Ugh, I cannot tell you how many times I re-wrote this chapter. I'm still not fully okay with it, but if I keep fiddling with it, I'll never post it. Just to clarify something about this story as I've had to answer this question a few times now. This is going to be a very long story split between two halves. The first half is Kagome growing up in Konoha, making friends and allies, and building up her skills as a kunoichi. The second half starts when Naruto is born, it will all be in the same story though. Since I don't want the story to last forever, as I am very determined to finish this one, if/when I continue the story into Shippuden I might make that into like a book two scenario. Otherwise, this story would just never end. Anyway, enough of my rant. Enjoy the chapter everyone!
Kagome idly worked on her homework made up for her by Shikaku, Inoichi, and Minato. The homework given out by the academy continued to be laughably easy, so those around her created harder material for her to work on. A few months had passed since that first day of school it was hard to believe that she had been in this world for almost a year now. Her birthday had gone and passed and Minato had planned a nice party for her, inviting all of her new friends. She had managed to make a couple of more friends past Asuma, Kurenai, and Guy.
Obito Uchiha had been the first and he had been the one to approach her. He was a very sweet boy with a big heart. She constantly saw him around helping the elderly carry their things. It tended to always make him late, but he tried his best. He had come up to her one day bluntly saying that he thought the rumors about her were a load of crap and he wanted to be her friend. Who was she to say no to him? He had never been mean to her before, so she didn't mind gaining a new friend. He had a dream to become the first Uchiha Hokage and he was fighting the good fight to make that possible. She thought his goal was a good one and she was cheering him on.
Obito had quickly introduced her to Rin Nohara. Rin was all smiles, hugs, and encouraging words. Kagome genuinely liked the girl; the only problem was how similar she was to Sesshomaru's ward. The only saving grace was that they looked different. Their personalities were extremely similar though. They went shopping together occasionally with Kurenai joined them from time to time as well. Both Rin and Obito had commandeered the table behind hers so they were a tight group during class now.
There was also a boy from Guy's year that she had hit it off with. Ibiki Morino had caught her practicing with her senbon and recognized the pressure points and near-lethal spots she was hitting. The way she knew anatomy and ways to inflict large damage without killing aligned exactly with what he wanted to learn. He had asked her to train him and she had agreed because his determination drew her in. He was only five and he already knew what he wanted to be when he grew up. His goal was to become Konoha's lead interrogator. She was eager to help him out as best as she could. He had even started eating lunch together with Guy and herself, though he tended to ignore Guy for the most part. She was trying to get them to get along more, but Guy's exuberance really annoyed Ibiki.
The other kids in the school had been split up between three groups. The people that bullied her. The ones that completely ignored she existed. And then there was the creepy-ass fan club that had formed. She tried to avoid those people as much as possible. They truly and honestly gave her the creeps. The bullying had definitely ramped up since day one. She could care less, however. Honestly, she found it comical how hard those kids tried to make her feel bad without even really knowing why they were doing it. She had enough of a friend base, however, so they didn't really phase her. Minato had found out about it and had been absolutely furious about it. There really wasn't much he could do about it though. He had talked to the sensei about it, but the teacher really didn't like her either. So, he didn't actually do anything about it and regularly turned a blind eye. She was pretty sure his attitude was either one of two things. He wasn't from one of the main clans so he must have started as a civilian. So, one thing he could be bitter about was her being adopted into a main clan which gave her a small boost in life. The other thing could be he didn't like teaching kids who had more potential than himself. She had heard about sensei's out there like that failed potential genin that were better than themselves.
