"Inuyasha: The Hunt for Naraku Begins Anew!"
(The Rights to Inuyasha and co. belong to Mrs. Rumiko Takahashi)
Chapter I: "Out of the Frying Pan and Into…Kagome!"
Having destroyed the evil demoness, Princess Kaguya, and escaping from her Dream Castle hidden beneath the lake, and watching Naraku get away once again, Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara were glad to be out of the world of the Pentacle Mirror and back to the normal, and somewhat peaceful feudal era of Japan.
"Ahhh… this feels so good!", Kagome said, stretching her arms up above her. "Oh yes that reminds me.", Miroku stated as he stopped walking and turned around, facing Sango. "Sango, we should follow suit.", he said as he put his hands on Sango's shoulders and leaned closer to kiss her. Her face flushed a bright red as she realized what he was doing and promptly drew her hand back, and slapped him hard on the face.
SMACK
"OOWW!", Miroku exclaimed as he dropped his staff and started rubbing on the red-pink handprint now on the left side of his face. "What on Earth were you thinking?", Sango said, taken aback by the monk's actions. "What? Kagome and Inuyasha did it. I thought we should reap the benefits of intimacy." Miroku said calmly, referring to the kiss that Kagome laid upon Inuyasha's lips in order to save his human soul from being locked inside the Pentacle Mirror, thus rendering him a full-fledged demonic beast.
Inuyasha and Kagome, who had been walking ahead of Miroku and Sango at the time, turned around to stare wide-eyed at the monk. Kagome gasped and put her hands over her ears pretending not to hear. "I'm not listening to you! LALALA!", she said in a mock singing voice.
Inuyasha, as usual, opened his big mouth and said, waving his hands in front of him,
"It's not like I wanted to do it to ya!". Kagome suddenly opened her eyes, giving him a glare that would make even Sesshomaru go crawl under a rock. "HMM!" Inuyasha sweat dropped. "I-I mean you're the one who forced yourself on me I didn't-" "INUYASHA,", Kagome screamed, "SIT!"
WHAM
"Inuyasha," said Shippo with his arms crossed, "grow up wouldya?"
later that night at Kaede's hut--
Kaede had gone out with Miroku, Sango, and Shippo to get firewood for the fireplace. Of course, Miroku and Sango had gone on Kirara's back while Kaede had to ride Shippo in his midget horse form.
They all would rather be anywhere than with Inuyasha and Kagome at the moment, as they were still bickering about their fight earlier that day. Kagome was the first one to give up. "Alright already! I'm sorry that I said-" Inuyasha flinched, "Umm… S-I-T."
Phew, that was close. , he thought to himself.
"Now that that's over, I wonder when the others will be back?" They have been gone awhile… , thought Inuyasha. He pretended not to act concerned, as he always did. As Inuyasha and Kagome sat around the fire, Inuyasha thought back to when they were sitting under the cherry blossom tree, right before Kagome had been kidnapped by Princess Kaguya.
FLASHBACK
It was a warm, beautiful Summer night. Inuyasha was listening to Kagome read from her history book, while he was breaking sticks and throwing them onto the fire. "Whoa! A shooting star! Hurry, make a wish!", exclaimed Kagome suddenly, dropping her book and putting her hands together, closing her eyes as she silently made her wish, as three- now four- shooting stars streaked across the night sky.
"Inuyasha?" "Hm?" "Tell me, do you still want to become a full demon?" "Yeah, of course I do." "You're pretty strong already don't you think?" "Feh. Be quiet, will ya? I'm gonna become a full-fledged demon. I've already made up my mind, so just quit bugging me about it, wouldya?"
"I've been thinking…there's nothing wrong with staying…the way you are. I mean, why not stay a half-demon?" Inuyasha continued to stare into the fire. "To be honest, I like you just the way you are.", said Kagome looking up at the black sky, smiling lightly.
END FLASHBACK
Inuyasha was the first to speak. "Kagome?" "Yeah?" "What exactly did you mean when you told me…you liked me the way I am?" Kagome blushed lightly as she thought about it.
I meant I love you, but can I tell him now? Should I tell him now? He returned the kiss I gave him in the castle, but what about Kikyo? I told him I love him as a half-demon, just the way he is now. He said he would stay a half-demon a while longer, but that doesn't necessarily mean he loves me back…does it?
"Hello? Kagome answer me please." Kagome snapped out of her trance. "Huh? Wha-oh…sorry Inuyasha." "Kagome, please, answer me. I need to know." Did he just say please to me? , thought Kagome, taken aback. The light blush spread across her face as she looked at her knees. "Well…it meant that…that I-"
At that moment, of all the moments in time and space, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kaede walked in with more firewood for the fireplace. Inuyasha, who had been looking and listening to Kagome very intently, was absolutely speechless for the first time in his life, he could not find anything to say at all, which was odd for Inuyasha because of his large and colorful vocabulary.
Miroku and Sango sniggered at the dumbfounded expression on Inuyasha's face. Kagome was also frustrated about the group's timing. "Well, I see ye two have ceased quarreling." "Finally", said Shippo.
Inuyasha said nothing, but simply got up, walked outside and jumped onto the roof, where he, rather quickly, fell asleep muttering something about people and the inner circle of hell. "
What's with him?", asked Miroku. Kagome said nothing. Soon, all in the hut were asleep. The fire had long been out. Inuyasha had woken up, and was standing in the door of the hut, and was looking at the sleeping form of Kagome in her sleeping bag.
What was she about to say? I don't know why but…I have a feeling…deep inside, like she was going to say she loved me. Feh, what am I thinking? How could she love a half-breed mutt like me? But, she did say she loved me as the way I am. Hmph! For all I know she could have said it just to change me back. And yet…she did kiss me, right? But that doesn't mean she actually…loves me…does it?
