A/N: Wow! Thank you everyone for the reviews! I was amazed at how many the first chapter got. Also, I know the first chapter was short, but from here on out the chapters are going to be much longer, just to let you guys know.

Enjoy!

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Kaka Kara No Bourei

Part Two:

Acquisition

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"What the hell?"

It was early morning. The sun had just crested over the distant Western mountains, throwing all the land into sharp relief. Feeble greetings echoed around the camp of the Inutachi as they prepared for the day.

And Inuyasha and Kagome were having it out.

Kagome pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to delay the headache she could feel beginning to pulse behind her eyes. "I told you," she began calmly. "Actually, I've told you three times already. Last night one of Naraku's Saimyosho took the pearl that leads to your father's grave. What is so hard to understand?"

"I know that, idiot! What I want to know is why YOU LET IT GET AWAY!" Inuyasha bellowed. "Damn it, if it weren't for the fact that you can see the jewel shards, you'd be totally useless."

"Oh really?" Kagome said, ignoring the hurt she felt at his words. "I think it's funny how, whenever anything goes wrong, no matter what it is, it's always my fault. Sango and Miroku were right beside me, but I don't see you giving them a hard time. And, if I'm so useless, how come every time I'm not here you can't fight for shit? What does that make you?"

Scarlet flooded the inuhanyou's cheeks. "This ain't about me!" he roared. "It's about you being . . . irresponsible!"

"Irresponsible?" Kagome screeched, so loudly that Inuyasha's ears pressed against his skull. "I have given up my whole life for you, you ungrateful jerk! And for what? To have you belittle me every single day over things I have no control over? I swear to God, I have had it with you! You're immature, hardheaded, and one day you're going to end up getting all of us killed!"

"Ha!" Inuyasha hollered. "Me? If anyone's going to get us killed, it'll be you! You're the one who constantly gets kidnapped, and you're so damn clumsy I'm always having to save your ass in a fight! It's a wonder you haven't died yet!"

By now, Kagome's temper was raging dangerously out of control. Clenching her small fists, she screamed, "And I bet you'd just love that, wouldn't you? Your beloved Kikyou could have her soul back and I'd be out of the way! How about I save you the trouble and go jump off a cliff? Then you can have everything you want, you selfish bastard!"

Whirling on her heel, Kagome stalked off into the forest before the half-demon could respond, leaving her friends in stunned silence.

The severely pissed off miko fought her way through the trees as she seethed. Honestly, she just didn't know what had gotten into Inuyasha lately. They couldn't have a simple conversation without it escalating into an argument. She was so . . . frustrated. And tired.

All she wanted was to rest. Death was nearly welcome. In fact, she had half a mind to find that damn cliff and throw herself off it, just to make a point and end this miserable life.

Four years. She'd been with that self-centered hanyou brat for four years, and he still made her feel like crap on a daily basis. She'd worked so hard to gather the jewel shards, almost failed high school, and had basically given up any and all hope for a normal life, just for him.

And did he care? Nope.

But heaven forbid she think about leaving! Despite how often he called her 'worthless' and the like, Inuyasha wouldn't tolerate talk of her returning to her time for good. Whenever she tried, he immediately jumped up on his soapbox and started preaching about how the jewel was her responsibility, and she had to stick around until they'd defeated Naraku and completed the Shikon.

Of course, Kagome knew the jewel was her responsibility. She only ever mentioned leaving when they were fighting, but he was so contradictory. On the one hand, she couldn't do anything right in Inuyasha's eyes. On the other, he wasn't about to let her go home. She just couldn't figure out what the baka wanted! If she went home, Kikyou could easily find the pieces of the jewel in her place. Not that Kagome would shirk her duties off onto someone else, but wouldn't Inuyasha rather be around the dead priestess than herself?

Plopping onto the grass, Kagome drew her hakama-clad knees up to her chest and sighed. She was sick of it. She was sick of this journey, she was sick of Naraku, and she was sick of Inuyasha.

She was ready for everything to be over.

oooOooo

Inuyasha was watching where Kagome had disappeared into the foliage, a tiny bit of guilt churning in his stomach, when a hard, blunt object smashed into the back of his skull and sent him reeling.

"What the heck is wrong with you, Inuyasha?"

Struggling to his feet, Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at an irate demon slayer. "What'd you do that for, Sango? It fucking hurt!"

"Good!" she shrieked. "Maybe it knocked some sense into that stupid head of yours! I don't know what's made you think you can speak to Kagome the way you do, but it's going to stop. Now. Or I'm going to beat you bloody with Hiraikotsu!"

"I don't mean to, okay?" Inuyasha shouted, his golden irises flashing. "I don't mean to yell at Kagome and all that crap. It just happens, and then I can't take it back. I just . . . it's like I don't even have control over what I'm saying. I don't . . ." The half-demon looked away, seeming ashamed. "I never mean to. Ever. It's like my anger just gets away from me."

