Sakura no Shouki
Sho go – Kaiya (Chapter five – Kaiya)

Reviewer's:

Author looks into empty area where the reviewers used to be.
(sweatdrop) Where'd they all go?

Ginta raced through the forest, panting and wheezing. "I sure hope Kouga will be okay. Gotta find Kagome!"

Ginta was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice when he came bursting out of the green and ran out of ground.

He looked down startled when he noticed his feet weren't touching the ground anymore.

'AHHHHH!'

Ginta plummeted to the ground a few feet below. (THUD) He groaned as he hit hard ground and rolled painfully onto his back. 'Owwww…'

Kaiya looked up from tiding her makeshift bed when she heard a loud crash outside her small cave.

She hurried to the entrance and found a fellow ookami lying on the ground his face crunched up in pain.

Kaiya looked up to the top of the dirt and stone hill. "Did he jump from there? What a foolish thing to do."

Kaiya leaned down over the male ookami. 'Are you alright?'

Ginta's eyes flew open at the sound, he hadn't heard anyone approach! Standing above him, with a concerned look on her face, was a female ookami. Long dark hair hung about her face, wild and uncombed. She had huge blue eyes, a small petite nose and a thin, small figure. She was dressed in a short white kimono with small blue cranes upon it. And a short, blue handled sword lay against her left side.

'Well?' The female asked.

'Umm…I…I think so.' Ginta shook himself and closed his gaping mouth. He sat up and winced as the pain in his right leg flared up.

'You don't look okay.' The female said looking him over and noting the wince. 'What's wrong? Is it broken?'

'My right leg hurts. I don't know.' Ginta tenderly rubbed his leg.

The female knelt down by his wounded side and felt his leg. Ginta blushed and tried not to cry out in pain as the female tended to him. 'I don't think it's broken, but it's badly hurt. Let's try and get you inside okay?'

Ginta looked confused for a moment before he saw the small cave opening. "Oh. (pause) Ah!"

'I'm really sorry, but I have to be going.' Ginta stood up with some help from the female and hopped on one leg trying to stay upright.

'And where do you think your going to go banged up like that?' She asked reaching out to steady him when he almost fell over.

'I have to find Kagome! Kouga's hurt!.'

'Who and who?'

'Kagome. She's the human miko that Kouga's in love with. And Kouga's our pack leader.'

Kaiya's eyes lit up when she heard the words 'pack'. "He's part of a pack! Maybe if I help him this Kouga will let me join up with them!'

Kaiya pushed/pulled Ginta into her small cave. 'You stay here! I'll go find this Kagome and bring her back. Where can she be found?'

Ginta grunted as he was roughly pushed to the floor. 'Uhhh…well I don't know. She travels with a inu hanyou, a taijiya, a monk, a fire neko and a kitsune.'

"Wow." Kaiya thought. 'Well don't you worry, I'll find them! You just stay here!'

Kaiya whirled around out of the cave and sped off. Ginta coughed as the dust swirled up in his face. 'Uhh…what just happened here?'

Kaiya ran swiftly through the forest looking for the odd group. She hoped with all her heart that this Kouga was a good pack leader and would take her in. She had been with out a pack for quite sometime, having run away from her old pack when the new leader had taken over. She had traveled north, away from the southern lands in search of a new pack. "That jerk Yukio. He'll never boss me around again!"

Kaiya leapt up into a tall tree and looked about at her surroundings, scenting the air. The faint tendril of an inu hanyou scent wafted by her nose. "Got ya!" Kaiya exclaimed excitedly to herself leaping down from the tree and taking off in that direction.

Kaiya skid to a stop in front of the very surprised group. Looking them over Kaiya pointed to the girl in strange clothes with the aura of a miko surrounding her. 'Are you priestess Kagome?' She asked.

'Umm. Hai, I'm Kagome. What do you want?' Kagome said coming to stand next to Inuyasha, who had his hand on Tensaiga ready for a fight.

'There's this ookami back there.' She waved vaguely in Ginta's direction. 'He says his pack leader, Kouga, has been hurt and he wants you to come and heal him.'

