Hey, guys! I'm finally updating and I'm getting into the good stuff. Ready to see what Sesshomaru needed to speak to Kagome about? Well, it's a doozy and it's pretty shocking! I'm sorry I kept ya'll waiting but you know how it is when you're writing too many fics at the same time. Anyway, I hope this makes up for it. Hope you enjoy!!!

Chapter 5

Kagome's Dilemma

After Kagome left Hiei with Kurama and Yoko, she left immediately to Sesshomaru's chambers. He's declared earlier that she was to meet with him over private matters. She followed the narrow pathway, all the while her thoughts in a tangent. Just why had she been so rude to Kuronue? He hadn't done anything wrong, except for steal her first kiss; all bight a very good kiss.

But she had so many worries right now and getting involved with another demon, and especially one like Kuronue, could only make her life more complicated. Here she was so close to 21 and she had already seen first hand the cruelties of Makai. With Hiei at her side it had been easy to fall into this way of life, soon after leaving thee band of bandits. He was her rock and brother in times of need and she'd always depended on him for his guidance. He wasn't much older than her, only a few years, but sometimes his eyes made him seem centuries old. He'd seen even more than she had and it had taken her a very long time to gain his respect and eventually friendship.

She was close to the others of their band but not nearly as close as to Hiei. Inuyasha she thought of as an annoying younger brother sometimes and she'd tried her best to help him through his hardships growing up as a hanyou. Sango was treated as an older sister, sometimes seeming so much older than her in spirit. Other times, Sango acted even younger than Kagome. The others, Kouga and Ayame, she regarded as friends, but for the most part didn't share her deepest secrets with them.

Sometimes it was hard for Kagome to wake up in the mornings to meet a new day. She didn't really have anything to live for, stealing was just a past time and something she was good at. It certainly wasn't what she lived for. Having Shiori and Shippo helped immensely at times for bother children were bright, friendly, and enthusiastic about life, well at least Shippo was. He hardly remembered his parents. However, Shiori was another matter. She'd come to Kagome barely speaking and crying every night. It had taken her a full year to begin talking to anyone and Kagome was the only one she ever truly felt comfortable with, other than Inuyasha. Kagome explained that from both hanyous having to grow up knowing they were hated and despised upon their innocent births.

Kagome had been surprised when Shiori had immediately taken to Kuronue; it was if Shiori recognized something in him that she liked. She hadn't shown it at the time just how shocked she really was.

Kagome was brought out of her musings as she reached Sesshomaru's door, knocking once before peeling the heavy doors open, slipping inside, and letting the doors close with a hearty bang.

"What have I told you about waiting for permission," Came Sesshomaru's voice from where he sat at his desk amidst piles of books and papers.

"That you don't like it and that the next time I do, you'll skin me alive and feed me to the Birds of Paradise," Kagome commented off-handedly.

"Exactly," Sesshomaru said gruffly.

Kagome smirked before flouncing over to his side and perching on the side of his desk, her wings brushing against his arms. She ignored the glare he tossed her way as she bent down and whispered, "You tell me that every time. Yet, you have yet to act upon your threats."

Sesshomaru growled softly.

"Anyway," Kagome shook her head at him, her long black hair falling all over his desk, the green highlights standing out against the wood. "You said you needed to speak with me, so what's up? Did you find something new and exciting to steal?"

"Kindly extract yourself from my work area and I might tell you," he stated gruffly.

She huffed but obediently got up off his desk and sat herself at a window so she could look down upon Sesshomaru's court yard. She smiled briefly as she spotted Shippo following every one of Yoko's movements as Yoko manipulated a flower right before his eyes. Even Shiori seemed to be watching him, curiosity evident in her eyes as she sat upon a bench, her little knees drawn up to her chest. She continued to watch as Yoko noticed the little girl's curiosity and exchanged glances with Shippo, before walking calmly over to Shiori and pulling a red rose out from behind her bat ears. The way her eyes lit up and the smile lit up over her face caused Kagome's heart to melt. Maybe having these new thieves here weren't such a bad idea after all.

"Are you finished?" Sesshomaru asked as he noticed Kagome go off once again in her own little world.

Kagome rolled her eyes and faced him. "To answer your question, no I have not found anything the piques my curiosity of that nature, however there is something very important we must talk about."

