InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Puppet Without Strings ❯ Questionable Sexuality ( Chapter 11 )

Puppet Without Strings

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Pairings: InuKag, MirSan. SessKagu. I might add to this or I might not. It all depends.

I hope everyone had a good Christmas. Enjoy your holidays!

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- Chapter 10 -

Beep.

"Mn. Purrti wmuhn… bear …m'child…"

Beep.

Miroku snuggled deeper into the soft mattress of his one-man bunk. Lips still slightly quirked from whatever skirt chasing dream he might have been having before the most unwelcome interruption.

Beep. Beep.

"Five `ore mnnnits…"

Beep Beep.

The unholy monk cracked open a reluctant eyelid.

Beep.

Beep. Beep.

It was pitch black. He might as well have left his eye closed. He couldn't see anything either way. Who on earth would be calling his personal phone at…

Miroku glanced toward his bedside. It took him a minute and several rapid blinks to register the numbers on the clock face.

Beep. Beep.

Half past four in the morning? He'd only been asleep for an hour.

Beep.

The monk groaned and dropped his head back onto the pillow, deciding to ignore the sound. If he paid it no heed, it would eventually go away. It was the oldest trick in any book, both sacred and not.

Beep. Bee-

Sure enough, the noise stopped and for a while, and Miroku actually believed he'd be able to get a little more rest. The monk fluffed his military standard white pillow up and prepared himself for more shut eye. His conscious mind started to drift away once again.

Beep.

The caller was persistent.

Beep.

But so was he. It was a battle of wills. Miroku flipped over and buried his head under the soft cushion.

Beep. Beep.

This continued for several minutes. To the sleepy magic-handler, it seemed like hours. Try as he might, the monk could not will his body into slumber. The beeping had uncentered his relaxed aura. The silence of his room amplified the unwelcome sound. It grated on his tired nerves.

Beep. Beep.

Without moving from his position, the severely irritated magic-handler extended his left hand. It felt its way around the small bedside table, looking for the source of its owner's unrest. Miroku found the offending object with much difficulty. It continued its salvo of beeps and vibrations as the young monk brought the device near his face for the benefit of his ill-adjusted eyes.

The eight digits that appeared on its little screen registered on neither his nor his phone's memory banks. Odd. Miroku's tired mind abhorred being put to work but it ran through possible reasons anyway. So the caller was horribly persistent, was ringing him at a most inconvenient time and, by the looks of it, was using an unknown phone from out of town. Realization dawned and Miroku hit the answer button. There was only one possibility!

"Michiru-san! You finally called! I've been waiting all night!"

Despite his obvious tiredness, the monk could not contain his excitement. The voice that replied sounded annoyed.

"I thought the name was Michelle."

"That's right! I meant Mich-"

Wait a second.

Miroku frowned. The caller didn't sound like the sweet angel he'd met in town yesterday.

"Michelle-san. Are you feeling alright? You sound funny."

"Oh give it up, monk! The wench is never going to call some fucked up pervert who can't even remember her name."

The monk snapped out of his sleepy haze. That was no Michelle. Miroku ran a hand down his face and groaned. He'd been so hopeful.

- Kami-sama, why? -

The voice had sounded entirely too male. It had sounded entirely too…

"Inuyasha. Stop calling this number."

A loud snort came from the other end.

"What you getting all snippy at me for? You gave me the damn number."

"A decision which I sorely regret as of tonight."

Miroku squeezed his eyes shut. It was far too early for him to be dealing with this! He could practically hearthe grin in the half-blood's voice.

"Heh. Tough. Because I'm going to be bugging you a lot more from now on."

Miroku wished he could be there to wipe the smug expression from the boy's face.

"You sound like some sort of evil stalker person."

"Really? Cool."

"That's it, I'm changing my number."

"Keh. No you aren't."

Inuyasha sounded so sure.

"Why are you talking to me? I already said I was going to meet you tomorr- today. Why must you persist in annoying the crap out of me?"

There was no immediate answer. Miroku could hear another voice in the background. One that Inuyasha seemed to be conversing with. The hanyou's reply was distracted.

"You say something?"

Miroku rolled his eyes. It was just like Inuyasha to have the attention span of a nit.

"Why are you call me at this god-awful hour?"

"Oh right. There's been a change of plans, monk."

The half-blood's voice was distant. As if he'd pulled the phone away from his face. Some shuffling was heard before a new voice, the same one he'd heard in the background before, replaced Inuyasha's.

"Houshi."

It was deep. Authoritative. And it sounded most familiar. Miroku cringed.

"Taisho."

Unlike his half-brother, Sesshoumaru had never really quite fit into the `approachable' category in Miroku's book of acquaintances. `Respectable'. Yes. `Formidable'. Yes. Aside from that, the white-haired demon had managed to accomplish what no other before him had. Ever. Sesshoumaru made Miroku uncomfortable. This constituted to the monk keeping his dealings with the youkai leader to a minimum. They knew of each other's existence merely through their mutual relation with the man's hanyou brother. To be talking to him now meant only one thing.

