Alright, so it's been a long wait and the chapter is kind of short, but look, it's Miroku! :D I hope I didn't disappoint, I kind of got the he-must-be-perfect syndrome after all those wonderful reviews! Speaking of reviews, thank you so much for all the feedback, I loved reading all of your thoughts! :)

I would have made it longer but I thought it was a good place to end without packing too much into one chapter.

Anyway…here it is so enjoy!

Chapter 11: The Hunter and the Hunted

Inuyasha grunted as he shifted the load over his horse's back. In their first two weeks of travel the group had been lucky enough to catch most of their food, especially thanks to the fast moving half wolf demon that seemed to enjoy nothing more than going for a hunt. Despite that they had run out of rice and bread, two things that were impossible to hunt for in any place other than a market.

'There aren't any markets within the borders of the south so we'll have to stop soon.' Inuyasha thought, taking his horse's lead and returning him to the shade provided by a handful of trees near their current residence, reaching into the branches above his head to tie the equine until he was needed again.

With wounds mostly healed thanks to Hoshi's abilities the group was ready to get back out on the trail, or that's what they had finally decided after much persuasion from their disgruntled half demon partner. Only by way of compromise had the group finally agreed to move her, to Kagome's displeasure, on the back of one of their horses. Even Hoshi had agreed that the amount of blood lost was too much to chance the half demon moving on her own, and her powers could only heal so much.

Inuyasha paused in his work when he spotted Hoshi's familiar form descending the stairs from their little hut. "Hoshi," he started, finishing the knot quickly and moving towards her, "How are things? Is Kagome…?"

The fairy watched him approach with a frown, then sighed and bowed her head. "She's handling it better than I thought she would, and by that I mean she seems to be unaffected by the news. I really shouldn't be surprised…Kagome's mother had a bad habit of keeping things from her…we both knew that…" Hoshi continued, "I only wish she hadn't found out the way she did."

Inuyasha shrugged, "She'll forgive you, won't she?" he asked, "you two have been together for a while, you must have had problems like this before…"

Hoshi managed a weak smile at that. "Of course we have," she told him, "Anyway, she's stable enough to go now, I've done all I can for her today."

"Good." Inuyasha replied, ascending the stairs behind the fairy to retrieve the rest of their supplies, "Kohaku and Shippou went to scout out the area ahead, once they return we can go."

…

It was midday when the group finally left the trail behind and headed for the nearest market. The southern border was only a single day's walk from their current location, and if they didn't stop they would run out of food before they made it out on the other side. It wasn't that they were not able to catch food, in fact most of the meat, fruits and vegetables that they ate each day were caught or gathered from the areas in which they traveled, however rice and bread was something that they all enjoyed on a daily basis. Besides that, the market was a good place to restock on medical supplies and other items that were needed on the way.

The group paused atop the hill that sat on the market's horizon to take in their surroundings. Because of its location the market was crowded and men, women and children came from all walks of life to buy and sell here. Hundreds of booths and tables were set up in two rows on either side of a wide street, reaching across the flattened ground for at least a mile before disappearing into the distance. As for what was sold here, fresh meats, fruits, vegetables, rice and bread, weaponry, armor, clothing, children's toys, medical supplies and livestock were only brushing the surface as each team member raked their eyes across the merchandise, searching for their own desires. Even those who were only here to sell their talents had gathered near the market, dancing and singling or playing a musical instrument, some were also there to offer their service in repairing things such as clothing and carts.

Shippou, who had been seated behind Kohaku on one of the two horses as usual, leapt from the equines rump and landed neatly on the ground. "I can find some new toys here," he said gleefully, "Hoshi? You can find things too, can't you?"

The fairy raised a brow at the boy, but she was smiling. "Sure, let's hurry."

"Shouldn't we…stick together?" Kohaku asked, watching as Hoshi quickly took on her human disguise before the two friends scurry off and disappear into the heavy crowd.

"It's fine Kohaku." Inuyasha told him, "They can take care of themselves. We've got work to do."

Kagome looked more than annoyed as she slid from her mount and handed the reins roughly to Inuyasha. "I'll wait here." She told the two men roughly, "It's far too crowed down there for my liking."

"Kagome-san?" Kohaku asked, also sliding from his horse, "are you sure?"

The half demon gave the crowd a tired glance before turning away from her two companions and walking back into the forest. "I'll meet up with you again when you're done." She said, waving one hand over her shoulder as a goodbye before completely vanishing into the trees.

