Disclaimer: If I owned, things would be SO different.

"talking"

'thinking'

dreaming/memory

#Naruto to Kyuubi#

Kyuubi to Naruto

P.o.v/Scene/Time change

Haunting Of The Mind

Chapter 16 The Return of a Love, The Return of an Enemy

Recap

"Hey I have an idea!" yelled Naruto. "How about we continue all this talking over ramen?"

"Naruto how can you be hungry? You just ate!" said Sakura.

"Well, that was almost forever ago. Plus they haven't eaten yet!" he argued, pointing at the new arrivals.

"Sure, let's all get ramen," Sango said, and she and Kakashi started walking away.

"Hey!" Naruto yelled. "Wait for me!"

Chapter 16

"… So Kagome had pinned down Sango and asked if she gave up. Then Sango said no that it was just getting fun and rolled out from under her. Then they were punching at each other and this blade popped outta Sango's arm! So then Kagome CAUGHT the blade and pulled it offa her arm and threw it STRAIGHT at me! Luckily I used my ninja stealth and leapt into a tree just in time. So I was like I KNEW they were trying to kill me! But they just ignored me and Sango jumped back and pulled out some kunai…" Naruto went on telling everyone about the battle between Kagome and Sango holding everyone in rapt attention.

Kagome stood up slowly, hand massaging her aching head. "Hey sorry to run out in the middle of the tale but it's late and I'm gonna go."

Everyone wished Kagome a quick goodbye and then stared back at Naruto wanting to hear more.

Once everyone's attention went back to Naruto, Kagome slowly walked out of the ramen shop and through the rest of the shops on her way back to Sasuke's home. Luckily all the shops had closed for the night and no one was around to see her as she tripped stumbled through the streets.

"I guess that ramen didn't agree with me…" she mumbled, walking into the Uchiha mansion.

Once inside, Kagome stumbled down the hall to her room, dragging her hand along a wall for support. As she walked, she was almost leaning against the wall and her head started to spin and the hall swirled. Reaching her door, she fell against, it pushing it open and falling to the floor. Slowly she crawled to a corner bringing her knees up to her chest, trying to bury her head into her knees. Kagome bit into her lip as the need to scream arose in her.

"Breathe, girl, breathe…" She panted through the pain, tears starting to collect in her eyes. As her mind started to clear she heard a far off voice calling out her name. Kagome raised her head and looked around the room slowly. Seeing no one she buried her head back into her knees. "I must be imagining things…"

Soon the voice got louder. "Kagome! Kagome!"

Kagome strained her ears to hear the voice clearer. Soon though, she realized the voice wasn't in the house. It was in her mind.

"Kagome!" The voice kept screaming.

Kagome tried to clear her mind to hear the voice better but the pain was too much. She let out a light scream before biting into her lip once more. The tears now started to spill from her eyes.

"OKAA-SAN!" the voice screamed again.

'Shippo!' Kagome though. Kagome took a deep breath and plunged through the pain again to get to her baby.

Kagome's Mind

Kagome shoved through the black chains of her pain, racing towards Shippo. Pink fire danced across her skin battling the bonds. They flew at her from all directions coming up from the ground and flying at her from the sky.

"Shippo where are you?!" She screamed into the mass of chains.

"Okaa!" Shippo screamed from farther away. Kagome followed after his voice. Every time his voice got louder her resolve grew. New strength erupted in her and she started to run towards Shippo's voice.

Soon the pink bubble of her power around her was so great that all the black chains disappeared from view. Up ahead she saw a black oozing orb.

"Okaa-san!" Shippo's voice screamed out from the orb.

"Baby, I'm here!" Kagome yelled back, now right in front of the orb. "Who did this to you?"

The skies of Kagome's mind started to erupt in pink fires. She reached forward to touch the orb only to quickly bring her hand back to her as a shock of miasma flew up her arm.

Shippo let out an extremely loud scream once Kagome's hand left the orb.

"I need to get him out of this! It's hurting my baby!" Kagome shouted, fear creeping into her voice. Kagome took a deep breath, bracing herself for the pain, and reached her hands forward placing her palms onto the surface. "Shippo is surrounded by this Kagome. Just think of his pain…" Kagome told herself through gritted teeth.

Slowly Kagome started pushing her powers out through her hands. Pink ki crackled along the surface of the orb, battling with the black miasma. Kagome bit into her lip, pushing more through her hands as a thin trail of blood dribbled down her lip. The more power she shoved into the orb, the smaller her shield got. The chains started to get closer and closer, seeming to grow larger in their need to get to Kagome.

"I've gotta get my baby outta there. I've just got to!" Kagome screamed.

