AN: Wow, guys, almost 100 reviews for five chapters, you have NO idea how proud that makes me feel!!! Apologies for being so very very late, what with 6th form starting (those of you who are English will know what I mean) and other new stuff, I've had NO time to write, but hopefully, this will have been worth it!!!!

Okay guys, so, I'm gonna make you wait a litttttle longer for the nude InuKag goings on, just so you have something to look forward to, but in the meanwhile, I think you'll find plenty to keep you and our characters occupied… cackles

Abbreviations used:

CPS – Creative Punishment Scheme – the highly unusual punishments that the Academy is famous for, and that some freak clearly has a lot of fun thinking up…(me)

DISCLAIMER: Me, own Inuyasha. Good one. Let's get real here, I don't even have an Inuyasha plushie.

CLAIMER: But you know what is mine? This story, and CITF, and anything else I may happen to write :)

So, here we go:

Chapter 6: Envy and Education

There was a silence and a tension. Both so thick you would hear a pin drop louder than a bomb going off.

It was broken by a sugar sweet voice pealing out from the doorway, a curvaceous silhouette in the room.

"Yes, Principal Kaede?"

"Kinky-ho..." both Kagome and Miroku growled mutinously.

"What did you call me?" Kikyou's eyes narrowed as she strutted into the room, surveying its inhabitants haughtily.

"Oh, nothing, nothing," Kagome said airily, brushing it off and moving up a seat, feigning innocence to Kikyou's sharp expression.

"Nothing she didn't deserve," Miroku muttered under his breath, mischievously catching Kagome's eye.

Kagome, Sango and Inuyasha all chuckled quietly, earning them all an evil glare from Kikyou's dark brown eyes.

"Principal Kaedeeeeee…" she whined, making Inuyasha's skin crawl. "They're mocking meeeeeeeeeeee…."

"Oh Kikyou, hush," Principal Kaede waved her into a seat dismissively. "Please stop that; you are no longer six years old. You're seventeen: act like it."

Kikyou looked abashed at this treatment, and eased into yet another cushy armchair on Inuyasha's other side.

An awkward silence settled on the room as everyone waited for someone to say something. Anything.

"Kikyou, would you just care to remind me what your art school application project is?" Principal Kaede asked, thinking she'd made the teenagers uncomfortable and shifty enough.

Kikyou grinned as she raked hungry eyes over Inuyasha's lithe form, before turning them back onto Principal Kaede, grinning angelically.

"It's about celebrating the form of the human body and its movement, and portraying that in a series of paintings, Principal Kaede." Kikyou simpered, crossing her legs to ensure a visible length of tanned thigh, right in Inuyasha's eye line. She congratulated herself for being teacher appropriate and a seductress all at the same time! And people said she couldn't multi-task…

"How lovely," Principal Kaede agreed, hoping that she would take the bait. "I've managed to find two willing models for you to work with…one new student, and one who I believe you are already familiar with."

"Oh?" Kikyou said, her smile growing as she put two and two together. "And who might they be?"

Sango and Miroku rolled their eyes as they watched the scene unfold.

"Kagome has agreed to participate, and will be accompanied by Inuyasha Taisho, as punishment for various misdemeanours today." Principal Kaede said decisively, clasping her hands on the desk in front of her.

For a moment, Kikyou was torn between two reactions. One of disgust at having to draw Kagome's undoubtedly beautiful body, and one of elation at getting to draw the god sprawled across the chair next to her.

So, she went for the middle ground.

"Principal Kaede, that would be lovely!" she exclaimed as Inuyasha growled and let his head fall into his hands. " But I'm sure Kagome would rather carry out another punishment; I did have another nude model planned for the female half of my project." Myself, she thought mutinously.

"Kagome," Principal Kaede began, fixing a steely blue gaze on Kagome's own. "Would you rather carry out another penalty? I can assure you, it won't be nearly as favourable as this one." The threat poured from the tone of her voice, and though Kagome couldn't explain it, she knew there was no other option.

"I'm…" Kagome started, choking on what she was about to say. " I'm…happy…to do…this…for you, Kikyou."

Inuyasha was surprised to feel a sudden sense of camaraderie with Kagome, understanding how little either of them wanted to model naked. For someone who was apparently a bitch. And who evidently wanted to dip him in chocolate and eat him. He got it.

