Note: sorry I was this late, this chapter was quite hard to write down, and by this I mean Naraku's appearance. Hope you like.
IMPORTANT QUESTION: I received two requests for the side couples. One is MirokuSango. The other is, MirokuShippou with an older Shippou, which was something I wanted to do –having Shippou grow up, I mean.
Now, you have a lot of time to think about it, but be aware that there is another option here. It's OCMiroku and OCSango, which means, a yaoi and a yuri couple. Obviously the OC for Sango would be that neko youkai I already introduced. As for Miroku, if you're interested, you'll soon see.
So? What do you think?
MasterFranny: couldn't believe how many reviews I get for last chapter, I am so grateful… now, onto the fic! Ah, to the ones who asked. No, I don't have a BETA anymore. She disappeared.
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Thanks to all of you, you can't understand how much you mean to me!
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Rating: T.
Summary: Naraku isn't the only problem InuYasha is going to have. A stronger youkai, coming from an old rivalry between clans, is now up to have his revenge on them… Sesshomaru/InuYasha/Kouga threesome YAOI Probably Kagome bashing
Disclaimer: I will never own InuYasha. But I like it a lot, and I like to think stories for the charas -plus, I like bashing the ones I hate and hurt the ones I love.
Warning: this is going to be YAOI, that means boy x boy relationship so don't like don't read. This will be INCEST too, between half brothers. This will be threesome, that means ménage a trois. Flames about that will be used to power up my fireplace. This will contain severe BASHING against The Toad better known as Jaken. And The Bitch, better known as Kikyou. And The Other Bitch, better known as Kagome.
"Talking"
'Thinking'
–Flashbacks, memories, dreams–
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Circling Paths
Chapter 04: Redirecting
InuYasha looked down at his group from the top of the Goshinboku tree. Miroku, Sango, Kagome, Kirara and Shippou were standing right under him, eating some food Kagome brought from the future, and he was just staring. He couldn't force himself to go and join them, not right now.
Or at least, he couldn't make himself go and see Kagome, not after what he thought. How could he still look at her knowing he didn't love her? How could he go to her and act as if nothing was wrong when she stated so clearly the life of a demon was a sin?
Obviously enough he still felt the weight of his responsibilities and he forced himself to stay, because he still was the protector of the group and he couldn't go away leaving them like this; not that he believed Miroku and Sango to be useless or weak, but there were some dangers that neither of them could really evade.
Speaking of them, as the silver haired hanyou looked down, they were doing their little show again.
Miroku tried one more time to touch Sango's butt, receiving one hell of slap on the cheek –the trace of the five fingers lasted longer than usual– while Kirara, tired from taking on her back all the three humans, was dozing off on the grass.
They looked pacific.
InuYasha continued staring as Kagome tried to give Shippou some kind of sweet thing, and Shippou looked like he was fighting within himself.
InuYasha couldn't but wonder how the kit took Kagome's words. He had to be hurt, but he was still young, he could not understand fully things. Could he be so strong to actually forget her for what she said, or at least was he so strong to actually let it go and act as if nothing was wrong? InuYasha knew that Shippou looked up at Kagome as if she was his stepmother, but what'd happened could shake deeply the mind of the little kit.
But… Kagome was the way she was, and Shippou couldn't change that. And surely he had to know Kagome wouldn't stay forever. He had to know she would return to her future and he would never see her again. He liked Kagome, and maybe, for a little time, he could ignore her prejudices.
InuYasha stared with sadness as Shippou refused to take the sweet and cuddled up around his tail.
Miroku looked in surprise at him, "Shippou, are you all right? Ever since InuYasha left, you have been acting strangely".
Kagome tried to pet the kit, but he refused the touch and, much to InuYasha's amusement, decided to jump up the Goshinboku tree. Kagome sighed, "Maybe he's been too much near InuYasha for his own good, and maybe what happened to the village the other day affected him somehow".
"But Kagome, you didn't tell us what happened there, and why InuYasha didn't help the villagers!" Sango made a face, "And there was Kouga as well…"
"Nothing, really," Kagome felt ashamed to tell what she considered a 'sin', besides she didn't want to tell something so horrible to them. She didn't even want to think about it, let Alone speak about it. "It's just that… well, it wasn't something we could help".
