*is staring at her Gameboy Advance, playing Pokemon Sapphire* Bleep, Bleep. (Is making game noises) *the light at the top suddenly flashes amber and the game turns off* *Erica is staring angrily at it* What the hell?! I almost beat the damn game! *remembers something* Oh, no! I haven't saved at all! *runs around* Now I'm gonna have to start off from the beginning?!  *glares at the game* *Brat comes up and taps her on the shoulder* Brat: Aren't you supposed to be writing? Erica: *as Brat disappears (To Cat Silver: She and D.g. are back in their normal forms....They were cute as kittens....T_T) I guess I am.... *starts to type* *checks stats at ff.net* *reads reviews* *starts typing again* *to readers* There are some people out there who want me to write longer chapters and shorter review responses, *coughshadowspinnercough*, and I've decided that I will write my regular review responses, AND longer chapters! Isn't that wonderful? Also, I have a very frightening announcement to make; D.g. took her first story off ff.net *awww* and will soon be writing more crazy stuff concerning Inu-tachi, Brat, and I. GOD SAVE US ALL! Inu: What's the matter with a stupid story that some crazed fangirl wrote?! Erica: *glares at Inu* The fact that she likes flames may have something to do with it, or her obsession with death. *Inu visibly blanches* Inu: Oh. I think that I will be leaving now....*starts to edge toward door when suddenly D.g. appears* D.g.: FOUND YA! *grabs him and disappears to God knows where* Erica: I feel sorry for him; the unimaginable tortures he will go through.....*decides to take her mind off that* Okay! Now on to the Disclaimer and Review Responses!

            Disclaimer: I own Inuyasha! *lawyers appear* HAHA! GOT YOU SUCKERS! *sprays them all with can of Lawyer B-Gone she got from Cat* *the lawyers turn into minions* YAY! MORE MINIONS FOR ME!!! *judge shows up again* Damn! I was about to get away with it too! I don't own Inuyasha....*judge disappears* Well, hey, at least I have some new minions!

            A/N: OH! I AM SOOOOO SORRY THAT I HAVEN'T UPDATED ALL WEEK! *begs* FORGIVE ME! 

            Review Responses: Special thanks to my fiftieth reviewer, Cat Silver! *mutters* You just got lucky...Or it could be your impeccable timing.....

            Sailor Saturn: Let me tell you this: You can bet that something will happen! Two cats in Feudal Era + One dog hanyou = CATastrophe!

            Katzztar: Buyo will make his entrance in due time...right now he just hates the new kitten and is staying away from it. The same thing happened with my cats.

            AoiTsuki: Yeah, I'll use your preferred name! Also, I would love it if you did a pic for this story! Some time in the future I'm gonna put up a website for my fanfics, and I'll put all my pics up there as well! I just got a scanner! YAY! Oh, and you'll be in this chapter.....Let's just say that you'll be spending some -quality- time with Tsuki.....MUAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

            Hanamaru285: I'm updating as fast as time will allow! Not that I have much of it....T_T

            Arella: Yes, Dirt and Inu are good friends. Dirt has learned many new words since they met! ^_^ Yes, and the cat IS psycho. What can you expect from a cat that looks like Sesshoumaru? Truly, he does. Also has the attitude of Inu too! *believe me; I have the inspiration at home! The real Tsuki! His names Inu-Neko though. We call him Nike (as in the shoes) *hugs the kitten* MINE MINE MINE!!!!!!!

            SenshiofSilence: Naw, Shamoo is nothing like Tsuki sadly. More like Buyo. *holds up the heavy cat hopefully* Still want him?

            shadowspinner: *Glares at shadowspinner* There is NO way that I'll ever shorten my review responses! But I will make the chapters longer. My hands may hurt, but the satisfaction of reading the reviews is enough to drive away the pain. *is acting overdramatic*

            Cat Silver: Um, yeah, the stuff worked on them....And the armor was helpful too! They got pretty angry! *chuckles nervously* D.g. even tried to set fire to me! Humph! How mean! *pouts* I didn't MEAN for them to get turned into kittens; I just wanted to see what would happen if I used that spray stuff on non-lawyers....

            darksidemoonshine: Um, yeah, the cat is evil. Very evil. Like twisted, psychotic, crazed evil. Yeah, THAT evil! And when you have a cat THAT evil that wants revenge....Run away, FAR away!

