InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Mind Reader ❯ The Other Side of Inuyasha ( Chapter 28 )

Mind Reader

 

Chapter 25: The Other Side of Inuyasha

oOoOoOoOoOo

 

Kaede groaned when she saw Sango helping Miroku into the hut. `Ever since I met these lunatics my work has never ended.' She rose to her feet. “What happened this time?”

 

“Kagura used me for target practice,” replied Miroku bringing one hand up to cautiously prod a cut on his head.

 

“Guess you're lucky she has bad aim, eh?” commented Sango helping the monk to the floor. Miroku leaned his head against the wall and sighed.

 

“Yeah, well she may have bad aim but Sesshy sure doesn't,” he complained.

 

Sango started giggling and Miroku's eyes flew open.

 

“Oh dear lord, please tell me he's not here!”

 

Kaede raised her eyebrow in curiosity. “Sesshy? Mind if you tell me what's going on?”

 

“Oh, just Miroku made the almost fatal error of calling Sesshoumaru `Sesshy'. I was rather surprised, rather than actually killing Miroku he merely threw several rocks at him,” answered Sango.

 

“Merely?” grumbled Miroku. “Those things hurt like hell!”

 

“Ah, so would you have rather of him kill you?” asked Sango.

 

Miroku thought for a second which really started to concern Sango. “Of course not!” he said a little too happily. “If he had killed me I never would be able to grope you again!”

 

Sango's eyes turned dangerous. Miroku gulped. Sango stalked to Miroku. Miroku tried to become one with the wall. It failed. Sango felt pity for the monk. Miroku didn't want her pity. He got it anyways. Sango grabbed the monk by the front of his robes and threw him into the wall. Miroku and the wall became very intimate. Until Miroku passed out.

 

“Give him medicine that stings,” grumbled Sango before exiting the hut.

 

Sango went outside and saw Kagome and Inuyasha making their way towards her. She saw Kagome looking worriedly around the village. “Hey Kagome, something wrong?” she asked when she met up with them.

 

“Have you seen Shippo or Rin around?”

 

“You know, now that you mention it, I haven't. They aren't in the hut.”

 

Kagome wrung her hands together. “Inuyasha? Do you smell them anywhere?”

 

“No,” grumbled the hanyou.

 

Oh damn, that stupid runt is coming this way.

 

Kagome narrowed her eyes at the hanyou. “Tell me the truth Inuyasha. Or else I shall have to inform Sesshoumaru that you told Rin to fetch water and she failed to return.”

 

“Ooh, good one Kag,” smirked Sango.

 

She is getting rather good at these threats of hers. I hope she never has any reason to threaten me.

 

Inuyasha growled and nodded his head in one direction. The girls turned in time to see Shippo and Rin emerging from between two huts.

 

“Kagome!” squealed Shippo leaping into her arms.

 

“What were you two doing?” questioned Kagome.

 

“We were playing hide and go seek,” replied Rin. “But it's not fair. Shippo can always find me faster because he can smell me.”

 

But Kagome was no longer listening to the young girl. The oddest thing had happened when Shippo said `hide and go seek'. Inuyasha's face had lost all color, his eyes widened, and he started to slowly back up. “Inuyasha? Is something wrong?” she asked suspiciously.

 

Nononononononono.

 

Inuyasha frantically waved both hands in front of him. “NononononoNO! Nothing is wrong. Why would something be wrong? It's just hide and go peek. I mean seek. Hide and go SEEK! Why would I be scared of hide and go seek? Nononono. I'm not hiding anything. Everything is fine. Actually, I hear Sesshoumaru calling me. Bye!” Inuyasha sped off in a cloud of dust.

 

Kagome and Sango stared at the fleeing hanyou in awestruck silence for a few moments.

 

“I wonder what he's hiding,” wondered Sango aloud.

 

“Shippo?” asked Kagome.

 

Darn it, why did she have to ask me? Do I look guilty too?

 

Shippo responded by jumping out of Kagome's arms and grabbing Rin's hand. “Come on Rin! Let's go play some more! I'll cover my nose so I won't be able to smell you as good!”

 

Rin grinned and allowed Shippo to drag her away.

 

“Well that didn't work,” huffed Kagome.

 

“Yeah, now I'm really curious to know what both Inuyasha and Shippo are hiding,” replied Sango.

 

“Well I'm sure I'll find out soon enough,” said Kagome. “Now how about we go and gather all of our supplies so we can maybe leave at a reasonable time.”

