Betrayal

Author's note- I would've updated sooner, but... laziness... anyway, I hope you like this chapter!

Disclaimer- Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Comics. This fan fiction is merely for entertainment, and is not out for monetary gain.

Chapter 9

Justification

Sango had needed to wait only a few minutes before Sesshoumaru flew the two of them towards the Lord of the Western Lands' fortress. When they arrived there, Sango stretched, and looked around. Where is he? She wondered. As if he heard her thoughts, Sesshoumaru answered, "Look in the living area." She nodded, and, to show respect for allowing her to be there, she bowed, and left.

She listened for clinking of Miroku's staff on the ground, or any voices, and the moment she heard Kagura's, she went in that direction.

*~*~*

"What will you do if Naraku really has returned?" Kagura asked.

"Try to kill him, I suppose," Miroku answered. "Get my revenge for him." Kagura nodded, a smirk growing on her face.

"Has that hanyou you traveled with used the Shikon no Tama yet?" She asked, suddenly.

"I wouldn't know that," Miroku answered. Suddenly, the door to the room they were in, opened, and Sango stood there. "Sango?! What are you doing here?"

"Finding you," She answered, simply. "Naraku's back. You were right about Midori."

"Nani?" Miroku asked. Kagura's eyes narrowed, as she looked at the taiji-ya, not fully understanding what was being said.

"Midori. She's really a neko youkai in disguise. She told me herself that she was sent by Naraku," Sango answered. "And she's back in his possession. I came back here to save you." Miroku looked at her confused. "Besides, if you got all the glory, who'd save some for me?"

"Taiji-ya," Kagura said. "Are you sure that some neko youkai said she was sent by Naraku?" Sango nodded.

"Hai, I'm sure," Sango answered.

"And... Naraku... is back?" Miroku asked. Sango nodded. "Go back to the future."

"What?! I'm not going to do that!" Sango exclaimed.

"Listen, it's not about glory for me, Sango," Miroku said, gripping his staff tightly. "I have to kill him for my own revenge. You have no idea what he did to me."

"And I probably will never know," Sango said. "I'm not going back. And nothing you can do can make me."

"I know that I can't make you do anything," Miroku answered.

"Listen, I can help you," Sango said, walking up to him. Miroku stood up, and looked at her in the eyes. "I'm not afraid of Naraku. I have never been."

"Hai, I know that, but I'm still not going to let you die because of some youkai," Miroku said. Sango's eyes widened, and Miroku could swear he saw a little blush on her cheeks.

"Please. I want to help," Sango told him, firmly.

"Kagura told me he'd..."

"He'd what?" Sango asked. Miroku sighed.

"Do to you what he did to me."

"What did he do to you, Miroku?" She asked. If Miroku was surprised that she didn't call him Houshi-sama, but he didn't show it. "Tell me."

"I can't say," Miroku answered. The look in his eyes stopped Sango from asking again. He looked... possessed.

"All right, but I won't give up fighting Naraku. I want to help you, Miroku," Sango said. "Even if you won't let me." She walked out of the room, to find weapons. Kagura followed.

Miroku sighed, and sat down. He could never tell Sango why he didn't want her fighting. But according to Kagura, Naraku wanted to... no, he couldn't even think it.

He shivered, as a cruel laugh somewhere else in the Sengoku Jidai was heard for miles.

*~*~*

Inuyasha woke up, feeling a cold chill down his back. He looked over to his wife, Kagome, who was sleeping peacefully, and then around the room. He thought he heard Naraku. No, it wasn't possible. Naraku was dead, wasn't he? Still, the hanyou slid out of bed, (a/n- he's wearing boxers, if you think he's naked under there) and walked towards his children's rooms.

He looked in his son's room, and smiled when he saw his daughter and Shippou snuggled in the full sized bed they had gotten Yukito, along with Yukito. Although, his little dog ears that he inherited from his father were flickering around for even the slightest noise. Inuyasha took one step into the room, on the squeaky floorboard, and wasn't surprised when Yukito sat up.

"Father?" Yukito asked. "Why are you here? Isn't it early?"

"Hai, it is. Just checking up on you kids," Inuyasha answered, walking towards the chair next to the bed. "You know, that kitsune must have it in for the Higurashi girls. He did that same thing for your mother." He pointed at Shippou who was snuggling with Chikara. To Yukito, it was kawaii, but to Inuyasha, his fatherly instincts kicked in, and he didn't like the kitsune being so close to his daughter.

"The bouzou was here a half hour ago. He woke me up," Yukito said, annoyed. "He woke up Shippou-chan, too, and told him some stuff, and left."

"Show some respect," Inuyasha said, sternly. (a/n- imagine, Inuyasha saying that..) "What did he say to Shippou?"

