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Hello! I am a long-time reader and first-time writer. This is a fic that is close to my heart and something I have been working on for quite some time. It just felt like the right time to share it with all of you. So without further ado, let’s get reading! I hope you enjoy it.

First things first, I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho; they belong to their respective creators. 

Chapter 1

Name: Kagome Higarashi

Age: 23

Occupation: Vice president of Tashio Enterprises 

Status: Alive

Five years ago at the age of 18, she had been sent back to the present once the shikon had finally fused back together. Three months after her return, she was visited by an old friend, Sesshomaru. That had surprised Kagome since, at the time, they were not close. They were civil, of course, and the two groups had come to an understanding and decided to travel together for the sake of ending Naraku’s reign over Edo. It was at that meeting that she learned the fate of those she was forced to leave behind. Obviously, Sango and Miroku got married and had three beautiful children, one boy and two girls. Slowly, they had managed to rebuild the demon slayer village, even managing to bring in recruits.  Under the duo's management, the village has continued to thrive to this day and is currently being managed by their descendants with Kirara still by their side. There had been an obvious decline in demon slayers. It was mostly known for producing monks and the occasional priestess. On the rare occasion, the village produces someone with high spiritual and fighting power only for them to be recruited by Reikai to help keep the leaks from the demon world at bay. At least until Sesshomaru put a stop to it, but that is a tale for another time. 

Shippo stayed at the village for a few years until he entered adolescence when it became obvious the young demon needed to train with his own kind. Sesshomaru had personally escorted the kit to the largest clan of red fox demons that were an ally to the west. Shippo spent the next 200 years learning the ways of his kin, mastering his skills, and learning the secrets of the fox clan. At first, Kagome was sad that he had not shown up as well. She briefly wondered if he was angry with her for leaving while he was so young, but Sesshomaru put those fears to rest.

“Your influence on the kit has been annoyingly strong, even with the time he spent with the fox clan, he never lost his humanity,” Sesshomaru told her. “ Rest, assured, the kit would be here if he could. Alas, he has been sent in my place to take care of… A diplomatic mission.”

Kagome nodded, knowing that would be the best she would be getting out of the great Taiyoukai about her adopted son for now. She focused her eyes on her hands, absently fiddling with her thumbs not sure if she was ready for an answer to her next question.

“What…what about Inuyasha?” 

For a moment Sesshomaru didn't answer. 

“Inuyasha is no longer among the living,” he said quietly.

The silence was deafening and it took a long time for Kagome to respond. She stood up slowly and made her way to the window of her living room. Without thinking she stared out toward the tree that had been on her family's shrine since it was built all those years ago, the ancient tree with the large scar on its trunk that once held her love for 50 years. Silent tears fell as she continued to stare at the Goshinboku trying to stay calm. It was hard, so hard, all she wanted to do was scream, cry, beg, anything to bring him back. 

She felt the Taiyoukai stand next to her and in a surprisingly rare moment of kindness Kagome felt his large clawed hand cover hers in an attempt to comfort the time traveler. She would have been more surprised if she weren’t currently in the process of grieving. After some time Sesshomaru led the priestess back to her living room where they sat in silence a while longer allowing her brain to process what she was told. 

“How did it happen?” The question was asked so quietly that even with his sensitive hearing Sesshomaru had difficulty hearing her. 

“He wasn’t killed by anyone if that’s what you’re wondering.”

Kagome looked at him confused, as sick as it was she always thought of Inuyasha were to die young it would be from fighting some overpowered youkai or from being overly cocky during a fight. 

“When my half-brother was bound to that tree all those years ago the arrow that struck him pierced his heart and should have killed him then,” Seshomaru explained. “The healing energy from the goshinboku helped keep him alive but 50 years is a long time even for demons when in a coma. The tree did its best but to supplement his body’s other needs Inuyasha unknowingly tapped into his life energy which in turn shortened his life.” 

To say she was shocked was an understatement, almost enough to take her grief away temporarily.

“That…that doesn’t make sense. He wasn’t even in his prime yet.” 

Sesshomaru shook his head. “Yes he was young, practically still a pup but there lies the problem. Inuyasha was too young and untrained when he was pinned. Instead of using other energy reserves or even relying on his strength to keep him alive his body automatically used up his life energy. At the time he was content to wait for you but 20 years after your removal from our time Inuyasha noticed his body changing, his face looked older, and he was having a harder time, keeping up with the younger generation. We met shortly after a particularly long battle with a demon he should’ve been able to kill easily, it took a few months of research from the family physicians and apothecaries to find out what happened. Once he accepted the inevitable, he started to plan your future.” 

“My future?” Kagome asked as Sesshomaru pulled out a crisp file with her name on it. 

“Yes Miko, your future, after his diagnosis Inuyasha swallowed his pride and formally joined the family. While he was still labeled a bastard, and not originally given a title to call his own, he was given his own land and accounts to look over,” he explained while pulling the important documents out and laying them on the coffee table in front of them. The one that caught her eye right away was the official Tashio family tree presented to her, but… No, that’s not right! Her eyes must be playing tricks on her.

As if reading her mind Sesshomaru responded to her silent question. 

“Your eyes don’t fool you sister.”

Kagome’s head snapped to look at the Taiyoukai in the eye still not trusting what she saw. 

“Before he died Inuyasha officially named you his mate.” 

“How… What… Just how!?” she was in shock, “Isn’t there supposed to be a ceremony, exchanging of vows or something?” 

Sesshomaru chuckled, “Demon culture is different when it comes to marriage. Unless creating alliances the mating ritual is a private affair, usually the couple will declare their intentions in front of at least one witness, leave their mark on each other, then consummate their union and go on their way.” 

“So then how was all of this able to be pulled off?” Kagome questioned, in truth she felt silly asking but she wanted to hear more. 

“Luckily all that was needed back then was confirmation from a trusted source. As the head of our family, most information was confirmed by me. The tricky part was keeping the records ‘legit’ since your actual birth would not happen for another 500 years. The old one offered to create an identity for you, as far as anyone knew you were Lady Kaede claimed you as an orphaned great niece who showed great spiritual power that she took in to train as a Miko where you later freed my brother and the rest is history.” 

“What about those who knew the truth?” 

“Our allies understood the importance of keeping your true identity secret, eventually those who still spoke of the legendary Shikon Miko passed your story on as a tale for children. If I remember correctly instead of coming from the future you were a gift sent from heaven to rid the world of evil or something along those lines.” Sesshomaru explained. 

It was amazing how everything had been planned out, Kagome felt touched that her friends cared enough to go through with this roux. 

“So where does that leave us now?”

“Well, that is up to you Miko.”

Kagome looked baffled, “What do you mean? "

“As I mentioned earlier when he formally joined the family and while he started at the lowest rank he had proven his loyalty and was able to work his way up to become my second. As much as I hate praising that whelp I must admit he became quite the asset in his remaining years. As Inuyasha’s widow, you inherited his accounts, land, and current properties he built during his lifetime. He built two homes, one a large estate on the outside of Mushiyori City which is the main house the family meets at to go over business or whenever everyone wants to get together. That was a tradition Inuyasha started, he said you would enjoy seeing the family happy together especially the children.” 

 “It’s something we spoke about often, not even in a romantic way either, just small talk about how we saw our lives after the jewel was gone,” Kagome said softly as tears started to flow. Choking back another sob she chuckled softly. “ He really was full of surprises wasn't he? Hell with how bullheaded he was I didn't expect anything I said would stick.” 

