A Ghostly Companion (PG13 - Kagome/Itachi - 13/?)

[sarhea]

Title: A Ghostly Companion - Chapter 11
Author: Sarhea
Rated: PG 13
Categories: InuYasha Naruto xover crossover
Pairing: Itachi U, Kagome H
Summary: AR. The Feudal Era is safe, the Shikon is restored and purified, and Kagome is dead … but that doesn’t mean she is free. A promise to a certain dead Hokage changes everything in Narutoverse.
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha and co, or Naruto and co

Summary: Some Konoha shinobis finally get to meet Kagome

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...ooO Oto Invasion Aftermath Ooo...

The genins of Rookie Nine were in the Hospital Waiting Room and antsy for more information. And they were not the only ones. The immobile (but less injured) jounin and chuunins waiting for treatment were also speculating.

“What is the name of that gorgeous specimen?”

“I’ve never seen her before. Maybe she’s a visitor for the Chuunin Exams.”

“Can’t be. The Higurashi brats know her too well.”

“But why did the medics allow her inside the Captains room?”

“Probably because Haku threatened to use them as target practice.”

Ino turned to Gaara who had just joined them from the initial mop-up. Usually their teachers would keep genins away from such duties but Gaaras mastery over sand made him the ideal shinobi to corner and immobilize enemy-nin.

“Do you know her?”

Gaara stared back placidly, quite familiar with Inos fits of temper. “Know who?”

“The woman with Itachi-san. The one Haku, Sasuke, and Naruto know.”

Gaara frowned. “Could you be a bit more descriptive?”

Ino huffed but responded. “Pretty with big blue-gray eyes and wavy black hair. She wore a white blouse and short green pleated skirt.”

To everyones shock Gaara smiled widely. “Kagome-nee-chan!”

Everyone including the adults turned to the small red-head.

“You know her?” Asuma inquired casually.

Gaara nodded. “She fixed me and Itachi-san brought me to Konoha.” He thought hard. “I think she looked after Naruto as a baby. He knows her really well but Itachi-san knows her best.”

“What do you mean?” Yuuhi Kurenai was confused. How had a total stranger gotten past the ANBU assigned to watch over Naruto?

“They spend a lot of time together. Talking and stuff.” Gaara answered bluntly.

“But Akamaru doesn’t remember her scent from anywhere.” Kiba was puzzled.

“Itachi-san has a girlfriend!!?” Ino wailed mournfully.

Gaara winced and ducked away from the blonde. “She’s not just his girlfriend. She’s our sister. She looks after all of us when Itachi is on missions.”

Kurenai frowned. “Gaara are you sure about that? No one has seen her in the village. Even when Itachi was away.”

Gaara looked at her with an old-fashioned look that said ‘Do I really have to spell it out for you?’ before he answered. “None of you Saw her. You were blinded by perception.” He blinked. “Well, Jiraiya-sensei saw her. She’s the one who persuaded him to teach us.”

The jounin looked at each other making mental notes to talk to the Frog Sannin.

Hinata was a big puzzled. “Anou, Gaara…?”

“Yes Hinata-san?”

“Do you mean she has a bloodline that blinds her presence from others?”

“Iie.”

“Then what do you mean?” Sakura spoke the question everyone wanted answered.

Gaara shook his head. “It is not my tale to tell. Let Itachi-san or nee-chan tell you.”

At this point Umino Iruka and Hatake Kakashi had joined the crowd.

“Then why don’t we go and ask them?” Iruka pointed out sensibly.

~o~

In a private room on the same floor was the object of such intent speculation.

Kagome watched two of her babies cling to their source of paternal authority. Naruto was very loud and emotionally open in his display. Sasuke was more discreet but no less intense. Haku was content to simply watch her teammates and adopted family reaffirm their bonds.

Sasuke was the one to notice how left out Kagome was feeling. He walked over to her and grabbed her hand, and tugged her over to join them around the bed.

She couldn’t resist as her family-of-choice conspired to push her onto the narrow hospital bed. She fell back into the reassuring circle of familiar arms. How many times had he held her like this in Tsukiyomi? How she had yearned to be held as such by him in the material world.

Kagome giggled and relaxed as she felt a pointed nose nuzzle her cheek and temple. She turned into a tender kiss brushed against her hairline and shifted until she was practically glued to Itachi.

“We shouldn’t be doing this. You should rest.” Kagomes voice was fretful.

