Kagome studied Inuyasha's profile as she walked next to him, down the path that led into the village below the hill. She tried to pick out the differences remember Inuyasha's face before. His cheekbones were higher. And his face was slimmer, more rounded. And he had a beauty mark now, right below his eye. Inuyasha's ears twitched and he turned his head to look at her then glared.

"What are you staring at?"

"Well it's really strange to see you as a girl Inuyasha." She said.

"I'm not a girl! I just look like one!"

'Same thing.' Kagome thought silently

"Sesshomaru, that stupid pervert! I'm going to find him and then I'll be a man again!" He shouted.

Kagome thwapwed him over the head. "Hush! Or someone will hear you." She sighed to herself. It was going to be a lot of work making people believe Inuyasha was a girl. No matter how pretty he was.

"Well. Look what we caught." Kagome gasped and halted at the voice that came from the trees flanking either side of the past. A small group of four bandits emerged from the shrubbery and surrounded them, grinning and brandishing rustic weapons. "Were are you girls off to."

"Inuyasha." Kagome said quietly out of habit.

Inuyasha wasn't paying attention. Still grumbling to himself he hadn't stopped walking and pushed right through the circle of bandits. They blinked in surprise then growled and reached out to grab Inuyasha's shoulder angrily.

"Just where do you think you're going, pretty?" Obviously the leader. He sneered at Inuyasha. "I think I'll keep this one for myself."

Inuyasha glared. "I'll give you 5 seconds to get out of our way." He cracked his delicate knuckles lightly. "And I won't turn you into road kill."

All four burst into laughter. One of the underlings stepped forward, voice thick with mirth. "She's pretty feisty boss."

"Yea." Another spoke. "Think you can handle her."

"Inuyasha." Kagome said warningly.

"You asked for it." Inuyasha said, ignoring her, drawing his arm back and ramming his fist into the face of the nearest bandit. There was stunned surprise as the man stumbled backwards and collapsed at the base of the tree. The three remaining bandits turned and their faces contorted in fury.

"You're gonna pay for that wench."

Inuyasha's eye twitched in anger. "Wench."

The man ran at him and Inuyasha caught him by the face and flipped him over to land on top of the first man then jumped up as the remaining two attacked him from either side, lancing a few steps in front of them and smirked as the pair collided with each other, head knocking against the other's forehead and they both collapsed backwards, unconscious.

Inuyasha smirked and turned as the first two stirred faintly, rubbing their heads as they sat up slowly. He grinned, setting hands on his hips. "Hah! Who's the wench no-"

"Inuyasha sit!"

Inuyasha grunted as his smaller frame his the ground and Kagome grasped the collar of his kimono dragging him away from the recuperating bandits quickly. The retreat halted finally once the four were out of sight and Kagome leaned against a tree letting out an exhausted breath.

"What the hell was that about?" Inuyasha demanded.

Kagome glared at him. "You are supposed to be a girl remember! You can't just go around beating up whole groups anymore. Not until you're back to normal."

"Those guys were asking for it." He replied stubbornly.

"Inuyasha!…."

"Gah! Well what did you want me to do?"

"You could have screamed. Or…kicked them."

Inuyasha gave her a dry look. "Pff. What's kicking them gonna do?"

Kagome sighed. "Never mind."

Inuyasha watched her sullenly. "What's your problem? Do you want me to be a girl or something?"

"It's what you are." Kagome muttered under her breath.

"HEY!"

Kagome smiled innocently. "Exhibit A." She sang. "The large chest." Poking the front of Inuyasha's kimono lightly. "The tiny waist." Tugging her hands around the drooping waist area of the kimono till it displayed Inuyasha's hourglass form. Then straightened, smiling sweetly as she faced hid squarely, setting a fingertip against his cheek. "And the pretty fa-"

Her words cut of at the soft, unguarded expression in his gold eyes, which were averted. A light pink blush stained his face and Kagome blinked in surprise and totally un-Inuyasha expression.

"I…Inuyasha?" She said in concern.

He turned back and Kagome was struck by the myriad of emotions in his eyes. Kagome had only rarely seen him so unguarded. Whenever he'd come back after seeing Kikyou and on the rare times where they'd sat together after she'd narrowly avoided fatal danger. It was jolt-seeing Inuyasha so…open.

"Kagome." He said softly. He leaned forward slightly and Kagome didn't move for shock. Her stupor broke however as a lock of hair fell forward to brush against the high cheekbone of his feminine face.

She gasped and pulled away, closing her eyes, and balling her fists letting out a shriek of "Sit, boy!" She turned away at the sound of Inuyasha's grunt as he hit the ground and sighed to herself. "That was just way to weird."

Inuyasha's feminine growl followed her statement. "Kagome…" voice annoyed.

"We have to get you changed back. Quick!"

"Isn't that what I've been telling you?" Inuyasha screamed.

Kagome ignored him, walking off towards the village muttering to herself. Inuyasha blinked in surprise from his place still on the ground then choked in surprise, jumped up and hurried after her. "Kagome! Wait for me!"

"What do you think Miroku?" Sango questioned from behind the monk.

Miroku plucked a leaf of the charred grass that surrounded the well. The huge burn mark was in a perfect circle. He shook his head with a frown. "A lot of power went into this." He commented.

"Power?"

Miroku nodded. "This spell must have taken a great amount of energy. I don't believe it was Inuyasha's brother who did it."

"Why's that?" Sango questioned quizzically, stepping up beside him.

"Well, the energy it takes to perform a spell like this the caster would have had to draw from his own life energy."

"Yes. And?"

"Well either the caster would have to use all his life energy to the point that he'd have none left. This would result in death however so that is not an option. Or he would have to have a partner to draw enough to sustain his life. Sesshomaru is far to stubborn and proud to ever depend on anyone but himself so I didn't think it was his doing Besides even if he could pull of a spell of this stature without dying, Kagome said he disappeared right after the blast. It isn't any way he'd have enough strength to get away that quickly."

"So you think whoever cast it is on foot?"

"That's my guess."

Sango nodded grimly. "Alright. Let's search the forest then."

Miroku smiled with amusement as the climbed onto Kirara's back again. "I wonder how Kagome and Inuyasha are faring."