A/N: Before I begin this fic, I would like to thank Danielle, a certain email reviewer who sent me the most flattering remarks about my work. Thanks again!

Also, I remember promising one of my reviewers that I would reveal more about Kagome and Azalea and this chapter, but as I was writing this, I realized that I can't do that without giving away too much about the whole story. Gomen. I'll try to clear things up a TINY bit in this chap though.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I wish I did though...

SEVEN WEEKS

Nagging Doubts

-----/---@

Miroku was hunched over Kirara, putting medicine on her leg wounds. The nekoyoukai was healing pretty quickly, considering that the blasts she got from Naraku were absolutely fatal.

Kirara had been Sango's family pet for four generations of the taijiya clan. When Sango left her town to be a castle guard, Kirara had come along. No one could restrain her. Besides, the taijiya clan had been wiped out - there was no one left to care for the poor neko.

Since then, Kirara had been the castle pet. The princess was always very fond of her. Besides, the princess was a cat person. If he was right, she used to have kittens as pets before she was brought to the palace. Not that the princess could have taken care of them personally - she couldn't touch anything living without harming it.

Miroku had always been rather close to her too. He had to admit, he had been terrified of her when he first set eyes on Kirara. She had come to the palace in her transformed form, that of a flying giant fire-cat. When he saw her normal, kitten-like appearance, he just found that the cat got on his soft spot.

The same way her mistress did.

"Ano... Kirara. Does Sango-sama say anything to you about... me?" he asked before catching himself. He silently berated himself after seeing the look on the youkai's face.

Much to his surprise though, the neko nodded. He blinked. "Honto ni?"

Kirara growled her affirmation. He started to ask, but realized that Kirara wouldn't tell for two reasons: One, Sango probably asked her to keep it a secret. Two, she couldn't speak.

Miroku desperately wanted to know what Sango thought of him. He had always been quite taken with her. He knew she thought of him as quite a pervert, what with his asking of all women he met to bear his child and his constant groping, but he couldn't help but wonder if maybe... maybe she thought anything positive about him.

The first time he saw Sango, she was riding on Kirara, her face running with tears. She was only eleven and he was twelve years old then, and she was still mourning for her departed family. He had offered to help her off Kirara, despite his obvious fright of the neko.

She had looked so distressed, he forgot to ask her to bear his child.

He had been asking that of women since his early age as a joke. The habit had grown on him.

Man, was he delighted to know that the lovely kid was his partner! He befriended her, and she did her best to put up with his lecherous manners. She was hysterical when he told her that he was a monk in training, and had been in training since he was eight. The lechery ran in his 'priestly' family line.

Kirara was looking at him intently, as if trying to decipher his thoughts. He sighed.

"Kirara, I really wanted to ask you if what she says is positive, but I know you won't tell me."

The neko just stared at him, an amused sparkle grazing her small eyes.

Then the communicator alerted him. Inuyasha was calling.

Miroku took the glowing amulet from within his robes and answered Inuyasha. "Konnichiwa, Inuyasha! O genki desu ka?"

"NO!" the hanyou on the other line barked (no pun intended). "I am not fucking fine!"

Miroku sat up straight. Inuyasha looked serious. Seriously pissed off, as well.

"Ok, Inuyasha. Fire away."

-----/---@

"I am not fucking fine!"

"Ok, Inuyasha. Fire away."

Inuyasha had been running at top speed, desperately sniffing out the wolf's trail when he realized that the damn monk Miroku may know what to do in these instances. Inuyasha needed all the help he can get to save Kagome. He had stopped running and called him without even thinking ahead. Now he was stuck.

'Fuck,' he thought. 'Now what do I tell him? Kagome doesn't want to be revealed. How can I ask him without telling him about Kagome?'

"Well..." Miroku frowned on the other side of the line at Inuyasha's sudden loss of words. 'Think, you baka hanyou, think!'

"I was in this town," Inuyasha started to construct a believable story. "and there was this family that let me sleep in their home with them for a night. They have this pretty daughter. So well, the next day, this wolf tribe attacked the town. I fought them off, but their prince took a liking to the girl and abducted her. Now I wanna rescue her to repay her family's kindness, so... do you know if there is anything that can help me? The prince was pretty fast."

Inuyasha watched as Miroku's eyebrows scrunched up in his now familiar 'deep-in-thought look'. Inuyasha wanted to beat the hell out of the guy and demand that he think of something quick so could save Kagome, but he was more civilized than that. Besides, he didn't want to give away his pretty little secret.

Inuyasha's ears perked up when he heard Miroku's voice again. "All I know," Miroku began. Inuyasha stared eagerly at his communicator. "is that the Tetsusaiga was made by the first princess of this land with the purpose of protecting this land, its inhabitants and the princess. Azalea primera, as we call her, must have predicted everything that was to happen."

"And what has that got to do with my problem?"

"Let me explain." Miroku said patiently. "Our books say that the Tetsusaiga has the power to take down one hundred youkai in one swing by an attack that slices through the wind. The Tetsusaiga would go through a portion of the wind and release the said attack."

