~ * ~ Chapter Five: Road to the West ~ * ~

Sango, Miroku, and Shippo found Inuyasha the next day after searching all the places he normally went. They found him very close to the village (isn't that ironic). They asked him why he was standing their and WHERE IS KAGOME?!

"Don't tell me you two had another fight." Sango calmly stated.

"Or maybe she saw you and Kikyou. AGAIN," Miroku pointed out but nobody seemed to notice Inuyasha's face turn stark pale.

Shippo launched himself on top of Inuyasha's head, and started biting on his ears, Inuyasha let out a string of curses, then Sango yanked the kitsune off of his head. "It wasn't me!" Inuyasha stated dumbly.

"IF IT WASN'T YOU THEN HOW'S ABOUT YOU TELL US WHO THE HELL IT WAS!" Miroku yelled. Sango and Shippo both stared at him, because he was normally always calm and collected.

"IT WAS THAT BASTARD SESSHOUMARU!" Inuyasha screamed, "Sesshoumaru came, and that bastard kissed her, and I guess he slipped her something and she was unconscious."

Sango, Miroku, and Shippo gawked at him, not believing what they were hearing. "He immobilized me, said something about some secret they shared, then he left." Everyone could hear the despair and sadness in his voice now, "Oh gods, he said she was kissing him back. I'm going to kill his pompous ass!"

Inuyasha fell roughly to the ground.

"Oh no, Kagome. You don't think he would try to do anything to Kagome do you?" Shippo practically wailed.

Everybody looked at everyone else with doubtful faces. Each of the older ones knew exactly what was going on through their heads, and trying to figure out a way to tell the young kitsune.

Shippo, not being as stupid as Inuyasha thought, figured it out by the silence. He jumped on Inuyasha's shoulder and hugged as much of the hanyou as he could. Inuyasha could smell the washed tears Shippo held for Kagome. He slowly wrapped an arm around the young kitsune.

Finally, Shippo shed his tears. "Stop crying, ya baby," Inuyasha warned, "I can't catch her scent anymore, but our best bet is to head west."

Everyone looked at Inuyasha.

"Father was lord of the Western Lands, but now Sesshoumaru is," he explained, " But, I need some rest before we go out." The final note in his voice told everyone that their was no 'buts' about it.

"Inuyasha, may I speak to ye in private, meaning alone?" Kaede asked.

"Hai."

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Kaede had a few questions to ask, and a lot of answers to get. "I overheard your explanation earlier, and your conversation with Sesshoumaru. Also, when you left to find Kagome, Kikyou was here."

Inuyasha went pale, "So, what about it?"

Kaede sighed. She knew this was going to be hard, "What if Kagome lied about where she was, and what if Sesshoumaru was at the spring too?"

Inuyasha went numb, he never really thought about it for the day he was trapped by Sesshoumaru's spell.

'Could that be the secret, that brother dearest was talking about. And if it was -' His thoughts were cut off by Kaede's voice, "If I'm correct, Sesshoumaru could used that to manipulate Kagome's mind, he could also use it against you."

Inuyasha knew there was truth behind the statement, but he didn't want to believe it.

'If Kagome was out there, then she saw-'

Once again his thoughts were cut off, "Kaede, what did Kikyou say?" he eagerly inquired.

"She told me all I needed to know. But I do have to admit that it disgusted me. She's dead for Kami's sake!"

Inuyasha snorted, "What the hell do you know anyways?"

Kaede stared at his retreating form, "Not enough, but more than you know."

He decided to let that go and yelled, "were leaving to find Kagome tomorrow, we'll need supplies."