InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Corporate Deception: Fate of Her Land ❯ Pieces of the Puzzle ( Chapter 5 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Corporate Deception: Fate of Her Land
Chapter 5: Pieces of the Puzzle
By: TruSuprise

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all affiliated characters belong to Takahashi Rumiko. The views expressed herein are solely those of TruSuprise.


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"You got owned!" Souta's voice darted around the room as he turned around to look at Inuyasha sitting next to Miroku on the overstuffed sofa.

Inuyasha moodily threw his controller on the floor. 'Damn Gran Turismo.' He grumbled to himself. "One more time!" He yelled at the young man as he snatched the controller off the ground and made some adjustments.

"Hey!" Souta exclaimed. "No fair driving an automatic, where's the difficulty in that?"

Caught red handed, Inuyasha merely stuck his tongue out at Souta and beat him off the line.

After the third hairpin turn, Inu Racer was really starting to pull away from Higurashi Sleeper. He rolled his eyes at the corny names Souta had assigned them. Seeing the finish line approaching, Inuyasha prepared himself for a much needed victory.

Suddenly, he dropped his controller on the floor, his body going stiff.

Miroku glanced over at his friend. "Inuyasha?" He asked worriedly.

"Kikyou." Inuyasha mouthed before bolting out of the house in a flash.


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"Kikyou." Kagome whispered.

"Cousin." Kikyou responded. She approached Kagome and extended her hand, which Kagome slowly shook.

Kagome looked upon the woman she hadn't seen in three years. Kikyou, who had suddenly left the faith and the family, leaving Kagome to be the one responsible for this shrine right as she was starting college, resulting in her having to abandon her hopes to become a teacher. Ultimately, she was glad to see Kikyou alive and well, but she still harbored feelings of hurt over her sudden disappearance.

"My boss, Naraku Onigumo sent me, cousin. To make sure you received his deliveries." Kikyou explained.

'She works for him?' Kagome asked herself. "Yes…I did. The flowers were beautiful and the checks very generous, but I didn't know that you worked for-"

Kikyou suddenly glanced to the left, her long black hair whipping around with her movements. He was there. She could sense him just beyond the line of cherry trees. Suddenly interrupting Kagome, she snapped, her cold, flat voice rising, "Why do you allow that filthy hanyou on these sacred grounds?"

Kagome's brows knitted in disbelief. "Excuse me?"

"Inuyasha. Why do you allow him on these sacred grounds?" Kikyou repeated herself.

"What do you have against Inuyasha?" Kagome asked critically.

The ex-miko snorted, her lips creasing into a tight frown. "Let's just say that he's a dirty liar who can't be trusted. Mark my words, Kagome, you'll regret ever letting that bastard close to you."

Kagome crossed her arms over her chest, her temper flaring. "Listen to me, Kikyou. I don't appreciate you just marching in here after abandoning this family, and telling me whom I can and can't trust! I have no idea what grudge you hold against Inuyasha, but he's given me no reason to question his intent. Besides, I rather like the guy, and that's good enough for me."

A tense moment of silence settled between the two women as they glared at each other before Kagome broke the silence. "Now, what is your purpose here, Kikyou?"

Upset that her younger cousin had derailed her with such an emotional outburst, Kikyou silently fumed, keeping her exterior mask of aloof calmness in place. "At Naraku's request, I am here to bring you another offer to consider at your leisure."

Forcefully bowing to the younger woman, Kikyou held out a plain manila envelope. Kagome seemed to consider her cousin for a moment before returning the bow and accepting the envelope from her hands.

Kikyou straightened herself out and turned on her heel, preparing to leave. "Naraku will be contacting you to discuss soon."

Watching Kikyou's retreating figure, Kagome suddenly called out to her. "Kikyou!"

As the older woman stopped, she turned her head back towards Kagome. Kagome could see a deep pain in her cousin's dull brown eyes, and her heart reached out for whatever struggles the older woman had been through. A moment of pregnant silence passed between them.

"It was good seeing you, I'm glad you're okay." Kagome said sincerely.

Kikyou's lips slowly but surely curled into a tiny, barely recognizable smile before she continued to walk away.


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Once Kikyou had disappeared from sight, Kagome turned around, spinning right into Inuyasha's firm chest. "Oh! Inuyasha, I didn't even see you-" She began, but let her voice trail off when she saw the hanyou's longing expression.

Inuyasha's gaze was still frozen on the top of the now empty stairs, his posture still as though he hadn't even felt the small woman bounce off of him. He had heard their entire conversation, pulled towards them by Kikyou's scent. Although at first, his heart longed for him to throw himself at Kikyou as he had done countless times since she had walked out of his life, he somehow managed to wait to hear Kagome's words.

Kikyou's harshness was to be expected. She had always been a chillingly quiet woman, though since Naraku had corrupted her with his evil attitude, she had turned bitter. But it was Kagome's response that had shaken him to the core. His heart both broke at Kikyou's insults and soared at Kagome's kind words. And now, he was rendered useless from the warring emotions in his heart, pulled between the two women.

Kagome was growing tired of whatever game she had been thrust in the middle of. Over the past month, she had suffered three youkai companies pursuing her land. As if that wasn't odd enough, they all seemed to know a good amount about not only each other, but about her and her family's background. Add to that Kikyou coming back out of the blue and she was thoroughly confused.

She frowned at the hanyou in front of her. "Inuyasha, tell me what's going on here."


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By the light of the full moon, the Lord of the Northern Lands stood in a forest high in the mountains. Ginta, Hakkaku, a number of humanoid Ookami-Youkai and several injured Ookami-Youkai in their lupine forms surrounded him. Ashes and smoldering flames cast the remains of the field and trees in a reddish glow. This placed used to be the den of his uncle's pack.