"You mean it would make some kind of wound in the wind?"

"It would use the wound OF the wind..."

Inuyasha blinked, then whispered dazedly, "Kaze no Kizu..."

"HAI! I believe that may be it!" Miroku shouted excitedly. "If you can figure out how to use the Kaze No Kizu, there would be no problem! You can take on not just the prince of the wolf tribe, you can ball THE wolf tribe!"

Inuyasha pondered for a moment then stirred. "Yeah, That would be great! Thanks, Miroku! Bye!" he said as he closed up the amulet. He picked up Kagome's pack, which she had left when Kouga grabbed her, and grinned.

'I'll get you for messing with me Kouga!' he swore as he took off once again.

-----/---@

"I told you a thousand times: I am not hungry!" Kagome snarled at the insistent wolf youkai that had been trying to make her eat something for the past hour straight.

"But Kagome-neechan..." the wolf protested.

"I AM NOT YOUR NEECHAN! Now go away! I am NOT hungry!!!" she yelled and the wolf scampered away from her wrath and out the heavy wooden doors in fright.

She lied - she was STARVING, but she had no intention to eat anything that came from any member of this tribe. She didn't want anything that could have been tampered with when she wasn't looking. What if they had placed some love potion in there so she would fall for Kouga?

She shuddered at the mere thought of it.

She would NOT fall for anybody through some stupid potion! She didn't even want to fall naturally. She wouldn't... she couldn't.

The thought caused her to lose herself for a moment. Her powers, her gift, as her father had called it, made her seem untouchable to most men. Besides, she had sworn to help her land in any way possible through her powers. She cannot be bothered with a husband or children!

She caught herself right before she felt tears in her eyes. Her self-sworn duty was quite painful to think about. She would grow old all alone, with no one to share her joys with. But if it meant helping her people out, it was worth it - or was it?

'Sometimes I feel like I've been cursed...' the thought struck. She knew the truth. Men don't want her because she was different, she couldn't marry because she may just end up hurting the man - both physically and emotionally - and she felt like shit. She wanted to live normally, even for once in her life.

And her present situation wasn't helping her feel normal. 'I mean, how many girls have wolf youkai chasing after them?' she thought sarcastically.

"Demo, Kouga-sama, she refuses her meals!" a frantic voice was heard from outside. It meant only one thing: Kouga was back.

Kouga went into her 'prison' and walked up to her. Kagome sat down and turned away with a huff as he knelt before her.

"Why don't you want to eat? I can't let my woman go hungry..." he started and Kagome simply fumed.

"I am NOT your woman! And I don't want to eat and that's that!"

"What could I do for you, then?"

"You know what you can do?" Kagome said as she seethed. "You can take me back to Inuyasha so I can finish my quest!"

"But koi, be reasonable!"

"Don't call me that!"

Kagome turned away from him again, but as she turned, she noticed some manmade keys dangling from his belt. She saw opportunity right then, and she turned back to him so quickly, she nearly went dizzy.

'He wants a good woman, he'll get a good woman,' she thought, plastering the most seductive smile she could possibly muster on her lips as she stared into Kouga's eyes.

Kouga himself looked shocked at her sudden character change. She smiled at him coyly, twirling a lock of her long dark hair around her index finger. She leaned towards him, her eyes full of mystery, until their noses were inches apart.

"But now that I think about it, Kouga-kun," she said softly, letting her breaths wash over his face. "I suppose you can call me anything you want..."

Kouga gulped as she continued. "Inuyasha can be so... brash sometimes. He never lets me know that he wants me in any way." Kagome grinned, letting her right hand comb through the black hair that hung from his ponytail. "YOU on the other hand... is there ANY reason why you chose me? Other than my beauty, that is."

Kouga was in a daze. It seemed like his chosen mate was finally coming to her senses! "You." He began, "are not just beautiful. You are enchanting..." he replied dreamily, touching Kagome's other hand. "And you are powerful. You have conviction. You would make a perfect mate. Plus, you smell so wonderful." Kouga said as his hand started to travel up her arm. Just thinking about her scent made him dizzy.

Kagome, on the other hand, had let the hand he was not holding wander from his thick hair down to his waist, she pretended to place her hand on his hip, noting that the keys only hung shallowly. 'I got you now, pervert,' she thought victoriously.

"You are such a flatterer, Kouga-kun," she said with a shy smile. Kouga was surprised when she suddenly pulled her hands away and crossed them on her chest lightly.

"I would eat if you want me to, now go. I know you have your duties to attend to," she said sweetly as a red-faced wolf stared at her. "All I wish is for you to order your men not to watch me as I eat. It makes me uncomfortable."

Kouga nodded dumbly before leaving the room, grinning at her before completely exiting the door. He looked as if he had just succeeded in taming the fiercest of beasts.

She could hear him tell his men to give her food but not watch as she ate. She smiled to herself and plastered a sincere looking smile on her face when the same youkai that she had terrified came back with a plate of cooked meat.

She thanked him, arms still crossed before her as he put the plate on the ground in front of her. As soon as he left and she was sure no one was looking, she pulled her arms from their crossed position on her chest and grinned as she looked at the keys dangling from her hand.

