Chapter 28: Deep Connections

Just hearing that the poison that infected Inutaishou so long ago came from Naraku, made Inuyasha widen his eyes. "So all you did was to protect us?" He assumes. Inutaishou as he takes a chug of his drink. "Yeah. People would always think that when it comes to protecting another, rather closely, not far away." He explains to him.

"So what else did you find out about Naraku while recovering?" Inuyasha asks his father curiously. Inutaishou thinks for a few seconds before answering. "What I found out about him was that he was the one who raised Kikyo, with such bad influence." He narrows his eyes. Inuyasha didn't expect that. "So Kikyo is pulling the strings on the imposter of Kagome's father?" Inuyasha guesses that fact. Inutaishou nods. "And I'll be taking you down where the imposter is being kept." Inutaishou grins as he gets out of his seat and gestures his son to follow him.

Inutaishou leads Inuyasha into the deeper part of the basement. One part that Inuyasha never knew in his time while visiting his brother for personal issues. Inuyasha can remember how everything is placed. Shelves of totes full of things, to the man cave that Sesshomaru personally goes to, to get away from all the drama. But then there's the old closet. Inutaishou takes out one of the particular books. Soon enough something causes the book shelf to open up like a door. Behind it is another staircase. "I made sure Sesshomaru didn't speak any of this to you." Inutaishou spoke sternly. Inuyasha just crosses his arm. "Well I hardly come over since Mom passed away and I had to live out on my own." He grumbles.

Inutaishou leads him down the hidden staircase to reveal a laboratory. Inuyasha has never expected this. A few scientists are doing their tasks as they are told. Inutaishou can see how much a brand new room in his own mansion would fascinate his son. "Where's the imposter?" Inuyasha looks around, trying to find the being. Inutaishou silently gestures his son towards the back. "He's here." He said a few seconds later.

Kaoru looks up from his temporary chamber. He widens his eyes to see who it is that comes towards him. "Inuyasha…" He mumbles. Inuyasha narrows his eyes with anger. "You have a lot of nerve to see me like this." Kaoru speaks up to him. Inuyasha keeps his expression. "Funny. When I first heard about you here, I never once came here at all. So you need to watch what you say about me." Kaoru nods for his foolishness. "Now tell me, where is Kagome?" He commands the man.

Kaoru doesn't say another for an answer. Before Inuyasha is about to do something rash, Inutaishou grabs hold of his arm. "Enough, Inuyasha. So far Kaoru gave us the reason why he didn't want you and your friends to know about Kikyo." Inuyasha looks at his father with confusion. "But for now, We must know where Kagome is." He turns to Kaoru seriously.

Knowing he has nothing left to hide from the two men he confesses. "She's in the High School's basement." Inuyasha and Inutaishou looked at each other before turning their sights back to the imposter. "You sure?" Inuyasha asks cautiously. Kaoru just nods. Without wasting another second, Inuyasha runs out of the lab. "He cares for her." Kaoru comments to Inutaishou. Inutaishou just smiles for how devoted his son is to the girl. "Afraid so." He chuckles.

Back in the room where Kagome is being held prisoner, the bottle's glow brightens a bit more with each passing minute. And with such change, Kagome's becomes weaker. In such a phase, her eyes droop down, blurring her vision. It'd be as if something got into her and do terrible things from the inside. Even her eyes have lost the irises, as if she's hypnotized. A sound of door opening alerts her as she tries to clear her vision. "Who's there?" She asks in mere whisper.

The figure brightens the room to show it's Kikyo. "Well, well, well. I never expected someone like you would come out of nowhere and could get a hold of a particular person that I loved so much." Kikyo said to her as she walks towards the bottle. "Do you know what this does?" She asks as she shakes it. Kagome looks at it carefully. "That bottle is absorbing my spiritual powers." She gives her answer. Kikyo smiles wickedly. "That's right. And once this bottle is full, the powers it absorbed from you will turn me into a true priestess not a fraud that you and friends keep on referring me." She spoke with a glare and puts the bottle down.

Judging by the amount so far, the bottle is half way full. "Seeing how much it got from you it's been about 4 hours so far. Just another 4 hours should be more than enough to completely drain your powers." Kikyo gives her observation. Just when she is about to leave, Kagome spoke something. "You once had powers too, didn't you?" That was more than enough to make Kikyo turn around with a sour look, as if Kagome knows something that Kikyo herself doesn't know herself.

Inuyasha runs towards the school that Kaoru confessed earlier. "For all the places to take Kagome. It had to be at the school." He murmurs as he runs as fast he could since he's in his human disguise for now. He sees the building up ahead. "There." He simply said as he sprints faster. He sees the gates of the school closed with a lock of some key code and chains. He stops to take a look around. He knows fully well with the gates closed, no one is to enter the school grounds. No matter what.

But that isn't going to stop him. "Inuyasha." Sesshomaru calls from around the corner of the street. "What are you doing here?" Inuyasha asks rather rudely. He's not in the mood for more lectures from his own brother. "He's not alone." Another voice calls to him. Inuyasha turns the other direction to see Miroku, Sango, Koga, and Ayame walking behind him. "So are you just going to stay here and gauk at the school, or do you want us to help you get into the school?" Ayame asks him as she pulls a card. Inuyasha knew immediately what that card is. "The master key." He assumes. Ayame nods with a smile and swipes the card down the slot, opening the gate, thus letting Inuyasha and his friends to get into the school.