Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

Chapter 27

xXx Flashback xXx

Kuragari walked towards the village towards where his love, Yue, was waiting for him. He had been gone for days, back to the tribe, and he was returning to claim Yue as his wife. He nearly entered a clearing when he heard Yue's voice.

"I told you Ichiro," he heard her soft voice say, "I love Kuragari not you."

"But Yue, Kuragari's a youkai... a breed of the most feared youkai at that," a young man known as Ichiro said.

Ichiro had black hair and hazel eyes. All the unmarried women dreamed to have him as a husband but he only wanted Yue.

"Well Kuragari's different," Kuragari smiled when he heard her say that, "He's kind, handsome, and very strong," she sighed, "I love him."

Yue had beautiful light brown hair and green eyes.

"Well why not have a little fun with me until that beast gets back," Ichiro pushed her against a tree.

"Let me go!" she cried.

Ichiro leaned in to kiss her.

"Stop!" Yue struggled to get out of his grip.

Kuragari snarled and slashed at Ichiro. Ichiro moved and Kuragari stopped and ran at him again. He picked up Ichiro and snarled again.

"Come on Kuragari!" said Ichiro, his voice filled with fear, "I was only playing."

"But she told you to stop!" he growled.

Kuragari threw Ichiro against a tree. Ichiro, being a human, barely survived the violent throw and coughed up some blood. Yue ran to him. Ichiro choked and coughed more blood until he stopped breathing completely.

"You killed him!" Yue cried, "You promised you wouldn't kill a soul unless you were in battle!... You promised!" she began to cry.

Kuragari walked towards her.

"Don't come near me!" she yelled, "He was right! You are a beast!"

"Yue... I... I didn't mean to... I lost control... gomen," Kuragari held out a hand to her.

She backed away.

"Go! Go back to your tribe and kill more innocent people!" she took off running through the forest sobbing.

Kuragari watched her leave.

'I'm not a beast...' he thought sadly as he turned the other way and went back.

xXx end flashback xXx

Kuragari awoke. Everyone else was sleeping around him. He stood (once again shirtless because that's how he sleeps) and walked into the forest. Kagome heard him get up and opened her eyes. She sat up and watched him walk away. She stood and followed him. When he finally stopped he sat looking at the stars.

"Hey," she said, "Daijoubu?"

"Hai... just memories," he replied.

Kagome went and sat beside him. They sat in silence just staring at the sky.

"Kagome-san?" Kuragari finally said.

"Hai?"

"Do you think I'm... a beast?"

"Iie," she replied, "you're to kind to be a beast," she smiled at him.

Kuragari looked away.

"How can you think like that?" he asked, "I almost killed that wolf youkai like a killed that boy years ago. How can you forgive so easily? Yue never forgave me..."

"I could see you were trying to protect me and besides Koga was being a jerk again," Kagome laughed.

Kuragari nodded. When he looked away again Kagome rested her head on his shoulder and yawned. Kuragari let her and kept looking the forest's way. A rustle was heard. Five large youkai stepped out of the forest and laughed.

"How pathetic," one said in a gruff violent voice, "Kuragari, son of Jigoku, falling in love with another human woman," it laughed, "what will you do if we kill her... like we killed Yue after you two separated."

"You killed her!" snarled Kuragari, "Is that why the villagers thought I did it? Because of you pyro's?"

"Hai," said a young male voice, "she deserved what she got."

"Kenji!" he snarled.

A young male that looked about 19 stepped out of the forest. He had long dark blood red hair tied back in a pony tail, and dark brown eyes. He wore a white and red kimono with a sword by his side.

"What do you want!" Kuragari stood and blocked Kagome from their view.

"Heh... we're only trying to help you Kuragari," Kenji looked at him, "Why not have a youkai mate instead of a human... think of your sister... she's not strong at all... think of a strong child... not a wimpy hanyou."

Kuragari snarled. But then he heard Kagome scream. Another pyro youkai was behind them and had grabbed Kagome.

"Kagome!" he yelled as he slashed at the youkai.

He missed and the youkai threw him to the ground. Kuragari stood again and attacked this time he got the youkai who dropped Kagome and stumbled back. Kagome cried out and fell to the ground.

'Kuso!' she thought, 'I didn't bring my bow.'

She ran towards Kuragari again. Kuragari had left his sword and was doing his best with his claws, which wasn't going well. The pyro's had swords and one slashed him on the back. He turned and got the youkai back but his hit wasn't as bad as it's. Kenji stood and watched his men as they tried to get at Kagome and Kuragari doing his best to keep them away.

"Wind Scar!" Inuyasha bellowed as the attack hit away 4 of the pyro's. But then more came from the forest.

Taka, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Inuyasha came from the forest.

'Taka?' thought Kenji.

He took a whiff of Taka's scent.

'She has some of the dog lord's blood... but how...' he glanced at Inuyasha, 'he's the great dog's son... the one i was planning to take power from... but that sword is powerful and I wouldn't stand a chance... but taking Kuragari's sister's blood and absorbing the power would be easier and at the same time I'd be getting her power,' Kenji smirked.

Kuragari got hit another time with a sword and collapsed.

"Kuragari!" cried Kagome as she kneeled beside him.

"Heh... now time to die ningen," a pyro raised his sword.

"Kagome!" Taka threw the bow at Kagome, along with the arrows.

Kagome aimed and shot the arrow at the youkai. Kuragari stood again, his dark, dark blood dripping from all his wounds. He growled again and slashed at another youkai. He panted, but still he fought.

"It's like there's a whole army!" shouted Miroku as he hit another with his staff.

"Hirakotsu!" Sango threw her weapon slashed through three of the pyro's.

Kirara roared viciously and bit into one's arm.

"Fox fire!" Shippo did his best, which was doing very little.

Kenji backed into the forest and disappeared from sight.

Kuragari finally collapsed and fell unconscious.

"Nii-san!" Taka ran and grabbed him before a pyro stabbed him.

Taka landed and put Kuragari down with Kagome.

"Kuragari!" gasped Kagome as she dropped her bow and kneeled beside him.

Inuyasha looked to see if the coast was clear of his friends and shot another attack out at the youkai. He seen Kuragari and pointed his sword at Kagome and Taka.

"Make sure he stays alive!" he growled at them, then he looked at the youkai, "and you bastard's better leave before you turn out like your friends."

The youkai snarled but backed off, running into the forest.

"You have to carry him back to camp Inuyasha! My first-aid stuff is there!" cried Kagome.

Inuyasha nodded and picked up Kuragari. They went back to the camp and Kagome got straight to work. But what the group didn't know was that Kenji sat in a tree nearby his eyes staring at Taka.

'I'll get her alone... her friends will be to much to meddle with,' he thought as he jumped from the tree and walked off, 'I'll stay around here to wait.'