Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Par Tout Autre Nom ❯ Speaking in Circles ( Chapter 24 )

Disclaimers: Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho belong respectively to Rumiko Takahashi and Yoshihiro Togashi.

A/N: -giggling- Mou, that plant is getting so much attention! LOL, but to answer all the questions about it's origins, it's just a made up thing from me. It's not in the show, or the manga, it was just an idea for a little thing that I wanted in the story. So I guess the little plant-rose thing is mine… -shrugs at the thought and shakes head- Ah well, sometimes an idea works better than you think it will.

Now as to all of my beautiful reviewers, again, you are wonderful and I absolutely adore you. I know my junkies have been suffering lately with the time between updates, but the chapters are getting longer, and that's extending the time. Well, that and constraints from real life, which is unfortunate but true. -siiigh- But the longer I write this story, the more indepth my reviews seem to get! ^__^ I just love it when you tell me the things you were thinking and what you like when you read through it. -blushes and rubs head- Especially since I was nervous about that last chapter. It turned out how I wanted, but still, that material? -snort- I was so worried… BUT! That really should be enough from me this time… I think… -ponders- If I missed a question someone asked, I'm sorry, and I'll try to go through them again to double check. In the meantime, enjoy~!

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By Any Other Name

~Speaking in Circles~

If you don't stop fidgeting, I'm going to cut your head off and save this youkai Lord the trouble, Hiei could feel his eyebrow trying to twitch, gritting his teeth against that sign of irritation when Kurama turned a perfectly bland expression back on him. He could still see the taunt behind those eyes, Youko's mockery manifesting in threads of gold that were gone almost as quickly as they had appeared.

I haven't moved, Hiei.

Not you, the other kitsune living in your empty little head, his eyes narrowed fractionally for his sadistic amusement, knowing full well they were doing it just to get on his nerves. He was the only one who could sense when Youko was in a playful mood and pushing at his confines in their shared body after all, and there were definitely times he was certain they got bored and milked it for all it was worth, Stop it and I might consider letting you live long enough to actually make it to this goddamn meeting.

`You're being unusually uptight,' Youko snorted and brushed off the icy scowl the hybrid had managed to perfect sending into their head without batting an eyelash. `Still mad about the bed?'

Kurama barely caught himself from laughing outright at the violence glowing in the look that remark earned them at reminding him of what exactly had happened when the hybrid had returned and sat down without first checking the condition of the blankets. But Hiei managed to get himself under control somewhat before he spat out in disgust, I suppose I should at least be grateful that you moved to your own bed before you decided to fuck yourself for the night.

`So crude,' Youko was grinning widely, crowing in triumph when he saw the miniscule tick in the muscle of the shorter youkai's jaw. `One would almost think you were jealous with your fixation on our recent issues… but if it means so very much to you, I can always wait for you the next time. I don't mind if you want to watch me touch mys-`

Finish that and die.

`Flirt.'

Hiei had audibly sucked in a breath to respond to that, eyes flashing bright with enraged fire, when they were interrupted by a Kurabara's voice calling out loudly across the crowded platform, "Oi! Urameshi, Kurama! Over here!"

Kurama smiled faintly when the rather evil light died down to a sour look on Hiei's face and redirected towards the man waving at them with one hand, lifting one of his own to hide that little smile when he observed, "Don't feel left out. He probably just can't see you, you know."

On the assumption that I give half a flaming damn about that idiot thug's greeting, you are not making the situation any better, he remarked dryly, but the way his expression had smoothed easily displayed he'd regained the control Youko had managed to disrupt with his antics.

`You're such a touchy chibi,' Youko taunted him, snickering at the new twitch he'd managed to get out of the hybrid. `Come now… aren't you a little offended that your probably soon-to-be in-law just stiffed you on a welcome?'

Before he could get a response to that laughing accusation, they broke through the bulk of the crowd on the platform, predictably dropping Kurabara's focus to the youkai he would often swear was the bane of his very existence. Well, aside from Yuusuke, that is, but the level of `bane' tended to vary between them, "Oh, there you are. Kurama let you hang onto his coat to keep from getting lost?"

I can make it look like an accident.

Too convenient for you, Hiei, they'd see right through it, Kurama patted him on the shoulder with a companionable smile while Yuusuke chuckled at the rather inventive murder he could see dancing through those narrowed claret eyes. Is he really worth extending your sentence?

I remain undecided.

`And you say I hold grudges,' Youko snorted in amused disgust.

Do not compare my distaste for Kurabara to your petty inability to ignore what you find insulting, Hiei ordered him crisply, folding his arms as he turned to glare off at some unimportant object in the distance to show he didn't intend to continue the discussion.

Kurabara was clucking his tongue, pulling one hand out of his pocket to take the cigarette out of his mouth as he shook his head and turned serious, "I gotta hand it to you guys… When you start poking around, you really manage to poke the worst spots."