Kouga kneeled down next to a large, gray wolf who lay on his side, panting. A terrible gash ripped through his ribs and blood coated his side and his belly. He breathed laboriously as he fought to stay conscious.

"I'm sorry, nephew, I couldn't hold them back. It was the Neko-Youkai." The old wolf breathed gutturally, fluid rattling in his lungs. "They stormed the den, claiming to take the lives of us all, including our females and their unborn pups."

"Why would they do such a thing?" Kouga wailed.

"They…they said they were under orders. Orders of the Inu-Youkai." The elder laboriously spat.

"The Inu-Youkai?" Kouga asked, his eyes widening, a growl beginning in his throat. "I know we've never been friends, or even allies, but why would they do something like this?"

The old wolf choked again, and blood began to pour from his mouth. Knowing he didn't have long left, the Lord of the Northern Lands already began to mourn his death.

"Shh, quiet now, don't talk." Kouga urged the old wolf, his uncle, and one of his closest remaining family members. A tear stung his eye as he held his hands over the bleeding wound.

An injured humanoid Ookami-Youkai hobbled over on one good leg. "Kouga-sama, I hear there is a power struggle among the current Lords. Perhaps the Inu are trying to cull our numbers before initiating a take over of our land?" Her asked worriedly.

"It's possible." Kouga agreed darkly. "Though I would expect such a tactic from Naraku." He then looked to the others surrounding him. "Don't worry. We'll meet this opposition head on. We won't let the cats, or the dogs trample over our lands. This demands retribution, and first, we hunt down the Neko-Youkai."

The others rallied at their leader's motivating speech, but on the inside, Kouga was boiling in anger. 'I was with that dog-turd all day long, how could his clan have done this?' He asked himself.

For as much as he disliked Inuyasha, and the Inu clan in general, he wasn't sure this fit their bill. It was true that trying times called for different measures, and all the rules were being thrown out the window in this power struggle. But one thing was for certain, if the Inu-Youkai were responsible for this massacre, he'd have their heads.


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The last of Kikyou's smell fading from his nostrils, Inuyasha forced himself to pay attention to the upset woman who stood patiently in front of him. "Kagome, I… Kikyou… we…" Inuyasha growled, unable to express his thoughts. "Come with me." He said gruffly, and before Kagome could register what he was doing, he had picked her up easily and had begun bounding away in a feat of strength she had never before seen.

Setting her down on a giant limb high in the Goshinboku, Kagome finally let out her breath. Looking down at the ground below, she felt a wave of vertigo hit her, and she fisted her hand into Inuyasha's shirt to steady herself. "Is this really necessary?" She asked.

"Unless you want me to take you back to the house and act like none of that ever happened back there, than yes." He answered, moodily.

"No. I want the truth, and I want you to spill it right now." Kagome demanded.

Inuyasha sighed, not even knowing where to begin. "Humans don't know a lot about youkai society, so let me try to explain. Japan is split into four quadrants of the cardinal directions. I am the brother of the Lord of the Western Lands, Kouga is the Lord of the Northern Lands, and Naraku," He spat the vile name from his mouth, "Is the Lord of the Southern Lands."

Kagome's expression tightened as she began to understand the importance of the three youkai she had recently met. "What about the Eastern-"

"They have no leader." Inuyasha preempted her.

Kagome propped a hand on her hip cockily. "So you're telling me that all of you have been using my property to fight over the Eastern Lands?"

"Well, yes and no." Inuyasha stalled.

Kagome looked at the Inu-Hanyou questioningly. He looked torn, as though he really didn't want to tell her what he was about to divulge. Kagome didn't stop him as he continued. "Remember the jewel from the legend you were trying to remember the name of?" He asked. When Kagome nodded, he reminded her of its name. "It's called the Shikon no Tama."

"Oh yeah, I-" Kagome began.

Inuyasha interrupted her, wanting to finish. "Five hundred years ago, all youkai were after that jewel. It was said that it could grant a youkai unimaginable powers."

As Kagome began to remember the full extent of the legend, the reality of Inuyasha's words sunk in. She remembered that the ancestor of Naraku had killed both hers and Inuyasha's ancestors over a web of love, jealousy and ultimately, possession of the jewel on the grounds of her family's shrine, in fact, right here beneath her at the foot of the Goshinboku.

"What does the Shikon no Tama have to do with my land though? I thought the jewel was burned with the miko's dead body." She asked tersely.

Inuyasha shrugged. "Obviously, Naraku has a reason to think that it might still exist."

Kagome began to get angry. "So all of this is just a race for which one of you could find the Shikon no Tama to rule all the lands first?"

Inuyasha held his hands up defensively. "Keh, don't take it so personally, wench."

"Inuyasha…" Kagome said angrily.

"Kagome." The hanyou corrected himself. "It goes deeper than that. There's a different reason that Kouga and I have stepped in, to try to keep Naraku from achieving his true goal. It's not so much as to get the jewel for ourselves, it's to keep the jewel away from Naraku. Lately, Naraku's been getting greedy, looking to expand his territories. If he gets hold of the Shikon no Tama, combined with the strength he has now, he would be unstoppable. He would crush all youkai underneath him, and he wouldn't stop there."

Kagome wondered at Inuyasha's open statement. Was this Naraku really such a threat? From her brief meeting with the man, he didn't seem like he could be deserving of such a reputation, the whole story seemed almost too wild to be true. As was her character, she decided to withhold her judgment of the truth for later. Though she knew Inuyasha better than she knew Naraku, she would not automatically believe his side of the story under such extreme circumstances.

She looked at Inuyasha's face and could tell instantly that he was still hiding something. "There's something else." She said. "Tell me how you know Kikyou."