But she didn't know herself why InuYasha refused to help. She wanted to ask him that day, but the hanyou ran away before she could question him –she was sure he was as disgusted as she was.
Shippou continued his escalade of the tree, but was shocked to find InuYasha on the highest branch, "Inu…" InuYasha placed his hand on the other's mouth, effectively stopping him.
InuYasha remained alee so neither Kirara nor Shippou would sense him, but in the end, the kit found him nonetheless.
Shippou blinked twice, then InuYasha growled at him –not threateningly, he did it to calm the kit down, and it was effective. Shippou relaxed his shoulders and watched curiously InuYasha, sniffing him.
"Why do you smell like Sesshomaru?" Shippou whispered.
"Had some kind of fight," InuYasha hastily replied. Yes, more like a verbal fight, if one. "Shippou, you do realize once Naraku's gone Kagome will leave, forever, am I right?"
Shippou's eyes flashed with hurt, "well…"
"You can't change the way she thinks, I suggest you to forget it all for a while, and enjoy your time with her as much as you can… your 'mom' would want you to, since you like her so much," InuYasha looked away, not quite at ease saying this kind of words.
"…" Shippou was quiet for a while. "She will be gone and I will never see her again, that's why I should forget what she said?"
"Yes, you can't change the way she thinks, because it's part of her… accept that for the time she stays with us… I mean, she's nice to you and all, and I know how you feel about your mom, but… I'm sure that if Kagome had lived here in this era, she would have accepted it without further ado".
Shippou smiled a little, "it's kinda strange to hear you saying this, Inu–pup," he smirked.
"Don't call me that, brat!" InuYasha punched Shippou on the head. "Ouch!" Shippou cried grabbing his aching head.
For a while there was silence between the two. Then…
"InuYasha?"
"Mh".
"What about you?"
"Mh?"
"I mean, you… you care a lot more for Kagome, do you? How do you feel now?"
InuYasha almost smirked at the kit, "I do care for Kagome, just the same way I do for Kikyou… but that does not concern you, so drop it".
Shippou decided to stop there. He could see InuYasha was different now, almost as if he'd accepted a hard decision after a lot of thinking, and felt a lot better now… Shippou smiled.
He was maybe too young to understand completely what InuYasha said, and he didn't understand the way Kagome reacted, but he understood she couldn't change idea… she was too determined –stubborn?- to do that.
He would accept this.
Until he grow old enough to understand why people couldn't accept.
"You coming?" InuYasha stared at the kit that was ready to jump down, and after a moment he nodded.
"InuYasha, finally you're back! We were waiting for you! You had us worried!" Sango greeted the hanyou as he landed before them. Kirara opened her eyes and meowled in greeting, before dozing off again.
Shippou went straight away to the sweet Kagome was still holding, and proceeded to eat it under the stare of Miroku, who then glanced at InuYasha but decided not to press on the matter.
"InuYasha…" Kagome stepped towards the hanyou with a semi-worried face. InuYasha turned to her, waiting… "Osuwari!"
BLAM!
InuYasha landed face down on the grass under the imposing spell of his beads, then he raised his dirty face and sputtered against Kagome, "why did you do that, bitch!"
"You had me worried!" she replied sniffing. "Don't do that ever again, or I'll swear I'll 'sit' you to hell!"
BLAM!
"Oh, sorry, InuYasha, I didn't want to 'sit' you again…"
BLAM!
Shippou snickered slightly as Kagome widened her eyes as she apologized to the hanyou, almost buried in the ground by the force of the spell.
"Oh the Hell!" InuYasha glared up at her, growling. "Stop saying that, Kagome!"
"Good Grief InuYasha, you sure can take some sittings without getting hurt, don't complain like a child!"
"Then stop saying that damn word would you!"
Miroku and Sango stared at the way the two argued and bickered, then looked at each other, and their shoulders relaxed slightly.
