Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. Is this not redundant? Huh? Hello, that's Sesshoumaru's tail around my waist! ^_*

What the Future Holds

Chapter 10

All they could do was stand there and wait as the shards glimmered against Sesshoumaru's chest. The silence stretched on before them, when it was suddenly broken by the laughter of Naraku.

"Hahaha! The jewel does not aid the youkai. Lord Sesshoumaru will die you fools," Naraku laughed at them.

"Shut the fuck up monkey boy!" yelled Ryuujin.

"Honestly," Sakura replied, "Don't you have a life? Or a hobby, for that matter? Sheesh!"

The others looked at the twins as they yelled at one of the most powerful youkai that they have known, and they were even more astonished that Naraku complied and shut his mouth with a snap. They quickly snapped their heads back to Sesshoumaru when they heard him groan, and then sit up. He held his head in his claw and shook it slightly. Sesshoumaru raised his eyes and looked at them groggily.

"Wha…what happened?" he asked, as he tried to get to his feet, but then sat back down.

"The shards of the Shikon jewel healed you, and now it's time for us to kill Naraku!" InuYasha said drawing the Tetsusaiga once more. Kagome crouched into a fighter's stance ready for combat and the others did the same. Naraku looked around him calmly, not having a care that he was out numbered, but he was not out matched. InuYasha lunged at him, the Tetsusaiga flashing yellow energy at him, but Naraku merely dodged it.

Perhaps it is time for me to leave this place and return another day, Naraku thought to himself.

"I think you should stay and hang out with us Naraku," Sakura said, leaping up behind the youkai and grabbing a fist full of his midnight black hair. She used all her strength and bashed him into the cavern floor, her anger flowing through her veins.

"Sakura!" shouted Kagome, "Get out of the way!" Sakura did as she was told just as her father swung the Tetsusaiga at the body of Naraku. There was a blinding flash as the Earth around them cracked and splintered as the energy hit the ground and Naraku. They all heard a blood curling scream as the blasts hit their target, and they smelled burning flesh. There was a ringing silence and the smoke began to clear from the damaged area.

"No," Kagome said as they saw the spot where Naraku should have been laying, "I do not believe this!"

"How…the hell…did?" Miroku said in frustration, his fists clenched at his sides.

"There is no way that he could have survived that!" Sango screamed out.

"Fucking bastard just won't die will he?" InuYasha muttered as he sheathed the Tetsusaiga, and snarled at the empty hole. The hole is self was wide, gaping, and smoking from the intense blasts of the Tetsusaiga. However, the body of Naraku was not there. Only a few fragments of burnt skin and cloth remained and Naraku had escaped them again.

"I want to learn how he does that every time we have a battle," Kouga said, placing his hands on his hips.

"Well the important thing is that we are all safe," Shippo said as he looked at Sakura.

"Yeah, we are safe," Ryuujin said, "For now at least." Sakura said nothing as she pocketed the lock of hair that she ripped from Naraku's head, and gave the Shikon shards to her mother.

***

Naraku clutched his shoulder as his blood dropped to the ground and splattered the Earth red. He could not believe that the Tetsusaiga had caused so much damage to his body. He would have to lay dormant for a few months to regain his strength. If I do that, he thought, I will have to drop of the face of the Earth or else my good for nothing child will come and kill me. Not to mention the others who wish to destroy me as well. He clutched at a tree to keep himself from falling, and reached up to the back of his head. He felt the patch of skin that was exposed near the nape of his neck. What?

"What's the matter Naraku?" asked Sakura from behind him. She followed his scent from the cave when her family had made camp for the day, "Did you loose something?" Naraku turned to the young youkai and trembled as he felt her power radiate from her small body. He fell to his knees, weak beyond any doubt, and waited for his untimely death. Sakura walked up to his broken body and lightly kissed him on the forehead.

"It is not your destiny to die at my hands," she said and disappeared into the forest. Naraku sighed, and felt the pocket of his kimono. He screamed out as he felt that he only had ten jewel shards of the many that he once had. Sakura laughed as she rejoined her family's camp site.