InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The City by the Bay ❯ Background Check ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and friends were created and lovingly brought to life by Rumiko Takahashi. Also, I made up quite a few things like the articles, "Bay Area Business Monthly," "Dare to Fight Charity Dinner," e-mail addresses, company names, etc., and any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

Author's Note:

To all my reviewers: ::Bows:: Arigato gozaimasu! You have no idea how much your reviews mean to me. I take each one into account and I hope that I am becoming a better writer. A special thanks to Kagura-Hime and Lea.

The floor plans of the Shichinin Brothers' House, the Yamamori Building, and Nobu & Hojo's Apartment are available on my web site. Please see my profile for my home page.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"It's a mad city, inhabited by perfectly insane people

whose women are of remarkable beauty."

- Ibid. 1891

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The City by the Bay

By Ericedwyn

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter Four: Background Check

~* The Palace Hotel, Market and New Montgomery, very early morning on Saturday *~

Sesshoumaru scanned his inbox and highlighted several junk e-mails before pressing the delete button. He sorted the remaining by date, yet opened the e-mail from his brother first which sat in the middle of the list.

******* start of e-mail *******

From: TakaraI@Sestaka.com

To: TakaraS@Sestaka.com

Subject: Weekly Report

Attachment: 2003Week10.doc, Buy-off.xls

'Niisan,

Good news. Seto-san finally caved in, but that's after learning that the value of his stocks fell by nearly half. We're meeting tomorrow to sign the papers. I'll give you a call with the details tomorrow.

The weekly report is attached. I've also attached the list of possible companies that Naraku will attempt to buy-off next. Ryoba-san sorted it by importance and I agree with him on the first two. Let me know what you think and I'll start working on the ones you choose.

Inuyasha

P.S. When are you coming back to Tokyo? Rin is driving me mad! Aunt Tsumi is not back yet from Australia and the brat won't listen to me. I'm about to pull my hair off.

******* end of e-mail *******

Sesshoumaru smirked after reading the postscript. He glanced at his taskbar for the time. It was 2:05 a.m., 6:00 p.m. in Tokyo. His hand closed around his cell phone and dialed home.

"Moshi moshi, Takara Residence." A cheerful, adolescent voice met his ear.

"Rin, have you been misbehaving?" Sesshoumaru asked in what he hoped to be a very stern sounding voice.

"'Niisan!" The young teenager shrieked on the other end.

Sesshoumaru grimaced at the sound but kept the phone by his ear. "So… what do you have to say for yourself?"

"What did 'Niichan tell you this time?"

Sesshoumaru's lips threatened to curl upwards when he heard his half-sister sigh on the other end. "Inuyasha doesn't have much patience. You know that. He's also busy at work, so take it easy on him."

"I'll try, 'Niisan, but you're not the one who has to eat instant Ramen every night!" Rin whined on the other end. "Last night was chicken flavored. Tonight he plans to serve beef. Blaaaah!"

Sesshoumaru grimaced when he heard the word "ramen". "Aunt Tsumi should be home in a few days. In the mean time, I'll talk to him about his choice of… uh… food. When are you going to take your entrance exam?" Sesshoumaru opened the palm desktop software on his laptop.

"Wednesday, March 19. Will you be back before then, 'Niisan?" Rin asked in a hopeful voice.

Sesshoumaru quickly consulted his calendar. "I'll be home that entire week, Rin."

"YAY!"

This time Sesshoumaru had to hold his cell phone a foot away from his ear. When he felt it safe enough to put it back against his ear, he asked. "Rin, do you want anything from here?"

There was a pause on the other end. "Can you buy me something from Sanrio over there, 'Niisan?" The Freshman asked.

"Rin, Sanrio is a Japanese company. Tokyo has all the Hello Kitty products in the world."

Rin sighed. "But the stores there might have something different, 'Niisan. Onegai?"

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes but agreed. "All right. I'll see what I can find for you. You behave and study hard."

"I will, 'Niisan. Arigato!" Rin cheerfully replied. "Call again soon!"

"I will. Ja ne." Sesshoumaru waited for Rin to close the conversation before dialing his brother's personal cell phone.

