(Author's Note: I don't own any of the Inuyasha characters.) In this story Inuyasha can't take the mental strain anymore and wants to leave the group. (THAT'S RIGHT YOU ALL HEARD ME) However, it's not just the mental stress he's feeling that makes him want to leave for it is emotional as well. It involves Kagome and Koga plotting against him with the help of Miroku. But what about Sango isn't she in on it? To make matter worse Naraku's got another plan cooked up to take out our favorite half-demon hero. Read and find out and review what you think.
Chapter 1-Breaking Away
After all they had been through together you would think it was simple for a half-demon such as himself to trust others as well as receive it. To not be judge by what he was, but rather by what he did in life that would defined him. Sadly this was not the case for the half-dog demon Inuyasha who was bound to a girl from another time that was the reincarnation of a powerful priestess he had loved 50 years ago. By a simple rosary necklace he was bound to this girl who couldn't understand what it was like for him all his life. She would "sit" him causing him to fall face first into the ground regardless of where he wasor how high he was in any located spot. He had no freedom, no life, and no trust in that simple girl named Kagome from the future. He was bound to her with that magical necklace like a dog was to a leash connected to it master on the commanding side of it. Yet, despite her attempts to as she considered it "train him" to be obedient he refused to be her loyal dog of a servant regardless of all the "sits" she gave him in trying to control him. Little did he know things were going to turn out in his most often unlucky favor not too soon from now...after things in his life really took a dive.
The day went on as usual for Inuyasha, along with Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kilala who were on their travels. They had been at it with the usual fighting and attempt to kill Naraku for all the harm the vile creature had caused them all. By mid-day on that mid-spring day they decided to rest a little while and relax near a lake that seemed to sparkle with life. That's when everything went wrong as an unwelcome friend entered their camp that was the wolf demon Koga who immediately started flirting with Kagome and then picking a fight with Inuyasha. "Come one Mutt I dare you to fight me or are you too weak and afraid to fight me," said Koga though he knew that if it wasn't for Kagome and the necklace that let her have power over Inuyasha he as well as the others knew the half-demon would probably give the deliver him the beating of a life-time.
However, before anything could escalate at all and to everyone's surprise, Inuyasha left for the lake to avoid any problems because he had too much on his mind as of late. He instinctively knew that keeping up the fight like he had done in the past would likely result in him getting a "sit" regardless if he did or didn't do anything, but at least this way he could avoid everyone and everything all together till nightfall. "Why would Inuyasha leave like that its not like him?" said Shippo in worried voice.
The most surprised by Inuyasha's actions however, was Sango who found Inuyasha just leaving without concern for Kagome being taken by Koga something she thought he would never do. After a very long while Sango decided to go check on Inuyasha despite Koga insulting Inuyasha and Kagome surprisingly agreeing with the wolf demon. "It doesn't matter if he stay's or not either way he's still weak compared to me," said Koga who was sounding very over confident for Sango's own as she went to find her friend
(Many miles away in a cold mountain side)
There was a simple house built into the mountain side and very well insulated to keep the inside and it's occupant(s) warm from the terrible freezing snow on the mountain top and side. Inside this tasty warm house lived a cursed priestess named Bova who was once a more turned into a cow half-demon by an angry priest who accused her of being tainted by the dark arts. Though there was no actual proof she had been however, Bova had no choice, but to defended herself against the priest only to lose. Bova had an unbreakable curse put on her and she was exiled from the world never to be seen or heard from again.
However, on one particular snow filled day she did receive a visitor in Baboon fur and pelt with a little girl beside him holding a mirror that created a shield against the wind and snow. The figure once more approached her house and knocked three times before the door opened and enter the house where the half-demon cow sat as she looked like she was creating something. "So Bova I see after all these years you still practice what you were taught when you were mortal despite you exile. I'm actually surprised that you would still be loyal to those who did this to you," said the figure as he stared at what she was working on while the little girl with the mirror said nothing.
"I knew you were coming to see me once more Naraku and had foreseen what you wanted from me so I produced THIS for you," said the old sounding voice of the half-demon cow.
"Yes. The books and vast knowledge I stole for you the first time I met you have bared fruit from the labor of work you did for me. Most impressive that your skills have not decreased from your exile to these mountains," said Naraku who smiled under his Baboon fur.
