InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Strike By Night ❯ The Hunt Begins ( Chapter 3 )

Strike By Night

Chapter 3: The Hunt Begins

Disclaimer: Same as always. I'm still poor; therefore I don't own Inu Yasha. Details in last disclaimers.

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Last Chapter:

As the seventh draws near, both Kagome and Sesshoumaru have implemented their assassination plans of Naraku…simultaneously. However, it seems someone has beaten them to the punch and has already led Naraku to a very gruesome death, leaving the two now confused and very shocked assassins in an unexpected meeting in the middle of the night. Neither is happy with the circumstances, in more ways than one.

"Drop your gun," Sesshoumaru commanded when he saw he had the Kagome's attention. His hand never wavered on the gun against Kagome's temple and golden eyes flashed predatorily. Seeing no other choice, Kagome hesitantly did as she was told, dropping her gun onto the thickly carpeted floor. Her eyes never once straying from her gaze at Sessoumaru. She was waiting for her opportunity.

Her patience was rewarded when Sesshoumaru's gaze briefly flickered to the remains of the figure lying upon the bed. In that fraction of a second when Sesshoumaru's attention was distracted, Kagome acted. Bringing up her legs for a vicious double kick, Kagome managed to knock the gun out of Sesshoumaru's hand. Only the superhuman reflexes of Sesshoumaru's youkai blood managed to save him from the force of Kagome's second kick contacting hard with his jaw. But turning her force against her, Sesshoumaru caught Kagome's foot and pushed it over her head, sending Kagome into a back flip. Anticipating this, Kagome recovered nicely, but unfortunately not quickly enough, as the next thing she knew, she was pinned against the wall beside the bed so forcefully that all the air was knocked out of her lungs and her arms seized in two bruising grips above her head. She felt a body overlap hers and press her further into the wall, presumably to prevent her from kneeing him.

Breathing hard to get air back into her lungs, Kagome lifted her face to meet the golden gaze, which was looking at her strangely, of the one holding her captive as her brain tried to figure out why exactly did the eyes and the voice suddenly seemed so familiar.

"YOU!" Kagome and Sesshoumaru yelled together in a loud whisper as both had finally managed to match the face to a memory. (room was dark, poor visibility)

"What are you doing here?" Kagome accused.

"I've come for the life of Naraku Shinigami," replied Sesshoumaru calmly, but loosened his grip on Kagome's wrists a fraction so that she wouldn't have rings around her wrists come daylight. But sadly, it wasn't enough to let her break free, no matter how hard she struggled. Seeing her initial surprise and then her eyes narrow at his words he came to a conclusion. "You too?" but it was spoken more as a statement than a question.

"No," replied Kagome scathingly, voice dripping sarcasm though every bit as calm as Sesshoumaru's. "I just like to sneak around in hotel rooms that aren't mine during the middle of the night. It's how I get my kicks." Between finding her target already dead and being careless enough to let herself be caught off guard, Kagome's temper was rising. And the fact that she now also had to put up with the smug remarks of the same annoying jerk from the plane, who was now proving to have the rare ability of irritating her to no end, was not helping matters. She did NOT have to stay here and take this, or so Kagome liked to think.

"He's dead," Sesshoumaru observed, turning his head to glance at the figure on the bed. Obviously he did not consider Kagome the enemy anymore.

"As a doornail," confirmed Kagome, who instantly felt guilty at her insolence toward the deceased, no matter how much Naraku deserved it. "Now, release me," Kagome demanded as she was starting to lose feelings in her wrists and also the intimate contact between their bodies was making Kagome feel a little warmer than she liked. Thankful that he was not be able to see the blush threatening to creep up onto her cheeks due to the darkness of the room, Kagome tried to focus on her anger and force down the blush before he did notice and she might have to explain, which only make her blush rise slightly faster. "Well?" Kagome prompted when Sesshoumaru's only reaction was to raise his eyebrows in surprise at her audacity to give him an order, but made no move to release her.

After a few tense moments, Sesshoumaru released Kagome, but not instantly. He loosened his grip and backed away casually just before the remains of Kagome's patience ran out, smiling in mild amusement at her reactions, but which Kagome had not found quite so amusing as she glared accusingly at him while tenderly rubbing her wrists, trying to put circulation back into them. Thankfully by then Kagome had gotten a handle on her blush and no traces of it were visible.

"Who are you?" questioned Kagome after deeming that she would not be losing her wrists due to lack of blood flow. When Sesshoumaru did not answer, Kagome continued. "Look, if we're going to keep running into each other like this, we should at least know who each of us is dealing with." And when he still didn't answer, Kagome tried one last time. "My name's Kagome, alright?" She said, holding out her hand.

Finally, Sesshoumaru responded. "Sesshoumaru" he replied and briefly shook Kagome's outstretched hand.

"Fukaimori?" Kagome questioned, amazed and curious.

"Yes," Sesshoumaru replied, calm as ever.

