Author's Notes: I'm soooo sorry, everyone! That has to be just about the longest break I've ever taken in between posting chapters. How long has it been, anyway? Well over two weeks, at least...maybe even three. Yikes! Sorry!

I do have a good reason, though. First, I went camping for six days, and then was home for only three days before my family left again to attend a wedding in North Carolina. I barely had time to post a chapter for my other story, which is winding down, and unfortunately no time for this one. We were on the east coast for twelve days, and I just got home yesterday, so I hope you can all forgive me. It was a wonderful vacation, I got to tour two college campuses that I fell in love with (College of William and Mary and Wakeforest University), and I attended a beautiful wedding on Sunday. One of the groomsmen was extremely cute, and I was ogling over him all night because he reminded me so much of the guy I can't get over who I met in Germany last summer. We still communicate via email, and he sends me pictures all the time. Too bad I finally meet a great guy and he lives across an ocean, eh?

Anyway, now I'm home, I've finally finished unpacking, the laundry from the trip is going to take days, and senior year officially starts tomorrow. Oh well, summer can't go on forever, right? I hope everyone has good first days, wherever you go!

But enough of that. This chapter deals with several perspectives, and gives you a little more insight into some of the characters who have not had much time in the spotlight yet. No, Sesshoumaru's not here yet, but he will be, I promise. Just have patience...I don't disappoint often, right? Other then that, just enjoy the chapter and know that, now I'm home, updates should go back to a more regular schedule again.


Orange-Inuyasha: No, I will not be putting Kikyou in this story. I have no problem with her character, and at times believe she can be very useful to a plot, such as in the case of the next story I will be posting, but for this story there was just no where she could fit, and I agree that authors who throw her in just to throw her in can sometimes manage to ruin the story completely. Thanks for reviewing!

FanZhang: I love how I keep getting new reviewers. That's awesome that you're Chinese, and don't worry, you're not the only guy whose reviewed my stuff before. Thanks so much for reviewing (and I love anime too)!

FrameofMind: Relatives, eh? That can always be an adventure in and of itself. The next story I will be posting, when 'Soldiers in a Timeless Battle' is complete, will be called 'The King's Mistress', the idea I posted before when everyone voted on which story I would pursue first, just under a different title. I've actually already written approximately five chapters, so that will be coming out soon, and I'm very excited with how it's developing. Thanks, as always for your review!

IceSugarHigh: mmmm...brownies...


Title: Impossible Dreams

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Twelve

Rating: PG-13 (rated for language, violence, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.


DEDICATION: For Ted Dorsey, the greatest coach I will ever have, the most wonderful and patient mentor I will ever know, and the best friend I could have asked for. Thank you for everything you did for me in my life.


The ancient cave of the demon exterminators was haunted by ghosts and memories of its glorified past, now gone forever. It was as though it were a proud widow, standing tall and dignified for the life she has led, the children she has bourn, and the things she has achieved...and yet carrying sadness at the loss of her beloved husband, as though, now that he is gone, it all means nothing. Such was the feeling that invaded Kagome's body the instant they found the abandoned shelter.

Truly it was magnificent, with a tall, pointed ceiling of stone that extended so high even a giant could have probably felt comfortable. But then, it made sense, considering the fact that it was inside a mountain, hidden from sight by a large boulder that, with the passage of time and neglect, had been hidden well with vines and ivy; so well, in fact, that Sango herself at first unknowingly passed it twice.

Weapons of every kind lined the walls, some on shelves of stone that had been carved into the very walls of the cave, others large enough that they hung down from hooks. There were blades of every shape and size, some so large Kagome didn't see how any one man or woman could possibly wield them on their own, with shafts made of different materials; some were rough to the touch, and leathery, telling her they were made out of skin, while others were hard and smooth, and clearly made out of ivory or bone. Shields in several different shapes lay, unpolished and neglected, on a set of large shelves by an impressive row of swords, and further down there was a long line of bows in many different sizes for many different body types and fighting styles, each with a quiver full of arrows at its side. And there were even some weapons Kagome didn't recognize, whose purpose in a fight she couldn't comprehend, but the meaning was, in the end, still clear: this place had clearly been home to the greatest line of demon exterminators the world had ever seen. And Sango had been a part of that line. That fact caused Kagome to swell with pride for her friend.

"Come on in, everyone, and find a place to sit," Sango instructed from the center of the great cavern. Around her on the ground, though covered by dust and weeds, were several training circles painted in red and black, and directly behind her, on a wall larger then the rest, hung dozens of targets, some small, some large, and others oddly shaped, for target practice.