- Damn it Inuyasha. What have you gotten me into this time? -

Sesshoumaru was all business.

"I take it you were going to go through with Inuyasha's little plan?"

Miroku felt the burning need to defend himself.

"Just so you know, sir. It was all his idea. I merely agreed to help out a friend."

Somewhere in the back ground, the monk could have sworn he heard Inuyasha's voice.

"Thanks a lot, asshole." It said.

Sesshoumaru's voice seemed unaffected.

"Seeing as to how you agreed to leave your sector for the weekend, I would also be right to think that you are currently not on assignment."

Miroku raised an eyebrow.

"Em… Yes, that's correct."

The monk had a sinking feeling he knew what the youkai leader wanted. Miroku braced himself as Sesshoumaru spoke again.

"Good. Because as of tomorrow, you will be. I've issued an order to Chief Kaede. Like Inuyasha, you will now be taking orders from me. A rough mission outline has been sent to her to be passed on to you. Be in Sengoku City no later than noon. You will receive a full briefing when you arrive."

There went his two-day vacation.

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Some time later…

Beep. Beep.

It was repetitive.

Beep.

Irritating.

Beep. Beep.

The alarm clock from which it came joined its broken predecessors on the floor below when a strong hand swooped down upon its unsuspecting form with a vengeance. No matter. It had served its purpose. The sleeping hanyou forced his tired body out of bed and into the shower. The sun had started to rise. Soft light filtered in from beneath his room's dark curtains. It was still dark inside and the light from his bathroom assaulted ill-adjusted human eyes. Inuyasha growled and cursed his weaker side.

The hanyou emerged from his morning shower a few minutes later refreshed, albeit grumpy. That had been the first two hours of sleep he'd had in days. It wore on his human body.

The half blood got changed in a sluggish and distracted fashion. Twice, he tried without success to shove his head into the sleeve of his colourfully worded white T-shirt. He almost put his jeans on backward. The whole procedure of getting dressed took him a gruelling five minutes after which, Inuyasha dragged himself out of his room and down the dormitory buildings' stairs. His stomach growled relentlessly and had been for most of the night before. The half demon-turned human boy pressed his hand over his mid-section to quell the sound. He could feel his ribs through the thin fabric of his shirt. Oh, woe was he. A teenage boy was never meant to survive on a mere sandwich for the entire length of one night. His metabolism screamed to be put to work once more.

The hanyou was cautious when he reached the cafeteria doors. He pushed them open a crack and peeped in. Nothing. Confident that a repeat of last night's episode would not take place, Inuyasha strode into the large room and stole one of Myouga's famous sandwiches from the backroom.

Stomach appeased, he headed for the teacher's lounge. It was time for him to take over guard duty from Jaken but first…

Inuyasha made a little detour in the direction of the infirmary.

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Some More Time Later…

It was taboo for a monk to curse. Miroku knew that. But he did so anyway. Silently.

He'd arrived at his destination two hours before noon. The monk decided that he hated modern day transport. He would have liked to have delayed his scheduled meeting with Inuyasha's brother but no. That bullet train had to be so damn fast. He hadn't even been able to get a decent nap on board.

Sesshoumaru had insisted that he make his arrival as low-key as possible. The demon leader in question had arranged for him to be sent to his office in government headquarters for a full briefing. By then the monk had been tired and hungry. He'd been afraid of dozing off while he received the mission outline. Sesshoumaru's monotonous voice would have seen to that. But the dog demon had merely dropped a stack of papers and a compact disk upon his lap and strode off to do… whatever it was that he did. Miroku had eyed the inch-thick report, unable to decide if it was any better than a monologue from the Taisho heir.

At first, his only consolation had been the small hope that maybe he'd be able to meet his dream date in Higurashi Kagome but alas, that too was shattered when Sesshoumaru uttered one sentence.

"Unlike Inuyasha, Houshi, you will not be in close contact with the Higurashi children. One idiot has enough trouble keeping a low profile as it is."

Now he had nothing to look forward to.

He should have seen it coming. Every time Inuyasha got one of his bright ideas, there'd always be trouble for him. Miroku had made solemn vows time and time again, to cut all ties with the hanyou after every escapade that had turned sour in the past ten years. As he'd received his punishments, whether it'd been doing two hundred one-armed push ups or sitting through one of Chief Kaede's frightening lectures, he'd sworn each time, never to let Inuyasha drag him into trouble ever again. And now here he was. Nothing had changed.

- This is so the last straw! -

Miroku grudgingly started on the first of a hundred and twenty-two pages. Font size: eight.

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Inuyasha tapped distractedly on his laptop keyboard, switching the surveillance screens and monitoring the comings and goings of weekend-crazed students through the school's front gates.

He wondered if Miroku had arrived yet. It was nearly noon.

A separate window blinked on inside his computer screen on which his brother's impassive face appeared.

"Houshi is in my office reading the mission report as we speak."

Inuyasha held back a snicker. He'd seen Sesshoumaru's report. The hanyou could just imagine Miroku tearing his hair out in frustration. His brother continued.

