Author's Note: Okay I'm back again with a new chapter. Thanks so much for the reviews everyone! This might be the last one I post before Xmas, but I'll see. Also I'm making the chapter's a little shorter, I know long chapters are hard to get through sometimes. Enjoy!
The next day, it was storming horribly. The roads were mushy and muddy, which would be any traveler's nightmare. Too bad for them, they were those very travelers. Kagome held her pink umbrella in her hand tightly as she walked down the muddy road. She was carrying Shippo on her shoulder, he wanted to be under the umbrella as well. Sango was huddling under the small umbrella as well with Kirara on her shoulder. Miroku and Inuyasha were out of luck, they were forced to walk in the rain, being pounding relentlessly with the cold drops of water.
They were headed toward a village where they could possibly seek shelter until it stopped raining. Their main itinerary was to hunt down the band of seven. Kagome shivered slightly from the cool breeze that surrounded them. Her hair was becoming stringy from the rain and her clothes were between damp and wet. If they didn't find shelter soon they all be sure to catch colds. Kagome looked up ahead and saw the village that Miroku had told them about.
Kagome smiled. "We're almost there!" she announced happily.
Miroku nodded. "Yes, I know a barter who lives there. Perhaps I could sell a few items for money." he said with a smirk.
Sango narrowed his her eyes at him. "How come he's the only one who seems to pick up mysterious 'items' to sell?" she said.
Kagome laughed sheepishly. "He has his ways, Sango." After a few more minutes of walking, they finally made it into the village. Miroku met up with his barter friend and sold a few things so that they could afford a place to sleep. The inn they stayed in wasn't the best, but it was a million times better than sleeping outside.
After they settled down in the inn, they all found themselves sitting around having green tea to warm themselves up. They all wore white kimonos while their clothes dried, save for Inuyasha, who claimed that he wouldn't get sick.
Kagome sipped her tea quietly and listened to what everyone else was talking about. The warm liquid ran through her and she felt better already. 'I hope I don't get sick. We're miles away from the well.' she thought. Her mother told her to bring some medicine with her just in case, but no, she had to make room for Inuyasha's snacks.
Miroku sipped his tea as well. He looked over to Inuyasha, who was sitting down by the door. "Tell me, Inuyasha, are you sure that Jakotsu fled in this direction?" he asked.
Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah, that bastard was probably running back to the rest of them. My nose can't really pick up their scents since there is so much moisture in the air." he said. He was determined to end the reign of the band of seven by all means.
Sango spoke up. "I took a walk around and asked a few villagers about the whereabouts of the band of seven. One of them said that an oddly dressed man was seen walking around earlier in the day." she told.
"Feh. It was probably that damn Jakotsu. I wonder why he just didn't raid the village?" Inuyasha said.
"They're probably laying low for now. If he would've caused a commotion we would have easily been able to track them. They're clever, I must admit." Miroku commented.
Inuyasha smirked. "As soon as this rain stops, we'll get those bastards." he said with determination.
Kagome remained quiet. She really didn't have anything to say at the moment, especially about the band of seven. Every time she tried to forget about them, they just kept bringing it back up. She was trying to rid her mind of the Shichinintai leader, but it was pointless if everyone kept talking about them. 'I have to keep it together, at least for now.' she thought. Though it was inevitable that they would run into the band of seven, she had to think positively.
The rain was absolutely horrible. The weather had become chilly and it was rather windy. They had all been inside, focusing and minding their own business for the day. Today they were actually supposed to raid a village not too far from where they were, but it rained. Jakotsu sighed as he finally arrived back at the abandoned castle. Renkotsu was definitely picking on him. He had been minding his own business when Renkotsu requested that he go into the village they were supposed to raid and buy some more sake. Worst of all, he had been ordered not to kill anyone or stir up any trouble. He had received a lot of weird looks from the villagers, but he quickly bought the sake and got out of there.
Jakotsu walked through the halls, hugging himself for warmth. He was soaking wet and cold. He shivered slightly and sighed. "It's so cold. I'm probably going to get sick." he said to himself. He slid the door open and walked into the room where Renkotsu was sitting. He was surprised to see Suikotsu in there as well. He looked from Renkotsu to Suikotsu in confusion. "What's going on? Is this a meeting or something?" he asked.
