Disclaimer: This story is loosely inspired by "A private affair" by Beppe Fenoglio.

None of the characters belongs to me but the original ones.

The war described in this story is of pure fiction and in no way relates to actual historical events.

A/N: Originally I figured that I could write the whole story in no more than four chapters. However, while I was writing I realized that if I didn't want to leave unresolved questions and if I wanted to keep each chapter 4000/5000 words long circa I needed more.

I plotted out the whole story and I should manage in eight or nine chapters maximum.

Chapter Three: An infallible Plan

"We do not command the war, it's the war that command us."

"Where's my son?" A strong voice reverberated through the hall where the majority of soldiers, commanders and generals were reunited.

Silence immediately surrounded them. No one dared to step forward until the man repeated the question with more anger and a glare able to freeze the blood in their veins. Everyone knew that the Inu-no-Taisho shouldn't be angered. The war and especially the loss of his beloved wife at the hands of those who claimed to be his allies had hardened him quite a lot – he had already experienced one just like this and was tired of seeing men and demons fall like dry leaves in the name of wrong principles.

Now the only thing left to him of her was the son that no one in the castle had seen since the day before and everyone was afraid to give him such a piece of news. Inuyasha had left for a simple reconnaissance that should not have taken more than half a day but the half-demon was still missing and it wasn't a good sign. Disappearing could mean just two things: death or capture.

In the end, from the several ranks that crowded the hall, a tall wolf demon who was often seen with Inuyasha stepped forward. The Inu-no-Taisho knew him well and maybe for this reason he wouldn't shoot the messenger.

Koga came forward as soon as Toga repeated the question, he bowed lowly and then spoke up while everyone else held his breath. "Toga-sama, Inuyasha left early yesterday morning for reconnaissance at East. We were expecting him by yesterday evening at last but we received no news."

The dog demon frowned and his eyes reduced to two slits. "Did he went into enemy territory?" he asked dryly. The air in the room seemed to shake in response.

"We do not know, Toga-sama." Koga had still his head bowed and didn't dare cross his eyes with the general's. "He shouldn't have."

"And when do you wanted to tell me this? You want to tell me that for a simple operation such as this no one sent a patrol to check on him when he didn't come back? You didn't think to let me know my son was missing?"

The great hall's glass trembled. The angry aura of the great dog general suddenly spread, it was now impossible to keep it at bay – nor did he have any intention of doing so anymore.

May they also understand how close I am to tearing them all apart, the dai-youkai thought enraged.

Every demon in the main hall dropped on his knees instinctively or bowed his head in response. Even Sesshomaru was forced to bow after his father's reaction – but he also sneered and hardened his gaze.

Many in that castle hoped that the war could relieve them of every half-demon that still lived in their lands; they couldn't soil their hands directly. But most of all many wanted Inuyasha to die because they couldn't accept that a half-demon had more power than them. They couldn't accept that a half-demon was even stronger than them.

They had probably rejoiced at the news of his son's disappearance.

"Let a patrol be organized immediately! I want my son's traces followed and I want it done now. You must be able to tell me where he has gone and where his scent disappears. If you realize that he has gone beyond the borders a part of the chosen group must go back, stock up on weapons and soldiers and go back." His gaze fell on Koga, hard and disappointed; he had expected that at least the wolf to move immediately as soon as he had noticed that Inuyasha was not returning.

Koga tried to nod, but Toga didn't give him a chance, holding him there with his gaze as soon as he dared to look up. "Don't fail me again Koga," he only added. The rest of the sentence was implied: Don't fail me or else...

The sun finally rose in the deserted village, maybe a little too late the hunters thought after losing trace of the silver-haired demon one step away from his capture.

"Damn it! I was sure one of my arrows had hit him! They were also charged with spiritual powers," a minute woman said. She was wearing the typical miko robes and behind her shoulder, one could see her empty quiver; she had used each of her arrows during the hunt.

"I was sure as well we had him. Damn, he sure was fast even after being shot," a monk next to her agreed. He was still trying to regain his breath after having run for so long. He took another sip of water before he added, "I clearly felt his demonic aura disappear. Do you think we killed him?"

"What?" a bull of a man roared. He was one of the three hunters Inuyasha had listened to and the same who had shouted while chasing him. "Your job wasn't to kill him but only catch him! We need him as a prisoner; we cannot use him if he's dead!"

