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Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Inuyasha or Naruto. All character depicted belong to their respective owners.
When Kagome imagined all of the ways her journey to restore the fragments of the sacred jewel might come to an end, landing herself in the desert had been so far at the bottom of the list that she never even thought of it. Forcibly returned to her family's shrine in the future, maybe, or eternally trapped within the cursed object alongside Naraku if she made the wrong wish had lingered at the top. If she were really lucky, she might even have been allowed to stay in the feudal era alongside Inuyasha and her friends.
But this…?
Was this really how she was going to die?
No water… no food… no shelter from the blistering sun.
"This… sucks," she quietly complained. Trying to shield her eyes beneath her raised arm, she squinted against the harsh light reflecting off the golden dunes in the distance. Frowning heavily at the seemingly endless sea of sand that stared back at her, the young woman wrinkled her nose and tried desperately to wet her dry lips once again. She used the back of her arm to wipe across her forehead as she lowered it then, allowing her hand to become limp at her side once more, and released a faint, aching sigh with the knowledge that she was probably just walking in circles.
Now… that would just be her luck.
The Shikon Miko falls victim to dehydration and heat stroke, yeah… that's great, she thought, tilting her head back toward the sky above. It's really funny, whoever decided on that one up there. I… I hope you're getting a good laugh out of it now, because obviously sending me back in time to fight Naraku wasn't enough, right? Or… or, you know… Kikyo and Inuyasha and all that… that wasn't enough… right?
The somewhat bitter, wayward thought made her reach up to grip the sacred longbow of Mount Azusa until her knuckles turned white. As the last remnant of her struggle, her victory, she had refused to allow it to become lost beneath the sand like her useless, empty quiver she had dropped somewhere along the way. It had been essential to her survival, after all, and it was the only weapon she had in this strange, foreign place she had found herself in. So, following through with her sudden desire to hurl the longbow into the surrounding desert in her frustration would probably be counterproductive, yet…
Maybe it was not the longbow itself she should hurl into the distance.
The sacred weapon slipped off her shoulder with practiced ease. Fingering the taut bowstring, Kagome bit her lip with indecision the more she thought about it. The idea itself had merit, but it might also be the stupidest thing she could possibly do. Broadcasting her location and her power was not exactly the brightest idea given the circumstances, but...
Is dying out here like this any better, though? The best case scenario is I get rescued if there's somebody out there to see it, right? She sighed heavily, thinking, Or, I guess, maybe I'll get eaten if there's some hungry demon nearby just waiting for a yummy priestess to start shooting spiritual arrows like an idiot with a flare gun.
Allowing herself to pull absentmindedly on the bowstring, Kagome closed her eyes and lowered her head for a moment while she weighed the two options. The choice between life or death was an easy one to make, however, and a fierce, burning determination sparked within her gaze when she finally lifted her head. Staring defiantly at the harsh, bitter landscape that threatened to consume her with the more time that passed, Kagome straightened her lip into a thin line with her sudden resolve.
A pale, pearlescent hue lit up the sacred longbow, as her energy began to dance along the edge of her fingers and channeled itself into the weapon.
Only one way to find out!
Widening her stance when she felt the sand shift beneath her feet, the young priestess grit her teeth and sent the shimmering manifestation of her power hurtling into the sky directly above her without another thought. Wisps of her dark, raven colored locks clouded her vision, as grains of sand scattered around her in its wake. Ignoring the way she sank slightly into the sand beneath her, Kagome quickly pushed away the wayward strands of hair to watch as the spiritual arrow became little more than a pinprick. She bit her lip a little at the corner after a moment, tightening her grip around the longbow she had lowered.
It'll fizzle out soon, she sighed. If I have to shoot another one, it shouldn't be too bad. But, if I shoot too many…
She could really only hope somebody out there had seen it, because otherwise…
No. She shook her head, sending another defiant glare toward the clear sky above. I'm not dead yet, and I'm not going to be! You'll see! I can take whatever it is you want to throw at me, and I can—!
