Title: Chance Encounters
Author: Yoruko
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and I’m dirt poor.
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Kagome relaxed in the hot spring. Sango had left earlier leaving her alone in the hot water. She smiled. It was a good spring, sheltered by the trees but without a mass of leaves and other debris inside of it. It even had a gentle slope connecting the hot shallow end with the warm, but noticeably cooler, deep end that received the backwash from a connected river. It was spring, there were cherry blossoms floating in the water after having been blown there by last night’s storm. It was overcast today as well but she wasn’t worried about getting wet after her bath, she had brought a poncho, boots, and an umbrella with her as well. She sighed as she leaned backwards, letting her hair pool around her shoulders as she lay against the moss covered rocks. A branch snapped. Eyes shooting open; she sat up, one hand quickly going to her chest to cover herself and the other reaching for a handy rock. But instead of a hentai monk and a hanyou in denial, before her was a young man with dark reddish eyes, and wavy black hair, in his hands there was bath supplies. His eyes were wide as he stared at her and he quickly turned away.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know anyone was here, I’ll go now.”
“No, wait!” Kagome didn’t know why but she felt kind of guilty for being the cause of the young man’s leaving. She too knew the disappointment of not being able to have a hot bath when she wanted to, and she didn’t want another to suffer in the same way she had. Reaching out and grabbing an extra towel, she quickly covered herself and faced the young man that was staring at her curiously. “Um, it’s ok, if we’re both somewhat covered we can enjoy a bath without challenging propriety. I know the feeling of not being able to get clean and don’t want to ruin it for you.”
The young man smiled slightly and he took off his outer clothing leaving on a loincloth as he slipped into the water across from her. “Thank you.” He was fairly well built but not too much so. His hair was longer than hers with more waves. It floated placidly in the water as he closed his eyes in contentment.
“What’s your name?”
“Nar- uto, my name is Naruto.”
“That’s a nice name, my name is Kagome. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.” As Naruto reached for his supplies he noticed the ones Kagome was using. Her soap didn’t have the acrid scent and hardness that his own had. It had a nice perfumed smell and seemed to do a better job at its intended task than his own. He had always been fairly curious and it had gotten him into trouble before, but this didn’t seem like it would be one of those times. “What are those soaps you are using? They seem to be superior to my own.”
Kagome blinked and smiled, “I’m a traveler and these are from my home, you may try them if you like.” She put her bath supplies in a pail and pushed them so that they floated towards him. With a crooked smile and a raised eyebrow he received the makeshift boat and examined the plastic material it was made of. “Ingenious.” He then grabbed the bar of soap and scrubbed himself down with it.
Kagome noticed him curiously looking at the other bottles in the pail and quickly explained. “The one with the red cap is to wash your hair with and the one with the white cap is to follow up with so that your hair is more manageable.” Kagome watched Naruto lather and rinse his hair. Her eyes then widened in horror as Naruto accidentally sprayed himself in the face with her scented body spray before she could stop him. “Naruto! No!”
“Ahhh!” The shout was followed quickly by struggling gasps and swearwords. ‘Dammit, that hurt so damn much,’ he thought as he threw back his head, gasping for breath. His eyes were watering, he couldn’t breathe right, and he was practically sure that his face had swollen up twice its natural size. He heard splashing and felt a cool wet cloth put on his face and someone running their hands through his hair a couple of times before leaving him. Kagome, Kikyou’s reincarnation… he still didn’t understand her or know practically anything about her. He wouldn’t be satisfied until his curiosity was, and maybe not even then. There was something about the girl… something he had never seen in Kikyou and couldn’t identify even now. It had been purely by chance that he had stumbled upon her today at the hot spring and right now he was wondering if his current predicament made him regret taking the opportunity after all. He heard Kagome kneel beside him and insert something into his mouth, instructing him to inhale. As he did he felt something spray down his throat and into his lungs. His ailments almost immediately lessened and he found that he could breathe easily once more. He silently focused on this privilege of living for a few seconds.
“Naruto! If you don’t recognize something, ask! You’re lucky that mom made me pack that inhaler ‘just in case’! Are you all right? I was worried when you started hyperventilating.”
“I’m alright now Ka-go-me.” He reached up and twisted the inhaler out of her grip and began inspecting it, carefully. “What is this material Kagome? I have never encountered it before.” His hands gripped the inhaler, even though it was soft, it felt incredibly durable, and from what had happened before he had found it flavorless, and such strange colors!
“It’s called plastic. It’s an artificially made carbon compound.” She was glad that she’d paid attention in class when they’d covered the subject.
“What is a… carbon compound?” He worked his mouth around the unfamiliar term.
“It’s a sort of material that is in a bunch of stuff, carbon is found in every living thing. Diamonds are really dense constructs made of carbon.”
“I see.” He picked himself out of the water and turned back to look at her through his already healed eyes. “Thank you for the company and conversation Kagome. I would think you a geisha if you didn’t sound so much like a scholar.”
Kagome blushed at the compliments. “Thank you.” She smiled at him and stated, “I’d better get going, the others are probably worried about me.”
They both got dressed and as they were about to head back to their respective places, it started raining. Kagome turned towards Naruto and handed him her umbrella. “Here Naruto, point this away from you and push the button. It’ll unfold and provide shelter from the rain for you.”
He smiled, “Thank you again Kagome, and goodbye.”
Kagome hurried back to camp and was immediately confronted by Inuyasha, “Where the hell were you bitch?! Don’t you know that if you stay in the water too long you’ll end up as wrinkly as Kaede-baba?!”
“Osuwari!!!!!”
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Naraku was once more in his shielded compound sitting on his futon, a speculative look in his eyes as he gazed upon the small, collapsible umbrella before him. He reaches out and grasps the handle.
‘Fwoosh’
‘Phish’
‘Fwoosh’
‘Phish’
“Naraku-sama?” Kanna pauses at the doorway staring at her master.
‘Fwoosh’
‘Phish’
‘Fwoosh’
‘Phish’
“What Kanna?”
‘Fwoosh’
‘Phish’
“What is that and what ate you doing with it?”
‘Fwoosh’
Naraku looks at the umbrella in his hand and then at Kanna. He closes it.
‘Phish’
“Kanna, go help Kagura spy on Kouga or something.”
“Hai Naraku-sama.” She walked out but not before she heard that sound again.
‘Fwoosh’
‘Phish’
And Naraku smiled. Yes, this had possibilities…
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To be continued…