You know…six chapters, over 100 hits, and two reviews, one of which is from a close friend of mine. I would like to thank Zelix for the review.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha characters…Yuki and Hanya are mine

'Thoughts'

"Speaking"

(A/N)

CHAPTER 6:

Jaken ran through the castle trying to find his lord. Scouts had spotted Inuyasha and his friends nearby. Of course, Sesshoumaru most likely knew this already. "Lord Sesshoumaru. Lord Sesshoumaru!" Jaken poked his head in the door to the library to see his lord. Sesshoumaru looked deep in thought as he stared out the library window with his normal expressionless features. "Lord Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha has been spotted in the forest east of here." "Don't you think I know that already, Jaken?" "Of course me Lord, who am I to question your knowledge? So are you going after them?" Sesshoumaru didn't look up from the window. "Me Lord, those two assassins are with him." Without saying anything Sesshoumaru stood and walked toward the exit.

Inuyasha grumbled to himself. He had been like that for the past hour. Yuki and Hanya decided that ramen didn't make a good breakfast and had gone out hunting, leaving the others to sit and wait.

While Inuyasha continued his complaining Yuki and Hanya appeared from the brush surrounding the group. Yuki carried an assortment of fruits and vegetables and roots, and Hanya carried a bundle of small rabbits (by bundle I mean about five or six). Kagome got up to help the two youkai but Yuki waved her free hand, motioning for her to sit, "you just sit, and Hanya and I will cook breakfast. We've done it before, it's no big deal." Kagome smiled and sat back down. "We should just get going and forget breakfast like we did yesterday." Inuyasha said arrogantly. Yuki growled and threw a carrot at him. Not expecting it, the carrot hit Inuyasha square on the head. Inuyasha growled as the vegetable fell to the ground. Everyone laughed and his growl grew louder. Picking up the carrot, he threw it back. Yuki lifted a claw and swung it as the carrot came closer. Instead of hitting her, the carrot fell back to the ground in four even slices. She picked the pieces up and brushing off the dirt she tossed the carrot into a pot of water they had set up.

By now, Hanya had started her duties in skinning the rabbits. She took out a small hidden dagger and began cut half of the rabbits into small chunks, and tossed them into the pots with the vegetables Yuki was cutting. The other half she rigged it up to roast over the ongoing fire. By ten minutes time Inuyasha began drooling at the cooked meat, and whenever he reached out to grab a chunk, Yuki or Hanya would slap his hand. Finally breakfast was done and they sat and ate. Inuyasha was done first because he had practically swallowed his share whole, and nearly choking.

Breakfast was short, and they cleaned up the area. They began their quest for the jewel shards once again, crossing through the western lands.

Sesshoumaru calmly walked into a clearing. He looked in both directions and caught the scent of his worthless half brother, and continued toward his direction.

'Yuki, Sesshoumaru is coming. Do you think he can smell us?' 'If he can, it's most likely he's only coming for Inuyasha.' Yuki and Hanya stared at Inuyasha who found his way to the front of the group (doesn't he always?). 'Sesshy's lackey probably told him we were here. Damn that toad.' Hanya growled at the thought of Sesshoumaru's toady, Jaken. 'Hush. That mutt and the others will get suspicious.' 'I don't think so, "look."

Inuyasha had been growling for the past couple minutes, and the group had stopped. Breaking from their thought conversation, the two youkai looked ahead to see the other inu youkai brother. "What do you want, Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha growled. "I should be asking you that. You are in my lands. And besides, consider yourself lucky; I'm not here because of you. I can kill you anytime I want." "What was that?" Inuyasha arched a brow, 'What is he talking about?' There was a moment of silence before Inuyasha got annoyed and drew the Tetsaiga, and charged at his half brother.

Sesshoumaru easily sidestepped the attack, making Inuyasha stumble. Seconds later, before Inuyasha regained his footing, Sesshoumaru stood in front of Yuki and Hanya. He held Yuki by the throat to where her feet were hovering above the ground, and Hanya had pulled out her hidden dagger and had it at his throat. No one moved or spoke (even Inuyasha…can you believe that?) "Now, now dear Sesshoumaru," Yuki choked out, "Don't you have other problems then to try and kill poor me?" Sesshoumaru snarled. "Besides if you kill her, I'll finish you like I should have years ago." Hanya pushed the dagger closer to his throat. Letting out a huff of air, Sesshoumaru released Yuki and she fell with a thud on her butt. "Now that wasn't very nice." Yuki whined, rubbing the sore spot, "You didn't have to drop me. Didn't anyone tell you that you have to be nice to women?" Sesshoumaru didn't answer that question. He was eyeing the dagger at his throat that Hanya had yet to put away. Hanya gave him a wide smile and put the dagger back in its hiding place.

