Naruto Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Priestess of the shinobi ❯ Into the storm ( Chapter 3 )

So sorry for the delay! I've been out of town and now I'm having exams, so please bear with me a little okay?

I still can't get over how wonderful you guys are, I got so many reviews I couldn't believe it! Thank you so much!

 

3.- Into the storm

 

We are following the will of the One

Through the Dark Age and into the storm

 

“I fuckin'... swear... to Kami. The damn… moment… I get my hands on him…” Kagome muttered, still trying to regain her breath. She had just gotten to Kurenai's house and was sprawled on the sofa while she tried to explain to the pregnant woman why she was covered in dirt and scratches from head to toe and barely able to stand on her feet.

 

“That man…” Kurenai sighed, shaking her head. What in the world had possessed him to do such a thing? Honestly… This Kagome woman seemed to have quite the temper when provoked. Kurenai had the distinct feeling that Kakashi was digging his own grave.

 

Kagome still rambled on.

 

“And then that Green Terror dragged me all the way to what he called training grounds and had me climbing trees for five fucking hours! Five!” she growled “And he wouldn't stop talking my ears off with that youth obsession of his.”

 

“Whoa, that sure sounds like Gai. How did you get away?” asked Kurenai.

 

“I didn't. He said he'd come search for me tomorrow so I could hone my `youthful spirit' some more.” she let out a defeated sigh, hanging her head. And she thought murderous youkai were bad… at least those she could purify!

 

Kurenai laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

 

“Don't worry, I'll send him away when he comes tomorrow. Though I should tell you, he's not the kind of guy to give up easily” she warned.

 

“Ugh, why doesn't it surprise me?” Kagome groaned. “But you have yet to hear the worst of it. He told me that when I was able to climb a tree without using my hands, though I have no idea about how on earth I'd manage that, he'd take me on a romantic dinner to celebrate the triumph of youth and let our spirits grow together.”

 

Kurenai chocked on her tea.

 

“He what?!” she sputtered “Gai asked you on a date?!”

 

“Yeah, something like that.” Kagome grimaced “Not that I'll ever be able to climb the damn tree without growing claws on my feet or something. But I don't feel like going through what I just went today ever again.”

 

Kurenai was watching the younger woman with a mix of pity and awe. Gai had never asked any other woman on a date from what she knew. Hell, she had even thought that he swung the other way! However, she felt bad for the priestess in front of her, who had done nothing to deserve the spandex clad shinobi's `attentions'.

 

`Huh? Wait a moment, she's a priestess!'

 

“Ano, Kagome-san? But with you being a priestess… I mean, you're not allowed to be with any man, are you?” she asked “That should solve the problem.”

 

Kagome let out a small giggle at her comment. She hadn't even thought about it, but it made sense. When she had become a priestess she hadn't made any vows or promises. It had just been a natural thing, the power had flowed through her veins, marking her as a born miko, and that was it. But in this time, in this place so different from her home, it wasn't the power that marked the miko, for as far as she knew there were no born priestesses to speak of. That made sense, since she hadn't found any youkai till recently. Instead, being a miko consisted of rituals and vows, much like Naruto had pointed out, and not of protecting and healing the humans as it was in the past.

 

“I have made no vow in such a way, Kurenai-san” she told her “Though I see your point. I never chose to become a priestess, I was born with the power, and decided to use it to protect those around me, but that was about it.”

 

Kurenai raised a surprised brow.

 

“Uhh… okay, then” she said “You could always tell him that you took the vows and be done with it, though.”

 

Kagome shook her head, her raven locks swaying gently around her dirt covered face.

 

“I'd rather not lie. Besides, I don't think that'd deter him from trying to make me climb the damn trees, so there's no point really.”

 

“You're right. For the time being you should just try and avoid him as much as you can. We'll figure something out along the way.”

 

`Sigh' “Yeah, I think I'll do that… If you don't mind, though, I'll be taking a shower and getting to bed now; I'm dead on my feet.” Kagome said, fighting a loosing battle to keep her eyes open.