Was this what they called…something in common?!?!?!

Nah.

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"Here's your coffee, Mrs Taisho," a neko youkai minion squeaked as she skittered into the room, placing a large mug of Kenyan coffee next to Izayoi's furiously typing fingers.

"Thank you, Eiko. That will be all," she replied absently, brows furrowed as she frowned at the computer screen.

Izayoi was spending the day doing some very important research into her children's latest mission, aware of the potential that the sub-target held for Tessaiga Inc.

Contrary to the glaring sun shining in, illuminating the buttery yellow walls of her office, Izzy's mood was getting more and more tense as she tried her level best to find out everything she could about her target.

It was absolutely imperative that Inuyasha not find out what she and his father were up to, but she could promise that they would understand eventually.

But as Izayoi delved deeper and deeper into the life of her mark, she realized that they would have to work harder to achieve the necessary goal.

And that would mean sending in reinforcements.

ASAP.

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"Oh my fucking God," Kagome cursed uncharacteristically, linking her arm through Sango's as they walked across the grassy outdoor cafeteria, seeking out a table in the already packed field.

Like a certain woman across town, her mood certainly didn't match the glorious weather, and she wasn't the only one.

"Tell me about it," Miroku groused as he walked on her other side. "Isn't it against the law to force minors into nudity?"

"Isn't it also against the law to not arrest known criminals, and give their children a world-class education?" Kagome returned, eyes sad for a moment. "The Academy is SO outside the law."

"I just can't believe that they would actually make you two do that!" Sango exclaimed, pulling her aviator shades out of her bag and slipping them on. "Nudity's a personal thing, and it's not like there's not enough of it in this place." She finished, remembering the girls' locker room and all the horrors it contained. Ew, she shuddered inwardly

"Hey, it could be worse, " Miroku reasoned. "Actually, it is worse. Sango and I happen to be counting and picking the daisies on every patch of grass on campus, every Thursday night till 10. Where's the sex appeal in that?" he groaned, whipping out his own Ray-Bans, coincidentally looking very sexy indeed. Sango averted her gaze and tried to calm her heated cheeks. Damn him, damn him!!! She cursed inside her head.

Kagome laughed, at the sudden thought of Miroku and Sango picking daisies in skimpy swimwear, baby oiled slicker than wet tires, and then laughed some more when she noticed Miroku pouting and posing as he sauntered along, and Sango having suddenly become very quiet indeed.

"You two are hilarious…" she said, smiling. It was okay, she would have them all over each other before Homecoming, mark her words. Kagome cackled at the sight of her new projects.

"Please!" Sango scoffed, seemingly horrified.

"As much as I care for dear Sango, she won't have anything to do with me," Miroku sighed, grinning at Kagome.

"Time will tell, my dears, time will – " Kagome was abruptly cut off as a pint-sized whirlwind slammed into her full-on, almost knocking her over with the strength of the bear hug.

"Kagome!" Rin squealed, letting go of her as Ayame caught up, eyeing the newcomers curiously.

"How did it go with Principal Kaede? How hard did the CPS hit you?" Rin asked, concern bubbling over in her voice.

Kagome's eyes widened as she realized the implication of telling Rin and Ayame what had happened.

There was no way in hell she was telling them that she was posing nude and semi-nude individually and with Inuyasha for her nemesis, every Thursday afternoon until Kikyou decided she was finished with them. There was no way she could let them know. Absolutely not. No way, José. And to put it quite simply –

FUCK NO.

"Oh, actually, not too bad, just the usual written apology to the PE department and some school-related math problems. Two weeks' worth." Kagome lied quickly, mentally kicking herself for the thousandth time that day.

"Oh, okay!" Rin said. "I mean, you suck ass at math, but there's calculators now!" she said, ever optimistic.

Her eyes widened as she caught sight of the two attractive people watching the unfolding scene curiously.

"Hi!" she said chirpily, waving. "I'm Rin!"

"Oh, to be simple," Ayame sighed. There was really much more to Rin than met the eye, but God, could she come across emptier than a bucket…

"I'm Ayame, by the way, and…do I know you?" she directed at Miroku, eyes narrowing curiously.

Miroku froze as Ayame and Rin warmly greeted Sango, who smiled shyly back at the two of them.

