Chapter 3: Overlapping paths
It was both better and worse than what Itachi thought it would be.
Talks about demons were commonplace within the group, but descriptions of their confrontations with them were woefully vague. According to Kagome-san's explanation, there was just no one description that could fit all youkais since they were so much more variety between demons than what could be found among humans. So far, all he had to go off were the non-human members of his new companions, but for all of their more animalistic parts, both Shippo and Inuyasha remained human-like. Not that appearances were a reliable way to judge how dangerous an enemy could be. Itachi himself was proof of it.
Of course, strong or weak made no difference when the people trying to fight back were only a bunch of civilians.
The devastation that met them when they arrived at the small neighboring town was one he'd seen a dozen times over. The Uchiha had caused such tragedies while following orders. But shinobis of his caliber weren't normal, and attacks that targeted so many people were uncommon. And, of course, the visage of the monstrous serpent-esque creature swallowing the corpses of the villagers' half-destroyed corpses as it walked around the town's ruins was far more visually disturbing. It made him think of a smaller-scale version of his world's tailed beasts. The group's reactions made it clear they were used to these scenes, judging by the lack of hesitation before they jumped into the fray after Kagome-san shouted that the fragment's between its eyes!.
It was...chaotic.
With no time spent planning a strategy, screamed directions filled the air. A not-unfamiliar cacophony accompanied by the sounds of what was left of the town crashing under the monster's scaly body. Attacks were raining on the beast, only for them to bounce off its scales.
"It's a Nomori!" the monk yelled as he pulled out what looked like paper seals. "They don't tend to get close to human towns!"
"Yeah, tell that to the bastard!"
"Wait, Inuyasha!" Sango hurried to yell when she saw the hanyou prepare another attack. "If you kill a guardian, you'll get cursed by it!"
"It's not like those things are peaceful in the first place! What else can we do!?" Irritation colored the male's response.
Weird as it sounded, the Uchiha supposed in this world, curses were something to be wary of, judging by how the hanyou jumped back.
"Just take the Shikon out!" Miroku-san ordered.
Taking that as an instruction, Kagome-san took aim, and Itachi could see the distinct pink glow of her energy. It cut through the heavy atmosphere only for the snake to move the other end of its tail to shield its head.
And it screeched.
For the first time, the attack didn't just bounce off. Neither did it pierce its skin. Instead, the girl's reiki seemed to eat through the scales, leaving behind a missing piece of flesh at the end of its tails.
"Yeah, well, that didn't work. Let's just kill the thing!"
"What about the curse?"Kagome-san questioned the hanyou.
"Well, that's what we have Miroku for, ain't it?"
"Excuse me?" The monk yelled, an offended look on his face. "Just because I know how to deal with curses does not mean we can enrage all guardians we encounter!"
"I'm with Inuyasha in this one, Miroku-sama." Sango's voice was clearly frustrated as she was forced to back away.
"Fine, but we should still focus on the shard!"
Itachi stood by the side. Its movements were different from Orochimaru's summons. Not just because of the multiple pair of legs that sported razor-sharp claws but because the demon was attacking guided solely by instincts. No hint of intelligent thought in its mind. This was an average enemy to the group. By attempting to attack, he would disrupt their dynamic, and he really wanted to use this chance to observe how they worked as a team. After all, as an archer, Kagome-san remained somewhat safe at the back, as protected as she could be on an active battlefield...or so it was supposed to be. They couldn't have exchanged more than a handful of attacks before a pair of unknown voices pierced through the battle noise.
Children.
There were still children here, alive and hiding in one of the many half-destroyed huts.
And Kagome bolted into it, fox kit clinging to her clothes as she weaved in between the beast's attacks, ignoring her friends' concerned voices and forcing him to bite his tongue in an effort not to move just yet. It would be fine; he could reach her in a second if the Uchiha needed to. The nomori's movements were wild and unknown, but they were slow compared to a shinobi's top speed. Still, crimson took over black as his sharingan locked onto his butterfly's form while she threw herself at the children to push them out of the way.