 

Kurenai smiled good-naturedly.

 

“You do that. I'll have a late night snack, then turn in as well” she told the tired priestess. `Hmmm, I think I have some tempura leftovers. Maybe with a little chocolate…'

 

Kagome just nodded distractedly as she crawled into the bathroom, daydreaming of the bed the older woman had prepared for her.

 

“G'night”

 

“Night” the kunoichi answered, heading for the kitchen. She was dying to share this piece of juicy gossip with Anko and Shizune, and maybe Tsunade too, but she very much doubted that the young priestess would appreciate it. She had enough as it was with the overly enthusiastic taijutsu master. Maybe she could convince her to tell them herself, so that they could plot together? `Hmm, decisions, decisions…'

 

Also, she'd have to talk with Kakashi. Honestly, what was he thinking? It was very out of character for him to bother messing with people he barely knew. It seemed that she was in for an interesting day next morning.

 

 

Kagome felt like she had barely closed her eyes when she felt an insistent hand poking her on the shoulder. Groaning sleepily, she tried to swat it away and go back to blissful oblivion. Unfortunately for her, the owner of said hand was having none of that.

 

“Kagome-san, you've got to wake up” she heard.

 

“Too early… five more minutes…” she muttered, burying her head under the pillow to prevent the sunlight coming form the window from waking her fully.

 

Kurenai's thin brow shot up in amusement.

 

“Oh, it's alright, then. I'll just tell Gai you'll be in the training grounds in half an hour for another lesson on tree climbing.” She made a pause, as if thinking about something “Though I'm sure that now that he has had more time to prepare he's scheduled for a whole day of exercise…”

 

“Say WHAT!?” Kagome shot out of bed, suddenly very awake. She grimaced at the cramps from the day before, and Kurenai couldn't help but laugh a little at the poor woman's misfortune.

 

“Don't worry, he's still not here, but he'll find you in no time if you don't get out of bed soon” she informed the miko.

 

“But I thought you were going to send him away…” she whined, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

 

The pregnant kunoichi gave her a sheepish smile.

 

“I know, but I wasn't really counting on you not being a kunoichi. If you're in the house when he comes by he'll definitely be able to sense you, even from the doorstep” she explained, her ruby eyes apologetic.

 

Kagome sighed in resignation.

 

“I swear I'm going to kill that damn excuse for a man” she grouched, getting up from the bed.

 

“Aw, c'mon, Gai isn't that bad, that's just the way he is. He really means no harm.” Kurenai defended him. Kagome arched a brow.

 

“I'm talking about Kakashi.”

 

The older woman's eyes widened for a fraction of second before narrowing in mischief. Her lips curled in a conspirational grin.

 

“Oh, go ahead, then. He does deserve it” she agreed.

 

“He damn well does…” she heard Kagome mutter as she disappeared behind the bathroom door in order to get ready to flee from the spandex clad man.

 

 

A horror struck Hyuuga Hinata stared at her father through tear stained lavender eyes.

 

“But f-father… I can't d-do… that, I l-love him!” she managed to say without chocking on her sobs. She tried to find comfort in the figure of her cousin, who stood silent, but supportive, by her side. Surely Neji would know how to make her father see that this was a huge mistake. I would kill her to leave Naruto, now that they were finally together, after all those years of pinning after him.

 

“It does not matter” the Hyuuga head said, in his trademark unemotional voice. “You are once again the Heir to the Hyuuga House, and your marriage shall be a beneficial one for this clan” he stated.

 

He watched as the crystal tears spilled from his only remaining daughter's eyes, and he willed himself to be strong. This was not his decision, but the elders', and he had no choice but to abide by their wishes in this matter. At least he had convinced them not to choose Neji to marry her off to. He knew that his daughter loved him like a brother, and he personally abhorred the old tradition of favouring incest in the powerful clans. It was plain sick, in his opinion.

 

Not being able to watch his daughter any longer, he wordlessly turned around and left the room.

