Author's Note: Hello again everyone and thanks for the reviews. I see some were confused with Kagome's reactions from the last chapter.XD Kagome is a very considerate girl and she always puts the needs of others before her own. She feels herself falling for Bankotsu(who wouldn't he's drop dead gorgeous) ahem, but she feels guilty and fears that what she is doing will ultimately hurt Inuyasha(yes, the same Inuyasha who would go to hell with Kikyo and what not) So, when she said that she 'loves' Inuyasha that's her way of trying to convince herself that she still does, but she didn't expect such a strong reaction from Bankotsu. In this chappie, she's still trying to decide which way her heart will go, but once you've had Bankotsu you never go back...(ooooh I'm naughty) Chapter 6 everyone!
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha...if I did, I doubt Adult Swim would even have the guts to air it!
"Iron weaver soul stealer!" Inuyasha cried out. The large ape demon was sliced in bits and pieces. Inuyasha landed on the ground amongst the carnage and looked around. He started digging through the large chunks of flesh, throwing it everywhere.
Shippo squealed and moved out of the way as a large chunk of demon flesh landed near him. He jumped onto Miroku's shoulder and pointed an angry finger at the hanyou. "Watch where you're throwing that stuff, Inuyasha!"
Miroku shook his head. "Now, now Shippo. Inuyasha doing his best to find the jewel shards to save Kagome, so it's best if we..." He was cut short when a large, bloody chunk of demon flesh slapped him in the face. He calmly wiped it away and cleared his throat. "I suppose he is over doing it!" he said as he walked towards the crazed hanyou. "Inuyasha, I don't think that demon possessed a jewel shard." he said.
Inuyasha growled in anger and walked out of the bloody mess. "Damn it! This isn't getting any easier! I killed four demons so far today and none of them...none of them had a damn jewel shard!" he yelled angrily as he stomped off in anger.
Sango and Miroku watched him walk down the road. Sango took a few steps forward, cradling Kirara in her arms. "Inuyasha, where are you going?" she asked.
"To find a damn river! I ain't walking around with demon guts on me!" he yelled back in frustration. The truth was that he was worried. He was attacking every demon in sight and yet he still didn't have a single jewel fragment. Luckily it was still morning, so they had more time to search for the shards. He did have to consider that Miroku and Sango were humans and they needed to sleep every night. 'If those zombie bastards touch her...I'll rip their heads off. We might have to find a way to save Kagome without jewel shards.' he thought desperately. If they didn't find a shard today, they would have to risk going without the shards.
Morning had come entirely too fast for her. The once dark room she had resided in had beams of warm sunlight pouring in from the rice paper walls. Kagome grunted slightly as she opened her eyes, still sensitive to the bright sunlight. She had a flashback of what had happened between her and Bankotsu the previous night. Her conscious was eating her alive. She didn't know what to do about anything. The only thing she was sure about was her love for Inuyasha...and her love for Bankotsu. She was torn between the two, the two men she loved were complete enemies. She knew that loving Bankotsu was wrong but she couldn't help herself, he wasn't completely evil. 'I can't believe I fell in love with Bankotsu, the leader of the Shichinintai, the feudal era's deadliest human mercenary'. she thought.
Kagome peeled herself from the futon and stood up slowly. Since it was morning she figured that she would have to dress herself if she was going to be returned to Inuyasha today. She quietly changed back into her uniform. She sighed and looked down at the blue and white flower print kimono that she had folded neatly on the futon. 'Bankotsu...I'm sorry...I really do love you, but Inuyasha...' she thought with an melancholy expression. 'No...I have to let him know how I really feel. Though I may Love Inuyasha...I can't deny my feelings for Bankotsu.' She thought. "I'm going to tell Bankotsu how I really feel about him". she said aloud, proceeding towards the door and sliding it open, stepping into the hall. She gasped when she bumped into Jakotsu. She stared at him with wide eyes.
Jakotsu stared down at the startled girl and narrowed his eyes. "What's wrong, did I scare you?" he said, creepily.
She quickly shook her head. "N-No, you're scary, I mean, not scary, but...oh just forget it." she said in defeat. She then noticed that he didn't seem to be ill anymore. The blue markings decorated his face once more as well as his ruby red lipstick.
