Author's Note: Well now that all the emotional and past is cleared out, let's get back to the serious things at hand. Like who in the world is the bad guy? Well you'll just have to find out...

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha


-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

Chapter 8: New Trouble

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

It's been a couple weeks ever since the reunion of the long lost friends but Kagome and Inuyasha has become even closer, maybe as close as they have been back then. Kikyo, of course, was with Inuyasha still, as she was with him when he hung out with Kagome. The two were sisters and Kagome felt weird without Kikyo being there, with Inuyasha and her, wherever they went. Kagome thought that it wasn't right for her to be alone with Inuyasha because he belonged to Kikyo, but still, they were just friends.

It was a Tuesday and the girls were rushing in their rooms, trying to get ready for school, but most of all, trying to get ready before Inuyasha showed up. Inuyasha had picked the two up for school every morning and he would also drop off Souta, whenever Souta wanted a ride. But now, they were running late because their mother hadn't told them the time as they dozed out in their bathtubs.

"Mama! Why didn't you tell us that we were going to be late!" Kagome said as she came into the kitchen and grabbed a muffin. Her style was still in shape, even through all the rushing, but she still tried to fix her hair and clothes.

"Yes mom! We thought you were going to let us know when to get ready!" Kikyo said as she ran in the kitchen to grab herself some breakfast as she finished touching up her hair.

Kikyo wore a light blue shirt that hugged her chest and she had a light blue, jeans skirt on. She had light blue eye shadow and her hair was down, and she also had her blue high heel slippers waiting by the door. Kagome wore a black, flaring skirt and a white blouse and her hair was up in a ponytail.

Mrs. Higurashi was standing at the kitchen sink spacing out the window. She hadn't even shown her acknowledgement when the two girls walked in and started yelling at her. Her figure was stiff, like she was in a daze, and her hands leaned over the kitchen sink. Kikyo stood her ground and tried to stay calm, but she knew that something was wrong. Kagome realized it too, she exchanged a glance with her sister, and went to stand next to her mother.

"Mama?" she said as she touched her mother's shoulder.

Mrs. Higurashi snapped out of it and looked into her daughter's worried eyes. "Oh my. I'm sorry, dear. Did you say something?"

Kagome smiled. "Never mind, mama."

"Come on Kagome, Inuyasha's probably waiting already. Bye Mom!" Kikyo said as she walked to the door.

Kagome turned back to her mother and gave her a sad smile. "Can we talk about this later?"

Mrs. Higurashi hesitated for a moment but smiled at Kagome's worried expression. "Don't worry about me, sweetheart. Run along now before you get on Inuyasha's nerves." Kagome snickered at that because she probably already made him worked up by staying this long, but she was more worried about her mother than having a little quarrel with that hanyou.

"You go have fun now and call me if you plan to go to Inuyasha's house" her mother said.

"I will mama" Kagome said as she put on her black shoes, hooked on her phone, and ran out the door.

Mrs. Higurashi closed the hikido and looked at the opened envelope on the kitchen table. She had read the letter it carried this morning and it didn't bring any good news.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

A figure came running down the stairs, hair whipping behind her as she tried to hurry and get to the girl next to the open car door. She finally got to the bottom of the stairs and bended over to take some much needed breaths.

Kikyo cocked an eyebrow at her sister, "Took you long enough" she said tapping her foot.

"I…haven't…been….that…. … long… ugh…" Kagome said as she began to stand up straighter and smile at her sister. "Okay, let's go to school now." She moved towards the car and crouched down to get in the back seat of the red CLK GTR.

"Good morning Inuyasha" Kagome said as she sat down in the back of Kikyo's chair.

Inuyasha turned his head to the side and smirked at her. "Morning. Why is it that girls take so long to get ready?" he said as he scrunched his face and crossed his arms.

Kagome huffed and crossed her arms too, "Well, for one, we like to look and smell good."

Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow and put his elbow and his chair to turn around. "So you think I smell stink?"

Kagome smiled. "Well, I don't know." She giggled and looked out the window.

Kikyo got in and closed her door. "Okay, come on you two. We better get going before Miroku guys start to call."

Inuyasha turned back around and started up the car. "What was that supposed to mean, 'I don't know'. Do I smell stink or not?" he said as he looked in the rearview mirror at Kagome's face gazing out the window. She paid no attention to him and Inuyasha got more irritated.

The car started up and Inuyasha gassed towards school. The whole ride there, the two were complaining about how Inuyasha or Kagome smelt while Kikyo tried to reason them out. It was no use so she just spaced out the window as the city traffic slowed them down.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

The bell to first period had rung and the kids scurried in the halls to get to class. The first period went by smooth as recess came. Under the Sakura tree, the gang met up to hang out. Kikyo was gazing at the cherry blossoms while Inuyasha was talking to Miroku. Then, Kagome and Sango came walking towards them.

"Hey guys," Sango said as she sat down on the table across from Kikyo.

