Family Isn't Blood Related by MissKatt

Family Isn't Blood Related

Title: “Family Isn’t Blood Related”

Author: MissKatt

Recipient: sakura_dragon10

Rating: M

Summary: The Choshu clan and the Shinsengumi, the two famous groups that fought against each other during the Bakumatsu period in Japan, clash with each other one night. What will assassination attempts, betrayal, and hostages lead to? Very loosely based off the anime Hakuouki.

Original Prompt: “The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live.” –George Carlin

DISCLAIMER: All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

*This is unedited, read at your own risk (;*

Family Isn’t Blood Related

By MissKatt

A small, pale hand carefully held the easy weight of a makeup brush. She gently dabbed the gentle bristles into the soft red paint and carefully dragged it across full lips. When she was done making sure each line was perfect, she set down the brush and set to smoothing down the few strands of ebony hair that refused to lay flat with the others. Once satisfied that it was the best that it could be, she picked up a long hair pin and stuck it into the side of her elegantly scalped bun, the small flowers tickling the back of her ear as they hung down.

After finishing her disguise, she looked at herself in the mirror and had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing ruefully. She, a servant-trained assassin, was dressed as a beautiful, elegant Geisha; it couldn’t be further from the truth. She turned to the side and viewed the deep dip of the back of her kimono that revealed the back of her neck and few inches below. She was relieved to see that her scar did not show.

“Are you prepared to do this, Higurashi-san?” A calm, seductive voice came from the parted shoji behind her.

The young woman tore her eyes from her fake appearance and turned towards her master. “Yes, Naraku-sama.”

“These men of this ‘Shinsengumi’ are nothing but a group of killers- a self-righteous, ruthless, murdering squad.” He commented coldly.

‘Aren’t we the same thing?’ She mused to herself, but remained silent as he continued.

“These people support the new government; that in itself should speak volumes of their person.” He sneered. “We of the Choshu clan need to make everyone realize that this change is not good for this country.”

“I understand, Naraku-sama,” She nodded her head once to him. “Are the other women ready to entertain the guests?”

He nodded. “Yes, but I care not about them. You are the only one I can count on to handle the task of taking out the Vice-Commander. Of course, the Commander himself is not here, otherwise that would have been your job.”

She dipped her head into a nod and then froze when he walked towards her, his hand reaching for her face. She shied away from him and then tensed when she realized that she had. Instantly, she started to form an excuse as to dodge his anger. “Ah, forgive me, Naraku-sama, but this rice powder is delicate and is easily smeared. I know our targets are already here and I don’t want to waste time in reapplying my makeup.”

The man studied her carefully before finally accepting her answer. “Yes, I suppose we have no extra time to idle. Then go, my caged bird, and perform your task.”

She rose to her feet and smoothed out the many layers of crimson silk around her. As she made her way to the door, she heard his promised threat if she were to fail. She turned back towards him and gave him a stiff bow before heading towards the entertaining room of the Geisha house.

*~*~*~*~*

“Woo! That was awesome! I can’t believe the Bakufu paid us so much money to take out that weak group! They were no match for my sword!” Inuyasha grinned, patting his sword at his side as his group walked down the snowy streets of Kyoto.  “And they gave us an invitation to celebrate our victory at the Okiya! I think I can get used to taking order from the military, especially when it’s dealing with such weaklings!”

“Don’t forget that we were also there, my friend.” The once-monk replied with a small smile, arms tucked into his purple hakama sleeves. “You didn’t do all the work.”

“Who cares who did the work?” The man with a ponytail of black hair asked. “We’re gonna celebrate and that’s all that matters!”

“Yeah! Sake and women!” Bankotsu cheered with them and then turned to their Vice-Captain. “What do you think, Boss?”

Amber eyes closed at the excitement of his four subordinates. “I am simply here to make sure you do not get out of hand. We shall celebrate in a timely manner and then get back to headquarters.”

Inuyasha snorted at his older brother. “You’re such a stick in the mud, Sesshoumaru. Loosen up, wouldja?”

Miroku rolled his eyes. “Try not to provoke the Vice-Commander, would you, Inuyasha? I don’t think I can handle another one hundred laps around our home.”

“Yeah, you open your mouth and we get punished with you, what’s that about?” Kouga asked, blue eyes glancing at their stoic leader.

“You are the top members in the Shinsengumi, the four of you are considered one unstoppable force. Therefore, as one, if one of you acts out, you all get punished for it.” He replied casually, but with a small smirk. He was one force, his father another, and then the four were the third. Together, they were stronger than the entire Shinsengumi squad.

“I think there was a compliment in there somewhere.” Bankotsu grinned, patting Sesshoumaru on the shoulder. “I knew you liked us.”

“You have your moments” He conceded as they came to the Geisha house. He looked at his younger brother. “Do remember not to get out of hand.”

He snorted and waved his hand. “Yeah, yeah, you said that already! Come on!” He called as he disappeared into the building.

Sesshoumaru watched the rest of them practically skip into the building. With a sigh of reluctance, he followed them in where they were escorted by a servant to their room. She carefully kneeled down in front of the door, used her right hand to slide the door open until it was right in front of her, then used her left hand to slide it the rest of the way open towards her left. She then elegantly scooted to the side and bowed to floor.

“Wow! Look at the size of this room!” Bankotsu praised in excitement as they entered the room. It was surrounded by shoji decorated in exquisite paintings of birds, flowers, and geisha. He picked out one of the plush cushions and kneeled down on it as a few maiko, geisha in training, entered the room carrying sake bottles.