Inuyasha and Kohaku watched her go with expressions of confusion running across both of their faces. Only a moment passed before both exchanged looks, shrugged their shoulders and turned back to the market, descending the hill in front of them and merging into the crowd. It wasn't difficult for them to move through the crowd as most people knew to give them space. It was because of their weapons and clothing that they were recognized as warriors, those who were there to protect, and thus were highly respected among the people.

The first stop was to gather rice and a young boy with dark brown hair and inquisitive blue eyes watched them as they made their way towards his family's table. His parents and older siblings were nearby attending to other customers and filling large sacks with rice while he sat on the side lines ticking off numbers with an ink pen and parchment. It looked like a boring job. The boy glanced back and forth between his father, who hadn't noticed the newcomers and the duo before wandering off to grab a handful of the heavy grain sacks which were nearly as big as he was.

"My name is Koushiro," He started, placing the grain sacks on the table in front of them with a huff. "You need rice, don't you? I can help."

Inuyasha gave the younger boy an unimpressed scowl. "Brat, are you even allowed to be dealing with customers at your age?"

"Of course I am!" Koushiro said, puffing up his chest as if to make himself look bigger, "I've seen it done enough times that—"

"You aren't then…"

The young boy's face darkened with a blush and he spared a glance in his father's direction. The old man was too busy with a frustrated customer to bother paying attention to his youngest son. His three older brothers and mother were also busy doing their best to attend to the people's wishes in a timely manner. It would be quite a while before his father, or any of the others would be able to attend to the two travelers.

"Hey brat," Inuyasha barked at him then, "give us three bags, and don't screw it up."

A moment passed before young Koushiro registered what the swordsman in front of him was saying, but then his chest expanding once more with pride and with a smile wide enough to rip his face in two he snatched a bag from the table and moved to the nearest grain barrel. "I'll be right back!" he called over his shoulder, "you won't be disappointed, I promise!"

"Inuyasha-sama, is it really wise to let that boy handle things?" Kohaku asked meekly, "that is…he barely looks big enough to carry the grain sack without any rice in it…"

Inuyasha shrugged, "We're in a hurry." He reminded his friend as he turned to dig for money in his horse's saddle bag.

It wasn't long before the boy returned with the first sack filled and it took him a few moments to struggle to tie it closed before he left with the second sack, empty and dragging on the ground below his feet. By the time he had returned with the third sack filled he was huffing and puffing with the effort he made to carry it and he nearly tore the bag open as he plopped it roughly on the table in front of the two men.

"S-so…" he huffed, now working at the ties of the third bag, "Where…are you…headed?"

"We're headed south." Inuyasha replied evenly, then as an afterthought, "to meet with Sesshoumaru, the dog god that rules there."

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Koushiro asked, eyes wide as he peeked up at them, "Then you must be traveling with Miroku-san. He passed through here not that long ago, it shouldn't be too hard to catch him, especially with those horses. Miroku-san didn't have a horse with him, only a raccoon dog."

Inuyasha sighed as he laid a handful of coins out on the table. "We haven't heard of anyone that goes by that name," he replied, pushing the money out across the table and touching each coin with his pointer finger as he counted it out. "This should be enough."

Koushiro ignored the money and faced the two men with wide eyes and an open mouth. "Really? Are you sure?" He blushed and gathered the coins in both hands when he received a firm look from Inuyasha, "Sorry, I just thought because Miroku-san had similar clothing that you would be traveling with him." He nodded towards Kohaku then, "his armor was just like yours..."

"Eh?" Kohaku asked, mimicking the youngsters shocked expression from only a moment before. "You said he was wearing similar armor?"

Koushiro nodded eagerly. "Yeah, he looked just like you! The two of you could have been brothers!"

Kohaku's face fell, and then he returned to the act of stabilizing the heavy grain sacks on the back of his horse. "I wouldn't know him…even if he was…" he whispered, earning a questioning glance from the young boy and a sympathetic one from his older traveling companion.

Inuyasha remembered the day that Kohaku had shown up in their village, barely 11 years old and dressed in similar clothing to that of which he wore today. He only remembered his name, nothing else. 'Because he lost his memory, he doesn't even know his family, his home or even what part of Japan he came from.' Inuyasha reminded himself solemnly.

He then turned back to the blue eyed youngster waiting patiently with his change. 'Is it possible then that this Miroku is a long lost relative or friend of Kohaku, or of Kohaku's family?' He mused, 'Could he have some insight to what happened that day?'

