Disclaimer:

Archangelina: Here's an idea! """""Runs off and gets Inuyasha""""" Ok. Go on, clean my room!

Inuyasha: Whadda ya mean "Clean your room?"! You don't own me!

Archangelina: Exactly.

Chapter Two

"Have you come to your senses yet?" Naraku leaned against the bars, staring down at the filthy girl in the straw cell. It was bad enough he had to start force feeding her when he found out she wasn't eating. Perhaps she was trying to starve herself to death. Not exactly an effective way to commit suicide, but he hadn't left her any other way. Now it was a matter of her appearance. Twice he sent Kagura to bathe the prisoner, and twice she was unsuccessful. "I will warn you Kagome, now is not the time to resist. I will have what I want, it's as simple as that. "

Kagome clambered to sit on her hands, and then looked over her shoulder at her captor. His narrow eyes were almost a slit, but he maintained a cool composure with his voice. She looked back away from him. She, herself, was sick of the filth that she accumulated, but she was too proud to do anything for Naraku. If he didn't like it, then she was making progress. Perhaps he would soon give up and kill her.

"I already told you, making that jewel is suicide," she announced, staring at her feet. She felt the air shift behind her. Naraku, she knew, was growing restless. She looked again, over her shoulder, but the air there was blank. A sigh of relief left her lips. Naraku's eyes greeted her when she faced forward once more, and she tried to jump backward, but his hand was gripping her arm.

"I thought you wanted to die," he said cryptically. Kagome let out a faint wimper as his eyes narrowed on her once more. She turned away from her cell mate, but as she looked away, his grip on her arm tightened and twisted. She did the only thing she could: cry out from the pain. "Tell me, then, Kagome. Do you truly want to live with your precious Inuyasha gone? Your friends slaughtered?" He twisted her arm outward, and the girl squirmed and groaned in pain.

"No, my friends aren't dead," she argued.

"But they are, Kagome."

"Liar!" she accused. Naraku let out a breath of a chuckle. He moved to her side, twisting her arm further. As she squirmed, he leaned his face alongside hers, their cheeks grazing.

"You'll come to know soon enough, Kagome," he cooed, "but there arm more pressing matters to attend to."

...five minutes later...

"What are you doing? Get your hands off of me!" Kagome demanded as Naraku half carried, half dragged her to the bathhouse. He ordered some water to be poured into a private bath and waited to be directed. Naraku didn't go out among humans often, but he enjoyed bathhouses, so he recently had one added to his castle. It was operated by underclass demons and was open only to him, his incarnations, the workers, and his 'guests.'

One of the underlings, a frog hanyou boy named Jihon, lead them to the back of the bathhouse to a closed off room. He set to his work quickly, making sure to fill the tub with the best available water. When the steam rose high and the water nearly filled the tub, Naraku ordered him off. The boy bowed and swiftly obliged.

Kagome stood very still when she heard the door close. She half expected Naraku to leave as well, but he remained very close behind her. She looked at the water and clenched her fists.

"Go on," Naraku instructed. Kagome started, then froze for a second or two. "What is wrong, Kagome?" Naraku toyed.

"Well, aren't ya gunna give me some privacy?" Kagome snapped. In an instant after, Naraku's left hand gripped her shoulder. "What are you doing!" she demanded. Naraku said nothing, but ripped her blouse down the back, making shallow cuts on her right shoulder blade. Kagome let out a small scream of surprise and pain. "No! Stop!" she demanded weakly. There was another tearing noise and her left sleeve fell to the ground. Her shirt peeled around to her right, attached only by her other sleeve. "Please! Stop it Naraku!" she cried, but just after, her right sleeve fell to the floor, followed by the rest of her shirt. She cried upon realization that her bra was right on top of it, having been ruined simultaneously with her shirt.

"Is there something you are afraid of, Kagome?" Naraku asked cooly. Kagome's breath caught in the sudden pause, and just as she opened her mouth to speak, she was silenced by a simple movement. Her skirt and panties, ripped down the right side, fell to the ground next to her feet. "Now then, take off your shoes and socks." Kagome was unable to move. "Alright, have it your way, Kagome."

Naraku lifted the girl and dropped her into the tub. Kagome cut through the water of the deep tub like a rock, and actually had to swim upward to breach the surface. Just as she took a breath, however, Naraku put a hand against her stomach and forced her back underwater. He reached underwater, grabbed one of her legs, stripped it of its shoe and sock, and followed suit with the other leg before allowing her back over the surface of the water. Kagome gasped and coughed once able to breathe, taking notice of Naraku's right hand pinning her against the side of the tub.

