This chapter is also short, but it explains quite a bit. It kinda has to be in there, so this is one of those filler/important chapters.

Chapter 8: Kyoumi's Past

Kagura had trouble holding onto Kyoumi, and when she was a couple of feet over the castle grounds, she was glad to let her go.

A deep and menacing voice said, "Kagura, go and protect the castle. If InuYasha comes, tell him what will happen if he breaks the barrier."

Kagura scowled and flew up into the sky, on the other side of the castle barrier.

The same voice chuckled softly and said, "So, I see you've come, Kyoumi."

"Who are you? Show yourself!" yelled Kyoumi, wishing she had her sword right now.

A figure in a white fur cloak and a baboon mask came from the castle.

"I am Naraku."

"What do you want with me? I haven't done anything!" Kyoumi said, her heart pounding furiously.

"You have something that I think I should have. A shard of the Sacred Shikon Jewel."

Kyoumi was stunned. Her face was stuck in an expression of confusion and surprise. Finally, she was able to say, "I-I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Of course you don't. It was planted in the back of your neck on the night before you became sixteen without your knowledge," Naraku said, probably smirking underneath that baboon mask.

"Who planted it there?" she asked, still scowling at him, and still confused.

"I did."

"What!" Kyoumi said, surprised now.

"I put the Jewel Shard in your neck to stop you from gaining your powers. I knew that if you got your powers, you would be able to oppose me if you joined up with InuYasha. I couldn't take that chance," said Naraku, his voice holding a certain air to it that made him sound happy.

"And what made you think I would join up with InuYasha?" Kyoumi asked, getting aggravated by all his answers that didn't really answer her questions.

"I was the one who killed your mother."

Those words stung Kyoumi like a whip. She couldn't take this. "No," whispered Kyoumi, so quiet that it was inaudible.

---

InuYasha ran as fast as he could with Kagome on her back. Miroku ran next to him, and Sango and Shippo were on Kirara. "InuYasha! What's that?" said Kagome, pointing to something glimmering in the sunlight.

InuYasha slowed to a stop and Shippo got to the ground. It was Kyoumi's sword.

"This is Kyoumi's! She must have dropped it!" Shippo exclaimed as he touched the side of the sword, knowing he wasn't nearly tall enough to grab the handle and yank it out of the ground.

Instead, Sango grabbed it out of the ground.

InuYasha looked ahead and saw a few small pools of blood. "Kyoumi must have dropped her sword trying to hack Kagura to pieces," he said, sniffing the air. "Yeah, that's definitely Kagura's blood."

"Then we should keep following her trail, and bring the sword back to Kyoumi," said Sango, holding the sharp sword carefully. It was the sharpest sword that she had ever held before, all hers were duller than Kyoumi's, and weren't made nearly as well. A pang of jealousy went through her as she looked at the sword carefully.

Shippo jumped back onto Kirara and they set off at full speed, trying to get to Kyoumi as soon as possible.

Soon they saw a castle with a red barrier around it, but they also saw Kagura looking bored.

"It's about time," Kagura said as InuYasha and the others stopped. There was blood running down the arm that had taken a hold of Kyoumi's kimono.

"You guys distract her, I'm going to break the barrier. I'm sure that Kyoumi is behind there," InuYasha said as he drew his Tetsusaiga. He concentrated on the barrier and soon the Tetsusaiga was glowing red.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Kagura said as she put her fan up. "If you break the barrier, your friend will be killed."

"Damn," muttered the hanyou, turning towards Kagura. "Well then, I'll just have to kill you!" said InuYasha as he raised his sword.

"Wind Scar!" he said, bringing his sword down and sending a wave of power that could kill 100 demons. Kagura's eyes widened and the Wind Scar hit her, causing her to scream loudly.

When the sword stopped it's powerful attack, Kagura slowly got up and grabbed a feather from her hair. She flew away, badly injured and torn up.

Kagome ran towards the barrier and put her hands up against it, looking through it, trying to see any movement. The others came close to the barrier and looked through it, except InuYasha.

He looked at the barrier, and soon his sword started to glow red.

Kagome turned and yelled, "NO! You can't!"

"I think Kagura was lying to us!" he yelled back.

"Even if she was," started Miroku, "do we want to take that chance?"

InuYasha growled and put his sword away.

Just then a wall broke down from the castle, and Kyoumi faced a large demon with multiple tentacle-like limbs with a baboon mask.

"Naraku!"

There you go! That's the eighth chapter!