"The item you wanted me to create is the strongest thing I have ever produced Naraku and as such I can only give you one and only one of such massive power. The one reason I created this dark weapon for you Naraku because you gave me the tools to stay strong. For that I am giving you this to pay back my debt to you and so I can continue live up here in peace without anymore distractions from others who wish favors of me," said Bova who had a tired yet angry look on her face as she handed Naraku the dark weapon.
"So I just put this in a bow and fire it at my enemy right Bova?" said Naraku and saw the half-demon nod her head.
"That dark un-holy arrow will corrupt any soul that it pierces whether it's a full blooded demon or a human regardless of spiritual powers or not," said Bova calmly.
"I see. Tell me...what happens when it hits its target and the target in itself would be a...half-demon?" said Naraku out of curiosity.
All of Bova's eyes including her third one on her forehead shot open at that moment when she heard the last two words being mention by Naraku. "You wouldn't dare use THAT on me," said Bova in a threatening voice as she shifted slightly into a defensive stance.
Naraku raised his hand with an open palm to calm the half-demon cow as a way to reassure her that he would not harm her. "Not you gentle Bova, but another half-demon that so happens to me an enemy of mine," said Naraku giving off a wicked smile.
(Back at the lake)
Sango walked with her giant boomerang through the woods that led to the lake. She found herself feeling more worried for Inuyasha then she thought she should. It didn't make sense that she should be worried about Inuyasha in such a deep way since she always felt that was Kagome area of expertise...that is until they fought and she sat" him for speaking his mind. Sango decided not to dwell on the matter since it wasn't her business to pry into the love lives of two people...no matter how strange the relationship was. Sango eventually found Inuyasha with is back facing her sitting against a log of a fallen tree staring out into the lake as the sun started to slowly set in front of him. When Sango saw him so peacefully sitting their staring into the lake she thought she should turn around thinking he would like to be alone for a while. However, she noticed he was now slightly slumping to his right, but not as if he were sleeping, but more as if he had some point in time when apart from the group been...hurt? She couldn't understand why he would be like that and suddenly got worried about him once more. "Inuyasha? Are you all right?" said Sango as she walked over to him with some concern in her voice.
What she saw shocked her as she saw a huge diagonal cut like slice across his face and blood dripping down his face with his eyes half open. It was like he was stuck someplace or somewhere between sleep and death that Sango couldn't really tell. She was about to scream for help when Inuyasha grabbed her hand with left hand and then covered her mouth with his right to stop her from screaming. "Don't. The scream will hurt my ears," Inuyasha said in a quiet voice that Sango was sure only she could hear.
When Inuyasha sensed she would not scream for help or rather much less scream at all he released his hand from her mouth and the other from her hand. She looked at him and realized that whatever pain the wound on his face gave him had long passed by and he was waiting for the wound to heal itself. "Inuyasha...how did...?" said Sango, but was interrupted by Inuyasha who raised his left hand for her to stop her question and motioned her with the same hand to sit down next to him.
Reluctantly Sango did as such though she didn't know why she did, but if would have guessed it was probably out of pity for him or something along the line of the thin if not barely existing friendship they had. They never really talked to each other or really did anything together except fight Naraku. "Beautiful," said Inuyasha out of nowhere that caused her jumble her thoughts out of existence.
"Wha...what?" said Sango who was surprisingly started by the word Inuyasha used around her.
"The lake Sango...its beautiful in its own mysterious way. Pure, untouched, untainted by the things it ironically helps keep alive," said Inuyasha who had weird yet, relaxing smile on his face that made Sango feel a little uncomfortable...the wound still bleeding on his face not withstanding of course.
"Inuyasha...about my question a moment ago...I was just curious how you received such a wound in such a short time?" said Sango as she saw took out some disposable cloth she carried around and handed it to Inuyasha who just took it without question before dipping it into the lake's water in front of him and wiped the blood of his face after rinsing the water from the cloth down his face thus revealing just how deep the wound really was.
