Golden eyes glared at the child. Yahna had a firm grip on his hakama and toddled happily after him. This whole day was going from bad to worse. Villagers were giving him curious looks as he passed. The only thing keeping them from laughing, he was sure, was their sheer terror of him ripping them apart. Inuyasha gave a slight shudder as he began to imagine what his enemies would think or say. In his mind, he could already hear the taunts of Kouga and Sesshomaru's disapproving jeers about him being weak and doing "women's work". Having a child attached to him... to HIM like this was wrong on so many levels it made him sick. He knew he hadn't sired this... this... this thing, no matter what it looked like... no matter what it claimed.

Kagome watched Inuyasha scowl at the child again. She leaned a little closer to Kaede. "Nm, Kaede-ba-chan, do you really think Inuyasha is her otoo?"

The old woman shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. I've never heard of anything like this before. I suppose it is possible, but I'm more inclined to believe that the tree simply made a creature similar to him since he was sealed to it for 50 years."

"But why?"

"That part, I'm not sure of. She hasn't done anything except follow me around since she was born, and now she seems to be doing the same for Inuyasha."

"Not that he seems too happy about it."

Kaede chuckled. "True true. I doubt he is sure how to take any of this and is following his usual instincts when faced with something new and unknown."

"Attacking it?"

"Mm," the miko sighed with a small nod. "I wish she would say more, though. She holds many mysteries but offers no answers."

Shippo bounced up next to Yahna and peered at her curiously. She had the most giddy little smile on her face, eyes closed and head swaying left and right slightly. The girl's tiny hands had a solid grip on the red fabric yet not a tight hold.

She's trusting him not to run away, the kitsune concluded. "She looks like her head's empty," Shippo stated bluntly.

Inuyasha glanced down and joined him in staring at the child. "It probably is." He shook his leg slightly, but the girl held firm. "Damn it! Let go!"

"Otoo-sama!" Yahna responded cheerfully.

Shippo sighed. "I'm beginning to think she likes it when you yell at her."

"Your right," the hanyou agreed as a malicious smile crept up on his lips. "Maybe if I hit her a few times..."

"Don't you dare, Inuyasha!" Kagome snapped. He growled at her. "Do and I'll say it. Then she'll be latched on to your hair again."

He turned up his nose with a "Keh." I'll just wait until you're gone, he snorted mentally.

Kagome sighed. He's just gonna wait until I'm gone before he bonks her on the head a couple of times.

Yahna suddenly released her hold on his clothes and trotted in front of him. She lifted her arms up in the air towards him. "Otoo-sama!"

"What!?!" he barked as walked past her.

She trotted a little further ahead, holding her arms again. "Otoo-sama!"

"I said what!?"

The child walked next to him this time, still holding her arms up. "Otoo-sama!"

"I think she wants you to pick her up," Sango pointed out.

"Keh."

"Otoo-sama!"

"Oh, just pick her up," Kagome grunted. "It wont kill you."

"Carrying pups is women's work," he grunted.

Kagome glared at him but decided to brush the comment aside... for now. "Inuyahna." The child glanced over as her ears twitched. Kagome held her arms down. "I'll carry you."

The girl glanced back up at Inuyasha's cold face. She grabbed his hakama again and gave a slight tug. "Otoo-sama?"

"I guess only her 'otoo-sama' will do," Miroku stated with a slight chuckle.

Inuyasha shot the monk a glare and snarled. "For the last time, I am not that thing's otoo!"

Miroku held up his hands innocently. "I meant no offense. I was simple stating a fact from her point of view."

"Keep your 'facts' to yourself!"

The tree was soon insight. Even from a distance they could see it quite clearly. Right through the center where bark was missing were small rippled lines right along a long gash with bubbled skin on either side. The bumps where rough and slightly pink, like scarred human skin.

"That is the spot," Kaede stated. "It's become a considerable amount smaller since this morning."

"Maybe if we open it back up, we can shove it back in," Inuyasha grumbled to himself.

"You will do nothing of the sort," Kagome grunted.

"Keh."

Sango and Miroku walked right up to the tree, looking it up and down. Miroku walked a circle around it, examining the tree closely. The youkai exterminator reached out a hand to touch the bark.

"It's warm," Sango said in surprise.

"It was warmest when she was born from it. As warm as a human, in fact," the old miko supplied.

"But why?"

"I don't know that either. Perhaps it was to keep her warm."

Inuyasha glared at the over glorified plant. How dare it do this! He didn't say it could make a child just like him! It wasn't allowed to!

He felt a sudden pressure on his leg. Golden eyes glanced down to see the child had wrapped her arms around his leg. Her face was twisted in fear.

