in somewhat equal grounds.

Keeping her eyes ahead of her, Kagome noticed that her teammates made it safely and just when she knew she would break the surface to make her way onto land, Kagome felt something snake around her ankle and before the shock could settle in, she was dragged back into the deeper parts of the river.

At that moment, Kagome's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to scream. As the air left her lungs giving her temporary relief, Kagome realized just what she did and she turned in her captor's grip. Trying to focus her eyes, Kagome watched as her captor let go and seemed to watch her through the mask. To her horror, Kagome took note that it was what ANBUs normally wear and Kagome realized that her and her team were no match for their opponent.

Kagome stopped all struggling as she tried to calm herself. She noticed that the attacker wasn't moving, just watching. Seeing what she would do and Kagome knew that he would be able to react faster than she could think. Growling in her head, Kagome clenched her teeth as she knew that her teammates and sensei was panicking over her prolonged absence.

'No,' Kagome thought as she clenched her eyes shut in anger, 'I will not allow myself to be the weakest member. I am tired of being inferior. No more of this!'

Before any of her teammates could jump back into the water, Kagome's eyes snapped open before a bright, heavenly blue shown through her orbs completely taking over the pupil and filling her eyes.

Kikyo watched the waters for any movement that was not her students. Taking her kunai out, she infused them with her spirit and when she saw the water ripple in a distance, she threw the kunai in the opponent's way to deter him and hopefully, stop him from advancing. She saw the three moving fast towards the shore and knew that it was only a matter of time before they would be able to engage their attacker.

She took note of Bankotsu reaching the shore and pulling his halberd from his back. Just seconds after, Hakudoshi dashed out of the water and turned towards the river with his eyes narrowed, his body ready to jump into action and help their female teammate. Thing is, Kikyo noted, Kagome had yet to rise to the surface. Tearing her gaze, Kikyo swiftly skimmed the surface of the river and just barely caught air bubbles rising to the surface and she could only imagine the worst.

"Kagome!"

Kikyo heard Bankotsu's worried shout and could only return the sentiment. Just as Kikyo was preparing to jump in after her student, something stopped her. Her eyes widened at the flash of power that rose to the surface before the river was bathed in a bright blue glow. The spiritual energy that bathed not only the river but the boat - and, in turn, Kikyo - was warm but angry.

Kikyo's eyes involuntarily closed at the feeling of her student's energy. 'It's only a matter of time then...'

Kikyo opened her eyes as she jumped from the edge of the boat and on top of the water, landing perfectly before taking off across the water and next to her male students in time to see a figure pushed from the water and into the air. The glow covering the river began to dim just a bit before it seemed to concentrate on one area just as Kagome rose from the depths of the water, the energy radiating from her small body in waves.

To anyone who did not know the young kunoichi would say that they saw a vengeful goddess but to her team, they saw someone rising up from their past.

Kagome knew, she just knew, that she should probably calm down. It was only right, after all, she literally blew the shinobi out of the waters and onto where he couldn't necessarily use his advanced water jutsu without being properly countered by not only her seasoned sensei but her clearly, more than qualified teammates. Thing is, the power felt so good. She didn't want to give it up.

And that's why she managed to push out of her mind and take over once more. 'I cannot allow myself to be consumed by power… it could be my downfall,' Kagome thought as she fell back into the water from the height she obtained by allowing her spiritual abilities to control not only her mind but body as well.

Breaking the surface once more, Kagome was able to catch her team engaging the ANBU that landed, quite literally, in front of them.

"What is your purpose for attacking our team?" Kikyo questioned the unknown shinobi.

"Why should I even bother telling you?" He countered back, his tone harsh.

"Maybe because we can take you down, right here and now, and possibly answering our questions will prolong your death," Hakudoshi's quiet voice broke into the conversation, his eyes seeing red as he stared at the shinobi, "I would choose wisely if I were you."

The shinobi just laughed before his attention was drawn to the young kunoichi walking from where the river meets the shore. Before any of them could react, the shinobi went through a series of hand signs before yelling out, "Water Prison Jutsu!"

Right before their eyes, a wave formed around Kagome and before she was able to get away, the water encircled the young shinobi before encasing her within what looked to be a ball of water. Kagome raged against the cage, her cried mute as the constant sound of water over powered her voice.

"Let her go!" Bankotsu yelled as he stared at his friend trapped within a jutsu that seemed nearly impossible to break through.

"No."

Bankotsu had turned his attention away from Kagome at the petulant answer that came from this seemingly skilled shinobi. "Uhm, what?" His tone matched the incredulous look on his face.

"I said, no." The shinobi had crossed his arms over his chest and seemed to stare at them expectantly under the mask.

"Are you really being that childish?"

"Okay, that is enough! You will let my student go, now," Kikyo butted in, angry and impatient.

The shinobi seemed to have sighed before turning towards the ball encasing Kagome who watched the scene with curious eyes. As he reached the ball, he tilted his head as he placed a hand upon the ever moving water. "Can you hear me?"