The ever-growing group of former slaves (they'd accumulated to almost one-hundred and fifty) walked tentatively into the unfamiliar surroundings, friends and families immediately grouping off and sitting down in small clumps, huddling together for warmth. Kagome felt herself shiver as well, and had to admit it was positively freezing, despite the sun outside, but then what else could they expect? They were within a musty cavern that hadn't been opened for years, and to boot there was no circulation, and heat had no chance of penetrating several yards of stone walls on all sides.

"Sango," Kagome felt her teeth chatter even as she tried to speak to her friend. She'd never realized just how thin the material of her dress really was until now. "Is there any way we can get some heat in here? Everyone's freezing."

The former demon exterminator looked around at the huddled groups, seated in circles as though around invisible fires, and nodded. "Yeah, if you can help me, we can have this cave warm in no time."

Kagome had her doubts, but in the end was proven wrong as she helped light several fire pits, along with many torches lining the walls, bringing an immense amount of light to aid everyone's struggling eyes in the semi-dark, and, true to Sango's words, before long it grew so warm some people were shrugging out of their outer traveling cloaks. The rumble of conversation began to grow, and Kagome felt her body relax, knowing that, at least for the moment, they were safe.

She saw Miroku kneeling beside two figures on the ground, covered in makeshift blankets and lying on sleeping mats that had been found in the cavern, and walked over. Kouga and Inuyasha were lying back to back, a few feet apart from each other, the blankets up under their chins where Kagome had put them a little while ago when they'd first arrived. Their eyes were shut, and Inuyasha's long hair spilled over the ground in silver waves that glistened in the light of the fire. To Kagome, they looked like two innocent little boys, not the feisty, stubborn, willful young men they became once they were awake, and the thought brought a soft smile to her face.

"How are they doing?" She asked softly, not wanting to wake them.

Miroku shrugged. "As well as can be expected. Mostly they're just exhausted from walking so long with their injuries. They may have the healing power of demons, but it's still hard to recover from a battle like that, and then be asked to walk several miles over the course of three days."

Kagome nodded, remembering how she had supported Inuyasha the whole way, his weight on her left side, nearly causing her to topple over several times when he would stumble. Miroku was right, they had been healing rapidly the whole journey, but they were still exhausted, so she was glad they were now getting some rest.

"This is an impressive place, Sango," Miroku commented as the brown-haired, brown-eyed woman approached, looking tired and somewhat sad. But she seemed to brighten at the compliment, her eyes lighting up in memory.

"It is, isn't it?" She sat down in between Kagome and Miroku and looked around, as though to take everything she saw and paste it into her mind forever. "It was once so grand, so elegant..." She sighed. "Now the places where I had my first sword lessons are covered in mold and dust, and belong to the rats, and my armor is rusty with neglect." She smiled slightly, sadly. "I used to take such pride in my armor, in keeping it clean and polished."

Miroku's eyes went soft as he placed a hand on Sango's shoulder, causing the woman to start and turn, her gaze mingling with his. "I am sorry for what you've lost, Sango," the former monk all but whispered, his face kind.

"Miroku..." The pleasant tension between them grew with the silence, like a taught string, and Kagome feared moving or saying anything for fear of snapping that string.

Suddenly Sango's eyes went wide, her cheeks flamed, and a loud smack resounded throughout the cavern. "You hentai!"

Kagome glanced down and noticed Miroku's hand delicately resting on her friend's bottom, and she glowered as well, although she just shook her head and looked away. "Serves you right," She commented as Miroku protested the red handprint now on his left cheek, "After all, you're the one who ruined a perfectly romantic moment."

"There was nothing romantic about it!" Sango snapped, though there was still a blush on her cheeks. She turned to Miroku. "How dare you!"

The man just shrugged innocently. "I can't help it."

"Can't help it!?" Both women practically shrieked at him, their ears burning and their eyes deadly.

"Well, when you live a life like mine, never knowing if the next day will be your last, you can't help but live in the moment. And, at the moment, that seemed like the right thing to do."

"That is never the right thing to do," Kagome scolded, sounding more like a mother then an offended woman. "And what's all this nonsense about never knowing which day will be your last? We all live dangerous lives now...the world has become dangerous...I don't see why you count yourself above the rest of us to the point that you can be so reckless and disrespectful!"

Miroku held up his hand, his right hand, and for the first time since the battle with Kagura, both women were reminded of the strange attack he had used that, in the end, had saved them all.

