Hello new readers to my latest work!

Before you start, be aware that for better integration purposes, I am omitting R+V's explanation of ghouls and using Tokyo Ghoul's instead with some changes. In this fanfiction, ghouls can be harmed by other weapons other than their kagune. The reason for this is because I do not want Kaneki to be too OP in this crossover. Ghouls in this story will still have immunity to regular weapons like knives, guns, etc. However, attacks from only S-Class monsters like vampires can inflict damage.

This story will not have a harem. I am personally not a fan of the genre, so there will be no excessive sexual innuendos of any sort. This story will lean towards seinen, but it won't be as dark as Tokyo Ghoul. There will be light and humorous moments, and involve less tragedy.

If you are one of my readers from my other series, don't worry: I am not abandoning them! I am currently experiencing writer's block on my other ongoing stories, and I simply needed to act on my muse and get this story down.

This is my first time posting a crossover story of any kind, so I hope you enjoy it! The amount of reception and feedback I get will help me determine whether I should continue this story or not, so please be sure to review to tell me what you think.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Ghoul and Exorcist

Kaneki Ken was on the run.

He clutched his hand around his fatal wound, and his breaths were raspy and uneven as he trudged down the dark streets. He could still smell the vibrant smoke emitting from the ruins of Anteiku, and hear the numerous clashes of ghouls against Doves. The half ghoul's head snapped up when he heard footsteps approaching, and he hastily ducked into a dark alley, leaning behind an old dumpster. Soon enough, a squad of Doves ran past, their frantic voices loud in the cold silence.

"...track down the rest of those ghouls!" An investigator shouted. "We need to make sure none of them goes past the blockade."

"The Eyepatch ghoul should still be nearby!" another said, and Kaneki strained his ears to listen. "Capturing him is our highest priority, second to the Owl. We'll avenge First Class Koutarou Amon!"

Koutarou Amon...Kaneki thought. He had briefly wondered if the investigator was alright after their recent battle, and he was dismayed to hear how Amon may not have survived the altercation. Kaneki had respected Amon, hoped he'd be able to understand, and maybe have him convince his peers to share his sentiments. It was not meant to be.

Once it was clear, Kaneki winced as he straightened back up. He needed to find a place to hide and fast. His wound wasn't closing, and he was hungry. His left eye was turned, and his mouth watered with saliva, desiring a taste of flesh. As each second past, his self-control weakened, and Kaneki didn't know if he could hold back if a human crossed his path...

His knees gave out, and the half-ghoul was chest deep in the snow. He was bleeding out and his arms wobbled when he tried to get up, but couldn't. The Doves were going to find him at this rate, and Kaneki wasn't about to let himself become the new quinque of some amateur investigator. Despite his resolve, the half-ghoul remained motionless, even when he heard another figure stand before him.

The first thing that struck Kaneki as odd was the way this figure was dressed. He didn't wear the CCG coat and armor padding, or the dark red robes of Aogiri, and there was no mask hiding his shadowed face. Instead, the man wore white flowy robes that obscured his whole body, with a stash tied around his waist, like a priest. There was even a cross dangling around his neck.

"Good evening, Kaneki Ken," the cloaked man said, a creepy smile emerging on his face, "aren't you in quite a predicament."

Kaneki's eyes snapped open, and an animalistic snarl escaped his lips. Driven mad by hunger and survival instinct, his body finally found access to his last reservoirs of energy and the half ghoul was up, kagune stretching out to attack. He didn't care who the man was, or how he knew his real identity, all he cared about was putting this man down and devouring him...!

...until the cloaked man simply side-stepped his attack, and punched him solidly against his wound.

Blood spurted out of his mouth, and his eyes rolled back, his kagune dissolving as the cloaked stranger held him up.

"Let's get you fixed up first, Eyepatch," was the last thing Kaneki heard before he blacked out.

-o-

"Whose fault is it that things ended up like this? Coincidence? An accident? Fate? There's no such thing as fate. It's simply a combination of one circumstance and the next. And who is it that creates those circumstances? It's YOU."

"Isn't it arrogant to put a price on whether life is higher or lower, Kaneki? We are just bags of meat. The weak bow down and the strong devour them."

