Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of its aforementioned characters. So far. Enjoy chapter one!!
"SIT!"
The cry boomed out of the woodland with harsh surprise, followed by a sharp yelp.
Kagome stood with her arms crossed, tapping her fingers against her right forearm, annoyance written all over her face. The man she was glaring at was sat on his behind, snarling at her. He was there for the fourth time that day, and a patch of dirt was beginning to wear away with the almost constant impact.
"KAGOME!!" The man roared, his face and ears flushed a furious red. The girl raised one eyebrow, remaining in her stance.
"I TOLD you how I felt about hunting, Inuyasha. In fact, I gave you anexplicit warning as to how I felt about hunting. I can understand a first break. Maybe even a second. BUT A FOURTH?"
Inuyasha grumbled and looked away from her, muttering under his breath. The small animal he had managed to grab had long since disappeared.
"It's not MY fault I want some damn variety SOME OF THE TIME. I'm fed up of those shitty little rice-balls Miroku makes, they're dry and they taste like CARDBOARD."
"SIT!" He yelped as he was forced further into the ground.
"KAGOME!!!" He yelled again. The others sat silently around the long burnt-out campfire. Miroku pushed his hands through his shaggy black hair. He couldn't be bothered tying it back. The other woman was absent-mindedly examining her Hiraikotsu, ignoring the tiny flame-haired demon scampering around beneath her.
It was still relatively early morning, and the air was warm from the gentle summer heat. The sun shone in long beams through the leafy green foliage, letting you see streaks of clear blue sky here and there. Their site was in a good clearing in the very heart of the forest, surrounded by thick trees with enough range to see and hear out of.
"YOU CANNOT HUNT INUYASHA. I ABSOLUTELY FORBID IT. YOU'RE NOT SOME AVERAGE WILD BEAST!"
"YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO! I'LL EAT WHAT I DAMN WELL FEEL LIKE, AND I'M A HALF FUCKING DOG, DOGS HUNT, DOGS DO NOT EAT LITTLE BALLS OF FUCKING RICE!"
"EVERYONE ELSE PUTS UP WITH THEM!"
"BECAUSE YOU'RE ALL TOO POLITE TO TELL MIROKU WHAT A SHIT COOK HE IS!"
Miroku glanced up at the angry looking man. "Hey, enough of the insults bad boy, you can go hungry if you want, all the more food for the rest of us."
Inuyasha roared his anger and lashed out against Kagome's invisible hold on him. Kagome sighed.
"That doesn't work Inuyasha."
The man continued to thrash about, pulling at his long white hair and shouting curses at the trees around him. When he eventually calmed down, no one looked surprised.
Kagome regarded him impatiently. "Are we finished?" She inquired, looking directly into Inuyasha's now blood-red eyes. He said nothing.
"I'll take that as a yes, then." She finished, releasing the grip on his body, enabling him to jump up from the ground, swiping the mud and dirt from his Hakama. He looked challengingly around at everyone, who had all progressed to watching Kagome's and his argument with obvious fascination.
"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKIN AT?" he barked at Miroku, who continued to gaze at him with a calm expression.
"You know; if you simply did what Kagome asked of you in the first place, you probably wouldn't be so embarrassed right now."
"I'M NOT EMBARRASSED. FUCK OFF AND MAKE SOME MORE RICE-BALLS, MONK."
Miroku contemplated this. "I thought you rather liked my rice-balls."
"You can stick them up your arse," Inuyasha replied with contempt.
Miroku chuckled. "Well, at least I'd get some amusement when you ate them."
"KISAMA!" Inuyasha yelled, lunging for the bemused looking monk.
"SIIIIT!"
"AAAAAAH! Inuyasha yelped again as his necklace dragged him towards the ground, slamming him on his back.
He growled, as his back became instantly sore.
He quickly stood up, but avoided going near Miroku again. He went and occupied the space on the log next to Shippo, making a heavy thump and forcing it to wobble, causing Shippo to lurch from his seat, the kitsune's little arms flailing as his body hit softly on the ground, his voice making a little 'oof' sound. Inuyasha glanced down and laughed at the fox demon, who was now turned a bright shade of umber.
"INUYASHA!" Sango snapped, scooping up the little fox demon in her hand and setting him back on his original place, glaring at the Hanyou.
"WHAT?" Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders, glancing over at his battered-looking Tetsusaiga, which was lying on the ground a few yards in front of him, the blade caked with mud.
"You know what," Sango rebutted, stroking Shippo's soft red hair as he cuddled up next to the slayer. "Just because I'm your friend, TECHNICALLY, doesn't mean I won't kick your ass."
