Warnings for this chapter: discussions of death, disfigurement and death by fire, vomiting canines (not what you think), and references to possessive and dangerous misogyny

Inuyasha paced up and down the small length of Kaede's hut. Miroku sat by the fire, making new sutras. Kaede had taken Shippo and Hachi out to collect more of the herbs that she had used as anti-venom for Miroku. They had been out all morning while Kaede finished mending Inuyasha's robes and Miroku's cleaned kesa was hung up to dry. Inuyasha had been pacing then, too. It wasn't at all distracting. The hanyou reached one end of the hut, sighed loudly, and turned around.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said slowly. "If you don't stop pacing, I'm going to nail you to the floor."

"We've wasted enough time," Inuyasha huffed. "We need to go!"

"Go? To where?"

"How can you ask that?" Inuyasha spun on him, eyes blazing. "We'll find Naraku and crush him, once and for all!"

Miroku surveyed the hanyou calmly. "And how do you recommend we go about searching for Naraku? You've come across some new leads, I suppose? Or did you track him down from inside this room?"

Inuyasha's shoulders sagged. "No…not exactly."

"Do you have a plan?"

"Shaddup!"

Miroku sighed. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't take out your frustration on me."

"Will you get off my back?" Inuyasha snapped, ears flattening on his head.

Miroku pushed the sutras and ink to the side and folded his hands in his lap. "Our best hope now lies in composing ourselves and thinking things through."

"I don't have time for this!" Inuyasha growled, heading for the door.

"What are you thinking? I want to crush Naraku as desperately as you, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha whipped around. Miroku sounded pissed, truly angry for the first time. The monk wasn't looking at him, though. Instead his eyes were fixed on cloth over the palm of his right hand.

"Naraku's curse took away my father and my grandfather," Miroku continued, voice softer but still filled with emotion. "And their wretched fate falls to me!"

"Miroku…" His shoulders slumped and he crept over to sit by the monk's side, an apology in his voice. "Taking action is more my style, not strategizing. You think of something!"

"Work with me, Inuyasha. Let's go back to when this all started. Fifty years ago, you fell into Naraku's trap. That means you've met Naraku in person."

"Not exactly," Inuyasha sighed. "I couldn't tell that he wasn't Kikyo. He didn't just look like her – he sounded, smelled, and acted like her, too."

"It makes no sense!" Miroku ran a hand down his face. "You don't know Naraku, and yet he despised you enough to disguise himself as Kikyo and leave you for dead. Could you have done something in the past to cause him to be embittered?"

"How the hell do I know? I don't even know what he looks like!"

They both sighed.

"Could it be Kikyo that Naraku was after?" Miroku suggested after a moment. "He sought the Jewel, after all. Perhaps she fought him and he held a grudge?"

"It could be," Inuyasha said slowly. "You know more about him than I do."

"You know more about Kikyo," Miroku countered.

They both sighed again. Kaede found them leaning back against the wall, shoulders slumped and looking miserable. She eyed them suspiciously before visibly deciding that it wasn't worth it.

"Inuyasha, strip. It's time to change your bandages."

As the hanyou grudgingly moved to comply, Kaede set a pot of water over the fire to boil. Shippo and Hachi also slipped in the door, munching on peaches.

"Oh, Hahci," Miroku smiled. "I never got a chance to thank you for flying us all back here. Thank you, my friend!"

"Don't mention in!" Hachi beamed. "Granny has given me lots of good food."

Miroku smirked at Kaede. "Granny, huh?"

Her glare made him laugh. He turned back to the tanuki. "I cannot thank you enough for your help these past two days. Here." He reached into his robes and pulled out a few coins to hand over. "Don't spend it all in one place."

"Thank you, Miroku! If you're sure you're alright now, then I think I'll be off!"

Shippo hugged the tanuki tight and waved at him. "Bye, Hachi!"

"Take care of yourself!" Kaede called as he left the hut.

"I told you it would take her less than a day to adopt him," Inuyasha muttered to Miroku under his breath.

Miroku turned to him with a smile, which froze on his face as he saw Inuyasha's bare chest. Apparently it had taken the full two days for the bleeding to stop – already an incredible show of hanyou strength. Still, the wound was red and angry-looking, barely scabbed over. His back likely looked very similar. There were still flecks of blood on the old bandages in Inuyasha's hands. Miroku sucked in a breath slowly through his teeth.

Kaede sat the hanyou down in front of her and gently cleaned the wound with warm water from the pot. The rest of the water had been placed in a teapot which Miroku was firmly ignoring for the time being. Kaede then rubbed an herbal salve over both sides of the wound. "These injuries are serious. Ye won't be seeing any battles for some time yet."