He'd forgotten that there would still be people who remembered him. He and Ayame had actually been good friends way back at The Academy Preparatory School, before moving onto the Middle Education School and moving in different circles. He anxiously looked around for Inuyasha, but his heart sank as he saw him standing way behind them, attempting to shake a grinning Kikyou.

"Yeah… it's me, Ayame. Miroku." He smiled briefly, cranky that someone else was recognising him. "We shared crayons way back when."

"Oh my God!" Ayame shrieked happily, throwing her arms around him.

Kagome relaxed a little.

At least Sango would now have someone to be jealous of.

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Inuyasha groaned quietly as he felt two claw-like, white hands clasp around his arm, yet again, and he was tugged ahead. It wasn't even that he wasn't strong enough to withstand this, but he wasn't about to hurt a human girl, especially one who evidently had a crush on him.

Kikyou cast a quick glance behind her before she seized Inuyasha's poor unsuspecting arm and wrenched him several strides up to and ahead of the group, who watched them whiz past curiously.

"Is that normal?" Kagome asked, one dark brow raised.

"Kagome, what are you, blind? Girls want to screw him, guys want to be him and gay guys want to dress him up and screw him!" Sango asked incredulously as they approached the main food section.

"He gets hauled places by random females all the time," Miroku said lazily, eyeing the sandwich selection laid out in front of him.

"Not one quite like this though," Kagome said, frowning as he was towed across the court to her cronies' massive table in the center of the seating area.

Definitelyno one quite like Kikyou…

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"So, Inuyasha, is it?" Kikyou simpered, after they'd left the far behind, into the sunshine of the outdoor cafeteria.

"Yes." Inuyasha said through clenched teeth, once again wrenching his arm from the chokehold she had on it as she glued herself to his side.

He was wedged on Kikyou's right hand side in a seat as her hand inconspicuously (not) brushed his ass and he smiled awkwardly at the gobsmacked girls sat around the table.

"Where did you transfer from?" a random Kikyou cronie known as Gaia piped up, undressing Inuyasha with her eyes and making his skin crawl. "Surely, you're far too cute to leave all those heartbroken girls behind where – OW!"

The girl shrieked in pain and rubbed her shin under the table, her head bowed in submission to Kikyou's icy glare and swift pointed toe boots.

It was going to be a looooong lunch…

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Kagome looked mutinously at the pair as they walked to one of the large round wooden picnic tables, hands jammed in her pocket as she commiserated with Sango and Miroku.

"I can't believe she has us calculating the average circumference of all the salt and pepper shakers in the caff…" Miroku groused to Ayame, who instantly remembered him and broke any ice between the new group.

"Uh huh, me either," Kagome mumbled absent-mindedly. She couldn't explain it, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from Inuyasha and Kikyou, sat across the sunny field.

He just looked so damn uncomfortable. Surprise surprise. But then, why would she care? Inuyasha was an asshole, plain and simple.

Miroku elbowed Ayame gently, who smirked as she followed his line of vision to a murderous looking Kagome in the direction of Kikyou's pink spandex covered back.

"You think she knows?" Rin whispered to the group, a little way away from Kagome, whose path had drifted out towards Kikyou and Inuyasha.

"I doubt it," Sango said hesitantly, unsure of how to act in this situation that she felt so relaxed in so soon.

"She looooooves him," Ayame said, "I feel SO sorry for Kouga, he's got competition!" Ayame singsonged, making the group dissolve into laughter.

Kagome snapped back to attention at the gales of poorly suppressed laughter behind her.

"Hey!" she said, mock hurt. "You can't laugh at me whilst I'm losing brain cells here! That's an insult to my lack of intelligence…" she grumbled, falling back into step with the group, and plonking her tray down on the picnic table.

"I don't think you were spacing out, Kags," Rin said, eyeing Kagome cheekily.

"It happens all the time," Kagome said, opening her salt sachet to sprinkle over her spaghetti.

"Uh huh," Ayame agreed, but grinned at Sango and Miroku as she continued, "But you were spacing out in a particular direction…"

"Wh-what do you mean?" Kagome stuttered, laughing nervously as her cheeks flamed. God, her face was such an open book…

"Nothing, nothing, nothing," Rin said, waving a hand dismissively, giving the others a look that said, "We've got time, no need to rush."