A faint, distant rumble cut the thought short, as the young priestess turned abruptly on her heel to try and locate the sound. Kagome fingered the bowstring once more, her eyes quickly sweeping across the vast expanse that seemed to remain silent and still. Just an infinite sea of sand. Certain that she had heard something, however, she tugged her lip in between her teeth again and slowly allowed the tight reign on her aura to loosen. The sacred weapon began to give off a brilliant sheen within her hand once more, even as her power swelled and expanded, searching, trying to determine if she was about to be ambushed by a hungry predator or not.
A strange, crackling energy echoed back, blending in and out of the sand so seamlessly she nearly missed it.
What… is that? It feels like a spir—
Barely able to brace herself against the sudden and unexpected eruption of a nearby sand dune, Kagome shouted in surprise and threw up the sacred longbow of Mount Azusa instinctively. A shimmering barrier manifested within seconds, protecting her from the onslaught. The golden particles hissed when they came into contact with the shield, dissolving alongside the strange, crackling energy as if they were one and the same.
It was what emerged from the desert itself that made her eyes widen, though.
"Mmmmmaahhh, yeaaa!" the beast cried.
Is that… a tanuki… made of sand? Kagome thought, feeling her mouth fall open. She tensed as its yellow, black masked eyes zeroed in on her, the star-like pupils becoming mere pinpricks a moment before the creature began to bellow in outrage.
"Think you can shoot whatever arrows you like in my domain, do you?" The tanuki kicked up another shower of sand, attempting to bury her, and shook itself angrily when she remained standing. Clearly hesitant with the glimmering barrier of energy separating them, it reared back its head to shout, "I'll have you know that I've bested humans far greater than you, girl, so why don't you come out and fight me? Or are you scared to die?!"
As her initial shock began to wear off, the dark haired priestess quickly began to realize that she had a much bigger problem on her hands than the spirit trying to pummel her with the sand it controlled. I… I don't understand what it's saying. Her brow lowered with the mounting confusion and dread that followed that thought. The sudden anxiety made her bite her lip so hard that she tasted blood, and she was not entirely surprised by the way the sand spirit hissed in response to her tightening aura. "I… I, um…"
"I'll crush you before I'll be sealed again, you—!"
"Please!" Kagome shouted, swallowing around the harsh sound. "I'm just… lost!" Her mouth felt as dry as the desert surrounding them, but she noticed that the startled creature seemed to be just as puzzled over the language barrier separating them as she was. Knowing that her every movement was being scrutinized, the young woman slowly lowered her head in what she could only hope would be perceived as a sign of respect by the angry sand spirit. "I meant no disrespect to you, Tanuki-sama. I just don't know where I am, and I just…" her voice became little more than a whisper, as she said, "I don't want to die out here."
Examining her from a safe distance, the tanuki rumbled, "What trickery is this?"
"...please." Beginning to pull in her aura until only the shimmering barrier protecting her remained, Kagome bent further at the waist and felt a few stray tears drop silently to the glittering sand below. The sacred longbow within her grasp soon followed, and she prayed that the sight of her relinquishing her weapon might appease the tanuki enough to at least leave her in peace. "I'm sorry. I was just trying to get out of the desert, that's all."
"Desert?"
Snapping her head up at the familiar word, Kagome stupidly said, "What?"
"Do you mean Gaara of the Desert, girl?" The sand spirit's star-like pupils watched her closely, as its gaze flickered distrustingly toward the bow laying at her feet.
Is that… a name of some kind that relates to the desert? Maybe… a town that's nearby? Or an oasis? Blinking in confusion once again, Kagome could only hopefully ask, "Gaara? What's Gaara, Tanuki-sama?"
Seemingly encouraged by the optimistic response, the tanuki lowered its head to study her. Its eyes narrowed, watching her fidget with the end of her blouse, before it spoke once more by saying, "How have you wandered so far from Sunagakure, girl, if you are one of Gaara's? Surely he would know to keep better watch over someone like you." The spirit huffed then, adding, "I doubt he'd ever find you if you died out here."
