Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha.

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The War Between Races
Chapter 7 - Sealed to a Tree

By: Scaevola
Published 9/16/05
Updated 10/06/05

Kagura closed her eyes as she soared west. She did not need to watch where she was going. She knew that she only needed to head west to eventually reach Daelis, and she did not need to worry about hitting anything while she was so high up on her feather.

Before Sesshomaru and InuYasha had left the city of Daelis, Naraku had told her to go with them and keep an eye on them. He said he needed to know everything that they planned and did.

InuYasha and Sesshomaru knew that Kagura was Naraku's slave, and that they were supposed to use her to send news to Naraku about their progress, but they did not know that she was also meant to spy on them.

Sesshomaru had just recently sent Kagura back to Naraku, telling him of his decision to travel through the mountains. Kagura noted however that Sesshomaru had not told her about InuYasha's whereabouts. The prince had disappeared from the camp a few days ago, and Sesshomaru had not even acknowledged InuYasha's absence.

The wind demoness wondered if even the Western Lord knew of his brother's whereabouts. Rumors were spreading in the camp that InuYasha had deserted them. Koga seemed to enjoy the chance to humiliate InuYasha in his absence and fueled the rumors. Sesshomaru had said that InuYasha had not deserted them, but few in the camp believed it.

Kagura desired freedom more than anything, and Naraku said that he would give her freedom if she served him well. Perhaps news of InuYasha's disappearance, and the fact that Sesshomaru had not said much about it would please her master?

As Kagura flew over the walls of the city, she noted that there seemed to be more guards and soldiers than the princes had left behind. Naraku had obviously been recruiting new demons and raising a second army.

When Kagura finally reached the western palace, she found Naraku already waiting for her. Her eyes widened when she saw him. Apparently something was wrong with him in the head, or maybe he had become a little eccentric, because he was wearing a baboon pelt today. She flew down and stepped off her feather before greeting him, ignoring his odd choice of clothing.

He nodded at her greeting. "What news do you have from Sesshomaru and InuYasha, Kagura?"

"Lord Naraku, Sesshomaru has sent me to tell you that he has made the decision to continue into the Human lands through the mountain ranges." Kagura paused to see Naraku's reactions to her words. Unfortunately, there was no reaction. Naraku only waved his hand for her to continue.

Bowing her head to avoid eye contact with her master, she went on. "Lord Sesshomaru believes that the mountains will provide cover for the army until they are closer to Kirei,and then they will attack."

Naraku nodded as he listened to her words. "Very well. You have done well Kagura. You will tell Sesshomaru that I am glad he has done well so far. Also tell him that I have heard rumors about a possible rebellious lord. That way if he has any people here sending messages to him, he will not question me when I continue to recruit more troops. Now, do you have anything else to tell me?"

"Hai, Lord Naraku." answered Kagura. "The younger prince, InuYasha, has disappeared from the camp. Nobody is sure where he has gone, and although I am sure Sesshomaru knows, he does not say where his brother has gone."

Naraku frowned at her words. "I thought I told you to keep an eye on them Kagura."

Kagura flinched at his words. Although he had not raised his voice, she knew he was furious. "Sumimasen. (formal way to say Sorry)."

Naraku glared at her for some time, before relaxing and saying, "Do itashimashite. (It's okay.) Do not fail me again. You will find InuYasha and tell me where he has gone."

Kagura, grateful that Naraku was in a good mood, quickly rose and flew off on a feather. 'He must be happy because he has a baboon pelt to wear,' she thought.

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Kagome had set out of the palace with Kikyo and Kaede early in the morning yesterday. They were surrounded with a guard of eight of Sango's and Kohaku's best demon slayers as they travelled.

Kagome watched them with fascination from Kikyo's side. The demon slayers had odd armor and weapons which were said to be made out of the bones of demons. They worse odd masks over their noses and mouths and they had small pouches at their belt full of powders and poisons.

The princess wanted to talk to them badly and ask them all about their travels and their fights with demons, but she couldn't. That wouldn't be lady like, and for whatever reason, Kagome always seemed to want to prove that she could act ladylike in front of Kikyo.

