This has got to be the quickest series of updates I've ever done, huh? 3 chapters within 3 weeks. A new record. Lol. Read and Review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

Chapter 37: Hi, Boys

-Start—

I was fully recovered by the end of the week. At least physically. My emotional and mental well-being was still on the mend. Miroku and Sango stopped by often enough to keep my spirits up, but there were moments when I couldn't help but fall into depression.

The loss of Koga, my father's secrets, Inuyasha's purposeful absence, Naraku's disappearance; I couldn't seem to clear my mind of these men. I was constantly lulled into a sinister realm of nightmares and monsters. Sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night with tears streaming down my face, heart pounding, chest heaving as I gasped for breath. It took me at least 10 minutes afterward to convince myself that I was safe when these episodes occurred.

And they occurred far too often for my liking. Sleep was becoming all too rare for me.

When Sesshomaru finally consented to my discharge, I was more than happy to leave. I needed a change, a diversion, something to get me out of this melancholic funk.

Besides, Mr. Taisho had decided that it was time I visited Headquarters. A room was being prepared for my arrival, and Sango and Miroku were already there waiting for me.

Inuyasha's father had sent somebody to retrieve my bag from the hotel a couple days ago, and I'd just finished changing into a pair of loose fitting sweats and an overly large T-shirt when six, black-clad men filed into my room, unannounced.

"What is going on?" I asked in annoyance, settling into a defensive posture. "Who are you?" They all stared back at me with the same blank expression.

"Calm down. We're here to escort you to headquarters," a masculine voice finally answered. The men shifted and a seventh person entered the room.

I straightened, relaxing slightly. "Bankotsu?"

He grinned. "What's up?"

"You too?" I questioned incredulously. "Was I the only one completely oblivious to Naraku?"

He shrugged. "When did you find out?"

"The day I danced with you at the Taisho Christmas Party."

He cocked his head, remembering. "Oh, yeah. We had a huge meeting that night." His eyes narrowed mischievously. "Did a little eavesdropping, huh?"

I stared at him innocently. "Who me?"

Bankotsu laughed and I found that I enjoyed the sound. I hadn't heard that kind of laughter in days. "Come on," he said. "We're walking to Headquarters. Let's get a move on."

I grabbed my duffel bag and followed him through the doorway, his six comrades filing after us. Of them all, Bankotsu was the only one not dressed in black. He had on a regular white T-shirt and dark shorts; he settled a pair of sunglasses onto the bridge of his nose as we exited the building into the sunlight.

"Why do I need so many escorts?" I questioned as the guys behind us began to fan out.

A couple of beats of silence passed before Bankotsu answered. "Think about it, Kagome."

I frowned and contemplated his response for a moment before the truth hit me. Of course. By now Naraku had probably noticed that the Shikon no Tama was missing a piece. Which put me as his number one target. Again.

"He's still after me, isn't he? He thinks I have the missing piece."

Bankotsu stuck his hands into his pockets and nodded almost imperceptibly. "Keep your guard up. He could be anywhere, and he'll be even more desperate this time."

It was hard to believe that Naraku was out to get me as Bankotsu and I strolled through the sunlight on a perfectly delightful day. I fingered my lock necklace, and decided that it'd probably be in my best interest to wear it 24/7. It couldn't hide my identity, but it would slow down anyone trying to track me through my aura.

I hated to think that one of Naraku's minions could be stalking me right this second. I glanced over my shoulder at the thought and noticed that all of the black-clad men had vanished.

"They're still around," Bankotsu said, noticing my puzzled expression. "We're covered in all directions."

"What, are you guys some sort of elite bodyguard team?"

Bankotsu snorted. "Something like that, yeah. We've all got our own special talents though. Living on the streets does that."

I looked at him sharply. "I thought your Dad was well off."

"He is. But I still spend a lot of time on the streets. The underground world is…more fun."

I shook my head in a patronizing way, a small grin lighting my face. "Whatever you say."

