Captivated

Rating: M

Crossover: Inuyasha/Naruto

Pairing: Kagome/?

A/N: Eeeeek! What has she gotten herself into? This will be the last chapter I release this week until next week. Hoping to do a week-by-week one chapter release on Sundays or Mondays. I have the next four chapters written, and more coming :). Review for a bonus chapter next week!


The morning light filtering down into the small hall windows was pale and cold as Kagome followed Itachi back into the inner training chamber. The silence between them was almost a presence of its own, thick with unspoken tension. She tried to ignore the way her heart quickened whenever his gaze lingered on her—dark, assessing, and more intense than she could ever recall anyone looking at her.

As they stepped into the stone chamber, she felt her palms begin to sweat. Uncertainty began building within her - would there be a day when he finally turned and cut her down? Would she soon be forced into missions she didn't believe in? Itachi was already standing close, his movements quiet, calculating, but there was a sudden awareness in her chest—an inexplicable sensation she couldn't brush away.

"Your barriers are improving," he said, his voice as controlled as his expression, but there was a glint in his eyes as he stepped toward her, closing the small space between them, the kunai he held frozen into the softly glowing energy she formed at last second to deflect his weapon.

With a sigh, she released her barrier as he brought his hand down. She could feel the faintest brush of his cloak against her skin, his presence radiating a calm intensity and warmth that somehow felt like it was setting her nerves alight.

"Today, we'll focus on accuracy," he continued, his gaze never leaving hers. "If you can harness your energy effectively, it becomes far more than a shield."

Kagome swallowed, his proximity making her acutely aware of her own heartbeat. She could feel her pulse quickening, an uncomfortable sensation building in her chest as he observed her, his eyes flickering from her face to her hands, noting every movement.

"You're…awfully close," she muttered, her voice wavering in spite of herself. She internally hissed at herself for the comment. She had trained and fought in close proximities with others before, and this would be no different.

Itachi raised an eyebrow, the slightest hint of amusement in his gaze. "Focus," he murmured, his tone soft, yet firm. "Let your energy flow outward, without restraint this time."

Nodding, Kagome closed her eyes, pushing the disorienting warmth that filled her mind aside. She could feel her power gathering within her, coiling and expanding as she let it flow through her hands, imagining it radiating outward in a controlled, focused stream. The pink light began to gather, shimmering around her like a mist, filling the air with a faint hum.

"Good," Itachi's voice was low, close enough that she could feel his breath against her ear. A shiver ran down her spine, but she fought to keep her focus, directing her energy toward the target he'd set up on the opposite wall.

A gentle hum rang through the air as her eyes remained half-lidded and focused on the target. Her power flowed coyly towards the other side of the room, building as it flowed, ready to strike-

Suddenly, a loud, raucous voice cut through the silence, shattering her concentration. Kagome's energy flickered, collapsing in a wild burst of light that sent her stumbling backward, just in time to see a figure swagger into the training room, a crooked grin spreading across his face and his cloak swaying with each step.

"Oh, hell yes," he laughed, his eyes glinting with undisguised interest as he looked her over. "So this is the little flower Itachi's so intent on training. Thought I'd come see for myself if she's worth all this fuss."

"Hidan" Itachi stated plainly, with a tone that suggested more warning than greeting.

Kagome shot him a glare, feeling a flush rise in her cheeks as her heart raced for entirely different reasons now. His eyes were sharp, intense—like a predator's, sizing her up with a kind of open fascination that made her skin crawl.

"What do you want?" she managed, keeping her voice steady even as he approached, his steps lazy, yet full of an unrestrained, unpredictable energy.

Hidan's grin widened, his deep, magenta eyes gleaming with something dark, almost feverish. "Just curious," he said, shrugging as he tilted his head, examining her with an unsettling mix of excitement and intrigue. "Heard you've got a real interesting set of powers. Thought I'd see how well you can handle them."

He took another step forward, his gaze flicking to Itachi, who matched his step towards the woman in between them. Though Itachi stood silent and still, though Kagome could feel the tension in the air thickening. Hidan's smirk turned mocking as he addressed Itachi. "Didn't realize you'd gotten so protective of this one, Itachi. Didn't peg you for the type."

