Finally… my summer schedule has died down… more time to write! Hopefully I will be able to write more for you people. Not really much to say about this chapter. Short, sweet (well not really) but most chapters have been short because something else is going to happen soon, as you could have guessed. I'm a little worried though, because I have no idea what is going to happen next after this part. There is a period of boringness… but after that I just don't know… oh well.

Happy chapter 33

Chapter 33: A New Lead

It was barely morning, the sun just barely shining in the sky. Sesshomaru walked alone, waiting for everyone else to awaken. He did not understand why they all slept so late.

He pushed away some leaves and branches. He found himself staring at a small river. On the other side of it was Hanako, kneeling close to the river.

"Hanako, what are you doing up so-"

She looked up in surprise, her eyes widening. As she looked up, Sesshomaru noticed that her kimono had been undone, revealing her stomach. There was something strange about the way her bare flesh looked. It looked scarred and scratched up.

"EEEEEEK!" She threw a sandal at him, hitting him in the head. He backed away. That was unexpected.

"I'M TRYING TO TAKE A BATH HERE!" she screamed, "CAN I GET SOME PRIVACY PLEASE?"

Sesshomaru said nothing and turned around and walked away. He couldn't get the way her skin had looked out of his head. She had a history of someone who was suicidal. Could she still be into that type of thing? He dismissed the thought from his head. She always acted pretty happy, and hadn't complained about anything that had happened to her in a while, or shown any sign of it. They must have been old scars.

Hanako sat in the freezing cold water, getting her hair wet.

Did he see? She thought, looking at all the scraps on her stomach and arms, and everywhere else. She ran her hand down the ones on her arm. They felt sore from the cold. All the cuts on her body felt sore. They were most likely becoming infected.

(…)

Rin skipped happily alongside Sesshomaru as they walked onward. Jaken rolled his eyes. She didn't understand why this child insisted on being so cheerful. Hanako could not understand how Sesshomaru managed to ignore her.

Rin looked up to Sesshomaru with her usual playful face. "Lord Sesshomaru, Rin is going to go sit on Aun now. I'm tired…"

Sesshomaru nodded and Rin ran off behind him. He suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned his head slightly. It was Hanako.

"Yes?" he said, looking into her big eyes. They blinked at him with a sorrowful expression.

She bowed to him. "I just want to apologize for being rude earlier. I should not have yelled at you like that. I'm sorry."

He nodded and turned away. It should have been him that apologized to her, but he would never being himself to say sorry to one that was of such a lower class… or anyone.

"And uh… I'm sorry for throwing my shoe at you…"

He inhaled the air deeply, halfway listening to Hanako, and halfway deep in thought. He stopped suddenly. Jaken stopped next to him. Hanako bumped into his back.

"What is it, Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken asked curiously.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. "It is the scent of Naraku."

Hanako looked up at him. "…Naraku is close by?"

Naraku: the one who knew about her. The one she felt a strange connection too. She had to see him, and now he was close by. Perhaps soon she would find out about every thought that tormented her day and night?

Jaken sneered. "That filthy demon is near? Shall we pursue him?"

Sesshomaru turned to Rin and Hanako. "You two will stay here."

Rin nodded. Hanako stared at him with a disappointed face. She wanted to see this Naraku. She had to see him. And no one would stop her now.

She bowed to him. "Do I have permission to speak?"

Sesshomaru stared at her suspiciously. She had never asked permission to speak before. "Go ahead," he said, pondering her new and strange behavior.

She bent back and stared him straight in the eye. She usually did not like to argue with him, but this time was different than any other before. She felt determined, for another rare time in her life.

"I apologize, but I refuse to stay behind. I will go with you, whether you like it or not."

Sesshomaru was irked by her naïve requests, and a little surprised at how persistant she had become. He began to think that she was not disciplined enough and was becoming a bit too confident, and had noticed it for a while. And if she went to Naraku, she would most likely be hurt, and he would have no need to save her, and no excuse.

"You cannot come with me, Hanako. Stay with Rin."

She shook her head. " He knows something about me. I have a good reason to assist you."

"You will not speak with him."

She clasped her hands. "I beg of you Lord Sesshomaru, please let me come with you!" She lowered her head in sadness. "You don't understand… it's lonely like this… not knowing who… or what I am…"

Sesshomaru gazed at the top of her hair-covered face. A pang of fleeting pity overcame him for a moment, but he ignored it.

"And you think Naraku will solve your petty problems?" Jaken growled. He hit her side with his staff. She fell backward. Sesshomaru's eyes widened slightly at Jaken's actions.

"Do not speak against Lord Sesshomaru's wishes!" Jaken shouted.

She knelt on the ground, her hand pressing the place where she had been hit. She wanted to know so badly, but they would never understand. Rin ran up next to her. Hanako lowered her head.

"I am sorry…" she said quietly, remembering her place.

Sesshomaru nodded to her, showing that he accepted her apology. He turned around and stepped on Jaken as repayment for hitting Hanako. From that demonstration, he understood that she had not become as overconfident as he thought. He began to rise into the sky, leaving Jaken pressed into the ground. He popped up immediately and ran after him.

"W-wait! Wait for me Lord Sesshomaru!" he shouted, and with that they were gone into the deep azure sky.

Hanako and Rin stared after them, Rin gently rubbing Hanako's side to ease the pain for her. Hanako stared at the ground.

"I'm sure Master Jaken didn't mean it, Hanako-chan," Rin said sympathetically, "He gets so worked up over the smallest things sometimes…"

Hanako smiled slightly and looked away. He had not hit away all over her determination just yet. "Rin-chan…" she said, and idea coming to her suddenly, "do you think you would be okay if I left you alone for a little while?"

Rin shrugged. "I guess. Aun will keep me company."

Hanako stood up wearily. "I mean, without Aun. I need to borrow him for a little while."

Rin looked at her suspiciously. "I think so… Lord Sesshomaru has before. But… why?"

Hanako approached Aun and pet both heads gently. She climbed on his back. Aun let out a loud cry.

"Aun," she said to the demon, "Can you follow the demonic aura to its source?"

The demon let out another cry in response. She smiled at the demon. How convenient he was.

Rin's eye's widened. "Hanako-chan! You aren't thinking of going to Naraku's castle all by yourself are you!"

Hanako peered at Rin's worried expression. "Yes… that is just what I am doing."

Rin grabbed her arm, nearly pulling her off of Aun. "What if something happens to you! What if I never see you again?"

Hanako removed her arm from her. "You will see me again Rin. I'll be fine. Once I catch up to Lord Sesshomaru I'll-"

"Once you catch up to him he will be really mad at you!" Rin shouted, "You are disobeying him! Just stay here!" She gazed at her with pleading eyes.

Hanako sighed. The last thing she wanted to do was to have Sesshomaru mad at her. But this wasn't for him; for once this was for her. She had to know this about herself. Rin would not understand such things at such a young age.

"I know I am. But he'll get over it." She tugged on Aun, leaving the shocked Rin on the ground looking up after her. "But I shall never get over it if I never find out what I need to know." Aun took her off into the distant sky.

Rin gazed at Hanako. She had changed sp much from when she had first met her. Rin knew she could not stop her.

"Hanako-chan!" Rin shouted up to her, "You better come back! And you better be okay!"