Another thought came to him then and the man's already present frown deepened. It was very rare for a human to travel within the borders of the south, north, east or west for any reason, business or not. His village had struck up an agreement with the four gods long ago, before Inuyasha had been born, hell, before his father had been born, he only knew that it had been a difficult and potentially life threatening experience that had apparently been worthy of keeping the Shikon no Tama in safer hands.

There were no houses or villages within the borders of the four kingdoms. The only civilization there was demons and other powerful characters who didn't want to be bothered by human interference and were strong enough to keep their place within the borders. Because of this the chances of a human, or even a group of humans traveling past the borders and surviving without previous permission from the gods there was extremely unlikely. So it wasn't because many humans didn't try, it was more related to the percentage of fatalities.

Thankfully their little band of travelers had that permission, but Inuyasha had a sneaking suspicion that this man didn't, it was rarely passed out after all. 'So why is this idiot trying to travel through the borders to meet with Sesshoumaru? Does he have a death wish?'

Curiosity now urged the swordsman to question the boy further, and he did so, "Hey brat, you said he was headed to meet with Sesshoumaru? Did he tell you why?"

"He spoke with my father, I only barely overheard what they were saying," Koushiro admitted with a frown, "He did mention a name though, what was it…Naraku I think…"

"N…Naraku…" Inuyasha choked out. To say he was in shock would have been an understatement. "Are you sure? Are you sure that was the name?"

Koushiro didn't seem to notice, and as he returned to his parchment to tick off a few more numbers he continued, 'Yeah, I'm sure. He said something about revenge." The boy's blue eyes turned to meet those of the two men now listening to his words intently, "Do you know what a demon hunter is? He said that too…that he was a hunter…"

Inuyasha nodded towards the boy. He knew what a demon hunter was. They were different from demon exterminators like himself in that they went after demons that were not necessarily a threatening. They killed demons for their armor, fur, feathers, bones and even for their meat. It was generally a good business in that they could also double as an exterminator, however exterminators rarely hunted.

"He was really good." Koushiro said, "He had a lot that he was selling on his way through the market."

Inuyasha gave another nod to the boy, scooping up his change from the table and hastily slipping the money back into his saddle bag. He sent a meaningful look in Kohaku's direction and, ignoring the disappointed shouts from Koushiro, both men disappeared back into the crowd to finish their shopping and get back on the trail.

…

"What's taking them so long…" Kagome griped, seated in the high branches of an oak tree that presented a good vantage point onto the market below. "Stupid idiots…"

The half demon idly scratched at her side and winced as pain ripped through her belly. Scowling she reached for the ties of her hakama, loosening the clothing enough that she could pull the fabric back and get a clear view of her bandaged wounds. 'It was really bad this time…' Kagome thought, now brushing her fingers gently against the bandaging. 'Kikyou's never been that determined to kill me before. She's always been holding back.'

She glanced into the branches above her head then and remembered...

Her mother had always been much closer to her older daughter then to Kagome, before Kikyou left the two full blooded demons would often share peaceful moments together. Her mother told things to Kikyou that she wouldn't to Kagome, they hunted together, they ate together and they ruled together. The half demon still remembered how devastated her mother had been when her older daughter left, more devastated even then when her human mate, Kagome's father, had been killed by his own kind.

After that she had made it a point to remind her younger daughter that she was nothing but a filthy half breed. That the only reason she was still around was so that she could one day take over and rule in her mother's footsteps.

That she was a mistake.

Kagome slapped her cheeks a few times, closing her eyes to try and clear the painful memories from her head. 'I was too young to understand back then that it wasn't because they didn't love each other anymore…it was because of me that Kikyou left. It was because Kaasan wanted to keep me.'

"Kagome!"

The half demon was jerked roughly from her thoughts just in time to catch an excited red headed child in her arms. She glared down at the boy, upside down in between her hands and grinning up at her. "You should have come, Kagome!" he told her, "there were all sorts of things to look at!"

"What's wrong with you, you stupid brat?" The half demon barked at him, "If I hadn't caught you you'd have broken something for sure. You're human, remember?"

The boy squirmed in Kagome's hold until her was upright and then pulled a toy snake from his haori to show her proudly. "I got this, isn't it shiny?" He asked before digging in his haori to show her the other toys he had bought.