Sesshomaru snorted and a very, unlike himself way, that almost made Kagome jump out of her skin. She stared up at the Taiyoukai in amazement Seeing him so comfortable with her, it almost made her nervous yet she couldn’t quite grasp why it felt so natural. Well, they had history and never became more than two groups coming together to destroy a common enemy. They would be civil, but nothing more, that is until the brothers put aside their differences during Inuyasha’s declining health. Kagome felt sorry she never got to see that development, but was happy. He got to be with his family in the end. Feeling brave Kagome decided to try her luck teasing the Taiyoukai.  

“Snorting now? My how Inuyasha rubbed off on you.”

Giving the Miko an almost playful glare he answered, “I’ve learned enough about you from your mate in a short time if he were still here it was almost like you had never left. As he got closer to death he wouldn’t shut up about you it was almost sickening but it was his way of processing what was happening. Your name became so recognized by everyone in our household it’s like you were able to properly join our family too, and as you know, everyone acts differently around family.”

That’s right, for 500 years Kagome was documented as Inuyasha’s mate and he surprisingly did a very good job incorporating her into the family to the point where she was still pretty shellshocked.

“Family.” She said softly feeling her grief settle in

Sesshomaru could tell she was starting to become overwhelmed with the amount of information thrown at her so quickly, and decided to finish the business aspect of his surprising visit faster. Bringing the paperwork back up he continued.

“ Yes, family, for your service, and ridding the world of that pathetic nuisance Naraku along with your marriage to my half-brother, you are forever known as my little sister. Since his death, you and your birth family have my loyalty and protection, along with access to Inuyasha’s accounts that will be transferred to your name effective immediately. Those include the family estate along with the small private home within the city.” Sesshomaru presented two sets of keys to her, “ The first account holds stock for our company Tashio Enterprises, where are you now on 25%. Any decisions about the company will have your input and if desired, you will have the option to work in any department as the head. The second account lists all assets Inuyasha held onto in life, which includes any heirlooms collected from his mother, side, gold, and funds. More than enough to keep you and your family comfortable for many lifetimes.”

Stunned and very touched by what was presented to her, never, in a million years did Kagome think anything like this would happen to her. Hell after her time in the past, and with how much school she had missed, it was already a miracle that she passed high school, and due to her grades, she had low hopes of finding a decent job if she could even get into university period. Honestly, it was a major form of stress that plagued her mind most days since being home. Her mother, ever the most reasonable voice of the Higurashi household told Kagome not to worry about anything for now and just focus on healing her body and soul first, and then they would worry about finding her a career. Either way, her mother believed it would all work out in the end, and lo and behold a fantastic solution/opportunity had fallen at her feet. She could almost cry from everything going through her mind right now with the relief she felt. Her love, as bullheaded as she knew he was kept his promise, even in death, and while Kagome knew she would miss Inuyasha with all her heart she would forever be grateful for everything that he did. Looking at the Taiyoukai next to her, whether it was just because of the promise to a dying family, member, or from genuine respect for her as his brother’s mate that brought him she didn’t care. Even with all the amazing things presented to her Kagome knew the greatest gift was being able to grieve with the people… Demons that knew what she was going through. She would now be with most of her chosen family, and they would be able to help her in ways even her birth family couldn’t. Not that Kagome was ungrateful for everything they’ve done along with how understanding they have been since you’ve been back home, but Kagome knew she needed more to heal. So in that moment she decided to leave with the Taiyoukai and have a chance to pull her life together again.

Of course, this wasn’t something that would happen overnight, Sesshomaru had stayed with Kagome until her family came home and was present as the priestess explained to them who he was, and why he was there. He had remained quiet during the whole exchange, except to answer anything asked of him and to explain that Inuyasha and Kagome’s ‘marriage’ was strictly done on paper all those years ago after she departed from the past and not some secret affair she conveniently forgot to mention. Other than the occasional question, they accepted Kagome’s decision to leave much to her surprise.

“ You’ve always chosen your own path,” her mother told her that evening after Sesshomaru had left, “ I told you earlier, we would help heal you before moving forward, well, your body may be healed, but your soul… I see it in your smile it hasn’t been as full and your eyes don’t shine as bright as they used to. It will hurt not having you here every day, but it would be selfish of me not to give you the chance to be happy again.”

Tears flowed for the second time that day, as both women embraced each other.

“Thank you, Mom,” Kagome told the older woman, she had never been more grateful for how understanding her mother was than she was now. “I love you”

The rest of the week consisted of Kagome packing and preparing for her move along with two more official visits from Sesshomaru, The first he brought the family lawyer to officially sign assets over to her and start the process of making her position in the Tashio family official. The second visit, the night before her move Sesshomaru brought someone who had been itching to see Kagome for 500 years. While bringing a box filled with clothing to the moving van, she insisted on filling herself instead of hiring movers to do the heavy lifting like Sesshomaru wanted. One moment Kagome was walking to the van and the next thing she knew an unstoppable force knocked the wind out of her, Watching all the clothing that was once neatly folded, flying in slow motion through the air falling around the duo. Too stunned to do anything but lie there wondering, ‘what the hell just happened?’

Kagome’s vision of the clear sky was covered by the face of her sealant. Shaggy sandy-red hair fell into her face as sparkling green eyes, and the biggest toothy grin stared down at her.

“Oops! Sometimes I forget my own strength, sorry Mom.”

Kagome blinked, “Shippou?” She asked feeling the added weight lifted off of her. Sitting up she took in the scene in front of her and it almost made her laugh. Sesshomaru was currently holding a young man by the scruff of his shirt, looking highly annoyed well, Shippo looks sheepish with a rather large bump on his head.

“The whole point of this visit was to allow you to reunite with her, not flatten the Miko with your lack of control,” Sesshomaru lectured while dropping Shippo ungracefully on his bottom. The fox demon sheepishly rubs the back of his head.

“Jeez I said I was sorry,” Shippou said, crossing his arms defiantly, earning him a second hit to the back of his head from the Taiyoukai, “Oww! Come on Sesshomaru that’s not fair! You’ve already got to see Kagome twice I just got a little excited is all.” Shippou turned his green eyes toward Kagome flashing a toothy grin. 

Kagome on the other hand, watching the whole exchange with wide eyes, never taking them off of Shippou’s face. She couldn’t believe her eyes that this tall, grown-up kitsune was the sweet young kit she had taken all those years ago. Still on her hands and knees, she crawled to the young man and tenderly cupped his cheeks.

“Is it really you?” She asked softly.

Flashing his adopted mother a grin, “Yeah it’s really me,” then with a mischievous glint to his eyes Shippou followed up with, “I’m a big boy now.”

Everyone was silent for a solid minute after that line, well, mostly silent, except for Sesshomaru facepalming and utter disbelief at the kitsune’s childish behavior. The silence was broken by a rather unladylike snort as laughter filled the air.

“Of all the things you say to me after 500 years of separation that’s the first thing that came to mind?” Kagome asked in between laughing at the sheer randomness of it all.

Shippou shrugged, “Eh, gotta keep you on your toes don’t I?” He answered earning a third hit to the back of the head by a very annoyed Taiyoukai. The scene was just so random listening to both demons (mostly Shippou) argue, one being told he was too old to be acting this childish, and the other, how unfair it was that his poor head was being abused just for trying to make his mom smile. It was so bizarre that Kagome couldn’t help but laugh harder at something she never thought she would see in 1 million years. Lord knows she needed a good laugh after everything thrown at her and she would take it where she could get it. 

