A castle lay in the mountains to the east, shrouded in darkness. This is where the hanyuo Naraku felt his link to his incarnation end.
"So, Drasune has failed," he murmured with a sense of slight annoyance. "No matter, where one fails many can succeed." The shadows on the far wall separated from it, becoming several dark shapes. Naraku turned to them, a smile on his face. "Go now and bring me the jewel shards the hanyuo Kamitsu possesses," he ordered them. "Do not fail me, or you shall suffer the same fate as that weakling Drasune." The shadowy figures moved away, seemingly melting into the darkness. Naraku turned to the room's only doorway and stepped out of it. "Soon, ultimate power shall be mine."

Kaiede sat in her small hut, enjoying a cup of freshly made tea when she heard noises coming from out side. She set the cup down, got up and opened the flap that served as a door. Kagome was there, Sango and Miroku helping her pull a seriously injured man off of Kirara's back.
"What happened to ye child?" The old woman asked in alarm. Kagome moved to the side slightly, revealing that the man had blue hair and pointed ears.
"Kaiede, this man is hurt bad!" Kagome exclaimed. "Can we use your hut so we can treat his wounds?" Kaiede was surprised that she felt she had to ask.
"Of course ye can, child," she replied, "but, tell me, what happened?" Kagome looked at her with tired eyes.
"Naraku happened."

Sango knelt next to Kamitsu's battered and bandaged form and let out a yawn. It was her turn to watch over the hanyuo and alert the others if his condition changed. She and Kagome had spent over an hour treating his wounds. Several of his injuries were pretty bad; others were simply small cuts and bruises. He'd been drifting in and out of consciousness for hours since then, not staying awake long enough to even mumble a few words. She stood up to stretch when she heard the hut's door flap being pulled aside. She turned, hand reaching for her hiraikotsu. Miroku stepped through it and stopped when he saw that she had her weapon in hand.
"Maybe I should come back later," he said, preparing to leave. Sango set down the hiraikotsu with a sigh.
"No, Miroku," she replied tiredly, "you can stay, as long as you don't get any ideas." Miroku's expression turned to one of innocence.
"Now, Sango, what have I done to earn such mistrust?" He asked, making Sango frown slightly.
"Don't act like all those times you grabbed my ass didn't happen, you dirty monk!" She spat, her temper flaring. Miroku batted his hands in the air in a placating motion.
"Easy, Sango," he said in what he hoped was a calming manner, "I never felt anything from you to discourage me from doing so." The demon taijiya's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"How would you like to feel my fist hit your face!" Miroku's expression grew worried.
"Now, now there's no need to get violent!" He pleaded with her. "Besides I have a peace offering." He reached inside his robe and pulled out two sweet bean buns. Sango eyed them and him suspiciously.
"And?" She took a hesitant step forward, feeling quite hungry. "What's the catch?" Miroku held out one to her.
"No catch, just thought you might be a little hungry," he told her innocently. She took another step forward, then quickly snatched the sweet bun from his hand.
"Thank you," she murmured before taking a bite from it. It was definitely good, making her want to scarf it down, but she ate it slowly, taking up her position at Kamitsu's side as she did so. Miroku knelt down next to her, taking a bite from his as well.
"How's he doing?" He asked in hope of striking up a conversation with her. Sango stopped eating for a moment.
"No changes as of yet," she replied tiredly. "Kamitsu's been coming in and out of consciousness for the past few hours, but nothing other than that." She gave a tired yawn before continuing to eat her bun.
"How long has it been since you last slept?" Miroku asked, concerned for her health. Sango shrugged.
"Ten, maybe twelve hours." She told him, causing the monk to frown slightly. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Besides, it won't be Inuyasha's turn for another two hours." He placed a hand on her shoulder suddenly.
"You know," he began carefully, "there are other ways we could be spending the time." There was a loud crack as Sango slapped him across the face.
"How dare you!" She began angrily. "How could you even suggest such a thing!" Miroku sighed heavily and then stood, heading for the door flap.
"I was about to suggest a game I learned from Kagome that involves the use of cards," he said before walking out. Sango blushed furiously. That she had been thinking about that and Miroku wasn't truly shocked her. She quickly stood, heading after him.
"Miroku, wait!" She called before stepping out.

