Hey guys, here's the next update in the story. I hope you all enjoy it. I got rather discouraged after the last 2 chapters of not seeing any reviews. But it's all good, I plan on finishing this either way, but reviews certainly do help, even if you want to say you don't like how the story is going, or constructive criticism. I would like to thank Sessy-Okugata for all of her loyal reviews! :-) Anyways, without further ado, here is the next chapter, Enjoy!

I do not own Inuyasha, if I did I would be rich.

Sesshomaru arrived at his camp only minutes later. Rin came up to him with concern in her eyes, the ever present smile on her face nowhere to be seen. She knew something was wrong with him, although his normal steely mask was in place, there was a fire in his eyes she had never seen before.

"Lord Sesshomaru…what?" Rin said with concern at not seeing Kagura with him.

Sesshomaru cut his eyes toward her and shook his head slightly.

"Jaken, we are going now."

Jaken cowered in front of Sesshomaru, choosing his words carefully.

"Y…Yes milord" was all he managed to squeak out. In all the years he had traveled with the lord of the West, this was the first time he had seen him this angry. His amber eyes were now tinged with red, and had a wild look about them. Jaken could only guess it had something to do with Kagura for he would not dare ask his lord, not now.

Sesshomaru turned abruptly from him, and started walking towards the edge of camp, looking back briefly to make sure his wards followed his directions.

Rin and Jaken got atop Ah-Un and followed Sesshomaru as he headed in the direction away from Naraku's castle. His body was ablaze with anger and he felt as if he would soon lose his composure. 'Naraku, you will pay for this, you will die by this Sesshomaru's hands today' he thought as he took to the skies. He had failed in protecting Kagura, but he would not fail in taking the life of Naraku. He willed his body to go faster, but knew he couldn't for fear of losing Rin and Jaken. He looked back briefly and grit his teeth, every second longer he took was another second that Kagura was in the hands of that monster. He could not allow himself to think this way, his first priority was to get Rin and Jaken to safety. If Naraku had the gall to kidnap Kagura, he could surely be plotting to take them as well.

His nose still was burning from the scent of Kagura's blood, and it made his stomach churn. Not being able to get the scent from his nostrils infuriated him even more. He turned his attention from himself and focused on the task at hand. As he was scanning the area for somewhere to drop his wards his eyes settled on a cave to the southeast that would do. He altered his course and landed at the entrance to the cave, with the others landing behind him. Rin and Jaken dismounted the massive dragon and walked slowly into the cave, they knew not what had happened, but they knew it must be something serious to get their lord this upset. Jaken pulled Ah-Un into the cave, not saying a word to his master, but Rin turned and stopped when she was in front of Sesshomaru.

Looking up at him with frightened eyes she softly said "Lord Sesshomaru, please be careful. Please come back to Rin and Jaken."

The demon lord nodded his head slightly as the little girl shuffled past him and into the cave. Once they were all safely inside, he formed his energy ball and raced away.

Once he was alone he let his poise drop. He could not continue to keep his emotionless façade in place, his mind was too consumed with rage and as much as he hated to admit it, fear. He could feel his teeth grit and he clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white and blood trickled from his fingers. The anger he had towards Naraku was also an anger he had towards himself. If he had not left Kagura alone, he would have been able to protect her. He knew her powers were not yet as sharp as they needed to be, but yet he let her go off on her own. The audacity of Naraku just served to infuriate him even more. That disgusting half demon had managed to get under Sesshomaru's skin more than any other demon he ever faced. For the first time in his long life, Sesshomaru had a weakness and Naraku knew it, and he exploited it to it's fullest. Naraku most likely had a trick waiting for him at the castle, but he would go none the less. This would be the last time that vile beast would insult him.

He flew past the landscape, trees and skies nothing but blurs in his vision. Arriving at the spot where Kagura was taken from he paused to recapture Naraku's scent. The trail went to the North, straight to his castle. Once he had his direction, he took off once again, continuing his lightning speed.