At the serious tone in his voice Kagome's eyes shot and held his golden once as a sense of dread began to circulate in her belly. "What is it?" she whispered, schooling her face back in her emotionless mask.

"Naraku is back, he is free," Sesshomaru stated, causing Kagome to freeze. She stared in horror at her adoptive brother as he relayed the news. Naraku? But how? Hadn't he died?

"How?" Kagome uttered. "How is he still alive? I thought Hiei killed him."

Sesshomaru nodded. "Yes, we all did. However it was while on a mission of Sango's that she heard Naraku's name being thrown around. She immediately brought her suspicions to me and I've had her, Kouga, and Ayame trying to find anything and all they could find. I sent Inuyasha back to the town where Sango heard his name and for months we found nothing….until yesterday."

Sesshomaru picked up some papers off his desk and stood up walking over to Kagome whose face had gone eerily white. Wordlessly he handed the papers to Kagome and instantly Kagome dropped them. There he was, his handsome, evil face staring back at her. Even in the picture his cruelty was expressed by the hard glint in his eyes and the cocky smirk upon his face. "Inuyasha explained that Naraku is now wanted by the Reikai for trying to break into Ningenkai. He was caught and thrown into Reikai jail, unfortunately he escaped."

"But how!" Kagome explained jumping up and pacing the room. "Nobody has ever escaped from the place. How is it possible that he has escaped death twice, first by Hiei and then by….by Reikai?"

"We don't know, but it appears he is looking for something," Sesshomaru's eyes met Kagome as she was once again frozen in terror. His eyes trailed to the front of her kimono where underneath it lay a most beautiful and deadly treasure should it fall into the wrong hands…hands such as Naraku.

"Oh my Kami! What do I do? What if he finds me?" Kagome cried, burying her face in her hands.

"Calm yourself Kagome," Sesshomaru ordered. "Getting frantic will not aid you."

"So, what do we do?" Kagome whispered. She looked to the floor before Sesshomaru took her chin in his hand and tipped it up.

"Listen to me, Kagome," he said his voice softer than usual. "Naraku will not find you. I will not allow him anywhere near you again, this Sesshomaru's swears on his lands. You must be strong. Find Hiei, tell him what I've told you, and then meet with the others. We begin training immediately."

Kagome's eyes filled with tears, although she held them back and refused to let them fall. "What about Kuronue….and Yoko? Should we send them away?"

Sesshomaru seemed to be considering it. Finally he turned to her and asked, "Do you trust them?"

Kagome was stunned that the great Sesshomaru would ask her something so…un-Sesshomaru-like. Still she thought about her answer and almost before realizing it, she had nodded. "Yes, I really do," she answered honestly. "I can't explain it, but something about them sets my heart at ease."

"Then it is your choice whether to tell them or not," Sesshomaru sighed. "If you feel you can trust them, tell them. And if they choose not to stay, that is there choice."

"Okay," Kagome agreed. "I'm going to find Hiei now."

Sesshomaru nodded. "Good, I sense him in the court yard."

"Yes," Kagome nodded.

As she turned to walk away Kagome heard her name being called. "Kagome."

She turned quietly, open fear and anger on her face. "Yes?"

"He will not hurt you," Sesshomaru stated calmly.

She smiled slightly. "Thank you, Aniki," she whispered and turned her back on him to go in search of her longest and most loyal friend.

Hiei had just found Yoko playing with Shiori and Shippo in the garden and was casually leaning up against a tree, barely paying attention to his surroundings.

Kuronue watched from his vantage point at the top of the tree as he mulled over this morning's events…and Kagome. To put it frankly, she was a puzzle. And, even though he wasn't a kitsune, often time's Yoko's curiosity got the better of him. She was a beautiful woman, there was no doubt about it and he was very attracted to her. But…he wasn't so sure he wanted to be. Sure it was nice to bed with a beautiful woman every so often, but he sure wasn't looking to settle down with any mate, that was for sure. For one, he was a thief…it was his passion. He knew a mate would never understand his desire for more. Although…Kagome.

"Bah," Kuronue shook his head and groaned. Why the hell was he getting so worked up about a woman?

Kuronue was startled a moment later when Kagome ran into the yard at a dash. Sitting up quickly his eyes followed her every movement as she stopped, looked around, and spotted Hiei. Her movements were quick and he almost couldn't keep up as she zipped over to Hiei's side. He continued to watch as Hiei's eyes opened, first in slight annoyance, and then widened in shock as Kagome leaned closer and whispered something into his ear.

Kuronue was shocked a moment later when Hiei admitted a strangled hiss of anger, his brilliant red eyes sparking with intensity.

"What do you think made Hiei so upset?" Yoko's voice came form Kuronue's side. Startled by his best friend's sudden appearance, he jumped a little.

"Yoko, don't do that," Kuronue gasped.

Yoko smirked before glancing around at the interaction between the two best friends. Kuronue and Yoko continued to watch as Hiei and Kagome conversed quietly, Hiei becoming even more angered by each passing word. Even Kagome looked a little angry although, truth-be-told, she looked scared.

All of a sudden both Kagome and Hiei were whirling around and staring off in the distance at something. Hiei began growling intensely shoving Kagome behind his back.

"Something is wrong," Kuronue murmured.

"Do you think we should help?" Yoko asked worriedly.

Kuronue nodded and both demons jumped from the trees to land behind Kagome and Hiei. Neither demon appeared very startled as they continued to glare at a certain area. Finally both demons relaxed as a very familiar hanyou appeared from that area, as Inuyasha came into view.

Hiei replaced his sword after he'd hastily withdrawn it in the face of danger. Inuyasha approached them at a rapid pace.

"Is he gone?" Hiei growled to Inuyasha as he appeared in front of him.

"It wasn't him," Inuyasha stated.

"What?!" Kagome blurted out. "I could sense it! It had to be!" Kuronue and Yoko were shocked by her outburst.

"He's right," Hiei finally agreed. "It wasn't his energy. It was some one less dangerous, but someone who knew him." He looked to Inuyasha who quickly nodded.

"That's right. It looked almost exactly like him, although when I attacked him, he just disappeared…and left this." Inuyasha held out a little wooden tool with a piece of string in his hand.

Kagome immediately snatched it up and sniffed it, before automatically dropping it. "Shit!" she cried.

"So it is true," Inuyasha whispered. "He's alive."

Hiei nodded and both demons shot worried looks to Kagome who looked quite shocked.

"Wait, who's alive? What are you three talking about?" Yoko demanded.

"I don't think that's any of your-." Inuyasha began to shout, before Kagome held up a hand and urged Hiei to hold him off.

"No, they have a right to know, Inuyasha," Kagome whispered. She turned to them a strange, exhausted look upon her face. She looked as saddened and scared as a puppy. Suddenly her face changed and faded into her emotionless void as she proceeded to hand out instructions. "Hiei, Sesshomaru wants us first thing in the morning." Hiei gave a short nod as Kagome turned to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, please round up the others. Send Kouga to see if you can find Sango, she's out on another mission. We have a lot to go over." Inuyasha nodded his consent and ran off to find the others. Kagome turned to Yoko and Kuronue, the hard glint in her face almost causing them to flinch. "You two, if you want to know what the hell is going on around here, follow me. If not…well that's your concern."

Kuronue and Yoko exchanged worried glances and both were in agreement that they wished to stay. "We will go with you. You are our friend not and so we will help in any way that we can," Yoko stated silkily. Kagome allowed a small please smile to grace her features before it was gone and she nodded her consent. "Good. Let's go. We're on a short time frame."

So, what'd you think? Next chapter will be Kagome's explanation of what happened with Naraku and why she's so frightened of him and why Hiei, Sesshomaru, and pretty much everyone is pissed at his appearance. Please read and review! Your reviews keep me going. I still haven't decided if this is a Kagome/Kuronue/Kur yet of a Kag/Kuronue. For now, I haven't been concentrating on developing any kind of relationship, even lust with Kagome and Kurama. But it's just how I'm writing and haven't thought of any ideas on how to start that up. If any of you have any ideas on how to start their tentative relationship, you can review and let me know what you guys think should happen. Anyway, please review. And thanks to all of you who have reviewed already. You guys are fantastic!

Ja ne

Kura-kun's-lovr