Redirected from his favorite pastime of tormenting Hiei, Youko turned their head back to the human curiously as he turned and led them away from the crowds of potential ears before Kurama murmured, "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean work ain't ever been as crazy as it's been lately," he snorted in irritation, pulling his sunglasses out of the breast pocket of his dark suit and slipping them on as they stepped out into the afternoon sun. "Everyone's been called in that can make it, and I've heard rumors that `everyone' includes all the company directors. Not just Japan, but all the internationals too. Even if they haven't shown up, word around the office is they all know about the guys who had the balls to demand interviews with the top man himself."

Yuusuke blinked and turned to glance back at the two bland-faced youkai before he turned his attention back to Kurabara, a frown creasing his forehead as he demanded, "What the hell are we walking into?"

I'd say we hit a nerve, Hiei slanted Kurama a satisfied look as he simply offered a noncommittal shrug when Yuusuke looked back again.

Nice to know we haven't lost our special touch, Kurama turned his face aside to hide the smirk that played across his lips, absently feeling out to be certain there was no danger around them to delay their meeting.

"Even Higurashi's back in the office, and she's been off on some hush-hush project for as long as I've worked for the company," Kurabara flicked his hand to knock loose any excess ash before taking in another deep drag. "She came in with him a few days ago, and he had her taking over for Ankoji-san on the spot. After that, she's never more than a few feet from Takeharuka."

Kurama stopped walking, his eyes snapping back to Kurabara with an absolutely frigid edge when that piece of information dropped so casually from his lips, "Higurashi?"

That is Kagome's family name, isn't it? Hiei arched an eyebrow, pausing in between Kurama and the others when they realized the kitsune was no longer in step.

He knew about her… Goddammit, he knew? And he didn't say anything?! His eyes narrowed slightly, holding back his anger with effort at the rise in frustration that Youko was doing nothing to suppress.

Then again… Youko was still in a bit of a mood over their inability to reconnect with her mind after that first explosive success, barely mollified by the knowledge that his rose was still alive and close enough to her to attend to his guarding instructions. Not even knowing it had more than one chance to take nibbles out of the other irritating kitsune had settled his increasingly shortened temper on the subject. And now to hear that what Sesshoumaru had ordered him to avoid had been freely given to their only fully human teammate?

`He's been seeing her. In person,' Youko's low hiss started a twitch through their muscles, his desire to vent his anger on the unsuspecting man making their fingertips itch and burn.

"Yeah, real sweet girl," Kurabara nodded, oblivious to the rapidly darkening ki chilling the air immediately around the youkai. "She's pretty too, especially her eyes, the guys around the office love talking to her so they can look at her eyes. She doesn't have any kind of higher energy, and I mean none, but she does have this creepy knack for knowing just what Takeharuka wants without him having to say a word. Rumor around the office is that he had to send her away for something important, and some of the more romantic girls think he's keeping her so close now to make up for lost time."

Isn't that sweet? Hiei drawled out, smirking as he regarded the nearly invisible signs of strain making Kurama's eyes a much more vivid green than normal. Making up for lost time-

Shut up, Hiei.

"Funny thing though, I thought she was just a kid the first time I saw her," Kurabara rubbed the back of his head and gave a self-deprecating laugh as he continued to obliviously voice his thoughts. "She doesn't look as old as she says she is, especially when she's been raiding her brother's closet."

Yuusuke rolled his eyes and nodded in remembrance, "No kidding."

"But then she said she wanted to make the rounds with me, see the security we had," Kurabara's expression twisted into bemusement. "That was so weird."

Hiei opened his mouth, instinctively closing it again with the deeply ingrained aversion for making conversation with this human in particular before he muttered a few choice words and stubbornly demanded, "In what way?"

He flicked the cigarette into the grass along the sidewalk despite Kurama's blatantly disapproving frown, cocking his head to one side as he tried to put him impressions into the right words, "If I didn't know better, I'd think she'd been involved in a war or two herself… just the questions she would ask, or the things she'd do to our procedures. She was so precise and serious about it. Then I thought I heard her say something about tests, but when I asked she said it was an inside joke. Must've heard wrong."

Yuusuke sighed heavily, folding his arms behind his head with a scowl, "Maybe she's crazy. She does go from looking all little and sparkly and harmless to that serious face a bit too quickly. And it sure as hell ain't normal to act like she does to a youkai like this Sesshoumaru guy seems to be, especially if she's a miko."

`Kindly remind that boy that I will not permit disparaging remarks about the sanity of our lover,' Youko growled softly, obviously reverting back to his overly elegant mode with his growing displeasure as he leaned back in Kurama's head with his legs crossed. `Finding pleasure in the company of youkai does not mean she's a fool or a lunatic even if she is a miko.'

Just finding pleasure in the company of you, Hiei's lips quirked up just a hint at the corner, gone before anyone but Kurama had caught it.

Cute, Hiei, real cute, Kurama resisted the urge to growl with effort. And calm down, Youko, he's just talking out what he's thinking. He doesn't necessarily believe it.

Hiei snorted.