"Feh! They won't hold me back any longer than another two or three days."

"Not surprising that ye would put on a brave face," Kaede sighed, picking up fresh bandages and nudging the hanyou's arms up to begin wrapping his chest. "Drink your tea, monk."

Miroku made a face at the suspicious liquid. He'd had it many times over the past few days. He knew that it had saved his life and he was grateful for it! It just. Tasted. Like death. Or ass. Or both. He dutifully took a sip and gagged.

"Hush, ye," Kaede chided, not bothering to look at him. "Would ye rather face the debilitating effects of the venom?"

Miroku narrowed his eyes. "Maybe."

Kaede sighed. "Ye both need to recover quickly. I fear that danger is lurking nearby." Miroku and Inuyasha exchanged a worried look. "Ever since Kikyo was revived by Urasue, I have suspected that all was not right. The one who disguised himself as ye could have made off with the Jewel, yet he did not. He tricked ye into terrorizing the village and pursuing the Sacred Shikon Jewel, which he must have placed back in the shrine for ye to find. Why deceive you? Was the trickster attempting to pit ye against each other? Or was Kikyo the true object of his malice? Was he trying to fill her heart with hatred and bitterness?"

"What?" Inuyasha asked, shifting around to look at the old woman. "What would that accomplish?"

"In Kikyo's possession, the Jewel remained pure," Kaede explained. "But when her heart became tainted and hateful, the Jewel also became sullied, and it filled with a malevolent power. At the time, there was but a single person who wished for such a terrible outcome." She surveyed them both with a hard gaze. "Shall I take ye to see the place where this man once resided?"

Inuyasha kept a close eye on Miroku as they followed Kaede through the tall grass. It was the first time they'd left Kaede's hut since arriving and he wanted to make sure the monk wasn't pushing himself too hard. Kaede was being strangely cryptic as they walked, but that was fine – they were keeping things from her, as well. When the old woman claimed to know the man – the human – who tricked him and Kikyo, Inuyasha exchanged a look with Miroku. They silently agreed to hold off on their own theories and wait to see what Kaede knew.

"The village had condemned him to death," Kaede continued. "No one wanted him around. Of course, Kikyo had come to her own decision."

Inuyasha's ears flicked in annoyance. "She was harbouring a thief."

Beside him, Miroku tried not to look guilty.

"She pitied him," Kaede continued. "He was unable to move on his own." They came to the end of the grassy field. Before them, the roots of a large tree grew over a rocky mound. A split had formed in the rock, revealing a cavern underneath. "This is the cave where Onigumo resided. He suffered from terrible burns and his face was especially scarred. I know not how, but both legs were broken. Yet despite his severe wounds, Onigumo continued to endure."

She led them inside. Inuyasha took her arm as they made their way down the steep, rocky incline to the bottom of the cave. He kept an ear on Miroku behind him, concerned as the monk's heartrate rose.

"He did not move again, but he recovered his strength enough to converse, and gradually, his true nature emerged. I attended to him at my sister's behest, and one day he began to ask me about the Jewel in Kikyo's possession. He knew that the more evil the Jewel absorbs, the more evil it becomes, and wanted to corrupt it to that end. He wanted to toy with her for his own pleasure and use the negative motions evoked to taint the Jewel beyond salvation. Kikyo dismissed him as harmless, but it was not long afterward that Kiyko bound ye to a tree with her arrow."

Grass and moss painted the floor. Miroku frowned and stepped forward, brushing gently past Inuyasha as he did so. It certainly sounded suspicious, but what did this thief have to do with Naraku?

"Several days later when I went to visit Onigumo at the cave, I found it had been burned out. Judging by what I saw, the flames must have been intense. Onigumo was unable to move and would have perished in the cave, yet his bones were nowhere to be found. They, too, must have gone up in flames."

"What does this have to do with me?" Inuyasha asked in frustration. "I'm looking for a demon, not a human."

"No mistaking that," Kaede sighed. "Onigumo may have been evil, but he was human. A true scourge to humanity."

"There is something we have been meaning to tell you," Miroku said, kneeling down to examine a bare part of the cave floor. "We realized earlier…" He trailed off, his hand hovering over the ground. "This area- There's something…"

"That is where Onigumo lay injured," Kaede said, eye flashing between the monk and the bare ground.