"Hello my lovely Sango," Miroku said as he left the conversation that he and Inuyasha was having and went to sit next to Sango.

"Oi, Miroku! I was talking to you, you bastard," Inuyasha punched him on the head and sat next to Kikyo.

Sango looked over at Miroku and smirked. "Good for you." She held her head high and peeked to see the cherry blossoms. "Wow, they're so lovely."

"Yes, they are," Kikyo said as she looked around for Kagome. She saw her sister sitting on the ground with her back against the tree and her head down. She had her knees bended and her hands clasped together under her thighs to keep her skirt from showing too much. Kikyo got up and walked towards her.

"Hey sis. Anything wrong?" Kikyo said as she slowly bended down to be level with Kagome.

Kagome shook her head but remained still.

Inuyasha and Miroku noticed that something was wrong so they turned to look at Kagome.

"Hey Kagome? What's up?" Inuyasha said as he had his elbow on the table, laid his chin on his palm and gave her a bored look.

"Nothing." she lied.

"Feh. Can't fool me, girl. I can sense that something's wrong" he said as he crossed his arms but remained sitting.

"Leave her alone guys," Sango said.

Everyone turned to look at her so Sango began to explain. "Kagome's just not in the mood to talk right now. Maybe later…" Sango turned away to face the other direction and the boys looked at each other, then shrugged. Kikyo remained at her sister's side until the bell rang and they all separated to go to their next period.

The next couple of periods went by and soon was lunch. The cafeteria filled with chatter and rackets of students gossiping or yelling at each other. The two lines for lunch were short due to the fact that lunch was just hamburger. But nonetheless, kids were still hungry. Kagome was in front of Sango with Miroku in the back of her. Lastly was Inuyasha and Kikyo as they chatted on their own.

"Are you sure you're okay Kagome? I mean, like, you'll see him all the time," Sango said as she grabbed her plate after Kagome.

"I don't know Sango. This is so wrong." Kagome replied as she asked for a hamburger.

"Well sooner or later something is bound to happen," Sango said as fries were being put on her plate.

"Do you think it will be bad?" The girls grabbed their milk and walked out to their hang out to wait for the rest.

"I don't think so. I mean come on Kagome, wouldn't you like it to happen?"

The girls sat down across from each other and started to eat while other kids began to emerge from the cafeteria.

"I…I guess so. But wouldn't that be wrong? I mean, he's just a friend. What if he doesn't want to go further? Will that break our friendship?" Kagome said as she stared at the cherry blossoms falling onto the table.

Sango looked up from her plate. "Of course not. You guys will always be friends, just like before, and if he doesn't want to be your friend anymore then you still have us remember? Besides, that proves that he's just a jackass."

Kagome giggled. "I know Sango. I just can't do this."

"Do what?" Miroku said as the three finally joined the girls and sat down. Kikyo moved next to her sister while Inuyasha sat next to his girlfriend and Miroku sat next to Sango.

"Oh nothing Miroku, just girl drama." Sango said cheerfully as she grabbed a fry and turned happy eyes towards him.

"Girl dramas huh? What kind?" Kikyo asked as she turned to look at Kagome.

Kagome just poked her fork in her ketchup and acted happy. "Nothing important Kikyo. Come on, let's eat."

They all began to eat and talked about the day they had during school. As they each finished, they would walk to the trash can, which was not far from their table, to dump their plate and returned to the others. Kagome went back to sitting at the base of the tree and looked up at the cherry blossoms. She was contented, at the moment, and wanted to stay there forever. But, she felt someone staring at her, so she moved her eyes to find the source when she saw golden orbs.

Inuyasha moved away from the rest and went to sit next to Kagome on the ground. He flopped down and rested his back on the trunk of the tree. Kagome shifted a little and found his presence unwelcoming.

"Okay. Tell me what's wrong" he said, looking up at the tree.

"I already did."

"No, you didn't. You refused to tell me and now I know that something's bothering you, Kagome." Inuyasha said as he turned to face her downcast eyes and he put a supporting hand on her shoulder.

Kagome looked up and smiled at him. "I'm fine. Really. I'm just confused that's all. Don't worry about me," she said with a chuckle. She leaned back against the tree and watched her friends talk at the table.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome's peaceful expression. 'Why don't you tell me what's wrong, Kagome?' he thought with confusion. He decided to let it slide, for now, so he took his hand back and relaxed next to her. Their hairs combined as the wind blew by and the teenagers sat there watching their friends gossip about others, and there was peace all around. That is, until chaos broke out.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

"Hey!" a boy shouted as someone bumped into him, very harshly.

The boy who did, continued walking away. He seemed to be tuned out of the people around him; everyone chattering in the halls, it didn't seem to affect him as he continued walking, but thinking as well. He had his hands calmly resting at his sides and his walk was in a determined pace. The whole while, the boy who got bumped followed him.

