The Apprentice, Tokyo

I’d like to thank quirkyslayer for further encouraging this idea…. Now to clear up any confusion, I must admit that I own neither Inuyasha nor The Apprentice.

Chapter One:

He sat at the great boarding room table and was drumming his fingers impatiently. The large monitor on the wall across from him did little to appease his annoyance. He watched as the camera zoomed in on the miserable contestants.

“Pathetic,” Naraku muttered. “Is this all there is? We might as well cancel the show now. It would be the most economical thing. These can’t be the same individuals whose resumes I read.”

“No sir,” his co-executive director spoke softly. She brushed back her short, pale hair from her eyes. “There are still a few more to arrive.”

“Well,” Naraku demanded, casting the woman an angry glare. “Why aren’t they here? I have a very busy schedule. Money doesn’t just make itself.”

Kanna opened her mouth to answer, when Naraku shushed her with a wave of his hand. He turned up the volume on the monitor before him. A large van pulled up near the gathered crowd of contestants. The first out of the van was his other co-executive director, Byakuya.

Naraku settled back in his leather chair and smirked as the more worthy contestants had arrived.

“Thank you all for coming here today,” Byakuya announced in a loud, monotone voice, obviously reading the teleprompter on the camera. “It is an honor to have such an excellent selection of our country’s natural born leaders with us today.”

“Could he be any more pathetically dull?” A woman with her hair sitting upon the top of her head in an intricate twist with feathers decorating it asked.

“Keh,” the man beside her snorted at her comment while crossing his arms over his chest.

Byakuya glared in their direction before continuing without the aid of the teleprompter. “Welcome to the first season of the Apprentice Tokyo. Why don’t we let our guests introduce themselves?” He invited, speaking to the invisible audience over the live cameras. “Let’s start with you.” He pointed to the woman who insulted him earlier. “Remember, no last names.”

She straightened elegantly and looked directly at the camera. “My name is Kagura and I graduated top of my law school. I can speak ten different languages fluently and currently represent several large firms in over five different countries.”

“Well isn’t she special?” Naraku asked sarcastically as he watched the arrogant woman on the screen. “Next,” he barked, feeling somewhat satisfied when Byakuya flinched at the sound of his voice through his earpiece.

“You,” Byakuya gestured to the man standing beside Kagura in the defensive posture.

“The name is Inuyasha. I didn’t go to no college,” he gave Kagura a dirty look. “Instead I started my own company from scratch five years ago and have become a multimillionaire in that short amount of time.”

“Ask the baboon what sort of company,” Naraku hissed to Byakuya even though he already knew. He wanted the public to know the contestants.

“What sort of company would that be?”

“Bikes,” Inuyasha answered with a proud smile. “I build the best custom made bikes in the Eastern Hemisphere.”

“Like that’s going to help you here,” a dark haired, athletic man scoffed.

There was a young woman standing beside him with her hand upon his arm. “Be nice,” she warned the blue eyed man quietly, gaining the attention of the host.

“You two, lovebirds, tell me about yourselves.” The woman flushed at the statement with her arms dropping immediately to her sides, while the man puffed his chest out in pride.

“The name is Kouga. And I’m actually the director of Ookami Enterprises. The world’s largest gambling industry.”

“And I’m Kagome, an international concert pianist. I had my first platinum album when I was fifteen. I’ve been managing myself since I was fourteen.” She moved about a foot away from Kouga. “And we’re not lovebirds.”

“In that case,” the man to her other side began but earned a sharp elbow to his ribs by the woman on his other side. Miroku looked up to see the director staring at him expectantly. “My name is Miroku. I began teaching at the university level when I was twenty years old and earned the Nobel Prize when I was twenty-four.” He grinned handsomely for the camera. “Ladies, remember that I’m trying to save mankind.”

“Idiot,” Naraku muttered, tossing a crumpled up piece of paper towards the monitor.

“And I’d like to start with you,” Miroku said, taking the hands of the woman beside him in his own.

She roughly pulled them out before whacking him upside the head with her palm. She faced the camera directly, her dark eyes sparkling fiercely. “I’m Sango. I won the Olympic gold medal in three track events last year. Japan was able to have a strong turn out in the Olympics due to my management of donations and funds by the public.”

“I rooted for you,” Byakuya confessed.

“So did I,” Miroku added, only to earn another glare from the Olympian.

“I am Sesshoumaru,” a large, looming presence introduced himself stepping into the view of the camera without invitation. “I am Lord of the Western Lands of Japan.” He narrowed his golden eyes at the camera. Naraku shuddered despite himself at the challenge he saw there. The powerful man spoke no more.

“Interview the woman,” Naraku ordered.

“And last, but certainly not least,” Byakuya gestured towards the quiet, solemn woman standing behind everyone gathered.

“I am Kikyou, I am the director of Japan’s tourism industry and am responsible for the restoration of many temples that would have been lost to the elements. Tourism for our nation has increased 100 percent under my guidance.”

Byakuya gave Kikyou a brief nod of his head in respect. “For that, all of Japan is grateful,” he assured her. He moved the microphone in his hand towards the young man on his right.

“Hi,” the man greeted shyly. “My name is Hojo and I’m…”

Byakuya yanked the microphone away abruptly, due to Naraku’s most recent order. “I’m sorry, Hojo, perhaps some other time. Mr. Naraku will be making his appearance now.”

Naraku walked through the front doors of his great building and surveyed the contestants who all stood eager in anticipation for whatever words might spill out of his mouth. The power was invigorating. “When I announced that I would be holding my own version of The Apprentice here in Tokyo I was overwhelmed by the number of applicants. You are the best of the best,” he told those assembled.

His gaze lingered on those contestants that had exited the van last. They were only eight of the twenty assembled. “I’ve decided that due to time constraints,” he smiled ruefully at them all, “you know how busy I am.” They all murmured agreement.

“I have decided to eliminate twelve of you immediately.” Naraku snapped his finger and twenty four armed escorts appeared. Two giants of men took hold of the arms of the inconsequential twelve.

Hojo sputtered out his protest. “But I didn’t get to introduce myself!”

“Who cares?” Naraku called back, he turned on his heel and headed back to the building, intent on retiring for the evening. He looked back over his shoulder briefly at his chosen eight. “Do not linger. You are to go to your rooms. In the next hour you shall be divided into teams and given your first assignment.”

The chosen contestants watched in shock as the most powerful man in all of Japan completely changed the rules of the contest. Granted, it was his contest, but still, it was hard to comprehend.

“Can he do that?” Kagome asked, earning a shrug from Sango.

“Naraku can do whatever the hell he wants,” Inuyasha informed her irritated. “If you’re too weak and girly to handle it maybe you should just drop out now and save yourself the trouble.”