She tried not to dwell on the bullying too much anyway, not that she had much time to recently. She very rarely had a moment to her self anymore. Usually, she didn't mind too much as she liked to keep herself busy but lately, she felt herself needing a break. She was burning herself out and she knew from experience that if she didn't take a break soon, she would make herself sick. She was actually surprised she hadn't already. When she wasn't training with Minato, she was training with the terror trio. Her rare free time from those four was usually occupied by her friends. She'd help Shikaku with the deer herd, help train Ibiki and Guy, tutoring Asuma, Obito, and Kurenai, and furthering her medical training on her own time. She tried to make time to go shopping with Rin when she wanted to go as well, having a bit of girl time.
So, because of all of that, she finally managed to arrange a day just to herself after she finished up her homework. She planned on getting her homework all finished up right away so the rest of the day would be free. She was nearly finished, only having one last page last to finish. After a few more minutes she finally wrote down the last answer and happily pushed her homework aside. Ah, freedom. A thoughtful look came over her as she thought over what she actually wanted to do with her free time now. Maybe the best answer was absolutely nothing. Napping the day away sounded rather glorious. It was thwarted, however, the moment Minato walked into the room with a sheepish look upon his face.
Kagome let out a sigh as a small pout appeared on her face, "What happened?" that look meant absolutely no good.
"I am so sorry Gome, but could I ask you a favor?" he asked as he folded his hands together, "It's nothing big, just a small errand. It shouldn't take you long and then I give you my word you'll have the rest of the day off."
"What do you need?" honestly, he could be so airheaded sometimes.
"Could you run into town and pick up my kunai order at the shop? The next bunch was supposed to be done today, but I don't have time to pick them up."
"And what are you doing that is so important?" she asked with a raised brow.
Minato turned fidgety, "I promised Kushina I'd help her out with something. Usually, I would just pick them up after I finished up with her, but the shop closes early today. That old man that runs the shop is so mean, if it doesn't get picked up today then he'll charge a holding fee. Please, Imouto."
She glared at him, "No, guilt-tripping." She let out a sigh, "Fine, I'll pick up your order."
Minato wrapped her up in a hug, "You are the best little sister ever. I should be back in a few hours, the shop closes in two. Make sure you get there before then."
"Yeah, yeah. Go help you crush, lover boy. I'll get changed and then head out. You owe me some Dango for this." She warned him.
"Deal, plus I'll even make Oden for you tonight."
She narrowed her eyes in warning, "I'm holding you to that." She did not take Oden promises lightly.
Minato laughed as he ran out the door. Kagome shook her head in amusement, it was like he was five sometimes. She made her way to her room to change since she hadn't bothered to get out of her pajamas yet. She chose a simple fighting Kimono. She didn't predict having to fight but one could never be too careful. Plus, Guy had a tendency to pop out of absolutely nowhere and demand a spar.
Since she was already out of the house, she made a few quick stops into a couple of stores. She paid close attention to the time, making sure she would still have enough time to make it to the weaponsmith Minato used. Besides the old man being a generally horrid person, he made some of the best material. It was the only reason Minato stuck with him. She bought a couple of new books, a scarf that had caught her attention, and the cutest little succulent plant she found. She made it to the weapon shop with fifteen minutes to spare. Plenty of time to simply pick up Minato's order.
As she walked into the store the old man's eyes were instantly on her. He always thought that kids were going to steal from him, "What do you want brat?"
Kagome forced herself not to roll her eyes as she repeated her mantra when dealing with this man. Be polite, be polite, be polite, be the better person. She gave him a forced smile, "Good afternoon Sir. I'm simply here to pick up Minato-Nii's order."
"Bah, he couldn't even come to pick it up himself." He grumbled out.
Kagome kept up the smile with pure strength of will, "Unfortunately, something came up. I hope that won't be a problem?"
The man grunted ash he made his way to the back of his store, "Don't you touch nothin' ya brat." He grumbled behind him.
Once his back was turned, she violently stuck her tongue out at him. God, he was terrible. Just to spite him she reached out and touched the nearest thing, which just so happened to be a sword. Her gaze traveled around his current selection. She tried to look them over every time she came in. She had yet to find a sword that called to her yet. She had learned from experience in the feudal era that swords really chose the person. Sure, practically any sword could be wielded, but using that complimented the one wielding it made a huge difference. Just look at Inuyasha and Sesshomaru with their swords. She would never see them using just any sword to fight with, they had already found their matches.