Sango gasped as she saw that the wound was in fact deep and if he were human he would have a scar on his face. If he didn't already have bled to death from the amount of blood that he already lost Sango knew he would soon if he or herself for that matter got it treated. "Just an old wound Sango that reopened after a while and will close shortly due to my demon healing powers. It happens when half-demons are either under extreme mental and/or emotional stress that they can't get rid of after a long period of time," said Inuyasha in a calm yet...tired voice
"What emotional or mental stress could you be under now? You haven't seen Kikyo for what seems to me the longest time ever in the times she been around calling for you. Everything is fine back at camp with the exception of Koga flirting with Kagome...," said Sango, but it was there at the mention of Kagome and Koga shivered in what looked like an almost uncontrollably if not frightening way.
To Sango it was as if Inuyasha were having some sort of massive body spasm that she had never seen before. It was almost like his whole body structure in its entirety had just collapsed under some invisible weight that he had been carrying for so long that he had in that one moment looked as if he were about to die in front of her. On instinct and of some feeling of unknown worry she immediately put her arms around him in a hugging sort of embrace and hoped the spasm would stop. "Thanks Sango, but respectfully I kinda wish you had not done that," said Inuyasha as Sango had been rewarded and the spasm stopped after a moment and it was then she realized her arms were now hugging damp clothing that was leaking a fluid from his body she had felt and smelled before all too well...it was blood.
"Inuyasha?" said Sango as she stood up and found her demon slayer uniform somewhat stained in his blood that came out of the upper part of his fire rat clothing.
"As I said before Sango they are just old wounds that have reopened from extreme emotional and/or mental stress. It will pass in a short while just give my wounds some time to heal themselves again," said Inuyasha calmly as if the wounds didn't hurt him at all as he continued to stare out at the lake.
Sango however, wanted some answers from Inuyasha whether he was wounded or not and since it seemed he was unaffected by his wounds she wouldn't feel to guilty to ask. "Inuyasha...why did...all those...those wounds...well…open?" said Sango who found that he even though she wanted to say her questions outright was having difficulty saying the words out loud from her mouth.
Inuyasha didn't answer her for what felt like hours when it clearly was only a few short minutes. "Because I learned a few days ago when you were away with Kilala and Shippo that Kagome doesn't...correction never loved me and was in fact using me the whole time like a slave is used by a master to do their bidding. She's been secretly in love with Koga this whole time and leading me on like some damned and blinded fool who can't tell a false truth from a true lie," said Inuyasha with sadness in his voice as he slowly and painfully (from Sango's point of view) got up from the ground and turned to face her.
Sango was in complete shock at what Inuyasha told her and yet, she felt some sort of happiness for him she could recognize in herself for the man. "But then...why not tell you and remove the rosary necklace from your neck to free from her control?" said Sango.
"She would never give up control of my life until I'm no longer useful to her or the others Sango. It is at that unfortunate day my demon slaying friend that Kagome, Koga, and your future husband of a monk that is Miroku...are going to secretly kill me," said Inuyasha making Sango go pale from the utter shock of his words at such an accusation.
"No! It can't be...they would...never..." said Sango, but she was too shocked to complete her sentence.
"They will Sango...they have the plan all set in place that will happen on the day that we able to finally kill Naraku. The reason I bleed Sango is because my heart can't take anymore punishment and my bodies old wounds were the only thing my mind could do so I wouldn't die from another stab of betrayal from someone I cared about," said tired sounding Inuyasha.
"How did...you come by this...betrayal?" said Sango who found her once more finding it hard to say the words she wanted to say.
"It was dark one night and I couldn't sleep, but my eyes were closed as I made a small attempt to at least sleep in a tree like I usually do," said Inuyasha as recalled that night.
(Flashback)
It was a cold night for mid-spring, but none the less Inuyasha was determined to get some sleep if only a little bit. It was then he heard Kagome getting up from her 'sleeping bag' as she called it from her time and started whispering something to Miroku who was now out of his. "Come on where meeting Koga not too far from here," said Kagome.
Inuyasha knew that Kagome would look over where he was to make sure he was sleeping so he kept his eyes closed and kept his face neutral though part of him wanted to scream. "Will have to meet Koga away from the range of Inuyasha's smell and then clean or rather remove the smell of Koga off us so we don't get Inuyasha aware of what were planning," said Miroku who Inuyasha was sure was eyeing him as well.
