Doctor Ohira Naraku paced back and forth through his laboratory, stopping once in a while to shout at the three assassins standing in a neat row in front of him. As Naraku stopped again, the three men cringed and withdrew, neither one daring to look him in the eye.

"One year," Naraku said as he stopped pacing, his voice dangerously low. "I give you one year to find my escaped test subject, and you girls couldn't even find her? She's only fifteen years old: a mere freshman!"

"She's a genius, though," one man, Burt, muttered under his breath. But as soon as he spoke, he regretted his words immediately; they might as well been the last words he uttered. Naraku walked over and looked up at Burt; although he was small compared to the man, his evident control over everything seemed to make him look stronger.

Suddenly, the burly hit-man collapsed to the floor. Bleeding furiously, he clutched his wound painfully as he struggled to stand. Thick red liquid streamed out of a large gash in his chest, and a drop of blood trickled out from the corner of his mouth, sliding down until it joined the scarlet mess on the man's upper body. Burt moaned and stuffed his fist into the wound, trying to stop the blood from pouring out. His two acquaintances shifted uncomfortably, but did nothing to help him in fear of having the same fate.

Naraku exercised his fingers, which were now coated with a layer of steel and razor-sharp spikes. They were dripping with blood. Burt's blood.

"I don't care if she's a genius," Naraku said calmly, walking away. "You have one week to find Agent Higurashi or I will dispose of you."

The door closed.

The remaining two hit-men released huge sighs as Naraku walked away, and both looked at Burt, who was lying down on the floor. The slash in Burt's chest was an inch away from the heart, but still, it was deep, and therefore fatal. Burt should've been dead by now. But no, now the wound on his chest was pulsing and bubbling, looking very much like it was infested by leeches; it was a truly grotesque sight. The tissues and cells were regenerating rapidly, thanks to the pill that Naraku had given Burt ages before.

Ohira Naraku was a dangerous, cruel man; half crazed from obsession of science, he specialized in the study of the brain, but also knew a lot about regeneration. He was a genius, no doubt, albeit one not quite right in the head. Still, it wasn't that surprising for him to be involved in a charity dance, because he was quite important in the government and the market.

In a few minutes, the hit-man's wound was fully healed, and all that was left on his skin was a raw, salmon-colored scar, which would forever remind him of what had happened.

--

Saturday had finally come.

"Come on, Kagome!" Souta hollered. He was dressed in a small tuxedo, and had a flower tucked neatly in his jacket pocket. "We're gonna be late!"

"I know; coming!" Kagome yelled back. She slid down the staircase banister expertly, dressed in a dark blue dress with thin, gossamer sleeves, which were now slightly ruffled.

The siblings hurried into Kagome's car and drove off, slightly panicked.

There was a silence in the car as Kagome leaned back in her seat to catch her breath. She didn't notice Souta hesitating behind her. After a long while of stillness, Souta finally cleared his throat.

"Um, sis, I've never seen that dress before," he said, bowing his head uncomfortably; that was what he always did when he lied. Actually, he had seen the expensive-looking dress once or twice before. Just before the rumours about the death of a Russian Mafia leader started, Kagome had slipped out of the house in the middle of the night in the dress. Souta thought it extremely suspicious, but when he talked about her sneaking out of the house, Kagome got really white and refused to speak. So Souta never talked about that stuff ever again.

"Uh-huh," Kagome answered absent-mindedly. Of course Souta had never seen the dress before. It was hidden in the secret compartment behind her closet, and she used it only on special occasions. "I bought it a few days ago for the dance."

Souta frowned. Why was his sister lying to him?

"Anyways, are you excited about the dance?"

"Of course," Souta beamed, momentarily distracted. After all, Kagome didn't seem to be trying to change the topic. "You?"

I don't know, I'll probably break the antisocial guise I've been working so hard on, I might have too much fun than necessary, and I'll have to endure the endless droning of that idiot Inuyasha. "Sure."

Soon, the two were at a fancy, expensive-looking hotel that had a huge sign at the door:

CHARITY DANCE

Kagome and Souta entered the hotel, and after showing their tickets, they were directed to a huge ball room.

The ballroom was slightly crowded, but Kagome found Sango with little difficulty, for she was waving her hands rapidly in Kagome's direction, an excited expression on her face. Kagome hurried over. She didn't know when she had gotten so used to Sango, Miroku, and maybe even Inuyasha's presence…

Inuyasha had seen Kagome way before Sango had noticed her. Kagome was looking around for them, and, although he hated to admit it, she looked beautiful. The dress, which seemed to be customized specially for Kagome, fit her body perfectly, accentuating her perfect curves and adding a mysterious aura.

She seemed to be a goddess, dignified and grand.

"Kagome, you look great!" Sango said enthusiastically, interrupting Inuyasha's thoughts and making him look away. Sango was dressed in a fairly simple black dress, her hair let down and flowing down her back. Although her costume was pretty plain, she looked impressive.

