Konnichiwa minna-san! Here's your next chapter; I hope it makes up somewhat for the last one, which turned out a bit short. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I would keel over and die if Rumiko Takahashi sent Sesshoumaru-sama over for my birthday, sure. But since it hasn't happened, I still don't own Inu Yasha or any of its characters. A girl can dream, though. A girl can dream.

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It was nearly dawn, and the exhausted group was still trailing along. Actually, Inuyasha, Kirara, and Miroku were still trailing along. Kagome and Sango were riding on Kirara with Kouga between them.

The miko had fallen asleep against the wolf youkai's back. Needless to say, Inuyasha was not happy. The way she had just hopped onto Kirara before he had a chance to offer her a ride bothered him, to say the least.

Shippo was sitting on Miroku's shoulder, trying hard to stay awake. He kept rubbing his eyes, and every now and then he would yawn into his sleeve. "Are we almost there?" he asked in the middle of another yawn.

Inuyasha's ears twitched in annoyance. "If you ask that one more time, you little brat, I'll knock you out, you hear? We'll be there when we get there!"

"As always, Inuyasha, your capacity for logic amazes me," Miroku said jokingly. He barely managed to dodge the hanyou's claws when he swiped at him unexpectedly.

"Whoa, Inuyasha, what's the matter with you? It was only an innocent jest, my friend."

Inuyasha growled. "I'm not in the mood for games, houshi," he snapped. "I suggest you leave me alone, or I'll have two idiots to pummel."

Miroku looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, then reached up to pat the little kitsune's head. "Shippo, I think it would be best if you got some sleep, don't you agree?"

Shippo sat straight up, blinking furiously. "I don't need any rest. I can stay awake just like you and Inuyasha."

"Shippo…"

Boink.

"Sorry about that, Shippo," the houshi whispered, as the now unconscious kitsune tumbled off his shoulder and into his arms. "But I've got to talk to Inuyasha for a minute." Casting a glance at Kirara's burden, he hurried to the hanyou's side.

"Well, you shut him up, at least," the hanyou muttered as the houshi joined him. "Is she still asleep?"

Miroku nodded. "Inuyasha," he began slowly, "what exactly happened back there? When we got to you, Kagome was already alive again. How exactly did you get her soul back?"

"I didn't," Inuyasha said curtly.

Miroku blinked. "Didn't what?"

"I didn't get her soul back." He glared over his shoulder at the sleeping wolf youkai. "I don't know what happened. All I know is that Kagome came back."

The houshi looked at him doubtfully. "Inuyasha, are you sure you don't know what happened? It seems as though—"

"Shut up already! I don't want to talk about it, okay? Just be glad she's back."

"All right, I won't ask. I'm sure Kagome-sama will be more obliging. Or Kouga, maybe."

"Feh! Why don't you go talk to him, then? Seems everyone's taking his side lately, anyway."

Miroku frowned. "Just because you are jealous doesn't mean you should take your anger out on me, Inuyasha. I didn't do anything."

The hanyou clenched his fist. "Don't gimme that, houshi! You and Sango are the ones that let him tag along with us, in the first place. I could've just talked Kagome out of it. Then he would've been off with his flea-bitten pack instead of breathing all over her!"

"Be quiet, Inuyasha!" the houshi scolded. "You'll wake the others, and they need to rest!"

"Feh."

Miroku sighed. "Listen, we agreed to accept Kouga's help because we are getting closer to Naraku. You can feel it as well as I can."

When Inuyasha only growled, the houshi sighed. "Besides, I don't think you could talk Kagome out of anything to save your life."

"Feh!"

Miroku slid a mischievous glance at the hanyou and smirked. "She does not seem to mind him, anyway. It might be a nice change for Kagome-sama to have someone shower her with affection, don't you agree?"

Inuyasha suddenly stopped. He lowered his head, and an ominous sound rumbled from his chest. "It's not like I care, anyway," he snapped automatically as he stalked ahead.

Miroku watched him thoughtfully. *He is far more irritable than before. Something tells me whatever happened back there is bothering him. I wonder if Kouga has anything to do with it.*

Inuyasha kept walking briskly, refusing to look back. *Why, Kagome? Why did you come back when he called to you? I have to know, even if I won't like it. I have to find out, somehow.*

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The sun had long since warmed the village by the time Kagome woke up. She sat up and stretched, moaning softly as the kinks in her neck and shoulders straightened out. "Mm, where am I?"

"Thou art in my hut, child, and ye have missed breakfast."

Kagome's eyes widened for a moment. "Oh, Kaede-sama!" she cried, rubbing the last threads of sleep from her lids. "I really wanted to hear your voice again!"

The elderly miko chuckled. "Aye, I am glad to see ye are still safe." Her expression turned grave. "Especially after the encounter ye had with my sister."

Kagome winced as tears of shame welled up in her brown eyes. "Kaede-sama, I'm sorry," she whispered, looking down at her knees.

"Whatever for, child?"

"For killing Kikyo," Kagome said in an even quieter voice. "I ended up taking her soul, as well as my own."

When Kaede only chuckled, the young miko looked up curiously. "Kaede-sama?"

"Oh, ye are such a pure heart, Kagome," she said warmly. "My sister died long ago. The shell of earth and bones that roamed this land of late was not Kikyo. Do not forget, child, that it was that shell who took part of your soul. It had none of its own."