Miroku frowned, reaching his hand closer to the earth. Inuyasha moved closer behind him, and he knew the hanyou could hear his heart hammering. There was something… Something different lurking in the ground. Something that felt unnatural, wrong. His hand hovered in the air, brushing along the edges of the presence- It slammed into him, almost knocking him off his feet. He scrambled back instinctively, cutting through the air with his staff. Inuyasha grabbed the back of his koromo and hauled him to his feet.

"It's youkai! The strongest spirit I've ever felt. It's been seeping into the earth for decades, so foul that even grass refuses to grow. This-" He swallowed thickly. "This can't be human."

"It's definitely demon," Inuyasha confirmed quietly. "This doesn't make any sense. What does a human have to do with Naraku?" He frowned as a shiver passed through Miroku's body. "Come on, we've spent enough time in here."

Once out in the sunshine, they couldn't hide from Kaede's piercing gaze. Inuyasha subtly placed himself slightly behind Miroku, and the monk sighed. "So there are some developments we have…postponed sharing."

"Naraku?" Kaede prompted. "Was that not the demon ye were seeking when ye first came to our village, hoshi-dono?"

"It was," Miroku said slowly. "I had been informed that he once tried to steal the Jewel." Kaede nodded. "And in doing so, he killed a priestess." She froze. "I hadn't realized it might be Kikyo until the disparities between her and Inuyasha's stories were revealed. He has powerful shapeshifting abilities and would be capable of deceiving them."

Kaede's frown deepened. "And when were ye planning on telling me this?"

Miroku sighed. "It was only a theory. We didn't know for certain."

Her eye flashed between them. "I can understand that. So long as there is nothing else that you have kept from me…"

Miroku looked pained. "He reappeared recently." Her glare grew more ominous. "He aided Sesshomaru to fight Inuyasha. We didn't see him, but Sesshomaru was working under his guidance."

"Also he was the one to give Sesshomaru the insects to kill Miroku," Inuyasha threw out rapidly from the safety behind the monk's shoulder.

"And just how am I supposed to get anything done with ye two fools running around keeping secrets?" Kaede asked incredulously.

"We didn't intend to keep it from you," Miroku offered wanly. "It just…never came up."

Kaede's eye narrowed. "You're lucky I have a soft spot for the pathetic."

Inuyasha's ears twitched and his head snapped to the right, eyes boring into the trees on the other side of the grassy field. A moment later, a cry sounded from the distance. "Help! Somebody help me!"

"Shippo!" Inuyasha shouted, launching himself forward.

The fox emerged from the treeline pursued by a pack of wolf youkai. They were larger than regular wolves and bore three glowing yellow eyes. Shippo was running for his life but the wolves were fast approaching. Even as Inuyasha ran for him, the kit stumbled and fell.

"Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer!"

Inuyasha's claws connected with the wolves in several solid strikes, sending them flying. He scooped up Shippo as he fought, holding the fox to his chest. The wolves yelped and ran. Inuyasha dropped heavily to the ground, falling to one knee as pain laced through his back and chest.

"Are you in pain?" Shippo asked, nose twitching and voice shrill with fear. He gasped and pulled a hand away from Inuyasha's robes. It was covered in red. "Your chest! You're bleeding!"

Inuyasha growled. His wound must've reopened. At least Shippo was safe, and the wolves appeared to be- Oh. Oh, no.

A giant wolf demon loomed over them, eyes glowing red and saliva dripping from giant fangs. He gestured at the two of them with pointed claws. "Might you be Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha looked him over skeptically. The drool and wild eyes were at odds with the calm words and sophisticated armour wrapped around this youkai. "That depends who's asking."

"I am Royakan, the guardian of Hell!"

Royakan? Was he supposed to know who the fuck-

"Royakan?" Kaede gasped behind him. "Are ye not the gentle youkai that guards the forest?"

"That was before I was reborn!" Royakan bellowed, pointing at them accusingly. "Inuyasha, I am come to slay you!"

He threw his head back and his throat bulged grotesquely before he spewed forth a wave of another dozen wolves. Ew. Inuyasha stood and moved in front of Shippo. "Good luck is all I can say!"

Miroku frowned. Inuyasha was in no condition to fight, and Royakan seemed to sense it. The youkai stood back and watched as his wolves rushed at the hanyou. Inuyasha tore at them one by one with his claws, picking up Shippo and keeping him out of danger as he did so. Though his claws were punishing, his movements were stiff and slow, and not once did he reach for the Tessaiga. Miroku wondered if he could even wield the sword. He rushed forward, taking out the wolves closest to him with his staff. He couldn't kill them, but he could keep them from reaching Kaede or overrunning Inuyasha.

