Hi there all! Look, a new chapter! Isn't it amazing? Well, I must say that I am quite happy with this story so far… although that's not too unusual at the beginning of the story… ah well. Well, I'm not so sure about this chapter, but it's needed for the rest of the story, so I suppose it will have to stay. Okay, here's chapter 3!

Disclaimer: Do I really need to say it? Ownership Inuyasha (in my dreams…)

Chapter 3: Training, and the Return of the Shikon no Tama

Kagome woke early the next morning to the sound of birds chirping in the light of dawn. After three years of living for months in the Sengoku Jidai, she had become accustomed to rising with the dawn, and since waking up in the morning is something that is controlled by the mind, and not by the body, she rose with the dawn today as well. Kagome looked at the familiar surroundings and sighed. I keep thinking that I'm going to wake up and find that this has all been a bad dream and that I am still with my friends trying to find the SHikon no Kakera. I keep expecting to see Sango and Miroku walk through the door, one barely conscious and the other fuming. I miss Shippo cuddling up to me at night. And I miss the comfort of having my love watching over me, whether I can see him or not.

Kagome got up and walked to the door. She picked up her bow and quiver that were lying against the wall and walked out into the sunshine. It's so nice out today. Kagome looked around, enjoying the feeling of being here once again, before all of the danger started. Well I'm fifteen again. She thought, with a bemused smile on her face. I wonder where Inuyasha is…

She kept walking towards the open area just outside the village where she could practice her archery. Let's see how well trained my body is, and how much work I'm going to have to do. She approached the clearing and chose her target, it was well within her normal range, but she decided that she should start closer rather than farther. She took aim and fired. The arrow plunged into her chosen target, the knot of a tree. She walked over and pulled her arrow out of the bark. It was much too easy to remove. It looks like I have a lot of work to do…

Kagome spent an hour practising with the bow, and by the time she was finished she was quite happy with her own progress. She wasn't up to the same strength as she had been, but she had regained her range. Next she started on her sword exercises, minus the sword. Kagome knew that she had to get her body used to the movements first, then she would be able to start with some light swords to re-accustom her body to the feel of holding a blade. Only then would she be able to start training with a sword like the one she had mastered the last time she was here.

When she was satisfied that her body would no longer move in the ways that she was demanding of it, she walked toward the nearest hot spring to relieve her aching muscles.

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Inuyasha watched as the girl, Kagome, trained herself from his tree. He could see that she knew what she was doing, and he had grudging respect for her ability to push herself to the limit. But just because she seems strong, doesn't mean I'm going to let her keep the Shikon no Tama. That story she told me yesterday may be true, but that hardly matters. This isn't a repeat of what she went through, this time I'll take the jewel while it's whole and become a full demon. I might spare her, simply because, if what she said is true, she was my friend in some timeline, and I just wouldn't feel right killing her. Of course, if she decides to get in the way, then I won't really have a choice.

Inuyasha looked down at his claws, planning how best to get the jewel from the miko. After a few minutes he looked over in the direction the girl had gone. His plan should work perfectly, as long as the future she knew was still true.

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Stupid hanyou. Sitting in your tree, you don't even sense me, do you, well, that shall be remedied soon enough. The figure's eyes flicked to follow Inuyasha's gaze. Ah, yes that would be a good way to get at you, wouldn't it? I'll take what is yours, and then you can give me what is mine, in exchange for her safe return. The figure moved further into the trees, gliding off toward the hot spring, and Kagome.

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Kagome sighed as she lowered herself into the hot water. This is what I needed. A nice warm bath to wash away the pain of my training. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the rock behind her.

When she felt that she had soaked enough, she swam over to where she had left her bathing things and grabbed her soap and shampoo. She had made sure that everything she was using was fully biodegradable and harmless to the environment, it would not be nice to destroy the ecosystem, just so she could have a bath.

She finished washing up and returned her soap and shampoo to her bag and grabbed a towel to wrap around her. Then she stepped out of the water and covered herself with the towel. Then she grabbed another towel for her hair and proceeded to dry herself off. Finally she grabbed the clothing that Kaede had given her, miko clothes, and put them on.

As she walked back toward the village, she felt that familiar presence near her once again. She was both excited and nervous, because this time she knew who it was that was following her. And he was following her. He neither tried to capture her, which he could have done quite easily, nor did he veer away from the path that she was walking.

Kagome was quite confused as to why this youkai would have been following her. If this had been just before the last battle, she would have understood him following her, but he didn't even know her yet, so why follow her without trying to kill her? She couldn't really do anything without giving away her knowledge of the future, and she really didn't want to explain that to anyone else for a while, so she just kept walking.