Inuyasha and his group were also headed for Naraku's castle. His scent was getting stronger and Inuyasha quickened his pace. Kagome was on his back while Sango, Shippo, and Miroku rode on Kirara. The smell of Naraku was all around here, and they all thought it strange. For the last few days the only clues they had as to where he was was the cloud of miasma Sango and Miroku had seen on their scouting mission days ago. Then when they started their trek today, Inuyasha could suddenly pick up Naraku's scent, it seemed like they were right on top of him. Surely this was one of Naraku's schemes, but Inuyasha didn't care. One way or another, that bastard was going to die today.

Hopping over the ground at breakneck speed Inuyasha quickly closed in on the origins of Naraku's scent. It wouldn't be long now, and they would all get their revenge. Something made him slow however, another scent…Sesshomaru's. Had he gotten there before them? He slowed more as the scent became stronger and he realized it was not coming from in front of them, but behind them. Stopping in his tracks, much to the surprise of the others he sniffed the air again. There was something about Sesshomaru's scent that alarmed the half demon, it was the scent of sheer hatred.

"What's wrong Inuyasha?" Kagome questioned, as she saw the curious look on Inuyasha's face.

He did not answer, but craned his neck towards the South, squinting his eyes in the midday sun. Sesshomaru was approaching them at lightning speed, and he could feel his massive aura electrifying the air. Fearing a confrontation, Inuyasha sat Kagome down and took out his Tetsusaiga.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome said, surprised at his sudden reaction. She switched her gaze to where he was looking but saw nothing.

"What's going on Inuyasha?" she demanded, this was not like him. What could take precedence of Naraku?

"Sesshomaru is coming, something isn't right." Inuyasha replied, gripping the hilt of his sword tighter. He would be on them any moment, and Inuyasha did not have time to weigh his choices. If he was this angry, there is no telling what Sesshomaru would be capable of.

He saw the outline of his brother appear in the sky and flew over them, not even slowing.

"What the…? Hey! Sesshomaru! Wait up you bastard!" He screamed. He then became annoyed at his half brother's avoidance and bounded off after him, leaving the other's behind. If it wasn't them he had come for, then it had to be Naraku, and there was no way Inuyasha would let him get to Naraku before he did.

"Sesshomaru!" He screamed once more as he managed to close the gap between them. He didn't turn nor slow down, and this infuriated him. Inuyasha swung the Tetsusaiga, hoping to get his attention in the only way he knew how. The blast caught up with Sesshomaru but before it could hit him, he turned and with a mighty blast from Bakusaiga, dissolved the attack. Inuyasha saw the look on his brother's face and it shocked him. In place of his normally emotionless demeanor was a look of sheer rage and he saw his eyes glistening red with fury. As their eyes met, Sesshomaru's mask slowly came back into place, but he could not hide the anger in his eyes. The younger brother leapt over to the demon lord and stood on a tree branch a few feet from him, pondering on what he should do.

"Sesshomaru…what's the matter." Inuyasha asked, as gently as he could muster. It did not come easy for the half demon, but he knew better than to confront Sesshomaru in his usual tone now.

"You would do well to stay out of my way Inuyasha" Sesshomaru growled at him as he resumed his pace.

"Wait! Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha demanded as he matched his speed. Taking off in a sprint again he chased after him. Finally he managed to come up beside Sesshomaru, bounding through the tops of trees at a pace he feared he could not keep for long. He cast a glance over at Sesshomaru again, the anger in his eyes burned like a thousand infernos. His amber eyes had turned to molten gold with swirls of orange and red in them, as his demon was barely being kept at bay. His fangs glimmered in the sunlight as his mouth was curled into the slightest of snarls, betraying his trademark look of indifference. The expression momentarily struck fear into Inuyasha. He had never seen Sesshomaru this mad, not even when Naraku had abducted Rin. He looked at his hand and noticed him carrying Kagura's fan. His eyes widened when he smelt the odor of her blood coming from it. Inuyasha suddenly realized what was going on. With a huge leap, he jumped in front of Sesshomaru and made him stop in his tracks.

"I have no time to deal with you half breed" Sesshomaru seethed.

"Sesshomaru, did something happen to Kagura?" Inuyasha demanded, temporarily ignoring the insult he had heard.

The demon lord paused momentarily and looked at the fan in his grip. He tightened his grasp on it until his knuckles turned white. Inuyasha watched his brother, studying his movements. This was not something he had expected. He had thought it was rather strange that Kagura had been traveling with Sesshomaru, but he quickly dismissed it as nothing more than she needed protection. Yet, the way his brother was acting now, told him there was something greater going on.

