Chapter 36

Inuyasha is in Midoriko's hut watching over Kagome as she is still weak from being sick, being possessed by Kikyo and the rope that Sango had to use on her. The door opens up to alert Inuyasha, "How is she?" Sango asks him worriedly. Inuyasha looks down to see Kagome looking pale, with a blanket over her body, and Inuyasha's hoodie as a makeshift pillow.

"Same as before." Inuyasha simply answers the question. Soon after, Miroku enters the hut with Midoriko and Naraku behind him. "How's Kagome?" Midoriko asks the same question. "Same as before." Inuyasha repeats his answer. Midoriko can clearly see how weak Kagome is. Midoriko gestures Naraku to follow her into a different room of her hut, leaving Miroku to stay with the group.

Midoriko closes the door behind her and places a sutra on it. "What's that for?" Naraku asks her as she places the lab tube in the middle of the floor. "That is to mute our conversation so that they don't eavesdrop." She explains to him as she sits down with Naraku sitting across from her. "What do you intent to do with Kikyo's spirit?" Naraku asks her as he looks at the lab tube carefully.

Midoriko look at him very carefully. "Tell me something Naraku, you're a hanyou right?" She asks him. Naraku remains in his position, "You could say that. However, I was once human." He answers her honestly. "How was it that you became one in the first place?" She asks him further. "It was when I met Kikyo…"

Flashback

Naraku watches Kikyo closing her locker door and head off to her next class. Once she disappeared into one of the classrooms, Naraku looks down to the letter he wrote for her. But he's too shy to read it to her. "Ok, it's this one." He remembers which locker it was that Kikyo used. He slips it into the vent plates and heads off to his next class.

"It was long until Kikyo opens her locker to find the letter. Luckily my next class is with her." Naraku tells his story as he enters the room before she came in. "Due to the number of students that attended the class, there were more girls than boys so I was in the dead center of the room with the girls around, in front of me, to my right, to my left and one behind me."

It was in the middle of class, Naraku taking his notes, and then a tap gets him out of his concentration. He raises his head to see a note by him. He quickly grabs it before the teacher notices. He opens it up. "Why won't you just admit that you like me?"

The note was written in cursive writing, which he finds it adorable. Naraku can tell that it's Kikyo's handwriting due to the way she writes. He scribbles something down and sends it back to the one who sent it to him. "I knew that Kikyo would try to confront me if I didn't fess up. But I never had the time to do it. And this class was the only way to let her know about it. I couldn't have the entire school to hear about it." Naraku explains the scenario.

A few minutes later, the note returns to him. He can see that the teacher is busy writing on the chalkboard. He reads it, "Meet me at the front door." Naraku smiles a bit. "I believed that this would be my chance to talk to her privately so no one would know about it." He said as he waits anxiously. It doesn't take long for the bell to ring to dismiss the students for the day.

Naraku gathers the things he needed for homework. He walks to the front waiting for Kikyo to meet him. As soon as all of the students left the school, Naraku remained in his spot. He looks at his watch to see it's been back ten minutes. "Hey." Kikyo shouts to him. Naraku sighs in relief. "You have my attention. So what exactly did you mean by your note?" Kikyo hands over the note he slipped into her locker. Naraku raised his eyebrow. "What do you mean by that? It's written in it." Naraku hands it back to her. Kikyo clears her throat to read it to him.

"Dear Kikyo, you're so beautiful that I've stopped living and went to heaven. Anytime I see you, I can feel that my heart is reaching out to you. Please tell me and be honest that you like me."

Kikyo frowns at this moment. "Do you want to die that badly?" She angrily asks him. Naraku widens his eyes. "What? No, I just wanted to say that I like you a lot. Nothing more." He said to her truthfully. Kikyo sighs, "Look, Naraku, I find it sweet of you that you said that. But I'm not supposed to love anyone. Even if I were to do so, I'd lose my powers." She takes his hand affectionally. "What do you mean by that?" Naraku asks.

"Kikyo told me about her training with you and you warned her not to fall in love with anyone, including me. But little did I know, she decided to abandon her duties after that confession." Naraku tells his next part. "I did believe about her duties, so I thought that we did it platonically, it wouldn't wane, but it didn't work." Naraku sadly said. "It didn't take long but when Kikyo was injured, I didn't want anyone to know about it, so I took her to the school's basement, watching her." Naraku watches her constantly. Until her last breath, she died.

"Little did I know that someone possessed me in order for me to remain youthful so that Kikyo could still see me the same way. I had no idea that I had a demon residing inside of me. But the moment I entered your forest, I felt that somehow a huge weight has been lifted on me."

End of Flashback

Naraku finished his story. Midoriko can see that Naraku's age has changed him since he began his story. Midoriko smiles, "I can tell you wanted to help Kikyo out with have love being involved. I believe that it's time for Kikyo to take a look at you now." She said as she positions her fingers, "Release." She said as the tube breaks and Kikyo appears before them. "Master, why would you seal me away?" Kikyo asks in anguish. Midoriko looks at her, "For you to see how far Naraku went for you." She responds. Kikyo turns to see Naraku and gasps. She walks over to him. "What happened to you?" She asks him.

Naraku appears to a man in his sixties, with gray hair, and wrinkles. "I was possessed by a demon that prevented me from aging. When I entered the forest, it was forced and purified. Since my age caught to me." He said due to his voice being raspy. Kikyo's eyes begin to water. "Oh Naraku!" She hugs him, though she went through his body, she repositions to make sure that she's hugging him for real.

Midoriko observes as a warm light envelopes the both of them. Suddenly, Naraku's body begins to vanish. "Thank you." Naraku smiles and vanishes along with Kikyo. As soon as the light diminishes, Midoriko smiles. "She found peace, to be with the one that loved her."