None of his new stock called out to her today either. It wasn't like she needed a new sword, but it would be nice to have one made for her again. Sesshomaru had one forged for her that was able to channel her Ki through it back in the feudal era. It had shattered during the final fight with Naraku. It had been a very well-made sword, but it hadn't been forged by Totosai. It simply hadn't been able to hold up. But she had still liked that sword and she kind of missed it.
The old man's voice caught her attention, "Oi, brat, get back here and help me move this. I'm not as young as I used to be."
"Thought I wasn't supposed to touch anything." She whispered out bitterly as she made her way back. If it really was that heavy, she might have to seal them inside of a scroll to get them back home.
One of the upsides of all of her extensive training was that her strength and stamina were extremely boosted. Her stamina was off the charts, at least compared to her old self. Her strength was nearly back up to what it had been a year ago. It was somewhat strange to her that was an eight-year-old was almost as strong as an eighteen-year-old. Choza had boughten her weights for her to wear daily on her wrists and ankles that helped her boost both. They were all disguised as bracelets and anklets. They were simple bands that increased in weight if she added her chakra into them.
The moment Kagome walked through the door to the back she felt the pull. Her eyes darted to the side and her breath caught in her throat. There was no way it should be possible, but there it was. Her red bow from Mount Azusa was hanging on the wall above his forge. How was it here? She had put it on the ground next to her before Midoriko had attacked her and Minato had sworn there had been nothing else in the area he had found her. Had it fallen into the portal after her, just before it closed? Did falling in at slightly different times mean that it fell out somewhere else from herself?
"Oi, brat, what's wrong?" he asked gruffly, she had been staring at the bow for a while now.
Kagome startled out of her trance, "Where did you find that bow Sir?" she didn't realize she was nearly crying, but the old man sure did.
He looked at her with wide eyes as he quickly glanced over to the weapon being questioned. He had kept it after he found it simply because it was a masterpiece. He had never seen a bow so well made in his life. He couldn't really sell it though as bows were nearly useless to a shinobi and he refused to have this bow simply used for hunting. He had never seen anybody start crying after simply seeing a weapon before, "Found it in the forests just south of Konoha. Didn't have the heart to leave such a well-made weapon to rot in the woods. Figured the previous owner was dead with how much dried blood I had to clean from it." He told her as he watched her closely.
Kagome nodded slightly. The dried blood would have been a mixture of her own and the demons dying around her. It wasn't odd for a demon to be cut down from the sky, and well the blood spilling from it had to go somewhere. There had been times it had seemed like it was raining blood. War was not a nice and clean ordeal; it was very messy.
"What does the bow mean to ya brat?" the shop owner asked suddenly. With how she was looking at the bow it clearly wasn't her first time seeing it.
What did it mean to her? At the moment, everything. This bow was her only connection to her old life besides the large scar across her back. It was a bow blessed by the Kami's from her world and practically made just for her. She couldn't exactly claim it as her own, however. It was slightly taller than she was. It would take tons of practice to wield it correctly again. The lie came to her rather easily, "It was my sister's. I thought it was lost forever the day she was killed. I never thought I would see it again." She ended truthfully. She had honestly thought it had been left behind in the feudal era.
The old man gained a serious look as he looked at her. During her whole conversation, her gaze had not left the red bow. With a grumble he made his way to the bow, he was growing soft in his old age. He reached up and took the weapon off the wall. With a sigh, he held it out to her, "Take it." It would do no good to him here as he would never use it.
Kagome finally pulled her eyes from the bow and looked at the usually mean man with wide eyes, "But..."
The old man shook his head and cut her off, "I've merely kept it to honor the craftsmanship. It holds sentimental value for you. Take it brat, before I change my mind."