Soon little cracks started to web out from beneath her hands. Kagome closed her eyes; tear trails ran down her cheeks. A wind of power whipped her hair around behind her. Her clothes melded onto her body at the sheer power of her ki.

Soon the cracks grew larger. The black miasma started to clear giving view to Shippo. Shippo had changed a lot from the little kitsune child who had been squired with a tentacle.

Shippo's body had grown. He now looked like a teenager only a few years older than Kagome herself. His amber hair had lightened quite a few shades and was down to his butt tied in a braid with two long strips of bangs framing his face. His green eyes shrunk giving him a more foxish look. His nose was sharper and his lips were curled in a whimper. On top of his head, pressed against his hair was pair of cream fox ears. His knees where pulled up to his chest with both arms wrapped around them. From his back was a tail, the same color as his ears, wrapped around his legs as well. He sat, floating, in the middle of the miasma orb. His old blue kimono was gone, replaced with an older looking green and gold one bringing out the vibrance of his eyes.

With one load scream from Kagome, the cracks grew greater until the orb shattered. Black shards flew out a foot before bursting into dust and floating away. The power of the explosion sent Kagome back yards, sending her crashing to the ground ahead. A quick burst of power flooded out of her and then swiftly moved back into her. As soon as her powers where gone from the air around her the chains swam to her.

"Okaa-san!" Now that the orb was gone Shippo's new voice could be heard. His voice was like a fire dancing around a forest before it bust into flames. Shippo got up quickly, getting over his pain, and started to move towards Kagome. As soon as he took his first step he fell back onto the ground. "Damn it! I need to hurry…" Shippo tried once again to stand up before he was erupted in a dark pink glow. "NO! Not now! I need to save 'kaa-san!" Soon a green mist flew out from Shippo and surrounded Kagome, keeping the chains away from her. "I hope that will keep you safe till this is over kaa-san. I'm sorry I couldn't stop it…" Shippo then seemed to dissolve into the dark pink glow.

With Naruto and the Gang

"Alright, so me and Kagome thought it would be cool to dye Sasuke-teme's hair a bright pink! Well, when he woke up and saw he didn't like that idea very much… So he was blaming it on me, like he ALWAYS does. But you see I got him to see the error of his thoughts. So then he was chasing after Kagome-chan! So of course I had to go and chase after them to keep her safe! When I got there Sasuke had her pinned to the ground ALL PRESSED AGAINST HER! I couldn't believe it! So then he leans down and…"

Naruto was interrupted as a huge burst of wind sprayed in out of nowhere. Quickly, they jumped up and dashed outside to try and figure out what had caused such a disturbance. Once they were outside they saw a huge pink glow surrounding Sasuke's house.

"Hey… didn't Kagome head that way?" Asked TenTen.

"Oh, kuso! Kagome!" shouted Sasuke as he ran off towards his house at top speed.

"Nee-chan!" yelled Naruto shortly after, darting towards the house as well.

"Nee-chan…?" A few of the others said aloud before following after as well.

Naruto and Sasuke ran like the very dogs of hell where on their heels, getting to the mansion in little more then a few minutes. What they saw when they got there made them pause for a moment. After getting into the house the pink glow seem to vanish. All around them was thick black smog.

Both boys started to cough badly.

KIT! Cover your mouth and nose now!

Naruto continued to cough, but did what Kyuubi said. #What is this stuff, jiji?#

I told you not… oh, never mind, we don't have the time. Tell Sasuke to cover his mouth and nose now. You don't get affected as badly because you have me. He's getting it ten times worse.

"Teme! Cover your mouth!" Naruto yelled at Sasuke. Instead of his normal comebacks, Sasuke pulled out a handkerchief and covered up his face, nodding to Naruto.

Naruto nodded back and they both ran off to Kagome's room.

#So what is this stuff, jiji?#

This is miasma, kit. It's a poisonous gas released by spider demons. Breathing it too long will let it enter your bloodstream and it will kill you. Even with that cloth Sasuke is still in danger. We must hurry.

Naruto nodded. #But what about Kagome? She's human, too.#

She's a miko so she won't be affected unless she's extremely weak. Her purification powers will make sure she breathes in nothing but pure air.

Naruto and Sasuke ran on in silence for a bit longer. #Wait, jiji, you have wind powers. Can't you just blow it all away?#

No, kit, I'm afraid not. First off you don't know how to use my powers yet. Second there is no place to move it. If I was to try and disperse the gas it would destroy the entire house.

Naruto nodded again and continued moving until they got to Kagome's room. Once again they had to stop. Standing over Kagome was a tall man in a black kimono. He had inky dark black hair devoid of any light swaying down his back.

"Get away from Kagome!" Sasuke yelled at the strange man.