Kagome gasped. 'Kouga's been hurt! How badly? Was it Naraku? Where is he?'

Inuyasha growled. 'Stupid wolf. Let him go, Kagome.'

Kagome whirled around to face him. Inuyasha tighten his jaw expecting the coming argument. 'Let him go! Inuyasha! He's hurt!'

'So?'

Kagome growled. 'Inuyasha!' Her tone held the warning of a 'sit'. 'Were going whether you like it or not!'

'Listen wench!'

'Osuwari!'

(THUD)

'Inuyasha, were going!' Kagome turned back to the, now shocked, girl. Ignoring the curses spewing up from the flattened Inuyasha. 'Lead the way!'

Kaiya stared at Inuyasha for a few seconds, shook herself and took off into the woods. Kirara transformed and Sango and Miroku leapt aboard while Kagome struggled with her bike. A few minutes later Inuyasha flew past snarling to himself.

By the time they arrived back to where Ginta was, Inuyasha was carrying both Kagome and the bike and grumbling even more.

'Kagome! Great to see you!' Ginta said hobbling out of the cave.

'Ginta! What happened to you?' Kagome asked worriedly sliding down from Inuyasha's back.

'Oh, I'm fine.' Ginta said rubbing his head embarrassed. 'Wasn't looking where I was going.'

'Feh, stupid wolf.' Inuyasha muttered to himself.

Kagome ignored the comment. 'Ginta, where's Kouga? Is he alright?'

'Some woman came out of no where and took Kouga's jewel shards!'

'WHAT?'

Inuyasha and the rest looked at each other in shock.

'Was it one of Naraku's reincarnations?' Inuyasha asked pressing forward to stand beside Kagome.

'Didn't smell like him.' Ginta replied. 'We'd better get going though. No telling how long Hakkaku can keep Kouga where he's at.'

Ginta ran alongside Kaiya back to where Kouga was. He leg was killing him and he winced with each step. His teeth grinding against each other. He gave a great sigh of relief when Kouga and Hakkaku appeared up ahead.

'Kouga just wait a little longer!' Hakkaku cried, clinging to Kouga's now shard-less legs.

'Get off of me! I gotta find that woman!' Kouga snarled trying to pry his fellow pack mate off his legs. They were still wobbly, but he wasn't going to let that stop him.

'Kouga!'

Kouga turned at the combined sound of Ginta and Kagome. 'Kagome!'

Hakkaku let go off Kouga as the wolf prince started towards the miko. Ginta sat down next to him. 'Whew, I'm glad you're finally here.' Hakkaku said to Ginta. 'I don't think I could have held him back any longer.'

Kaiya stood back away from everyone watching the scene unfold. Inuyasha and the ookami, Kouga started to bicker, while the miko tried to see what was wrong with Kouga and keep the two from fighting. She noticed the taijiya and the monk standing back watching as well. Shrugging she went and sat down beside Ginta. 'How's the leg?'

Hakkaku gaped, while Ginta tried to make himself more comfortable on the hard ground. 'It's throbbing painfully.' He replied rubbing it.

'Ginta….who's that?' Hakkaku asked staring wide-eyed at the female. Kaiya smiled at the other ookami.

'Hi, I'm Kaiya. Pleased to meet you.'

'Ha….Hakkaku.'

Ginta looked up. 'Oh, yeah. I'm Ginta. That's Kouga.' He said pointing towards the other ookami who was snarling at the inu hanyou.

Kaiya watched for a few seconds more before getting frustrated that no one had looked at Ginta's leg. She got up and walked over to Kagome who was trying to get the boys attention. 'Excuse me.'

Kagome turned around. 'Oh? Hai?'

'Could you look at Ginta's leg? It's badly hurt.'

'Oh! Of course!' Kagome hurried over to Ginta, who started to blush at all of the sudden attention.

'That's not really necessary. I'm fine really!' Ginta waved his hand.

'Nonsense.' Kaiya said kneeling next to the miko. 'If Kouga doesn't want her help, we shouldn't waste her. She came all this way after all.'

