Disclaimer: I don't own Kagura, Sesshoumaru and the rest of the Inuyasha characters mentioned here. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. But I do own Kagura's new identity.

Yosaku…Chiba…I won't let Naraku get you! Koeshi's thoughts operated in her mind as she, Sesshoumaru, Rin and Jaken ran in the forests, following the cloud of demons up in the sky.

"Where…exactly…are we going…Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin huffed, as she followed the trail of demon in the sky. She was feeling tired, probably because her rest was abruptly cut off. "Rin is…tired…need…sleep…"

"Sesshoumaru-sama! (huff) I told you this ninja will (pant) bring nothing but trouble!" Jaken managed to bark, despite all the gasps of air he was taking. But Sesshoumaru seemed to not be paying attention to what both Rin and Jaken were saying. The four of them continued running, glancing upwards every now and then to check if the demons have changed course.

"Where exactly are we going?" Sesshoumaru asked, catching up to Koeshi.

"To a village…" Koeshi responded, eyes focused on the trail. "I just…can't let that village be destroyed." Sesshoumaru didn't ask any further questions and continued running. Just then, the trail of demons gained an extraordinary speed and seemingly disappeared from their sight. The four of them stopped dead.

"Ahhhh? Where did the demons go?" Jaken asked, looking at the now empty sky. "They just disappeared into thin air!"

"No they didn't. They gained extra speed…" Sesshoumaru answered.

"Then…we have little time to reach the village!" Koeshi said frantically. Yes, they were in the middle of a forest, and still got ways to go before reaching the village. Koeshi bit her lip and ran ahead of the other three, using every inch of her energy to boost her speed. Sesshoumaru, Rin and Jaken did the same. But it is unlikely they will reach the village before everything is thrown in disarray…
-o-o-o-o-

Rindoh Village, after a horrific situation of massacre…

It was a dismaying sight.

They didn't arrive in time. The four of them stood at the entrance of the ruined village. Koeshi held her hand over her mouth, as she felt her absent heart sink.

"No…I'm too late…"

Houses have been torched, smoldering in angry flames. Some have been demolished, reduced into mere rubble. Several bodies lay on the ground, with blood pooling around them. The four of them entered through the wrecked torii gate, surveying with astonishment the carnage brought about on the poor village.

"These poor people…" Rin said forlornly, seeing the dreadful spectacle of corpses and ruins. Jaken's eyes were filled with shock, as he imagined how the whole place went down in just mere moments. Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, didn't seem to care. He just passed the remains of the village without consideration. Bodies of villagers lay scattered everywhere, as fallen houses and burning fields added to Koeshi's misery. The thought of the villagers getting slaughtered by demons was disheartening. There were also several carcasses of demons lying around. Some of the villagers must have fended off some of the attackers. Rin noticed a corpse of a woman holding something in her arms. She went to inspect it and found a baby bundled in white sheets. It was cradled in the mother's arms. It looks like the mother tried to protect her child from an attacking demon, but failed. Rin's eyes slowly filled up with hot, sultry tears and wept by the corpses' side.

"…I can't believe whoever did this!" Rin cried sorrowfully. "How cruel…" She caught site of a lone flower by the grass. Rin took it and placed it the baby's hands, while the mother was hugging it.

"Rin." Sesshoumaru's wintry voice beckoned Rin to get a move on. She stood up and ran towards the youkai lord, wiping the tears off her face. They were walking amidst the butchered village when Koeshi suddenly stopped.
-o-o-o-o-

The spot where Yosaku and Chiba's house was supposed to be, was now occupied by a huge pile of burning rubble. Koeshi approached the wreckage, as her companions stood behind her. The ninja's ruby eyes sweltered with bitter tears, as she saw a very important item amidst the smoldering ruin. Rin cried continuously as she watched the heart-broken Koeshi pick up the object.

"Chiba…" It was the shuriken she asked Chiba to keep until she returned. "You broke your promise…" Koeshi let her grievous tears flow down her face, as she clenched the shuriken in her hand. Sesshoumaru, Rin and Jaken noticed little rivulets of blood flow slowly down her hand. Jaken just stared at the sad Koeshi. Koeshi then started to let out fake, pained laughs.

"Hehe…Yosaku…Chiba…" Koeshi chuckled lazily. "You both said you'd wait for me…I should've known you were liars."

"Ninja-girl!" Rin ran towards Koeshi and hugged her. Koeshi's vision was broken by another stream of tears. The vivid memory of Chiba crying when she was about to leave kicked in her mind.

"…Just like Chiba…" She said, tears freely streaming down her face as she held Rin's head tightly to her body. Sesshoumaru couldn't care less, as he had his back facing the ruins of Yosaku and Chiba's house. Koeshi hugged Rin tightly, as a new generation of hate pulsated in her phantom heart.

"…I…I…" Koeshi said between gritted teeth. "I swear, with all that I am…that I will destroy you, Naraku! You animal, you bastard!" She then cried sadly once more.

"…Humph. A new wave of hate against Naraku." Sesshoumaru uttered lifelessly. "No use standing around here. Let's go."

"You are very right…" Koeshi's blood-red eyes dimmed with frightening abhorrence. "I can't wait to thrust my sword…my hate…and my sorrow, all together through his heart. And send him to eternal damnation…where he really belongs." She let go of Rin and went ahead of the group, empowered by a strange new strength to put an end to Naraku's evil.