Well, I hope that all of the Sesshoumaru fans out there got enough of the fluffy-ness! I actually like writing in his perspective…oh well. I think that we all need to see what's going to happen to our heroic friends rather than going backwards into flashback chapters. Now…onward and forward! Take down the Orcs and go onward to Minas Tirith! (Neecha can now be seen playing Legolas and Gandalf on her PS2) Curse those Mumakil!

He was finally away from the savage playground that he had constructed with his own claws. He didn't have to look into eye-less sockets staring back at him with ruby tears. Safety was found in his cell, where the guards had thrown him. But in his own mind, he was being bombarded with cries of innocent men, women, and even children as the cruel monster that lay dormant in his heart cut them down.

"S…stop…stop!" He whispered, unable to take the self-hatred he felt. A thousand imaginary hands seemed to lash out at him, demanding justice. In his delusional craze, Inuyasha thrashed around in his cell, crying out like an injured animal. Long endless nights alone without someone to call a friend had driven him into similar states, but it was worse when his imaginary attackers demanded blood.

His yelping caught attention of his prison-mates and guards. Some of the newer guards looked fearful, while the oldest guards shook their head in pity. Not all of the guards there tortured the hanyou, but they didn't stop the others from doing so.

"What's the matter with him?" one of them asked.

"Madness. When someone's tied up all alone and tortured to the pits of death, insanity is the only way of self-salvation. He's spent a lifetime in that cramped cell, a ningen lifetime at least. He's been this way ever since I've been here. Sometimes I wish that he could see the sun, just for the sake of his half ningen nature."

"Bah, you're too sentimental to be a prison guard! That thing there isn't ningen like us! That's what happens when you let a courtyard dog get near a desperate woman!" Most of the guards laughed heartily at this cruel joke.

"Yeah, he's right!" a short guard said. "That thing in there is below us! Hey, watch this!" He took a rusty spear from one of his fellow guards and jabbed it at Inuyasha, causing the frightened hanyou to yelp and scream as what to him looked like a snake-beast snapped poisonous fangs at his neck. The short guard laughed. "See? Cries out like an animal, this one! No harm in teasing the little doggy, now is there?"

Soon, most of the guards had joined in on their merriment. Inuyasha thrashed about as many different creatures that would never exist attacked him. In reality, it was all a bunch of sticks and spears, ones that he could have easily broken. The newer guards soon learned how their anger could be taken out on their prisoners. After Inuyasha had finally claimed sanctuary in the back of his cell, they left him alone. He panted, cut and bruised.

"K…kill…" In the darkness, his yellow eyes glowed red.

The blasted ningen boy wouldn't talk! Silence drove the ookami's mind to the turning point of mental awareness and back again. In fact, Kouga had counted all the cracks in the stone on one wall, and then saw the difference of the cracks on another wall! This silence was not going to last any longer, that was Kouga's doing.

"So…why are you here?" Kouga gruffly stated. No answer.

"Got anyone outside the castle? Friends, relatives…enemies?"

No answer. "Forget it, I'd have a better chance talking to the sword!" With a huff, he turned and faced away from the young boy.

"I don't know."

Kouga turned and faced the boy, confusion in his brow. "Beg pardon?"

"To your first question, I don't know why I'm here," came the boy's young voice. It sounded younger than Kouga guessed the boy's age to be. "To your second question, I have no family, friends, or enemies."

"Oh…" Odd was this form of talk. "So then, now that we've conversed, introductions are in order. What is your name?"

With his empty eyes pointed to the youkai, he stated simply: "Kohaku."

"Well, that's a strong name for a boy." Kouga then pointed to himself. "Kouga, leader of the mountain ookami, prince of ookamis."

"Titles mean nothing in this place." Kohaku, in his simple voice, spoke again. "Be it a king or a servant, Naraku-sama and Sesshoumaru-sama diminish them until they are the lords of the land. Just as you are now sitting here guarding a sword with a ningen boy, you too have lost your title. Now what do you call yourself?"

Kouga nearly spat at the young ningen. "I am the price of ookamis, and I will always be. Just because I'm captured in the heat of battle doesn't make me any less than what I was! You'll see; these two cowards will perish in flames!" He stood up and charged at Kohaku.

In what seemed like a blink of a ningen eye, a bladed chain cut the flesh of Kouga's left arm. Falling back in unexpected pain, he looked to the young ningen with hate at the blade at the end of the chain fell back into Kohaku's hands.

"I speak only the truth, nothing more. I am no more of a person than you or the dogs outside that keep us at bay." He sat back down, chain clunking to the floor. "Right now, our only titles are that of protecting Tetsusaiga."

"Tetsusaiga?" Kouga questioned with a bit of hate in his voice.

"The sword."

With that, Kouga's mind was then surrounded by the silence.

"I must land before night, I'm afraid."

Miroku gave a nod. "It's alright, Hachi. You've taken us far enough for today." With a jingle from Miroku's staff, Hachi landed down on the soft forest floor.

"Kagome, do you think that this Inuyasha person will help us?" Shippo asked as he started a simple fire with his kitsune magic. The fire was now the only source of warmth that the hunters had. Sighing, Kagome shrugged.