Still giggling like a mad woman both demons looked at the cackling woman then to each other. 

“ Think she’s finally cracked?” Shippou asked Sesshomaru genuinely concerned for his mother‘s mental state.

“ With everything she’s been through. It’s a wonder she hasn’t, how you say, cracked earlier.” 

Eventually, the laughing fit subsided enough for Kagome to have Shippou help her clean up the mess he had made in his excitement to see her. The trio managed to finish filling the moving truck, in record time, if you don't count demon speed as cheating. Kagome said her goodbyes to her mother, grandfather, and brother promising to call and visit often then she was on her way to her new life. Kagome had decided to have the majority of her belongings go to the private home in the city where she would reside full-time after settling in with everyone at the family estate for a while to get used to her new life. As Sesshomaru, Shippou, and Kagome shared a car and made their way to the estate Kagome could only gawk at the sheer beauty of the home before her. The courtyard leading up to the home was huge and open, Kagome thought she was seeing things at first when the perfect grounds had random holes or cracks here or there, but Sessomaru explained that those were probably scars left behind during past sparring sessions. The estate itself was built like an ancient Japanese castle, and instantly Kagome knew this place was a safe Haven for the demons to be able to be themselves away from society. Everything about this place reminded her of some of the old villages from the past, there was so much room that they had their own gardens to grow more than enough food, and enough land that would allow them to hunt whatever animal came into their territory. All in all, it was very peaceful, even with it being within the limits of the city. Kagome smiled knowing she made the right choice and couldn't wait to see where this new life took her. 

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And that's a wrap for chapter 1! Technically This is chapter 1 part one. I ended up having to split the chapter and half to make everything lineup a little bit better. Please let me know what you think Either way, I will still update the story. Until next time, Ja’ne! 

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: Rookie Mistake

The next five years seem to pass in a blur; the first six months, Kagome stayed at the estate, getting used to the new status quo. She began taking a speed run course with Sesshomaru to prepare for meetings and business arrangements that would require her presence for the company. Tashio Enterprises was one of the top accounting firms in Japan at least on the outside. What the company truly did was Employ The villagers with strong spiritual powers to keep them safe from Reikai. It was during these lessons that Sesshomaru informed her of the three separate worlds, Ningenkai, Makai, and Reikai. There was a noticeable distaste in his voice when telling Kagome about all the demons that were forced from their homes so he did everything he could to stay under the spirit world’s radar.

“This is land inherited from our father, it is sacred and has been with the family for thousands of years. I would rather die, than allow it to be taken.”

“ Why not offer these demon sanctuary here?” She had asked.

“ The demons that make their way through the barrier are usually low-class or at least weak enough that slipping through the cracks goes under Reikai’s radar until the damage has been done. These are flesh eaters and usually only have one goal in mind, to fill their bellies, no matter what the cost. Their self-control is so lacking that I would not take a chance to allow them on our territory. As you know, our pack consists of demons and humans alike while they would not be a threat, I will not allow unnecessary risks.”

They had dropped the conversation there, it was obvious Sesshomaru was very much against Reikai and how they ran things, as time went on Kagome tried to stay neutral, but in the long run, she started having the same views. Two years into her stay in Mushiyori City she learned about Reikai’s defense team the Spirit Detectives. As someone who is forced into a dangerous life-changing quest so young it did not sit right with her that children even younger than when she fell down the well were forced into situations that could kill them all because they had a higher amount of spiritual power. She was even more disgusted to learn how they treated any demon they allowed to join the team. 50 years after the barriers were in place for the three worlds Shippou had found himself in trouble with Reikai, at the time to avoid severe punishment, he was forced to join their team for a minimum of 10 years. At the time, it wasn’t so bad because their star spirit detective was a descendant of Sango and Miroku, a young girl named Nozomi who was a dead ringer for her great, great grandmother, but had her great great grandfather‘s eyes. She was very crafty and when given a katana, she was the most deadly force anyone could ask for. Because of that Reikai sent them to handle some water demons in their own territory, Shippou Had tried to explain why that was a bad idea, and they would need to lure them out but King Enma did not see the problem. That mission ended with disaster and while they were able to clear out the water demons Nozomi had drowned, when the duo thought they had taken care of the threat a lone water demon managed to get a hold of her ankle and pull her under the murky depths. She was able to dispatch the demon, but not before inhaling too much water. Shippou tried performing CPR as soon as he got her out of the water, but to no avail. It didn’t take long for Reikai to move on to the next spirit detective Like nothing happened, Shippo had been relieved of his duties given a clean slate for his ‘service’ but he never could forget what happened to his friend.

Kagome was heartbroken for her son when he finally told her his experience, she saw that he genuinely did care for the girl possibly more than just a friend, and she had been taken away due to someone else’s carelessness. Unfortunately, similar tragedies happened to three other descendants and each death was brushed off like it was just another Tuesday. Sesshomaru had been outraged at the treatment of his pack and he knew he would be fighting a losing battle against Reikai if he decided to go to war. So instead, he took away their access to any future spiritual warriors, at least from their family. On one of their outings around the estate, Sesshomaru showed Kagome the enchanted seals he had commissioned to be set up around the property so that any outsider would not be able to find their home. He told her there were similar seals at the private home in the city along with the demon slayer village. It was during this outing that Kagome learned they would be staying at the demon slayer village for a while so she could learn to defend herself and have better control over her spiritual powers. Specifically so she didn’t end up getting forced to work with Reikai for any reason they could cook up. She stayed at the village for 3 years, honing her powers before coming back to the city where she decided it was time for her to start living on her own, though she didn’t really live alone Shippou would continue to pop up more often than not to spend time with her.

The home was a modest, two-bedroom, one bath house, there wasn’t a large amount of yard space but there would be enough room for her to start her own herb garden in the front yard after she officially moved in. She had officially turned the space into her own sanctuary away from everyday life. As peaceful as the small home was Kagome realized the city she now lived in, was not as peaceful. Whenever she had to leave her home, whether it was going to work, the grocery store, or just an outing, she was constantly sensing demonic energy. According to Sesshomaru the main reason, they settled here was because Mushiyori City had the highest leaks from Makai, and with the amount of demons making their way into Ningenkai causing a ruckus as long as the family kept to themselves Reikai would be none the wiser of their presence. In a way it was smart but in Kagome’s case, it was very dangerous, after all she was never one to just walk away when people were in danger. One night, walking home after work Kagome encountered a group of demons that had cornered two children, intending to eat them. Thinking fast Kagome placed herself between the humans and demons in a defensive stance.

“Run! Get out of here!” Kagome had yelled to the children shaking them out of their paralysis backing away to get out of the dangerous situation.

“They’re not going anywhere wench!” A large lizard demon hissed blocking the escape route with a swipe of its long tail earning some wails from the youngest child.

‘Damn, well so much for a low profile.’ Kagome thought while keeping an eye on her opponents. Currently, there were 2 demons in front, both boars with grotesque drooling smiles, and the lizard behind her. Thinking on her feet she quickly grabbed a knife she kept hidden on her side and without skipping a beat she infused the weapon with her Miko ki and threw it at the lizard behind her, she smiled hearing the demon screech in pain as it was purified. The boars in front of them roared in anger for their fallen comrade each reaching for their own weapons, the largest held an oversized axe while the other held 2 kusarigama.