By this time, everyone was staring at the trio. Inuyasha was wide-eyed in shock. There was another moment of silence until Inuyasha regained his ability to speak. "How do they know each other?" Inuyasha sputtered out. "That's what I'd like to know." Miroku scratched the top of his head in confusion. "And why didn't Sesshoumaru kill them?" Shippo asked innocently. Yuki and Hanya both turned to face their new 'friends'. "Mind explaining this." Inuyasha snorted.

Yuki gave them a big smile, and her and Hanya walked over to them. About halfway to the group, Yuki stopped and turned to Sesshoumaru. He was just about to leave, but Yuki grabbed a hold of his arm. She gave him a smile too and tugged him over to the group. (Yuki is just full of smiles today, and Sesshoumaru might be a little out of character…sorry if he is). Inuyasha growled as Yuki pulled Sesshoumaru into a sitting position. Yuki took a deep breath to start the story, but Hanya covered her mouth before she started. Hanya told the story.

"Yuki, you're supposed to be backing me up." Hanya yelled over at her partner. Grabbing her attention, Yuki yelped at Hanya's order. The naive kitsune looked over at her friend who had just taken a hit from their opponent. Their first job and they seemed to be failing, horribly. The full-grown inu youkai was faster than what they had first thought. Moving fast enough that the wind couldn't touch him. Hanya had trained more than Yuki had through out the winter and she came close to his speeds, but she still was no match. The lord had obviously seen many battles.

Yuki examined the pattern the youkai moved in. Standing, Yuki sped over to the youkai. Hanya jumped back as Yuki came in from behind, and stabbed at him. Turning just before she made contact, the youkai caught the blade and threw her across the valley, and a large ditch formed as Yuki's body was pushed through the ground, and then coming to a stop. Hanya lunged at him next, but he simply stepped out of the way. "What pathetic creatures you two are. Disgraces of youkai."

Yuki leapt over to Hanya's side and they both stood facing their opponent. Yuki's face was covered in bruises, and cuts ran up and down her arms. Hanya was nearly untouched; there was one large slash across her back. Their opponent was perfectly fine. He had no cuts, or even a speck of dirt, on him, and he had the faintest sign of a smirk on his face. Panting heavily from exhaustion Yuki stared down the youkai. "Lord Sesshoumaru, you probably know why we're here. The neko clan sent us." "Such weaklings as you could not defeat me."

"Wait, so you two were sent to kill Sesshoumaru." Inuyasha interrupted the story. "Isn't that just what I said?" Hanya growled at the interruption, "Aren't you going to say anything Yuki?" Hanya looked over at her partner, and smacked herself in the forehead, "Yuki, what are you doing?"

Yuki had cuddled up next to Sesshoumaru, (I'm sorry Sesshy lovers I couldn't resist) and she was purring softly. Sesshoumaru apparently didn't mind, but then again his face is always emotionless. Yuki had her eyes closed and she seemed to be asleep. Hanya reached over and grabbed one of Yuki's ears. Letting out a yelp, Yuki's eyes shot open and she reached up to soothe the tugged ear. Hanya smirked, and Yuki growled. "Why don't you get back to the story, Hanya!"

Within a second Sesshoumaru was in front of the pair and held Yuki by the throat. Hanya made a quick movement pointed a claw at his throat. Yuki let out short coughs as she gasped for air. Hanya growled a warning, but Sesshoumaru gripped Yuki's throat tighter. Yuki soon started to turn blue from loss of air, and her struggles became less intense. Her claws had been scratching at his hand, leaving cuts around his fingers and wrist. Hanya growled again before she dug both claws and her fangs into the arm holding Yuki. When Sesshoumaru didn't let go, she ripped at the flesh, and he dropped Yuki. Still refusing to let go, Sesshoumaru grabbed Hanya by her hair, and pulled her away from his arm, letting her feet dangle above the ground before he dropped her next to her friend.

