Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Wow, I think that's a record for the first chapter... Thanks for the reviews everyone! Let's get on with the story.

Here we go!

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Author: Sakura-chan88
Title: Mistaken Mark
Chapter 1: The Eyes' Candy
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Miroku shuttered at the coldness in his boss's eyes as the silver haired man slipped silently into the black leather seat behind his oak desk. He hadn't spoken since he voiced his decision on Kikyo's life. Her death was sealed. However, Inuyasha was struggling with his conscience, and that was a sign of weakness...

"Rule number one, boss?" Miroku asked, as he closed the door.

"Watch your back," came the automatic response.

"Two?"

"Never look back."

"Three."

"..."

His boss paused, then spun to look out of the window instead of at him. A sigh bounced off of the walls as he approached the glass barrier. "Rule one and two are for all things physical, emotional, spiritual, and verbal."

"So, in other words...?" Miroku prompted, walking to the desk Inuyasha had abandoned.

"I have no fucking conscience."

"No- you do. You just have to ignore it, like we all have to."

"That's easier said than done," grumbled Inuyasha.

"Tell me about it," Miroku stated wryly. "She wasn't anything special, anyway, boss."

"And you won't be anything at all if you don't shut up," Inuyasha hissed, spinning to face his employee, sneering. "I suggest you exit this room before my restraint breaks, Monk."

"Ex-Monk, thank you-"

"Miroku~!"

"Leaving."

'I'll have to ask later,' Miroku thought, sighing as he opened the door and entered the hall way. 'Now, to check up on the kid and make the announcements for the schedule change... What a busy day.'

******

Kagome sighed in relief as the neighbors house lights went out to leave the occupants in the dark. It was time to go! Kagome felt a twinge of regret at one thought. She'd pulled Sango into this and Sango had no idea of what was really going on tonight.

She slipped out of her window with ease, then leapt to the tree branch across the roof, jumping down to the ground. Kagome crept around to peek into the living room window and saw her mother watching the television with her grandfather.

'Great,' she thought before taking off at a run to reach the designated lamp post at the end of the street where Sango was to meet her. 'I'll have to tell her as soon as I can.'

Sure enough, Sango was standing beneath the streetlight, leaning back with a lazy look about her.

"Hey, Sango-chan."

"Hn." she greeted with closed eyes.

"Listen, I have to tell you..."

"Let's get away from here, first," she muttered, pushing away from the post to walk down the street at a brisk pace. "I think Kohaku saw me leaving through my window."

Kagome's mouth formed an 'O' as she nodded and followed. She soon caught up and took the lead.

******

Inuyasha leaned back in his chair, his world gray around him. Night had fallen much too fast for his comfort and nothing had kept him from thinking about Kikyo's life and how short he'd now made it... But to go back on his word was one sign of weakness he could not afford to show.

A knock resounded through the room briefly before the door was flung open. By the sound of the footsteps, Miroku had just let himself in.

"Boss, it's time to depart," the man announced, walking to stand in his boss's view. "I have a question before we leave, though... if it's all right with you."

"What is it, Miroku?" he growled, standing from his seat to look one last time out his office window before the serene picture was destroyed with Kikyo's death.

"... You've marked her. Are you sure- do you truly think it wise for you to be the one to slay Kikyo?" Miroku asked, genuine concern flashing in his eyes.

"... Yes. Tetsusaiga will get to taste blood once more," answered Inuyasha, drawing the sword and sheath from its hiding place beneath the desk. "I'll rip out her fucking stone heart and feed it to the hounds. Shiro hasn't been fed in a while, has she?"

******

"Kagome, what was it you wanted to tell me? I think we've gone far enough," Sango huffed, taking a seat on the dirty alley way ground. "I'm surprised you wanted to go so far. It'll take forever to get back home."

"... I'm not going back," Kagome mumbled, sitting next to the pondering girl. "I... Not for a while at least."

"What!? Why!? What are you thinking, Kagome-chan!? You know you have no money to use and we both know you can't live on the streets... I'm right, you know? I am right... aren't I?" Sango rambled on, her eyes widening in realization. "You didn't! You couldn't! Kagome-chan! Why would you steal from your own mother?"

"Sango, it isn't what you think! I just have to get away for a while, okay?" Kagome hissed, trying to get Sango to lower her voice. "I just need some alone time, and if this is the only way to get it, I'll take it. See?"

"Not at all."

"Please, don't tell them you know where I went," Kagome pleaded.

"I can't if I don't know where you are going to be," Sango mumbled. "So, just don't tell me where you're going."

"But you have to keep in touch with me, Sango. If I need help, I can't ask a stranger, and it would be wrong to ask momma after everything I'm putting her through with this little stunt."