'Looks like whatever thing was wrong, it is settled down,' Miroku sighed to himself. 'At least for now… but there is still something that bugs me'.
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It was a fairly quiet and sunny day, the ideal to work in the fields, especially since it was some time since they last had such a good weather.
The peasants that were working in their fields and the ones that were busy in the village bowed seeing the old Priestess Kaede slowly having her way towards her hut, after spending the morning healing a child that had been poisoned by a spider. They respected her, and all the problems in the village were always dealt off by asking her advice.
The fact that she was missing an eye meant nothing to the villagers, maybe instead it gave her more respect since she'd lost it when she was little, with Kikyou her sister still alive, trying to protect the village from some youkai.
All her life had been spent to protect and help her village and the nearby ones from the demons and all the dangers of the wild, and she regretted nothing of her life.
After Kikyou's death, knowing the community of the village would be defenceless towards the dangers of the wild, Kaede decided to become the new Priestess, since some of the power residing in Kikyou was in her as well.
She loved the people living in there, greeting with love all the newly born children and celebrating any marriage with her blessing. She couldn't think how could be her life if she had decided to not protect them. There was nothing that could anger her or cause her sadness –not counting the youkai that attacked the village.
Or maybe there was a thing that caused Priestess Kaede some distress. Her dead sister. If she was granted the wish to go back in time, Kaede would gladly prevent her sister's death. Or, if this wasn't possible, she would make sure her soul would rest in peace forever, after being reincarnated in Kagome's body. If she had guarded Kikyou's grave better than the dark priestess wouldn't have stolen the soil and bones of the dead woman and Kikyou would now still be resting in peace.
Kaede often thought that the whole ordeal was originated by Kikyou's death by the hands of Naraku, disguised as InuYasha; what she couldn't understand was why Onigumo, even after his transformation in the half–demon that was Naraku, still wanted Kikyou. Why did he plan not just InuYasha's defeat but also Kikyou's death? His feelings towards her as Onigumo were not hatred, like Naraku's own –because of her, he was unable to separate from his human self– but something akin to… love.
No, not love, this was wrong. Onigumo didn't love her, he lusted over her.
Yes, Kaede was almost sure that Kikyou's death created the events that lead Kagome to the past, to meet with InuYasha; then the Shikon no Tama broke in million pieces and Kikyou was resurrected, and the quest against Naraku began…
And as Kaede conduced her pacific life in the village, Kikyou lived; or, at least, walked through the world of the living, nursing the only feelings that were left to her –her hatred and her craving for revenge. Once these feelings had been addressed towards InuYasha, but now that she knew the truth… no one could know what she had in mind.
She may have acted as if she was still the same Kikyou that once lived, but she was nothing but a pile of mud and soil with a spell that caused her to look alive.
But Kaede knew she couldn't change the past, and right now, she was at ease with her life, knowing she did nothing wrong nothing that could hurt the people who lived under her protection in the village.
Her eyes travelled to the borders of the village, where the Sacred Goshinboku tree stood tall and proud, leaves shaking in the wind, and wondered if InuYasha was finally back with the rest of the group –they needed him to find the shards and fight Naraku.
"Priestess Kaede! Priestess Kaede!"
She turned, and was surprised to see two of the clodhoppers heading towards her taking in their arms another man, who appeared to be very badly hurt and was on the verge of fainting. Blood was seeping from the tattered clothes and onto the other two men, who were worried and afraid. Kaede hurried towards them, worry crossing her face.
"He arrived here on a horse's back, but the animal died in the moment it reached us," one of the two explained to the Priestess.
"Take him inside my hut, now!" she commanded, and then ordered the two men to lay the injured one down on the cloth on the ground, hushing them out right after.
Kaede saw many others reduced like that one after an attack from demons, but these injuries were ones made not to kill –well, not quickly. They were made so to kill the target slowly and painfully, with blood loss, and keep the victim aware and awake until the very end. The demon that did that was surely ruthless and cruel.
The man was trembling as Kaede took care of his wounds, and tried many times to speak, but every time his voice failed him. Kaede knew the man couldn't survive the night, but still she tried her best to make his sufferance stop.
In the end he finally could clear his throat enough to ask some water, and after having it sipped slowly Kaede asked him gently what had happened.
"D… demons… new demons coming from… from…" he started coughing up blood, and Kaede cleaned it away. She couldn't do much now, just ease his pain. "Dragons… coming to destroy us… from the south… killed all the people in the villages… please, Priestess Kaede… help us…" he coughed some more and Kaede lifted his head a little so to prevent him from chocking on his blood. "Here… take… this…"
With a visible strain the man pulled out something from his bloody haori, and handed it to Kaede, who recognized what it was both by sight and by feeling. She had been so preoccupied for the man she had failed to notice he was carrying it.
It was a small Shikon shard, but it was so tainted it looked like black stone instead of shining pink crystal. Kaede took it in her fingers, feeling it react to her pure touch, but the two forces fought, none overpowering the other. Kaede couldn't purify the shard from its deep taint. She could feel it almost burn her skin, but her powers prevented her to be hurt from its effect.
She stared at the man, who was looking pleadingly at her, and smiled.
"Rest now," she commanded. "I will help, but you need to sleep, is that right?"
The man closed his eyes relaxing, a small pained smile appearing on his pale face as he felt reassured by her speech, his body going limp against the cloth. His breath became shallow and faint, and after some moments, he stopped breathing.
Kaede sighed deeply and in the silence of the hut prayed for the soul of the poor man.
Leaving the hut she saw –and sensed– the arrival of InuYasha's group, and stood in the middle of the street to wait for them. InuYasha was the first to stop in front of her, sniffing her scent covered with blood.
"Who died?" Sango asked as Kirara landed on the ground, letting her down.
Kaede looked around with a frown, "where is Kagome?"
"She had to return to her own time and she went to the well… why, what's wrong Priestess Kaede?" Miroku looked at her bloody vest with worry, knowing something was out of place. He could sense some deep evil power in the neighbours, but couldn't detect where it came from.
"A man from another village came here mortally wounded and said there are demons killing entire villages in the South, he died because his wounds were too deep… I couldn't help him".
InuYasha stiffened at the mention of ruthless demons and South, and stepping towards Kaede he asked, "were those demons dragons?"
Kaede fixed on him her fierce stare, as she nodded.
"How could you know?" Miroku stared at him in surprise.
"Because one dragon came around there while I was away, he attached me and I killed him…" InuYasha stopped there, not wanting to say about Rin or his brother's ordeal. It wasn't his matter. He cared nothing about it.
"They are dangerous," Kaede whispered urgently. "And they are very powerful, plus…" she opened her fist, revealing the tainted shard. "The man took this with him".
As if sensing their stares the black shard pulsed with darkness, its aura twitching as if it was alive. Sango and Miroku gasped at the sight, whilst InuYasha simply stared, feeling the massive evil deep inside it but not the last bit afraid of it. He also felt as if he had to feel something more, but didn't know what –and it annoyed him.
Finally Miroku shook away from his shock and stepped towards Kaede, having a better look at the fragment, using all his oushii's powers.
"It's so tainted!" Miroku whispered in shock. "It's not like any of Naraku's… this is even more tainted!"
InuYasha frowned, if the dragons held fragments of the Shikon no Tama then they were bound to go and retrieve them, but if the enemy Sesshomaru went to kill was the lord of the Dragons –what was his name again? Yaryooku or something like this? No, more like… Yaryudoku, that was it!– then there was a chance they met again… he didn't like that idea very much.
Plus, InuYasha added to himself, Kagome wasn't there, and she forbid any of them to go retrieve her –not that any of them except InuYasha could, and the inu hanyou was all against going to her world. He hated it, it was filled with scary and incomprehensible things, not to mention he didn't like the air, as if it was filled with poison similar to a demon, but human made.
That's why he preferred to stay in his jidai and wait; and maybe staying away from her for some time would help.
Kaede tightened her grip on the dark shard with a faint gasp, feeling it burn in her hand, and tried to purify it once more, concentrating all her miko's powers. It was far over her possibilities to purify it completely, only a stronger miko could do that, like Kikyou or Kagome –but neither of them was here at the moment, so she could try and hope she could purify at least some of the dark aura.
