Well, hi (again), everyone! You might recognize the title of this story; it's one that I posted at the beginning of this year. I deleted it from this website shortly after posting Chapter 7. I wasn't posting anything for a few months, and then I began to post the rest (as well as other new stories) solely on Archive of Our Own.

I went through a time during which I became self-conscious about my stories and didn't have the confidence to post anymore, but I've completely moved past that and I wanted to post this story again now that it's complete! Everything from Chapters 1-7 is the same as when I first posted it. There are 19 chapters in all, and from Chapter 8 and on, it's completely new stuff that wasn't posted to this website. I hated this story for a while, but I learned to love it as time went on and as I finished writing it.

It won Best Angst in Feudal Connection's 4th Quarter 2021, so that was exciting and an honor! I gave up on this story for a while, and honestly posting any of my stories at all, but now I really love how this story ended up. I have to thank Taryn (LostInFantasyWorlds) for all of her support!

I'm not sure when else I would have time to post since I'm working so much now, so I'm going to post all of the chapters right now. I apologize in advance for all the notifications you might receive!

So all that being said, I hope you all enjoy reading the rest of this story!

Chapter 1: The Day We Met

The forest was quiet due to the impending rainfall, and Inuyasha wondered if he would be able to make it to a town before the downpour. Based on the color of the sky, he knew he didn't have long.

He took a sniff of the air, his hanyo abilities allowing him to somewhat gauge how close the storm was. It was going to be big based on the state of the forest as well as the scent of rain on the slightly chilled wind.

Inuyasha picked up the pace as he headed in the direction of the closest village near him. He put his hood up, effectively hiding his ears and hair so as to blend in with the humans of the village. Not all people were against youkai, but enough were that he wanted to be cautious. He also made sure his sword was hidden, not wanting to be arrested because of the laws prohibiting swords from being carried in public.

As Inuyasha walked, he felt something prickle along his senses.

It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before, so he paused despite the impending weather, curious as to what it could be.

There was a strange power coming from whatever it was, and it almost made Inuyasha's blood run hotter. He felt something odd in his veins, coursing through him, and he wondered what on earth could be causing a reaction like that.

He looked around and dared to call out.

"Hello?"

No answer.

After a silent moment, a crack of thunder rang in the air, startling Inuyasha a bit, and the sensation went away, so he shrugged off the strange presence.

It disappeared immediately after, so he figured it was just a passing youkai. Normally youkai went out of their way to greet each other, but Inuyasha figured that one was just antisocial.

Which was fine with him. He had become somewhat of a loner, too.

And I can't very well just walk up to a youkai, he reminded himself. One wrong move and my plan will be completely destroyed.

Because that's what happens to a runaway youkai nobleman.

Inuyasha resumed his route to the village and managed to make it to an inn just as the rain began to fall.

The inn-owner greeted him before helping Inuyasha check in. Once he'd gotten a room key and paid for the night, he departed and went to his room.

As he prepared for bed, he started to make a plan for the near future.

There had been no recent word about Naraku's whereabouts in the last few towns he'd been to, and he was getting frustrated as each day passed without a sign of the evil youkai.

This was so much easier when Miroku was with me, he grumbled silently as he lay down. Stupid idiot. I can't believe he did this to me.

Miroku was a fool.

Inuyasha refused to be like him.

"Someday you'll understand why I'm doing this."

That was the last thing Miroku had said to Inuyasha before leaving.

In all honesty, it kind of hurt.

But that kind of thing wouldn't make Inuyasha stagger or give up. No way.

The biggest problem was that Miroku was always the one who was able to coax information from people. With his good and obviously human looks and his smooth words, they were able to at least map out Naraku's movements, even though they always seemed to be at least two steps behind him.

So now Inuyasha was alone, Miroku having abandoned him rather recently, and since he was a somewhat surly hanyo who obviously looked non-human, it was a hell of a lot harder to get information from people.

But it was his life now, and he knew that it would all be worth it in the end.

At that point, revenge was what kept him going through everything.

Now if he could just find Naraku.

A crash of thunder rang through the air, jolting Inuyasha from his thoughts. He took a deep breath and got into bed, hoping the rain would stop by the time morning came.

As Inuyasha lay in bed, he realized that he didn't even know where to begin to make a plan.

I guess I could just walk around the town and ask people. That sounds stupid, but what else can I do?

