Author: enchanted nightingale

Beta: pussycatadamah

Disclaimer:The characters do not belong to me.

Chapter 21

The mission Sasuke had that week in the Land of Lightning was not among the most interesting ones the Uchiha had ever been to. The scenery was as boring as the mission and it would continue that way until Sasuke returned to the Land of fire. But then a day away from the borders he came across the very last person he ever expected to see. Demon rarely wandered away from the four Demon Lands. Kouga, the wolf demon and wolf Prince of the East, decked in furs and with a fragile looking blade hanging from his waist stood in front of him.

"Well, well, well," the demon smirked, baring his fangs in a dangerous grin.

Sasuke held his ground. He knew that the wolf demon did not like him, well, alright, he hated him, and the feeling was more than mutual. Sasuke's hand itched to reach for his kunai but he stifled the impulse and assumed what he considered a neutral face; there was no fun angering the beast.

"Uchiha," Kouga spat the name, sneering at Sasuke.

"Wolf," the ninja replied.

"It has been a while since I last saw you in the Western Palace. Three months? More?"

"The wedding," Sasuke replied. "That was the last time we met."

The wolf demon continued sneering. "Well, still. You're a long way from the Western Lands."

"Didn't you hear? Kagome and I decided to visit my home country, the Land of Fire and Konoha in particular."

"No I did not know. And seeing you alive the other mortals did not kill you off, pity."

Sasuke fought the urge to grind his teeth. Whenever he was around this mutt he just felt like attacking him.

"Where's Kagome now? How is she?"

There, the only question Sasuke had dreaded and the only question he would not lie about, not even to Kouga, even if telling the bitter truth made Sasuke look bad.

"She's in my family house, back in Konoha. I'm only away because I am on a mission," Sasuke answered. "Kouga…"

The wolf demon blinked.

"Something happened that you should know about and I need you to relay this information to Sesshomaru, it is really important."

"Get on with it whelp," Kouga growled. "And may heavens and hell both help you if anything happened to Kagome because after the Ice lord is done with you my pack will tear you to shreds."

"Is that threat viable to all?" Sasuke demanded. "Because Orochimaru's men tracked us down after we left the Western Lands. We lost them in Sound but they ambushed us on the borders to Fire Country and they nearly killed us. We were both lucky to escape alive."

Kouga stood in attention. "You were attacked? Is the miko well?"

"She survived," Sasuke conceded.

"That sounds…"

"I know. She's better now, a lot actually. There will be scars but she lived. However, there was a baby."

Kouga sucked in a breath. He knew immediately what happened. "My condolences," he told Sasuke.

The Uchiha nodded gravely. There was nothing more to be said on that.

"Is your mission over?" Kouga asked then.

Sasuke blinked in surprise and a bit of suspicion. "Why?"

"Because I'm coming with you to your home country. I need to see Kagome with my own two eyes."

"That's difficult to happen."

"Well, tough Uchiha. Either I come with you, nice and easy, confirm the girl is alive and well on my own, or you can take this up with Sesshomaru, because he will be coming after you, one way or another and you know I will tell him either way. I'm not risking my head for you."

The threat blatantly posed in Kouga's words made Sasuke cringe, but the ninja realized that there was no way out. He nodded and conceded defeat.

"Try looking as human as possible," was the only thing the Uchiha told Kouga before the two males set off towards Konoha.

End of chapter

A/N: I bet you were not expecting that! ^_^