Info: Sorry it took so long to update. I've been feeling sick a lot. Plus I haven't really been feeling motivated to continue this. In this part Sayuri is kidnapped by bandits and rescued by Inuyasha. But during the struggle the Shikon Jewel breaks and all the pieces go flying off in different directions. Not good!

Seekers of the Sacred Jewel

After hearing Kaede out, Sayuri decided to take a walk through the village, "Hey, want to take a walk with me Inuyasha?"

He looked up at her from where he lay sideways, "Feh, no thank you." He'd said it in a grumpy tone of voice.

"Uh… okay, have it your way." With that she left the hut, not understanding why Inuyasha was being so rude to her. As she walked through the village a lot of villagers stared at her. Sayuri felt a bit uneasy by that, but tried to ignore it.

People were whispering about her, "She's the reincarnation of who?"

Another said, "They say that girl there is really Kikyo."

"That's Kikyo-sama for those that respect her."

"Lady Kikyo's come back to us just like she said she would." The villagers then started praying at Sayuri as if they were worshiping a god.

"Now, there's no need for that, so stop it. I'm just an ordinary woman like all of you. I'm not even Kikyo. My name is Sayuri," she corrected them. However, not listening to her they all gave her lots of food, which showed even more they worshipped her. "Uh… thank you." She sweat dropped and just took the food and walked off very quickly.

She went to look for Inuyasha and found him sulking in a tree. He noticed her watching him, "Feh, what do you want? And what do you have there?"

"I got this stuff from the villagers, however it's way too much for me. Would you like some?" Sayuri smiled up at him. She was trying very hard to get Inuyasha to feel at ease with her. She got the feeling he didn't quite trust her yet. Plus, the fact he had yet to call her by name. However, Inuyasha just gave her an odd look before jumping down from the tree and grabbing a long radish from the bag as he sat down, beginning to eat.

Sayuri, grinning, pulled an apple out of the bag. She sat next to Inuyasha and begun eating as well. Inuyasha turned to her, glaring a bit, "I don't know what you're up to but I ain't buying it!"

"What do you mean?" Sayuri asked, in between bites. But Inuyasha continued to stare at her, "What? Is there something on my face?"

"Feh!" Inuyasha grunted and turned away from her.

"Hey! What's your problem huh?!" Sayuri asked. That was the wrong thing to say. Inuyasha dropped the veggie and jumped back onto the tree branch, sulking again. "Is this about me looking like Kikyo? Look, I know you hate her but I'm not Kikyo. No matter how much I look like her I'm not her. I'm Sayuri. I'd like to be your friend if you've let me."

"I have no friends! Especially not a dumb girl like you!" Inuyasha yelled.

"But Inuyasha…" Sayuri started getting tears in her eyes at his hurtful words.

"Just go away and leave me alone! I can't stand you!" Inuyasha demanded. Sayuri had a hurtful look on her face. She got up just leaving the bags of food sitting there as she walked away, sobbing. She now knew Inuyasha actually hated her and she couldn't blame him. After all, she did look like Kikyo, the woman who betrayed him.

For the rest of the day Inuyasha kept ignoring her and wouldn't say a single word to her, even when Sayuri tried talking to him. She went to bed in Kaede's hut that night, sobbing. However, she didn't notice these odd black birds pecking at the window as she slept. Since windows didn't have glass back then they were about to fly in at her when Inuyasha chased them away.

"Feh, they've come because they smell the jewel. Stupid vultures." Inuyasha then jumped into a tree nearby to get some rest as the demon crows flew off in fright.

The next morning Sayuri decided it best she just go home. It was quite obvious Inuyasha didn't want her here. So why should she stay? She totally ignored Kaede when she'd warned her about demons and even humans seeking the sacred jewel. She headed for the forest, "Hmm, I came out of the well right? So, I should be able to get back through there." However, when she got to the spot the well was supposed to be, it was gone, "The well!" She gasped, "It's gone!" She was in a panicked state after realizing the well had vanished. How would she ever get back to her own time now?

However, before she could think of what to do now, some creeps grabbed her from behind. She cried out in terror as they covered her mouth and dragged her away.

While unknown to her, Kaede was going around the village looking for her, "I guess she didn't listen when I warned her greedy humans will seek the jewel as well. She must have gone back into the forest." Inuyasha heard her and getting worried, jumped down from the tree he'd been resting in.

"Stupid girl," he mumbled, smelling out Sayuri's scent as he looked for her. When he found her, she was with a group of bandits in a small hut. The bandit leader was about to bring down his sword and cut her in two, "Oh no you don't! Not if I can help it!" Inuyasha jumped in, breaking the weapon in half just as it was brought down.

Sayuri looked up, "Inuyasha, thank you."