"This is no 'little stunt', Kagome-chan. This is outrageous," Sango hissed, pulling the younger woman's sleeve. "You're 17, Kagome-chan, not 27."

"Please."

Sango looked away, thinking to herself when a hand came into view, holding a small, metallic object. She looked back at her friend in question. Kagome shook her head slowly.

"I'm not calling your house directly with that caller id of yours."

Sango took the offered cell phone with a deep sigh. 'I can't believe I'm doing this.'

"Alright, Kagome-chan, but you better call me as often as you can," Sango muttered, hugging her friend. "Now, where are you planning on staying for the time being. I'll try and get over once or twice, alright? But after they call the police about your disappearance, I'm not going to check on you."

"I understand," Kagome said, her eyes shinning with forming tears. "Thank you, Sango-chan. I promise I won't let you worry. I'll be staying here- this building is abandoned," she answered, pointing to the building over her shoulder. "I've been making it a bit more livable."

"You know you'll be put into jail for staying here."

"Yeah, I know. I won't be caught, though," Kagome stated, giggling lightly. "I've made this place a maze with trap doors and hidden hallways."

"You've been busy."

"I don't like the library, remember?"

Sango nodded, finding it slightly amusing that even she had believed Kagome's excuse of going to the library. Kagome never was much of a reader. She'd said they put her to sleep faster than any sleeping pill- and the constant mental association with school didn't help.

"Well, you want to do something before I leave?" Sango asked.

Kagome's eyes glinted with mischief. "Yeah. I've got something in mind."

******

Shippo watched as his boss's fidgeting increased. He knew what was causing the unconscious action. Kikyo was his girlfriend and he was set on killing her. Truth be told, it hadn't surprised the boy at all to hear that Kikyo had been the little spy for Naraku. He'd never liked her much for all the dirty looks thrown his way, courtesy of Kikyo. He never deserved any of them!

What did surprise Shippo was the fact the Inuyasha was going to kill her.

__________Flash back__________

"I didn't see anything!" the child screamed as a fist implanted itself in his stomach.

Tears fell from the small, frightened eyes as the fist lifted, drawing back to strike again as a bone-chilling voice hissed curses.

"You chose the wrong man to mess with, pipsqueak," the snarling man said as the fist again found the boy's body. "Naraku will love that head of yours to be delivered on a silver platter."

Hiten, personal right hand man to the Crime Lord Naraku, pinned Shippo to the hard wooden floor to the rickety old house.

Shippo had entered the old abandoned building, searching for his mother and father who had left him two days prior and hadn't returned, to find two cold bodies laying stiffly on the floorboards. A cold voice from the shadows spoke as a hand closed around his throat. Manten emerged from the darkened corner. Hiten laughed from behind.

Shippo's throat burned for the withheld tears of anger, the pain not registering from the fingers around it. He should have known. He walked straight into the trap. He had been the target and his parents died because of him- because he had found Naraku's hideout and reported to the police...

Because he had not seen before the plans preset to drag a single man from hiding.

The plan worked.

As the fist struck one more time, a feral roar rang through the air. Inuyasha had arrived to see Shippo's father- one of his best men, and his closest of friends- on the floor; It was clear as day the man was dead for all the dry blood soaking the boards, surrounding his body.

Shippo cried out loud now, knowing for certain nothing could bring his parents back, when his world fell black around him.

______ End Flash Back ______

When he awoke two days later to find Mr. Kazaana at his side, everything came together. Inuyasha had killed the brothers and avenged Shippo, but what help was that? He had no place to go now, no one to go home to, no one to love, or to have love him. What was the point? Why should he be living?

Miroku had looked at the boy with eyes of understanding and pity- the pity didn't help Shippo's mood- and told him what Inuyasha had said. Shippo would stay with them, as long as he could help.

He could, and he did. He eventually, after convincing his boss that he was as professional as everyone else, took the place of his father in technology and the place of his mother as 'house maid'. His father had taught him everything Shippo could understand, his mother had taught Shippo everything his father didn't.

However, when he noticed Inuyasha's odd sulking and fidgeting behavior every time he saw Shippo, Miroku was the one to answer the question.

"Hiten and Manten, though they were enemies, remain in his mind, haunting him. They were the first people Inuyasha has every known that he killed."

Those words echoed in Shippo's mind. Even the toughest of leaders couldn't always stick to the rules, and rules one, two, and three of the White Hound Gang- as they were called by the citizens of Japan- were the hardest to follow.

******

Sango watched as her friend slipped out of her coat and gave her a thumbs up before lifting the window of a house some three blocks from where Kagome was planning to stay. Her idea of breaking in to this obviously rich guys house sent off a red alarm signal in Sango's mind. It seemed Kagome had lost hers!

