Allied Promises

Chapter Five

- One Week Later -

It had been a surprise to Kagome to wake up in her room after she remembered passing out in the Makai. She supposed the little ruler of Reikai brought her home after they went back to the Ningenkai, and from her lack of more unique visitors in the coming days, she knew her presence had been overlooked, if not forgotten. Not that she could blame them, they did have more important things and events to focus on. And she had a brief moment of peace with her family.

She was rather thankful none of them had pushed her for answers regarding why she was back in this time, looking as if she was going to stay for good. That was one story she would tell in her own time, it was as dear to her as her own legend. Perhaps in time, that story would be told alongside her own: The Legend of the Shikon no Tama. That would be the day she would be able to tell her family all that had happened to cause her to return a year after she left for the Sengoku Jidai for good.

"Nee-chan!" She turned away from the well-house she had been looking at and towards her younger brother. He had grown up so much from the little boy he used to be. No longer was he the scared little nine-year-old that watched as she was pulled into the well for the first time; he was now a handsome fourteen-year-old trying his hardest to be the best he could be.

"Yes, Sōta-otō?"

He looked away almost shyly towards the Goshinboku. "Well... I was just wondering... You did say you would tell me a story about your travels..."

Kagome smiled brightly before ruffling his hair playfully. "I did, didn't I?" Her blue-gray eyes twinkled in merriment as she led her brother over towards the Goshinboku. Perhaps there was no better time than to present to tell the story brought about by the ending of the Shikon no Tama. "Hmm... Where should I begin?" Sōta waited patiently as his sister gathered together all her thoughts, as she normally did before speaking of the past. He always loved watching her speak of what happened, she was the only person who could teach him about legends in such a way that he was always left wanting to hear more.

"As you know, when one story ends, another begins. This story begins with the destruction of the Shikon no Tama and after the disappearance of the mysterious Miko of Time. Life returned to normal for all those left behind as their days were filled with a peacefulness they had never experienced before. It was almost too good to be true: being blessed with peace after a lifetime of bloodshed. However, despite their happiness, a small amount of sadness could not go away. They missed the miko who brought them together and gave them their second chance at life.

"It was that sorrow, and the boredom that often comes with peace, that caused their paths to cross. A yōkai taijiya and the Tōshin. She was intrigued by his power, his beauty, and the fact that he truly was a Tōshin. He was captivated by her strength, her bluntness, and her fire. In his entire life, the Tōshin had never not eaten a human he found suitable. But there, in one chance encounter, he found he could not bring himself to do what she all but begged him to try and do..."

"I am sorry to interrupt you, Kagome-sama, but our time is limited here," an authoritative voice cut off whatever Kagome was going to say next. Brother and sister turned to look behind them to see three men looking, for all intents and purposes, like human monks.

Smiling apologetically at Sōta, Kagome eyed each of them warily. "You have one minute to tell me who you are and what you are doing here, yōkai."

"Or what, miko-chan?" the more gruff-looking monk taunted her.

The one in the middle, who spoke before, sighed. "Touou, don't even start. I apologize, Kagome-sama. My name is Hokushin; I am Raizen-sama's second-in-command."

Kagome's eyes flashed with recognition, however she knew Sōta would be incredibly confused. Ruffling his hair once again, she smiled softly. "Sorry, Sōta-otō..."

The young boy only smiled in acceptance. "I understand. I'll go tell Mama that you'll be late for lunch." She sighed as she watched Sōta run off to the main house before turning her attention back to the three before her. "I'm sorry for my earlier rudeness. But I was under the impression that someone named Inuyasha was Raizen's second-in-command, or even a kitsune named Shippō?"

"They were until a couple-hundred years ago… I'm sure before you went to Moshiyori City you read about what happened back then. Inuyasha-sama and Shippō-sama left soon after to track down the perpetrators, and gave up their positions until a more suitable time."

Kagome nodded her head as she took in that bit of information. She now had to wonder just how long it would be before she saw them again. "Then would I be correct to assume, given your appearance, Hokushin, that you are from Miroku's line?"

Said demon's eyes widened slightly in shock before he chuckled. "Raizen-sama said you were intelligent, but he didn't say you were this fast."

"Yes, well, that will be another thing I will have to talk to Raizen about," Kagome said as she glared at the ground. Raizen was definitely going to get it when she got her hands on him.