Frustration welled up inside him when Itachi realized that while every single fighter was clearly attempting to get to her, none of them managed to do more than take a couple of steps forward. Every cut that managed to do significant damage healed up in a heartbeat. Any attack that could be strong enough to potentially hurt the demon now held the risk of harming the priestess. He'd been right. She didn't have the training to fight on her own, and her team didn't have the strength to guarantee her safety. Kagome-san was not naive, she'd shown him how aware she was of the risks, yet the way she moved while calming the children didn't betray any fear. With no hesitation, his brave, fragile butterfly had the fox transform and coaxed the two kids to climb on top of the bright pink balloon. Uncaring that she was now left alone in the center of the area the demon was rampaging in.
Self-sacrificial...
He was still missing a part of her story.
Later, he reminded himself, once there were no active threats in the vicinity, Itachi could go over all the information and try to find the missing pieces; because this had gone on for long enough, no one looked any closer to stopping the monster. Its movements were now far more aggressive, thrashing around as if it understood that the easy prey just ran away.
Heightened perception made the world feel almost frozen in time. Chakra flowed through his system for the first time in days. Familiarity mixed with the oddness of actually seeing the world slow down around him. Of seeing what she'd been battling for the last several months. Childhood-instilled discipline kept his focus on what mattered: the part of the nomori's body that would obliterate the spot the young priestess was still standing in and making sure his grip didn't harm her as he carefully took her in his arm. One chakra-enhanced jump had them both away from the immediate strike zone and on top of one of the few roofs still standing.
"In...Itachi-san?" Surprise laced her voice.
"Are you alright?"
"N-no, I mean yes..." The girl shook her head, probably attempting to ground herself once more. "Just a couple of scratches, nothing serious."
"Kagome!"
Inuyasha's voice rose above the beast's growls. Was the hanyou unable to see him intervene?
"I'm fine!"
"Is this constant regeneration common?" the Uchiha asked, bringing back the girl's attention to himself.
"No, this is probably because of the Shikon fragment." Her ability to remain calm spoke of both her resilience and how common this was for her. "As long as it has it, no attacks will work. Not unless it's something that tears it to pieces."
So that was why the girl rushed to yell out its location. It also explained why her presence in this time era was indispensable; without her skill to see the shards, this fight could last for hours. Even if the nomori's attacks seemed to be more annoying than dangerous. It didn't take a genius to figure out why they'd been so careful around him whenever the topic came up.
Would the black flames overpower the jewel's power, or would they end up in a never-ending cycle?
No, this wasn't the time to test the stronger weapons in his arsenal. Using tiring techniques from the get-go wasn't a wise decision; just because his butterfly managed to heal his eyes, it didn't mean he felt comfortable over-exhausting himself. He needed a base of regular and somewhat weaker attacks that could work against one of these demons...no, there was something else even before that.
"Your arrows, they can bypass the scales, right?" Out of all the attacks he'd seen, hers was the only one that did some decent damage.
"I...they should." There was some hesitation in her voice that hadn't been there until now. "As long as U can get a proper shot."
"I'll stop its movements." He gave her no time to doubt herself.
Building up chakra felt easier than it had in years, and he had to make a conscious effort to limit the flow of energy into the technique. All he needed was to get a base on how much chakra he needed to do some decent damage. His mind went through the list of jutsus he'd copied over the years. With how close the others were to the demon, fire and wind attacks were not a choice. Those elements were a bit too wild (even with his control) to use when he didn't know how the others would react. From the remaining elements...earth was probably the best option. Better, in fact, since it wasn't one of his affinities. Rock columns rose from the ground, piercing the snake creature to immobilize him. The doton jutsu held, even when the snake writhed in pain, chakra holding the rocks together. Behind him, he could hear the girl's surprised gasp, an emotion mirrored by her friends' explanations.
"Kagome-san?" he asked gently.
"Right!"
