Summary: Accustomed to living in the past, Kagome must now prepare for the future by surviving the present. This is an InuYasha and Yu Yu Hakusho crossover focusing on Hiei and Kagome.

Note: When I first started writing The Protector (many, many years ago), I had only read a few volumes of InuYasha; therefore, please be aware that I am going to deviate from the manga a fair amount. With respect to Yu Yu Hakusho, the fanfiction's events take place after the Dark Tournament and before the Chapter Black arc.

Disclaimer: (1) InuYasha is (c) Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Comics, et al. (2) Yu Yu Hakusho is (c) Yoshihiro Togashi/Shueisha, FUJI TV, Shonen Jump, and PIERROT. Licensed by FUNimation Productions, Ltd.

THE PROTECTOR

CHAPTER THREE

Hiei was perpetually unhappy by nature. However, his unhappiness was now bordering on complete and utter misery thanks to the newest assignment and teammate he had been delegated by Koenma. In continued restitution for crimes against Ningenkai and Reikai, he had been coerced into teaming up with Kuwabara to safeguard the miko and Shikon no Tama. In sum, while Yusuke and Kurama were making inquiries into the whereabouts of the mysterious InuYasha, he had been partnered to act as a glorified babysitter with the most annoying and idiotic ningen he had ever had the misfortune of meeting.

Kuwabara currently stood in the middle of Koenma's office with the equally moronic ogre, George. They were two sides of the same coin, if you asked Hiei. The blue-skinned, loincloth draped buffoon had his head bowed and was bleakly sobbing in defeat, while the imbecile that sported a reddish-orange pompadour had his head thrown back and was boisterously laughing in victory.

"Janken! Twelve to zero! Man, I told you I never lose at this game! World champion!"

Recalling how Kuwabara trounced Kurama and him at rock-paper-scissors while participating in the Dark Tournament, Hiei sourly muttered, "Even a brainless monkey can be lucky."

"Luck is a skill, pipsqueak," Kuwabara argued.

"So says the skill-less, orangutan," Hiei countered.

"Pity those that have neither luck nor skill," George carried on sobbing. "I just lost my next month's pay."

Koenma, having been furiously stamping the endless piles of paperwork situated upon his desk, halted to offer some words of wisdom. "Gambling: the sure way of getting nothing for something. Boo-hoo. Now get back to work, ogre!"

"Yes, sir."

The downtrodden underling obediently made his way to the door in preparation of resuming his duties; yet, before he could grip the handle to abet his exit, it slammed open with great ferocity. The door collided with George's sullen features, causing him to teeter backwards prior to crumpling to the floor in a seemingly lifeless heap.

"Botan, here," introduced the arrival. "I have urgent news, Koenma-sama!"

Overlooking George's catatonic state, Koenma beckoned her further into the room. The usually chipper grim reaper was being uncommonly serious in both mien and timbre. "Report," he commanded.

"We received a transmission from the SDF, sir. It's terrible. There's been a breach of the kekkai barrier."

The Reikai prince's mouth gaped in astonishment, which led his ever-present pacifier to tumble free. "Impossible! Besides a measly A-class youkai slipping through on occasion, the barrier's pretty much impenetrable."

"Apparently not, sir," Botan corrected. "The breach is near Mushiyori City. For that particular site, a routine perimeter sweep occurred at 1300 hours. The breach was discovered during the following sweep, which took place at 1730 hours. The obvious conclusion is that the barrier was penetrated during this four and one-half hour window."

"It's impossible," Koenma reiterated, desperation more than evident. "The highest level of youkai would require weeks to pierce the barrier. To suggest it happened in a handful of hours is preposterous. What's the SDF doing to neutralize the situation?"

"Two teams have been dispatched. One to seal the breach and another to deal with incoming youkai."

Hiei cautioned, "In all likelihood, whatever broke through the barrier has already entered the ningen world."

"It'll be Armegeddon if we don't get this resolved asap," Koenma bemoaned. "Not only the perpetrator or perpetrators, but Makai insects may have already invaded Mushiyori City too. And, on top of that, the SDF won't be able to hold off an en masse of A, B and C-class youkai for long… let alone S and Super S-class youkai."

"A bloodbath," Hiei predicted.

Kuwabara released a horrified gasp. "My sweet Yukina! She's boarding with Genkai! If youkai are about to overrun Ningenkai, I have to go and save her!"

"Not to mention Shizuru," Botan interjected. When no response was immediately forthcoming, she needled, "You did remember your sister, didn't you? Brunette... tall... bad attitude... chain smoker...?"

"Oh, yeah," the rough and rowdy teen replied while giving the back of his head a self-conscious scratch. "Her too, I guess."

"So much for sibling loyalty," Botan observed with a hint of reprimand.

"Personal objectives will have to wait," Koenma intervened. "Genkai can watch over Yukina and the others. Until the barrier is restored, I need the reikai tantei on the front lines. If worse comes to worst, the SDF is going to need all the help it can get."