"I see the herb remedy I gave you worked." Kagome said with a smile.
"Whatever, wench."Jakotsu replied stubbornly as usual. "Get out of my way." he said shoving her out of his way. The herb did indeed work, he was feeling much better.
"Wait." Kagome said, taking a few steps after him.
Jakotsu stopped and cocked his head back slightly to look at her. "What do you want?!" he asked in annoyance.
"Where are you going?" she asked. She didn't want to be left alone in the room again. Plus, she wanted to find Bankotsu.
Jakotsu glared at her. "This is official Shichinintai business, so butt out." he told her. He then began to think about something. "Hm, but it probably does have something to do with you...so I guess you should come too." he pondered, with a finger to his cheek. He moved out of the way as she walked past him quickly. "Hey, where are you going?" he asked.
Kagome kept walking. "You said that it's important business that you guys have to handle, so come on." She said. 'The quicker I find Bankotsu, the sooner I can tell him how I feel...I just hope he isn't too mad.'
Jakotsu watched the girl walk off in confusion. 'What's gotten into her?' he thought. "Don't walk off on me, wench!" he yelled as he ran to catch up to her.
After walking around the castle for a while they finally arrived to the room where the so-called official Shichinintai 'business' was supposed to take place. Kagome proceeded to walk into the room until she felt a hand grip her shoulder and pull her back. Kagome glared back at Jakotsu and clenched her fists. "Hey, what's your problem!" she said loudly.
Jakotsu glared back at her. "You can't just walk in, stay out here, wench!" he said.
"My name is, Kagome! Ka...go...me! Got that!?" she yelled. "How would you like it if I called you a wench?!"
Jakotsu glared and lifted up his hand and backslapped her. He held a satisfied look upon his face when her head flung to one side. But his satisfaction was short-lived when the girl slapped him back. His head snapped to the left in a quick motion. He grabbed his burning cheek in pain and stared at her in shock. "You bitch! My face!" He stalked towards her dangerously until...
"Jakotsu, is that you?" a voice said from within the room.
Jakotsu snapped his head towards the door. "Coming, big brother!" he called. He shot one last glare at the girl as he quickly stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.
Kagome recognized the voice as Bankotsu's. She knelt down by the door and decided to listen in on their conversation. 'I wonder what business they're talking about?' she thought.
All of the remaining members of the Shichinintai, except for Ginkotsu, were gathered in the room. Suikotsu was sitting on the floor with his arms folded and he looked up as he saw Jakotsu sit down across from him. "It's about time you showed up." he said in his gruff voice.
Jakotsu smiled sheepishly and scratched his head. "Oops, I guess I overslept." he said. He looked over to Renkotsu and nearly gasped when he saw his face. His right cheek was swollen and red, definitely from the punch he received from Bankotsu.
Renkotsu glared at Jakotsu in anger. He knew that it was he who had ratted on him to Bankotsu, he would pay dearly. "Jakotsu, have you checked on the wench?" he asked in a even tone.
He was definitely upset. Jakotsu sighed. "I guess you can say that. Why?" he asked.
"Has she eaten anything?" Bankotsu broke in. "She's probably starving by now. One of you should get her something to eat." he said. He was still hurt from what happened between himself and Kagome the previous night, but he knew how to treat a hostage.
"We're all starving." Suikotsu added.
Bankotsu walked over to a nearby wall and leaned against it with his arms folded across his chest. "Yeah, but let's take care of some business first. Renkotsu, since you're the captain of tactics, tell me about this little plan of yours." he demanded.
Renkotsu looked up at him. He figured that he wasn't too upset with him about his plan. "Well, We kidnaped the girl so that we can have Inuyasha at a disadvantage, but I left a ransom note." he explained.
Kagome's eyes widened. 'A ransom note?' she thought. She had no idea about there being a ransom note involved. She leaned in closer to listen.
"What kind of ransom note?" Bankotsu questioned.
"I instructed Inuyasha to bring us jewel shards in exchange for the wench's life by the next full moon, which is in two more days." he finished.
Bankotsu had no idea about all of this. It only made him want to hit the bald man again. 'She has to wait two more days until Inuyasha comes to her rescue.' he thought. He didn't know how to feel about that at the moment, but he was sure that Kagome would be upset. He sneered to himself before returning his attention the others. "What do we do if he actually comes up with some shards?" he asked.
