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Chapter 1

"PERVERT!"

Kagome woke with the sound of a slap. She rolled her eyes and pushed herself farther into her sleeping bag. She lay there for a moment, before feeling a certain little fox demon jump on top of her, and she gave in to the whining of the kitsune.

"Wake up! Wake up!" He jumped up and down, obviously hungry.

"Good morning, Shippo." She yawned and stretched, and got up to make InuYasha his ramen. Kagome sighed when a smile burst across the monks face, and winced as she heard Sango's hand meet his face. She scooped out the noodles into a bowl, and handed it to the hanyou before taking her own bowl. Kagome heard a scrape and looked up to see Sango dragging hiraikotsu between her and the perverted houshi. Miroku looked at the demon exterminator with a hurt expression, but that immediately changed to concern when he saw Kagome had left the hut and given her untouched bowl to InuYasha (who quickly scarfed it down).

"Lady Kagome?" He stood and followed her outside. Her brow was furrowed, and she stared in the direction of the well. Something wasn't right.

"It's a shard…" she told him. InuYasha heard her and rushed outside unsheathing tetsusaiga. Kagome threw out a hand to stop him, eyes widening. He threw her a look, but she just stared in the well's general direction. Sango hurried out with her boomerang and Kagome's bow and arrows. She stopped dead in her tracks when Kagome turned to face them all, her eyes wide with fear. "It's Naraku."

InuYasha sniffed the air, and caught his scent. But in past times, it had been a puppet. "Are you sure?" he asked her.

"Does Naraku let puppets carry his shards?" By this time, the jewel was almost complete, but in Naraku's hands. They had three shards of their own, and were certain Naraku had the rest, except for Kouga's two. "Shippo, stay with Kaede. I don't want you getting hurt."

"But -"

"Stay." Her face was different than he'd ever seen it before. He asked her why, and her face softened a bit. "Because. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you." He couldn't argue with her, and so reluctantly went back inside the hut.

"So this is it, then," Sango muttered with an odd realization. It had struck her that they might not make it out of this. The group stood there silently, half reluctant to leave as the thought of never seeing someone again sunk in. InuYasha broke the silence.

"Well, let's get going. We have a demon to kill." Kagome looked up at him, and he bent a little, allowing her to get on his back.

"Kirara!" The fire cat transformed and Sango and Miroku climbed on. They didn't have to ride, but they didn't want to walk, either.

She took off, following InuYasha and Kagome. In the distance, they saw Naraku nearing the well from the far side. He had a slight smile, knowing that they were coming for him. They met him just as he passed the well. This confirmed Kagome's suspicions. He had been coming for them and their shards. InuYasha set her down and Kirara landed next to them. Sango positioned hiraikotsu on her arm, and Kagome notched an arrow.

"What do you want, Naraku?" InuYasha yelled as he unsheathed tetsusaiga.

"What do I want? The shards, InuYasha. The shards and your lives." He smiled evilly and drew his own sword. "Starting with yours."