Disclaimer: Haikyuu! & Inuyasha and their characters are properties of Haruichi Furudate & Rumiko Takahashi, Shueisha, Production I.G., Shogakukan, Sunrise, etc. Meaning, that I do not own them and I don't make any money out of this. This is written for pure fan entertainment and to the fans all around the world!

Characters: Kagome Higurashi, Koutarou Bokuto, Tetsurou Kuroo, Kozume Kenma and others.

Rating: K

Category: short fic, comedy, general, crossover, AU

Fiction note: Separated story from the previous Haikyuu crossover fics written so far.

Lil' Bokuto meets lil' Kagome at the playground and became friends with her. One day, they met Kuroo – and the rivalry for Kagome's attention began.

A Haikyuu! & Inuyasha Short Fanfic

"Rivalry"

Written by k-tiraam © 2016

So many kids were running across and around the playground, enjoying their time with friends by playing various games.

Almost everyone, there was one boy – a seven year old – by himself in a sandbox, doodling randomly with a stick. He was alone. None of the other kids wanted to play with him. They told him he was too rough and noisy.

The boy sighed, annoyed about the situation. He didn't want to be alone.

"So bored," he mumbled.

"Hello!" A girl's voice said, scaring him out of his thoughts. "Wanna play with me?"

Bokuto turned and saw a little girl standing next to the sandbox, smiling with her eyes wide. Never could he understand, why other boys thought girls were weird or icky. This girl… was actually cute.

"I'm Kagome Higurashi! What's your name?"

"Er, I'm… Koutarou Bokuto…"

"Nice to meet you!" Kagome kept smiling at him. "Let's make some sand castles!" Kagome showed her buckets and tiny shovels to him.

Bokuto was quiet for a moment, staring at the girl who began to dig into the sand and fill one of buckets with sand. Someone actually wanted to play with him. That thought alone made him grin widely – and soon enough he was making sand castles with his new friend.

Girl or not, a friend was a friend.

And he was having fun playing with her!

"Come on, mom! We are going to be late!" The boy pouted at his mother, feeling restless.

"Okay, okay, Koutarou-chan," chuckled Mrs. Bokuto at her son, "hold onto your pants. We're going."

Ever since Kagome and Bokuto met, their parents exchanged their phone numbers so they could arrange more play-dates for their kids. Months passed by and their friendship grew stronger and stronger. There were some teasing from other kids – mainly from boys – but they didn't pay any attention to them.

Today was the day for their play-date at the playground again. And he was so excited to see her again that he could hardly wait!

He was a bit earlier at the playground. Bokuto felt a bit sad at first; now he had to wait for her a bit longer. The wait felt like an eternity for him! He pouted and sat on the park's bench with his mother, kicking his legs in the air impatiently.

Mrs. Bokuto quietly chuckled at her son. 'Ah, puppy love…'

They didn't need to wait for long, when Bokuro perked up after seeing a familiar figure coming to the playground. He jumped off the bench and ran to her.

"Hey, hey, hey! Kagome-chan!"

"Hey Koutarou-kun!"

"Let's go to the swings!" He took her hand and led her to the swings. Kagome waved at her mother while being dragged by overexcited Bokuto. Their mothers greeted each other as Mrs. Higurashi sat down, after placing the baby carriage – with little Souta in it – next to the bench.

"It seems like Kagome-chan wasn't the only one who was energetic today."

"Koutarou-kun kept bugging me since morning, asking about when we go to the playground."

Baby Souta decided to wake up from his nap and began to cry a little; Mrs. Higurashi took him out of the carriage, cooing to calm him down.

As their mothers were talking – and taking care of baby Souta – the two friends soon turned their attention away from the swings and went to the sand box, chatting about their days at home and school.

"… One day, I was watching TV with my family, and, and the sports was on!" Bokuto explained to Kagome. "There was a volleyball match! Uwaa! It was so cool! The spiker hitting the ball over the net, it was so awesome!"

"Oh? My grandpa watches it too, sometimes."

"My dad just signed me into a mini-volleyball team, and I'm having lots of fun there!"

"I'm glad to hear it, Koutarou-kun!" Kagome smiled at him.

"Oh~?" Said a boy's voice close to them. "I play in a mini-volleyball team too."

Both Kagome and Bokuto turned to around and saw another boy whose hair looked as if he hadn't brushed it at all. There was another boy with, who was hiding behind the slightly taller boy.

"I'm trying to get him into a team too," he pointed at the boy behind him, "But he needs to wait for next year. I'm Tetsurou Kuroo and this is my friend, Kozume Kenma." He looked at his friend. "Oi, Kenma, quit hiding there." Kenma shook his head negatively, feeling a bit shy. Kuroo sighed. "Oh well, anyway, you play volleyball too?"

"I started it few weeks ago…"

"Heh, same as me." Kuroo smirked. "What about you?" He looked at Kagome. "You play too?"

Kagome shook her head. "No. I like swimming more than play any other sports."

Bokuto pouted at her, feeling a bit betrayed. "Kagome-chan~!"

"Sorry, Koutarou-kun…" Kagome scratched her neck, blushing a bit.

Bokuto tch'ed, soon grinning at her again. "It's okay, I guess. Now, let's play!"

"Can we join you too?" Kuroo asked.

"No." Bokuto frowned at him.

"Koutarou-kun, my mama always told me to play with others too." Kagome told him, which made him pout even more – and made Kuroo to grin widely. "You can play with us, Kuroo-kun. Oh, I'm Kagome Higurashi, nice to meet you."

"Yo." Kuroo looked at Bokuto. "And you?"

"Koutarou Bokuto." He mumbled out.

Kenma was about to sneak away, but Kuroo grabbed onto his shirt, stopping him. "So, what yah doing?"