Renkotsu smirked. "Why not kill her anyway? We get more shards and we fulfill a part of our mission. Would Naraku not be pleased with that?" he reasoned.
""No! How honorable is that Renkotsu?" he chided. "We, the Shichinintai, always keep our promises. And if Inuyasha was promised to get his girl back..." he paused for a second, interrupted by his thoughts. 'Inuyasha...you don't deserve to get her back.' he thought hatefully.
"Um, big brother." Jakotsu said in confusion. He just stopped in mid-sentence.
Bankotsu snapped his blue eyes towards Jakotsu, then to the others. "Yeah, just don't kill her." he said, making his point.
Renkotsu narrowed his eyes. 'You little bastard! Has this infatuation of yours escalated into something more? That girl must have his heart if he's protecting her.' he wondered.
Kagome quietly stood up and backed away from the door. 'Should I go in and...no...I can't say in front of all of them.' she thought. 'You can do it girl! Just go in...who am I kidding!' Kagome turned around and continued to walk down the hall to only god knows where.
"Well then, Jakotsu and Suikotsu, go get us something to eat. Renkotsu...I have to talk to you." he ordered. Bankotsu's piercing gaze landed upon Renkotsu, who flinched slightly.
Jakotsu left the room with Suikotsu following him in tow. They all knew that Renkotsu was in for a good scolding and depending on how angry he was he could've thrown them in the mix as well. The door slid close behind them after they left.
Renkotsu looked up at his leader. "Yes, big brother." he said. He was in deep shit now, but everything he was doing was for their own good...or so he thought.
Bankotsu walked over to the table where Renkotsu was sitting and sat across from him. His lips curved into a smirk as he stared at the bald man. "You're really starting to piss me off, you know." He noticed that Renkotsu looked away from him in shame. "I don't like this plan one bit. Inuyasha comes, we fight, somehow something happens and we're interrupted, the girl is saved, and somehow...we don't get shit in the end. You're not as smart as I thought." he said scornfully, glaring at the man across from him.
He was speechless, but he had to explain himself. He knew that if he conjured up a quick lie, he could weasel out of any punishment. "I'm terribly sorry, big brother. I just figured that...well no...it's silly." he said with a false smile.
Bankotsu narrowed his eyes a bit. "Stop beating around the bush!" he snapped.
Renkotsu continued. "I figured that the girl would somehow...make you happy. I don't know why, but ...I figured that you took a liking to her somehow. Please forgive me." he lied expertly. He grinned inwardly, knowing that Bankotsu fell for it.
Bankotsu softened his angry expression a bit. He was almost awed by his reason of action. How did he figure that he somehow had feelings for Kagome? 'Wait...I have feelings for her? No...we just...I can't.' he shook his head free from the thoughts and stood up. "Whatever, if you pull another stunt like this, it'll be your head...again." he threatened. "Don't ever meddle in my personal business, got that!" he said loud and clearly.
He nodded his head and watched as he left the room. His face fell from a forced smile to a frown. 'Don't underestimate me, Bankotsu. You've already lost this game.' he thought evilly. He sat alone with his thought and devised a plan that would have Inuyasha dead before the week was over.
It was a quiet day, which was a rarity in their case. There was no laughter, no arguing, hell, there wasn't even any perverse actions coming from a certain monk. It was still early in the morning and the sounds of chirping birds and other animals could be heard. Sango sat with her knees drawn up to her chest with Kirara resting on her shoulder. Miroku was sitting not too far away from her, staring off into space. Shippo had cried himself to sleep hours ago.
Inuyasha was sitting down next to a large tree to be alone with his thoughts. Unbeknownst to the others, he hadn't been sleeping in the past few days. All he could do was worry about collecting jewel shards to save Kagome. Most of all, he was worried about her well being. He only hoped that the zombie mercenaries weren't harming her. 'Kagome, you'd better not be running off at the mouth, they'll kill you for sure.' he thought. His thoughts then wondered to the dead priestess, Kikyo. 'Kikyo...how could you not help us...me? Kagome has saved your life once...why not return the favor?' he thought sadly. A few more moments of silence loomed over them. There was something strange in the air. Inuyasha jumped up, ears twitching and his nose sniffing the air.