Shuffling her feet with each foreign syllable, the young priestess attempted to latch onto anything that seemed important. That might relate to the desert, as Gaara obviously did. Once she was certain that the spirit was awaiting a response, she licked her lips and slowly made an effort to pronounce the unfamiliar word. "Suna… gerkuray…?" Wincing slightly, she really hoped that she had not butchered it too much. Though, by the way the spirit huffed, she may have. "Is that… like Gaara?"
The spirit's deep hum seemed to vibrate throughout the desert itself, before it gave a bark of a laugh and repeated her mutilated attempt to bridge the language barrier between them. "Bwhaahha!" the tanuki cried, unable to contain itself. "Did you live under a rock before Gaara found you, girl? Can't even say…!"
Her face immediately turned hot in spite of the blistering sun, as Kagome quickly came to the realization that the sand spirit was obviously mocking her. Feeling her brow begin to twitch at the sight of the tanuki nearly rolling in the sand as it laughed, she gave a quiet huff of indignation. "It wasn't that funny," she muttered to herself. "At least I tried."
"Can't… can't even…! Bwhaha!"
Unable to understand a word the tanuki was saying, the young woman could not find it in herself to truly be angry with the spirit. While she may not have been quite so boisterous about it, there was a good chance she probably would have laughed about it a little herself if the shoe was on the other foot anyway. A soft sigh escaped her with the thought then, though she still rolled her eyes for good measure at the seemingly childish display. Glancing out across the endless desert surrounding them, Kagome could only grumble, "I just wanted to know what in the world Gaara was," as she gave a wave of her hand toward the distant golden dunes. "Is it… just another word for desert here, or is it something else?"
The resulting silence made her stiffen, before the sand spirit's hot breath rustled through her hair. Whipping her head back around, the dark haired priestess was surprised to find those star-like pupils so close, as the tanuki rumbled, "Are you looking for him? Gaara?"
Straightening her spine underneath that predatory stare, Kagome swallowed what little moisture remained within her dry mouth. "Gaara?" she repeated once more, slowly, hoping that there might be some way to convey to the spirit that she did not know what that was. That she just wanted to understand, and hopefully escape this bitter landscape before it had the chance to devour her whole. "What is Gaara?"
"You won't find him going that way." The sand spirit's eyes seemed more golden up close, as its piercing gaze looked beyond her to stare into the vast expanse it resembled. "I doubt even you would survive a night within the demon desert. The scorpions there would rip you apart, if the desert didn't take you first." Lifting itself higher, the tanuki then turned in another direction, as it continued by saying, "If you seek Gaara, then Sunagakure is where you wish to go."
She blinked at the sight. The mention of Gaara once again made her optimistic, though, as her dark cerulean eyes slid in the same direction. The harsh sunlight reflecting off the dunes in the distance forced her to raise her hand in an attempt to shield her eyes, as she pointed with her other finger in the hopes of conveying her message. "That way? Is that where this Gaara thing is?"
Those star-like pupils fixating upon her, the sand spirit's frame shook with rumbling laughter once again. "Then again…" it said, "you probably won't survive the journey with those short legs. The sun will eat you alive." The tanuki paused then, considering her for a moment, before it grumbled, "...your arrows…" and cast its gaze toward the weapon beside her.
Frowning at the spirit's strange pause, Kagome glanced down at the sacred longbow laying in the sand herself. Biting her lip, she slowly allowed the tight reign on her aura to relax a bit, stretching out toward the holy weapon with the spirit's sudden behavior. Her stance widened, as she turned to face the possible threat head on. Her eyes narrowed, and she swallowed around the lump forming in her throat. Softly, she felt the need to warn the spirit, "I don't want to fight you… but…"
"You're not looking for Gaara," the tanuki continued, seemingly unphased. "You're calling him here, to you, aren't you? You know you won't survive the desert on your own."
An eerie length of silence passed between them then. Watching the sand spirit carefully while it seemed to side eye her with those narrowed, star-like pupils, Kagome licked her dry lips once more and sighed. "If that's where this Gaara thing is," she prompted, gesturing in the direction that the spirit had indicated before, "then I'll go there and leave you in peace, Tanuki-sama." If you'll let me… remained unsaid, as she slowly bent at the waist and retrieved the longbow from the sand beneath them.