With fluid motions, Kagome-san had an arrow knocked into her bow. There were still some doubts about his butterfly's actions, but there was a noticeable improvement compared to the first time he saw her wielding her weapon some months ago. Crimson eyes carefully watched, trying to catch the build-up of her spiritual energy. It came in a flash of pink; her reiki surrounded the arrow in a heartbeat, leaving a trail of shimmering pink in its wake. It took him a fraction of a second to remember he had to move because of the warmth he felt coming from her arrow. Shaking himself out of his stupor, Itachi sent chakra to his legs and rushed after the shot, his sword unsheathed. Scales broke apart, the energy almost consuming its flesh as it went through. His chakra-charged blade finished the job, slashing right after the arrow came to a stop.
It felt like slashing through a kage bunshin. The snake's body disintegrated as soon as the crystal-like shard fell from its flesh. Now that the thing was out of the youkai's flesh, the sharingan could see the pulse of energy coming out of it. It definitely wasn't chakra, but his eyes could still detect it. In fact, as Itachi got close to it, he could feel a tendril of influence trying to reach out to him. Almost like a genjutsu trying to get a hold of his mind. Years of practice had him sending a pulse of chakra through his system before picking up the dark violet shard. The almost tangible whispers in the back of his mind were silenced as he turned. Wariness could be felt in the group's gaze, confirming his suspicions. A cursed jewel indeed, sending a compulsion to anyone around it. Yet, he knew his butterfly was always carrying these fragments with her. Ignoring the others' eyes, Itachi strode back to where Kagome-san had jumped down.
"Here," he said, letting the shard fall into Kagome-san's open palms. It changed colors the second it touched her skin, turning into a soft pink.
"Thanks..."
"Oi!" Inuyasha yelled, stomping towards them. "What the hell was that?!"
With a blink, his eyes were black once more before he turned to face the hanyou. The short sample he'd had the chance to observe of the male prepared him for an explosion like this. Because while some of the stories he'd been told assured him that some youkais were capable of feats similar to what some shinobis could do, humans mostly held spiritual powers at their disposal. Meaning Itachi was an anomaly, an unknown factor. And the silver-haired male had shown a very evident dislike of the unknown. Disclosing the full extent of his abilities would have only made him look like a threat, so he'd stayed as quiet as he could and vague when he spoke about the limits of jutsus. And he'd need to remain vague now.
"A doton jutsu," he said as an explanation. "I figured it was the fastest way to stop its movements and give Kagome-san a clean shot."
"The fuck does that..!"
"Inuyasha...sorry about this," the young priestess sighed. "but sit."
Trained eyes barely caught the way the rosary beads around the hanyou's neck glowed for a split of a second before the silver-haired male plummeted to the ground. Face first. It was...definitely something he hadn't seen before.
Before he could try and focus on that, however, the girl stepped up to him, hands fumbling with the thin chain around her neck as she unlocked a small glass bottle. Six almost translucent pink shards shimmered inside it. And then, the girl pulled one of his hands and unceremoniously shoved the little bottle into his open palm. Completely uncaring of her companions' shock.
"What the fu...!"
"Sit, Inuyasha," As she repeated the order, the beads shined again, and the hanyou's face was back in the ground. Her sharp gaze refused to look away from him while she took a firm step back. "The Shikon shards are the reason behind the Nomori's regeneration. Even if they're in this state, they will still provide quite a burst to anyone's power. Humans can use them too. Besides, the jewel is a wish-granting object...as long as you can put it back together.."
Silently, Kagome-san extended her hand to him. Oceans of azure pierced through him, and it clicked.
Giving the girl a soft smile, Itachi moved closer to her, determination evident in his movements as he placed the small glass bottle back in her open hand. His reward was a bright grin before she knelt down to speak with the still-struggling Inuyasha. Compared to the other members of her group, the young priestess was the one with less combat experience. But it was obvious that her observational skills were sharper than he would've given her credit based on her civilian background; Kagome-san was likely more attuned to the emotional needs of her team than anyone else.