He huffed and rolled over in his bed. He would just deal with it tomorrow.

o.O.o

The next day, the rain had cleared up, so it was fairly easy for Inuyasha to make his way through the town. He kept the hood of his cloak up as usual to conceal his ears and hair, and he was pretty sure it made him look even more unfriendly than usual.

Not as unfriendly as people would be if they saw I'm a youkai, though.

He stopped at a small kiosk to get some fruit for breakfast, using the opportunity to ask the vendor if he had any information about Naraku.

"Naraku?" the vendor repeated. "Oh, he's an evil one. Why would you want to know where he is?"

Inuyasha hesitated. "Uh, just...being cautious."

The vendor shook his head. "Well, if you want to be cautious, I would just stay away from him, boy. He's not one to mess with."

I know that, Inuyasha grumbled silently. This man is annoying...what would Miroku say?

"Um," Inuyasha stuttered, "well, I am trying to be cautious. If I find out where he is, I'm hoping to move in the opposite direction."

The vendor nodded. "Oh, I see. Well, unfortunately I can't help you. I don't know of his whereabouts."

"Do you know someone who might?" the hanyo asked. The vendor seemed to think for a moment. He looked at Inuyasha, a calculating expression on his face.

It almost felt like he was... observing him for some reason.

"There's an old swordsmith down south," he finally whispered. "He lives in a cave off the Sakurajima volcano, which is on an island so you'll have to take a boat to get there. He's a youkai so he'll probably be hard to find, but he's a wise one. He might know something."

Inuyasha nearly sighed in relief, but he kept himself composed.

But then he wondered...how did a human know about a youkai swordsmith?

"Thank you," Inuyasha replied. "But if you don't mind me asking, how do you know about a youkai swordsmith?"

The vendor shrugged. "When you're as old as me, you learn a few things."

Inuyasha hummed and didn't press the issue any further. He had a potential lead on how to find Naraku's whereabouts, and he didn't want to waste it.

With an incline of his head, Inuyasha thanked the vendor and paid for his fruit.

"Thanks for the help," Inuyasha said before he departed.

A youkai swordsmith? he repeated to himself as he munched on his fruit. Down near Sakurajima volcano...I'll have to go back to my room and check my map to see where that is.

o.O.o

Inuyasha spent the rest of the morning mapping out his route.

Let's see...from Musashi to the Sakurajima volcano…

He sighed. It would take about a week to get there.

Gathering his travel supplies, he neatly tucked them into his bag and put it back on his bed. It was nearing lunchtime, so he got up to go find something to eat.

But then he felt the same power from yesterday.

Just as it had the day before, his blood became hotter and he felt a strange sensation start to fill his body.

He frowned and paused.

This is weird...I'm gonna go check it out.

He sensed it was coming from the forest, so he left his room at the inn and adjusted his hood, walking toward the treeline and keeping his eyes peeled for whatever it could be.

He could tell there was someone there, so he peered through the trees, trying to find whoever it was.

"Hello?" he called when he got into the forest. "Who's there?" He reached his hand into his cloak and set a hand on the hilt of the sword at his side as he continued looking around.

A figure briefly appeared in the trees, so Inuyasha scrutinized the area.

"I know you're there," he called. "So come out."

He heard a quiet squeak before a cloaked figure came out from behind a tree.

"What do you want?" a feminine voice called.

Inuyasha frowned. The cloak covered her entire body, brushing the forest floor by her feet. The hood was up, concealing her hair and face from his view. There was a bow slung over her back and a quiver full of arrows knocking against it.

"Why are you following me?" Inuyasha demanded. "Who are you?"

The woman was quiet for a moment. Finally, she spoke.

"I'm not following you," she replied. "I haven't given any indication that I am."

Inuyasha frowned. "Liar. I know you came near me yesterday and just now. You expect me to believe it's a coincidence?"

"That's not so inconceivable, is it?" she asked. "So leave me alone. I've got stuff to do."

She turned to walk away, but there was something nagging at Inuyasha's gut.

There was an instinct to not let her walk away. He didn't know why, but he was certain that there was something about this woman that he needed to know.

That power...there was something inexplicable about it.

"Wait a second," Inuyasha called. "To make up for my accusation, why don't you let me buy you a drink? There's a pretty good tavern in town."

The woman turned toward him, slightly lifting her head.

It was the first view he'd gotten of her; it was just her eyes, but they struck him.

Piercing blue, full of questions and suspicion.