"You're spoiling him." Kagome told her fairy companion when she flew up beside the two half demons.

"I did the same for you when you were a child." Hoshi reminded her with a smile, "Remember?"

"I've done enough of that for now." Kagome replied gruffly, earning a confused look from her fairy friend. "It's nothing important," she said, brushing off her friend's worry.

"Kagome?" Hoshi asked, "Are you still angry?"

"Angry?" Kagome asked, lifting confused blue eyes to meet with Hoshi's questioning gaze. "I was never angry." She pointed out, "Why would I be? Kaasan was good at hiding things from me, she hid everything from me, I figured you knew…"

Hoshi's smile returned quickly, and she reached out a hand to playfully bat at the half wolf demon's furry ears. "I should have known." She said with a laugh, "although you did have me worried there for a moment…"

"Cut that out!" Kagome snapped, swatting at her friend. She paused then when a familiar scent drifted through the air beside her and her gaze snapped to the ground. "They're back." She told the others, shifting Shippou under one arm and leaping to the ground to greet her male companions.

"You three…" Inuyasha started as he approached them, "There is…something we should discuss…"

…

A tiny squeak was heard briefly before the reptile in which it came from disappeared into a cloud of dust below the blunt end of a halberd. Holding the halberd in one hand was a young man, looking to be in his early twenties. He had cool brown eyes and a short head of black hair pulled back into a tiny ponytail which sat at the nape of his neck. His attire consisted of a sleeveless black haori made from the finest of cloths and a tight fitting pair of black pants made from a thick, leather-like material that was extremely indestructible if the shallow scars that littered the material's surface were any indication. His boots, which rose to mid-calf, were made from a similar material but much thicker and brown in color. To finish the outfit, protective guards that were purple in color covered his knees, elbows, lower arms and waist.

The halberd he held in his hand was not his only weapon. A long sword and another shorter one were both strapped to his left side, and on his right, beside a thick pouch were a handful of throwing knives. Out of all of his weapons the halberd was by far the most impressive however. It's staff was long and copper colored and it grew into three thick, golden blades which pointed upwards like the prongs on a fork. The middle blade reached much higher than the others and towards the end of the blade's length it twisted several times to create a much more dangerous strike.

He turned with a smile to face the old man seated beside him, who stared back at him with grateful eyes. "I give you my thanks young man," he said, making his first attempt to climb to his feet after the demon's attack. "I was sure that monster was going to be my end when he attacked. Is there anything…anything I can do…?"

"It's fine." The younger man replied, and his gentle smile and kind eyes assured the older man he was in good hands. "Have a seat and let me take a look at that wound of yours, it seems that the lizard has bitten you…"

"It…" the old man started, turning his gaze down to look at his right arm. The cloth had been torn and blood seeped from a bite wound there. "I…I never even noticed…" he said, taking a seat on the ground and watching as the young stranger pulled bandages from the pouch at his side. "Please son, can I have your name?"

The young man spared him a glance. "It's Miroku."

The old man bowed as low as he could given his current position, "I give you my thanks, Miroku-san." He said, "Because of you I will be able to return home safely and see my granddaughter at least once more…I've missed her so…"

"Your Granddaughter?" Miroku asked, curiously suddenly sparking in the depths of his otherwise cool and neutral gaze. "In that case, perhaps I should escort you home. I wouldn't want anything else to interrupt your journey home…"

"Yes, my sweet, sweet Granddaughter…" the older of the two men sighed, looking up to the heavens with a weary sigh. "She was once the most beautiful woman I'd ever laid eyes on, men came from miles around to marvel at her beauty and ask for her hand in marriage…"

Miroku blinked a few times, and then returned his gaze to the task at hand, his curiosity lost. "I see…"

"But then she got sick, " the old man continued, "She let herself go and grew much larger, her face became swollen and her eyes are weepy. I do love her though," he said, releasing another sigh, "perhaps if you came to visit she would cheer up and her beauty would return, what a splendid idea!"

"A…actually…" Miroku replied with a crooked grin, "I think I just remembered a previous engagement that I must attend to…"

"A previous engagement? That's too bad…"

"I certainly regret it."

…

"That's a stupid idea." Kagome grouched, her arms folded firmly across her chest as she sent the man beside her a dirty look, "Why would we want another person traveling with us? Especially a hunter…"

"Bitch!" Inuyasha snapped, "I never said we were going to take him with us, just try to talk to him, don't you want to find out more about this Naraku bastard? He killed your mother…"

Kagome wrinkled her brow. "Not really."