Kamitsu's eyes opened slightly as he scanned the hut. The taijiya and monk had left, leaving him alone. It was the middle of the night; he could easily slip out without drawing anyone's attention. He sat up slowly, aware of a sharp twinge of pain in his side as he did so. He frowned, realizing that he wouldn't get very far in his present state. The act of standing itself took more effort than he liked, leaving him clutching at his side in agony.

"Oh, damn it," he groaned aloud. He took a step outside, breathing in the crisp night air. He smelled water nearby, noticing that he was in need of a bath.
"Where're you off to, ya scrawny cat?" Inuyasha asked from off to his right. Kamitsu turned, suddenly feeling annoyed.
"What do you want, mutt face?" He asked in turn. Inuyasha growled at him, tightening his grip on the Tetsusaiga.
"What was that!" He asked angrily, taking a step forward. "You want to fight me, ya damn cat!" Kamitsu would have gladly obliged, had he not been in so much pain.
"Maybe some other time," he said, turning to where he smelled the water coming from, "but right now, I need a bath." And he kept walking, ignoring Inuyasha's attempts to goad him into fight. "See you around, dog boy!"

"Miroku, wait!" Sango called to the monk, following after him. Miroku turned with a sigh, wondering if she was going to slap him again. She stopped a few feet from him, feeling deeply ashamed of herself. "I…I shouldn't have slapped you like that, Miroku, I'm sorry." The monk blinked in confusion, not sure he had heard her right. She blushed self-consciously under his curious gaze. Finally, Miroku smiled.
"That's okay, it's not like I've given you any reason to trust me in that manner." She didn't argue with him about that. "Apology accepted." He looked behind her at something. "Hey, isn't that Kamitsu?" Sango spun, seeing that indeed it was the half demon.

"Oh no!" She exclaimed, pushing past Miroku to follow him. "I better stop him before Inuyasha does!"

Kamitsu sank into the spring with a sigh, the hot water doing wonders for the pain he felt. It had been awhile since the last time he had been able to relax, and he planned to enjoy it for as long as possible. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there in the water, but he came back to himself suddenly, the loud snap of a tree branch being stepped on drawing his attention. He sprang from the water in a flash, dropping into a fighting stance as he faced the person who had disturbed his fleeting moment of peace. His eyes widened in surprise when he realized the figure was the taijiya from before, Sango he believed. The human stood staring at him, her face beet red.

"What are you…?" He stopped, suddenly realizing why she was staring at him. He wasn't wearing any clothes. With a short cry of embarrassment and surprise, Kamitsu leapt behind the rock where he had placed his clothes, face red from how mortified he felt. Sango turned away, her face turning nearly purple, more than a little embarrassed by the fact she had been staring at the naked half demon.

"How could you just leap out at me like that!" She cried in a semblance of outrage as she tried to get the image of his nude form, with his chiseled muscles and hard physique, out of her mind. T he darkness had kept the rest of him thankfully out of sight, but what she did see…

"How was I supposed to know it was you when you just snuck up on me like that!" He asked, anger seeping into his voice. "You could have been a murderous yuokai or something!" Sango's temper flared, her embarrassment momentarily forgotten.

"It's not my fault you didn't tell anyone where you were going!" She spat back, causing Kamitsu to snort in disbelief. The human was trying to cast the blame on him!

"Now it's my fault? Is it a crime now, to bathe in private in this province!" The hanyuo's own temper, gained from his human mother, flashed to the surface. "Besides, I told the damn mutt I was going to take a bath just before I left!" Sango spun to face the rock he was getting dressed behind, her cheek twitching as she fought to keep from going over and throttling the ninja.

"Inuyasha has the memory span of a log, so telling him anything important is pointless!" He stood, fully clothed once more, his green eyes smoldering.