"You accuse me of stalking you," she began slowly, "and then you ask me on a date?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "It's not a date, stupid. It's a peace offering."

The woman lifted her head up a bit more. Inuyasha could see her frown, but he could also see her considering his offer.

"Fine," she replied as she moved toward him. "But I'm ordering the most expensive drink they have."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and was about to make a fiery retort, but the woman had his words freezing in his throat when she tossed her hood back.

A long mane of wavy, black hair erupted from the hood. It cascaded down her back in smooth tendrils.

She ran her hands through it, adjusting the wild pieces so they weren't sticking out everywhere.

Inuyasha's eyes widened when she turned around to face him with an expectant look on her face.

Her lips were set in a frown, and he desperately wondered what she would look like if she were smiling.

Her blue eyes were framed by short but full lashes, and they only accentuated the sharp color.

She was beautiful.

And her scent ...with the hood down and her hair flowing free, he could finally smell her.

She smelled like...chocolate and cherries. He almost wondered if she was carrying chocolate with her, but it was such a deep and heavy scent that he knew it was just her.

It was heavenly.

But then she opened her mouth.

"Well, are you coming?" she asked.

Inuyasha frowned at her.

Now is not the time to be thinking of a woman like that, not ever. I have a mission. I'm not like Miroku, the idiot.

And besides...with the impression this woman was leaving on him, beauty wasn't something that would charm him enough to go against his adamant swear.

He would not allow a woman into his heart.

"You're annoying," Inuyasha finally said as he walked forward, brushing past her. "It's gonna be one drink. That's about all I'll be able to stand."

The woman huffed. "You're rude. The only reason I'm doing this is because you're buying but I can already tell I'm gonna hate every second I spend with you."

Inuyasha growled lowly. If it weren't for his curiosity, he would've been out of there the second she'd opened her mouth again.

"Did you just growl?" she asked, the irritation in her voice replaced by a curiosity of her own.

Inuyasha looked away. "I...what business is it of yours?"

The woman shrugged, her anger melted away. "I'm just wondering. I've only ever heard youkai growl like that. I thought you might be a youkai, but I wasn't sure so-"

"So what?" he interrupted, his gaze shooting up to meet hers. "You wanted to know if I'm a youkai so you can know to avoid me? So you can have an excuse to not go anywhere with me?"

The woman's eyes widened and took on an offended hue. "What? Of course not! I'm not prejudiced against youkai." She scoffed. "You shouldn't make such brash assumptions. You've done that twice with me and you've been wrong both times."

Inuyasha frowned. "Really?"

The woman finally gave a half-smile. "Really. It was only your growl that gave you away. I can't see any youkai traits with your hood up like that." She peered at him a bit more. "Oh, wait. I see...golden eyes. And is that a glint of a fang? Are you a wolf-youkai?"

Inuyasha growled again, this time a bit louder. "A wolf -youkai? You stupid woman. Of course not."

The woman laughed. "Oh, I see. Sounds like you hate wolves. You must be an inu-youkai then."

Inuyasha's brows narrowed. "I am. You seem to know a lot about youkai for a human...why is that?"

The woman smirked. "Who said I was a human?"

Inuyasha's eyes widened, and the woman laughed immediately.

If she's a youkai, will she turn me in?

"Just kidding," she said. "I'm a human. You should've seen the look on your face just now. That was so funny."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

They continued on to the tavern, walking silently until they'd arrived and were seated at a table before placing their drink orders.

"Are you hungry?" the woman asked. "If you buy drinks, I'll buy food."

Inuyasha frowned. "Really? You're offering to buy me a meal?"

The woman shrugged and peered at the menu. "Why not? It's lunchtime anyway."

Inuyasha picked up the menu in front of him, keeping a suspicious gaze on the woman.

"How are you supposed to pick what you want," the woman began while keeping her eyes on the menu, "when you're staring at me instead of looking at the options?"

Flipping the menu up, Inuyasha blocked the woman's view of him.

He picked the first thing he saw, which was a simple baked chicken with vegetables, and put the menu down, being careful to avoid the woman's gaze.

Her menu was already down and she was taking her drink from the waiter with a quick thanks. Inuyasha nodded when the waiter handed him his drink.

They both placed their meal orders, and when the waiter was gone, the woman took a swig from her mug.

"So," she began when she set the drink down, "what's your name?"

