A Dangerous Shot
Chapter One
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Kagome Higurashi had always been a risk taker. Since she started placing thumbtacks on her teachers chair every semester since age six, she dared to be adventurous. Naturally, as she grew older, her pranks grew bolder. Pulling fire alarms and throwing toilet paper on the Principals car, however, was not as stupid as her next daring adventure.
Along with her mischievous nature, she was naturally inquisitive. She was called the “Rumor Breaker,” since she would take any rumor and prove it true or false. She often found herself hiding in tree limbs for hours on end, and was not afraid to get down and dirty to snap a picture of other students out fornicating or being rowdy.
As she aged and finished college, she decided the career path she wanted to take, and acted promptly. She started her own career as a Private Investigator, along with her college roommate, Sango, who sold her information to Policemen, Federal Agents, and even Yakuza.
Her latest job, however, was by far the stupidest idea she ever had. And she couldn’t have been more excited to get started. Sango, however, seemed more than worried about the wild child, and expressed her concerns as Kagome packed her camera bag.
“This is crazy, Kagome. I mean, it’s him! You have any idea who you’re messing with?” Sango looked at the newspaper in her hands, furrowing her eyebrows. “You could be killed if you’re caught!”
“Well that’s why I’m not going to get caught.” Kagome said, grinning. “This could be huge, Sango. This is the biggest opportunity I’ll ever get. And yes, I know who he is! That’s also why I plan on not being seen!”
“Kagome… for once, I wish you would take your life seriously. You don’t ever worry about your own safety.” Sango sighed, handing her the telephoto lens from her shelf. “Just… stay at a distant range. Please?”
Kagome smiled, putting the lens into her bag and zipping it up. “I do value my life, Sango. I just want excitement! Too many people live dull lives and are okay with that. Well, the world will know Kagome Higurashi, one way or another!” She laughed at Sango’s disapproving look, strapping the camera bag against her shoulder. “I’ll call you as soon as I’m done.”
“You’d better. Drinks tomorrow to celebrate?” Sango said, exiting the room with her.
“Unless I get shot. Then I’ll give you some of my morphine drip.”
“Kagome…” Sango sighed, shaking her head. Kagome pulled her eyelid down, sticking out her tongue.
“Later!” She cried, jumping into her car. Checking her makeup, she smiled, putting a fresh layer of chapstick on. “You got this, Higurashi. Don’t get caught.”
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Sesshomaru Hanamoto was not a man to be trifled with. In fact, most men would say he wasn’t a man at all. He was a beast, waiting to pounce onto his prey with elongated fangs. His unusually golden eyes, pointed ears and long silver hair made him look inhuman, adding to the theory that he was either a demon, or that he had operations to make him appear so. The other reason being he still used a katana, and refused to use guns or knives. He enjoyed the intimacy of swords, hating how impersonal guns were.Either way, no one ever wanted to get close enough to find out.
Being the leader of the Yakuza had its perks, however. He got the best table at any restaurant in the city with no waiting, no reservation needed. Policemen and Politicians alike opened doors for him without any hesitation. He could have any woman he liked, no questions asked.
However, it was because of this that he, Sesshomaru Hanamoto, was becoming bored.
There were no challenges for him. He was a mysterious man, and no one even attempted to find out why. He kept his life very quiet, leaving no trails to follow him. He did the same for his daughter, Rin, who was eleven. She had no troubles at school, no troubles in her study groups, and no problems in her afterschool programs.
He sat in his office at his home, looking over the weekly newspaper. He chuckled at the picture of him in the paper, which did not reveal much of his face. One of his greatest feats was there had never been a fully published photo of his face. Many had tried, but he knew every photographer in the city, and he knew where they were at almost every moment. He was very aware of their presence.
He looked to his calendar, frowning, as he remembered the dinner he would be hosting tonight in his gardens. At the end of every quarter, he hosted a party at his home, inviting all the bosses and their families, to talk about the progress they were making and the money they earned.
“I hate parties,” he groaned, putting a hand to his head. Hearing footsteps, he looked to the door, smiling as his daughter rushed in.
“Daddy!” She cried, showing him her pretty dress. “I picked this out for the party tonight! Do you like it?”
“It suits you well.” He replied, admiring the orange short sleeved dress that had yellow and orange checkers at the bottom and a white petticoat. She grinned, darting out of the office and rushing down the stairs. Checking the time on his phone, he slid it into his pocket, going into his bedroom to finish preparing for the night. Checking his appearance once finished, he turned as he heard footsteps approaching.
