InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Expect the Unexpected ❯ Family, Friends, and...Deadly Rivals? ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: Obviously as this is fanfiction, I do not own Inu-Yasha in any way.

While this story is technically done, I never posted on MediaMiner before, so I’m re-releasing it here. And with internet problems, I’m gonna have to do it little by little. So I’ll just pretend like I’m releasing it for the first time.     Expect the Unexpected   Chapter One: Family, Friends, and…Deadly Rivals?  

It was a beautiful, sunny day in Sengoku Jidai. Kagome sighed happily, basking in the warm rays of the golden sun high overhead. It was perfect…well, if you ignored the sulking hanyou walking beside her. His face was more suited to a thunder storm.

Kagome wasn’t about to let Inu-Yasha’s attitude keep her from enjoying such a wonderful day. In fact, she doubted that even the grumpy hanyou could remain in a bad mood long in such a setting. They would reach Kaede’s village tomorrow. Then she’d be able to go home for a while, maybe catch up on her work. She would have to enjoy the weather today, because tomorrow would be spent working hard not to completely fail her classes.

Miroku was walking some distance behind them, talking to Sango, who was trying to politely end the conversation before he got any ideas, not that he needed her help for that. He’d been hit with Hiraikotsu no less than three times today. Kirara was sleeping in Sango’s arms and Shippou was riding upon the monk’s shoulder, waiting for the monk to get himself into trouble. He didn’t have to wait for long.

While they waited for Miroku to regain consciousness, Inu-Yasha grumbled to himself and Sango complained to a sympathetic, if wryly amused, Kagome. Shippou didn’t bother to hide his satisfaction. He lived for these moments. Next, he’d have to get the dog-boy in trouble. Inu-Yasha was easy to infuriate, and Kagome always defended the mischievous little fox. The hanyou would be eating dirt in no time.

Of course, Inu-Yasha was bound to be ‘sat’ sooner or later. He’d try to stop Kagome from going home, like always, and she’d have to ‘sit’ him, like always. The little coterie ran like clockwork. Shippou would cause trouble. Miroku would grope Sango and flirt outrageously with any pretty girl he saw. Sango would nearly kill Miroku each time he groped her and would glare ferociously whenever he flirted. Inu-Yasha would argue with Kagome and hit Shippou, and would be ‘sat’ by Kagome for both offenses. Clockwork.

As night fell, the group set up camp. Inu-Yasha was ‘sat’ twice. Once for hitting Shippou, and a second time for stumbling upon Kagome during her bath. Of course, when he’d asked where Kagome had went, the monk had conveniently forgotten to mention that she was bathing and merely pointed. Inu-Yasha had gone to kill said monk, but Sango beat him to it when his hand wandered yet again.

The hanyou contented himself with sulking in his tree, pretending to ignore Kagome when she returned, glaring darkly at the fuzzy shape in the rapidly darkening night. She settled down with the smug kitsune and was soon asleep. Inu-Yasha watched her for a while, admiring her peaceful face as she slumbered, before finally drifting off, himself. He’d never tell anyone what he dreamed. * * *

The morning came too rapidly for Kagome, but Inu-Yasha was soon rousing them, never one to let them sleep any more than was necessary. He couldn’t understand why they would want to spend the day sleeping anyways, not when they could be looking for the jewel. They slowly ate and prepared to set out, all the while ignoring the impatient hanyou. It wasn’t easy. He was a rather vocal person.

They managed to reach the village without any ‘sits’ or concussions, though the monk bore a red handprint upon his face. As they drew near Kaede’s hut, the old miko appeared, asking after their search. She led them to her hut, but Kagome slipped silently away. This would be her best chance to go home without having to ‘sit’ Inu-Yasha. The hanyou had other ideas, however.

As Kagome came to the clearing that held the well, she clearly heard a slight growling behind her. She turned, and, as expected, Inu-Yasha had followed her, clearly not happy with her attempt to flee. There would be an argument, Kagome knew. He would be stubborn and she would have to use her spell in order to go home. She sighed.

“Inu-Yasha, I have to go home for a while. I need to catch up on my schoolwork and see my family. Besides, we’re running low on ramen. I’ll have to get some when I go home.”

“Now you listen, wench,” he barked. “You can’t just run off every time you feel like it. You have to stay here…to find the jewel. I’m not gonna let you go this time, Kagome. You’re staying here!”

Fighting down the urge to shout at him, Kagome tried once more to reason with the unreasonable hanyou. “Inu-Yasha, I can’t stay here all the time. I have a family, and friends, in my own time.”

For some reason, this only seemed to make the hanyou even angrier. She could see his angry retort coming, and she gave up. There was just no way to reason with him. “Sit!”

