Disclaimer: Inuyasha does not belong to me.

A/n: Initially I had decided to give this story a lot of fluffy romance and stuff. But after spending a lot of time thinking, I have finally decided to minimize the touchy feely kinds of stuff in my story. The relationship between Sesskag would be based on a more friendship – understanding basis. The romance would be extremely slow, as Kagome would never jump the gun and shift her feelings of romance from Inuyasha to Sesshomaru. In my story for most of the parts, Inu and Kag would remain as romantic partners. I myself cannot view Kagome out of anywhere falling for Sesshomaru. And logically seeing their romance is quite far-fetched. I want to keep my story as realistic as possible.

People might ask me then why the tag for Sesskag pairing? Well if you guys read it, you would surely understand. The relation between Sesshomaru and Kagome would develop but very slowly. So it won't be covered throughout the story but at the end, I promise you guys some action. Read it and you would understand how I have plotted the story. This would be interesting!

One more thing, from this chapter onwards I would separate their inner thoughts in the trademark italics form. I felt that their inner thoughts interweaving with their soliloquies are creating some disturbance in the flow of the story.

~ENJOY READING.

Chapter 7

Sesshomaru stared down at the crowd of a demon. All of them had their heads bowed down and they were trembling in fear. Dismissing them, he turned around and looked at Kagome. Inclining his head, he motioned Kagome to follow him. He walked away proudly, moving out of the hallway and continuing towards his study. Kagome followed suit.

Reaching the closed doors of his study, Sesshomaru stopped and gave it a push. The doors opened to reveal a not so unfamiliar room to them. Though Kagome had been to his study before at that time she did not have the time to look around. Now when she looked around, she found herself willing to appreciate the handiwork of the interior décor. All the scrolls were placed in a neatly order, labeled and grouped.

One of the shelves was stacked with some scrolls and on the top of it, there was the labeled: Useless documents. While the shelf beside that was labeled: Critical documents. She was surprised that the words were written in the modern Japanese text. She remembered that the scroll from the other day was written in the oldest Japanese text. She found the contradictions extremely disturbing and made a mental note to investigate the matter thoroughly, later.

The sound of the clearing of a throat brought back her attention to Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru was staring at her in a suspicious manner; with narrowed eyes. She gulped in nervousness. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow and motioned her to sit. Kagome took the seat opposite to that of Sesshomaru and now they were facing each other. Kagome decided to start with her interrogations right away.

"Why did you save me? The demons would be suspicious." She started with a serious expression.

"Do not make a mistake Miko. This one did no such thing. This one was merely delivering justice." He stated in a clear tone.

Justice? What justice is he talking about? Kagome pondered but could not understand. She knew for sure that Sesshomaru was a demon who loved justice, but still….. All of this was starting to get a bit out of line for her. She decided to voice her thoughts.

"What justice are you talking about?" her voice was filled with uncertainty.

Sesshomaru sighed softly. He had to explain everything like she was a child of some sort. "Then tell me Miko, did you kill the general?" he looked at Kagome, his eyes piercing into her eyes.

Kagome felt as if a jolt passed through her body. Is he being suspicious of me as well? Then why did he save me? She gulped. A shin of sweat trickled down her forehead. What should she say? Would he even believe me, if I spoke the truth?

Sesshomaru stared at her and her alarmed expression. He sighed once again, albeit internally. He lowered his eyes to his desk and reached out for one of the scattered scrolls. "You might as well leave if you are finished." He said in a condensing tone.

Kagome's brain, which had previously stopped functioning, suddenly sprung into action. The result, she started to babble incoherently "I…..awa… he….. we …...no…..I did…..he…..I ….umm… they…" Kagome was stuttering and Sesshomaru's hands stilled its movement.

He looked up, annoyed. His eyes were narrowed and there was a clear warning that she was annoying him. Kagome stopped her rambling and took a deep breath. I would just tell the truth. I don't care what happens after that "I did not even as much place a finger on the general." She declared with clarity. Sesshomaru nodded.

"That is what this one calls justice." Sesshomaru pointed out and resumed his work of signing some weird youkai attack reports.

Kagome was stunned into silence. She had failed miserably in understanding his cause. All the while he was aware of her being innocent and had saved her. She was grateful. She had always known about his righteous judgment but this was her first time experiencing it. Her mind traveled back to one time when she was having a conversation with her dear sister; Sango.

*Flashback: a hot spring at edo*

Kagome hummed a modern song as she wiggled her fingers through the knots in her hair. Sango washed her twin daughters and then gave them a push, which they followed to end up in the arms of their father. Miroku had improved on being a peeking tom. Now while the ladies bathed, he waited in a gentlemanly manner behind a tree. He did not peek at all and once the twins had been bathed, he would collect them and depart immediately. Kagome was thankful for such a grace.