Kagome slowly reached out and took it from him, "Thank you, Sir. Thank you so much." She almost cried out. She was holding back her tears as much as she possibly could.
By the time she left the old man's store she had sealed Minato's literal crate of three-pronged kunai into a scroll so she'd be able to carry it home. The old man had also given her quiver and arrows to go with it. She'd tried to pay him but he said a bow was useless without arrows. When she had tried to fight the issue more, he'd compromised with saying this first dozen being free, but any future purchases for more would be made from his shop. She had happily agreed having now seen the soft side deeply hidden behind the cruel and gruff exterior. Kagome nearly ran home. The bags from her purchases earlier dangling from her arms as she hugged the bow tightly to herself. She definitely knew what she was going to be doing on her day off now. She had to see if she was even able to shoot the bow at her current age and height. It would be difficult but she was determined to make that answer a yes.
Kagome barreled through the front door and quickly put her things away. She threw her purchases on her bed before putting Minato's scroll on the kitchen table. She wrote a quick note saying she would be out back practicing with a new weapon she had gotten. She had found a small clearing back behind the house that was perfect for training and she had claimed it as her own. She ran out the back door and easily jumped over the fence. She spent the next hour practicing with her bow. It was extremely difficult to use and she couldn't pull the string back all of the way simply from lack of arm length. She could fire off arrows, however. They just didn't have as much oomph as they could and she was much slower between each shot, but it was possible. She knew she couldn't use it in battle for at least a couple more years, but honestly, she was simply glad to have it back.
She was about to call it a day when she heard the step behind her. She assumed for a second it was just Minato coming to check on her like the mother-hen he was. Then she sensed the dark and twisted aura. Without a simply hesitation or wasted movement she knocked an arrow, turned, and shot. Her power turning the arrow pink. It was stopped by a flowing hand just before hitting its target. Kagome's eyes went wide in terror as she turned pale.
"Midoriko." She whispered out.
When Minato came home it was with a smile on his face. He had managed to help Kushina with her problem successfully. She had needed some assistance with a Fuinjutsu seal that was just beyond her current skill set.
"Imouto I'm home." He called out as he made his way into the kitchen to put away the ingredients, he had boughten for Oden later. When he didn't get an answer, he just shrugged it off. It was her day off to spend as she liked. Maybe she was still out in the markets just doing some extra shopping. Along with the allowance he gave her Shikaku had followed through with his promise of paying her for helping with the deer as well. She had a decent amount of her own money saved up already.
When he made it to the kitchen, he noticed a scroll and a piece of paper that hadn't been there when he had left. He put the groceries away before reading the note.
You could have warned me just how many kunai you had ordered! I sealed them inside the scroll so feel free to summon them back whenever you need. I found a new/old weapon at the shop and I'm out back practicing with it. The cranky old shop keeper somehow found my sister's bow and gave it to me. I'll be back before dinner for sure. Feel free to come back and check on me if you feel the need, but I assure you I will be fine.
Minato put the note down with a small frown. What were the odds that her sister's bow somehow made its way back to her? he was sure that she would be perfectly fine back there, but he felt a little pulse of worry flow through him. He should just go pop in for a moment just to ease his mind.
The closer he got to the small clearing, Kagome had claimed as her own, the more he felt her chakra keep flashing in small bursts. What was she doing? Just as he got the clearing into view, he was suddenly trapped by a barrier that felt like a twisted version of Kagome's. He was instantly on high alert and was slightly surprised when a woman materialized in front of him. He tried attacking her only to find himself going straight through her. Her low unhinged chuckle sent a shiver down his spine, it was like you could hear the insanity from the laugh alone. Then he noticed that she was slightly see-through. Just what was she? Was this some kind of kekkei genkai he had never heard of before?