"I sense Naraku's scent over the shard," InuYasha said after a while. "But that's more of it, someone else tainted the shard, and I can't recognize the smell".
Miroku clenched his cursed fist, "so we need to go and find what tainted the shard, I bet it's one of Naraku's servants, and so we will find Naraku! As simple as that! And we can't let innocent people die like this".
Sango nodded, obviously thinking about all the innocent died under Naraku, when Kaede hummed in satisfaction –she managed to purify half of the shard.
"I can't get rid of the strange taint in there, but Naraku's aura is gone now," she explained, showing the now half purified shard. "I think Kagome would purify it completely, but until she's back we can't do a thing".
"But we have to go and help the villagers!" Sango stepped forwards, "we can't wait for Kagome, even if shards are involved, if we wait they will all die and then the dragons will come here!"
InuYasha knew she was right, because the mere thought of more people dying without he could help were unbearable.
"We can split up, maybe Sango may stay here and wait for Kagome to return, whilst I and InuYasha go ahead, even if we can't see the shards we still can give help to the villages," Miroku proposed.
"Well…" Sango stared first at Kaede, then at InuYasha and Miroku. "I think this is the best option".
"Me coming with you!" yelled Shippou, but went unheard.
"So we will go towards the destroyed villages in the south, searching for other tainted shards?" InuYasha asked grimacing. "And without Kagome to show us the direction?"
"And?" Miroku teased. "Are you missing Kagome too much to actually move? Is there something wrong?"
Shippou glanced up at InuYasha.
"Nothing, nothing, just let's go," the silver haired hanyou growled before walking away. Miroku looked at Sango with a smile, "I am sure he's just angered at Naraku because he killed innocent people, but doesn't want to show it to us!"
"Me coming with you!" Shippou repeated, but went unheard again.
Sango giggled. The silver haired hanyou was just too predictable for his own good.
InuYasha peered at them while walking away, wondering if he would meet again with Sesshomaru. He would hate that. He just hoped that whatever opponent he was facing wasn't connected with Naraku. Maybe the evil hanyou was just using the havoc from that Yaryudoku to control the dragons, or something…
Or maybe this was a hopeless thought.
Sighing he turned completely, "well! Don't you want to help those useless ningens?"
"Me coming with you!" Shippou screamed, and finally he got some attention. InuYasha shook his head, "no short stuff, you will stay there with Sango". With that he turned and walked away, followed by Miroku.
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'I wonder what's Naraku doing now,' Kagura grimaced as she flew over the country on her feather, Kanna right behind her, her usual emotionless stare pointed on her mirror. 'What's his purpose?'
Kagura's black eyes were fixed at the sight below her, as she stared impassibly at the destruction and devastation that was left by the passage of the dragons. She was flying over a village, or what once could have been called a village; now it was just a pile of ruins and burned huts, with dead corpses abandoned everywhere, on the burnt grass, on the streets, in the mud, in the burned remains of the huts.
Blood. Blood everywhere. Blood on the dead bodies of the men, women and children that now were left without burial or a proper ritual of purification of their souls; no one escaped the massacre, no one. Only dead corpses, some so scarred they couldn't even being recognized.
No mercy. No gentleness. Nothing.
Not that Kagura was anything better, she was just as ruthless if needed, but the bloody carnage was ugly to see and she despised the carelessness… she could have used the bodies…
Something attracted her attention, something in–between the human corpses. There were others there. Something not human… an uma youkai. Dead as well.
She stared attentively at the carnage and ignoring the disgust she inspected closely the land, realizing there were youkai among the dead humans.
She spotted a toad youkai and some uma, pacific demons that often lived among humans that could accept them, and even some kumo, though those were less pacific. She even thought she saw some nezumi youkai… maybe a family, or better a small clan.
She realized with little surprise that the dragons didn't care if they killed other youkai in their advancing carnage. Anyone that blocked their path was an enemy, the destruction and the massacre would not stop there. They were ruthless.