 

Hinata crumbled the moment her father closed the door, barely missing hitting the ground thanks to her cousin catching her in the last possible moment. Desperate, she threw her arms around the older shinobi's neck and started sobbing into his shoulder, her salty tears quickly soaking through his white shirt and wetting the skin beneath.

 

He lowered them both onto the ground and kneeled beside her, trying to sooth her in his silent manner.

 

`Do not worry, Hinata-sama. Everything will be alright. I will make sure of it.' he vowed, angry lavender eyes narrowing at the door through which the older Hyuuga had exited the room.

 

 

Kagome walked lazily towards the tower she had been told served as the Hokage's headquarters. She had spent some time since she'd left Kurenai's house thinking about the youkai attack from a few days prior, and there was something to it she didn't really understand. If what they'd told her was true, and she was pretty sure it was, the ninjas had never heard of that kind of thing, and neither about miasma for that matter. Not even the miko and priests of the village temple. So why now, and why this particular village? Did it have anything to do with her? And above all that, who commanded the mindless youkai and created the miasma? It couldn't have been Naraku, he was long dead, the damn bastard… She had killed him herself, though with the help of her friends, of course. Her fists clenched and she gritted her teeth at the remembrance of what he had done to her…

 

Shivering, she forcefully cut off that train of thought. It would do her no good to wallow in self pity, as she had learned. A damn good lesson too, is she said so herself. She'd always be grateful to the old dog for it, among other things. But now she had more pressing matters to attend to, namely, a self appointed meeting with the Hokage. She hoped the blonde had spare time to talk to her.

 

 

Tsunade was blissfully sleeping away a hangover; her blond locks sprawled onto the piles of paperwork that overflowed her desk. She had discovered over the years that once they were conveniently crumbled they made for a nice pillow in which to take naps. Now, if that annoying voice would shut up…

 

“Tsunade-sama? Tsunade-sama, are you in there? Kagome-san is here to see you.”

 

She identified the voice with that of her assistant, and gave up trying to get back to sleep. She had known the black haired kunoichi long enough to be sure that she'd just call her again and again until she acknowledged her. Grumpily, she walked over to the door, cradling her aching head in one hand while she slammed the door open with the other.

 

“Now what?!” she bellowed, wincing as it only caused the pounding in her head to worsen.

 

Kagome jumped a couple of feet in the air, still holding a startled Tonton in her arms, as she'd been playing with it while she waited.

 

“Uhh… Tsunade-sama, Kagome-san has come to talk to you; she said it's about the attack from four days ago.” Shizune explained.

 

Tsunade grumbled something unintelligible under her breath, then motioned for the young priestess to follow her into the office. Kagome carefully placed the cute pig back on the floor before walking into the room after the blonde, shutting the door behind her. She sat on the chair the Hokage offered her as Tsunade herself collapsed onto the one in front of her.

 

Tsunade stared inquisitively at the young woman before her.

 

“So, how can I help you, Kagome?” she asked, sounding as if helping was the last thing on her mind. The other woman didn't seem to care much.

 

“Err, well, you see, I've been thinking about the reasons behind the youkai attack you suffered a few days ago and… well, I think there is something amiss” she blurted out. This perked up the Hokage's interest.

 

“What do you mean, amiss?” she asked, straightening herself in her seat before leaning slightly forward.

 

Kagome shook her head in confusion.

 

“I'm not really sure what it is, but youkai don't just gather together to attack random villages” she tried to explain “Usually, when they attack they're either defending themselves or hunting for food, but never in such large groups.”

 

Tsunade thought this was logical, but she still didn't understand what she was getting at. She motioned for her to continue.

 

“The way they were behaving, working as one instead of attacking one another, makes me think that there was someone controlling them. The miasma surrounding them only proves my point further, as it wasn't created by any of them” she said.

 

Tsunade watched her carefully as she spoke. Sometime during her speech her eyes had unfocused, as if she'd been reminiscing of the past. It was brief, but it was there, and the kunoichi's trained eyes didn't miss it.