"He killed your mother." Inuyasha repeated evenly.

"So?"

Hoshi sighed as she watched her two friends continue bickering, exchanging a look with Kohaku who moseyed along beside her on the back of his horse. He looked equally unimpressed.

After regrouping Inuyasha had brought up the possibility of a demon hunter by the name of Miroku having more insight about Naraku, and perhaps knowing something about Kohaku's past as well. Of course Kagome had instantly balked at the idea of meeting with a demon hunter, and the two had been at each other's throats since before they had left the market. The fairy found herself marveling at the way the two of them could continue walking at a steady pace while shooting threats, insults and punches at the same time.

'What am I thinking? This is ridiculous!' She thought with a roll of her eyes, bringing her gaze back to her bickering companions. She hesitated when she caught sight of the silhouette of a young man walking not too far ahead. The silhouette paused then and turned back towards the approaching group. 'What?' Hoshi thought, 'who is that?'

"Aren't we supposed to be in a hurry?"

"Of course!"

"Then why are we playing around with rumors instead of doing what we were sent out to do?"

"We're still headed south, stupid!"

"Don't call me stupid!"

"Then don't act stupid, bitch!"

"Why you…" Kagome snarled, scorching the man beside her with a fiery glare. One clawed hand held tightly onto the cloth covering Inuyasha's shoulder, her other reaching up to remove the hand that clung to one of her sensitive ears. She opened her mouth to release another handful of insults that could easily challenge Inuyasha's colorful language, but a shout from behind her caused her to pause, and then she caught sight of the unfamiliar young man approaching them.

"Huh?" Inuyasha and Kagome said simultaneously as the stranger approached them. 'His clothing…' Inuyasha thought, eyes darkening slightly, 'it looks just like Kohaku's…is this…?'

"You there!" The stranger shouted as he approached, reaching behind him to release his halberd from the securing straps on his back and shoulder. "Release that man immediately!"

"Huh?" Kagome repeated, though she obediently did as she was told and both Inuyasha and Kagome released their hold on each other. "You're talking to me?"

A smirk crossed the stranger's handsome face as he lifted his halberd and pointed the dangerously twisted tip of the middle blade directly at Kagome. "How dare you attack a human," He said, "For that I will be taking that black pelt of yours from you!"

Comical expressions of amusement and disbelief varied on the faces of the teammates, and then after only a short moment to register the stranger's words Inuyasha easily slipped in between his half demon partner and the twisted blade. "Listen…" he started, "She wasn't attacking me, we only had a disagreement…"

The newcomer lowered his weapon slightly, meeting eyes skeptically with the man who had defended the same demon that had only seconds ago attacked him. He seemed honest enough. "It's too bad, I was looking forward to selling that fur…" he said, earning a well-deserved glare from the demon still hiding behind Inuyasha. "You must admit that it is strange to see demons traveling along with humans peacefully unless they are slaves."

Inuyasha ignored his comments to deliver the question that hung unanswered in the back of his mind. "Are you the one called Miroku?"

The stranger raised an eyebrow at him, "That is my name." He replied calmly, "how is it that you heard of me?"

"Koushiro," Inuyasha replied, "he spotted you while you were buying rice from his father."

"Did he?" Miroku asked, raking his eyes across the mismatched group once before hesitantly returning his halberd to the straps on his shoulder and back. 'These people are unusual, that's for certain…but they feel safe. I can't feel even the smallest bit of darkness within their auras, not even in that demon.' his frown deepened then and he took another look, 'no…a half demon…'

"Am I to assume that you have business with me then?" Miroku asked, and after receiving a confirming nod from the man in front of him, he gestured lightly to the trail ahead. "There is a stream not far from here where we can find lunch. Perhaps that would be a better place to talk."

Only moments later the group found themselves settled by a stream. The human's watched in amusement as Kagome made a short-lived attempt to teach the younger half demon the easiest way to catch fish before giving up completely and going about the job on her own. A raccoon dog, covered in brown and black fur and with inquisitive black eyes also tried to help but only ended up running from the leaping fish in fear. This was the pet that Miroku called Hachi, and despite the group's skepticism, Miroku assured them that he was indeed a demon.

"My name is Takahashi, Inuyasha." Inuyasha began finally, "I am the only son of Taisho, Takahashi…the future leader of the village that protects the Shikon no tama. We are traveling to meet with the four gods, the dog, the wolf, the tiger and the dragon…starting with Sesshoumaru, the dog god."

