Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Chapter 40

Toshi watched the gang from a tree again. She stared intently at each one of them, studying them. One time she even sent some of Naraku's youkai to check their fighting style. She looked at Taka for a second.

'Teh,' she thought, 'I already know everything there is to know about her... as her copy I should.'

She stared at Shippo. She snarled and positioned to spring. Instead she raised an arm and bit into it.

'Not now,' she told herself as she sunk her fangs into her arm.

She released her arm. Blood dripped from her mouth and arm. She growled and stared at the group once again.

xXx the group xXx

Inuyasha and Taka were now fully healed. Inuyasha yawned.

"Can we go now?" he growled.

"I'm almost finished packing Inuyasha!" snapped Kagome, "be patient!"

"Alright!" growled Inuyasha.

Taka laughed. Kuragari smirked. Taka stopped and sniffed.

"What is it?" asked Kuragari.

"That scent... it smells like mine," she bounded into the forest.

"Huh?" Inuyasha sniffed also.

Sure enough there were two scents that smelled the same. But one had more evil then the other.

xXx Taka xXx

Taka stopped and looked up. Toshi sat one a branch. Her blood dripped to the ground as she stared viciously at Taka.

"You," growled Taka.

"Caught my scent?" Toshi smirked.

"MY scent you mean?" Taka snarled.

"Of course it's your scent," Toshi laughed, "I am only a copy."

Taka growled.

"Oh and your memories are so sad," Toshi smirked.

"Nani!"

"Along with your scent... I have all the characteristics you do... your memories... your battle style," she laughed, "everything."

Taka snarled and leapt at Toshi. Toshi flipped back.

"Taka!" Inuyasha's voice called and he burst from the forest.

Toshi wiped the blood from her.

"Inuyasha!" cried Toshi, "kill her! It's a copy of me!"

"Nani?" exclaimed Taka, "who's the copy!" she snarled.

"Inuyasha!" Toshi cried, "who will you believe? Me, the real Taka, or her the fake."

"Oi! I'm no copy!" Taka ran at Toshi again.

Toshi jumped back again.

'Who's the real one?' thought Inuyasha as he watched Taka and Toshi fight.

Taka slashed at Toshi's head. Toshi bent her head back and did a back flip, kicking Taka in the head. Taka flipped and stood upright. She snarled and went at Toshi again. The two fought with their claws.

"Taka-chan!" Sango called as she came out of the forest after Inuyasha.

She stopped in shock to see the two fighting.

"Taka?"

"Nani!" both answered while fighting.

Miroku and the others stared in shock when they entered the area. Taka snarled and slashed at Toshi. Toshi cried out and hit the ground. She stood quickly and they began exchanging blows once more. Inuyasha drew the Tetsusaiga.

"Inuyasha!" cried Kagome, "you can't use the Kaze no Kizu (Wind Scar)! We don't know which is the real Taka!"

"I know!" Inuyasha growled.

Kuragari tried to see which was his sister with no prevail. He growled.

"Inuyasha!" Taka exclaimed, "she's an incarnation of Naraku! If you fall for her trap of me being the fake we'll all die!" Toshi punched her.

"Inuyasha," she said with a small smile, "you have to believe me... she's the fake... I would never hurt the one I love," she smiled sweetly.

Inuyasha widened his eyes.

"Inuyasha! Don't listen to her!" Taka exclaimed.

"You're the fake!" he pointed Tetsusaiga at Taka.

Taka gasped. Inuyasha growled and raised Tetsusaiga.

"Kaze no Kizu!" he roared as he smashed his sword to the ground and the kaze no kizu flew at Taka.

Taka flew back into a tree. The tree wasn't strong enough to hold back the attack either and Taka blasted right through it. She cried out and hit the ground, eyes still open. Her eyes were now a blank violet color and she stared to the side, lifelessly.

"Heh," Inuyasha smirked, "to easy... come on Taka let's go."

Toshi stood her head down with a smirk.

"Taka?" asked Inuyasha.

"Baka!" exclaimed Toshi triumphantly, "now that the real Taka's dead... I can nimble you down... one by one," Toshi's eyes glistened evilly at the group.

"Kazanna!" Miroku was about to open the kazanna.

"Don't try it," Toshi smirked and swayed her kimono sleeve.

Poison insects flew from it and they buzzed around her. Miroku sealed the kazanna with a growl. Isamu roared and attacked Toshi. He slashed through her shoulder. She grinned. Miasma blasted out and shrouded around Isamu. He roared painfully and stumbled back. Toshi looked at the wound given to her by Isamu.

"A mere cat scratch," she said with a grin.

She cracked her knuckles and her claws grew longer.

"Let's see who will survive longer," she said, her voice half a growl, "me, the ultimate incarnation of Naraku! Or you... the pathetic group who can't tell their real friend... to a fake," she spread her arms and laughed.

Her eyes turned red and her fangs grew longer. She smashed her hand into the ground, which blasted at the group. Kuragari picked up Isamu, who transformed to his smaller form, Shippo and Kagome and jumped out of the way. Kirara picked up Miroku and Sango and Inuyasha jumped above the blast.

'How could I be so stupid?' he thought as he stared at Taka's lifeless body on the ground nearby.

Toshi jumped up and slashed at Inuyasha bringing him to the ground. Inuyasha cried out in pain and held the small wound.

"Next time... I'll slice you in two," Toshi licked Inuyasha's blood from her fingers.

Taka's lifeless eyes glowed red and she growled softly. But the growl... was only half her's.