Renkotsu opened his eyes and glared at Jakotsu. He then noticed the jug of sake in his hand. He smirked slightly. He had no need for any more sake, he just wanted to rid himself of Jakotsu for a while. He and Suikotsu were discussing some important matters. "Jakotsu, take a seat." he said in a stern voice.
Jakotsu eyed him strangely. He was receiving stares from both Suikotsu and Renkotsu. "What is it? Do you see through my kimono or something? I am wet, you know, from the rain, you made me walk in, to get your sake." he said with an irritable look. He sat down once Renkotsu narrowed his eyes at him dangerously.
Renkotsu glared at Jakotsu and then he softened his expression a bit. "Jakotsu, why don't you have yourself some sake." he said.
Jakotsu looked at him in bafflement. "Nah, I'm not in the mood." he said. What were they up to?
Renkotsu smirked. His first plan was to get Jakotsu drunk so that he would tell them anything that Bankotsu hadn't. He had a feeling that he and Bankotsu were keeping things from them since they were 'best buddies'. "Very well, Jakotsu, we've come up with a new plan to get rid of Inuyasha and his friends." he started.
Jakotsu's face lit up with excitement. "Really! I've been waiting for some action, especially if it involves Inuyasha." he said with glee. "Was that it? What's the big deal, we always come up with this plan."
Renkotsu fought his urge to just hit his idiotic comrade. He smiled instead. "The big deal is that we're changing our tactics. We're going to kidnap Inuyasha's wench and hold her hostage. But unlike our last attempt, we'll succeed in having Inuyasha at a disadvantage. He'll do anything to protect her, even give up his shards of the jewel. Oh, and we will not be telling big brother about this." he explained.
Jakotsu stood up. "What do you mean that we won't be telling big brother!? We can't do this, it's not fair, it's not fair!" he whined incessantly.
Renkotsu closed his eyes and shook his head. He just couldn't take it anymore, he was driving him crazy. Renkotsu stood up and grabbed Jakotsu by his kimono. "Jakotsu! Listen to me!! You know that big brother has some sort of infatuation with that girl and if we don't do something quick, she'll get in the way of our plans. The jewel shards in our very necks are what's keeping us alive and if we succeed in destroying Inuyasha we can keep them!" he yelled.
"Renkotsu!" Suikotsu yelled from the corner of the room. "Don't use violence against your own comrade, save it for Inuyasha." he said in his deep voice.
Renkotsu let go of Jakotsu's kimono and pushed him back. He sighed and calmed his nerves. "I'm sorry, Jakotsu. I'm just trying to do what's best for us. We have to get rid of Inuyasha and his pesky friends before it's too late." he said. "Now please, just don't tell big brother about any of this, all right?" he said with a forced smile.
Jakotsu straightened out his kimono with an annoyed look. He would never betray big brother, they were more like best friends rather than comrades. But in a sense, Renkotsu was right. Getting rid of Inuyasha would save their lives. Jakotsu sighed. "Yeah, whatever. But you better not tell him that I had anything to do with this." he demanded.
The door slid open and all three occupants of the room snapped their heads towards it. They all remained silent and tried to act casual. Bankotsu stepped into the room and looked around. He noticed how strange everyone was acting, especially Renkotsu. His blue eyes snapped towards the man with the bandana adorning his head. "Yo, what's going on here? You guys having a party or something...without me? Or were you just talking about me?" he asked suspiciously as his eyes scanned the room.
The room was dead silent until Renkotsu spoke up. Renkotsu laughed slightly. "Of course not, big brother. Jakotsu brought back some sake for us and we were just going to share it." he lied flawlessly.
Bankotsu looked over to Jakotsu, who was playing with his stringy hair. "What's up with you, Jakotsu? You look weird." he observed, looking at Jakotsu closer.
Jakotsu bit his lip and looked over at Renkotsu, who was glaring daggers at him, then back to Bankotsu. "I'm just cold from the rain. I had to go all the way to the village to buy some sake, I might be getting sick." he said. He didn't completely lie, he was feeling cold, but he was probably sick because he was following Renkotsu's plan.