"Bitch!" Inuyasha somehow managed to rise to his feet, though he stumbled several times, and Kagome had to catch him against her own body to give him support.

"Inuyasha," she muttered, "Be careful."

"Keh, I'll be fine," he replied, though there was a horrible pain, like hot fire, in his gut. The damn sorceress had managed to cut his abdomen...that would take a while to heal.

But before he could take another step, Miroku ran in front of him, looking determined as he glared at Kagura. "Stay back, Inuyasha, and keep Kagome and Kouga with you."

"Miroku, what...?" He blinked and realized what his friend intended to do. "You idiot, don't even think about it! You know how dangerous it is to use it!"

The man, once trained to be a monk, turned around and put an encouraging smile on his face. "Unfortunately, my friend, I see no other choice right now. You cannot defeat her, and we need you alive for battles to come."

"But what if it cracks? Gets bigger?" Inuyasha called out desperately, feeling Kagome's confused stare. Clearly she, and the others, had no idea what was going on. But then, Miroku had always purposefully kept his curse a secret from others for fear of scaring them off.

"I'll take that risk." And with that, Miroku turned back to face Kagura, who was smirking cruelly.

"You're just a human," she cooed, "What could you possibly hope to do to me?"

Miroku frowned and said a silent prayer for everything to go alright before reaching down and removing a long band of prayer beads that were wrapped around his wrist and hand, letting forth a piercing cry. "Kazaana!"

The world exploded into a massive wind storm, and Kagome felt herself being pulled in the direction of Miroku, even with Inuyasha's arm securely around her waist.

"Of course," Kagome muttered. "Your hand, you promised to explain what's wrong with your hand." Both she and Sango gazed at Miroku intently, his offensive gesture now completely forgotten thanks to their curiosity, and the man had no choice but to sigh with resignation and explain himself.

"When I was still a boy I was training to be a priest, following in the footsteps of my father and grandfather, who were both my guides and mentors. They each possessed great spiritual power, more than anyone had ever seen before, and, naturally, they assumed I would, in time, come to possess it as well." He chuckled. "So you could say my life was pretty much planned out from the first moment I was born and they realized I was a boy."

"What about your mother?" Sango interrupted. "Didn't she have a say in things?"

He shook his head. "My mother died giving birth to me. As such, I was my father's only son."

"I see," Sango replied dryly, both women understanding now why he had such lecherous tendencies. He'd had no female hand to guide him in the right direction growing up. How else could a boy turn out who was surrounded by nothing but testosterone?

"Anyway," Miroku coughed lightly to bring their attention back to him, "When Naraku came I was only twelve years old. He didn't even offer priests a chance for mercy, because he knew a holy man would never keep slaves, or serve evil. So, one by one, the members of the priesthood throughout the land were killed off, finally coming to my own house." His eyes went dark, and Kagome shuddered, realizing she'd never seen the usually happy man look like that.

"I remember that it was raining," he commented idly, his voice detached, "Isn't that strange? I was out gathering herbs in our nearby garden when I first heard the shouts of men. Naturally, like any stupid boy who thought he was a man, I rushed back to help out in any way I could, only to find my home surrounded by demons and traitorous men alike, clutching weapons in their hands and looking heartless."

Miroku paused, seeming to collect himself, before continuing. "My father and grandfather were standing before a tall man, with long dark hair and red eyes. His face was the cruelest of them all. He told them, frankly, that he was going to kill them, and that was when I ran over to my father and clutched at his leg like the frightened child that I was, though I tried to put on a brave face as I told the man he would never kill such a powerful monk as my father." He smiled and shrugged. "I was foolish."

Kagome and Sango were enraptured by his story, and found that they couldn't look away. "So what happened?" Kagome all but whispered. Miroku met her gaze steadily.

"The man, who I later found out was called Naraku, attacked, just like he said he would. But my father and grandfather repelled him. He attacked again, and was again repelled by their holy shield. Finally, he grew impatient, almost angry, when he realized I had been right...he could not kill such powerful monks. So he did the next best thing...a cowardly thing..." Miroku clenched his fists tightly. "He cursed them, with the intention that the curse would eventually kill them."

Kagome watched as the man fingered his right hand, bound by holy prayer beads and cloth in a unique sort of half-glove. He seemed lost, far away, and she wanted to bring him back to them, back to the present, back to where he was safe. "Miroku?" He jerked as she touched his arm, but blinked and relaxed his face again.