"The fight is in me. You can never defeat me!" Royakan crowed, vomiting forth more wolves.

Miroku's heart sank. There had already been more wolves than he could kill with his sutras, and Inuyasha's claws were wounding but no more. They were completely outnumbered. He had to do something, and that something was the wind tunnel. A pang shot through his arm as he reached for the mala beads, reminding him of how tender the wind tunnel was, how freshly the venom still lingered in his body. He tore off the mala and braced himself. Inuyasha whipped around to face him, eyes wide with fear. He crouched down with Shippo clinging to him, fighting the winds that were powerful even at the outer edges of the wind tunnel's range. Miroku watched them closely.

"Inuyasha, quickly!" he called, closing the wind tunnel once a path was cleared. "This way!"

Royakan roared and hurled forward another wave of wolves. They ran first toward Inuyasha then changed their path, heading toward Miroku. It was almost as though they knew that by sticking so close to Inuyasha, Miroku couldn't use his wind tunnel. He caught Inuyasha's gaze and the hanyou nodded, jumping to the side and away from the wolves. Miroku opened the wind tunnel again and Inuyasha turned to face the wolves that followed him.

"Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer!"

A few more of the wolves went flying, but Inuyasha sank to his knees. Shippo's concerned voice sounded in his ear, asking if he was okay. "Yeah…" Yeah, no. His vision was blurry and his chest and back were on fire.

Miroku swept the wind tunnel across the field, sucking in each new wave of Royakan's wolves. He hadn't reached his limit yet, but his arms were already shaking from the exertion.

"Monk!" Kaede cried out beside him. "Inuyasha is in danger!"

Miroku ground his teeth. "I'm moving as fast as I'm able!" He closed the wind tunnel and dove for his staff, spinning and flinging it through the air. It struck Royakan in the face and Miroku ran after it, clutching the mala in his hand rather than fully securing them. He needed to stop Royakan from producing any more wolves if they were to have even the slightest chance of winning. Inuyasha would just have to hang on for a moment longer.

He planted himself in front of the youkai and opened the wind tunnel. Royakan braced against the void, putting up amazing resistance. Then Miroku sensed the Jewel shard. His stance faltered and he took an involuntary step back. He couldn't suck in the Jewel. As the pull of the wind lessened on Royakan, the youkai slammed his fists into the ground, fracturing the earth and splitting apart chunks of rock which flew into Miroku's hand. He cried out, forced to suck in the debris to avoid being hit but quickly reaching his limit. He pulled back as quickly as he could, wrapping the wind tunnel and clutching his arm to his chest. When he looked up, the dust had cleared and Royakan was gone.

Miroku grabbed his staff and staggered toward Inuyasha, seeing Kaede run ahead of him. She knelt by his side with a demand that he show her his wounds. The hanyou shook his head, still slumped on his knees. "Where's Royakan?"

"He has fled," Kaede soothed, tugging at his robes.

Miroku came to a stop beside them, indecision burning in his gut. He'd cast his mind out to try to sense where Royakan had gone. Instead, he came upon a very different presence. He didn't know how to explain it. He didn't know how Naraku could bear that foul spirit. He also didn't know whether or not he should say anything at all. He was in no state to fight such a powerful foe, Inuyasha even less so. Still, he strongly suspected that Inuyasha would never forgive him if he kept it to himself. And Kaede had a right to know of the danger lurking so near her village.

"I sense that Naraku is near," Miroku sighed.

Inuyasha's eyes snapped to his. "What?"

"Royakan has a Jewel shard in his head, likely placed there by Naraku," Miroku shut his eyes against a wave of nausea. "I can feel Naraku watching us."

"That would explain such a gentle creature turning evil," Kaede mused. Inuyasha rose to his feet and she quickly admonished "Inuyasha!"

"Naraku!" He stumbled in the direction of the strongest youki around, into the forest where he could smell Royakan's scent. "Where are you? Come out and face me, one-on-one!"

Miroku pursed his lips. He may have miscalculated, slightly. He was racing forward even before the hanyou collapsed. Kaede and Shippo reached him first. Kaede wasted no time in rebinding Inuyasha's wounds, trying to staunch the flow of blood. She shot Miroku a terse look over the hanyou's form.

"Royakan may return for another attack. We should flee to the village and contemplate our next move."