"So, what are you guys in the Academy for?" Sango asked conversationally, imbued with a jolt of confidence.

"You make it sound like it's jail," Rin giggled.

"Might as well be!" Miroku chipped in

"You've been here one day, what do you know?" Sango scoffed, walking straight into the routine she and Miroku had (petty bickering) known since they'd met.

Before Ayame or Rin could answer, Inuyasha came pelting over to their table, unceremoniously dumping himself between Sango and Miroku, panting.

Kagome's jaw dropped as she looked him over, taking in his tangled silver hair and the previously pristine black button down hanging off one shoulder exposing a tanned, toned arm to Kagome's eyes. Yummmmm, she thought hazily.

"What the hell happened to you?" Miroku asked, voicing the question on everyone's minds.

"Mass…. maulage…freakish…girls," Inuyasha rasped, pupils dilated in panic.

"Ooh, Kikyou and the gang hooked their claws into you, huh?" Ayame winced sympathetically.

"Claws? Claws????" Inuyasha started incredulously, raking hand through his hair, making Kagome's stomach flip-flop once more. "Try talons! Seriously, I thought I could deal with it, but I don't think she could handle me naked!"

"NAKED????" Ayame and Rin exclaimed, eyes wide with shock. Rin proceeded to drop her chicken fajita, whilst Ayame choked on a pickle.

Kagome's eyes shut as she realized that her secret was out. Way out. And there was nothing that could make her forgive Inuyasha… or his sexy arm.

"Miroku, do they have popcorn up there?" Sango whispered, pointing to the food court section.

"I think so; you think this'll be that good?" Miroku replied, his heart quickening just a little at Sango's friendly attitude towards him.

"Oh, of course," Sango grinned, looking at Kagome's flushed, angry face and Inuyasha's panicked cluelessness.

This was going to be Academy Award good!

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"Girls, girls, girls," Kikyou chastised in the meanwhile, bringing silence down on the excited chatter about the new school eye candy amongst her "friends".

"You're not supposed to scare him senseless!" Kikyou continued, irritated at them chasing off her prey. "You know the rules. I get to have him first; pop his Kikyou-cherry, so to speak." She said, laughing at her own lewd wit. Titters swept through her gaggle of girls obediently.

"Then we can have a taste?" a pretty brunette piped up, waving a hand in the air excitedly.

"Of course, but only once I'm finished with him," Kikyou reminded them, casually eating a leaf of lettuce out of her super-small, fat-free, no dressing, no meat, low-cal, no salt salad.

"To be fair, Kikyou, I don't think he looked that interested," one of the girls said calmly, eating her cheese and bacon fries.

The whole group fell silent, looking at their resident black sheep.

"Excuse me?" Kikyou hissed. "

"Seriously, I think it's too soon for him," Kagura said, taking a sip of her full fat soda.

"Listen to me," Kikyou began. "If we weren't bound together by the blood pact of our fathers there would be no way in hell I would even know you were alive. Count your blessings, Kagura dearest, and be grateful that a half breed like you associates with the likes of me."

"You're aware he's a hanyou, right?" Kagura replied, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"But he's different," Kikyou said dismissively.

"How?" Kagura exclaimed. "He's half dog half human!"

"He's an exception to the rules, that's all." Kikyou replied.

"So, when you want to fuck him is when it's okay to have mixed blood?" Kagura asked incredulously, already knowing the answer. "I'm out."

Kikyou merely smiled as Kagura scrambled off her seat and attempted to storm off.

Kikyou's smile widened and a dark chuckle moved through the group of girls as Kagura fell to her knees in pain as she moved further away, and she too joined in the dark laughter as, with pain in her eyes, Kagura walked slowly back to the group.

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"So…you're posing…in the NUDE…for Kikyou to make ART out of you???" Rin clarified, putting her fallen fajita back together.

"Yes…" Kagome said for the fifth time, getting exasperated.

"And so are you," Rin said, pointing a hot pink fingernail at Inuyasha.

"Sadly so." Inuyasha groused, still unable to believe it.

"Together." Ayame put in.

Inuyasha and Kagome exchanged a quick awkward glance and both answered the same way :

"Mmmmpssssshhhh…"

"Now that's an expressive answer," Sango said thickly, her mouth full of buttery popcorn.