She was surprised at Inuyasha's low growl and his hesitance to look at her. Clearly, he didn't want to talk about her cousin. It was obvious that there had been something between the two before she had gone to work for Naraku, and Kagome wanted to know the whole history if she was going to truly understand his side of the story. She carefully inched her way towards the trunk of the Goshinboku and slid into a sitting position. Patting the area on the limb next to her, she signaled for Inuyasha to sit down next to her.

Several minutes passed and Kagome had assumed that Inuyasha had refused to open up to her about it. Finally giving in, the hanyou sighed and took a seat, his side pressing close to the warm woman next to him. He took a deep breath before he began. "Your cousin and I, we were… together, six years ago."

Kagome's stomach instantly knotted. She had suspected as such, but for some reason, it pained her to think of the two of them together. She knew her cousin had been seeing someone all those years ago, but with Kikyou's secretive nature, Kagome, along with the rest of her family, had never met the man. To think that it was Inuyasha all along amazed her. She quieted her train of thought as Inuyasha continued.

"See, Naraku wasn't born hanyou, he became one, and while he was still good, and human, we met each other through him." Inuyasha explained. His voice faltered, and suddenly, Kagome was about to tell him he didn't have to talk about it if it hurt that much when he began again. "Kikyou and I were together for three freaking years, and I was… ready to propose to her, but before I could, she accused me of cheating on her and she walked out of my life. She ran to Onigumo, who by that time had become Naraku, and no matter what I said or what I did, she never looked back."

Kagome now understood Kikyou's spiteful comment about her perception of Inuyasha's trustworthiness. She had to admit, she didn't have first hand knowledge of their situation, but somehow, Inuyasha just didn't seem like the type to cheat on anyone he had committed himself to. She looked at the man, his long bangs hiding his eyes in shadow, his body stiff next to hers. She could almost feel his pain as though it radiated off his body. She laid her hand on his arm, letting him know she was there.

"Do you still… love… Kikyou?" Kagome asked quietly, almost fearing to hear the answer.

Another long moment of silence stretched into eternity before Inuyasha finally answered. "Love? No. I don't love her anymore. Now, I hate her as much as she hates me, but I still just can't let her go." He finally admitted.

Kagome breathed a silent sigh of relief. It was a little non-committal, but at least he hadn't said he still loved her. "She's changed so much." She said off handedly. When Inuyasha looked at her questioningly, she continued. "I mean, I was never very close to her. Though she was always kind to me, she always kept to herself and stayed in the shrine office while she was here, but now she seems so cold, and bitter. She looks even more unhappy than you do."

Inuyasha nodded in agreement.

Kagome let a moment of silence pass between them as she carefully gathered her words for the pained hanyou. That Kikyou had not trusted in Inuyasha and refused to talk things out with him, regardless of her reasons, had been cruel and unnecessary. "Inuyasha…if you don't have trust in a relationship, you can't have love. If you say you did nothing wrong, and she can't trust your word, then that's her fault and her loss. Not yours."

Kagome watched as the hanyou looked at her as though she had grown a second head. "What did I say?" She asked.

Inuyasha shook his head, thinking to himself. 'In the three long years that I've been beating myself up over Kikyou leaving me, why have I never even thought of so simple a revelation as that? Perhaps we never really were in love.' He realized.

"Well, she always could hold a grudge." Kagome commented, her eyes unfocused as though she was calling on a memory for her childhood.

Inuyasha grunted at the statement's truth. Kagome's sweet voice surprised him when she suddenly called his name timidly. "Inuyasha? Why did you lie to me before, when I asked you about the jewel?" She asked.

The hanyou tore his gaze from her. There were several reasons, not to mention the fact that it would be against the ancient laws to even tell her as much as he had, though to him, that was less important than the real reason. He decided he would be open and honest, and let her know why he had been holding back. "I just… I was scared to tell you. I thought you'd be upset and not trust me." He mumbled.

Kagome nodded. She could tell that trust was a major issue for the torn hanyou. "You should know, that as long as you trust in me, I'll trust in you." She said, giving him a confident smile, one that he hesitantly returned. "Inuyasha…" Kagome continued, changing the subject to get Kikyou off of Inuyasha's mind. "What do I do from here?"

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked, focusing on her.

"Hello? I'm caught in the middle of a youkai power struggle here! I don't know what to do now." Kagome fingered the envelope she held in her hands that contained Naraku's latest proposal.

"Let me worry about it." Inuyasha said, a smirk on his face, happy to put talk of his scorned first love behind him to focus instead on Kagome. "You still have to think things through, but if you decide on accepting my company's proposal, at the very least, by being co-owner of the property, I can legally keep Naraku off your land, keeping you, and everyone else safe."

Kagome opened her mouth, but Inuyasha silenced her with a finger on her lips. He knew what she needed to hear, even if waiting wasn't the best choice for her own good, or the good of all those that would be in Naraku's path should he find the Shikon no Tama. Right now, she had grown more important to him than the entire population of Japan combined. "I won't force you into a decision. Sit on it."

Kagome nodded and settled back into the tree, snuggling her shoulder into Inuyasha's arm. Examining the stars in the night sky through the branches of the tree's canopy, her mind began to wander as she processed all the information she had just taken in. She felt like she had just connected the last two pieces of a puzzle.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked tentatively as he turned to her, his bangs blowing gently in the breeze. The pain in his eyes had lessened slightly. "I need you to know, that other than my family, you are the only one who knows about… Kikyou and I."

