((DISCLAIMER: All of Inuyasha and its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi.))

Chapter One:

The weather was fair for a fall day in Tokyo. While Kagome Higurashi was so often cooped inside, it gave her a moment to truly absorb the happenings of the day as she travelled home by public transit. The night had dissolved into breaking morning, her breath escaping in chilled puffs as she had completed another arduous shift at the Tokyo General Hospital. Kagome was just an intern, taking example from some of the finest surgeons Tokyo had to offer, but it made the failures in the Neonatal department all the more mentally straining. While she had not been the one to carry the knife, she felt morally responsible for the failures that occurred during the day, and as her shift ended, she quietly exempted herself from the carpool of interns in lieu of public transit, so to escape the stress of dealing with those around her who would never understand.

As the morning light dipped over the buildings of city Central, it was not yet enough to stunt the city lights which stubbornly remained lit, keeping their hold on the night as morning drew ever closer. Kagome had shut the world out, sitting aboard the empty train car back to her lonely home in the suburbs, so far from the world she was growing to view as the norm.

An honors graduate from the University of Tokyo, Kagome had known her calling rested in the Nursery Intensive Care Unit of any hospital she could find herself in… What she had never anticipated was the overwhelming stress waylaid upon her tender compassion. School had been kind to her, the reality of the way was, that though she was one of the best students the university had offered, and furthermore an excellent surgeon, it wasn't what she had ever wished to view, and while the rewards were fulfilling, the failures were devastating.

As the train pulled to a stop, Kagome rose, tugging an ear bud from her MP3 player out from her left ear, and stepped from the train car before making her way towards the nearest bus stop, which would lead her to her families ancient shrine.

Having grown in a humbling home, raised by her single mother, and grandfather, she had never been without personal spiritual guidance and support. Her younger brother had become one of her closest friends, and had urged her to follow her dreams of becoming a surgeon, as had her friends in her junior high classes, up through to High School. She had grown with a sense of responsibility to the populace, setting an example while keeping the shrine clean and well kept for her aging grandfather. She was a beacon in the community, her studies primary concern over everything else.

While her friends had gone into various professions, none would understand the dedication she had thrown into becoming a fine surgeon and making her family proud.

It wasn't until she had graduated her first year of university that she began to doubt her life path, when her mother and younger brother Souta had been in a car accident at the hands of a drunk driver. Her mother had died on scene of the accident, and was pronounced dead before she could even get there. Her beloved brother however, held on long enough to enter surgery, and passed from the trauma on the table at only eleven years old.

From then on, her life had taken a turn for the worst. Following the funeral of her mother and brother, her grades had temporarily plummeted, only to pick up again as she maintained a chaste resolve in Kami's plan for her. Her life purpose was to hold onto the pride her mother and brother received in her work. Kagome would ensure that no one else would ever have to deal with the loss of a brother, or mother on a table again.

Upon her university graduation, she was granted a paid internship at the Tokyo General where she had remained until now. Her grandfather had grown mentally distant, and was diagnosed with increasing Dementia, and bordering on the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

The bills had stacked up, her debt as a student, that of the shrines upkeep and her grandfathers hospital bills had Kagome running desperately to complete her internship and become fully employed at the hospital. Ensuring a position in the hospital would mean insurance, stability… A meaning for all the work she endured, the insufferable interaction with bimbo colleagues, and the harassment from the other doctors on the floor. It would ensure her future for her family, and the shrine.

As she approached her family shrine, Kagome had carefully pulled the bell for the bus to stop, and with a quiet rumble it did just so at the upcoming stop. She rose to her feet, the cold of morning sticking to her jeans as she waved her thanks to the driver and exited the vehicle just at the bottom of the ancient stairs to the Higurashi Shrine. Her music forgotten in her ears, Kagome carefully climbed the stairs, step by step, quietly drinking in the early morning light as it crept over the city, casting its orange beams in every manner of direction and to the distant glass fronts of over a dozen skyscrapers in the distance.

Her figure was slim yet appealing, her frumpy, yet comfortable sweater hanging sluggishly over her supple hips concealing her trim waist and bust beneath. Her legs were long, hidden by her blue jeans once on constant display by her uniform, and now kept delightfully warm by the confinement of pant legs. Her long black hair tugged into a lazy ponytail, clipped with a thick brown clasp and only just managing to hold the rebel strands in place from tumbling ever further into her warm chestnut brown eyes. They had at one point carried an inner fire, but now, were dull with exhaustion.