Everyone snapped out of their reveries and looked up at the alarmed Inuyasha. Miroku stood up and walked over to him. "Inuyasha, what's wrong?" he asked.
Inuyasha sniffed around a little more. "I don't like this smell...it's-...ugh!" he was cut off when his face slammed into the ground, kissing the dirt. There was a large weight on his back and he struggled to look up.
Miroku blinked as he was now faced with the wolf prince from the northern lands, Kouga. "It's you, what are you doing around here?" the monk asked.
Kouga crossed his arms and began to talk until a very angry hanyou forced him off of his back. He looked around the campsite, eyes searching for something important, it was not found. He glared down at the hanyou in anger. "Alright mutt face, where is she!? She better be taking a dip in the hot springs cuz she ain't here!" he yelled.
Inuyasha stood up and dusted himself off. He glared into Kouga's icy blue eyes. "No shit! Get out of here you skinny wolf!" he yelled. He'd rather be dealing with his brother rather than the idiot in front of him.
"Where's Kagome?! She better not be in any trouble, shit breath!" he shouted.
"Why you shit for brains!" Inuyasha retorted.
"You filthy mongrel!" Kouga yelled back.
Miroku decided to step in and stop the madness before the two started fighting as usual. "Stop it you two! You arguing won't help the situation. We should all work together to save Kagome. The band of seven wants jewel shards for her safe return so maybe we can all work together." Miroku explained.
Kouga's eyes widened to their limit. "The band of seven!!! You mean to tell me while you're sitting around the band of seven has my Kagome!"he yelled in delirium. Without another word he took off in the form of a whirlwind, definitely in search of Kagome.
Miroku was stunned. "Well...he's certainly no help." he said sheepishly. He turned to face Inuyasha, feeling holes burning in the side of his head.
Inuyasha glared at the monk in anger. "You and your damn mouth, Miroku! We can't let him get there first. They might kill Kagome and I'll be damned if he rescues her!" he yelled. "Come on, we gotta hurry!" he yelled.
Sango joined Miroku by his side and said, "At least he's pumped up again." she said.
"Too pumped up if you ask me." he added.
A faint breeze brushed over her, sending her raven locks flying into her face. She lifted her hand and brushed her hair behind her ear. She was sitting under a nearby tree, twirling a pink flower between her fingers. Her almond eyes fell upon its soft pink petals and she sighed. She was going to give it one more try. 'Here goes.' she thought. She placed her forefinger and thumb onto a petal and plucked it. "I love Inuyasha...I love Inuyasha not, I love Inuyasha...I love Inuyasha not, I love Inuyasha...I love Inuyasha not. I don't love Inuyasha?" she said sadly. Kagome shook her head and looked down at the petalless flower. 'This is so confusing. Who do I love already?!' she thought. She was so lost in thought that she hadn't heard someone walk up on her.
"That really works sometimes...I know." a familiar voice said.
Kagome looked up and tried to keep her solemn expression from turning into an annoyed one. "What do you want, Jakotsu?" she said in annoyance.
He narrowed his eyes at the girl. "Wench, don't talk to me like that! And that's Master Jakotsu to you!" he snapped.
Kagome stood up and glared at the effeminate mercenary. "Stop calling me wench!" she snapped back. Her glare then softened for some unknown reason. "Whatever, I don't care anymore." she said in a low voice.
Jakotsu backed away from her and stared at her strangely. "You're even weirder than I am." he said with a wry smile.
Kagome grunted and stormed off. She bumped into someone and fell back onto her bottom. She looked up and frowned. It was yet another person she didn't want to see.
"Go back inside!" he barked in a gruff voice, raising his claws.
"Hey Suikotsu, forget about her and let's get hunting like Bankotsu said!" Jakotsu called out to him before he turned Kagome into mince meat.
Suikotsu walked past Kagome and towards Jakotsu. Kagome stood up and brushed herself off. 'Ugh, I hate all of you, you...idiots!' she thought as she stormed off into the direction of the Shichinintai hideout. Once she was there she stomped up the wooden steps and walked in. 'I hate it here, I wish Inuyasha...'she trailed off. The confusion of who her heart belonged to weighed heavily on her mind once more. She turned the corner sharply and bumped into yet another person. The person gripped her shoulders and stared down at her. She nearly gasped. "B-Bankotsu!" she stammered in shock.