"Struggling is pointless, I assure you. You do not possess the strength to break my barrier and you are unable to touch me. I simply can't have you interrupting, your timing is inconvenient."
The moment what she meant processed he quickly yelled out, "Kagome, run! Go get back up." To his astonishment, she didn't even react to him. She simply loosed another arrow, her chakra pulsing again as the arrow glowed pink, from a bow that was entirely too big for her.
"It is pointless. She cannot hear nor see you." She circled around him like a predator and he didn't allow her to see his back. If she wasn't clearly insane, she would be a rather pretty woman. She was elegant to the point of seeming regal. There was a small diamond shape in the middle of her forehead and she wore ancient-looking battle armor. She looked somewhat similar to Kagome herself and he felt worry build up inside him. All in all, he had absolutely no idea who she was or what she wanted.
"What is it that you want?" he growled out, keeping a tight grip on a kunai, though he guessed it wouldn't really do much.
"What I want? Ah, that is simple. My desire is to see Kagome suffer as much as humanly possible. You see she was supposed to be dead already at this point, but unfortunately, somebody interfered with my plan. So, now I must do it myself."
Minato narrowed his eyes dangerously, his aura going dark in a type of warning. Nobody threatened his family, "Who are you?" he growled out, though he was starting to get a suspicion.
She let out a small laugh as she approached the edge of the barrier, "You'll see soon enough. She's been lying to you this entire time; I hope you realize that. Thought you should know before I kill her." she said simply before walking through the barrier and out of his reach.
"KAGOME!" he screamed out in worry beating the edge of the barrier to try and catch her attention. All it accomplished was the barrier rippling, absorbing the damage done to it. It suddenly dawned on him that all he could do was stand there in horror and watch. Was he about to lose his family once again?
He noticed the moment Kagome realized there was someone behind her as she tensed up slightly. Then she fired off an arrow faster than he had ever seen anybody do it. He noticed she made the arrow glow pink again, but it was useless. The woman simply grabbed it inches from it hitting her heart, stopping it from reaching its destination.
He knew Kagome recognized the woman as her eyes grew wide as the blood drained from her face. Her whispered, "Midoriko." Confirmed his suspicions and he felt his heart stop. The Hokage had warned him about the woman, but he hadn't said just how powerful she was. What good was he if he couldn't even touch her?
Midoriko smiled a twisted grin, "Your reflexes are just as good as they used to be."
Kagome shifted nervously, "You seem a lot saner since that last time I saw you. Did you finally come to your senses?" she asked slowly, trying to keep the conversation as calm as possible.
"Ah, yes. Nearly a year's rest gave me time to gather some sanity back. Don't you worry though, I still plan to make you suffer. Just as you forced me to."
Kagome frowned and took a slow step back trying to gain some distance, "That was an accident Midoriko and you know it. I'm pretty sure I paid my penance spending three years collecting the shards and all the hardships that followed."
"Oh, you made your penance by making friends, gathering allies, and enjoying your travels? Oh yes, you have suffered so much." Midoriko bit out angrily.
"We spend three years battling Naraku. Three years stuck in a seemingly never-ending war. Just let it go Midoriko. Rest peacefully inside the jewel. I'm keeping it pure so there should be no fighting needed."
Midoriko gave a stiff nod, "Magatsuhi has been quite docile since your arrival here. It seems I am the only one still haunted by the whole thing."
"That is not tr..." Kagome started before she was violently cut off by Midoriko attacking her. She held her ground as best as she could but Midoriko got in a lucky grab and wrapped her hands around her throat and squeezed, effortlessly lifting her off the ground. Kagome kicked uselessly as she clawed at Midoriko's hands, her airflow getting cut off. Tears started forming in her eyes as she let out small gasps. All of the training she had pushed herself through and she was still helpless against her. It pissed her off, she was better than this.
"You are the single person to blame for all of my sufferings. Since I am unable to perform the same trick again to watch you die slowly, I shall simply choke the life from you myself. It isn't as long and suffering as I would like, but it shall suffice." She growled out.