Her shift had been close to twenty four hours long, and for once, she allowed herself to submit to the tiredness overcoming her weary bones. A hired caregiver would be there to look after her grandfather while she rested for the day.

She had a free long weekend; one she prayed would be her last before she was hired fulltime to the hospital. With her paycheck likely deposited and a small amount of money coming from a loan, the weekend would likely be spent shopping for food, paying bills and furthermore completing renovations along the shrine grounds.

Having completely ascended the stairs, she rested her weary body for but a moment against the tall wooden monument decorating the top of the stairs. It was in desperate need of fresh paint, but for a moment, it didn't seem to matter as her eyes caught a figure emerging from the dusky shadows beneath the Goshinboku, Tree of Ages.

Kagome paused, watching the shadow as it stood within the civilian barrier surrounding the ancient tree, and pressed their hand against the ancient scarred bark of its surface. This moment stayed put for several long minutes before Kagome called out, "Excuse me? I'm sorry the shrine is closed right now… You're welcome to come back later when it's open if you… want…"

Her voice cut off as whoever stood in the shadow of the tree stared out at her beyond the darkness with an amber glow in their eyes. Almost like that of a cat, the eyes color bounded off the reflecting morning light and shone out at her as she took a bold step forwards to investigate further.

The stranger momentarily recoiled, but held its ground as she came closer to find out if her exhaustion had truly overtaken her, or whether the amber glow had actually been real. Upon closer inspection, the stranger appeared to be a male of medium build with a shock of long white hair tied in a loose ponytail at his shoulders. Dressed in a smart, expensive suit with a red tie released from his suit coat and hanging loose around his neck, Kagome came forwards and examined his eyes, which despite his hairs odd appearance in comparison seemed honestly almost boring. In his left hand, sat a simple bowler hat, which as she approached was pushed onto his head with impressive speed.

"I'm sorry, but the shrine is closed right now." She repeated, her hand carefully tightening along the strap of her backpack which dug into her shoulder.

"I heard what you said." The gentleman replied with an exasperated roll of his eyes. He couldn't have been any older than twenty two, his demeanor aloof and snobby as he looked over her clothing choices with a subtle sneer. She felt momentarily self conscious, other hand tugging on the hem of her shabby sweater as if to pull the guilt away as it pulled tight against her thighs, not waning the subtle chill of the air between them.

"Then I'm going to have to ask you to leave, as you're trespassing." Her voice was unexpectedly docile as she spoke, gauging his expressions as they went from subtle aloofness, to cold fury.

"Do you have any idea who you are talking to, wench?" He spoke sharply, his indignation clear.

Normally, Kagome would have shrunk away from his tone, passive as always… However, upon calling her a wench her breath pulled into her lungs with a hiss, as she ground her teeth. "No, and I don't care to know." She spoke in a firm tone, "Our hours are from 9am to 9pm every day, including holidays and weekends. You're welcome to come and pay your respects to the shrine when we are officially open, but right now you are trespassing and I am going to have to ask you to leave again, SIR." She annunciated the word 'sir' for good measure, remaining justly pleasant but firm.

The man seemed fit to be tied for a moment at her firm voice, it seemed almost painfully obvious that he had never been one to be argued with, least of all by a woman. He almost kicked at the earth, before reaching up into his breast pocket, and pulling out a crisp white envelope. "Does this shrine accept donations?" He questioned, refusing to meet her gaze as his voice was unexpectedly smoothed.

"We do but-…" the man interrupted her before she could repeat their hours. "On behalf of my elder brother, Sesshomaru Daiyokai and our organization we offer our donation to the preservation of the Higurashi Shrine." He handed her the envelope, which she carefully opened, a single check rested within, its written contents making her stomach lurch with shock, and knees buckle only slightly. Kagome's bag dropped from her shoulder to the ground as she glanced up to the gentleman before her who seemed if for but a moment, smug to her reaction. The gentleman continued, "We hope our donation can be put to good use in your hands Miss Higurashi. Our organization holds utmost respect for the conservation of our Japanese history."