It took us twenty minutes more of steady walking to reach our destination. I stared up at the large skyscraper in front of us. We'd travelled back into the city.

"Here we are," Bankotsu said with a wave of his hand. "Follow me."

We stepped through the sliding glass doors and entered a lobby, complete with receptionist and all. The woman at the desk was youkai, and she didn't wear a Ring to hide it. Bankotsu waved at her and she nodded, pressing something behind the desk. A door swung open, and Bankotsu led me through until we reached a second door. He placed his hand on a scanner and waited for a moment as the machine read his hand print.

"Good Lord," I commented. "Does this place have enough security?"

The door slid open. "It's easy for us to plant a spy in Naraku's ranks. What's to keep him from doing the same?" Bankotsu responded mildly. "You can never be too careful, Kagome."

I followed him to an elevator in silence, feeling stupid. What a dumb question to ask.

Once we were on the elevator, he swiped a card and pressed the fifth button, and we quickly began to ascend. "You have to have a card to get to the upper floors," Bankotsu explained. "I'm sure Mr. Taisho will have one ready for you soon."

Right. Another measure of security.

When the doors sprung open Miroku and Sango were waiting. They stood from their seats, and I rushed forward to meet them.

"Kagome! You made it!" Sango greeted. She enveloped me in her arms and hugged me tightly. I squeezed back, truly glad to see her.

"I'll see you later, Kagome." I turned from Sango's embrace and nodded to Bankotsu.

"Thanks for getting me here."

"No problem," he grinned. The elevator doors closed and he disappeared.

"So this is your room," Sango said excitedly. The entire fifth floor had been converted into living quarters, but the rooms were small and close together. Mine was painted a light blue and had a single window on the far wall. A twin bed occupied most of the space on the left and a dresser was situated to the right. Living room was minimal. A keycard was waiting for me on my pillow.

"And the bathroom is right down the hall," Sango continued. "My room is right next to yours too, so if you need me, I'm close by."

I smiled at her and sat my bag down on my bed. "Thanks. I'm glad I'm finally here."

"Me too." Sango helped me put away the few clothes I had and then proceeded to take me on the "Grand Tour."

"The cafeteria is on the floor below us and there is a gym on the 16th floor." We navigated to each and I was thoroughly impressed with both. Demons were milling about everywhere, talking, drinking, working out. This building had a lot of space.

"How many people are living here?" I asked as we walked through another lobby type room that was filled with youkai.

Sango shrugged. "A lot. Floors 5-15 are also living quarters, and there are about 35 rooms on each."

I did the math. That meant that around 350 people were living here. "What's on the other floors?" I'd noticed that the buttons on the elevator went up to 30.

"Floor 17 is a library, Floor 18 is a game room, and Floor 19 is a training facility. And let me tell you, it's got some pretty cool weapons," Sango gushed. "I've been training a lot since you've been recovering. I don't think the danger of this war really registered until I saw Naraku attack you. It kind of scared me," she admitted.

"Yeah. Things have finally gotten serious, huh?"

We both grew solemn as we made our way back to our rooms on the fifth floor. When we finally arrived, I opened my door with the card I'd been given and Sango followed me in.

"So," she started hesitantly. "How have you been dealing with the whole Koga thing?"

I stared at the floor. "To tell the truth, it's been hard." I could feel her eyes on me and I knew they were full of pity. I glanced up and offered a weak smile. "I'll manage. I'm pretty experienced when it comes to heartbreak, you know."

"I'm so sorry, Kagome."

I waved my hand dismissively and changed the subject. "Listen to this. You're not going to believe what I'm about to tell you."

We sat for the next two hours discussing Kikyo and everything she'd revealed. Sango was as shocked as I'd been. I dragged out the pictures Kikyo had given me and let Sango compare them. She came to the same conclusion as I; my father was indeed in both.

"That's crazy!" she exclaimed. "I totally called it the moment she walked into the lunchroom…Remember? I said you guys looked like twins. God, who knew I was right?"