"Also, he's confirmed something for me."

"What?"

Inuyasha's eyebrow raised in question.

"You are not to, under any circumstance, let Higurashi Kagome know of the nature of her powers. Are we clear on this?"

Inuyasha didn't know how it was possible for his brother to look so threatening without breaking that expressionless mask of his. The half-blood frowned.

"What's so bad about her knowing about her powers? It'll give us an advantage over the killer if she can use them properly."

Sesshoumaru glared at him.

"I am aware of that, mutt. But from what I've gathered from your monk friend, it would be advisable that she remains unaware of the extent of her abilities."

Despite his obvious lack of enthusiasm for the case, Miroku's explanation had been firm. Based on Higurashi Kagome's records and the fact that the girl had not been identified by the magic-handler's authority at a younger age, it would have been logical to conclude that her powers, as unusual as the case may be, had manifested themselves only recently.

Her case was a strange one. Most people, like Miroku and Kaede, would have been aware of their powers since birth. However, it seemed Higurashi Kagome hadn't even had the slightest inkling of their existence. Until now.

Which would explain why the president's daughter had such sparse control over her abilities. Usually, a child with magic-handling skills would have learned at a very young age to adapt themselves for maximum control of their powers. The reason was obvious.

"Children neither have the mental nor physical reservations that most adults develop as they grow up," the monk had reasoned.

It was much like learning a new language. An infant being taught a brand new form of speech would learn many times quicker with much less a chance of forgetting than an adult trying to do the same thing. In a similar way, magic-handlers needed to hone their skills from infancy. Their powers would grow with them. Become part of their very beings.

Higurashi Kagome had not had that privilege. The late materialization of her powers meant that her body viewed them as foreign and unwanted. An anomaly in her otherwise perfectly-functional person and therefore, a threat. With severe hormonal fluctuations from immense negative emotions, her powers were given a means of being released from their confines within her.

Sporadic bursts of strong purifying magic had been the result.

Letting the girl know the extent of her powers would make her overly conscious about them. Miroku's explanation to the white haired demon had been simple.

"Magic handling is… instinctive. It's like breathing or blinking or moving or in your case, changing your body into its canine form. You don't consciously will those things to happen. They come naturally to you. Half the time we aren't even aware we're doing half the things our body does. You don't have to think before making them happen. You just… make them happen."

Sesshoumaru finished up with a contemplative glance at his brother.

"Higurashi Kagome has more of a chance of putting her powers to use if she is not consciously aware of them. If the killer were to attack again, it is more than likely that her body will react by itself to the threat. We need not interfere."

"Right. Right"

Inuyasha was sorry he'd asked. One silly question and he'd gotten an earful of factual mumbo jumbo that he neither needed nor cared for. He remembered something and shot up from his half-slouched position to face his brother properly.

"Oh yeah. I ran a check on Higurashi girl's medical files from the school's infirmary this morning. The wench's been in pretty good shape for most of her life but there's a period of time around the beginning of this year when she went for this whole bunch of unscheduled check ups at Inari General. So I'm thinking either she got severely uncharacteristically sick or maybe that's the time her powers started showing themselves."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow.

"And this will help our investigation, how?"

Inuyasha shrugged.

"I just thought it would be useful to know. I don't have any details. Someone's going to have to run down to the hospital for the actual files."

At this the half-blood shot a pointed look at his on-screen brother. Who in turn, shut his eyes.

"I don't see the point. We already know about her abilities. If no one's talked thus far, the doctors probably didn't find anything note worthy about her."

Inuyasha huffed. All that snooping for nothing. His brother wasn't even going to try and make use of the information he'd gathered. Sesshoumaru checked his watch.

"I will be in touch again after my meeting with Toutousai. Perhaps Houshi will have done a full analysis of the drug by then. In the mean time, keep out of trouble, mutt."

Inuyasha nearly stuck his tongue out at the screen.

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Miroku's eyelids felt like they weighed a tonne. They were drooping. Drooping. He snapped awake at the sensation of falling when gravity caused his head to pitch forward. Miroku reread the sixth sentence of paragraph three hundred and ninety-eight on page one hundred and twelve. The same one he'd been on for the past five minutes. After his fourth attempt, the monk tossed the pile of papers down in a huff. He'd stop trying. What was the use? Sure the case was intriguing and all. But things just weren't registering anymore.

Sesshoumaru cast a brief glance at the monk from his position in the driver's seat. Currently the two were making their way towards Sengoku's Military Research Facility, where the dog demon had made an appointment with the master inventor, Toutousai. They'd been on the road all of about fifteen minutes.

The monk was unused to such long silences. It was just his luck that Sesshoumaru had never been one for useless banter. And so, Miroku settled for staring out the window. He saw the passing buildings, seeming to compete for the honour of reaching the heavens. He eyed the congested roads, full of people rushing to get everywhere but ending up going nowhere. He cringed at the unsightly fumes that their vehicles produced. They veiled the blue of the sky with their own sickly tone. This place was one huge, saturated heap of concrete and metal that was too much grey and too little green. And though it was an awfully negative thought for someone like himself, Miroku hated the city.