"Mm," Miroku nodded, tearing his eyes from the darkness of the trees. Rationally, he knew that Kaede was correct. Still, every part of him was rearing to go after Naraku, so close after so long. Who knew when they would find him again? Miroku knelt down and wrapped Inuyasha's arm around his shoulder, bracing himself for a moment before slinging the hanyou across his back. Inuyasha groaned and Miroku gasped, his muscles shaking. He ignored the concerned looks coming from Shippo and Kaede and turned in the direction of the village. Shippo transformed into a pink ball and floated above them, grabbing Inuyasha with spindly arms and taking some of his weight.

Once back at the hut, Kaede had to re-stitch both sides of the wound. The hanyou was pale and sweaty, grimacing in pain through his unconsciousness. As she rebound the wound, Kaede kept on glancing at Miroku as he sat against the wall. He avoided her gaze. She hummed quietly to herself and began to boil some water for tea.

"Naraku is likely still nearby," she observed quietly.

"Mm," Miroku responded unenthusiastically.

"Inuyasha appeared quite eager to find him." She met his gaze firmly. "And ye, young monk?"

"I've been searching for him for seven years," Miroku sighed and ran a hand over his face, trying to convince himself more than Kaede. "I can wait a little longer."

"We must protect Inuyasha while he recovers his strength," Kaede said. "Hoshi-dono, what was your training before?"

As Miroku placed the tenth sutra on the wall of the storehouse, he wondered if, just perhaps, they were being a little excessive. While Shippo seemed eager to lend a hand and watch over Inuyasha and Kaede was correct in that the hanyou needed rest, Miroku felt guilty. It almost felt like a betrayal of trust. He had to remind himself that this was for his friend's protection.

"And call out to us if he gets worse," Miroku instructed. "Or if he stops breathing. Or if either of you need anything. We'll be right outside."

"I'm not stupid," Shippo grumbled, eyeing him suspiciously.

"I know you're not," Miroku sighed. "Which is why we're trusting you with this responsibility. Kaede and I will be relying on you to keep him safe."

Shippo's little chest puffed out and he looked incredibly proud of himself. It gave Miroku the courage he needed to close the door behind him, sealing the storage room for good. Kaede waited for him just outside, a length of hemp rope coiled over her shoulder, a bundle of sakaki branches under one arm, and holding a basket full of paper in her hands. Miroku dutifully picked up a shovel. Though he had never performed this Shinto ritual before, he was familiar with it from his studies and travels. He took the sakaki branches from Kaede and set to work. While Kaede tied the zig-zag paper shide onto the length of rope, Miroku dug small holes around the hut, filling each with one of the sakaki wands. The small branches waved in the wind, their waxy oval leaves dancing in the low evening light.

By the time he finished with the sakaki, Kaede had completed the shimenawa. They looped and tied the length of rope around the perimeter set by the sakaki, tying the rope just high enough that the paper shide hanging from it didn't touch the ground. With the boundary set, they would be able to cast a protective spell over the storehouse. Unfortunately, muffled voices were coming from inside the small hut, followed by several loud thumps. Miroku sighed.

"Miroku, ye have travelled with Inuyasha for some time now," Kaede mused as they finalized the ritual. "How has he acted on your journeys?"

Miroku smiled despite himself. "He has been remarkable. He has improved so much in such a short amount of time. His compassion shows in his willingness to help humans and do the right thing. His actions portray an awareness of himself and those around him. His fighting, too, has greatly improved."

Miroku knew that pride shone on his face, and Kaede was smirking gently. "And what do ye think of him?"

He felt a light blush spread across his cheeks and looked away, keeping his expression carefully neutral. "Despite some frustrations, I couldn't ask for a better travel companion. I think he's really growing up."

"Open up!" A familiar voice shouted from inside the storehouse accompanied by loud thumping. "For fuck's sake, let me outta here! Fucking sneaky-ass conniving bastards!"

Miroku cleared his throat lightly and soundly ignored Kaede's raised eyebrow.

Inside the storehouse, Inuyasha growled and kicked the door again for good measure. Those fucking assholes sealed him in and left him alone with Shippo of all people! Sealed him away as though he were some useless creature that needed protecting! Left a child to look after him! The kit surveyed him from atop a bale of hay, head propped up by his hands.

"You're wasting your time, Inuyasha. The sutras won't let anything youkai pass, in or out."

"But I want out!" Inuyasha snarled, banging his heel against the wood. "Open up!"

"Please stop, Inuyasha," a soft, gentle voice pleaded. Inuyasha's heart seized and he froze, not daring to look. "Be still and rest. Your injuries still haven't had enough time to heal."

Carefully, not daring to believe his ears, Inuyasha looked over his shoulder. Kikyo? No, it couldn't be. What- Realization slammed into him. "Shippo!"