"Naraku has taken her" he said finally, his voice sounding like a low roar.

"What?" Inuyasha exclaimed, his eyes widening.

Sesshomaru said nothing more but stared off into the distance.

"Well you can't just go in there in a rage. That's probably what Naraku wants you to do! You know this has to be a trap and you're playing right into it!" Inuyasha tried to calm his brother but to no avail.

"You presume to lecture me? I am well aware of my actions." Sesshomaru said, moving around the hanyou.

Inuyasha reached his hand out and grabbed his brother's arm forcefully. Sesshomaru looked back at him, his face seething with anger.

"Unhand me, now." The tone in which it was said gave little doubt to the seriousness of the demand.

"Let us help you. If this is a trap set by Naraku, there's no telling what he has in store for you. We could catch him off guard if we all went together." Inuyasha said, trying to convince the demon lord.

Sesshomaru scoffed "I do not need any help from you." He pulled his arm away from Inuyasha and disappeared into the distance.

Inuyasha watched him for a moment before growling lowly to himself. "Stubborn bastard." He descended back to the ground beside Kagome, still staring in the direction that Sesshomaru had disappeared in.

"Inuyasha, what was wrong with Sesshomaru?' She said with concern.

"Naraku has taken Kagura."

A collective gasp rang out through the group.

"Well we need to go help him!" Kagome shouted, walking to Inuyasha.

"Kagome, do you think there is something going on between the two of them?." Inuyasha inquired, still slightly puzzled at his brother's actions.

Kagome knocked her fist against the side of his head. "Well duh! Geez, how dense are you? Of course there is, have you ever seen him this upset before about anyone besides Rin?"

Inuyasha stared at her, his face blank. "That's impossible, Sesshomaru is as cold hearted as they come…although that look in his eyes was different. I've never seen him like this."

"It's because he's worried about her, I am sure even Sesshomaru is capable of feeling emotions Inuyasha. Now let's catch up to him." She said, hopping back onto his back.

Sango finally spoke up "Do you think she will be okay? We are still a few hours from Naraku's castle."

"Well, if he's got some kind of trap set up for Sesshomaru then she shouldn't be in any danger yet. Naraku will keep her alive to toy with Sesshomaru." Miroku answered finally.

"Huh, you give Naraku too much credit Miroku." Inuyasha scoffed at the monk.

Kagome tightened her grip on Inuyasha's back "Well then we have to hurry!"

Breaking into a sprint, Inuyasha bolted off in the direction of Naraku's castle. The rest of the group followed behind him, all of them with a renewed sense of urgency.

Kagura had finally awoken. The dank smell of her environment invaded her nose. Looking around she was able to make out shapes as her eyes adjusted to the inky darkness around her. Taking in her environment, she rolled herself from her back onto her side. The cold floor creaked beneath her shifting weight and she felt a pain shoot through her entire body. She brought a shaky hand down to her torso, her fingers slid across the source of her pain, and she felt the dried blood that had stained the front of her kimono. Memories came rushing back to her now, Naraku had taken her in the forest. She widened her eyes at this thought, as she recognized where she was. The scents, the oppressive aura that surrounded this place, there was no mistaking it. 'I'm back in his castle!' The realization of this nearly caused tears in her eyes, she had never wanted to be here again, she never even wanted to think of this place again. The tortures she had experienced here had nearly broken her, but she refused to be weak now, she had to get out of here. Her heart started to pound as she rose herself up from the floor as silently as possible. She held back a yelp of pain as the sudden movement caused her still fresh wound to stretch, consuming her body in agony. She winced at the pain, and dismissed it as best she could as she scrambled to her feet. Casting a quick glance around the room she realized she was alone, now could be her only chance, she had to make her way to the exit. She staggered towards the shoji screen that led to the outside but an unseen hand grabbed the back of her hair. She gasped at the force that was pulling her back, she didn't even need to turn around to know who it was. The stench of her attacker filled her nose and she sucked in her breath as he pulled harder on her hair. She mustered up as much strength as she could and turned around and struck him across the face.