Kagome smiled, realizing that Inuyasha had allowed himself to fully open up to her, a feat which she guessed was rare for the closed hanyou. Although she now knew the painful history between him and her cousin, she found strength in knowing that Inuyasha, as closed as he was, trusted her enough to tell her such personal information. She reached her hand out to touch Inuyasha's arm gently. "I think it's time you put Kikyou behind you, Inuyasha." She said sweetly.

It sounded like so simple a solution that Inuyasha almost laughed out loud. How could a pain so deep be fixed so easily? He was suddenly caught off guard as the woman next to him leaned her body closer to his, tilting her head towards his own. Lightly, she pressed her lips against his.

If one word could sum up the feelings passed between the two, it would have been 'finally' as high in the branches of the Goshinboku, Inuyasha and Kagome shared the most gentle of kisses.

From that small amount of contact he had made with Kagome, Inuyasha had already felt the pain within his heart lessen. 'This is how it can be fixed.' Inuyasha realized as he answered his own question. He slipped his arms around Kagome's waist to pull her closer to him, deepening their kiss.

An old woman's hoarse voice suddenly called from the front door of the house in the distance, ruining the tender moment. "Inuyasha? Kagome?" Kaede's voice asked as it carried on the wind.

Kagome forcibly tore her lips from Inuyasha's own and they shared a moment of 'deer in the headlights' expressions, their eyes widened, their bodies frozen stiff. Inuyasha refused to allow the moment to grow awkward and winked at her before standing and picking her up, cradling her to his body as he jumped from the Goshinboku's limb, landing softly on the ground below. He set Kagome down on the ground gently and led the way back to the house.

"We're right here, old bag, you don't have to yell." He returned smugly.

Kaede looked at Inuyasha crossly from the open door. "No dinner for you." She grumbled.

Kagome and Kaede chuckled at Inuyasha's shocked expression.


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Kouga sprinted through the tall, wildflower peppered grasses, tracking the scent of the Neko-Youkai as the sun rose above the mountain peaks before him. He had been following their tracks all night and knew he was finally getting close.

He was flying this one solo, insisting that he meet with the feline leaders alone to assess the situation. Besides, had he brought a number of his pack members with him, they would be more likely to start an all out war, and that was something Kouga preferred to avoid for the moment. This operation called for etiquette and procedure.

A whiff of sea salt reached his nose, and he realized he was only miles from the northern coast of Japan's main island. He had past even the wilds of wolf territory, entering into lands that were uncharted for even the ruler of the North. The area was a long time retreat of the Neko-Youkai who had inhabited the area since their age-old quarrel with the Inu-Youkai. He punched a tree as he bolted past it, his speed knocking the large pine down. It shook the earth beneath his feet as it bounced on the ground.

Finally finding a large clearing housing a camp of Neko-Youkai, he slowed down to a jog and came to a stop in front of the clan's leaders, three Neko-Youkai siblings. They stood and drew their weapons at the threat. He knew them from the Youkai Council, though not personally. Their leader, a blue haired vixen by the name of Touran could cast powerful spells of Ice. Shuuran, a large, round male, harnessed the power of lightening, and Karan, a young girl, could control fire. They and their clan members were fierce fighters and formidable foes, though their species were historically held as slaves to the Inu-Youkai houses.

Kouga sucked in air and bowed deeply as he prepared to follow the ancient script that youkai were bound to use in such a situation. "I, Ookami Kouga, Lord of the Lands which you have attacked last night, have come to you seeking answers. I wish not to fight, I carry no weapons, and I wish to leave this place unharmed once we have finished."

The Neko-Youkai spoke amongst themselves briefly before they relaxed their positions and sheathed their weapons. "Ookami-sama." Their blue-haired leader said as the three cat youkai respectfully bowed to the wolf, prompting him to continue.

The Northern Lord broke his bow to address the Neko leaders. "I wish to know why are you working for the Inu-Youkai."

Touran spoke for the group. "Surely you know that our ancestors were held in bondage to the Inu clans."

Kouga frowned. "Of course I know, that's ancient history. But is it not true that none of the Inu houses have held a Neko captive as a slave for at least a hundred years?" Kouga argued, trying to reach the point."

Touran met his sour expression with one of her own. "Easier said by the prince of a clan who has not had to experience the burden of such mistreatment. That we have never been formally released from our bondage makes us outcasts in the eyes of other youkai, lesser beings. Do you know how it feels to bear this stigma?"

"I do not." Kouga agreed. "But your hate of the Inu-Youkai does not tell me why you are working for them and attacking my clan by their orders.

Touran crossed her arms over her chest. "We were told that were we to destroy the Ookami-Youkai, we would be granted our freedom."

"Who of the Inu-Youkai told you this?" Kouga demanded, speaking hurriedly.

Shuuran, the large, round male, eyed Kouga levelly. "The youngest of the ruling Taisho family. The one named Inuyasha came to me personally with the offer."

"Inu…yasha…" Kouga started, stunned that he would do such a thing. He may not like the Inu-Hanyou, but he would have never thought him capable of something so cruel, and to think that he had been in his presence just yesterday… He forcibly gathered himself. "Will you continue to attack the packs under my protection?"

"We will do anything for our freedom. Surely, you must understand." Touran responded.

The Lord of the Northern Lands nodded grimly. "I understand. I would request that you give me two days time before you plan your next attack. I wish to speak with Inuyasha and try to find another way for your freedom to be granted."

Each of the Neko leaders regarded the other with silent stares, finally, Touran responded. "We will give you two days. Our freedom will wait no longer."


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Kagura stood at the front door of the Western Mansion, the mid afternoon sun warming her skin on a perfect Sunday, save for the fact that she was standing on that particular doorstep. Damn Naraku for sending her here, to his home of all places to have this discussion. In the back of her mind, she wondered if she was being set up to fail by her master.