Inuyasha frowned. "Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha?" she repeated. "Oh, I get it. 'Inu' because you're a dog youkai." Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

Come on, Father...did you really have to give me such a doggish name?

"That's a nice name," she continued. "Mine is Kagome."

Kagome...that's odd.

"That's a weird name," he replied flatly. Kagome laughed.

"Yours is, too," she pointed out. "It's nice, but definitely a bit strange."

That was when Inuyasha officially decided that Kagome was an annoying woman.

"Whatever," he said. "So what's your deal?"

Kagome frowned. "What do you mean?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You've been traipsing around a forest alone with some strange power coming from you. What's all that about?"

Kagome froze. "You sensed a power coming from me?"

Her sudden unease surprised him, so he pressed further.

"Yeah," he replied. "It's weird. What is it?"

Kagome hesitated. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh, come on," Inuyasha said. "Why don't-"

"It's personal," Kagome interrupted. "I'm not sitting here asking you stuff about your personal life."

Inuyasha was taken aback, but she had a point.

"Alright," he conceded. "I'm sorry. Can you at least tell me why you're alone?"

Kagome hesitated again. "There are...people after me. I'm on the run, I guess you could say."

I wonder if that has to do with whatever the power is. This woman seems like a handful.

"What about you?" she asked. "Why are you alone?"

Inuyasha scoffed. "What makes you think I'm alone?"

Kagome peered at him, obviously seeing right through him.

"Alright, yeah," he admitted. "I'm alone. I used to travel with someone, but he's not with me anymore."

"Aren't you lonely?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Keh," he scoffed. "Not hardly, stupid." Kagome frowned.

"There's nothing wrong with it," she insisted. "I feel lonely sometimes. It's just a part of human nature."

"I'm not human," Inuyasha replied. "So that doesn't apply to me."

Kagome smiled. "Oh, but you're part-human, aren't you?"

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "What...how did you know that? Come to think of it...you said you thought I was a youkai in the forest even before you saw my...features. How would you have known that?"

Kagome shrugged. "I have a sixth sense, I guess you could say."

Inuyasha's ears twitched from underneath his hood. There was something odd about this woman, something that set him on edge with every passing moment.

"A sixth sense," Inuyasha repeated. "Would that have anything to do with the power I keep sensing from you?"

Kagome hummed. "Maybe. I might tell you about it if you're nice to me."

"I'm buying you a drink, woman," he said flatly. "Doesn't that constitute as 'nice?'"

"And I'm buying you a meal," she pointed out. "It just means we're even."

Inuyasha couldn't help but chuckle. "You must think you're pretty clever, huh?"

Kagome smirked. "A bit. So, Inuyasha, what's your mission in life?"

"My mission?" he repeated. Kagome nodded.

"We've all got one," she replied. "What's yours?"

To find Naraku….to get revenge….vengeance.

"Don't have one," he lied. "I just go through my days."

"That sounds sad," Kagome replied. "Doesn't that make you...well, sad?"

Inuyasha scoffed. "No. What about you? You're on the run from whomever for whatever secret reason you have. That's way more depressing."

Kagome laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

The waiter arrived with their food and set it on the table. The chicken smelled delicious, and Inuyasha was ready to dig right in.

He glanced up to see Kagome admiring her own food.

She'd gotten chicken as well, but it was fried and situated on a bed of potatoes.

"Yum," she said as she picked up her fork. "I've never been here before. I'm glad you suggested it."

Inuyasha took a bite of his food. "You're paying, so thank yourself."

Kagome chuckled. "Okay. Thanks, Kagome." Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"So now what will you do?" Inuyasha asked as they continued eating. "You say you're on the run...where will you go?"

Kagome hummed. "Huh, that's a good question. I feel pretty safe in this area for now, so I might stay here awhile. I'm not sure."

"How long have you been on the run?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome paused to think.

"A while," she replied. "I think it's been...I don't know. A while."

Inuyasha peered at her. "Do you think you'll ever be able to stop being on the run?"

Kagome shook her head. "No. Never."

"Why not?" Inuyasha asked, genuinely concerned.

Kagome sighed. "I...have something that a very dangerous person wants."

"What is it?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome rolled her eyes.

"I'm not gonna tell you," she replied. "What if you're another dangerous person who wants it?"

Inuyasha scoffed. "I'm not one to steal. Besides...I've got my own power." I guess Tessaiga counts. Not like it even does anything, though. "I don't need anything of yours."

"And what is yours?" Kagome asked. "Your youkai powers?" Inuyasha frowned.

"That's my business," he replied. "Not yours. Besides, I asked you first." Kagome laughed.

"It seems like we're at an impasse," she said with a smile. "Keep your secrets. I'll keep mine."

Inuyasha had more questions he was dying to ask her, but they were nearing the end of their meal and he could tell she wouldn't answer any more of his questions.

When they were finished, Inuyasha paid for drinks and Kagome paid for the meal. They parted ways outside the front door of the tavern.

"It was nice meeting you," Kagome said as she turned to face him. "I doubt we'll cross paths again, but this was a nice afternoon."

Inuyasha felt something in his chest. Disappointment, maybe?

"Yeah," he replied. "Nice meeting you."

She smiled at him a final time, blue eyes shining, before she pulled her hood up and headed in the direction of the forest.

Inuyasha stared after her until she was out of sight before he went back to the inn.

This has been a strange day...

o.O.o

The next day, Inuyasha figured it was about time to head out on his journey south.

As he made his way through the town, he couldn't help but look for Kagome. She was nowhere to be found, and the disappointment from the previous evening was back full-force.

But then.

He caught a whiff of Naraku's scent. His eyes widened and he turned, trying to figure out where it was coming from.

The forest!

Inuyasha ran off in search of the scent. He could tell it wasn't Naraku himself; he figured it was one of his lackeys.

Sure enough, he caught sight of Kagura, one of Naraku's righthand women.

Before he could attack, he found someone else there, and the sight had him freezing and hiding behind a tree.

"Give it to me!" Kagura screamed at Kagome of all people.

"No!" Kagome yelled back from where she was seated on the ground. "You can't have it!"

Kagura raised her fan, obviously bracing for an attack.

Inuyasha was about to run out to try and stop her when Kagome held her hands up and sent a blast of power in Kagura's direction.

Kagura screamed in pain, skin glowing, and when she saw Kagome move to make another attack, she pulled the feather from her hair and transformed it before flying away.

Was that spiritual power? Is Kagome a miko?

"This is the last time I'm doing Naraku's dirty work!" Kagura shouted before she disappeared from sight.

Once Kagome was alone, Inuyasha saw her take a deep breath before getting up off the ground. She adjusted her cloak and fixed the hood over her head before walking away.

She has a tie to Naraku? he pondered. Wait, Kagura said...Naraku wants something from her? Is he the one Kagome is running from?

Inuyasha's eyes widened. Is Kagome the key to finding Naraku?

Inuyasha wasn't a malicious hanyo, but he was a desperate one, and desperate times called for desperate measures.

If I can somehow team up with Kagome, I can use her to lure out Naraku. If I bait him with her like that, there's no way he'll be able to resist. If I tell her I'm looking for him, too, maybe she'll be more inclined to help.

He paused. That wouldn't work. Kagome was running away from Naraku. Inuyasha was running toward him. If Kagome knew what Inuyasha was trying to do, she wouldn't want to team up with him.

Then I just won't tell her I'm looking for Naraku. Hell, I won't even tell her I know about him. It'll be perfect.

He mentally patted himself on the back for coming up with such a good plan.

To make it seem like he hadn't watched the scene transpire, he let Kagome get a good distance away before he moved to catch up with her.

When he did, she jumped a little.

"Inuyasha, hi," she said when she turned around to see him. "What are you doing out here?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "I'm leaving the town. Are you?" Kagome nodded.

"Yeah, I'm off to the next place," she replied. "I changed my mind about staying here."

"Do you want to team up?" Inuyasha asked suddenly. "Maybe travel together?"

Kagome's eyes widened. "What?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Come on, woman. You're off to do whatever and I'm not really doing any sort of 'whatever,' so why don't we do your whatever together?"

Kagome hesitated. "I don't think that's a good idea. The person who's after me is really dangerous."

If she only knew…

"Then let me be your personal guard," he offered. Kagome scoffed.

"Excuse you," she said. "I don't need you to be my guard. I can take care of myself."

Inuyasha thought about the way she'd fought Kagura off with one blow. Hopefully she wasn't the type to use her powers when she was mad...well, he would find out.

He knew she could protect herself, but he still needed to get her to let him tag along.

