He was gone. Kagome slid down into the dirt, feeling suddenly lonely. It was better this way. She glanced at the spot behind the tree where he had told her to wait for him in so many words. He had seemed so frightening and protective at the same time, and as she watched him fight she couldn't bear to face what she had done. She accepted that he wouldn't have forgiven her, and yet she felt embarrassed at having hid herself from him, unable to face him because of it. She sighed deeply, feeling the dry earth against her fingers. What would she do now that she was on her own? Sharp pain gripped her heart; she didn't want to think about the loss of her close friend, Sango.

"Kagome-chan!"

Kagome snapped her head up suddenly in surprise. "Sango-chan?"

"Are you alright Kagome-chan?" Sango called out loudly as she dropped to the ground and raced forward, leaving the two-tailed cat to follow or be left behind.

Kagome smiled hesitantly at the sight of her friend. "Thank goodness."

Sango was suddenly there, shaking her shoulders and peering worriedly into her troubled eyes where she sat slumped in the thick dirt. "What happened?"

It took her several minutes to respond. "We were attacked by a wind user. Her aura felt strange, and she was powerful." Her frown deepened, emotions playing across her dark eyes. "I'm so glad you are okay!" she choked out suddenly. "I was sure that—" she couldn't bring herself to finish and let the words trail off abruptly.

"Naraku." Sango spoke the one-word explanation with pure hatred and an underlying promise of vengeance. Truth be told, Naraku's puppet had almost been the end of her.

Kagome nodded, thankful that her friend was alive. "I'm sure the youkai was connected to him. See seemed to know Inuyasha, and he referred to her as Kagura. We should track her then."

"No. No, we. You're staying some place safe," Sango shook her head firmly. "This is all my fault."

Kagome sighed, feeling once again tired. The emotional strain was starting to wear on her. Honestly, she wanted to go after Inuyasha but knew she couldn't face him. She should forget about him and move on with her life. Now that he was gone, she could see how irrational she had acted around him.

"I won't leave you. You need me."

Her words were determined, and Sango sighed in defeat. "Kirara," she called to the nekomata, "let's go."

It wasn't long before they spotted a white and red blur as it ran below them, covering the distance of the forest at a dizzying speed. He noted their presence overhead with a scowl and increased his pace in an effort to lose them. Yet, there was no sign of Kagura. Sango unleashed her hiraikotsu, effectively severing the trees in his path. He leapt over the destruction and turned, drawing Tessiaga as he skidded to a halt.

"Do you want to die?" he called out to them warningly, brandishing the untransformed katana. Even in this rusty state he was fairly sure it would sever human flesh. He shuddered at the thought; he did seem to threaten Kagome with bodily harm more often than me meant to, but he would not be captured again at any cost.

"Where is Kagura, and what do you know of Naraku?" Sango questioned him firmly while keeping her distance in the sky as a precaution.

He sneered at the disdain in her voice. "I don't owe you any explanations."

It was too much for her, seeing him there as he glared up at them angrily. His whole body screamed of danger. He was wild. And stunning. It was then that she realized she had been holding her breath. With a deep exhale everything suddenly felt surreal. She could feel her heart fluttering against her chest—aching. She watched as Sango again unleashed hiraikotsu, and again Inuyasha effortlessly avoided the path of the large boomerang. The trees were closing in on them then; he had severed them, not her. Kagome's breath hitched in her throat as Kirara jerked forward, and then she was weightless.

"Inuyasha!"

Her scream shattered his focus, instantly commanding his attention. He gaped in horror as she pitched from the large cat into the air, falling backwards. He barely had time to sheathe his sword before catching her and setting her down on the ground shakily. "What the hell were you thinking not holding on better than that? What if I didn't bother to catch you?"

She forced a weak smile as he yelled at her and sank into a slumped sitting position on the ground. She still felt light-headed. "I knew you would catch me."

"You're crazy," he continued to argue with her, unwilling to meet her eyes. "You should be afraid of me."

She softened at his statement, wondering instead why he had never seemed bothered enough to be afraid of her. Okay, maybe she wasn't all that intimidating, but she did exterminate youkai for a living. That should count for something at least.

She shrugged. "If you wanted to kill me, you would have already."

"Well, maybe I would have, if you hadn't of run from me," he snapped at her.

She looked away, feeling heat creep up her neck. Suddenly, her head was all too clear. "I didn't run away."

"So, you hid from me. Same thing." He huffed, impatiently.

"Well, I'm not hiding now!"

Was she tempting him on purpose? He looked away wearily. "Just leave me alone," he sighed finally.

"Kagome-chan, are you all right?" Sango yelled down from above them, worry evident in her voice.

"Yes!" Kagome called back and rose to her feet hastily, feeling even more embarrassed that her friend had witnessed their display.

Sango dropped to the ground and approached the hanyou cautiously, Kirara at her side. "You have information concerning Naraku," she offered finally. "We can offer our services in return."

He scoffed at her, contemptuously. "I don't need help from humans."

"So? We could help you anyway," Kagome insisted.

"You'd just get in the way." He scowled at her slightly and added, "Besides, I don't trust her."

Kagome folded her arms and frowned. Why did he keep saying that, like she couldn't even defend herself properly? She felt oddly bristled by his following sentence as well. He had said he didn't trust Sango. He didn't say anything about her. That didn't mean that he trusted her, but at least he didn't distrust her either. She felt silly for grinning but couldn't help herself.

"What now?" he let all of the exasperation he felt leak into his voice.

"Like I would tell you," she snapped back.

"It will be dark within a few hours. I suggest we find a place to camp," Sango stated, drawing them both from the beginning of an argument.

Inuyasha scowled deeper, muttering that they were already holding him back, but didn't refuse the intrusion.