            Sakura-chan88: Oh yeah! The cat is DEFINTELY demonic! Also, I'm having problems with my school too. Sadly, *sighs morosely* there are only a couple people at my school who like anime. Yes, pity me. I am the one marked out as a freak at my school, all because I like anime (which for some annoying reason they classify as Pokemon; they HATE Pokemon!) and because I am obsessed with Inuyasha. I have my own plushies, and everyday in Art class I draw Inu. I'm getting rather good at it! So, because hardly anyone likes anime here, I have no way to convince the school principal to allow me to read ff.net in Computer Skills. *whines* They all hate me! T_T Why won't anybody even consider that anime is a GOOD thing?! At least I have my friends Brat and D.g. with me. But I'm not so sure that that's a good thing....

            Inuyashas girlfriend: *grumbles* I'm writing, I'm writing....*shouts* IF ONLY THE F******* SCHOOL WOULD LEAVE ME ALONE AND ALLOW ME TO WRITE IN CLASS! *is breathing heavily* *composes herself* Hope you like my story. *all the while is thinking in head: 'I'm gonna show my English teacher that I can write....Give me a D will she?! HA! I'll show her! Mrs. Guacamole will bow down before my superior writing skills!'*

            Thanks for all your wonderful reviews! Enjoy the next chapter of my fic!

            Kitten ^^ Caboodle

       Chapter 6: The Neko-Hanyou, Utsushineko!

        Inuyasha regained consciousness about ten minutes later, his head pounding painfully. When he awoke, he found himself laid on the couch, with one very angry female above him. Oh hell....he thought, she looks angry!

            "Inuyasha..." she growled out, her voice menacing, "What happened while I was gone, and I want the COMPLETE truth!"

            Inuyasha gulped; she sounded very angry. He stayed silent.

            "NOW!" she barked out, her voice commanding.

            He lowered his head in embarrassment and muttered his answer. "The cat flipped me off, and I chased it around the house," his voice grew lower as the story progressed, while Kagome was trying not to laugh, "After it made me run into the tree," at this Kagome started to snicker, "I chased it down the block toward where that pond is," his face was burning with humiliation, "It tricked me and made me fall into the pond, then I chased it back here and it tricked me again and made me run head on into the Goshinboku (A/N: Is that right? Is it boku or buko?). And now I'm here...."

            Kagome couldn't hold it in anymore; she started to laugh so hard that she couldn't breathe. "And here you were telling me that you weren't a dog!" Inuyasha got angry at this.

            "I'm not a dog! That cat flipped me off, that's why I chased it!" he glared at her, his eyes flashing with indignation.

            "Okay Inuyasha, I believe you," said Kagome, sitting down beside the offended hanyou, "But why would Tsuki, a kitten, have any reason to flip you off, and how could he manage it when he doesn't even have fingers?"

            "Because that cat is evil, and hates me. He also used his tail to flip me off," said Inuyasha, looking around for the kitten, "Where is it by the way?"

            "Tsuki's right now playing with Souta," explained Kagome, "He just got home from school."

            Then Inuyasha remembered why Kagome was gone in the first place. "What did the doctor say?" he asked, looking her in the eyes, "Will you be okay?"

            She nodded, "In fact, I am even well enough to go to the Sengoku Jidai (A/N: Is it spelled right? I'm really off it today, and I'm forgetting how to spell everything!)"

            He looked reluctant, "I'll let you go, but only if you promise me that you'll tell me if you start getting worse!" He said stubbornly.

            She nodded again, "I promise."

            Relieved, he asked, "So when should we go?"

            She sat up, "Right now!" She motioned over to where her backpack lay, already filled with provisions. Turning toward him,  she said, "Let's go!"

            ******************************************************

            Inuyasha and Kagome made their way to the well, with Inuyasha carrying the heavy bag. Jumping through, he could've sworn that he felt the bag move on its own; he shrugged the thought off, it was impossible!