Kagome looked again at the check, the digits shocking her into discussion, as she turned her eyes back up to the white hair stranger. "Do you want to donate this in honor of someone?" She questioned, wondering idly for a moment whether or not he had rehearsed this interaction before handing her the check. His eyes drifted downwards for a moment as if in deep thought, "No-… only our organization. We've decided to expand our business into Central Japan and by donating to local businesses and shrines; we are spreading our influence by making a positive impact on the community."

He wasn't donating out of the goodness of his heart, Kagome realized. His ulterior motive remained in cliental. It left a sour taste in her mouth, but she nodded, "I thank you on behalf of my grandfather, and the shrine. I will personally assure that your donation goes to good use."

The stranger nodded curtly, bowing, and in return receiving a bow from Kagome herself. He went to turn away, but stopped. "My brother wishes to tell the shrine keepers that should there be a need for anything he can provide, to contact him immediately." He pulled out a sleek black card from the same breast pocket of the inside of his jacket. In thin writing, the name 'Sesshomaru Daiyokai' stood out on the page with his contact information. Along the surface of the business card, to the right of his name, sat a dog demon ascending into the clouds. Drawn in ancient Japanese form and made to fit the modern backdrop of black in a stunning white and red visage.

"I take it, you are not this Sesshomaru." Kagome questioned, glancing up as the sun began to finally peek over the roof of the shrine, the sky warming to a sweet pink and violet stain.

"No… I'm only his younger brother, Inuyasha." He spoke, the name of his brother seeming to stop his cockiness in its tracks. Kagome didn't take long to recognize that this Sesshomaru was disliked by his younger counterpart a great deal. Despite being seemingly business partners of the shared organization, Inuyasha bristled to the possible comparison.

"Well, Inuyasha-… I thank you for delivering these messages. I will be sure to thank your brother with a phone call when I get the chance." She allowed a tired smile to tug the sides of her mouth upwards in true thanks for this donation. It in and of itself would ensure a good thorough renovation, while her own money went towards the necessities of life she would need to survive the final trials of her internship.

Inuyasha pulled away, walking from her with self assured strides as she had commanded so rudely only moments before. As he approached the staircase, he paused, and turned back towards her. "I'm sorry-… I never asked your name."

Kagome flushed for a moment, debating coming forwards ever so slightly, as she called out to him at the edge of the staircase. "It's Kagome. Kagome Higurashi. My grandfather is keeper of this shrine."

"Kagome…" he spoke unexpectedly, as if testing the word in his mouth. Kagome took a moment to look at him as he retreated, raising his hand in departure, "Well… I'll see you another time when I come to pay my respects." He began to pull down the stairs, as Kagome glanced down into her hands, the check still held in the envelope, an almost ethereal thing to her, too much of a blessing to possibly be real.

All at once, Inuyasha had returned to the top of the stairs, "Hey, Kagome?" Her head jerking up with surprise, he spoke again suddenly, using his hand to cup his mouth so the words he spoke echoed over the stillness of the shrine to reach her ears. "Maybe you should use some of that money to buy yourself something less shabby… Its not exactly fitting for a shrine maiden to be dressed like a slob." His cutting remark echoed as he let out a slight laugh, and quickly ran from her rebuttal, down the steps and towards his mode of escape.

Mouth dropped open, she very nearly tore the envelope in her fury, but the donation was too precious to possibly be put to waste. Cheeks hot, and eyes watering, Kagome felt momentarily ashamed to be seen out in the outfit she had left her stressful day in. The comforting softness of her sweater only served to heighten her embarrassment. Rather than sacrifice the check, Sesshomaru's card played as her victim as it tore to shreds in her angry hands.

"Unbelievable, he has no idea what kind of person I am when I am not at the shrine… How dare he judge me so-…" She felt an indignant heat rise in her throat, as she clutched Sesshomaru's shredded card between her fingers and headed towards the sliding door of her family home, discarding Sesshomaru's card in the garbage pail upon entrance.

Finally within her home, where she could finally rest her weary head and mutilated sleeping schedule, she quietly crept up to her bedroom, tearing her thoughts away from the mouthy, white haired pretty boy with the strange amber eyes who had dared call her both a wench, and shabby in the same day.

((AN: If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and subscribe.))