Sesshoumaru kneeled down on the mat closest to the back of the room and watched as his men settled down and accepted trays of food as they were presented before them. He denied a cup of sake from a maiko and ignored her exaggerated pout as the door next to him slid open.

“My, my, it’s rude to refuse a drink from a host, Sir.”

His eyes glanced to the doorway and peered up at a geisha dressed in red silk. Her red lips were pulled into an amused smile, white teeth gleaming back at him. He watched as rare sapphire eyes glanced at the maiko at his side before a delicate hand elegantly brushed to the side, ushering her to leave. He stayed quiet as she lowered herself into a perfect kneeling position next to him.

Kagome used her left hand to hold back the sleeve of her right arm as she reached forward to grab the sake, trying as hard as she could not to shake. She silently wondered just how long she could keep up an elegant act. She turned back towards him and gave a slight tilt of her head. “Are you going to refuse me as well?”

Sesshoumaru lifted the small saucer from his tray and held out his hand towards her. As she poured him a drink, he studied her carefully. She was beautiful; her stature small and neck slender and pale. But, there was something in her unusual eyes that prompted him to accept her invitation; if not to just find out what it was in her eyes. Who was this woman? What did she want from him? Or, was he over thinking the gleam in her eyes?

“I feel honored,” She teased, meeting his eyes. She felt her stomach tighten at the intensity in his honey pools as he stared at her. She blushed, happy for the thick rice powder on her face, and hid her mouth behind her sleeve as she released a soft, almost nervous laugh. “Is there a reason why you are staring at me so intently, Sir?” Did he know what she was sent to do?

“Sesshoumaru,” He corrected, his eyes staying locked with hers. “Have we met somewhere before?”

She blinked. Why would he say that? “I don’t believe so. I would remember such a handsome client. Why? Do I look familiar?” She had to put the bottle of sake down as her hands began to shake. She quickly glanced over at her fellow choshu member, who was stuck between a man dressed in purple and the Vice-Commander’s younger brother, but she didn’t seem to hear what Sesshoumaru had said.

“No, there is just a look in your eye,” He explained as he lifted his cup to his lips. “As if you know me.”

“I don’t,” She countered too quickly, but then blanched as his eyes quickly shifted back to hers, a glare making his way onto his face. She forced out another laugh, her hand waving in front of her face, which was a brash movement for a geisha. “Oh, you caught me, Sesshoumaru-sama.”

He noted the unfit action and then lifted a brow in question at her confession. She so quickly conceded that she had lied to him? “Is that so?”

“Yes,” She replied and leaned in towards him, her small hand resting on his forearm. “I will admit that I am a fan of the Shinsengumi; more specifically, the Vice-Commander.” She whispered into his ear teasingly.

His eyes softened a little. He should have realized that was how she knew him. Their group, though not the most popular, was well known around the area. “I see.” He responded and sipped the sake from his saucer. Still, as he lowered his cup, he couldn’t help but see the off gleam in her eyes.

She carefully raised the jug of sake to refill his saucer once again. “I do hope I have not offended you.” She commented, frowning at him.

Before Sesshoumaru could reply, his half-brother’s drunken shout interrupted him.

“Oi!” Inuyasha called from across the room. When he gained the attention of the geisha at his brother’s side, he grinned. “Hey! He needs to lighten up! So, you should give him a little smooch!” He called, looping his arm around the shoulders of the maiko at his side. “Don’t you agree?” He asked, looking down at her.

Kagome gave a small smile at the girl’s concealed irritation and looked at the other Shinsengumi members when they began to hoot and holler in agreement. She looked back at the Vice-Commander and couldn’t help but give a soft laugh at the irritation in his eyes. “Do they tease you often?”

“They would dare not to when sober.” He replied coldly. “I would kill them.”

“That may be true,” Red lips curved into a knowing smile. “But you love them.”

“Love?” He lifted a brow without looking at her, instead taking in the scene as Miroku managed to get the maiko to sit closer to him, his wandering hand earning him a slap from the flustered woman. He quickly noted that the maiko did not act like a one. Even those in training would know to never raise a hand against a patron since striking another was considered a manly thing.

“Yes, love. You love them as if they are your brothers,” When he remained silent. She looked over at them again. “Sometimes the bonds we form with others are much stronger than those we share blood with.”

His gaze shifted to glance back down at her, their eyes meeting once again. She spoke such deep words for someone as privileged as a geisha. Just who was this girl? Still, he could not deny the truth of her words. “Yes, it is true.”

She met his golden pools and felt her breath catch. He was handsome; there was no doubt about that. His long hair was pulled into a low ponytail and draped over his shoulder, making the silvery-white color a striking contrast against the deep blue of his haori. However, it was his eyes that made her stare linger. They spoke volumes of the man in front of her. They hid the emotions he did not want to show and briefly displayed the ones he did. Just by the way he looked down at her; she could see that he was a man who had seen and done many things.

And not necessarily the best of things.

‘Still,’ She thought as she forced herself to tear her eyes from his. ‘I can sense no true evil from him.’ And that made everything so much harder for her. How could she kill this man when she knew in her heart that he was not a bad man? Sure, he came off a little abrasive, but she could tell that was just how he was. Could she really kill a man who simply fought for what he believed in?

Sesshoumaru watched as she looked down at the hands on her lap. He watched as emotions flashed across her black lined eyes and couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking. He followed her gaze to her hands and narrowed at the very slight discolored spots at the base of her fingers. He reached forward and grabbed one of them before bringing her palm closer to his face.