She wouldn't put it past him.

Before she could even raise her hand to knock, the door creaked open of it's own accord.

"I could smell you coming a mile away, Kagura." Sesshomaru said in a deep voice, his fingernails digging into the ancient oak doors as he fought to keep calm.

"Give it up, Sesshomaru. Naraku sent me here to talk business. If you're incapable of that, we can hold this conversation over the phone." She grumbled.

The Lord of the Western Lands narrowed his eyes at her before stepping back and asking her in. He shut the doors behind them and led her through a lengthy corridor to his office on the main level in his wing of the Western Mansion.

Kagura took a seat in a plush, leather chair across from the desk as Sesshomaru quietly shut the doors behind him. She glanced around the walls as she waited for him to be seated, realizing she still remembered every detail of the room.

"To what do I owe this honor?" Sesshomaru asked sarcastically.

Kagura crossed her arms over her chest, swinging one leg over the other gracefully. "Bad news. For you, at least." Sesshomaru looked at Kagura questioningly. "We've been told that Inuyasha has leaked secret information."

The Western Lord snorted. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, just that he filled her in on why there are three youkai Lords vying to buy her property." Kagura said, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

Sesshomaru lowered his head into his hands, rubbing his temples. "I don't believe it."

"Not only that, he told her about the Shikon no Tama." Kagura added in a mocking tone.

Sesshomaru sighed deeply, his attention actually wavering away from the woman in front of him to focus on the matter at hand. "Tell me, Kagura. How did you know that Inuyasha had told Kagome?"

"We all have spies, Sesshomaru." Kagura stated flatly. The Inu-Youkai smirked. That was an understatement. In fact, he happened to have a very good one he was sure went undetected in Naraku's company, though she was anonymous and even he knew not her name. "As you would expect, if this Kagome somehow believes your brother's words, this will grant your company an unfair advantage. Naraku expects retribution for this breach in the rules."

Sesshomaru grunted. "Name it, what does he want?"

Kagura leaned forward, resting her arms intrusively on Sesshomaru's desk. "Inuyasha must be removed from Kagome's presence, he should no longer be allowed to interact with her based on his trespasses."

Sesshomaru smirked and blew air from his nose much to Kagura's annoyance. "You'd have a greater chance of getting struck by lightening than to get Inuyasha to back off now."

The wind youkai frowned. "It is a perfectly acceptable consequence that he should readily accept based on the ancient laws of the council. Why wouldn't he?"

Sesshomaru smiled coolly at her. "Inuyasha never did care for the council, and now he will blatantly disregard its laws because he has fallen for the woman."

Kagura rolled her eyes. "Please." She muttered, unswayed by his words.

Sesshomaru growled. "Do not discredit the enormity of a youkai's feelings once he has found his intended mate. Or have you forgotten that you once felt that way for me?"

Kagura's jaw shut with an audible click. Of course she hadn't forgotten, she had never stopped.

Seeing the perfect opportunity, Sesshomaru skillfully shifted their conversation. "Kagura, I have not stopped feeling for you, you must know that. You are still my chosen."

Kagura turned her face from the Western Lord, biting her lip to keep her tears in check.

Sesshomaru smelled the sting of salt. She may be strong enough not to cry, but he knew she wanted to. Wasn't it time to end all this suffering? If Inuyasha had given Kagome all his secrets in just one month of knowing her, he would give Kagura his own after one year's time since she had left him. "I know why you turned me away, Kagura." He said quietly.

The wind youkai snapped her head up to stare into Sesshomaru's eyes. "You don't know anything!" She barked.

"This game ends now!" Sesshomaru roared. Kagura's shoulders sunk and she tore her gaze from Sesshomaru submissively.

He sighed deeply. "You can stop pretending that you no longer care for me. I know everything, Kagura." The body of the wind user went rigid instantly and her breath caught in her throat as her past lover continued. "I know that you turned me away because Naraku wouldn't allow a member of his clan to associate, never mind mate with an Inu-Youkai, much less me. I… I also know that Naraku forced you to sleep with some despicable Neko-Youkai cur who marked you against your will to Naraku's orders."

"How… did you find out?" Kagura stammered, shocked.

Sesshomaru paused, not sure if he should identify the leak who had searched him out. He decided if he was going to lay everything on the table, he owed her that much. "Your sister told me months after it happened. She told me she couldn't bear to see you in so much pain. She begged me to find some way to get you back. She wanted to see you happy again."

"Kanna." Kagura whispered. She and her half sister had suffered through many hardships together, but those events had since been burned into their minds as though they were a scalding hot brand, and it had made it difficult for them to communicate with each other. Though she loved her sister dearly, they were not especially close the way many siblings were. She was shocked that Kanna would have gone to the lengths necessary to contact Sesshomaru.

"But do you know what pains me the most?" Sesshomaru continued. Kagura couldn't help but look at him with wondering eyes. "That you didn't come to me first."

One tear slipped down the gentle curve of Kagura's face as she opened her mouth to speak. "Damn it, Sesshomaru, I couldn't tell you!"

"Why not?" He asked, his cool voice and calm expression demanded simply.

Kagura's voice quieted to a near whisper, as though she were afraid that they very walls might have ears. "Because Naraku threatened that if I told you, or anyone else for that matter, the things he made me do to get you to stop pursuing me, that he would have my sister killed. It's the only way he manages keeps me in his company, by using Kanna as collateral. He's been doing this to me since he took us off the streets three years ago, back when we thought him to be our savior for helping out two worthless bastard youkai half sisters."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened. He was familiar with Kagura's dark past. "He would really bargain with your sister's life?"

"The bastard gets off on manipulation. You have no idea the things that man does." Kagura spat.

