A/N: Yep, another flashback in this chapter. The reason there are so many of them instead of me just doing one big flash back explaining what happened when Sasuke and Kagome first met is because I make the story as I go along and ideas keep coming, changing or evolving, and I honestly prefer it this way. ( : p )

Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Author:enchanted nightingale

Beta Reader: pussycatadamah

Disclaimer:The characters do not belong to me.

Chapter 25

The first time Sasuke noticed the oddness of the inhabitants of this land he paid little attention to it. He had seen blue skinned people before, Akatsuki's Kisame the most glaring example. The second instance when he came across an odd person, that girl had bat wings, pale white hair and red eyes. She had also worn a cute dress and played tag with a kid with a fluffy, raccoon like tail. Still, Sasuke decided to ignore it. Perhaps animal appendages were the newest fashion with civilian kids?

It was during his fourth week in theWesternLandsand the second week he was officially pursuing Kagome that he noticed more weird things. One of these was the fact that the miko's carried actual bows and swords; Sasuke had never heard of armed holy women. When he had mentioned this to Kagome, the girl had shaken her head and pointed to the sword that hung from her hip.

"Yes, I've seen the sword," the ninja told her. "What about it?"

"I'm a miko too," Kagome replied.

"You are?"

"Yes!" Kagome chirped. "And a very good one."

"Aren't you supposed to be all holy and peaceful?"

"We are, mostly but fighting is also part of our duties. It really depends on the miko though. Some take oaths of non-aggression and pacifism, those are mostly healers or teachers, some even run the orphanages," Kagome explained to Sasuke.

"There are many of them, monks too," the ninja told her of another observation he had made. His team mates had reported many temples in the surrounding area and each of them had at least twenty or more human priests and priestesses.

"Well, of course we are many!" Kagome replied.

"Why though?"

"Have you noticed it yet?"

"Noticed what?" Sasuke asked her.

The girl smiled and stayed quiet.

He was nearing the second month when he realized that perhaps the population of the Western Lands was not simply odd for humans but perhaps not human at all. The cases of animals talking he had chalked up to Summon Animals. The cases of people with whiskers were hardly odd (Sasuke's best friend before deserting Konoha had been Naruto and the Inozuka's were so doglike it was easy to think of them wild and not quite human). And the ears? It could easily be genjutsu and a trend like the tails. But never before had Sasuke encounter a wolf turning into a human or a human turning into a giant dog. But apparently in this place it was possible. The first time Sasuke saw the lord of these lands, Sesshomaru; change into a giant dog, tall enough to rival the mountain that stood over Konoha, the ninja had felt fear seep far enough inside of him to make even his bones feel raw. He had wondered then if that was how the shinobi that went up against the Nine Tailed Fox felt. This beast only had one tail but the sheer power that followed it was enough to send him to his knees.

That had happened in the stadium of the town, where hundreds were gathered. The crowd went wild at the sight of the huge beast, yelling their lord's name with awe and adoration. Sasuke had then turned to Kagome. His horrified expression made her giggle.

Later, after she had led him away from the stadium and to a quiet flower field where his knees finally gave up on him Kagome addressed him.

"Have you figured it out yet?" she asked him with that sweet voice of hers.

"Demons," Sasuke croaked. "This country is inhabited by demons."

"Exactly! Well, not completely demons though. Sure, there are thousands upon thousands of them, so many kinds too, but there are many humans as well, half demons too, priests and priestesses and normal animals and trees."

Sasuke blinked several times, his mind swirling with information. "Wait! Trees can be demons? And how many demons are there? And half demon? You either are a demon or not! And why are monks and miko separated from humans?"

Kagome squeezed his knee gently. Her enjoyment of his shock ebbing away as she started explain to this stranger that had wormed his way into her heart about the country she was raised in.

"Yes, Tree demons exist, though they are rare and few survive any more. There are four different nations that demons occupy completely and their population is flourishing. Bat demons, cat demons, dog, wolf, panther, spider, turtle, fox, raccoon, bird, water demons, you name it and it exists. We have insect demons to, those are feral though and completely gross if you ask me. Half demons are not uncommon either. They usually come into existence from the union of demons that are capable of taking humanoid forms that form relations with humans. Quarter demons are their descendants. Monks and Miko's are people with holy powers. Where demons have their demonic youki, we have holy energy that counters it. As long as demons exist, holy powers exist in all forms, balance if you like. Normal humans are what you ninja consider civilians. And demon slayers are what we think as the equivalent of ninja. Are you following this?"

Sasuke blinked once and gave a short nod.

"Great! That concludes 'Introduction to theDemonLands, Part 1, the short version.' Stick around little ninja and you'll learn about my world."

Sasuke's shock slowly started to fade and more questions formed in his mind. "So, Lord Sesshomaru is…"

"A full blooded dog demon?" Kagome offered. "Yes."

"And Sango…"

"A demon Slayer."

"Miroku a monk?"

"Yes that is correct."

"Kaede is a miko then."

"Hm yes, humans are easier to figure out. Try something more challenging. You remember Kouga?"

Sasuke's face darkened. Of course he remembered that nuisance. "Too well. He's what, some kind of furred animal then? A skunk perhaps?"

Kagome giggled. "Oh you! Close on the front that it has four legs. Now try a bit, hm?"

The ninja considered this. "Some sort of canine? Not a dog, more feral… Perhaps… A wolf?"

"Excellent! Shippo and his sister?"

"Foxes," Sasuke said in a tone that brooked no argument. Nothing was as annoying as a fox kit and as cute as one too.

That reply earned another smile from Kagome. "You are improving but Shippo was an easy example. Hm, let me think… Oh! I know! Inuyasha!"

"Dog demon?"

"N-O!" Kagome crowed in delight.

Sasuke seemed lost. "But didn't you say that he's Sesshomaru's younger brother… okay, half brother."

"Yes."

The ninja frowned was he missing something? The annoying prat certainly was demon like enough. And the dog behavior was there, not arguing that! But why was Kagome denying that. Wait! Slowly Sasuke's thought process reached the result Kagome had been hoping for.

"He's not a real demon then? A hybrid?"

"The technical term," Kagome lectured, "Is hanyou or half demon."

"So, Inuyasha really is a mutt," Sasuke mused, chuckling even as Kagome spluttered and swatted his arm.

"Don't be mean!" she told him.

Sasuke just smirked. "Give me something more challenging."

"Okay, how about…"

End of chapter