---------------------------------------- The Story Unfolds ----------------------------------------

Kagome practically fell over at the mention of another girl's name. How many girls did this boy have in his lifetime anyway?! He was infuriating! There were times Kagome questioned why she even cared about him anyway.

"He's nothing but a two-timer," she thought angrily. "No, I take that back! He's a three timer…"

Inuyasha looked over at the blank expression on Kagome's face, confused. "Ka… Kagome? Are you alright?"

Kagome's eye twitched. "… Eh…"

The demon exterminator leaned forward and waved her hand frantically in front of her companion's face. "Uh, Kagome," spoke Sango. She was just as confused as Inuyasha was. "Is everything ok?"

Kagome's eye twitched a few more times before she could answer her friend. "I'm fine Sango… just fine." The girl regained her composure within a matter of seconds and sat up facing Inuyasha once more. Her hands had moved from his lap to her own this time and she looked at Inuyasha as if nothing happened.

"Continue Inuyasha; tell us about this old girlfriend of yours."

Inuyasha blinked a few times as his ears moved back and forth atop his head, "Girl… friend?" He said each word as if he too were trying to understand what that meant.

"Come now Inuyasha, don't be shy. It's okay if this Akemi girl was your girlfriend, you can tell us." The lecherous monk nudged the Inuyasha in the side as if he were implying something that only the two of them knew about.

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT YOU PERV!? AKEMI WASN'T MY GIRLFRIEND," he said angrily. Miroku blushed and waved his hand about dismissing the accusation. "Oh, well I assumed," he said in a sputter.

"Oh, then what was she?" It was Shippo's turn to be curious. His little tail swished back and forth, ears pricked to attention.

"Well I'd tell you all if you'd stop… JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS!" The yelling. It started again.

Kagome, Sango, and Miroku looked on wide-eyed and curious. Miroku inched closer to Sango as if asking for silent protection from the demon exterminator whose skills would be greatly needed should Inuyasha decide to go crazy and suddenly attack the monk. Kagome sat in silence, chiding herself for doubting Inuyasha in the first place. She had grown so used to him talking about his "ex" love Kikyou that she now thought that any woman he mentioned must have been some sort of former lover. Though not all former lovers came back from the dead to cast their revenge upon the world the way Kikyou did, but she was an extreme case.

The others stared at Kagome as she mumbled incoherently to herself, brow furrowing as if she was thinking hard about something. Inuyasha was confused most of all because every now and then she'd glance up at him before going back to her barely-audible ranting.

"Uh... Kagome," Inuyasha seemed almost afraid to disturb Kagome. "Are you done yet cos I'd like to finish the story that you were so interested in hearing?"

"Hrm?" She looked up suddenly and smiled sheepishly. "Oh, yes… ahehe, I'm sorry Inuyasha, you can continue."

"As I was saying…" the half-demon began as he cleared his throat, preparing to tell the tale.

-------------------- Meanwhile, somewhere several hundred miles from Inuyasha.--------------------

"Father! You must stop fighting! You can't keep this up," screamed a young woman as she knelt by her father's side, her hands holding onto a blood soaked cloth that was pressed against his leg.

"I… I must keep going," proclaimed the wounded man. "I cannot let Naraku claim these Shikon shards."

The man held out his hand to reveal four sparkling jewel fragments. He handed them to his daughter's shaky hands, "You must run as far away as you can. Do not allow Naraku to complete the Shikon no Tama!"

His gentle brown eyes pleaded with the young girl as his dark hair whipped violently around his face. For now the pair was concealed within the confines of the forest, the trees providing excellent cover for their respite. But Naraku was on the hunt and he would soon find them for Naraku was the type of demon who never gave up.

The battle-scarred man pushed his daughter away from him. "Get away now! Please honor your father's dying wish." The girl's intense green eyes sparkled with the tears that were forming within them. She let go of the cloth and rose to her feet. She didn't really want to leave knowing that her father would soon meet his end. She wanted to stay and fight, to protect him if she could. But before she could protest further, her father jumped back into battle against the deranged demon dressed in baboon's fur.

"Give me the shards Tsuyo and perhaps I'll let you live longer!" Naraku's voice seemed to echo throughout the valley and within the young girl's heart as she watched the battle.

"Never Naraku! I may be a demon but I'd never help you," yelled Tsuyo bravely.

"Then perhaps if I told you that I'd let your precious daughter live. Would that be enough to convince you to HAND OVER THE SHARDS!?"

Naraku's patience grew thin as he charged at the lone warrior upon the field. The girl could only watch in horror as her father continued to attack the crazed demon, his lithe fox form darting around the root-like tentacles that had shot out from Naraku's body.

Tsuyo's eyes gazed back at the forest for a moment where he saw his daughter, still watching the battle.

"Get out of here!" A silent plea from a father to his only child, his last request.

The female kitsune nodded farewell to her father as she turned on her heel to leave. As she made her way through the underbrush she heard something uttered from Naraku's mouth that caught her attention.

"Tsuyo! Would you rather have a filthy half-demon get the shards of the jewel?!" Naraku's words were seething with anger.

"At least it wouldn't be you… at least with a 'filthy' half-demon there is still a chance that the jewel wouldn't be tainted with hate. And at least a half-demon with the shards has a chance at defeating you," Tsuyo practically spat his words at Naraku as he dodged a potentially devastating attack.

"HA! That insolent puppy is nothing compared to me. Though he HAS been a thorn in my side from the first day I've heard his name. No matter now though," Naraku's attention had shifted back to Tsuyo. "I will deal with you first!"

Naraku dispelled his miasma attack upon the youkai. Within moments the only thing the girl could hear was a pitiful yelp that came from her father and then silence. Tears welled up in her eyes as she dashed through the forest. Her mind however was filled with the words she had heard Naraku utter, the words about a hanyou who had been bothersome to Naraku, one of dog descent no less. There was only one hanyou that the girl knew of that would cause so much trouble.

She smiled to herself despite the tears that stained her cheeks. She raced off through the forest leaving the sounds of the battle behind her. Her mind focused on one thought only and that was to find Inuyasha!