            ******************************************************

            ~Tsuki's P.O.V. ~

            He had been exploring in this huge dark space when it suddenly moved. YAY! He thought, I'm going somewhere with my Mistress! He now referred to Kagome as his Mistress, because she was kind to him and took care of him. I wonder where we're going? He thought.

            ******************************************************

            Kagome happily walked toward the village, while Inuyasha trudged behind, his head still pounding and he was carrying the backpack. Then, as they neared the village, a familiar fluff of fur had slammed into Kagome and had latched itself onto her arm.

            "KAGOME!" cried Shippo, hugging her happily, "You're finally back!" He then proceeded to ramble on about how boring it was without her.

            Kagome carefully set the kitsune down, and asked, "Are Miroku, Sango and Kirara back yet?"

            A bright eyed Shippo answered, "Yep!" as he led the way down the road to Kaede's hut. Inuyasha just walked behind them silently, intently staring at Kagome for the slightest hint of her fever returning.

            As they neared the hut, a resounding slap could be heard, followed by the word "Hentai!" shouted angrily. The scene before the three consisted of one swirly eyed Miroku with a large red hand print on his face, and a furious looking Sango yelling at the unconscious houshi.

            "Hi Sango!" called Kagome as she walked towards the demon exterminator, a large cheerful grin plastered on her face. Upon hearing her friend call out, Sango stopped yelling and ran over to Kagome, grinning happily.

            "Kagome! You're back! We were worried! Shippo said that you were sick, and you've been gone for three days! Are you okay now?" asked Sango in a worried voice.

            "Yes, yes, I'm fine," answered Kagome, setting her bag down and still smiling, "Now let's go find some Shikon shards!"

            "Um, Kagome?" asked Shippo.

            She turned toward the young fox-demon, "What is it Shippo?" she asked, concerned.

            He pointed toward her backpack, which he had been routing through, looking for that tasty chocolate she had promised she would bring. Munching on the piece of chocolate that he had found, he spoke, "There's something in there."

            "What?" Kagome asked as she looked into the bag, "EEK!" she screamed as she jumped back, for a certain little, fuzzy white head had popped up from the depths of her backpack. "TSUKI?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY BACKPACK?!" she scolded as she picked the kitten up. Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and Inuyasha all stared at the kitten, and each had a different reaction to it.

            "Aw! It's so cute!" cried Sango as she stared at the little kitten. Reaching out, she held it when Kagome handed it to her. "What's its name?" she asked.

            "His name is Tsuki," Kagome said proudly, "Inuyasha thought of the name."

            "Kagome," said Miroku, "You are so good with the little kitten; you would make a good mother," Kagome blushed at his words, "So would you bear my child please?" he asked as he slipped his hand onto her backside. Her face grew redder; this time with anger.

            "HENTAI!" she screamed and whacked Miroku on the head with her backpack. He was knocked unconscious.

            "Kagome," asked Shippo in the cute little way that only he could do, "what are you going to do about it? Are you going to take him with us?" Kagome pondered his words as Kirara came up and sniffed the kitten. Kirara mewed and the kitten mewed back. Kirara and the kitten purred with each other, and Kirara started to wash the little kitten in Sango's arms.

            "Awww," said Sango again as she stared at the two cats with little hearts in her eyes.

            Inuyasha's response was totally and completely expected. "What the f*** is that little furball doing here?!" he yelled, glaring at the kitten, hoping to scare it back into Kagome's pack.

            "Inuyasha," said Kagome in an-oh-so-familiar tone, "Sit."

            WHAM!!!!!!!!

            Kagome kneeled down next to him and spoke softly, "Inuyasha, please don't get upset. I'll find someone to take care of Tsuki while we're gone. That way, I won't have to leave Tsuki alone at my house and we won't have to bring him along, okay?" she asked pleadingly.

            "Feh," was Inuyasha's response. Why, oh why does she use that voice with me? She knows that I can't argue with her when she speaks like that! He sighed.

            Kagome squealed, "Thank you Inu-chan!" and hugged him for the third time that day. Miroku and Sango exchanged looks while Shippo just stared uncomprehendingly at the two. He didn't understand it; why weren't Kagome and Inuyasha fighting like they normally do?