 

Since when did Kagome get so haughty? Well, she does have Inuyasha practically wrapped around her finger. So I guess she will be able to find out.

 

“Sounds good to me. I'll be awaiting the reason though so you better find out quick or else the suspense will kill me.”

 

“That makes two of us,” sighed Kagome. “Curiosity can kill more than just a cat.”

 

Eh?

 

“Huh?” asked Sango blankly. “What does a cat have to do with any of this?”

 

Kagome waved her friend off. “Oh, just a modern day saying. Nothing important.”

 

Sango stared at her friend strangely. “You modern aged people must have too much time on your hands if you make up sayings about cats.”

 

Kagome opened her mouth to argue but then changed her mind. “Hmm, I suppose you're right. But it's not the sayings that show that, but the jobs some people have.”

 

Sango raised an eyebrow inquisitively. “So you have stupid jobs too?”

 

“Not exactly, more like jobs for lazy people.”

 

“Like?”

 

“Practically anyone who works for a celebrity. Can you believe some of them have hired people to do their hair for them? Or put their make-up on? I mean come on, how lazy can you possibly be?”

 

“Kagome?” spoke up Sango. “What's a celebrity?”

 

Kagome slapped her forehead. “Um, a famous person.”

 

Sango pondered this new information for a moment. “So, what you're saying is that if Sesshoumaru for instance was famous he would have someone brush his hair?”

 

“Uh, maybe. But…his hair is awesome. Even I wouldn't mind having that job.”

 

Sango unsuccessfully held in a chuckle. “You mean you want to brush Sesshoumaru's hair?”

 

“Hey! I'm sure you've wanted to brush it as well!” said Kagome indignantly.

 

Of course I do! What girl wouldn't want to touch his hair?

 

“No one is going to touch my hair.”

Both girls spun around and stared in shock at the demon lord.

 

“What!” gasped Sango.

 

“When!” added Kagome.

 

“Did!”

 

“You!”

 

“Get!”

 

“HERE!” screamed both girls in unison.

 

Sesshoumaru growled. “Damn you both! Must you screech so loud? Your shrill voices do hurt you know!”

 

“BEG!” screeched Kagome in a high pitched voice. “Like that?” she asked innocently.

 

Raising his head Sesshoumaru rested it on one upturned palm. “Besides, why would you want to brush my hair? Don't you have your hanyou?”

 

Hehehe, score! Now she'll get all flustered and run off!

 

Kagome, whose face had previously been turning a bright pink, calmed down and knelt by Sesshoumaru. “You know,” she whispered do only he could hear. “Your little plan would work better if I weren't a mind reader.”

 

“Dammit,” grumbled Sesshoumaru.

 

Haha! She still likes me better! She's patting Sesshoumaru's head but she wants to pat my butt!

 

Kagome responded to that thought by suddenly clenching her fist which had previously been patting the glorious head of hair in front of her.

 

“OW!” yelped Sesshoumaru. “What the hell is your problem? Quit pulling my hair! Damn wench!”

 

Hmm, well I won't act like a wimp if she pinches my butt. Never knew she played rough, but that's fine by me.

 

Kagome jerked her hand up.

 

“OW OW OW!!! Lemme go!” squealed Sesshoumaru while his head was being jerked up and down by the handful of hair still in Kagome's grasp.

 

At this point Sango made her presence known by breaking out in hysterical laughter. “Wow, I never know the great Sesshoumaru's weak spot was his hair!” she said between fits of laughter.

 

Kagome finally came to her senses and released his hair. He immediately rubbed a hand over his aching scalp. She turned to the grinning wolf. “Kouga? What are you doing here?”

 

Waiting for you to pinch my ass.

 

Kagome's eyes widened.

 

“Well, I thought we were going to gather our supplies and leave for the demon exterminator's village,” said Kouga.

 

Why is Kagome all flustered? I didn't say anything wrong. Ooh! She must be fighting the urge to tackle me to the ground!

 

“Oh yeah, I'm fighting all right,” mumbled Kagome.

 

“Eh? What was that Kagome?” asked Kouga.

 

“Hmm? Oh, I was just wondering where Inuyasha ran off to,” said Kagome wickedly.

 

Crash!

 

“You enjoy doing that way too much,” stated Sesshoumaru while climbing to his feet.

 

“Nothing you fools don't deserve,” retorted Kagome.

