InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dark Heaven ❯ Plans, Plans ( Chapter 7 )

Dark Heaven

 

Chapter 7

 

Plans, Plans

 

“The greatest scoop of my career, and the picture gets ruined,” Sango growled, rubbing her temples.

 

“I'm sorry, I tripped with the pan, and-” Shippo tried to explain, but Sango cut him off.

 

“I know, I know, accidents happen, delicate pictures…” Sango groaned.

 

“I'm sure we can still salvage some of the pic,” Kagome offered.

 

“We'll photoshop and enhance a headshot from the other shots we have. Maybe we can fit something in, but the layout is toast now,” Sango grumbled. “Great, just what I need.” The door to Sango's office made a loud thud, and Sango rolled her eyes.

What?” She snapped. Souten Rai opened the door and peeked her head in.

 

“Kagome, you've got a visitor,” She said. Kagome furrowed her brow and stood up.

“I do?” She asked. Souten nodded and pushed the door open for Kagome, leading her down the hall. This was odd. Outside of those she knew at work, Kagome didn't have any friends. Who would be visiting her then?

 

“Here she is Mr. Saiga,” Souten said, opening the door to her own office. Souten was the gossip columnist. Kagome blinked as Inuyasha stood up from Souten's swivel chair to allow the journalist to sit down.

 

“Thank you,” Inuyasha muttered. He turned his attention to Kagome. “Hi,” He said.

 

“Hi,” Kagome replied.

“Kagome, right?” Inuyasha asked. Kagome nodded.

 

“What are you doing here?” She asked. Inuyasha shrugged.

 

“Miroku told me you worked with Sango, and told me she worked here, so…” He supplied.

 

“Okay, but that doesn't really answer my question,” Kagome said.

 

“Right, right. Well, I'm basically here to ask you something. Are you seeing anyone?” Inuyasha asked.

 

“Uh…no. I'm not really in a position for relationships,” She said. “What with my being a freak and all…”

 

“Oh….okay then…” Inuyasha muttered.

 

“What, what's wrong?” Kagome asked.

 

“Well, even if you aren't in the mood for it, ya know…I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner.” Kagome blinked.

 

“With you?” She asked. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow.

 

“Uh, yeah,” He confirmed.

 

“Tonight?”

 

“If you aren't busy, I was hoping,” Inuyasha replied. Kagome was surprised, and is clearly showed.

 

 

“Uh…sure, I guess.”

 

“Where do you live?”

 

“four-thirty one Kathrine North,” Kagome said. Inuyasha smiled.

 

“Is seven good for you?” He asked.

 

“Yeah, yeah seven is great,” Kagome said.

 

“See ya there,” Inuyasha said, smiling and turning, walking to the elevator. Kagome's shoulders slumped.

 

“What just happened?” She asked stupidly.

 

“Well,” Souten said, wheeling her chair back to peek around the side of the cubicle. “I'm no expert on the subject, but it sounds like you and him have a date tonight.”

 

“Right,” Kagome agreed. A date. She didn't date all that often…well, never, to be exact. She wasn't exactly a great catch: she lived in a crap apartment, worked a mediocre job. She barely scraped by with what she made, and only because Sango secretly slipped a little extra into her paychecks when she thought Kagome wouldn't notice. Why on Earth would Inuyasha want to date her, of all people?

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

“You promised me a front-page shot of Angel,” Sango's editor grated. Sango groaned. “You want that freak on my paper, then you make sure she pulls in the cash. It's almost noon, that's 6 hours you've wasted. There's no way we'll get the issue done by tomorrow.”

 

“I know, I'm sorry, but it wasn't my fault Tuso,” Sango protested.

 

“I don't care,” Tuso shot back. “Now, since you're making us skip an issue, you're getting us a damn good story for the day after tomorrow. Get to it.” Tsubaki hung up, and Sango followed suit.

 

“Shippo, what's a great story?” Sango asked.

 

“A history of the Council?” The youkai suggested.

 

“Done it a month ago.”

