InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Be Careful What You Do ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter One

A/N: I don't own Inuuyasha.

The figure in black kept to the shadows as he approached his intended target. He had studied the habits of his target and knew where he would be at this time. Moving stealthily, from tree to tree, using the underbrush to hide his movements, the stalker came within range of his victim. He watched his target for a moment, making sure that the figure in red was reclining in his favorite tree. He made ready with his weapons, and took a breath to set himself. He then leaped into the air and launched his shuriken at the drowsing hanyou..... only to find that the hanyou was no longer there. The figure landed with an audible gulp and quickly looked around for his target. Suddenly, there was a soft thump behind him and he knew that his target had found him. He groaned in resignation as he was lifted up by his tail and turned to face Inuyasha.

"Dang it, Inuyasha!" wailed Shippou. "I almost had you!"

"Not likely, runt!" retorted the smirking hanyou. "Though, I will admit you are getting better. You might have taken a human out, but not me."

"Alright, alright! Just put me down and tell me what I did wrong!"

Inuyasha dropped Shippou and watched him turn in midair to land on his feet. He nodded in approval. Since Toshiro had taken up training the kitsune in the ways of the ninja, Shippou had become better coordinated. Inuyasha had scoffed at the idea of Shippou becoming a ninja, at first. But the little kitsune had excelled at it. He had only been training for a week but he took to it like a duck to water. And this little exercise this morning had not been his first stalking. He had succesfully stalked all the children of the village and had even tagged Miroku. Toshiro had proven to be an apt teacher. He quickly assessed Shippou's strong and weak points and had tailored his training to those. Since Shippou was already very good at throwing things, Toshiro gave him a dozen shuriken and throwing spikes. Within a day, Shippou had proven to be deadly accurate with these traditional ninja tools. The old ninja and Inuyasha had decided that Shippou was too small for a sword, at this time, but he was required to learn katas and technicues with a child's wooden sword until he grew to a size that he could use a true sword. Toshiro's training also took advantage of Shippou's natural skills of cunning and misdirection. His ability to produce duplicates of himself had delighted Toshiro. "A very useful talent for escaping if discovered." the old ninja had announced. Last, but not least, Toshiro had been drilling Shippou relentlessly in unarmed combat. "Your size makes you an easy target for a bigger foe." Toshiro had explained as he put Shippou through his exercises. "We want to have the element of surprise on our side. No one expects a child to be expert it martial arts." All this made for hard work for the little kitsune, but, because of the praise he received from his sensei and from his adopted mother, he worked all the harder.

"Patience, twerp! I'll tell you what you did wrong, after you ask me nicely. I am your adopted father, after all."

"Sorry, Inuyasha. I was just so sure that I had you since mama-Kagome was gone."

Inuyasha chuckled. "Never be so sure of what your prey is going to do."

"Okay, okay! So, what did I do wrong?"

snort "Two things. First of all, you came at me from upwind. I smelled you coming. Secondly, you took a breath before you attacked. It was too loud. You forgot that I have a better nose and ears than a human."

groan "I guess that after I got Miroku I thought that I could get you as easy." Shippou brightened. "But, I'll get you next time!"

"Feh! I doubt it!" Inuyasha looked at the well.

"She hasn't been gone that long."

"Yeah, I know. I just think that I should be with her. My instincts are driving me nuts, us being seperated like this."

"She'll be back tonight. You'll see her then."

"Nah, runt. I've got to go over for dinner and help smooth things over with my new mother-in-law."

"Oh." Shippou brightened. "Why don't you take me with you? She's my new grandmother and I would like to meet her."

Inuyasha started to say no but then thought better of it. Maybe the twerp would distract Mrs. Higurashi and the old fart from being too mad at him. "Okay, Shippou. I'll take you through with me when I go." Inuyasha grinned. "I can't wait to see the expression on Kagome's face when I show up with you!" He looked at the well, again and sighed. "I wonder how Kagome's doing, anyway."

8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8

Kagome entered the house with a cry of, "Mom! I'm home!" She dropped her backpack at the back door and headed into the kitchen. "Hey! Where is everybody?" she yelled as she walked through the kitchen and went into the living room. There she found her mother, grandfather, and brother seated on the couch and a man in a three piece suit seated in a chair opposite them. He stood as she entered the room.

"Oh! I'm sorry, mama. I didn't know that you had company." She bowed to the man who had stood. "Pardon my manners at yelling like that, but I wasn't expecting company." Inwardly, she was somewhat relieved. This gave her an excuse to postpone telling her family about her marriage to Inuyasha. Her relief was short lived by this stranger's opening statement.

"That is quite alright, Miss Higurashi. I imagine that your trips through the well keep you away for extended times and you would be very happy to get home."

Kagome's mind froze. 'What did he just say?' "Heh, heh, heh. Uh, what do you mean 'trips through the well'? I just got back from ... from camping. Yeah, camping." She looked at her mom, frantically. "Tell him mom. I just went on a camping trip."

"Kagome, sweetheart. He knows."

"Knows that I was on a camping trip?"

Her mom's next words floored her. "No, dear. He knows about the well and about Inuyasha." Before anything else could be said, the three figures that had followed Kagome from the well appeared in the door to the kitchen. The man in the business suit looked at them. "Report." he commanded.

The tallest of the three steped forward and bowed. "She came through the well alone. We saw no sign of the hanyou."

"Hanyou?" Kagome began to laugh, hysterically. "There's no such thing as a hanyou."

The suited man ignored her for the moment. "Very good. Now, return to your positions in the well house. When this Inuyasha comes through the well, I want him detained. Use whatever means necessary short of actually killing him."

"No!" Kagome screamed. "Don't hurt him!"

The suited man turned to look at her. He had a humourless smile on his face. "I thought you just said that there was no such thing as a hanyou." He held up his hand when Kagome started to speak. "No, Miss Higurashi. There is no need to make excuses. I have no intention of harming your husband."

"Husband!?" came the cry from her mother and grandfather.

"Uhm, mom? I have something to tell you." Kagome looked ready to go through the floor, but before she could say anything else, the suited man spoke.

"Miss Higurashi? I am sorry to interupt, but we must be leaving."

"What? What do you mean, 'leaving'?"

"Yes. Now that I have found you, it is my duty to take you back to the clan elder."

"Who? What clan elder?"

"Why, the elder of my clan, of course. And the elder of your clan, as well."

Kagome's jaw dropped.

"I see that you have made the connection. Come, Miss Higurashi. He has many questions for you."

"Wait! What about my family?"

The suited man gave a low whistle. Six ninja's stepped from various hiding places in the house. "My clan brothers will keep them safe." He frowned at the look of apprehension on her face. "Do not be concerned for them, my dear. They are family, in a way. We have no reason to harm them. My men will just prevent them from keeping you away from your meeting with the elder."

"It looks like I don't have much choice here, does it?"

"No, you do not." He gestured to the door. "Now, we must be leaving."

"Mama.." Kagome began.

Mrs. Higurashi smiled at her daughter, through tears. "It will be fine, sweetie. We'll talk when you get back."

'Inuyasha!' she thought, as she left the house and followed the suited man to a waiting limo. 'Watch out!'

A/N: I hope that you enjoy this. And, before anyone says anything, I plan on longer chapters. See ya' later.