A/N

I do not own Inuyasha.

I am sorry for taking long this time.

I have a feeling, the story is growing a bit and the real adventure will start now.

Thank You for the kind reviews! As well thank You for the alerts and favourites. ^_^v

Chapter 4

The fight was tough, the opponents hadn't appeared strong, more like weak and senseless. The assumption had turned out to be wrong, for all of them had been robust and quite sly. They had been aiming for the weakest points, attacking from behind. One of them had even captured Yuutsuki and her scent had been long gone among the smells of the encounter. Inuyasha hadn't gotten any injuries, but the rest of the group hadn't been so fortunate.

Kagome rubbed her sore arm, the demons surely didn't know how to treat a lady. Kirara still remained unconscious and Miroku's face suffered a nasty wound. Kagome had purified it already, but it needed time to heal. Sango seemed to be just bruised, but her aching muscles had disabled her for some time.

"We have to find Yuu-chan" Kagome spoke to the rest. Yuutsuki had suddenly disappeared, and they had been too busy fighting back to follow any trace.

Miroku sighed.

"I am afraid in our current condition we wouldn't go too far. Although the truth is, time works in our disadvantage."

"Inuyasha could go after her, he is fine. I doubt anyone would attack us now, plus if anything happens, Miroku will keep us safe." Sango smiled at the monk.

"You are right Sango. Inuyasha, you are the only one that can go. Kagome cannot use the bow for a while, so taking her would be just an obstacle. Besides my face, I am fine, in case of danger I will hide us under my barrier." Kagome nodded at the monk's words.

"As if! I won't leave Kagome to go for that capricious girl! It's her fault. Did you see how stupidly she went forward to kill that demon? Probably she's already sold or with that personality of hers, dead!" Inuyasha crossed arms on his chest and waited for the reaction.

"It is true, she behaved recklessly. But the demons were already there and we were bound to fight them anyway." Kagome reprimanded him.

"We promised to take Yuutsuki to the Rens. We failed to protect her. She's a weak girl, doesn't have experience in fighting demons." With a tone of guilt, Sango tried to persuade Inuyasha.

"Keh, not that weak, that demon sword of hers has potential."

"A potential that needs to be unlocked, that's why we need to take her to the Rens." Miroku said calmly. "However I still wonder, how can she make use of the sword? As we all know, it's a demon sword, humans don't use it casually like she does…" He continued.

"It's a barrier" Kagome interrupted "When she used it I could feel a faint presence of a shield. What's more curious, it was demon energy. "

"Are you sure Kagome? That's interesting, a demon protection against a demon sword. What might be the source of the barrier?" Miroku was intrigued.

"The ring" Inuyasha replied "She's always clinging to it, and it has a familiar scent, I just can't identify it."

"I see…" Miroku continued, in a gesture of approval. "She was always very reserved about it. Another question stands. Who granted her that power?"

"It might be more than we think, maybe she doesn't know herself, that's why she needs to go there." Sango added.

"What a pain!" Inuyasha said loudly "But it can't be helped. But know this, if I don't find her close by and I don't catch her scent I'll just come back"

"Good boy, Inuyasha" Kagome smiled "Go now, we'll be fine."

"Just don't treat me like a dog! Miroku, take care of Kagome" Inuyasha departed, not wasting more time. Agilely, he jumped on a tree branch and from there he went.

As he was going, he kept his focus on what he could smell, until finally, scattered along with the smell of the demon foes he'd fought earlier, he caught Yuutsuki's scent which led him to a small glade where a camp had previously taken place. Ropes, the remains of a camp fire with the coals slowly burning away the little heat they had remaining, some leftovers and a corpse of a demon. Yuutsuki's smell was well present there, and, moreover, that corpse was undoubtedly the demon that'd taken the missing girl. As he reached the deceased creature, other familiar smells were still hovering.