Kurama could feel his eyebrow twitch when Youko offered his support to the hybrid's silent disagreement, covering his eyes with one hand and rubbing at his temples, We know that Kagome is not insane, but if you did something while we were in her soul to make some of her past life leak out-

`Don't accuse me of tasteless things,' Youko cut him off impatiently. `Firstly, you would sense if I had been poking around to actually wake up those memories instead of just playing in them. And second, I am flattered by your faith in me, but even I would have difficulty actually accomplishing something of such precision in a miko's soul. If you don't know how the power works in detail, it tends to make things messy when you rifle through it.'

Not worth it to go fucking up her head before you know how to do it and still have her all to yourself in the end? Hiei accused him with an underlying hint of amusement. You really are a selfish little bastard.

`I have our lover's best interests at heart,' Youko protested arrogantly.

Hiei continued to stare at Kurama silently for a moment, smiling when he saw the long-suffering irritation on that beautiful face over Youko's… unique thought processes, You know… I think I'm going to like this girl.

Why's that? Kurama's brows furrowed at the abrupt, unexpected change.

Because the chances that you'll succeed in what you're trying with her without ending up tossed on your ass for my personal enjoyment over and over are practically nonexistent, Hiei tilted his chin up, laughter bouncing from his mind to Kurama's as he saw the line of the kitsune's shoulders tense.

"Kaze knows more about her than I do," Kurabara continued on, shrugging as he tried to make sense of everything going on, or at least drop some bit of information that the other three could use to help with trying. "I tried to ask him how they knew each other, but all he would say was that she was a close relation and she wouldn't appreciate if he gossiped about her life."

"You mentioned this Kaze before," Kurama prodded hopefully, blocking out the sounds of Youko and Hiei having another of their `discussions.' "Who is he?"

"Nenjuharuka… He's a doctor, officially," he glanced over his shoulder with a grin for the proof that they really were listening attentively. "Private doctor for the family, or something like that. Kinda eerie guy, like he's looking through you when you talk to him. His cousin, Shinju, owns a temple, I think, but he's a lot more laid back. Has a hand problem though," he held up his right hand and curled his fingers to gesticulate with his words.

I'm about positive Koenma picked him for this just because he's so damnably thick-headed, Kurama sighed with a sort of weary resignation. These are all things we needed to know, questions that would have helped, but… it's Kurabara. We didn't ask, so he didn't think to offer.

What did you expect? Hiei let himself be distracted from the hissing spirit bombarding him with a slew of unpleasant images and thoughts. He's more intelligent than he was as a child, but he is still a complete idiot.

`Now you're jealous because he has more information about this place than you do,' Youko clucked his tongue with heavily exaggerated disappointment. `How petty of you to have such feelings for a man with such limited capabilities. A human, no less.'

If you take your bitchiness out on me one more time today, Youko, I'm going to cut off that poofy attempt at a tail you call hair and shove it up your ass, he assured him in a perfectly flat tone.

Try to refrain from insulting my hair, Hiei, Kurama shot him a quelling glare, his voice sliding down into reflexive, if somewhat stilted regality. I happen to be proud of it, and I know that you're well aware it's not a tail, nor are we using it in place of the ones we have.

You're getting as touchy about such things as that shiny-eyed moron in your head.

`I dare you to say that again when I'm the one on top, you little-!'

"What about Higurashi?" Yuusuke demanded, the disgust threaded through his voice making it very clear he'd reached the same conclusion while they were busing trying to outdo each other with their silent battle.

"She's a trainer of some sort from what I can gather, but she's high up there in Takeharuka's eyes," Kurabara paused, leaning his weight against the building beside them as he waited patiently for the traffic to cease enough to cross the street. "For all the times she just comes and goes anywhere in the building without getting her head taken off, you know. Kagome-chan just- hrk!"

"Do not speak her name so familiarly," Kurama intoned almost inaudibly, barely aware that he'd actually moved as his mind slowly took in the hand wrapped around Kurabara's throat, shoving him back against the brick on his toes to be sure he was properly intimidated- Properly intimidated-? Dammit, Youko-!

`Hate to break it to you, but that was all you with me watching happily from right inside here,' Youko gave him the distinct feeling of being patted on the head. `We heard him say her name and you just up and snapped. I'm so proud.'

Kurama released Kurabara, his cheeks suspiciously darker than normal as he ducked his head and stalked across the street in front of them, stuffing his hands into his pockets, That was not all me.

Actually-

Don't even start with me right now, Hiei, Kurama snarled at him, cutting off that chuckle before it could fully start and biting down on his lip to resist the urge to let out a scream of pure frustration.

"He is under a great deal of stress lately," Hiei absently remarked to the stunned humans as he nonchalantly followed the kitsune. "Something you humans call a mid-life crisis, I believe-"

You're pushing your luck, Hiei.

You're the one who is becoming so wrapped up in this investigation, Hiei shrugged as he caught Yuusuke shrugging and shaking his head out of the corner of his eye at Kurabara's apparent questioning. Perhaps it's become too personal for you to be involved. You're too focused on acquiring the empty miko to perform at your usual level of finesse.

If that's your way of showing you're concerned that I'm going to fuck this up, don't bother, Kurama blew out a heavy, controlled breath, forcibly calming himself as they drew closer to the imposing structure of Takeharuka's business headquarters. We can handle ourselves in front of Sesshoumaru.