"Kagura, let me help you." Sesshomaru insisted, reaching his hand across his desk to rest atop one of her own.

The Wind-Youkai pulled her hand away from his touch. "No."

Sesshomaru began to growl, a sinking feeling that for as much ground as he had gained, he was quickly loosing again.

"I will not get you involved this, and I will not risk my sister's life." Insisted.

"Don't you see there is no hope in this situation?" Sesshomaru exclaimed, his fist pounding his desk. "Whether Naraku somehow succeeds in winning Kagome's land and finds the Shikon no Tama or if he finds out that you and I are back together, he will torment you and Kanna. You will never be safe from his wrath." He paused briefly. "Come back to me, I will protect you and your sister." He demanded.

"Damnit, Sesshomaru! I'm not going to pull you into my personal battle. I won't risk you over the lives of my sister or myself!" Kagura exclaimed.

Sesshomaru's body went rigid. Did she really just say that? Did she really just admit that he was more important to her than even the lives of her family and herself? Surely she knew what that translated into.

In the blink of an eye, Sesshomaru had vaulted his body across his desk and pulled Kagura from her chair, crushing her against the wall of his office with his own body. "You just admitted you'd give yourself to me."

"I didn't mean it like that, Sesshomaru." Kagura spat, trying to look away from him in the little space she had, trying to calm her beating heart that pounded for him while his body was pressed so tightly against her own.

"You should be as aware of it as I am, that in the youkai language, there is only one way I can take that." He said, pushing his face closer to hers, demanding that she submit and grant him access.

As Sesshomaru claimed her lips for the first time in more than a year, another tear slid down Kagura's face as her body began to shake. The impact of being away from his arms for so long began to lessen as she relaxed in his hold.

She felt his long nails gently scratching along her back, tugging at her suit jacket. One of his legs separated her own and she felt his muscular thigh press against her crotch. Almost subconsciously, she felt herself rocking her hips towards him. Her head tipped back as Sesshomaru's lips traveled down to her throat, sucking and kissing his way to her ear lobe.

Kagura ran her long fingers through Sesshomaru's long, silky hair, dimly aware that he had begun to unbutton her blouse. Drunk on being surrounded by her past lover's passion, she found herself caressing his chest as his hand slipped across her breast.

Sesshomaru gently bit Kagura's lip with his canines, the sharp fang slicing through the skin. Tasting her own blood in her mouth, she came back to reality. She pushed him back weakly with the palms of her hands. Sesshomaru frowned at her.

"We can't do this." She said flatly, desperately picking up her mask of indifference once more.

"Yes, we can, I'll show you." He replied, returning his lips to Kagura's neck.

The wind youkai pushed him back more forcibly this time. "Sesshomaru, no. I have to leave." She insisted. Turning sideways, she slipped from his grasp, rushing for the office doors.

Sesshomaru began to follow her and Kagura turned on her heel, holding her hand out in front of her. "Sesshomaru, stay!" She exclaimed. "I told you I wouldn't get you involved in this."

His arms fell to his sides, defeated. "It's too late for that, Kagura."

"I can let myself out." She said, ignoring him as she distractedly buttoned her shirt back up. Swinging the heavy doors open, she called over her shoulder. "I'll inform Naraku that you refuse to keep Inuyasha from working on this proposal."

Hearing his prospective mate leave hurriedly through the front door, Sesshomaru collapsed into the chair she had previously occupied, his nose inhaling her lingering scent, his fingernails digging into his palms. 'Now what?' He asked himself.


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As Inuyasha's cell phone rang loudly on the nightstand next to his bed, the silver haired man moaned and rolled over. His eyes squinted from the late morning sunlight that filtered in through his windows, his hand flailing about as he searched for the source of the offending noise. Finally grabbing the phone, he flipped it open and held it to his ear.

"What?" He asked, his voice raspy from sleep as he began to slip back into the land of dreams.

"I knew I shouldn't have counted on you." His brother's voice barked at him.

Inuyasha let out a loud, slow yawn. "I don't need your crap right now, Sesshomaru. What's your damn problem?"

"My problem is you telling that Higurashi girl forbidden information." Sesshomaru said, an annoyed tone in his voice.

Inuyasha immediately woke up, his eyes shooting open as he sat up in bed. "Fucking spies work fast, it's only been two nights! Listen, I told her for her own well-being!"

Sesshomaru snorted. "You do not need to explain yourself, just listen. Naraku sent Kagura to-"

"That bitch?" Inuyasha asked coarsely.

"Take it back!" Sesshomaru roared, infuriated that his whelp of a little brother would insult his prospective mate.

Inuyasha knew his half brother wasn't kidding, even he would bow to Sesshomaru in this situation. "Fine." He mumbled. "But no wonder you're so grumpy. You're just frustrated that you haven't gotten any in over a year and she reminded you of it."

Sesshomaru relaxed slightly before continuing, a bitter chuckle traveling through the phone. "Oh, and your record is any better? Last I knew, you were years in the hole."

Inuyasha growled. "Fuck you, Sesshomaru."

"Now who's bitter?" the older brother retorted. "Now listen, Naraku's response to your trespasses was to eliminate you from the proposal for the Higurashi Shrine, to pull you off the project."

Inuyasha froze. "But-"

"I told her that would be unacceptable." Sesshomaru said, cutting him off.

Inuyasha almost dropped the phone in surprised. "How did you know I'd-"

"This Sesshomaru knows more about your own feelings than you do, you moron." He replied in a bored tone.

Inuyasha shot straight up in his bed. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Allow me to spell it out since you're too stupid to understand." Sesshomaru heard his brother's growl through the phone. "This Kagome is your chosen."