"Maybe you should train your dogs better!" He said in a near shout, getting right in the taijiya's face. Her teeth ground in anger as she glared at Kamitsu with barely an inch separating them.

"Listen, kitten," she began without thinking, "you're this close from me adding to those injuries of yours!" The hanyuo bristled at the word kitten'.

"Why don't you go ahead and try it!" He hissed dangerously, fingers clenched into fists so hard that his knuckles were turning white. They stood there for a long moment, so close to each other that they could feel the heat of the other's breath on their face. With a growl of frustration, Kamitsu turned away first, his pulse quickening and his breath coming in short gasps as he fought for control of his emotions. Sango looked at him in confusion, not realizing what was happening, thinking that she had gone too far. The hanyuo's back was to her, hiding his face.

"Kamitsu?" She asked, doing her best to keep her voice calm and steady. Kamitsu didn't reply, the hanyuo not trusting his own voice at the moment. He shuddered, wondering why the taijiya's scent was so…alluring was the only word he could think of. The only thing he could think of when he had been that close to her was how much he wanted her.

Damn, he thought, why now, of all times! He shuddered involuntarily, trying to regain control of himself, but her scent permeated his senses, driving him insane. Sango placed a wary hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" She asked, concerned that he could be ill from an infection. Her hand was warm, causing Kamitsu to shudder again. He felt hot, like every inch of his skin was on fire. He knew she was speaking to him but he couldn't make out the words. He looked at her face, glad it was dark so she wouldn't see how wild his eyes must look. She was concerned for him. No one was ever concerned about him, except maybe her... He jerked away from Sango's touch, not wanting feel this way any more. He didn't care if it made him out to be an asshole or not, it was just that her touch brought up memories he didn't want coming back to the surface. Ever.

"I'm fine," he replied gruffly, his voice hoarse. "I…I'm just tired, that's all." Sango sighed, not understanding him at all.

"Well, if you're sure you're alright," she said with a slight shrug. "If you're tired you should go back to the hut and get some rest." He nodded jerkily.

"Yeah, I'll do that." His voice still didn't sound the least bit normal. Damn it, Kamitsu, he thought, get it under control! He took a deep, calming breath, found his center and focused on getting his emotions back on a short leash. After a moment he turned back to her, cool and back in control again. Then his ears twitched as he heard something. It was a faint rustling sound, like that of someone trying to move quietly. He sniffed the air and snorted in disgust. "Black serpent yuokai!" He growled, his earlier discomfort gone. Sango tensed, realizing that she had left her hiraikotsu behind when she had followed him.

"Shouldn't we be getting back to the others?" She asked, to which Kamitsu shook his head. He kept his eyes on the surrounding forest when he replied:

"No, they're all around us now, we'd never make it." Somehow, that made Sango feel even worse.

"Great, then how are we gonna fight back?" She asked with a wave of her right hand. "In case you hadn't noticed, neither of us are armed." He smiled, flexing his hands so that six inch claws sprouted from the tips of his fingers.

"I don't need a weapon," he told her, causing her to sigh.

"Well, bully for you," she said with a sense of vexation, "but that still leaves me unarmed!" He gave her a gaelic shrug.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you." Sango crossed her arms under her breasts with a resigned sigh.

"Great, I feel safer already."

Inuyasha sat atop Kaiede's hut, arms folded across his chest in obvious thought. He mostly thought about what he was going to do with the cat hanyuo, Kamitsu. Personally, he just wanted to kill him and be done with it, but Kagome wouldn't be too happy with that. That was another thing that bothered him. Why, after Kamitsu kidnapped her against her will, did she insist that he not be harmed? What if he tried to leave with the jewel shards? Inuyasha let out a growl of frustration. Kagome was his, damn it, so why did she have to be so difficult! That stopped Inuyasha's train of thought cold. He had referred to Kagome as if she were his mate. Well, he couldn't deny that he found her attractive, but as a mate… With how much they fought each other and all the times she'd sent him crashing face first into the dirt with only a single word, the casual observer wouldn't think so. But, then again…

"I love you as a half demon, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha blushed at the memory of what had followed those words. True, it had been meant to change him back to normal, but she had still kissed him. He gave himself a vigorous shake, dispelling the memories. He drew in a deep, relaxing breath and froze. The night air was heavy with the stink of demons. Inuyasha mentally kicked himself in the ass for not smelling it sooner. He leapt down from the hut's roof, sword hand tightening around the hilt of the Tetsusaiga.