"There," she spoke softly. "Now, do you feel a bit less worried?"
"Tch." Inuyasha only scoffed in response.
"Huh?" Sango glanced between the three of them and the quietly smiling monk and questioned with a huff. "What do you mean?"
"If Itachi-san was interested in stealing the fragments, he could've done so already," the girl explained while standing up. "With how fast he moved earlier, he could've taken our shards and left, and none of us would've been able to do a thing to stop him."
At the end of the day, it had been a gamble on his butterfly's part. Bold and brave, she'd already decided to put her trust in him and run with it even when she only had so little information on him. With this one move, the young priestess managed to make it so any doubts of his potential disloyalty were erased. Now the fact that his abilities held such a wide range wasn't likely to be looked at as a potential threat. Then again, from what he'd been able to tell, this was just the kind of action Kagome-san would do, and she'd typically actually win the rewards that came with such a risky bet.
"He has had ample opportunities." Miroku jumped in, a knowing smile on his face.
"Tch, that has nothing to do with anything." Finally, Inuyasha was able to push himself off the dirt. The silver-haired hanyou was still grumbling, but his glare lost a bit of heat. "Come on, if we wanna be back to the other village before it gets dark, we need to get moving. I'll start digging."
Unwilling to wait for a response, the half-demon stormed out once again in what seemed to be a characteristic move from the hanyou. Wariness turned into somber seriousness that seemed to descend upon the whole group.
"Do you want me to go with you, Kagome-chan?" the demon exterminator asked, worry lacing her voice.
"It's fine. I can go on my own." The strained sound in Kagome-san's words wasn't something he was familiar with, but he'd seen the tension in her frame before. "Inuyasha is right; we won't make it back in time for nightfall if we insist on sticking together."
"Alright, I'll take the back then, Miroku-sama?"
"I shall handle the center." The monk looked around the remains of the town and sighed. "Is it alright to leave the front right and the front left to the two of you, Kagome-sama, Itachi-san?"
"Yeah, we'll take care of it."
It probably shouldn't have taken him so long to realize what they were talking about, but he supposed the idea in and of itself was foreign to his world. After all, shinobis were not meant to show their feelings or emotions. No, even if they were allowed to do something like this, ninjas just couldn't waste their time because they were busy digging graves, even for the innocent people that would often end up as collateral damage. There was always another mission, another reason to hurry back to their villages. But if he had to guess, this was something they did often enough that they didn't really need to discuss it at all, only speaking out to claim the part of town they could recover the bodies from.
"Sorry," she turned around, eyes darting to the bodies around them. "I know this isn't a nice thing to ask for help with. I can do it on my own. You can wait for us or even help Inuyasha with digging."
"...why?"
His question likely wasn't all that clear, but even knowing the girl had spent most of her life in a fairly peaceful and gentle world, her kindness still felt odd at times. He'd said he was a warrior, that he was used to the battlefield, so why attempt to shield him from something he'd already seen over and over?
"...why?" Kagome-san looked confused for a heartbeat before understanding dawned in her eyes, and she offered him a sad smile. "Because it's the least I can do."
"I can cover the right side." It looked like the larger plot of land.
The girl nodded before adding. "If Shippo-chan finds you first, tell him he should look for the prettiest flowers he can find."
With a bittersweet expression, the young priestess turned to the side of the town she was left with. A part of him, one he supposed her friends would agree with, wanted to tell her she shouldn't get involved to this level. To not
look at this tragedy so closely and to protect the innocence of her smiles... Except that such an endeavor was clearly a moot point. And if he was correct about the reasoning behind her adherence to the grim practice, then he had no right to stop her. Because this was very likely a reminder. An undeniable sight of what she was trying to prevent, what she wanted to protect. Did she battle the temptation of going back to her peaceful world and pretend nothing ever happened? Was this part of what motivated her to push forward?
Taking a tragedy and turning it into her resolve...Itachi supposed it was very much something she would do.
