Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Inuyasha.

A/N: Alright, now for those of you who were disappointed that the Inuyasha group was not in the prologue, read this chapter and you will be pleased.

Chapter 1: Unexpected Encounters

Present Day

'This food is terrible, what the hell is in it anyway?'

'SIT!'

A figure draped in red hit the ground with a sickening thud. A raven haired girl stood up and began to walk away from him. She was very beautiful, and very young. Neither the man dressed in red nor the girl seemed pleased at the moment.

'I can't believe you! It took me at least an hour to make that. A little gratitude once in a while would be appreciated!'

'You can have my gratitude if the food is any good. And it wasn't!'

'SIT! I'm going to take a walk in the woods for a while, and don't follow me or I'll s-i-t you into oblivion Inuyasha.' She stomped off in the other direction. Why do I even bother?

'Kagome! Hey I didn't say you could leave! Damn it all, what did I do anyway? I was just telling the truth. OW! What did you do that for Miroku?' Inuyasha responded to the monk who had just smacked him on the head with his staff.

'Kagome made those for you, Inuyasha.'

'Yeah learn some manners!' yelled a young fox demon at Inuyasha's feet. He received a stomp on the top of the head as a response.

'So what do you want me to do go after her?' Inuyasha asked. I don't much like the idea of being sat 'into oblivion'.

This time it was a demon slayer who spoke up. 'Didn't you hear her Inuyasha? Give her some space.' A light growl was his response. She sighed.

In The Forest Nearby

A white and silver blur raced among the tree tops and flew through the branched at dizzying speed. He was so hungry. It had been days since his last real meal. He stopped as he smelled something strange and switched direction to investigate it. He caught another scent, a human. Most likely it was a young female. They never made good meals, always so skinny and flimsy. The other smell was definitely that of a demon, and it was too good of a prospect to pass up.

As he came closer to the source of the scent he slowed his paced and quieted his movements. Then he spotted it. It made absolutely no noise when it walked, and it took the shape of a small ghostly girl. He was disappointed, but it would take more time to retrace his steps to the human girl he had smelled earlier, and his hunger could not wait. He leapt into the air, somersaulted around to the front of the demon. She was carrying a mirror. Why a mirror, what good does it serve? She was looking straight at him, yet not focusing. Almost as if…she was looking at something close behind him. Clever, it was a trap. Yet I don't know anyone around this area.

With a snarl he wrenched his arm around and his claws met fur. The figure was too quick to hit with a wild blow like that. He turned to face his opponent. What in hell? A baboon? I see; there is a demon underneath the fur.

'Excellent job, Kanna,' stated the demon as he removed the baboon mask, revealing crimson eyes and flowing black hair. After being congratulated, the small apparition-like demon vanished into the air.

'You bear a strong resemblance to another demon; I wish to know if there is a connection between you. Tell me, do you know Inuyasha?'

The demon stared, his golden eyes piercing into the crimson eyes of the other. This demon is repulsive. I will do this world a favor and kill it. It wouldn't even make good food. He pivoted off the ground at the crimson-eyed demon and ripped a hole through the center of his head. To his surprise, the torn flesh healed immediately. The golden-eyed demon growled.

'My you are a lively one. Why do you not speak? Am I permitted to know the name of my new opponent?' he smiled 'I will go first then demon, I am Naraku.'

My name? It has been so long since I have spoken my name. What was it? Inunobu sounds familiar. Inunobu laughed quietly. However, Naraku, the dead do not live long enough to know my name!

With that he flung himself at Naraku and took more pieces out. After ten minutes the fight was going no where. Inunobu slashed piece after piece of this demon. Naraku regenerated, but how? Inunobu noticed his closed right hand. Have I ever seen him open it? The secret to his power must be hidden in his right hand! I will have to trick him. With that thought he launched himself at Naraku, as numerous tentacles emerged from the crimson-eyed demon's body. The tentacles wrapped around Inunobu.

'You are indeed a strong demon. I will absorb you into my flesh!' Naraku yelled, only to notice too late that Inunobu had his claws imbedded in Naraku's right wrist. Glowing green poison flowed from the nails on Inunobu's claws and dissolved the skin on the wrist, finally wrenching the hand free of the arm that bound it to Naraku's body. The tentacles released the dog demon in surprise.

'Die.'

Inunobu jumped to a good distance away and sliced Naraku apart with a gleaming red light whip.

He took Naraku's hand that he had just severed and opened it, revealing a shiny purplish gem. It was cracked on the top. This gem seems odd; do I know it from somewhere? Regardless, I don't like it.