"Fine," he replied curtly. "But...you were right. It actually is pretty sad to just go through my days without any real purpose. And, uh, lonely, too." He winced at the lie. He sounded so lame. "So...what do you say?"

Kagome bit her lip, obviously thinking it over.

"Okay, fine," she replied. "But only because you're tugging at my heartstrings."

Inuyasha scowled. "Don't say it like that, stupid." Kagome laughed.

"Fine, fine," she replied. "We can travel together."

"Really?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome shrugged.

"Sure," she replied. "But you're not allowed to be mean to me. That's a rule."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

The things I do for revenge…

O.o.O.o.O

Kagome eyed the hanyo next to her.

He was quiet and a little grumpy, which had been her initial impression of him.

But she could see something else in his golden eyes.

It was pain. Loneliness.

Maybe even...sadness?

Whatever it was, Kagome felt bad for him. It was why she'd agreed to have a drink with him after their rocky initial meeting.

She could tell that under the gruff exterior, he was actually sort of nice. Maybe not friendly, but not hateful.

Kagome knew he wasn't hateful in the slightest.

She wondered what he looked like without his hood up, though.

And she wondered what he looked like when he smiled.

He'd already smirked at her a couple of times, and she'd been lucky enough to get a small glimpse of his fangs.

But she still wondered what he would look like with a wide, unbridled smile on his face.

She'd been almost disappointed when they parted ways, but she was a wanderer, a fugitive of sorts, and staying in one spot for too long was dangerous.

Especially since Inuyasha had been able to sense the Shikon no Tama coming from her. He wouldn't have known what it was, but still.

As she walked away from the tavern, nervousness began to knot in the pit of her stomach.

If Inuyasha could sense it, who else could? she wondered. He didn't react as a full-youkai would have, which is good, but if a hanyo could still sense it so clearly, any other youkai could, too. It would be especially tempting for them.

She sighed. She would need to perform some sort of purification ritual. If someone found her based on the jewel's alluring call of power, she would be done for. The target on her back was already big enough with Naraku after her; her spiritual powers were strong, but even she had her limits.

As she walked into the forest to find her makeshift camp for the rest of the day, she thought back on her afternoon with Inuyasha.

If anything, it was a nice distraction. She knew she'd never see him again, but…

It was nice.

o.O.o

The next day, Kagome was packing her up items from her small camp when she sensed Naraku.

She froze and looked up, expecting to see the red-eyed monster himself.

There was a red-eyed monster staring back at her, but it wasn't Naraku.

"Kagura," she greeted coolly. "What are you doing here? Naraku still refusing to sully his own hands?"

Kagura laughed coldly. "You know Naraku. Can't do anything for himself." She opened her fan and aimed it at Kagome.

"Now are you ready to hand over the Shikon no Tama?" Kagura demanded.

Kagome glared at her. "You must be crazy if you think I'll ever let the jewel fall into Naraku's hands."

Kagura moved her fan, sending a blast of wind at Kagome and knocking her roughly to the ground.

Calling her spiritual power into her hands, Kagome prepared herself to fight.

"Give it to me!" Kagura demanded.

"No!" Kagome yelled. "You can't have it!"

She hit Kagura with a blast of spiritual power, effectively hitting the wind sorceress and causing her to cry out in pain.

It was a short confrontation, during which Kagome was able to fight off Kagura enough for her to depart on her feather.

When she was gone, Kagome took a deep breath and stood up. She brushed the dirt off of her cloak and tried to steady her breathing.

Well, it's definitely time to leave this town. Now that Kagura has run off, I should have time to get a good distance away from here.

She sighed and grabbed her bag.

Always running…

She had only made it a short distance when Inuyasha caught up with her. Kagome was surprised to hear his request to join her, and it also filled her with hesitation.

I don't want to put him in harm's way...Naraku is pure evil. I don't want Inuyasha to be at risk of getting hurt by him.

But the hanyo was persistent, so Kagome agreed, figuring with his youkai strength, maybe he could even help her fight off Kagura or any of Naraku's other underlings if they managed to find her again.

Which, based on many, many past experiences, they would eventually.

And Inuyasha said he had nowhere else to go and nothing else to do, so…

Why not?

"Okay. Let's just head out now and we can figure out a plan later. Is that alright with you?"

Inuyasha nodded. "Sure."

They set off, and Kagome glanced at the hanyo by her side, wondering what was going through his mind.

Maybe I'll find out...eventually.

To be continued…

The rest will be up shortly!