Naraku glared at her and spoke, "Now Kagura, you know that wasn't smart." He pushed her forcefully to the floor, and she landed hard on her hands. Grabbing for her fan, she grit her teeth in frustration as she remembered he had taken it from her when he abducted her. A low snarl eminated from above her as Naraku lowered himself down and sat on his haunches beside her, looking at every inch of her form. There was a disgusting hint of desire that filled his eyes as he took in her bruised and bloodied form, as Kagura saw this her fear turned to anger. She could still fight, she had to if she wanted to get out of here alive. With Naraku's attention being temporarily diverted, she quickly forced herself up and kicked him as hard as she could in his stomach. She looked on in sheer horror as Naraku's body absorbed the impact, he didn't even flinch. Breaking her gaze away from the monster before her, she turned towards the door and ran for her life.

He rose up from his spot on the floor and an evil smirk appeared on his lips. With lightning speed, he was in front of her again, blocking her only exit. Slinking away slightly, she held her breath for what was in store for her next. Having already experienced his beatings on several occasions, she knew her brash move guaranteed her nothing but more pain.

"Kagura, you honestly think that pathetic attack would hurt me?" He sneered, his tentacles rising from his back. In a flash, they pierced her kimono sleeves and pinned her to the wall. Even now Kagura refused to give up, she would not be the frightened, weak woman she once was. She would not give Naraku the sick pleasure of seeing her suffer. Mustering up all her strength, she let a torrent of insults fly at the half demon.

"Naraku, damn you! You piece of shit! I can't wait to see Sesshomaru kill you slowly!" The words rolled off her tounge, but she wasn't done yet. As a final insult, she narrowed her eyes and spit in his face.

This sent Naraku into a rage she had never seen before. His long fingers grabbed her by the throat and raised her high above the floor, choking the life from her. She gasped for air as his grip tightened around her neck, digging his fingers into her soft flesh. The force he exerted on her neck threatened to break bones, she could feel her spine shifting as he clamped down on it with yet more pressure. His eyes burned like two infernos, growing wider each time he squeezed harder. Desperate to free herself, she clawed at his vice like grip that was threatening to take the very life from her. Her eyes exuded sheer terror, she couldn't help it any longer. The resolve that she had moments ago was now being drained from her as she started to slip back into darkness. Upon seeing her look of terror, Naraku's twisted smile came back to his face. He withdrew his hand from her neck and watched her fall into a crumpled heap on the floor.

"I am not going to kill you Kagura…atleast not yet. We still have plenty of time before you beloved Sesshomaru gets here, and I have a lot to make up for."

She willed herself to stand up and run. If she could just make it outside, she could have a chance of getting away on her feather. She bolted to the door, adrenaline pumping in her veins. However, this attempt was also in vain. Before she could reach the exit, Naraku shot out a tentacle and pierced her through the still open hole in her abdome. Kagura let out a scream of agony and fell to the ground as a wave of pain unlike any other consumed her body. The grotesque appendage wrapped around her waist, tearing and stretching her bleeding flesh. Another blood curdling scream echoed through the room as he yanked her back hard to land at the floor in front of his feet.

"I have missed our time together Kagura, haven't you?" Naraku sneered, toying with her. Pain prevented her from doing anything but let out a haggard breath in response to his mocking question. He knelt down in front of her and held her chin up with his hand. She looked at him weakly, but with a fire still burning in her eyes.

"Ah yes, your new power. Too bad for you it makes you able to endure more pain, but it will be so much more fun than having you pass out again."

He got up and walked over to the side of the room. He grabbed a bowl of water and a cloth and came back over to where she lay on the ground. He dunked the cloth into the water and with eager eyes grabbed the front of her kimono. "You wouldn't want your precious Sesshomaru to see you all bloody and covered in dirt when he arrives." The cold water trickled down her chest as he wiped the cloth over her exposed skin. Her eyes flared at his touch, she summoned all of her power and tried to get away from the sickening creature before her. She started to kick and claw at the floor in a desperate attempt to break free from his hold. With ease he pulled her up by the front of her kimono, only inches away from his face. The sickening look in his eyes was one of desire. It made her want to vomit.

