Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha, I'd be rich (And one lucky little girl )!

No Way Out
Chapter 8 - The Healing Process

Inuyasha set me down inside Lady Kaede's hut, ignoring the stares that Miroku, Sango, and Shippou gave us. I blushed and hugged my knees to my chest, ignoring the pain in my ankle.

Lady Kaede walked into the hut. She glanced at me, then at Inuyasha. "What happened to ye?"

"Feh. Idiotic Bumi over there hurt her ankle."

"And how did you get hurt, Inuyasha?" Sango asked quietly. "Did you guys run into a youkai?"

Inuyasha shook his head, looking away. He murmured something inaudible, and I rolled my eyes. "Inuyasha and I were training, and I kinda slashed his arm."

"Bumi, you did that?" Miroku asked.

I nodded and kept blushing. I looked up, and Lady Kaede was already re-bandaging Inuyasha's arm. "Lady Kaede, when you're done, could you look at my ankle?"

She looked up at me and nodded. "Of course, Bumi. But ye must get out of those clothes. They're practically rags." She went to a different area, and came back with something red and white in her hand. "Here. Ye may have these, Bumi. After I look at your ankle, Inuyasha will take you to the spring so ye may bathe, and then change."

I stared at her. "Oh... n-no, I'm fine... I'm sure I could walk there myself..."

"Nonsense. Ye are injured, and Inuyasha will be able to protect ye if anything comes."

I frowned. "I don't need to be protected."

"Nonsense." She touched my ankle after using some kind of herb on it, and before I knew it, Inuyasha was carrying me once again.

I was still holding the clothes that Lady Kaede had given me. I looked down at them. How does she expect those to fit me? Besides, this kimono looks like it belongs to a miko...

Inuyasha set me down by the spring. I looked up at him, and felt my cheeks warm up. "You can go now."

"Kaede told me to stay, remember?"

I rolled my eyes. "Wow, you're actually listening to somebody?"

He shrugged, rudely, actually, and looked away. "I won't look at you, if that's what you're worried about."

I rolled my eyes and slipped my feet into the spring. "Just leave me alone so I can bathe, okay?" I looked up and he was gone. I shrugged off my dress, and quickly slid into the water. It was really nice.

And it helped my ankle.

By the time I got out, I could walk on it again. I was about to put on my dress, but looked over at the kimono that Lady Kaede had given me. I should probably wear it, so I don't look disrespectful...

After putting on the kimono and tying the obi, I looked at my reflection in the water. Except for my ears, stripes, and tail, I could've easily passed as a miko. With an extremely large kimono.

The kimono was, what I guessed, a normal size, but it fit like a giant's on me, because I'm so small. Would it be rude to ask Lady Kaede if she has anything smaller?

I turned away and started walking towards the village. I almost tripped on the bottom of the hakamas. It didn't matter that I was in my bare feet; the pants went way past them, and dragged a little.

So, I rolled the hakamas up so they reached my ankles, and picked up my dress, boots, and belt. I'd given up my leg warmers to a little girl in the village, which led Inuyasha into thinking that I really should be a human.

I couldn't smell Inuyasha's scent anywhere nearby, so he must've already gone back to the village.

I started walking down a hill when I noticed another scent, other then the villagers. And it was a demonic scent, no less. Why would a youkai come this close to the village? I ran in the direction of the scent, dropping my things as I went along. The scent got stronger as I moved deeper into the forest.

I also began to notice Inuyasha's scent. Why would he be fighting a youkai alone?

As I came into the clearing, I saw Inuyasha chasing after a woman on a large feather.

He stopped running after she disappeared from our sight. I walked up to him, and gently pulled on the sleeve of his haori. "Inuyasha, who was that?"

He looked down at me. "That was Kagura, the wind sorceress."

I raised my eyebrow. "Eh? Why were you fighting with her?"

"She's an incarnation of Naraku." He looked in the direction she fled.

I looked away. Kagome had told me about Naraku, how and why Inuyasha and all them are chasing after him. Each person has a different story to tell.

She told me about how Kikyou used to take care of Naraku's old human soul, Onigumo, when he was wounded. Apparently, he fused with hundreds of youkais, making him a hanyou. He's supposed to be really strong, and is collecting shards of the Shikon Jewel, as well.

Kagome told me that Inuyasha's always wanted to kill Naraku for turning Kikyou against him. I've yet to hear that story, and I'm beginning to think that I never want to. And I know that I don't want to see this Naraku person.

"Bumi..." I looked up at Inuyasha. I realized that he hadn't looked at me yet.

"Hai, Inuyasha?"

"You should get back to the village. It's getting late."

I looked around. "But it's not late..."

"Just go back."

"Inuyasha, you're hurt. You can't follow her!"

"Feh. I'm strong, remember?" He scoffed.

"I don't care! If I have to go back, you do too." I tugged at his sleeve again.

He groaned. I turned away and started pulling him towards the village. Or, at least, I tried to.

I frowned and poked his stomach. "Inuyasha, you are so stubborn." I turned to look at him, and to my surprise, he was looking at me.