"Wait, maybe this will work better," Shippo muttered, dropping the illusion for a heartbeat before casting a new one. Warm violet eyes blinked at him. "Inuyasha, I need you to lie still. Please, for me."

If Shippo thought he wouldn't hit Miroku, he was dead wrong. He spun around and slammed his foot against Shippo's head, gentle enough not to cause any real damage but hard enough to let the fox know that he was serious. The illusion fell immediately and the phantom Miroku disappeared. "Laugh it up, fuzzball!"

"I was only trying to cheer you up!" Shippo pouted, scurrying to safety on the other side of the room. "Someone had to get you to listen to reason."

The door of the storehouse slid open. "I thought I heard myself giving you some good advice," Miroku observed as he stepped inside. "Are you still banging around in here?"

"Better believe it!" Inuyasha growled back, debating whether or not it was worth tackling the monk to get outside.

Kaede slid the door shut behind them and Miroku placed another sutra on it. He turned to give Inuyasha a cool glare. "Now when you tore your stitches, was it that you didn't notice, or didn't care?"

"Fuck you!"

It took more wrangling than usual to get the hanyou to strip down and let Kaede tend to his injury. Thankfully, only a small amount of bleeding had taken place, and most of the wound was still scabbed over and healing nicely. Some of the fight left Inuyasha once they were all seated and he let Kaede rub ointment into his chest without complaint. They spread his suikan on the floor for him to lie on as she smoothed the slick mixture across his back.

"You mustn't rush things, Inuyasha," Miroku sighed. The cramped quarters had him sitting on a hay bale with his feet tucked under Inuyasha's thigh. Kaede was pressed into the hanyou's other side with Shippo beside her. "I am inclined to want to rush after Naraku as well, but we stand no chance in confronting him before your wounds have healed completely."

"He speaks the truth," Kaede nodded. "You cannot underestimate such an opponent."

Inuyasha huffed and leaned his chin against his crossed arms. His ears lay back and he didn't meet their eyes.

"We need you to recover quickly," Miroku pressed. "We must face Naraku at our strongest. Otherwise, we would die in vain and I, for one, would like to avoid that."

Inuyasha flashed him a glare from under furrowed brows. "What're you walking about, dying in vain?" He burrowed his nose into his arms. "Stupid monk. You're making it sound like I'm gonna let that monster kill you. I, for one, am ready to fight Naraku here and now!"

Miroku smiled gently. "Put your head down and get yourself some much needed sleep."

"No!" Inuyasha sprang to his feet. "I'm not going to let-"

"Inuyasha!" Miroku snapped, rising as well and taking Inuyasha by the arm. "You need to recover! Don't make me sit on you."

Inuyasha ignored the attempt at humour, showing his teeth. "You keep yammering on about how I need to recover, but you're the one who almost died! I can smell the venom in your system, but you're still throwing open the wind tunnel every chance you get!" He moved into Miroku's space, the fronts of their bodies almost pressed together. "How the hell do you expect me to lie back and take a catnap while you're running around, offering yourself to demons like a piece of meat on a stick. Why, you can barely stand!"

He shoved Miroku hard to illustrate his point. Still unstable, the monk fell back against the hay bales, flinging his arms out to brace himself. Inuyasha stood over him, breathing hard and hands curled into fists. A slight shimmer caught his eye. Miroku's robes had slipped open and the Jewel shard around his neck peeked through. Inuyasha's heart twisted at the sight. He knelt down reluctantly and wrapped his hands around Miroku's shoulders, holding him there for a long moment. Then he shifted, sliding one hand down the monk's arm to help pull him to his feet. Unseen by the others, he deftly snapped the thread from which the Jewel shard hung and snatched it from Miroku's robes.

"I know I'm not recovered either, but I'm alright," Miroku was saying. "I'm not planning on fighting anyone. Kaede and I simply want to hide the storehouse until Royakan is gone. Once that happens, we can regroup while we all recover our strength."

Inuyasha nodded gruffly, not meeting his eyes. He still caught the small frown on Miroku's face as he and Kaede went back outside, leaving Inuyasha feeling guilty and distressed. He slipped his hadagi back on but left the suikan on the ground to lie on. He curled on his side with his back to Shippo, hiding the Jewel shard against his chest. The shard made Miroku a target. Demons were drawn to the Jewel. Without it, Miroku would be safer, at least. With them, Inuyasha might be strong enough to fight Naraku. His stomach churned and his chest was tight. A month ago, he would've used the Jewel without hesitation. But now…

Miroku was less of a target. He'd accomplished all he wanted to just by taking the Jewel. But why shouldn't he use the shards? They were facing down demons who had no such qualms. Using the shards would even the playing field. Would allow him to heal, to fight properly. Might even save their lives. So why did using them feel like more of a betrayal than stealing them had been? Maybe it was the prospect of using just the shards instead of the whole Jewel which made him feel so conflicted. Shards embedded in his skin would only make him a target. Maybe he should just wait until they completed the Jewel entirely, like he'd originally planned. Then he could use it to become a full demon and the Jewel would be gone. He wouldn't need to be constantly keeping an eye out for those trying to steal it from him.

