InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Madman ❯ Chapter 9 - Let Old Acquaintance Never be Forgotten ( Chapter 9 )

Madman

By Rinseternalsoul

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I make no profit from writing fanfiction..

Chapter 9 - Let Old Acquaintance Never be Forgotten

A/N: Sorry this was a long time coming. I'll try to be quicker with the next update! With school out it's hard to write when my son is continuously under my feet. Thanks for all the reviews and support for Madman. I really enjoy reading your opinions and kind words.

I would also like to thank everyone who voted for 'As Death Gives Life' in the IYFG 1st qtr 2006 award for Best Original Character - Lord Anubis. It won second place again! I was very happy about that and I owe it to all of you who read and loved it, and found the InuGod worthy of voting attention.     ~~~~~~

With the sun peeking over the majestic mountains, Kagome blinked open her eyes, then stretched her body before finally sitting up. Her mass of dark hair framed her face in a tumble of unkempt waves. She pushed her arms out and bent her neck to one side, enjoying another muscle wrenching stretch, before dropping her arms like heavy weights back into her lap.

Kagome scooted her butt over to the edge and swung her legs over the side of her bed. She stood up and gathered her bearings, before heading into the bathroom to freshen up. It was with fresh breath and clean, dry, underwear that she stepped out of the bathroom still clad in the white T-shirt. She managed to finger comb her hair enough to get her by until after some breakfast. Food had to come first this morning. She was absolutely starving.

After opening her door she immediately spotted her roomie. Lord Sesshomaru was sitting as stiffly as ever, plucking away at the keyboard of his laptop with superhuman speed. She faintly wondered what his words per minute was, but brushed it off as too freak'n strange to deal with this early in the day. Memories of his claws raking lightly over her flesh flooded her with a rosy blush. She silently cursed her dreams and tried to think of her grumbling stomach instead of the conundrum of hot demon flesh currently acting as if she didn't exist.

"Good Morning, Sesshomaru," Kagome said, now irritated with herself for sounding like a squeaky teenager.

He stopped his flurry of typing fingers with a suddenness that made her jerk. He sat there, for a moment, staring at the computer screen, but saying or doing nothing else. Kagome began to wonder if he was angry with her for interrupting him, but then he turned to look at her. In his eyes she didn't see anger, but there was a flash of something dark and hungry. Before she could assure herself of what she thought she had seen, his beautiful eyes, like golden crystal balls, sparkling around slightly elongated black pupils, changed to shielded yellow ice.

"Miko," Sesshomaru replied. "It would benefit us both if you were to use the name Shuusaka from this point on."

He watched as her softened features grew hard in temper. Well, that came out differently than he planned it. It had not been his intention to sound so cold and demanding, but it certainly came out that way. He turned away from the hurt look on her face, and continued his search for the fools waging a personal war against him. His mind was distracted by Kagome, who had moved on to rummage through the kitchen cabinets once more.

Why did he always feel so defensive around her? His entire body felt the need to stay on guard against her womanly wiles. The only problem that he could see with this was the fact that Kagome was not pushing herself on him at all. She seemed completely oblivious to the effect that she was having on him both mentally and physically. In ways that he couldn't explain he felt a sense of deep comfort around her. The knowledge that she was there in the days of his prime power was soothing to his bruised modern ego. The fact that she knew, and had spoken with, his Rin made him feel some sort of unique connection to her. She had traveled with his brother, long dead and gone from this world, but she remembered him. She knew the power of Tetsusaiga first hand and she saw the mystical strength of his Tenseiga.

The things that he treasured most in the world were mere myth to this modernized Japan. Not one soul, save himself, had looked upon the Swords of Destruction and Healing in centuries. There was no one who could be trusted with the truth of it all. No one could know what he truly is, or know of the power humming through his veins. He was nothing but myth now. His secrets were a heavy load to carry all alone, but here, now, he was with one lone female who knew it all.