-----/---@

Kagura's body had now healed from the wounds given to her by Naraku when he punished her. But her mental wounds were still fresh. She could remember his insults and threats. She could still feel the pain on her skin as if the wounds were still there.

Now she had to prove herself to Naraku. Though it was fruitless, she had to. He had given her his trust once again, but another failure may cause her to lose it.

Naraku had sent one of his men to take care of Inuyasha this time. She decided to follow the minion and watch how Inuyasha fights so she would be ready for him next time.

She was surprised to find him running a top speed, as if in a great hurry, and belatedly noticed that Kagome was not with him. 'Where could that bitch have gone to?' she idly wondered. Naraku would hear of this.

She took off and followed Inuyasha as he frantically ran through the dry land, leaping from dry tree to dry tree as he did so. That's when she noticed that he had Kagome's square pack slung on his shoulder. She dared to get within 'sniffing distance' and her youkai nose picked up a faint trace of wolf scent on his robes. Then it hit her.

'So the whore has been taken by the ookami clan?' she thought amusedly. 'This could be useful.'

-----/---@

'I will not be held prisoner for much longer,' the mystical woman said calmly to herself. 'I will be saved. I won't believe in anything else but that! And once I regain my full power, Crystallia will be back to how it was before I was taken!'

Azalea smiled to herself determinedly as she thought of Inuyasha and how he was going to be her way... her hope. She would not lose faith.

Naraku had once told her that she would never be free, but she did not believe him. He said that he was the only one who could give her what she wants.

"He lies," she whispered through gritted teeth, perspiration running down her temples. "He is not my only choice... he never will be."

-----/---@

Inuyasha ran almost blindly through the forest. 'I could smell her! I could smell Kagome!' he thought joyfully as he sprinted faster with every excited step. 'She's close, I know it!'

He had remembered what Miroku told him about the kaze no kizu, but his mind was set on rescuing Kagome and basically nothing else. He could sense other disturbances in the area but he knew that it was fruitless to stop then. He had to get to Kagome as soon as possible!

He could practically see her now. It was just his imagination working overtime, of course, but he could sense her so near him. He couldn't wait to give that wimpy wolf a bashing he would never forget!

'Take away my Kagome, will he?!' he thought angrily before he realized what he had just muttered mentally.

'MY Kagome? Where had I gotten that?' he mused, stopping dead in his tracks. 'Shit.'

He shrugged it off and proceeded to follow Kagome'e enticing scent.

'There!' he thought gleefully, speeding towards the partially hidden cave that emitted her scent.

-----/---@

"Kaze no Kizu? What is that?"

Sango sat before Miroku in the main hall, asking him about his earlier conversation with Inuyasha. The monk was deep in thought.

"The wound of the wind. The Tetsusaiga's main attack. I told Inuyasha about it. He was pretty determined to get back at the ookami tribe."

"There is something you are not telling me, Houshi-sama, and for your own benefit, I suggest you tell me now. I have been practicing with Hiraikotsu since this morning," Sango said with a smirk as she saw the monk yield.

"Alright. I have the feeling that Inuyasha isn't exactly being honest with us."

"Ne? Doushite?"

"Well..." he began. "Remember that day when Kagura attacked him?"

Sango nodded. "Hai. He said that he managed to transform the sword into the giant fang."

"Exactly," Miroku said. "But we all know for a fact that the sword would only transform if the user is PROTECTING someone other than himself. He said he was ALONE when he fought Kagura. It's strange."

"SO maybe he was protecting someone," Sango inquired. "What made you think he is dishonest?"

"The abducted girl. He seemed TOO eager to go on a rescue mission. I have a feeling that he lied about her being the daughter of a kind family."

"You are being judgemental, houshi-sama."

"Am I? I am just concerned. I think he may have a companion he is not telling us of."

"Demo, houshi-sama, be reasonable! If he has a companion, he wouldn't keep it from us!"

Miroku considered. "He would if she asked him to."

"She?"

"Yes. She. He would if she asked him to, specially since he seems taken with her. I think she was the one abducted, and now he wishes to rescue her."

"Ne?"

"And I fear that his companion may be in cohorts with Naraku."

-----/---@

Kagome sneaked through the halls of the ookami tribe with as much stealth as she could manage. The keys she had taken from Kouga had definitely done their trick, but she still had a long way to go before she gains her freedom.

She ducked her head as a wolf guard stepped from around the corner. 'Phew!' she thought in relief as he walked past her. She continued to walk slowly towards the mouth of the cave, casting weary glances back the way she went.

She had to get out of there!

She was just a step away from freedom. She stepped out of the cave and into the dark night with a long sigh of relief. She started to walk away when a deep voice suddenly called from behind her.

"And just WHERE do you think YOU are going?"

-----/---@

A/N: Sorry for the long update. I've been horribly busy. My classes start on Monday and I am really freaked out!

Also, sorry if this chap is shorter than the others. Like I said, I've been busy.

So there! Please read and review! Thanks to all those who reviewed my previous chaps! Ja ne!