Chapter 7

"Kikyo..." Inuyasha was speechless for no apparent reason. "Wait a second Sesshoumaru! Naraku is dead; you were right there when we defeated him.

"So Naraku is dead is he? That explains why my wound has been opening lately. It's finally over" Kikyo took a big breath and let it all out with the sound of relief.

"Yeah that's right Lord Sesshoumaru. That bastard is dead and you want to look for him?" Jaken interrupted.

Silence took over them after the last remark. Inuyasha was really confused when his brother witnessed Naraku's demise. Why was he looking for him when he doesn't exist anymore? And what wound does Kikyo have? Her appearance was normal. Reeked of soil, additional herbs that Urasue used to bring back Kikyo, and with pail skin. Red and white kimono, bow and arrows, and a white ribbon in her hair. Let's go back to the Naraku subject...Naraku's dead! He isn't alive or is he. But that would be impossible considering Miroku sucked him up with the Kazaa. Why in the hell does Sesshoumaru want to find a dead person? Do you know? In such a long time Kikyo finally felt peace in her soul. Relief and free of the heavy toll she and Inuyasha paid fifty years ago.

"You fool! Didn't you see when you blasted him with the kaze no kizu pieces of him went everywhere?" Sesshoumaru became hasty.

"Yeah I ain't blind! BAKA!" Inuyasha yelled back.

"And Miroku sucked every piece of Naraku with his Wind Tunnel" Kagome added.

"Humm. You are so naive" Sesshoumaru loosened up his grudge and smiled a little.

"Lord Sesshoumaru is smiling? This is good" Jaken began to sweat under the whole ordeal.

"What the hell is he going at?" Inuyasha put a hand on the tip of Tetsusaiga, ready to use it in a battle against his half brother.

"Naraku fellow is dead? That's not what Lord Sesshoumaru said a few days ago" Rin began thinking about what he had said a few days before.

Now everyone besides Sesshoumaru, were deep in thought. They just couldn't figure out what he meant by Naraku being blown up into million pieces but he was blown up in that many pieces by himself. Why is he blaming Inuyasha when Sesshoumaru took part of blowing him up into tiny pieces of body parts? Sesshoumaru stared at his hanyou brother and Inuyasha stared back. Kagome looked at Kikyo and Kikyo just looked at the sky, like she was in a never ending day dream. It was like a heavy weight was lifted off her shoulders. But something wasn't right. It was too easy. To easy to feel relief. Something was wrong and Sesshoumaru already knew what it was. Naraku...

"Will you please tell us what you mean Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked with a little demanding.

"Naraku isn't dead yet" Sesshoumaru said something that no one wanted to hear.

"Not dead? What the hell? That's not possible if you forgot that we took care of him once and for all" Inuyasha disagreed. "And how the hell would you know?" Inuyasha asked in suspicion.

"Are you blind brother. When you are to blame! You swing the Tetsusaiga like it's nothing and you think you're worthy of it. How Totosai misjudged you" Sesshoumaru spoke up.

"What! You blew him up too! You're the one who blew his body parts into smaller ones. So don't go and blame me everything" Inuyasha argued.

"Now they're going to fight over who diminished Naraku?" Kagome sat down on a nearby boulder along with Shippou in her arms.

"This could take longer then we planned Kagome. All we wanted was to fetch Kikyo and return to the village. Now the two airheaded brothers are going to fight about a dead guy" Shippou was as annoyed as Kagome was.

"I just don't understand what Sesshoumaru is trying to explain" Kagome still wondering.

"If it's so hard for you, let me explain. I made sure Tokijin hit without leaving big scraps that could move on its own. But before I arrived, you blew him up and left huge chunks of him that could move on its own. That's why he's able to regenerate so fast. When I came and we did what we did, while the monk was sucking him up, I saw a huge chunk of his flesh with a jewel shard, escape into the woods. You were to blind in victory, you didn't see the piece escape under your nose" Sesshoumaru revelled the truth.

"A jewel shard? Now that's where you're wrong. The Shikon no Tama is fully whole and there is no way there is a shard left" Kagome stepped in.

"Look again mortal girl" Jaken stepped right in front of Kagome.

"I already said that's not my NAME! It's KAGOME! KA...GO...ME!" Kagome yelled as she felt she was being made fun of.

Kagome got up and Shippou went flying. He was caught by Kikyo and she let him down from her arms. Kagome was too busy to notice what had happened. The toad demon, Jaken, was really getting on Kagome's nerves. Shippou returned to where they sat until Kagome came back making Shippou move from his comfortable spot. Shippou returned to his original spot in Kagome's arms after she had cooled off. Inuyasha was still speechless at the idea of Naraku being alive when he felt like a heavy load on his shoulders, chest, and mind that was lifted. Thinking he didn't have to fight, the pain would disappear from his heart, and him obsessing on killing the bastard would stop and could live without revenge, hatred, deceived, and rage. And all that heavy weight added back once Sesshoumaru said about him not being dead. Does this mean Miroku's Kazaaun will come back? Will he have to suffer with the curse in his right hand again? Does he have to fear death by his own hand or curse once more until Naraku finally dies?