She sighed in her saddle. They had been traveling for some time now on their horses, occasionally getting stopping to both give the horses and themselves a rest. Kagome wished that they would take a break soon; a small pain was forming in her lower back and she couldn't wait to get off the horse. They were awfully uncomfortable. Kikyo however, had said that they would not stop again that day because they needed to reach the village by night.

The trip was relatively uneventful, and they traveled in silence. Everyone seemed to be on edge, hoping that the demons had not reached the village in the woods yet. If they had, they might as well surrender the war now. The Shikon no Tama in the hands of a demon would spell disaster.

When they finally reached the village, Kagome let out a sigh of relief. She looked around at the village as she dismounted from her horse. It was a small village, and it seemed to all surround one larger building with a stone walkway leading to it.

Kagome knew that the building was a shrine, and that it housed the jewel in it. She was so busy staring at the building, as though she could see the jewel, that she did not notice several mikos from the village approach them.

They all went to speak with Kikyo after they bowed their head in respect to her. "Kombanwa, Kikyo-sama. O-genki desu ka?" (Good evening Kikyo. How are you?).

"Kombanwa. Genki desu." replied Kikyo. (Good evening. I'm fine, thank you.) "I have come to warn you, there are demons nearby."

The mikos all nodded their heads. "Yes. There have always been demons in the woods."

Kikyo became frustrated. "I'm not talking about them! I mean the western army! They crossed our eastern borders not far from here!"

The village mikos all paled at her words. "The demon army is near here?" stuttered one. "Oh kami."

Kikyo nodded her head. "Yes, they are very close. It is dangerous to have the jewel so close to them. If they feel it, they'll come here and easily overwhelm this village. We must take the jewel back to Kirei."

One miko stepped forward, "But if they are so close, they would have surely felt it by now! Their is no way you can out run them, Kikyo-sama!"

Kagome knew this was true. How could they outrun the demons? If the demons felt the jewel at all, there'd be no way they could out run them. Apparently, Kikyo knew the truth in these words too, because her shoulders slumped and she bowed her head in defeat.

"We will stay in the village then, until the threat has passed. Perhaps the demons will not feel its presence. I want the princess to be escorted back to Kirei however." Kikyo looked into Kagome's eyes then, and Kagome knew that, even though she was the princess, there would be no arguing with the miko.

Kagome sighed, knowing she was in for another two days of uncomfortable traveling. At least she'd be able to set the pace this time.

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InuYasha walked through the forest. It was dark, the sun barely broke through the dense layer of leaves. At times, InuYasha had to jump up to the top of the tree to tell if it was still daylight or not.

InuYasha had found several demons. It seemed the rumors were true and that they were all in hiding in this forest. He did not know why they had not come to the west though, because so far, he had not had the chance to speak civilly with any of them.

Once he approached one of them, it would look at him and immediately attack. InuYasha had no choice but to defend himself and fight back. Unfortunately for all the demons in the forest, InuYasha was a much stronger demon than he seemed. Hanyou he may be, but he was the hanyou son of one of the strongest youkai to have lived.

Lately, InuYasha had stopped looking for other demons. Shortly after he had entered the forest, he felt some strange pulling. Not knowing what it was, he decided he had to find it and sooth his curiosity.

He could tell he was getting closer. The pull was unbearable. He broke into a run, deciding that he had to find whatever it was as soon as he could. He sniffed the air as he ran, trying to see if he could pick up the smell of a demon from that strong pull. He didn't want to run into a trap set by a strong demon.

He ran as fast as he could, often leaping from tree to tree, using branches as springs to increase his speed. The landscape passed in a blur as he ran, or more like leaped, through the forest. All the while the pull became stronger and stronger.

As InuYasha got closer and closer, he could see some structures in the distance. He stopped, not quite sure what to make of it. The buildings in the distance were definitely human. The area reeked of their disgusting smell. Despite the smell, InuYasha found that he still wanted to run into the village and find out what was there.

Suddenly, another smell came to his nose. The smell of a demon. InuYasha turned around to see a bear demon staring at him. Oddly, it did not attack him like all the other demons had in the forest. Both InuYasha and the bear demon stared at each other, before the hanyou, tired of the silence, spoke up.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked rudely.

The bear demon ignored his rudeness and answered, "I am Kazuo. And you are?"

"Keh. None of your damn business." InuYasha folded his arms and turned away from the bear demon, knowing the bear demon wasn't about to attack him.