Hokushin chuckled, as did the other two with him. "You are correct in assuming I am from Miroku's line. Inuyasha, Shippō and Raizen thought it fitting to continue the ways of the hōshi despite the obvious lack of humanity."

Kagome smiled. "I'm sure the three of them had a good laugh when you took their suggestion seriously."

"Again, you would be correct."

The smile faded from Kagome's eyes. "So, why have you come here, seeking me out?"

"Have you had contact with his descendant yet?"

Kagome shook her head. "I haven't. I told the prince to tell him to visit me here after his possession was done, but he hasn't shown up yet."

The demon monk looked upset at hearing that news. It complicated things. They all turned towards the main house as they saw her little brother head towards them. "We will search him out and speak to him. In one week we'll come back to take you back to Raizen-sama, perhaps you should tell your family in that time what's going on."

"Thank you and I'll be ready when you come back." Those were the words they needed to hear as they walked away to track down a newly awakened Tōshin. Sōta joined her in watching the three demons leave, and they stayed in a companionable silence until they could no longer see them. While he wished his sister could stay with them forever, never going on another quest, he knew that would never happen.

Sōta looked at her with sad eyes, already knowing the answer to his question: "Are you going away again?"

She wished she could tell him that she would be able to stay with him and watch him grow up, but ever since her fifteenth birthday, she knew that was something that would be denied to her for a while. "Sorry Sōta-otō... But I am…"

At first they thought tracking down Yūsuke would be easy, thinking he was still within Tokyo. However they soon found out he was off in the countryside, surrounded by humans of great spiritual strength. From the branch they settled on, they could easily see and hear inside. It would be in their best benefit to listen in for a while before heading in to talk with the descendant of Raizen.

"I met Shinobu-kun just before I got married," they could the woman he was talking to say. "I could sense the extreme depth of his spiritual strength with one glance. But he looked...sad, and empty. You don't have to worry about that though! You'll last another ten years easily, I guarantee it!"

"Heh… They already fired me."

"Shōgo, why don't you take a look at his future? Shōgo tells fortunes as a hobby - he puts the pros to shame!"

The man sitting next to the woman held out his hand. "Give me your hand...and look straight into my eyes." After a moment of silence, Shōgo spoke, "You are not satisfied with your current life. But in the depths of your heart, you desire to be placed in dangerous situations."

"Bingo, you nailed it." They all chuckled: like ancestor, like descendant.

"If you were to always put yourself first, you'd come to a decision during times of confusion. And whether you like it or not, that danger is coming for you."

Hokushin smirked and stood up, looking to the two he brought with him. "Bingo." Jumping down, they walked up to the front door of the house and rang the doorbell. It wasn't like they were completely without manners. Their presence announced, and knowing the three inside were waiting for them to come in, they did exactly that. "Good evening."

The woman stood up and walked over. "Who might you be?"

"We're not here to talk to you. We've got business with that man."

"Touou!" Hokushin sighed at Touou's abrupt rudeness. Not even time could change that. "My apologies for disturbing you so late, we have very little time. We must be brief and to the point, I'm afraid."

The woman, Kuroko, the first spirit detective, looked at them skeptically. "You've got business with Yūsuke-kun? I'm surprised you managed to find him out here."

"We traced his yōki. We three are emissaries from the Makai."

"Now you've got me interested. I'd like to know what this is about," Kuroko said as Yūsuke walked ahead of her.

"You guys must be seriously weak, huh? I can't even sense your yōki."

Touou, with his complete lack of manners, couldn't stop from laughing at Yūsuke's words. In his opinion, the kid had a long way to go. Hokushin sighed again. "Touou, stop being rude."

It was Yūsuke's turn to be curious. "What's so funny?"

From years of dealing with Raizen, Inuyasha and Shippō, Hokushin learned that the best way to deal with people like this was to be as blunt as possible. "In terms of the Reikai Ranking System, the two behind me are in the A-Class area, and I'm in the S-Class."

"Bullshit! The hole's already been closed and sealed! A and S-Class demons can't get into the Ningenkai anymore."

