Disclaimer: We do not own Inuyasha.

"She has been gone quite awhile Kagome. You sure she will be fine?" Sango shivered in her spot on the rock near the fire pit had there been firewood for a fire.

Kagome shrugged. "She'll be fine. She's probably off gallivanting with some horrid demon of some sort. When she gets tired and hungry, she'll come strolling in."

From the near by trees and shrubs Sesshoumaru and Rin listened in on the conversation. Rin looked perplexed, as her sister's words were harsh on the demon near her.

"I'm horrid I see…"

"No no no! Not you Lord Sesshoumaru! She was just referring to the other demons that have…crossed my path…."

"I see…"

When he turned away from Rin back to the campsite he smirked as he looked at Kagome. Resting on her head and shoulders was none other then his filthy brother's haori. He turned to Rin and bowed to her.

"I must leave you for now. I will be back for you."

Without waiting for a reply he bounded off into the darkness leaving her there stunned with another loss for words. When she finally came to she realized what her goal was to begin with and that she had nothing to show for it.

"I'm so going to get pummeled by Kagome…. she never has to know about him…not ever…."she shivered.

She collected herself and began to scour the nearby forest floor for as much wood she could find. Or anything that looked like wood. With a hand full she strolled into camp with a huge grin on her face. For obvious reasons.

Kagome and Sango watched her stroll over to the fire hole and put the wood into the pit and pulled out a lighter and started a fire. She took out two cups of instant ramen. Kagome stood up and walked to stand in front of a surprised Rin.

"Who was he?"

Rin's jaw hit the camp floor as Sango sweat dropped then started to giggle so hard she fell off the rock she was sitting on with a thump.

Sesshoumaru soared through the woods following his half brother's scent. He really didn't need to. He knew where he slept and spent most of his time. Upon arrival heard his brother's soft snores coming from a near by treetop. He looked around the near by surroundings. He quickly found the sleeping hanyou up on a branch that was over hanging a hot spring. The heat of the spring was keeping the hanyou warm for the night. Without his kimono he was susceptible to the elements. Sesshoumaru strolled over to the base of the tree and called up to him trying to rouse him.

"Inuyasha!"

The hanyou kept sleeping. Soft snores still being heard. Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and began again to call to him.

"Inuyasha!"

Yet again nothing but snores met the demon lord's ears. Without so much as a flinch the lord brought out his lightning whip and grabbed the sleeping hanyou's ankle and pulled. Inuyasha was soon blubbering and panting his way out of the hot spring below him. He growled menacingly at his older brother who was now towering over him.

"What the hell did you do that for? I already had my bath today!"

"Could have fooled me."

"Keh."

Inuyasha climbed out of the spring and stood in front of him with his arms crossed over his chest. Sesshoumaru paid his demeanor no mind.

"I need your services."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and glared at him.

"And in return for these…services…" he spat. "What is in it for me?"

"Believe me, Inuyasha, you'll be rewarded." Sesshoumaru chuckled darkly.

" Then I see no need to help you."

Without warning Sesshoumaru flicked his wrist and had the lightning whip wrapped around Inuyasha's neck and he had pulled till he was on his knees in front of him. Inuyasha was panting from the constriction.

"I could end this now…" Sesshoumaru said with as much delight he could without giving it away.

"Fine, name it and I'll do it."

"I want you to protect a couple of human females from Kouga and his wolf pack. They are near the abandoned well five miles from here. Think you can handle this task?"

"Feh. I can do that. What is so special about a couple of human females to you anyways?"

Sesshoumaru took his whip and again knocked Inuyasha back into the spring.

"You will see my dear half brother." He said turning away from him and headed back into the darkness. Inuyasha growled from the hot spring.

"Damn you Sesshoumaru." He said rubbing his neck.

Inuyasha got out of the spring and jumped up to his branch where he was before and shook himself dry for the most part. Afterwards he stood up and sniffed the air and quickly caught the girls' scent. Inuyasha smirked and bounded into the forest following it.

Inuyasha found the clearing in no time. As he approached the campsite he saw a shadowy figure watching the girls as they slept. Thinking that Kouga had found them already he quickly reacted. He struck the back of the shadow's head. This sent the figure into the clearing in a roll. Inuyasha looked on stunned to see a blur of purple and black.

"Whoops…" he mumbled as he watched helplessly.

The figure rolled into the campsite only to land with his head in the soft backside of a basket. Sango screamed her rage and fear, which woke Kagome and Rin from their deep slumber.

"Uhhh…Sango why are you screaming?" Rin asked as she wiped the sleepy time from her eyes oblivious to the object in Sango's rear.

Kagome jumped up with a start and had pulled on the red kimono by habit. She stood up and rushed over to aide her friend. She began to assault the intruder by stamping on his back. This aroused the object on the intruder's back.

"Ow!" cried a small innocent boy's voice.

This caused Kagome to pause in mid stomp and sweat drop. She brought her foot back down to her side and pulled Sango off of the intruder's head and backed away. Rin sat on the side still wiping her eyes in a daze to her surroundings.

"Who…who…who are you and what do you want with…with…Sango you Pervert!"

The confused man rubbed his head with a glad and yet puzzled look on his face.

"My name is Miroku. This here is Shippou." Miroku gestures to his back where his cloak began to speak.

"That's right. I don't like to be stepped on either," said Shippou whimpering. After saying so he transformed into his true form. Before Kagome and Rin's eyes stood a tiny kitsune. Both Kagome and Rin hollered at the same time and charged the poor fox half out of his skin.

"OH MY GOD HE IS SO CUTE!"

Shippou took off for the nearest shelter. In her hurry to hug the kitsune, Kagome had dropped Sango. Shippou instinctively ran for the basket. He dove inside quivering with fear. Sango let him in knowing and sensing his terror.

"Kagome, Rin, calm down, the poor boy is scared."

Kagome and Rin stopped and looked embarrassed.

"Sorry. He was just so cute." Rin piped in.

"You think every demon you come across is cute." Sango scoffed letting the kitsune out.

Shippou then scampered over to Miroku and changed back into his cloak. Miroku just chuckled at the antics before him.

Rin rolled her eyes.

"No I don't Sango. For instance I don't think that one over there is at all." Rin pointed in the direction that Miroku had rolled from.