It was almost overwhelming to think of it. She too carried this secret of long lost knowledge. She remembered powerful demon swords wielded by even more powerful demons. It made him feel more comfortable and relaxed around her, as if a load has been removed from his shoulders. Perhaps he had begun to wonder at the truth of it himself? Could centuries of pretending to be someone else alter ones mind, leaving them in a fantasy world where fact is myth and myth is fact? It was a frightening notion.

As disturbing as it was to discover his guard being lowered due to this connection to the past, Sesshomaru had to face the reality of it. It was dangerous to ignore the truths. By knowing they exist, one can better guard against them. A large part of his defensive reaction to Kagome was to guard against becoming too comfortable with her presence.

While part of him felt comforted, another part felt agitated and wild. This was the truly disturbing emotions that caused him to consider throwing caution to the wind for a moment of carnal pleasure. It was a side of him drawn to her own mystic power, power that far surpasses most anything living today. It pulses around her form like a second skin, clinging to its lovely host and giving Kagome an ethereal appearance that spoke of something much more than human.

Sesshomaru growled lowly upon realizing that he had been sitting still, staring at the same screen, and wasting precious time, pondering about the miko.

"What 'cha doin'?" Kagome asked as she slid into the chair next to him. She had rummaged through the cabinets and found a can of diced peaches. She never thought eating anything out of a can could taste so good, but by the time she found a can opener to pry open the can she was drooling at the mouth. She scooped up another bite of the sweet fruit and savored the flavor before swallowing it down. At first she was going to ignore him, especially after his icy good morning earlier, but she was really curious about what he was up to. It was obvious that he was researching something, but what, she had no idea.

Much to her surprise he actually chose to answer her, and without any sarcasm or degrading remarks at all. He pointed out the government divisions that could possibly have any interest in youkai and miko power. Sesshomaru had even compiled a list of various organizations that were not officially ran by government funding but that held close contacts with those within. There were lists of names and their rank or position written neatly beside each.

"Impressive," Kagome whistled.

"Nonsense. It is merely public knowledge listed on the internet, but among these names there could be a link to the ones responsible for this whole sordid affair." He went to the main military site, pointing out the links to the separate branches. "The most difficult to check out are the smaller groups spawned from military personnel who no longer officially receive funding. I suspect that our man..."

"Or woman," Kagome interjected.

"Hn. Or female, is receiving funding, but it is not so easy to track them down. An operation such as this will not be publicized. They are most likely a covert branch and wish to keep it so."

Kagome looked a little confused. "So why are you bothering to look here?"

"It is my hope that through these persons, one will know of something related to our own troubles. The problem is, finding them and asking without letting them know too much." Sesshomaru replied.

She nodded in understanding and sat quiet for a moment, eating small spoonfuls of syrup coated peaches. He was being unusually forthcoming this morning, and Kagome made up her mind to ask the question that she was dying to ask. "Um, Shuusaka, what ever happened to Inuyasha?"

His back went rigid, as her question was unexpected and unwelcome. He hated talking about him. His feelings on Inuyasha were still, to this day, mixed and unclear. While he despised his brash behavior, and detested his blood relationship, Sesshomaru could not deny that he held a certain respect for the hanyou's strength and accomplishments. It wasn't something that he openly admitted, of course. He simply chose not to discuss him. In fact, it had been centuries since anyone had even spoken Inuyasha's name in his presence, not since Jaken died, leaving him to travel the world alone.

Did he truly wish to engage in this conversation with Kagome? True, it was only natural for her to be curious, though for some reason he found it irritating. Perhaps the best course would be to tell the tale and be done with it. After it was said, then there would be no reason to ever speak of it again. "Inuyasha became lost when you left him."

She interrupted immediately. "You make it sound as if it were my choice! I didn't leave, I was taken."

"Hn. As I was saying, Inuyasha was lost, but after a decade passed, he found a sense of peace with his life."

Her gasp preceded a sharply whispered, "He died?" Sesshomaru huffed. "Close. He did not die. He married."