"You too," Kagome replied honestly. She turned to the boys, who were both standing awkwardly in tuxedoes. They both looked uncomfortable, especially Inuyasha, who was stiff and seemingly hot from the jacket. His hair was in a ponytail, like always, but it was neater, and Kagome felt slightly weird as Inuyasha's golden eyes bored into her own.

"Whatcha looking at, wench?" Inuyasha snapped, trying to hide his unnaturalness. Kagome raised an eyebrow, and Inuyasha winced as he realized that it made her look prettier, smarter. He could slap himself for thinking like Miroku.

"Oh, I see I have a new nickname," Kagome said dryly. "Anyways, I was just wondering what an oversized penguin was doing in Inuyasha's place." She could see Inuyasha's face turn ugly. He opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a magnified voice blaring from the speakers.

"Attention, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming here."

Kagome froze.

She heard that silky tone only in her nightmares; the last time she had actually heard it, she was trapped and being t—

"I am Doctor Ohira Naraku," the voice continued. It was him! Kagome's knees buckled, but she managed to keep standing by clutching the nearest person's shoulder.

Inuyasha stiffened when he heard Naraku's voice; he hated it so much: it sounded too manipulative, too silky. A hand suddenly gripped his shoulder; he could feel the nails digging into his skin.

"What are—" Inuyasha stopped in mid-sentence as he saw Kagome's face. She was as white as a ghost, and her eyes were huge, stricken with terror.

"I-I'm sorry," Kagome mumbled, taking her shaking hand off Inuyasha's shoulder. She stumbled as she walked away. "Excuse me."

Inuyasha looked at Kagome, who was walking shakily but briskly away. "'Scuse me," he said to Miroku, and ran off after Kagome. Miroku showed Sango a knowing smile, and Sango slapped him before grinning back.

They had no idea what was really happening.

--

Kagome stumbled into the janitor's closet and promptly sat down. What was he doing here? Actually, she should've suspected something the moment she went in the fancy hotel. But her senses were probably dimmed after a year of not… sleuthing. Plus, she was actually excited, and thus distracted. Another thought dawned on Kagome—the dress! Naraku knew that this particular dress was designed for her; did he see it when he was up there talking?

"You alright?" Inuyasha asked as he opened the door. Kagome looked at him, startled, but still smiled weakly.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said, standing up. "It's nothing; when I was young, I had a heart-attack, and sometimes I find that it's hard to breathe; it's nothing." Those were all lies, of course; Kagome had never had any problem with her heart. She could see that Inuyasha looked more relaxed now; he was still sceptical, though.

"Are you sure that you're okay?" Inuyasha asked slowly, looking into Kagome's eyes. Hopefully, the phrase 'Eyes never lie' was right.

Kagome returned the stare; she was good at this. "Ye—" She was about to say, but the sound of soft footsteps suddenly echoed through the halls.

"Kagome, you can run, and you can hide, but you can't escape."

Thump. The footstep sounds were louder now.

You can't escape.

Kagome melted to the floor.

Without moment's hesitation, Inuyasha picked the girl up. Kagome's body was very light, and in his arms, she seemed unusually small and frail. Suddenly, Inuyasha was aware of the faint smell of leather wafting from Kagome's body, the crystal beads of sweat on her forehead.

"Where to?"

"The garden, somewhere nobody goes anymore. Away from the lobby." Kagome closed her eyes, and her long, thick eyelashes fluttered slightly.

Inuyasha sprinted towards the garden, and the two spent the rest of the time in silence.

The garden was huge, quiet, bushy. The bushes and trees were tall and made good hiding places, Kagome observed. Everyone in the hotel was in the ballroom, so the garden seemed lonely and abandoned: the perfect place to rest.

Inuyasha set Kagome down on a bench and sat next to the girl, who was slowly regaining colour. Kagome's face was still pale, but her eyes now seemed more relaxed, and her breathing was slower.

"What happened?" Inuyasha asked quietly after observing the girl. "It seems like you're running away from something. Somebody." Kagome looked at him in surprise. She had originally thought Inuyasha an ignorant, naive imbecile, although a handsome one. Now, he seemed actually intelligent

Kagome looked at the cracked pavement on the ground. Should she tell him? Thump. He seemed like a good person, actually. Thump. After all, he did take her to the garden. Thump.

What? Diving into the tall bushes, Kagome called, "Someone's coming!" She slid through the plants and was suddenly gone. Or so it seemed. Because she was trained to hide her prescence among leaves and plants, Kagome would have no problem avoiding him. She could make herself invisible and completely silent in the bushes. There was no way he could find her.

The footsteps came closer and closer, until they finally stopped.

"Hello, Inuyasha, Kagome," Naraku said. "Missed me?"

