Aivsy: YAY! I'm so happy for all the reviews and I got some great suggestions too! Looks like everyone likes Korou/Kayori! But it's gonna get a lot more complicated! Also!… No one wants any Somaru pairings! I wasn't planning anything for her in the first place! (That would be way to much work for me!)

Also... I'm a terrible author, mainly because it takes forever for me to update! but please please please forgive me!

Anyway please enjoy the next chapter! We left off with Kayori and Ryku rejoining the group after Koji's run in with the ninja girl Sayo!

Disclaimer: Nope I still don't own Inuyasha!

Chapter 21: Damaged Pride

"What are you saying Shippo!" Korou screamed so loud that his words echoed around the forest.

"Do you mind 'flea bag'!" Koji yelled just as loud. Shippo looked slightly nervous, at the two boys wishing he hadn't brought up the subject of Kouga and Kagome. (Bad idea Shippo!)

"What'd you call me 'mutt face'?" Korou yelled in his defense.

"Uhhhh, calm down you two! Kayori well be upset if she hears you two arguing!" Shippo said quickly.

"Shut up 'fox boy'! Like I care what she'll do!" Korou snapped.

"Shippo has a name, 'flea bag'! You'd better respect him!" Koji yelled, Korou face blew up in anger, he was about to respond when "someone" came back from the village.

Kayori's eyebrows twitched with annoyance at seeing the two preparing to duke it out. One hand clinched into a fist, the other was firmly fastened around poor Ryku's ear! "You know what… I have been stressed out enough with this hentai, and I come back to you two fight like a pair of stray cats! Even Somaru and I have learned to get along! And you know what else… All of you smell like you've been rolling in garbage!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Korou curiously sniffed his armpit, Koji fell over in surprise, and Ryku dipped his head in shame.

At that same moment Taimiko and Somaru just happened to come into the clearing. If there was one thing that really hurt a young man's pride it was being told you stink by one pretty girl and another pretty girl over hears it.

The three boy stand up and walk away with their heads hanging in shame. "You too Shippo!" Somaru said coldly. Shippo joined the others without complaint.

"This is all your fault flea bag!" Koji hissed!

"Yea right mutt face!" Korou sneered.

"I HEARD THAT!" Kayori screamed after them. They all sighed and remained silent.

They reached their destination- the hot spring, all of them grumbled as they got in.

"That was embarrassing!" Ryku said making ripple's in the warm water with his hand. All of them nodded.

"What is it with women these days? It's like they live to strip even the greatest man of his pride!" Shippo said wisely, "Funny though, I don't remember Kagome and Sango embarrassing Inuyasha or Miroku this much!"

"Maybe it skips a few generations?" Korou said, they all nodded in agreement.

"Of course Kagome did use the word 'sit' a lot with Inuyasha, and Sango sure did slap Miroku a lot, but I don't know who was more embarrassed," Shippo said tapping his chin thoughtfully.

"Sorry Shippo, but if I really needed a stroll down memory lane than I would have asked for it!" Koji said slightly annoyed.

Suddenly there was a rustling in the bushes nearby. "Now Kayori, if you really wanted to see us bathe you should have said something," Ryku said pervertedly. Koji calmly tossed a small rock at his head.

"That's not Kayori, it's not her scent!" Korou snapped.

Ryku's cheeks turned a dark cherry color.

"So now you've memorized my sisters scent!" Koji sneered.

"I only see her everyday! Of course I'll notice if it's her scent or not!" Korou said in his defense.

"Bet'cha like it don't 'cha!" Koji said losing most of his grammar skills.

"Well I must admit she does smell nice! Maybe I'll make her my woman!" Korou smiled and Koji lost most of his talking ability.

"Pervert… wolf… Kayori… not… woman… yours… sick!" Koji sputtered.

"You two must be shameless! Arguing over a woman while the two of you are completely naked!" Ryku said, his eyes closed in annoyance.

"Uhhh, guys, where are our clothes?" Shippo asked looking around wildly.