He turned his gaze away. Shutting his eyes, the monk contemplated his new assignment. Since neither Sesshoumaru nor Inuyasha knew purifying magic quite as well as he did, he would play their encyclopaedia if Higurashi Kagome should show any other sign of another outburst. And of course, if the killer's infamous suit was indeed affected by purifying magic, he'd be sent to the front lines. Sure, it was an important enough job, but it was just so… bland. Covert operations were supposed to be interesting. Espionage, women, country-hopping. All that jazz.

Instead, he'd be cooped up in a lab with some stuffy old scientist who Inuyasha was certain was insane. Miroku sighed. Life was so disheartening.

The pair arrived at their destination thirty uncomfortable minutes later.

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Inuyasha leaned against the soccer field fence. He could see Higurashi Souta practicing his dribbling with a fellow member of the sports club. The kid was decent. Though his technique wasn't entirely right, he had an accurate pass and almost never let his focus leave the game. Not too shabby for a nine-year-old.

His sister watched from the bleachers on the other end of the field from Inuyasha, shouting encouragements and the occasional teasing jest. The hanyou couldn't help but feel a hint of respect for the girl. While others her age were off in the city shopping and going wild for the weekend, she had chosen instead to come to juvenile soccer practice to watch her brother play. Then again, he reminded himself, there was also the fact that there really weren't many other places she could have been that wouldn't have put her safety in jeopardy.

Inuyasha was ever the cynical one.

He'd felt uncomfortable about Souta's out of school soccer practices from the very beginning. The junior league trained in a large soccer field three miles south of SNIE. Inuyasha didn't like it. The area was too wide. Too open. There were too many unknown people in the crowd. But then again Inuyasha could somewhat understand the Higurashis' need to leave the academy once in a while. No one wanted to be cooped up in an institute full of old stiffs every day of the week. That still didn't mean that he agreed with their decision.

The ever-vigilant half-blood scanned the surrounding area again. His ears twitched beneath his blue and red baseball cap. He'd placed himself strategically out of the crowd's line of vision. From his place behind the unused goal post, he could view everything that happened without being noticed. When one's hair was long and white, one tended to attract unwanted attention. Inuyahsa couldn't afford to blow his cover.

The half-blood paid no heed when he felt the presence of another person coming up beside him. The fence sunk back a tad when another body leant back against it in a similar fashion to the hanyou. The voice that spoke was unfamiliar.

"Beautiful day isn't it?"

Inuyasha's nose scrunched itself up when the strong smell of perfume assaulted it. His head turned away from the newcomer as he exhaled in reflex. The scent made him slightly nauseous.

"The sun's shining. The grass is green… and Wow! You have really pretty hair. Is it natural?"

Inuyasha growled when he felt a hand fingering the ends of his white mane.

"…..Yes. Don't touch it."

The hanyou jerked his head away. The person, a woman by the sound of her gave a short chuckle.

"My, my, my, Aren't we the coy one?"

"….."

"So tell me. What's a cutie like your self doing hiding back here? Do you know one of the kids in the league?"

Inuyasha was getting annoyed. But he figured if he didn't look at the speaker, she'd eventually lose interest and leave him the hell alone. Her perfume was going to give him a migraine. He wanted to move. Badly. But he also needed to stay out of sight. He gave the woman a curt reply, hoping to dissuade whatever agenda she was on.

"Yes. Now will you go away?"

The woman squealed in delight and latched onto his arm.

"Aw! You're trying to be all distant. That's so cute! Go out with me!"

"No."

"Aw. Come on."

"No."

"…Yes."

"What the fuck? No!"

"Yes, yes!"

"No."

"You know you want to…"

The hanyou felt a vein pop in his forehead. He spun round.

"Look, lady! Whatever you're pulling, I'm not int-"

Inuyasha stopped short. That was no woman. The person still had his arm clutched tightly to their chest. A disturbingly non-squishy chest. The hanyou's eyes widened in realization and he yanked his arm back in shock.

- Holy Shit. -

The boy in front of him looked affronted.

"Lady?! Ew. I'm one hundred percent male, honey."

Dumbfounded. That's what Inuyasha was. He'd been hit on by a guy? A cross-dressing, horribly gender-confused teenager with bad perfume?

­- Shit. -

"What's the matter? Cat got your pretty little tongue?"

When he received no reply, the boy stared at him curiously before bursting out into a knowing smile.

"Oh, I get it. You're erh… what you call it… hopho…homo…homophobic! You're homophobic! Aw. That's even better!"

The smile turned sly. And the boy leaned up to whisper into Inuyasha's hidden ear.

"More fun for me then."

By then, Inuyasha had gathered enough of his wit to make a retort.

"What? No! Go away!"

The hanyou pushed the persistent teenager away but the boy's cheeky grin merely grew in width.

"Was that no, you're not homophobic or no, you won't have fun with me?"

"It was no I don't want you anywhere near me So skoot."

"Playing hard to get, I see. Well, I can work with that."

Inuyasha felt his irritation grow once more.

"Look, kid. Sorry to burst your bubble, alright, but I'm straight."

"Straight? You sure?"

"Yes."

"How straight are you?"

"As an arrow!!"

The cross-dresser seemed unaffected. He waved the comment off boredly.

"Sure, sure. That's what they all say. But I distinctly remember you trying to shoo me off even when you thought I was… female."

The last word was said with disgust. The boy tried to latch onto his arm again and Inuyasha slinked further away, glancing round frantically for possible means of escape. No. He wasn't starting to panic. Not at all.

When she-boy spoke again, something had changed in his voice. It grew softer. Colder.

"Why so nervous Nishijima-chan? You seemed so much bolder last night."

Inuyasha turned to face the kid so fast he nearly had a whiplash.

"What did you say?"

His name! How did he know his name? Last night? He couldn't be a kid from school could he? Inuyasha didn't recognise him. What's more, he wasn't in his human form! How could the boy know who he was? Inuyasha stood his ground with narrowed eyes as the cross-dressing teenager advanced on him.

"You pulled quite the sneaky little stunt. Breaking into Ban-chan's room, hanging out the window, and disguising your self as a human afterward. Bankotsu-kun didn't even notice until after you'd left! He has a hidden camera, you know."

The boy stepped right up to Inuyasha and slapped two hands on both his shoulders in a gesture of congratulation.

"You should take great pride in what you have accomplished. But I must say, Bankotsu-kun isn't quite as impressed by you as I am."

The make-up sporting male frowned.

"I've always told him never to get angry. It's bad for his complexion. But I guess you must have pissed him off good."

It was disturbing how the boy's grinning expression never even faltered as he relayed his message. The kid reminded Inuyasha of a smiling version of his brother. Pretty boy with only one facial appearance. Inuyasha growled.

"Who the hell are you?"

The boy shot him a mischievous wink.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

Inuyasha brow twitched in response.

"What the fuck do you want?"

The boy's smile turned mega watt. It looked carefree and mischievous. For a second Inuyasha felt inclined to lower his guard.

"Why you of course!"

Then, the hanyou saw his eyes. There was something so distinctly wrong about them. They held neither the warmth nor naivety that one would have expected to see in someone his age. He had to have been no more than fifteen.

"At least… that's what I would have wanted to say. Ban-chan prefers otherwise."

The hanyou bit back a sneer. It would do him no good to become angry. He'd have to play it cool.

"Heh. Whatever that bastard wants, he's not getting out of me."

"Wooh. Feisty. I'm beginning to like you more and more."

Perhaps it was his slightly hunched posture. Perhaps it was his shorter frame. Perhaps it was his effeminate nature. Or maybe it was simply that he was human. Whatever the reason, Inuyasha should not have underestimated the other boy. Because, quick as lightning, he found himself being slammed up against the fence behind him, held in place by the still-smiling boy's slender right hand around his neck. It was wrong. Someone that slight in stature should not have had so much strength. Inuyasha had poised his arms and legs to retaliate when he felt the cold bite of steel at the side of his neck.

"Don't make a scene, soldier boy. Come quietly. Or I won't be able to guarantee the safety of the children on that field behind us. Argh! That sounded so cheesy…"

Inuyasha's eyes snapped forward in alarm. Soldier boy?

"That's right. We know more than you would like, Inuyasha Taisho. I must say, that suits you so much better. Nishijima is a horrid name."

The hanyou started to growl.

"Did Bankotsu send you to do his dirty work? Hn? He get his kicks out of killing whelps?"

"Oh heavens no. That's disgusting. I just said that for the effect. But then again you're not one to talk are you? Someone from such a prestigious family as your own. Resorting to petty theft! I mean, Inu-chan! Breaking and entering! Oh, what would your parents say?"

Despite the boy's playful appearance. Inuyasha knew he could not let his guard down. He'd never seen a human move so fast before. Not even Miroku. The teenager in front of him could not be taken lightly.

"My parents are dead. How the fuck did you find out about me?"

"Well, let's just say you aren't the only one who can outsmart a computer Inu-chan. Oh, and good job accessing the principal's database by the way. I guess that little skill must come with your military training."

A loud whistle sounding from behind caused both boys to glance back. Practice had ended. Inuyasha seized his chance to lash out at his momentarily distracted aggressor. The boy jumped back in time to avoid getting seriously hurt. Nevertheless, Inuyasha's claws managed to rip through his shirt and graze the skin of his chest.

"Oh ho! You're a sneaky little bugger."

If he was in pain, he showed no outward sign of it. There was little doubt about it now. The kid was an adept fighter. Or at the very least, he had the reflexes of one.

"Where is Bankotsu?"

Inuyasha demanded. He couldn't risk breaking cover. He couldn't risk his brother's operation. He had to find out how much Bankotsu knew. The boy's make-up covered eyes crinkled in delight.

"Well, I'll show you if you promise not to pull a stunt like that again. I mean, it was fun and all, but I really don't like ruining my clothes. You totally spoiled my top."

The hanyou growled.

"Fine. Vain little shit."

"Why, thank you. Oh. And just to make sure you don't try anything funny, Ban-chan said you have to turn human."

"What?!"

The cross-dressing teen huffed in reply.

"Yes. I was adverse to it as you are. I mean, your human form is cute and all, but you are so much more appealing as you are now."

At this, the boy reached forward and tugged on a lock of ashen hair playfully. Inuyasha growled and slapped his hand away. He hesitantly complied with pretty boy's request.

"There! Happy? Now take me to see the bastard."

"Potty mouthed little doggy, you are. Alright, let's go."

He latched onto Inuyasha's arm again and the half-demon promptly tried to pull away. But his grip was unrelenting.

"Oh, you can call me Jakotsu by the way."

Ginkotsu, Jakotsu, Bankotsu. Inuyasha was starting to see a connection here.

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Kagome waited patiently for Souta to emerge from the changing rooms. It was good to see her brother smiling and having fun again. The boy had scarcely been able to eat when they'd first arrived at SNIE. This was a tremendous improvement.

Something in the distance caught her eye. A figure on the other end of the field. Kagome squinted.

The first thing she noted was the familiar long, black hair. Then she recognised the confident walk and the lean physique. There was no mistaking it. The person emerging from behind the old goal post was none other than…

"Nishijima."

The name left her lips in a whisper as a small smile spread across her face. It was him! The elusive schoolmate she'd become so intrigued with. He appeared to be talking with someone behind the goal post that Kagome could not make out. Gathering her courage, the late president's daughter rose from the bench she'd been occupying and made towards the other end of the field.

"Miss Kagome?"

Her bodyguard's question failed to stop her advancement.

"It's alright Kouran. I'm just going to talk to that person over there."

She pointed the boy she knew as Nishijima out for her protector to see. Kouran gave a knowing smile and decided not to follow. As long as the girl stayed within her line of vision. Kagome was a mixture of anxiety and nervous excitement. This might be the only chance in a long while that she'd get to speak to the boy. She wanted to make good of it.

As she neared her intended destination, Kagome came to realise that the boy, Nishijima, seemed to be in a heated argument with whoever was behind the wide goal post. He seemed extremely agitated and Kagome wondered what he and his companion could have been arguing about. She hesitated. Maybe… this was a bad time? Her confident stride slowed the nearer she got to the pair.

"-amn it! No, I will not let you touch my ears after we're done!"

What on earth?

Another voice, higher in pitch than Nishijima's filtered through the air.

"Aww, come on, Inu-chan!"

Inu? As in dog? Kagome could see the owner of the second voice somewhat better now. The person was tugging on Nishijima's arm and whining in a childish voice. The boy seemed annoyed.

"Can we fucking go already?! There's places I got to be!"

That voice was distinctly Nishijima's. Kagome wondered what the two were talking about.

"No. Not until you agree."

Huh? Agree to what? Was Nishijima so adverse to someone touching his ears? Or had Kagome just heard wrong?

"You little-… FINE!"

The squeal that followed was somewhat… loud. But all too happy. Nishijima started to turn in her direction to avoid the sound. Kagome had been about to call out the black-haired boy's name when a figure launched itself onto him, nearly knocking him off his feet. Its arms wound themselves tightly round the boy's neck.

"Yay!! I love you, Inu-chan!"

As she drew closer, Kagome realised the person whom she had first thought a girl, was in fact, not a girl. The boy looked feminine enough from a distance, but there was no way Kagome could ignore the slim hips and broader shoulders.

It was then, that enlightenment dawned on the president's daughter and she stopped short.

"Oh my god."

The soft exclamation drew the attention of one very frazzled Inuyasha who, despite the huge load hanging off him, spun round in reflex to find himself staring at a wide-eyed Higurashi Kagome.

- Oh fuck…-

Kagome didn't know what to do. Nishijima himself looked like a deer caught in very bright head lights. She cursed her stupidity. She should have realized the minute she'd heard Nishijima's partner call him "Inu-chan". It was now obvious to her. It was a pet name! If she'd seen this sooner she would never have had to face such an awkward situation. She'd walked in on a lover's spat! What on earth was she supposed to say?

Both at a loss for words, the pair could only stand and stare as each of their minds took time to recover. It seemed an eternity before Jakotsu, distracted from his assault by Inuyasha's stillness, unlatched himself from the half-blood's neck and turned to face the newcomer in curiosity.

"Inu-chan, who's that?"

This snapped both the half-blood and the girl out of their respective reveries. Kagome's eyes widened even more when she took in the state of the two boys. Nishijima's hair was in disarray. The unknown boy's clothes were ruffled and his top was ripped. Oh god. What had they been doing back there? Kagome felt so much blood rise to her cheeks that they burned like fire.

"I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt anything. I- I'll leave you two alone now…"

As the flustered girl turned to leave, Inuyasha looked on in puzzlement. Why had she seemed so embarras-

- Oh hell no…-

No. This couldn't be happening! Against his better judgement, the half-blood found himself calling out to the girl.

"No! Fuck. It's not what you think!"

Kagome stopped walking. Too embarrassed to turn around. She felt she had to make things right one way or another. After all, the whole situation had been her fault.

"Em… Don't worry Nishijima-sempai. I won't tell anyone."

With that, she took off for the other end of the field, wanting to get as far away from the couple as possible. If she had to face the boy one more time that day she swore her face would burn right off. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realised that she'd not only been embarrassed. She'd been… disappointed.

- Damn it, Kagome! It's just like you to develop a crush on a gay guy. -

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Crash!

Inuyasha was not pissed. He was murderous.

Smash!!

Inuyasha was not angry. He was teeth-grindingly, fist-clenchingly, trash can-smashingly furious.

"Oi Inu-chan. You okay?"

The half-blood could not even manage a coherent response. So he kicked a dumpster instead.

"I guess not."

Inuyasha found himself angry at Jakotsu for being so damn clingy. He found himself annoyed at Higurashi Kagome for jumping to conclusions. The wench hadn't even given him time to explain! She'd run off and left his mood crushed. Inuyasha was mad at himself for caring. It really shouldn't have mattered to him what the girl thought. In fact, this new development could have worked to his advantage! Now she would probably lose interest in him.

However, strangely enough, the hanyou couldn't find it in him to feel relieved. No sane, straight guy liked it when their sexuality was questioned! And Inuyasha was no exception. He clenched his fists and stomped on ahead, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. Jakotsu dodged flying trash can lids and skirted over-turned rubbish bins. The cross-dresser sighed. Ever since that silly girl had shown up, the half-demon just hadn't been fun anymore. He no longer responded to his playful advances. No longer retaliated or became flustered by his jibes.

Inuyasha had stalked so far ahead that his human ears almost missed Jakotsu's call.

"Inu-chan! You've passed it already!"

The half-demon spun round and saw Jakotsu signalling to a drab, old warehouse on the riverfront. He growled and did a one-eighty.

The building was run-down. Its metal doors were orange with rust and their hinges creaked loudly when Jakotsu pushed them open. Inuyasha stepped inside cautiously, feeling vulnerable in his human form. He was distinctly aware when his guide pushed the doors shut after their entrance. The half-blood scanned the area for other possible means of escape. The place was empty. It had numerous large windows high on each of the building's four walls. Inuyasha doubted that he'd be able to reach them in his human form. The sound of their footsteps echoed in the silence, for there was nothing in the room to quell the sound. Not one thing. Which was why Bankotsu's voice resonated loudly.

"Well well. Look what the snake dragged in."

Jakotsu grinned…

"Ban-chan!!"

…And glomped the boy who had just entered. Bankotsu ruffled his hair affectionately. It was a pretty amusing sight considering Jakotsu's taller frame. Inuyasha became aware of the presence of two other individuals. One to his right and one to his left. So. The bastard had brought company. Even in the periphery of his vision, Inuyasha could see that the two others were reasonably big-sized. He raised his guard as Bankotsu sauntered up to him.

"So, mutt. You're the one who's been snooping around my files."

Inuyasha eyed the shorter boy coolly. Bankotsu started to circle him.

"Now, that, I could have forgiven. But then you had to come into my room and take the liberty of stealing one of my little babies."

The half-blood scoffed at Bankotsu's terminology.

"Nearly gave me the slip too. Fortunately for myself, Jakotsu here had a little something installed in my dormitory that, unfortunately for you, you failed to notice."

The camera. Inuyasha cursed his carelessness. Bankotsu continued with his monologue.

"So I got a little pissed off right and got Jakotsu here to do some background research on the bastard who dared to steal from me. You know, so we could smack you and maybe some close relations up some for the insult. I knew your school name had to be fake because a half-demon has never attended Sengoku National before."

Bankotsu sounded smug. The bastard.

"But imagine my surprise when my man digs up some interesting facts buried underneath all that fake crap you used to hide your identity with. It must be frustrating for a government lap dog to have to pose as one of us isn't it? How does it feel to be just like everyone else?"

Inuyasha was starting to get bored.

"How about getting to the point?"

Bankotsu rounded on him.

"The point?"

He grinned a frightening grin.

"Alright."

If Inuyasha had not been human at that moment, he would have sensed the huge metal fist that swung towards his lower back. The force of the blow sent him careening forward and left him sprawled in agony on the rough floor. His arms shook with the effort of lifting himself up again. They were relieved of their burden when the half blood was hauled to his feet by two very strong individuals.

"Let me introduce you to some friends of mine, hanyou."

He gestured to the hulking beast of a human being holding Inuyasha up on the right.

"The big one there is Kyokotsu. He's killed fifteen people."

Next he pointed to the boy on the hanyou's left side who sported an iron knuckle.

"And that's my brother Ginkotsu. His fist hurts doesn't it. I'll let your back do the talking."

Despite his disposition, Inuyasha's pride demanded that he not go down without a fight.

"Heh. What an ugly little fucker. Must be in the genes."

Ginkotsu roared and delivered a sound punch to the hanyou's side. Inuyasha felt a rib or two crack. He didn't cry out. Ginkotsu had been about to deliver a second blow, but his brother's voice stopped him.

"Ginkotsu."

He lowered his fist. Jakotsu stood to the side, watching as Bankotsu turned to Inuyasha once more.

"That mouth of yours is going to get you into some serious trouble one day, Taisho. How about we do you a favour and teach it some respect right now?"

Inuyasha's head snapped to the side when Bankotsu's fist connected with his jaw. Despite the ringing in his ears, the half-blood could hear Jakotsu's protest.

"Aw, Ban-chan! Not his face!"

It didn't sound desperate or pleading. Merely… playful. Just like it always had. Bankotsu cast his friend a grin before turning his attention back to the black-haired half-human.

"Hm… Some other body part then."

Bankotsu paced round the panting boy. Contemplative. Running his eyes up and down his body. He stopped in front of Inuyasha's right hand, whose arm was being held up by Kyokotsu.

"So, Inuyasha Taisho. How do you intend to pay back what you stole from me? Got any money on you?"

Inuyasha growled. This wasn't about payback. If it was then Bankotsu wouldn't have been so interested in his being a government sent individual. From what they'd been spouting so far, it appeared they knew nothing of his and Sesshoumaru's case. So why then were they inclined to doing this? Bankotsu definitely had a motive. He didn't look like the type to take pleasure out of senseless beatings. Inuyasha just needed to find out what their agenda was.

"As entertaining as this is, what do you really want, bastard?"

Bankotsu didn't answer. He eyed Inuyasha's right hand contemplatively.

"Is this the hand that stole from me?"

He walked round to the half-blood's other side.

"Or is it this one?"

Inuyasha flipped him off.

"Hmm… We'll never be sure will we? Break them both."

The hanyou couldn't help his cry when he felt both his wrists snap. His eyes watered but he raised them defiantly.

"You see Taisho, I don't entirely appreciate you government folk snooping around in my affairs."

"What the hell are you talking about, asshole?! This can't be about one petty pill."

The boy rounded on him. It was unnerving. His eyes. They held no trace of emotion. They held no humanity.

"You're absolutely right. This isn't about that. This is us trying to get a clear message through to you government scum."

Bankotsu slipped a hand behind the hanyou's neck and yanked Inuyasha's head forward.

"Keep out of Shichinintai business."

His voice was menacing. Laced with underlying threat. The black-haired boy finished by delivering a sound punch to Inuyasha's abdomen. He straightened and stepped back, leaving the hanyou's human body gasping for breath.

Despite his outward appearance, Inuyasha's mind was elsewhere. Shichinintai? Where had he heard that before? His eyes narrowed as he racked his brains. It was a pretty lame name. It should be easy to recall! Finally, his mind conjured up the image of a newspaper article from around a year ago. There'd been some sort of murder in a neighbouring country. The only reason the piece had caught Inuyasha's attention was that the fact that rest of the paper had been so uninteresting. And he had been bored.

"Shichinintai suspected." The spread had said.

Inuyasha cursed. He had never hated his aversion to reading. Until now. If only he'd committed more of the story to memory! He'd learned only that the Shichinintai was a seven-man operation.

- Hn. Duh. -

They were tantamount to your basic mercenaries. They'd do anything for the right price. Which made some of their actions rather… illegal.

His mind snapped back to the situation at hand. So Bankotsu and his lackeys thought that he'd been sent to investigate the Shichinintai? Inuyasha nearly chuckled. What cocky little bastards. They thought a couple of murders and a drug bust was enough to herald the attention of the government of Sengoku?

Something struck Inuyasha then. The Shichinintai were criminals for hire. They did all sorts of dirty work for the right amount of money. From what it appeared during his earlier encounter with Jakotsu, its members might have been extremely capable fighters. A single word flashed in Inuyasha's mind and the hanyou smirked. Suspects.

"What are you so happy about?"

Ginkotsu growled in question. Inuyasha's smirk grew. Time for a little test.

"Oh nothing. Your ugly mug just amuses me, that's all."

The boy nearly screamed in rage. His slightly deformed face must have been a sore subject after all. He relented his hold on the hanyou to swing a muscular arm back before sending it careening towards Inuyasha's head. Its fist found itself connecting with Kyokotsu's surprised face instead when the intended recepient of the blow, seizing his opportunity, had yanked his arm free and ducked down.

Kyokotsu reeled back in pain, relinquishing his grip on Inuyasha's other arm. The hanyou leapt away and immediately punched in the reversion code into his wrist band. It was difficult with two broken wrists but the transformation into his half-demon form nullified the initial pain. Inuyasha went straight in for the kill. Claws poised, he leapt over the hulking pair, aiming for their leader instead.

Bankotsu's relaxed posture and easy smirk should have alarmed him. But Inuyasha had been going too fast to care. He was met in mid assault by a grinning Jakotsu, wielding the most unusual weapon….

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