Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Trembling Roses ❯ A Comedy of Eras ( Chapter 3 )

After a small burst of fox magic, the room was finally in order. Kneeling beside a small shelf in his room, Shippo couldn't help but give a rueful laugh over his own breathlessness.

'Master Kurama was right. I have relied too much on my tricks.' Indeed. He knew that the creation of copies to assist in his endeavor should not have winded him as badly as it had. Shippo felt a touch of pride because at least he had become proficient enough that the copies could do more than dash around and be distracting.

"But if I could master wooden puppetry…" Tapping his lips thoughtfully he tried to fathom why he was so uneasy with that one aspect of his training. "Maybe because Naraku did it so often?"

A voice behind elicited a startled shriek from the kit.

"The fact that your foe has mastered something should be even more incentive for you to learn it as well." Youko strode into the room with only a cursor nod to acknowledge that his previous orders had been followed. "You should strive to master his techniques, become better at them and use them to utterly defeat your opponent. Keep that in mind." The tail swished once again as he left.

"Hai sensei." Hoping that he sounded a little less ridiculous than before, Shippo bobbed his head in a quick bow and got to his feet to follow Kurama out.

They walked in silence down the airy hallways of the Master's home, an old mansion which had been remodeled into a school. Looking out across the courtyard at the handful of other students, Shippo amended his thought. 'Not just any school. One of the most exclusive in all of Japan.'

Japan. He was still getting used to calling his homeland by the curious name. 'I liked Yamato better.' Feeling a bit emboldened by his success with controlling his duplicates, he ventured a question.

"What is today's lesson sensei?" That was another oddity for Shippo. Having a sensei. When he had first joined Inuyasha and Kagome, he had called no man master. He was a fox spirit and they saw no one as their betters save their own kind.

The day Youko Kurama had first crossed paths with the group, Shippo had instantly recognized a person for whom the title had been created.

That and the fact that he wasn't sure he could manage to say 'Kurama-sama' with a passably straight face.

Wrapped up in his own thoughts, Shippo almost missed the answer to his question.

"Something simple." The response was as brisk as the older man's mannerism and the younger fox wondered what could have happened to upset the sensei so. He was hesitant to ask because those golden eyes were smoldering.

A darkly papered panel slid aside of its own volition, allowing the two to pass before closing once more. Shippo felt an icy touch of unease. No matter how many times he had come into this place, the Training Room still gave made him wary.

Youko settled into a plush chair with a contented sigh and some of the anger seemed to leave him. His voice reflected the newfound peace of mind as well. "Fetch a sheaf of parchments and the box containing the writing utensils Little Tail. I want your notes to be neat and easy to read when I review them."

"Hai sensei!" Shippo moved quickly to complete this newest task. As he moved across the room to one of the many shelves lining it, he imagined he felt thoughtful eyes watching him.

'It can't be sensei. Why would he bother?' A part of him hoped that it was Youko because if it wasn't he might never step foot in this room again.

'Hmph. I'm not some narcissistic bishounen like Sesshomaru! I don't care who's looking at me.'

As far as the kit was concerned, there was nothing remarkable about his appearance. He thought his face was too narrow since the shedding of his baby fat and that his chin was a bit sharp. Sure, he'd managed to gain some height and a bit of muscle over the years but in his mind, most of that acquired weight resided in the knee-length ponytail atop his head.

Reaching overhead for the box he wanted, Shippo caught sight of a russet lock out the corner of his eyes. The large oval orbs of clear turquoise half-closed in annoyance. 'If it wasn't so good for camouflage I would probably cut it all off.' The brief image of sporting a scraggly ponytail like Miroku had made him smile.

The reminder that he had left before learning of the kind monk's fate caused it to fade.

Items in hand, Shippo sat down in the seat opposite his instructor and arranged them on the flat surface. "How will these be useful? Will we be creating counter charms for barriers and talismans?" Shippo's nervous chatter halted at the amused twitch of firm lips.

"No Little Tail, we will not." Slender ears covered in downy cloud-gray fur twisted around towards him, bringing a dizzying sense of déjà vu. Youko's amused twitch grew into an actual smile. "Today you will be noting the growth and transformation of basic flora after using strategically applied bursts of youki to feed it."

Shippo could only stare in disbelief when his master pointed to an unassuming dandelion.

"You're kidding? It's just a little weed! How am I supposed to defend myself with something like that?" The incredulous words hung in the air between them and made the kit wish he could recall every one.

On one side of the square table, the student wondered if he'd finally crossed the line.

On the other, his mentor raised a hand to reveal where the line actually was.

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A/N: …

This is going somewhere. I can just smell the plot swimming beneath the surface but I can't see it yet. It's juicy but liable to bite me if I step wrong.

Reminds me of crossing an alligator infested swamp. (Class field trip from hell, don't ask.)

Damn it Kurama!! Quit being so perverse with me!!