"So, this is the infamous Inuyasha," a voice called from the darkness. "Hmph, I'd thought you'd be taller." The hanyuo smiled wryly.

"Sorry to disappoint you," he told whoever it was sardonically. "Why don't you come out so I can see you?" The yuokai chuckled.

"As you wish," the voice replied. The shadows to Inuyasha's immediate left seem to ripple, then took on a human-like shape. The figure stepped forward, revealing that it was female. Inuyasha just gaped at her, not believing his eyes. The woman was dressed almost exactly like Kamitsu, and, if he didn't know any better, she could have been his sister. The only difference between them was the fact she was female, with burgundy eyes and raven black hair.

"Who the hell are you!" He growled fiercely in an effort to shake off his confusion. The female yuokai smiled.

"My name is Kamilla," she replied, twin energy swords forming in her hands, "and I have come for the jewel shards Kamitsu possesses."

"How the fuck do you know Kamitsu!" He asked tersely. Kamilla laughed, a light silvery sound, like bells. Inuyasha snorted derisively. Yeah, he thought, more like demonic bells.

"Why, he's me brother of course," she told him as if she was commenting on the weather. The hanyuo gaped at her, not believing his ears. "Now stand aside!" Her cry cut through his shock like a blade.

"I don't care if you're his mother, cause you ain't getting em'!" He roared, charging her head on. "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" His claws whizzed through the air where the yuokai used to be. He heard her laughter from behind him.

"Is this the best the infamous Inuyasha can do?" She asked incredulously. "Because, if it is, you'll just have to die!" He spun, drawing the Tetsusaiga in the same movement.

"Taste Kaze no Kizu!"

An explosion from outside rocked Kaiede's hut violently.

"What was that?" Kagome asked, startled by the sudden blast. Kaiede's face turned grim.

"I believe that Inuyasha is doing battle with some unwanted guests that have come looking for your new half demon friend," the old woman replied sagely. Miroku took up his staff and stood.

"Come on, Kagome, he'll need our help," he observed before turning to the hut's door flap. Kagome nodded and stood, grabbing her bow and quiver of arrows before following him.

"Right behind you," she called after him as the door flap swung closed behind her. Kaiede wished she were about twenty years younger so she could fight alongside them, but all she could do now was pray for their safety.

"Take this!" Kamitsu cried, using his claws to tare into the enemy's ranks. The number of black serpent yuokai seemed infinite, but that had never stopped the hanyuo before, so he wasn't about to start now. A spear tip bit into his side, drawing blood and causing Kamitsu to grunt in pain. He rolled with it, ripping the spear out of its owner's grasp before using the weapon to impale the offending yuokai. He glanced back at Sango for just a moment before turning back to his opponent in time to slap aside a clumsy thrust of a yuokai's sword. He used its unbalance against it, hurling the black scaled monster into a nearby tree. Another yuokai got in a lucky shot, opening up a large gash across his chest. Blood streamed from the wound, but Kamitsu hardly noticed as he tore out the demon's throat with his claws. He glanced back again, only to see Sango bashing a demon's brains out with a rather large tree branch she was using as a make shift club. "Sango, what are you still doing here!" The demon taijiya didn't reply at first, instead making good use of the opportunity to smash a black serpent yuokai up side the head.

"Did you think I'd let you have all the fun?" She asked in turn before crushing that same demon's skull with another well-placed strike. Kamitsu shook his head in amazement, not knowing if she was foolish or just plain crazy. He relieved a dead yuokai of its katana. It was nothing like his taitou, but it killed things just the same, so he couldn't complain. To prove his own point, so to speak, he eviscerated another yuokai and watched it fall, trying to hold in its own entrails even as it died. It was going to be a long night.