"Wh... what?" The uncharacteristic humor was lost on Kagome, because all she could hear was the word 'married'.

He continued as if she had not, again, interrupted him. "She was a maiden from a village where he slay a malevolent demon. As you are aware, we were not close, thus I am unaware of the particulars. He and I crossed paths only once, when the fox pup came to request the hand of Rin. After a lengthy... discussion... I took my leave, however Rin felt the need to tell me of Inuyasha's personal affairs.

Kagome almost smiled, imagining the 'discussion' that the two were in. 'Probably tried to kill each other,' she groaned. 'Wait!... what?!' Kagome squealed, "Rin and Shippo?"

Sesshomaru's smooth lip curled just slightly, "Hai. They were mated and lived a long prosperous life."

"Wow" Kagome whispered in amazement." That's wonderful. "What happened to them?"

"Hiroshima," was his solemn answer. This was a subject that he truly did not wish to continue.

It hurt to know that Shippo was really gone. The tragedy of the war took the lives of many good people on both sides. It was horrible to think that her little Shippo, and sweet caring Rin, were taken in such a catastrophic way. She was grateful, however, that they had lived a long happy life together. It helped to ease the pain of it a little. Kagome also wondered how Rin lived such a long life as a human, but after seeing the pain flash in Sesshomaru's eyes, she decided to change the subject. It was obvious that he still missed Rin badly.

"So... Inuyasha lived happily ever after?" she asked hesitantly. Did she want to hear this? No, it wasn't a matter of what she wants. Kagome needed to know. She had to know so that she could put this behind her.

"He was satisfied with the life given him. Inuyasha found peace, but..." Sesshomaru paused, "...your absence took a great toll. His strength was never again what it was, and it was eventually his downfall."

Kagome felt her stomach clench in dread. For her peace of mind she had to know, but that didn't make it any easier. Logically, she knew and accepted that Inuyasha was probably dead. He was a hanyou, and fighting was an every day thing for a guy like him. Unfortunately that did little to soothe her when hearing of it first hand. Her stomach felt like it was tied in knots.

Sesshomaru continued. "I was not present, mind you, but my sources were sound. Inuyasha's life was ended in battle against a dragon youkai. It was an honorable death, which was avenged."

"So... he... he is really dead?" She asked in a broken whisper, as if he would say something differently to change the truth of it. He only nodded once, in Sesshomaru fashion, showing nothing of his inner thoughts. "Avenged?" Kagome questioned. "What do you mean?"

"Inuyasha's life was mine to end. The dragon trespassed against me by taking my kill. It was nothing more than that."

Although Sesshomaru insisted that it was nothing more than a slight against him, Kagome felt that there was more. If Sesshomaru had really wanted to kill Inuyasha, he had been offered plenty of chances, yet he never went through with the threats. Kagome had witnessed him walk off and leave a vulnerable Inuyasha too many times to truly believe that Sesshomaru wanted him dead. Sesshomaru killed the dragon because he was angry at losing his brother. Even though they proclaimed to hate one another, Inuyasha was Sesshomaru's last living link to his family.

"Thank you, for avenging Inuyasha's death, and for telling me the truth," Kagome said in a whisper. Tears were brimming her eyes and she didn't want to cry in front of Sesshomaru.

The memories of long ago brought out a sigh from the demon lord, who then leaned his head far back, looking thoroughly tired. He rolled his shoulders and closed his eyes against the strain from the computer screen, causing his thick snowy hair to brush lightly against his shoulder blades.

The movement brought up a question, and Kagome was thankful for a reason to change the subject before she broke down into a blubbering puddle of lost opportunity and unforgotten love. "Hey, I thought your hair was much shorter than that yesterday.

He raised his neck a little, his perfectly formed right brow rose into an arc, showing his surprise at her change of subject. Considering the path of her earlier questions, he welcomed the switch of topics. "It is really such a bother. I must trim it every single day to keep the same style. Its natural length strives to reach my calves though today's styles do not conform to such lengths."

