Kagome ran until she couldn't run anymore. She stumbled over an upturned root of a cherry blossom tree and landed with a thud in a crying heap at the base of the tree. She was too tired to try to get up and go on, so she just rolled over on her side toward the tree, curled up into a ball and cried. 'How could you be so heartless Inuyasha?!'
She had always held out hope that he would want to stay with her. That he would one day tell her how much he really loved only her. But as of tonight it was clear that he would only hold love for one person in his lifetime. And that was what hurt her most, it wasn't her. She would never know what his love was like, only Kikyo would know that about Inuyasha.
Sango sighed when she finally found Kagome curled up crying on the ground. 'Curse you Inuyasha! I will never forgive you for how you treat her. You don't deserve her love or her loyalty.' She knelt down beside Kagome with a sigh as she reached out and started to rub her back. "Don't worry Kagome. Everything will be fine sooner or later you'll see."
Kagome shook her head no. She knew better than that. "With him it will never be fine. I won't stop looking for the jewel shards for you and Miroku. I couldn't do that to you two. But, I don't know how much more I can take being around Inuyasha. The more I am around him, the worse it will hurt when he does this."
Sango could only close her eyes. She was right. And while there were many times that Inuyasha came in handy in battle against Naraku's youkai, she still understood where Kagome was coming from. She knew she was strong though because of this. She didn't know what she would do if it was her and Miroku.
She smiled down at Kagome as she helped her sit up. "You know what you need more than anything. You need to go back to your time and spend time with your family. You hardly get to do that anymore, and leave it to me and Miroku to keep Inuyasha here for you."
Kagome looked over at her friend with a soft smile. "Thank you Sango. I knew that I could count on you to understand. And I think that is exactly what I need. Time with them and my friends there, and away from that jerk."
Then suddenly both girls snapped their heads up. Someone was there, watching them. Hunting them. And whoever it was, didn't want them for any good reason.
Sango stood up and pulled the sash that let her travel kimono fall to the ground, leaving her in only her youkai slayer armor. She glared as she looked around trying to see someone. "I know your there so you might as well come out youkai. Stop hiding."
Kagura smiled an evil smile as she side stepped from behind another Cherry Blossom tree. Then she glared the two lone women. 'They are truly stupid creatures these ningen women.' They were her target however, under orders from Naraku. And with the monk and hanyoukai busy with his newest incarnation, they should be easy to get rid of for him. "You are both going to die."
Sango glared harder as she lifted Hiraikotsu in front of her. "You got that a little backwards don't you Kagura?"
"I don't think so."
"I know so."
Kagura laughed as she lifted her fan up in the air. "You don't get it. That mutt can't smell me over the youkai that they are fighting. They won't be running in to rescue you like before." Then she waved her fan and send waves of wind blades right at them. "Dance of Blades!"
Kagome screamed as she grabbed onto Sango from behind. She was waiting to feel the wind blades going through her flesh. She really thought that this was it and she was going to die right then! But nothing happened. The cutting never came.
She looked up at Sango who still had her eyes closed and braced to block what was coming at them. She started to look around her, and saw the man in the black coat standing in front of Sango. And in front of him was a huge wall of dirt!
She let her eyes trail up to look at the back of his head with worried eyes. "Are you here to help? Friend or foe?"
Itachi turned and looked down at her with a red eye. He needed her to trust him. If she felt comfortable enough with him to show him how she traveled through time, then he could get home and kill Orochimaru. But he knew that would take time. "I am here to aid you."
Now Sango had her eyes open and looking up into the same red ones that Kagome was as well. She didn't like them either. There was something sinister and evil about them. But was also confused about them since they did seem sincere. He may have really been there to help them. But why? Who was he?
She looked behind them toward where she hoped Inuyasha and Miroku were on their way there just in case this guy wasn't here to aid them. And with Kirara not there, she couldn't fight how she wanted to protect Kagome if he did turn on them. 'Hurry up you guys!'
Itachi turned back to Kagura with a glare as he let his wall fall when he released the jutsu. "As for you. It would be in your best interest to walk away from them and you won't get hurt."
x
Naraku sat in his castle and glared at the one he saw in Kana's mirror. He knew that the one sent for Inuyasha could replicate copies of himself. And so long as the original stayed live the others would as well and he could just make more.
'That should have made it like taking candy from a baby for Kagura only having to go after the girls like that. But then this guy shows up?' He looked at him closer then he gasped when he realized what the design was on his cloak. Blood red clouds!
He reached in his pocket and pulled out what was called a photograph and then looked back at Kana's mirror. It was him! The one the snake told him about.
He smiled as he looked over at Kohaku. He could see that his eyes were no long one of someone possessed. But he didn't seem to have any memory of what he did or who Sango was to him, so he was still staying true to him. "Kohaku I will be having a job for you soon."
He then turned back to Kana's mirror and laughed. "But for now let us watch and see how this plays out. I am curious to see how a ninja can fair against a youkai."