"Calm down, Taro, we cannot know anything if we don't find a body at least," a third spiritualist interjected. "The demon was hurt and Akemi says she's sure one of her arrows hit him; he cannot be unscathed. In this case, he could not have reached the enemy border so soon; it is still too far away. He must surely have stopped to rest believing he had lost us, but his defences are low now and it will be child's play for us to capture him like this." A sadistic smile graced his lips, "In fact, you know what? I'm enjoying this hunt more and more, I love playing with my prey. Let him think he's safe."

He laughed coarsely and the hunters around him joined in.

"Still, do not slack off now," the monk started again. "We should look around. I believe there's a shrine in this village that is still guarded by a young miko. Maybe it's a good idea to ask her if she noticed something strange before sunrise."

They reached the shrine's stairs and caught sight of some bloodstains next to them. One of the hunters crouched down and observed that the blood continued thicker and thicker inside the woods, clearly heading west.

"Hey, boss!" he told the third spiritualist. "Maybe we found something." He pointed the bloodstains out that became more and more numerous as one moved towards the forest and the western borders.

"Very good," Kiyoshi replied nodding. "Investigate. Meanwhile, I'll go talking with the miko along with Akemi and Makoto." He pointed to the other two. "But stick around. I want to be able to start again right away as soon as we glean everything we can from the girl and I don't want to have to waste time looking for you."

"You got it boss!" they shouted all together as puppets. Kiyoshi shook his head, those were all muscle and couldn't use their noggin; at least they knew how to do their jobs when it came to using brute force.

The small group of three immediately located the hut at the shrine's base and without losing time and, most of all, not caring about privacy, Kiyoshi pulled aside the doormat and entered the hut shocking the young and the old woman that were gathered around the fire pit cooking breakfast.

The young girl brought a hand to her heart and the old woman frowned looking at them in disapproval. They both were wearing the red and white robes that classified them as priestesses.

"Please excuse us, good women, but this is a matter of the utmost importance," the monk began. Not that he would have cared so much about pleasantries under other circumstances. Kiyoshi was a man accustomed to always taking whatever he wanted, good or bad, and the war had only increased this arrogance and bravado of his. A smile graced his lips but both Kagome and Kaede could see how fake it was.

The man didn't bring anything good.

"Entering a hut inhabited by women without first asking permission does not befit a man of Buddha," Kaede scolded him. "Since you have arrogated to yourself the right to enter our home, go ahead and tell us what you need. We will try to be of assistance to you." By now she had stopped turning the rice porridge in the pot and was watching the three of them with an even bigger frown.

"We come asking if you have noticed anything strange this morning just before dawn."

"Something strange? You must be more specific my good man," Kaede rebutted. "This may be a deserted village, but that is precisely why we are visited by the most disparate creatures."

Kiyoshi glared at her, not at all pleased with the way the old woman was trying to overstep him. He turned his gaze to the girl who instead stood silently observing the debate; perhaps he could get something more out of her, young girls were always more impressionable and malleable.

"One of our prey got away from us at the very edge of this village. During the hunt we made enough noise, surely we have interrupted your beauty sleep," his smile was like the devil's as he spoke. "Have you noticed a demon with long silver hair prowling around your shrine? You would be doing your army and of course the gods you serve a great favour by telling us what you know," he concluded complacently.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, my good man, but we didn't hear anything at all. You can understand that, since we were asleep, it would not have been easy for us to catch a glimpse of someone. Not to mention then that it would be impossible to recognize even our own feet with the darkness that descends at night. I assure you, however, that a fairly effective barrier is erected around our shrine – I'm sure you noticed it too, being gifted – and if even the demon had approached it we would have received an immediate signal. No demon, whether strong or weak, can touch our barrier without unknowingly warning us. If this were the case, the demon would have already been eliminated. After all, just as you said, we serve the army and our gods." Kaede concluded her speech with an amiable but tight smile, her voice had veiled derisive tones that she hid behind her serious facade.

Kaede had recognized the type, she who had met many monks and priests. Many of them thought they were servants of Buddha who had come down to earth for the common good and even believed themselves to be reincarnations of the Gods. They were, as Inuyasha had well thought a few hours before, crazed people who sowed only discord and whose power had not been pure for some time now. Sometimes it amazed her how some of them still maintained their qualities despite the many sins disguised as good deeds.

Kiyoshi's expression now matched Kaede's, not at all pleased with his answer. He then turned back to Kagome. "What about you, young priestess? Could you tell us more?"