Miroku nodded, acknowledging the information, "I have heard of the jewel and it's powers. I have also heard of the journey." He told them, "But if it's all the same to you, I'm in a hurry—"

"To meet with Sesshourmaru." Inuyasha interrupted. It was more than a question, it was a fact.

Miroku nodded again. "This is information you got from Koushiro-san as well, is it not?"

"Yes." Inuyasha replied, "What I want to know is, why? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to travel within the borders alone, without permission? What business do you have there?"

"Who says I don't have permission?"

"Do you?"

Miroku sighed, "I do not."

"Then you will most likely be killed."

The man was silent for a moment, turning to watch the half demon, child and raccoon dog as they waded in from the water with their catch. His face darkened slightly, and he remained silent so long that for a while the group thought he wouldn't speak at all. They exchanged curious looks before they began eating their fish, warmed by Kagome's fire and laid over a mound of fresh white rice that Miroku had graciously provided for them.

"It's a long story." Miroku said finally, startling the team, "so long in fact that…" he sighed, "it began long before I was born."

The demon hunter glanced towards his newly acquired allies, who urged him to continue silently. "I was born into a village that hunted demons and other spiritual creatures for a living. They were established over one thousand years ago, but only in the last fifty years did they become well known across Japan as the dragon slayers. They got that name when they were hired to destroy the leader of the silver dragon clan and his large herd, and did so successfully after many attempts by others."

"The dragon slayers…" Inuyasha repeated, "I've heard of them. I remember hearing stories from Otoosan as a child…"

Miroku's face darkened slightly as he continued his story, "Recently my home was attacked." He told the group, "and as far as I know, I am the only survivor. I returned to find my village in ruins, everyone was dead, men, women and children…even our animals were killed, but none were eaten."

Inuyasha cut in again before the hunter could continue, jerking one thumb over his shoulder as he spoke. "Wait, Kohaku might be—"

"Inuyasha-sama, I don't think…" Kohaku started nervously, but he too was interrupted. It was Miroku this time, and the man leapt to his feet and walked across the rocky ground to crouch in front of the younger boy.

"Kohaku?" He asked, "Is that your name? I thought when I saw you…but then…how on earth did you survive?"

"So you do know him?" Inuyasha asked. "Kohaku lost his memory. He could only remember his name when he arrived in our village five years ago…"

"I do." Miroku replied, facing Kohaku with a serious look. "Kohaku, if you are who I think you are, we are brothers…"

"B…brothers?" Kohaku asked, not bothering to hide the shock that was evident on every inch of his face. "I have a brother?"

Miroku nodded, a gentle smile crossing his lips as he reached out to rest one hand on the boy's shoulder. "We lost you when you were only eleven years old. It was your first time fighting a demon, and they were winged monsters that made their nests on the side of a cliff." He grimaced then before continuing, "You were dropped over the side of the cliff by one of them…we searched for days…weeks…we were sure you had died."

They were silent then for a moment, each person lost in their own thoughts as digested this new information. Kohaku, the young boy without a single memory, only clothes and a broken weapon when he arrived in the village that protected the Shikon no tama years ago now had a brother. He now had a past.

"Miroku-san…" Kohaku started.

"I am your brother Kohaku, called me Oniisan…if you would…" Miroku said, his smile brightening and the pleased look on his long-lost sibling's face. He stood and took a few steps rearward to give the boy his space before settling back down on the rocks.

"Oniisan then…" Kohaku said, "Would you continue your story? I would…I would like to learn more of my old village and what became of them. The story is painful to listen to as now I know that I have no home to return to, however…"

"We have each other now Kohaku." Miroku said, still smiling, "That is more than what we had moments ago." His face darkened again as his thoughts returned to the painful memories of losing his home and his family. "The silver dragons that my people destroyed fifty years ago were well known as human killers. They had the power to possess their prey and create hallucinations, they had deadly poison running through their veins that seeped onto their thick skin and in addition they possessed the power to poison their victims by biting them. Of course all of this combined created a formidable enemy, but after months of battling, and casualties on both sides, we were able to destroy the leader known as Onigumo."

"We emerged victorious, however…" Miroku rubbed the back of his neck uneasily, "However I am sure it is a survivor of the silver dragon clan that led the recent attack on my people."