For the first time Kagome came to truly appreciate the daily struggle of the youkai before her. He was a warrior above warriors. He fought a battle for his life, his right to live a normal existence, every single day. He was a magical being in a world of technology, but still living strong. Sesshomaru was an amazing individual. He had always been larger than life, but today, at this moment, she knew it more than ever. "It's an honor to know you, Sesshomaru. I just want you to know that."

He was taken aback by her admission. It completely shocked him that she would be so open in her compliments considering their history, but then again, the miko was never one to hide her human feelings. Whether she was hurt, angry or happy, Kagome seemed incapable of hiding her emotions.

Before he could respond, she stood and announced, "I think that I'll go for a short walk. Her mind was swimming with the news of Shippo and Inuyasha's demise, not to mention the insanity of her life lately. She needed some time alone to think, and a walk would be perfect. Alone she could cry, and mourn her lost friends.

After watching her hips swaying through the door, Sesshomaru leaned back rubbing his temples in a purely habitual manner. This uncanny attraction he was feeling toward the miko was getting out of hand. In no less than two days of her company he had already shown her a side of himself that he guarded quite fiercely from all others. There was something about her that made him act out of character. He never intended to discuss Inuyasha's death, much less the passing of Rin, yet without much thought at all he told the story to Kagome.

He had never spoken of it to another soul.

He should be focused on the task at hand. Finding and killing an enemy who dared err against him. A military strength foe who sought the miko's life as well as his own. Instead his attention kept straying to things completely unrelated to the danger that they were both in.

With a growl directed solely at himself for his foolishness, Shuusaka returned to his work. It had taken him all morning to gain access to his company mainframe through a bogus username routed through an on-site PC at his main office. The password was only rotated every three weeks therefore it was still the same as his last login. That gave him a small advantage, as the connection would give him the link he needed to access certain codes needed to connect to various other companies associated with his own. There were three of them that were directly affiliated with the military regime. Through them he hoped to learn a little more about his enemy. It was a long shot, but the only shot he had at this point.

Kagome walked around the edge of the property until she spotted a trail hidden amongst overgrown bramble. She peered over the winding vines and decided that beyond the first few feet, the trail was less dense. She figured that she could probably make it, even in her skimpy attire. The brisk morning air felt good against her body, helping to stir the numbness in her mind.

She couldn't blame Inuyasha for moving on. She certainly shouldn't expect him to stay true to her after she was gone. It still hurt though. She wouldn't lie to herself about that. It hurt to know that he found comfort in the arms of another. Kagome reached up to wipe the tears away blurring her vision of the path ahead. Inuyasha deserved to find someone to care for him. She wanted him to have lived a happy life, and she could only hope that the woman he married brought him that. She should not be jealous of a faceless, nameless, woman who lived five hundred years ago.

'Stupid Kagome. So stupid!' As selfish as it was, she couldn't help it. She was jealous, but Kagome finally decided that it was okay to feel that way. She wouldn't let this news destroy her memories.

In a way she felt a little guilty for his death. Sesshomaru said that her absence in Inuyasha's life effected his strength and power. It was something that Miroku had noticed and commented on in the past. Inuyasha's desire to protect her from harm had always made him stronger. It wasn't her fault that the magic pulled her away, but still, in the end, her absence lead to his demise. Did he hate her for making him weak? God she hoped not. She hoped that he had missed her, just like she missed him.

Now that she knew the truth she didn't really feel much better than when she didn't know at all. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

With Eri gone from such a violent end, and Sesshomaru's verification of Inuyasha and Shippo's death, Kagome was feeling lower than ever.

The first year of her magical exile from the feudal era was torture. Every day she hoped to wake up and find Inuyasha sitting at the foot of her bed. She jumped in that damned well hundreds of times, but the magic never even pulsed once. The well was dead, and it took a long time for her to accept it.

Now, here she is, three years later, living her nice comfy life, striving every day to remember her friends with smiles instead of tears, and in the matter of a few days it all comes tumbling down.