Then he started laughing. I looked up at him curiously, letting go of his arm. "Nani?"

"That... is way too big on you."

I frowned and pulled the sleeve up. "Duh. Do you think Lade Kaede has anything smaller?"

Inuyasha shrugged and started walking towards the village. I sighed softly and followed him, pulling up the sleeves on my kimono. "Inuyasha, I need to find my stuff."

"Then find them." I frowned.

"Gee, arigato, Inuyasha." I rolled my eyes and kept following him. I didn't know my way around here and, knowing me, I'd get lost.

Once I could see the village, I smiled. Inuyasha was quite a ways in front of me, because I had to keep stopping to fix the kimono. What exactly was Lady Kaede thinking when she gave me these?

"Inuyasha, wait up!" I said, running towards him. To my surprise, he stopped and turned around. I started running faster, so I wouldn't have to make him wait.

And in the next moment, I was sitting on his stomach. I scrambled off, and looked around, confused. I didn't remember tripping. Then it hit me. I hadn't tripped on a rock or anything; I'd tripped on the hem of the hakamas!

I turned to Inuyasha, blushing. "Gomen!"

He stood up, dusting himself off. "Feh. You'd better be, wench."

I stood up and glared at him. "I take that back! I told you to never call me that again, you jerk!"

He shrugged and walked away. I sulked off, in the direction of the forest.

And I stayed there until nightfall.

I'd sat down against a tree, and sulked, waiting for anything. Sango had stopped by, and brought me a new kimono. It seemed that Inuyasha had told her about the whole 'kimono being too big on me' thing, and where I had run off to.

The kimono looked like it should have belonged to child, but it fit me just fine.

I stood up when nightfall approached. I looked at the sky and smiled. There would be no moon in the sky tomorrow.

And then I began thinking. When did Inuyasha become human, and how much different did he look? I bet he's cute as a human... I quickly shook my head. Inuyasha was a jerk! I couldn't think about him that way.

I turned my head after hearing something. I could smell someone familiar. "Hello?"

I stood up and walked forward a bit. "H-hello? Kouga?" I couldn't believe I was afraid. I mean, how could I be, when I knew it was him?

I heard a laugh from behind me and spun around. "Don't sneak up on me!" I smiled and pushed at him playfully. "You found my dress and boots!"

Kouga nodded and handed them to me. "Your dress looked pretty torn. Are you okay?"

I nodded, smiling. Kouga, unlike Inuyasha, actually seemed to care about me. "Hai. I'm fine."

Kouga looked me over, and I blushed. "Nani?"

"Why are you wearing a miko's kimono?"

I looked down at myself and frowned. I had forgotten that I was wearing that kimono. "Lady Kaede let me wear it after she looked at my ankle. Well, this one was delivered by Sango, but it's basically the same one..."

"You hurt your ankle?" He sounded a little concerned.

I quickly shook my head. "Oh, no! Well, earlier, when I was training with Inu-"

Kouga quickly cut me off. "The mutt? You were training with the mutt?

I growled. "Watch it. I'm a hanyou too, remember?"

Kouga frowned and backed away a little. "I have something for you."

"Eh?" I said curiously. "You have something... for me?"

He nodded and handed me a sword. I stared at it, then looked at him curiously. "For me?" Kouga nodded, and I looked back at the sword.

It was beautiful. The blade was a deep silver, which looked blue in the dim moonlight. The hilt had a wolf carved into it, and the sheath had rose vines carved on it. "A-arigato, Kouga."

"You're welcome, Bumi." I looked up at him, and smiled when I saw his grin.

"Why are you giving this to me?"

He shrugged. I smiled once more, and put the sword back into it's sheath. "Kouga, can you walk me back to the village?"

"Why do you want to go back?"

"I need to show Sango this! It's beautiful... I can use it in battle, right?" Kouga nodded, and I smiled. I held the blade close to my chest, hugging it. "So... you'll take me back to the village?"

I looked back at Kouga, and he laughed. "Fine."

"Yay!" I ran to his side, and we started walking towards the village. "Arigato."

Kouga nodded and wrapped his arm around my waist. I blushed slightly and looked up at him.

"...Kouga? Do you really expect me to help 'regenerate' the tribe? Because, y'know, I am a hanyou... And I'm only fifteen..."

Kouga shook his head. "No, my woman. Maybe in a year or so."

I stared at the ground. I'll still be young...

"Kouga? Would you happen to know why I'm so different?" I looked up at him, and he shook his head.

"I don't know, Bumi. I wish I did." He pulled me closer to him, and I smiled. At least someone could be nice to me.

As we neared the village, I tucked my head into Kouga's side. I didn't want to leave him, but I knew I had to.

Inuyasha walked out of Lady Kaede's hut and was shortly followed by the gang. They all looked at us weirdly, and I quickly pulled away from Kouga.

Inuyasha stepped forward. "I knew I smelled Kouga coming. But I didn't know that you would be hanging all over him, Bumi."

Fan: Yup, it is better. And yes, that was a short training session, wasn't it? Trust me, there's a point to it.

Lisa: But he's a cute bastard. Smart girl, you are.