Without turning into Youko.

`I'm not deaf, you half-sized firecracker,' Youko was swishing back and forth impatiently again, darting their eyes around to catch any signs of ambush or indications that their miko would be close. `Even I wouldn't dare to insult a taiyoukai at a meeting I backed him into. He'd use the excuse to try and kill us all in unfamiliar surroundings. We'd be at a disadvantage.'

I'm going to let that one slide for now, Hiei gave him a look that said he wouldn't do so again. Now tell me the rest of the truth, why the hell are you so twitchy?

Kurama shook his head, reaching up to rub the back of his neck lightly before he finally finished composing himself and waited for Kurabara and Yuusuke to catch up, I don't want them getting close enough to find out who she is. Kurabara would say something to Koenma without realizing it, and Yuusuke is… well, Yuusuke. He's too emotional and too easy to provoke if you know how to do it. He could give her away.

In other words, you're being paranoid about Rekai finding out that we've already found the second wife's reincarnation, Hiei wanted to roll his eyes, but managed to stop himself at the last second. Koenma's planning to ignore her and let her soul be devoured, Kurama, I don't think you have anything to be worrying about.

If the person he reincarnated gets hold of her, he's willing to do that, Kurama pointed out. If she's alone and alive, you think he'll be able to resist getting his hands on her and digging through her past-life memories to get the answers Sango and her husband won't offer?

The way you picked through them to get verification? Hiei couldn't resist taunting.

Youko's chin had kicked up in an instant, `I did not invade the privacy of her thoughts. I merely scratched the surface to bring up enough of one to get answers! I didn't even prod her for the name of the monk when I realized I could take over for his presence and participate myself. I even completely patched over the sifting to keep all her memories right where they were when I first snuck in.'

Your altruism astounds me.

`It should.'

Now he did roll his eyes, but steered away from that topic, Is that all?

Youko was the one who sighed and grudgingly offered the other reason for their uncharacteristic tension, `We should have been able to feel something.'

From what? Hiei pressed.

Youko couldn't resist taking a taste of her life energy when we were in her soul, Kurama expounded, wincing at the startled, and downright nasty look the hybrid shot him. I didn't realize what he was doing at the time!

`It's not like you ever actively participate when it's time to feed,' Youko scoffed at the idea that it had been anyone's plan but his own. `Most of the time you're asleep.'

Kurama nearly missed a step, YOUKO! How many times have you done this?

`I haven't killed any of them,' Youko made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat, almost sounding like he was pouting. `Honestly, Kurama, you can be such a self-righteous little priss sometimes.'

Who knew you had it in you? Hiei managed in a completely deadpan tone.

`Inde-oi!'

Hiei snickered and stepped aside to let Kurabara take the lead again as he led them around towards the side entrance of the main building, I like you better when you're frustrated and easily distracted.

"Ah, anyway…" Kurabara nervously cleared his throat as he pressed his hand against the button set into the wall beside the doors, looking up to be sure security could see his face and buzz them in. "Shiori-san is supposed to meet us at Takeharuka's elevators and give us the key to get into the sub-levels."

"Underground," Yuusuke clarified, realization flashing in his eyes.

"Isn't that generally what `sub-levels' means?" Hiei drawled out, side-stepping effortlessly when Yuusuke took a half-hearted swing.

"No fighting on property," Kurabara shook his head in warning as the doors slid open with a faint rush of cooler air, motioning for them to follow as he took off his sunglasses and returned them to his pocket. "Unless you really want to find out how tight security is here, and don't even think of powers. Koenma'd kill us all."

Figuratively speaking, Hiei made a face, but settled down.

I'm more worried about the reaction we would get within the den of such a powerful youkai, Kurama shook his head. They would attack us, you know they would.

Could be fun, Hiei ducked his head to hide his grin as they passed the doors, a flash catching his eyes as he turned to look at the glowing ofuda pasted at shoulder level on the walls. Kurama.

They're letting us in, he nodded once to indicate he'd noticed the barriers and the way they had retracted when Kurabara passed through. Damn… how did he find holy powers with that kind of control in this era? It's-

`Unsettling.'

"Kurabara-kun!" the soft, obviously female voice brought them out of their thoughts to see a girl about Hiei's size waving at them from across the oddly normal lobby.

A hanyou? Hiei blinked in surprise when his eyes darted over that pale hair contrasting starkly with her tanned skin and up to the inhuman eyes watching them just as intently during their approach. His brows lowered sharply when he expanded his senses and came up with the same empty echo, Goddammit!

Easy, Kurama set a hand on his shoulder, nodding to the pair of stern faced men watching them over the high paneled desk and wearing the same tailored suits that had seemed to take over Kurabara's wardrobe with his employment. She doesn't look like a threatening person.

That means nothing, he shrugged that helping hand off with a faint growl.

She hasn't killed Kurabara and she obviously is in contact with him fairly regularly, he tried pointing out instead.

Hiei stopped, twisting to frown up at him for a moment until he actually thought about that and relaxed, shaking his head, You're right.