Bankotsu looked at her and tried not to let his emotions overwhelm him again. "Yo." he said in a dry tone. He averted his eyes from hers and looked to the side.
It felt as if someone stabbed her heart. Kagome's eyes began to water and she tried her best not to cry. He was still holding onto her shoulders for some reason. 'I'm sorry Bankotsu...I really do love you.' she thought. She buried her face into her shoulders and began crying despite her efforts.
Bankotsu looked down at the weeping girl in his arms and sighed. He still held onto her for some unfathomable reason. 'What's she crying about? I'm the one who should be...no...men don't cry.' "Don't worry, we'll have you back to Inuyasha in no time." he said in a soothing yet mocking tone.
Kagome looked up at him with teary eyes and shook her head. She wriggled out of his grip and backed away from him. "Don't you get it!? I love you!" she cried. "I love you, Bankotsu!"
His mouth fell open in awe. He was dumfounded, but he was sort of relieved. Before he could say anything Kagome turned around and ran as fast as she could. He reached out for her, but to no avail, she was gone. "Kagome, wait!!" he called. He was trembling, but why? He'd never had this feeling running through him before. Was it good...was it bad? 'What's wrong with me...why am I shaking like this, my heart is racing.' he thought. He cleared his mind from some of his thoughts and chased after the girl he loved. It was true...he did love her.
"See you later, Inu-trasha!" Kouga mocked. He was leaving Inuyasha in the dust. They were running side to side for a while, but he decided that it was time to go solo. If he arrived first to save Kagome, she'll run into his arms and then she'd be his forever.
Inuyasha gritted his teeth in anger. "You damn wolf!" he yelled. He skidded to a stop and turned around. "Will you guys hurry up!" he yelled.
Miroku and the others were riding on Kirara, but she had a hard time keeping up. Inuyasha was so tied up in his 'race' with Kouga that they had been left behind. Kirara landed and Miroku and Sango disembarked from her. "Inuyasha, Kirara needs to rest." Sango said. Kirara transformed into her smaller form and jumped into Sango's arms.
"But the band of seven..." Inuyasha began.
"Inuyasha, I don't even think you've picked up their scent...I don't think Kouga has either." Miroku pointed out.
Inuyasha folded his arms and turned away from them. "Yeah, whatever! But...I got this feeling that they're close. If I follow my instincts I'm sure I'll pick up their scents." he pondered.
Sango nodded her head. "I guess you're right. Kouga should pick up the scent first since he's a full demon, we should follow him." she suggested.
His brow twitched from the mention of Kouga being a full demon. "What are trying to say...you think I can't pick up their scents?!" he raved. "Well you guys can catch up to me later, I ain't letting that wolf get to Kagome before I do!" he shouted as he jumped of in the direction Kouga fled in.
Mirkou sighed. "Here we go again." He closed his eyes and shook his head.
Shippo, who had been quiet for a while, piped in. "What an idiot." he said in a bored voice.
Sango began walking in the direction Inuyasha ran off in. "Come on, let's try not to lag behind too much...he might need us." she said. 'Kagome...I know you're okay.' she thought. She had recalled their time in the hot spring when Kagome told her about her 'escapade' with the shichinintai leader. 'They better not harm you...or else they're on my list.'
Drawing the large branch back, he flung it with into the stream with all of his might. He hated having the task of supplying food for everyone else, but he was the best person for the job...almost. He grunted in annoyance as he waited for a fish to hook onto the bait, he hated waiting. The branch began to jerk and his eyes widened in delight. Gripping onto the tree branch harder he pulled back against the feisty fish's protest. "Almost got it." he said to himself. To his surprise the fish was putting up a good fight. He only hoped that the wire tied around the branch wouldn't snap like the last time, or slip off like the time before that. He placed his sandaled foot against a large boulder and pulled harder. "Come on, Jakotsu...you can handle this." he urged himself. He finally had the upper hand in the man-to-fish battle.