"All suffering in the world is born from an individual's incompetence."

"Why did you leave me all alone?! I'm lonely and I don't want to be alone! WHY DIDN'T YOU CHOOSE ME?!"

"There's no way someone who can't even protect himself can protect anyone else, is there?!"

Jostling awake, Kaneki opened his eyes.

He was on a bed, and his wounds have been dressed over and treated, and hunger no longer pained him. There were traces of blood on his mouth, like someone had forcibly shoved flesh down his throat. He placed a hand to his forehead, the voices still ringing in his mind, and looked around.

He was in a dark, squalid room. The bed, a small table, and a foldable chair were the only furniture to exist in this space. There was a dingy light bulb hanging in the middle of the ceiling, and the room stank of mold and rust. The door suddenly creaked open, and Kaneki turned to see a long dark haired girl around his age carrying in a tray. The girl blinked in surprise when she saw him awake.

She gave a tentative smile. "Hello."

"Who are you?" Kaneki demanded, not bothering with pleasantries. "What am I doing here? Where is that cloaked asshole that knocked me out?"

"My name is Ruby Tojo," the girl introduced, setting the tray down on the table beside the bed. It was a cup of freshly brewed coffee. "The Chairman is the one who brought you here, to keep you safe from those humans," Ruby said with unveiled disgust. "I treated your injuries, Kaneki-san, and also force fed you while you remained unconscious. You have nothing to fear from us."

"I'll decide what to fear when I meet with your 'Chairman'," Kaneki said. He was still suspicious of Ruby, and he wasn't going to let down his guard just because they claimed to rescue him from the Doves. He would never let another Tsukiyama incident happen to him again.

Ruby adjusted her dress and sat down on the foldable chair, close enough for Kaneki to get a whiff of her scent. She smelled sweet, like a human, but there was this lingering scent Kaneki couldn't identity. The girl had also expressed hate towards the 'humans'—but she didn't seem like a ghoul.

Ruby caught his stare, and blushed lightly. "Is something the matter?"

"What are you?"

"I'm a witch," Ruby said easily. Kaneki only shook his head, holding back a scoff.

"No, I mean really, what are you?" Kaneki said. "You smell slightly different from humans, and the amount of blood I smell on you is much less than the average ghoul. Are you one of Kanou's hybrids?"

Ruby frowned, suddenly looking hesitant. "I...I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know who 'Kano' is, and I wasn't lying—I really am a witch."

"Don't be absurd," Kaneki said, impatient. "Witches don't exist-!" Predictably, Ruby got angry.

"We do exist!" she hissed, standing up. "Just because we don't flaunt our existence to the public like you ghouls do, does not mean we're make-believe!"

Kaneki was about to open his mouth to retort when the door creaked open once more, revealing the Chairman. Seeing him, Ruby slowly sat back down, her anger forgotten.

"Chairman," she said politely, dipping her head.

"Ruby, I see you've agitated our guest," the Chairman replied. "There are many things of our world Kaneki-kun isn't aware of, Ruby. Remember that our job is to fill him in so we can enlist his aid."

"I'm sorry, Chairman," Ruby muttered, her face downcast.

"What are you talking about?" Kaneki said, "What's this about enlisting me?"

"First, let me introduce myself," the Chairman said. "I am an Exorcist, and the Chairman of Yokai Academy. I'm also an acquaintance of Kuzen, or better known as Yoshimura."

"You knew the manager?" Kaneki asked.

"We were great friends, back in the day," the Chairman said. "I had offered him a teaching position at my Academy, but Kuzen wasn't interested. He had fallen in love with a human, and opened a coffee shop for ghouls. We parted ways, and kept in touch at irregular intervals that spanned many years in between. When he finally contacted me asking for a favor...it was about you, Kaneki Ken."

"What did he say?"

"He told me of your history, Kaneki-kun," the Chairman replied, "how you became the unfortunate victim of Kanou's experiments. How you became a half-ghoul that goes by the alias of 'Eyepatch', and how you might be useful to me."

Kaneki's jaw clenched, and said vehemently, "I won't allow anyone to use me."