Kagome kept her expression neutral and accomodating, but inside she shuddered under the malicious gaze of the monk she liked as much as Kaede; the way he had spoken of prey had given her the goosebumps.

She bowed her face slightly out of pure formality, certainly not as a sign of respect, and because she had figured it was better not to make an enemy of such a person. They were still two single women, one of them an old woman to boot, and it was not uncommon during the war for lonely and tired men to violently steal pleasures from women. Of course, this was theoretically a monk who would never commit such a sin, but since his soul was already stained – Kagome could read it clearly in his aura – there was no telling what he might do even out of spite.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, houshi-sama, but I too, like Obaa-chan, did not notice anything during the night," she began, "even though..." she assumed a somewhat scared and shy expression and did not finish her sentence.

"Even though...?" encouraged her Kiyoshi. "You need not fear, young priestess, whatever you have seen or noticed, you need not fear that demon. We are here for that. I can see why someone as young and inexperienced as you, who has never seen the war, might feel fear in front of a bloodthirsty demon, but we will not let it harm you." He offered her a smile that was supposed to reassure her but instead just made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

Inwardly Kagome was thinking about the worst insults. "I'll show him who the inexperienced one is! This one couldn't notice a demon even if he had it under his nose."

"Well… you see," she kept going with her act. "This morning while I was on my way to the river just at the edge of the forest I noticed a suspicious trail of blood." Her cheeks took on a rosy hue under the monk's gaze and she lowered her head almost mortified by that direct contact with a man.

"It's ok, child," Kaede told her sweetly and laying a hand on one of Kagome's. The old priestess had understood her game and was adjusting to it. She addressed the other three and added, "You know, my granddaughter is quite susceptible."

"Of course, of course," Makoto spoke up for the first time. "But you can understand that at the moment we are in a hurry so…"

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Kagome hid her face in her hands and started sobbing. "It's how Obaa-chan said but this time I'm passing the line." Her voice was feeble and everyone had to lean over to understand her. "While I was filling our barrels of water," she pointed them out at the door, one was already half empty, "I noticed a lot of blood that headed inside the forest and towards the western borders. I dared not investigate because I hadn't my bow and arrows and I didn't want to take any chance. I'm sorry I couldn't help you more, I couldn't catch the demon or…" she started crying more and more. "I heard some strange grunts and moans as if an animal was suffering and I've got quite the scare!"

Kiyoshi wore a smug expression all of a sudden, finally something useful! Those traces the hunters had seen really belonged to the demon; if he had lost so much he shouldn't be so far from the village then. They had him! Oh, He was going to have so much fun, he couldn't wait anymore!

The monk laid a hand on Kagome's thigh in a very brazen way trying to comfort her; he misunderstood her shiver of disgust for one of fear. "You have nothing to worry, young damsel, we will worry about that animal and you could go back to your peaceful life. You have done the Gods a great service today, I hope you will be able to sleep more quietly now." He offered her another smile and Kagome made an effort to return it. "I will personally see to it and I will return to visit as soon as my current assignment is over. It is the job of us men, after all, to make sure the young ones are safe." Kagome's face was now ashen, but everyone thought it was from the fright she had taken and not from the monk's words.

The three of them got up and quickly left the hut after their final pleasantries, and it was only then that Kagome's shoulders relaxed and both priestesses breathed a sigh of relief; they had risked a lot.

Kaede stood up and discreetly walked over to the window to check if every person in that group of villains had disappeared from the clearing, then returned to Kagome and finally spoke. "You are born an actress, child, for a moment you fooled me too."

A smile, this time a real one, graced her lips and the dimple on her left cheek appeared as well. "Thank you, Obaa-chan. I've done just what I had to. Now though, let's get moving, there's no time to waste. Inuyasha is still in his human form and his injuries were no small matter."

She stood up and below her, a hidden trapdoor made its appearance into which, after taking gauze and water galore, she didn't hesitate to descend; Rin had been standing next to the half-demon the whole time.

In truth that night Kagome, Rin and Kaede had been awakened quite easily by the hunter's cries and it hadn't taken long to recognize Inuyasha's figure that was running breathlessly towards the shrine. Unfortunately, they'd also had to witness the arrow that appeared from behind him and pierced him, and the way the half-demon had unceremoniously fallen to the ground, his hair turning black and only a faint trace of youki that was left noticeable when focusing on it.