"We came without making use of any dimensional rifts. Ours was a simpler, less...temporary method." At the shocked and curious looks on the faces of Kuroko and Yusuke, Hokushin sighed. He had hoped this conversation wouldn't take up as much time as it was. "Reikai, fearing what A and S-Class demons could do to the Ningenkai, erected a barrier that only D-Class demons and lower could slip through. Therefore, all we had to do was suppress our power levels down to D-Class," he explained as he undid the clasps of his habit to reveal the method: an implant in the middle of his chest, sucking and storing away all his power.

"Wh-What the fuck is that!?"

"An organic implant that reduces our power levels down to almost nothing. They cannot be removed until we return to the Makai. There are other methods to get here, of course, but they are illegal and thus forbidden to us. We use these implants only when coming to the Ningenkai is absolutely necessary, and are permitted to equip them for a very short amount of time."

"Why'd you go through all that trouble just to talk to me?"

Closing his habit once again, Hokushin was relieved to finally be getting to the conversation he planned on having five minutes ago. "We were asked to invite you to return with us...by your 'true' father."

"The guy who used that 'demonic something-vism,' right?"

"Yes."

Memories of his battle with Sensui flashed through his mind. "He's like a moth to a flame… He just keeps coming straight to me. That old bastard's still alive, isn't he!?"

"Of course."

"And he's really strong, huh!?"

"Again, of course."

"Good! You take me to that asshole right now! I got so many things to say to him, it'll be a year before I'm done!"

This time, it was the third emissary who spoke up, "Don't be in such a rush... We'd like you to hear us out first. As Hokushin said, we're governed by strict rules and regulations concerning visits to the Ningenkai, and you're no exception. If you come back with us, it'll mean you've become one of our allies."

"And why's that?"

"Because our purpose is to speak with you as allies. You can't return with us while you're still considered an outsider."

"What's with all the rules? I didn't even think the Demon World had any."

Touou spoke up this time, his rude act dropped for a moment, "These laws only apply to our country."

"There are as many nations in the Makai as there are stars in the sky," Hokushin finished for him, before his natural rudeness made another appearance. "It's true that the Makai has little order, and no central government. In fact, that very freedom is considered by all the best 'rule' to follow as we have a natural tendency to isolate ourselves with those of the same race, mindset, or what have you. But now, the Makai is undergoing huge changes. The entire world is slowly being drawn into a war between three of its most powerful rulers."

Yūsuke scoffed. "Three? That's an argument, not a war."

Hokushin nodded in agreement. "You're absolutely correct. It's just an argument. The problem is that all three of them have the power to rule the entire Makai. Each one fully detests the other two. There are numerous reasons... One example is their differing thoughts on the 'food supply.' All three are the type that must consume humans for energy." That knowledge didn't sit well with Yūsuke, Kuroko, or her husband, Shōgo.

"One of the three said, 'It's time we stopped eating humans.' Immediately the second countered, 'Humans are the only thing my stomach can handle, and even they're hard to deal with.' The third claimed, 'They multiply at such a rapid rate. We should feel free to eat them as we please.' These differences of opinions carried across all issues, with all three refusing to compromise on anything. But because their powers are so evenly matched, things eventually settled into an uneasy balance. If two got into a fight, the third would wait until a victor emerged, and use the chance to finish them off. This delicate equilibrium has held steady for five-hundred years."

"Five-hundred years!? That's a hell of a long time!"

In spite of Yūsuke's outburst, Hokusin's calm voice never wavered, "All three are patient, and all three are cautious. Those are probably the only things they all have in common. But now, it's clear the balance is about to shift. The one who argued, 'It's time we stop eating humans,' is on the verge of death. That demon is the ruler of our country, and your true father. The 'Warrior God' Raizen. He is wasting away from a lack of nourishment... Why he would sacrifice his own life to abstain from eating humans, I do not know. But I can say this: If it is our ruler's will, we shall obey it."

"What exactly do you want with me?"

"If our ruler falls, we will fight in his place. Unfortunately, we still lack numbers and power. Even one extra ally will make a difference. Our ruler understands you have come to the demon world once before."

"I knew it!" Yūsuke shouted angrily. "That son of a bitch stuck his nose in my fight after all!"

Hokushin considered this; obviously the young man did have some intelligence to go with his power. "You felt it, then. He told us, 'He's not worth shit now, but eventually he'll be a big help.' "

"I'm not buying this." Hokushin made a questioning noise at Yūsuke's words. "You don't want me; you want anyone you can get. You're grasping at straws, even when you know you can't win."