She instantly became nervous. What was he doing? What was he looking at? “S-Sesshoumaru-sama, what are-”

“I have never met a geisha with calluses,” He commented dryly as he glared at her. “And these are not from playing an instrument; you are familiar with handling a weapon.”

She paled at his accusation and instantly balled her hand into a fist as he continued to hold her wrist. She tried to pull it away from him, but his grip was iron tight. She inhaled to calm her racing heart and met his glare. “Let me go.”

The Vice-Captain’s eyes narrowed more when her once flirty eyes turned hard and cold. She was no geisha; he should have listened to his instincts from the start when he saw her. He yanked her towards him, his grip tightening. “Who are you?” He growled.

As soon as the words left his lips, the shoji screens surrounding the room were knocked down, a small group of concealed men coming out and ambushing his men. He watched as chaos broke out in the Okiya, his intoxicated men fighting off their attackers; the clashing of metal filling his ears and the scent of blood entering his nose.

‘The Choshu,’ Sesshoumaru thought bitterly. ‘I should have known the offer was too generous.’ He went to jump to his feet, but his attention was brought back to the fake geisha when he saw her move. His eyes widened when she used her left hand to pull a dagger out from a fold in her kimono, the blade swiftly slashing towards his chest.

Kagome stumbled back when he pushed her away from him, simultaneously knocking her blade from her hand. She could have turned and fled, leaving the rest of the men of the Choshu to deal with the situation. But it was too late to turn back and Naraku wouldn’t let her get away with it. She quickly leapt to her feet, nearly tripping on the many layers around her, and launched herself at the Vice-Leader.

He easily deflected her first attack, but was surprised when she countered his with well-developed martial arts skills. It was never in his interest to hit a woman, but she was not giving him any other choice. Reserves aside, he quickened his pace and swung his arm to try and hit her in the gut. He was surprised once again when she moved to the side and trapped his arm between her ribs and her arm.

She grabbed the excess fabric around her sleeve and wrapped it around his trapped wrist, keeping it in place as she pulled the sharp hairpin from her hair. She held it like a stake and raised it above her head and swung it up at his neck to end his life, but hesitated before it hit home as she met his eyes once again. Why did he seem to be daring her?

He took advantage of her hesitation and pushed forward, knocking her down to the floor with him. He grabbed the discarded dagger and sliced through his imprisonment. He heard her suck in a breath and a few seconds later the scent of her blood joined flooded his nose, the scent over powering the others. He raised his hand, knife poised to cut out her throat, but stopped when subtle ‘click’s were heard.

Hearing the all too familiar sound of a gun being loaded as well, she looked towards the new row of men that had appeared behind the destroyed shoji and paled as she saw Naraku smirking from beside them. He was really going to fire off a round of shots when she and the other girls were still there? Did their lives mean nothing to him?

Suddenly fearing for her life, she maneuvered her elbow between her and her target and shoved it up to his throat. She never felt it hit home, but his weight disappeared from her and that was all that mattered at the moment. She leapt to her feet and ran towards the knocked down walls were. As she leaped over the broken shoji, she heard a chorus of shots fill the geisha house. She felt a sharp, searing pain enter her thigh, but ignored it as she found the balcony leading to the front of the Okiya.

Sesshoumaru had reared back before her attack hit, the fear and disbelief in her eyes telling him that she had no idea that second attack was coming. He barely noticed as she got to her feet to escape the room, instead he turned towards the line of men and narrowed his eyes at the Choshu’s leader.

“Naraku,” He growled as he drew his sword from his sheath. “I should have known that such a cowardly attack was not beneath you.”

Naraku chuckled darkly. “Anything to rid Japan of you scum.” With that he waved his hand and disappeared into the shadows.

Sesshoumaru had no time to pursue him as the shots began. His men dodged the swarm of bullets as well as they could before lurching at their ambushers as they struggled to reload their guns. After their enemies’ heads rolled onto the ground, he turned to look at his four men. “How are you all?”

“We all took some hits, but Bank and Miroku were closer so theirs are more fatal than ours.” Kouga explained, pulling Bankotsu’s arm around his shoulders so he could help him stand.

“W-we’re fine, Sesshoumaru-sama. Let us pursue after Naraku.” Miroku insisted, holding his arm tightly.

“You are in no condition to fight.” He replied sternly. “Can you walk on your own though?”

He nodded. “Yes, I can walk on my own. What are you planning on doing?”

“You and Kouga will take Bankotsu back to headquarters. Inuyasha and I will patrol the streets and look for any signs of Naraku or the Choshu clan.” He looked over at his brother as his shoulder drooped. “Is there an issue, Inuyasha?”

“No, it’s just,” He sighed heavily. “I can’t help but feel somewhat responsible. I should have known the offer was too good to be true.”

“We all needed a night to relax, Inuyasha; it was no wonder that we all jumped on the opportunity. Still, look,” Sesshoumaru looked over at the dead bodies in the room. “It was five against twelve and we still won; so will have no remorse about tonight. Now, let us leave now to start on trailing them.”

Inuyasha nodded, accepting the pep talk. “Yeah, okay. Let’s get these fuckers once and for all!”

Nodding to his other three subordinates, he sprinted out of the Okiya, Inuyasha on his tail. Once his sandaled feet stepped into the snow, he immediately noticed the trail of blood in front of the building, the red an almost blinding contrast. He followed the trial up the road with his eyes until he saw a heap of red silk. Knowing it quite well, he glanced over at Inuyasha. “Go around to the other side and see if you can find them.”

“Yeah, I’ll shout if I find them.” He replied before running through the thick snow to the other side of the Okiya.