He stood there for a few minutes before turning to leave. "Well? Aren't you going to finish us?" Sesshoumaru stopped. Yuki awoke coughing and gasping for air. Clutching her throat she realized that the claw choking her was no longer there. "Well?" Hanya threatened again. Yuki looked over at her friend and then over at the inu lord. "What are you doing? He's letting us go…alive!" "We can beat him." "No…we can't!" Yuki panicked when Sesshoumaru turned and walked toward them. She covered Hanya's mouth and smiled weakly, "No we're fine. Go ahead and – OW." Yuki pulled back her hands as Hanya bit her. Standing up, Hanya took a fighting stance. Sesshoumaru continued his stalk toward them. There was a gleam in Hanya's that only Yuki caught. 'She's going to try it.' Yuki looked at her friend bewildered. Hanya had yet to master her mind blasts yet she was going to try it (if you haven't figured it out, this is a story that Yuki and Hanya are telling. This is before Hanya or Yuki had mastered their special abilities).

Sesshoumaru finally stopped, and he and Hanya began to stare each other down. Hanya was tired and wounded, while Sesshoumaru only bled from where she had bit him. Yuki could do nothing but stare at her friend in fright. Hanya knew what she was doing; she just didn't know how she was going to do it. The stare down lasted only minutes, but it seemed like hours. Sesshoumaru made the first move and came toward her with duplicating speeds. Reaching back to strike the girl he came within inches of her, but was thrown back with an unseen force. Hanya had her eyes closed and when she opened them she saw what she had done. Sesshoumaru was still standing, but shock was clear on his face. Yuki opened her eyes, which she hadn't known she closed, and smiled. Her friend hadn't been killed. She stood up and stepped behind Hanya, and Hanya smirked. Sesshoumaru regained his composure and snarled at the two youkai in front of him. Again he sped at the pair. Hanya closed her eyes once again and with another blast Sesshoumaru was pushed back before he reached the two. This blast was stronger than the last and he was pushed to the ground by the force.

Inuyasha looked over at Sesshoumaru. He looked bored. Yuki had found her way back to Sesshoumaru's side, and she again seemed to be sleeping. Hanya finished her story explaining how Sesshoumaru gained a respect for Hanya, and that the two had spent six years training with his commander of his armies, and through out those years Yuki had gotten a little crush on Sesshoumaru. Though everyone could see that. After they had mastered their powers and surpassed the commander they left the castle and hadn't seen him since. "And speaking of haven't seen, where did your other hand go?" yuki yawned. "Inuyasha cut it off when he first got the Tetsaiga." Kagome said quietly. Yuki looked over at Inuyasha and growled. Leaping from her comfortable position she jumped Inuyasha. She grabbed a hold of one of his silvery locks and yanked. "How would you like it if I cut off one of your limbs?" Yuki threatened him. Inuyasha yelped and started growling back.

'Yuki' Yuki stopped and turned to face her friend. 'We have to kill him anyway, why not now?' she put a claw near Inuyasha's throat in a threatening way. 'Yes we do have to kill him, but not now.' Yuki sighed and retreated back next to Sesshoumaru's side. 'Fine. I can wait, that's not too hard.' Yuki and Inuyasha growled at each other for a little longer before Sesshoumaru stood to leave. Yuki followed him for a while, but Hanya pulled her back to group. "See you later Sesshy." Hanya covered Yuki's mouth before she could protest and drag him back. Sesshoumaru didn't replay, and kept walking (stream of tears…bye, bye Sesshy).

"Feh. Good, any longer and I'd have to take the other arm." Inuyasha's cocky attitude had returned, but he hid behind Kagome when Yuki growled. "We should probably get going." Kagome said, "I can sense a jewel fragment." "Well why didn't you say so earlier?" Inuyasha shot up from his hiding and walked away from the group. Everyone stayed in their seats and waited. He soon returned and sat back down in his spot. "So…which way is it?" Yuki and Hanya burst out laughing.

"Inuyasha can we please stop? We've been walking for hours and I think the jewel is just getting farther away." After a full days walking, the sun had not set yet, they still hadn't found the shard they were looking for. There had been a few moments where Yuki felt like killing Inuyasha.