Kagome saw the desperate madness in Midoriko's eyes. There was no talking her down, her mind was forever lost from the person she used to be. Kagome's vision was slowly turning black from lack of air.
Minato was desperately attacking the edge of the barrier, but it held up against all of his attacks. He had tried jutsu, weapons, and just physically attacking it. None of it worked. He had even tried activating his jutsu to teleport to the kunai Kagome always carried with her, but this damned barrier wouldn't let him go. He had just slammed into the side of it. He had just come to the horrifying realization that he would have to watch his sister choke to death when something blasted into the side of Midoriko. The force of it made her drop his sister, who greedily sucked in air. Minato tried to figure out what had saved his sister. It looked like a purple and grey dragon and he assumed it was a jutsu. Then it spoke.
"Leave the child alone Midoriko." The dragon spoke.
Midoriko's eyes glowed showing her rage, "You!" she spat out, "Why are you stopping me? Her death would mean the Shikon is free to influence whomever you wish."
The dragon wrapped his tail around Kagome protectively. She was still coughing slightly and had let out a small eep when the tail wrapped around her, "I grow weary of conflict and war. The child allows me to simply be. A chance to finally rest. I will not allow you to harm her further, fallen Miko."
"I have not fallen." Midoriko screeched, "She is the one that causes harm to those around her."
"Have you not seen the color of your Ki recently? It is such a dark purple it is nearly black. Face it Midoriko, you have fallen from grace. The Kami's that have blessed you with power have forsaken you due to your actions. You serve only yourself now. You don't have the power to beat me. You are still weakened by creating the portal that sent the child here. Give in." The dragon warned. He felt the tiny Miko gripping his tail tightly. He was overly aware that she could attack him at any time and he would be severely hurt before he would be able to safely pull away with how he was wrapped around her. It warmed his heart a bit to find no ill intent pointed at him from her. A Miko like herself was extremely rare and he truly didn't mind being watched over by her, one that did not judge. It was like his mind was clear for the first time in such a long time. He had made up his mind this past year as he idly watched the child from inside the jewel that always hung from her neck. This Miko turned child was worth his protection. Midoriko was not the same woman she had been before the jewel shattered and he saw no reason to fight against her any longer. She was no longer worth it.
Midoriko screamed her frustration and anger, "This is not over, you cannot protect her forever. I will find a way to kill her, this I swear to you." Midoriko promised darkly before dissipating. Her soul going back into the jewel.
Once the dragon was sure she wasn't going to come back he unwound himself from the child and positioned himself so he could look her in the eye. There were tear tracks going down her face and her neck was already bruising. Before he could say anything, she beat him to it.
Minato was beyond confused as to what was going on. Since when were dragons real? They could be shaped in jutsu attacks, but they shouldn't be actual alive creatures. He was glad it had chosen to protect Kagome, but why had it? Midoriko's words floated through his mind. She's lying to you. Just what was Kagome lying about? He noticed the barrier was slowly dissipating now that Midoriko was no longer around to sustain it. He quickly hid his presence and jumped up to hide in the nearest tree as he had a feeling the following conversation was one that he needed to hear. To be able to understand a bit more about Kagome. Kagome's voice gained his attention and plunged him into further confusion.
"You are a demon from my world. Thank you for saving me, but who are you? How are you even here?" she coughed out painfully. She didn't fully trust him yet, but she would give him the benefit of the doubt. He did save her after all and he could have easily crushed her in his tail but he hadn't. His grip hadn't even been really tight, she was assuming he had done it just in case he needed to move her quickly.
The dragon let out a low chuckle, "You do not recognize me? I guess you would not, I never showed my true form during the war."