“Lord Sesshomaru, all is ready for the party tonight.” Myoga, the head butler of his house, knocked on his door, bowing lowly. Sesshomaru nodded, pressing the intercom button on the wall of his bedroom.
“Jaken,” he waited, scrunching his nose at the other end erupted in a series of almost unintelligible squawks, “Inspect the guests and take them into the gardens. See that everyone is checked thoroughly.”
“Yes, milord!” Jaken replied, running to the front door. Fixing his suit, he readied his clipboard, checking everyone that came in. He checked pockets, recording every name that came through. He stilled, swearing he saw something from the corner of his eye near the bushes, but didn’t pay any attention to it. Once the crowd was gone, he found his master, reporting his findings.
“Excellent,” Sesshomaru replied, taking the list and folding it into his lined pocket. “You are excused.”
Jaken turned to leave, but remembered the incident from earlier, deciding to tell his boss his discovery. “Milord, it may just be my old eyes… but I thought I had seen something darting from the hedges just in front of the mansion. I don’t think anyone intruded, I just… thought you might want to know.”
“I see.” Sesshomaru replied, his ear twitching as he heard a rustling just in the gardens. He grinned, turning his body to the sound. Rin stood next to him, confused as to what he was looking at.
“What are you looking at, father?” Rin asked, her eyes returning to look at her father. She was a little worried, as he only smiled when something bad happened. She never knew exactly what her father did, but she knew that sometimes, he could do some evil things.
His gaze never wandered from the bushes, and his grin turned into a soft chuckle. Thumbing the sword on his hip, he instructed Rin to stay put, as he went to investigate who decided to crash his party, intent on reminding them of their foolishness for thinking he wouldn’t find out.
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Kagome made it to her destination, ten minutes early. She looked to the brightly lit mansion, feeling her stomach doing familiar flips as her nerves started to kick in.
“Breathe, Higurashi. He’s only the scariest man in Japan, having dinner with the other scariest men in Japan. It’s not like he’s in the Yakuza,” she joked with herself, settling her camera across her shoulders. She noticed the butler taking coats and writing names on a clipboard, recognizing him as Jaken. She had been a good girl and did her homework, knowing all the names of the party members attending. Among them was Sesshomaru’s half-brother, Inuyasha Hanamoto, with his wife, Kikyo Hanamoto. Other’s included Kagura Natsumo, sister to Naraku Natsumo; Yura Yatara, Onigumo Noibuchi, Koga Yaburo with his fiancé, Ayame Usami, and the notorious Band of Seven – Bankotsu, Jakotsu, Mukotsu, Suikotsu, Ryukotsu, Ginkotsu, and Renkotsu Ichiban.
She could feel her heart stop as they entered the home so casually. These men were murderers, arsenists, and gang members. They were not the bullies in her high school she used to swirly or the teachers she used to torment. They would kill her if she was caught.
Better not get caught, then. She reminded herself, taking a deep breath as she darted to the bushes. The butler saw her, making her freeze as she entered the shrub, but he turned back into the house. She sighed gratefully, scolding herself on almost being caught before even making sight of her target.
She crept into the bushes, watching as the guests fraternized with one another, keeping her eyes alert for her prize. She pocketed her lens cap, making sure the flash on her camera was disabled, and checking her shoes in case she had to run. With a deep breath, she watched as he finally made his entrance, walking around the gardens with his daughter to individually thank everyone for coming.
Wow, he’s more gorgeous than I ever imagined!
He looked stunning in an all-white suit, a black fitted shirt, and a long sleeved jacket laying across his broad shoulders, decorated with red plum blossoms. His long silver hair cascaded across his neck and back, spilling as his head moved. He carried his traditional fur boa across his shoulder, his hand resting casually beside his katana. Dangerously beautiful.
His daughter was adorable, she decided, as she ran over to her father and took his arm, rubbing against him affectionately. He can’t be all that bad. He looks like he treats his daughter well.
Not much was known about his relationships and about his daughter, as he probably preferred. Then again, no one really knew what he looked like. However, those who did have the chance to meet him, instantly knew who it really was.
She was honored, and terrified, to be one of the few people to gaze upon him so casually. The camera hitting her side brought her back to reality. Well, maybe not casually.
She saw an opportune shot, being careful not to move too quickly, lest she make a rustling. She took quite a few pictures, even taking some of the guests. As she turned to leave, however, she stumbled on a loose rock, falling onto her face and making a large crash. She held her breath, slowly turning her head. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like anyone had noticed her falling. She stood up, hissing as she noticed the cut in her jeans, stained red with blood. Great.