The Chairman appeared surprised, "So soon? You haven't even asked what I want from you, or what I can provide in return."

"It doesn't matter. I won't become your dog."

"Think of it as business trade," the Chairman said. "A deal that you are welcomed to decline or walk out of. You are currently wanted by the CCG and the Aogiri Tree. Anteiku is destroyed, and the 20th Ward will soon be crawling with investigators. The manager and your allies are gone, either killed or missing. Do you have anywhere else to go? Anyone else you can rely on to shield you?"

At this, Kaneki hesitated. He thought about Touka and Nishiki. He had no idea where any of them were, or if they were still alive. But would they be glad to see him? He had left them behind, and he had hurt Touka the last time they met. They were probably better off without him. In any case, he was sure Yomo and Uta were with them somehow. He wasn't needed.

He thought of Tsukiyama, Hinami, and Banjo, his allies. All of them were strong, and wouldn't be defeated so easily. They must be alive. They had to be, and Tsukiyama had his family to help them. Banjo also had allies in the other wards. They would be protected, and Kaneki has driven them to danger and the brink of death too many times. No matter how willing they were, he'd never get over it if one of them died for his sake. No, he couldn't return to them.

Then, his mind wandered to Hide, his best friend, more like a brother really. Hide was always the one constant in his life before he turned into a half ghoul. He always understood Kaneki better than he did himself. But would he still want to be his friend, after knowing what he's become? What he has done? Kaneki shook his head. He couldn't burden Hide, whether he accepted him or not. Aogiri was also after him, and he did not want Hide to turn into their target.

When the half ghoul remained silent and glum, the Chairman smiled. "I can offer you sanctuary, Kaneki Ken. Yokai Academy is located in a place that's restricted to humans, and there are wards placed to protect the Academy grounds from unwanted ghouls. The CCG and the Aogiri Tree will never reach you there."

"What kind of school is this Academy?" Kaneki said. "If it's restricted to humans, then the students and faculty...aren't human?"

"Correct. It's a school of monsters."

For the first time in a long while, Kaneki was dumbfounded.

"W-wait, hold on," he said, unconsciously placing a hand to his chin. "You're telling me...that there are monsters other than ghouls that exist in this world?" He looked at Ruby. "You're really a witch?"

Ruby nodded. "Yes."

"The Academy was founded to help monsters integrate into human society," the Chairman explained. "All the occupants are required to remain in human form, and forbidden to transform or reveal their race to other students and staff. The reason we hide is because many of our races are close to extinction and the humans, who overpopulated us, have the power to take us down. As the CCG has proven."

"Are there any ghouls at this Academy?"

"There is none."

"What? Why?!" Kaneki exclaimed. "For all your talk of this 'sanctuary'—why aren't any ghouls enrolled, protected from the CCG?"

"The safety of the school comes first, Kaneki," the Chairman said sternly. "We cannot jeopardize our location by allowing a race that has been tracked by humans to enroll."

"Yet you're letting me, a ghoul that's being tracked, come into your school?"

"Half-ghoul," the Chairman pointed out. "That's important. I'm hoping that your experiences as a human may help bridge the world of humans and monsters."

"I've heard that before," Kaneki muttered.

"You will be provided with room and board," the Chairman continued, "as well as monthly rations of food. You will also have private access to my office, the student records, and my contact info."

"That's a lot of 'free' stuff you're offering," Kaneki said narrowly. "What do you want in exchange?"

The moment he said that, the Chairman smiled, knowing he's finally convinced him. "I want you to become my informant. Be my eyes and ears around the student body, and report any suspicious activity to me."

"You want me as your spy?" Kaneki confirmed, slightly incredulous. He had expected something worse, something more dangerous. "That's all?"

The Chairman nodded, "For the most part." He motioned a hand towards the witch. "Ruby is also another one of my informants, but her place is elsewhere. I currently lack an informant within the school, and I'm hoping you'd accept the position."

"What kind of suspicious activity are we talking about?"

"The usual," the Chairman said elusively, "check if any students or staff are up to no good, breaking the rules."

"And if I do accept?" Kaneki said carefully.