"Sesshoumaru" Inuyasha quietly said to himself as he followed the scent. He didn't travel more than a few steps, the trace abruptly ended, his brother must have had flown out of there. Along with Sesshoumaru's, Yuutsuki's scent disappeared as well. Then the demon dog decided to go back to Kagome and the others to report his findings and discuss their next move.

Arriving back, Inuyasha noticed the moon was already high. He swore as his demon attributes started to fade. Temporarily he was just another human with no special powers. He had forgotten it was that night today. Since he was a half demon, once a month he'd change to a human. Silver hair changed to black, golden eyes to brown ones, nails shortened. Inuyasha's strength was stranded and his demon sword was useless for that time. Upon reaching the camp, Inuyasha noticed the still surprised looks of his companions. Even after all this time, seeing his human form could come as a shock.

First words to welcome him were:

"And now we have yet another reason to stay the night. Tell us what you concluded" Miroku invited him over the fire.

During a meal Inuyasha detailed them what he had seen. He shared his thoughts about the possibility of Yuutsuki joining Sesshoumaru's group.

"It's hard to believe Sesshoumaru would take another human along. Why would he do that anyway?" Kagome contested.

Nobody was able to conclude anything plausible, also they couldn't spot any connection between the girl and the demon lord.

The resolution they'd taken was to try finding Sesshoumaru and hope he's willing to answer their questions. This was an arduous task, for he was constantly in travel. Further discussion would bring them nowhere closer to the truth. As for now it remained as a riddle, a tough nut to crack.

Yuutsuki remembered the monk's face with a sentiment. A small butterfly decided to tickle her stomach slightly, just to arouse a warming sensation in her chest. She had been awake for some time already, although couldn't tell for how long. It seemed like the peaceful, deep breaths of Rin and Jaken made every second last a minute. Yuutsuki decided to leave the cave. Once outside, she stretched her body taking several deep gasps of fresh air. The girl rubbed her hands, the mornings were really chilly. Nevertheless, the scenery was worth freezing for. The fiery star slowly, as if lazily, emerged from behind the clouds, illuminating the foggy forest that was surrounding the area.

Yuutsuki felt him approaching, hearing him would be impossible. She remembered last night's conversation. Sesshoumaru still had so many doubts left, and she had so many questions as well.

There was something in his attitude, making her curious about him. The girl knew he was standing behind her, watching either her, or the scenery.

She wasn't certain of the motives, but apparently, she had been thinking of a way to find a link of understanding between them.

"No matter how many times I observe it, it still feels wonderful to me." Yuutsuki commented, knowing he was listening.

"The sunrise?" Unexpectedly his voice sounded almost polite.

"No." She shook her head in denial. "It's really beautiful, albeit I fancy its metaphorical meaning. It brings new beginnings, new chances and hopes. A new day brings courage to start over, not to look behind and most importantly to me; it always brings warmth to my heart."

The girl threw a shy glance at Sesshoumaru, pondering what he was thinking about. Her cheeks became rosy. His face was indifferent, except the eyes, which were reflecting the first rays of the sun.

Yuutsuki's eyes widened, when he directed his stare at her.

"Yesterday you had a faint scent of a half demon called Inuyasha."

"I travelled with him and his companions, but got separated. Are you two related?"

At the same moment the imp demon came out from the cave and almost screamed

"How dare you speak to Sesshoumaru-sama, while looking into his eyes? An ungrateful, lowlife human!"

Staggered by his words, Yuutsuki surely didn't comprehend properly. It was true, that Sesshoumaru had presented himself as a lord, but wasn't it a sign of respect to look into the eyes of an interlocutor while speaking? She really had to watch out, the usual habits didn't seem to apply in this world. On the other hand, being admonished by a small creature was at least frustrating not to say disturbing.

"Why would I be troubled to look into anyone's eyes? Only liars evade eye contact, besides…"

"Jaken, silence." Those two words were enough to quieten them both. "Take Rin and look for some human food."

Jaken cringed, still willing to say something, but left in a rush. Sesshoumaru continued speaking.