Bankotsu looked around the room once more before leaving. He knew that something was going on, but he didn't feel like interrogating anyone. Once he left, everyone relaxed with a sigh of relief. Renkotsu looked at Jakotsu with a smirk. "Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Jakotsu just rolled his eyes. "Well, let's get going." he said.
The rain hadn't let up at all, in fact, it had gotten much worse. But it was obvious that the drizzle would develop into a downpour and then into a full blown storm. The sky was filled with endless dark gray skies, without one single ray of sunshine. Inuyasha groaned in annoyance as he sat down with his arms folded. He desperately wanted to find and kill the remainder of the Shichinintai, but something as simple as sky water was preventing him from doing so. He looked back an noticed how peacefully everyone else was sleeping. Kagome was cuddled up with Shippo while Sango did the same with Kirara. Mirkou had fallen asleep last, leaning against the wall in a sitting position.
'What is it with humans falling asleep while it rains?' he thought to himself. He ignored his thoughts and slid the door open a crack to peer outside. From the simple crack in the door, rain still managed to fall in. Inuyasha closed the door again. "Damn!" he cursed aloud. "This is just our luck." he sighed. He closed his eyes and decided that he would join his friends in slumber. Maybe rest would do him some good. Not more than five minutes passed when...
"Phantoms!!! Phantoms!!!" a loud scream pierced through a loud crack of thunder.
Inuyasha bolted his eyes open in an instant and stood up with his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Yo, Miroku!" he called. He watched as he opened his eyes and looked at him with a questioning gaze. "We got trouble!" he said and he slid the door open.
Mirkou quickly stood up with his staff in hand and looked over to the girls. "Shall, I awake Sango and Kagome?" he asked.
Inuyasha shook his head. "Nah! This could be dangerous! It's the band of seven!" he said as he headed out into the rain.
Miroku walked to the door until he heard the meowing sound coming from Kirara. He looked back. Kirara moved away from Sango and walked towards him. "You're coming too, Kirara?" he asked. Kirara jumped outside and transformed into her larger form and growled as she followed Inuyasha. Miroku followed in tow.
Inuyasha stood in the rain with his Tetsusaiga drawn. He peered through the rain and saw a man's body lying in a puddle mixed with rain water, mud, and blood. His neck had slash marks across it, gushing blood. Inuyasha let out a low growl. "Come out you bastards! Im waiting for you!" He didn't have to look back to notice that Miroku and Kirara had joined him.
Miroku peered through the falling rain and made out the figures of two men. They were lucky that it was only two of them and they traveled by foot. It was odd, they probably came for a particular reason. "Inuyasha! I can see only two of them, what does this mean?" he yelled out. His voice was almost being drowned out by the sound of the rain and occasional thunder.
"Yeah, it's Renkotsu and Suikotsu. They were stupid to come in small numbers!" he yelled, as he ran towards them.
Suikotsu smirked as he saw Inuyasha running towards him and he lifted his claws. "I'll deal with Inuyasha, you distract the monk." Suikotsu said as he jumped in Inuyasha's direction.
Miroku watched as Suikotsu and Inuyasha engaged in battle, metal claws against the sword. He turned his head towards someone's laughter. Renkotsu walked towards him. "Your battle is with me, monk." he said.
Miroku smirked and held his staff horizontally. "Yes, but it seems that your fire thread trick is rendered useless in this weather." he said.
Renkotsu laughed again. "How observant , but I have something else for you today." he said he pulled a big cannon-like gun off of his back and pointed at his opponent. He smirked as he fired the large gun.
Kirara quickly forced Mirkou onto her back and took off into the air. The shot hit the ground and a large explosion covered the area and became smoke-filled. Inuyasha turned his head towards the explosion. "Miroku!!" he called.
Suikotsu smirked and slashed Inuyasha in the abdomen when he was distracted. His claws dripped with blood, but it was washed off quickly by the rain. "Pay attention!" he yelled.