Utterly typical.

Kagome was positive that the Fates found her an amusing subject. They seemed to enjoy twisting her life more than the average person. Obviously it was up to her to destroy this new evil. She owed it to Eri, and the other girls that died, just because someone out there thought that their lives were expendable. Just like Naraku, this new enemy seeks some sort of power, and they don't care how many innocents die so they can have it. If the powers that be decided that she was the one to make things right, then she will do her very best to live up to their expectations.

As soon as Sesshomaru , oops, Shuusaka, finds what he's looking for, they could begin their search for the ones responsible. Shuusaka's agenda was not much different than her own. He sought revenge for himself, and those under his employ that were carelessly slaughtered. She wanted almost the same thing. She wanted to bring these people to justice, but it may not be as easy as that. By bringing in the authorities they would risk Sesshomaru's exposure. She couldn't do that to him. So the only thing that she can do is join him in this battle and do everything in her power to bring these people down without too much bloodshed.

Trying to convince Sesshomaru not to kill these people is going to be like getting Inuyasha to say please and thank you. Her finger went up to touch her bottom lip in thought. Hmm... if only she had a subjugation necklace. Suddenly the image of Sesshomaru being slammed face first into the dirt crossed her mind. In spite of the giggle the image caused, Kagome knew better than to try that. She valued her life.

Her thoughts then steered toward the new demon lord, Shuusaka. It was obvious that Sesshomaru had changed a lot since she first met him. Five hundred years and little girl named Rin was the reason for that. No one could stay exactly the same after that many years, even Sesshomaru. As Shuusaka he was much more... approachable. Oh, he still thought that he was a notch above everyone else, but considering his abilities he had good reason. His arrogance was something that irritated her, but also attracted her. She liked confidence in a man. 'Ack! What am I thinking? It's not like I'm interesting in him as a man!'

Unbidden, the thought popped into her head. But he finds you attractive. You felt the proof of it pressing against you. Whew. That had been a shocker. He was always so cold and businesslike. She never expected him to be like other men, with unwanted bodily reactions, even towards a woman he practically hates.

Or does he?

She thought back to the years of traveling the feudal era and to her rare encounters with Sesshomaru. Back then he was just... arrogant and scary. She wasn't blind. He was also extremely handsome, bordering on absolutely beautiful. He also appeared as though he would rather step on her than look at her.

The individual meetings flittered across her minds eye as she scaled another patch of leafless vines. There were the times he tried to kill her. Yes there were those. Of course she was not completely free from fault there, as she had attacked him on two of those occasions. Then there were the times that he actually stopped fighting and spoke to her. Flippantly he tossed advice about dealing with a demonically altered Inuyasha, or to inquire of Naraku whereabouts.

In her mind she played those occasions out again, and looked at them openly this time, searching for something that had not been there before. His attitude towards her obviously changed over time to one of grudging acceptance and possibly even mutual respect. He saved her life once, by killing Mukotsu, the poison master of the Band of Seven. Of course Sesshomaru adamantly denied the fact, claiming to have slain the ugly little abomination merely because he would not answer his questions concerning Naraku. Come to think of it, he was well on his way to killing Mukotsu before he even bothered to mention Naraku.

Had he really killed him for her? Had Sesshomaru been protecting her all along?

Kagome laughed out loud. The sound echoed off of the valley and rising walls of the majestic mountains. She listened as it carried over the foggy damp morning until it dimmed in the distance, finally fading away. Boy she was really over thinking things lately. She had sworn to herself many years ago to quite over thinking things. It was much healthier just to go where the fates lead. It was useless trying to preordain what the gods had chosen for her path, so worrying over the future was wasted stress on her body and mind.

After following the little path around several rocky inclines and over slippery moss covered ledges, Kagome finally came to a stop at the most beautiful little stream that she had ever laid eyes upon. The remaining fall leaves, beautiful in shimmering autumn colors, clung to the branches of the maples overhead. A small meandering brook trickled over smooth rounded stones and the sound of it was so soothing that she sighed in relief. This was just what she needed. This place was perfect for a little meditation.