"What about Kouga?" Miroku piped up helpfully, determined to make this last as long as possible.

"Oooooh, yeah Kagome, what about Kouga?" Rin wheedled, a mischievous grin lighting up her cherubic face.

"Shit." Kagome and Inuyasha intoned together.

"That bad, huh? Boyfriend to you, and enemy to you," Sango pointed out, indicating each of them in turn. "That's nice and complex." She grinned, throwing yet more popcorn into her mouth.

"He never has to know," Kagome reasoned, shaking her head and wolfing down a forkful of spaghetti.

"Fucking wolf-shit would just be jealous," Inuyasha agreed.

Everyone stared at him, Sango and Miroku with wide megawatt grins on their faces as they chewed.

"Jealous of what, out of curiosity?" Ayame asked with a smirk gracing her lupine features.

"Yeah!" Miroku agreed. "Jealous of the lovely Kagome wrapped in your arms in an entanglement of limbs in a display of pure sexuality and raw passion?"

"Implying of course, that you don't quite believe Kagome to be as grotesque as you've led us to think," Sango added.

"So not grotesque, in fact, that she's desirable." Rin finished.

Inuyasha turned red and tried to look everywhere but at the piercing glares headed his way from all sides.

Thankfully, his cellphone rang, and it was his father.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Inuyasha whispered before flipping open the black Motorola Razr.

Inuyasha nodded as he listened to his father's words. His previously nervous expression changed to stoic and serious before their eyes as he answered his father in affirmative monosyllables.

"Guys, we've got to bounce," Inuyasha said, looking at Sango and Miroku pointedly.

He had no idea how much they could safely divulge in front of not only Kagome, but Kagome's friends.

Understanding dawned on Miroku and Sango's faces as they quickly grabbed up their bags to get ready to go.

If Tai was willing to pull them out of not only a mission, but their first day at a real school, it had to be serious.

"Who was that?" Kagome asked curiously, aware of the total change in mood.

"Ummm…" Sango hedged as she packed away bits and pieces she'd left on the table.

"It's just something important." Miroku chipped in firmly. "You know, perils of being an Academy student."

Sango eyed Miroku, asking him what he thought was up with her eyes. He gave a small shrug and stood up, holding a helping hand out to her.

Rin smiled sympathetically and rose and hugged each of them before they left, surprised to meet the shocked stiffness of Sango and Inuyasha, but thought to say nothing of it.

Ayame and Kagome rose and did the same, except Kagome and Inuyasha, who she merely gave a light wave to.

Inuyasha and Sango looked to Miroku for answers, as he seemed totally unfazed by the tactility of their new friends, their first friends outside the company.

Miroku shook his head quickly, before pointing a thumb towards the exit, knowing they had to go.

As Kagome watched them walk away, she shook her head and smiled, feeling an interesting year coming on…

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"Inuyasha, what is it?" Sango asked, the second she was sure they were out of earshot of the building and its hyperactive security measures.

Inuyasha stalked down the road with Sango and Miroku, towards the car that his father informed had been dropped off close to the school for them to drive home in.

"We've got some important work to do – recruitment." Inuyasha said shortly, his mind working frantically.

"Recruitment? But they'd only need us for that if-" Miroku suddenly understood, followed seconds later by Sango.

"Do you think they're serious?" Sango asked Miroku.

"Fuck yes," Inuyasha replied, jumping into the sleek black Jaguar.

"Are we even ready?" Miroku asked.

"Don't have a fucking choice," Inuyasha groused. "But if I don't like it, it's over."

"Ditto." The other two chorused, shutting the doors as Sango swept into the front seat and Miroku into the back with the bags.

They had business to attend to.

It was time for Tessaiga Inc.'s top teen assassins to go corporate.

AN: OMG. Four months late, to the day. God, I am so so so sorry guys. I'm working on it, really I am, and I know this chapter's a little shorter than normal, but not only am I really busy, I've been really blocky, and for the first time have had to write this chapter in chunks, that's how short my bursts of inspiration have been. However, I think I'm back now, and I'm not going to promise weekly updates, but definitely not in four month gaps.

Please don't hate me too much, and R&R!

A good review never killed anybody ;)

Love Inukagchick11 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx