I don't own Inuyasha. If you didn't know that.......
Chapter4
Kagome and Inuyasha's Special Night at the River
Sango walked into Kaede's hut with Shippo, and Ukaran right behind her.
"And this is the hut we stay in when we come to this village. We must come to this village anyways, because Kagome must come home sometimes," Sango explained.
"So Kagome lives in this village?" Ukaran asked curiously.
"No," Sango said shaking her head. "Kagome does not even live in this ti..."
"Sango!" Shippo interrupted. Sango looked down to see Shippo shaking his head.
'You're talking too much,' Shippo though angrily.
"Uh, ignore the little Kitsune!" Ukaran said quickly. "What were you saying about Kagome not living here?"
Sango gave Shippo a strange look. Him and Kirara were acting extremely strange. Even Kirara was acting weird. Kirara was acting too weird. Sango couldn't stop Kirara from hissing at Ukaran. So she had to put Kirara out.
Sango was about to continue when Shippo yelled, "SANGO!"
"What is it Shippo?! Do you want me to put you out too?!"
"You CAN'T! It's not your hut! AND, you shouldn't be telling total strangers about Kagome and the..."
"And the what?" Ukaran asked suspiciously.
"You know what I think? I think you ask too many questions!" Shippo yelled.
"That's it! Shippo! You are being rude! Just wait until Kagome gets back! Ukaran, Kagome travels through..."
"Aye Sango. I don't think you should be telling complete strangers about Kagome." Kaede stepped into her hut with sweat all over her face and she held a large basket on her head with herbs in it.
"Oh, Lady Kaede! You are back. Did your day go well in the fields?" Sango asked.
"Why, yes it did. Until most of the villagers left, yelling about a giant cat demon flying toward me. That left me to do the rest of the fields by myself." Kirara appeared from inside of Kaede's basket and meowed.
"Oh, I am truly sorry about that, Kaede. Kirara was misbehaving and I had to put her out. I'll make it up to you, I promise."
"So, you are Lady Kaede?" Ukaran asked, staring at Kaede. Kaede glanced at him, but then went back to setting her herbs down.
"Aye, that I am."
'What?! She is not fazed by my spell either. But that's impossible! That's the second person today!'
"I suggest you stop it, Ukaran is it? It is rude to stare."
Ukaran jumped, but then took his gaze somewhere else.
"I couldn't help but notice that you wear the priestess uniform. I couldn't help but stare as it brings out the youth in you."
"I am nearly sixty years old. I do not need some young man staring at me in such a manner," Kaede said harshly. "My older sister wore this when she lived in this village."
"May I ask who your sister is?" Ukaran asked politely.
"You may not. But seeing as you already have, I might as well answer you. My sister Kikyo, wore the priestess uniform. Seeing as she does not live here anymore, I have become head priestess of the village."
Shippo and Kirara sat behind Kaede, happy that someone believed them about this strange man.
"I guess we should sit and wait for Kagome and the others to return," Kaede said, sitting down on a soft pillow.
'So, she is Kikyo's younger sibling. Too bad she could not conserve her youth like Kikyo did. But that other girl... Kagome. She must be Kaede's off spring or something. This should seem to be most pleasing.'
* * *
Inuyasha walked through a large bush, as he continued to follow Kikyo's soul collector. He had been gone for twenty minutes and he was about to give up. The soul collector suddenly stopped behind a large tree though and Kikyo then suddenly appeared.
"Kikyo," Inuyasha whispered.
"It seems you gawk at me every time we meet," Kikyo laughed. Inuyasha glared at her.
"I think it's time we begin to plan the day you go to hell with me Inuyasha. The battle with Naraku shall begin soon, and we must be ready when it's over. I think the day after we defeat Naraku together shall do, or maybe..."
"You mean like the last battle when you helped me try to defeat Naraku," Inuyasha said angrily. "Or last night when you tried to help me by spying on me and Kagome."
"What?" Kikyo asked in a serious tone.
"I know you were there that night. When I turned human and when I slept in the forest with Kagome. You AND Kagura."
"Inuyasha," Kikyo whispered. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
"What is it Kikyo? Are you speechless for the first time in your life? Why is that? Because you have no excuse?"
"I never have excuses!" Kikyo yelled. "You are the one with excuses all of the time! I'm trying to protect that girl! You feel her mind with silly thoughts that you will be with her forever! Just like me! But how long?! How long until you leave her, or she is killed by Naraku?! How long until she haves to leave you!?"
The entire forest seemed to be silent at her words. Kagome.. She wouldn't leave him... Would she? Would he be able to protect her forever?
"It seems that you are the speechless one this time Inuyasha."
"No," Inuyasha laughed. "I'm just trying to think of a way to tell you that I'm not going to hell with you without making you too mad."
"You're a fool! You owe me your life! You betrayed me!"
"No! I did not betray you! I did not even try to attempt to kill you! But you! You pinned me to trees and filled my head with thoughts of being happy and of being accepted. How? By changing into a human. Kagome! She likes me for who I am! You put me under a spell for fifty years! Just because of some stupid demon!!"
The ground seemed to rise along with Inuyasha's anger.
"I never touched you Kikyo! And for that, I owe you my life?! Kagome has saved me many times and I have saved her! I have hurt her more times than I can count by coming to see you! I'm tired of hurting her! I love her too much to keep..."
Inuyasha froze as he realized what he said. 'I love her too much...'
Kikyo's eyes began to water as she glared at Inuyasha.
"How dare you! You betray me and then tell me you love someone else! It is obvious that as long as that girl lives, your heart is with her, but if she is dead, your heart will be mine! That girl must die!" Kikyo then disappeared instantly, startling Inuyasha by her words.
'But if she is dead...' 'That girl must die!'
"Wait!" Inuyasha yelled. "That means Kikyo is going to try and kill Kagome!" Inuyasha ran back toward the village as fast as he could, ignoring his wound, which he could feel rip open. He was too occupied by his own thoughts.
'I love her too much...'
Had he really said that? Had he, Inuyasha, really said that he loved Kagome? Inuyasha blushed as he thought about it. He could never tell Kagome that though. Unless... unless she felt the same way too...
* * *
It was dark by the time Kagome and Miroku walked through the village back to Kaede's hut. They were both thinking about Ukaran and Inuyasha.
"Do you think Inuyasha is okay?" Kagome asked nervously.
"I'm sure Inuyasha is fine. He would never let anyone drag him anywhere he didn't want to go," Miroku chuckled.
"But... But what if he lets her take him... Then, then he'll be gone."
Kagome's eyes watered at the thought of Inuyasha being gone from her life forever.
"Kagome." Miroku stopped and appeared to be thinking.
"What is it Miroku?"
"I think we should wait here until Inuyasha gets back. That Ukaran is not the most comfortable person to hang around."
"I think so too. His aura... It's just the most puzzling thing about him. Inuyasha says he can't smell or since any demon on him, yet his aura has demon written all over it. I just can't put my finger on it."
"His aura is that of a human, as well as a demon's. But it is not like Inuyasha's at all," Miroku explained.
"I don't know what it is, but I don't feel at all comfortable around him..."
"So you need Inuyasha around to feel at ease and safe."
"Well yeah......... Hey!"
Miroku laughed as Kagome's face turned beet red.
"Miroku!" She paused. "I guess you're right..."
"I knew it! You love him! So, what did the two of you do last night in the forest?"
"Miroku!"
Kagome began to chase Miroku around, but stopped as she sinced someone.
"Inuyasha?"
Kagome turned around to see Inuyasha watching the two of them on top of a hut.
"Inuyasha!"
Kagome ran over to the hut but that's as far as she could go.
"Come down here!" Kagome ordered in a happy tune. Inuyasha jumped down in front of Kagome.
"It's about time you got back," Kagome said happily hugging him tightly. Inuyasha stepped back and cringed.
"... Inuyasha...."
"Inuyasha! Are you okay?" Miroku ran over to them and gasped as Kagome pulled away from Inuyasha revealing blood on her shirt and hand.
"What did you do this time?" Kagome asked with a smile.
"Just running around. Kikyo said she would kill you since I wouldn't go to hell with her. So I rushed back here as fast as I could," Inuyasha chuckled.
"Miroku," Kagome said softly. "Can you please go get some bandages and meet us by the river please. Please don't tell the others though. Sango is acting a little too strange for me."
Miroku nodded and then ran off toward the hut. Kagome put her arm around Inuyasha's shoulder and helped him walk.
"Inuyasha. You could've just walked back you know."
"But if... Kikyo came here... I wouldn't be able to protect you. And I would've missed the beating you were going to give Miroku," Inuyasha laughed.
"Looks like I'm going to have to wash my shirt and yours," Kagome said referring to her bloody shirt.
"Sorry about that."
"I don't mind. I have a dozen more at home."
"That's only twelve isn't it?"
"You've been reading my books again haven't you?"
"A little bit..."
Kagome and Inuyasha made it slowly to the river, the water glistening from the reflection of the moon.
Kagome helped Inuyasha sit down next to the river and began to help him take off his haori and undershirt. The water seemed to reflect off of Kagome's face and Inuyasha couldn't help but stare at her.
"What?" Kagome blushed as she began to wipe the blood off of Inuyasha's chest, and noticed that he was staring at her.
"Nothing, it's just...."
Kagome ripped off both of the sleeves of her shirt up to her shoulders and wrapped them around Inuyasha's stomach.
"It should stay until Miroku gets here," Kagome said, grabbing Inuyasha's stuff and walking over to the river.
"I can do that," Inuyasha said, crawling over to Kagome. Kagome dipped his clothes into the cold water and began to scrub them. Inuyasha grabbed his clothes and said, "I said I can do it."
Kagome pulled a little on his clothes. "Inuyasha. You're injured. You can't clean these. I'll do it."
Inuyasha pulled a little harder this time. "Just because I have a wound doesn't mean I'm useless."
"I... Never said you were useless!" Kagome yanked the clothes out of Inuyasha's hand, but she pulled a little too hard and fell back in the river.
"Ahhhh! It's so cold!" Kagome screamed. She tried to get up, but Inuyasha was in front of her like lightning.
"I think you should just sit there and let your clothes get clean," Inuyasha said playfully. Kagome glared at him, but then smiled.
"Sit!" Inuyasha fell on top of Kagome and he howled out in laughter.
"You should of known that if you sat me I'd just fall on top of you!" Inuyasha laughed.
"You probably liked it too," Kagome muttered.
"What?!" Inuyasha froze, the cold river water running over his back.
'Kagome...'
Inuyasha melted under Kagome's stare.
"Inuyasha..."
Inuyasha slowly bent down closer to Kagome's face, her eyes twinkling like the stars in the sky. There faces got closer and closer, until their noses met. Inuyasha could feel Kagome's warm breath on his mouth, although the river was freezing cold.
"Inuyasha! Kagome I'm back! Hey! Where'd they... There you two are! HUH!!"
Inuyasha shot up like a rocket, while Kagome jumped up and gasped.
"Um, uh thanks Miroku!" Kagome stuttered.
"Yeah, took you long enough!" Inuyasha yelled, his entire face red.
"Well... I'm glad I came when I did or those bandages would have fallen off by now," Miroku laughed, pointing to the sleeves that served for bandages around Inuyasha's stomach.
Kagome and Inuyasha's blushed deepened, if that were possible, and Miroku threw Kagome the roll of bandages.
"Maybe I should leave," Miroku suggested. "Or maybe I should stay. Who knows what you two would do if I weren't here."
Inuyasha growled and gave Miroku a death glare.
"Miroku."
Miroku squeaked, "I'll meet you two at the hut!" and ran off.
Kagome and Inuyasha watched Miroku leave and then turned to each other.
"Can you believe him?" Inuyasha asked, looking at the ground
"Miroku is the world's biggest perv," Kagome said, tying the bandages around Inuyasha's stomach.
She clasped her hands together when she was done and smiled.
"Yah! Finished! Come on, let's get back to the hut. I'm kind of tired."
"Do you think that Ukaran guy can be trusted?" Inuyasha asked seriously.
Kagome's happy expression turned into a sad one as she remembered Ukaran was there.
"I... I think... I'm afraid of him for some reason," Kagome stuttered.
"What? Did he do something to you?!" Inuyasha asked angrily.
"No, no. It's not that. He just reminds me of... Naraku in some way. He just scares me. His and Naraku's aura are identical, but also so different. I can't tell what he is. It's like, if you don't love him, you hate him."
"Hmmm. I didn't smell any demon on him, but....
"Let's just go. If we're around him, maybe we can figure it out," Inuyasha continued. Kagome put her arms around herself to keep warm since she had no sleeves that night.
"I promise Kagome, I won't let him do anything to you," Inuyasha said, picking up his wet clothes.
Kagome smiled. "Thanks."
Inuyasha and Kagome began to walk back to the village. Inuyasha stopped as the wind blew in their direction and he smelt something faint.
"What is it?" Kagome asked curiously.
Inuyasha began to walk again and said, "Nothing."
* * *
Deeper into the forest, where it was completely dark at this time of night, and when demons liked to creep in the forest... There was a woman, watching Inuyasha and Kagome, despite the distance from her to the river.
"Damn you Inuyasha. I promise you shall be mine. You were so close to......"
And with that, the woman disappeared into the night.
* * *
Kagome and Inuyasha thought about their night at the river as they walked back to the hut.
'Inuyasha almost...'
'I almost.... Damn you monk!'
They were just entering the village when Miroku and the others attacked them.
"Inuyasha!" Shippo yelled.
'Oh Kami Miroku! Did you go off and tell them already!?'
"No Inuyasha! I know what you're thinking, but it's not that! We were just told that an entire village was slaughtered by a demon for the jewel shards!"
"And it's close by!"
"We must take advantage of this opportunity!" Ukaran yelled.
Inuyasha growled.
"Fine then, let's go. We'll leave in the morning."
Chapter4
Kagome and Inuyasha's Special Night at the River
Sango walked into Kaede's hut with Shippo, and Ukaran right behind her.
"And this is the hut we stay in when we come to this village. We must come to this village anyways, because Kagome must come home sometimes," Sango explained.
"So Kagome lives in this village?" Ukaran asked curiously.
"No," Sango said shaking her head. "Kagome does not even live in this ti..."
"Sango!" Shippo interrupted. Sango looked down to see Shippo shaking his head.
'You're talking too much,' Shippo though angrily.
"Uh, ignore the little Kitsune!" Ukaran said quickly. "What were you saying about Kagome not living here?"
Sango gave Shippo a strange look. Him and Kirara were acting extremely strange. Even Kirara was acting weird. Kirara was acting too weird. Sango couldn't stop Kirara from hissing at Ukaran. So she had to put Kirara out.
Sango was about to continue when Shippo yelled, "SANGO!"
"What is it Shippo?! Do you want me to put you out too?!"
"You CAN'T! It's not your hut! AND, you shouldn't be telling total strangers about Kagome and the..."
"And the what?" Ukaran asked suspiciously.
"You know what I think? I think you ask too many questions!" Shippo yelled.
"That's it! Shippo! You are being rude! Just wait until Kagome gets back! Ukaran, Kagome travels through..."
"Aye Sango. I don't think you should be telling complete strangers about Kagome." Kaede stepped into her hut with sweat all over her face and she held a large basket on her head with herbs in it.
"Oh, Lady Kaede! You are back. Did your day go well in the fields?" Sango asked.
"Why, yes it did. Until most of the villagers left, yelling about a giant cat demon flying toward me. That left me to do the rest of the fields by myself." Kirara appeared from inside of Kaede's basket and meowed.
"Oh, I am truly sorry about that, Kaede. Kirara was misbehaving and I had to put her out. I'll make it up to you, I promise."
"So, you are Lady Kaede?" Ukaran asked, staring at Kaede. Kaede glanced at him, but then went back to setting her herbs down.
"Aye, that I am."
'What?! She is not fazed by my spell either. But that's impossible! That's the second person today!'
"I suggest you stop it, Ukaran is it? It is rude to stare."
Ukaran jumped, but then took his gaze somewhere else.
"I couldn't help but notice that you wear the priestess uniform. I couldn't help but stare as it brings out the youth in you."
"I am nearly sixty years old. I do not need some young man staring at me in such a manner," Kaede said harshly. "My older sister wore this when she lived in this village."
"May I ask who your sister is?" Ukaran asked politely.
"You may not. But seeing as you already have, I might as well answer you. My sister Kikyo, wore the priestess uniform. Seeing as she does not live here anymore, I have become head priestess of the village."
Shippo and Kirara sat behind Kaede, happy that someone believed them about this strange man.
"I guess we should sit and wait for Kagome and the others to return," Kaede said, sitting down on a soft pillow.
'So, she is Kikyo's younger sibling. Too bad she could not conserve her youth like Kikyo did. But that other girl... Kagome. She must be Kaede's off spring or something. This should seem to be most pleasing.'
* * *
Inuyasha walked through a large bush, as he continued to follow Kikyo's soul collector. He had been gone for twenty minutes and he was about to give up. The soul collector suddenly stopped behind a large tree though and Kikyo then suddenly appeared.
"Kikyo," Inuyasha whispered.
"It seems you gawk at me every time we meet," Kikyo laughed. Inuyasha glared at her.
"I think it's time we begin to plan the day you go to hell with me Inuyasha. The battle with Naraku shall begin soon, and we must be ready when it's over. I think the day after we defeat Naraku together shall do, or maybe..."
"You mean like the last battle when you helped me try to defeat Naraku," Inuyasha said angrily. "Or last night when you tried to help me by spying on me and Kagome."
"What?" Kikyo asked in a serious tone.
"I know you were there that night. When I turned human and when I slept in the forest with Kagome. You AND Kagura."
"Inuyasha," Kikyo whispered. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
"What is it Kikyo? Are you speechless for the first time in your life? Why is that? Because you have no excuse?"
"I never have excuses!" Kikyo yelled. "You are the one with excuses all of the time! I'm trying to protect that girl! You feel her mind with silly thoughts that you will be with her forever! Just like me! But how long?! How long until you leave her, or she is killed by Naraku?! How long until she haves to leave you!?"
The entire forest seemed to be silent at her words. Kagome.. She wouldn't leave him... Would she? Would he be able to protect her forever?
"It seems that you are the speechless one this time Inuyasha."
"No," Inuyasha laughed. "I'm just trying to think of a way to tell you that I'm not going to hell with you without making you too mad."
"You're a fool! You owe me your life! You betrayed me!"
"No! I did not betray you! I did not even try to attempt to kill you! But you! You pinned me to trees and filled my head with thoughts of being happy and of being accepted. How? By changing into a human. Kagome! She likes me for who I am! You put me under a spell for fifty years! Just because of some stupid demon!!"
The ground seemed to rise along with Inuyasha's anger.
"I never touched you Kikyo! And for that, I owe you my life?! Kagome has saved me many times and I have saved her! I have hurt her more times than I can count by coming to see you! I'm tired of hurting her! I love her too much to keep..."
Inuyasha froze as he realized what he said. 'I love her too much...'
Kikyo's eyes began to water as she glared at Inuyasha.
"How dare you! You betray me and then tell me you love someone else! It is obvious that as long as that girl lives, your heart is with her, but if she is dead, your heart will be mine! That girl must die!" Kikyo then disappeared instantly, startling Inuyasha by her words.
'But if she is dead...' 'That girl must die!'
"Wait!" Inuyasha yelled. "That means Kikyo is going to try and kill Kagome!" Inuyasha ran back toward the village as fast as he could, ignoring his wound, which he could feel rip open. He was too occupied by his own thoughts.
'I love her too much...'