She was almost to the village when she realized exactly what she was doing. I can't go to the village! What if he wants to destroy the village, and I'm the only thing distracting him from it?

Yeah right Kagome, maybe in the past…future…now I'm confused…whatever… maybe you would have been right.

Hey! Get out of my head! Oh goodness, now I'm talking to myself, though I do have a good point… why would I be able to distract him from the village? Oh well, it's still better to not take him toward the village.

Kagome changed direction slightly, heading toward the Goshinboku tree and beyond that to the well. If I can get to the well, then I'll be able to get home and away from him if I have to. She kept walking, pretending that this is where she had wanted to go all along. She was also fighting the urge to call out to her follower, even though she knew that that would be a very stupid move.

When the old tree came into sight she mentally sighed in relief. It wasn't much farther to the well now. She was passing the Goshinboku, when she felt another demon aura approaching her, this one she knew she really didn't want to see. Kagome sped up just the tiniest bit to try and reach the well more quickly, though she wasn't sure that she would even be safe there.

Why did I wander out here? Why couldn't I just stay in the village? Oh well, no use complaining now… She shifted her bow that she had thrown over her shoulder, preparing for the attack she knew would be coming. As she reached the clearing, Kagome felt the first presence stop, while the second presence continued toward her at amazing speed. She had just enough time to get her bow ready and an arrow knocked before the demon was upon her. She sighted in the direction that the demon was coming from and waited for it to appear. She didn't have to wait long.

There was a loud crashing sound and the demon came into view, Mistress Centipede had found her prey, but Kagome was ready for her. The young miko imbued her arrow with purifying power and let it fly. The arrow sliced through the air and hit it's mark, but in her death throws, Mistress Centipede threw Kagome to the ground, one of her sharp legs piercing Kagome's side. Kagome grabbed on to the jewel to keep it from coming into contact with Mistress Centipede, and thus reviving her. Finally the demon lay still, and Kagome got up and gathered her arrows that had been scattered when she was thrown.

When she had done this, she sent her senses out, searching for the aura of the other that had been following her, but her silent follower was gone. Kagome went to move toward the village, and only then remembered about the wound in her side. She sat down and placed her hand over the spot where she had been cut open to release the Shikon no Tama. Her power spread over the area, and within moments the wound was healed. It's a good thing that Kaede taught me how to heal so long ago, or else this would be a very painful walk back to the village.

Kagome got up and started walking in the direction of the village. When she was about halfway to the village, she sensed Inuyasha coming toward her and she stopped to wait for him. When he arrived, she almost wished that she hadn't waited.

"What do you think you're doing, wench? I can smell blood on you, yours and some youkai's. Plus, I can sense the Shikon no Tama much more clearly now. What happened?" He didn't stop yelling from the moment he came within sight of her.

She just gave him a false, sweet smile. "Well Inuyasha, let's see. While you were lounging around in the village, I was out in the forest getting attacked by Mistress Centipede and having the Shikon no Tama ripped from my body. Is that okay with you?" The sarcasm dripped from her voice as she glared at him.

He looked surprised, and then his face went emotionless, much like his half-brother's. Then he casually stepped toward her, his hand out. "Well, that's perfect then. You can hand the jewel to me without having me shred you open for it. And this way, it will never get broken and I'll get to be the demon I want to be, and you get to go home to a nice normal life."

Kagome just stared at him. She hoped that he was kidding, but the look in his eyes made her realize that he was dead serious. Instead of handing him the jewel, she clutched it closer to her body. Then she took a deep breath and… "OSUWARI! OSUWARI! OSUWARI!"

CRASH

Kagome ran toward the village, Inuyasha's voice following her, telling her exactly what he intended to do when he got his hands on her.

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Well, it looks like I will have to be a little more careful than I originally thought when acquiring the girl. She could prove to be most difficult. Although, it is highly amusing seeing her deal with that hanyou… perhaps I won't take her quite yet. I can be quite patient about these things when I want to be. The figure moved back into the trees once again, disappearing into the shadowy depths.

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After rereading and reposting this chapter, I have decided that I actually do like this chapter! I guess I must have been writing too long when I first put it up to think that it was completely horrible... meh. Anyway, check the next chap.

Reviewer Response!

Seida02: look, I updated! What do you think of this chap?

Lisa: Thanks, I'm glad you like it!

Dante Gemini: Thanks for the support! I will try to get to your story, but I cant's promise anything at the moment, as I am trying desperately to write the next chapter of Serenity's Family Secret.

Mrryl: I'm glad you approved of the last chapter! I knew it would be weird for the story if Inuyasha just suddenly became friendly with Kagome, it just wouldn't happen. I'm trying for a bit of realism. Just a question: do you have a guess as to the mysterious stalker might be? If you guess right, I might even tell you!