InuYasha Fan Fiction / Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Brave New World ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

AN: Yay! Chapter three :D This story is practically writing itself. Sorry about the little cliffhanger last chapter ^_^ Well, I'm going to keep this short, but again there are a couple of questions that I want to answer. Everyone wants to know where Inuyasha and Shippo are! I promise that you'll find out about them in later chapters :]
Jade: Gaara would have been in the running too if I didn't have another story I was working on that was a Kagome/Gaara pairing :] I'm not sure when it will find its way online, but it's a work in progress ;]
Orihime-San: I like Kagome/Kakashi pairings too, but in this storyline he would be a little old for her. Maybe another time ^_^
And congratulations to Star Delta for being the only one to accurately guess what was in the bag!

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

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Brave New World

Chapter 3

Kagome sat in a small room with no windows, only one door, and only a single light hanging from the ceiling. The only furnishings included a wooden table, which she sat in front of, and the wooden chair that she sat in. The woman who had been taking care of her, Sakura, had explained what the situation was surrounding her.

She had been found in an area where possible enemy sightings had occurred with no identification on her person. She'd also been told that there had been a great war not long ago. While Kagome didn't like the idea of being thought of as an enemy in an unfamiliar place, she could understand the caution. But there was a small silver lining to the situation. Because she hadn't shown any hostility towards Sakura or the ANBU officers who had come to her cell and she had been found in such a weakened state, if she was believed to not be a danger to their village after an interrogation, Kagome would be allowed to live in their village under supervision for a trial basis.

Now she was simply waiting for the interrogator to arrive. Sakura had demanded that no actions be taken until Kagome had regained some weight and strength, so that she could at least walk on her own. Finally, after two weeks, Sakura had deemed Kagome well enough to speak with the interrogator.

She hadn't seen herself in a mirror since she'd woken up, but Kagome knew that she must still be terribly thin. Her arms, hands, and legs still looked frail to her own eyes. Her ribs weren't as prominent, but their outlines could still be seen and felt. Reaching up a hand to touch her face, Kagome smiled slightly when she noticed that her eyes didn't seem as sunken and her cheekbones didn't feel as sharp.

Her hands dropped back to her lap when the door opened again and a tall, imposing man entered the room followed by Sakura. The pink-haired woman leaned against a corner on the far side of the room and gave Kagome a small, reassuring smile. Kagome remembered Sakura saying that as long as she answered all of the questions as truthfully as possible, everything would be fine.

Kagome's eyes shifted to the form of the tall man as he approached the table. He was dressed in dark clothes with gloves and a dark, leather jacket. His head was covered with a bandana adorned with a piece of engraved metal similar to the one which Sakura wore as a headband. His stern face had scars running across in several places which told her that he had probably seen many battles in his life.

“Kagome Higurashi,” he addressed her as he came to a stop opposite her. “Am I correct?”

Kagome blinked at the deep, unwavering tone that he used. She'd been told that the man to question her would be a strict man who wasn't afraid to use force if necessary. And since she found that she couldn't read his current mood, Kagome felt it best to comply with the man who more than dwarfed her. “Yes,” she answered with a small nod.

“There are a few questions that need to be answered to assure that you are not a threat. Haruno has told me that you've agreed to answer all questions with no resistance. Is this also correct?”

“Yes,” Kagome answered again before adding as an afterthought, “Sir.”

“Very good,” his face seemed to relax a bit before he continued. “One of the first things I'd like to address is the back which was brought back to the village with you.” At this point he dropped a leather bag which he'd been holding at his side onto the table. “The contents are still unknown as none of my men have been able to open it without being attacked. Explain.”

Kagome looked at the bag questioningly. “I'm not sure, I've never seen this bag before,” she answered a little unsure. Hopefully the vague answer wouldn't get the questioning off to a bad start.

Ibiki reached out a hand to move the bag slightly. “It has your name on it, correct?”

Tilting her head to the side at the sight of the sutra bearing her name, Kagome reached out a slender hand to touch the paper. The sutra glowed brightly before all writing disappeared from it and the black slip of paper easily slipped onto the table. Not sure what action to take next, she looked up to her interrogator and said, “I've seen similar seals before, but I swear that I've never seen the bag.”

Ibiki gave the girl a contemplative look before seeming to accept her answer and reaching out to dump the contents of the bag onto the table. The three occupants of the room watched as five scrolls rolled onto the table, a couple of them spinning before all of them finally stopped. Kagome caught Sakura's confused gaze before looking back to the large man before her. “May I?” She asked.

Ibiki nodded after a moment as he prepared himself for whatever may happen. His guess was that if the bag could only be opened by this woman then the scrolls within would likely be the same way.