He watched him go before heading over to the red silk. He frowned when he realized the Choshu girl had shed the top layer of her kimono. Golden eyes looked at the smeared blood on the fabric and before he once again followed the trail through the snow. It turned toward the alleyway between a sweet bun shop and an Inn, and he followed it with his guard up.

He slowly turned the corner, hand on the hilt of his sword to prepare to strike. His hand fell away though, when he saw the fake-geisha curled up against the wall, hands tightly holding her thigh through bloodied fabric. Her makeup was smeared, the red paint mixing with white powder on her face while other spots on her face matched her skin color. He moved towards her, sandals crunching in the snow.

Kagome heard the approach of someone and quickly snapped her head up to look at the entry way to the alley. She tensed when she saw it was the Vice-Captain of the Shinsengumi. She placed her hands against the wall and struggled to get on her feet. Once she was semi-balanced, she raised her shaking hands in a defensive position.

He lifted brow at her as he continued to walk towards her. “You are in no shape to fight, Choshu.”

“I am aware,” She muttered and then let out a soft wail as her legs gave out, causing her to fall back into the snow. She hissed in a breath and grabbed her leg again. “Backstabbing bastard.” She muttered under her breath.

He crossed his arms across his chest. “What’s wrong, woman?” He asked with laced heavy sarcasm. “Your beloved master leave you to die?”

She glared at him. “You have no idea what you’re talking about, Sesshoumaru.” She ground her teeth when another wave of pain washed over her. “I hate him.”

Admittedly, he was not expecting that response. “I suppose he was not as fond of you either to try and have you killed.”

“He doesn’t care for his pawns; everyone is expendable to him.” She answered him, her voice from the pain and cold.

“Now, now, my caged bird, that is not very fair,” Naraku chuckled darkly as he calmly walked into the alleyway. “After all, I did come to find you, did I not?”

Sesshoumaru immediately drew his sword, his stance sliding into an offensive position. “Naraku, are you so eager to meet your end? First an ambush and now one-on-one meeting?”

Red eyes looked at his enemy with a bored expression. “As I stated, Sesshoumaru of the Shinsengumi, I have come for the woman.”

“I would rather die,” Kagome spat before she could help it. “I don’t want to go back with you!”

His eyes narrowed at her. “You dare speak to me in such a way? You forget your place, servant.”

“I am done being your servant!” She clenched her jaw and tried to get her body to stand back up, but her leg refused to obey. Frustrated, she grabbed a fistful of snow and threw it pathetically at him, causing the man to laugh ruefully.

Taking the opportunity while Naraku was distracted, Sesshoumaru surged forward, blade swinging like lightning. “Die!”

Naraku stumbled back, barely missing the sword. He put his hand on his own hilt and went to draw it out, but stopped when he heard another member of the Shinsengumi approach from behind. Not taking his chances, he sneered at Kagome. “I will see you again, Kagome.”

She paled as she watched him disappear; slightly surprised that Sesshoumaru and his fellow member didn’t kill him. She sighed before she shook violently, her body reacting to the blood loss and cold. She glared weakly up at Sesshoumaru as he approached her. “What? Come to finish me off? Well, go ahead. Anything is better than going back with him.”

Sesshoumaru sheathed his sword and peered down at her from the length of his nose. “I am taking you with us to headquarters.” He stated before he bent down and grabbed her left arm, hoisting her to her feet.

“Ah!” She cried, her leg pulsing in pain from the abrupt movement. “I can’t stand.” She panted, her breath coming out in white puffs in front of her lips. Her strength had left her with the blood she lost and her body began to sink back towards the ground.

With a huff of annoyance, he hoisted her lithe form from the ground and tossed her over his shoulder, ignoring her wail of pain. He nodded to Inuyasha, ushering him to start heading back to headquarters.

*~*~*~*~*

Kagome stared at the man leaning against the wall of her small room with suspicion in her sapphire eyes. She barely acknowledged the man that was trying his hardest to bandage her exposed thigh without drinking in the expanse of her milky white skin. “So, Shinsengumi Vice-Captain, what is your aim by taking me hostage? You could have easily killed me or left me to freeze to death.”

Amber pools fell onto the skilled woman. “It is quite simple: you are valuable to Naraku.”

She snorted. “Did you miss the part where he opened fired when I was in the room?”

“He came back for you and insisted that he would be seeing you again.” He clarified.

She winced when the doctor tied the bandage tight before letting out a soft sigh. “I would rather you just kill me off, Sesshoumaru.”

“Do not regard me so familiarly,” He commanded as he glared at her. “And you should not hold your life in so little value.”

She accepted the clean hakama and haori from the doctor and watched as he disappeared through the door before looking back at Sesshoumaru. “My life is nothing.” She answered softly and then looked out towards the open shoji as the snow fell. “Killing for another man’s purpose and being his lap dog whenever he deemed it was not how I wanted to spend my life.”

He let her words ring through his ears for a moment as he contemplated them. He and his men fought for what they believed in and had a choice in what they did. What would it be like to be forced to fight for something you didn’t want to? Shaking his head of the question, he looked back at the fake geisha. “Undress, woman.”

She blinked at the sudden command before blanching. “E-excuse me!?”

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Your state of dress is most unacceptable.”

Kagome looked down at her torn, bloody inner, cotton kimono and pursed her lips together. “I suppose you’re right,” She agreed and then glared at him. “So, turn around and I will change.”

“I think not,” He countered. “I do not know what weapons you may have concealed on your person nor will I allow you another attempt on my life.”