But did he even want to be a full demon?

He closed his eyes against the thought. Of course he did. Being hanyou had brought him nothing but pain, misery, isolation, and suffering. He already had to keep an eye out, to be constantly on his guard. Not only the power but the security that came with being full youkai would fix that. He would no longer be hated by both demons and humans, be able to live a full life and protect himself. Protect those he cared about.

But he couldn't do that if he was dead.

He had to use the shards, to fight Naraku and Royakan and whoever else came after them. He would be healed – he would be powerful. He would be… different. The artist flashed in his mind, the way the man had been corrupted by the Jewel shard – had corrupted the Jewel in return. Kaede said that the more evil the Jewel was exposed to, the more evil it became. Miroku purified each new shard before fusing it to the rest, but was it enough? Would Inuyasha be corrupted by the evil lingering from the previous owners? An awful thought flashes through his mind and he suppressed a whimper. Would his own evil corrupt the Jewel instead?

Inuyasha huffed and curled more into himself. He'd sleep on it. It was a big decision, and there was no immediate pressure to make it. Royakan was still hiding in the woods and Naraku was nowhere to be seen. Miroku and Kaede would keep them all safe for the time being. For now, he would take their advice and sleep.

"Hey, Inuyasha?" Shippo's voice sounded quietly behind him. "You awake?"

"Why?" he groaned, frustration evident in his voice.

He could hear Shippo fiddling with a piece of straw as he murmured "I know you want to protect Miroku, but you shouldn't be so mean to him."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Ugh, you woke me up for that? Miroku can deal with it."

"I hate to see you two fighting, that's all. Can't you see he wants to protect you, too? That's why he's pushing himself so hard to keep you safe, even though he's still getting better after the venom."

Cold dread clashed with hot guilt in his stomach. "What're you talking about?"

"He's sitting out there right now, waiting all night to protect you. Earlier, he used his wind tunnel even though I don't think he's ready."

"He's an idiot," Inuyasha snapped. "Can't he see I'm so much stronger than he is?"

"Maybe," Shippo shrugged, still oddly subdued. "But Miroku's strong in different ways. Even a dummy like you has to see that."

Inuyasha flipped over and gently shoved Shippo's face into the straw. The kit spluttered then burst out laughing when one of Inuyasha's claws poked him in the side. Inuyasha smiled slightly to himself. He lay down again, this time facing Shippo, and was unsurprised when a tiny body curled into the hollow of his stomach. He curled around the kit and forced himself to relax. He could trust in his friends. Even if, as a tiny voice reminded him, they couldn't trust him.

Miroku blinked out at the empty expanse before them, wondering where the danger lurked in the light of the waxing moon. The barrier he and Kaede had erected would hide the storehouse from outside forces, removing the sight, sound, and scent of all inside. It would hopefully give Inuyasha some time to recover. They had already given him most of the night, as the sky was beginning to pale with morning. It was his and Kaede's hope that without the scent of his prey or further provocation, Royakan might simply go away. Somehow, Miroku doubted that would be the case.

"My spiritual powers have never been particularly strong," Kaede sighed beside him. "How long do ye may hold?"

Miroku shrugged. The longest he had ever held a barrier had been three consecutive days. No food, no water, no rest. Crucially, also no strong attacks. He could only last for a day or so under assaults from a regular demon. In his current state, weak and exhausted, he couldn't say. If Royakan attacked at full force, empowered by a Jewel shard… "The rest of the day, at least."

A fearsome howl sounded through the crisp air. A moment later, a gust of wind passed over the storehouse, shaking the sakaki and bringing with it an ominous presence.

"Stay on guard, Kaede-sama," Miroku muttered. "Something approaches."

"Aye."

Miroku kept his hands firmly clasped, pushing aside the ache in his arm. He easily caught the dark shape flying over the distant trees. Half a dozen of Royakan's wolves ran at them through the air, saliva flowing from their mouth as they bayed and snapped. He braced himself mentally, fortifying the barrier. The wolves slammed into the invisible wall, yelping before scattering in all directions. Unfortunately, Royakan wasn't far behind. When he emerged from the trees, he was nearly twice his previous size and the ground shook as he tore towards them.