“RUN NOW!” Kagome yelled to the children behind her. They gasped and started to flee, they weren’t sure what they had witnessed but they sure as hell weren’t sticking around to find out.

Now that the children were out of the way Kagome could concentrate on the two enraged boar demons.

“You bitch!” The boar holding the axe squealed, “You just cost us our meal!”

“Don’t fret brother we may have lost the little ones but this one has enough meat on her for the both of us, I’ll devour her tender thighs.”

“And I the eyeballs!”

While disgusting it was hearing how these boars wanted to consume her, Kagome took a moment to figure out what she had on her to defend herself and so far things weren’t looking great. Other than the knife used to dispatch that lizard and her work tote she didn’t have anything on her.

‘Of course, the one day I left my bow and arrows at home,’ she thought annoyed at herself.

Sure she could use her Miko ki but unless she had a weapon to attach it to or got up close and personal to the disgusting creatures, since she hadn’t learned to make weapons with her energy yet. Luckily the knife was just behind her, if she could grab it she could use it against one of the demons to use one of their weapons against them. The axe would be too large for her to wield properly but the kusarigama… she could work with that. Slowly she moved her foot to kick the knife closer to her, Kagome had one shot to get this right. Quick as lightning she grabbed the handle of the blade filling it with her Ki and let it fly, smiling when she heard the satisfying thunk of the weapon sinking into the flesh of the kusarigama user’s left arm causing the scythe-like weapon to fall to the ground. A bloodcurdling squeal filled the air as smoke and flies poured out of the putrid demon's wound.

“No Ōgui! How dare you, you filthy wench! I will enjoy making your death as slow and painful as possible!” The axe wielder bellowed swinging his weapon at the Miko.

Ducking in the nick of time Kagome beelined to the fallen kusarigama, for now writing off the second boar looking to be in shock as he clutched to his slowly disappearing appendage. Snatching the long chain of the kusarigama, with a sharp tug sending the weapon flying toward her and catching the sickle.

‘Just like Sesshomaru taught me, wait for an opening then strike!’ she thought with a satisfied smirk watching the beady black eyes of the enraged boar lifting his axe again to swing down on her again.

Time seemed to move in slow motion as the blade came down on her, using her ki to give her some extra strength she swung the sickle hitting the axe in the middle forcing the blade to hit the ground with a bang, swinging the weighted chain around the boar tying the squealing creature’s arms to its body. Once subdued she kicked the back of his knee bringing the demon down to her level, without wasting time she brought the sickle down between the boar's eyes dispatching the creature with an explosion of putrid flesh and flies. Satisfied that the beast was dead when she felt the chain slacken as the body fell apart in a heap.

Grimacing at the horrid smell coming from the body Kagome knelt down extending her hand toward the pile her Miko ki causing the tips of her fingers to glow a soft blue. Visibly shuddering as her hand made contact with the slimy flesh and began to disintegrate leaving nothing but dust blowing in the wind.

‘That takes care of that,’ she thought while wiping her hands on her tattered office skirt. Letting out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding she looked at the current problem in front of her. The battle axe was still stuck in the ground where it struck, obviously, she couldn’t leave it there for a random human to find.

‘I guess I’ll have to take it with me, but what to do with it? It’s so bulky and wouldn’t do me any favors in a fight…Maybe I can give it to Shippou,’ she asked herself.

Suddenly she was struck with a vision of Shippou running around the estate swinging the blasted weapon and laughing maniacally while he chased poor Jaken, the kappa fearing for his life. She had to hold in her giggles as the scene kept playing in her head.

‘Nope, this is no time for laughs Kagome you’ve got a mess to clean up!’ Reaching for the heavy weapon, ‘I’ll just have to tell Shippou he’s not allowed to…’

A white hot pain stopped her thought mid-sentence, slowly she looked to her shoulder, seeing the curved tip of the blade belonging to the second kusarigama protruding from her flesh. Quickly she spun around, blood spilling from the wound onto the ground in a perfect crescent as wide blue eyes found their way to her forgotten opponent. Rookie mistake.

Tusks bared in rage toward the Miko, the final boar tugged on the long chain causing the blade to slice into her back more as she was pulled closer to the demon. Loosing her balance Kagome caught herself falling to her knees only to yelp as she felt a sharp tug on her hair forcing her to look the angry demon in the eye.

“For what you did to my brother, maybe I won't eat you I'll just cut you up into small pieces alive,” the boar said menacingly gripping her hair harder as it pulled the blade from her shoulder earning another painful scream from Kagome. Blood spilling from her wound in a steady stream, she knew she was in trouble as her vision started to get blurry.

“I’m going to enjoy this.” the boar said raising the blade intending to strike her again.

“NO!” she screamed loudly bringing her hands to the demon’s face, out of instinct she released the equivalent of an atomic bomb's worth of Miko ki vaporizing the demon instantly. Kagome felt herself fall hard, dizzy from the impact and blood loss she lay there on the cool ground trying to gather enough strength to get the hell out of there. She tried pulling herself up to no avail, her limbs felt like stone.

“Well shit…” she said softly falling back down. Just as she was going to try to get up again she saw a red blur headed right for her. Sighing in relief when she recognized the demonic energy that was her son.

“Oh my god Mom what happened!” Shippou asked in a panic seeing the damage done to Kagome, he picked her up bridal style careful not to jostle her around in his haste to get her some help.

“I made a rookie mistake and paid the price,” she said weakly.

“Damn right you paid the price! You could have died, what were you even thinking?”

She knew he sounded harsh because he was scared, “I-I couldn't let them eat the children.”

Shippou swore to himself as he hopped rooftops to get to their destination. Of course, she wouldn't leave anyone especially children to be eaten even if it meant she got hurt instead.

“Did they get away?”

“Yeah they made it to their parents, I knew something was up when I heard them going on about the angel that saved them from the monsters trying to eat them.” he frowned, “I'm just sorry I didn't make it in time, if I did you wouldn't have… it doesn't matter you're safe now and once we get to the estate we’ll get you patched up.”

“The estate? No the house is closer we can just go there.”

“We can't Mom, I don't think you realized how much energy you released back there but I'm willing to bet every demon or human with spiritual awareness within 50 miles felt that. And with a commotion like that it's only a matter of time before Reikai is crawling around the area.” Shippou explained his face serious.

Kagome stayed quiet, in reality the only reason she didn't want to go to the estate right now was because she didn't want to face Sesshomaru’s wrath from her lack of awareness and didn't want to be reminded of it for the next month but sensing the shift in energy from her son at the mention of Reikai…she new better than to push the subject.

Within 10 minutes the duo made it to the estate without any more issues and as expected Sesshomaru was livid at the state Kagome was in. He immediately called for a healer to fix her up before giving her a piece of his mind, well almost. Currently Kagome was forced to sit still as the healer stitched up the wound on her shoulder.

‘He did this on purpose so I couldn't run away from the conversation,’ she thought her eyebrow twitching in annoyance.

“Are you even paying attention?” he accused, voice stern.

“Yes Lord Fluffy,” she said earning a low growl from the Taiyoukai causing the healer to yelp in fear even though it wasn't directed at him.

“You will stop it with that infernal nickname at once Miko, you had no business getting into a 3 on 1 fight like that especially without a proper weapon. You should have called the kit or myself to take care of it.”