Renkotsu smirked. 'Perfect, now all Jakotsu has to do is not screw his part up, but it should be easy since he's dealing with women.' he thought evilly.
Lightening flashed again, followed by a loud crack of thunder. Kagome awoke, not only by the sound of the thunder, but by the small droplets of water hitting her face. She opened her eyes slowly and looked around the now dark room. The door was open and the place where Inuyasha once sat was covered with a puddle of water. The candles that were lit in the room were probably blown out from the wind. "The storm has gotten worse." she said aloud. 'Where's Inuyasha and Miroku?' she thought.
She nudged Sango and she opened her eyes groggily. "What's wrong?" she asked. Sango sat up and looked around. "Where have Inuyasha and Miroku gone?" she asked.
The floor creaked and the two girls snapped their heads towards the sound. They both stood up, feeling alarmed. "Hey Sango, maybe we should get dressed." Kagome said as she grabbed her uniform that was hanging on the wall and quickly dressed herself. Sango had done the same, dressing in her slayer apparel. The creaking sound could be heard again from within the room, but it too dark to see anything further than a three foot range.
Sango grabbed her hiraikotsu. "Who's there?!" she asked, standing in front of Kagome.
A sigh could be heard. "Women really are stupid!" a voice said.
Sango's eyes widened in shock. Lightening flashed briefly and they could see the man in the corner of the room as well as the glint coming from slinging blades. Sango gasped and held up her weapon to protect her from the oncoming attack. She stumbled back slightly from the impact from his weapon.
Kagome narrowed her eyes. "Jakotsu! What do you want from us?" she asked angrily. It was so dark that she could even locate her bow and arrows.
Jakotsu sighed in annoyance. "I don't want anything from you, but apparently someone else does. Now let's not make this difficult, I'm not in the mood today." he said. They were acting like they were blinded by the slight darkness, but he knew from their movements where they were. He heard the girl lift up her large boomerang again and he quickly slung his sword in her direction and he heard her let out a cry of pain. He smirked.
Sango fell to her knees, holding her abdomen in pain. Jakotsu's blade had sliced her pretty deeply, but it wasn't fatal. Kagome ran to her side. "Sango!" she cried. "Are you all right?!" she asked, tears appearing in her eyes.
Sango gave Kagome a wry smile, trying her best to keep consciousness. "Yeah, I'm okay. You better run now." she told her. Her eyelids were becoming heavy and she felt the need to just rest.
Kagome felt around on the floor and she found her bow along with her quiver of arrows. She pulled one out and notched it onto her bow and aimed it in the direction her gut was telling her to. Before she could fire the arrow it was knocked out of her hands. "Oh no!" she cried out. She looked up and noticed that she was going to fire her arrow in the right direction, plus she sensed a jewel shard. She sensed a lot of jewel shards. 'All of the band of seven is attacking now!' she thought.
Jakotsu shouldered his blade over his shoulder. "Okay wench, let's go." he said. He walked towards her until he towered over the girl. She tried to run, but he simply grabbed a wad of her hair and dragged her out of the door kicking and screaming.
Inuyasha snapped his head towards the screaming and his eyes widened when he saw Kagome being dragged out by Jakotsu. "Kagome!!!" he yelled. Due to his inattentiveness, he received a slash in the arm from Suikotsu.
Renkotsu smirked at their success. "It's time to retreat men!" he yelled. He fired another shot from his gun and the area became clouded with smoke once more.
Inuyasha covered his face from the smoke. He grew tired of waiting and his blade began to swirl with wind. "Wind scar!!!" he yelled. The area cleared of the smoke, but it was too late, they were gone, with Kagome at that. "Damn it all!!!" he yelled in rage. He looked down and noticed a wet piece of paper laying in a puddle and picked it up and read it. Inuyasha squinted his eyes and tried to read the letter, which the ink was nearly washed away.
'Inuyasha, to save...life...jewel shards...next full moon.' he read in his mind, skipping over words that were ruined. He balled his the note in his hand with anger. 'We don't have any jewel shards, how can we...Kagome...' he thought. He had to inform the others.
Author's note: Poor Kagome! I wonder what'll happen next?! Lol Happy Holidays everyone!