The townspeople's attitude towards their non-human companions changed drastically after Shippo-chan brought the two surviving children to the middle-sized village. Bitter as it may be, this wasn't the first time it happened, and it probably wouldn't be the last; getting frustrated wouldn't help anyone. Besides, with a bit of luck, they'd genuinely become more tolerant after a while. And really, Kagome knew her irritation was a way for her to distract herself. Idly, her fingers played with a strand of wet hair, and sighed in relief at the clean smell. Being invited to use the onsen was not something she would complain about, not that she took advantage of it this time around.
"So what do you want to do?"
Sango's question had been a completely innocent one, asked absentmindedly while they talked about nothing, the same way they always did when they had to dig for an entire afternoon. They'd been talking about the shard and how Inuyasha would have to lighten up only for the topic to switch to her studies. Even if the older girl didn't fully understand, it had been a sage bet. Or at least it was supposed to, but shortly after Kagome re-explained why it was important for her to pass her exams, the demon exterminator asked her what sort of job Kagome was aiming for. Her first instinct was to wave the answer away. It wasn't unusual for someone her age to feel a bit unsure about her future plans; with how chaotic her life became after she fell down the well, her priorities had entirely shifted to circle around putting the Shikon back together... And then, Itachi-san's words echoed inside her mind.
"I did not plan to survive the day."
Kagome was very much determined to defeat Naraku and put the jewel back together; of course, she planned to survive all that...but maybe...maybe a part of her became so consumed that she simply couldn't see her future anymore. What things did she want to do after the Shikon?
Having her feelings be returned by the silver-haired hanyou was the first thing that came to mind. But that was out of her hands, and the girl was fully aware of it. That was Inuyasha's decision and she wouldn't hold it against him. Bittersweet as it may be, staying by his side as a friend would be enough for her. Even on the other side of the well the young priestess was still lost in the dark. Working in an office would drive her mad, but nothing she'd have a good chance of achieving sounded satisfying. Attempting to consider her options in the feudal era was no better. The sort of skills needed to survive here were foreign to the modern-day girl, so unless she was planning to depend on her friends eternally, then her only option would be to take over Kaede-baachan's position as the village's miko. Nobody would complain. As it was, she already helped the old priestess whenever she had the time, but...but that wasn't Higurashi Kagome.
It would never be her.
The realization drained the warmth she'd soaked up from the bath and left her scrambling to run away from the onsen to hide just how unsettled such an innocent question made her. Of course, it wasn't Sango's fault, but the older girl would feel guilty anyway. So with a forced smile and a lackluster excuse, Kagome threw on one of the old sundresses she used when her uniform was too dirty and rushed to the dark streets of the town. It was far from a good idea, and her friends would start worrying sooner or later. But the words wouldn't leave her head since no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't come up with a satisfying answer.
When did it happen?
When did she begin to lose parts of herself?
"...gome-san?"
A careful grip closed around her wrist.
Dark eyes peered at her, and the girl was sure she could hear a hint of concern in Itachi-san's voice as he repeated her name. Heat rushed to her face, fighting the night's cold air. Gods, how many times did the young man call after her?
"Ahaha...sorry. I guess I got lost in my own thoughts..."
"Is everything alright?" No way he wasn't concerned.
"Yep, just needed some fresh air." Embarrassment laced her words; it was hard to meet his eyes. "We should probably go back to the inn. Walking alone at night isn't really the safest thing one can do, even in my era."
"I...was thinking about taking a walk; would you mind accompanying me for a bit?" Itachi-san asked, an open invitation.
"Oh...uhmmm...sure."
His grip vanished as he fell into step by her side.
Silence fell upon them both. He didn't ask her a single question, seemingly content with walking with her, and Kagome couldn't be more glad about it. This wasn't something she could ask the others about. Already, they did their best to shield her, and the girl knew they blamed themselves whenever she got hurt. There was no need for them to feel responsible for her insecurities. Wandering eyes found her newest companion. Going to the others or, gods forbid, her family was out of the question...Kagome wasn't planning on dumping her problems on someone she dragged to the feudal era, but...Itachi-san noticed she wasn't in top shape, but instead of questioning her, he only offered her a way to clear her mind. Out of everyone here, the young warrior was the one who knew for sure what she was talking about.