"That's almost clever." The sand spirit released a noise from deep within its throat at the sight of the dimming weapon in her hand. The deep rumble vibrated the sand surrounding them, though it made no immediate attempt to bury her beneath the desert once more. "For a priestess."
Whipping her head back up at the sound of another familiar word, Kagome repeated it almost immediately by saying, "Priestess? You know what a priestess is?" The spirit's pupils dilated with the question, causing her to shuffle her feet nervously in the sand and attempt to wet her lips once more. The death grip she had on her bow turned her knuckles white. Had she been mistaken? Had she only heard what she wanted to? "You know that's what I am?" She gestured to herself, hoping to get the message across as clearly as possible. "A priestess?"
"You." Its claw tipped in her direction at that. As if she were a small child that could not comprehend the simplest of details, the tanuki repeated itself as slowly as possible. No doubt in an attempt to mock her again. "Priestess."
Kagome released a breath she had not known she was holding, relieved.
"As if I'd be fool enough not to know what you are, girl."
Ignoring the sand spirit's irritated grumble, she quickly gestured to herself once more while she had its attention. "Kagome." Stressing each and every syllable, she made sure to tap her chest with each one. "My name," she continued saying, "it's Kagome."
The sand spirit only blinked, unimpressed.
Biting the inside of her cheek, the young woman tried once more. "Ka-go-me."
Finally looking away from her, it huffed, "Shukaku," in what seemed like an attempt to simply appease her.
Her face lit up like the sun with that small interaction. As small and insignificant as it was, it helped lift her spirits beneath the scorching desert sun. "Thank you, Shukaku-sama." Shouldering her sacred weapon once more, Kagome bowed her head toward the towering sand spirit. "I'll be going then," she declared, before turning halfway on her heel with an added, "but I'll always remember you." Raising her arm to shield herself from the glaring dunes in the distance, she took several steps in the direction of this Gaara and the Suna-thing that related to it.
Shukaku only grumbled once more.
Kagome smiled wider, feeling the vibrations echo in the sand beneath her feet as she continued on her way.
"Priestess."
"Hm?" Turning her head back around, the dark haired Higurashi blinked at the sight of Shukaku holding out its paw between them. The massive appendage settled into the sand, claws unfurled. The sand spirit tipped one then, as if to beckon her forth. Furrowing her brow, Kagome met the tanuki's golden gaze with a frown. "Are you…?"
"Come." Shukaku turned its attention away from her, staring out into the distance toward Sunagakure. "I can sense Gaara's sand beginning to stir." Its paw buried itself deeper into the sand as the sand spirit nudged it toward her. "He's searching for you."
"Are you saying you'll give me a ride? To Gaara?" Swallowing, Kagome eyed the appendage offered to her suspiciously for a moment. While the interaction between them had turned promising, the fact remained that the towering spirit had attempted to bury her beneath a mountain of sand. "Heh." The thought caused her to smile ruefully.
That was just how her friendships tended to start, she supposed. At least the very best ones.
Shukaku's narrowed, golden gaze slid back in her direction.
Noticing the look, the young priestess slowly began to walk back toward Shukaku. If the spirit was planning to help her across the desert, then it was best not to test its patience any further. Pausing just out of reach of those massive claws, her dark blue eyes met the sand spirit's star-like pupils without hesitation. "Shukaku-sama," she bowed her head, before finally reaching out to gently place her fingertips against the coarse, sun-warmed fur that resembled the bitter landscape that surrounded them. "Thank you, again."
"Be grateful you belong to Gaara, girl," the sand spirit grumbled. The end of its tail thumped in the sand, watching her circle around the length of its paw to find a better spot to climb abroad. Shukaku lowered the appendage further into the sand at the sight, snickering lightly at the way she danced on her feet to avoid the onslaught. "Otherwise," it eyed her as she haphazardly pulled herself onto the surface, trying not to lose her bow in the process, "I would have crushed you the minute you stupidly stepped into my grasp."