Without losing a second – they certainly wouldn't leave him at the hunters' mercy that were likely to show up in the clearing in less than a few minutes – they brought him inside the barrier and hid him under the secret trapdoor kept under the floor that had always been used to tuck food away; their family had never been small and they couldn't give food away.

As the group began to disperse elsewhere, ignoring the shrine, Kagome had instructed Rin to take the two rabbits leftover from last night that were still waiting to be skinned and to spread their blood carefully westwards, leaving a well-calculated trail.

At that point, she had cleaned up Inuyasha's wounds, aware that she couldn't do a thorough job now that hunters and spiritualists could arrive at any time looking for news. It wasn't uncommon for someone to guard the shrines even in times of war so it was likely they came to ask for information.

As soon as Rin had returned with a beaming smile indicating the success of the completed task, Kaede had slipped her down into the hiding place along with the half-demon and the two remaining women, making sure nothing was out of place, had enacted the typical morning scene. Two lonely priestesses about to start their day.

More than once Kagome thanked the heavens that no one had felt her heart pound or seen the sweat on the back of her neck. She feared throughout the encounter that this vile man might find out their secret and punish them accordingly.

Sheltering the enemy was a crime that cost dearly, and she, who had only heard of the cruelties carried out by the hunters, had no intention of experiencing first-hand.

When she finally reached her sister and the half-demon, Rin immediately turned to her and offered another small smile. "The fever is still high, but I kept disinfecting the wounds using the ointment Kaede gave me before closing the hatch while you were upstairs. I still believe that his demon blood continues to help him even in this form, albeit slowly. Otherwise, we can't explain how they didn't get infected, despite all the work I've done wounds like these are dangerous." She pointed to the one on his chest that was the worst, and then the one on his thigh. Besides being red, both of them didn't have any other bad symptoms, though the high fever was definitely caused by those.

Kagome nodded. "We will wait for his powers to come back," she said, "and then they should heal quite easily for a demon like him. I only hope that it happens fast because those men could come back any minute and he has to come back to his lands as soon as possible. We cannot risk any of the spiritualists feeling his clear demoniac aura within the shrine."

"What do you want to do?" Rin asked back, a small frown on her face. "Even if he's back to full force in a couple of hours, he cannot go back through the forest because the hunters will remain there looking for him. You made them understand he's there and they won't leave until they found a body or some trace of youki."

"Don't worry, sis, I have the perfect plan in mind. Let's just hope they don't come back very soon."

Just as Kagome had predicted, the sun wasn't yet high when Inuyasha came back to normal and regained consciousness. His wounds started healing at impressionable speed and Kagome, that hadn't left her spot next to the half-demon, observed the process wide-eyed and mouth agape.

Inuyasha opened his eyes, blinked a couple of times and a groan escaped his lips. He made to bring an arm to his head, which was aching terribly, but a moment later, he remembered the events of the previous night and immediately jumped. He assumed a defensive stance and searched with his eyes the place where he was only to relax and get another shock when he saw the slender figure of Kagome laughing blissfully, one hand covering her mouth and her eyes twinkling.

"You…you…" he stammered unable to form a coherent thought, let alone a sentence. His last memory was an excruciating pain and hands that grabbed him from behind; he had been sure he was dead meat. How had he ended up in that dank, rarefied place? This wasn't even the hut Kagome had invited him to the day before.

"I…" Kagome confirmed, a smile still gracing her lips.

"Where am I? How could I cheat death? The hunters were chasing me and…" he felt his chest frantically and with relief, he noticed that the wound was almost completely healed. He tried to move his leg; nothing was wrong with it either apart from a slight numbness.

"Calm down, one thing at a time. Do you want some water? You must be thirsty. I'll tell Rin to bring you something to eat too. Kaede makes a fantastic rabbit stew."

Inuyasha could only nod.

In the refuge under the floor, Inuyasha ate his fill and didn't have to wait long before he came back to full force; he thanked for the umpteenth time the powerful demonic blood in his veins for that.

Meanwhile, Kagome didn't leave him for a second, that bright smile always on her lips while the old woman carried her younger sister away, whom Inuyasha didn't remember at all since at the time of his relationship with Kikyo she had been nothing more than a baby. Inuyasha was grateful for that because he guessed that the too curious looks and the giggles Rin kept emitting would have made him even less comfortable.

