"If you take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes…"

                                    -The Matrix

"InuYasha was a freelance spy, if you can put it in those terms," Miroku explained.   "He would anonymously be given a target and paid through numerous bank accounts he set up for himself.  He worked alone and did pretty well for himself…" he paused.  Until he met her…Miroku thought silently, glancing at Kagome. 

But he continued, "This time, nothing was different, however his assignment was unusual…for he had two targets instead of one…"

Kagome gasped.  She had been a target?  Suddenly everything became clear…

InuYasha had wanted to tell her something all day.  He had sent her roses at the house claiming he would pick her up for dinner around seven.  However, when he arrived, she soon discovered that he had made (or bought, she was never quite sure) a picnic dinner and brought her to the small park near her house.

They ate silently, just enjoying each other's company.  When she finished, InuYasha took her hand in his.

"Kagome, I would never hurt you, you know that, right?"  Kagome was confused but she nodded, allowing him to continue.

"I might have to leave for a while.  I'll come back, but will you, will you wait for me?"  His sincerity stunned her.  She nodded in assent before she kissed him breathless. 

They almost made love that night, but InuYasha claimed he wanted to wait.  "They had time," he said.

The next day Sesshomaru told her about his target.  And two days after that, he was dead.

Miroku continued, not noticing Kagome's distress.  Sesshomaru, who never moved to sit during the exchange moved to stand beside her chair.  He placed his hand upon her shoulder for some sort of comfort. 

Kagome visibly relaxed with his familiar touch and unconsciously rubbed her cheek against his fingers.  It was brief, but the action spurred both Sesshomaru's confidence and comforted Kagome.

"So InuYasha did the smart thing—he courted Kagome.  Once he had her, or you, your father would be easier to kill…"

"Why did he need to kill Kagome?"  Sesshomaru asked.

"I don't know.  The person who hired him is still anonymous."

"Then how do you know this information?" Sess growled out.  Miroku only smiled.

"Are you sure you want her to know?  It doesn't paint a pretty picture of you, now does it?"

"Just say it Monk, you know as well as I that I don't know the full story."  Kagome rubbed her cheek against his hand again as Sesshomaru's grip tightened.  Now she was comforting him.

Miroku tried not to be sick.

"Very well," Miroku smirked. He didn't mind telling the story at all. 

"InuYasha and Sesshomaru were orphaned at a young age.  InuYasha was three and Sess was seven.  At the time in Japan, a government-funded operation was collecting orphans to use as experiments in war training.  After the war with America Japan wished to be isolated again, but secretly trained for a day when they could fight back.  These "students" as they called them, were well taken care of.  They were given the best education money could buy, fed and clothed—but in turn they learned the art of murder."

Sesshomaru's grip was starting to hurt, his knuckles white with the pressure.  Still Miroku continued.

"They learned every combat skill known to Japan.  They learned how to use weapons of any kind.  As training, they would pick the weakest of the group and made him the target for the others.  This promoted students to train harder—or loose their life to boys they considered brothers."

Kagome inwardly gasped.  No wonder Sesshomaru didn't like ties with his work.  He knew he might have to eventually kill them, she thought.

"Sesshomaru was the top of his class.  They sent him to America as a student at the most prominent universities when he was only seventeen.  He spent six years here, training with a master who accompanied him.  As you know, he arrived a year ago to work with you.  But what you don't know was that after he returned to Japan he was expelled from the government project after they deemed him unacceptable.  They couldn't kill him—he was too good for that, so they bugged him.  He quickly got rid of that, I am guessing, and has been on his own for two years before coming to you."

"You do your research well, Monk."  Sesshomaru growled.

"InuYasha, at the time, took Sesshomaru's place as top "student."  They bugged him too and kept close watch as he studied abroad.  But Inu was running his own business on the side, a murder business…and that is how he met you."

Kagome was piecing the facts together.  However, once piece did not fit.

"If this was top secret in Japan, how were you able to find all this information?"  She questioned.  Miroku opened his mouth to answer, but Sesshomaru stopped him.

"She doesn't need to know that, Monk."

"She has a right, Sesshomaru.  She needs proof that my info is good."

"Fine, but I'm leaving," he left swiftly to his room and closed the door.  Kagome was too interested to check on him immediately.

"You see, Kagome, as a welcome home present the project decided a little hunt and kill game was in order.  Sess was left alone to hunt for the weakest in the project.  He hunted for two days and then he found the man.  He had him cornered, but he didn't shoot."

Kagome looked at him, a puzzled expression marring her face.

"Don't you understand, Kagome?  I was the one brother he couldn't kill…"