"How can you be so sure?" Inuyasha asked, setting his half empty bowl down on the rocks in front of him. Somehow he had managed to completely loose his appetite, and judging by the looks on the faces of his companions, he wasn't the only one, the only thing they were hungry for now was answers and he was no different.

"You weren't there at the time of the attack," The swordsman pointed out, "and if you truly are the only survivor, how would you know? Demon attacks aren't a rare occurrence after all…"

"It's true that I was not there at the time of the attack." Miroku said, confirming Inuyasha's suspicions, "However the mirror that we guarded in our village was stolen, and I can only think of one who would want to have it, for the mirror is the tool that Onigumo used to create hallucinations and possess his victims."

Miroku looked extremely stressed as he continued relaying his story to the eager group in front of him, "At the time of his death, we took different parts of Onigumo's body to use for our own purposes, just as we would with any other demon. His thick skin and his bones were used to create a set of armor, the thick armor plating on his head and back was made into a shield and his sharp fangs were used to create twin swords that could easily kill thousands with the poison embedded in the blade. Finally we used his blood to create a bond between the three treasures, so that they could work together in a battle…but…"

"But?" Inuyasha asked, looking as impatient as the rest of them.

"But we found these weapons to be too powerful for a mere human to handle, and so we decided to separate the treasures and spread them across the land so that no one could find them and know the horrible power that they held." Miroku turned to look at Inuyasha then, "as you know, the Shikon no tama is extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. It can grant horrible wishes, and give power unimaginable to the most evil of people."

Inuyasha nodded in agreement.

"The three treasures are not unlike the jewel in that they too can give power beyond our comprehension to anyone who collects them." Miroku said, "because of this, we have given them to the gods to protect. the south, home of the dog god, has the sword…the northern wolves have the armor…and the west, home to the tigers, guards the shield. My village kept the mirror, and vowed to keep it safe."

"I believe that the one who stole the mirror will be after the three treasures next…" Miroku said solemnly, "and if he is to succeed in taking them…combined with the mirror, those four items will be able to resurrect Onigumo."

"I wouldn't be too worried."

The group's attention suddenly turned to Kagome, who had been silent up until this time. She smirked at them, "The god's are powerful themselves, and they each have an army ready and willing to destroy any potential threat. There's no way a single dragon will get past them."

"What is your name, half demon?" Miroku asked after a moment of silence, not looking at all impressed by her unconcerned persona.

"Kagome." She replied flatly, not looking any more impressed with him then he was with her.

"Have you ever fought a dragon yourself, Kagome?" Miroku asked, challenging her, "a half demon like you wouldn't understand that kind of power, not to mention the heightened abilities of hallucinations and possession that this monster has when he holds the mirror. If he is able to successfully awaken Onigumo then we will be doomed for sure."

Kagome only snarled at him, "Watch it, human…" she barked at him.

"Uh…Miroku-san…" Hoshi started, setting a hand on her friend's shoulder in order to calm her. It didn't work. "Do you even know who it is who stole the mirror? What was his name?"

"I am sure it is the younger brother of Onigumo who stole the mirror from us." Miroku said, "I was told by my people that he disappeared before the lengthy battle began. He most likely fled, and I'm sure he is still alive…waiting for the right moment to reveal himself." The hunter said, his face darkening further then before and his hand gripping his bowl so tightly that the material nearly cracked beneath the pressure. "Naraku. That is his name."

…

It wasn't until later that afternoon when the group had finally finished their questioning session that Inuyasha allowed them to disperse and take a while to clear their heads. The information that Miroku had provided affected everyone, and all of them were secretly worried over Naraku's next move, whether or not they were willing to admit it…

"He killed your mother, Kagome!" Hoshi snapped, "Does that give you an idea about how much power this monster has? He could easily steal one or all of the treasures if the gods were to let down their guard for only one minute…what of the north? Are you just going to leave them alone to defend themselves?"

"Stop worrying…" the half demon replied. "And keep it down," she told the fairy, glancing over the side of the tree branch that she currently rested on, "they'll hear you…"

"Well they're going to find out sooner or later, aren't they?" Hoshi asked, but brought her words down to a whisper despite herself, "if we keep traveling with them, even if we don't…"

Kagome nodded, "but for now they don't need to know."

"Either way," Hoshi said, "Don't try changing the subject on me! This is important!"

"Kikyou can find him. She's got a good nose."

"Kikyou will die."

"How is that my problem?"

