CHAPTER FIVE

*

"Now are we going back?" Sango said, crossing her arms.

Miroku glanced back at Shippo, who was happily chomping sweet dumplings. He had bought extras, just to keep the little fox occupied. Kirara was nibbling on one too.

Well, it would be worth it if Inuyasha finally became a man. Ah, Inuyasha, you'll be thanking me after today, he thought with a sly smile. He wouldn't tell the younger man at first -- Inuyasha had trust issues that meant death to anybody who tricked him.

"What are you smiling at?" Sango asked.

"Oh, nothing," Miroku said, wiping off the smile. "Nothing at all."

"Well, you haven't answered my question."

"Soon, soon. But I have some errands to run in the village."

"What KIND of errands?" Sango crossed her arms again. "I mean, we have plenty of food now. You've given Shippo his sweet dumplings. What in the world could you need now?"

"You'll see," Miroku said mysteriously. He had a lot of experience in wearing women down, and he was pretty sure he could manage it with Sango. Perhaps he would find her something in the village to calm her down -- a necklace or something. She was a demon-slayer and a feared warrior, but she wasn't lacking in femininity... well, at least he didn't think so. At least she wore a dress most of the time... although he did like seeing her in her form-fitting slayer's uniform...

"You're doing it again," Sango said ominously. "You're smiling at nothing. What is going on?"

"Nothing," Miroku said hastily. He got up and began walking down the road.

"Shouldn't we ride on Kirara?" Sango said.

"But it's such a beautiful day," Miroku said, waving his hand at the trees. "Don't you think a walk is in order? In our particular lives, we have so little time to enjoy simple pleasures..."

Shippo hiccuped.

Sango frowned. "Will you behave yourself?" she asked.

Miroku sighed. "I will. You have my word."

Sango reluctantly came along, with Shippo and Kirara trotting behind her. Miroku smiled and breathed deeply as they walked along the avenue to the village. It really was a pleasant day; he would have asked her even if he hadn't been trying to buy Inuyasha and Kagome time.

He started to put his arm around Sango's shoulders, then let it fall. No point in pushing my luck, he thought.

*

"I don't know what you're up to," Sango said, narrowing her eyes. "But I can already tell it's something bad."

She was holding two rolls of silk in her arms, along with a fruit basket and a few bottles of sake. Miroku had been haggling with this jewelry dealer for almost half an hour, and Sango was sorely tempted to start hitting him with one of the bottles.

If he thinks he can seduce me with a day full of errands, he's sadly mistaken, Sango thought sourly.

Finally Miroku wore out the jewelry dealer, and rejoined the group with two small necklaces. "I thought you could have one, and Kagome the other," he said, holding one out in each hand. "Which would you prefer?"

Sango stared at the two necklaces. Even before her village had been destroyed, she hadn't had much jewelry. It just got in the way in battle. But Miroku actually looked sincere in his offer. "This," she said, plucking the one with green beads.

Miroku tucked the other into his robes. "Now then, how about dinner?"

"Miroku, we've been away from the camp for almost six hours now," Sango exploded.

"Are you tired?"

"Yes. And Inuyasha and Kagome will be worried about us by now."

"Of course they aren't," Miroku said, waving away her concerns. "If Inuyasha were concerned, he'd be on the rooftops looking for us, saying that we're slowing him down and what the hell are we thinking."

"I'm hungry," Shippo announced.

"Even after all those dumplings?" Sango said, astounded.

"Yep." Shippo examined the toy horse that Miroku had bought him. "Hey Miroku, why are you buying all this stuff?"

"After that very successful extermination that Sango and Inuyasha did in that previous village, we have a little money to spare," Miroku said. It was technically true; those villagers had been so grateful to get rid of the monstrous demon leeches that they had paid the group quite handsomely.

"I am going back to the camp," Sango said, dumping the silk in Miroku's arm and taking a brief sip of sake. "We've been away for six hours, with only a short while devoted to actual demon-slaying. I'm tired. Shippo is hungry. And I don't want Kagome and Inuyasha to worry."

Kirara transformed into a horse-sized demon cat with enormous fangs. Sango climbed onto her back and looked back at Miroku. "Are you coming?"

Miroku sighed deeply and sat as well. "Very well, if you insist." He just hoped that six hours had been enough time for Inuyasha...

TO BE CONTINUED