Summary: Kagome makes a promise

AN: I do not own Naruto & co or InuYasha & co, someone else does.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

...ooO Arrivals Ooo...

Kagome sighed and winced at the scene down below. She wasn't sure what drew her to this world but now she did - Kyuubi no Kitsune. She forced herself not to look too closely at the bodies, seeing the frozen, still expressions hurt more than seeing gore spilling out of cut-open corpses and dismembered torsos.

"We need to delay the Beast! Yondaime Hokage will be here soon!"

Curious she drifted through the battlefield. At times she couldn't help but feel glad for her non-corporeal existence. If she had a body she would have thrown up several times by now. Blood, body parts and other unmentionables were strewn everywhere. She could not feel the flames caused by their Chakra jutsus but chose to detour around the biggest bonfires and destruction. Fifteen minutes later she was in the perfect position to see.

A blonde man standing on a giant frog bounding at incredible speeds.

Shinobis using nin-wire and Doton jutsus to immobilize the beast.

The blonde man kneeling on the frogs head and performing a set of seals.

The Shinigami appearing behind the man and taking possession of his hands.

The youkai decomposing into raw energy and pouring into a distant point behind the rubble.

The Shinigami stepping back, drawing the blonde mans soul from his body which dropped like a puppet with cut strings.

Kagome ignored the wails and approached the Shinigami and the newly dead spirit.

Kagome looked up into the dark void beneath the black hooded robe and smiled. She had seen the effects of death and survived. She was not afraid of Death itself, just being one of the survivors.

"Hello Shinigami-san. Would you mind telling me what happened here?"

The hooded form shook his head and indicated to the blonde spirit. Kagome cocked her head and looked at the shinobi. He was quite attractive in a wild untamed way, like InuYasha.

"Do you mind telling me what you did?"

- - -

"Hello Shinigami-san. Would you mind telling me what happened here?"

Namikaze Minato blinked at the vaporous glowing form before him. A young woman no more than twenty at most dressed in a short pleated green skirt, white blouse with a green collar and red tie. She looked faintly like a civilian school girl in her knee-high white socks and brown civilian shoes. He didn't remember seeing her in Konoha.

"Do you mind telling me what you did?"

Minato shook his non-corporeal head sharply. "I summoned the Shinigami to seal Kyuubi. The price is my soul."

The girl blinked. Her eyes were a misty gray-blue. "Not really. The price is your life. The Reikai inhabitants don't like ningen calling upon them for every little thing so they require a sacrifice. Nasty Youkai would be happy with suffering and lives of innocents. The more sensible ones are happy with a little blood offering. Myouga always was happy to be paid with blood when we needed his advice."

Minato blinked. "You know of youkai? You were friends with one?"

The spirit, surprisingly, blushed. "I know its weird but they can be the most loyal and dependable friends to have. Even Sesshoumaru who was a bastard who tried to kill us can be trusted if he says he'll help. In a weird way he's more honorable than most humans."

The Yondaime Hokage was confused by this out pouring of information. "Ano, I've never seen you around here. Did you die a long time ago?"

Her eyes grew haunted and distant. "Yes."

Minato glanced at the Shinigami. "Then how come you're still here?"

Surprisingly the Shinigami answered in a hollow echoing voice. "The Shikon Miko is not subject to Reiki, Makai, or Ningenkai laws. She is above them since she affects all three planes."

The girl smiled wryly. "I have a job to do. Usually I do it through reincarnations but in the last battle something went wrong. I remained free to travel between the planes. Last night something drew me here, your battle with Kyuubi."

Minato frowned. "That is unfortunate. Isn't there some way to fix things?"

She blinked. "Only with the Shikon; but in my current state I can't locate or use it."

"Then why don't you ask someone alive for help?"

She smiled bitterly. "You wouldn't know. Spirits cannot be seen or heard by most mortals, only those with high spiritual potential. Most people around here are shinobi who train for Physical potential. It is really unfortunate because if you had a group of mid-level mikos or houshi you could have easily bound or purified Kyuubi without calling on the Shinigami." She sighed. "Besides I can't sense it. After the last mess I asked Sesshoumaru to hide it and do what he could to protect it from mortals and youkai. He's done a really good job. The only way to find it is to go looking for it and asking questions and doing research." She held her hands up. "I don't have a body to open the scrolls, the living cannot hear my voice to answer my questions or follow my instructions."

Minato nodded somberly. He felt the cold hand on his shoulder, urging him to follow. Something made him hesitate. He glanced at Gamabunta who was explaining what happened to the Konoha nins. Something in the Boss Frogs remaining eye made him suspicious. He glanced at the girl who nodded.

"Your Summons Creatures are youkai bound to specific conditions on this plane. They can see creatures of all three planes. He knows we are here but by the agreements made he cannot communicate for us. The only ones not bound by that rule are spiritually gifted humans on ningenkai."

A kernel of a plan blossomed in the dead Yondaime Hokages mind.

"Miss, would you mind doing something for me?"

She blinked warily. "What?"

"You're not leaving Konoha, right?"

"No. I'll probably do some exploring. Probably listen to lessons in your Academy. Your chakra theories and jutsus sound interesting."

"Then would you mind keeping an eye on someone for me? Just for a few weeks."

"Who?"

Minato hesitated then spoke in a rush. "No human could destroy a bijuu so I created a seal to bind its powers to a mortal body… a baby." Her eyes widened in shock and horror. Desperate to get her agreement Minato continued in a rush. "I had little choice. I swore to protect Konoha, one life against an entire city. The seal contains allows Kyuubis chakra to mix a bit to regenerate the inevitable damage such raw power will do to a mortal body."

Her voice was odd, strangely hoarse. "You gave a youkai a mortal shell?!"

"NO!! The chakra and jiaki is bound to the navel gate. I would never let a demon possess my son!" His voice was desperate as he explained in a rush. "He was the only one in Konoha even close to full-term. And I couldn't ask anyone to make a sacrifice I would not make. And Kushina agreed; she insisted on inducing labor but we didn't plan on her dying and leaving Naruto an orphan. Sarutobi-san said he would do what he could but he will be busy with the rebuilding. Please. Just look out for him. I know you can't do anything but it would give me some peace to know someone who is not afraid of youkai is watching over him."

After a tense silence she nodded. "I will observe your son Naruto, juuchuriki to Kyuubi no Kitsune. If I can I will help him."

He relaxed with obvious relief. "Thank you miss… I'm sorry but I never got your name. My name is Namikaze Minato. I am… I used to be the Yondaime Hokage."

She smiled visibly glowing brighter. "My name is Hiragushi Kagome."

...ooOoo...

TBC…

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Review, Review, Review