InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Ready or Not ❯ Ready or Not ( Chapter 1 )

[ A - All Readers ]

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of  their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. In other words, I don't own and I make no money from this.
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Originally posted to Inuyasha Fanfiction on February 19, 2012 for oneshot #9. Won 2nd place.

Title: Ready or Not
Author: ananova
Word Count: 816
Prompt: Count to 10
Genre: Friendship
Rating: K+
Warnings: None

Characters: Inuyasha and Kagome
Summary: Lounging in a tree, Inuyasha's rest is disturbed by Kagome's voice. Just what is she up to now?

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“Okay, ready?”

Inuyasha frowned as he sat up on the branch he had been lounging on, an ear flickering in the direction of Kagome's voice. What was that wench up to now?

“One.”

“Two.”

'Is she counting?' He wondered as his eyes began to search his surroundings, looking for where her voice was coming from.

“Three.”

“Four.”

H e detected the sound of quiet laughter, then rustling leaves as someone scampered into the bushes. He sniffed, recognizing Shippou's scent before dismissing the noise. He did note, however, that he seemed to be heading back in the direction of the village.

“Five.”

“Six.”

Rolling his eyes, he stood on his branch before silently leaping in the direction of Kagome's voice, determined to find out what she was up to. She knew better then to wander around the forest alone. He growled softly as an idea occurred to him. 'This better not be a trick so she can go back home!'

“Seven.”

“Eight.”

Finally, he came upon her. Landing silently on a branch directly above her, Inuyasha frowned down at the girl, confusion written on his face. 'What the hell?' He scratched his head in confusion.

Kagome stood, eyes closed as she faced the tree he crouched in. “Nine. Ten.” A grin covered Kagome's face as her eyes shot open. “Ready or not, here I come!” She whirled around, peering around her before picking a direction at random and racing off.

Inuyasha followed silently, leaping from branch to branch above her as she slowed and began peering around trees and bushes, searching for something.

“I'm gonna find you,” she called with a laugh. “You can't hide for long.” A breeze rustled the leaves of a nearby bush and Kagome leaped at it, pushing the foliage aside. “Got ya!” she called before slumping slightly at the sight of the empty bush. She laughed at herself. “You're good at this game Shippou-chan,” she complimented before listening to see if he would give himself away.

Inuyasha frowned, sniffing slightly. The kitsune was nowhere near, it seemed he had used her distraction to head back to the village, most likely trying to sneak some sweets. As Kagome peered around another tree he decided enough was enough. He leaped down from his perch, landing directly behind her. “Oi.”

Kagome screamed, whirling around. “Inuyasha!” she gasped, hand over her heart. “Don't scare me like that.” His ears lowered on his head at her words. He hadn't meant to scare her. She noticed, kicking herself for her careless words. “Did you need something?” she asked as she calmed her racing heart.

He shook his head. “What are you doing?”

“Huh?” He gestured at the area she had been searching. A bright smile lit up her face. “Oh, I was playing hide and seek with Shippou-chan.”

“Hide and seek?”

“Yeah.  One or more people hide while the seeker gives them a head start before going looking for them.”

“That's why you were counting before?”

She flushed as she realized how long he must have been watching. “Yeah, the ones who are hiding usually have until the count of ten before the person seeking them comes looking.” She sighed as she looked around. “But Shippou-chan is really good at this game. I have no idea where he could be hiding.”

“Feh. The brat tricked you. He's back at the village, probably eating whatever treats you had in your bag.”

Kagome groaned. “I was trying to distract him from those with this game. He's been eating way too many sweets lately.” She sighed. “I better go and see how bad the damage is.”

But Inuyasha wasn't really paying attention to her words. A thought had occurred to him, causing a smirk to appear on his face. Seeing Kagome start off in the direction of the village, he stepped in her path.

“Inuyasha?” She frowned, what was he up to?

“One.” His smirk began to grow as she blinked at him. “Two.”

Eyes widening in realization, Kagome stared a moment longer.

“Three.” He swept his arm in the direction of the forest, one eyebrow raised. “Four.”

A wide grin split Kagome's face as she turned and raced off into the forest. She knew he would easily track her down but the fact that he wanted to play was enough to make her happy.

“Five. Six. Seven.”

She hid quickly, trying to remain as quiet as possible.

“Eight. Nine. Ten. Ready or not, here I come.” Inuyasha allowed a grin to cover his own face as he set off after the girl. Some of her games could be fun and interesting after all. He couldn't wait to see what happened after he found her.