Summary: Kagome and Satoru had always been close, but the presence of the jewel formed a wedge between the pair. It doesn't bother him. After all, as her big brother, Satoru knows he's her favorite. Or, that's what he always assumed. When the spot seems to be at risk of being claimed by another, it strikes a nerve. Who said another could steal her heart from him? It's not fair.

Pairing: Satoru/Kagome

Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.

Chapter Three

"I think it's dumb."

Her blunt comment made him chuckle. "Y'know what?" Satoru remarked, turning to the side to glance at her directly. "I couldn't agree more, Mochi." As he said those words, he set his hand on the top of her head, gently brushing her hair down. She was quiet for a few seconds, and he gave a curious hum.

"I never asked for any of this," she stated, her expression clouding over. "How is it my fault?"

Satoru sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "Those geezers think too highly of themselves," he said. "You've got nothing to worry about, though," he continued. When he said those words, she looked up to meet his stare. "They'll have to get through me to get to you."

She pursed her lips in a mild frown. "... what if they…-" she trailed off, but he understood the entirety of what she was trying to say. He laughed, setting a hand on his hip as a smirk spread across his face.

"I'd love to see them try, then." The edge in his voice made her look up to catch his stare again. There was nothing out of the ordinary on his face, but she could still pick up on it. His smirk softened into a small smile as he crouched to be on her level. "I'm not gonna let them lay a finger on you."

Kagome folded her arms over her chest, her expression complicated. He could tell how she was feeling, and he held back on the urge to sigh. "Why do you care so much?" she asked. "I'm just some kid. Don't you have anything better to do?"

The snip to her tone took him aback, but it didn't faze him much. He craned his head to the side as he waited for her to look back at him before he even answered her questions. "I'm not going to let someone steal the gift of youth away from anyone, let alone you. You haven't even lived yet, but there are those who want to snuff it out. It's disgusting, don't you think?"

She didn't say anything in response, and he sighed softly. He stood back up, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Besides…-

She wasn't just some kid, as she had referred to herself. Not to him, at least.

She was too young to know the full truth behind everything. It would only confuse her and cause her more trouble than it was all worth in the first place.

The woman seated across from him was pleasant, but more than that, she was kind. Not only was such a fact reflected in her mannerisms, but it also seemed to be prevalent through her aura. She'd been hesitant at his presence at first, but once he'd explained, she'd been more receptive. It seemed that she was just as conscious of other's intentions whether she was familiar with them or if they were strangers. He knew he shouldn't be surprised.

"I guess I'm just a little surprised," the brunette woman said. Her hands rested in her lap. "I hope you can understand my hesitance," she added softly after a second.

Satoru laughed, flicking his hand in a nonchalant wave. "Don't worry about it," he responded. "You have every right to look at everyone with scrutiny, given the way things seem to be."

She sighed, her hand coming up to rest over her chest. Her brown eyes were laden with complicated emotions. It was expected, after all. "I don't like the way they regard her so… coldly," she admitted. He nodded, a frown replacing his previous smile. "Distancing our connection with them just seemed like the best thing to do. Especially after her father…-" Her expression softened at the mention of the tender wound. "Nothing is keeping them dissuaded anymore."

"I wouldn't say that," he responded. "No matter how things turn out, I'm still taking responsibility for her."

Kun-Loon nodded, his words serving as a reminder to her. A reminder of a deal between the two clans. In pursuit of peace and strengthened ties, it had been decided years ago that the firstborn daughter of the Higurashi clan would marry the firstborn son of the Gojo clan. "She's only a child…" she trailed off softly. Her words held the weight of two entirely different burdens.

"Yeah, she is," he responded. "To be honest, I don't care about that agreement" he began, folding his arms across his chest. "It's unfair to her, considering she never got a say in it."

Kun-Loon was silent, but she nodded in agreement. It was clear in her eyes, the reservations she'd had about the arrangement.

"Whether things end up like that or not, I don't care," Satoru stated. "It won't change my place as the person who will protect her. It doesn't matter what it's against, either," he continued. "If they want to get rid of her, then they better plan on getting rid of me first."

Satoru sighed, shaking his head gently. "You think I have something better to do?" he remarked in a flat tone. Kagome shrugged, folding her arms over her chest with a pout on her face.

"I don't know," she responded with a faint huff. "Shouldn't you?"

He laughed, reaching a hand out to ruffle her hair. "No," he responded. "In fact, I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing."

000

The moment the jewel was in its complete form, it came as a surprise when she was abruptly whisked back to the modern era. She woke up at the bottom of the well, a dull ache coursing through her veins. The presence of the jewel was smothering. With a great deal of effort, she managed to pull herself from the well's depths. She landed on her knees, a pink light completely saturating the dark shadows of the well house.

She recalled Kaede's prior suggestion, and she decided to give it a shot.

"Sealing the jewel should suppress the aura," Kagome whispered to herself. A hand came up, the other resting flat against the ground in order to keep her body seated upright. She curled her fingers around the jewel. Automatically, she let out a sharp hiss as it burned the flesh on her palm.