When he was finally ready to approach the topic, Kagome hastily explained to him what had happened from the moment they saved him. Inuyasha listened without missing a single sigh or movement of her hands – he had noticed that the girl gesticulated a lot – and slowly found himself widening his eyes as he heard how far those three women had gone. They owed him nothing and as good priestesses, they should have denounced him the day before; yet they went to such a length.

It was clear that although they had grown up with Kikyo, they weren't like the latter. Kikyo had always been very strict with the law and the beliefs of the spiritual community – to the point that if he had been less shocked by her betrayal he would have been a little more shocked by her desertion. Kagome, on the other hand, had not only welcomed him without issue the day before but had also rescued him, hid him, and lied through her teeth for his sake; a chill ran through him at the mere thought of what might happen if someone found out about it or if her plan failed. And through it all, she had continued to look for him warmly, as if she actually cared about him and the war didn't even exist. Was it just loneliness he read in her eyes or something more? Was he deluding himself and mistaking pity for affection?

He suddenly felt guilty for the situation he had irrevocably put them in. Three lonely women in this war were already in danger because of the greater number of bandits and brazen hunters who wasted no moment in raping their bodies in turn, but three women who had helped the enemy...

"Kagome..." he only managed to say. He kept his eyes down, unable to meet her gaze. He couldn't even express how grateful he was to her; the guilt was gripping him because it was all his fault. For a moment, the pain due to Kikyo's betrayal disappeared completely.

Kagome watched the different emotions passing over his face and the smile never faltered. If anything she felt even closer to him, inexplicably, and she felt the senseless urge to hug him and make him understand that he didn't have to be afraid and above all, he didn't have to be afraid for them.

After two years of living in complete solitude and having to protect themselves from the attacks of demons and more, she, Kaede and Rin had devised several ways to defend themselves. Thankfully, there were still many who cared about the sanctity of the place where they lived – although she believed now that there was no God to fight for, rather by starting this war any God's presence had only been wiped off the face of the earth.

Realizing that a hug wouldn't be the right move – Kagome didn't know much about demons and thus, she didn't know how to behave in their presence – she opted once again to squeeze the hand closer to her; this time the contact lasted much longer and Kagome tried to instil in him all the hope and confidence she felt. When finally Inuyasha dared to look up at her and his ears perked up on the top of his head, she read relief in his eyes and, though small, she saw a smile made its way onto his lips, a small fang protruding slightly from his lower lip.

Inuyasha felt the warmth spread first all over his arm and then over his body, thanks to a hand much smaller than his own and eyes full of affection. It wasn't pity, no, it was the kind of look he hadn't seen since his mother's death and that, he realized more and more, he had never seen in Kikyo's eyes. Had just a few hours spent in the company of her sister made him see how things really were? Could she wake him up from this nightmare? Slowly, he felt a small smile stretch across his lips and he didn't try to hide it, quite the opposite.

"You don't have to tell me anything, Inuyasha," she began, "and you don't have to be afraid for us. We've been managing on our own for two years now, we're not that naive. You don't have to think that just because of who you are we would have left you in the clutches of those guys." Her eyes filled with anger at the mere thought of the monk. "I have known many of those crazed men who believe Gods themselves but in reality, they only are power- and bloodthirsty. Yet, we still have no time to rejoice or stand here and talk. I am sure they are still in the middle of the woods and it will be difficult for you to return through the forest unnoticed. I also fear they may return at any moment when they realize our trail is false and it would be difficult to hide your aura again..."

"I will leave at this very moment," Inuyasha interrupted her hastily and stood up abruptly. In no way would he jeopardize their position even more, he had already taken advantage of their help enough; he would return to the West now.

He briefly wondered what his father was thinking at that very moment. Inuyasha still wasn't back for a mission that normally wouldn't take more than a couple of hours and although there had been more distance between them lately, he knew his father loved him dearly. His plan had been stupid, he realized; once again, his hot-headedness had put him at risk along with his bravado. Had he come back sooner, he might have noticed that Miroku was their prisoner and he wouldn't have been in this condition. At least he had discovered the enemy's plan but it would do them no good if he didn't come back to the castle in time.

"No!" Kagome grabbed both of his arms this time and despite her small stature, she tried to sit him back down. It didn't have much effect.

He looked at her raising an eyebrow and widening his eyes a bit.

"You can't just walk away," she continued. "If you go out in the open now and head west, it won't take them long to notice your aura, and at that point, you'd be back to square one because you'd still have miles to go while they chase you. That doesn't seem like the best plan."