Naraku took up a soft brush and gave Kagome's skin a harsh rub down. Kagome struggled against him finding that he went about his task with no judgments, and no concern of where he was scrubbing. Kagome thrashed about when he began scrubbing her ribs. She continuously felt the side of his hand on her breasts as he went about the task, and she didn't like the feeling. Naraku's hand suddenly went to the nape of Kagome's neck, bending her downward as he scrubbed her back. Kagome waved her arms wildly as her nose became submerged in the warm, herbal water. As the brush rubbed against the cuts on her shoulder blade, Kagome nearly drowned for screaming.

"Hold still," Naraku instructed, but Kagome flailed wildly, nearly causing him to lose his balance along the lip of the tub. "Are you trying to knock me in?" he asked cooly. Then, he pulled her hard and fast against the side of the tub, making her bump her head against the lip. "Now take a breath."

"Wha-" was all Kagome had time to say when he submerged her head beneath the water. He scrubbed her scalp meticulously, soaping up her locks until he could easily run his fingers through her ebony tresses. He pulled her back up over the surface of the water, drinking in the pleasure of her discontentment. "What's your problem!" she coughed. Naraku sniffed and dunked her back under water, ordering a passing servant to bring him something called "silksmell."

When Kagome was allowed back over the water a few seconds later, a smallish container was delivered to Naraku. The servant who brought it disappeared as quickly as he arrived, not requiring the usual command from his lord. Naraku opened the container and took some of the contents into his hand. The creamy substance smelled a lot like sakura and white plum blossom. A strangely pleasing scent.

Kagome stiffened when he began running it through her hair with soft, careful strokes. Shivers ran down her spine, and she let out a small 'eep' of a sound as he pulled back her bangs (fringe) to cover them in the white, smooth substance. It was a dramatic transition, this softness he brought out; an uncomfortable transition. However, as soon as Kagome eased up, the gentle treatment was entirely over.

Naraku put a hand against her stomach and plunged her back into the water. He grabbed her right ankle and brought up her leg, scrubbing her from the base of her foot to the height of her thigh as she splashed about for air -quite successful a couple of times. He dropped her right leg, allowing her a solid second for air, before pushing her stomach back under the water and repeating the process with her left leg.

Kagome was pulled out of the tub before she had anytime to compose herself, so she ended up sprawled on the floor. She turned on her stomach and held some of her weight up on her elbows as she choked on the water still in her throat, Naraku watching silent, but impatient. He threw sandals before her.

"Put them on and follow," he ordered. Kagome looked up and grabbed the sandals slowly, almost losing balance on her other elbow. She rolled to sit on her bottom, pinching her thighs together and crossing her arms over her breasts, a sandal in each hand; she stared upward at Naraku. "Do not test my patience, Kagome, put them on."

"What about my clothes?" she exclaimed. Naraku looked at the discarded scrap-rags-of-clothing on the ground near his feet and then back to Kagome.

"What about them?" Kagome was silent. "If you can wear them, you may, but do so quickly. I've things to attend." Kagome gripped her crossed arms, dropping the sandals.

"I'm not walking around here naked!" she proclaimed boldly. Naraku's eyes narrowed.

"You are in no position to make orders, Kagome. It is your own fault they are like this," Naraku pronounced clearly. "Now put on the sandals and follow." Kagome glared at Naraku and obliged. When they reached the door of the private room, Naraku shed his haori and tossed it behind him. Kagome caught it instinctively. "Cover yourself."

"What makes your think I'll wear anything of yours?" she exclaimed. Naraku turned, half smiling.

"You would rather walk about demons in nothing but your skin and sandals?" he asked cooly. Kagome looked at the offering and tensed her hands about it. Her pride fought hard against her common sense, but she realized it would be foolish to refuse.

"What kind of game are you playing, Naraku?" she demanded.

"As long as you are here and wish to remain as comfortable as possible, you will call me lord and do as you are told," he warned and turned to open the door. Kagome bit her tongue to keep from arguing and threw the haori on with great speed. Naraku walked even paced and quickly through the corridors of the structure.

"You can do what you want with me, I'll block it all out!" Kagome proclaimed as they neared the main room. "I'll never make a shikon jewel for the likes of you!" Naraku continued silently, thinking to himself how much he enjoyed her outrage. "Are you listening to me, Naraku?" she shouted. All the servants in the busy room stopped in a dead trance, staring at the two as Naraku also came to a halt.

"You will call me lord," he ordered calmly. Kagome bit her bottom lip and threw her arms to the side.

"I will call you dirt if I want!" she averred bravely. Naraku turned to face her, his cold eyes narrowing on hers, sending a choking sensation to her heart. I "I will keep you conscious to endure every ounce of the pain..." /I Kagome did something not even she would suppose of herself. Bowing her head she mumbled, "I am sorry Naraku-sama. It will not happen again."

"See to it your mouth does not run away with you again," he demanded lowly as the servants went about their tasks.

"Yes, my lord."