Okay guys here's the next chap, enjoy Divine Guardian (Rilac)'s work okay, review reply's are down the bottom okay here's your story.

Disclaimer – Me no own, you no sue

Hatsumi shook her head, "You remind me so much of Karu, he was as hot-headed and as handsome as you," Inuyasha went as red as his kimono but he stayed silent. "Oh, I've embarrassed you, do forgive me."

"I'm not embarrassed," Inuyasha snarled.

"Of course not," Hatsumi said gently, but Inuyasha distinctly heard her mutter, "Males" as she crossed the cave.

"Where's the Tetsusiga?" Inuyasha asked suddenly.

"The tetsu...?"

"My SWORD" Inuyasha cut her off.

"Stop yelling like that or you'll aggravate your injuries even more, your sword is by the cave mouth. Now lie still and be silent or I will make you."

"Yeah," Inuyasha sniggered, "How?" Hatsumi ignored him and began rummaging through the food supplies for dinner. "You live here alone don't you," Inuyasha said, it was obviously a statement not a question.

"Well obviously I do,"

"Why?"

"Why? What, why do I live alone or why do I live alone in a cave?" Hatsumi asked.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, "Both."

"It's a long story," Hatsumi told him slowly.

"Do I look like I'm going anywhere?"

Hatsumi smiled a little. "Alright, my father was one of the most trusted allies of the great demon of the southern lands, my mother was a human princess my father fell in love with her, when she crossed into his lands, journeying between her father's lands and the kingdom of her intended but my father intervened and took her for his own. My mother's father wasn't pleased but my father gave him enough gold to pacify him.

"That doesn't explain why you're living in this cave" Inuyasha sneered.

"I'm getting to that, do not interrupt. When my father took my mother for his wife, he already had four sons and two other daughters, but my mother had my brother and I as well,"

"Feh" Inuyasha broke in, "Your father was a fool, having five sons was bound to cause conflict and if the youngest was a half breed, hmph... no wonder they all died, what was it? A fight for land gone wrong?"

Hatsumi twirled around, her eyes blazing, "How dare you, my family had its arguments but they most certainly did not... kill each other! Besides I told you not to interrupt!"

... "Well then?"

"Excuse me?" Hatsumi asked.

"WHAT HAPPENED? You stupid wench"

Hatsumi blushed, she was used to be insulted, but this... half-demon was rude, insensitive and ungrateful. So why was she so attracted to him?

"Are you going to finish or what?" Inuyasha asked a little gentler.

"My family weren't very close to one another, my eldest brother and sister resented my mother for being human and hated my brother Hideaki and I because we were half-demon, my other three brothers thought along the same lines, but they accepted Hideaki more then me. Although I believe it was because I am a girl, more than because I'm a half breed.

My other sister Kaya was decent to me, she knew the best both of us could hope for was a second or third wife to some minor demon lord or one of their youngest or basterd sons, Koru was my bodyguard, I shared him with Kaya. She was fourteen, I was eight, he was seventeen and she flirted almost constantly with him."

"I was twelve when I realised that I loved him" Hatsumi sighed.

Inuyasha pulled a face "Skip the mush princess, I never asked for your life story. I asked why you live in a cave..."

"Silence." Hatsumi told him, "May I continue?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"I'll take that for a yes. Kaya and I fought over Karu, but both she and Yuuko, my eldest sister, were engaged to marry into a prominent demon clan, so I thought it was safe to confess how I felt, Kaya was furious, she begged my father to call off the marriage, neither my father nor Yuuko would hear of it, all three of them blamed me. My mother spoke up for me, Yuuko struck her down and told her she was a pathetic, worthless human, that she was the dirt beneath her feet and her spawn were lower then dirt, we were lowly, writhing, crawling maggots. To punish Yuuko for insulting my mother and himself my father called of both engagements, then all I had were Hideaki, koru and my mother, everyone else hated me."

"Is this story going anywhere?"