I shook my head and grinned. "The weird part is, I don't really hate her now. I mean, yeah, I'm still pissed about how she stole Inuyasha away, but now that I think about it, I don't think they were ever truly together. It was just an act for both of them."

"So you and her have entered some kind of weird alliance?"

"Yeah. I mean, we have the same goal, right? Might as well be civil to each other."

Sango and I talked for a while longer and then she glanced down at her watch. "Well," she started, "you look beat. I'll give you some time to chill. You've probably got a lot on your mind, huh?"

I nodded tiredly and Sango laughed softly as she headed for the door. "I'll come and get you when it's time for dinner. Have a nice nap."

"I will."

The moment the door shut, I was up and moving, pulling my hair back, changing my clothes into an outfit that was more conspicuous. I had no intention of going to sleep. I'd been locked up in a hospital house for a whole week. I was ready to do a little exploring of my own.

I waited about 15 minutes before cracking my door open and peeking down the hallway. A couple of people were talking down on the far end, but there was no sign of Sango. I breathed a sigh of relief and took off for the elevator, trying to seem casual.

Luckily, the elevator showed up without any additional passengers. I stepped on and quickly pressed the door close button, glad that I had the elevator all to myself. My eyes immediately darted to the floor buttons. Sango had explained that levels 1-4 were ordinary offices, a sort of disguise for any humans that came in and began asking questions about what kind of company we were.

But she hadn't mentioned anything about floors 20-30. Which meant they were probably off limits.

I smirked and swiped my card, jabbing the 20 button.

The elevator took off in one smooth motion and within seconds I was stepping into another lobby. The room was completely empty with the exception of a door on the wall directly in front of me. I slowly approached, half expecting somebody to come out of nowhere and yell at me for being here. But nobody appeared, and I kept walking.

The moment I reached the door I knew it was keycard activated. I slid my card into the machine and waited, but nothing happened.

Damn. This isn't going to be fun if I can't get past this door.

I tried my card 3 more times, and received the same results. My hands settled on my hips and I carefully studied the edges of the doorway, feeling a little panicky; it was probably only a matter of time before somebody stepped off the elevator and found me. If worse came to worse, I could claim I was lost. And look like a total idiot.

Okay… Desperate times, call for desperate measures.

I yanked my lock necklace off and stored it in my pocket before closing my eyes in concentration, bringing my powers into focus. I moved forward, eyes still closed, and placed my palms to the door.

This probably wouldn't work. But I figured it was worth a try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained and all that. I clenched my teeth and gave the barest of pushes with my hands, charging the door with my power. A tiny click met my ears and I opened my eyes, hoping I hadn't used too much force.

Everything looked as it should.

I pushed the door a little harder and it swung open on silent hinges. I'd managed to pop the lock, but not break it. Nobody would know I'd even been here.

A wicked grin crept onto my face and I stepped forward into the hallway.

The first thing I noticed was the lack of people.

I walked down the empty hallway slowly, listening to the overly loud echo of my footsteps and trying not to get jumpy. This was weird. The long passage was completely white and devoid of any decoration; no paintings, no photos, no color. There were also no windows.

I finally reached another door -much to my relief- and, after forcing the lock in the same fashion as earlier, I let myself into the room beyond.

Oh.

No wonder there weren't droves of people wandering around.

Floor number 20 was a warehouse.

And it was full of weapons.

My eyes took in the entire room, from the crates lining the walls, to the tables laden down with all manner of paraphernalia. Much to my relief, this room had windows, and the natural light slanting into the room did a lot to calm my suddenly sensitive nerves.

For a moment, I only stared at the objects resting a few feet away on the tabletops, my mind racing as fast as my heartbeat, and then I took a hesitant step closer. My footsteps rang loud and jarringly clear in the quiet room, a stern reminder that I was trespassing in a place that was very much off limits.

But I managed to make it to the table without any sort of hindrance.