The warrior monk sized up Yūsuke for a moment, wondering if he just came to that conclusion or if he knew from the start. "In all honesty, you are correct. I cannot even hope to match the power of our ruler or the other two. Likewise in your current state, you cannot even hope to match mine. That is why we wish to bring you to the Makai, and train you there."

"I still don't buy it. Why should I believe any of this? The only part I can even confirm is whether or not you're stronger than me."

For the first time since stepping foot into the house, Hokushin smirked. "Would you like to?"

Yūsuke returned it. "If you're up for it."

Kuroko chose this moment to step in once again. "Try not to destroy our house, please. Do it outside." While her husband was considering whether or not it would be believable enough for him to put it in his book before deciding that no human would believe it.

The three warrior monks and Yūsuke waited until they were in the surrounding forest enough before talking about fighting again. As Yūsuke watched Hokushin stand next to one of the trees and get into a fighting stance, he had to ask: "Aren't you gonna take that thing out? You can't be considering fighting in D-Class mode."

"As I said before, it can't be removed until I return. But I think I can win even with it still implanted."

Yūsuke looked at him seriously. "I will kill you, dude."

That seemed to only amuse Hokushin. "Please make every effort to. We all wish to see you fight seriously. With your power, one punch would leave nothing but a bloodstain. Assuming you can hit me, of course." Yūsuke snorted at his boast, knowing there was no way for him to lose against someone with D-Class power. "My special abilities remain intact, even if my overall power is D-Class."

His next move surprised and confused Yūsuke; most opponents don't usually punch a tree before removing their outer robe. Hokushin gracefully slid into his fighting stance as the leaves from the tree began to fall around him. "Let us begin. I will win our match before the last leaf touches the ground."

"Your funeral, dude. Let's do it!" As soon as the words left Yūsuke's mouth, Hokushin launched forward, moving slow to Yūsuke's eyes. Whether or not his slow speed was from the implant, Yūsuke wasn't going to back down from the fight. "Either way, if you wanna die so badly, I'll help! Suck on this!" Yūsuke yelled out as Hokushin came closer before throwing out a punch directly for the monk's face.

Yūsuke watched in a mixture of horror and fascination as his head and neck twisted to the side, just missing the blow from Yūsuke's fist. "I have the most pliable, flexible body in the Makai. That is my special ability. I can stretch my arms out to grab a stone twenty kilometers away." Using his neck, he wrapped it around Yūsuke's arms, leaving it loose enough for him to try and tear his skin. "It's no use. No matter how hard you try to tear my neck, it will keep on stretching." Reaching into his inner robe, he pulled out a knife. Using his neck, he immobilized Yūsuke's arms as he sent the knife towards Yūsuke's heart. "Checkmate."

As the last leaf fell to the ground, he unwound his neck and pulled the knife away from his heart. "If I had my S-Class powers, I would have been able to squeeze you to death, but right now even that little fight pushed me to my limits. This was more or less a psychological trick. Purposely setting a short time-limit to the battle, showing you my abilities, and making you feel like you lost. Did it work?"

Yūsuke just looked at him like he was crazy. Perhaps he was, but given the circumstances, it was more than necessary. "Are you convinced now?"

"Yeah right!"

"Then we'll have to go to the Makai. Then I'll remove this implant and we'll be able to fight to our heart's content. And then, I will defeat you utterly."

Again, Yūsuke scoffed. "More taunts? I'm not falling for your head games again."

To that Hokushin raised an eyebrow. "Head games? You may just be a sore loser, but I can't ignore that statement."

"I don't mean the fight! What you were talking about earlier, you were messing with me! Something seemed off with your story, and now I know why. You said my 'dad,' your ruler, is the type of demon who lives by consuming humans. And five-hundred years ago, he stopped eating them and is on the verge of starving to death. You serve your ruler and obey his will."

Hokushin nodded. "Correct. What part of that is supposed to be a 'head game'?"

"If it's all true, then why have you been eating humans?" At Hokushin's shocked look, Yūsuke smirked. "Looks like I struck a nerve."

The monk only smirked. "You're very observant."

"A long time ago, I fought a guy who ate the souls of children. You've got the same smell coming from your mouth. I dunno what your real goal is, but if there's one thing I can't stand, it's sneaky, lying bastards like you." As he spoke, he fell into the position to fire his Rei-gan. "Get ready."