She found a flat rock, jutting out of the dirt only centimeters above handfuls of gold leaves scattered over the ground. Kagome took the low seat, careful to pull her white T-shirt close so that her butt was spared direct contact with the cold rough surface. After pulling her knees up to her chest she stretched the shirt over her legs covering as much of her skin as possible. Kagome then shifted into a comfy position and placed her hand beneath her chin watching the little rivulets of water pressing their way down the streams winding path.

She sat there for over an hour, or at least until her right butt cheek had gone completely numb.

There was nothing that she could do about the things that had already happened. The past was lost to her, but the future lay ahead and Kagome made up her mind to be strong and meet it head on. For all those that lost their lives trying to make the world a better place, she would do her best to make it safe for the future.

It was her duty.

As strange as it was, she would join with Sesshomaru, and together they would fight the ones responsible for this whole thing. She may not live through it, but she swore to take them down with her. For Souta, and her mom. For Gramps and Rishou. For all the miko's out there that are being killed without knowing why. She would make the world safe again.

Kagome stood and brushed her butt off. She hardly made it three steps from her perch, before the aura of something intrusive began to tingle at the edge of her senses. She was in danger. Immediately she crouched down, and tried to assess her situation. The threat was near, too near to escape un-noticed in this crisp white shirt. Cursing her luck, and actually debating on tossing the shirt off, Kagome began to move toward the edge of the forest, hoping to blend in with the thicker vegetation there.

"I don't believe that we have officially met."

Kagome stiffened, and her heart began a frantic rhythm. There was no use hiding anymore, because it was obvious that her position was already known. When she stood she turned to find a woman standing across the stream holding a gun pointed directly at her. She was dressed in green fatigues that hugged her tall slender form. Her long hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, which drew attention to her beautiful eyes and high cheekbones. She was accompanied by three men wearing the same, all of them well armed. By her side was a wrinkled, hairless creature. It was crouched low on all fours and shivering with fear, as it stared at her with glossy brown eyes reflecting way too much intelligence for its misshapen body.

The woman wasted no time in introducing herself.

"I am Specialist Yamamoto Juria. And you, miko Higurashi Kagome, are the vessel from which the key to the future will be drained. Her arm then bent into a stiff angle, creating an oddly performed salute, while her left leg stomped down hard. "Hail Hotaka!" The three men behind her copied the actions of their leader in perfect synchronization, before issuing the same praise of "Hail Hotaka!"

'Dear Kami above', Kagome thought wildly. These people are completely nuts. ~~~~~~

Taisho Shuusaka snapped his laptop closed and stood up to stretch his muscles. It had been just over an hour since the miko wondered out, and he figured her to be thoroughly lost and helpless by now. It was tempting to let her wonder about for awhile just to teach her a lesson, however, he was aware that she was under-dressed for the current climate and he did not wish to deal with a sniveling sick human. He supposed it would be prudent to gather her and return her to the warmth of the cabin.

As he turned to leave his makeshift desk he was made aware of intruders in the midst. Faintly the scents of several mortal males drifted to his senses. He could also smell the beast that led the way. A Tracker had found him. Just then the sound of gunfire split the quiet of the mountain retreat. The large sectional window shattered. Milliseconds before the bullet found a home in his chest he stepped aside, using youkai speed, and saving himself a grave injury. He ducked low, leaning against a wall to scan the area and try to sniff out his assailants. He couldn't see, or smell, the miko's scent nearby, and he hoped that she managed to stay hidden for now.

Easing around the trees in the far distance and moving toward the cabin, he spotted several figures dressed in typical combat gear. One had taken an elevated perch in the forest with a high-power rifle. Obviously, that was the one who shot at him just now. He could easily kill them all, and the temptation was almost too much to pass up, especially since he was feeling a little out of sorts these past days. A good blood bath would be just the thing to relax his body and mind. However, at the moment he was more concerned with the safety of his miko.

