Chapter Twelve

A/N: Now before I forget: Any of you who want e-mail notices for when I update plz say so. I already have a few of you on notice, but a lot of my anonymous reviewers don't leave their e-adds. So if u want a notice, lemme know. Kay, thanxs. And I'd also like to say hi to all my new reviews Adult Fanfiction & Anime Spiral. Thanks Yumiko! Wow...my first official death threat! I'm so happy....lol. You know your getting to be a really good author when you start getting death threats to update soon. Hehe...

[Yashaz Group]

Yamauba had performed a searching spell and had located Naraku's aura to the north. Now as they approached ever closer to the castle, the miasma surrounding it got thicker and thicker.

'Okay, now before we go any father. What's our plan here.' Kagome asked coughing a bit because of the thick miasma.

'Ummm.....' Was Tenshi's brilliant reply.

'Feh! You don't even have a plan?!' Inuyasha said voice raised.

Tenshi glared at him. 'I'm thinking alright!'

'Don't hurt yourself.' Inuyasha retorted.

Tenshi made use of a conveniently placed rock.

'OW! What was that for?' Inuyasha yelled.

'As if you didn't know.' Tenshi shot back.

'Guys, this isn't helping.' Kagome interjected.

'No, really?' Tenshi said.

Kagome just shot her a 'behave' look.

Tenshi rolled her eyes and stared at the dark castle in the distance. "What DO we do now?" She wonder.

[Inside said castle]

'So, you want to be free do you Juuroumaru?' Came Kagura's voice from the darkness beyond the cell doors.

Juuroumaru looked up from where he lay on the floor and snarled.

'You'd like to kill him wouldn't you?' She asked coming a little closer. 'You'd like to kill Naraku.'

Juuroumaru watched her warily and nodded his head slowly.

'Good.' Kagura snapped her fan shut and bent down to sit on her heels. 'I'll let you out Juuroumaru, I'll let you kill Naraku. Just as long as you don't harm Kanna and myself.'

Juuroumaru just stared back. Kagura sighed. "What the hell am I think? He's an unstoppable killer.' Kagura's thoughts were cut short as Juuroumaru came over on all fours to where she was sitting. Kagura tensed up. 'Well what is your answer?' She asked him.

Juuroumaru nodded his head. 'Good.' Kagura said quietly rising up from the floor. Juuroumaru's quiet growl caught Kagura's attention before she had reached the lock. She looked down at him as his growl became a louder snarl, his gaze focused beyond Kagura. With growing dread Kagura turned slowly around.

[Yasha]

Sango a while back had gotten everyone masks that would help keep out the poisons. So as they made there way towards the gates of Naraku's castles, they were all breathing better than they had been. The ever thick miasma cleared when you got past the gates, the court yard was empty and not a sound could be heard. Slowly and cautiously they made there way into the castle. Pushing open the sliding doors, they stepped into a dark, deserted hall.

'Is anyone even here?' Sango asked looking around. 'Perhaps they've fled.'

'No.' Inuyasha said sniffing. 'There still here. I can smell Naraku's scent, as well as Kanna and Kagura's.'

'What about Juuroumaru?' Tenshi asked.

Inuyasha sniffed. 'I don't smell him yet.' He answered.

They moved father into the castle when they heard a blood-curdling scream followed by a exceptionally vicious snarl.

"Juuroumaru." Tenshi thought as they hurried in the direction of the scream.

[Naraku]

Kagura lay panting on the floor, her face twisted into extreme agony. On the other side of the cell bars Juuroumaru paced, snarling and growling worse than before.

'So, you thought to enlist Juuroumaru to kill me did you, Kagura?' Naraku asked giving her heart another good squeeze. Kagura didn't respond, to busy was she fighting to stay alive. 'You've become quite troublesome lately, Kagura.' Naraku said holding the red glowing ball that was Kagura's heart in his hand. 'Perhaps a little to troublesome.' Naraku said a little quieter. 'Perhaps your use to me has run out...'

Kagura's eyes widened at Naraku's words. "I've got to do something before he destory's me." She thought franticly. Looking up to where the lock on Juuroumaru's cage was, Kagura quickly snatched up her fan and ignoring her pain sent her wind blades smashing into Juuroumaru's locked cell door. Juuroumaru quickly jumped out of the way to narrowly avoid getting sliced in half. Naraku gave Kagura's heart a good squeeze before quickly dodging Juuroumaru's razor sharp claws.

Juuroumaru let out a vicious snarl as Naraku sought to make his escape. "Not this time..." He thought lunging at Naraku. Naraku's tentacles lashed out at J-maru knocking him against the wall, J-maru bounced back slashing at them, ducking, dodging, slicing and dicing. (lol)

Naraku growled knowing that Juuroumaru was getting closer and closer, releasing a large amount of miasma, Naraku turned and fled. He did not count on Juuroumaru to come flying through the thick cloud of miasma and tackle him to the ground. Kagura's heart slipped from Naraku's grasp and bounced along the floor to come to a stop at the other wall. Kagura feeling the pain ease up, picked up her fan and sent the miasma rolling towards the two demons rolling around fighting on the floor. Quickly she ran over to where her heart lay and snatched it up, then taking a feather out of her hair speed off to find Kanna.

One of Naraku's tentacles grabbed Juuroumaru around the waist and another wrapped itself around his throat, and threw him backwards towards his cell. J-maru hit the stone wall hard and slid painfully to the floor while Naraku took this opportunity to escape. Quickly he fled down into the darken, miasma filled hall.

Juuroumaru groan from where he lay on the floor, his head & back were paining him something awful. Slowly and painfully he rose up from the floor and headed in the direction that Naraku had taken.

A few minutes later there was a loud explosion from another part of the castle, a few seconds before there had been a very loud feminine scream.

'What's going on?' Kagome wonder out loud.

'I dunno.' Tenshi answered. 'But I hope Juuroumaru's okay.'

'Feh, he's fine.' Inuyasha said sniffing. 'I'm going to go check out that explosion.' And with that said Inuyasha turned down another hall and disappeared into it's depths.

'Fine, go and leave us.' Tenshi told his retreating form.

From the floor Kilala growled. 'What is it Kilala?' Sango asked.

Everyone looked in the direction that Kilala was growling in and saw Juuroumaru slowly making his way towards them. 'Juuroumaru!' Tenshi cried out hurrying towards him. Juuroumaru stopped and leaned on the rice paper wall of the castle. Tenshi stopped a few inches away. 'You okay?' She asked. Juuroumaru nodded. Tenshi smiled and gave him a big hug. Juuroumaru groaned but hugged her back.

'Well now that we've found Juuroumaru we should go and see what Inuyasha is up to.' Sango said petting Kilala.

'Your right.' Kagome said turning to go back the way they'd come. 'Are you coming, Tenshi?'

'Yeah.' Tenshi said releasing Juuroumaru. J-maru growled a warily at the new comers. 'Behave.' Tenshi said to him. 'There here to help.' Juuroumaru quieted and followed the others towards Inuyasha.

A/N: Okay, I'm gonna stop here. 1. Cause everybody wanted this chapter soon. And 2. cause I'm tired of writing it. Lol. Till next time everyone! (waves)