"Then it's all settled! I'll take care of the required paperwork, and you'll be attending class at the start of the semester," the Chairman said, already whipping out a pen and paper, ready to sign before Kaneki protested.

"Wait, how do I get there?" he asked. "I don't know where it is."

"You'll be given an address of the bus stop located in the human world," the Chairman said. "Speaking of, you'll also be meeting a new first year at that location."

"So?"

"Your job also includes watching over that student," the Chairman said, signing off the first paper. "His welfare is in your hands, Kaneki Ken. Be sure to play nice and become his friend. If any of the other students threaten him... I'll trust in your judgement to do what needs to be done," he said seriously, his voice holding a sinister edge.

Kaneki understood the unspoken conditions completely, and he cracked a finger in response. "It looks like I'll be doing exactly that, Chairman." The Chairman gave a pleased smile.

"I thought you might. Ruby?" The witch looked at him. "Hand him his uniform, if you please."

Uniform?

With a wave of her stick (or wand?), a plastic wrapped blazer, tie, dress shirt and pants appeared out of thin air and landed in Kaneki's outstretched hands. The white haired half-ghoul stared at it in disbelief.

"A high school," he muttered. "Your Academy is a high school."

The Chairman gave a deep chuckle. "I mean no disrespect, Kaneki-kun. Were you under the impression that my Academy was a college?"

"Evidently," he murmured, and decided that it didn't matter. In a way, this made his new job easier. He was going to babysit a high school first year, and his immediate threats were no older than Hinami or Ayato. He did require one thing though.

"Chairman, you have a library at your Academy, right?"

"Of course."

"I want unlimited access," Kaneki said. "The books, the files, everything."

"That's not a problem, but may I ask why?"

"Research," the former bookworm mumbled, scratching his chin, "and out of personal interest."

"Very well," the Chairman granted, signing off the last of the documentation. Then, he handed another sheet to Kaneki, and held out a pen. "This is our contract, Kaneki Ken. Once you finish reading it, sign at the bottom."

Kaneki took the offered pen, and his grey eyes scanned the contents diligently. He was not allowed to share any private information with others, or misuse it for personal means. He must accompany the assigned student, whenever possible, at all times. He's required to remain in the Academy for a year (unless renewed) and given proper lodging and necessities. He was also forbidden to tell anyone of his status as informant and disclose any information involving the Chairman unless said person gives him expressed permission. All information regarding his background would be kept confidential and secured. Any violations would result termination of the contract, and his memories removed to secure the safety of Yokai Academy.

"You can remove my memories?" Kaneki inquired.

"Among other things," the Chairman said. "You need not worry about that, Kaneki-kun. After all, you're not intending to violate the contract, right?" Kaneki didn't need to look up to know the Chairman was being threatening.

"No," he said, scribbling his name onto the line, and handed the contract to the Chairman, who took it gladly.

"Welcome to Yokai Academy, Kaneki Ken."

-o-

A few weeks later, Kaneki Ken was standing alone at the designated bus stop, donning Yokai Academy's uniform. He held a school bag in one hand, while the other fiddled with the collar.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Kaneki muttered, loosening the tie. It's been years since he last wore a school uniform. His white hair remained ruffled, and one of his eyes hid behind a black, decorated eyepatch. "If Touka or anyone I knew saw me now...they'd never let me forget it."

His free hand stopped when he saw another boy dressed in the same uniform approach the bus stop. Kaneki thought he looked very average, shockingly so. This was the monster he was supposed to be babysitting? He looked so weak that even Hinami could take him down, without her kagune. The half-ghoul sighed; he already knew he had his work cut out for him. That was probably why the Chairman requested the half ghoul to watch over him. The boy looked like fresh meat about to enter a den of wolves.

The boy finally looked up and noticed him. "Hey, you're attending Yokai Academy too?"

Kaneki resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Why else would they wear the same thing? "Yes."

"Are you a first-year?" Kaneki nodded. The boy offered a hand. "My name is Aono Tsukune. What's yours?"

"Kaneki Ken," he introduced, and when he shook Tsukune's hand, he also took a whiff of his scent...his very delicious, mouth-watering human scent.

That shitty bastard! Kaneki thought angrily. What is a HUMAN doing here?!

-o-