"Inuyasha!" he shouted, stood just before the barrier. "Where are you hiding? Reveal yourself!"

Royakan slammed himself against the invisible wall, sending sparks of spiritual power flying. Miroku breathed deeply through his nose. So long as the barrier held, Inuyasha and Shippo would be safe. But Royakan was angrier than before, without any trace of the refined voice and poise from before. Another shard of the Jewel glowed deep within his flesh, adding power and ferocity. He presented more of a fight than Miroku was counting on, more than he might be able to give. Or withstand. Suddenly, a glint in the distance turned into a spear, tearing through the air and the barrier, directly at Kaede.

"No!" He shot to his feet.

"Don't move!" Her voice was firm.

He dove and swung his staff, connecting with the spear a heartbeat before it buried itself in Kaede. The spear spun through the air at the impact, landing solidly in the ground beside Royakan. His concentration broken, Miroku could only watch as the barrier quickly dissolved.

Royakan cackled. "There you are!"

He leapt, over their heads and onto the storehouse with a resounding crash. The small hut splintered into a thousand pieces. Miroku's heart twisted as Inuyasha's name tore from his lips. Royakan stumbled backwards with a shout as Tessaiga sliced across his chest. Inuyasha landed easily from the strike, a smirk on his face and the sword leaning across his shoulder.

"I owe you one, Royakan, for getting me out of that hut, where my so-called friends, the monk and that hag, sealed me inside!"

"For your protection, I might add," Kaede grumbled.

"Gratitude doesn't come naturally to him," Miroku agreed wryly.

"I have heard enough!" Royakan rumbled, slamming a giant fist onto the ground hard enough to split rock.

"Then let's get at it!"

Inuyasha jumped into the air, bringing down Tessaiga as he fell. Royakan slapped his hands together, easily catching the blade between them and bringing Inuyasha jerking to a halt. He swung the Tessaiga and threw it – and Inuyasha – into the dirt. The hanyou connected with a sickening thud before sliding to a stop. Miroku winced in sympathy, eyes darting between Inuyasha and Royakan. Should he fight by Inuyasha's side, or take Royakan head-on? Even if Inuyasha was willing to fight, he was far from recovered. His movements as he stood where slow and stiff. Kaede had already grabbed her bow and quiver full of arrows. Miroku was about to run forward when Inuyasha's eyes widened in sheer panic.

He followed the hanyou's gaze and saw something glittering in the dirt. Was that- It couldn't- His hand flew to his chest, but he didn't feel the Jewel shard. He froze, as did Royakan. Beyond the demon, he could just make out Inuyasha's eyes meeting his own, a look of horror on his face. Royakan growled and began to run for it. Inuyasha stumbled forward, a hand outstretched to grab the Jewel. He was moving too slowly, using the Tessaiga like a cane and he would never reach it in time-

An orange blur pounced on the Jewel shard and darted away a heartbeat before Royakan's claws slammed into the earth. "Hands off, demon!" the kit shouted over his shoulder as he ran.

"Shippo!" Inuyasha shouted, hearing Miroku echo the sentiment.

"You won't escape!" Royakan growled, throwing his head back as his throat bulged. A dozen wolves spewed from his mouth, instantly taking chase.

"Shippo, move!" Miroku shouted, already tearing off his mala beads. "Get to the side!"

"Look!"

At Kaede's gasp, Miroku turned and his heart sank. Things just got a lot more complicated. A swarm of giant insects buzzed towards them, hovering just out of reach. Miroku knew they would be surging forward the moment he opened the wind tunnel. But Shippo was still screeching, the wolves still pursuing, and blood was slowly creeping along Inuyasha's front. Royakan turned to the hanyou, a leering smile twisting his lips, and Inuyasha haltingly raised his sword. His eyes briefly flashed to Miroku's, holding the same question that the monk himself had. Where were they going to do?

Dramatic cliff-hanger once more. Poor Shippo, he just wants his dads to stop fighting. I also thought that the writers missed an interesting opportunity in the show when Inuyasha was the one holding the Jewel for a few days at least, and nothing came of it. Also also, I have no idea how the rituals surrounding shimenawa are performed, so please correct me if I got something glaringly wrong!

I also want to thank every single person who comments on this fic. It keeps me inspired to write this gargantuan mess and it really means a lot. You all are going to play a big part in decisions I make later on, and I really value your input!