Thankfully Kohaku isn't his puppet anymore. If they hadn't figured out he didn't need the jewel shard and then Naraku would have control over him again. That would just break Sango's heart and she would have to worry about her brother being controlled by the bastard. She would have to go through Kohaku not remembering who he was and who was his family. He would be like an empty shell, obeying orders, and having no memory about his past. He would escape when Sango meets up with him occasionally and always know he could never be free unless Naraku is dead. She would continue to fight and in the end, her brother escapes with their arch nemeses. Kikyo then again felt all the pain, suffering, and disappointment come back. The good feeling was for such a short time and she wished the pain that came back would disappear again. She had thought she could be in peace but that wasn't going to happen when she now knows revenge wasn't effective. It was fatal and it wasn't right.

The hanyou clutched his fists tight together and he trembled. Not in fear, but anger, rage, and felt that revenge was necessary again. He had thought ever since he supposedly beaten Naraku, that his suffering would go away, but it hadn't. Maybe it was because Naraku had survived or it wasn't going to leave ever. His teeth pressed together and began to make an irritating sound again. Growling sounds came from the chest up his throat and out. Kagome couldn't be angry but just felt sad for her secret love, Inuyasha. She understood why this was taking a big toll on him. She understood he wanted revenge and why he felt free from all the angry when they had thought that they had won the war against Naraku. Finally, Inuyasha dropped to the ground and began to pound it with his fist. By pounding the ground with his fist, he cursed and started to repeat "Bastard". Kikyo closed her eyes and tears began to fall. She really was the one who really understood because they both went through hell together. Even though she didn't really have that many feelings since she wasn't herself anymore, she still felt the hatred, pain, sadness, and anger towards Naraku. She blamed him for the ending of her demise, happiness, and the chance of becoming a regular woman with the one she loved.

Revenge again over took the hanyou's thoughts, dreams, and life. So much for living his life the way he wants. So much for being happy until his enemy has perished. Kagome got up and walked over to the angered hanyou. He was just pounding the ground and made deep gashes into the soil. His hands were covered in dirt, sweat, and blood. His knuckles were covered in all three. The young miko knelt down by her secret love and wrapped an arm around his back to his shoulder. Kagome demanded him to stop but he didn't hear her. He was too into the idea of beating Naraku for good, he didn't hear Kagome's demands. Sitting him wouldn't change anything, it would just get him even more angry, and it would get her no where. Inuyasha finally stopped and looked over to the dead miko standing a few feet way. Tears were still falling down her pail face and they landed on the soft soil. Inuyasha could only feel guilty knowing he failed her, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Kohaku, Shippou, Kilala, and everyone else. He failed them all. Even though they took part of his demise, he should have noticed one of his limbs escaping.

"Kikyo" Inuyasha mumbled. "I failed you and everyone else and I'm going to make sure I don't fail again. I'll make sure I get revenge for what he did to us" Inuyasha babbled.

"Inuyasha you didn't fail all by yourself. We all did and we know we can beat him if we be careful next time" Kagome disagreed.

"NO! I failed. How come I didn't smell his scent leading into the woods. I should have saw it and destroyed it. Now he's somewhere gaining all his power back" Inuyasha was still blaming himself.

"I should have sensed the shard leaving the area. So don't blame everything that went wrong all on you. I should have noticed a piece missing from the jewel. Naraku isn't going to win. You must stop being so arrogant and so" Kagome took the purple jewel around her neck and pointed the small gap in the jewel.

"He's surviving on such a small shard. That doesn't have the power to increase one's powers.

"Don't be so sure of yourself Inuyasha" Jaken said like he was so sure of himself.

"What are you going on about?" Inuyasha asked rudely.

"Even though that piece that Naraku obtains is small, it still contains a lot of power. So what he doesn't have the ability to make incarnations and make himself strong, but with the shard he can regenerate by consuming demons. Over time, he will take his shape and come after the Jewel once again" Jaken was all wise and shit.

"He's right Inuyasha" Kagome agreed and she started to worry.

"Ah so what if he turns back to normal. He's not going to be as powerful like last time. We contain his power that was he stole over the time that Kagome came into this era. He's going to like other weak demons that I have beaten in the past" Inuyasha acted like it didn't bother him one bit when it really did.

"Oh cut the act you ungrateful dog. You know as well as I do that Naraku is still going to be difficult. Even though his power has split into fours, doesn't mean he can't become even powerful by consuming a great deal of dangerous demons" Jaken hit Inuyasha over the head with his staff of two heads.

"Why you little pest" Inuyasha shook his fist in the toad demon's face and then began to chase him.

Round and round, they circled the others until they were interrupted. Jaken was running so fast, he didn't see what hit him. As he ran, Sesshoumaru stuck out his leg in front of his henchman. Jaken smashed right into his lord's foot. Sesshoumaru's footprint was left on Jaken's face as he laid on the ground. Kagome giggled and so did Shippou. Inuyasha stopped in front of his brother before Jaken's not dead body.

"Feh, you know I had him?" Inuyasha barked.

"There's no competition here Inuyasha" Sesshoumaru exclaimed.

"I'm not saying there is" Inuyasha crossed his arms and walked away with pride.

"How pathetic" Kagome yawned.

"You got that right" Shippou agreed.

To be continued...