 

“House of Taisho?”

 

“Two months.”

 

“Great War?”

 

“Records are classified,” Sango said, shaking her head. “Damn, Angel is the only good story we've had in a while.

 

“What about the museum break-in?” Shippo said. “I mean, if they attacked a museum, there must have been something worth stealing.” Sango sat up.

 

“Yeah…yeah, good point,” She mused. “Why the hell would someone wanna rob a museum?”

 

“That's what I said,” Shippo reminded her. Sango got out of her chair and grabbed her jacket from the back of her chair.

 

“Where you going?” Shippo asked, turning to watch as she left the office.

 

“Where do you think?” Sango tossed back.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

“Almost all artifacts have been accounted for,” Totosai Ken read off the museum manifold. Totosai, also known as Councilor Twelve, was reading off the list of damaged artifacts to the assembled Council.

 

“You said almost,” Kikyo pointed out. “What hasn't been found?” The third-ranking Councilor noted Naraku toss her a glance at her remark. Midoriko, predictably, wasn't at the meeting. When that happened, Naraku usually became the voice of the Council. But for once, Kikyo wanted to do the talking.

 

“A few scrolls. Two old katanas were missing,” Totosai read. “The scrolls, we believe dated back a century or so. They may even have been involved in the Great War, although we are not sure exactly how. The katanas were rusted and old, their theft is a mystery to us.”

 

“And what of the criminals, what of them?” Kikyo asked.

 

“All but one have been apprehended, most were just minor offenders. One of dead, we've been told his name was `Suikotsu Shinchinintai'.” One by one, the heads of the Council turned to face a brunette man at the far end of the table.

 

“I told you before, I haven't spoken to them in years,” Councilor Nine, Bankotsu Shinchinintai assured them. “I've all but disowned the lot.”

 

“The criminal overlords are rumored to contain several members of the Shinchinintai family, Bankotsu,” Naraku reminded him. “Are we totally in the wrong, to be suspicious of a Councilor who is brother to them?”

 

“My brothers and I have not spoken in years. And if anything, my rise through your ranks should prove my loyalty to the city, and to the Council. And while I may not want them to die, little would please me more than for the renegades of my blood to be brought to justice.”

 

“Seeing as how Suikotsu is dead and cannot be questioned, it seems that they will escape us for the time being,” Naraku said. “Now, Totosai, I want all artifacts of the museum theft found. Contact Myoga, get his best officers on the job. Track down the scrolls, and whatever else may have been stolen.” Naraku stood and shook out his jacket coat. “This council is dismissed.” Naraku turned and walked out the door to the Council Hall, a troubled look on his face. One by one, the Councilors filed out of the room, Bankotsu the last. Bankotsu looked down the hall, and slipped back into the room, locking the door behind him. He pulled a cellphone from his pocket and dialed.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“It's Bank,” Bankotsu said, walking away from the door.

 

“Bank, great, Renkotsu. What's up?”

 

“I just adjourned Council, and had to defend myself because of you,” Bankotsu snapped. “Are you idiots trying to blow my cover?”

 

“Hey, Mukotsu said they didn't trip the alarm, it was that damn Angel.”

 

“Heard the bitch was there,” Bankotsu growled. “Well, is it what we wanted?”

 

“As much as we could expect, anyway. Nothing we didn't already suspect, but hey, it at least solidifies our guesses,” Renkotsu replied. “We know it did exist, we just aren't sure is it still does.”

 

“Oh, it does. The boss thinks Naobi has been reborn, and I've told you all that Naobi would only be reborn if the Sealed One still exists.”

 

“We know very little, Bank,” Renkotsu said. “We don't know if Naobi is reborn, and we don't know if she would have been if it exists or not. All we have are rumors.”

 

“Which is why I told you to raid the museum so we can find out more,” Bankotsu grated. “Now I'm leaving. Continue your research, find out who Naobi might be.” Bankotsu hung up and unlocked the Council Hall doors, marching out into the rest of the tower.