"Let's see if your precious Sesshomaru wants you after I have made you my whore." He ripped open her outer kimono, threatening to expose her whole body. Panicked, she started to fight like a caged animal. She would not allow Naraku to have her, even if it meant her death. She would rather die than to feel his touch on her skin once more. Blindly she attacked with her claws, striking him hard in the face. She felt the warm rush of blood beneath her nails as she retracted her hand. He stopped his advances on her and held his hand up to his face. He felt the warm blood ooze out of his check and saw the stain of red on his fingers as he examined them.

He looked up at her with an expression of pure hatred, his face contorted into a grimace as he spoke to her, his voice remaining the same sickening, mocking tone.

"You made me bleed, now let's see if I can do the same for you."

He pinned her down on the floor, releasing numerous small tentacles into her legs, arms and torso. Dozens of tentacles tore open her flesh, and she could feel them digging deeper, squirming inside her body. Overwhelming pain consumed her, she opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out. Nothing could express the torture her body was going through. Still not willing to give up, she tried to break free from him, but the agony her body was in became too much for her. She could no longer move, his tentacle had pierced through her flesh and had burrowed into the floor boards beneath her. She could feel the warm blood pooling below her from the numerous puncture wounds she had, this wasn't how she expected to meet her end.

"Now what will you do Kagura? You can't fight me in this position…" He was stopped short as he heard a massive explosion coming from outside his castle barrier. Averting his eyes from the figure that lay before him, he saw a flash of green overtake the sky as he felt his lips turn into a sneer. Turning back to Kagura, he looked her body over one more time, delighting in her present condition.

"Looks like we won't get to have our fun yet. But don't worry, once I kill Sesshomaru, I will finish with you before I send you to the afterlife to join him." He ripped his tentacles from her flesh, warranting another scream from her lips. Rising up to his full height, he turned quickly and opened the shoji screen, taking a moment to look back at her one more time, before silently closing the door..

She was breathing hard, but she made herself calm. Sesshomaru was here now, all she had to do was get to him and then she would be safe. No longer possessing the strength to stand she started to crawl the opposite way Naraku had gone, hoping to slink down the hallway and disappear unnoticed. She managed to reach the doorway that led to the rest of the castle, but saw a pair of legs draped in blue blocking her way. She looked up the length of the figure standing before her and settled on his face: Byakuya.

"Tsk tsk tsk, is that anyway to act when you are a guest? Running away when the fun has just started is bad manners. Let me fix that."

In a flash he had vines wrapped around Kagura, their gruff edges tearing at her already damaged skin. They pinned her against the wall with her arms outstretched and her feet dangling inches above the floor.

"There, now, don't move." He chuckled as he opened the shoji screen and walked outside to stand with Naraku.

"Byakuya, you take Inuyasha and his friends. Let me handle Sesshomaru." Naraku commanded.

"Sure thing." Byakuya chimed, walking toward the front of the castle.

Outside the castle barrier, Sesshomaru was unleashing mighty blasts on it from Bakusaiga, but none were able to penetrate it. His rage grew and he brought his sword up to swing on more time, but before he could land the blow, he heard Inuyasha's voice from behind him.

"Outta the way!" Inuyasha yelled, jumping forward with the red Tetsusaiga held above his head.

Sesshomaru jumped to the side of his attack as the Tetsusaiga met with Naraku's barrier. Sparks began to shoot out all around the point of impact as the barrier quickly disintegrated. Sesshomaru darted ahead with Inuyasha following closely behind him. Arriving in the main courtyard of the castle, they stopped as they heard the sound of laughter in front of them. Out of the fog appeared the figure of a man dressed in blue.

"Byakuya" Sesshomaru growled "Where is Naraku?"

Byakuya smirked "I haven't the faintest idea Lord Sesshomaru" he said in a mocking tone.

Sesshomaru cut through the air with the Bakusaiga, releasing a massive blast towards him. As the attack made contact, Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes as the illusion disappeared.

"What the hell?" Asked Inuyasha, stunned.

Another image of Byakuya appeared to the side of them, Sesshomaru ran forward and swung his sword. Instead of feeling flesh and bone scrape against the blade, he felt nothing, another illusion.

"I bore of these deceptions, come face me Byakuya." Sesshomaru looked around as his words echoed through the silence of the courtyard.

Finally the real Byakuya appeared beside Inuyasha, catching him off guard.

"So you must be that half demon Inuyasha, Sesshomaru's little brother." Byakuya stopped a few feet from him, glaring at Inuyasha.