The energy was harsh. It was overwhelming. Her own couldn't even suppress it, no matter how hard she tried. She didn't lighten her grip as she attempted to place a seal on the cursed bauble. A few seconds into it, a sharp, powerful boom of energy burst forth from the jewel as it rejected her attempts to reseal it back into its prior dormant state.

Alarm was present on her face when she realized that it'd fully rejected her attempts. There was nothing she could do as her senses grew overwhelmed. The world around her flickered to darkness. She'd already been exhausted from her attempts at suppressing the jewel's energy that, once the jewel had rejected her sealing attempt, staying conscious became a challenge. Her arm buckled under her weight as she fell forward, sweat beading on her forehead.

This was exactly what she wanted to prevent by remaining in the past. She wasn't strong enough, or prepared enough to withstand the full impact of the jewel's unsealed state. Since she wasn't susceptible to the cursed energy, it couldn't manipulate her or take control. To bypass her entirely, it called to other things.

000

It was hard to focus with the sharp ache piercing through her head. She couldn't sense anything around her. It was like her senses were null, and she hated the way it made her feel. When she finally opened her eyes, she realized she was in a dimly lit room covered in seals. The light was an awful yellow hue, casting deeper shadows along the walls.

Kagome pushed herself up into a seated position, but when she moved she realized that her hands had been cuffed. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't recall what had happened prior to that moment. She was aware of the pain she felt, but she wasn't able to use her energy to ebb it away. The sigils kept it sealed inside her.

"Oh, good, you're awake."

The voice caught her attention, and Kagome lifted her head. Her gaze landed on a familiar figure leaning against the wall. The way he stood and his behavior was unreadable for her. She was quiet as she sat there, but before anything else could be said, the binds on her wrists were broken. The metal snapped, falling to land on the ground with a loud clang.

"Aniki…"

The presence of tears blurred her vision. He approached her, crouching in front of her to reach out and gently cup her cheek with his palm. Any tears that fell were swiftly cleared away by a gentle caress. Though it hadn't been long since the last time he'd seen her, he couldn't ignore the differences on her face.

His hand moved to gently tuck a lock of hair back behind her ear. She knew the purpose of this place- that much was clear. He didn't do anything that might feed into the fear or stress she felt. He didn't say anything as he lifted his hand, gently pressing his fingertips beneath her bangs. A few short seconds later, she fell forward into his arms as he caught her.

"It's good that you woke up, but, you should get some more sleep," he remarked softly. "That thing took too much of your energy." As he said those words, he reached a hand out. He found the jewel beneath the collar of her shirt, and he quickly ripped it from around her neck.

His eyes darkened as he looked down at it, his hand tightening into a fist around the pink jewel.

Their solution to this problem wasn't a viable one. He wouldn't let them execute her, not when she'd done nothing to warrant it. And even if she had…-

"They should know that I'd kill them before they hurt you."

He didn't hesitate before closing his hand around the jewel. The pressure from his energy fractured it into slivers. When he opened his palm, dozens of small shards glittered under the dim lighting in the room. His own energy sealed it into that state.

It was better off fractured.

He dropped the pieces into a small pouch and tucked it into his pocket to be discarded later on.

He picked her up in his arms, cradling her unconscious frame against his chest.

"Are you sure it's a good idea?" Kagome's voice was soft as she looked up at the man in front of her. The information he'd relayed to her left her with a nagging feeling in her chest. She couldn't help but feel on edge. Ijichi sighed, but he nodded.

"I understand you're concerned about it," he remarked. Kagome's frown deepened. "It was specifically requested for them to go. Seeing as you're acting as the head for them in Gojo's absence, it's requested that you oversee them on this mission."

Kagome nodded, that same uncertainty still lurking in her chest. "Right…" She conceded either way. If things had already been decided, then there was nothing she could do to revoke it. She'd have to air on the side of caution in order to nurse these concerns. "I'll collect them and pass the message along."

He nodded. It was a relief just how different she was from the white-haired man. The compassion written on her face wasn't lost on him either. "Please do," Ijichi responded. "I'll be waiting for you four once you've readied yourselves."

Kagome nodded, bidding him a soft response as she turned to find the three first-years. It didn't take her long. The expression on her face was quickly noticed by one of them.

"You look bothered by something," Megumi stated as he looked her over. Kagome swiftly shook her head.

"It's not that," she responded softly. "It looks like the three of you are going to be dispatched for a mission," she informed them. "Since Satoru isn't back yet, I'll be going with you to help oversee."

"What's the mission?" Yuji asked. Kagome glanced at him. Something inside her told her to stick close to him for this, but those ideas were often much easier said than done. She glanced away from him, nodding for them to follow her. It did the trick fairly easily.

"I figured it'd be better if you heard it from Ijichi," she responded. "He's got all the information." It hadn't been fully relayed to her, so, to save everyone time, it just seemed like a better idea for him to explain.

The sky was cloudy, rain wetting her hair as she stood among the three students. The building in front of them gave off such a foul aura. She could feel its malicious energy from where she stood. It was hard to ignore, and she couldn't imagine how much heavier it'd be once they actually got within the confines.