"Fine I've told you what you need to know, now I will answer your question. Nearly three months ago, a demon came offering my father a great fortune if he joined him, my brothers sneered, they said they needed no fortune from a demon who wore his human form so plainly and my father refused to support his plot, that demon"

Hatsumi's voice shook slightly, "Unleashed a terrible swarm of wasps and spiders and other minions, my brothers fought fiercely and fell quickly." Tears coursed down Hatsumi's cheeks. "My mother might off lived but she tried to protect my father and my sisters. They... they... they cut her to ribbons and then slit my sister's throats and all I could do was watch. Koru saved me, he lead me out through a secret passageway into this forest. Later that night we saw the flames, he burnt my home to ashes, that basterd."

"And Koru?" Inuyasha asked.

"He vanished at the last full moon, he had been out to gather more food, when by nightfall he had not returned, I searched for him. I found his body the next day, he had been beheaded." Hatsumi's voice quivered and broke, she lowered her face into her hands and sobbed. "I screamed and screamed so loudly when I found him and the blood, on his armour, on his sword. I couldn't even touch him, I just ran back here. I was frightened that whatever had killed Koru might come back for me, I just left Koru there, in some damp little clearing. No-one to pray for him or to put his soul to rest. I am such a coward."

Inuyasha groaned, "Shut up and cut the crap. This demon who came, did he say his name?"

Hatsumi nodded slowly, "Once when he announced himself to his father."

"What was it?" Inuyasha asked exasperatedly, his small amount of patience was wearing thin quickly. His head felt hazy, all of his senses were dulled, as he looked at Hatsumi, her purple eyes bored into his. Where had he seen those eyes before? He shook his head, trying to clear it, to no avail everything was becoming dim.

The last thing he heard before he falling unconscious was Hatsumi's voice saying one last word, the one he lad suspected all along. "Naraku."

Kagome slept fitfully, her dreams had been getting worse and worse, for days they'd searched and found nothing. There was a lot of ground to cover and they only had a general idea of where they were going. Kagome huddled in her sleeping bag, for six long days they had hunted for Inuyasha. Kagome's ever increasing worry for his safety was beginning to border on hysteria.

Now Kagome was worrying about going home. She couldn't just abandon the search but she promised her mother she'd be home for Souta's birthday. What would she say if she went home late? 'Sorry Souta, Inuyasha went missing and I had to help find him, don't worry though there's always next year'. Yeah that would work really well.

Kagome knew she was dreaming, she was standing at the edge of a cliff, and Inuyasha was next to her. "Kagome?"

"Inuyasha? I've been so worried about you, where are you? What happened?"

"Kagome?" Inuyasha repeated vaguely.

"Yes Inuyasha its Kagome," She said taking his hand, it was wet and sticky, "Inuyasha you're bleeding," Kagome gasped, she noticed his wasn't wearing the jacket of his kimono, blood was soaking through his shirt, so much blood...

"Kagome... the wound aren't healing"

"Wounds? Inuyasha what are you talking about? Do you mean this blood or what that rock demon did to you?"

"The wounds aren't healing." Inuyasha replied simply.

"Inuyasha please, tell me what you mean," Kagome cried gripping Inuyasha's hands tighter.

Inuyasha tugged one hand free and stroked Kagome's cheek, leaving a bloody streak behind, "You need to find me Kagome," he said softly.

"I've been trying for almost a week, Inuyasha where are you?"

"Kagome, I've missed you,"

"Are you feeling alright?" Kagome asked.

"Have you missed me?" he continued oblivious.

"Of course I've missed you tell me where you are." She said taking his face in her hands, his eyes were strangely blank.

"I've missed you" he repeated touching her face again.

"Inuyasha" Kagome whispered "I need you, I need you so much." Ignoring the blood on his shirt, Kagome pressed herself into Inuyasha's chest, she felt his arms surround her softly.

"It's the eyes Kagome,"

"Who's eyes?" Kagome asked confused again.

"The eyes are the connection,"

"What connection? What in the world are you talking about?"

"I have to go" Inuyasha said pulling away from the embrace.

"No Inuyasha... please."