"Yeah, that's right. And who the hell are you?" Inuyasha demanded.

"Oh, my apologies, I am Byakuya of the dreams. I will be your opponent now, Naraku is rather…busy at the moment." He said, turning his gaze to Sesshomaru and allowing a smirk to come to his lips.

Sesshomaru raised the Bakusaiga over his head, preparing to strike, but Inuyasha beat him to it.

With a growl Inuyasha raised the Tetsusaige over his head, gathering wind energy to the blade. "I don't have time to deal with you!"

Windscar!

The massive shot of energy rushed towards Byakuya but he managed to dodge out of the way in time. As the blast disintegrated, Kagome and the others finally caught up to Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. The group jumped off of Kirara and ran towards the two half brothers.

"Inuyasha! Sesshomaru!" Kagome yelled at them. Neither turned, both of them intent on watching where Byakuya landed. The others joined them in a line, readying their weapons.

Byakuya finally set foot on a small building to their right, landing with an unnatural grace. Sango raised her weapon above her head and threw it at him, slashing through the roof of the building.

"Sesshomaru, go and find Kagura, we will take care of Byakuya" Inuyasha said, turning his head slightly towards him.

Sesshomaru nodded his head faintly and took off in the direction of Naraku's castle.

"Time to end this quickly, I'm not gonna let Sesshomaru kill Naraku before I get there!' Inuyasha yelled, raising his sword again.

Adamant Barrage!

The array of shards converged on Byakuya, hitting him dead on.

"Huh, easier than I thought" smirked Inuyasha as he lowered his blade to the ground. His look of triumph faded when he saw the dust clear and Byakuya was still standing there, a barrier erected in front of him.

"Nice try Inuyasha, but I am not going to be so easily killed." He shot a massive amount of vines at Inuyasha, aimed straight at his heart.

Hiraikotsu!

Sango threw her weapon at the vines, slashing all of them. Inuyasha looked at her, thankful for the help.

"Alright, time to get serious, two can play at that game" Inuyasha said, as the blade on Tetsusaiga turned red.

Sesshomaru ran towards the castle, he could smell Naraku close by and he could also smell Kagura's blood. He held back his anger as he tried to concentrate on the fight ahead. Coming to the steps of Naraku's castle he paused at the bottom and saw Naraku's form slither out of the darkness.

"Ah Sesshomaru, you've finally arrived" Naraku sneered.

"Where is Kagura" Sesshomaru demanded, his anger saturating every word, although his tone remained the same stoic sound it always had.

"Oh don't worry, you will see her soon enough" Naraku replied.

Sesshomaru had heard enough from him, he raised the Bakusaiga and ran at Naraku. Naraku released his tentacles from his back and Sesshomaru cut through them with one slash of the Bakusaiga. From the cut ends a thick cloud of miasma started leaking from them, billowing over the ground.

"Fool," said Sesshomaru "That weak poison has no effect on me."

Naraku grinned, "Not on you Sesshomaru, but it will have an effect on that half demon and his friends."

Sesshomaru smirked slightly "Naraku, do you honestly think I care about those pathetic weaklings."

Sesshomaru ran at him again, cutting his way through the massive amount of tentacles in his way. He finally reached Naraku and let loose an attack. Naraku dodged it at the last second, jumping to the right.

"I see you are not hiding behind your barrier this time you vermin"

Sesshomaru attacked Naraku once more, this time making contact, but only with more of his gnarled appendages. This was getting tiresome, and Sesshomaru wanted to end this quickly, he wanted to get to Kagura. He held his sword in front of him and summoned a massive amount of energy into it. As he was about to swing, Naraku's voice stopped him.

"Do you really think that is wise Sesshomaru, a blast of that size would destroy everything in it's path, and if Kagura were in the way of it…"

Sesshomaru stopped himself, realizing what he said was true. It mattered not, he would destroy Naraku either way. He narrowed his eyes and took off towards Naraku, the blade of Bakusaiga gleaming in the air.

Ok guys, that's all for now. I am planning on atleast a few more chapters after this next one to kinda elaborate of Sesshy and Kagura's life afterwards, but I am still writing those chapters. Not to sound like a broken record, but if you like, review, they really mean alot to me! Thanks for reading