She turned to leave, her breath leaving suddenly the world became a shade darker.
“You seem to be lost.” A booming voice made her throat go dry, her knees wobble, and her eyes widen. She shifted her gaze to the ground, staring at a pair of pristine black boots, followed by long legs, covered in pristine white pants, a sword attached to a golden belt, and then, finally, golden eyes staring right back at her.
“Hum,” she started, her heartbeat overpowering all other sounds. His lips moved, yet she heard nothing. Her fingers tingled, twitching, as she tried to focus her attention. Perhaps she could talk her way out of this.
“Give me one reason I should let you live, girl.” He smiled, tucking his hand into his pocket casually. She gulped, standing to her full height and stepping out of the bushes.
“I… I…” She gasped, losing her voice as he stepped closer to her. “I wanted… a photo…” She nervously stated. She never imagined she would get caught. She was always so careful! How did she manage to let him find her?
“And? I hope it was worth it.” He asked, looking to her camera. His grin grew, making her blush at how pretty he really was. She, feeling a bit brave, straightened her back, picking up her camera, looking through the gallery.
“It’s gorgeous,” she whispered, freezing as she felt him lean in to look at her photo.
“You are quite skilled.” He complimented, returning to his previous position. “Well worth the risk, I would say.”
“Well, there aren’t many pictures of you… so, I wanted to be the first to get a clear one.” She replied, feeling her confidence coming back. It was shredded, however, as his left hand went to his sword.
“It is a shame, then.” He responded, looking down to her with his predatory eyes. They glinted, like a wolf, staring into the moonlight. “Your name, miss?”
“Higurashi, Kagome.” She paled as she watched his thumb press his sword upward, revealing the glimmering silver blade.
He chuckled, placing his right hand into his pocket. “What made you come here? You must be either fearless or thoughtless.”
“I’m a bit of a dare-devil, honestly.” Kagome said, “There aren’t photos of you… because of who you are. Really, though, it made me want to shoot you even more.”
Footsteps made him turn his head. He remained still as his daughter ran to him, rubbing her shoulders from the cold air.
“Daddy! What are you doing over here?” She asked, looking to Kagome with a shy smile.
“Rin, where is your jacket?” He asked, ignoring her other questions. She grinned, biting her lip.
“I uh, left it in the house.” She said, grabbing the fur boa her father carried, wrapping it around her shoulders. “Who is she?”
“This is Kagome Higurashi.” Sesshomaru replied, seeing the horror on the girls face when she realized he remembered her name flawlessy. “She is a photographer.”
“Oh! Are we getting pictures taken?” Rin asked, excitedly. “I’ve always wanted a good picture of us!”
Sesshomaru looked to Rin, turning his gaze back to the shaking girl before grinning once more. “She would not be here otherwise.” He straightened his back, his jacket swaying behind him as he turned his body. “I believe you wanted a photo, Miss Higurashi? Hurry, for this is your last.”
“R-right,” Kagome paled, picking up her camera. “Say cheese!”
Rin took the fur to her body, staring openly into the lens, as Sesshomaru stared down with his eyes in an hardened expression, his mouth slightly open, revealing fangs. Are those real?!
She took a few, making sure their eyes were in focus, before putting her camera down.
“How does it look?” Rin asked, stepping behind Kagome to look at the camera. Kagome showed her, nearly smiling at the ecstatic look the girl had. “Daddy, you look very handsome!”
“I’ll have it ready within a week,” Kagome said, trying to take this as her chance to exit. Sesshomaru stepped in the place of his daughter, looking at the picture himself.
“You will have it finished tomorrow.” Sesshomaru said, taking her chin in between his thumb and forefinger. “Be ready to leave at noon. Wear something nice.”
He turned his back, leaving her to stand with her mouth open. “You don’t know where I live!”
His head looked back to her, his hair flipping elegantly, “I know more than you think… Kagome Higurashi.”
As she walked back to her car, her phone rang, bringing her out of her thoughts. “Kagome! You’re okay! Did you get it?”
Kagome turned back to the house, blushing when she saw Sesshomaru staring at her from his doorway, leaning casually against the frame as he winked to her, closing the door to his mansion.
“I think I got a date…”
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A/N: Hey all! So I was on the FB Dokuga Possum page, and a post was made about the latest work from Sakimi-chan featuring Rin and Sesshomaru, dressed as a Yakuza member. There was a request of a story for the picture, so… *points to story* Here you go! Hope you like it!
Here is a link to the picture!
https://sakimichan.deviantart.com/art/Sesshoumaru-suit-695215643