"Moshi moshi? Oops. Can't take your call right now. Leave a message and I'll get back to you soon." Sesshoumaru heard immediately after dialing the line. He waited for the beep before leaving a message.

"Inuyasha, it's Sesshoumaru. I just spoke to Rin. We do have enough money for food other than Ramen. If you are not busy tonight, take her to a nice restaurant. I'll reply to your e-mail soon."

He shook his head at his half-siblings, slightly amused, as he picked up his glass. Ten years ago, things would have been a lot different. Abruptly becoming head of the family at eighteen changed all of that.

He shut his eyes and drowned the memories of the past with the last bit of whiskey in his glass. Nothing can change the past. He set his glass back down on the desk before consulting his tasklist. He eyed the top of the list, "Now, to get a place." A small smile planted itself on his lips as he checked it off, confident that he will occupy the unit in the near future.

A splatter against the window seized his attention, prying his gaze from the monitor to watch as the sky emptied its belly of excess moisture. He continued to watch the sporadic fall of the rain from his desk until the downpour became steadier and heavier, giving off an almost meditative lull.

The earlier advice he was given drifted to the forefront of his mind. You might consider bringing an umbrella with you if you go out tonight. It's going to rain. He closed his eyes as his memory conjured the image of his counsel with her long dark hair in a high ponytail and equally dark blue eyes. 'Higurashi. Kagome Higurashi. Why does it sound so familiar?'

He double clicked the Internet Explorer icon. The application immediately opened to the Sestaka Enterprises home page. He typed the url for google.com and waited for the site to open. In the search box, he typed "Kagome Higurashi" and googled.

He watched as his search produced several related links. He read the first one: Top 25 Under 25: Bay Area's Top Executives from Bay Area Business Monthly, May 2001, and clicked on the link.

A new window popped up to an online version of the article. He searched for Kagome's name again and found a name link. He clicked on it and he was brought to a separate page topped by a young smiling face shot of Ms. Higurashi. He studied the picture for a several seconds, taking in the bright smile and the sparkle in the young lady's eyes. He pried himself away with some difficulty from the image to read the article that followed.

~*~*~*~ Start of article ~*~*~*~

"If you ask Kagome Higurashi how she came to be a Chief Information Officer (CIO) and one of the founders of a Networking Solutions Company in such a short time, she would respond most humbly, "with hard work, luck, determination, and with the help of good people." With her soft spoken voice and equally soft demeanor, it's hard to fathom that this young woman leads 50,000+ team members. Yet many team members we spoke to have only positive things to say.

One employee, Aaron Jordan, a Technical Engineer, responded. "She is a positive force in the company and an example to all of us. She motivates and challenges us to give more than 110% because she does." Thea Longstrom, Project Manager, comments on her CIO. "She's usually on the floor working along with us helping to complete projects and meet deadlines, on top of meeting with clients. She's not afraid to get her hands dirty. We know that she's not going to give us work that she herself is unwilling to do."

R. Takahashi, CFO and business partner, claims that Ms. Higurashi is "the epitome of grace under fire. Age was not a factor when we asked her to be part of our business triumvirate. She not only exudes professionalism but she is one of, if not the best, at her craft."

Myouga Miyaga, one of the top and sought after business man globally, is both business partner and mentor to Ms. Higurashi. When asked what three words would describe her work ethics, he responded with these. "Dedicated. Supportive. Motivating." Three words that describe a true leader. Just a few reasons why Kagome Higurashi, CIO and co-founder of HTM Networking Essentials, is # 7 on our Top 25 under 25 list.

More Top 25 Under 25: Bay Area's Top Executive:

#6 Jak Shichinin

#8 Jason Gray

~*~*~*~ End of article ~*~*~*~

'She knows Miyagi-san, and I believe Aunt Tsumi's friends, Jeiji and Kaede, are Higurashi's. She must be one of the grandchildren.' A thoughtful Sesshoumaru exited out of the page and looked at the next link. Dare to Fight Charity Dinner 2002. He opened the link and skimmed through the contents. "Charity dinner to raise funds for AIDS... hosted by Jak Shichinin..." He murmured under his breath as he continued to scroll down the page. "What's this?" He asked himself, an eyebrow arching. "An auction?"