She huffed. “Well, I am going to at least turn around, alright?” When he didn’t protest, she turned from him and rose unsteadily to her feet. She loosened the obi holding her garment together, slid her arms out of the sleeves, and let it fall to a heap around her feet.

Being a male, he could not help but let his eyes roam over her bare flesh. His eyes ran up her toned legs and over her curvy backside. They then traveled up to her tiny waist and then up the curve of her spine where his eyes landed on a nasty brand. A spider had been burned onto her shoulder, the scar tissue puffy and slightly paler than the rest of her skin. How far had Naraku gone to claim this girl as his? Why was she such a prize to be had?

After tying the obi firmly in place, she turned back towards Sesshoumaru. “Why must I wear men’s clothing?” Not that she was complaining; she would much rather wear the concealing clothing than the short dress Naraku made her wear.

“There are over fifty men here; a female distraction is not what they need,” He replied and nodded towards the pail of water the doctor had left at her futon. “Wash off your disguise and comb through your hair. You must keep it up high or chop it off: I’ll allow you the choice.”

She kneeled down before the pail, wincing once again from the pain, and dipped the offered rag into the luke-warm water. “Tell me, Vice-Leader, what are you going to have me do here?”

Sesshoumaru watched with a bored expression as she scrubbed off the makeup, revealing to him the true beauty she possessed. He would have to do a fine job at convincing his men that she was a male. “You will stay in this room and venture nowhere else. If you are caught out of your room or trying to escape, you will be killed. Everyone will be notified of these circumstances.”

“You intend to leave in this room to rot?” She asked, lifting a brown at him.

“You are too dangerous to be allowed to roam freely.”

She took that as a compliment and smiled a little at him. “I am flattered you think so, but I’m not stupid enough to attack you within your grounds. Plus, I have no reason to kill any of you anymore. Naraku had ordered me to kill you, not that I wanted to, but now that I’m away from him I don’t have to do as he bids.”

He contemplated her words once again as she began to pull out many pins from her hair before beginning the brush through the strands. “Be that as it may, I do not trust you.”

“I can’t say I blame you.” She commented, nodding once. She then scooped up her loose hair in her hands and began to form a ponytail. She grabbed a small piece of hair, braided it, and then looped it around the waterfall of hair until it was tight. Then, grabbing one of the discarded pins, she pinned the braid in place so that it would stay as a tie for her hair. “There? Better?”

He nodded once and then headed to the door. “Dinner will be served later,” He informed her and then glanced over his shoulder at her before he closed the door behind him. “Remember my rules, Choshu.”

“It’s Kagome.” She instantly replied, meeting his eyes. “And it’ll remember them, Sesshoumaru.”

He narrowed his eyes at her, but didn’t say anything in response as he shut the door behind him.

*~*~*~*~*

A month had gone by since Kagome had been taken in by the Shinsengumi and she was surprised to admit that she didn’t hate it. However, she believed that was due to the fact that she wasn’t actually confined to her room. Whenever Sesshoumaru was out with the other higher-ups in the squad, a young man named Shippou let her stroll around the ground with he as her guard.

Their strange friendship began when he was appointed to deliver her meals. He was kind and spunky, if not a little too cocky for his own good. They hit off and he eventually felt bad for her having to be cooped up in the room. He had instantly been caught by Inuyasha and Bankotsu. Much to her surprise, they didn’t kill her like Sesshoumaru said they would. Instead, they joined her and Shippou as they walked, asking her questions about her life.

Acting as a young man, Kagome told them she had trained in a dojo in Edo where she learned her hand-to-hand combat. Bankotsu had eagerly asked her to spar with him and so she complied. They went back and forth for a few minutes before she had him on his back, her body bent over his with her fist raised. For many days afterwards, that became their routine.

And that was how Sesshoumaru had found them one day.

It had not been a pleasant experience. He had shouted at all of them, told them they were to be punished with laps around the manor, and then dragged her back to the room by her arm. She and Sesshoumaru were both surprised when his three men stood up for her, telling him that he was being too harsh. Yes, ‘he’ was a prisoner, but ‘he’ had showed no ill intent towards them and that ‘he’ should be allowed a little more free time.

She was once again surprised when Sesshoumaru gave her a trial run, letting her join a few of them for dinner. She easily fell into conversation with all of them, even their Captain Touga. She was amazed that they were all so passionate about their cause and felt so strongly for their brethren. Choshu had been nothing like that; only people who were miserable because they were forced to do what they had to.

“I really admire your group here, Vice-Captain,” Kagome admitted one night as he escorted her back to her room like usual. “You have some amazing men on your side.”

“Oh?” He asked, glancing down at the fake-geisha who had somehow weaseled her way into the graces of his men.

“Yes,” She nodded. “The Shinsengumi is nothing like the Choshu. Your men truly fight for what they believe in and will happily give up their lives for it. As I mentioned to you one night before, most of the Choshu are forced to do what they do.”

He dipped his head in a single nod. “I believe that was two weeks ago.” Ever since the first time he had allowed her to dine with them, he took it upon himself to escort her back to her room every night. During that time, she would talk to him about random things, him adding in every once in a while.

She smiled up at him. “You must be proud.”

He looked down at her gleaming, sapphire pools for a moment. “I am; as is my father.”

She hummed in thought. “Sesshoumaru, have you heard about this ‘Santa Claus’ from the Western continent?” When he lifted a brow at her, she continued. “He is supposed to be a jolly man who brings gifts to all the good children and adults on the night of the 24th of December so that they all open their presents on the 25th.”

“Where did you hear of something so preposterous?” He asked curiously.

“I read it.”

