The ground erupted in a spray of stones and dirt, and Tsuki was thrown to the side. She tumbled into a patch of grass, and she immediately rolled to her feet, only to have a long, brown tendril as thick as a log slam into her stomach. She went flying again, and into a tree. Her shoulder throbbed painfully, still sore form the bite the from the demon earlier. It had begun to bleed profusely, and the smell of her own blood filled her nostils even more than the mint.

In the center of the field, Naraku chuckled. What Tsuki had thought was her eldest brother had shifted into the monkey pelt-wearing monstrosity before her. From beneath the fur sprouted long, root-like tentacles, a whole flurry of them. She could hear him chuckling under the mask, a dark, not-nice chuckle.

Boy, had she fouled up big time.

Another tendril swished towards her, and she winced, waiting for the impact. Suddenly, there was a flash of white, and she looked around in confusion, before looking at the tendril again. It had been sliced apart, neat and cleanly.

"Who--!?" demanded Naraku, and stopped as with another flicker of white there now stood a person. A demon, with white cat ears and a white cat tail. Her naginata held the residue of the roots from under the pelt. Naraku demanded "Who are you?"

The demon's eyes narrowed, but she didn't reply. She turned her head to look at Tsuki over her shoulder. "Are you all right?" she asked in a stoic voice.

Tsuki slid down the tree to crouch on the ground. "Maybe. Like I'd tell a complete stranger."

Instead of pushing further, the demon nodded. "Fair enough."

"And I don't accept help from strangers, either!" Tsuki added with a growl.

"Like you have a choice."

"I do! I do! Let me fight my own battle, you idiot!"

The demon looked slightly insulted, but turned back to Naraku. "You must be the infamous Naraku. What an ugly sight."

Naraku grumbled incoherently, then spat, "Out of my way. Or I'll have to kill you, too."

"Because I'm sure you just wish to kill absolutely everyone, don't you?" the demon sighed. "How simple-minded."

"Why you--!"

"NARAKU!"

All heads turned as into the clearing ran Inuyasha, accompanied by a white ball of light that at once became Sesshomaru.

"Found you, you cretan!" Inuyasha barked. "What are you doing to my sister?"

Naraku turned at him, the aura of a glare eminating from behind his mask.

Sesshomaru said distastefully, "A golem."

Inuyasha nodded grimly.

The demon turned her head slightly again, now to look at the new arrivals. "Golem?"

"Then, this isn't really Naraku!?" demanded Tsuki. "The coward!"

The demon nodded. "Indeed."

Another grunt of irritation came from somewhere in Naraku's direction. All at once his tendrils seemed to explode outwards. Caught off guard, the demon was thrown back with a grunt, and Inuyasha and Sesshomaru leapt either way, swords immediately at ready.

Tsuki rolled aside to hide behind the tree as the tentacles hit, and she heard the tree splinter heavily before it fell to the side. She dodged aside again as another end came down, followed by another, and another. Finally, one got her in the leg, and she felt pins and needles run up her leg as blood fountained out of the wound. she cried out, and scrambled away. The tendrils lunged one final time--

--just as yet someone else broke through a bush and struck them with a mighty kick from the side. They crumbled to dust, and the figure stood in them, looking a little worn out but somewhat satisfied. "Hah! Take that, ugly!" He shouted into the clearing.

It was Koga.

Tsuki narrowed her eyes. "What are YOU doing here, wounded wolf?"

Koga rubbed a finger under his nose. "Well, they said Naraku was here, so..."

Tsuki rolled her eyes.