 

“Tell me Kagome, you've already seen something like this before, haven't you?” she asked, honey eyes locking onto chocolate brown orbs.

 

Kagome's face turned slightly grim, before she nodded.

 

“Yes I have. It was a long time ago, though, and it couldn't have been the same… person commanding them” she said, shaking her head in frustration. “I saw him die with my own eyes” the spite marring her words didn't go unnoticed by the older woman, leading her to think that she'd done more than just watch.

 

“Kagome, I respect your wish to keep as much as possible of your past private, but if this… person, as you call him, is a threat to Konoha, I need to know” she declared. Kagome quickly cut her off with another negative shaking of her head.

 

“No, I am positive that he died. Those of demonic blood can't survive purification, after all” she assured the Hokage. “What worries me is that, for some reason, someone is commanding lower youkai to destroy this village, and I don't know who or why.”

 

Tsunade fell in silence, her face dead serious. They couldn't afford another attack like the previous one. If it hadn't been for the young priestess's aid, they would've been annihilated, and wouldn't have been able to do a damn thing to prevent it. Anyway, even if the miko was there, she wouldn't make the whole village depend on a woman she barely knew.

 

“Do you have any ideas?” she asked finally.

 

Kagome bit her lower lip in frustration.

 

“At first I thought they had come for me, sensing the purity, but I'm not so sure now” she admitted.

 

Tsunade nodded, understanding what she was implying.

 

“You weren't even close when the attacks started. If Team Kakashi hadn't come across you in the forest you would've never known a thing” she supplied, as Kagome nodded her head.

 

“So it follows that the main target was the village” she sighed. This wasn't good.

 

“That's what I thought as well, but I can't understand why. There isn't anything remotely demonic in this village, save for Naruto, and his aura is that of a hanyou. It would never interest someone powerful enough to command that many lower youkai” she ran her hand through her hair, trying to make sense of everything. They were missing something, and it irritated her. The blond Hokage wasn't much better off, either.

 

“I'm willing to bet that they're after the forbidden scrolls” she growled. She looked up to face the priestess, who seemed to be running through other possibilities. “Do you think that youkai would have any interest in our jutsu?” she asked.

 

Kagome mused over it for a while.

 

“It could be. I'm not really sure, but it's a possibility, and the best suggestion we have this far” she finally said.

 

Tsunade nodded once again, slumping back onto her chair.

 

“Very well, then, I'll have Sakura revise the scrolls and heighten the vigilance over the place they're in. If you think of anything else about this, please make sure you inform me right away. Don't talk to anybody about this, we don't know who might be listening” she instructed.

 

Kagome nodded her agreement.

 

“That works for me” she said as she got up form her chair. She walked to the door and was about to close it behind her when Tsunade called her once again.

 

“Kagome? Could you tell Sakura to come here? I'm afraid I'm running short on messengers.”

 

Kagome agreed before closing the door, it wasn't like she had anything better to do.

 

She was on her way out of the Hokage tower when she saw the telltale silver hair peaking out from behind a bright orange book.

 

“You…” she growled. He didn't seem to notice, so she made a grab for the book he was constantly reading. She was inches away when she found her wrist caught in an iron grip.

 

“Why hello, Kagome-san? How are you on this beautiful morning?” he asked, his only visible eye creasing happily.

 

`The nerve of him…' she fumed.

 

“I'll tell you how I am, you traitorous bastard” she growled under her breath, not wanting to make a scene. Of course, being surrounded by ninjas, it didn't do much good. “I am scratched from head to toe, my body aches in places I didn't even know they existed, and I have a green lunatic trying to get me to climb trees, not to talk about dating him when I manage to do it” her voice grew louder with every word. “How the fuck do you think I am?!” she ended her tirade, her face so close to his that their noses were nearly touching. Several shinobi were openly staring at them by now, while the rest of them watched more discreetly. Several of them sported amused smiles on their faces.