Sango and Kagome had taken up to washing each other just like the old times when they felt a strong and familiar youki brush against their senses. Kagome looked around and then at Sango only to find her staring at a distance. She saw that Sango's lips turned up into a smile. Kagome stared at Sango, shocked. She knew that the youki was of Sesshomaru but could not understand Sango's reaction.

Kagome shook Sango by her shoulder and she turned around to look at Kagome, her smile vanishing.

Kagome frowned, "what happened Sango chan?" she moved to stand before Sango "that was Sesshomaru, wasn't he?" Sango nodded "then why are you smiling?" Kagome asked more confused.

"Kagome chan, there is something that I did not tell you,"Sango confessed. Kagome was a bit scared about whatever revelation she had to do. She gulped and nodded her head, signaling Sango to continue. Sango nodded her head and continued,

"The time when Sesshomaru sama and all of us had been fighting against Naraku, do you remember about the plot in which I had been forced to harm Rin chan?" Sango looked at Kagome for a reaction, to which she nodded. Sango continued, "at that point after the miasma had been released, in order to repent for my sin, I had provided Rin chan with my mask to protect her." Kagome nodded once again. Sango continued, this time with a smile on her face, "Sesshomaru sama had found out" Kagome gasped loudly "but he had let me go. Sesshomaru sama must have known that I had been remorseful for my own deed and had given up my mask to save Rin chan." Sango looked at Kagome, a light of respect shown in her eyes. Kagome smiled and nodded.

They had finished their bath and then had returned back. Kagome, throughout the night, had debated on her idea of Sesshomaru's character. She had been peeved by the contrast in his character and somehow…..even if a little bit…she had decided to believe Sesshomaru.

*End of flashback*

"Miko, you are staring!" Sesshomaru stated in a bored tone.

Kagome realized that she had been staring at him with a smile on her face. She righted herself immediately and looked at anything other than him. She peeked through her bangs and saw that Sesshomaru was staring at her with a tinge of amusement in his eyes. She looked down what was I doing? Now he thinks that I had been staring at him and smiling. What did he think? Oh God! I am so embarrassed that I could die. She wanted to dig a hole in the study and hide in it.

"You may leave." Sesshomaru broke the tension with a bored look and resumed his work. Kagome scrambled and got up, about to leave, when she remembered something.

"How did you know, that I was innocent?" Kagome asked as she placed her hand on the shoji door. Sesshomaru's hand stopped moving and he stiffened. He had not wanted to break the news to her in order to escape unnecessary hassles. He for some reason had a feeling that if he informed her about the uniqueness of the youki insignias there would be a problem. He had a sneaking suspicion that there would be something wrong; however, he could not put a finger on the pulse of his suspicion.

"The youki insignia" he started. Kagome turned to look at him. He was still looking down at his table "they differ from each other and from that of a Miko's." he finished while he kept reading some scroll.

Kagome's eyes widened, "so you felt the insignia of a youki on the knife?" Kagome could not believe her own words. It was as if she was in a drama of some sorts which had been developed into a feudal era spin off. She looked at him for answers.

Sesshomaru felt his lips tilting into a smirk. She was not that dense "are you not clever!" he mocked her nonetheless. Kagome's face twisted into annoyance. Did he take her to be that much of thickheaded? What does he think of me? I am clever more than you think I am thank you very much. I had been wrong about him being a good guy. That …that jerk….. she wanted to shout out loud. But unfortunately, she did not have a death wish.

Sesshomaru for his part knew that she was fuming. But he was surprised as to how she had been holding onto her anger for so long. He might dare say, was a tiny bit impressed. He would have loved to see her blowing up, but more important matters had to be solved. He had to manage some things before they got more tangled.

"You will leave the castle with the hanyou tomorrow morning." He stated with a finality which was hard to be challenged. Kagome stood there indecisive about how to approach the matter of the extension of her stay in the castle.

She knew it was a stupid plan, but still….she had to try… she banged her head, hard on the wooden shoji door and fell backward, her head hurting. Before she became unconscious, the last thing she saw, Sesshomaru stared down at her, his eyebrow raised and his face expressing I know, what you did there. She deciphered. Maybe … she hoped that her plan worked. With the thought, she lost her consciousness.

Hope you guys liked this chapter.

I am aware, there is no action in this chapter but I decided to give a light chapter amidst the heavy story matter. The following chapter would have action once again.

Read and review.

Thank you!

~celestial.