The trip back to Kaede's village was a strained one, to say the least. Traveling was never pleasant when Inuyasha and Kagome were fighting with each other, and this time was no exception. Sango found herself hanging back with the monk, to give herself some space just as much as to give her friends some privacy in which to resolve their differences.
Neither of them seemed willing to admit to being in the wrong, and so the uncomfortable tension hung over the entire group the whole way. This in itself was exasperating to Sango, but it wasn't what really worried her. It just made everything worse.
Her primary concern was this: the monk was struggling more than normal, having had no time to recover from his injury before getting back on the road. With Kagome unwilling to be carried by Inuyasha and Kirara unable to carry three people for long distances, plus Sango's refusal to split the group up—lest it never come back together again—they were not making very good time. Ordinarily this would not have worried her too much, but she could not help worrying when she saw the toll Miroku's injury was taking on him.
By nightfall she was about to suggest breaking up the group after all, to send Kagome and Miroku ahead with Kirara, when Inuyasha at last called a halt and let the humans make camp while he sulked in the trees above. They ate dinner in uncomfortable silence, after which Sango saw to Miroku's arm. It did not look much worse to Sango; it was red and inflamed around the bite wound, but there was no stench of decay and no sign that Juuroumaru's bite had been venomous. Still, Miroku winced when she cleaned it with one of the sterile cloths from the first aid kit and again when she wrapped fresh bandages around his arm.
He was clearly hurting, but he only told her not to worry and to get some sleep. So she did, fitful and fretful as it was.
"How long can they go on like this?" she asked Miroku as they set out the next morning. The passing of the night had brought no improvement in the situation between their friends, as she had hoped it might.
"Indefinitely, it would seem," he replied, sounding equal parts amused and resigned.
She didn't realize she was frowning until he chuckled and said, "It's not so bad, you know. Kagome wants to go home, which means we'll get a few days of rest at Kaede's place."
"I suppose that's true." She wondered, though, whether this was the best time for an extended break. She didn't wholly agree with Inuyasha—they did need more supplies for their first aid kit and more time for Miroku to recover, if nothing else—but any delay on their part meant more time for Naraku to create incarnations and to collect more jewel shards. And more shards meant more power.
Their group might come out of this well rested and ready for a fight, but they would undoubtedly be facing an enemy that had made himself and his minions even stronger in the meantime. There was no way they could come out ahead.
She fell quiet after that, content to walk beside Miroku without conversation while her own increasingly uneasy thoughts consumed her. How would they face whatever new horrors Naraku was sure to throw at them after this? And, worse, what would she do if this fight marked the end of their fragile alliance?