 

“Maa, maa, Kagome-san. I though you'd like to learn how to climb trees on you own, so you wouldn't need my assistance in the future” he said innocently, not moving one inch, so as to let her know that he wasn't in the least bit intimidated.

 

Kagome didn't buy his act.

 

“And you thought that the best option was to have the Green Terror I was running from teach me, huh!? You're a dead man, Kakashi!” she told him, yanking her wrist free from his grasp as she stared at him in the eye for emphasis.

 

“Well, aren't we all going to die anyway?” he said dramatically at last, focusing his gaze on the book once again and starting to walk away. He hadn't walked two steps before he heard Kagome's muttered reply.

 

“Maybe, but not so soon.”

 

The tone in which she had said it sent an uncomfortable chill down Kakashi's spine. Maybe he shouldn't have messed with the strange woman? `Naw, it was damn funny. Besides, what could she do to me, anyway?' With that comforting thought he walked on to the Hokage's office.

 

 

Kagome wandered around the Leaf village for a while, trying to find the pink haired kunoichi, but to no avail. Where the hell had she gone? She'd asked a few people, and they suggested that she looked for her at the hospital, or the training grounds. After that hadn't worked, she'd been sent to her house and even to a ramen stand called Ichiraku's. No luck.

 

She was about to call quits when she spotted a figure clad in green spandex with an awfully familiar bowl haircut. She `eeped' in alarm and turned around, ready to flee as fast and as far away as she could. Too late.

 

“Kagome-sama!” she heard a voice call her. To her immense relief, it wasn't the one of her overly amorous admirer. `Thank heavens! It's just Mini-me.' She turned and gave him a sincere smile, still grateful that she'd been spared this time.

 

“Hello, Lee-kun” she greeted. “How are you feeling?” she enquired. He'd been one of the last she'd healed before passing out, and she wasn't completely sure that she'd gotten rid of all the miasma properly, given the condition she was in.

He stopped and gave her a thumbs-up, grinning in a way that was entirely too similar to that of his sensei's, much to Kagome's displeasure. She cringed inwardly, but somehow managed to avoid it showing on her face.

 

“Your blossoming spirit managed to give me back the power of youth, so I was able to even train this morning!” he beamed. Kagome felt her skin crawl. `Yep, entirely too alike, alright.'

 

“I'm glad to hear that, Lee-kun” she told him, actually meaning it. It wasn't the poor boy's fault, after all. “So, there was anything you needed?” she asked.

 

Lee dropped the poise, and his shoulders seemed to slump a little.

 

“I'm looking for my lovely cherry blossom, but she doesn't seem to be anywhere in sight” he told her.

 

Kagome looked at him uncertainly.

 

“Cherry blossom… you mean Sakura?” she enquired.

 

He nodded.

 

“I've been looking for her for a while now, but I can't seem to find her” he suddenly straightened and closed his fist in determination. “But if I can't find her within the next thirty minutes, I vow to do two thousand push-ups on a single finger as a punishment!” he declared, his eyes glinting.

 

“Oh,” she said, trying to erase a similar declaration made by his sensei the day before “I've been looking for her as well. If you find her, could you tell her that the Hokage wants to see her?” she asked him.

 

He blinked a couple of times, then he beamed again before agreeing enthusiastically.

 

Kagome smiled.

 

“Good then, I'll see you around, Lee-kun” she called, as he hurried down the street.

 

“Geez, he sure is energetic” she mused out loud, as she lost sight of him. She began walking away when a voice called from some nearby bushes.

 

“Is he gone?” Sakura asked, hesitantly poking her head out of the plant, some of the greenery getting stuck to her short pink locks.

 

Kagome stared in surprise.

 

“You were there the whole time?”

 

Sakura nodded, running her hand through her hair to get the leaves out and then patting her clothes.

 

“He's too damn persistent” she grumbled. “Don't get me wrong, he's a great guy and all, but I wish she would stop following me around. I kinda understand now why Sasuke ran away every time he spotted Ino or me.”

 

Kagome nodded sympathetically.