"Kagome, I don't think-"

"Hush up, Sango-chan," Kagome hissed, beckoning her forward recklessly.

Her grip on the sill beneath her slipped and she fell. Sango caught her under the shoulders, grunting. Kagome sighed in relief.

"Have you gained weight?" Sango asked.

"Hey~!"

"Shhh!" Sango breathed, relinquishing her hold on the younger female.

Kagome stood straight, brushing at her sides. Sango gave her a questioning look.

"Why this and here?"

"I felt we should do this one last time, like when we were kids," Kagome said. "This time, though, I thought we could go through his house without being caught. He was, after all, the only one that caught us, remember?"

Sango's eyes widened. Sure, she remembered all of the times they had snuck in to some random person's house when they were kids, but the fact that they were only kids then made it actually sound reasonable. Now, though? It was 6 years ago- to the day- when they had crawled in to this mansion of sorts and been caught red handed on their way out because of the family pet- a parrot of all animals! They hadn't taken anything, so it was let go. The man didn't press charges.

"Yeah, I remember..."

"So?"

"..." Sango looked at her friend, her smile turning into a full fledge grin. "Let's go for it!"

Kagome grinned back devilishly, then recommenced her climb into the opened window. However, when it was Sango's turn to go through, a soft meow found its way to her ear. Looking over, her eyes captured the gaze of a beige kitten, watching her before it turned away.

"Oh, come back, kitty-kitty," Sango called softly. "Kitty... Kitty-kitty-kitty~"

"Sango!" Kagome hissed quietly.

The said teen turned to regard her friend, knowing it was wrong to just leave her in someone's house, but having to check for herself... She couldn't have imagined it, could she have? A Double-tailed cat wasn't exactly unheard of- just... well... unheard of...

She sighed mentally. She just couldn't think how to put it. There once was talk of a two-headed dog, so why not a two-tailed cat? It made sense.

******

"I'll be right back, okay?" Sango said, her eyes filled with excitement.

Kagome felt a little hurt, but then again, Sango had always been a cat person. So, doing what any good friend would do, Kagome nodded and watched her friend silently stalk around the corner to follow the cat.

'And to think I've always been a dog person,' Kagome thought, turning to look quietly around the room. It was spacious, much larger than it appeared to be from the outside. The mahogany china cabinet set at the far end gleamed with a new polish; the china shone. They didn't hold her attention.

The centerpiece to the glass coffee table in the middle of a ring of leather furnished sofa's and a recliner held her in a slight trance. It was a small, fragile looking crystal swan with sky blue and light purple colored wings- the purple darkened as it neared the body-, the tips were the normal, clear ice like look, the body a starking jade with etched in gold. The palm-sized crystalline avion's swiftly craned neck was a softer green, fading slowly into the original color of the sculpt. Everything gently merged, all the colors connected without the look of seams.

Her fingers itched. Kagome had never taken anything- but Sango had also always been right there with her when her hands reached out to lessen the owner's property by a small fraction. What was taking her so long, anyway?

Finding the item too fragile to just walk out with, the teen chose to search the house for anything worth taking in its place. She was pleasantly surprised when she noted the absence of one particular bird cage.

Going through one last survey of the house, slipping silently passed the closed door that led to the master bedroom, Kagome sighed in defeat. Nothing was even worth looking at, save for that swan.

Gathering herself together before leaving to search for a certain absent companion, her eyes spotted a small box atop the china cabinet. It was the box for a small porcelain cherub, and the perfect size for the apple of her eye...

Quickly scurrying over to the box and removing the cherub, setting aside on the cabinet top, and stuffing tissue paper inside from one of the leather couch's side table, Kagome made the crystalline swan the best makeshift carrier she could manage.

With a sigh of pleasure at her achievement, Kagome slipped from the window, closing it gently shut behind her.

And Sango was still nowhere to be found.

Placing the box inside her coat pocket after slipping the jacket back on, Kagome left to search for her friend, turning away from the main road and onto the side street previously walked on by Sango.

A shiver ran up her spine and one thought presented its self in her mind. She needed to run- run hard, run fast, and don't look back. She was never one to listen when a threatening edge was noticeable.

"Little late for a stroll, don't you think, Kikyo?"

And the threat was clear as day. Too bad her world was so stark in comparison when her body dropped instantly to the cold, cement ground.

******

Inuyasha watched from the shadows as the dark headed woman reappeared from inside the house. He had watched from the main road inside of the limo as Kikyo talked with another woman before entering the house from a window and the other girl left. It amused him to no end at what lengths Kikyo had gone to in hopes of throwing off any pursuers- what, with wearing a normal black jacket and blue jeans with a SHAM shirt. She would never wear such things!