"He cursed my grandfather with a hole in his right hand," he continued, his voice monotone, like a child trying to recite something by heart. "It was a hole of nothingness which, when opened, would suck into it anything in its path. It was a curse that was meant to pass down the line of men in my family, killing all until there were none left, because, you see, eventually the hole grows too large to manage, and it sucks in the person who is cursed with it as well. Sucked into nothingness...darkness...silence..." He shuddered and looked away.

"My grandfather was caught so off guard by it, he had no chance to seal it, and it sucked him in right away. I didn't even have a chance to say goodbye. But at least when it came to my father, he sealed it with holy seals, closing it, for the time being. Unfortunately, he too was eventually sucked in, a year later, and that's when I was taken away, cast into slavery."

"Where you met Inuyasha," Kagome finished, and he nodded.

"But I don't understand Miroku," Sango spoke softly, her eyes fixed on his right hand. "With such power, why have you not tried to rebel before, and use it? You could do so much damage."

"It's true; I could kill many, but not the one man I have sworn to kill. Not far away from his castle, anyway." Seeing Sango's look of confusion, he sighed and tried to explain the complicated intricacies of his cursed hand. "There are two reasons I hesitate to use the kazaana, Sango. One is that it does not specify between good and evil. It would pull you in if you happened to get in the way. But the other reason is that the more I use the kazaana, the larger the hole becomes. That is why my father died so quickly, while I've kept it at bay for many years. He thought to use it, as you do, to bring justice back to the people who had been so wrongly cast into slavery. Unfortunately, he used it so much that it grew at an alarming rate and, like I said, within a year he was gone." Miroku looked away, his eyes, for once, hard and cold. "I would gladly sacrifice my life if it meant killing Naraku, the one man who can end this curse...but a sacrifice any less then that leaves room for the fear to surround my heart, and I pull back."

"But you saved Inuyasha's life, and mine, from Kagura," Kagome offered, seeing his look of shame at being so timid. "That counts for a lot, Miroku."

He smiled, and his eyes went soft and kind once more. "Thank you, Kagome. Perhaps I have grown more courageous being surrounded by so many people with such fearless courage like Sango and yourself."

She blushed. "I have done nothing."

"Even I can disagree with you," he pressed. "I may not have been a slave at your father's home for long, but I was there long enough to see how much you risked your own life and your father's wrath to help the slaves. And then, when all hope had faded and you found yourself alone in the world, you kept going, when you had every right to just give up."

Blushing more profusely, Kagome looked away, towards Inuyasha's still-sleeping form, and sighed. "I did what we all must do in such times: I survived."


Exhaling, Kagura watched as her breath took to the air in a delicate cloud, rising higher and dispersing until she could no longer tell it apart from the rest of the air around her. A shiver ran through her body, and she cursed Naraku, once again, for his lack of understanding when it came to putting actual fires in the hearths throughout the old castle. Made of stone, four stories high, and covering nearly an entire acre, Kagura was convinced the structure would be icy even during the hot days of summer.

"And it's haunted by ghosts," she murmured, crossing her arms and leaning back against one of the hallway walls, her head down in concentration. "So many ghosts..."

How many had she killed since becoming Naraku's servant? She couldn't even remember. Many. Probably hundreds. But after the first five she had hardened her heart and stopped counting...she had to, or she would have gone insane a long time ago, and then who would protect her sister?

As though reading her thoughts, Kagura looked up as she heard the sound of soft, almost silent, footsteps, and turned to see a young girl, barely twelve years old, approaching, dressed in white, a large round mirror in her hands, her eyes downcast, her pale skin accentuated by her white hair, pulled back on one side by a delicate white blossom. She was a beautiful child, with delicate hands and feet, with a perfectly sculpted doll face, but she was also a haunted child, her eyes empty, without pupils...nothing more than deep blue pools of sorrow.

"Kanna..." Kagura felt her voice catch in her throat slightly as she watched her younger sister approach, her heart constricting like it always did when she saw the empty shell her sister had become.

Memories of her laughter rung in her ears like bells, and the wind sorceress, who had long ago sold her heart and soul to the devil in order to survive, still felt a certain amount of warmth as she remembered the child running down a hill, waving a bouquet of freshly picked meadow flowers in her hand.

"Sister," Kanna whispered, her voice beautiful and eerie, like one would expect out of a ghost, looking up to meet Kagura's eyes. They were empty, as was usual any more. "Naraku wishes to speak with you."

Kagura grimaced slightly at the mention of her master, who had been ignoring her ever since she returned from her failed mission to put an end to Inuyasha and his renegade rebellion. What would her punishment be this time?

