Disclaimer: *through a loudspeaker* Attention, all Inuyasha fans. Attention. I do not own Inuyasha. I repeat: I do not own Inuyasha. Thank you for your attention. Have a nice day.

Author's Note: OMG! I got 52 reviews! That's like, unbelievable! I'm so happy that so many people like my story! Keep reading! There's more good stuff to come! I really want to thank Thunk, who reviewed every single chapter, from 1-15. (And, if I may add, they were nice, long comments, too!) I really appreciate it! Also, lots of thanks to LilFoxGirl, Queen, demon-heiress, and totally-wicked! Okay, now read the story, then click on the little lavender button in the bottom and REVIEW! ^_^

The Course of True Love Ne'er Did Run Smooth…

Chapter 16

"Kuso!" A loud angry shout reverberated over and over again throughout the land. A couple of robins flew chattering from the tree they'd been nesting in. Inuyasha was currently smashing his fist against a tree trunk as he ranted and raved like a madman against his brother, after losing Kagome and Sesshoumaru's scent for the third time that day. The group was standing by the edge of a shallow, rushing river. They had followed the dog-demon for five hours, ever since the western lord had kidnapped Kagome this morning. All of them were exhausted. Kirara, who had done her best to keep up with the adrenaline-high Inuyasha all day, flopped down onto the ground, reverted back to a small, two-tailed kitty, and closed her eyes under the shade, tired from carrying two humans and a kitsune cub more than halfway across the land. The said humans had also collapsed by a nearby tree trunk and were leaning against it, side by side, too weary to think of Kiroku's lecherous hands, which, surprisingly, kept to themselves as they rested. Shippou was already asleep, having curled up into a small orange ball next to the fire-cat demon as soon as she had lain down.

Inuyasha was the only one still active, though there were a few signs of fatigue on his face, showing that the five hours of constant speedy movement had also taken a toll on his body. Being a half dog-youkai, he had attempted to track Sesshoumaru's route by smell, but this method had proved somewhat inefficient. Though the demon lord was unable to fly while carrying two humans, one of whom was unconscious, he nevertheless managed to walk in a twisting, winding path that threw Inuyasha off his track many a time today. Wading through a shallow river was one way to hide his scent, making it almost near impossible for Inuyasha to determine which way he had gone.

As Inuyasha put his nose to the ground, crouching like a hunting hound, sniffing and muttering to himself, Miroku opened one eye and asked, "Any luck, Inuyasha?" The monk may have questionable motives where beautiful women were concerned, but he considered Kagome as a friend, and was a worried about her as the rest of her friends were. Inuyasha growled in answer, indicating that he was not having any luck.

Apparently, Shippou was not as sound asleep as he appeared, for he spoke up in a petulant voice, "This is the third time today that dog-boy lost the scent! We'll never be able to find Kagome!" "And I'm hungry." he added as an afterthought.

Inuyasha bristled at Shippou's accusation, but he was too occupied to do anything physical to the kitsune, so he just snapped angrily, "I'm doing the best I can, dammit! I didn't ask my shitty excuse for a half-brother to make so many stupid detours and turns and river crossings! Why don't you try smelling where Kagome is, brat, see if you can do any better!"

"Fine, jerk! I will! It's not like you're getting anywhere with that shabby nose of yours anyway! I'll go look around on my own!" Shippou sprang up from Kirara's side, eliciting a startled meow from his temporary sleeping companion. He scrambled off into the nearby bushes, pausing once in a while to sniff at the ground, copying Inuyasha's four-legged crouching posture.

Sango looked at his disappearing busy tail and warned, "Don't go beyond shouting distance, Shippou! And come back soon!"

"I will! Don't worry!" A faint voice cried back!

Inuyasha stuck his chin into the air and said, "Feh! It's not like I'm going to worry about that brat anyway. He'll probably come back in a couple in minutes; he won't find anything."

Miroku sighed at the hanyou's stubborn attitude, and shrugged offhandedly, "Who knows. This is the third time we've stopped, and as they say, three's a charm."

Sango stood up, stretched, looked up at the sky and frowned worriedly, "Well, if we don't find any sign of Kagome-chan soon, we'll have to stop searching and go find a village instead. We didn't bring any food or bedding with us, and we can't sleep on the bare ground or in a tree like you, Inuyasha."

"I agree, Sango. I believe I am correct in assuming that we are all hungry, and it doesn't help to search on an empty stomach. If we eat something and rest tonight, it'll be less tiring for us to continue tomorrow. I'm sure that the residents of any nearby town would be glad to provide us with food and lodging in exchange for my humble services as a monk." Miroku remarked smoothly.

Inuyasha snorted rudely at his words, then proceeded to sniff at the ground. Sango closed her eyes again and relaxed, unconsciously brushing her arms against Miroku's. The demon exterminator did not notice the accidental contact, but the priest, unfortunately, was completely aware of her movement, and took it as an invitation to grope her again. As a hand slowly sneaked itself under her arms and grasped her right breast, Sango turned a deep shade of maroon and glared at him. Miroku turned on his I'm-innocent smile on full blast, but Snago did not seem to be affected.

She had a furious look on her face as she enunciated each syllable slowly and meaningfully, " Get. Your. Hand. Off. Me. Houshi-sama." There was an audible death-threat in her voice, and even Inuyasha shivered at her tone, but Miroku either didn't notice it or chose to ignore it.

"Who, me?" Miroku smiled disarmingly at the enraged taiji-ya, but this only served to infuriate Sango all the more. She brought her other hand up and was just about to deliver a loud hard slap to his cheek when a sharp, excited voice carried to them from beyond the bushes.

"Inuyasha, everyone! Come here, quick! I found something!" Everyone jumped up at the sound of the voice. It was Shippou! They rushed towards the sound. The dog-demon was way ahead of them, running as fast as he could, with no regard to the underbrush that he was trampling. Sango and Miroku followed, but since they took care to avoid the vines and brambles in their path, they didn't get entangled in plants, unlike Inuyasha. When Inuyasha finally managed to extricate himself from a mess of thick vines and sharp twigs, he was covered with green plant stains and small cuts. He rushed after the pair, who had gotten ahead of him, and they arrived in front of the kitsune cub at approximately the same time. All three of them looked immediately at Shippou. He had wide eyes, and was speechless in shock, so all he was able to do was to point with a trembling hand towards a large, oily green mulberry bush that was firmly planted in the middle of the clearing.

Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku followed his gaze, and they, too, dropped their jaws in shock. There, dangling precariously on a protruding branch of the mulberry bush, was a swaying silver bracelet that had Kagome's name engraved on it.