In a sign of peace, Hokushin held up his hands. "Please, wait. I understand, I'll explain everything." He never got the chance to, as Yūsuke ran forward and landed a punch right on his jaw.

Glaring at him, Yūsuke said, "I held back as much as I could. Go ahead and talk, I'll hear you out before I decide whether or not I'll kill you."

Fixing his twisted neck from the punch, Hokushin replied, "Well done. I didn't even see what was happening until you'd already hit me. Your battle prowess varies greatly depending on your emotions, much like your ancestors'." Rubbing his sore jaw, he decided this was the best time to explain the misunderstanding. "Yes, I've left out some things, but only because I feared you wouldn't understand our feelings of 'camaraderie'."

"Get over yourself. To you guys, it's nothing more than a problem with the 'food supply.' Do the citizens eat or not? Does the king starve or not? Those are all his problems, and you feel connected to him and want to help, right? I never thought that everything you said was a lie."

For the second time, Hokushin found himself smirking over the mental processes of Raizen's descendant. He as truly showing himself to be so much like the man who sired his line. "It seems we've underestimated you."

"The two enemy yōkai you're fighting need to eat humans for nourishment like you, right? But you've still got your reasons for siding with the guy who refuses to eat them any more. Why didn't you just say so from the start?"

"You are without a doubt Raizen-sama's descendant. You resemble him greatly in mindset. The reason is simple: Raizen-sama is the same kind of man you are." Whatever Yūsuke had been waiting to hear, it wasn't that. "Fighting alongside him makes me happy. It is everything to me. When all is said and done, I will quit consuming humans. But for now, I need all the strength I can get to repel our enemies."

That was something Yūsuke could understand. He felt the exact same way about his own comrades, Kuwabara, Hiei, Kurama... There was nothing like the bond forged in combat. But there was one more thing he needed to know. "Why do you fight them so hard?"

"Because our ruler hates them. So, for whatever reason, I hate them too."

"I see. That was easy!"

"Wasn't it? So obviously, we wish for you to meet Raizen-sama. We will seek you out again in one week. Give us your answer then," Hokushin said to him as all three of them began to walk away. Their time was ending in the Ningenkai, and they had to get back to the Makai. "Perhaps you have already made up your mind, but we know you have things to take care of first."

Yūsuke only watched them go, knowing those words were true. He had been looking and waiting for a reason to go back to the Makai to meet this "father" of his, and kick his ass while he was at it too.

"Yūsuke-kun." The tone of Kuroko's voice had him worried. He had never heard her sound that serious during the day. "You should go to the Makai. In fact, that's probably the best thing for everyone." Yūsuke could only look at her in shock, he may not have known her long, but he knew what her next words were going to be. "After looking a yōkai who's eaten humans in the eye and distinctly referring to those humans as a 'food supply,' I don't think you belong in the Ningenkai anymore."

Yūsuke was hesitant to agree with her, but he knew it to be true. "I wanted to keep this quiet, but the Reikai sent an envoy to me, too. With orders to kill you. I refused, of course. And your master called me up soon after. 'If you talk to him in person, you'll understand.' Until now, I thought I did and I wasn't worried. But now, it's different. Now you scare me. I simply can't trust you the way that Master Genkai does.

"The thought of you remaining here and my children being forced to fight you terrifies me. I know you wanted my assistance, but those men just now, and you yourself, are far more powerful than I'll ever be. I can't offer you any help."

Yūsuke smiled, understanding just how she felt. "I understand. Sorry for all the trouble."

As he walked away, Shōgo ran towards him, telling him to wait. When he stopped and turned around to face her husband, he spoke, "It didn't appear to me clearly, so I decided not to mention it... But I also saw a great separation in your future. You and your blood brothers in combat will part ways."

The former Reikai Tantei took those words to heart, knowing it confirmed the feeling he had. Everything had changed from when he first met Hiei and Kurama; things had even changed from when he first met Kuwabara. While he was sad to hear that, he was also excited. Time would prove if their bonds would stay true and strong.

Sorry about the long wait for a new chapter. But...life happens. Work happens. Death happens. And sometimes it takes a while to find one's way back to hobbies and the things they used to love to do.

As always, please don't be afraid to let me know what you thought of this chapter. Whether you loved it or hated it, I always appreciate hearing it.