Quite literally in hand, Kagome reigned in her simmering energy and nodded to herself. The shadow that fell over her while she settled in caused her to snap her head up, however, as she watched those massive claws curl in on her slightly. "Okay," she breathed, licking her dry lips once more to no avail and trying to quell the sudden anxiety that arose with the movement. "It's okay."
The Shikon was gone, she quietly told herself, and the Meidou along with it. There was no endless void for her to fall into again. No encroaching darkness. Just an endless sea of sand and a spirit named Shukaku that had erupted from it.
"No big deal, right?" Slowly releasing the air from her lungs, she quickly stomped on the reminder that whispered about how that same sand spirit had retaliated against her. That it could easily turn on her once again. That she might not be able to raise another barrier in time. That not every spirit, demon or otherwise was like Inuyasha or—
No.
Shukaku might not be docile by any means, but it did seem to be helping her. Even if only for the sake of this Gaara that it continued to mention… or to throw her out of the desert entirely.
I… guess that wouldn't surprise me. Her brow twitched with the thought. Trying to calm the waves of anxiety threatening to consume her, Kagome decided to face the issue head on. "Shukaku-sama," catching the spirit's golden gaze, the young priestess nodded once more, "I'm ready whenever you are." Hoping to get the message across as clearly as possible with the language barrier between them, she added, "Let's go find this Gaaraaagghhhhhh!"
Only Shukaku's chittering laughter followed in the wake of the dust cloud the spirit kicked up.
Thrown onto her side with the sudden, jarring movement, Kagome threw her arm over her face. The harsh, biting air filtering between the sand spirit's claws was as arid as the desert itself. The rushing wind stole the oxygen from her lungs and cut off her scream somewhere in the middle. All the while, the sacred longbow of Mount Azusa rattled against her shoulder.
Though lightheaded from the sudden shift and barely able to hear anything over the howling gust of wind, she still could have sworn she heard Shukaku release another bout of barking laughter. No doubt at her expense and the situation she had knowingly placed herself in.
"Your chakra control…" the sand spirit seemed to be enjoying itself immensely, "...is horrid!"
Using her arms as a buffer, the dark haired priestess pressed her face into Shukaku's sun-warmed fur and gasped for air. Trying to focus on only one thing with each breath, she felt the spirit's aura spark against her senses like a brilliant star. The amusement reflected there nearly made her giddy. It was the way it tensed, though, that left her grounded. Clear headed enough to reign in her wayward energy to mollify Shukaku, she was surprised to find that the sand spirit never faltered in that brief moment.
The journey continued smoothly, as they seemed to glide along the landscape.
It's like when I shot that arrow into the sky. Kagome's lip turned upward at the corner. Shukaku's been waiting for me to strike first.
The desert was its home, after all, and she had invaded it. She would have been prepared to defend herself, too, if their roles had been reversed. Though, maybe not with as much enthusiasm… and definitely a lot less sand.
Her shoulders shook with silent laughter.
Lost in her own sudden delirium, Kagome did not properly register the way the wind eased around them. The faint whisper of voices only caused her to twitch, certain that she was mistaken until she felt Shukaku's low, rumbling growl vibrate through them both. She lifted her head then, blinking rapidly beneath the bitter sunlight, and sought the source of Shukaku's newfound irritation.
That was the first time she saw him, from between Shukaku's unfurled claws.
The young red headed leader that she would soon come to know as the Kazekage.
His pale eyes held her in that moment, his curiosity evident in the way he tilted his head ever so slightly.
"Gaara."
Her lips parted, as she slowly shifted herself up onto her hip. Her fingers caught within her tangled, wind swept strands in her attempt to push them out of her face, though she otherwise ignored the mess in favor of watching him turn his attention to Shukaku.
That's… Gaara?
"Tch." The familiar sound sent a pang through her heart and drew her eyes to the man standing on Gaara's left. His face was half hidden by the dark hood protecting him from the sun, and even more so when he leaned in to speak to the shorter redhead. "Do we have time for this, Gaara? What about the—?"
Gaara lifted his hand to silence him, before finally saying, "Shukaku."
"Your mate shows more respect than you and your kin, Gaara," Shukaku grumbled from above her, "and she can barely speak."