InuYasha stared at the village for some time. The bear demon, realizing what InuYasha was staring at, asked "Do you want to know what it is?"

"What are you talking about?" asked InuYasha.

"Do you want to know what's making you want to run to that village?"

InuYasha, curious, nodded his head.

"In that village is the Shikon no Tama. The humans put it there when they thought the western demons would be attacking, because it's far from the west coast, where the western army will cross the border." (remember, the people in the forest do not know that the western army came the east. Only the humans in the village are just finding out from Kikyo now.)

InuYasha gasped at the bear demon's words. The Shikon no Tama? Here? That kind of power would easily settle the war. But something bothered him. "Why haven't you or any other demon in this forest taken it yet?"

The bear demon frowned. "None of us are strong enough. They have mikos training there, more than enough to hold us at bay. They put up a small barrier around the village to stop us from getting to close."

'A barrier, huh. Well that will be easier to get rid of with my Tetsusaiga.' InuYasha smirked and began to walk towards the village.

The bear demon called out after him. "Hey, you can't possibly get the jewel! You're only a half-demon!"

"Keh. Watch me!" yelled InuYasha.

The bear demon only shook his head. "It's your life." He walked off deeper into the woods, not wanting to watch another demon be purified.

InuYasha unsheathed his Tetsusaiga as he neared the barrier. It glowed blood red before he swung it down and cut the barrier open. He sheathed his Tetsusaiga and ran in before the barrier closed up.

Once he was through the barrier, the pull of the jewel was even stronger, and the smell of many humans reached his nose, making him want to vomit. One scent he found oddly soothing however. He made a mental note to find out what that was once he got the jewel.

He ran up the village and leapt into the tree as he got close, hoping that none of the humans would see him. The mikos would undoubtedly sense his aura soon - it was hard to miss - and come looking for him. He'd have to make this quick.

He looked at the village. It all seemed to be built around one larger building, as though protecting it. 'That must be the shrine, and where the jewel is.' He thought. Jumping out of the tree, he landed on top of a hut, still unnoticed by the humans.

He waited until a pair of demon slayers walked by before he bolted towards the shrine, ignoring the cries of the humans who spotted him.

Running into the room, he saw the jewel on a bead necklace. He ran forward and grabbed it. Turning around, he saw several demon slayers and villagers storm into the room, ready to fight. They shot arrows at him, which he easily blocked by clawing at them. With the front door blocked, he'd have to find another exit. He knocked over a torch, hopefully it'll keep some villagers busy while he escapes, before leaping and crashing through the roof.

'Hah. That was too easy.' He thought. He leapt through the village, easily dodging arrows from mikos and weapons that the demon slayers threw.

He was in the woods before long, just at the barrier, when one miko got in his way. He quickly clawed her shoulder, not even stopping to see if she had fallen or not. When an arrow flew right in front of him and hit a tree inches from his face with a thud, he turned to see the injured miko staring at him, an arrow drawn in her bow.

"You're quick, and obviously very brave to try and do that, demon. But I suggest you return the jewel. My next shot won't miss if you don't."

InuYasha stood silent for some time. He could hear the humans back at the village shouting. Apparently nobody knew where he, or this miko was. He studied the miko in front of him. Her shoulder was more wounded than he though. By the way it was bleeding, he could tell that it would be fatal. The scent of death reached his sensitive nose. 'With that injury, she won't be able to hold that bow for long. There's no way she can aim in that condition.'

Taking his chances, InuYasha decided to make a run for it. He didn't bother attacking the miko, she would die soon anyway, and the sooner he was away from this village, there safer he would be. His decision turned out to be a huge mistake. He turned when he heard the miko shout at him and the twang of her bowstring reached his ears. The arrow flew right into him, piercing his chest, and pinned him to the tree behind him.

InuYasha dropped the Shikon no Tama in his shock. Unconsciousness quickly took him as he reached to catch the jewel.

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:D Yes I know, exactly like the anime! hehe. Even though this story has nothing to do with the anime, I like to have similarities between my story and the real thing. Don't ask me why, I just do. (I get my sexual thrill off of it ----- Just KIDDING! I'm not a pervert, lol.) Yes I know I have a weird sense of humor. Anyway, Till Sunday!