Botan gave an incisive nod before whipping out her reikai tsuushin konpakuto. "I'll get in contact with Yusuke and Kurama right away, sir."

"In the meantime, I'll dispatch a third SDF team to begin tracking youkai interlopers. If any are found, the third team will be responsible for capture or elimination. The reikai tantei will only be called away from the breach if the third team is unable to complete its mission directive. Even a single youkai wandering Ningenkai can be a disaster waiting to happen, but our top priority has to be securing the breach."

"Yeah," Kuwabara concurred. "Better one or two youkai running amok than thousands."

"And the girl?" Hiei questioned, indicating the miko that was still languishing on a nearby futon. "I find it extremely coincidental that the barrier was breached so soon after the Shikon no Tama reappeared."

"True," Koenma acknowledged. "It's possible that this assault on the barrier was from one or more youkai seeking the jewel."

"Then shouldn't the youkai be heading here instead?" Kuwabara queried. "There was no masking the jewel's ki when the miko awakened earlier, so its location was on display for anyone with even an iota of spiritual awareness."

"No," Koenma disagreed. He went on to clarify, "When erecting the kekkai barrier in the pseudo-space between Makai and Ningenkai, my father also erected a spiritual barrier around Reikai. Due to the numerous souls of varying spiritual ability that Reikai accommodates, it was the only solution to keep the living worlds from being overwhelmed by their combined pressure. Thanks to that spiritual barrier, the jewel's ki can't be felt outside of Reikai."

"If there's a barrier, then how does Reikai monitor spiritual activity in Makai and Ningenkai?"

"The barrier was specially designed to allow ki in, but not allow ki out," Koenma succinctly elaborated.

Kuwabara's eyes had crossed in befuddlement by the explanation's end.

"In simpleton terms, the miko is well-hidden from her enemies for now," Hiei cuttingly abridged.

"Back on point, to be safe we'll retain a guard for Kagome-san's protection. Hiei will stay in Reikai while Kuwabara meets up with Yusuke and Kurama in Mushiyori City." Koenma exhaled in frustration. "Positioning our contingent would be so much easier if we could determine what penetrated our virtually impenetrable kekkai barrier. Something so potent that it could bypass the barrier in under five hours, no less."

Thereafter, two consecutive incidents resulted to alert those in attendance that the miko had regained lucidity: a staggering blast of reiki succeeded by the utterance of a single, unfamiliar word.

"Tessaiga."

x x x

"This is Sunset Shrine, huh?"

Hands tucked into the pockets of his rebellious green school uniform, Yusuke studied the shrine that had supposedly harbored the Shino no Tama and its miko until that very afternoon. It consisted of a modest two-story dwelling and several smaller structures that were encompassed by a privacy fence. The foul smell of recently doused flames clung to the air but, otherwise, there was nothing incongruous about their surroundings.

"Yes," Kurama affirmed. "Since Koenma verified the miko's identity, there's little doubt that this is her residence."

Yusuke held no delusions about his detection skills. He recognized that he was more of a fighter than an actual detective. Nine times out of ten he used brute strength to get his answers rather than the application of mental faculties. He was cognizant of the fact that he had been partnered with Kurama because the former youkai thief possessed an abundance of tact and intellect. Bearing no ill-will about his own shortcomings, Yusuke opted to let his teammate take the lead. "So, what now?"

"I recommend we employ the direct approach." That being said, Kurama boldly strode through the torii before traversing the concrete path, climbing the wooden staircase and rapping on the front door of the humble domicile. Yusuke kept apace.

Subsequent to the knock excessive commotion, including hurried footfalls and frantic whispers of "hide, hide, hide," could be heard from behind the closed door. Stealth was certainly not the tenants' strong suit. The reikai tantei shared looks of suspect as second after second ticked by. When an entire minute had elapsed, Kurama elected to knock once again.

The door unlocked and gave way. A boy, ten years of age at most, expectantly stared up at the pair. "What do you want?"

"Souta!" An older woman joined the youth and admonished his rudeness. It was the same woman Hiei and Kurama had seen at the demolished well house just hours ago. She bowed in contrition and kindly asked, "May I help you?"

"My companion and I apologize for intruding," Kurama began. "I'm Minamino Shuichi and this is Urameshi Yusuke, we're acquaintances of Kagome-san."

He scrutinized the woman as she involuntarily flinched at the miko's name. Yusuke and he were definitely onto something, which encouraged Kurama to press on. "We're searching for a friend of hers - InuYasha - and were hoping that you could be of assistance. It's quite important that we find him. Not to be dramatic, but time's of the essence."

The woman was an open book when it came to her emotions. She visibly paled when the conversation turned to InuYasha, and Kurama effortlessly deduced that she was privy to the miko's numinous pursuits. Interesting.

An elderly man in Shinto garb abruptly elbowed his way between the woman and child. He carried an overweight, bespeckled cat in his arms. "Dunno what you're talking about, youngster," he griped while holding the cat aloft for inspection. "This here's the only InuYasha we know."