"Are you stupid or what!? You could have gotten yourself killed!" He yelled at her.

"I'm sorry," she answered. All the bandits left the hut just then through the hole in the wall Inuyasha had made with his entrance.

"Eww, what's that? It smells like rotting meat," stated Inuyasha. At his words Sayuri turned to the bandit leader as they both watched a crack appear in the man's chest where his heart was supposed to be. The crack got bigger and bigger until a large crow popped its head out.

"Ew, gross! I think I'm going to be sick," Sayuri looked like she was going to throw up.

"It's a demon crow. They're pretty weak on their own. So, they look for dead bodies to inhabit. Which is what makes them nasty!" Inuyasha punched through the guy's chest as the crow flew out of the body and it turned into nothing but bones.

The crow then flew straight at Sayuri and grabbed the jewel from around her neck. Afterwards it flew towards the open window. Inuyasha was about to go after it, however Sayuri tripped up on a crack in the floor, landing on top of Inuyasha, making him fall flat on his face as the crow flew out the window with the jewel in its mouth. "Hey! Would you watch what you're doing please!" he snapped.

"Sorry," Sayuri apologized again. "But besides that, we have to get the jewel back."

"You think I don't know that!" He pulled her by the hand as they both exited the hut, spotting a bow and arrows nearby. Inuyasha grabbed the tools and put Sayuri on his back. Then he raced after the crow who was trying to swallow the jewel.

"What's it doing? Is it trying to swallow the jewel?" Sayuri wondered.

"If that happens things will be bad. If you think things are bad now just let it swallow the jewel. The only way to stop it is to shoot it down with a sacred arrow. And only you can do it." He handed her the bow and arrows.

"Me? Use an arrow? But… I've never used a bow before. I've never even been in a fight," Sayuri told him.

"Will you at least try please?" Inuyasha asked her.

"Okay, fine. I'll do it," she gave in.

"Kikyo was a master archer. Take it in one shot," he explained. He then smirked to himself, secretly planning on taking Sayuri out after they dealt with the crow, completely forgetting about the beads around his neck.

"But I'm not Kikyo. How many times do I have to explain this to you? My name's Sayuri not Kikyo." However, she decided to let it slide as Inuyasha jumped up into the air, she aimed and shot an arrow at the crow just as it swallowed the jewel and missed. She then took a second arrow and tried again, figuring she'd hit it this time since it had just gotten bigger. However, she missed again. Annoyed at her, Inuyasha stopped and threw her onto the ground from his back.

"Ow! What was that for?" She rubbed her sore ass.

"I don't care what the old woman says! You are not Kikyo, understand! I am SO out of here!" He then turned and left her there.

"Please! Come back. Give me one more chance. I'm sorry!" Sayuri cried. But it was no use. Inuyasha was gone. She then ran after him the way he went trying to catch up to him. When she did Sayuri noticed the crow flying low to the ground, "I'll show you I can do this!" She jumped at the crow but missed, falling into the water. She noticed it had a child in its grip. "Oh no!"

"Looking for your next meal already huh," Inuyasha jumped at the crow.

"No Inuyasha! Don't! It has a hostage!" Sayuri begged. It was no use. He used his claws, cutting into the crow turning it into tiny pieces. The boy it was holding fell into the river with Sayuri and she grabbed him, swimming to shore as the villagers watched, calling her a water imp.

"Weirdos," she sighed.

"Thank you for saving my son," the child's mother cried out in joy.

"Save the jewel stupid! The jewel!" Inuyasha called from the other side of the river.

"If you'll just give me a minute I was about to," she told him. However, she was too late. The crow reformed and started flying away, the jewel still inside it. She noticed the crow's foot was still attached to the kid though. She then asked a villager if she could borrow his bow and arrows.

"Feh! You know you're not going to hit it so why even bother?" Inuyasha told her.

"It's okay, I'll hit it this time," she told him. She took some rope and tied the crow's foot to the arrow and shot the arrow at the crow. As the arrow hit, there was a blinding flash of light. "Oh no! That doesn't look good!" Sayuri gasped.

"You did it!" Inuyasha gasped in surprise as he joined her on the other side of the river. The two of them then went off, looking for the jewel. It took them all day to find it. Sayuri's feet got sore, so she took off her shoes and started walking bare foot. It was already dark out.

Suddenly, "Ow!"

"What now?" Inuyasha asked her.

"I stepped on something." She leaned down and picked up something pink and shiny that looked like a piece of broken glass, 'Oh no! I broke the jewel!' She tried to hide it behind her back, knowing Inuyasha would be pissed off.

"What do you have there? Let me see it!" He went to grab what she had behind her back. She tried to stop him, but it was no use. After taking a good look at it and realizing what it was, he broke out into a rage, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"