His concentration was broken when he heard sobbing and bushes rustling behind somewhere around him. He gasped lightly. 'Don't tell me that a demon wants to attack now! I have to catch this fish for breakfast or else...but I don't want to be killed by a demon!' he thought. His decision was decided for him when the branch split and the half with the wire tied to it floated away in the water. His ruby lips formed into a frown and a sigh escaped from his mouth. "Oh...damn it!" he cursed as his hand gripped his Jakotsutou. He was going to kill that wretched demon for disturbing him. He turned around and cautiously stalked in the direction where the demon was headed. The bushes rustled around him as he walked forward, then a strange noise entered his ears. He stopped and looked around. 'It sounds like someone is crying...worst of all...a woman.' he cringed at the thought. He parted the thickets of leaves that was concealing the crying person. He peered through the leaves and his eyes widened for a split second before he narrowed them again. 'It's that damn wench...Kagome or whatever. What's up with her now?' he thought. He nearly gasped when he saw a person dressed in a blue and white haori entered the picture. "Bankotsu?" he whispered.
Kagome sat on the forest floor with her knees brought to her chest and tears falling freely from her eyes. Her raven bangs were covering her face, most importantly her tears. She heard foot steps behind her, but she didn't bother to look up. 'I really do love him...so that means that I don't love Inuyasha. No...I love Inuyasha...but I'm in love with Bankotsu.' she thought.
Bankotsu approached her from behind slowly and quietly took and seat next to her on the cool grass. Her small form shook from her constant crying. He sighed. He felt horrible for acting like such a jerk to her, but he had to admit that he was heartbroken. Their first encounter may have been triggered from lust, but it had evolved into much more. When she had mentioned Inuyasha that night, it made him irate, but he had no idea that she loved him. "Kagome," he spoke softly to her while placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been such a jerk, I..." he was cut short.
Kagome lifted her head up and sniffled. "No, this is all my fault. If I hadn't of ran off that night...I would have never ran into you guys, we would have never met." she sniffled.
Bankotsu's eyes widened. Was she saying that she regretted ever meeting him? He felt another pang in his chest. 'Hm, maybe Jakotsu is right, women are a pain...what...hell no, what am I saying!' He shook his head free from his thoughts. "Look, we can't change the past, but we can always make a better future. I realized last night that I really do...love you, but when you mentioned Inuyasha...I got mad and I guess I was sort of jealous as well. I'm sorry about that so stop your crying, okay." he said. Bankotsu wasn't good with sentimental stuff, but he hoped that his attempt would suffice.
Kagome let a small smile play along her lips. 'I can't believe that he, leader of the Band of Seven, just...wait...he said that he loved me!' Her eyes widened with an audible gasp that escaped her lips. She watched as Bankotsu turned to face her with a confused expression.
Bankotsu raised a brow in confusion as she stared at him with her wide chocolate eyes. 'What now?' He thought. "Kago..." He was interrupted when she threw her arms around his neck and crushed her lips against his. They both fell onto the forest floor in each others embrace with their lips locked.
Jakotsu peeled his eyes away from the two and stuck his tongue out. "Ugh...I think I'm going to be sick. My appetite is ruined." he gagged out. He slung his sword over his shoulder and walked away, leaving the two in peace.
She felt as if she were in heaven whenever she was with him. It was strange because heaven was a place he'd probably never see. She didn't care anymore. She was always concerned with everyone else's well-being, but they had never shown her the care or concern she did. Now she was willing to throw everything away to get what she truly wanted, and it wasn't a certain silver-haired hanyou anymore. Bankotsu ran his hands through her hair as they kissed passionately, rolling around on the ground. She gasped when she felt his hand caress her leg, slowly making its way up until it rested on her bottom. She straddled him with her legs and she could already feel his growing erection pressing against her inner thigh. She moaned and rested her hand on his cheek as she continued to kiss him. She then stopped when a familiar feeling washed over her, one she had experienced many times over. A small gasp escaped from her lips.
Bankotsu looked up at her again in confusion. "What's wrong now?" he asked, still craving more of her kisses and caresses.
Kagome looked down at him again. "I sense jewel shards..." she breathed out.
Author's Note: Mmm, Kagome has finally stepped onto the bad side...About time! I don't know why I bothered to add action to this story but Inuyasha is like 96 action and 4 romance. I am actually working on a follow up to this story, but with school I doubt that project will get very far;(. R&R