Gaara's pale eyes widened a fraction, flickering back in her direction.
The other man sputtered beside him. "His… WHAT?!"
"Be grateful I've returned her, instead of watching her wander aimlessly to collapse beneath the sun."
Confused by the odd interaction taking place, Kagome turned her head to address the sand spirit. The sudden and unexpected shift of the paw beneath her caused her to squeak loudly in protest instead. Scrambling to find her footing, the sound quickly turned into a yelp, as Shukaku easily tipped her forward and sent her tumbling between its massive claws.
The sharp, splintering crack that resulted from the fall surprised her more than even the sand that rushed to meet her halfway. The bowstring pulled taut only by the two halves weighed down by gravity, the sacred longbow of Mount Azusa hung limp across her shoulder. The last remnant of her victory, of her survival, was gone in an instant. Her final tie to her home, broken…
The initial shock lasted long enough for her feet to find the ground. The warm bands of sand fell away then, as she slowly turned her head to glare up at the towering tanuki through her bangs. The white hot anger fueled her energy, expanded her aura, and lit up the broken pieces of the sacred longbow now clenched between her fingers.
Shukaku's wary hiss barely registered beneath the blood pounding in her ears.
It was the spirit's own aura that sparked any sort of reaction. Buffeting her own, it demanded submission. An instinctive barrier shimmered to life around the tense group at her back, effectively separating them from the threat that Shukaku presented to anyone without the protection of holy energy. The potent unease radiating from within only made her grit her teeth tighter.
"Kazekage-sama…"
"You lousy, no good...!" The noise she released nearly rivaled Shukaku's vibrating growl. Allowing her ruined weapon to slide from her shoulder to the sand below, she jabbed her index finger toward the spirit once it had left her grasp. "Look at what you've done, Shukaku-sama!" The appendage cut through the air like a knife with each exaggerated gesture to accentuate her point. "This was all I had left, and you broke it! On purpose, I bet!" Stomping her foot out of frustration, she bit out, "You think that just because you're bigger than everybody else that you can just do whatever you want, don't you? But let me tell you, buddy, it's not nice to throw people around and break their things!"
The sand spirit's eyes darkened. Its piercing golden gaze remained transfixed upon her, even as Shukaku took a cautionary step away from the emotional tirade. The markings etched within its fur seemed to shift beneath the harsh sunlight with the movement, as wisps of sand swirled around her feet and fell silently with each responding pulse of holy power. Its lip lifted at the sight, before Shukaku spoke in a low, guttural tone. "...Priestess."
"Oh!" Her finger whipped back and pointed directly at the sand spirit. "Don't you 'priestess' me!"
Taking another slow step back, Shukaku's eyes narrowed.
"You're the one who offered to bring me to Gaara and whatever this… this… Suna-whatever it is!" Her lungs began to heave. Each gasping breath quickly reminded her of how long she had been wandering beneath the desert's bitter heat. The anger swirling through her veins refused to dissipate, however, and she instinctively tried to lick her lips once more to stave off her body's silent demands to stop. "I was more than willing to walk here myself, you oversized—!"
"Kagome."
Her dark cerulean eyes widened, momentarily stunned by the sharp reprimand of her own name.
"Enough."
Kagome's trembling hand fell to her side, almost as if she had understood the sand spirit's command. Trapped beneath Shukaku's wary, golden stare and the spiritual struggle occurring between them, the young priestess swayed on her feet. Trying to keep her head from spinning within the churning vortex, she barely registered the swift retreat of Shukaku's aura until the barrier behind her shattered in response. The energy rapidly began to drain itself out of her almost immediately, and she felt the world tilt on its axis as her knees gave out beneath her without the added adrenaline rush.
The hot sand rose to soften her fall, preventing her from fully collapsing.
Her vision faded to black for half a second, before the painful reminder of her lungs brought everything back into focus.
"Gaara." Shukaku never looked away from her, watching as she began to cough heavily. Her face had turned pale, as she struggled to no doubt keep the contents of her stomach while caught within the Kazekage's chakra filled sand. The noise that Shukaku made at that moment seemed strange then. A sound caught somewhere between a scoff and its usual chittering laughter. "Do not lose your mate again."