 

Hehehe, I know why she did that. Now my ass is exposed for her!

 

Kagome took in a deep calming breath. Then another. And another. It wasn't working. She still wished nothing more than to rip Kouga's head from his neck. Then at least she would be rid of his perverted thoughts. However, since that wasn't a possibility she did the only other thing she could. She ran away.

 

“Kagome?” shouted Sango. “Where are you going?”

 

“Anywhere but here!” shouted the fleeing girl over her shoulder.

 

Sesshoumaru looked from Kouga who was just rising to his feet to Kagome. `Hmm, I wonder what the wolf was thinking to cause her to run off like that. Knowing him probably something perverted. He and my brother are more alike than they realize or care to admit. All they care about is that girl. Quite pathetic.'

 

“That was odd,” commented Kouga.

 

“Yeah, but Kagome's been acting very odd lately,” said Sango softly. “It seems like she's hiding something.”

 

“My thoughts exactly,” agreed Kouga. “I wonder what it could be.”

 

“I don't know, but I'm getting worried. Maybe Akki did something to her that we don't know about.”

 

“Or maybe,” interjected Sesshoumaru, “she's trying not to panic because she could possibly die the next time she sees Akki. Now come, let's organize everything so we can leave sometime soon.” Without looking at the other two he started walking back to the hut. `She better wise up and control her emotions better or tell them. But she can't continue on like this. Why must all humans be so stupid.'

 

Sango shrugged her shoulders and quickly caught up to the demon lord. She smirked and grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled.

 

Sesshoumaru knocked her hand away. “Not funny,” he growled.

 

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

 

Kagome leaned against the well and relaxed. She knew she was making herself look like a fool with how she had been acting. Especially what she had just done.

 

“Oh man,” she groaned. “I just ran off like a little kid throwing a temper tantrum. And all Kouga asked was what I had said. I wonder how much longer it will be before they think I've lost my mind. I'm such a fool.”

 

“No you're not,” came a soft voice from behind her.

 

Kagome took a sharp intake of breath and snapped her head around. “Inuyasha,” she sighed, “you scared me.”

 

Inuyasha sat beside her. “Sorry about that. But you are rather jumpy, even for a human,” he teased.

 

Kagome laughed softly. “So what are you doing out here?”

 

“I could ask the same to you.”

 

“Thinking.”

 

“About what?”

 

“Let me ask you something. Have I been acting differently lately?”

 

All right Inuyasha, don't say anything stupid and give her a reason to sit you. I

 

“Well to be honest,” he began, “a little.”

 

Kagome brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. Laying her head sideways so she could watch Inuyasha she took in a deep breath. “How?”

 

Inuyasha began to nervously rip grass from the ground. “Um, how about you ask Sango? She would be the better person to ask. Yeah, so I'm going to to be leaving now.”

 

Kagome quickly put a hand on his arm to stop him. “No, Inuyasha I need to know. Please, tell me.”

 

Dammit, she just gave me that look. Now I feel strangely compelled to stay and tell her. Damn that look.

 

“Well many times it seems like you have no patience for any of us. Like we say the simplest thing and you blow up at us. There have been times where we've been scared to talk to you for fear of setting you off.”

 

Silent tears began to roll down her face. “I've been horrible to you guys, haven't I?”

 

Oh no, I made her cry. Why do I always make her cry?

 

“No no no no! Those times have been rare. You haven't been horrible. You could never be horrible. And besides, no one blames you.”

 

“What? How can you say that? How could it not be my fault?”

 

“Kagome, we only blame Akki. It's his fault you're like this.”

 

`What? They couldn't have found out about my abilities…could they?' Kagome stared at Inuyasha. “What do you mean it's Akki's fault?”

 

Wow, this is rare, I'm actually explaining something to Kagome.

 

“That's a stupid question,” said Inuyasha.

 

Shit, good going idiot. Now she's definitely going to sit you.

 

Kagome smiled softly. “Please continue.”

 

Inuyasha stared at the girl in shock. Then deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth he continued. “Kagome, we all know what Akki is trying to do. He wants to kill you, we all know this. None of us can even begin to imagine how you must feel. There's a monster out there that you are pretty much defenseless against. He could kill any of us if he wanted to but at least we could fight back. Even though you don't show it we all know you must be scared.”

 

Without warning Kagome flung herself into Inuyasha's arms. She silently cried into his chest and clutched his shirt with her fists. Inuyasha tentatively wrapped his arms around her.