At Camp

The group had gone silent, with the exception of Inuyasha's nervous fidgeting. He was getting more impatient by the minute. Damn you Kagome, you can't be that mad at me. It was only food. Besides, there are demons out to get us. She's going to end up being eaten.

Inuyasha was awoken from his thoughts to the sounds of a very sound slap across the campsite. He turned to find exactly what he expected; Miroku with a red handprint on the side of his face and Sango, the demon slayer, fuming and glaring at the monk. Inuyasha and Miroku sighed.

'Perverted monk.'

'It's this damned hand, I keep telling you!'

'Grow up,' said a bored looking Shippo.

'Will you guys all just SHUT UP!' Inuyasha yelled.

'Perhaps,' said the monk as he made his way over to where Inuyasha was seated, 'you should go look for Kagome now. She has been gone for a long time, Inuyasha. She is more disappointed than angry at this point; your presence should comfort her.'

'Every time she tries this stunt with the food we always end up in a fight. Why doesn't she just learn that the foods from her time are too spicy for me? It's not like I'm insulting her, I just can't eat that kind of food. It's not like I wanted my tongue to burn every time I put a bite into my mouth!'

'Inuyasha I am indeed impressed that you can identify what the problem is; it's a step in the right direction,' said a smiling Miroku to a glaring Inuyasha, 'but the one you should be saying that to is Kagome, not me.'

'Keh.'

With Kagome

I've been walking for a while now. Maybe I should go back to camp and try to make up with Inuyasha. It was just a misunderstanding. I'm making a big deal out of nothing. Besides, it's not like everyone has to like my cooking. Maybe Inuyasha really can't…She trailed off in her mind as she sensed an enormous shard of the Shikon Jewel approaching. The only one who possessed that kind of jewel was Naraku. She has left her bow at camp. What was I thinking wandering off this far?

The jewel shard came closer. It was heading straight towards her, and when she felt like it was right on top of her she sank to her knees and closed her eyes, awaiting the worst. She opened her eyes slowly. Nothing had happened. Her eyes shot up to where she sensed the jewel.

Her hunter was Inunobu, who stared at the odd human girl from far above in the trees. Her clothes are so odd. What is she? Her eyes looked straight up at him, right to the place where he was hiding. He froze. She can see me, or perhaps sense me. But how? She is no demon slayer. Of course, the jewel! He realized the bauble must hold some kind of magical properties. I will show myself to this human; she has no weapons.

Inunobu dropped from the highest tree in the forest. It was perhaps 60 feet to the ground, but he made the leap effortlessly. The girl followed the feeling of the jewel, not really tracing Inunobu's movements. He was a bit surprised to see that she was not running. This deserves more of a test. He held out his hand, as she watched in interest. He unclenched his fist to reveal a large fragment of the Shikon no Tama. Her eyes widened.

'Where did you get that?' she questioned innocently yet eagerly.

He cocked his head a little to the right at her question. She seemed taken aback by this, and continued to gaze at him. To answer her question, he took out a mask of a baboon that was tucked into his clothes as a trophy from his last battle and dropped it on the ground in front of him. She gasped.

Naraku's mask? He killed Naraku? This must be a trap. He is completely unharmed. He has no wounds or injuries. Just what kind of demon is he? Why does he have dog ears like Inuyasha? He does not seem like he wants to harm me, at least, not yet.

'I'm sorry, but I need that Sacred Jewel Shard, please give it to me.' I'm pleading with a demon to give me a jewel shard, this is a new low.

To her increasing surprise he seemed to blur in a flash of speed to a stop about half a foot away from Kagome. She wants this ridiculous gem. She's too much of a hassle, she can have it; this jewel feels odd anyway. He took her wrist with his hand and inwardly winced when her eyes filled with fear. Foolish human, I am not trying to harm you. She stopped pulling away when he refused to let go.

'What are you doing?' she murmured. Her voice could not go any louder, she was too afraid. His eyes are so cold. They remind me of Sesshomaru's.

Inunobu squeezed the sides of her wrist to force her hand open. He then took his right hand, the one with the jewel, and placed it in hers, so that both of his hands held hers, making sure it did not escape. Then, Inunobu dropped his hands. She looked down at her palm and saw the jewel. It's the real jewel. This demon gave me Naraku's actual jewel fragment. So then, he really did kill Naraku. She couldn't be sure. She looked up and noticed that he had begun to walk away. His back was turned to her and he was steadily retreating. It was then that she good her first good look at this demon. He looked almost like a mix between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru; even his clothes were a mix. His hair and ears were almost an exact copy of Inuyasha's, except this new demon's hair was longer, and he did not have the bangs on the side of his head like Inuyasha. His eyes were the same golden hue as both of the brothers, but they were cold and unfeeling, like Sesshomaru's. He had demon markings on his cheeks and wrists, and was dressed in all white but wore no shoes.