~*~*~*~ Excerpt from the auction page ~*~*~*~

Bachelorette Kagome Higurashi brought in one of the highest bids during the 3rd Annual Dare to Fight Charity Dinner. The lucky bidder, Mr. Toutousai Katana, wrote a check out for $3050.00 for a date with the lovely bachelorette to the fabulous Black and White Ball.

~*~*~*~ End of excerpt from the auction page ~*~*~*~

"There is no longer any doubt. She is related to Aunt's friends." The silver-haired gentlemen's golden eyes fell briefly on a picture of the grinning retiree he is very familiar with, handing a check to an amused dark-haired bachelorette. He closed out of the page and proceeded to open the third link. San Francisco Chronicle, November 23, 2003.

~*~*~*~ Start of article in the Business Section ~*~*~*~

Top Executive Calls It Quits

Associated Press

Top Executive, Kagome Higurashi, recently resigned from her Chief Information Officer (CIO) position at Akuma Networks Inc., seven months after she and co-owner, R. Takahashi, sold their company, HTM Networking Essentials, to successful Japanese Businessman, Naraku Akuma. An inside source claimed that the former CIO resigned from unwanted attentions and sexual harassment from the new owner. Further investigation revealed that Ms. Higurashi filed a police report for attempted rape against Mr. Akuma, but no charges have been made. Mr. Akuma's Publicist denies any wrong doing. Ms. Higurashi was not available for interviews.

~*~*~*~ End of article in the Business Section ~*~*~*~

"Damn you to hell!" Sesshoumaru crushed the mouse he held in his right hand. "Your time will come, Naraku. I will destroy you!"

~*~*~*~

~* Kagome's House, Sunday morning *~

"You need to teach me how to bake one day, Kagome-chan! It smells so good in here." Sango exclaimed as she watched her best friend remove the loaves of walnut bread from the oven and place them on a cooling rack on the counter.

"Sure, Sango. It's really very easy, and baking is a really good stress reliever." Kagome smiled as she poured heavy cream into the food processor and followed it with huge amounts of wild honey. She added a pinch of salt, replaced the lid, and turned it on to mix and churn the liquid mixture. After a few minutes, she turned it off to scoop the light colored solid parts and packed them into a serving bowl.

"You know… if I knew it was that easy to make butter, I would have made butter from scratch ages ago." Sango grinned. The doorbell chimed. "I'll get it," Sango called out as she ran to the door leading to the garage. She returned to the kitchen with Hojo and Jak at her heels.

"Good morning!" Kagome smiled brightly at the newcomers as she poured freshly squeezed orange juice from the juicer into the fourth glass.

"Morning, Hon." Jak smiled as he kissed Kagome's cheek in greeting.

"Nobu's working today, but he wanted me to give this to you." Hojo kissed Kagome's cheek before handing her a large envelope.

Kagome straightened the bent prongs and released the documents from its paper prison. She read the post-it message from her friend first.

**********

Kagome,

Hope this helps. I hate missing our weekly breakfast when it's your turn. Can you send Hojo to the firehouse with breakfast? If there are a lot left over, there are 10 of us here today...

Thanks,

Nobu ;-)

**********

Kagome grinned at her friend's audacity, but she was one step ahead of him. Two additional large loaves of walnut bread rested inside the belly of the still warm oven just for him.

"These are the results of the credit check." She murmured as she went through the sheaf of papers. "Looks like there are only two good prospects. Dana Leigh and Sesshoumaru Takara."

Jak choked on his orange juice. "Did you just say Sesshoumaru Takara?" He asked when his airway was clear enough for him to speak.

Kagome nodded, still patting his back gently.

"The Sesshoumaru Takara? CEO of Sestaka Enterprises… Silver-haired, golden-eyed, looks like he should be on the cover of GQ forever Sesshoumaru Takara?" The words escaped from Jak's mouth in rapid succession.