“It would have been too late by the time you got there, besides I managed to get one of their weapons and use it against them,” she argued. “Besides like I said I couldn't stand by and let them get eaten.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose and feeling a headache coming on Sesshomaru sighed. “Of course, why not let nature take its course if they can't sense a dangerous situation when walking into it.”

Kagome gasped at the cruelty of the comment the Taiyoukai made. Of course, being a demon she knew his morals were significantly different than humans especially when it came to those not part of his pack, but it didn't make it any less hard to hear. Turning her head away from the healer as he finished stitching her up she finally spoke again after some time.

“I won't stop,”

“What?”

“I said I won't stop.” turning to look at the Taiyoukai in his golden eyes. “This world is cruel enough as is without children going missing and from what I've witnessed nothing gets done until it's too late. Yes, tonight was a bad night I will be the first to admit it was stupid for me to jump into that fight the way I did without a proper plan, It will not happen again. I can not promise you I will never defend someone from an attack like this in the future but I can be aware and make sure I have everything I need to win.”

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes as he listened to Kagome speak, he knew her annoying habit of inserting herself into dangerous situations (as Inuyasha had told him she did many, many times while alive) would bite him in the ass and here it was, sure he could keep her confined to the estate for the foreseeable future or place a guard on her 24/7 but both were only a temporary fix for the underlying issue. The Miko was restless so to save him the oncoming headache he would oblige her…for now.

“Fine,” he gave the short answer with a sigh. “But there will be some…conditions, I don't need Reikai sticking their noses where they shouldn't.”

The conditions were simple.

She must always keep a weapon on her no matter what. So he commissioned the old blacksmith Totosai to create a special bracelet that would hold a total of 3 charms. All that she had mastered, a bow and arrows, a katana, and throwing knives. Once infused with her ki the charm of her choosing would become full-sized so she would not be stuck in a similar situation.

2. She must have a partner (or as Kagome took it at first, a live-in babysitter). While waiting for things to cool down the trio made a trip back to Sango and Miroku’s village to choose Kagome’s new companion.

Once they arrived they were greeted by Kirara, Sango’s trusted partner. After her mistress died the fire cat has remained the faithful companion to each village head, while she along with a few of her offspring continue to guard the village even after the majority of demons went to Makai. Though to be honest with the lack of action in the area the fire cat was currently enjoying her early retirement of daily naps, belly rubs, and fresh fish. Running up to the trio Kirara skillfully hopped on Kagome’s shoulder purring and rubbing against the Miko welcoming her back to the village.

“Long time no see Kagome-sama,” a smooth voice rang out, “I wasn't expecting to see you back so soon, had I known I would have broken out the good sake.”

Squealing in delight, much to the demon’s dismay, Kagome ran to the woman embracing her in a large bear hug. “Fuyuki! You know I couldn't stay away from you.”

Both women giggled at each other enjoying their silly antics. Fuyuki is the current leader of the surviving demon slayer village, though through the years it has evolved into more of a small town. There were even grocery stores that catered to the few demon companions that stayed. Less of a chief and more like a mayor, Fuyuki was in her mind 20s with wispy dark brown hair and large chocolate brown eyes that seemed to have an almost red glow to them. Kagome always thought her eyes reminded her of the leaves in fall. The woman, while related to the slayer and monk, was actually a direct descendant of Kohaku and Rin. During her stay at the village Kagome and Fuyuki hit it off very well to the point Sesshomaru wondered how much actual ‘training’ was actually going on. The Taiyoukai couldn't be blamed for wondering after all whenever he visited both women (and occasionally Shippou) were usually relaxing in their shared apartment watching K-dramas while tipsy on sake with junk food everywhere.

“So what brings my favorite Miko back to this neck of the woods? Don’t get me wrong. I love seeing you, but it’s only been two weeks.”

Leaning into the other girl Kagome whispered loudly knowing the demons could hear her, “I made a rookie mistake so we're here for my punishment.”

“…punishment?”

Suddenly Kagome yelped as Sesshomaru’s poison whip struck between her feet causing both girls to jump back. Kagome quickly regained her composure, her heart racing as she glanced at the towering figure of Sesshomaru.

"What was that for?" she exclaimed, her voice a mix of anger and confusion.

“This is not a joke,” Sesshomaru's cold, golden eyes narrowed as he regarded Kagome with an annoyed expression. “Your recklessness is not something to be proud of. You may have survived this encounter, but if you continue like this it's only a matter of time before your foolishness results in a grave injury or worse.”

After days of watching the kit try to coddle the Miko for, in the end, almost blowing her cover to Reikai even if it was an accident had slowly brought the Taiyoukai’s temper to the surface. He knew she was just trying to be funny to cover up the embarrassment she was feeling from this whole situation but enough is enough.

Lowering her head in understanding, she knew she was reckless that night and in reality, she never truly apologized for worrying them the way she did, especially Shippou.

“Sesshomaru, Shippou…you're right, I'm sorry. You both have been nothing but supportive these past few years, even after what happened. I have been careless and I have put myself in danger because of it.”

Sesshomaru gave a rarely seen grin and Shippou nodded in agreement his arms crossed in affirmation.

“But I'm not just going to stand idly by and let others fight my battles for me, what happened that night was unfortunate but I have learned from my mistake and will be careful. But I also believe in taking risks to do what's right and as long as I can help keep our new home safe I will continue to do so.”

Sesshomaru’s grin faltered while Shippou and Fuyuki watched the exchange with interest. He studied her for a long time, the silence stretching between them. Finally, Sesshomaru shook his head exasperated with the whole situation, as he turned and walked away from the small group, he addressed Kagome one more time before ending the conversation.

“Your life is not a game, the moment you treat it as such you risk everything. Now come let us choose your new companion.”

Kagome sighed feeling the weight of the situation settle on her shoulders again, she knew he was worried, hell they all were. In the almost 5 years of experience she had gained she had proven that she couldn't handle fighting low-ranking youkai on her own. As they walked, Kagome's thoughts spiraled back to the recent battle. She had been so focused on proving herself, on showing that she could hold her own, that she had underestimated the boar demons. The sharp pain in her shoulder throbbed as a reminder of her recklessness. Despite the heaviness of their earlier argument, Kagome felt a renewed sense of determination. Running up to walk side by side with the Taiyoukai she hooked her arm with his as a sign of good faith she pulled him towards the villager housing one of the fire cats that would soon be her companion.

“What are we waiting for? she asked, her voice light and teasing as she tried to shift the mood back to something more positive. "Let’s go meet my new friend! I promise I’ll be careful this time."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, his expression still somewhat stoic as he allowed her to pull him along.

Chapter Text

Hello again! As promised I am back with another chapter. I want to thank everyone for over 100 hits on Ao3 and everyone who has reviewed on FF so far, you guys are the best and I will respond at the end of this chapter. This week we look into the YuYu side of things and the aftermath of Kagome’s Miko bomb and the effects it had on the city.

Also to make things easier for follow as Kurama has conversations with Yoko I will do the traditional thing and change the typeface for each character

Italics for Kurama because as my friend said ‘he is Beauty, he is grace…he will slice off your face’

And of course

Bold for Yoko because, well would he really allow anything else lol

——————————

Chapter 3: Interesting indeed

The day started sunny and clear. The temperature wasn't too hot or cold, and there were enough clouds in the sky to keep the sun from being too bright, which would hurt your eyes. All in all, it was a perfect day… yet dreadfully boring. Kurama sat on the balcony of his apartment sipping his coffee as he did every morning, watching the world wake up around him. The streets below buzzed with the morning rush. People hurrying to work, children laughing as they made their way to school, and the occasional car honking in the distance. But for Kurama, the routine felt tedious as if he were stuck in a loop that played the same scene over and over again.