Itachi chuckled. “The medics want to figure out how you healed me so well. The only thing I’m suffering from is chakra depletion. I’ll be out of here in twenty-four hours if not sooner.”

Kagome couldn’t refute his argument so she looked away, at three of her four ‘children’. “Where is Gaara?”

“Here.” A small red-head squeezed between the taller Haku and Sasuke.

Kagomes expression softened as she held out her arms.

“Come here. I haven’t hugged you.”

And to the shock of the Konoha audience Shukakus vessel threw himself into the waiting arms and cried soundlessly.

Kagome wrapped her arms tight around him and purred; a low throaty sound that made Gaara and Naruto relax. As she ruffled the short red hair she hummed a very familiar lullaby, one that soothed Naruto to sleep as a baby, reassured Sasuke when he woke up terrified in the middle of the night, soothed Haku into more restful sleep when she had nightmares, calmed Gaara when he woke believing everything was just a beautiful dream, one that Kagomes own mother had sung to her.

It was an intimate sight that made even Kiba keep mum.

Several minutes later Gaara had regained enough composure to pull away and join his siblings. Then Sasuke broke the silence.

He smirked and openly challenged his brother. “So when are the two of you getting married?”

Kagome almost fell off the bed. “Sasuke!”

Itachi sighed. Leave it to Sasuke to make things difficult; on purpose.

“What?! It isn’t like you don’t want to.” He glared at the elders. “I’m not deaf or blind. I know Aniki has been waiting for you ever since I caught him jacking off and he gave me The Talk.” Kagome glared at the unrepentant but slightly blushing Itachi. “And you never would have done so much if you didn’t love him.” Kagome pinked and tried to find someplace to look but Sasuke kept moving into her line-of-sight. “You want him to be happy, you’ve given so much to all of us, so why bother wasting any more time pretending you don’t?”

Kagome sighed. “Sasuke, I don’t know how long this effect will last. I might dematerialize at any moment.”

Sasuke shook his head stubbornly. “You didn’t move on after your fight with Naraku, after the Shikon was restored, because something else had to be done. The Shikon did not let go.”

Kagome blinked and reached into her blouse and pulled out the soft pulsating silvery-pink orb. It looked innocent and clean, as though it had never been bathed in hearts blood just a few hours ago.

Itachi looked at the Relic that had cost so much in lives, damage, and suffering. “I remember wishing you had someone to love, a family and children of your own, a life you never lived. I was certain Orochimaru would win.”

Kagome sighed. “Kaede said a pure wish would make the Shikon inert, and an impure wish would taint it with malice. It is still pure, no wish has been granted.”

“It might not be a wish.” Itachi speculated. “Jiraiya found an addendum to the old tale. ‘In times to come, in times of desperation, in times of great need, a sacrifice will wake the Shikon, and the Shikon will mark its chosen Protector.’ Blood could easily count as a sacrifice.”

Kagome sighed. “Then what about the mark?” She huffed at the pink orb resting in the hollow her cupped palm. “This thing is too troublesome!”

Itachi reached out to take the relic when it happened.

The moment his fingers made contact with the Shikon a bright white light filled the small hospital room.

As the light faded everyone saw the orb levitate and dart out of Itachis reflexive grasp. Almost playfully it danced around the room before making a brief contact with the foreheads of two particular individuals: Itachi and Kagome. The soft chime of distant bells filled the room as the Shikon made a final orbit around the couple and moved lower before vanishing into Kagomes midriff.

Reflexively she touched the old wound where Centipede-Lady had torn the Shikon out of her so long ago in a completely different world.

“It’s inside me. Like it was before it was torn out of me.” She looked at Itachi who was staring at her as well. And then she noticed the green-blue quartered circle almost painted on his skin. She couldn’t help but reach out and trace the marking. “There is a mark on your forehead. A blue-green quartered circle.”

“You have one as well.” Itachi was proud of how nonchalant he sounded.

Kagome groaned. “Lovely. Mark of the Protector I presume.”

“Hmm.”

“Great. Not that I don’t appreciate being alive again and having a body and all, but when the kamis do things like this they generally want something done.”

“Hnn.”

To everyones shock Kagome slapped her friend-lover upside the head.

“Baka. You should know better than to ignore the price tag of a not-gift.”

Itachi sighed. “It isn’t like they gave instructions on what they want done. So we’ll simply have to let things be until we find out otherwise.”