It'd never really crossed my mind that modern weaponry, such as guns, would be used in this war. From my lessons with Rea I'd learned that bullets didn't really have an effect on youkai. Sure it slowed them down, and probably stung a little, but it would take a lot more than a single bullet to the heart to put a demon down. And planting more than one bullet into a demon's heart was probably not an easy feat.

So why did Mr. Taisho have such a large stock?

I reached out and traced the outline of a small handgun, not trusting myself to pick it up. I didn't know anything about guns, much less how to shoot one. How embarrassing would it be to accidentally injure myself because I was feeling curious? But my eyes lingered on the trigger and I imagined what it would feel like to have the weapon in my hand, finger poised and ready, aim locked on my enemy.

I shivered at the thought.

Just don't even go there, Kagome.

The idea was too tempting, and that unsettled me a little.

My gaze travelled along the table and landed on an open case of bullets. I moved forward and stared down at them before lifting a single bullet and studying it inquisitively. Maybe they were specially made and more effective against youkai.

But I wasn't an expert, so I couldn't tell.

I replaced the little shell back into its slot and then moved toward the doorway, deciding that the hushed air was beginning to make me uncomfortable. That and all the deadly weapons lining the walls.

I shut the door as quietly as possible, and listened for the faint click that told me the lock had reset itself, before heading back to the elevator.

I think I'd seen enough of the 20th floor.

Somehow I managed to snag another empty elevator, and I stood within the tiny enclosed space gratefully. This time I swiped my card and pressed a random number. My stomach lurched as the elevator shot upward.

Hopefully the twenty-fifth would be better than the twentieth.

A small ding preceded my arrival, and when I stepped off the elevator I found myself in another lobby, just like the last. I held my breath as I approached the door and activated my powers. 30 seconds later I was standing on the other side of the doorway with a smug grin on my face.

This new little trick was coming in handy.

I started down the hallway at a steady pace, eager to see what this floor contained. I peered through a slender window that occupied the first door I encountered, wondering at the small white room that lay beyond. I stepped away in confusion, not even bothering to go in, and kept walking. I glanced into the next room, and the next. None of them contained anything but a small cot which jutted from the wall at waist height.

And then it hit me.

These were cells. Prison cells.

The moment I realized this, I heard voices. My spine straightened and my shoulders stiffened as I prepared for flight, but the sound of the voices never grew closer. They seemed to be muffled, as though they were coming from a long distance.

My eyes immediately darted toward the end of the hall and the last few doors.

A prisoner?

I began to move forward before the rational part of my mind could tell me to proceed in the opposite direction.

My curiosity would probably be the death of me.

The voices rose and fell in pitch and I pinpointed them to the last holding cell. My heart rate accelerated as I approached the thin window, and a rush of adrenaline shot through my veins as a loud thud vibrated through the wall seconds before I peeked through the glass.

I stared for a moment, and then froze when I realized what was happening. I don't know what I'd been expecting, but it wasn't this. Definitely not.

Inuyasha had Koga shoved against a wall, his forearm pressed against the wolf demon's throat. They were head to head, snarling faces inches apart, fangs glinting threateningly. Inuyasha's lips began to move in speech and I could faintly detect a low growl beginning to resonate deep within Koga's chest.

From where I stood I could tell that Inuyasha's red T-shirt was slightly ripped and see that his hair was in a state of dishevelment. He and Koga had probably been at it for a while, and the wolf demon didn't look much better than the hanyou. His hair had fallen from its usual ponytail and his clothes sported claw marks also.

Neither of them had registered my presence yet, and without thinking, I pressed my hands to the door and pushed. The metal exploded inward from the force of my power and bits of sheetrock and debris flew everywhere, raising a small cloud of dust. The crumpled door fell with a resounding bang.

The dog hanyou and wolf demon broke their intense eye lock for a moment to stare at the doorway in surprise.

I planted my hands on my hips and directed a dark glare into the room. "Hi, boys," I said menacingly.

A minute of stunned silence passed, allowing the dust from the mini explosion to settle, before somebody finally spoke.

"Kagome," Koga rasped.