"Impressive," Kagome admitted. "So you're the top assassin in Japan." Receiving no answer, Kagome gave up and turned her attention the shadowed form of her former paycheck lying upon the bed, muttering a few words about stoic, arrogant idiots who knew nothing about the art of conversation. She had a strong urge to stick her tongue out at him, and would have too, if it weren't such a childish gesture.

As Kagome studied the still form of Naraku, she frowned. This was NOT how I had planned for it to turn out. Kagome thought desperately. Sure Naraku was dead either way, but it was suppose to be by HER hand. Four days of effort wasted and she had nearly killed her brain trying to figure out a way around the security cameras. And for what? So she could find out that someone had got to him before her? I needed this money, thought Kagome bitterly as images of winged dollar bills flying away from her went through her mind.

After releasing Kagome from the wall, Sesshoumaru took in the scene around of him. The timing device he had placed beside the screen door on his right had finished counting down and the electric current were once again flowing around the door without setting off the alarm, despite the fact it stood half open, letting in glimpses of the pale moonlight.

And on his left, the last person that he had expected to meet tonight, Kagome, she said her name was, the girl from the plane ride who had the guts to challenge him then, and even now. Though only glaring murder at him moments ago, now she seemed to be having an inner conniption fit. Her face, illuminated in a beam of moonlight was greatly amusing to watch. It changed from simple displeasure to anger to frustration to sadness. But for some reason, Sesshoumaru felt a slight pain in his chest when Kagome's expression changed to sadness. A part of him felt that sadness had no place on a face such as Kagome's. The feeling took him completely by surprise. He had no idea why he felt this way, or why he bothered to tell the girl his name, or even why he felt like laughing out loud, now that he thought about it, when the girl's attitude turned from hostile to amazement in an instant when she learned who he was.

Quickly dismissing these emotions that were so strange to him, Sesshoumaru focused his attention to his original purpose for being there. His once target was now dead before Sesshoumaru had even touched him. This assignment had seemed promising at the beginning, but now had turned into an utter disappointment, even worse than his last assignment, thought Sesshoumaru. At least then the person had been alive and he'd had the pleasure of ending the coward's life personally. How dare someone rob him of that!

The longer Sesshoumaru thought about his situation, the angrier he became. "NO one steals a kill from I, Sesshoumaru," Sesshoumaru growled vehemently, his voice magnified in the silence that had developed while both were absorbed in their own thoughts, startling Kagome out of her inner tirade.

"So what are you going to do about it?" Kagome asked Sesshoumaru.

"I will have revenge," Sesshoumaru growled.

"So. Will. I," Kagome stated determinately, anger at her wasted efforts returning fully.

"I work alone," Sesshoumaru warned, turning full to face Kagome.

"Who said I wanted your help?" Kagome shot back, indignant at his insinuation that she wasn't capable by herself.

Sesshoumaru opened his mouth for a comeback, but was interrupted by the sound of footsteps right outside the door followed by the sound of a hand knocking on the door. Both Kagome and Sesshoumaru's heads snapped in the direction of the sound, shocked. "Shit!" Kagome cursed.

The next instant, Sesshoumaru strode toward the half open screen door while Kagome frantically looked around trying to decide whether to hid or to flee. Seeing her hesitation, Sesshoumaru quickly walked back over and picked up Kagome by the waist, who yelped quietly at the sudden change in altitude and struggled against her undignified position, before leaping off the balcony.

"No…no…"Kagome managed to get out from her position, whacking Sesshoumaru on the back of the head to get his attention while clinging tighter to him in the same instant. "My room…there…get me there." She gasped out, pointing to the balcony under Naraku's room. The sudden leap into thin air had scared all the air out of Kagome and nearly given her a heart attack.

After landing on the nearby building, Sesshoumaru instantly turned around and leaped toward Kagome's room. After dropping Kagome on her balcony he leaped off again. All that the security officer saw, as he ran to the balcony of Naraku's room was a white, indistinct blur speeding off.

As soon as Kagome's feet touched the stone floor of the balcony, she jerked open the screen door and leaped into bed, barely remembering to close the screen door. Kagome lay in bed, breathing hard at her close call. When her breathing evened again, Kagome slowly drifted into the land of sleep, with her last thoughts upon the beautiful, but aggravating and now deadly man who had rescued her from an unknown but certainly messy fate.

Morning came and Kagome crawled out of bed, praying that her alias still held. Stepping into the lobby with her bags, it seemed news traveled fast. There was already a line in front of the registration desk, waiting to check out. As she walked towards it, she caught many snatches of conversation about the grisly and sudden death of Naraku Shinigami. But no one seemed particularly mournful of Naraku's death.

"Did you see how he died-"

" Ghastly, nearly beheaded."

"Any idea who did it-"

"Who knows, Must've been someone skilled though-"

"There's a murderer here."

"Probably only after him."

"Well I'm getting out soon as possible."