“It sounds like fiction,” He accused. “How does he know who is bad and who is good? Who is he to determine who is good? How does he deliver these presents to everyone who is good?”

She blinked at him. “It’s magic, of course. That’s why he’s so happy; he’s magical.”

He snorted. “Perhaps he is so happy because he knows where all the bad girls live.”

She gaped at him. “Sesshoumaru!” She scolded, frowning at him. “You are going to be on his bad list.”

“I refuse to believe in something so ridiculous.”

She rolled her eyes. “But anyways, if he did exist, I would ask him for one thing: that you all come out victorious in this.” Her face turned serious, “I know I have offered before and you vehemently said ‘no’, but I would be willing to fight alongside you.”

He remained silent for a moment as they reached her room. As he slid open her door and stepped inside with her, he regarded her carefully. “I thought you did not want to kill.”

She pursed her lips together as untied her hair. “No, I didn’t want to kill against my own will,” She replied, looking back up at him. “I choose to fight with you guys.”

“Perhaps it would be wise for you to stay here,” He commented, meeting her gaze. “It is dangerous out there. They will not go easy on you as a male.”

She blinked before smirking coyly at him. “Are you worried for me, Sesshoumaru?”

He lifted a brow at her. “Of course not. You are a prisoner here, Kagome, do not forget that.”

She stuck her tongue out at him. “You’re no fun.”

“Careful with that thing, woman, or you may find it missing.” He warned.

“I dare you.” She put her hands on her hips in defiance and stuck her tongue back out at him. When he quickly crossed the distance between them, she put her hands up in defense, but found herself flat on her back within seconds, her hands above her head. She smirked up at him before sticking her tongue out again.

He dipped his head down and bit the offending appendage. He pulled back enough so that he could see her face flush red. “Next time I will bite through it.” He threatened softly.

“V-Vice Captain!?”

The two quickly looked at the open shoji and saw Miroku standing there with two cups of tea. Sesshoumaru pulled himself off his supposedly male hostage and looked at the flabbergasted man before him. “Miroku, it is not-”

Miroku quickly shook his head. “N-no need for explanations. I did not know that you had that type of preference! It certainly explains a lot, but I mean, I do not judge you! So, I will just leave you two alone! Excuse me!” He called as he briskly walked away from the room.

Sesshoumaru let out a soft sigh and looked at the girl as she drew her legs up under her. “I am going to have to set him straight. His lips are loose when it comes to gossip.”

She cocked her head at him. “Is that going to be an issue? Telling everyone I’m a girl?” 

He gave an exasperated shrug. “We will find out.”

“Sorry.” She murmured softly as he stood and headed to the door. When he simply nodded at her before leaving, she sighed and flopped down on her futon. What was going to happen now?

When Kagome met the typical few men for breakfast the next morning, she could feel the thick awkwardness in the room. “Umm, good morning, everyone.” She greeted before setting down the tray of tea cups.

“Good morning, young one.” Touga responded, accepting the cup from her when she presented it to him.

She gave him a bright smile and then went around the room to give cups to everyone. Everyone received theirs quietly, no one saying anything to her, except for when she got to Bankotsu. When she handed his cup to him, he knocked it away, spilling the hot liquid all over her hand and floor. “Ah!” She cried softly, cradling the scalding hand to her chest.

“Ah, Kagome! Are you okay?” Shippou asked frantically, snapping out of his awkwardness as he went to her side.

“Call for Jinenji!” Inuyasha ordered as he hovered next to her. He went to grab her wrist to see the wound, but stopped when he remembered she was a girl. Blushing, he pulled his hand away.

“Really Inuyasha, she’s a female, not a naked babe.” Miroku chastised as he kneeled down in front of Kagome and pulled her hand away from her so he could inspect the burned flesh.

“I-I know that! It’s just! She’s- It’s- I don’t know!” He snapped.

“You really are stupid, Inuyasha.” Shippou commented bluntly.

“Shut up, runt!”

“Quit your yelling,” Sesshoumaru commanded as he also inspected the red, puffy skin.

“Has anyone gone and called for Jinenji yet?” Touga questioned. He watched as they blinked before Shippou jumped up and ran out of the room to fetch the doctor.

Kagome looked at each one of them as they fussed over her and then released a soft laugh. When they each looked at her curiously, she smiled at them. “Well, I’m glad you aren’t all mad at me.”

Everyone except for Sesshoumaru gave her a sheepish grin. “Sorry, we just didn’t know how to react. We knew you as a male and I guess it was a shock to find out that you were a girl.” Miroku offered as an excuse.

“Sorry to have lied to all of you,” She apologized and then looked at Bankotsu as she glared holes in the floor in front of him. “Bankotsu?”

He flinched and glared up at her. “What?”

“I’m sorry.” She repeated. “I didn’t mean to betray you.”

He snorted. “Save your pathetic apologies.”

“Bankotsu.” Sesshoumaru warned.

He sighed. “I mean, don’t apologize to me,” He clarified. “I am just mad because I found out I kept losing to a girl.”

She blinked at him before laughing. “Oh, well, then I’m sorry I hurt your pride.” She said with a smile and looked at the door when Jinenji walked in. “Ah, Jinenji, I’m fine, really.”

“It is better to have a look at it to make sure.” The soft spoken man replied as he took her hand from Miroku and examined the flesh. “Well, it does not look too bad, but I will apply some cream to make sure it doesn’t scar.”

She nodded as he began to smooth the cool cream on her hot flesh and looked at each of the men around her as they watched him work. She smiled again as she realized that after all these years, she really did have people that cared about her; even if it was just a little bit.  