 

“Don't worry, I understand a bit too well for my tastes” she sighed.

 

Sakura eyed her in surprise.

 

“So, it's true? I heard that Gai-sensei had you climbing trees for the most part of yesterday's afternoon and well into the evening.”

 

It was Kagome who looked surprised now.

 

“How did you know that?”

 

“Oh, get used to it” Sakura replied, waving her hand dismissively “Gossip is the number one national sport in here, and being surrounded by ninjas makes it kind of difficult to keep anything a secret for long.”

 

Kagome grimaced. Just her luck. Sakura noticed, and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

 

“Don't worry, though, we all know how Gai-sensei feels about training. Just try and stay out of his grasp for a while, then he'll focus back on his own team to torture.”

 

Kagome let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. So they didn't know that he was more interested than just in training her. All the better, the last thing she wanted was for them to encourage him, just like that silver haired bastard. `Just wait till I get my hands on him.'

 

She was broken out of her reverie when Sakura spoke again.

 

“Okay, I'm leaving for shishou's office now. You said she wanted to see me, right?”

 

“Yes, I talked to her about something and she wants you to do some research. She'll tell you herself, I think. She asked me not to talk about it” she answered.

 

Sakura nodded in understanding.

 

“Okay. See you later, then” she told her “Maybe you could come and have lunch with me and the boys? Naruto's been asking about you since the day of the battle, and I think even Sasuke would like to see you.”

 

“Oh, okay, I guess” Kagome answered, not wanting to be rude, but also praying that she wouldn't have to spend time with the masked jounin. At least not while having to be civil to him.

 

“At noon at the Ichiraku's, then. Ask anyone if you don't know where it is, it's pretty easy to find” she called back as she headed to the Hokage's tower.

 

Kagome merely nodded and waved as she headed for Kurenai's house. As things were, it was the safest place to hide from the Green Terror and plot Kakashi's demise.

 

 

Tsunade grumbled when someone knocked on her office door for the second time that morning.

 

“Come in!” she called.

 

The masked face of Konoha's copy-nin was the first thing she saw, nose stuck as always in one of his dirty orange books. Without even thinking, she hurled her stone paperweight at his head. He caught it without even looking away from his reading.

 

“Good morning, Hokage-sama” he greeted, finally closing the book. He stared at the heavy object she'd thrown at him. “I take it you're not too glad to see me?”

 

Tsunade responded without missing a beat, her honey eyes angry and bloodshot from the hangover.

 

“You're two hours late, Hatake” she spat at him. Not that it was anything unusual, but she wasn't going to just let it slide every time he did it.

 

“Well, you see, there was this old lady whose cat had gotten lost…”

 

“Cut the crap, Hatake, you don't even bother to make up new excuses anymore” she bit back. “Now listen, I've got a new mission for you” she stated.

 

This got his attention.

 

“Which rank?” he asked.

 

She raised an eyebrow at his change in behaviour, but didn't comment.

 

“Unranked, for the moment at least” she answered. This got his attention even more, leading him to tuck the book he still had in his hand into his pouch. The Hokage went on.

 

“I want you to keep watch on Higurashi Kagome” she declared.

 

Kakashi's visible eye widened incredibly. Not that he hadn't expected her to be watched, he just hadn't expected to be him the one to do the job.

 

“Err, Hokage-sama, maybe it would be better if you left that to someone else” he argued “She already knows me, and will surely notice me spying on her. Maybe a face she doesn't recognize…”

 

Tsunade negated with her head.

 

“No, that's exactly why I chose you. She already knows you, so you can spend time with her without her suspecting. The other members of your team are too young, but it would be more common if you made friends with her” she went on “Not that I really think that she'd harm the village, but I don't want to risk anything.”

 

“But…” he tried to object.

 

“But nothing, Hatake” she cut him off. “I need you to do this mission, and I don't want excuses.”

 

He hung his head, defeated. `Shit, I'm dead.'

 

There you have it, the third chapter. Let me know what you think, please!