"Takeharuka-sama is in the dojo with Shippou-chan and his cousins," Shiori bowed slightly, tucking her hair back behind her faintly pointed ear and stepping back to motion for them to step into the narrow hallway. "They should be finishing up their morning training since they're expecting you."

"Will Kagome be with them?" Kurama lengthened his stride to stand next to the diminutive hanyou, pasting on his most charming smile to convince her he could be trusted with that information.

Shiori tilted her head back and blinked up at him in surprise, seeming to be momentarily dazzled before she shook it off and looked away, her cheeks pink with embarrassment, "I… I'm not certain. She attends the sessions regularly, but Takeharuka may have given her duties elsewhere. I haven't seen her yet today."

Damn, he sighed in resignation, keeping the disappointment off his face as he nodded to her and smiled again until she quickened her step to reach the plain doorway at the end of the hall… Actually… his brows lifted as he turned and scanned the smooth walls around them, That's interesting.

It's the only door, Hiei nodded, watching her take a key from her pocket and fit it to the lock while her other hand surreptitiously pressed flat to the steel and glowed deep red for a split second. Well, well… a hanyou who controls barriers.

Very precisely too, Kurama and Youko both remarked, making Hiei chuckle slightly at the wince that crossed the kitsune's face at their synchronic thought.

"Jaken-sama will take you from here," Shiori bowed to them in a rush, stepping back and gesturing for them to pass through the open doorway before she turned and walked back the way they had come with the fluid grace only the creatures of higher blood could accomplish.

Yuusuke let out a low whistle when the door she'd first led them through clicked shut, shaking his head and murmuring, "No way that girl was human."

"Shiori-chan?" Kurabara's brows shot up in disbelief, shaking his head in disagreement. "She has to be! I've never felt anything when she's close and she acts perfectly normal."

"Are you really that stupid?" Yuusuke turned a flat look on his childhood companion, wrinkling his nose at the thought that he'd been relying so heavily on his extra perception to decide who was and wasn't human. "That person-"

He was abruptly cut off when a wooden staff came down on top of his head, hunching his shoulders up as he stood there blinking in stunned amazement that someone had just struck him and twisting around to look at the wizened little man glaring up at him with yellowed eyes, "Do not speak so disrespectfully to employees of Takeharuka-sama, and stop lurking about in corridors unless you wish to be tardy and forfeit the meeting he has so graciously allowed you!"

Hiei looked down with an unreadable expression at the man who didn't even reach his shoulder, blinking and cocking his head to one side as though he'd just found something that made absolutely no sense, What… in the hells?

"Jaken?" Kurama inquired into the silence, stepping back to avoid that waving staff when the little man rounded on him.

"That's `Jaken-sama' to you, filthy avatar!" he set the staff down with a hard thump, turning and motioning for them to follow. "Hrmph! Why she is so vocal in your defense is beyond me, but make no mistake, this Jaken has been ordered to see to it that you do not compromise her safety."

Kurama was unable to stop the warm smile that spread across his lips, only able to think of one "she" in Takeharuka's company that would think to come to his defense, She can't be that angry then, can she?

Yuusuke rubbed his head, scowling darkly at the old man and stalking forward with every intention of yanking that staff out of his hands and seeing how well the little bastard could fly when he jerked to a stop just beyond the door.

Hiei watched curiously, walking forward to join their leader beyond the simple doorway and glancing around with a snort of sardonic amusement, And here are his little youkai followers.

All of them? Kurama slipped in and looked around, his expression carefully schooled against showing his surprise when he found himself staring out across a maze of cubicles, suspicious eyes of every imaginable color watching the new arrivals with unblinking intensity.

The door slammed shut when Kurabara had joined them inside, making them turn back to see a dark-haired man smirking and leaning back against it with his arms folded over his chest. He arched one finely sculpted brow at the way they tensed in battle-readiness, gesturing with his head towards the toddering form of Jaken moving down the open floor-space to the elevators on the far side of the room, "It's never a good idea to keep Big Dog waiting."

"Who-?" Kurama started to be cut off by Jaken's impatient croaking to hurry up.

"This is getting fucking ridiculous," Yuusuke hissed as he turned and stalked after their guide, looking around them tensely as his senses screamed a warning that he was in a room full of dangerous predators even as his aura failed to bring him any sort of suspicious energy.

They could hear the man behind them chuckling to himself, and Kurama glanced back to see his eyes gleaming in speculation, one hand lifted to hold his own chin as he turned to murmur a few words with a younger, equally beautiful boy who'd come to stand at his side. His eyes narrowed slightly as he caught the edges of their discussion, shooting Hiei a look, They're making bets against us.

I noticed, he shrugged, unconcerned by the attention as Jaken tapped his slippered foot impatiently against the marble floor, smacking his staff against the button above his head to summon the private elevator and waving it threateningly to get them inside when the doors obediently slid open. They obviously do not believe we'll be making a return trip through their offices, he snorted derisively, turning to put the wall at his back and frowning when he took in the complete lack of buttons or other human electronics. What the-?