Coming up beside Sango, Miroku stared at his friend in concern. "Could that be Kikyou's influence, perhaps? I mean no disrespect," he added hastily at seeing Inuyasha's warning look, "but it seems that, after your meetings with her, you're always much more quick to temper. It is merely a possibility."

Inuyasha crossed his arms as he thought. The monk did have a point. Kikyou certainly didn't like Kagome, and he wouldn't put it past her to use some trick to try and strain his relationship with the younger miko. "Yeah," he admitted quietly. "I guess that could be it. But I ain't accusing her until I've got some kind of proof, alright?"

"Of course," Miroku said airily, waving his beaded hand. "Now, I think it's time we . . ."

Stiffening, Miroku let his sentence hang unfinished as he looked up into the sky, his surprise and trepidation apparent. "Um . . . Inuyasha?"

At that same moment, Kagome made her reappearance as she stumbled back into camp, looking rather mussed. She glanced around until she spotted the rest of the group. "Hey, guys?"

But no one acknowledged her. Following their gazes, she tilted her head back to look at the sky, and promptly felt her heart fall into her stomach.

Sesshoumaru.

Soaring in on his youki cloud, the daiyoukai lord plummeted towards the Earth at an astonishing speed. His silvery hair whipped chaotically back and forth behind him, and for a brief second Kagome feared he was going to fly straight into the ground.

But then she remembered who it was she was watching, and promptly bopped herself mentally in the head.

Sesshoumaru landed with the utmost grace as his cloud dissipated. Seeing him standing tall in the sunlight, Kagome blinked, then blinked again.

Was it just her, or was Sesshoumaru looking especially . . . shiny?

His white clothes were nothing new, and neither was his armor, but . . . had there always been so much of it? Gleaming gray metal covered his torso, both his shoulders, and his forearms. Hefty steel gloves enclosed his hands, and his traditional black shoes had been replaced with bulky armored boots. It made him appear a lot more warrior-like.

And extremely deadly.

While she attempted to surreptitiously look him over, Inuyasha stalked forward with his left hand fingering the hilt of Tetsusaiga. It was clear he was expecting a confrontation.

Sesshoumaru observed Inuyasha's approach with his usual impassiveness. "Half-breed," he greeted. "Still eager for battle, I see."

Inuyasha growled menacingly at his older brother. "Well if you ain't here to fight, what the hell do you want?"

"So uncouth," Sesshoumaru commented. "Your manners leave much to be desired, little brother."

"Who cares about my manners?" the hanyou bit out. "What the hell do you want? I ain't got all day!"

Though his expression didn't change, Sesshoumaru's tone was laced with malice when he spoke again. "You would do well to remember yourself, half-breed. I have my reasons for seeking you out. If you could perhaps be patient for but a moment, you would hear them."

As Inuyasha sputtered, Kagome strode forward and pushed past him. It was time she took control of the situation. "I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru-dono," she said as she bowed low. "We would all like to hear what you've come to tell us. Just ignore Inuyasha, please."

"Hey!"

Sesshoumaru's heavy amber gaze considered her briefly. "Tell me, priestess," he murmured softly. "Has Inuyasha lost possession of the pearl leading to the afterlife?"

Kagome gaped at him, totally bewildered. "H-How . . . How did you know?" she asked. "One of Naraku's Saimyosho stole it just last night."

"Hm." Sesshoumaru next turned his penetrating stare on his dimwit brother. "You allowed a simple insect to get the better of you?"

"Oi, it wasn't like that!" Inuyasha bellowed. "I passed out, alright? How the hell was I supposed to stop the thing if I was unconscious? Kagome's the one who let it take the stupid pearl right out from under her!"

On the sidelines, Sango and Miroku exchanged wary glances. This was not going to end well.

Kagome shot Inuyasha an incredulous look. "Seriously, Inuyasha? Even after that huge fight we had, you're still putting all the blame on me?"

"Well . . ." The half-demon nervously shoved his arms into the wide sleeves of his haori. "You did let that dumb bug take it right out from under you."

"Such insignificant technicalities mean nothing to me," Sesshoumaru interrupted. "And we haven't the time for petty arguments."

Kagome, who'd been on the verge of cramming Tetsusaiga into a very intimate place on Inuyasha's person, focused her attention back on the Western lord. "Is something wrong, Sesshoumaru-dono?" she inquired politely.

The inuyoukai peered at her with an odd light in his eyes. "No, priestess."

"No?" she parroted. Feeling her brow scrunch in confusion, Kagome asked, "Then what can we help you with?"

Turning, he gestured vaguely towards the land beneath his feet. "You will follow me to the underworld."

Kagome blinked owlishly. Eh?

At this, Inuyasha finally recovered his voice. "The underworld?" he screamed in outrage. "Why the hell would we go with you to the underworld?"

Sesshoumaru pinned his younger brother with a knowing look and, to everyone's disbelief, smiled.

"To retrieve Father, of course."

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A/N: Another chapter finished! Yay! Please review!