Shaking her head, Kagura continued her way, she cared nothing at all. She only mourned the loss of the bodies she could have used as an army. They were all too slashed and messed up to be useful at all.
As her master ordered her, she was witnessing the massacre, inch by inch, watching if there was any surviving being, but there was no one. There could be no one, not after the dragon's attack. If there was someone still alive, it had to be a painful descent towards death.
Why was she doing scout for him? Why? Oh, how much she hater her master, oh, how much Kagura, wind sorcerer, hated Naraku. But she couldn't free herself, even if she longed for it, she wanted it, because he held her heart in his hands, and it was literal. He could kill her painfully or reabsorb her anytime, and she hated to think her life belonged to him.
"Naraku is calling," Kanna stated, voice and face void of any emotion. She freaked out Kagura sometimes, she looked like a dead body as well.
Kagura looked at her, wondering again what the little youkai was thinking, deep inside her mask. The wind sorcerer found hard to think she was just as subdued as she looked, but nothing in her stance suggested that Kanna possessed any kind of rebel instinct –she was the perfect slave, never complaining her duties like her 'sister' did.
Plus, Kagura thought Kanna was somewhat like a spy of her acting to Naraku –one wrong move and he would absorb her back. She feared this, the loss of herself. She wanted to stay alive.
Kagura directed her feather back to Naraku's manor.
Passing through the shield that kept it hidden from any inquiring eyes, Kagura felt the miasma Naraku placed around the manor tickle her face. She could obviously stand it as she was immune from its deviously poisonous effects, but the faint disgusting smell of it was doing its better to piss her off.
The manor appeared before her, slightly imposing and scary –not to her though– and the black haired woman landed before the entrance, passing between two fierce looking dragon guards that were on the door. Both dragons stared at her without fear in their eyes –even if she was a little stronger than them, they had no fear of her.
They were cold-blooded soldiers, not afraid to fight until the end.
Instead they looked somehow uneasy at Kanna's mirror –much to Kagura's anger. It was obvious they didn't fear fighting, but they feared losing their souls –or what they had in the place of a soul, she added contemptuously.
Both were of the lower category by appearance, as they were dragon looking and rather ugly, but she knew the most powerful youkai always had human–like features –or anything you can pass for human like. Obviously the resemblance with ningens was the only thing, as inside they were awfully different.
She had heard the dragon Lord was a real beauty, but unfortunately he was still stuck under the seals…
Kagura walked deliberately slowly through the main corridor leading to the hall Naraku was in, Kanna silently following her, neither of the two female demons making any sound.
In the main hall of the manor there was Naraku, busy smirking at the sphere of dark aura around a giant tree. The black haired man was looking with satisfaction at the tree that was the seal keeping the Lord of Dragons from destroying the world.
It was a huge plant, but it was obvious it held a dark force within. The bark was of a dark shadow of grey and the leaves, once green, were now all black. The seals that were concealing the energy from the dragon from showing –but also keeping the positive aura of the same seals from giving away the position of the enchantment– were weakened.
The black haired demon was wearing his usual baboon fur, the one he usually used when speaking with other demons –as if it helped to make him look harmless, which he wasn't– and he was sitting right on the side of the giant tree.
Naraku smirked as he tentatively placed his hand on the third seal. It cracked with energy, but Naraku wasn't affected as he traced the lines of the sutra. He'd already weakened all the seals and broke two of them, causing the lord to awaken. Now Yaryudoku could speak from the inside of the sacred tree, and all his adepts were gathering around his growing dark aura.
It took Naraku all his powers and a lot of time to detect the tree that sealed the Lord Dragon, but when he finally found him, he started searching for a little fissure on the protective shield.
Kagura had to admit Naraku was playing dangerously.
Waking up one of the most feared and ruthless youkai all Japan had known, what possessed Naraku to do so? Why did he spend so much time searching for him knowing the evil Lord was more powerful than Naraku himself, and three times more evil, and was now busy freeing him from the powerful ties around him?
Naraku looked smugly at her, almost as if he'd read her mind, and she shivered inwardly under his glare. He was by any means completely insane, and evil, but he also was a genius, and he was her master.