Jaken stepped in, sweeping himself up importantly and bringing the end of his staff down hard against the floor hard enough to send a vibration shivering up their legs and settling with another huff when the doors closed, "You are lucky to have made it even this far. We do not take kindly to strangers, especially strangers who unnecessarily bother Kagome-sama and cause her to become disobedient."

He turned back to face them when the seam of the doors slowly melted away until the walls had smoothed, jolting as they began their downward descent. Yuusuke's eyes widened before he'd sunk into a semi-crouch, hands fisted and body tense, "What the fuck-?! What are we in? Where are you taking us?"

"Down," Jaken tilted his nose up, readjusting his hold on his staff as the light in the chamber flickered and the image of plain wood melted into a pair of heads adorning the top of his staff.

Yuusuke and Kurabara jerked back in disgust when the eyes of the man's head opened and regarded them, the mouth opening and closing for a moment before it settled and tilted its chin back down to lie dormant, "That's-! That's fucking sick!"

"The Staff of Heads is always lost on you disgusting humans," he sighed and shook his head, shrinking slightly as the human image shifted and disappated in the same way until they were left staring at his own true-form. "But what can a great youkai such as this Jaken expect from you creatures?"

Kurabara nearly knocked his head against the wall behind him, eyes wide and startled at seeing the little man he'd seen so often with Takeharuka change into the bug-eyed reptilian youkai, "Th-that's not possible! You don't feel like a youkai!"

Hiei rolled his eyes, reaching up and smacking the human over the head to knock him onto his knees before he scowled, "Get yourself together or I'll kill you before we reach our destination."

Jaken tilted his head consideringly and finally scoffed, eyes closed and radiating a rather misplaced arrogance, "At least your youkai companion seems to have remained untainted by prolonged exposure to your ignorance."

`Is this thing for real?' Youko was nearly bubbling over with laughter at the little scene playing out around them between the ugly little monster and two men behaving as though they'd never seen a youkai before. Granted the heads were not something he would indulge in personally, but really… `They're making us look bad.'

Gods forbid, Kurama reached out and pressed his palm to the smooth metal at his side, frowning as he felt the temperature cooling and the feel of the earth getting stronger. We're deep.

Deeper than humans would have gone, Hiei agreed, turning a bored eye to the shouting match that had erupted between Yuusuke and Jaken over the smell of humans, or some other such trivial matter. Still, he could feel his lips twitch when the youkai gave up and simply clocked him over the head again, more amused by the horrified look Yuusuke gave the heads and the way he furiously tried to scrub the inhuman feel off his skin.

Jaken cracked the length of the staff against Yuusuke and Kurabara's shins, making them dart to the side as he strode to the wall when the elevator shuddered and came to a stop, tapping it to the floor again. He smiled proudly when the sound of something cracking filled the chamber just before a line ran the length of metal from ceiling to floor and split open.

Confused at the gloom beyond the lights of the elevator, they obediently shuffled out after Jaken without objecting to his squabbled orders, peering around in surprise to find the walls made of irregular stone. Some parts seemed to be covered with moss, others glistening wetly in the faint light of blue-flamed torches leading deeper down the massive corridor only to be lost a short distance ahead in an unnaturally thick fog hanging oppressive in the stale air.

"A cave?" Yuusuke murmured in disbelief, twisting and looking up and around at the stones leading upwards into darkness before glancing down to find the hard-packed earth and gravel underfoot. "That building was made on top of a cave?"

"We created the cave later to serve our purposes," Jaken informed them loftily, motioning for them to follow as he started into the fog. "If you become lost, we will not search for you."

Charming, Kurama sighed heavily as they all fell in-step, automatically correcting his steps to silence as his senses fanned out to feel the untainted ki filling the walls.

Whatever humans come here are trained in the old ways, Hiei remarked at his own assessment, studying their surroundings with a critical eye until he was distracted by a faint tremor rippling through the ground and sending a light spattering of dust down around their heads.

"Apparently they have not quite finished with this morning's session," Jaken shook his head, undaunted by the ominous rumbling from the direction he was leading them. "Ah well, perhaps we will save Takeharuka-sama the trouble of correcting a misjudged attack by interrupting."

That doesn't make sense, Kurama frowned, flexing his hands when something inside him could practically taste the feel of metal on metal echoing to him through the fog. Swords. Whoever is here is sword fighting, Hiei.

I'm aware of that, but keep an eye on the other two, Hiei made a face and glanced at Yuusuke and Kurabara for a moment. The fog is disorienting, and you know that they do not take kindly to their senses being tricked.

"Hiraikotsu!" the low, masculine yell echoed off the walls, faint at first and gaining strength with every echo as the piercing whine of metal striking bone grated just at the edge of their hearing before yet another ground-shaking tremor rocked the cavern, this one more intense than the first.

"Dammit, Shinju, you said you were sitting out this round!"

"Changed my mind."

"That's-" Yuusuke started in surprise.

"Takashima," Hiei's eyes narrowed, hand going reflexively to where his katana should have been and swearing when his palm met only air.

`Oh good! Your lover is here too!' Youko perked up cheerfully, trying to urge Kurama to speed up when Hiei turned a deadly glare on him. `What? You thought he was pretty, didn't you? That's why you're so dead set on denying your attraction.'

