Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Home is Where the Heart is Hidden ❯ Chapter 8 ( Chapter 8 )

Niara: I finished a chapter and started a new one. YEA!

 

Disclaimer: Neither Inuyasha nor Yu-Yu-Hakusho belong to me. They belong to their respective creators and I place no claim on them.

 

 

Chapter 8

 

Hiei hated his partner sometimes. It wasn't the fact that he had gotten himself killed and now lived as a human half of the time (his human half acted more like a demon than most demons) nor was it the fact that the fox demon loved to screw up the best laid of plans and prove that he had one of his own already in place and implemented. What he hated was his partner's rather annoying habit of not telling his damn plants that Hiei was on his side!

 

After plowing through over ten different regions of deadly vegetation, Hiei was fed up with having to fight off the fox's pets. This was why he stopped right in front of the invisible barrier that was separating him from a large chunk of the forest, confused. The fox had definitely gone this way, through the barrier, but the barrier had a holy feel to it, something that would have killed the kitsune instantly. Hiei frowned and shook his head.

 

“If I get fried because of this, Fox,” he swore, “I am coming back just to murder you..”

 

The hybrid fire-ice demon leapt through the barrier, wincing at the tingling feeling that washed over him as he did. On the other side, he landed heavily, his entire body off-balance as he attempted to adjust to the raw power that he had just passed through. His entire body hurt to move one instant, then, in another, he felt better than he had in centuries.

 

Slowly, he oriented himself and began to run again, slowly building his speed back up as he adjust to the feeling of the area. When he came to the clearing where Kurama's distinctive scent ended, he stopped, looking all around for signs of the demon. The sound of someone, almost definitely a woman, humming reached his ears and he looked down through the branches of the tree he was hiding in to see a young, human woman with long black hair dressed in the hakama, the trademark of the mikos, and a white haori. She was laying out a small stack of rations, a small stone bowl with a bit of water in it and some dried meat and cheese, unaware of his presence.

 

Hiei dropped from the tree to land exactly behind the priestess, katana drawn and poised to strike. His blade was stopped, not by the priestess, who had stopped humming, but by the tree he had been hiding in. One of the lower branches had reached down and wrapped around his wrist, the brittle limb infused with unnatural strength that could only have been granted by one being that Hiei knew.

 

The priestess rose and turned to face him, taking a step back so as to avoid any blows that Hiei may have decided to throw, a move that proved to be unnecessary. Hiei stared at the face of the miko, unsure what to think. He knew that it was impossible for this woman to be Kikyo, the bitch had dead, brown eyes and reeked of death, but his mind kept insisting that the woman he was looking at was her. Their jaw line was the same, even the facial spacing was similar enough to be called identical, and the woman possessed more power than Hiei had ever felt before. But, this woman's power was pure and untainted in any way, completely preserved in its rawest form, the exact opposite of the kuromiko's power, something he had never seen in any other priestess.

 

“You may as well come out of the shelter, Kurama,” she said in a soft, musical voice. “I know that you are awake and I think your friend is going into shock.”

 

The red-head emerged from what Hiei had mistaken as a pile of fallen brush, smiling a little sheepishly at the priestess. “I should probably have warned you that he tends to react…violently.”

 

The priestess shot the avatar an unamused look before she turned back to Hiei, smiling kindly. “I am Kagome. Kurama is being kind enough to escort me to the Northern Lands.”

 

Hiei growled softly as the tree released his arm and leapt to the ground, landing in a deep crouch with one hand resting cautiously on his sword. The woman, Kagome, smiled at him and gestured to Kurama, who was watching him with an amused expression on his face. She finished setting the bowl and food out and returned to sit at the base of the tree, keeping a respectful, cautious distance from the angry demon.

 

Kurama leaned against a tree, arms crossed over his chest, the air about him that of complete relaxation. “Why are you here, Hiei?”

 

Silence stretched between them for a minute before Hiei rose to his full, diminutive height, crimson eyes burning dangerously. “You changed plans.”

 

“A necessary change,” the fox replied with a casual wave of his hand. “An old friend of mine requested that I help her get to Raizen with a message from Master Sasaki.”

 

Hiei blinked, his blood-colored eyes widening in shock. “Sasaki? Han Higurashi's chief advisor?”

 

The red head nodded, glancing at Kagome. “The Hellfire of the Central Lands.”

 

******

 

He wanted to get the food that she had set out, he really did, but…

 

So long as those two were there he couldn't risk getting closer. Those demons were scary, especially the one with the red eyes. However, that one...He was familiar to him, yet unknown. What was he going to do?

 

He needed to eat, but he was so scared. He hoped they left soon.

 

******

 

Inuyasha hated to following his brother, but, in this case, he had no choice about it in this case. They needed to reach the Northern Lands as quickly as possible and Sesshomaru's mere presence would open far more paths than he could, especially since, until they reached the Northern Lands, hanyou like him were considered to be little more than dirt, barely above most humans in rank.

 

“Where the fuck are you leading me?” the hanyou growled. Sesshomaru glared at his brother and kept moving, not wanting to linger too close to his loud, obnoxious half-sibling any more than he had to. “Oi! Bastard! Tell me where the fuck you're leading me!”

 

Kuronue, flying just above and behind the brothers, chuckled, violet eyes dancing in delight. At this rate, with the speed that Sesshomaru was determined to move at, they would reach the Northern Border inside of a week, much better time than most would be able to handle. Youko had definitely left him with an amusing couple of dogs, he did have to admit.

 

A startled yelp drew his attention to Inuyasha as the hanyou dodged a flick of his brother's acid whip. Yes, very amusing.

 

 

Niara: Yeah, chapter 8….It's a little drawn out and tedious, but it has to happen….after this point, it should start picking up.