"Ah, so you are back, Kanna, Kagura…" the black haired concealed demon said, the only thing visible of him as he lowered his head was his wicked smirk.
The aura around the tree darkened some more as Naraku continued, "what did you see around? Are the dragons doing their work?"
Kagura forced herself to bow in respect, "all the ningen villages are destroyed or worse, and even some group of pacific youkai have been killed," she replied scowling a little, adding "Naraku–sama".
She hated to be relegated as a scout. She wanted some active part on all this crap –at least she wouldn't be moping around.
"Well then, but you see, there is a problem," Naraku's smirk grew larger and scarier, and Kagura had a dreadful sensation running up her back. "One of the Neko clan, none other than the daughter of Lord Kuneru from the Southern Lands, escaped some days ago, obviously searching for help".
Kagura's eyes widened, she hadn't expected this. Without warning tentacles shot from Naraku's body and caught the wind sorcerer on the neck, slamming her on the wall, having her hit it with her head painfully hard, her lips parting in a soundless gasp, pain rocking through her body.
She coughed from the blow, arms trying vainly to ease the grip on her neck, but Naraku wasn't going to let go. His wicked smirk disappeared in a severe grimace of displeasure and he tightened the grip, having Kagura chocked out, trying to breathe, her claws digging in Naraku's tentacles.
"It surely happened… when I… wasn't there…" she managed to whisper weakly.
The black haired man smirked deviously, "if Lord Yaryudoku hadn't expected this already, you would be dead by now, Kagura, don't forget it," Naraku eased the grip and she fell heavily on the floor, coughing and rasping to bring air in her lungs.
'Bastard' she thought, not for the first time. 'Wait until I gain my freedom… and then I'll make you pay!'
"We will need some more time to free Lord Yaryudoku from the last few seals, in the meantime you and Kanna will go to the battle field where many dragon soldiers are fighting against the remaining son of lord Kuneru and help them out" Naraku turned to the sealed tree, "we're expecting some visits in a few days".
Kagura stood up shakily, before bowing, her glare clearly stating how much she hated Naraku.
"Ah, and, Kagura," Kagura stiffened. "Don't you dare to think I won't punish you if you fail your duties again".
Naraku pulled out his hand from his haori, showing to the frightened female her heart, as he threateningly tightened his fingers around it. Kagura gasped in sheer pain as she clutched her chest, then she nodded, "I won't fail!" she rasped out.
She turned and exited the hall in a hurry, leaving behind a smirking Naraku. Kanna glanced at her then at her master, and waited.
He turned his glare at her, "Kanna, do as I ordered you, and as soon as it's done, continue with our plan," Naraku ordered.
Kanna bowed slightly, her mirror flickering with light, then she too turned and followed Kagura outside.
The tree glowed faintly of dark aura, before a soft voice spoke. It wasn't the voice you expect from a powerful evil being, but the soft and warm voice of a gentle soul. It was a deceiving sound, and Naraku smiled evilly. He liked to think of the many ones who fell in the power of that voice and lost their souls or lives for it.
"They will come, and soon enough, I shall be victorious and have my revenge on the clans".
"Yes, Lord Yaryudoku," Naraku bowed slightly at the tree, but inside, he was smirking.
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Looking up from down the well Kagome knew at once she was back. There were no more treetops above the entrance of the well, now there was a roof, and at her right there was a ladder her grandfather put for her use.
Kagome climbed out the well, shaking off the dust from her clothes, glad to be finally back –though it was because she had some planned exams in the week end.
In the moment she was back, all her body started to ache. She cursed against InuYasha and his manners, always dragging her around treating her as a bag; she always felt shit when she was back home. Who cared if InuYasha saved her life here or there? This was his charge, he had to after all, but he surely lacked in good manners. When he saved her he had to treat her like a jewel, not like a shoe.
Exiting the well Kagome happily looked at his house, at the cemented path, and breathed the dirty air of the city -unhealthy, ok, but still it was home. She liked the cars, she liked people dressed with modern clothes, she liked music and CDs and she absolutely loved bathrooms, television and relax.