Lightheaded and out of breath, Kagome's head lulled to one side. The coughing fit having subsided, she groaned lightly with the slow, calculated shift of gravity that lowered her into the awaiting desert below. Grasping at consciousness, and certain that she had fainted for several long seconds on the way down, the young priestess clung to one thought.
…this… sucks…
A steady hand brushed through the thick strands of hair along the nape of her neck to cradle and lift her head.
"Kazekage-sama!"
The world spinning still, Kagome could only gape up at the beautifully pale turquoise sky streaked with red that swam into view.
"...miss?"
"Return her to Sunagakure where she belongs." The sand spirit's aura probed at her again then, softly. Shukaku snorted, the expelled air close enough to rustle the edge of her clothes as she slurred the tanuki's name in response. "It would be a shame for her to die out in the desert due to your carelessness, Gaara."
Her lip tilted up at the corner when she recognized the singular word. Her dark cerulean colored eyes slid closed with a sigh, as the sand spirit's aura slid away from her and began to retreat back into the desert that it blended into so easily. Her body felt heavier without the spirit's presence. Her spent holy energy in desperate need of rest and recovery… and water…
Reality quickly slipping away from her without the looming, possible threat that Shukaku posed, Kagome never heard the tiny, breathless laugh that escaped her.
"Gaa… ra…"
Omake
"Shukaku-sama said… WHAT?!" Kagome's mouth fell open, as she slammed her hands onto the table separating them. She groaned in response to Kankurou's faint chuckle, before slowly sinking back down into her seat. "Are you serious? That's so embarrassing!" Chewing on the corner of her lip lightly, she quickly looked away from him when she added, "No wonder…"
"Hn?"
"Is… is that why," Kagome swallowed around the lump in her throat, knowing her face had flushed considerably, "Gaara… likes me? Because Shukaku-sama told him that we're, um…"
"Nah." Kankurou waved his hand at the thought. "That's not it at all. Gaara definitely likes you because he likes you, not because some oversized bijuu told him that you were destined to be together or whatever you're probably thinking."
Biting her lip out of uncertainty again, Kagome muttered, "But…"
"Look," the shinobi sighed, setting his drink back down on the table between them. "Try to give me just a little bit of credit when I tell you that all Shukaku did was make him really stop and think about it in the long run." Shaking his head, Kankurou clicked his tongue lightly once he had gained the young woman's full attention. It was obvious that she was having a hard time believing him, despite how red her face was starting to become. "My little brother's got it bad, okay? And I'm positive that he still would've even if we'd found you before Shukaku ever got the chance." Pausing for a moment, he sighed again, saying, "...it just probably would've taken him twice as long."
"Oh…"
Ignoring Kagome's nearly breathless exclamation, Kankurou tipped his drink against the wood grain. He grimaced slightly, flickering his eyes back toward the door in case his little brother had snuck up on them like he had a million times before. "Knowing him, Gaara probably wouldn't have even realized what he was missing until it was too late, though."
"Too late?" Kagome tilted her head in confusion.
"Yeah." Scratching behind his ear, Kankurou released a huff. "You probably would have been carried off into the desert again by that stupid bastard wandering around out there. But I guess by then Gaara'd probably wise up and try to go after you on a mountain of sand or whatever."
"I… I wouldn't have…!" Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open slightly at the thought. "Uchiha-san is just my friend, Kankurou-kun!"
"Tch." Giving her a flat look, the puppet master said, "You try telling him that the next time you see him then, huh? Maybe it'll make Gaara a little less hostile every time he shows up unannounced."
"Well, I… I mean, I haven't…!" Waving her hands between them, Kagome tried not to sink down into her seat slowly out of sheer embarrassment. "Gaara's the only one that, uh, not that we've… done… that, just…!"
"Geeze." Shaking his head at the endless spiral, Kankurou rubbed at his eyes and quietly muttered, "For someone who can stand up to the bijuu without any problem, Kagome-chan, you sure are naive sometimes."
"Hey!"
Fin