He took another sip of his coffee, savoring the rich flavor, but even that small pleasure felt overshadowed by his boredom. The city was alive but he felt detached, almost like a ghost. Turning his head he glanced at the clock on the wall in his living room, 8:00 AM. He knew he should be getting ready for the day, maybe heading to work. After all, it was his stepfather Kazuya Hatanaka, who was kind enough to give him a position at his company, he really shouldn’t abuse that kindness. However, the thought of facing another day of meetings and deadlines filled him with dread.

“Maybe I should shake things up a bit,” he muttered to himself.

He stood up entering his apartment once more placing his now-empty coffee cup in the sink.

‘Come on Kurama,’ Yoko urged, ‘It's been far too long since we’ve had a proper day off. Let’s skip work today, just this once.’

Kurama sighed outwardly, of course, Yoko would be all for playing hooky.

‘We can’t keep avoiding responsibilities Yoko, father is counting on us to be ready for the meeting tomorrow. We know how he gets when stressed plus we have deadlines to meet.’ Kurama replied, his tone firm but even he could not deny the temptation to listen to the spirit fox residing in his soul.

Oh how he craved to be away from the city, something Kurama noticed getting stronger as the years passed. For a time he chalked it up to the potion Suzaku gave him to willingly transform into Yoko when needed, almost like a residual side effect, or at least one of them. The more often he used the potion Yoko’s influence got stronger to the point where both were now able to have intelligent conversations in Kurama’s mind. Kurama still chuckled to himself when Hiei made that discovery and he would regularly replay the memory to annoy the short fire demon.

Hearing Yoko groan in displeasure brought Kurama back to the conversation at hand, ‘But think about it Red! A day without the weight of obligations, we could stretch our legs, spar with your grumpy little friend, hell maybe even see what trouble we can stir up. It’s been ages since we’ve really had a chance to unleash.’

Kurama sighed, running a hand through his crimson locks. He could feel the tension building in the nape of his neck from the thought of another day spent in the office, buried under paperwork as his stepfather nitpicked everything as a result of the next day's meeting. In reality, Kazuya is a very kind man and a very fair boss, if he weren't Kurama would not be working for him and he definitely would not have approved of the man marrying his mother but damnit when he was nervous the man turned into a total wreck that drove everyone crazy yet it always amazed Kurama watching his stepfather in action. Once the meetings started all bouts of nervousness left Kazuya’s body and everything would go so smoothly that no one would ever think he had just had his 5th panic attack 10 minutes prior. While Kurama could usually tolerate the man’s antics today was just not the day.

‘I know but—’

‘No buts! If we don't take a break now it's only going to lead to a large headache later. Trust me we need this,’ Yoko urged, his voice smooth and enticing.

Kurama hesitated as he glanced at the clock, time was ticking away and he could feel the weight of stress begin to press down on him. The thought of sparing with Hiei, feeling the adrenaline rush from a good fight was becoming increasingly appealing. With a sigh he relented.

‘Fine, just this once.’

Feeling Yoko’s energy shift to that of satisfaction Kurama could almost feel Yoko clap him on the shoulder in approval.

‘You won't regret it! Now get a message to Hiei and let's go!’

———————

Later Kurama met Hiei at their usual training ground to the north of Mushiyori City, it wasn't huge by demon standards but at least they had a designated place Prince Koenma kept private for the spirit detectives and their team to use for training in between missions.

“About time you showed up,” Hiei remarked in his usual stance of boredom, the fire demon crossed his arms attempting to look like he was the one doing the avatar a favor by being here. Kurama knew better, if anyone was more restless than Kurama and Yoko it was definitely Hiei. Yes, the fire demon currently resides in Makai full-time as Mukuro’s second but it seemed like things had calmed down enough that he hasn't been getting enough of a challenge to keep him stimulated. Usually when it got like this Hiei would most likely spar with Mukuro, after all the former demon king is one of the few that will give Hiei a run for his money but with the next tournament for king of Makai coming up in less than a year Mukuro's presence would be needed for the time being as arrangements are being made.

“I was beginning to think you'd forgotten how to fight,” the short demon chided.

“Never,” Kurama shot back, his emerald eyes shifting to a golden topaz signalling Yoko’s current control over the avatar’s body. With a very fox-like grin, he continued, “We’re just here to remind you of what you've been missing.”

Hiei smirked, pleased that the old spirit fox was making his presence known. While he respected Kurama, he was still human and Hiei wanted to be pushed to his limits and unless Yoko was in control Kurama’s body wouldn't heal fast enough without his extra boost of demonic Ki. The two of them took their positions, the avatar cracking his rose whip in a fluid motion as Hiei raised his katana. Their demonic energy crackled in the air as they began to spar. Yoko focused on Hiei’s movements, dodging his attacks and countering with his own. Hours went by like minutes to the duo as whip, katana, and claws continued to clash. Each strike was a testament to their strength and skill, laughter and banter filled the air as they pushed each other to their limits reveling in the freedom of the moment. Their battle was nothing short of elegant and fierce, a dance of power and precision, each move flawlessly executed. The sun hung low, casting a warm glow over the clearing while the sounds of nature faded into the background, only the crack of the whip and the metallic clang of Hiei’s katana could be heard.

Hiei's smirk grew wider as he noticed Kurama’s newfound vigor under Yoko’s influence. The fox spirit had always been a formidable opponent, but with Yoko in control, his speed and agility reached new heights. Hiei relished the challenge, pushing himself harder with each strike, his own energy flaring as he unleashed a series of swift attacks.

“You’re getting slower, Kurama,” Hiei taunted. “I thought you were better than this!”

Yoko chuckled. “Don’t underestimate me Hiei. You’ll find I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

With a flick of his wrist, Kurama cracked his rose whip once more, the sound echoing sharply in the air as he lunged forward. Hiei responded instinctively, parrying the attack with his katana, their energies colliding in a brilliant flash of light. The two fighters were locked in a fierce exchange, both determined to gain the upper hand. Kurama’s whip lashed out, snaking around Hiei’s katana in an attempt to disarm him. Hiei countered, using his agility to twist away before launching his own quick succession of strikes aimed at Kurama’s midsection.

Minutes turned into hours as they sparred, each of them refusing to yield. The clearing was filled with the sounds of their battle, grunts of exertion, and the crackle of energy. They took breaks only when necessary, sharing quick words of encouragement or jabs at each other’s fighting styles. Just as Kurama began to feel the exhilaration of the fight, a sudden wave of holy energy surged through the atmosphere, causing both fighters to pause. The air felt charged, almost electric, and an instinctive wariness settled over them.

“What was that?” Hiei asked, narrowing his eyes as he scanned his surroundings.

“I don’t know, but it doesn’t feel friendly,” Kurama replied as he gained control of his body, his demeanor shifting from playful to serious.“We need to find the source. If this energy is as powerful as it feels, it could be a significant threat.”

They exchanged glances, the camaraderie of their sparring momentarily set aside as they turned their attention to the strange energy that had interrupted their training.

“Let’s move,” Hiei commanded, sheathing his katana as they prepared to follow the source of the holy energy.

As they made their way through the city, Kurama couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever lay ahead would test them in ways they hadn’t anticipated. He felt Yoko’s presence within him, a reassuring strength, yet a nagging doubt lingered at the back of his mind.