The hanyou was sent crashing to the earth with a grunt. Kagome turned and walked to the well, ignoring the curses rising into the air. She leapt down into the portal that lead to her own time and was surrounded by an eerie light. Inu-Yasha’s profanities were cut short and she shortly found herself in the modern era. There were no youkai, no jewel shards, and ,best of all, no ill-tempered hanyou. It was good to be home. * * *

Kagome was immediately beset by her friends at school the next day and surrounded by questions about her false illnesses. One day she would strangle her grandfather. Kagome really had to concentrate to keep up with her lessons, but somehow she found herself thinking on Inu-Yasha far too often. She was glad for the time away from him--he was so arrogant, selfish, rude--but, at the same time, she could not wait to be back with him again. That stupid hanyou was driving her crazy!

Once home, Kagome quickly began her work. She didn’t have much time to catch up. Inu-Yasha would come for her soon, since she hadn’t let him finish arguing with her, if only to yell at her some more. To her surprise, there was a knock at the door. Inu-Yasha didn’t knock, didn’t even bother with doors. She was less than thrilled to find Hojo standing on her doorstep.

The aforementioned boy blushed when she answered the door, in his good-natured, shy, sickening way. “Hello Higurashi. I heard you were feeling better today.” Kagome silently cursed her friends. Of course, they would have immediately alerted Hojo of her presence. “I brought you these.” The boy pulled out some sort of therapy device. Kagome had stopped paying attention to what they were. “I-I was wondering if you would like to go to the movies with me tomorrow, since you were ill the last time.”

Kagome looked at the boy. She really couldn’t bear to hurt his feelings. Sighing inwardly, Kagome forced herself to agree. “Sure, Hojo. I’d like that. I have lots of work to catch up on right now, but I should be able to go to the movies tomorrow.” Maybe that would get rid of him for now.

The boy started guiltily. “Oh! I am sorry for disturbing you, Higurashi. I realize that you must have a lot of work to make up. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodbye, Higurashi!” The boy waved farewell, and Kagome shut the door, relieved that he was gone. She didn’t dislike the boy, but he couldn’t seem to get the fact that she wasn’t interested that way. Sighing, Kagome went back to her schoolwork. She would have to work extra hard tonight to make up for the movie tomorrow…assuming Inu-Yasha didn’t take her away before then. * * *

Inu-Yasha leapt down into the well. He wasn’t finished with that girl. She hadn’t even let him argue with her properly. He was not in a terribly good mood when he arrived in her time. He’d spent most of the day brooding in the go-shinboku and then decided that he’d finish his ‘discussion’ with the young miko. The hanyou jumped lightly from the well and strode swiftly to the door of the well-house.

He began to open it, but stopped as voices reached his ears. It was Kagome…talking to that boy again! He had seen this boy briefly once or twice in previous visits, and he definitely did not like him. Inu-Yasha growled quietly in his chest and opened the door a fraction to peek out. He could see the boy some distance away, standing upon Kagome’s doorstep. What was he doing here?

The hanyou listened intently and managed to catch the next bit of conversation. “I-I was wondering if you would like to go to the movies with me tomorrow, since you were ill the last time.” What! Inu-Yasha wasn’t quite sure what these ‘movies’ were, but he didn’t like the idea of Kagome going anywhere with this boy. He would not allow these “date” things.

“Sure, Hojo. I’d like that. I have lots of work to catch up on right now, but I should be able to go to the movies tomorrow.” How could she! She didn’t have time to be wasting with this…this weakling! She always said she was so busy in her time…her ‘school’ was so important that she had to leave the hunt for the jewel. Had she been lying?

The hanyou was so immersed in his own angry thoughts that he almost didn’t catch the scent that drifted across the shrine. That was Naraku’s scent! He was here? Inu-Yasha’s head snapped up, scanning the grounds for a sign of Naraku or one of his incarnations, but he didn’t see any. The only person he saw besides Kagome was that stupid boy.

A thought came to the hanyou. He smiled. No…that would be too good to be true. It wasn’t possible. Yet, if it were true…Inu-Yasha would delightfully tear that boy to pieces. He watched the boy disappear from sight. The scent faded as well. Oh, this was too perfect! He was going to enjoy this.

But it wasn’t just about what he wanted. Kagome would be in danger. He could never live with himself if something happened to her. It was his duty to protect her. And if her defense happened to provide him the chance to kill a certain annoyance, all the better. Inu-Yasha left the well-house and settled in the go-shinboku once again. He wouldn’t let Kagome know he was here. But he would protect her. He hoped Kagome would enjoy her ‘date‘. He knew he would.

End of Chapter One

I hope you like it so far. I think Hojo is evil. I honestly do. He’s just too nice to be anything but a villain. Anyways, I’ll be updating soon, as soon as I can get online again. If you’re impatient to read on, this story is complete on ff.net, under Chevalier Mal Fet. This story got more attention than any of my others. I still don’t know quite why. Is evil Hojo really that odd?

-Chevalier Mal Fet