But, there she was, wearing the last thing Inuyasha had ever expected to see her in, and it didn't help that it made her look all the more innocent... and intriguing.

When she reappeared from the house, caring a small box- God, a porcelain cherub!? Didn't she have any sense at all? She could have at least stole something valuable! - that she placed inside one of the coat pockets, Inuyasha slipped away from the wall he had leaned against.

She was walking casually, her hips swinging differently than usual, her poise a bit less than perfect. When he was mere centimeters away from his target, his hands snaked up to cover her head with a black bag, pressing her pressure point at the same moment, as his voice echoed coldly through the air.

"Little late for a stroll, don't you think, Kikyo?"

He held himself back from catching her as she slumped onto the ground, knowing his men were watching from the night shaded limo. After looking her over with hardened eyes, he lifted her body, finding it odd at the extra weight she had gained in the last- well, it had been three days since he held her aloft, but still!

Carrying the unconscious girl to the awaiting vehicle, Inuyasha barked an order for the driver to return back to headquarters. Miroku, Shippo, and Nobunaga remained silent, but they all kept an eye on the preoccupied man as his fingers splayed across her back to feel the last of her breaths.

******

"Kagome-chan?" Sango called quietly, searching the area around the house her friend had entered.

The window was shut, the jacket gone, the streets silent. Kagome was nowhere to be found, but Sango could understand why. She hadn't returned and Kagome had wanted to do this last little break in with her. Truly, Sango couldn't blame the girl for leaving without a word.

She sighed, stroking the cat in her arms. If Kagome was going to leave without saying so, nothing but a guilty conscience would keep Sango from doing the same.

"Guilty consciences can always be dealt with later."

Kagome herself had said that, now Sango would listen.

******

Miroku followed his boss as the man approached his office. Shippo had done his part and rerouted the boosting ground's security camera's images to a series of televisions now placed in the room. The security guards working there that night would see nothing more than a looping image.

Totousai, Shippo, Miroku, and Nobunaga entered the room after the man carrying the limp woman, each watching in fascination at the way their boss seemed to move on instinct- almost mechanically.

Miroku was the first to be spoke to, Inuyasha cursing at the ex-Monk for leaving the door wide open, then cursing Totousai for appearing at that moment to explain the newest gadget. After being yelled at, the elder man thrust his nose in the air and left. Miroku closed the door behind him.

Shippo was shivering slightly, watching from the corner of his eyes as the snipers at the boost gave a thumbs up and slipped into position. It was only a few minutes away. Miroku couldn't help but feel pity for the boy who Inuyasha had insisted attend- 'to toughen him up for the cruel world he'll have to meet,' as he had put it. The kid didn't need to see bloodshed. Inuyasha thought otherwise.

Inuyasha swiveled his seat into place at the front of the television setup, placing the girl in a sitting position at his feet, facing her toward the screens. Miroku also took his spot at Inuyasha's right hand side, Nobunaga at his left, and Shippo to Nobunaga's right.

"Boss, their here," a buzzing noise hissed from a contraption at Shippo's feet.

"Hold your fire until I say," Inuyasha growled out, removing the cover from the woman's face. "Wait for my signal."

******

Inuyasha's heart sped, the rage in him hitting a boiling point. As soon as the bag was taken from Kikyo, he felt as if another person was controlling him entirely. A steady hand shook the woman's shoulders.

"Open your eyes, love," he hissed, lowering his mouth to her ear, feeling Tetsusaiga's hilt pressed against his thigh. "I have a surprise for you."

A soft moan reverberated in the air, the woman's head lulling back and forth as a hand was brought to an aching forehead. As the head lifted to look straight ahead, Inuyasha's sight also turned to the screen. The lackeys had entered and were searching, looking at each other in bafflement.

"Just for you, Kikyo. I hope it's no one you know," Inuyasha whispered to her, lifting his head to bark the command. "One shot per man, men. Save the ammo. Sure you can manage that."

"Kikyo?" a questioning voice repeated.

"I figure the extra bullets can be left for Naraku," Inuyasha stated, drawing the blade at his side from its sheath to place it at the base of Kikyo's neck. "Along with your head."

The woman gasped, drawing back suddenly as the cold steel touched her skin. Her bangs parting just enough for the face of a young girl to show through.

"What are you doing!?"

Those terror-filled words echoed in the air louder than the gunshots from the blaring speaks, and longer than any one breath lasted.



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A/N: I think I'll stop it here. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review! The next update should be up on the first of March, alright?

Anyway, please tell me what you think!

Ja ne, minna!