InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Haunted ❯ Ronin ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5

Ronin

Long lost words whisper slowly to me
Still can't find what keeps me here
When all this time I've been so hollow inside
I know you're still there

Kikyou concentrated on being unnoticeable as she entered the Akasaka district. It wasn't very hard in her current state. After she had freed Kagura, she left the way she came through the broken window. When she was both too weary to go on and felt she had put enough distance between herself and the other woman, she found another alley and curled up in a dark corner to sleep. Her hair was a mess, her clothes were torn, and she knew she looked like a vagabond…not like a former girlfriend of a high ranking Oyabun in the Yakuza. As she hoped, the busy men and women on lunch break paid her no notice. They probably thought she was Burakumin, and they would be close to being right as most Yakuza families traced their lines of origin to the outcasts of the Feudal Era.

Hanuman's Udon Shop was packed as InuYasha had said it would be. Kikyou had to push her way through the people waiting at the door, who quickly moved away from her. The shop was long and narrow, with small tables filled with sararimen stuffing their faces and chatting with their friends. A waitress approached her, but Kikyou had already spotted InuYasha and Kagome and waived her away. They had managed to get a table in a corner, and they looked up as she approached. InuYasha's golden eyes were shocked then troubled as he took in her unkempt state, and Kagome looked solemn. The three of them nodded to each other in greeting. She took the empty seat next to InuYasha.

“Before we talk, are you hungry?” InuYasha asked.

“I will eat only if you can swear to me you were not followed,” Kikyou replied firmly.

“Keh, you are not the only one who can dodge our organization,” InuYasha said. “Believe me we took every precaution when coming here. You know this is not even Naraku's territory, Sesshomaru is the Oyabun here.”

While InuYasha ordered for them, Kikyou excused herself and went to wash up in the bathroom. She washed her hands and face, and combed her fingers through her long, bedraggled hair in an attempt to look civilized. For a moment she leaned on the sink with both arms, and stared at her reflection in the mirror. The face staring back at her was hardly recognizable from the woman she used to be. Raising a hand to her face, she noticed for the first time how cold and hard she looked. It could not be helped, there was no more time to dwell on what she had become since Naraku had started hunting her. With a small sigh, she returned to InuYasha and Kagome.

“Naraku found you didn't he!” InuYasha said. “Will you tell me what happened?”

“All I will tell you is I had a run in with his kobun,” Kikyou replied. “The less you know about what happened the better. Only…”

When Kikyou hesitated, InuYasha bent forward eagerly to hear what she would say. “Only what, Kikyou?”

“Do you know a woman named Kagura?” Kikyou said.

“Yeah, a little,” InuYasha replied. “Why?”

“If you run into her and she does not attack you, let her go.”

InuYasha's dark eyes drew down at Kikyou's cryptic reply. He frowned and his nostrils flared with frustration. If only Kikyou would let them work together! They could take down Naraku as a team, he just knew it! How he wished he did not have to take the course of his risky plan…but Kagome had agreed to it, and by the way Kikyou was acting he had no choice. The food arrived and there was no more talk while they ate their udon. InuYasha watched Kikyou out of the corner of his eye for any sign of weakness he might exploit to get her to talk…but she was cold as stone. Quietly Kagome had watched this exchange, and tried not to let the tension flowing from InuYasha fray her already strained nerves.

Kikyou actually felt better after eating. Recent events had her running on nervous energy and adrenaline, and she had not even paid attention to her hunger. She wiped her mouth with a napkin and then spoke.

“You have what I need?”

Reaching into his pocket, InuYasha brought out a wad of Yen, a small key, and a cell phone. Kikyou reached for them, and then stopped with raised brows. He pushed them into her hand and she shook her head but took them anyway.

“I did not ask you for a cell phone,” Kikyou said.

“Take it!” InuYasha insisted. “I swear to you it is untraceable! Would I ever put you in danger?”

Eyes downcast, Kikyou gave a curt nod. She pocketed the items and stood up. Quickly, InuYasha and Kagome followed suit. Kikyou picked up her cross bow case and made to leave.

“Thank you,” Kikyou said. “Our former Oyabun is going down, sometime soon. Be safe, get out of Tokyo now.”

“Look, you can't make us leave!” InuYasha said. “We want him dead as much as you do! If we can't work together, so be it, but if you need me just call me for fucks sake!”

“I don't need you InuYasha,” Kikyou said coolly.

InuYasha barked with laughter. “You always say that - but who just gave you money and the key to the locker?”

For once, Kikyou had no come back. She just nodded again and walked away. Crossing his arms, InuYasha shook his head as he watched her go. Soon she was out of sight but never out of mind. Stubborn bitch! But at least she had taken the cell phone…

“What is the real reason you gave her the cell phone?” Kagome said slyly, watching the emotions play across InuYasha's face.

InuYasha grinned. “The only person who can track her is me,” InuYasha said. “The phone sends out a GPS signal and only you and I will know the signal is hers…”

~*~

Watching me, wanting me
I can feel you pull me down
Saving me, raping me, watching me

When Kanna returned with Byakuya, Naraku curled his lip with disgust. He grilled Byakuya on his failure until he saw his minion could not respond anymore. Reluctantly he let Byakuya be removed to get medical attention. That just left Kanna and the suitcase.

“Open it up,” Naraku commanded.

Nodding, Kanna obeyed him at once. The suitcase was opened at Naraku's feet. He looked it over a moment, his eyes flickering over it in contempt. The fragrant smell of his former girlfriend and prize possession filled his nostrils, and drove him to a fury. He began to pull things out, clothes and toiletries flying everywhere while Kanna quietly watched him.

“There is nothing useful in here!” Naraku raged and picked up the suitcase, ripping it with brute force and throwing it on the floor.

A secret compartment was revealed, and the contents came falling out. Naraku had already stormed away, but Kanna noticed it. She went and picked up a small key from the floor.

“My Lord,” Kanna said. “I believe this will interest you.”

Spinning around, he saw the key Kanna held up to him. He grabbed it from her hand and looked at it smirking. Finally he had something that gave him an edge in this whole fiasco.

“Have someone find out where the locker is that this key goes to,” Naraku said. “And if that bitch Kagura returns, whether with Kikyou or without, tell her to report to me immediately.”