            Inuyasha got up, looking dazed, while Kagome started to bounce off happily to who-knows-where.

            "Lady Kagome," called Miroku, "where are you going?"

            "I know just the person to baby-sit Tsuki for me while we're gone," she answered and kept walking, while the group ran to catch up with her. Inuyasha was walking along, grumbling, and Sango was still carrying Tsuki.

            They walked for about fifty minutes, and then entered a nice shady meadow. In the meadow, near a clear-blue lake, sat a large house. It had a thatched roof, windows on all sides, and a porch out front. They followed along a path that led straight to the large house. All around the house were flowers of all kinds. Kagome walked up and knocked on the door, calling, "Utsushineko! It's me, Kagome!" when she received no answer, she guessed that Utsushineko wasn't in her house, and decided to look around for her.

            "Um, Kagome?" asked Inuyasha, "What are we doing here, and who's Utsushineko?" (A/N: AoiTsuki! You just HAD to pick a long name, didn't you?!)

            "Oh, I forgot, you wouldn't know her," replied Kagome, "she's a hanyou that I saved a couple months back, when you were off with Kikyo," she said the last part with a hint of sadness, "She's a neko-hanyou, kinda, and will be the perfect person to take care of Tsuki while I'm away." (A/N: *Dodges flying instruments of doom* Gomen! I just had to put Kikyo in my fic, to liven it up. (no pun intended) Don't worry, all you Kikyo haters out there will get what you want! *cackles* It'll be in the next chapter, I think.)

            Inuyasha flinched inside at the sadness and despair that had been in Kagome's voice when she said those words. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo just looked at him pointedly, as if accusing him. Which they were. He looked away, ashamed. He hadn't meant to hurt her feelings like that. If only he could tell her how he really felt; but he didn't know how she would react. He didn't want to be rejected. So he kept his emotions a secret, though at certain times it was hard.

            Inuyasha was brought back out of his musings by Kagome saying, "Let's go find her!" And they each split up to find the mysterious hanyou.

            Kagome wandered through the trees that were in Utsushineko's vast garden, thinking forlornly to herself. The look on his face when I mentioned Kikyo, it was so sad. Was he sad because my feelings had been hurt, or because he missed Kikyo? Definitely the latter, she thought sarcastically to herself, why would he have any reason to worry over a stupid shard detector like me? She was jerked out of her despairing thoughts by a certain voice that belonged to a certain hanyou.

            "Kagome," he asked, hesitantly, "what's wrong?"

            "Nothing," she responded, avoiding eye contact with him.

            "Kagome, I know there's something wrong with you, so tell me," demanded Inuyasha as he stood in front of her.

            (A/N: WARNING! FLUFF IS AHEAD! I REPEAT! FLUFF IS AHEAD!)

            She stopped in front of him, looking down at the ground. She didn't answer.

            "Damn it Kagome! Look at me! Please, tell me what's wrong!" he yelled, getting angry at the thought that she didn't trust him after all this time.

            "Inuyasha," she asked, her voice soft, "am I just a shard detector to you?"

            "Huh?" was Inuyasha's smart reply. (A/N: *rolls eyes sarcastically* Riggghhht.)

            "Am I just a shard detector to you? Someone to be thrown away whenever Kikyo comes? Will you abandon me once you get the Shikon no Tama?" she repeated, tears starting to fall from her face. Inuyasha looked at her, confusion showing on his face along with worry. What had he done to make her cry this time?

            "Kagome," said Inuyasha in an oddly gentle voice, "I-I would never do that to you. I would never abandon you."

            "What about when Kikyo comes? You love her, don't you? I know you do. That's why you always forget about me when she's near. To you, I'm nothing more than her replacement, her shadow. To you, I'm nothing compared to her," Kagome said, finally saying to him the thoughts that she had kept locked up in her heart. Her tears started to fall faster, and she turned away from him.

            "Kagome," he said in a stern voice, "none of that is true."

