Sho roku – Atsumari arashi (Chapter six – Gathering Storm)

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Behind Crimson Eyes, Formerly Usagi the Mage: Hey! I'm glad your still reading! If you want a e-mail sent when I update there's a thing called story alert. That way you'll know!

Tamasuya drifted lazily back towards Naraku's castle, his mistress sat atop his head staring at the three small jewel shards in her hand.

"What should I do with these?" Sakura thought. "Naraku will want to know what happened with Kouga's shards. And he doesn't know of the one I took from the young miko."

Sakura looked up and around at her surroundings. To her left huge brown mountains rose, to the right, valley. "Why do I keep these? I need them not. (pause) Still…"

Tamasuya veered off towards the mountains.

Ginta woke with a start at the sound of someone singing. It was low and sweet, and came from outside. "Is that Kaiya?" Ginta thought groggily. He struggled to stand, his right leg still throbbing with pain. Ginta took in a couple of deep breaths, his left hand bracing him as he leaned against the stone wall of the cave. Finally after the dizziness had past, Ginta limped outside to find the female ookami.

Ginta found her by a small stream a few feet from the cave opening. 'Ohayo gozaimasu, Kaiya.' (Good morning)

Kaiya's head snapped around startled. She smiled brightly at Ginta. 'Ohayo gozaimasu, Ginta. How's the leg?'

'It's, uh, better.' Ginta said hobbling over to a near-by boulder and sitting down. 'What are you doing?'

'Re-filling my water skins.' Kaiya said holding one of them up. 'Can I ask? Where is your den located. Maybe we can make it there.'

'We haven't got one anymore.' Ginta replied. 'Kouga's been on the move ever since that woman Kagura killed our park.'

'Oh. So it's just you three huh?'

Ginta nodded.

Kaiya shrugged. 'Better than nothing. What do you want to do today?'

Naraku sat in his dark room glowering at Kanna's mirror. Sakura was no where to be found. He waved the young girl away and stared moodily across the room. It was almost time for his monthly purging of the now useless youkai in his body. If that was not bad enough he felt the miko kikyou's presents near-by.

Naraku hissed in anger.

Sesshoumaru paused mid-step when Naraku's aura suddenly appeared. It was faint and to the northeast of him. Sesshoumaru stared up at the dark moon. "This Sesshoumaru has smelled this scent before when the moon was dark. The hanyou Naraku is weak in his power."

Sesshoumaru turned to his companions. 'Jaken. Stay here with Rin and Ah-un.'

'Hai, wagakimi. (my lord)

Sesshoumaru turned and disappeared down the path.

Kagura drifted on the wind. Naraku had gone to his hiding place and the castle stunk of the stench of dead things. Kagura sneered in disgust. "Naraku…"

A flash of white below pulled her from her musings. "Sesshoumaru. He must have smelled Naraku."

Kagura grinned. "Naraku's to weak to notice if I help Sesshoumaru. Perhaps this time he will defeat him!"

Kagura commanded the wind and it shifted it's direction so that she could follow the inu lord.

Kagome hung to Inuyasha's back for dear life. "I know he smells Naraku and wants to battle him…but jeez!" Kagome didn't dare look back to see how Kirara and Sango were faring. She figured they were keeping up as well as they could. "Still I can't help but wonder if it's not another trap."

Kagome shifted her weight and tightened her legs. "Just don't let me fall off Inuyasha!"

She didn't dare look toward the ground.

Sakura stepped out from the cavern set deep in the mountains. She had found it long ago and hid all her treasures in there, which there were few of. She had laid the Shikon jewels in a hidden hole in the stone cave wall. "Now what shall I tell Naraku about Kouga's Shikon shards?"

Tamasuya, resting outside the cave entrance, grumbled a response. Sakura stoked his head. 'I'm thinking tama, I'm thinking.'

The storm massed and drew nearer the castle of Naraku. Huge black clouds gathered heavy with rain. Thunder rumbled angrily and lightning flashed reflecting the eyes of many a wild beast. And oblivious to it all a young girl sat humming upon and two headed ryu waiting for her master to return. Her keeper sat against a pine tree head lolling in sleep. The small ryu under her was also dozing off in the warm sunlight. In the distance Rin could hear the sound of children playing.

A small girl in a orange and white kimono disappeared down the road, her companions oblivious in their sleep.