"-it's not safe, I say."

Leaving her bags by the door, Kagome took her place in line. After a LONG time, Kagome finally reached the front. "Room 713," she said professionally. "I'm checking out." The concierge looked at her plaintively, as if pleading for her to stay, but a glance at the people waiting behind her he sighed and printed out her receipt. Kagome took the receipt and walked toward the door, letting out a breath that she didn't know she had been holding. Kagome picked up her bags and hailed a cab to take her to the airport.

Plopping tiredly into her seat on the plane, Kagome waited for the plane to leave and take her home. Looking at the seat beside her, Kagome smiled in remembrance at her last flight. But she was not to have so interesting a trip this time. Thoughts of the lost $15 million plagued Kagome's thoughts, which were also occasionally punctuated by the face of Sesshoumaru, making Kagome look like a frowning tomato the entire trip.

Walking out the exit terminal of the airport, Kagome saw Sango and Miroku, who had come to pick her up. "Hey Kagome-chan, how are you doing? How was your trip?" Sango asked cheerfully, giving Kagome a hug.

"Tiring, Sango-chan," Kagome replied, returning the hug. "I'm gonna go straight to bed once I get home."

"But Kagome-san, it couldn't have been that bad," interjected a grinning Miroku, holding out his arms. Throwing a look at Sango, who only shrugged, Kagome cautiously went forward to hug Miroku. Initially Miroku behaved himself, but then his hands started to slide lower than it had any right to go. Kagome raised her hand to slap Miroku, but Sango beat her to it, smacking Miroku at the back of the head, temporarily stunning him. Kagome stood there surprised, not because Sango hit Miroku, but why she didn't knock him out as she usually did. Then it dawned on her. They needed someone to carry the bags after all. Grinning, Sango and Kagome dragged the now conscious Miroku toward her bags.

Sesshoumaru caught the early flight home, eager to start planning his revenge. But upon arriving home, Sesshoumaru was in a bad mood. All flight, his thoughts kept turning to Kagome and the interesting flight he had with her last time; he barely got any planning done on the flight. Throwing open the door, Sesshoumaru looked for Inu Yasha to vent his anger upon, but he was nowhere to be found, which only angered Sesshoumaru more. Leaving his bags in his room, not bothering to unpack them, Sesshoumaru headed for his study, planning to make some headway in his research and to await the return of Inu Yasha, so that he could punish him.

Leaving her bags in the living room, Kagome headed for the shower to wash off the grime of the trip, but her destination was interrupted when her cell phone rang. Groaning, Kagome reluctantly doubled back toward her phone, nearly whimpering as she became further and further from the bathroom. After all, this could be something important. "Hello?" Kagome half- growled into the receiver. NO one stands between her and a bath.

"Kagome Higurahsi?" the voice on the line said. Kagome recognized the voice instantly.

"Sesshoumaru?!" she cried into the receiver, incredulous.

"You remember me, I'm surprised," Sesshoumaru replied.

How I'd like to forget, Kagome thought, but actually replied as: "What do you want? And how did you get this number?"

"I have my sources," was his cryptic reply. Kagome's eyebrow lifted skeptically. Sesshoumaru continued. "You mentioned you wanted revenge on whoever killed Naraku, right?"

"Yeah, so?" Kagome wondered

"I have information that I'm willing to share." Sesshoumaru replied.

"I thought you worked alone?" Kagome retorted. She wasn't particularly interested in the information since she had asked Miroku on the way back to pull up for her any information relevant to Naraku. Adding that onto her research, and she should have the killer in no time.

"I do." Sesshoumaru confirmed. "I simply wish to keep you from getting underfoot."

"Why you-" Kagome started, anger rising.

"The only deal is that you have to stay at my house," Sesshoumaru replied.

"And why would I ever agree to that?" Kagome shot back, calming down slightly.

"Because only I can provide you with the resources you need." Sesshoumaru stated confidently. Oh really? Kagome thought. "You'll need more than simple research to capture someone like that." Sesshoumaru continued.

"I will. And I'll see you at his funeral," Kagome said, almost taunting. She had no idea why she said this or if she was capable of finding the suspect before him, but she could almost see his displeasure at her remark and that made it oh so worthwhile. Smiling, Kagome asked. "But anyway, you could still be useful. So where do you live?"

"If you're so good, then I'll leave that up to you," Sesshoumaru answered and with that, he hung up, leaving a disbelieving Kagome holding the phone. Turning off the cell, and blowing a raspberry at it, Kagome walked off toward her much-awaited bath, opting to skip the nap since well, it seemed she had research to do.

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A/N: Sorry this update took SO long. I encountered some writer's block and had to study for SATs. My brain is so overloaded. Anyway, enjoy the fic. Things promise to be a lot more interesting once Kagome gets to Seeshoumaru's house and meets Inu Yasha. (hahaha)

I'm SO happy with my reviews. YAY!!!!!!!!!!! Keep it up ^_^