Kagome huffed. Then sighed. “I’m not used to this. Ever since the Tama shattered I’ve always had an objective. Collect shards. Keep my friends alive. Killing Naraku. Restore the Shikon. Make a wish to get rid of it.”

Itachi shrugged. “Then create your own objectives. Try to find out how much your powers have grown. Experiment with the Shikon.” His face softened. “Stay with me, with us. Marry me.”

Kagome hesitated. Itachi pressed his advantage.

“I don’t care if you are called on to complete a mission that may take years, because I will go with you. Or if your responsibilities takes you into danger, because I’ve done that ever since I became Chuunin. I don’t care if all we have a few years, months, or days because my job has a similar element of risk. All I care about is the time we have together.” His eyes were steely. “When you asked me to find someone else I tried and failed. I see no point in looking for someone else when the one most suitable for me is you. We’ve known each other for eight years now, I see no reason to wait.”

Kagome struggled internally before coming to a decision and relaxing. “You are right. Life has no guarantees. Especially for people like us.”

“Yatta!” Naruto exploded an exuberant display of emotion. He bounced over and hugged his mother-figure and brother-guardian.

“Be quiet gaki.” The deep booming voice of Jiraiya, the Frog Sannin, broke to the celebration. His expression was stern but his eyes were laughing as he shouldered his way through the shell-shocked shinobi audience. He eyed the slim bare legs appreciatively. “Really nice legs miko. I don’t suppose you’d be willing to pose for my newest book, would you?” He leered at her.

Kagome rose from the bed, her aura fluctuating so wildly even the Konoha-nins could see the coruscating pink energy.

“Ji-rai-yaaa!!” Everyone blinked at the rabid growl that emerged from the petite body. Her aura expanded then condensed into a globe that smashed down on the Sannins shaggy head. His face met the linoleum floor less than a second later. Her voice held a dangerous mixture of threat and promise. “If you ever make such a request or lewd comment towards me or Haku-chan I will let the boys use you as a target for their experimental jutsus and I will not let you eat any of my desserts. And I won’t let Haku or the boys make them for you either.”

Jiraiya blinked. He could tolerate a little rough sparring but being barred from desserts prepared using Kagome-chans secret recipes? He bowed his head in defeat.

“You win.” His eyes shone with tears. “I cannot live without your double chocolate fudge cheese cake Kagome-sama.”

Kagomes threatening demeanor faded and she turned cheery. “Good. As a reward you are invited to dinner tomorrow. I’ll make an extra cheese cake just for you.” She glared at Naruto who opened his mouth to protest. “Not a word Naru-chan. If you really like it you can make one for yourself.”

Naruto pouted. “It doesn’t taste as good as the ones Haku-chan makes with you.”

Kagome winked. “That’s because I use some special ingredients I didn’t tell you.” She grinned. “A little bit of leverage to make sure you listen to me.”

“Aaa.” Sasuke grinned evilly. “That’s how you get Naruto to do the laundry. I always wondered why dessert is always cheese cake after its Narutos turn.”

Naruto whined, pouted, and sulked as his family laughed.

Then Jiraiya turned serious.

“I might have to take a rain check on that dinner invitation Kagome-sama.” The laughter faded as everyone paid attention. “I talked to the medics. Sarutobi-sensei is in very bad shape. Even if he does pull through I doubt he can continue as Hokage, the damage done to his body…”

Kagome bit her lip. “Who is his successor?”

Jiraiya glanced at a particular blonde head briefly. “Sarutobi-sensei didn’t indicate any clear preference. The Council asked me to become Godaime but I said no.”

Itachis eyes sharpened. “You are going to ask Tsunade-sama.”

Jiraiya nodded. “Hai. Even if she says no, she is Senseis best chance of a near complete recovery.”

Kagome nodded, her eyes distant. “Take Naruto with you. He’ll help remind her of her obligations to Konoha.”

Jiraiyas eyes held respect. “Hai. It will take me a month at least to bring her back.”

“Who will take up the responsibilities until then?” Itachi inquired practically.

“You.” Jiraiya replied as bluntly. “There are dissenters but you are the most capable and trained nin with the fewest clan obligations. The Head of the Hunter-nins is dead, and his subordinates were injured in the fighting. As ANBU Captain you are familiar with the administrative duties necessary to keep this village running until we have a Godaime.”

Itachi hissed. “Jiraiya, I just asked Kagome to marry me! I don’t want a job that will take up so much of my time!”