"You participated in the war?" Her unease grew. There had been no dragon demons on her side of the war, that could only mean he had been on Naraku's side. She couldn't judge too much, a few of Naraku's own incarnations had switched sides at the end. Mainly Kagura and Kanna came to mind. Hakudoshi had been more of a neutral party, not on Naraku's side but not their ally either. This demon could be the same.
"I did indeed, on the side of the spider. I have since then switched to your side, Miko. Though I do have to admit it was after the spider's death."
"I will ask again demon, who are you?" she asked showing zero fear. She had seen larger dragons in the past. It was sad to say this giant demon scared her far less than Midoriko did.
"You really want to know? I could just stay anonymous." He asked and Kagome nodded her head sharply, she wanted to know, "Very well Shikon Miko. I shall show you."
Minato watched from his treetop perch as the dragon started to shrink down. He was ready to interfere at a moment's notice if it seemed necessary; if the dragon seemed hostile to his sister at all. So far, he had remained hidden as he somehow knew announcing himself would be a terrible idea. He wasn't sure how to fight a dragon, but he would figure it out if he had to. Or die trying. He was worried for Kagome as mentions of war and different worlds were brought up. He would wait for her to tell him the whole story herself after this. Even if she was lying to him, which seemed more likely as each second passed, he trusted her. No matter what he would still be his little sister.
The dragon finished shrinking down into a tall man with long grey hair that fell past his waist. He had sharp red eyes, each underlined with a jagged purple stripe. The oddest parts were his naturally blue lips and literal purple arms. It was very clear this man was not human. He wore ancient-looking samurai armor. It was Kagome's expression that really caught his attention. She had a look of anger and slight fear. It confused him how she showed zero fear to a dragon more than ten times her size, but his man scared her. He watched her unconsciously reach for a kunai.
"Magatsuhi. Why did you help me?" she asked sounding sincerely confused, "The last time I saw you, you were trying to kill us. And enjoying every second of it. Sesshomaru killed you." She said slowly.
Magatsuhi shrugged seemingly calm, "As I told Midoriko, I tire of fighting. Since the jewel's creation, of Midoriko's and my own soul, the Shikon has not been kept this pure for so long. I know what you're probably thinking, it's not even been a full year." He gave her a serious look, "Not a single holder in the past has had the ability to unconsciously keep the jewel completely pure. There is always darkness in the soul. Not yours though. With Midoriko's fall into madness, there had been a power switch within the jewel. There must always be a balance with the souls. The darker Midoriko's becomes, the calmer mine is. It is odd, but I assure you that I am firmly on your side now. I will do my best to protect you from the fallen Miko, even if that is just keeping her attention on me in the jewel." He smirked as he gave her a small bow of respect that he clearly didn't fully mean.
Kagome folded her arms as she lowered her guard, "Don't mock me." She commented about the bow, "Just in case you have any hard feelings yourself, I am truly sorry about shattering the jewel."
He waved her off, "I know that it was purely an accident. I didn't get the worst of it anyway. Plus, I had a bit of free time when Naraku freed me. It was fun to stretch my wings." He teased lightly before a frown appeared on his face, "I can't stay here much longer, the energy in the air here saps my strength."
"Chakra." She supplied, "The energy is called chakra and it is not compatible with people from our world. From what the sage guy said it would be like poison to our systems. That is why I am like I am now. I needed to be able to adjust."
Magatsuhi smirked, "I thought you were shorter from the first time I saw you, but then you were always short. Thought it might just be my imagination."
"Haha. Very funny." She said sarcastically.
"In all seriousness, however, I have something to give you." He held out a hand and a sword in a black sheath appeared in it, "I want you to take it. I know the dog general trained you in swordsmanship and you have practiced even more here, so you'll know how to treat it right."
Kagome's eyes went wide at the sword that radiated raw Yoki, "I don't think I have the strength needed to wield a demon sword. I know from experience that they are very particular about their owners and I'm sure I won't qualify."
"Nonsense. It is a sword formed and sustained by my own Yoki. It will cooperate for anyone I deem worthy, and besides myself, the only other person would be you. It will listen to you."