Kagome showed Kuroo and Kenma the sand city they began to make, with Bokuto pouting again; she explained the plan they had and Kuroo nodded. Kenma kept quiet the whole time, but he also helped them out.

Bokuto pouted even more. Now there were two kids taking away Kagome's attention from him – well, he was okay with this Kenma but Kuroo… He didn't like this.

"Koutarou-kun?" Kagome titled her head at him. "You okay?"

Bokuto's eyes shone; yes! He had her attention again! "Yeah! You know me, Kagome-chan!"

She giggled at him. Now it was Kuroo's turn to frown at him. Bokuto grinned at him; Kagome was his friend first and no one would take her away!

And so began a rivalry between the two of them.

Years later; it was the beginning of their third year in high school – and second for Kenma. Whenever she had the time, Kagome would pay a visit and come see their practice and official games. Too bad she didn't get into Fukuroudani Academy – same was with Metropolitan Nekoma High, where Kuroo and Kenma were studying at.

Most of the time, she went to see their games whenever she was able, but there were other times, when Fukuroudani's team needed her help with their ace.

This time, the practice game was at Nekoma High and she ran a little bit late.

Kagome rushed through the open doors; apologizing to the students she bumped into and kept on running. She was a bit out of breath when she arrived to the gym. They were still warming up, good; she made it in time.

"Konnichiwa, Kagome-san."

Kagome looked up, finally managed to breathe easily. "Ah, Akaashi-kun. Konnichiwa!"

"Bokuto-san kept looking around for you like a lost kid." Akaashi turned his glance at downcast wing spiker who wandering across the gym. His face had a dazed look all over it; just like the second year's setter told her. Like a lost kid. "Please."

Kagome gave him the thumps-up. "I'll take care of it." She straightened up, inhaling deeply. "Koutarou-kun~!"

As if it were magic, her voice changed Bokuto's mood quickly from distress into happiness. Fukuroudani's ace frantically looked around. Soon enough he found her by the entrance, his eyes shone again – just like an excited kid getting his candy.

"Hey, hey, hey! Kagome-chan~! You came!" Bokuto went to her, ready to glomp her but Kagome put her arms front, stopping him – or tried to.

"No way, mister! You're not hugging me while being sweaty!"

Bokuto pouted.

"Yo, Kagome-chan!" Kuroo jogged his way to her once he heard her shout.

"Hi, Kuroo-kun."

"Tch, still calling me 'Kuroo-kun'?"

"What else should I call you?" Kagome asked.

Kenma observed the three of them bit further from them. 'They are still at it.'

"Um, Kenma?" The tall half-Russian came to him, kept staring at the pretty girl with Bokuto and Kuroo. "Who is she?"

"Hm? Kagome is our childhood friend. She goes to another high school, but she can find some time to come and see our games." Kenma bounced the ball.

"Oh."

"Just you wait, Kagome-chan! You get to see one of my awesome spikes!" Bokuto told her; he was so ready to play now. All the excitement he felt, the need to slam the ball over the net grew stronger.

"Heh. Try all you want, Bokuto. I'll make sure to block every ball you spike!"

"You guys…" Kagome's eye brow twitched; it was always like this with them. Always. Sometimes she didn't get where this rivalry came from. Honestly, she could see their battle auras flaring up into the ceiling above them.

Kenma and Akaashi stared at them, sighing. 'They are all so clueless… especially Kagome/Kagome-san.' Both of them thought.

The practice game was intense; Bokuto was in one of his good moods – thanks to Kagome's presence – and Fukuroudani's team won the practice game. Loosing the game left Kuroo unsatisfied; too bad they couldn't continue for the day. There would be other times, though. When they meet again, he and his team would be ready for it!

For once, Kagome was glad the game ended for Fukuroudani's favour. A lost match equalled a downcast Bokuto, which was so troublesome to handle.

"Oi, Bokuto! Just you wait until it's time for the training camp! Then we'll show you!"

"Heh! You can try, Kuroo~! Kagome-chan will be there also!"

"Actually, Bokuto-san, she can't. She told you, time after time, that she got other plans with her family." Akaashi stated out, remembering Kagome telling about it. Behind him, Kagome remorsefully nodded to confirm it.

"This is something I can't miss out, Koutarou-kun." Kagome clapped her hands together, closed her eyes and bowed down. "I'm so sorry!"

"D'oh!" Bokuto fell onto his hands and knees, feeling as if the ground was swallowing him up into the dept of darkness. Kuroo cackled at the grey haired spiker's misery.

Kenma stared at his friend again, with a deadpan look in his eyes. 'Really, I can understand Kagome and Bokuto being clueless, but you, Kuroo?'

Better not to get involved with this. Just let them figure it out by themselves.

If they didn't by the time for their graduation; then Kenma might need to step in – even though he didn't want to.

End of story.

First draft: February the 26th - 27th, 2016

Author's note: Geez, I did have some minor difficulties with this one. Mostly with Bokuto, he sure is energetic character with mood swings… but there are so little mentions about him as a kid. I just hope the fic was good enough and he's some-what in character. Well, I tried.

To reply some reviews that I couldn't reply via PM:

CK: Thanks for all the reviews! I'm glad that you liked reading the fics written so far. I hope you liked this one as well. I also had fun to write the implied-possible Kagami/Kagome/Kuroko. I rarely ship this sort of relationships, but hey if it works, it works. These three work – I can totally imagine Kagami sharing Kagome with Kuroko. xD Ahem. Anyway, thanks for your opinion.

Guest: I'm really glad that you enjoyed reading the fics. Already got ideas written – really short ones – what sort of fics I want to write. Though they might not always be sequels for the earlier fics… So, please be patience. Thank you for reading them so far. =)

Again, thank you all, for favourites, reviews and followings! See yah next time!