Kagome still seemed unsatisfied, but she quickly dried her eyes. "Kaede, how is he?" She was referring to the wolf youkai, who was still sleeping while the old miko finished dressing his wound.

The look on Kaede's face was grim. "Well, he has suffered a terrible wound, to be sure. Shell though she was, Kikyo was able to inflict considerable damage with her old purifying powers. But," she quickly added as Kagome's face fell, "the damage was not wide-spread, and we must take into account the youkai blood that runs through his veins. I suspect, if he be anything like Inuyasha, that his wounds shall heal fully within a week."

Kagome scooted closer, wincing as the old pain in her ribs hit her for a second. "Has he woken up since we got here?"

"Aye, and he asked for ye." Kaede sighed. "I had some difficulty getting the obstinate demon to cooperate, until the young taijiya put him to sleep with her weapon." She winked, and Kagome giggled at the thought. "Ye may watch him now, child. I will go gather some herbs for the wound, and for your pain."

Kagome nodded gratefully, and the old woman made her way out of the hut. At the doorway, she glanced back and sighed. *Inuyasha is going to be nigh intolerable these next few days,* she thought, shaking her head and letting the curtain fall behind her.

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"Inuyasha, come down!"

"Lay off, would you? I'm trying to get some peace and quiet. Is that so much to ask?"

"You are so hardheaded, Inuyasha," Sango sighed, throwing her hands up in frustration. "I know you are upset. You don't have to talk about it yet if you don't want to, but I was worried since you haven't eaten anything since yesterday."

"Feh."

"Fine, Inuyasha! I'll let Kagome deal with you!"

The hanyou turned to look at her from his perch. "Why don't you quit fussing over me, taijiya? You know you'd rather be tending to Miroku, anyway."

He smirked when she blushed furiously. "That lecher? Why would I rather tend to him?"

"Ah, come on, Sango," Inuyasha teased. "You know you like him. It's written all over your face!"

Sango turned an even deeper shade of red. "Inuyasha!" she warned, but the hanyou wasn't paying attention.

"Sango and Miroku, sitting in a tree," he began, remembering the song Souta had used on Kagome once. He hadn't thought it so funny at the time (which was why he had put a nice bump on the brat's head), but now it seemed perfectly funny to him.

Suddenly, the tree shook violently as the taijiya slammed her Hiraikotsu into the trunk. Inuyasha lost his footing and fell with a crash at the feet of the fuming girl.

The hanyou's ears flattened protectively as he looked up into a face that promised pain. Lots and lots of pain. "Uh, Sango…."

Luckily, the houshi chose that moment to make his appearance. He was whistling as he made his way toward them, but he stopped as he noticed expressions of relief and embarrassment flicker on Inuyasha and Sango's faces, respectively.

"Well, what were you two up to?" he asked curiously.

Inuyasha stood up and opened his mouth, but he shut it quickly as the taijiya sent him a murderous glare. Her face was still flushed.

"Nothin'," was his brilliant reply.

Miroku slid over by Sango, who tensed suspiciously. "You wouldn't be flirting behind my back, now would you, my dear Sango?"

"What!?"

"Well, my lovely taijiya, I would indeed be insulted if you were to give your painful blows to anyone else but myself."

There was a rustle of fabric as his hand reached home, and a vein popped on Sango's forehead.

Thwack!

"Hentai!" Sango muttered as she stalked away furiously, leaving Miroku on the ground with a fresh bump on his over-abused head. Her face was still scarlet.

"Well, you sure got a way with women, houshi," Inuyasha said dryly, stooping low to rap Miroku on the back of the head.

"I happen to think women like my straightforward approach," Miroku stated modestly. He pulled himself to his feet and brushed off his robes. "Besides, an opportunity to touch my dear Sango is always worth the pain."

"Yeah, well, you might try touching her somewhere else for a change; then she might like you better."

"Hah!" Miroku exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "Well, Inuyasha, I never would have taken you for such a bold man! If only Kagome knew what kind of thoughts you had hidden in that furry blockhead of yours!"

Inuyasha looked utterly confused for a second. Then, his eyes narrowed. "You stupid lech, that's not what I was talking about! You callin' me a hentai?"

"Down, Inuyasha!" Miroku cried, waving his hand. "I was only joking."

"Yeah right," the hanyou muttered. "Stupid pervert." Still, he put down the fist he had been preparing to bash Miroku's head with and crossed his arms.

"Besides, you're not quite the one to be giving out advice on women," Miroku added disdainfully. "You've spent all morning brooding out here in this tree, while Kagome-sama and Kouga lie together in that hut."

"What?" Inuyasha turned and bared his fangs, a myriad of unpleasant thoughts flying through his head. *Oh Kami, he touched her! That wolf is dead! Kagome, how could you? Kill the wolf slowly…painfully…dismember….*

"What do you mean, 'lie together'?!"

Miroku rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Did I say lying together? Sorry, I meant they were both still asleep." He didn't see the hanyou's claws curl into a tight fist.

"Miroku!"

And that was how Miroku earned his second concussion that morning, under the eaves of the Goshinboku Tree.

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Chapter Fourteen up for your reading pleasure! Tell me what you think, please! I am open to constructive criticism, flattery, questions, flattery, comments, flattery, flattery, flattery…well, you understand. Arigato!