Thanks for the reviews! And another thing, I'm changing the summary and genre, hope you all don't mind it! 0

Glossary:

Miko: priestess

Hanyou: half demon

Youkai: demon

Osuwari: sit

Ramen: Japanese noodles

Haori: the red coat Inuyasha's wearing

Katana: sword

Kaze no Kizu: Wind scar

Chapter 5

"Come back here, you kitsune!"

"No! No! No!"

"Get back here or else..."

Wham!

"Miss me! Ha ha ha..."

"Bloody jerk..."

The morning got off to a rowdy start. Kagome was not sleeping well and she presumed that they are being hit by an earthquake! Thankfully, her mind soon registered that the huge commotion taking place around her was actually a heated argument between Inuyasha and Shippo, the little fox youkai that they rescued the day before. As she got up stretching her inactive limbs and being relieved that it really wasn't an earthquake (though it really felt like an earthquake), Kagome opened her droopy eyes to a startling sight: Inuyasha pinning Shippo down with his fists rose.

Kagome gasped, and did the only thing that could stop him: "Inuyasha, osuwari!"

Wham.

The little kitsune had already fled before Inuyasha came crashing down on him. It was a well known fact that Kagome's 'osuwari' was not to be trifled with.

"Curse this rosary..." Inuyasha grumbled as he got up painfully. Ignoring Kagome's deathly glare, he shouted angrily at Shippo: Give me back my katana!"

Kagome turned around and saw the kid hiding behind her, hugging the battered katana as if it's a rare gem. Next, the much feared tell tale sign came, tiny tear droplets were making their way at the corner of his eyes. Chin trembling, Shippo immediately burst out into a heart wrenching wail: "Kagome...Inuyasha's bullying me..."

Kagome gingerly stroke his hair gingerly and chided Inuyasha in a motherly manner: "Inuyasha, what did you do to him?'

"I merely told him that he must go to Lady Kaede's for resting, that's all!" Inuyasha defended himself fiercely, but not forgetting to add: "And this ungrateful brat sped off with my katana!"

"I don't want to go to Lady Kaede's! I want to travel with you guys!" Shippo was using the much favored resort used by most children: the limitless innocence a child possessed to persuade Kagome. She is his only chance. However, things turned out otherwise.

"Shippo, you should know how dangerous the quest is. You are a child, you should not risk your life. And besides..." Kagome bit her lower lip, revealing the most realistic and deadly part: "You don't want to end up like last time, don't you? You don't want to be eaten up by bad youkai?"

Shippo knew he was fighting a losing battle, but he still have to give it a shot. Shaking his head vigorously, he retaliates: "I'm not scared of danger, I am a full blooded youkai, you know! (At this point, Inuyasha snorted: "Keh!") And even if I am caught, Inuyasha would save me, isn't it, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha's reply was astonishing: "No."

Shippo felt he just turned into a statue, a numb rock which lost all its feelings.

Kagome tried to give a laugh to loosen the tense mood. But much to her dismay, her laugh came out sounding artificial. "Guys, would you mind...erm...to stop arguing?"

Both Inuyasha and Shippo ignored her, continuing their 'glaring' match. Poor Kagome, she's stuck in the middle, not knowing what to do, and this entire cold atmosphere is starting to give her goose bumps. If she has better imagination, she could even visualize icicles forming from Inuyasha's amber eyes to Shippo's childlike emerald ones.

"Erm... Shippo, would you let me check your bruises...just to make sure everything's fine..." Kagome whinnied as she plucked at Shippo's clothes.

"I'm fine, in fact I could recover just as fast as that Hanyou!" Shippo spat. His eyes never left Inuyasha.

At the word 'Hanyou', gushes of hot steam start rolling off Inuyasha: "Who are you calling Hanyou, squirt..."

Listening to Inuyasha's growl, Kagome knew things were going to spiral out of control. At the speed of lightning, Kagome cuddled Shippo: "Let him stay for a while, I think he could pretty much stay out of dangers way, right, Inuyasha?" Kagome gave a sweet smile to Shippo, and he in turn immediately bounces back to him innocent childlike features: "Right!"

Now, it's Inuyasha's turn to be pitiful as he gaped at the 'loving pair'.

"Oh yeah!" Something strikes Kagome out of the blue: "I remember I have not introduced myself, how did you know my name, Shippo?"

Shippo instantly freeze, only one corner of his mouth was twitching uncontrollably. But Inuyasha came to the rescue: "I told him your name while you're asleep."

"Oh..." Kagome replied. Shippo just gave a big sigh of relief. He raised his head and looked at Inuyasha, while Inuyasha who's getting back his katana seems to know Shippo's eyes were on him, and return the gaze with a reminding look. The talk they had before Kagome got up...the talk they had before Inuyasha raised the sensitive topic about him going to Lady Kaede's...the talk that made the arrogant Inuyasha look exceptionally sad.

"Kagome had forgotten everything, so...promise me Shippo, do not tell her of the past..."

A slight tremor jerked Shippo from his thoughts. Looks like their enemy was close, and whoever it is, it's going to be something big. Inuyasha instinctively drew Tetsusaiga as he barked at Kagome and Shippo to stay behind him.

Their eyes widened as a beast emerged from the trees. A beast with fiery red eyes and an awfully hot breath when it opened its jaws and spoke, revealing all of its impressive, yellowish fangs: "Who is Inuyasha...?"

"I am." Just as usual, Inuyasha stepped out boldly. With a challenging tone, he asked: "Why, did the Nine Tailed Fox Vixen sent one of her minions to invite me to a duel?"

"Yes," The beast said in a low, menacing voice, "she did."

And without another word, he swept his claws at the group. Kagome and Shippo dodged, but Inuyasha as the first line of defense, didn't. Instead, he leapt straight at the demon with his katana raised: "Meet your doom today, jerk!"

Tetsusaiga came down fast and furious. The youkai was successfully sliced into half while Inuyasha landed on bent knees, unscathed. But how could a minion of the vixen be vanquished so easily? This is just the beginning.

Each halves grew back into another complete youkai, doubling the intensity of the danger. As the two new individuals flexed their claws experimentally, they gave the group a sideway glance: "Why don't one of us go for you, Inuyasha, while the other goes for your friends?"

This was what Inuyasha feared the most. As he stood defensively in front of Kagome and Shippo, the youkai stepped closer and closer. Inuyasha was thrown into a frenzy. He needed a plan, fast. But in such a case, the odds were against him. Wielding such a heavy Tetsusaiga was disadvantage, and even if he could summon Kaze no Kizu, it would be useless. "This bloody youkai could multiply." Inuyasha reminded himself as he glared at the youkai and at the same time, struggled to hide his fears.

"Inuyasha's desperate and I'm totally helpless..." Meanwhile, Shippo who was hiding behind Inuyasha's back thought frustratingly. "What could I do...to prove I'm not vulnerable?"