Kagome wrinkled her nose in slight distrust, "Ah, this isn't like So'unga is it? Cause that sword was a real pain in the ass."
A full-blown laugh escaped him, "Naw, I don't have enough power to make a sword that controls people and raises the dead. That would be cool to witness first hand though."
A long-suffering groan came from Kagome, "No, not again. I've had to fight enough zombies to last a lifetime thank you very much."
Kagome took a deep breath before reaching out to grab the sword. The moment she had hold of it she felt it accept her and she breathed out a sigh of relief. She noticed the purple dragon decorating the sheath that she hadn't noticed before as she unsheathed the sword. She gazed at the pure beauty of the sword. The hilt was grey with ancient engravings decorating it. The blade was a light purple color and it was absolutely gorgeous, "Does it have a name?"
"It was created from myself so it has the same name as me, though you can shorten it if you prefer. It will never break as long as my soul exists, and since I'm forever stuck inside the jewel, I think the sword should last you a lifetime. A word of warning, be careful of who you let hold it. It may have the tendency of burning them, concentrated miasma can burn like acid as I'm sure you're aware. It's like a safety mechanism."
"Right, well thank you Magatsuhi. I owe you for saving my life." She said sincerely as she sheathed the sword back up.
"Just keep the jewel as pure as you've been keeping it and call yourself even." He glanced sidewise, making direct eye contact with Minato. He had clearly known he was there the entire time, "If I may say, I suggest you tell your guardian what is truly going on with your past. And soon."
Kagome flinched slightly as she held the sword a bit closer to her for comfort, "I know. I didn't mean to NOT tell him for so long. I was going to tell him a while back. Then we got so busy training and I just kind of forgot. Then he adopted me into his family and it just didn't really seem important anymore. He cares about the me I am now, not who I used to be. There was also the fact I was scared he would look at me differently after I told him. He is very important to me and I don't want to lose him. But, with Midoriko becoming active again he deserves to know the truth." She let out a sigh, "I'll tell him tomorrow. I need the day to process everything."
He mussed up her hair before starting to disappear, "I'll see ya later kid. Keep up with the training." He suggested giving her a meaningful look at the sword before completely disappearing. His soul following Midoriko back into the jewel.
Minato watched as Kagome's legs just seemed to give out as she collapsed onto the ground, "Why couldn't life just stay as it was?" she asked herself quietly.
Minato watched her for a few more minutes to make sure she was truly okay before making his way silently back to the house. He had a million questions, but he would just have to hold out until tomorrow to get them answered. Life suddenly didn't make sense and that wasn't okay with him.
He busied himself starting supper as he waited for Kagome to make her way back to the house herself. He had to wait another half hour that truly tested his patience before she wandered into the kitchen. He idly noticed that she didn't have the bow nor sword with her. She had a scarf he had never seen before wrapped around her throat hiding the bruising. Why she didn't just heal them he wasn't sure. Maybe she was going to show it to him tomorrow during her explanation.
"How was your day?" he asked as normally as he could, trying to hide the panic in his voice.
Kagome gave a shrug as she laid her head down on the table, supported by her folded arms, "It was tiring." She answered simply. She was clearly trying to hide the pain and worry from him as well.
They ate in silence before Kagome had said she didn't feel very well and wanted to go to bed early. He had allowed her so he didn't have to hide any emotions on his face. He barely got any sleep that night, paying close attention to Kagome's chakra signature in the room next to his. To make sure that it didn't suddenly disappear on him. He did notice that the sword she had received had a unique chakra signature of its own and it practically wrapped around Kagome's own protectively.
The next morning when he wandered into the kitchen, he saw Kagome waiting at the table for him patiently, "Minato-Nii... we need to talk." She said carefully.
Minato nodded as he grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down. This was it, he was going to learn the truth about his little sister.