Hoshi sighed. "If you were a responsible daughter to Higurashi-sama, you would be packing your bags and heading north to help defend the land there, and the armor created with Onigumo's body. They won't have a chance of protecting it without a leader."

"Koga's there, Ayame too."

"You know as well as I do that he doesn't have even half the power that you do, not really. He's got royal blood, that's true, but he's never beaten you in a fair fight. He cheated that one time, because it was the full moon…" the fairy met Kagome's furious stare with a sympathetic one of her own and rested a gentle hand on her knee. "His leadership skills are pretty poor too."

"This conversation is over."

"Kagome…"

"Over."

"Hey," Inuyasha voice drifted up to the two friends, "We're leaving soon." He told them, then as an afterthought he added, "Miroku is coming with us too."

Seconds later Kagome landed neatly beside him, a disapproving growl rising in her throat. "What…what did you just say?"

"What?" the swordsman asked innocently, "you dislike him or something? He'll be able to help us with his fighting skills and his knowledge of Naraku, and besides that, he's headed in the right direction."

"Kagome-san…"

Hoshi, Kagome and Inuyasha all turned to face the demon hunter as he approached them, his hands raised to in an attempt to prove that he meant no harm. No one noticed the mischievous spark in his warm, brown gaze. "I'm afraid we didn't get off to a good start," he said as he drew closer, "but seeing as how we'll be traveling together, as least for a short while…I'd like to be friends…"

Kagome continued growling, watching carefully as he rested one hand on her shoulder, and the other on her breast. "You…" she started, her eyes narrowing, "you…"

"You'd make a marvelous bride if it weren't for your half demon blood, but perhaps we could work something out," he said, squeezing slightly, "How would you like to bear my chi—"

The next thing the man knew we lay on his back, staring up into the furious blue gaze of the half demon. He felt sweat collecting on his face and the back of his neck, although he wasn't sure if it was from his sudden fear or the sudden change in the temperature around him. The demon hunter grinned.

"What a temper you have, I have hardly even touched you yet!" Miroku called to her, he quieted however when he caught the look of fury on her face.

Kagome towered over him, her face contorted into one of unveiled hatred, and her eyes nearly glowing with the soft icy blue color that they had turned to. Her lips were pulled back to reveal long, sharp fangs and her clawed hands flexed dangerously. She snarled furiously at him, "How dare you…!"

The group was shocked to say the least, but little Shippou was the only one who hadn't seen what Miroku had done and reached up to tug at the half demon's pant leg bravely. "Kagome…did he do something wrong?"

Kagome returned to the world around her with a jerk, as if a bucket of cold, icy water had been suddenly dumped over her head. In seconds her expression turned from one of rage to one of utter confusion. "Huh?" she asked, glancing down at the wide eyed child beside her, and then turning to face her startled companions. "What…?"

She hesitated a moment when she caught sight of Miroku laying beneath her like her prey waiting to be devoured. Then she spotted the bruise on his left cheek and on his right arm, peeking out from under his sleeve. 'Did I punch him?' she asked herself, taking a handful of steps back to distance herself from the group. 'What did I do? He touched me, and then I don't remember…'

"Kagome…you ok?" Hoshi asked, offering her friend a weak smile.

"Kagome-san?" Kohaku asked, now kneeling behind his older sibling and looking up at her. He looked hurt and confused and even worse, scared. So did everyone else.

"Um…I…I should go…" Kagome said, and before anyone could protest she was gone.

…

AN: OMG, NARAKU'S A DRAGON? DUUUUDE! THAT'S ONLY LIKE THE MOST POWERFUL THING EVER, RIGHT? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?

…..

Yeah, I dunno…..

Moving on, who else besides me thinks Miroku is freaking AWESOME? His halberd is super AWESOME too…but I'm not telling you about that yet, you'll just have to wait. :D

Anyway, leave me a review and let me know what you think, ok? I love reviews! :D

IMPORTANT PART

Demon exterminator: someone who is brought in to remove and kill a demon, spirit or otherwise harmful creature from someone's home that already exists.

Demon hunter: someone who hunts demons, uses their bodies for different purposes and usually sells such things as food, armor, weaponry, jewelry or clothing made from the demons that they kill. They may also do exterminations of existing demons.

Chapter 12 (dark past): Who loves IYxKag fluffy moments? I do! I do! In this chapter get ready for some serious fuzz between those two…among other things.

Toodles! – K