"Our window confirmed the curse womb three hours ago," Ijichi stated as he turned to face them. "Once ninety percent were safely evacuated, the call to close off the center was made. All citizens within a five-hundred meter radius have been evacuated, as well."

Yuji raised his hand, the action followed by his voice. "Ijicji, what's a "window" here?"

"A window is a member of Jujutsu Tech who can see curses. They aren't sorcerers, though," Ijicji explained. As Yuji nodded, the older man turned back towards the center before them. "To continue, Detainee Block Two. At present time, five detainees remain there with the curse womb. If this curse womb is the type that metamorphoses, we predict that it will become a special-grade cursed spirit."

The information made her more on edge. She hid that feeling however, choosing to mask it in order to not cause any needless worry. While Nobara and Megumi were well aware, Yuji on the other hand…-

"Hey, so I still don't really understand what "special-grade" means," Yuji stated. Kagome frowned, resisting the urge to sigh.

"I figured Satoru would've explained a bit better," she stated. Ijichi glanced away.

"You expect too much out of him, I believe," he muttered. Kagome glanced at him, resisting the urge to laugh.

"To sum it up nice and easy," Kagome began. "Curses tend to range from Grade Four, to Special Grade. Grade Four is the easiest to handle, while Special Grade falls on the opposite end of the spectrum," Kagome explained. "They are two very drastic differences."

"Grade Four, something like a baseball bat would suffice just fine. Grade Three, a handgun. Grade Two, a shotgun. Grade One, you might be lacking even if you were ti utilize a tank," Ijichi explained. "Special Grade, however… Let's just leave it at you could possibly be on even footing if you were to carpet bomb it with cluster bombs."

"That sounds real bad," Yuji responded.

"Normally a Jujustu Sorcerer on par with the cursed spirit would get sent to handle the mission," Megumi explained. "On a day like this, that would be Gojo-sensei."

"That makes sense," Yuji stated. He glanced at Kagome. "Say, where is he?"

Kagome sighed, rubbing the back of her head. "He's off handling some business," she explained.

"He's not someone who should be loafing around at the school in the first place," Megumi stated.

"As unfortunate as it is, we are constantly short-handed in this sort of business," Ijichi explained. "More often than not, you'll find yourself taking on missions beyond your power. This one, however, is different," he stated. "This mission is urgent and abnormal. It is under my suggestion that you refrain from fighting under any circumstances. If you encounter a special grade, your only options are to run or die." Kagome glanced at him when his words unnerved Nobara and Yuji. "Please listen to your fears. Your mission here is strictly the verification and rescue of potential survivors."

Kagome was quiet as she stepped over to Ijicji. He noticed her presence swiftly, turning to meet her. "I still can't help but get a bad feeling about all of this," she stated softly. Ijicji nodded, hearing her worries.

"It's not a solution I would've come to," he stated. She glanced at him, about to say something else when a voice in the distance stopped her. When she turned, her gaze landed on a woman being held back by two men guarding the area.

"Tadashi…! Is my son Tadashi okay?!"

Despite how the two tried to hold her back, she still fought to try and run over. No matter what they told her, she didn't relent. Kagome frowned, stepping away from Ijicji. He lifted a hand, only to lower it a second later.

As she walked over, Ijicji glanced at the three left standing with him. "That woman is a guardian who came to visit."

She walked over to the woman, and she calmed as she approached her. "Ma'am, we have to ask you to go," Kagome stated softly. "It's possible the hazard is still active within the facility. There can't be any people hanging around, least something were to happen." She met the woman's gaze, her expression a gentle one. "I know you're concerned, but putting yourself at risk won't help anything."

"W-What's happening?" she asked.

"We unfortunately cannot give any more information at this point," Ijicji stated from where he stood. She ended up falling into a crouch as she covered her face, tears starting to fall down her cheeks.

Kagome frowned as she turned on her heel to return to the others. She didn't miss the complicated aura around Yuji. She glanced at him, knowing what was impacting him so much.

"Higurashi-sensei."

Kagome let her eyes focus on Yuji's own. She nodded for him to continue.

"What are the odds that we can save them…?"

Kagome glanced at the facility, her brows furrowing. It was hard to feel anything other than the cursed energy. "It's hard to tell," she responded. "We will do what we can."

He nodded, her answer sealing his resolution. He turned to the other two. "Fushiguro, Kugisaki…- we're going to save them."

"Of course we are," Nobara stated, while Megumi nodded in agreement.

Auroua-chan: Finally got this one done. It got a little longer than I wanted, but this was a nice stopping point.

In this chapter, there was a bit more background information about Kagome and Gojo's relationship. Early on things were a bit different. One can only wonder what caused him to become so possessive of her… It'll come later, of course!

Kagome's off with the kids for the mission. Even with her presence, things are bound to go wrong…

Anyway, thats it for now! Thank you all for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed. Hopefully I caught all the errors before posting, but if not sorry.

Please remember to Reivew&Favorite&Follow, thank you!

Bye for now~