At the call the man turned his head to face them. He had a sharp angular face. The one thing that stood out the most though was his pair of blood red eyes. In his hands was a katana that he had aimed down at Kagome.

It was then that the boys noticed something strange about Kagome. She was enveloped in a bright pink glow and floating a good three feet above the floor. Also, out from her stomach, was emerging a teenage boy with fox ears.

The man turned back towards Kagome and raised his sword into the air, ready to swing it down upon her.

"NO!" yelled Naruto, as he dived at the man, knocking him into the ground.

"You stupid child!" The man yelled in a raspy voice. Noticing that the teenage boy was now to the side of Kagome, the man stepped back. "I will return. And when I do, the onna will be mine!" With that the man and his miasma disappeared.

As the man was disappearing Sasuke threw out some kunai, only to hit the wall as the man disappeared seconds earlier

"Okaa-san! Okaa-san!" The teenage boy was now kneeling beside Kagome, gently shaking her.

"Baka, I could have gotten him if you hadn't have jumped him! Now he's gone! We don't even know who he is!" Sasuke yelled at Naruto, running to Kagome's side.

Naruto blushed slightly, realizing that Sasuke was right and that he had let his emotions get the better or him. "Who are you? And why are you calling my nee-chan 'okaa-san'?" Naruto asked, trying to direct the attention off of him.

"Shippo," the teenager said without looking up. "And she is my okaa-san. That man trying to kill her was Naraku. I guess I should thank you for protecting her while I was immobile." All the while Shippo was gently shaking Kagome.

"Well just where…" Sasuke was cut off as Kagome started to stir.

"W… where am… where am I?" Kagome whispered opening her eyes slightly. "Shippo!" Upon seeing Shippo, Kagome sat up sharply, only to grab her head in pain.

"It's alright, 'kaa-san. I'm right here," Shippo said, hugging Kagome to him and rubbing her back softly.

Kagome looked Shippo over for a moment. "Shippo, what happened to you? When… when… and you were just a little kit…"

"I never died, okaa-san. Well, I was about to, but… well, you see, when you did that thing to Naraku, he was absorbed into the Tama. And, yeah, see, he was still connected to me at that time so I got pulled into the Tama as well. Then when the Tama was absorbed back into you, we were absorbed, too. And then while we were inside you, Naraku used one of his spells to try to age me to an old man so he could kill me off, but your power protected me and I was only aged into a teen." Shippo finished his tale and finally actually noticed the two boys around him.

Sasuke was glaring at him hard enough to cut a hole into a diamond, while Naruto looked at him with mistrust.

"You know him, Kagome?" Sasuke asked, still glaring holes into Shippo.

Kagome laughed quietly. "Yes, this is my son, Shippo. Well, I guess I can't call you my son anymore. You're older than me now."

Shippo laughed sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck. "Well, okaa-san, I was always older than you… When you first found me, I was about one hundred."

Kagome's eyes went wide. "Well… how old are you now?"

Shippo sat up a little straighter. "I'm seven hundred," he said gloatingly.

"Yeah so! Kyuubi is nine hundred!" Naruto yelled back, not wanting to be undone.

"Well, I'm only a year older than Kagome. I'm closest to her in age," gloated Sasuke.

Shippo's ears drooped slightly and he whimpered a bit.

"Oh, Shippo, I love you exactly as you are. You're the perfect age right now," said Kagome, enveloping Shippo in a hug.

Sasuke's eye starts to twitch as he plots ways for Shippo to meet his doom.

Shippo looked over at Naruto and grinned in a foxish way. Naruto gasped.

#Did he… did he just…?#

Yes, he did, kit…

------

Kunai- Ninja dagger

Okaa- Mother

'Kaa- Mother

-San- added to the end of a name to show respect

Miasma- Poisonous gas

Ki- Spiritual energy

Kitsune- fox

Teme- Bastard

Kuso- Shit

Nee- Older sister

-Chan- added to the end of a name to show respect. Used for girls and younger children

Jiji- Old man

Miko- Priestess

Katana- Japanese sword

Onna- Woman

Baka- Idiot

Tama- Jewel

Gomen- Sorry

Ja ne- See ya

Gomen, gomen gomen. -bows repeatedly- I know I've already said it like a thousand times but I'm really sorry. I really, really didn't want to leave you guys so long without an update. I'd like to thank all of you that sent me reviews while my internet was down. It made me soo happy to see all of you who never gave up on my story. I made a promise and I'm gonna try my hardest not to break it. I WILL finish this story! Ja ne for now. I hope to have the next chapter up in a month or two. I'm really busy with school and my job so I'm sorry if it takes a bit. Again gomen!