Kagome pulled the scrolls towards her and looked over each one. Each had a name written across the outside; Sango, Miroku, Kaede, Shippo, and Inuyasha. Picking up one of the scrolls, Kagome curiously opened the one with Kaede's name on it. She knew that the others were watching her, but it didn't really matter. She didn't feel like there was anything to hide and she had already agreed to be truthful.

The message on the paper wasn't long and Kagome took a moment to read the elderly miko's words.

Kagome,

I know that I will likely no longer be among the living when you awaken, but I wished to let you know that you have become dear to my heart. After Kikyo passed I was without family for fifty long years. But when you arrived I felt as though the gods had given me a gift. You are my heart's daughter, child. Remember all that I have taught. I only regret not being able to tell you this myself.

I hope that you find your peace when you rejoin the world. Live happily, Kagome.

Kaede

After Kagome read the words left to her she dropped the scroll and quickly moved her chair back as a hand came to cover the gasp that tried to escape her lips. She now knew what these scrolls were. They were her friend's goodbyes; their last words to her. She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head trying to force the burning tears away. Did this mean that she was really alone now?

When a hand gently touched her shoulder, Kagome looked up into green eyes. “Kagome?” Sakura questioned. The more she had talked to the woman as she cared for her, the more she came to like her. Kagome seemed to be a genuinely kind person that people would be attracted to naturally.

“The scrolls,” Kagome spoke softly as she watched Ibiki pick up the scroll she'd dropped to read it himself. “They're all from my friends. They were saying goodbye when they wrote them. The people who were like family to me…I think they might be gone.”

Sakura glanced over to Ibiki to see the man nod that Kagome spoke the truth. “Come on, Kagome,” the pink-haired woman spoke. “When you finish answering all of our questions, maybe we could start looking into where your friends might have gone.”

Kagome nodded before wiping her eyes and bringing her chair back up to the table. She looked up at the only male in the room before glancing down to her hands that rested on the table.

“My main concerns are what village you come from and how you came to be in the state you were found in. There are no records of you within our village and we cannot have an enemy walking freely within our walls,” Ibiki stated.

“Village?” Kagome asked. “Um…Musashi?” She tested to see the man's reaction to the name of Inuyasha's old village. When her only response was a raised eyebrow, she tried again. “Edo?” That earned her a glare. Groaning in slight frustration, Kagome laid her head upon the table and said, “I don't know! I'm not even sure where or when I am! And as far as being put in a room…I don't have any idea on that either.” She sat up to continue on her little rant and explanation. “Honestly, the last thing I remember is waking up in a hut with my friends after I escaped Naraku's prison with—”

“For what reason were you imprisoned?” Ibiki questioned warily as he leaned on the table.

“Oh, that's a really long story,” Kagome started only to see the large man lean back and cross his arms across his chest and give her another of his stern looks. Sighing in defeat and accepting the possibility that they may think her insane after this, Kagome began her tale. “Well, it all really started on my fifteenth birthday…”

She recalled everything that had happened to her since the fateful day she'd been pulled into the old well on her family's shrine. There were times in her story when she would smile and almost laugh, times when she could feel tears gather behind her eyes, and even times when she would become so angry she was sure that her face had turned red. The tale came down to her imprisonment within Naraku's castle and her odd escape. It was after she'd claimed to wake up with her friends around her once more that Ibiki stopped her.

“I've heard enough,” he said. He turned to leave the room, but Sakura called out to him before he quite reached the door.

“Where are you going? Is the interrogation over?” She questioned confused.

“Hardly,” came Ibiki's answer. “I'm calling in a Yamanaka. If any part of this story is true, they'll be able to find out in the quickest, cleanest fashion.”

“I'll call Ino,” Sakura volunteered as she looked over her shoulder at Kagome and followed the interrogator out of the room.

Kagome watched as the two left and turned her attention back to the scrolls which had been left on the table. Her stomach twisted as she thought about what each of the unopened scrolls contained, but part of her knew that she needed to know what her friends had to say to her. Looking over the names once more, Kagome picked up the scroll left to her by Shippo.

When she opened it a smile split across her face immediately as tears gathered in her eyes. She gave a watery laugh as she took in every detail of the colorful picture that covered the paper. Lying on a bed of flowers was a woman with dark hair who she assumed was herself and on either side of her was Inuyasha and Kouga. The two men were fighting as they usually did while she remained asleep. The only words on the page were `Sleeping Beauty' written in red crayon. Shippo obviously remembered the fairytale that she'd told him one night when he couldn't sleep.

Placing the scroll carefully back onto the table and wiping her eyes, Kagome chose another. She decided that she would probably get the most answers from Miroku and chose to read his next. Opening the monk's message with care, she read what he wrote.

Dearest Kagome,

I'm sure you will wish to know what has happened now that you've awoken. Before I begin the tale, I wish for you to know what a pleasure it was to have known you. I wish I could say it was a pleasure to prepare you for your slumber, but Sango insisted that she take care of dressing you. I have no idea why she was so persistent about it.