“It's been many a century but I'd know that type of energy anywhere,” Yoko spoke, deadly serious. “That energy blast came from a Miko, and a powerful one at that!”

“Your mind must be going fox, Mikos died out years ago once the 3 realms separated,” Hiei’s voice rang in Kurama’s head, a mix of skepticism and concern lacing his tone. “You can’t honestly believe that there’s still one around, let alone one powerful enough to send out that kind of energy.”

“I may have been dormant for centuries, but I still recognize the essence of a Miko. Their power is rooted in the balance of spiritual energy, and if one exists, she could be a formidable ally or a dangerous foe.”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Kurama interjected, his brow furrowing as they navigated through the bustling streets. “But if Yoko is right, we need to tread carefully. A Miko’s abilities are legendary, and if she’s as strong as Yoko claims, we could find ourselves in over our heads.”

Hiei nodded, as they made their way through the crowd of people to their destination. “Stay focused, then. If there is a Miko, we need to find her and assess the situation. We can’t afford to underestimate anyone especially not someone with such powerful energy.”

As they neared the source of the energy, the atmosphere shifted. The air thickened, a palpable tension settling around them as they approached the alleyway where the holy energy was the strongest.

“This must have been where it happened,” Kurama said out loud scanning the area for anything out of place. Even though Yoko withdrew himself as deep as he could in their shared soul the purity in the air still made the hair on the back of his neck raise and small electric shocks ran down his spine. The remnants of the powerful holy energy lingered in the atmosphere, a reminder of the confrontation that had taken place.

Hiei moved forward, wincing in pain with each step. As uncomfortable as Kurama was entering this space he could only fathom how much pain Hiei was in right now, he knew due to the fact neither demon nor avatar knew if the being that produced the energy was still in the area or not, and if they were, would they be friend or foe? Judging by his stubbornness Kurama waged that Hiei suspected foe, after all his friend had been born after Makai was formed where Mikos were used as a sort of demon faerie tale like how humans would tell their children stories of witches and monsters that would snatch them up if they were naughty.

Kurama though didn't quite feel as biased, once they were finally able to speak with each other he and Yoko had been discussing adventures of the past where Yoko confirmed having the odd run-in with a Miko or two during his thievery days. Those encounters were obviously hostile and even if he had not been trying to steal from them he would not have been welcome. But Yoko had remembered one encounter that forever made him question if Mikos were as bad as he believed. 500 years ago the Shikon no Tama had reappeared after disappearing 50 years prior when its protector passed, burning the jewel with her body. At the time Yoko didn't care about the details of how it happened but he was disappointed he wouldn't have a chance to steal such a precious item. Not to use of course but to keep with one of his many treasure hoards.

Imagine his surprise to hear the jewel had reappeared and get this, it had been shattered with shards flying across the country. Feeling the itch of the hunt he had decided to collect as many shards as he could. He had managed to collect 3 shards on his own, each from lower-class demons using the shards to gain power. Each encounter put a bad taste in his mouth seeing these demons become corrupt and out of control, eventually, he decided the jewel wasn't worth the trouble even though he was confident he would never become a slave to the Shikon’s power. In the long run, he made up his mind that it just wasn't worth the headache especially when he started getting randomly attacked by beings that desired the shards he currently had. Not that he wasn't able to handle what came after him but damnit interrupting him in the middle of his bath was the last straw!

A few days later he came across the most interesting group of travelers he'd ever seen, using one of the many seeds stored in his hair. Adding just a touch of his energy to the small seed caused it to bloom into something that looked similar to Lily of the Valley but instead of flowers there were glowing silver berries that once squished and rubbed in would hide his scent until his next washing, a handy plant indeed especially seeing as one of the group members was an Inu Hanyou. A few days had gone by of Yoko had been observing the group piquing his curiosity more and more. The group consisted of 6 members, the Hanyou, a Monk, a Demon Slayer, a Red Fox demon kit, a Neko demon, and most interestingly of all a Miko who happened to wear a necklace of purified jewel shards around her neck.

At first, Yoko wasn't even sure she was a Miko, after all what self-respecting Miko would willingly travel and get along with two demons and a half-demon? Yet here she was acting motherly to the kit, pampering the Neko with pets and treats. Yoko’s eyebrows shot up under his bangs hearing the Miko playfully banter with the Inu Hanyou. Yoko watched, a mix of amusement and disbelief washing over him.

“What kind of Miko treats demons and half-demons like this?” he mused, his voice low and edged with curiosity. “This isn’t the behavior I expected.”

As he continued to observe, he caught snippets of their conversations, the camaraderie between them growing more apparent with each passing moment. They teased one another, shared stories of their past battles, and even bickered like siblings. It was a stark reminder of the warmth and connection that Yoko had lost in his own solitary existence. Suddenly, the kit stumbled and fell, landing face-first in the dirt. Yoko winced, ready to intervene, but before he could move, the Miko was there, kneeling beside the young fox demon. She helped him up, brushing the dirt from his clothes with a gentle smile, her voice soothing as she offered encouragement.

“You just need to watch where you’re going, Shippo! You’re too quick for your own good sometimes!” she laughed, ruffling the kit's hair. Shippo grinned sheepishly, his embarrassment forgotten.

Shaking his head Yoko decided he had seen enough and didn't want to stick around any longer than necessary since he had decided to attempt the one thing he would never normally do and that would be giving his loot to someone else, though probably the fact that due to holding onto his small amount of shards his peace had been disturbed and Yoko hated to be bothered constantly so he saw it more as ‘someone else’s problem’. Once the group settled down for the night he slipped into their camp as fast as lightning dropping the shards next to the sleeping Miko in a neat pile. Returning to his spot he was entertained when the group woke and witnessed the utter confusion they all had as to where the extra shards came from, he even had to hold back a loud chortle when the Hanyou started to sniff the ground looking for any sign of who or what came by.

‘Inus such simple creatures,’ Yoko thought while bounding away from the group, leaving them to their travels.

Kurama had been just as amazed to hear about the group Yoko saw though he was baffled when Yoko described the outfit the Miko wore. Instead of traditional Miko robes the girl was dressed in what looked like a white and green long-sleeved sailor fuku with a red ribbon tied in the front with white socks and brown penny loafers. Kurama had dismissed the wardrobe description at the time since there's no way a modern schoolgirl would be 500 years in the past!

Coming back to reality Kurama took in the scene around him, there was a battle axe stuck in the ground with a discarded kusarigama, completely covered in blood. Kurama picked up the weapon carefully so as not to lose any clues. His eyes fell to the ground where more blood was…and lots of it.

“Kurama, over here,” Hiei announced, leaving the scene he was at Kurama made his way to his former teammate. As he got closer his nose was assaulted by a sour, putrid smell. Gods, it was awful and he didn't have as strong a sense of smell as Hiei or Yoko.

“See that?” Hiei pointed to what looked like a half-human human/half-pig hybrid that looked like it had melted like ice cream on a hot day, disgusting purple fluid leaked from the body along with dead flies. Absolutely foul. “Looks like some boar youkai made their way to Ningenka, they're an absolute nuisance in Mukuro’s territory. They will consume everything in their path so we dispatch them when they make themselves known,”

Using the tip of his katana to move the dead boar’s head causing a few remaining flies to escape the carcass through the opening around the second kusarigama currently still stuck in its skull. Kurama frowned, his mind racing as he took in the grotesque sight. The boar youkai was a clear indication of a disturbance in the balance between the human world and the spirit realm.