"The one and the same." Kagome smirked at Jak as Sango and Hojo looked at each other blankly.

"Oh my gosh! Forget the other one, pick him, pick him!" Jak cried out excitedly.

"Who's Sesshoumaru Takara?" Hojo queried quietly.

~* Monday morning, 6:48 a.m. *~

Kagome sipped her scalding hot green tea as she typed her response to an e-mail. In the middle of typing a word, a window popped up alerting her of a new e-mail. After finishing and sending her response, she checked her inbox. She arched an eyebrow when she saw who it was from. She tapped it with her cursor to display the message.

~*~*~*~

From: TakaraS@Sestaka.com

To: Higurashi@KHtechCIO.com

Subject: Question

So… when do I move in?

S

~*~*~*~

Kagome gaped at the message for a few seconds before giving into a chuckle. She clicked the respond button and typed her return message. She tapped the send button before returning to her inbox to open an older unread e-mail.

At the Palace Hotel, Sesshoumaru smirked as he read her reply.

~*~*~*~

From: Higurashi@KHtechCIO.com

To: TakaraS@Sestaka.com

Subject: re: Question

You're a little sure of yourself.

Kagome Higurashi

~*~*~*~

Sesshoumaru penned a quick reply and waited.

~*~*~*~

From: TakaraS@Sestaka.com

To: Higurashi@KHtechCIO.com

Subject: re: re: Question

I'm a gambling man. I only bet on a sure thing. This is a sure thing.

S

~*~*~*~

Kagome shook her head, but her rosy lips were curled up in a smile. She recalled Jak's reaction when she had mentioned Sesshoumaru's name at breakfast yesterday. When Hojo had asked who he was, Jak not only gave an unofficial biography, a few words shy of a novel, of Mr. Takara but also borrowed Kagome's computer to retrieve a photo of the young man. She failed to recall who drooled the most… Sango or Jak. She smiled as she crafted her rejoinder.

At the hotel, Sesshoumaru opened her response as soon as it popped in.

~*~*~*~

From: Higurashi@KHtechCIO.com

To: TakaraS@Sestaka.com

Subject: re: re: re: Question

It was a tough decision, but in the end, you came out as the best possible candidate. In response to your initial e-mail, you can move in as early as this weekend.

Kagome Higurashi

~*~*~*~

A triumphant grin transformed the young man's face, giving him a younger, more carefree look. He typed his next response and sent it quickly.

Kagome set her mug down as a new alert displayed on the screen.

~*~*~*~

From: TakaraS@Sestaka.com

To: Higurashi@KHtechCIO.com

Subject: re: re: re: re: Question

When are you next available to meet?

S

~*~*~*~

Kagome consulted her planner before responding.

Sesshoumaru played mine sweeper as he waited. As soon as he heard the e-mail alert, he switched screens.

~*~*~*~

From: Higurashi@KHtechCIO.com

To: TakaraS@Sestaka.com

Subject: re: re: re: re: re: Question

The next time I will be downtown is on Wednesday. I will be meeting with clients all day, but I will be available from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. If you are available between that time I can drop off the keys and the agreement to you.

Kagome Higurashi

~*~*~*~

Sesshoumaru grimaced inwardly as his Wednesday was nearly blocked off by several appointments. He opened the appointment he had from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Lunch with Toutousai. He grabbed his cell phone and dialed his Aunt's friend.

"Er… Hello?" A deep, scratchy voice greeted him.

"Katana-san, this is Sesshoumaru. I have…" The silver haired young man began.

"Sesshoumaru? Do you know what time it is?" Toutousai demanded on the other end.

Sesshoumaru glanced at the clock on his laptop. "Hai, 7:12 a.m."

"Er… thanks. I was changing the batteries of my clock and forgot where I put the dratted thing. What can I do for you, young man?" Toutousai asked distractedly.

"About Wednesday, I need to reschedule our lunch appointment."

"Now, Sesshoumaru, your Aunt Tsumi made me promise to make sure you don't work yourself to death whenever you're in the States. Are you going to replace our lunch with a business meeting?" Toutousai asked, but inside he was disappointed because when Sesshoumaru treats, he really goes all out, and Toutousai had been dreaming of garlic buttered Dungeness crabs since Sesshoumaru called him a few days ago. He sighed.