"Kagome! Are you out of your mind? What are you suggesting then? I can't stay here, you said it yourself, they could come back at any moment and at that point, you would be risking a lot too. You could be condemned or worse!"

"I'm not suggesting that in fact, I just have a better plan. It's risky, sure, but it's the best right now. Do you know any other ways to reach the border beside the main one?" she asked him before even laying out her plan.

Inuyasha relaxed slightly even though his shoulders were still very tense. She let go of his arms and he went back to sitting thoughtfully. He scratched the back of his head as different paths and trails materialized before his eyes. "Well, actually a couple of them I know. Since we've been at war we tried to find more paths to attack unnoticed. However, I still can't hide my aura; I'm not a full demon and now the spiritualists will surely be more focused since they are looking for me specifically. Even if I can run very fast and hide from their eyes at some point they're bound to hear my aura; one of them was even powerful enough, he might be able to feel me even from a distance."

Kagome nodded and then got up to go to a corner rummaging through some papers. She returned next to the half-demon's futon with a couple of very worn maps in her hands. "Sure, you're right, but in the meantime let's start drawing a path. Behind the shrine, there is a secret passageway that my great-grandfather built at the time of the last war when he was still young. It was mostly used as a hiding place, but an underpass had also been dug in case of need." She pointed her finger drawing a dark line on one of the two maps, at one point this branched off into three different points: East, West and North. "As you can see, great-grandfather and whoever helped him were very provident because they had left more than one escape route."

Once again, Inuyasha found himself widening his eyes. "An underground passageway?"

She nodded and continued tracing the maps with her slender fingers. "All we have to do is find the one that is most convenient for you, the one closest to the path you feel is safest and then I will accompany you myself."

Inuyasha looked at the maps for a few minutes and noticed that one of the three tunnels – the one that proceeded north – led a few kilometres away from the border of his father's lands. Of course, he would still find himself far from the castle and it was the longest route, but once he reached the edge he would be safe. His father had guards posted all along the perimeter and it was very unlikely that the hunters would dare to fight so many demons without backup. Moreover, that path would have taken him around the entire forest without ever entering it, so he could easily evade all those who were after him. If he managed to come out from the opposite side of the passage he would be outside the forest too.

A couple of unresolved points still remained, however.

"But even if these passages are underground they won't hide my aura, and at that point, if any of them noticed it, I'd find myself trapped. These tunnels must be narrow and boxy, not the ideal place to escape if you find yourself trapped. If I want to take the safer, smarter route," he traced the northwest one with a clawed finger, "it will take longer. It will be more time for them, too." He thought back to what Kagome had just told him and shifted his hardened gaze to her. "And don't think I'm going to let you come with me! What kind of ideas you have! What would you do once you got to the borders too? Have you lost your mind? Do you perhaps have a death wish?"

"Inuyasha! I can't leave you alone with all those men looking for you, if something happened to you, I'd never forgive myself!" she replied in a rush, letting out much more than she meant. Her cheeks turned red, but she continued undaunted. "I've already gone through these tunnels more than once since the war began; I'd be of help to you!"

"You wouldn't forgive yourself? What are you talking about! I'm the one who got you into this mess and I'm not going to risk your life or leave you alone on the way back. I can handle myself, it's not like it's the first time I've gone on a mission like this."

"Yeah but I bet you've never been in a situation like this before," Kagome retorted promptly. "Not to mention that I haven't yet explained to you the most important and also the most dangerous part of my plan."

"And what would that be?" asked Inuyasha sceptically, still a little angry at the young priestess's proposal.

"You're right that your aura is still a danger and if you were to be found underground that would be the end of you; we can't have that. That's why before we go into the burrows, and we will go in a short while because I don't want to risk those guys being back already..."

Not to mention that I have to be back by tonight and I have to report to my father their planned attack, Inuyasha thought.

"... I will be forced to purify you once more. I will neutralize your demonic aura, so you will have to walk the underpass in your weakest form," Kagome finally concluded. She looked at him reluctantly, expecting the screams and shocked expression that in fact followed her last words as soon as Inuyasha's dog ears caught them.

"WHAT?!"

A/N: The names chosen for the spiritualists in this chapter:

Kiyoshi = pure

Akemi = bright and beautiful

Makoto = sincerity

Thank you for reading so far!