            She started to walk away when she felt two powerful arms snake around her waist, turn her around and pull her into a deep embrace. She looked up at Inuyasha's face, shocked. She saw in his eyes pain and sadness, regret and...love? Was that love she saw reflected in his amber orbs?

            "Kagome, you are not Kikyo's replacement. You are Kagome. You are your own person, and that person is who I-" he paused hesitantly, "Love." He looked away, afraid that she would reject him.

            "But what about Kikyo?" asked Kagome in small, overcome voice. Did he just admit to her that he loved her?!

            "Kagome," he sighed, "the debt I owe to Kikyo is nothing more than a debt. I haven't realized it till lately, but I don't love Kikyo anymore. I'm not sure I ever did. My only wish is that her soul may be put to rest."

            She looked up into his eyes, amazed, and saw that he spoke the truth. She couldn't say anything; she was too overcome with joy to speak.

            "Kagome?" he asked, worried that she wouldn't feel the same way. For a response, he felt two arms wrap themselves around his neck, and a mouth press against his own. For a few precious seconds, he was totally at peace. When they both pulled back, breathless, the first thing that Kagome said was, "I love you."

            He looked happily into her eyes, "Really?" he asked. She nodded. "Well then, I love you too." He grinned and pulled her in for another kiss. That was easier to say than he thought it would be! (A/N: YESSS!!! *punches hand into the air* FINALLY! *gag* But I think that that was too much fluff. I feel sick....)

            Unbeknownst to the couple, quite a few people were watching the events unfolding. Miroku, always the hentai, could not help but shout out, "Go INUYASHA!" Before he was pulled down and told to shut up. Inuyasha and Kagome pulled out of their kiss, and looked towards where the bushes had talked, in surprise.

            "Miroku," Inuyasha growled, sniffing the air, "You are SO DEAD!" and with that statement, he proceeded to chase after a certain lecherous monk who had started running away from the furious hanyou. Kagome angrily looked toward where she knew Sango was, and started to stalk over to the demon exterminator menacingly.

            "Sango," she too growled and chased after the demon exterminator.

            *******************************************************

            Later, back in front of Utsushineko's house, the group waited. Shippo was playing with Kirara and Tsuki, Inuyasha and Kagome had fallen asleep under a shady tree (holding each other), and Sango and Miroku were tending to their wounds after being caught by both Inuyasha and Kagome. Groaning, Sango lay down onto the soft grass, wishing that they hadn't been caught spying. Miroku lay next to her, echoing her moans with his own.

            "Houshi," she said with gritted teeth, "do not EVER try to convince me EVER again that we should spy on those two."

            "Yes Sango," said Miroku as he stealthily slid his hand onto her front.

            "Hentai!" Sango screamed and slapped him in the face, and then kicked him away from her, causing more groans to be issued out from the both of them.

            "Um, what are you all doing at my house?" asked a voice from a few feet away. Inuyasha bolted awake and held the half-awake Kagome protectively against him. Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara all looked toward the new visitor. She had short blue hair and blue eyes, and was about five and a half feet tall. Atop her head twitched two cat ears, and winding behind her was a long, fluffy blue tail. (A/N: For those of you who didn't know, that's AoiTsuki.)

            "Um," was all anyone could say. Except for Kagome that is. Standing up, with Inuyasha still holding her protectively, she said, "Utsushineko! Hi! It's been a long time since I last saw you!"

            The cat hanyou looked at Kagome in surprise, "Kagome, is that you?! It's so good to see you! Come on into my house!" And with that she and Kagome walked into the house, chatting happily about recent events. Inuyasha, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and Sango followed the two apprehensively, Sango carrying Tsuki in her arms.

            Inside, Sango could already hear Utsushineko meeting with Miroku.

            "HENTAI!!!!!!" yelled an enraged neko-hanyou's voice, followed with a loud 'SMACK!'. Sango shook her head; some things never change.

            ************************************************

            YAY! THIS CHAPTER IS FINALLY OUT! *does a dance around the house to the music of YMCA* I'm soooo happy! REVIEW PLEASE! *goes back to dancing* *singing* It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A! *Brat appears holding her hands over her ears and promptly knocks Erica unconscious* Brat: *shivers* I HATE that god-awful music! *disappears*