As previously remarked upon, Yusuke accepted that he was not an exceptional sleuth but even he realized that the jiji's declaration was farfetched. Stepping forward, he poked and prodded the furball with his index finger. It meowed in protest.

"You're telling us you named your cat dog demon?" To emphasize his disbelief, Yusuke drew everyone's attention to the feline's collar. "Then why does that read Buyo?"

The family's reactions to Yusuke's incredulity would have been entertaining if the circumstances had not been so dire. In consequence of the glaring falsehood, the woman's shoulders drooped as she heaved a weary sigh, the man sweat-dropped as he continued to aimlessly dangle the cat to and fro, and the boy face-palmed as he lamented, "Not again."

The reikai tantei surmised that the jiji had a propensity for not speaking the truth.

"Please, we mean no harm," Kurama interceded. "To be perfectly honest, we were sent by Kagome-san. She requested that InuYasha-"

Kurama's confession was interrupted by a menacing growl of unknown origin. Yusuke and he swiftly maneuvered toward the sound and took up defensive stances.

The kid, Souta, was not one to bite his tongue. "They're so gonna get it."

This avowal preceded a red blur leaping from the rooftop and touching down in the yard below. A hakama clad, barefooted hanyou that held an oversized sword perched against his right shoulder stood in their midst. Closer examination revealed sharpened claws, golden eyes and dog ears that peeked through layers of silver hair.

InuYasha, of course. He must have been lurking upstairs 'til now.

There was a feral gleam in the hanyou's eyes as he arrogantly barked, "No harm? You're wrong. If you bastards took Kagome, this is going to hurt... a lot."

The unanticipated arrival did not appear to be the sort to listen to reason.

At that precise moment, Yusuke's reikai tsuushin konpakuto began to vibrate. He withdrew the communicator, but did not remove his focus from the threatening hanyou. Flipping it open, Yusuke spoke before Botan had an opportunity. "Tell Koenma I don't think his 'make love, not war' plan is going to work out."

x x x

Ryūhi, a member of the Special Defense Force, broached the subject that was on everyone's mind. "Captain Ōtake, isn't it odd that no youkai have tried to pass through the breach? It's as if something on the other side is stopping them."

x x x

The female bat hanyou knelt in a meditative state, two halves of a broken and blood-colored orb cradled in her lap. Meanwhile her consort, a mischievous male fox youkai, bounced around the confined space they had been instructed to wait. The youkai had not quit moving since separating from the third of their group and, like always, seemed to be on an irrepressible sugar high. It was because of the youkai's habitually active manner that she could not help but become suspicious when he suddenly went stationary.

Suspicions were confirmed when torturous cries of affliction emanated from outside the barricade she had been charged to maintain. Hundreds of years had passed and only one thing had ever been able to break through her force field; illusionary magic.

Drawn lids parted and exposed pretty violet eyes. The hanyou then scanned the area and saw that many of the malignant youkai she had been keeping at bay were now unconscious or worse. They had clearly been subdued by fox magic, the ability to create illusions and make opponents feel injuries as if they were real.

Catching the amused gaze of her childhood friend, the hanyou arched a delicate brow in inquiry.

"Keh," he retorted, strikingly similar to his mentor. "I didn't like the way they were looking at me."

TO BE CONTINUED

Terms to Know:

Hanyou: Half-demon.

Janken: Rock-paper-scissors.

Jiji: Old man.

Kekkai Barrier: A net-like energy barrier established by King Enma that divides Makai from Ningenkai, resting in the pseudo-space.

Ki: Spirit power. There are two types - reiki and youki.

Makai: The world of demons.

Miko: Priestess.

Ningenkai: The human world.

Reikai: The spirit world.

Reikai tsuushin konpakuto: Spirit world communication compact. Part of Yusuke's spirit detective kit, mirrors come in pairs and allow audio-visual communication between the keepers of each compact.

-sama: Denotes respect to a person of a higher social class, such as royalty.

-san: Denotes respect to a person and is typically used between equals of any age. The closest analog in English are the honorifics: Mr., Miss, Mrs., and Ms. -san is almost universally added to a person's name, in both formal and informal contexts.

Shikon no Tama: Jewel of Four Souls. It is a powerful, sacred jewel that contains the souls of an ancient warrior, Midoriko, and many demons. To possess even a fragment of the jewel will dramatically increase its owner's strength.

Shinto: Religion native to Japan, primarily a system of nature and ancestor worship.

Special Defense Force (SDF): Military group operating under King Enma.

Tessaiga: A sword made from the fang of InuYasha and Sesshoumaru's father, InuTaisho. It is capable of destroying one hundred demons with a single stroke. Types of attacks include, but are not limited to, Bakyruuha, Hijinkessou, Kaze no Kazu, and Sankontessou.

Torii: Gate that marks the approach and entrance to a shrine. They come in various colors and are made of various materials. Most are made of wood and painted orange and black.

Youkai: Demon.