"My chosen? Don't be fucking ridiculous!" Inuyasha exclaimed. He blew air through his nose. Imagine, that uncute, tomboy, argumentative female being his mate!

"Believe what you want, just don't mess thing up with this woman." Sesshomaru said as he hung up the phone loudly.

"Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha called, but was met with the click of his phone being hung up. The hanyou punched his hand into his pillow in frustration as the tried his hardest to ignore his brother's revelation. He shook his head, ignoring his brain, which told him otherwise.

"No fucking way in hell." He said out loud before hopping out of bed to get ready for the day.


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"Bagel?" Kagome asked as her tired helpers filed into the house. The busy weekend over, the workweek would bring a much needed decline in tourists, visitors, and therefore, work.

The young miko flung a cinnamon raisin bagel to Miroku, who caught it like a frisbee. Sango caught hers in an overhand catch. Kagome almost faltered, realizing Inuyasha was carrying an open newspaper in his hand, but he managed to catch it by stretching out his neck and grabbing it in between his teeth. Kagome couldn't help but smile as his little dog ears twitched.

"Wat. Am ah playhin fuhkin fetch naw?" He grumbled in between the bagel as he stuffed the newspaper under one arm and pulled the bagel from his mouth.

"Like you didn't enjoy that." Kagome rolled her eyes.

"Keh." He replied, averting his eyes as he tried his hardest not to think of his brother's words from earlier that morning. And yet, he couldn't ignore Sesshomaru's powerful revelation of Kagome being his chosen. Somehow in the back of his mind, Inuyasha knew that a piece of the puzzle was clicking into place. His intense feelings, the way she was always on his mind, his jealousy over that damn wolf boy…no wait, no way!

Kagome stole a glance at the hanyou, knowing well enough that being grumpy was mostly an act that was simply hard for him to put down. She stuck her tongue out at him for good measure as her friends set about preparing their breakfasts.

"Shall I toast your bagels?" Miroku offered to Sango.

Sango raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Come on, Sango, that was perfectly harmless." Miroku insisted.

"Nothing is harmless when it comes to you. I'll toast it myself, thank you very much." Sango said curtly.

Kagome chuckled at the two. Sometimes, she didn't know which would-be couple was worse, Sango and Miroku or she and Inuyasha. At least with the taiji-ya and the houshi it was obvious that they liked each other. It was just that Sango didn't appreciate Miroku's perverted ways. If he could just tone that down a little, maybe things might work out between the two of them. She made a mental note to talk to Sango about it later.

She and Inuyasha on the other hand, well, they had kissed in the Goshinboku the other night. Well, it was more like she had kissed him, but hey, he reciprocated, although he probably wouldn't admit to it, but she knew he had wanted it as much as she did, if not more. Not that a kiss between two adults counted for much in this day and age of course, not to mention something like having sex on the first date. Kagome dug her nails into her palm as she tried not to go down that road of thought. It was already a difficult enough thing to do under normal circumstances.

She had even caught him sneaking glances at her from time to time, and that had to count for something, right? Hell, he had even bought her a car! Not that he didn't have money up the wazoo, but you didn't just do that for anybody, bet or no bet. But for the most part, Inuyasha kept his gruff demeanor and his impenetrable emotional walls up, especially when they were around others, as though he were afraid to show that he might like her.

Not that Kagome knew for certain that he did like her, she just had this… feeling, and somehow, she was certain that he knew she liked him too.

"Oh, hey, they're running a Takeshi's Castle marathon all day today!" Miroku exclaimed as he leafed through a tv guide.

Inuyasha yelled the catch phrase of the game show, a smile on his face. "Don't get eliminated!"

Sango got up and led the atypical group of friends to the living room, even she couldn't resist Takeshi's Castle. Entering the family room, Kagome took the big easy chair, and Miroku sat at one end of the loveseat, looking at Sango and patting the empty cushion next to him. The taiji-ya sat down next to the houshi with a menacing glare on her face.

Inuyasha stood, looking perturbed with no place to sit.

Kagome patted the ottoman next to her chair. "Sit." She chuckled.

"That's two strikes against you in five minutes, woman." Inuyasha grumbled, not liking all the dog references. Despite himself, he couldn't refuse the offer to sit so close to Kagome.

Right at the time Inuyasha's rear end would have settled onto the ottoman, Kagome kicked it to the side and Inuyasha crashed to the floor on his butt.

"Bitch!" He snapped.

"Jerk!" Kagome replied, smacking him with a throw pillow.

"Oh, it's on, little girl." Inuyasha battle cried as he hopped up and towered over Kagome, grabbing both of her wrists in one hand as he pressed them into the back of the cushy chair, stealing the pillow from her clutches.

For a split second, Kagome stared into his golden eyes as he held her captive. Both Sango and Miroku's jaws dropped at the sight. The sexual tension between the two was so thick, it could have been cut with a knife like butter.

Instead, it was a sharp voice that sliced through the thick atmosphere. "Inuyasha, I know you're in here, so fucking come out!" A voice barked.

They hanyou dropped Kagome's wrists, realizing he had been focusing on the woman so intently that he hadn't even sensed Kouga's arrival.

The Lord of the Northern Lands suddenly burst through the front door. Seeing Inuyasha basically on top of Kagome, Kouga reached his breaking point. The lupine man quickly bolted forward and grabbed Kagome by the wrist, pulling her towards him.

"Stay away from him, Kagome!" He spat at the Inu-Hanyou.

"What the hell's gotten into you?" Inuyasha exclaimed.

"Don't play dumb with me, you slimy mutt." Kouga growled.

"Kouga-sama," Miroku began, standing to move subtly in front of Sango to protect her from the two males about to blow. "Please calm down and tell us what's wrong."