Inuyasha snorted. "Oh please Sang- AAAAAH!!"
The pale white skin of his left cheek turned a hot shade of red as Sango's slap sent his head snapping the other way. He whipped his head round and looked her up and down.
"I'd punch you back if you weren't a girl." He said, bringing a hand up to sooth his stinging cheek. "It didn't even hurt."
Sango growled and her fist clenched around her Hiraikotsu. Inuyasha maintained his icy stare and tensed all his muscles, preparing to pounce. The air was thick with silence and tension.
"Um... sorry to interrupt you folks..."
Miroku stepped gingerly into the small space between the two. "Not meaning to intervene or anything... but I couldn't help noticing some slight – "
Sango grabbed his ear and pinched the top of it, hard. Miroku gasped and bent down on one knee.
"We're a little busy right now Miroku, if you please." Miroku's knee ground painfully into the dirt beneath him. Even Shippo stepped away from her. Sango was scary when she was angry.
"Sango."
The new voice cut the tension like a knife. Sango glanced sideways at the person of whom it came. Kagome stood in the centre of the clearing, clutching her bow and arrow.
"Break it up, we have stuff to do."
Kagome stared at Sango. Inside, she was shaking like a leaf. She'd never stood up to Sango before. People hardly ever dared.
Sango turned her head fully from Inuyasha. She breathed deeply. She disliked being spoken down to by this younger girl, but she was right.
"You're right." She admitted, staring up at the brown-eyed girl. "There are better things to do than waste my time on this pathetic half-breed."
Inuyasha snarled loudly and leapt up, Miroku jumping up to follow immediately and restraining him. The monk glared angrily at Sango. Now look what you've done, he mouthed in annoyance at his partner. Sango glared icily at him, before she threw down her boomerang and stormed off into the woods, obviously in no mood to talk further.
Inuyasha was fuming. "THAT BITCH! THAT FUCKING BITCH! SHE CALLED ME A HALF-BREED. I OUGHT TO RIP HER FUCKING THROAT OUT!"
Miroku struggled hard to restrain him. "You know what she's like Inuyasha, she didn't mean – "
"WELL THEN WHAT DID SHE MEAN."
He stopped struggling and ripped himself from Miroku's grip. He roared and punched his hand into a nearby tree. The sound echoed around the entire forest. Miroku didn't say anything.
"Inuyasha..."
"WHAT KAGOME." The half-demon snapped his body round to look at the human girl standing before him.
"You know she doesn't think that." Kagome said quietly. "You know she doesn't."
Inuyasha's breathing was rapid, but she could tell he was calming down.
"She still said it."
"It's Sango. She'll say anything to hurt your feelings. Please don't fight." Her voice became gentle, and Inuyasha looked at her.
Aw, Man, he thought.
"Hmph. We'll see." He said, turning off and storming the opposite direction towards the lake.
On the other side of the forest, two people were walking side-by-side. None of them said a single word to each other.
The first, a tall, strong looking man with long black hair, was walking ahead with an angry expression on his face. The second, a younger girl, with black hair and fiery red pupils, glided along behind him, a single fan tucked into her kimono. No words were exchanged and for good reason.
Kagura has lost the infidels, Naraku thought in a hostile tone. He glanced backwards at the girl. Her face showed nothing; the same as her heart. He snarled and stared ahead again. They were nearing the camp.
Suddenly, from behind him, a gust of cold wind seared down his robe. He shivered violently and whipped round to hit the insolent little bitch, but she was gone. He immediately turned his face skyward. He was just in time to see Kagura flying off through the trees.
"KAGURA!" He roared, incensed at her insolence. There was, of course, no point. She wouldn't return. At least she would have the camp prepared when he got there. Or her side, but he doubted her rebelliousness would stretch so far. He could kill her in an instant and she knew it.
He recalled the past week's incident. He had sent Kagura out to find the group and recover the most recent shard they had found. She'd known where they were. It wasn't hard. He'd known the exact moment when she failed. He caught glimpses of the battle that had ensued between her and Inuyasha. A quick slash of a sword; blood dripping on the floor.
He cursed her and himself for their weakness. They wouldn't normally set up camp so early, but he needed to form a plan for himself. He would send Kagura out on a scouting mission; to find where they were.
Soon, they would be one step closer to recovering the sacred jewel. He smirked into himself before looking into the wind. There was another part of the plan which she didn't yet know of. He had no intention of telling her, either.
He smiled sadistically.
Oh yes, he thought into himself, you will prove rather more useful than you could ever imagine.