He knew they would come for her, but he had to admit that he never expected them to find them this quickly. How they accomplished this task in such short time, was a mystery. Nevertheless, they found them, and Kagome is their primary target. He felt sure of it, and that meant that these men were searching for her at this very moment. She would be in danger.

For some reason that knowledge burned through him, leaving no room for argument on emotions or personal ethics. His protective instincts emerged in full force, and every other concern dimmed in comparison. It was time to find the miko and relocate.

He reached up and snatched to notebook and computer from the table by his side. His cash and other items of import were in his pocket, so he discarded the idea of salvaging anything other than that. He made ready. The sounds of shouting and gunfire filled his ears as he burst through the back entrance and into the thick of it. A bullet whizzed past his right ear, slashing the skin on his cheek. Another caught the fabric of his pants, missing his flesh, but tingling his nerve endings with the projectiles intent.

In seconds he had Kagome's scent and he took off in search of her.

"Myth Search Two to Myth Search One. You copy?! Target has escaped! I repeat, Target has escaped!"

Juria snarled in a very unlade-like manner and slipped the semi-automatic weapon over her shoulder. She then proceeded to snatch her modified Glock from the holster on her right side. The entire group crouched low and two of the three men holding Kagome in their sights, raised their weapons and began pointing them sporadically around the forest.

Juria was ready for him this time. She had just the thing for the big bad youkai. With a swift movement of her wrist, she readied her weapon. Her eyes were sweeping the forest, swiftly searching for her prey as she moved closer to the girl. Juria scoffed at the miko standing like a frightened deer in front of her. "Don't worry bitch. This isn't for you. It's just a little something special that I have cooked up for your boyfriend."

Surprisingly, the girl who had been shivering in fear until now, went rigid and indignant in the blink of an eye. "Hey!" she shouted, "He is NOT my boyfriend! Got it?!"

Juria barely had time to laugh, before the air began to grow thick and dangerous around her. ~~~~~~

Detective Kobayashi Naoaki stood in front of the address that he had been given. A bewildered look marred his ruggedly handsome face. He looked down, once more at the address, neatly scribbled in his notebook. 'What the hell?' he grunted, running his hand through the peppered gray strands. This couldn't be right, could it?

Beside the large rock arbor was a slot for mail, clearly marked as the address in his book. Beyond the massive arbor of granite stone was not a home, as he expected, but a... cave? Odd. Really Odd. He walked in, looking around for signs of life. "Konnichiwa! Anyone home?"

Further in he noticed a large thick door made of metal, hinged directly to the rocky mouth of the cavern. He could hardly believe that someone actually lived here. It was, well, primitive. He couldn't recall having ever seen a place like this used as a home. What sort of person lives in a cave?

"You better have a good reason for being here mister!"

Kobayashi turned to the voice, and nearly choked at the sight. Standing before him was a wrinkled elderly man covered in soot, wearing a ragged kimono, and waving a huge hammer wildly over his head. "Hold on old man!" He flipped out his badge for the ancient geezer to see. "Detective Kobayashi Naoaki. Are you Gotou Totosai?"

"Police huh? I have nothing to say!" The old man growled before turning away, dismissing him completely. It rankled his nerves, but Naoaki held his tongue. "Sir, I was told that you are the best source of information regarding antique swords. Was I misinformed?"

Apparently his question rattle the guys chain because he turned around with big bugged out eyes and said, "You bet your pansy ass I am!" Again, Naoaki ignored the jibe and pressed on. "Gomen, gomen. I am so honored to meet one so knowledgeable." He bowed in respect and stepped a little closer. "Gotou-sama, I would like to ask you to take a look at a couple of pictures here and tell me if you know of these swords."

With a whole lot of grumbling the old codger hobbled forward and Naoaki held up the pictures for him to see.

He wasn't expecting the crazy man to fall back on his ass in shock, but when he did, it only served to verify that he knew the swords. "You know them then?"