Kagome shook her head at her friend's words. She could picture Sango hitting the pervert over the head as he claimed that it was his `duty' to take care of her.

We found you by a riverbank one evening several months after you were abducted from battle. Inuyasha was the one to pick up on your scent and lead us to you. While Sango, Kirara, and Shippo took you back to the village, Inuyasha and I searched out Naraku's castle. It had been burned to the ground by the time we arrived. We could not find any survivors, but Inuyasha was able to dig out some charred armor and tentacles from the debris. This, along with the fact that my wind tunnel is now gone, leads us to believe that Naraku has finally been destroyed.

You woke up for only a moment not long after we had returned to the hut. We all believed that you would wake up once again with time. But when you continued to sleep, I found that your soul was weary and needed more rest than your body could offer before death. With this knowledge, we decided to place you in a stasis giving your mind time to heal. I hope you are well now that you've joined the world once more.

You were placed within a special, prepared room within Mushin's temple to carry out your slumber. As your body was cleansed and prepared, the jewel found its way back to your side and is a part of you once more.

I predict that you will continue to sleep long after my passing. I will miss you. Inuyasha and Shippo have been charged with your care and waking you once you are ready.

I have learned much from your kind heart, Kagome. I will pass your philosophies of equality onto future generations, including my own children. Be well and find happiness, my friend.

Sincerely,
Miroku

Kagome placed Miroku's scroll back upon the table in a daze. How long had she been asleep? As questions continued to run through her mind, Kagome spotted the scroll left to her by Sango and picked it up. Opening it, all thoughts ceased and Kagome felt herself truly smile at the short message written for her.

Kagome,

Because you will not be able to see it yourself, we were able to find a painter so that you could still be a part of the moment. I miss you, my sister, and I hope that you are happy where you are now.

Sango

Beneath the words was a small portrait. There was a man and woman clearly identifiable as Miroku and Sango. Between them were two small children while another infant rested within Sango's arms. A slightly taller Shippo stood beside the children while Inuyasha stood further from the small group by Miroku's side with his arms crossed.

Running her fingers over the lines, Kagome tried to imagine the moment in vivid color as though she were with them once again. Sango would be calming the children and making sure that Miroku behaved. Miroku would be smiling proudly by his family's side while trying to coax Inuyasha closer. Then Inuyasha would be grumbling under his breath about the entire thing being a waste of time.

Kagome couldn't help but smile at the little scene in her mind. But it led her thoughts to the only scroll left on the table. The one left by Inuyasha. Was she truly ready to read what her best friend and crush had to say to her?

She contemplated this question for several moments as she watched the scroll as though it would get up and run away. But just when she was coming to the decision to read it, the door to the room opened again and her interrogator and Sakura returned with another woman in tow.

This woman was tall and lean with light blue eyes and long blonde hair kept in a ponytail. The new woman eyed her warily as Sakura brought in another chair to sit on the opposite side of the table from Kagome.

“What is it that I'm looking for?” The blonde asked.

Taking the time for civility, Sakura introduced, “Kagome, this is Ino Yamanaka. She's going to perform a technique that will help us make sure that you're telling the truth.” At Kagome's nod, Sakura continued to speak. “Ino, this is Kagome and she's agreed to the interrogation peacefully so be nice.”

“Fine, fine,” Ino answered. “But that still doesn't tell me what I'm looking for.”

“Look for memories and information on time travel, demons, battles, and a strange jewel,” Ibiki answered. When Ino looked at him as if he'd lost his mind, he clarified, “I'm aware of how it sounds. That's why you're here. Now get to work.” He was losing his patience with this nonsense.

Before Ino could begin her technique, Kagome held up a hand for her to wait before reaching for Miroku's scroll and extending it towards Ibiki. “This should explain how I got in the room you found me in,” she said before leaning back in her seat once more.

Ino looked at the woman before she began. She was unhealthily thin and pale. Ino almost cringed at what being in a body that frail-looking would feel like. “The technique I'm going to use will be easier for both of us if you relax and don't fight it,” she explained. When Kagome nodded and took a deep breath, Ino began.

There was a slight bit of unconscious resistance, but when Ino was able to look into the woman's mind she was astounded to find that the memories she was searching for were present and real. It was almost like a movie watching the girl this woman had been as she ran, fought, laughed, loved, and cried.

Once she was satisfied with the information that she'd gathered, she released the technique and stretched lightly when she returned to her own body. Sakura had been ready to catch Kagome once Ino left her mind and steadied her as she regained her senses.