I ignored him and moved forward. "Let go of him, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's tawny eyes locked with mine. "How did you get up here, Kagome?" His arm was still pinning Koga to the wall.

"Inuyasha," I said in a dangerously low voice. "Let. Go. Of. Him."

The dog hanyou stared at me in defiance and I narrowed my eyes, allowing my power to flare. He shifted his gaze back to Koga and growled warningly. "Don't even think of escape," he hissed as he slowly removed his arm and stepped away.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Koga mumbled mockingly, rubbing his throat to ease his breathing.

The moment Inuyasha moved, I stepped forward, taking his place in front of the wolf youkai. I stared up into Koga's blue eyes and he looked down into my own darker ones, expression neutral. The wolf demon opened his mouth to speak and, before he could utter a word, my hand shot forward.

I slapped him. Hard.

His head whipped to the side with the force of the blow, but he didn't make a sound. The only noise in the room was my ragged breathing.

"I suppose I deserved that," he mumbled, raising a hand to touch his stinging cheek.

I only glared at him in silence, my eyes burning with betrayal.

He glanced away.

I grabbed his shirt and hauled him closer, putting my face in his, forcing him to look at me. "You're about to tell me everything you know, Koga. And if you don't, I'm going to do much more than slap you." He didn't resist when I yanked him around and forced him to sit on the cot hanging from the wall.

"And you," I said whirling to face Inuyasha, "you're not going anywhere either." His ears twitched in irritation and he looked as though he would argue, but I cut him off before he could even begin. "Sit," I ordered, pointing toward the cot.

There must have been something in my voice, because Inuyasha muttered under his breath and then reluctantly moved toward the mattress. Koga, on the other hand, flinched at my command, and braced himself as though he expected the ground to explode. He didn't relax until Inuyasha had lowered himself onto the cot, which I found weird given their previous display of behavior. I'd expected the tension level to shoot up with the closer proximity, not level out.

Whatever.

When they were both seated, I crossed my arms and stared down at them both, a frown on my face. I was so pissed I didn't even know where to begin. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, allowing my power to ebb and flow with my breathing. "Alright, Koga," I finally said in a tightly controlled voice. "Start talking."

"I'm glad you're okay, Kagome."

"Koga," I snapped in warning. I was in no mood to discuss what he'd done to me.

He sighed and stared at the floor in surrender. "What do you want to know?"

"How about we start with Naraku?"

Koga shifted uncomfortably under my sharp gaze and pushed clawed fingers through his untidy hair in a nervous gesture. A part of me stirred at this action, a part of me that I thought had been destroyed. By all rights and means, I should hate Koga for what he'd done to me - and I did - but for some reason a little piece of me still felt relieved that he was sitting only two feet away, alive and well. I had no control over this involuntarily reaction, it came to me just like breathing; it was an automatic reflex. Koga was safe, I was happy. Cause and effect.

I shook my head and forced myself to focus on what the wolf demon was saying instead of the emotions he was stirring within me.

"A long time ago," Koga began, "I was known as the Prince of Wolves."

Inuyasha snorted and leaned back, placing his hands behind his head. "Right."

Koga glanced at him from the corner of his eye and laughed bitterly, a sharp sound that echoed in the small room. "You sure are cocky for such a young pup. Your Great Uncle was too, and look where that got him."

Inuyasha frowned as though he was trying to decide whether or not he'd been insulted. "What are you talking about?" he finally questioned. "You aren't any older than Kagome or I. We grew up together, Koga."

The wolf demon shook his head. "You only think we did. Can you actually recall a memory of me before high school?"

Inuyasha frowned and I cocked my head, struggling to remember Koga in middle school. I drew a blank. Nothing. Elementary school? Nope. I was drawing a blank there too. "But you knew about my "boyfriend" from kindergarten," I said, suddenly recalling a conversation we'd had years ago as Koga and I had walked to the movie theater for our 'Triple Date'.