"Just that he was going home, and he didn't belong here, which I totally agree with," Yukito said, with the same arrogance his father used to have.

"He... left?" Inuyasha asked.

"Hai, and Shippou-chan went downstairs crying, and Aunt Sango followed. She hasn't come back yet," Yukito continued.

"Dammit. She went after him," Inuyasha said. When he realized he cursed in front of his son, he heard the little boy copy him, by saying the exact same word.

*~*~*

Sango walked into a weapons room. Kagura was right behind her, wanting to speak with the taiji-ya. While Sango was studying the katanas and the switchblades, Kagura spoke.

"You seem to have forgiven the monk," She noticed. Sango looked behind her at Kagura, and sighed.

"I really do not know. I was starting to when he was in the future, but... I'm not sure," Sango admitted. "I want to, but I can't help but think he'll betray me again."

"I understand, but he isn't going to do that again. If you realized why he did what he did then you would forgive him completely, but I'll leave that up to the monk himself to tell you," Kagura said.

"Why? Why'd he do that?"

"I told you, I'll leave it up to him to tell you. It's his decision," Kagura replied.

"..."

"Go speak with him. But don't grow angry with his lack of answers, ne?" Kagura said. "He may not want to admit what happened."

Sango decided to take Kagura's advice, and walked out of the weapons room, carrying a dagger and a katana in her hands. She walked back into the room that Miroku was in, and dropped the weapons as quietly as she could.

He seemed to be meditating, so she didn't want to bother him. She continued to look at him, until he opened one violet eye.

"Uh... Miroku..." She started, "Could you tell me why you..."

"Decided to go on Naraku's side?" He finished. Sango lowered her eyes and nodded. "because of you."

"What?"

"He told me that if I didn't choose his side, he'll cut open the kazaana even more and I'll have even less of a chance of survival, and then... he'll take you and Kagome and then kill both of you," Miroku answered. "He seemed dead serious about it, too."

"You... did that for... us?" Sango asked. "But why didn't you tell us why?"

"You wouldn't exactly listen," Miroku told her. "You assumed it was just for the kazaana, but it wasn't." Sango now felt totally guilty.

"I'm sorry... I didn't realize.."

"No, I don't suppose you did," Miroku said. "I don't want an apology. I want you to be safe."

Sango sat next to him, shocked.

"If I die, it's helping to kill Naraku," Miroku told her. "So you will live a happy life. You and the others."

"Nothing would be happy for me if you died," Sango whispered. If Miroku heard it, he showed no sign.

In reality, he did hear it.

*~*~*

Inuyasha was trying to wake up Kagome as nicely as he could, but Kagome seemed to be totally out of it. He bit his lip, knowing he'd get sat if he did it, but this was important.

"Oi, wench, wake up! We have to find the shards!" He yelled. Kagome didn't wake up. "OI!" She just flipped over to her other side, and continued to sleep. He sighed, until their alarm clock went off. Bang, she was awake.

"Oh, hi, 'yasha," Kagome said, sleepily. "What're you doing awake this early?"

"Trying to wake you up."

"Really?" Kagome asked. "What for?"

"I think Sango and Miroku went back to the Sengoku Jidai," Inuyasha said.

"What, how'd you know?"

"They told Shippou, and he told Yuki," Inuyasha answered. Suddenly, three screams were heard... from Yukito's bedroom. "Oh no."

*~*~*

"The children are in our possession, Naraku-sama," Midori said, bowing. "Is there anything else you may need?"

"Iie. The taiji-ya's with the monk, as is my incompetent child, Kagura. And, the woman and the hanyou will come after their children. After they find the note, of course."

*~*~*

Inuyasha and Kagome ran into their child's room, and gasped when they saw the bedding all rumpled up, and their children, taken away. Little Shippou was still there, shivering under the covers.

"HE TOOK THEM!!" Shippou yelled when Kagome took the blanket off his head.

"Who?" Inuyasha and Kagome asked, in unison.

"Naraku!! Some ugly neko youkai took them and told me to tell you that Naraku's back and he took Yuki-chan and Chika-chan!" Shippou yelled. "We gotta get them!"

Inuyasha's eyes glowed red for a second, before Kagome put her hand on his.

"We'll save them, Inuyasha. All of them."

*~*~*

Sesshoumaru was taking his rounds of his lands, searching for Naraku, when he could hear two screams. Children.

He flew to where they were, two quarter-youkai children. A neko youkai had obviously taken them. What surprised the Lord of the Western Lands was that one, the boy, looked identical to his half-brother...

*~*~*

A/n- Uh oh! Yuki-chan and Chika-chan are taken! What's gonna happen? Check out the next chapter, "Tribulation"!

Snippet Time: "Ku ku ku... Miroku, I'm back..."