The question caught the attention of all of them, including Kagome. When the kunoichi said nothing and only stared more confused, the shinobi nodded. "Of course you can't. Good, now I can speak without there being interruptions."

"What do you mean, interruptions?" Hakudoshi asked as he glared at the person in front of them. His hands clenched as he realized that this shinobi held their friend's life in his hands. He wasn't efficient with water jutsus, and from the looks of it, neither are any of his teammates putting them at a standstill with the enemy.

"You see," they mysterious shinobi spoke to them in a light tone, "all three of you standing in front of me have a secret that could prove disastrous should this cutie find out, and honestly? I don't need her fighting against what I say every second."

"Secret? I don't know what you're talking about," Bankotsu said in a rush, his eyes looking anywhere but at the ANBU in front of him. Hakudoshi discretely elbowed him in the side as he glared at him from the corner of his eye.

The ANBU tilted his head before shaking it slightly. "Maybe this will be a little easier to deal with if I took off my mask," he said as he reached his hand up swiftly and pulled the mask off completely.

He knew that the kunoichi behind him couldn't see his face and at the moment, that is a good thing. He locked his eyes on the three in front of him and smirked. "Is this better?"

If he were anyone else, he would not have found the situation so comical; however, the trio in front of him made him want to burst out laughing from their reactions alone. "It's good to see you three once more," he said before slightly bowing.

"Junsei," Kikyo whispered in shock at seeing her old teammate, "what is the meaning of this?"

"You haven't changed a bit, Yo-yo. But, I'm not here to reminisce. I'm here to warn you," Junsei said urgently.

Kikyo scowled at the nickname she hasn't heard for a very long time. "Refrain from calling me that from this point on, Junsei," Kikyo threatened the shinobi and he brought his hands up in a "I'm backing off" gesture, his seemingly trademark smirk on his face.

"How can we trust you? Last we checked, you were part of ROOT just like us," Bankotsu said carefully as he took in his old instructor.

"I defected," Junsei smoothly answered.

"Defected?" Kikyo broke into the reunion. "The how are you still here?"

"I was once the best shinobi you knew, remember? I think I can find a way to fake my death to the point where I am now just a phantom to all who once knew me," Junsei smirked as he turned around.

He watched as Kagome sat within his jutsu staring at the scene curiously in front of her. Their eyes locked and he wasn't sure what he wanted to see… recognition? Maybe. Thing is, all that he saw within her eyes were confusion and he couldn't help but wonder if that would be a good thing in the long run.

Bringing his hands up, he released the jutsu immediately and watched the young kunoichi fall to the ground in shock.

Kagome was skeptical about what they told her as she looked at the man in front of her. She knew him? Is he good or bad?

Whoever he was, he attacked them and because of that, Kagome refused to trust him completely. His past with ROOT furthered supported that feeling and so that's how they sat around a fire with Junsei recapping his adventures since defecting with three curious gazes and a glare.

Junsei stopped in his storytelling and turned to the youngest one in their group. "Do you have a problem, young one?"

Kagome glared harder at the familiarity within his tone. She harumphed before turning her head away from him.

She heard him sigh and she expected him to continue so imagine her surprise when he continued to address her.

"You know, at one point in time, I was your favorite person," Junsei said with a smile.

"Sorry, but that position has been taken and won't be replaced by the likes of you," Kagome stated without so much of a glance towards him.

She turned to her teammates who had stayed silent the whole time Junsei was talking. "Don't we have a mission to continue? Every second we spend reminiscing with this shinobi is another second that Naruto and his team could be hurt. You heard those shinobi; they even mentioned that they stand no chance against whatever was ahead of them."

"I know you are worried, Kagome; however, I'm almost sure that they won't be in too much danger with Kakashi being in charge of the team," Kikyo answered Kagome's concern with a soft tone in hopes of calming her tempered student down.

"We won't be of much help to them if we continue on in the state that we're in now," Hakudoshi spoke up from his spot across from the fire, "It is in our best interests as well as there's if we rest for the night and continue on early tomorrow morning."

Kagome knew there was no arguing with his logic as in the back of her mind, she felt the exhaustion creeping in. Again, Kagome found herself glaring at the ANBU who they spent most of their energy on. 'If he wanted to greet us and talk to us about something important, he could have just met with us in a normal way instead of attacking.'

"Then shall we get some rest? I'll take first watch," Junsei jumped in cheerfully.

"Yeah," Kagome scoffed at his suggestion, "like that's going to happen. I'll take first watch."

"No," Hakudoshi said, "you expended the most energy than the rest of us, you'll need your strength. I'll take first watch then wake up the dobe to take over."

Kikyo nodded at her student's suggestion before smiling at her female protege. "Okay, shall we head to bed then?"

Kagome sighed as she knew she wouldn't the fight but one look at Hakudoshi's alert gaze and she knew they would be safe from the danger that was within their own camp. As Kagome crawled into her own sleeping bag, she threw one last glare at the shinobi who was watching from across the fire. Something about him was off and she'd be damned to allow her guard down towards him.