'Wait, I need to ask you a question.' As a response he stopped moving and shifted his head partially back towards her, with one ear pointed in her direction. 'Did you kill that demon dressed in the baboon pelt? Was his name Naraku?' He nodded. 'It wasn't a demon puppet?' she persisted. He shook his head, and then continued walking out of her range of sight.

I suppose now is as good a time as ever to return to camp. Inuyasha can't be too upset to learn that Naraku is dead and that I have his jewel shards.

At Camp

Miroku the monk looked bored. Inuyasha still had not gone and searched for Kagome, and it was nearing dusk. Surely the girl's disappearance for so long meant something had happened. It was useless arguing with the half demon. He was too stubborn, and even forbade anyone else in the group from going after Kagome. He threw a longing glance at the demon slayer sitting not more than four feet from him. She was lying on the ground, facing away from him, her face buried in the fur of her demon cat companion Kirara. An idea came into the monks head. He carefully placed his hand on her thigh, hoping that she was asleep. She wasn't. SMACK!

'Sango, please, when will you begin to return my affections for you?'

'When you stop groping me, you perverted monk.' Miroku sighed in response.

'It's the hand Sango, not me.' No, it's your personality, he imagined Sango thinking.

'No, it's your personality,' she said out loud. Miroku sighed again.

I wish there was something around here to entertain me other than Inuyasha's pouting. He sulks much too often. If I was in his position, Kagome and I would be together, and she would have bore me many… He stopped his musings when a tingling feeling started in his hand; it was the hand with the curse that Naraku had placed upon his grandfather. The Wind Tunnel in his right hand was deadly if released. What if it was acting up? Slowly he removed the prayer beads covering the void to reveal that the wind tunnel was…gone.

Sango heard Miroku gasp, and turned to face him. 'Oh come on Miroku, I didn't hit you that hard.' Miroku still seemed to be in a dreamlike state. 'Miroku what's the matter?' She noticed that he cradled the hand with the Wind Tunnel. 'No! Is it the Wind Tunnel, Miroku? Is it trying to pull you in?'

'Sango…look.'

The demon slayer crept closer, not wanting to be sucked into the Wind Tunnel if it was trying to consume Miroku. She waited a few moments before going even closer, her eyes directly above his right palm. There…there's nothing there!

'It's gone! But how? That would mean that…' She trailed off. 'Inuyasha,' she began, 'you may want to take a look at this.'

'Feh, what is it? I'm still not going to look for Kagome, if that's what you're after.' He made his way across the campsite, followed by an intrigued Shippo. As the neared, Miroku opened the palm of his right "cursed" hand in their direction.

'Wah! Miroku are you trying to kill us?' Shippo whined as he cowered below the monk who stood, his right hand extended towards Shippo and Inuyasha.

'Huh? Miroku, what happened to your Wind Tunnel?' Inuyasha asked confused. Then realization hit him, and a bright look came into his eyes. 'Naraku…is dead!'

'It would appear so,' replied the monk, who was now feeling the spot on his hand where the Wind Tunnel had been with his index finger of his left hand.

The half dog demon changed his look from realization to confusion. 'But, who killed him?'

'It was…another dog demon.' The soft voice, definitely feminine, came from behind the group. They spun around to find Kagome looking at them.

'You! How can you show your face around here and act like nothing happened when you've been gone for at least six hours? What have you been doing? Where in the hell have you been girl?

'Sit…' There was a loud thud. 'As I was saying, the demon who killed Naraku was a dog demon, or he might have been a half demon. I met him shortly after he claims to have killed Naraku.'

'Kagome, you've been with another guy all day? How could you do that? Besides, how do you know that he wasn't an incarnation of Naraku? What proof did he give you?'

'Well for one, he had a shredded baboon mask,' she said ignoring the blatantly hostile accusations coming from Inuyasha. 'And secondly,' she opened her palm 'he gave me this.'

She held the large fragment of the Shikon jewel that the strange dog demon had given her.

'N-Naraku's jewel shard! Is it real Kagome?' he asked, and she nodded in response. 'Well, at least tell me what the demon looked like Kagome!'

'He looked…um….well…like you Inuyasha.'

'HUH?' the entire group with the exception of Kagome exclaimed.

A/N: Please give me a review. I am really enjoying writing this FanFic, so I would like to know if anyone is reading it. Thanks.