Bujo ran towards her purring and she bowed to pat him on the head while the noise of her arriving attracted Souta, who greeted her return with a smile, "hey sis! You came back!"
Kagome smiled, "I'm glad to be back home! But I want you not to disturb me, I have homework to do," 'but first, a shower' she added to herself.
At the thought of the shower, with hot water, soft bath–towels and scented oils, made her shiver with pleasure. She couldn't bath properly in cold spring waters, without shampoo or soap –how could the females living in the past bear with such incapability?
"But sister, don't you remember this week end there is no school? You were so excited few months ago when your teacher said you were going to go for a three days trip to Osaka!"
Kagome widened her eyes, she completely forgot about the school trip… but she was going to go and enjoy the week end –after all, what could happen in three days?
InuYasha was just too stubborn, all he could think was his revenge on Naraku, and the shards around, he never cared about her needs, such as a hot bath, a warm bed at night, not wandering around to fight youkai… he was such a primitive!
All he thought was fighting, and what then? His revenge against Naraku was for Kikyou, but she was dead now, whilst Kagome was alive, when would that hanyou finally forget the miko and decide to stay with her?
Maybe he needed to face the truth, he was so damn egoistic… plus he acted so childish at times... maybe she would stay in her time for a little more than the week end, just to prove him who was the boss –without her he couldn't go find the shards, he would have to admit she was important, more important than he was!
She deserved it. After all, she was the one that could see the Shikon Shards, she was the most important person of the group, and she was the reincarnation of a powerful miko. He was just a hanyou. Without her he would just be laying on a tree with an arrow in his chest, he'd better learn how to treat her!
Smiling proudly of herself she walked back towards her house, 'InuYasha has to understand I am the powerful miko, he's just a half breed… if he ever wants to be with me he was to behave and to become fully human… he wanted to do that for Kikyou, and he will have to do that for me too!'
"Mom, I'm back!" she laughed happily running inside.
Her mother smiled and went to hug her, "I missed you honey… tell me how your journey was!"
"It was great mom, apart from a little incident in a village, you know, it was such a disgusting thing… two souls, two ghosts, they had no respect for the normal people living in the same village" she shook her head as her mother handed her a cup of tea.
"Oh," her mother looked at her with a frown, "you will tell me once you have finished packing up your things, because you will be gone to the school trip and you need to prepare your things…"
Kagome smiled, deciding not to tell her mother what happened in the village. The memory still disgusted her, and she didn't want to disgust her mother too.
"Aunt Hiromi says you hello," Kagome's mother went after her daughter to her room to help her pack her things. "She sounded happy you know, by what she told me she found someone to go out with".
Kagome picked up her shirt and some other stuff while smiling; aunt Hiromi was her favourite relative, being her mother's sister. She was a bit strange, always acting as if she was in some kind of sugar high, but she was ok.
"I hope he's a good one, because Hiromi-san deserves someone nice" Kagome said packing her CD player and a book. "I always wondered how aunt's type of man would be".
Kagome's mother stopped in the middle of her helping and stared with a bright smile at her daughter, before shaking her head in faint amusement, but said nothing and resumed her work on the clothes. She thought Kagome already knew –or at least she'd realized it long ago– but it looked like she hadn't, and maybe it would be amusing to look at the young girl's face when she found out the truth about her aunt's tastes.
"I hope you will have a nice week–end, Kagome," her mother smiled.
Kagome looked at her, and decided she would just tell her mother all about the village and the two souls, because it had her disgusted and she couldn't keep herself from thinking of it. She hated such matters, but that others were that sick frightened her –she didn't want to become sick as well.
But before she could speak, grandfather called from the kitchen, and both went downstairs to eat. Kagome couldn't wait to eat something else than fish or instant ramen…
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MasterFranny: I hope this chapter was good. I am sorry about this story, it's going on really slowly, but I swear things will get interesting soon!
If you want, then review, or leave useful criticism.
The song I used as background while writing this chapter was 'obsession' from .hack/SIGN, I started to like it seeing the first episode on MTV. I fell absolutely in love with it and with Tsukasa. And the songs are just too good.