Ino glance towards Ibiki with a serious expression as she said, “She was telling the truth.” She wasn't sure how it was possible, but she knew that it had all happened. And despite having never met the woman before, Ino couldn't help the small amount of respect she felt towards her. There had been rumors around the village about a strange woman that Neji's team had returned with and Ino smirked slightly at the thought of all the gossip that would circulate when Kagome was released.

Ibiki looked to the two women who had been present to help with the interrogation before nodding and exiting the room without another word. He had information to go over and a decision to make.

“I'll walk you back to your room,” Sakura said as she helped Kagome stand. Not believing that Kagome needed to be imprisoned, she refused to call the cell what it actually was.

“Thanks,” Kagome said as she steadied herself on her own feet. It was still hard to walk from time to time after her legs had lost so much muscle mass, but she was doing well all things considered. She glanced at Ino and gave a small smile before leaving the interrogation room with Sakura.

Sakura tried making conversation on their walk down the hallway. “Once Ibiki makes his decision about you, I'll come back and let you know. You haven't given him any reason to think that you're a threat, so I'm sure that you'll be released to go meet with the Hokage about living in the village.”

“I'm not even sure what I would do,” Kagome confessed. “I can tell just from you and the others that I've seen that this isn't a world that I know. How am I going to survive here?”

“Well,” Sakura paused as she thought over the question. “You'll probably be placed on watch or probation for a while anyway, so you'll likely be living with whoever is assigned to guard you. In that time, you can adjust to life in the village and maybe find a job if you think you might want to stay.” Sakura smiled down at the slightly shorter woman.

“Where else would I go?” Kagome said with a small laugh that contained hints of unease.

“There are lots of other villages and countries, but you'll probably be safest here right now,” Sakura explained as they came to a stop at Kagome's door. “But we'll worry about that later. Your lunch should have already been brought, so eat up and get some rest and I'll see you in a while.”

Shutting the door after saying their goodbyes, Sakura set her course to find Ibiki and determine what he planned to do about their newest possible citizen.

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Kagome had been napping when a soft knock alerted her to someone entering her cell. Sitting up slightly, she was greeted with the smiling face of Sakura before she entered completely and pulled Ino in behind her. “Great news!” She said. “Ibiki said that he doesn't think you're a threat to the village for the moment and has signed your release papers.”

While part of Kagome was relieved, another part filled with new anxieties; would she be able to find her place in this new place? “That's great,” Kagome answered as cheerfully as she could. “But…what's in the bags?” She questioned noticing the bags that she and Ino had brought with them.

“You're already going to draw a lot of attention, but not looking like you were recently from a detention cell will help with that,” Ino answered as she stepped forward and placed her bag on the ground. “These are some clothes that used to be ours,” the blonde said motioning to herself and her friend. “There has to be something in here that will fit you for now. I also have scissors in case you want to cut your hair some.”

Kagome looked between the two women who were going so far to help her and smiled brightly as she sighed in relief. It was good to know that she had someone she would be able to turn to for a while. “Thank you,” she said in all sincerity.

“Sure,” Sakura answered as she placed her bag on the bed next to Kagome before unzipping it and sorting through the contents. “Now let's find you something to wear…”

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No more than an hour later, Kagome left the building with Sakura and Ino on either side of her. After being in the dark for so long, the sun had become something of a distant memory. But when she felt its warmth a smile graced her features. Kagome inhaled deeply and would have sworn to anyone who asked that she could smell the sunshine; it was fresh and clean and filled with life.

As they walked down the street, there was no denying that people were staring at the three women. Kagome was well aware that she probably stood out greatly in comparison to those around her. Ino and Sakura had been able to find some green leggings that ended about mid-calf and a light tan sundress with a brown belt. Paired with some brown sandals and her hair cut to just above the small of her back, Kagome felt like she almost looked normal. She still felt exposed with her thin arms and legs clearly visible, but all she needed was to gain some weight back. She was sure that she would fill in again in no time.

But, in her opinion, it was the parasol she was forced to carry that made her stand out the most. Sakura still seemed very concerned with certain aspects of her health, and her pale skin happened to be once such concern. Until she gained back some color and began to build a base tan, Sakura had ordered Kagome to carry the parasol when she would be in direct sunlight.

Ignoring the stares and murmurs as best she could, Kagome allowed the two women with her to lead her to the village's leader; the Hokage.

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AN: Alright! It's late and if I kept going to my next stopping place, this chapter would be a little longer than I would like. So here's where we're ending it for now! I'll admit that this story has taken over most of my focus for the moment. With the responses that this has gotten, my mind has gone into overdrive thinking out every detail to every upcoming scene. I want to tell you guys what's going to be coming up in the next couple of chapters so bad! But where would the fun be in that, right? I guess you'll have to find out next time. It'll be something to look forward to, I hope! I hope you enjoyed and let me know what you think! As always, thanks for reading and I hope to see you next time around ^_^