Disclaimer:I do not own Inuyasha. I do own any characters that I made up.

Kiniro Sakura

Chapter Nineteen: Poison

Sakura followed behind Sesshoumaru and Keshi, ignoring the talk between Suzuran, Tsuki and Umi. Rin and Hokiboshi were asleep in her tail and Oshika was quiet. Sesshoumaru had ordered Jaken to scout ahead so the ugly toady was nowhere to be seen or smelled. She sighed and Suzuran looked at her. Umi and Tsuki looked at her too before saying that they had to ask Oshika something. She glared at Suzuran.

"Usually, when you make someone leave, you want to talk to me. What is it?" She asked, a little angry with her friend right now. Suzuran faked a hurt look.

"Well, you don't have to bitch me about it. I was just going to see if you wanted to go to the hotsprings with Tsuki, Umi, and I later on." She asked innocently. Or as innocent as a scheming wolf could get.

"And?" Sakura pressed. Suzuran sighed and held her head. She mumbled something that Sakura couldn't hear.

"What was that?" She asked angrily. Suzuran's head shot up.

"I SAID THAT WE WANTED TO TALK TO YOU!" She yelled in Sakura's ear. Everyone up ahead of them looked back at them with confused or almost confused looks. Rin and Hokiboshi had awakened and were now staring at the adults. Suzuran gulped nervously and Sakura smiled sheepishly.

"What were you two talking about?" Keshi asked suspiciously. Tsuki glared at him with a look that said you-know-better-than-to-get-into-their-business. Keshi ignored her.

"Uh, I was just telling her that Tsuki, Umi, and I wanted to know if she wanted to go to the hotsprings with us later to talk." Suzuran said hastily. Keshi stared at the females a minute before shrugging and walking back over to Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at Sakura and Suzuran before going back to talking with Keshi. More like listening actually.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, Lord Keshi, I think it is time that we stopped for the night. After all, it is starting to get dark." Oshika, who had been quiet the whole trip, spoke up. Sesshoumaru and Keshi looked at each other for a moment before nodding. Sakura mentally sighed. Thank goodness we get to rest. Normally I don't get this tired when traveling. And my head feels really hot. I wonder what's wrong with me? Maybe the hotspring can cure it. Sakura thought as she sat down and rubbed the light sweat off of her forehead. Umi walked over and handed her a towel and some soap. Sakura took it and stood up. Suzuran and Tsuki were waiting at the edge of the clearing that the group had settled into. Umi turned around and bowed to Sesshoumaru and Keshi.

"We are going to the hotsprings. We should be back in an hour." She said before turning around and following the other three females into the coming darkness. Rin had long ago fallen asleep and was sitting against a tree with Hokiboshi curled up beside her. Sesshoumaru was looking up at the sky while Oshika and Keshi had started a fire and were sitting around it.

*At The Hotsprings*

All of the females were relaxing in a large hotspring a few minutes from the clearing. Sakura had her head back and winced occasionally. Suzuran noticed her friends discomfort and slid over to her.

"What's wrong? You've been acting really weird ever since we left." Suzuran asked gently. Tsuki and Umi were now around them also. Sakura opened one eye and gazed at everyone. She sighed and looked at them all.

"I don't know. I feel the same as when we fought Kagura and Naraku. I am dizzy and get tired very easily. It takes most of my power to keep myself from fainting. It's worse than what rage does to me." She said truthfully. Tsuki and Suzuran looked thoughtful while Umi stared at her.

"I know that something else is bothering you. Please tell us." Umi asked her. Suzuran and Tsuki had their full attention on her now. Sakura gulped before talking.

"It's Sesshoumaru." She said quietly. Though it was not quiet enough for it seems that all three demons had heard her. Umi smiled and Tsuki and Suzuran squealed.

"I knew this would happen!" Umi declared. Suzuran and Tsuki nodded enthusiastically. But then Suzuran got a mysterious glint in her eyes.

"What did you do?" She asked with a smirk. Sakura glared at her and blushed.

"I-I kissed him. Well, I told him his mother talked to me and said to give him a kiss. I did that but it seems to have lasted longer than both of us had expected." At Umi and Tsuki's gasps she put up her hands defensively.

"Not like that! I mean that it was more than just a quick 'peck'." She said with a glare. Everyone still looked at her as if she was lying but they eventually gave up on getting any more information out of her. Suddenly Sakura and Suzuran tensed up. Umi and Tsuki looked at them questioningly.

"Naraku." Sakura whispered. That one name was enough to get Umi and Tsuki into fighting stances.

"Kukukuku! Lady Sakura, you may have noticed that you have not been feeling well lately. Do you wonder why?" He asked with a mocking voice. Sakura growled.

"I will take that as a yes. You see, last time I saw you, I had poisoned my sword. This poison will only work on Kitsunes so that is why it did not affect Sesshoumaru. In a few hours time you will be too weak to continue. This is not a killing poison. I just used it to make you weak enough for Kagura and Kanna to attack you." Naraku said and disappeared into the forest. Umi and Tsuki let their fighting stances down and got dressed. Suzuran and Sakura held theirs a bit longer before deciding that it was safe. They too got dressed and the four of them headed back to camp. Sakura turned to her friends.

"If you could do me a favor, please do not mention the poison to the others." Sakura asked. Suzuran and Tsuki nodded but Umi seemed to hesitate before nodding as well.

*Camp*

When the girls got back they acted as if nothing had happened. Keshi sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose.

"How come you four smell like evil demon?" He asked. Sakura didn't answer so Umi did.

"We were attacked by a low-class demon. That was all. We killed him easily." She said bluntly and lay down under a large tree. A small blanket was covering her, as was her tail. Keshi, Sesshoumaru, and Oshika looked at the girls a moment longer before heading off to their respective places to sleep. Oshika slept next to Rin and Hokiboshi while Keshi slept next to his mate. Suzuran and Umi slept under another tree and Sesshoumaru sat down next to Sakura. She blushed and tensed a bit before settling down. They sat in silence while Sakura covered herself with a blanket and her tail.

"More than what you said happened at the spring. I know that Naraku was there." Sesshoumaru said at last. Sakura shivered but stopped when Sesshoumaru put his tail around her.

"He was there. We didn't fight him, though. No of us was hurt either." She said quietly. Sesshoumaru shifted so that Sakura was in his lap. He looked her in the eyes.

"Is that all?" He asked in a don't-lie-to-me-or-I'll-kill-you voice. Sakura stared at him before breaking away and looking up at the night-sky.

"He did some other stuff but I would rather keep that to myself right now. And don't bother trying to ask the others. They won't tell you or anyone else." She told him and leaned against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and the two of them slowly drifted off to sleep. Little did they know that a snow white fox was watching them the whole time with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

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I always seem to end my chapters 'and they fell asleep' or something like that. I just think that that is easier to start the next chapter with. Please review and tell your friends about this fic! Animechick8