Had he really said that? Had he, Inuyasha, really said that he loved Kagome? Inuyasha blushed as he thought about it. He could never tell Kagome that though. Unless... unless she felt the same way too...
* * *
It was dark by the time Kagome and Miroku walked through the village back to Kaede's hut. They were both thinking about Ukaran and Inuyasha.
"Do you think Inuyasha is okay?" Kagome asked nervously.
"I'm sure Inuyasha is fine. He would never let anyone drag him anywhere he didn't want to go," Miroku chuckled.
"But... But what if he lets her take him... Then, then he'll be gone."
Kagome's eyes watered at the thought of Inuyasha being gone from her life forever.
"Kagome." Miroku stopped and appeared to be thinking.
"What is it Miroku?"
"I think we should wait here until Inuyasha gets back. That Ukaran is not the most comfortable person to hang around."
"I think so too. His aura... It's just the most puzzling thing about him. Inuyasha says he can't smell or since any demon on him, yet his aura has demon written all over it. I just can't put my finger on it."
"His aura is that of a human, as well as a demon's. But it is not like Inuyasha's at all," Miroku explained.
"I don't know what it is, but I don't feel at all comfortable around him..."
"So you need Inuyasha around to feel at ease and safe."
"Well yeah......... Hey!"
Miroku laughed as Kagome's face turned beet red.
"Miroku!" She paused. "I guess you're right..."
"I knew it! You love him! So, what did the two of you do last night in the forest?"
"Miroku!"
Kagome began to chase Miroku around, but stopped as she sinced someone.
"Inuyasha?"
Kagome turned around to see Inuyasha watching the two of them on top of a hut.
"Inuyasha!"
Kagome ran over to the hut but that's as far as she could go.
"Come down here!" Kagome ordered in a happy tune. Inuyasha jumped down in front of Kagome.
"It's about time you got back," Kagome said happily hugging him tightly. Inuyasha stepped back and cringed.
"... Inuyasha...."
"Inuyasha! Are you okay?" Miroku ran over to them and gasped as Kagome pulled away from Inuyasha revealing blood on her shirt and hand.
"What did you do this time?" Kagome asked with a smile.
"Just running around. Kikyo said she would kill you since I wouldn't go to hell with her. So I rushed back here as fast as I could," Inuyasha chuckled.
"Miroku," Kagome said softly. "Can you please go get some bandages and meet us by the river please. Please don't tell the others though. Sango is acting a little too strange for me."
Miroku nodded and then ran off toward the hut. Kagome put her arm around Inuyasha's shoulder and helped him walk.
"Inuyasha. You could've just walked back you know."
"But if... Kikyo came here... I wouldn't be able to protect you. And I would've missed the beating you were going to give Miroku," Inuyasha laughed.
"Looks like I'm going to have to wash my shirt and yours," Kagome said referring to her bloody shirt.
"Sorry about that."
"I don't mind. I have a dozen more at home."
"That's only twelve isn't it?"
"You've been reading my books again haven't you?"
"A little bit..."
Kagome and Inuyasha made it slowly to the river, the water glistening from the reflection of the moon.
Kagome helped Inuyasha sit down next to the river and began to help him take off his haori and undershirt. The water seemed to reflect off of Kagome's face and Inuyasha couldn't help but stare at her.
"What?" Kagome blushed as she began to wipe the blood off of Inuyasha's chest, and noticed that he was staring at her.
"Nothing, it's just...."
Kagome ripped off both of the sleeves of her shirt up to her shoulders and wrapped them around Inuyasha's stomach.
"It should stay until Miroku gets here," Kagome said, grabbing Inuyasha's stuff and walking over to the river.
"I can do that," Inuyasha said, crawling over to Kagome. Kagome dipped his clothes into the cold water and began to scrub them. Inuyasha grabbed his clothes and said, "I said I can do it."
Kagome pulled a little on his clothes. "Inuyasha. You're injured. You can't clean these. I'll do it."
Inuyasha pulled a little harder this time. "Just because I have a wound doesn't mean I'm useless."
"I... Never said you were useless!" Kagome yanked the clothes out of Inuyasha's hand, but she pulled a little too hard and fell back in the river.