"Say...Itachi-san?" Her voice wavered a little. "You don't have to answer, of course, but...I know you said you didn't need to go back... so is there anything you'd like to do? You know, now that you're here?"
"Hmmm, I guess you could say that."
"You do?" Kagome asked, the unexpected answer making her forget her manners for a moment. "How...ah! No. Pretend I didn't say that, please."
Filter, she definitely needed a filter. Thankfully, the young man simply shook his head with what Kagome could swear was amusement before guiding them both to a stone well, gesturing an invitation for her to sit.
"How did I find a new goal? Was that what you wanted to ask?"At her nod, Itachi-san continued. "I suppose it was probably out of a sense of regret.
"I planned and tied up all the loose ends I could, but I still regretted never getting the chance to repay you for when we first met." There they were again, the shadows that seemed to haunt the young warrior's eyes. "There was a lot I wanted to protect, and none of that would've been possible had I died back that day. It felt unfair not being able to give anything back. After being saved one more time, I just took that regret and turned it into a goal. It's an immediate objective, granted, but for now, that's enough."
"Regrets...huh?" Kagome trailed off.
"Is...there anything you'd regret, Kagome-san?"
Not being able to see her family once more was the first thing that came to mind, but neither that nor spending more time with her friends were the sort of regrets they were talking about. The question sent her back to a similar train of thought she'd been in before, yet it didn't feel the same. If she were to die tomorrow, what would be the thing she'd regret the most? The thing she'd hate the most? If she had to guess, then it would likely be...not being able to step away from her shadow.
Because Higurashi Kagome was not as strong or as beautiful as Kikyo.
Neither was she as smart, talented, or good as her previous incarnation. The villagers' whispers hadn't bothered her at first, but they quickly became painful remarks after Kikyo was walking among the living. Hell, it was part of why she stubbornly decided to keep wearing her modern-day clothing. A part of her wouldn't be able to bear it if Inuyasha were to call her name when he looked at Kagome. It was impractical, always attracted attention to her, and more than once, the priestess needed the hanyou to drive off creeps. Kimonos were too restrictive, sure, but using regular haoris and hakamas would probably be fine. Different colors or not, it was still far too close to the look of a miko's outfit. So she clung to her attention-grabbing uniform and yellow backpack.
"I want..." to not be Kikyo's second-grade copy anymore. "to be able to hold my own, I'd be happy to be even a little bit stronger."
"You're not getting any sort of training, are you?" His voice was careful, controlled.
"We tried a bit at the beginning." Perhaps this was her way to try and defend a decision she knew to not be ideal. "But I can't get my reiki to do what it should. Miroku-sama thought maybe it's because I have no patron god, but my arrows still work, so I doubt that's right. Training was only making us waste time, so we dropped them."
"When talking about jutsus, the techniques I can use, there are two broad classifications. The first is the kind of techniques that anyone is theoretically capable of learning, they require chakra to be used in a regular way. And then, there are what we call bloodline limits. These are jutsus that necessitate unique mutations that pop up within a family line and cannot be passed down to somebody with no blood connection. Not without potentially severe consequences." Itachi must've seen the confusion in her eyes because he held up his hand to ask for patience. "I noticed during the fight, but Miroku-san's and your energy look different. Is it possible there is a mutation in how your power presents?"
"Not really, I mean..." she trailed off.
Rather than being able to do something else, she could barely do the basics. Other than when she healed Itachi-san, Kagome wasn't aware she could do anything supernatural before the Shikon began acting out...
The Shikon...had been inside of her until some months ago. The thing had been attached to her very soul. In fact, that was part of why she could see the shards. Maybe...maybe the jewel did affect the way her power reacted.
"Did you think of something?" Itachi asked her softly.
