Naraku sat in his grubby little body. He was annoyed at himself. The body was too far in control, and it didn't even have it's own mind! 'Wanna bikkit' indeed…

He found it rather challenging to think properly, so any attempt at planning would have to be put off. This made Naraku angry, and it made him want to kick things. A lot.

…

Night fell.

Sango looked out the window of Kaede's hut. She didn't feel up to going out of the hut, she'd said. InuYasha was returning from getting some food. (From where you say? I don't know!) He came in, causing Sango to jump. Sango, scared. It didn't ring right in his head, and even if he tried to make himself think that way the thought remained unsettled. InuYasha had a feeling Sango was the same way, but she was thinking about herself, and it had to be that much harder to grasp because of that fact. She smiled at him sheepishly. Once again InuYasha had to take a mental step back and figure out if that was a possible thing to have happen. Sango, sheepish… It didn't fit.

"Food." He said plainly. Sango took it thankfully. InuYasha hadn't really been paying attention to what it was; all he knew was it was something with rice, and that didn't really narrow it down much. He sat next to her, watching her eat her food hungrily. Rarely did InuYasha let himself think deeply. It wasn't the sort of thing he did. Now was a time when he wanted to

How were they going to do any of this without Sango? Admittedly InuYasha normally did all the work in battle, but he needed all the delay he could get so he could find a way to kill things. Sango couldn't make a living like this, either. She hadn't got a backup plan. Heroing was all she really knew how to do. Now she was scared of horses forty feet away! He sighed. Sango finished eating and put down to bowl. She still said she felt clumsy, but she could manage enough. InuYasha wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him, and almost as if she could read his mind she said, "InuYasha, we'll find something. We always have." She said. Even her voice sounded different! Nearly everything about her had changed just a little, and InuYasha didn't like the changes. He liked the old Sango better. Even InuYasha realized that since he'd put her life through a blender by falling in love with her it would be horrible of him to suddenly not love her. That would be bad… He felt her kiss his cheek, and that made him smile. Either way it felt good that she loved him. Jealousy was such an ugly thing, and InuYashajustcouldn't help it. He pulled her head under his chin, smelling her hair. Why the hell did her hair always smell so good? He closed his eyes and just let that moment stay there, just a little longer…

…

InuYasha woke up, Sango in his arms. She was still asleep, so he decided to get up – carefully, so as not to wake Sango. When he got into the guest hut he saw Kagome and Miroku talking.

"Hello, InuYasha." Said Miroku.

"Hey." He said back. The only assurance InuYasha got that Kagome knew he was there was that she turned to face him briefly. H could only imagine how hard this was for her. But he wasn't going to.

Lady Kagome was just telling me she's picked up the trail of a shard. We think it's the last of the Jewel."

"Good, we'll get ready."

…

Naraku and Kagura had located Kanna. She wasn't all in one piece, but with a Shikon No Kakera Naraku could fix that.

"Kanna," He said. Kanna looked up at him, mute from the amount of pain. Naraku's Castile had collapsed onto her, poor thing. "Get out of there, and come." Mentally he cheered himself on for not bursting out saying anything babyish. Kanna nodded to him, and obeyed. He smiled to himself. Apart from the pudgy cheeks, the inability to stand, and the outbursts of 'waaah!' this was fine, and handle able.

…

"Well what are we going to do about Sango?" Kagome asked. She was having a hard time with InuYasha and Sango being in a relationship, but she still cared for her friend. "We can't just leave her behind, can we?" She asked. InuYasha shook his head.

"Well we can't take her with us!" He snapped. Kagome had to stop herself from uttering the word 'sit'.

"But Sango's been with us every ste--!"

"She can't come!" He said firmly. "She can't grip her chopsticks properly, or stand up against a rat, let alone come and fight with us! It'd be better for her if we leave her." He said. Kagome thought she could hear a little pout in his voice, though. She realized he was right, and there was no way they could justify doing that to her.

"I'm going." Came a voice from the crowd. They were expecting it to be Sango, but it was…

Dun dun DUUUUUN!

Sango. Sango had her hair in the same tight ponytail, and she was standing straight, and proud as people passed. She had her Taijia uniform on, with Kirara on her shoulder. Kagome smiled with joy that she was recovered, but Miroku began to undo his wind-tunnel. At this, Sango squeal, and ducked behind a nearby building, dropping Hirakotsu, which had been slung over her shoulder, and Kirara only barely managed to stay on. Miroku sighed.

"Lady Sango, I enjoy your company immensely, and I don't want to be robbed of that when I return. Please stay."

"No." She said, coming back out. "I'm going, because I want to be me again!" She said, something familiar glinting in her eye. Oh, that was cowardice…

"Lady Sango, all you will do is nearly get yourself killed."

"Then s-so be it…" She stammered.

End Chapter Sixteen.

I'm going to Spokane for four days tomorrow, so no updates for a while. I'll see you again soon, guys, BYE!

Miko-Chan.