*~*~*~*~*

“Please, Sesshoumaru, let me go with you guys!” Kagome pleaded as she watched the men that had become her family over the past few months head towards the gate of their headquarters.

He finished tying up his ponytail and looked down into her concerned blue pools. “It is better if you stay here. Naraku may be there and I do not wish for you to become his target.”

She furrowed her brow and reached forward to grab the sleeve of his haori. “Please, Sesshoumaru; I have a really bad feeling about this. I can help you!”

He released a soft, silent sigh and put his hand on her head as he smoothed her hair. “Everything will be fine, Kagome.”

“You say that, but you don’t know!” She answered vehemently. “I just…I don’t want to lose you.” She blushed and quickly fixed her words. “Lose any of you.”

“You won’t; have faith in us.”

“I do…” she replied quietly.

“I must go.” The Vice-Leader said and watched as she slowly released his sleeve. “I will see you when we return.”

She nodded once as he joined the group and waved at them all as they departed. Why did her gut feel so heavy as the gates fell shut? Was she being over-thinking this? She shook her head and clenched her hands into fists. No, she knew her gut feeling was right and she wasn’t about to sit by and let her new family die.

When she caught up to the fellow members of the Shinsengumi after sneaking out of HQ, she hid herself in the shadows of an alleyway as the members of the Shinsengumi and Choshu clashed in battle. She pulled the bow she had found at home from her shoulder and grabbed an arrow from the quiver. She took aim at the man gaining the upper hand on Shippou and fired, letting the arrow soar until it hit home in the man’s neck. She quickly disappeared back into the shadows.

Shippou glanced over to where the arrow came from, but frowned when he failed to see anyone around. “What was that?”

“Who cares!” Inuyasha hollered as he kicked a man off the end of his blade. “Let’s just be thankful! These fuckers have the upper hand with their guns so I’ll take all the help we can get!”

The red head nodded in agreement and charged as another enemy came at him. He heard an arrow zip by him and watched as it hit a gunman from the back lines. He silently thanked the person for their help and continued his attack.

Two more gunmen went down and Sesshoumaru turned back to where they came from and searched for the unexpected help. Who was this person? His eyes narrowed as he instantly thought of the girl. But, that was impossible. She would have stayed at headquarters like he said, wouldn’t she?

“Naraku-sama, they are gaining on us!” A man with white hair and purple eyes called.

The leader of the Choshu clan narrowed his eyes at the scene. How were swords beating their gun power? His eyes widened slightly when he saw an arrow kill one of his gunmen and then another. He stared at the alleyway where they came from and smirked when he saw his long lost pet slip out of the shadows to fire another arrow before disappearing again.

“Hakudoushi, cover for me.” He demanded as he grabbed his rifle and began to make his way through the battle towards the alleyway.

Ever faithful of his master, he aimed at any person that tried to strike his lord. Once he had made it past the field, he began aiming at random members of the Shinsengumi, trying to end the battle as quickly as possible.

Kagome notched another arrow on her bow and took a deep breath before turning around the corner. She instantly froze when Naraku was there in front of her. She gasped when his hand shot out and grabbed her neck, forcing her to drop her bow and arrow.

“I knew I would find you again, caged bird.” He purred into her ear as he pushed her back into the alley and against the wall.

“I wish you hadn’t,” She spat, glaring at him. “You are going to lose, Naraku.”

“Tsk, tsk,” He chided. “You should know better. I will win and take you with me. Don’t you want to come home?”

“I have a new home.” She growled and lifted her foot to kick him hard in the gut. When he grunted in pain, she knocked his hand away and made her way to the entrance to the alleyway. She felt his hand wrap around her ankle and fell hard onto the dirt ground.

“Foolish bitch,” He snarled as he flipped her over and hovered over her. He raised his fist and hit her hard in the face. “You know better than to defy me!”

Kagome’s vision clouded with black spots and she felt a warm trickle of blood seep from her nose. She was vaguely aware of his fist coming at her again, but saw a flash of blue and white knock Naraku back away from her. She took a few deep breaths to try and regain her composure before making herself sit up into a sitting position.

She blinked when she saw Sesshoumaru standing in front of her, sword drawn and poised to attack. “S-Sesshoumaru!”

He glanced back at her, golden eyes gleaming with anger and…was that relief? “Foolish woman,” He scolded in his baritone voice. “Did I not tell you to remain at headquarters?”

“B-but I had to help!” She argued and then saw Naraku aiming his rifle. “Watch out!” She brought up her hands in horror as the gun went off, the bullet hitting its mark in Sesshoumaru’s chest. “Sesshoumaru!”

The Shinsengumi Vice-Captain grit his teeth at the pain, but otherwise gave no implication that he was hurt. He glared at Naraku as he fired again and used his blade to deflect the bullet. “Go somewhere safe, Kagome.”

Her brow furrowed. “I don’t want to leave you.”

“Listen to me for once, woman, and go!” He growled.

She swallowed her protest at the vehemence in his voice and stood up to scamper off to the side of the alleyway where she wouldn’t be in their way.

“We meet again, Shinsengumi.,” Naraku cooed, smirking as he pointed his gun at his enemy. “This time you won’t escape alive.”

“I believe you have that backwards,” He countered. “It is you who will die.” He then lurched into an attack, swinging his sword at Naraku as the man fired off more rounds of shots. He blocked most of them with his blade, but some managed to make their way into his person. Still, he would not be deterred; he would finally kill the leader of the Choshu clan.