Kouga snapped his head to glare at the monk. "You don't even know what your boss is up to behind everyone's back, do you, houshi?"

"If you don't start explaining yourself now, Kouga, I'm going to be forced to remove you from Kagome's house." Inuyasha said, surprisingly level-headed despite the insults being thrown and Kouga's violent attitude.

Kouga finally lost control of his temper, swinging his fist around at Inuyasha's face with incredible speed. Inuyasha dodged just in time, the edges of Kouga's knuckles brushing the tips of the hanyou's furry ears. Before Inuyasha could turn around, Kouga had thrown a roundhouse kick, catching Inuyasha in the stomach with the full force of his strength. The hanyou heaved and grabbed his stomach, but took the blow.

"What gives you the right to talk like you know what's best for Kagome?" Kouga demanded, pleased at the sight of the wincing hanyou in front of him.

Miroku forcibly stepped between them, pushing them away from each other with either hand. "Kouga-sama, look at Kagome." He demanded. "Does she look like she's afraid of Inuyasha or afraid of you?"

Kagome had backed herself into a corner, a wide-eyed, shaken expression on her face. She prided herself on being a strong woman and so she struggled to maintain control as the two men had fought over her so intensely.

Kouga's face drooped. He had obviously frightened Kagome with his violent outburst. He had become pretty familiar with the woman and had forgotten that she was not used to the manner in which youkai settled their disputes. "Kagome, I-"

"Just explain yourself, Kouga-kun. Please." Kagome asked quietly.

The growl returned to Kouga's throat as he complied and faced Inuyasha. "Call the Neko-Youkai off."

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked moodily, still clutching his stomach tenderly.

"I said I'm not fucking playing games!" Kouga shouted as Inuyasha's ears flinched from the intensity of his voice. "They've already culled one of the packs under my protection. Is that not enough for you?"

A truly shocked expression captured the face of the silver haired man. "Why do you think I'm responsible?"

"You bastard… because they told me that you personally gave them the orders to attack my clan in exchange for their freedom!"

The room fell into absolute and utter silence as all eyes turned toward Inuyasha.

Sango broke the silence by first clearing her throat. "Kouga-sama, I know you and Inuyasha haven't been the best of friends, to put it lightly, but do you truly believe Inuyasha could do something so cruel?"

Kouga turned away from Inuyasha, not wanting to admit that the story from the Neko-Youkai was far fetched, even for Inuyasha, but for what reason would they have to lie?

Kagome reached her hand out and placed it on Kouga's shoulder, a weary, yet strong smile on her face. "Let's talk this through."


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As the train took them north, Inuyasha and Kouga sat with an empty seat separating them. Neither of the two would look at, let alone acknowledge the other. Kouga tapped an imaginary beat with his foot and Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest.

'Damn Kagome for making me go with this mangy wolf.' Inuyasha cursed to himself. He had told the stubborn Ookami Lord that he had nothing to do with the Neko-Youkai. He didn't even know them personally, though his brother had battled them alongside their father in an uprising when he was still a child. What would it take for Kouga to believe there must be some mistake?' He sighed at his thoughts, realizing he had no idea how he was going to diffuse the situation. Politics and negotiations on the battlefront were not his forte.

Kouga himself was a mess of tumultuous emotion. He had the attacking Neko-Youkai intent to kill his brethren hanging above his head, but more than that, the woman he wanted for his own seemed to… to actually like Inuyasha. He had to try hard to keep from gagging at the thought as he thought of the way the two had acted of late, remembering the glances the two had exchanged, Inuyasha's soft voice when he spoke to her, and Kagome's hands finding any excuse to touch his person.

Not able to take the stifling silence any longer, Inuyasha stood and walked to the other end of the car, flipping out his cell and hitting speed dial. He hated to admit it, but he needed help.

"Did you call to tell me I was right about your chosen?" Sesshomaru mocked him.

Inuyasha growled. "Fuck off, I've got another problem."

"Like what?" Sesshomaru asked tentatively.

"Oh, how does, say, the Neko-Youkai attacking the Ookami-Youkai under orders from me sound?" Inuyasha asked sarcastically.

"What?!" Sesshomaru exclaimed.

The Inu-Hanyou sighed in frustration. "Yeah, Kouga came after me, furious. I had no idea what the hell he was talking about. I agreed to travel with him, up north, to talk to these schmucks."

"I'll meet you up there." The Lord of the Western Lands said hurriedly.

"This is my battle, Sesshomaru." Inuyasha protested.

Sesshomaru grunted. "I have bones to pick of my own with the Neko-Youkai."

"Look, I don't want to start a war between these three clans, I just want them to stop attacking Kouga's tribes so I can get him the hell off my back and concentrate on what's really important here!" Inuyasha reasoned.

Sesshomaru growled. His idiot brother was right once in awhile. "Understood, but you need me there, I have information you don't."

Inuyasha snorted loudly. "Oh yeah? Like what?"

Sesshomaru promised himself that he'd throttle his brother the next chance he got for making him play twenty questions. "If I told you, you wouldn't need me. Now give me your destination. I'll fly out there to meet you."


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Author's Notes:

I was originally on the fence about using the Neko-Youkai in my story. I know they are frowned upon, being non-cannon in the manga, but they fit the slot perfectly, so they found their way in here. Besides, seeing as how this is AU, does any of it really matter anyway?

I'd like to thank those that have reviewed so far. I've gotten some really excellent reviews and I'd love to know anything else you guys like or dislike, especially anything I can improve on, or even anything you want to see. I find encouragement is very helpful and really makes me want to get the next chapter out faster. And, I also want to know if anyone ever actually hit vw's website to see what the R32 looks like. Come on, people, the car is awesome!