"Promise to find me Kagome or I'll die,"

"I'm trying to find you Inuyasha, just tell me where you are" Kagome cried desperately.

But Inuyasha was fading a single word etched in the silence, "Promise?"

"I promise Inuyasha, I promise." And Kagome was left alone on the cliff, with only the darkness of oblivion.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha's eyes snapped open, the hazy memory of a dream caught in his mind's eye. "Kagome" he repeated softly as he closed his eyes again. "I'm waiting for you Kagome and I'll wait forever if I have to. Please, come and find me, I miss you."

Kagome sat up and stretched, the best night's sleep she'd had in days and the strangest dream yet, to go with it. Her life just got weirder and weirder. What had the dream meant, "The wounds aren't healing" What was that about? Was Inuyasha trapped somewhere? Why wasn't his demon body healing? If that's even what he was talking about. Or what if it was just a dream and it didn't mean anything at all. No, Kagome could feel it, that dream had meant something, she just wished she knew what.

The part about finding Inuyasha before he died was plain enough. After seven days even a full demon would struggle without food, water and medical attention. Kagome smiled as she thought about what Miroku had said about Inuyasha being 'far to stubborn to die without a fight'. Kagome thought of Inuyasha dragging his battered body to water or maybe scaring fish out of the water for his food or maybe scaring the birds out of the trees.

What had Inuyasha meant about 'The eyes being the connection'? His eyes had been so vague and why had he been so... affectionate? Kagome sighed, this was making her head hurt. The last part of the dream had made some sense, she had promised Inuyasha that she'd find him and she would do just that, no matter what. Even if it was a dream a promise was a promise.

"Lady Kagome are you awake?" Miroku's voice cut through Kagome's thoughts.

"I'm awake Miroku, are we ready to keep searching?"

"That's what we wanted to talk to you about Kagome." Sango said reluctantly.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked warily.

"Kagome we want to find Inuyasha as much as you do but..." Sango broke off.

"But we are worried about you, you've barely slept, you're hardly eating and forgive me for saying so you look terrible." Miroku said not meeting Kagome's eyes, "And we thought maybe you should go back to your world for a few days and rest."

"No I can't I promised Inuyasha that I'd find him that I'd come for him."

"Kagome what are you talking about? We haven't seen Inuyasha for a week. How could you promise him anything?" Shippou asked. Kagome quickly explained her dream.

"That's all very well lady Kagome, but it was only a dream," Miroku said when Kagome had finished.

"No Miroku, it was more I could feel it,"

"Maybe what you felt was your desire to see Inuyasha again and it was just a dream,"

Kagome shook her head stubbornly, "I'm not going home yet Miroku, not until we find him."

"Lady Kagome..."

"No I'm fine alright, we need to focus on finding Inuyasha, his life depends on it." Kagome said then began to go through her bag looking for clean clothes. Miroku poked the fire sending up a flurry of sparks.

Kagome stomped off to change and Sango sat down next to Miroku. "She's as stubborn as Inuyasha" Sango told him shaking her head.

"Yes they deserve each other don't they," Miroku smirked.

"Houshi-sama do you really think we'll find Inuyasha, it's been a week and there's no trace of him,"

"We have to find him" Kagome said as she remerged into the clearing, "I made a promise."

"Here Inuyasha drink this," Hatsumi said passing a bowl of a pale green liquid to Inuyasha.

"What do you put in this stuff, wench?" Inuyasha asked pulling a face, "It tastes even worse then it smells"

"Don't be such a baby, you need that restorative potion if you want to heal quickly or perhaps you would rather stay here with me."

Inuyasha drank the fowl smelling liquid as fast as he could, this stuff did seem to be helping, the pain was much less and he did feel stronger, he could move his left arm again and he could stand up even if he wasn't healed enough to walk yet.

"I can't tell you anyway, I promised Koru, it was his mother's recipe."

"Hatsumi?"

"Yes are you hungry or are your wounds troubling you?"