"I think so..." At the very least, there was definitely a chance for this theory to be true. "I should probably consult with Miroku, but..."
"Shall we make a small test, then?" his tone was careful, clearly giving her the freedom to choose. And the girl nodded. "Try to think about the moments you used your power guided only by instinct, when it just reacted. I'll raise my chakra to a level you should only be able to feel it if you're using your spiritual energy."
Determined, Kagome closed her eyes and tried to focus.
What was the thing that fueled her power? Better yet, when did she use her powers instinctively?
There was her first meeting with Itachi, when she pushed Mistress Centipede away from her when she first fell through the well, and when she'd pulled Inuyasha's seal. For the last two, fear had been very present in both moments; she'd been confused and lost and desperate to do anything to survive. When she healed Itachi, she'd been a bit afraid. Except, it didn't feel right. Fear wasn't the thing that truly colored that particular memory. She'd wanted to help the unknown boy that was bleeding on her family's shrine grounds. Pushing the youkai away and breaking the seal were both things she'd wanted to do, moved by desperation... The Shikon was a wish-granting object, tainted as it may be, and the main thing she could remember about those times was how much she'd wished for something to happen. Wants, wishes, desires...if the jewel caused the change, then...
"Ok, let's try this"
"Alright," the young man said. "Try to focus on that as you spread out your awareness."
Keeping her eyes closed, Kagome attempted to follow the instructions only to find herself almost immediately confused. No matter how hard she tried to think about it, the girl couldn't find a way to mix the idea of wishes with awareness. Unless it wasn't really about that. If Itachi was right, this was a mutation, meaning she had to look for a different way to get there. A way she'd want to go through. The goal of this was to be able to feel those around her. Connections. Taking a deep breath, the girl attempted to concentrate once more. This time, focusing on her bonds to others, to Itachi.
It was subtle...but she could feel something, a warm presence right by her side.
"I think I got it!"
"Do you want to try and see if you can sense the others?"
Closing his eyes again, the girl hurried to look for the same feeling as before. This time, pushing herself further, looking for her friend's youki instead. It reminded her a little of what it felt like to be in the middle of the circle while she played her namesake game. As if she was surrounded by fog, and Itachi-san's chakra was a little light that helped her find her way as she looked for the others. And then she sensed them too. So faint that it would've been easy to miss, but it was them. Their energy was different, more wild compared to what she could feel emanating from Itachi.
"I got them! I can feel them!" It was probably a bit silly, but she felt extatic as she opened her eyes. "Can you sense them too?"
"They too far away. I've never been particularly chakra sensitive." He shook his head, surprising her. "It will take some time, but I believe the potential is already there; it's just a mater of proper training for you to learn to control it."
It worked...it really, legitimately worked!
She could finally make some progress, and for the first time in a while, Kagome felt like she could become better. Looking back at Itachi to find that barely-there smile, and odd as it sounded, she felt like he could really see her. Because he trusted in her enough to have her try something he wasn't even capable of. His words caame back to her, and she faltered a little. The young man would probably agree just to humor her; during the last few days it was evident that Itachi-san was doing his best to look after her. Still if she kept at it, there was a chance her message would finally sink in. Kagome had always been a stubborn girl.
"Alright, I've decided." Determination laced her voice. "If you keep helping me with my calculus work, then all debts between us are repayed. All of it. After this, we'll help each other out because we're friends, deal?"
"I...deal." It was a flicker, but there was definite shock there.
With a smile, Kagome grabbed his hand and pulled him to start walking back to the inn they were offered. "Come on! Let's go back before the other get too worried."
A/N: So I spent most of my weekend fighting with grammarly because the thing keeps flagging normal periods as sintaxis errors because of...reasons? I don't know, I gave up trying to fix it so I'm so sorry if there are more mistakes in this than usual because I just kept getting dizzy from all the freaking yellow. It's also kind of why this chapter is a bit late.
Anyways, thank you guys so much for reading and any and all review/comments/criticism is greatly, greatly appreciated.