"Hell no! Never seen 'em before. Now get out of my yard!"

He wasn't expecting that either. "Sir! I must insist. It could be a matter of life and death!"

The old man pulled himself up, leaning heavily on the monstrous hammer. "You're damned right it is! That Sesshomaru is one scary demon!"

'Oh... now it makes sense. The old man is insane.' Well, that was a little disheartening, since he drove all the way out here to meet with the guy.

"Tenseiga and Tetsusaiga. My finest work," Totosai murmured as he stared at the pictures with a dreamy expression.

"You are the sword smith who crafted these weapons?" the detective asked curiously.

"Hai. The two swords of the great dog general. The Tetsusaiga was a sword of incredible strength and the Tenseiga could bring the dead back to life."

Now Naoaki knew the man was a raving lunatic. Dog generals and swords that could raise the dead? Bah. He couldn't believe that he just wasted an hour of his day out here. "Arigato, Gotou-sama, for your time. I will be on my way."

"Fine! Fine! Be off with you boy. I'm a busy man." Naoaki turned to leave but the old man stopped him in his tracks when he said, "That punk Inuyasha finally managed to master the Tetsusaiga, but I don't think he would have managed it without the miko, Kagome."

Miko Kagome?

Coincidence? Could there possibly be another miko named Kagome who was, in some way, affiliated with these particular swords? Nah... no way. It was too close. This was another link between Taisho Shuusaka and Higurashi Kagome. Somehow, someway, the cases were entwined. The missing businessman, and the missing and dead women were linked. Now he just needed to find out the why's and how's. Something would eventually lead back to the one's responsible.

He turned around, and caught the old man before he walked away. "You know Kagome?"

"Knew her! She was an odd girl, that miko, but loyal as they come." He chuckled hard and patted his bent knee. "Yep. A time traveler! Can you believe it?!" His laughter rang out over the rocky desolate land.

No, he couldn't believe it. Well, for a minute there he thought that he was on to something, but it seemed the old man had more than a few screws loose. He decided to give it one more try. "How does Kagome know Taisho Shuusaka?"

"Shuusaka? Shu... Oh!" His eyes lit up as a gush of remembrance flooded through his feeble mind. "Yes, yes, Shuusaka - Sesshomaru, whatever. That damn dog gave me a lot of grief you know!" The detective did his very best to hold a straight face and not roll his eyes in frustration. "Are you saying that Shuusaka, and this Sesshomaru you speak of, are the same person?"

Suddenly the old man became wary. His eyes narrowed and he looked around nervously as he started to back away. "I got things to do, boy! You should leave before you get me killed."

Strangely enough, Naoaki saw real fear in the old man's eyes as he searched the skies, while making his retreat. In one last ditch effort the detective asked, "Is Kagome in danger from Shuusaka? Do you know where she is?"

"That Kagome was a nice girl. She's long gone now. She disappeared, you know. Inuyasha was never the same."

'Damn!' He was getting nowhere here. This clue was going downhill fast. Other than Eri, he now knew that Kagome was connected in a second way to Shuusaka, but he still had no idea how. "One more question, old man, and I'll be on my way. Is Taisho Shuusaka responsible for the disappearance of Higurashi Kagome?"

"Hell no! It was that damn well. It took her away and sealed the gate to the future."

With a snort of slightly amused disgust, Naoaki resigned himself to the realization that Totosai was a delusion old man and nothing that he said could be used to find Kagome. "Arigato." He murmured with a slight bow. He then headed back to his car. When he sat down and buckled up, he took a minute to pull out his notebook. In the pages he jotted down...

Taisho Shuusaka linked to Higurashi Kagome. (A) Through Eri Watanabe (B) Through Antique Swords

Perhaps it was time to pay Kagome's mother a visit? Maybe Maya could make some sense of what the old man said.       ~~~~~~

A/N: I hope that you all enjoyed the long chapter. Maybe that will make up for my tardiness of this update. Please review and let me know what you think.

Ja ne