"Yeah if Inuyasha knew we were going to see Koga he would go nuts and I would have to use the rosary on him till he was unconscious. Then we would be forced to get rid of him ahead of schedule," said Kagome as they started walking quietly away from the campsite while Inuyasha used all his inner strength to stay calm and not reveal he was secretly awake.
After a few moment Inuyasha opened his eyes and looked around to find that neither Kagome or Miroku were in sight so he followed their trail as stealthily as he could. He found them in a clear somewhat far from the campsite and sure enough Koga was their as well. What made it even worse was that he saw Koga was kissing Kagome and Kagome was enjoying it rather nicely. "How are you dear? I hope that over grown half-demon isn't being too much of ass?" said Koga in a flirtatious voice.
"Don't worry Koga he's nothing I can't handle and besides if the stupid half-demon gets in my way I'll just use thenecklace to keep him in line like the tamed dog he should be," said a very cheery Kagome with a disturbingly sweet voice.
"As much as I hate to break up this little love thing you two have I believe we have more important things to address. For one how are we going to rid ourselves of Inuyasha once we get rid of Naraku? Since I will no longer have my Wind Tunnel at my disposal when we to kill Inuyasha we must think of an alternative method," said Miroku calmly to the two lovers.
"Well it won't be easy with Sango, Shippo, and Kilala there if we do it right afterwards so I think we better do it at night after we kill Naraku," said Kagome putting in her opinion.
"Good idea my sweet mate. You should trick the mutt into thinking that your going to give him the jewel then when your about to give it to him you use that command of your on him I come in, then kill him, and then we leave before the others get suspicious. We then go 'look' for Inuyasha then we miraculously find him dead, tell Sango a demon got him before Inuyasha killed it," said Koga finishing up their plan for Inuyasha.
By that time Inuyasha had heard enough and silently crept away in the shadows that he tracked them in and headed back to his sleeping spot. 'I can't believe this. I've been betrayed...AGAIN! And this time Naraku didn't do anything to start this. What do I do now that I have nothing left to fight for?' thought Inuyasha as he made his way back to the campsite and jumped back to his tree pretending he was asleep.
Shortly after Kagome and Miroku had come back as silently as they could to their "sleeping bags" not realizing that Inuyasha knew what they were planning against him.
(End Flashback)
"But if you knew what they were planning why didn't you just leave right away?" said Sango.
"I couldn't Sango...at least not till I told someone I could trust. Not once did they tell you what they were doing or what they were scheming because they knew you would clearly be against it. I had to wait till you returned and then for the right moment to present itself to tell you before I did leave the group," said Inuyasha seeing Sango's eyes widen in surprise.
"Where will you go?" said Sango who now wondered why she cared so much about where Inuyasha went.
"I don't know the destination till I get their Sango so I can't tell you, but if I get a chance I'll find a way to contact you so you know I'm safe. As for right now...you should get back to the group and say I'm fine. That way I have a head start before they try to come looking for me," said Inuyasha who saw Sango nod respectfully towards him.
What happened next surprised the both of them as Sango hugged Inuyasha for might possibly the last time with tears in her eyes. "Goodbye Inuyasha I'll try and stall them the best I can so you can get away easier," said Sango as her love for Miroku died and she felt a new one grow within her...for Inuyasha.
Inuyasha stoked Sango's hair affectionately as he returned the hug with his one free arm. "Don't worry Sango I'll be all right. Just watch over Shippo for me and give him the bops on the head I would when he gets into mischief. It should keep him in line and set him straight," said Inuyasha as they broke the embrace and Sango walked off.
When she was clearly gone Inuyasha let out a sigh as pain slowly took him as another wound re-opened. From the area to his left a twig snapped causing him to turn in a defensive stance ready to fight despite his injuries. Out from the tree's and bushes a little child holding a mirror that Inuyasha recognized as Kanna appeared before him by herself. "Kanna! Why are you here?" said Inuyasha angrily as he readied his claws since he dared to try to use his sword in his condition.
"Master Naraku would like to speak with you," said Kanna in a simply innocent sounding voice as she held up her mirror a little higher as it flashed white for a second and then showed Naraku's face with out the pelt on his head.
"Hello Inuyasha I was wondering if we could meet...face to face," said Naraku from the mirror with his dark hair consuming the mirror in darkness and while his evil red eyes glow deadly within it.