The wolf demon's cobalt eyes bored into mine, and I saw something dangerous slip behind his gaze; something ancient. "I've been watching you since you were born, Kagome. Since before you even existed. I know everything there is to know about you; your habits, your likes, your dislikes, your friends, family, love interests. I saw you take your first step, read your first book, make your first friend. I know what kind of foods you like, which colors you prefer, and how, when you're home alone, you sing at the top of your lungs, just because you can."

My eyes widened and a blush began to creep up my neck.

"I know that you like to cook, but aren't very good at it, that your favorite place to sit on a sunny day is on the sixty-seventh shrine step, and how you absolutely detest doing housework. One time you wore everything in your closet before you consented to doing laundry."

"Okay, I get the point," I hissed through gritted teeth. "You've stalked me for most of my life. Get on with the story." God, I was embarrassed.

His expression shifted and he continued to talk. "I've studied you for 19 years, and this entire time I've had to force myself not to get too attached, not to feel anything for you."

I swallowed painfully, knowing that for at least one of those years he'd pretended to date me. "Why, Koga?"

Staring into his eyes was like staring into the depths of the ocean; I could feel myself starting to drown and there was nothing I could do to escape it. "Because more than anything," he said steadily, eyes locked with mine, "I wanted my freedom. And in order to get that, I had to give you up to Naraku."

There it was. The confession I'd been waiting for. His love for me had never been more than an act. I'd been used as a pawn, an essential piece to his strategy; even though I was the sacrifice, he was willing to make it in order to save himself and gain his freedom. Whatever that meant.

My eyes closed against the pain and my nostrils flared as I inhaled. I was forced to regulate my breathing again.

Inuyasha made a disgusted noise and shifted the topic. "So how old are you really?" he demanded.

Koga bowed his head, and I could feel the heat of his gaze lift from my face; he had to know the weight of his words and what they meant to me. I opened my eyes, but couldn't see his expression. "I think I'm around 580 years old," he said softly. "And for about 560 of those years, I've been bound to Naraku."

"And how did that happen?" Inuyasha questioned, golden orbs trained on Koga. "Being bound to Naraku, I mean?"

"You have no idea how many times I've asked myself that same question," Koga replied in a sudden burst of sound. His fists opened and closed in contained frustration. "One moment, I'm standing on the battlefield and Naraku is dead, the next I'm running as fast as I can through a forest, unable to control my own body. I could feel and think and see, but I couldn't control anything." His head snapped up and he glanced between me and Inuyasha, as though searching for our reaction. "I was being moved like a puppet. Some dark force had invaded my mind and was forcing me to run."

Dark force?

"Naraku," Inuyasha growled.

Koga nodded. "Yeah. That bastard was able to survive the final battle by using me. I don't know how, but his soul was able to push mine aside, and as a result, I was no longer in control of my own body."

The wolf demon's eyes had gone glassy as he relived the past. "We stayed that way for months, and when he finally released me in favor of a new victim, we were irrevocably bound. He left a tiny mark on my skin, and that was how he was able to threaten me into submission. I had no choice but to do as he asked, or my life was forfeit. I'd seen what he'd done to others who were marked, and it wasn't something I wanted to experience."

My eyes widened, and my speech returned as I remembered something. "So that was a spider tattoo behind your ear!" Before I could stop myself I reached forward and grabbed Koga's head, tilting it sideways. I checked behind both ears and then frowned. "It's gone…"

Koga pulled his head from my grasp and stared up at me seriously. "The mark vanished because I was able to complete my mission. In order to gain my freedom, I had to give Naraku the one thing he wanted most."

We were all quiet for a moment as his words hung in the air, filling the silence with their weight. "And that was the Shikon no Tama, wasn't it?" I finally asked.

Koga stared at me, the answer in his eyes.

Inuyasha scoffed and leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. "So good job. You've managed to make Naraku the most powerful being in the world. Hope you're fucking proud."

A low growl rumbled in Koga's throat and he began to bow up, his cerulean gaze shifting to the dog hanyou on his left. "He would have gotten it with or without me. This is not my fault."