All of them looked up startled. As if to answer Shippo's question, a strange monkey like creature leapt out of the bushes with all their clothes on it's back. It laughed at them and rushed off in the direction of the camp, where Kayori, Somaru, and Taimiko were waiting for them and probably cooking dinner.

"Come back here you dirty rodent!" Korou yelled as he, and Ryku leapt out of the hot spring to chase it down.

"You guys do realize that…" Koji started to say but they didn't hear it. "Apparently not!"

"Uhh, Koji, those weren't our clothes," Shippo said nervously.

"Huh!" Koji looked at where Shippo was staring and noticed a pile of clothes that belonged to all of them, right where they'd placed them. They quickly got dressed and grabbed Ryku and Korou's clothes, hoping to catch them before they ran into camp, but at that very second Kayori's scream echoed around the tree tops.

…Meanwhile

Kayori sat watching to fire burning. "Do you think they're still embarrassed about that?" she asked quietly.

"If they are that's their own fault, they have to get it in their heads that we're in charge!" Somaru snapped.

"CATCH THAT MONKEY!"

Suddenly a white monkey burst into the campground carrying a pile of clothes on it's back. It leapt into the trees leaving the clothes behind. Kayori curiously plucked the clothes off the ground. "Never seen such fine silks before," she said. Somaru joined her and nodded in agreement.

"Uh-oh," Taimiko said.

Suddenly a naked duo of Ryku and Korou stumbled into the camp. Somaru quickly covered Taimiko's eyes as Kayori screeched in horror.

Both boys looked down and tried to cover themselves desperately. "That monkey stole our clothes!" they yelled un unison.

"You mean these clothes?" Somaru said holding up the kimono that the monkey had dropped. It had Sakura patterns along the hem and was a bright pink. Not only that, it was even too small for Taimiko. Both boys exchanged nervous glances.

"What happened?" Taimiko asked prying at Somaru's hand that covered her eyes.

Koji and Shippo suddenly appeared from the bushes holding up Ryku and Korou's clothes. "Do us all a favor well you!" Koji tossed them the proper clothing. Everyone turned a bright red.

It took an hour for the two to get dressed from their place in the bushes. And it took just as long for Kayori to get over the intital shock.

After a uncomfortably long and silent meal they began to prepare their beds.

Kayori climbed under her bed linens and dragged the thick blanket over her head. She waited for her friends to fall asleep.

It was an hour later that Shippo's soft snores came through the confines of her blankets. Finally she poked her head out to breath the fresh night air. With a sigh she laid back down to look up at the stars. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. Within seconds a naked Ryku streaked across the horizon behind her eye lids.

"Stupid Idiots! No respect for my virgin eyes!" she hissed tossing back the covers. Kayori carefully tip-toed over the sleeping bodies.

As she neared the edge of the campsite she felt a hand wrap around her ankle! Kayori screamed and toppled face first to the ground.

"What are you up to!" Korou said staring down at her.

Kayori looked around nervously only to notice that she hadn't woken anyone except Korou. She looked up at him and rose to her feet. "I was getting some air!" she said brushing herself off.

"We thought you were trying to smother yourself or something!" He said scrathing his head a little. Kayori raised her eyebrows. "Anyway were you planning on leaving camp were you! That can be dangerous!"

"So who made you my boss!" she spat.

Suddenly something rattled in the bushes behind them. They both were so caught up in conversation that they both jumped nearly a foot in the air in shock.

"What was that!" Kayori hissed nervously. She suddenly realizedthat she was clingling to Korou arm.

"Are you scared?" he asked slyly.

Kayori's face became stern, "I was just surprised, not scared!" she snapped.

Another noise from the bush... They both jump and Kayori unconsiously clung to his arm again.

Aivsy: so what do you think? I really need suggestions on what to do? I've had so much school that it makes my brain fry and I can't write anything that doesn't begin with. "This is important because..." HaHa! Oh well. it looks like everyone like Korou over Ryku, but i honestly have no clue where it's gonna go, but it's not gonna be easy for Kayori.

Until next time...