She glanced down at Kanna, who was standing perfectly still, lifeless as a statue, a few wisps of her white hair blowing about slowly thanks to a gentle wind that passed through the giant hallway from some faraway window. He wouldn't...would he? He wouldn't harm Kanna?

Her fingers tightened defensively around the fan in her left hand, and she frowned as she looked up and down the hall to the two giant doors that led into his room and out onto the balcony where she knew he would be standing, like he always seemed to be these days, just gazing out over the empty lands of the deceased Inutaisho, as though he could see Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, the two brothers who suddenly posed a threat.

"He won't harm her," she whispered fiercely, knowing she would die if it meant saving her sister. That had been his trump card for years, ever since she had realized the trap she had fallen into by leaving her family to go with him ten years ago.

"You monster!" She screamed, moving to smack the man before her, hoping to wipe away some of his arrogance by marring his sickeningly perfect face. But she was too slow, and his harsh, cold fingers wrapped painfully around her slender wrist, catching her hand just before it connected with his cheek. Leaning down so that his nose was almost touching hers, he smirked.

"Come now, Kagura, don't be that way. You said before that you wanted to help me because you wanted the rewards, because you wanted to get away from your father."

Kagura tried in vain to jerk her hand free, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "I would have stayed with him if I had known what you would make me do."

Naraku chuckled. "They had to die. What are you so upset about?"

She felt tears threatening the corners of her eyes, but held them back because she refused to show such weakness in front of him. "They died because of me," she hissed. "You never said I would have to kill anyone."

He leaned in again, so close she could feel his breath as it brushed dangerously passed her cheek, causing goose bumps to appear on her arms. "You never asked," he whispered in reply, releasing her arm so suddenly she fell to the floor from her lack of balance. When she looked up, he wore a cruel expression. "Perhaps you are rethinking your decision, Kagura?"

Her reply was to spit on the floor. "I would rather rot in hell then stay with you a moment longer. My father's an angel compared to you!"

"If that is your desire," he replied simply, his face still forming a cruel mask. "Then go. Return to that hellhole I took you from."

Kagura huffed and rose to her feet, feeling her heart clenching and her stomach wanting to heave, the images of the dead mother and child still in her mind. She had been forced to kill them when they had not aligned themselves with Naraku...she'd had no choice, for they would have killed her otherwise. She had only thought to go to persuade them, she had thought to be his emissary, but now...

Shaking her head, Kagura tried to rid herself of such thoughts, focusing only on one thing: the doors which meant her freedom. Freedom from this castle, and freedom from the clutches of such a monster.

Just as she was reaching for the doorknob, however, she heard that horrid voice once more, laced with malice and cruelty. "Oh Kagura, just so you know, if you walk out that door, you will regret it."

She grunted. "Somehow I doubt that."

"We shall see." And then she heard it, the most horrendous sound, one that broke her heart and sent her spinning around. She heard the cry of her three-year-old sister, Kanna, and turned to see her squirming in the arms of Naraku, who was gazing at the child as though he would devour her.

"Naraku, put her down!" It was the first time she had ever let her emotions slide in her entire life. She had guarded them against her abusive father, she had hid her pain from Kanna, and even when she learned how cruel Naraku truly was, she had managed to hide her disgust. But now, she just couldn't...there was no way, not when someone was going to harm her little sister, the one she had sworn to protect.

Naraku just smirked and continued to look at the girl, who had, at this point, frozen in fear. "Such an interesting, extraordinary girl," he spoke casually, commenting on Kanna's interesting color. She was practically albino, save for the fact that her eyes were blue, not red, and no one had ever known why she had been born that way. "She would make me a good servant, don't you think, Kagura?"

"Don't you dare," the woman hissed, taking one step forward to defend Kanna.

Naraku just smirked. "I'll make you a deal then, if she means that much to you." He looked at the child again, who was staring, fearfully, at her older sister. "Stay on as my servant, and I shall spare the child. But walk through that door, and she dies. Can your simple mind understand that, Kagura?"

Knowing she was defeated, Kagura lowered her head in resignation, her hands, only moments before tense and ready for a fight, falling loosely to her sides. "As you wish, Naraku," she whispered, knowing that with those four words she had just signed over her life. But at least, she thought, Kanna will not suffer for my mistakes.

"A wise choice," Naraku confirmed, and set the white child on the ground, her small legs immediately pushing her forward and away from the strange man.

"Kagura!" She called out, her arms stretched out before her, relief on her young, innocent face. The older woman opened her arms in reply, knowing it was very likely it would be the last time she would hold her sister.