"I don't really know. I guess it depends on who he trusts."

"Why do you think that?"

"Shippo, do you know what a hanyou really is?"

He shook his head. "Not really. I've never seen one."

"Then it's time to tell you. Hanyou people are different from ningen and youkai, as you know. It's even a miracle that they exist, because of the mixing of the two species. Whenever a hanyou child comes to an age, they are tested for any abnormalities that would endanger both races. Most hanyou either look extremely ugly, or they suffer from some sort of psychopathic disorder."

"…So?"

"That means that this Inuyasha might be…a bit messed up in the head. It's hard…when nature does that."

"I still don't understand."

Sango spoke up. "It means that Inuyasha might be a good fellow, but if he thinks like a criminal, he'll act like one, possibly turning on us. That's why hanyou children are usually destroyed at birth."

Shippo's brows furrowed. "I've never heard of this from the youkai point of view."

Miroku shrugged as he took out some dried foods and passed them out. "I've never even heard of deformed or insane hanyou before. Kagome, your view could possibly be a rumor."

"How? You've never seen a hanyou."

He shook his head. "Actually, I know one. He makes the medicines that heal us in battles."

Kagome blinked. "Jinenji? Are you serious?"

"Yes. Although he looks more like the horse youkai of the plains, he is indeed a hanyou. And to be more so, he is one of the kindest out of the conquered villages of Naraku so far." Taking a bite of some dried apple, he continued. "But he's the only one I know. Maybe Inuyasha would resemble more of a dog than a monster."

"…" Kagome said nothing.

"How is the wine, Naraku-sama?"

Swirling it in a crystal glass for a second, Naraku took a small sip. Licking his lips, he took another. "Is this the best you can do, even with the youkai slaves I've given you?"

The small ningen began to shake. "No, no of course not! If it displeases you, I will work them until it is a wine that is tenfold better!" Fear was in his meager voice. Naraku liked fear.

"Tenfold?" His red eyes looked at the wine-seller.

"A hundredfold! A hundredfold for you, Naraku-sama!" Now the ningen was bowing and groveling at his feet. Ah, the simple pleasures of power.

"A hundredfold, you say? How amusing…bring it to me when it is finished."

"Hai, Naraku-sama!" The ningen ran out as soon as he could. Naraku chuckled as he mentioned for a guard to come close.

"Make sure that ningen's blood is my next drink at tomorrow's dinner." The guard nodded before following the doomed ningen. What fun it was to hold power.

'Hmm…Kagura hasn't even sent a Siamyosho to report back yet…' Naraku wondered. "Kanna, come here."

A child, as white and soulless as a porcelain doll, slowly walked up to Naraku. She was indeed a youkai, for her eyes held it. In her tiny hands was a mirror, reflective and flawless. "Naraku-sama, what is it you wish?" she spoke, her voice calm and spooky.

"Show me where Kagura is." The mirror began to shake and quiver as the reflection of the ruthless lord was then replaced by Kagura's whereabouts. The wind youkai was huddled with dignity under a rock as the storm blew past.

"Kagura, you're wasting my time…" He looked to his side, where two red orbs pulsed with the rhythm of a heart. He grabbed one that was farthest from him and squeezed.

The pain of thousands of red-hot spears went through her chest. Kagura, at one moment fine was now bent over in pain as she clutched at her heart. It was hard to breathe, hard to see, hard to even hear the roar of the rain. Was death now this close? Was this the end of the wind?

As suddenly as the pain had come, it melted away. Naraku's voice then ran through her mind.

"Kagura, I did not send you out expecting to be afraid to get wet. I expect a report on my hunters' whereabouts. Report to me now, or do I have to do this again?"

The pain returned, but it was only for a brief second. "Naraku! What magic is this?"

"Don't you ever wonder why you feel no beat in your chest? I hold your heart in the palm of my hands. You are my servant, and to disobey me is to crush your heart. Now, tell me what I want."

She replied, trying to hold her cursing back. "Apparently, they are a bit slow since the neko was injured. They are taking longer than you expected." Kagura tried her best not to use foul language to one that could end her life at the flick of his wrist.

"Make sure that they don't stop for anything else. Next time, send a report to me by the Siamyosho. Do not make me have to personally contact you again." Naraku's voice left Kagura's mind.

'How am I to become free now?' she wondered as she re-entered the storm and flew off.

Naraku placed the red orb back next to its sibling orb. "Kanna, you are free to go now." He waved his hand as he then picked up the wine glass again.

"Naraku-sama."

It was the guard he had sent out earlier.

"Yes? What do you request of me?"

Getting to his knees, the guard held out a flask with dark stains running down from the lip of the opening. "The blood you required, Naraku-sama."

"Excellent. You are dismissed." Taking the flask, he poured some of the dark liquid into the wine glass, mixing it in with the beverage. He swirled it again in the glass, and took another sip.

"Indeed it is a hundredfold better than before." He smirked before finishing the glass. Ah, the joys of being the master of all.

Ah, I am finally done with this chapter! Now, excuse me as I dance about in sheer happiness…reviews are gratefully used to fuel my inspiration! (hint hint)