Itachi's eyes narrowed, the faintest hint of irritation crossing his calm exterior. "She's in training," he replied, his voice cool but carrying an edge that cut through Hidan's taunt. "If you're here to disrupt, I suggest you leave."

Hidan chuckled, clearly unfazed by the warning. Instead, he turned his gaze back to Kagome, his smile widening as he took a step closer, invading her space in a way that felt charged and deliberately unsettling. "You know, girl, he's got you so wrapped up in all this control nonsense. But there's power in letting loose, in giving in to your instincts."

Kagome clenched her fists, an involuntary shiver running through her as he leaned forward, close enough that she could feel the wild, frenetic energy radiating from him along with his warmth. Unlike Itachi's intense but composed presence, Hidan's was chaotic, a reckless force that seemed barely held in check. Her aura crackled lightly in retaliation to his energy, brushing out to push against his sudden surge of darkness, it was suffocating.

"Maybe you'd like to see what that feels like," he continued, his voice dropping to a low, conspiratorial murmur. "The rush, the thrill of it. You'd be amazed what power can do when you stop holding back."

Her chest tightened, a spark of defiance flaring in her gaze. "I have no interest in whatever twisted game you're playing."

Hidan's grin widened, his amusement only intensifying. "Oh, I think you're lying to yourself, sweetheart. There's a part of you that wants to know—wants to feel what it's like." He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "And when you're ready, you'll know where to find me." He reached out and grasped a few stray strands of her hair, giving a light tug, her eyes widening at his forwardness in her space.

Before she could retort, Itachi's voice cut through the charged silence, sharp and unyielding. "Hidan."

The single word held a weight of authority, a barely restrained warning that made Hidan chuckle, but he held his hands up in mock surrender, stepping back. "Alright, alright," he said, throwing Kagome one last, lingering look. "But you know where to find me if you get tired of all this restraint."

With that, he turned and strode out of the room, leaving a tension-heavy silence in his wake. Kagome let out a shaky breath, her pulse still racing as she watched his retreating figure disappear down the corridor.

She felt Itachi's gaze on her, a quiet, intense scrutiny that made her nerves buzz as he observed her reaction. "He's dangerous," he said, his voice even but carrying a warning that resonated deep within her. "He preys on weakness."

Kagome looked up, her eyes meeting his. "Then maybe you should stop treating me like I'm weak."

A flicker of something almost like surprise crossed Itachi's face, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. "Strength isn't defined by impulse," he replied, his voice softer now, carrying a weight that seemed directed more at her than at Hidan's earlier taunts. "Power requires control. Without it, you risk becoming exactly what he is."

She stared at him, the words settling in her mind, stirring a conflict she couldn't fully understand. There was something disorienting in his gaze, a sense of depth that hinted at experiences and burdens he kept buried beneath his calm exterior. She felt herself caught, drawn in despite herself, the intensity between them a quiet storm that left her both unsettled and strangely grounded.

As the silence stretched, Kagome felt the weight of her own thoughts press down on her. Hidan's chaotic energy, Itachi's composed intensity—both pulling her in different directions, each surpisingly tempting her with their own twisted promises of power and freedom. And in the oddly hollow ache that lingered after Hidan's departure, she felt her own resolve wavering, caught between her desperate need for escape and the uncomfortable pull these men had on her.

She clenched her fists, her mind churning with conflicting emotions as she glanced back at Itachi. "Why are you so intent on training me?" she asked, the question slipping out before she could stop herself. "What's in this for you?"

For a moment, she thought he wouldn't answer. But then his gaze softened, just slightly, his expression revealing the barest hint of something unreadable. "Survival here is not guaranteed," he murmured. "If you don't learn, you won't last long."

The words struck a chord within her, a grim reminder of the harsh reality she was now bound to. Her heart pounded, her thoughts swirling with fragments of fear, resentment, and something else—something that whispered of a path she hadn't anticipated, one that threatened to change her more than she cared to admit.

And as she stood there, caught between Itachi's unwavering gaze and the memory of Hidan's reckless grin, Kagome realized her fight was no longer just about survival. It was about holding onto herself in a world that seemed intent on stripping her bare, on forcing her to choose between power and the remnants of the person she used to be.