"No I was just thinking that you can't live in this cave forever and you're Naraku's enemy as my friends and I are, and if I don't ask you this Kagome will so... when I'm healed and we've found the others will you join our group" Inuyasha asked rather grimly.

"Me" Hatsumi gasped, "I'm no warrior, and I've never even held a weapon."

"If Kagome learned how to use a bow and arrow, we can teach you to use a dagger at least."

"I... I... I... I don't know Inuyasha, I can't just leave"

"Why" Inuyasha asked curious.

"It's my land... my home!"

"I left my home when I was a lot younger then you!" Inuyasha snapped. "And this isn't your home Hatsumi, you're home burned to the ground and even if this place was your home it isn't now!"

Hatsumi turned away, "I'll think about it Inuyasha."

"Promise"

"Pardon?"

"Promise you'll think about it,"

"Yes I promise" Hatsumi said.

Reviews:

Nicole Miklos

interesting start, I like it keep up the good work

Angel8818 – thank you, I'll make sure she does.

Divine guardian (Rilac) – I will and thanks for review

Kitsunefire

Before you do anything else, go through your story and make sure that each time someone new talks you start a new paragraph. It's insanely distracting to have the lines of dialogue smooshed together, I didn't even read the entire chapter, it was so annoying.

Angel8818 – I'm sorry you didn't read the whole chap, you don't know what you missed out on and for the story being smooshed together that's how I set out stories so phooey to you :p Though thanks for the review.

Divine Guardian (Rilac) – Thanks for the input but it's my story I'll do what I want

A-shadowed-light

I like your fanfiction. I would like it alot more if you add another chappie

Angel8818 – Well here yours chap, hope you continue to read, there's heaps more on the way.

Divine guardian (Rilac) – What she said

DarklessVasion

Nice story.

It has a good plot, and the dialogue between the characters is well done.

However, it would be better if you separated your sentences a little more. When one person's words bump into another's, it can be confusing.

I would definitely read this and would like to see the conclusion.

Angel8818 – Thanks divine guardian Rilac puts a lot of effort into her dialogue doesn't she. And I'll try and take your advice on the seperatingness and don't worry the conclusion is coming...

Divine Guardian (Rilac) – I'm so glad you like it I will write until my hands fall off but I will get you that conclusion.

Angel8818 – I'll try and keep her hands attached so she can write ...

Starrfire

nice effort. it's too out of character for my taste, though. kagome was way too hysterical. Inuyasha's been wounded and separated from the group a hundred times. she's worried, she cried once when he was in the explosion and Kouga said he saw him die, but she's never been hysterical. she also snapped at Sango too much. the dialog was simple and no emotions were conveyed. i know they were implied and it was written that people were upset, but it is difficult to feel. with a bit more detail and realistic dialog it could be a very nice one-shot. you need to bump it from 20 to about 5-6,0 words and add details and slow the speed of emotional elevation way down, and it would be great. but that's just my opinion as a reader (I am very picky). it's not meant to be insulting. i know that most people consider criticism to be insulting, but it's really not, so don't take it the wrong way. n.n

Angel8818 – First I would like to say that this is not a one-shot and there is a lot more to come, secondly my theory is that Kagome was so hysterical because she has known Inuyasha for a while now and her miko powers might have something to do with it... or I could say that if Inuyasha can through hissy fits when Kagome goes missing or gets kidnapped then why can't Kagome? ... I don't really know I'm just throwing theories into the wind... I know lets ask the expert...

Divine Guardian (Rilac) – You watch Teen Titans don't you, I love that show anyway about the review, I'm picky as well but I have a perfectly good explanation as to why Kagome was so upset and if you read the rest of the story you'd find out... hint hint nudge nudge... in any case I appreciate your input thanks for reviewing

QueenReine

Good job so far. Keep up the good work.. or get your friend to keep up the good work.

Angel8818 – Don't worry :Gets the whip out: I'll keep her working. More stories on the way

Divine Guardian (Rilac) - :Pulls out sword threateningly: "More story on the way... Just let me destroy the whip first and maybe angel8818 too...Anyway... thanks for the review