Konnichiwa, minna! Valese here! It's my turn to write y'all a chapter! Hope it measures up to LadySword04's two great chapters! Enjoy!
This chapter is being dedicated to our first reviewer, Youkai. Thanks so much!
On another note, look for the next chapter to be posted on the 28th of October! It will be out on time I promise!
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Chapter Three: An Unexpected Evil Draws Near
The next morning, a loud screech aroused the Inu-gumi from their slumber. "Wha the hell wassat?" Kagome mumbled sleepily.
Inuyasha's ears flattened to his head; the sound was at a painfully high decibel. He sniffed the air. "It's a bird youkai…and it smells like Naraku." That woke everybody up.
Five minutes later, each member was ready for battle, wide-awake and alert. "Let's go!" cried Sango. They ran off in the direction of the birdcall and, at the edge of Inuyasha's Forest, they encountered a large black crow, twice the size of Inuyasha. This didn't stop the inu-hanyou, however.
"Inuyasha," its banshee voice demanded, "You will die today."
Although his wounds from a previous battle with a demon screamed in agony, Inuyasha crouched and pulled out Tetsusaiga. "That's right, bird-brain! You're the only one that's gonna do the dying today!" He jumped up and slashed the bird across the chest causing it to scream and fall on its back.
The youkai scrambled to its feet, but Inuyasha had disappeared from the bird's line of sight. Its four eyes darted back and forth, glaring angrily in their attempt to locate the inu-hanyou. It stomped its feet and flapped its wings in a tantrum, shrieking "Inuyasha, where are you?" all the while.
The red-clad hanyou leapt out of nowhere onto the bird's back. "Die you scraggly crow!" He stabbed his sword deep into the bird's back. It cried out louder than ever and fell forward, its eyes rolling into the back of its head. But not before it whipped its wings up, throwing Inuyasha up into the air. He fell to the ground with a deep 'thud', the wind knocked out of him. His wounds cried out and his back ached cruelly. The impact combined with from re-opening his wounds caused Inuyasha to lose consciousness for a short span of time; though for Kagome it wasn't short enough.
Kagome dashed over to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, wake up! Come on, wake up!"
Miroku, Sango, Shippou, and Kilala ran over. "Kagome-sama," Miroku asked softly, "Did the bird youkai have any jewel shards?"
Kagome shook her head, "No, that's why it was so easy for Inuyasha to beat. If he hadn't already been wounded, he would've been just fine."
Sango nodded sadly, "I could have fought it, but Inuyasha jumped right in. I should have taken it on. I'm sorry, Kagome."
"Who cares? I beat it. This is nothing," Inuyasha coughed out weakly, sitting up with some difficulty.
Kagome pushed him down, "Don't, Inuyasha, you'll aggravate your wounds further. We need to get you back to Kaede."
"I'm fine!" he snapped arrogantly.
"No, you're not!" she retorted, "Please, for me, just let us take you back."
He sighed and lay down. Kagome and Sango exchanged curious glances, but said nothing as they lifted him carefully and placed him on Kirara's back. The Inu-gumi ran from the battle scene to Kaede's hut.
"Kaede-baba," Kagome panted, "Inuyasha's been hurt again."
Kaede nodded, "It appears his wounds have opened once more. Bring him here, child." She inspected his wounds and then touched his back. Inuyasha bit back a moan, but no one missed his flinch of pain.
"Ye have managed to tear your sutures from your wounds, consequently allowing them to bleed freely once more. I will have to clean and re-stitch your injuries and re-bandage them as well. Come now and let's get you treated Inuyasha." She quickly mixed together some herbs and water, creating a foul-smelling greenish-grey paste. She gently applied it to his back and spread it evenly across.
Inuyasha stiffened; the mixture was cold and gave him goose-bumps. Its strong, rancid smell floated over to his nose and he sniffed it with distaste. He wrinkled his nose in disgust, "What the hell is that?"
Kagome held back a laugh and Kaede smiled, "It's a mix of herbs that will cleanse and soothe your back. Just stay still for a few minutes."
Inuyasha huffed, annoyed, but looked away without a word as Kaede continued in her ministrations.
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The next day, the sun jumped over the horizon and leapt excitedly into the sky, freeing the lands beneath it fro the dark quiet spell of the night. Inuyasha's demon blood had healed his wounds and his back was just a little sore. He stepped outside, breathing in the fresh air and glad to be free of that awful smell. Kagome stepped out beside him, "How are you feeling?"
He shrugged, "As good as ever. Like I said, that was nothing. I'm not as weak as you humans."
Kagome took a deep breath and said nothing, biting back a retort. Finally, she commented lightly, "I'm glad you're feeling better."
Later that day, Inuyasha came up to where the rest of the Inu-gumi was sitting. "We're leaving. We need to get going."
Sango frowned, "But where?"
"I heard there was a bug demon terrorizing some farmers' fields to the south."
Sango and Miroku nodded, "Alright."
Kagome smiled. "I'm going to pack some late lunch and dinner and then we can leave, ok?"
Inuyasha nodded gruffly, "Alright, but make it quick."
She nodded with a bright smile and set to work.
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Naraku picked his way through the underbrush of Inuyasha Forest. Just under a week's worth of traveling, and he was getting tired. The bottom hem of his cloak was a muddy brown and torn in a couple places. He sighed, annoyed, and trudged on through the mass of tall grasses and small bushes silently. Sounds began to make their way hazily to him, obscured by the numerous trees and vegetation surrounding him. The hanyou stepped over a tangle of roots carefully and started to watch his steps more closely, fearing a fall would give him away. The sunlight filtered through the canopy of leaves, leaving the forest floor shady and cool. Naraku saw the edge of the forest in the distance and prepared himself for the bright sunlight and the warmth of the sun: two things he detested almost as much as Inuyasha.
The edge of the forest came and went and Naraku stepped out cautiously into the sunshine. Surveying the countryside around him, he quickly spotted the village shrine. "Inuyasha, here I come. You best prepare yourself," he muttered victoriously to himself.
He summoned up a mass of power and created a barrier around himself. He smirked. A barrier usually allowed his scent to pass through, but with a barrier so small, he could afford to use enough power to keep even his scent hidden.
Naraku slinked down to the shrine, hiding in what little shadow the trees provided. Once he reached the shrine, he stood in a corner, vying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Finally, he saw a flash of red and focused on it. "Inuyasha," he confirmed. He slid down the steps and to the hut the inu hanyou was headed for. Halfway down, he paused: a tree stood before him and beneath it sat a young girl. "It is the priestess, Kagome," he murmured.
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Inuyasha crept up behind Kagome. "Come on, wench, we need to get going!"
Kagome looked up, "Alright, I'm ready."
She lifted her bag gently and followed him to where Sango, Miroku, and Shippou were waiting.
Behind them, unbeknownst to the pair, Naraku stealthily slithered along, keeping his eyes focused on them.
By the end of the day, the Inu-gumi had traveled far from Kaede's village, still completely oblivious to Naraku's presence.
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Whadja think? Whadja think? Was it good? I hope so! R&R and tell us what you think! Thanks you guys!
--Valese
So glad to see that we got a review from the past two chapters…but I wonder…we have 89 views total on this story…do you guys think we should continue this story? Let us know!
Replies:
Youkai: Thanks so much for making history by being our first reviewer! hugs Valese and I are soo happy to hear that you enjoyed the first two chapters, and we both look forward to hearing from you again about this chapter! Hope to see you again!
LadySword04 and Valese