Now is not the time, Youko, Hiei growled at him, his curiosity peaking when the voice echoed again, taunts and laughter mingling with the sounds of weapons cracking together and more of those ground-shaking tremors forced them to put more attention into staying upright.

"OW! FUCK!!"

"C'mon, Shippou, are you getting lazy in your old age? I'm not even sweating!" another voice carried back to them, similar to the one identified as Shinju and making Kurabara's eyes widen.

"That sounds like Kaze," he explained when he realized he'd drawn at least Hiei's attention, shaking his head in obvious confusion. "I don't get it… I don't- I don't feel anything! I'm seeing it, but-"

"We know," Yuusuke muttered irritably, trying to squint through the fog. "None of us can feel them."

"Idiot," Jaken scoffed, cutting him off as his staff continued to thump regularly against the ground with each step. "We have had centuries to perfect our methods of remaining undetected by beings such as you. We do not wish for you to sense us or our creations, and so you do not."

"Who are you calling an idiot, you mutated lizard?!" Yuusuke demanded in a snarl, mindless to the way his voice bounced off the walls and carried through the corridors until the sounds of battle paused.

"Is that-? No, wait! Dammit, I'm not distracted! I'm not-!" Shippou's voice raised in pitch almost in panic, only to cut off abruptly with a rather ominous snapping sound, followed by a hiss, and a grating screech that didn't sound like metal or bone while the ground shook violently enough to nearly knock them off their feet.

Jaken sighed and clucked his tongue as he turned a bend they hadn't even realized was there, coming to a stop at the end of what seemed to be a dome-shaped chamber with two nearly identical human boys standing at the center beside a single torch set into the floor. Their eyes were trained upwards for a moment before they turned to face the entrance, nearly blending into the shadows with the black uniforms that left only their hands and heads exposed.

Hiei glanced up at Kurama, watching the kitsune's eyes narrow when he recognized the style of the metallic masks covering the lower halves of their faces, Taijiya.

Shinju clucked his tongue behind the mask, holding up his hand as the Hiraikotsu came around on its return, catching the handle without taking his eyes off them and casually letting the weight of the weapon drag him back a few feet before he dug in to stop himself, "Damn, just when we're winning."

"We did have an unfair advantage," Kaze shrugged, flicking his katana with instinctive grace to perform his chiburi before sheathing it. "He was not allowed a break in sessions as we were."

Ignoring the amazed stares as he effortlessly brought the Hiraikotsu around to strap across his back, Shinju shrugged and tilted his head back to look up into the shadows beyond the torchlight again, "We were still winning."

Jaken shook his head and muttered a few indecipherable remarks under his breath as he pointed the staff at the younger boy, waiting for him to bow politely before he introduced, "Nenjuharuka Shinju and his cousin, Nenjuharuka Hitokaze."

Once Kaze had straightened from his own bow at the sound of his name, they took a step back in unison just as the blurred shape from above slammed down into the ground in front of them hard enough to make the ground shudder and send a cloud of dirt flying up into the air to join the obscuring fog.

"I believe you have already had several meetings with Takashima Shippou," Jaken's lip curled as he tapped his staff impatiently against the floor, waving it about as though it would help the cloud disperse faster.

"Takashima?" Yuusuke's eyes widened at having that `shape' identified as the investigator who had caused them all so much trouble.

"Is he dead?" Kurabara peered through the settling cloud, looking down when he saw a clawed, bloody hand twitching amongst the rocks.

"Unfortunately not," Jaken wrinkled his nose, waiting for the hand to curl and lift the battered kitsune up out of the small crater. "Despite our best efforts, Takashima has proven to be incredibly durable."

"I heard that, Jaken," Shippou muttered quietly, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth as he worked to get his legs under him and rise, one eye closed and pressing his hand over the sizeable hole that had been punched through under his ribs as the blood stained his nearly decimated shirt in a rapidly widening pattern. Wincing, he looked down and around, stubbornly ignoring his injuries and the way his clothing seemed to be smoldering and dissolving in places to look for his swords, "Fucking hells, where'd they go?"

Shinju and Kaze pointed in opposite directions, trying their best to look supportive while Shippou continued to swear and hiss when his injuries pulled or twinged, "They went flying."

"Just what I need," he sighed heavily and turned to scowl at the four men staring at him over Jaken's head, forcing his injured eye open despite his inability to actually see out of it at the moment. "Thanks for that, by the way. Bastards."

"Calm down, Shippou, you've had worse," Shinju's eyes crinkled in a way that showed he was smiling broadly beneath his mask at the kitsune's sour glare at their guests.

"For better reasons," he spat out, straightening with a scowl when he realized they were actually seeing his real form as his tail twitched and wrapped around his waist to soak up the blood he was losing as his body worked to repair itself.

Shinju walked back to stand beside him, glancing to be sure he wasn't hitting an injury as he patted Shippou on the back, "If it hasn't killed you yet, it's probably not going to. And just think of the help you are in keeping Kaze up to date on his youkai anatomy lessons!"

"You're an asshole."

