"Ugh." Myoga groaned, unflattening himself as he got back up. "Please, forgive Naruko-sama's rather... abrasive nature."
"As usual." Kagome muttered to herself.
"The topic of her lineage is a sensitive subject." Myoga sighed.
"I should think so." Kaede said as she appeared. She promptly handed Yura's comb to Haruto much to his confusion before cutting one of his fingers, letting a drop of blood drip on it.
"What the Hell, Granny!?" he gasped, sucking on his wound.
"That comb is now a part of you. With that blood contract, you have some control over Yura as Kagome has control over Naruko."
"So that means I can make her sit?" Haruto asked, letting go of his bleeding finger.
The old priestess nodded. "In a way. As long as you are alive, you can negate any of her actions and she is unable to harm you. Also, to be careful, she can be controlled by whoever has the comb, which I'll keep. All you have to say is "stiffen" and she will do so unless she is told she may move again." Kaede sat against the tree. "So, you were discussing Naruko's parentage were you not?" She asked, looking towards Myoga.
He nodded. "Indeed." He said before looking towards the other two teens. "Naruko is the offspring of the great Inu no Taisho and a beautiful human maiden."
"You're telling me that hanyo lowlife is related to HIM!" The now awoken Yura screeched, flinching not a moment later. "Ugh, my head. Why do you have... my comb... oh no." She muttered in realization.
Haruto and Kagome adopted some rather dark looks. "Welcome to the team." Haruto said. "First rule of the team."
"Ow!" She yelped after Haruto plucked her nose.
"No talking bad about others because of their differences. Remember, Naruko is part of the reason you're here."
"Ow." Yura muttered again, receiving a much less painful but still annoying pluck from Kagome.
"From now, expect to be decent." Kagome said, folding her arms and narrowing her eyes. "Both morally and physically."
"I'm a kunoichi you dumb brat, I'm supposed to be skimpy, it's a distraction tactic!" Yura retorted haughtily, receiving another annoying pluck.
"Ahem." Kaede coughed into her hand to regain the children's attention. They meekly apologized and let the older ones continue. "As Myoga and Yura stated, Naruko is related to the most powerful dog demon ever known, the same dog demon who possessed the Tessaiga, the Tensaiga, and the even greater So'unga."
"And those are…?" Haruto asked.
"The legendary swords of life and destruction." Myoga finished.
"Okay, but what exactly does this have to do with Naruko? She doesn't seem to really care." Kagome said.
"Sibling hatred, most likely." Yura said, adding her two yen. "Probably doesn't want the potential unneeded nuisance of competition. Hell, even if my sibling had no interest in the item I craved, I'd still try to end them for being a hanyo too. Hypothetically speaking of course."
"Siblings?" Haruto asked, "She doesn't seem to be the kind to have a loving family if how she acted regarding that Satsuki is anything to go by."
"Inu no Taisho was a handsome devil." Myoga said, sounding oddly jealous, "If anything, he reminds me of you." He pointed at the blond, "Surrounded by pretty women. Commanding some of them, too. However, when he met Naruko's mother and had her, it was much to his other daughter's ire."
"Naruko's sister, right?" Kagome asked and looked up in thought, "What kind of person would that be?"
Haruto ruffled his hair, "If she's anything like her…" he grimaced, "I don't think I could deal with that."
"Satsuki is a different beast, in many ways." Myoga started, "Powerful, for starters. I fear that if Mistress Naruko went to face her, Satsuki would have no trouble defeating her. Even worse is that woman's obsession with her father's power. Born as a full-fledged yokai, don't expect any mercy from her whenever she's got a goal."
"Fine, great, what I needed to hear." Haruto sighed tiredly, "Any other sister she has that could be after her or our heads?"
"Luckily for you, no." Myoga replied with a polite bow of his head.
Yura cringed at the thought, "All we can do if we face someone like her, a full-blooded yokai who was sired by Inu no Taisho, is run. Unless…" she turned to Kagome with a grin, "You could hand over the jewel. With that little artifact, facing her should pose no trouble for me."
"Do the words 'after my dead body' mean anything to you?" Haruto asked with a glare, "Because that's the only way you're getting it, and I have this." He held up the comb.
Yura tensed up, "Alright, alright! It was a suggestion!" she stepped back, "But mark my words, if she's anything like that flea made her out to be, you'll need it."
With that, she dashed off, Kagome calling her, "Wait, where are you going?"
"Far away from you so I don't get caught in a fight!" she replied.
Shaking his head, Haruto spoke, "Stiffen." Yura was petrified, her whole body as rigid as a corpse's as she fell flat on her face yet remained conscious, "Second rule of the team. You so much as sneeze in a way I don't like, and you get this. After all the crap you put me through, you're not getting away or harming someone else." His voice and face were dead serious. "Now move."
Yura got up on shaky legs, growling, "Who do you think you are?"
"That's my line, lady." He shook his head again in an exasperated manner, "After all you put us through, you've been a real kick to the ass. Be thankful I'd like to know how you gather information and said info. If it wasn't the case, I'd have snapped your comb in half myself after pummeling you some more."
She cringed, "You'd never have done that! Take a life just like that!?"
"Rich coming from the lady who wanted to have my kids by force and tried to kill my friends." Haruto said firmly, glaring, "Be ready, because you're now our errand girl. I'll make it even better, you'll also answer to Naruko and Kagome. Should any of them want a foot massage, you'll do so."
Kagome tilted her head to the side, "I could use one…" she mumbled thoughtfully.
Yura fell to her knees, "You're joking, right?" the faraway look on her face, lifeless eyes, and dull expression spoke volumes of her shock.
"Even Buddha has his limits with forgiveness." The blond replied to the hair kunoichi turned slave.
"You can't make me lower than a human girl and some hanyo!" she yelled, no, demanded.
"I did." He pointed a finger at her, feeling a bit cocky, "So change that attitude or start rubbing feet, your choice."
"Ugh… I'll have my revenge…" she growled as a warning, but Haruto wasn't fazed.
"Thanks to Granny's doing, all you can have is dinner with us…" he looked up to the sky to check what time it was, "Speaking of… Can you make some hot pot?"
"Oh, traditional hotpot sounds lovely!" Kagome's eyes were glinting.
"I'll let the granny lines slide if I can have mine with an extra serving of radish." The elder woman commented.
Yura lowered her head in defeat, knowing her life wouldn't be pleasant from then on.