Naraku glared when he realized Sesshoumaru was not going down, no matter how many shots he took. Out of bullets, he swung his rifle like a sword and knocked the blade from his enemy’s hands. Taking advantage of his unarmed enemy, he used the butt of his gun to hit him in the gut.

Sesshoumaru caught the weapon in his hands and held tight as he pulled the gun towards him, causing Naraku to follow, and swung his head forward, connecting his forehead with Naraku’s. Once the man stumbled, he tossed the gun away from them and swung his right fist into the side of Naraku’s face, sending him into the gravel. He gave him a swift kick in the gut that sent him rolling to the side.

As Naraku coughed and spit out blood, the silver haired man approached his enemy. “This is the end, Naraku. Any final words?” He asked as he loomed over him.

He smirked through the blood on his face as he grabbed a concealed dagger in his haori. He swiftly swung it up at Sesshoumaru’s gut and grunted when the man caught the blade before it could slide further into his flesh. “If I die, you die with me, Vice-Captain!” he spat as he leaned all his weight into the dagger.

Sesshoumaru growled as he tried to fight back against him, both hands being sliced by the blade as he held it firm. He was powerless to do more than try to stop the blade from stabbing all the way into him. Any other movement was impossible with the current situation. A movement from behind Naraku caught his attention and his eyes widened slightly as Kagome picked up his discarded sword and ran towards them.

Why did that woman never listen to him?

“Die, Naraku!” She shouted and she stabbed the samurai sword through his neck, a sickening gurgling sound soon filling the alleyway. She watched as he turned enraged, pained eyes on her before they went lifeless, his body falling back towards her feet. She sighed in relief and grinned up at Sesshoumaru. She then gasped as he pulled the dagger from his stomach and collapsed to his knees. “Sesshoumaru!”

He grunted from the pain of his wounds as her frail arms wrapped around him to support him. “Woman,” He growled weakly. “You never listen.”

“Shush,” She scolded half-heartedly. “You can scold me when you’re all better, okay? Just try to hold on.

His eyelids suddenly felt too heavy to keep up as he tried to find a response to say to her. His mouth opened, but no words came out. Instead he heard her call his name repeatedly, but each time she sounded further and further away until eventually everything went silent around him.

*~*~*~*~*

Sesshoumaru became aware that a soft, cold rag dabbed against his forehead before gently stroking across the expanse of it. His eyes fluttered open as he fully regained consciousness. He was instantly greeted with the sight of the only female Shinsengumi member as she leaned over him to wipe his forehead. When their eyes met, she gave him a watery smile of relief and set the rag back in the pail of water.

“Hey you,” She breathed. “You are finally awake.”

“Finally?” He echoed and tried to sit up, but her small hand pushed back against his shoulder.

“Don’t move,” She commanded sternly before her face relaxed again. “And yes, finally. You’ve been unconscious for the last two days.”

He thought back to what happened last. He met her eyes when he remembered the fight with Naraku. “Naraku is dead.”

“Yes, thank the Kami.” She replied with a smile and brushed his bangs from his forehead.

“My men?”

She frowned. “Ten perished in the battle.”

A sigh escaped his lips. “Did they receive proper burials?”

“Of course.”

Golden eyes ran from the bruise on her cheek to the rest of her form. “How do you fair?”

“I’m fine,” She assured him with a smile. “You saved me, Sesshoumaru. Thank you.”

He held her gaze. “You saved me.”

She blushed and looked away. “I wouldn’t let you die.”

“Would not or could not?”

“Both.” She looked back at him and then down at his pale lips. With all the elegance she could muster, she bent down and gently pressed her lips against his.

His eyes widened slightly as she pulled away. “What was that?” He asked, but his tone was calm and soothing.

She gave a weak, embarrassed smile. “I wanted to make sure I could do that at least once before death.”

“Before death?” He questioned, his tone turning guarded. After all these months, was she really going to try and carryout her original plan to kill him? Of course she was. Why wouldn’t she? He was vulnerable and weak, too wounded to defend himself.

She nodded once. “Yes, but surely you’re going to either kill me for defying your orders, or you’re going to lock me up in here forever while you continue to go out and fight without me.”

His muscles relaxed at her explanation. His hand lifted to cup the back of her slender neck as he pulled her down to him, his lips caressing hers in sweet kiss. When he parted from her, he met her eyes, “I cannot kill you. I was unable to since the first day I saw you,” He admitted before a small smirk tilted his lips. “But you are right that I will lock you in here.”

She blushed before giving him a small pout. “I would have thought I proved my worth to you.”

“All the more reason to keep what is mine safe at home.”  He commented as she crawled onto his futon and laid down next to him.

Her put her head on his shoulder, making sure to stay clear of his wounds. “I would never be able to watch you go off while wondering if that was last time I would see you.”

“And if you didn’t have a choice?” He countered, closing his eyes as her warmth enveloped him.

“I make my own choices,” She teased. “That’s why I never listen, or perhaps you didn’t notice that?”

Sesshoumaru smirked once again. “Perhaps I need to punish you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, stop it. Just accept the fact that I won’t be letting you go out and die while I am stuck here doing nothing to help.”

“I will always return to you.” He suddenly stated, glancing down at her.

Another blush stained her cheeks. “You won’t have to because I’m going to be by your side along with the rest of my family.”

“Family?”

She nodded once with a smile. “Yes. Even though things started off really…backwards with us, I have finally found a place to call home,” She said as she tilted her head back to look at him. “So, thank you again, Sesshoumaru.”

He stared into her eyes before giving a small scoff. “You’re still a prisoner here.”

She let out a little giggle. “I’m okay with that.”

THE END~*~*~*