“Hush.” Kagome brought up a hand and rested it on a tense bicep. “It is just a temporary responsibility; just until Tsunade-san is here.”

“If she ever returns.” Itachi grumbled. “She has little incentive to take the job.”

Kagomes eyes turned steely. “Then we just have to give her some.” She looked at Naruto. “You are going with Jiraiya.” She looked at Jiraiya. “When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow, seven, North Gate.”

Kagome nodded. “Naruto will be there.”

“We need to remind Suna of their erring ways.” Itachi began spinning a plan.

“Temari and Kankuro are being held by ANBU.” Gaara spoke in a controlled distant voice. “I helped track down several Suna-nin.”

“And their jounin-sensei?” Itachi inquired.

Gaara shook his head. “Baki got away. He’s probably in Suna by now.”

“They are probably in the same situation as Konoha.” Kagome pointed out. “Their leader is dead, possibly has been for a while now given that Orochimaru was filling his role in such a public forum. His children are not strong enough to hold the position of Kazekage. He didn’t indicate a preference. There is probably a lot of unrest among the clan families trying to put their own candidate forward.”

Itachi smiled, a high danger indicator when seen in public. “It is time Suna is reminded about those they cast off.” He looked to Gaara. “I want Gaara, Sasuke, Shikamaru and Haku to accompany the Suna-nin. Remind the Suna-Elders of their late Kazekages unfortunate choice in allies and actions. This will be a purely diplomatic matter with Haku in charge.”

The jounin eavesdroppers stirred.

“Is that a wise move?” Kakashi inquired mildly. “Chuunins and genins?”

Itachis black eyes were unyielding. “I will be recommending Nara Shikamaru to be promoted to rank of Chuunin. He made good choices in his fights. And Gaara… He is more than capable of handling Suna-nin.”

Gaaras eyes were hard. “Temari and Kankuro are my biological siblings. They and all of Suna know better than to go against me.”

“Hmm.” Itachis mind worked rapidly. “Don’t let past events cloud your judgment Gaara.” He warned the small red-head. “The Kazekage is the one who made the choices and gave the orders. With any luck his replacement will be saner.” He smiled grimly. “Of course I wouldn’t mind if you took appropriate actions to ensure that.” His siblings nodded. “Sasuke, go find a medic. I need to get out of here.” Sasuke nodded and dashed out, ignoring the questions and looks from the Konoha-nins. Itachi prepared himself for an onslaught and looked direct at Gaaras jounin-sensei Copy-Nin Kakashi. “Do you have any questions Kakashi-san?”

Kakashi scratched his face through his mask. “Lots. But I think the answers might have to be heard by the Konoha Elders and Village Council.” He smiled. “It would be best if they wait until we are all together.”

Kagome exhaled. “He is right. And we need to decide how much they can know.” She looked at Jiraiya. “Please join us at the Namikaze Estate after your business is done. We have things to discuss, in private.” Jiraiya hesitated, clearly torn over something. Her smile held understanding. “You do not have to spend the night there, if it--.”

Jiraiya shook his head. “No. It is time I stopped avoiding the place.”

Kagome nodded and relaxed against Itachi. They watched the Sannin push through the crowd and vanish. Then they tensed as the crowd refocused its attention on them.

Itachi raised his hand. “You will not find out anything before the Council does.” He glared. “I’m sore, tired, and very irritated at the thought of eighteen-hour work days and paperwork so do not push me.”

Wisely the genin and jounin obeyed and fled leaving behind the Higurashi family, less Sasuke.

Once they were gone Itachi sagged against Kagome who wrapped her arms around him murmuring soft words of fierce reassurance. “I’m here Itachi. I’m not going anywhere. I won’t let you be manipulated and backstabbed by a bunch of power-hungry cowards. I will never let you go through this minefield without any back-up.”

...ooOoo...

TBC…

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AN: The next chapter is going to be a big jump. I'm not going to be going into the details of the two missions (Jiraiya & Naruto and the mission to Suna). I'm more interested in the relationship between Itachi and Kagome.

AN: For those wondering why Itachi is the defacto Leader consider this... The regular chain of command is in shreds. Fill ins from Outside the Chain is necessary because those Within are already pulled to their limits. Besides, can you imagine the Council coming to an agreement on Which one of Them will be giving the orders? There can only be One Leader in emergencies, though that leader is free to delegate.

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