"Yes, yes I am," Shinju nodded in perfect seriousness before turning to focus curiously on the group he'd been hearing about for nearly as long as his mother had rejoined the family.

Keiko was right… that Shinju has the same eyes as Kagome, Kurama shook himself out of his surprise at seeing the kitsune actually staying on his feet in his condition, forcing himself to look away to study the human boys who still gave every appearance of being ready to fight in an instant despite their relaxed stances.

Family relations then, Hiei murmured dismissively, his entire attention on taking in every nuance of this Shippou without his illusions in his determination to not be caught off-guard again. There had to be something about his appearance he couldn't change completely…

`If you're done undressing him with your eyes-?' Youko drawled out, snickering in delight when Hiei jammed his elbow into Kurama's side. `Ooh, I know! You're imagining him on the ground, licking off that blood while he's weakened and-!'

Kurama grabbed the hybrid's arm when the elbow dug in harder, and muttering impatiently, "Stop encouraging him."

Shippou reached up impatiently to re-gather his hair, smoothing out the pieces that had fallen loose and returning it to the high ponytail before he tied it off and smoothed the two long front sections he allowed to fall into his face, "Couldn't you have waited until you actually got here before you started being disruptive?"

Yuusuke suddenly grinned and shook his head, "'Fraid not. But knowing it got your ass kicked that badly, I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"I'll remember that and take it out of your ass later," Shippou rubbed furiously at his eye, trying to speed up the healing process as he flicked his other hand and absently caught both hilts in one hand when his swords returned at the summons.

`Are you going to let your lover talk to another man that way?' Youko wheedled, dodging this time before the elbow could hit them and pasting on a bland look when Jaken scowled at him over his shoulder for the repeated motions.

I can always tell the miko you have a crush on her brother; I'm sure she'd love to speak with you after that, Hiei's eyes narrowed, ignoring the kitsune and the trio standing at the center of the room in favor of searching through the darkness when his attention was drawn to a faint hissing sound. Did you-?

I heard it, Kurama was instantly still, eyes darting around for the source of the sound when Jaken stepped away from them and turned to face them directly, giving the impression that if he tried to straighten his spine any more, he'd separate his own vertebrae.

"Our other close advisors and leaders will be introduced as we see fit, along with other direct members of the family who were needed elsewhere this morning," Jaken intoned, gesticulating with the staff before lightly resting the point on the disrupted, bloody ground and closing his eyes. "But, of course, the most important meeting for you inconvenient rabble is with the Lord of the family… Sesshoumaru-sama."

Then he's here? Kurama frowned slightly, scanning the edges of shadows just beyond reach of the torch as the two humans bowed deeply, joined by Shippou's own awkward attempt given the state of his abdomen.

"So when do we meet him?" Yuusuke demanded, setting a fist on his hip and looking from Hiei and Kurama's tense expressions to Kurabara's confused one before settling on the toad youkai practically on his knees. "Not that we don't appreciate the show of respect, but-"

He trailed off when the edges of the fog turned a rather vibrant shade of green, blinking in confusion and going still when that hissing sound came again, loud enough for human ears to detect.

Hiei and Kurama were the first to whirl around, focusing behind them towards the sound with Yuusuke and Kurabara following their lead, only to pause in confusion when they were left staring at nothing but mist and darkness yet again.

"What gives? Where the hell are you bowing… to-?" Yuusuke started to turn back, only to pause as a shiver of ominous apprehension skated down his spine when his peripheral vision registered something glistening fall from high above them only to repeat the hissing sound when it struck the stone.

Very slowly, he squared his shoulders with exaggerated care and faced the same direction as his companions, their eyes lifting along the shadows higher and higher until they were practically looking straight up into two gleaming scarlet pools, the distant light of the torch flickering across them coldly.

"Takashima," Jaken's voice carried a sharp order, and the kitsune mumbled under his breath for a moment before nodding.

"I know, I know," Shippou sighed and held up his hand, foxfire curling strong and vibrant along the gouged skin before he stretched his arm up and let it flare brightly enough to chase away even more of the darkness.

Enough to reveal those `pools' for eyes narrowed down on them from the snarling silver-white face of the inu youkai towering over them.

The blue flames stretched farther to surround the massive creature staring down with his glowing eyes regarding them in aloof disdain, but with a gleam that suggested he was considering them in a more predatory regard. As he held them transfixed, he lifted one foot and brought it down to show them very clearly what all that trembling had been caused by earlier, shifting his weight into a more aggressive stance as his tail swung around and crashed hard against the wall to shower down more debris on the collected groups below. His head dipped, ears back and eyes narrowing even more sharply as his jaws opened to drip a steadier stream of saliva from those perfect fangs onto the rocks around them, hissing and melting the stone on contact to add to the growing cloud of noxious mist mingling with the unnatural fog.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," Jaken gestured to the taiyoukai grandly, his voice smug and respectful in the extreme at being in the presence of his Lord in his natural state before it changed to something more taunting when he looked back at them, "the Lord of the Western Lands bids you welcome to your requested audience."

"Well, fuck," Yuusuke whispered.