"That's what you came out of, brat," he snorted. "That's your otoo-sama."

She nuzzled against his leg, muttering, "Otoo-sama."

The hanyou growled and tried to kick the child away. She held firmly to his legs.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded.

"Keh!"

The adolescent girl shot him a glare. She knelt down and smiled at Yahna. "It's alright. The tree wont hurt you. You came out of it, remember?" Yahna's grip relaxed a little. Kagome held out her arms. "Do you want me to carry you?"

Yahna glanced up at Inuyasha uncertainly. He snorted. "Well, I don't want you."

"Be nice!"

"Humph!"

The child relented her grip and toddled over to Kagome's arms. Kagome lifted her easily and smiled warmly. "Better?" Yahna nuzzled against her face, earning a chuckle from the adolescent. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Don't encourage it," Inuyasha scolded.

"Really, Inuyasha! She's just a child. It's not like she's hurt anyone."

Not yet, he mentally grumbled.

Kagome turned up her nose and stomped towards the tree with the child still in her arms. Yahna gripped tightly on to Kagome, nuzzling the school girl's neck in an attempt to hide her face. One of Kagome's hands traced down the child's back in an attempt to comfort her. When she was right in front of the trunk, she held out her free hand and touched the tree. Yahna watched fearfully.

"See," Kagome chirped. "It doesn't hurt. Go ahead."

Yahna hesitated. After a few moments, she pried one shaky hand from Kagome's shoulder. Slowly she reached out. Just as her fingers were about to touch the tree, Yahna jerked her hand back and flinched as if she had been stung.

"It's alright," Kagome urged. "I promise it wont hurt."

The child glanced in to the adolescent's soft brown eyes, then back at the tree. She reached her hand out again. This time, she just barely touched he tree before jerking back. She waited a second, then blinked curiously. Yahna reached her hand back out and pressed her palm flat against the bark. Carefully, she turned a little in Kagome's grasp and pressed both palms against the trunk. She rubbed them over the bark and eyed it with great interest.

A proud smile spread across Kagome's face. "See. It wont hurt you. It's a holy tree."

"Holy... tree...?" Yahna stated uncertainly. Everyone glanced over curiously. The child's eyes drifted up to the branches, down to the roots, then back down to where her hands lay. "Holy tree," she stated again.

Kaede stared half in shock. "Five days without a word, and in less than an hour, you've brought it up to three words."

Blink blink. Kagome stared at the old miko in confusion. "Hm? Well, maybe she's just hasn't been able to talk before... like a baby."

"Maybe..."

Yahna twisted around in Kagome's arms suddenly. She moved so fast, the adolescent nearly last her hold on the child. Yahna pushed herself part way up on Kagome's shoulders. Her eyes focused on Inuyasha and she smiled like a dog with a bone. (Sorry. Couldn't resist.) Inuyasha stared back at her in annoyance.

"Otoo-sama!" She pointed her clawed finger at the tree and stated proudly, "Holy tree!"

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Japanese words I've used in this chapter

Ba-cahn = grandma or an older woman one is close to (though no always related).

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Yep, only one new Japanese words for this part. However, I do have a piece of fan art from my friend Tom. It's totally cute. I adore it. If anyone else wants to see it, just head to yangchild. keenspace. com/ images/ yan&yash.jpg, just take out the spaces, and if anyone knows how to make web adresses appear on ff.net documents, please let me know. He did a great job with it. Gotta love photoshop, eh?

Tessenchan, I assure you I was perfectly normal and uninjured when I came up with this idea. Though banging my head against the wall would probably make more sense than how I actually did. Actually, I cam up with it when I looked at the picture of when Kagome see's Inuyasha for the first time in the first manga just after seeing the first movie. I know it doesn't make any sense. It really doesn't make any sense to me either, but well, yeah, here it is anyway.

Kawai is pathetic? Really? I didn't know that. I went back and fixed it. Thanks Alana Hikari-Chan. As for 'otoo-sama' vs. 'otou-sama,' I have actually seen it spelled out both ways, but more as 'otoo' than 'otou.' I went with 'otoo' over 'otou' because it was quicker to type, especially since I already have a habit of double typing some letters randomly. Besides, it's all just guesses about how it would be written out with European letters.

Orean Gunshin, I will read your stuff. I already started. I just haven't finished. Give me a little more time. You know I'm a busy college student. And I don't want to review it until I have finished it. I will read and review it soon. I promise. You are not the only one on my list that I promised to read and review, ya know.

Well, I'm off to tackle another chapter and work on my neglected Slayer's fic. 'Till next chapter.