'Th...thanks Kagome.' Ginta said, wincing at the pain.

Kagome looked up sympathetically. 'Here take some of this.' She said digging around in her pack. 'Kaede says this is good for pain.' She handed him the herb.

'Thanks.' Ginta said before putting it in his mouth.

Kagome wrapped Ginta's swollen ankle with herbed bandages. 'There that should do it!' She exclaimed finishing. 'Feel any better?'

'Not yet.' Ginta admitted wishing he could have said different. Even though it would heal quickly cause of his youkai blood, he was still touched that Kagome had tended to it.

'Well it will.' Kagome said flashing him a smile. Ginta smiled back.

Kagome turned back to the other two males and sighed. 'Now if only we could get them to stop fighting!'

Kaiya coughed. 'Leave that to me.' She turned and collected a few hefty stones and started chunking them at the two bull-headed males.

'OW!'

'HEY!'

'CUT IT OUT!'

'STOP THAT!'

Inuyasha and Kouga raised their arms over their head as they were suddenly assaulted with rocks.

'Will you two stop fighting!' Kagome yelled back.

'Yes! Now stop it, bitch!' Inuyasha yelled.

Kaiya smiled innocently at the two, who glared back. She tossed a remaining stone between her hands.

'Now Kouga. What happened?' Kagome asked.

'Some woman riding a black ryu came out of the forest and stole my jewel shards!'

'Do you think she was working with Naraku?' Kagome asked looking at his legs. They weren't damaged.

'She didn't smell of him.' Kouga answered. 'And I gotta find her! Come on you two!' Kouga gathered his legs under him and took off into the woods.

'Kouga wait!' Ginta and Hakkaku cried scrambling up after him. Ginta cried out and collapsed, Hakkaku paused. 'Kouga! Come back!'

'That stupid wolf can't hear you!' Inuyasha said looking after the ookami in disgust. 'He's only worried about his stupid jewel shards.'

Ginta hissed holding his leg. Kaiya knelt down beside him looking worried. 'Don't move Ginta! Let it heal. We'll catch up to him later.'

Hakkaku shifted uneasily. 'I don't know, Kaiya. He'll be a long ways off by then.'

'Hakkaku you go after him. I'll catch up later.' Ginta said.

'You sure, Ginta?' Hakkaku asked.

'Yeah, he'll be fine.' Kaiya said waving Hakkaku off. 'I'll watch after him.'

At Ginta's nod Hakkaku took off into the woods following Kouga's scent.

Kagome left Kaiya with some supplies before she and the others left and Kaiya was grateful for the food. She had helped Ginta back to her small cave and sat stirring some soup over a fire.

Ginta rested comfortably on her makeshift bed in the back of the cave.

'This is really nice of you.' Ginta said watching her prepare the food.

Kaiya smiled. 'It's no problem at all. It's nice having company.' She paused for a moment. 'Do you think Kouga will let me join your pack?'

Ginta though for a bit. 'I don't see why not. But I gotta warn you it's pretty though. Kouga's constantly on the move looking for Naraku.'

Kaiya nodded. 'That's okay. I can handle it. Who is this Naraku anyway?'

'You don't know?'

Kaiya shook her head.

'Naraku killed most of our pack. Him and that woman Kagura. Kouga's out to avenge our comrade's deaths.'

'Oh. And Inuyasha?' Kaiya asked pouring the soup into two bowls.

'Inuyasha's looking for Naraku to. Naraku's been collecting jewel shards to. He wants them to make himself more powerful. Kagome's the priestess who takes care of the Shikon no Tama, that's the jewel. She's looking for the scattered pieces.'

'Oh.' Kaiya handed him his soup.

'Thanks. Where are you from?'

'The south.' Kaiya replied settling back against the cave wall.

'Oh. What'd you come up here for?'

'Some moron took over our pack. So I came up here looking for a new one.'

Ginta nodded and dove into his soup.

Glossary:

Osuwari: Sit!
Miko: Priestess
Taijiya: Demon Hunter
Neko: Cat
Kitsune: Fox