 

“Hey, you don't need to be scared though. You have a whole group of friends who are willing to protect you against him. I would never let anything happen to you if it was within my power and I know Kouga feels the same. Sango thinks of you as a sister. Miroku…well I don't know think I want to know what he thinks of you as but I do know he would protect for all he was worth if he needed to. And even Sesshoumaru would protect you. I know you'll still feel scared but maybe you can at least be comforted a little knowing that we are here to protect you.”

 

Kagome lifted her face away from Inuyasha's chest and looked at him with eyes red from crying. “No, you don't understand. I'm not scared about me because I know you and everyone else is there for me.”

 

“Then what are you scared of?”

 

“Me being the cause of you or someone else's death. What scares me is that I know you guys would lay down your life for me. But I don't want that. During that last battle when Kouga stepped between me and Akki I was silently screaming at myself because it was only because of me that he was put through so much pain. That hurt me more than anything Akki could do to me. Knowing that I was the cause of Kouga's pain.”

 

“You weren't the cause of his pain. It was all Akki's fault. You're not to blame.”

 

“You don't understand! If I wasn't there Akki wouldn't have used that attack and caused Kouga that much pain!”

 

“No Kagome, you're the one who doesn't understand. You can't blame yourself for that. If you weren't there then maybe Akki would have used a different attack on Kouga. Maybe Kouga would have been more severely injured or even killed. What I do know is if you weren't with us than Kirara would have died. And the first time we fought him we all would have died if it weren't for you. Kagome, you are one of the strongest people I know, but everyone has their weakness. Right now yours is eye contact with Akki. And friends are there to protect you from your weakness. Kouga did what he did because he knew that if he made eye contact with Akki he wouldn't have died, but you ran the risk of dying. He didn't step in front of you because anyone told him to, he did it because he cares for you. Any of us would have done the same. And if someone else's weakness was eye contact with Akki than I know that you would have done the same without even thinking. Kagome, we are a team. Even Sesshoumaru and Kouga are a part of the team now. And teams work together, not alone. Stop blaming yourself for injuries anyone gets. Unless if you actually shoot someone with an arrow on purpose it wouldn't be your fault.”

 

Kagome stared at Inuyasha in shock.

 

“What?” he crossly asked. “Do I have something on my face?”

 

“No…I've just never heard you say anything so kind…or logical for that matter. It was nice. Nice to see that side of you. I didn't know it existed.”

 

“Feh, don't get used to it, I only said that crap because you were being stupid.”

 

Kagome laughed softly than grew serious again. “No, but what scared me the most is if Akki kills you. If he ever did that I don't know what I'd do. And I'm scared because you want to protect me from everything. I'm scared of being the reason you die.”

 

Inuyasha gently grasped her chin with a clawed hand. He raised her face until she was looking directly at him. “You listen, and you listen well. I am not going anywhere. Akki will not kill you and he will not kill me. He will not kill any of us. We are going to go to the exterminator's village and kill both him and Naraku. It's as simple as that.”

 

Damn, she's right. I am rather good at this motivational speech thing. Wait! No! I can't be! That would completely destroy my image! I can't have people coming to me for advice or shit like that. I kill things! Kill things! Not talk to things! Hold on, no reason to panic. As long as no one finds out I'll be able to keep my normal appearance. Yeah, that should be easy to do. Crap…Kagome knows! If she lets it slip I'm dead. Oh dear lord, if my brother ever found I would rather die than have him make fun of me. He would never let me forget about it.

 

Kagome surprised Inuyasha with a chuckle. Giving the hanyou a quick hug and a bright smile she stood up. “Thanks Inuyasha, you're the greatest.”

 

At that compliment he appeared to swell with pride.

 

Well, I already knew that but it's nice that someone else finally realized it.

 

“Why thank you Kagome. Now could you do me a favor?”

 

“And what might that be?”

 

“Repeat what you just told me in the presence of both Kouga and my brother. In fact, you could repeat it to everyone you meet.”

 

“What? You mean about you being hardheaded and arrogant?” asked Kagome mischievously.

 

“No! You don't say that! I meant about me being the greatest!” replied Inuyasha while jumping to his feet.

 

“That's not what I remember telling you,” shouted Kagome while running for her life.

 

“KAGOMEEE!!! Don't you dare say anything!” yelled Inuyasha while giving chase. “You hear me! NOTHING!!!!”