Just as their hands touched, however, Kanna froze, as though time had stopped, and Kagura instantly jerked her head up to see Naraku with his hand extended, holding a large round mirror. A few seconds later, to her horror, Kagura watched as Kanna's soul was slowly sucked from her, until finally her eyes went blank and she fell forward into her sisters arms.

"Kanna!" Kagura sent a deadly glare in the direction of Naraku. "You bastard," She hissed, "You betrayed me. I swore I would remain your servant, and you killed her anyway."

Naraku just cocked his head. "I did no such thing. Your sister is still alive, her soul now merely belongs to me, contained in that mirror. If the mirror is destroyed, she will die, but so long as it remains whole, she will endure." His eyes hardened. "But the mirror is easily broken. Do I make myself clear, Kagura?"

For an instant, a whimper escaped her lips, but then, realizing what she had to do, she hardened her expression, her lips pressing into a thin line, and she raised her head, her face blank. "Yes, Naraku...you make yourself very clear."

"Sister, Naraku wishes to speak with you," Kanna repeated in her angelic, haunting voice, bringing Kagura out of her memory. She looked down at the white girl and nodded.

"Very well, I'm going," she said, a sad smile coming to her face as she passed her sister. She had only been three years old, and Kagura fifteen. That had been nearly ten years ago. Now she was a young girl of twelve, and Kagura was twenty-six, her youth long since past, along with her ability to be innocent, or to regret anything she did. Not that she'd ever been as innocent as Kanna.

Her mother died giving birth to Kanna, when Kagura was twelve years old, which had grieved her father so much he had taken to alcoholism and routine abuse on his children, although Kagura had taken the brunt of it since she took it upon herself to protect her younger sister. That is what had driven her to leave with Naraku when he had arrived on her doorstep after he spent an afternoon watching her hone her fighting skills one day, practically offering her the world if she came to work for him. It had not been a hard decision at the time, he had been charming, and she had hated her father. So she left. In truth, it had been the worst mistake of her life.

The doors to his room drew closer, and she straightened her back, rolled her shoulders into a more upright position, placed a seductive smirk on her face, and covered half her face with her fan, as she always did with him, pretending that she enjoyed what she did for him.

She had been right, of course, that he would be standing on his balcony, gazing at the sky, which had gone dark. She slipped into the room and out onto the balcony silently, though she knew he was aware of her presence. He always was. "You sent for me?" She whispered in a dark voice.

"Kagura, explain to me why you were unable to handle two demons, a monk, two women, and a horde of untrained slaves."

She had expected the question, and bowed slightly as she spoke. "Forgive me, Naraku, but I'm afraid there are some new, and unexpected, twists in this uprising. Inuyasha and Kouga are free of the jewel shards...they have found a girl who carries the ability to purify them...and they are also in alliance with the monk you once spoke of, who carries the curse in his hand."

"Ah, Miroku, is it?" Naraku arched his back slightly for a moment before going still once more. "Yes, I remember that little whelp of a boy. But a girl, you say, with the power to purify the shards? She I know nothing of. Tell me more about her, Kagura."

Realizing that this time she was going to avoid any severe punishment, the wind sorceress obliged obediently. "Her name is Kagome Higurashi, and she is a young woman of sixteen years. Both her parents are dead, and her home is one that has been burnt to the ground in a slave revolt."

Naraku raised an eyebrow, though Kagura could not see it. "Curious," He muttered, almost to himself, "That she should have survived while her family died. One would almost think she was a friend of the slaves even before their rebellion." He turned, his gaze hard. "What do you make of this, Kagura?"

Careful not to reveal her true feelings, Kagura shrugged her shoulders. "I know nothing, my lord, that would help you understand the situation. All I know is what I saw, and what I learned from what I saw." And the fact that she still remembered the fire in a young girls eyes after her mother was killed.

"And you must have learned a lot, to have known her name," Naraku commented casually, though there was nothing casual about his stance. He was testing her, and she knew it.

"I heard someone call out to her, that is all," She replied without even so much as a cough or a hesitation. The perfect liar...that is what she had become. So perfect that she could now fool even the most cunning of men.

And fool him she did, for he nodded and turned back around to gaze out on the open plains of the west. "Very well, Kagura, that will do for now...but be prepared to go to work again soon, once I have devised a new plan."

She bowed again, even though he could not see her, and walked away slowly, muttering "As you wish, my lord" just loud enough for him to hear, her voice vanishing as it was carried away on the wind.