"No, not a business meeting…" Sesshoumaru began to say.

"Is it with a girl?" Toutousai interrupted again. Then he added, "I won't let you reschedule unless it's with a girl."

"Hai. It's with a girl."

Toutousai's ears perked up. "Is she pretty?"

Sesshoumaru smiled before responding. "Hai, Katana-san, she is. I'm free tomorrow night for dinner. Are you available?" He asked, hoping that he will be able to find out more about Kagome Higurashi from the old man.

"Yes, I am. Crustacean?" Toutousai grinned. 'Garlic buttered crabs, here I come!'

"Wherever you want. I'll pick you up at 7 then, Katana-san." Sesshoumaru murmured as he made the change on his calendar.

"I'll see you then. Don't work too hard. Bye." The old man said before ending the call.

Sesshoumaru looked at the next appointment on his calendar. Meeting with Gardner from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. He adjusted the start time to 2:00 p.m. and sent his corporate lawyer and Miroku an e-mail about the change in time. He smiled as he coined his response to Kagome's e-mail.

Kagome was about to close out of Outlook when an alert popped up. She clicked the e-mail open and read what it contained.

~*~*~*~

From: TakaraS@Sestaka.com

To: Higurashi@KHtechCIO.com

Subject: Wednesday

I am indeed available. Please allow me the honor of taking you to lunch. There is a restaurant I would like to try called "XYZ" on Howard and 3rd. How does 11:00 a.m. sound?

S

~*~*~*~

Kagome stared at the lunch request for a few moments before rationalizing her decision. 'A girl has to eat…' She accepted the lunch proposal.

Sesshoumaru had just successfully found another flag when he received Kagome's reply.

~*~*~*~

From: Higurashi@KHtechCIO.com

To: TakaraS@Sestaka.com

Subject: re: Wednesday

I'll meet you at XYZ at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

Kagome Higurashi

~*~*~*~

A satisfied smile appeared on the young man's face. "Perfect.'"

~*~*~*~

Glossary:

'Niichan - Informal for "Big Brother." Rin uses this for Inuyasha.

'Niisan - Informal for "Big Brother." The -san denotes more respect. Rin uses this for the oldest brother, Sesshoumaru.

Hai - Yes

Ja ne - Bye

Onegai - Please

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you think!

*~*

To TaskinLude: I'm so glad someone caught the "HP phone chime." I love Harry Potter and just read the 5th book. My little sister keeps asking for the book. Let's see, Miroku has a Bimmer, Kagome has a Benz and a Beetle (Still trying to figure out what color I should use), Nobu has a Lexus, and Sess… Hey, he needs a car. I think he would drive a big luxury car. What do you think? Akuma means "devil" and I used an Akuma for A Demon Should Act Like A Demon. It just really seemed appropriate for Naraku. Naraku means "hell" or "hades". It also means "eternity" and "theatre basement." I think for the latter two, it depends on how the word is used. ;)

My Fan Fiction Updates

Gomen nasai, Minna-san. I underestimated the time I needed for my class. It's my last one, but it's not as easy as I thought. ;)

A Demon Should Act Like A Demon: Chapter 20 (21 in FF.net) will be posted by Thursday. Chapter 21 by the 4th of July weekend.

Kagome's Second: (My first Bankotsu/Kagome romance and the prequel to The City by the Bay). Prologue Part C posted will be posted after Chapter 21 of ADSALAD.

The City by the Bay: Chapter 4 posted. Chapter 5 in two weeks.

In the planning stages:

Inuyasha's Jewel: (Inuyasha/Kagome romance). On hold.

Sango's Diary: The diary is a prequel and/or a companion to Kagome's Second and The City by the Bay. It will reveal certain events that occurred to Kagome, Sango, Jak, Nobu, and Hojo, including how they dealt with their experiences, their love, their loss, and their secrets. This is a trilogy and each part will be posted separately. The prologue for each part will be posted within 2-3 weeks.