"Ahhhh! It's so cold!" Kagome screamed. She tried to get up, but Inuyasha was in front of her like lightning.
"I think you should just sit there and let your clothes get clean," Inuyasha said playfully. Kagome glared at him, but then smiled.
"Sit!" Inuyasha fell on top of Kagome and he howled out in laughter.
"You should of known that if you sat me I'd just fall on top of you!" Inuyasha laughed.
"You probably liked it too," Kagome muttered.
"What?!" Inuyasha froze, the cold river water running over his back.
'Kagome...'
Inuyasha melted under Kagome's stare.
"Inuyasha..."
Inuyasha slowly bent down closer to Kagome's face, her eyes twinkling like the stars in the sky. There faces got closer and closer, until their noses met. Inuyasha could feel Kagome's warm breath on his mouth, although the river was freezing cold.
"Inuyasha! Kagome I'm back! Hey! Where'd they... There you two are! HUH!!"
Inuyasha shot up like a rocket, while Kagome jumped up and gasped.
"Um, uh thanks Miroku!" Kagome stuttered.
"Yeah, took you long enough!" Inuyasha yelled, his entire face red.
"Well... I'm glad I came when I did or those bandages would have fallen off by now," Miroku laughed, pointing to the sleeves that served for bandages around Inuyasha's stomach.
Kagome and Inuyasha's blushed deepened, if that were possible, and Miroku threw Kagome the roll of bandages.
"Maybe I should leave," Miroku suggested. "Or maybe I should stay. Who knows what you two would do if I weren't here."
Inuyasha growled and gave Miroku a death glare.
"Miroku."
Miroku squeaked, "I'll meet you two at the hut!" and ran off.
Kagome and Inuyasha watched Miroku leave and then turned to each other.
"Can you believe him?" Inuyasha asked, looking at the ground
"Miroku is the world's biggest perv," Kagome said, tying the bandages around Inuyasha's stomach.
She clasped her hands together when she was done and smiled.
"Yah! Finished! Come on, let's get back to the hut. I'm kind of tired."
"Do you think that Ukaran guy can be trusted?" Inuyasha asked seriously.
Kagome's happy expression turned into a sad one as she remembered Ukaran was there.
"I... I think... I'm afraid of him for some reason," Kagome stuttered.
"What? Did he do something to you?!" Inuyasha asked angrily.
"No, no. It's not that. He just reminds me of... Naraku in some way. He just scares me. His and Naraku's aura are identical, but also so different. I can't tell what he is. It's like, if you don't love him, you hate him."
"Hmmm. I didn't smell any demon on him, but....
"Let's just go. If we're around him, maybe we can figure it out," Inuyasha continued. Kagome put her arms around herself to keep warm since she had no sleeves that night.
"I promise Kagome, I won't let him do anything to you," Inuyasha said, picking up his wet clothes.
Kagome smiled. "Thanks."
Inuyasha and Kagome began to walk back to the village. Inuyasha stopped as the wind blew in their direction and he smelt something faint.
"What is it?" Kagome asked curiously.
Inuyasha began to walk again and said, "Nothing."
* * *
Deeper into the forest, where it was completely dark at this time of night, and when demons liked to creep in the forest... There was a woman, watching Inuyasha and Kagome, despite the distance from her to the river.
"Damn you Inuyasha. I promise you shall be mine. You were so close to......"
And with that, the woman disappeared into the night.
* * *
Kagome and Inuyasha thought about their night at the river as they walked back to the hut.
'Inuyasha almost...'
'I almost.... Damn you monk!'
They were just entering the village when Miroku and the others attacked them.
"Inuyasha!" Shippo yelled.
'Oh Kami Miroku! Did you go off and tell them already!?'
"No Inuyasha! I know what you're thinking, but it's not that! We were just told that an entire village was slaughtered by a demon for the jewel shards!"
"And it's close by!"
"We must take advantage of this opportunity!" Ukaran yelled.
Inuyasha growled.
"Fine then, let's go. We'll leave in the morning."