The boy exited the school building and walked outside into the daylight. His eyes were shaded by his dark, short hair and he stopped when he heard an irritating voice behind him.

"Hey! You!" a boy came out of the school building, punching his left palm. He was pissed and some of the kids who were inside, came following the boy outside to see the confrontation. Some kids outside were also gathering around or just watching from their spot. The boy made it right behind him.

"Hey! Who the fuck do you think you are, man! Think you can just bump into me like that and get away with it!" he stood behind the boy punching his left fist and moving side to side. He was ready to kick the shit out of this fucker who hit him.

The other boy smirked and turned around, his eyes still covered. He didn't say anything, nor did he make a move, but he just stood there, waiting.

"Something funny? I'll wipe that smile right off your face…" the boy said before he lunged and swung with his right fist. But before he could make contact with the other boy's face, his hand was stopped in midair. The boy froze and stood wide eyed as his hand was within the grip of the boy's strong fist, being squeezed. He flinched and before he knew it, he was punched, hard, in the face and flew back several feet. Everyone around gasped while some shouted and cheered for more as the people started to move closer and encircle the two fighters. The boy got up from the ground and his mouth was gushing with blood.

"You bastard!" he said as he wiped his face with his hand and tried to stand up. He got up on wobbly legs and retreated backwards with small steps, his hand supporting his throbbing jaw. Everyone made room for him, and watched, as he went back into the building, probably to find the nurse.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

Miroku turned around to see a group of kids starting to form and they seemed to be cheering. Inuyasha heard it as well but he wasn't paying attention.

"Hey, it looks like a fight's going on" Sango said as she got up from the table and moved a little closer to the scene.

Everyone else stood up and followed her, slowly. Inuyasha remained sitting by the tree and Kagome looked down at his bored expression.

"Inuyasha?" she looked at him with an arched eyebrow.

"It's not a big deal. The boy got punched in his jaw and he left already." he said putting his elbow on his knee and laid his face on his palm. His ears perked up as he continued to listen to the commotion.

"Oh, come on, I know you're wondering what happened." Kagome said as she turned around and put her hand on her hip. She bounced a little, trying to stop from running and seeing what was going on. Everyone else was already at the crowd and Kagome wanted to be there too. She huffed, "Come on Inuyasha. At least come and take a look" she tried to reason with pleading eyes.

He looked up from his seat and then looked back at the crowd. They were beginning to disperse but he still couldn't see the boy who punched the other guy. Finally, he looked back at Kagome's running-out-of-impatience eyes and surrendered.

"Fine. But if it's not worth my time, then I'm leaving," he said as he stood up and dusted himself off.

Kagome smiled and clapped her hands together. "Alright." She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the rest.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

Everyone stood around the boy with a bloody knuckle. He wore a deep crimson, button up shirt and his body was very noticeable through the clothing. He had a gold belt on and a black, loose fitting pants. His hair was as dark as night and they were down to his shoulders, while his bangs still covered his eyes. He smirked at the closed school doors and watched as the other kids came swarming around him like flies, disgusting little creatures. He scrunched up his face and was about to leave when he heard someone call his name.

"Naraku!" someone yelled.

The so called 'Naraku' turned around from the voice and started walking the other way. He walked towards Miroku guys and Sango saw his bloody knuckles.

"Ugh. He's such a punk, thinking he can knock other people around" she said.

"Calm down Sango. I'm quite sure there's a good explanation for his actions," Miroku tried to reason but Sango paid no attention. Inuyasha and Kagome finally arrived and Kagome came to stand next to Sango to get a better look while Kikyo went next to Inuyasha.

"What happened?" Kagome asked, quickly looking over the boy in the crimson shirt with wide eyes.

"That boy just knocked out this other kid and gave him a broken jaw" Sango said as she crossed her arms and glared that the boy.

"Hey! Naraku!" the same voice called. A figure emerged from the other side of the crowd and stood behind him.

Naraku stopped but didn't turn around to the source of the voice, all in all, he found it quite annoying. That voice belonged to his brother, half-brother to be exact, and he didn't really like him to begin with. His brother was, after all, human while he was a half demon. Naraku looked up with impatience when he spotted a girl with beautiful, yet familiarizing eyes.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

That morning was hectic as my sister and I rushed to get to school. My mother had, indeed, told me the reason of her actions that morning. Sometimes, Inuyasha and I would just get into the most stupid and childish arguments ever. But it was funny thinking back to it, yet annoying at the time. Sango had tried to guide me on a path that I didn't know if I should take. She was my support, as my best friend, and I needed her, a lot. I just didn't feel like telling the others the things I told Sango, and she too, understood. I was thankful for her helping me out that day and I still am. Thank you, my friend…

Life goes on…


Hikido-sliding door

There's that chapter. I hope I introduced Naraku's character in an understandable way and at the right time, but I have to get going on the next one. The best is yet to come... now please review. :)