A/N: Sorry there was a little wait! I got four band pages that were due tomorrow (I finished!), a band essay due tomorrow (done!), and ten pages of English work (done!)! Yay! Too much work! Oh, and I had three pages of math... Anyway, enjoy!

Wagamama datte koto ni wa kidzuite wa iru kedo: I've already realized how stubborn I'm being.

-Verse from Itsura(sp?) na KISS

Kagome got onto Inuyasha's back as the sun hid behind the mountains. Sango was also bidding Kaede farewell, for she and Kirara were going to visit her home village for a day or so. So Kaede was going to be alone once again. Not that it bothered Kaede, she was used to it.

Inuyasha and Kagome said good-bye to Kaede and were off. Kagome was wearing jeans and a sweater, knowing it was going to be cold on Inuyasha's back. Inuyasha had told her she could wear his fire-rat haori, but she refused, seeing as she was prepared this time. Kagome rested her head on Inuyasha's left shoulder, watching the Forest of Inuyasha pass by them. He was so warm...

As Kagome rested her head on Inuyasha's shoulder, Inuyasha felt her snuggle close to him. He blushed some, but didn't make a big issue out of it. He loved it. Kagome was so cold, though. She felt like Kikyou's old body, the clay one. But Inuyasha knew Kikyou and Kagome weren't alike. He tossed that thought aside.

Kagome shivered, "Even if I have a sweater, I'm c-cold!"

Inuyasha sighed, "When we get out this village, we'll rest for a bit. But if we're gonna be back to Kaede's in under three days, we have to hurry." Inuyasha informed Kagome. Kagome nodded. The village they were passing by was quiet. Of course, it was night, but not even a cricket cricked, and it seemed so dull. At least Kaede's village had some type of life force in it...

Inuyasha smelt it, the worst thing to smell, blood. Human blood. That's why he didn't stop, because everyone in the village was dead. Probably by a demon, again. It seemed that this day in age, each village Inuyasha passed through was slaughtered by a demon or two. It got old real fast. And so did his running. Inuyasha was hurrying his ass off because he knew the demon wasn't too far off. If that demon smelt Kagome and him, they'd have to fight, and it was night, when Kagome was sleepiest. So they'd be dead meat.

Inuyasha got about a mile away from the poor village, when he finally stopped. When he stopped, he noticed Kagome was asleep. Who could sleep through me running? Inuyasha asked himself. He sighed and poked Kagome in the face, with a free hand. Kagome moaned and opened her eyes.
"I was having a good dream, too..." Kagome complained. Inuyasha sweatdropped. He told her they could rest for a minute, and she woke right up. Inuyasha let her off his back and she stretched. Her hair was a little wet from the fog that was rolling in. It was pretty thick, too, that fog was. "Um, Inuyasha?" Kagome started.

"Yeah, what?" Inuyasha asked gruffly.
Kagome got closer to Inuyasha ,a bit terrified, "Um, yeah... Can you see in this fog?"

"Not really." Inuyasha said bluntly.

"Then why go on tonight?" Kagome asked, gulping.

"Because I know the route to my mother's old castle, okay? So don't worry." Inuyasha growled. Kagome jumped.

"Sheesh! I'm just worried for us! Unlike you!" Kagome argued.

"I can protect us, okay?" Inuyasha snapped. Kagome folded her arms.

"You can be real stubborn sometimes, you know that?" Kagome said.

"...Let's go." Inuyasha said. Kagome rolled her eyes and slowly got onto Inuyasha's back. How come Inuyasha can't just take a safe route? Why couldn't he be kinder? She was only worrying for his well being... Kagome sniffled, holding back tears. Inuyasha smelt so much blood around them, he couldn't even smell Kagome's tears, which was a blessing for Kagome. Because if he said something mean, Kagome may 'sit' him.

Kagome started to sleep, leaving Inuyasha to think finally. Why would any demon attack a village that was guarded by a castle? Was there war? No... Inuyasha knew demons wouldn't attack such a poor village, and there wasn't any shards... Kagome would've sensed them weeks ago, and then the Inu-taachi would have those shards by now. So then why did demons kill the village?
Inuyasha sniffed the air, he knew it was too weird. He smelt his older brother, Sesshoumaru, and Naraku. By his mother's old manor. Was Naraku using his old home?

Then he smelt the worst thing of all, Kouga's blood. He growled and went faster. No one will fight at my former home! Inuyasha thought madly. Then as he crept closer to the scent of Kouga and Naraku, something utterly worse entered his nose: Sesshoumaru's scent. So that made him super fast. Then all of a sudden, he heard it... Naraku's roots! He quickly ducked, and the root flew past him. As he stood up, Kagome woke up. "Inuyasha! Two shards!" She warned.

"Yeah, I know. Sesshoumaru, Kouga, and Naraku are having a party without us." Inuyasha said sarcastically. Right on cue, three powerful demons flew onto the scene. Kouga was basically dying, because his torso armor was shattered, half of it gone, and his abdomen was bleeding badly. Kagome gasped at the wound. "Wolves can't fight worth a damn." Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Shuddup!" Kouga glared at the half-demon. "I don't see you fighting, Mutt face!"

"Because I ain't dying! I gotta stay alive and protect Kagome!" Inuyasha snapped. Kagome blushed at the comment; Sesshoumaru did Dragon Strike at Naraku.

"That's why she's always almost dying!" Kouga snarled. Inuyasha opened his mouth to retort, but Kagome silenced him. She told Inuyasha this was his opportunity to avenge Kikyou, and kill Naraku. Inuyasha shook his head in disapproval.

"Too close to my mother's castle." Inuyasha said. Kagome sighed and nodded slowly. Then both Kagome and Inuyasha turned their gazes towards the battle which Inuyasha sadly chose to stay out of. Kagome noticed from the side of her eye that Kouga had left. Probably too proud to announce his painful departure.

Sesshoumaru did an other Dragon Strike, and hit Naraku head on. You'd think this would've killed Naraku, but no... Miasma surrounded the area, and Inuyaha quickly covered Kagome so the poisonous air wouldn't kill her. Sesshoumaru covered his mouth with his sleeve.

Soon the miasma vanished, and so did Naraku. As Sesshoumaru opened his mouth to speak to Inuyasha, a young girl and an imp ran up behind Sesshoumaru. "Sesshoumaru-sama! Did you kill Naraku?" Jaken asked. Sesshoumaru gave a death glare.

"At least you are alive, m'lord!" Rin smiled. Kagome smiled softly and remembered why they were out so far.

"Inuyasha, we have to go. Remember, my gift?" Kagome said. Inuyasha nodded.

"'Gift'?" Rin repeated. Kagome got a great idea. She giggled and asked if she could speak with Rin alone. Sesshoumaru didn't mind, so Kagome led Rin off away so the full demon didn't hear the two girls speaking.

"Rin, have you ever given Sesshoumaru a gift?" Kagome asked.

"No, Kagome-chan." Rin said.

"Okay, get him a gift, okay?" Kagome smiled. "Something he'll really like."

"Okay!" Rin giggled. Kagome smiled and led Rin back to the small group. Inuyasha looked as though he were ready to kill Sesshoumaru. Kagome sighed and told him she was ready to go. Inuyasha scoffed and let her on his back and they were off again.

A/N: The Rin get Sesshy a gift was all Sesshoumaru8106's idea! Thanks a lot Sesshoumaru! Great idea!