Disclaimer: I make no money from this story and own none of the Inuyasha characters. Nor do I own the Inuyasha fandom. I only own my little plot line.

A/N: Here's the next installment for my readers.

XOXOXO:

Chapter Ten:

"Keep up, girl." Bankotsu stomped through the trees, yanking the rope, tied around Kagome's wrists. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck babysitting a defenseless wench.

"I have a name, you know?" She huffed, tugging against the ropes. "You could slow down a bit. I don't have long legs like you."

"Quit bitching and keep up." He ignored the stare digging into his shoulder blades.

"Ow, hey! Did you hear me. These rocks aren't exactly soft."

His lips formed a cruel smile.

"You're such an ass."

He spun around, grabbed her by the neck, and pinned her against the tree.

"You've got no sense of self preservation. I could snap your worthless neck like a twig." His face hovered in front of hers, so close his breath fanned her lips.

Her eyes widened, and she shivered.

"You ever heard of a breath mint?"

"Shut your trap." His hand tightened around her throat. "Or I'll shut it for you, permanently."

Her eyes glittered with hatred. Good, he sure as hell wasn't in the mood to be friendly to the whining bitch. Let her hate him, as long as it shut her up. His hand left her throat.

He tugged the rope and took off again.

She ran to keep up with his long strides. Her body trembled worse with each stumble.

Pathetic. He snorted and looked back. Her face was still pale, eyes droopy, and her legs shook. Fucking yanked the rope, sending her to her knees.

"Twenty minutes." He tossed her a canteen of water. "Use it." He sat on a fallen log and scowled, polishing Banryu's blade. People wondered why he refused to let women in his band. Weak, feeble creatures, who bitched non stop. Why saddle himself with extra baggage when they didn't contribute a damned thing?

She blinked back tears and stared at the canteen, then at him a long minute before gulping from the canteen.

"Don't drink so fast, you'll get sick." He wasn't in the mood to deal with a sick girl.

Ja fell into the water with her. Yet only Inutrasha's bitch came out, dressed in Ja's gut twisted as he tried to figure out how she'd managed that one. It wasn't like the water was cursed, and people didn't just switch clothes.

His head hurt from too much thinking. He looked over and found the girl asleep with her knees pulled to her chest. She looked small and fragile. Too fragile. Someone needed to give little miss sunshine a few lessons in reality. She needed to toughen up. While she was with him, she would. His lips slowly formed a cruel smile. Oh yes, she would.

XOXOXO:

A/N: That's it for this is every author's greatest motivation.

P.S. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my wonderful readers. :)