Two days had past since they had left Kaedes village. Inukasumi was no longer spinning people in circles until they got sick. In fact, she had not been doing much of anything besides clinging to her brother.

"Ok, who has had enough of this other than me?" Inuyasha said, wiggling away from his little sisters' grasp. He waved his arm up and down. Inukasumi had been squeezing it so hard that it had fallen asleep.

"What is troubling you, Inukasumi?" Miroku asked with genuine concern, "You seem to be a completely different person than from a few days ago."

"Did you really see something that day when we left the village?" Kagome asked.

Inukasumi shook her head. "I don't know!" she said, "I thought I was looking right at something, but it was gone as soon as I glanced at it!" she paused. "It... reminded me of something. Or someone. Whatever it was, it seemed like I had seen it before. I can't explain how I felt when I saw it, but it was both exited and scared."

"Do you think it could have been a demon?" Asked Sango.

"If it was, it wasn't like any demon I had ever encountered before." She shrugged. "I was kind of worried for..." She stopped again.

"Worried for who?" Inuyasha asked, though he knew the answer.

"For... everyone." Inukasumi lied.

"You mean for me." Inuyasha said, "You were worried for me. You know, Inukasumi, no matter what I was like when you knew me all those years ago, I have changed a lot. I don't need my little sister to take care of me." He walked ahead of the group. "Just because im a half demon doesn't mean im not strong enough to take care of myself."

Tears welled up in Inukasumis eyes as she watched her brother go away. "Oniichan..." she sniffled.

Kagome was about to make Inuyasha 'sit' for being so mean to his own sister, but Inukasumi rested her hand on her shoulder.

"Don't blame him. It's my fault." She whispered, "I guess I've always thought that he really needed me. Turns out im just in the way."

"That's not true!" Kagome scolded, "We all like you very much!"

"Yeah, im the one in the way!" Shippo said comfortingly, "I can hardly take care of myself at all!"

"But we still take care of him and let him travel with us." Miroku said, not even attempting to grab her butt, "Inuyasha is like any other man. He wants to be tough by himself and have people awe at his strength."

"Translation: he can be a macho jerk at times." Kagome said, "But we love him anyway. He didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"Yes, he did." Inukasumi sobbed, "I thought he needed me to protect him, like in the old days, but I didn't realize he was so grown-up and strong now. I bet I made him feel terrible!"

"Inukasumi!" Sango shook the girl, "Get a hold on yourself. You take everything so literally you don't see what's really going on."

"What is really going on?"

"Nothing at all. Just another day in hanyou Hormone Theater." Kagome joked.

"Stop making fun of him." Inukasumi sniffed.

"Why? It's fun!" Sango put her arm around Inukasumi. "Don't pay any attention to him when he's like this. Think of it as a test of character. The longer you tolerate his childishness the better person you become." It looked as if Sango was finally warming up to her.

Inukasumi sighed. She respected her brother so much. But all her life, she had taken everything so seriously. Maybe it was time to loosen up a little...

Inuyasha glared at the sight. Everyone was huddled around his sister, trying to get her to stop crying. He felt terrible to think this about his only living relative who cared about him, but he was really starting to get annoyed with Inukasumi.

"Show yourself, Myoga, I know you're there." He muttered.

Myoga popped out of a lock of his masters' hair. "That was quite rude, Master Inuyasha." He said, shaking his head.

"I don't care. I forgot what it was all about, anyway."

"Just remember, Master Inuyasha," Myoga lectured, "She has been through a lot. Maybe even more so than you."

"Was the only person she ever loved tricked into thinking she killed them, and then died killing her? No one has been through more hell than I have."

"Master, master, master." Myoga sighed, "Someday you will understand."

"Oh yeah?" Inuyasha tested, "What has she been through?"

"Not even she knows."

"What!"

"If she knew, her soul would shatter into as many shards as the shikon jewel. She can't even handle you losing your temper with her. Imagine if she knew that Naraku is her...!" Myoga gulped and started sweating heavily.

"What! Naraku is her what!" Inuyasha shouted, "If you don't tell me right now, old flea"--

"I won't! I swore on your fathers' grave I wouldn't tell!" Myoga screamed, and tried to hop away. But Inuyasha was too quick and started constricting his fingers around the frightened flea.

"If you don't tell me, then I swear on everything im fighting for I will squash you into oblivion!" he growled.

"Naraku is Inukasumis mother!" Myoga cried.

Inuyasha felt his heart skip a beat. Time seemed to stop in slow motion. He forgot how to breathe, how to blink... Myogas tears were dripping down Inuyashas knuckles as he gasped for air.

Inuyashas mouth just opened and closed, as if he were searching for the right words. It couldn't be true... it was impossible...

...His sister was the daughter of Naraku. The demon his father had lost to all those years ago was Naraku.