"It is your fault!" Inuyasha rallied. "You could have told us that Kagome needed protection! We could've kept her and the Jewel safe! Did you ever think of that? Huh?"

"Were you listening to anything I just said? Naraku had control of my life. If I so much as breathed a word about the Shikon no Tama, I would have been killed."

"So what?" Inuyasha snarled. "Now that Naraku has the Jewel, we're all going to die."

I stared at the arguing males in front of me, suddenly growing tired with the weight of everything that was happening. "Guys," I said in an effort to grab their attention. They ignored me and continued to bicker, the volume of their voices escalating rapidly.

I clenched my teeth and balled my fists. "Look…," I said, voice rising.

"Such a fucking coward…"

"…you don't know anything. You've been around for a measly 19 years, and you're more stupid than your damn ancestor…"

"What is that supposed to mean? Are you bad-talking my family?"

"Yeah. What are you going to do about it?"

By now Koga and Inuyasha were on their feet, and the tension in the air was thick enough to cut. I could sense that Inuyasha was only seconds away from jumping the wolf demon, and I was sick of being ignored. I finally lost it.

"Both of you shut the hell up and listen to me!"

Electric blue and flaming gold both turned to me in fury, but I took it all in stride, meeting their eyes head on with a glare of my own.

"Naraku doesn't have the entire Jewel," I said in a surprisingly level voice.

It took a moment for my words to register.

"What?"

"Huh?"

"Naraku doesn't have the entire Jewel."

I told them about the tiny shard that had been nicked off, but didn't reveal where it was being kept or how it had been separated from the Jewel. Neither bothered to ask anyway.

Inuyasha was rubbing his chin thoughtfully and Koga was pacing the room.

"This is the best thing we could've asked for," he murmured. "Naraku will still be powerful, but now we may stand a chance."

Inuyasha made a noise. "What do you mean 'we'? You're a prisoner of war, not a new recruit."

I ignored Inuyasha's comment and asked Koga a question that had been pressing on my mind since he'd told his story. "You've battled Naraku before, and he almost died. So you must know how to defeat him, right?"

Koga stilled and stared at the wall in thought. "I don't know how to kill him for good, but I know someone who might."

Inuyasha's ears perked in question and I prompted Koga to tell us. "And that would be?"

He lifted his eyes and glanced between us before settling his gaze on Inuyasha. "We have to talk to your Great Uncle."

The hanyou's brow furrowed in confusion. "My Great Uncle is dead."

Koga shook his head and began pacing and talking at the same time. "He's not dead. I saw him a few years ago. In fact, we all did."

"Koga," I sighed. "What are you talking about?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Because I'm pretty sure I've never met my Great Uncle."

Koga ignored our questions and continued to speak. "Kagome, you'll have to remove the arrow. I'm pretty sure your Great Aunt was the one who sealed him, so if you're truly her reincarnation, you should be able to break the spell."

"Koga!" I yelled. His head snapped up in attention. "What the hell are you talking about?"

He quirked an eyebrow in confusion and then realized that neither of us were following a word he said. A slow smile spread across his features. "Remember that field trip we took during Junior year?"

I thought for a moment. "You mean when we went to that museum with all the bodies?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yeah," Koga answered. He leaned against the wall and continued to smile that secret smile. "And do you remember that 'unnamed inu-hanyou' with the arrow lodged in his chest?"

"What about him?"

Koga didn't answer, but his smile grew large as he watched Inuyasha's eyes widen in realization. My mouth fell open in surprise. "No way," I whispered.

"Yup. That's him," Koga said cheerfully. "Great Uncle Inuyasha."

-End—

Lordy. This was a long chapter. But it was fun to write. :D

Is everybody keeping up with what's going on? I don't want anything to seem rushed or confusing. Let me know your thoughts. I love to read your reviews; they really help me gauge how well the story is progressing.

Next chapter is in the works.

More Inu/Kag/Koga interaction. Which I know is everybody's favorite. :) It's certainly mine. lol

Review! Thanks!

-RedThread