--

Inuyasha tensed, but tried to act more relaxed. He was actually good at doing that; it was something that you had to do when meeting Dad's important business partners all the time.

"Hello, Doctor Ohira," Inuyasha said lightly. "How are you?"

Naraku smiled. "I'm fine, Inuyasha. But I was wondering."

"Please speak." Inuyasha gave his most polite smile.

"Ah," Naraku said, looking amused. "Before I say anything, I need you to know that helping someone you barely know will not help you."

"I don't know what you mean," Inuyasha said stiffly. He, of course, still disliked Naraku extremely because of what had happened some days ago.

"I want to know where Kagome is." Naraku smiled expectantly.

I knew it, Inuyasha thought. But he said,"Who's Kagome?"

The man in front of him laughed. "Ah, you're playing dumb, aren't you? But I want to know where Kagome lives and works, and I want to know now."

"I really don't know who this Kagome person is," Inuyasha said, feigning some anger. "Is this some joke of some sort?"

Naraku's smile vanished. "Cut the crap, Mr. Takahashi. I know that Kagome is here somewhere, but I can't get her; she has the advantage. Help me find her, or you'll have hell to pay."

Inuyasha sucked in some cold air. The atmosphere had suddenly tensed enormously, and he could almost feel the frost surrounding him, threatening to swallow him whole. Naraku's cold eyes bored into his own, and he felt like dozens of small bugs were blocking his nose, mouth, suffocating him. Inuyasha could still hear the bushes that Kagome was hiding in rustle once in a while, but now, they were silent as death.

"I don't know who you're talking about, Naraku," he said stiffly. "And I don't enjoy being threatened, either. If you don't mind, please leave."

Naraku stared at Inuyasha for a long time, his gaze unwavering. Suddenly, he burst into laughter. "Well, you actually thought I was serious? Higurashi Kagome was my dear friend; she helped me a lot in my research." Naraku's eyes twinkled. "Yes, she was very helpful in my research. I was just bored, and I decided to play with your mind." Naraku smiled and waved as he turned to leave. "Good-bye, Inuyasha, enjoy the refreshments."

Inuyasha heaved a sigh as Naraku's shadowy figure disappeared, not even bothering to decipher the message Naraku had added in his talking. He turned to the bushes. "Hey, you can come out now," he said, crouching down and beckoning Kagome out. There was a small rustle in the bushes, and Kagome's hand poked out of the bushes, holding out a small squirrel and stuffing it in Inuyasha's hands.

"What the heck are you doing?" Inuyasha furrowed his brow as he dangled the squirrel from one hand. "What is this?" Inuyasha pointed to the squirrel in rage. He did not really like forest creatures, especially not cute forest creatures. A squirrel had bitten him when he was young, and he had hated any sort of forest creature for ages.

"I see." A voice came from behind Inuyasha; and he spun around immediately.

Naraku was standing behind Inuyasha, his face stony. He turned slowly to Inuyasha, his mouth set in a tight line. "I was just checking to see if I had left anything here," Naraku said slowly, as if he were forcing the words from between his teeth. "It seems that nothing was left back here." Naraku's eyes were dull and unforgiving as he looked at Inuyasha, but this time he said nothing.

The silence was long, and life in the garden could be heard clearly. Grasshoppers chirped noisily, and unknown animals rustled the bushes. There were also faint noises from the ballroom, but they were just murmurs.

"Anyhow, I will be going," Naraku said, and left in silence.

Inuyasha stared at his hand. The squirrel had escaped his clutches a long time ago. How in the world did Kagome catch a squirrel in the bushes? And how did she know that Naraku would be here a second time?

"You can really come out now," Inuyasha said as he stuck his head in the bushes and brought Kagome's limp body out of the leaves. It seemed that she fainted from exhaustion or something.

"Girls," he muttered as he placed Kagome on the bench. "So weak." He felt Kagome's forehead. Her skin was cold, very cold, so it couldn't be a fever, and her breathing was unnatural; it sounded machine-like, almost mechanic. Something was desperately wrong.

"Hey, you alright?" Inuyasha asked, shaking Kagome. The girl didn't answer. Inuyasha shook Kagome more, but she did not wake up.

He looked at the girl. Like always, her features were delicate, but they seemed to be missing the hard stubbornness that he noticed she had. Everything about her seemed the same, but her skin was pale and sickly. What was happening to her?

"Hello, Kagome, I see you've finally come out." a voice suddenly said. Inuyasha looked up in panic, and his eyes met the cruel, triumphant eyes of Naraku.


A/N: This chapter is longer than the others, as you can tell… I'm making it up for you guys cuz I think that the ending is kinda stiff. There's some weird, messed up goriness in the beginning, and I'm new to it, so if it sounds awkward, I'm sorry. But hey, I gotta make people suffer, or else it won't be a good story. And I'm sorry that it's kinda a cliffy… you guys probably don't like them, but I do.