“This is far too close to Ningenkai,” he said, glancing at Hiei. “If they are venturing this far, it suggests something is disrupting the natural order.”

Hiei grunted in agreement as he surveyed the area. “We should investigate further. While I'm not upset that this thing is dead we should find whatever dispatched it. Make sure we don't have a larger problem on hand”

Kurama nodded, “Before you called me over I found more discarded weapons and an alarming amount of blood. Our mystery Miko looks to have been hurt pretty badly. Also with the amount of weapons here there had to have been more than one youkai, 3 at least if not more but where are the bodies?”

Moving deeper into the alleyway provided them the answers they needed, the first thing both demon and avatar saw was a discarded top both recognized as a type of clothing from Makai surrounded by a huge amount of black dust, a portion creating a small oddly shaped pile. But that wasn't what held their attention, against the alley walk there was the perfect scorched silhouette of another boar demon. It was a perfect imprint of the nonexistent body, honestly, it could pass as grotesque street art if it wasn't the look of absolute horror that also transferred to the wall.

“Hot damn! That was one powerful blast!” Yoko said speaking up for the first time since entering the purified area.

Kurama had to agree with the spirit fox, he wouldn't have used those exact words persay but he was highly impressed by what he was looking at. It was both terrible and beautiful, almost hypnotizing as the energy swirled and crackled in the air before settling into a shimmering mist that danced around them. Kurama stepped closer to the wall, examining the details of the scorch mark.

“Look at this,” he pointed out, “the way the dust is scattered. She unleashed a wave of energy so potent that it completely obliterated her attackers. But if that’s true, why isn’t she here? Did she escape, or is she…”

“Or is she lying somewhere injured?” Hiei finished.

“No there would be a trail of blood if she left the area on her own,” Kurama said while crouching down to examine the youkai’s discarded clothing. It was a long shot but he was hoping there would be some type of clue or anything that would help them move forward in their search.

“From the look of things someone came to her aid and made a quick getaway with how everything was left behind for anyone to find,” Kuramauvd continued, pointing out the other set of footprints that lingered around the area where the blood had been spilled. “I believe it's safe to say the Miko is long gone from this area, with how much damage was done she most likely fled the city.”

Hiei crouched down beside Kurama, his eyes scanning the ground for any additional clues. “If she was rescued, then we need to find out who helped her. They might know where she went.”

Kurama nodded, considering the implications of their findings. “The footprints lead towards the outskirts of the city. If she escaped with someone, they may have taken her to a safe location.”

“Then let’s follow the trail,” Hiei said, rising to his feet. He glanced around, ensuring the area was clear before moving forward. “We can’t waste any more time.”

Agreeing with his teammate Kurama stood and turned ready to get out of the purified alleyway once and for all. When he moved his foot forward he felt it connect with something hidden under the pile of ashes. An open pocket knife skidded a few feet before stopping, he reached out grabbing the new weapon making itself known.

‘Curious’ Yoko and Kurama voiced at the same time.

It was a strange sight, an ordinary pink pocket knife. Kurama inspected it closely wiping the dust from the purified youkai off it only to discover words etched into the side. Pulling out a handkerchief he finished cleaning the weapon silently hoping there was something worthwhile to lead them to the next clue. As the last bit of ash fell away the words became clearer.

‘Property of Kagome H, if found please return to Higurashi Shrine’

A wide kitsune-like grin spread across his face, excited that their current mystery had just taken an intriguing turn. “Kagome H... Higurashi Shrine,” Kurama repeated, the name ringing a bell. Making a mental note to ask Koenma when they saw each other next. “We have her name and a destination,” he said showing the knife to Hiei

“Fine, let's get out of here I can't take much more of this disgustingly pure air,”

Kurama nodded, even with the energy slowly dissipating, the alleyway still made the avatar very uncomfortable, Kurama couldn't imagine what Hiei was feeling the whole time they were in this space. As they turned to leave a portal opened up stopping Hiei and Kurama in their tracks. Botan in her soft pink yukata flew through the portal on her trusty oar.

“Kurama, Hiei!” the Grim Reaper called to both men, “Koenma needs you in Rekai right n…WHAT THE HECK IS THAT!” startled by the large, detailed scorch print of the boar Demon.

“That’s what happens when you leave youkai unchecked,” Hiei replied with a hint of disdain, crossing his arms. “A pure nuisance.”

Botan, still hovering on her oar, blinked rapidly as she processed the scene before her. Shaking her head she decided not to worry about this right now, the problem had obviously been taken care of and according to Koenma there was a larger problem at hand than youkai causing a nuisance.

“You know what we don't have time for this, I've already picked up Yusuke and Kuwabara. Koenma is demanding everyone so it can't be good.”

Hiei and Kurama glanced at each other, it had been quite a few years since the full team was back together, especially since Yusuke’s retirement of sorts. If whatever is happening/happened was enough to bring Yusuke back then their mystery Miko could wait.

‘For now,’ Yoko almost purred causing both Kurama’s and Hiei’s eyes to roll.

“I take it Koenma will fill us in when we arrive?” Kurama asked

“Yes like always,” Botan confirmed, “Now hurry up and go before I get in trouble for dawdling!” She pointed emphatically toward the portal, her cheerful demeanor offset by the urgency of their task.

Hiei stepped through the portal first, his expression unreadable. Kurama followed closely behind, still clutching the pink pocket knife.

‘Let's keep this to us for now Red, I'm not sure I'm ready to share this puzzle just yet’

‘For once I have to agree with you, let's see how deep this goes’

Excitement continued to pulse through Kurama’s veins, mostly fueled by Yoko but he wasn't complaining. While this would be a doozy of a mission with everyone being pulled out of the woodwork Kurama was confident they would all handle it quickly like they always did. Oh yes, he had a feeling researching this mysterious Miko would keep him entertained for a while. Things were definitely starting to become—

‘Interesting indeed,’

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And that's a wrap for chapter 3 everyone! Honestly, even though it was more of an introductory chapter I had lots of fun writing it, though I feel like I may have made the boys have different personalities than the anime or manga but that's ok. I hope you all enjoyed this so far!

Next time: Kagome’s power surge unlocks the soul of a powerful enemy that has been dormant for centuries. The Spirit Detectives soon find they're in over their heads when confronting the new foe, but when they think they're close to defeat help arrives just in time.

Now on to the reviews! I will only respond to reviews from FF.net at the end of chapters since I can respond to Ao3 as they come so I will do my best to respond :)

SesshoKago: 1. Thank you so much I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Also, I agree there really are not enough YuYu/Inu crossovers especially because they go so well together! Though I did find one of the best Kag/Kur crossovers I've ever read recently after I thought it had been deleted forever. If you're interested send me a PM and I'll give you some more details because holy moly does it deserve some love!

SesshoKago: 2. Haha true but I don't feel like that plot gets used enough. Plus it rubbed me the wrong way when Enma attempted to kill Yusuke along with the other crap he pulled, but I don't want to spoil any more for those who haven't finished Yuyu Hakusho yet. As for who Kagome ends up with, well I can't say or it'll spoil it lol but yes there will be a bit of Yus/Kag fluff but not 100% what you think.

Killercandycane: Thank you so much! Honestly, I've thought about this plot for a few years now and finally had the nerve to post it. My goal is to update every 1-2 weeks max especially since my chapters have (so far) ended up being longer haha