"Inuyasha and I are half-brothers, we share the same father. I dislike associating myself with him though."

The resemblance between the brothers was obvious, they shared several common features, nonetheless the aura around them was entirely unlike.

"You would like to return to your little happy party, I presume."

Yuutsuki slowly nodded her head. She needed to support Kagome in destroying the Shikon No Tama. How to achieve the task? The answer lied within the Rens clan, or so she hoped.

"You will not." Sesshoumaru's body turned toward hers, his peculiar armour reflecting her face, and said slowly, accentuating each word: "You shall not."

Yuutsuki giggled and contradicted him:

"I have no obligation to obey your commands. Lord or not, I am no possession of yours, I belong to nobody. I will not be at somebody's beck and call."

He took a sudden, deep breath and his throat uttered a warning growl. Surely he hated to be defied.

Yuutsuki wasn't startled though. Almost losing her life in the previous fight had filled her with calmness. At the moment, inside of her, many thoughts were playing. Some of them low and harmonic, others louder and sharper, composed of various tunes, but all of them created a coherent, gentle sound, which was encouraging her constantly. All she had been focused on was the mission, there was no way anyone would interrupt it.

"I will regroup with them. We intend to meet the Rens."

In a blink of an eye Yuutsuki was pushed against the rocks of the cave. Sesshoumaru was ruthlessly grabbing her throat. Sun rays were blinding her, therefore she could not see the rage in his eyes.

"Insolent human, know your place." He kept looking indifferently as the girl was fighting for air, finally he released his grip, knowing that a bit more and she would faint.

Yuutsuki cursed him in her mind. She had known he was strong, way stronger than an ordinary demon. No need for display of his greatness over her. Despite pain, she got up silently, piercing him with a bitter look.

"Why?" She couldn't help her voice breaking.

"Human, be glad I let you live." Looking at her disdainfully, started to walk away. "I will be back soon. Wait here with Rin and Jaken. If you run away, I will find you." These emotionless words sounded like a threat, or even a promise.

Yuutsuki quietly sat down and let her thoughts run wild. Enjoying the wind on her face, she closed her eyes and immersed herself in all the information she had managed to collect and assume.

The Shikon No Tama was in pieces. A powerful demon called Naraku wished to collect them all, and certainly his purposes weren't pure. Kagome was the one who had been guilty of shattering the jewel, as well the one who had decided to take responsibility of mending it. Apparently the girl possessed holy powers and could operate a bow skilfully. Yuutsuki walked away from the cave, seeking some water to drink and clean her wounds. Even if Kagome hadn't had a clue about the alliance between the two families, Yuutsuki had known. The ring she was wielding, the one she had brought from the future, was missing in the past. Somebody had stolen it, thus someone had in possession the same powers she did. Currently there were two nullifying jewels in that era. Probably there was another sword as the one she had received. The Ren's Jewel had been granted by a powerful demon family and clearly Sesshoumaru was a part of it. What was even clearer, he had been suspecting her of stealing the jewel.

Finally, she managed to find a lake with clear water. Slowly, she started washing her wounds and kept on pondering.

On the other hand, what benefits would the ring bring? Besides the Rens' duty, Yuutsuki couldn't find any other rational purpose of the jewel's power. Maybe the thing had other abilities, unknown to her. If that was true, Sesshoumaru's doubts wouldn't have been unfounded, and grandmother's words, about the ring's power, exaggerated.

If it was so, there could have been a reason to steal it. It was all but facts though, nothing more than her assumptions, which needed to be confronted with someone familiar with the jewel.

Yuutsuki sighed, for her thoughts had been interrupted with Rin and Jaken's loud voices.

"Rin told you, that fruit is really sour, Jaken-sama!"

"Should have told me before I tried it, stupid child!" The imp's face was twisted in disgust. She couldn't help, but laugh at the funny demon.

When Rin noticed her, waved her arm cheerfully and screamed:

"Yuutsuki-sama! Rin picked up some fruits for you!"

Yuutsuki waved back. Sesshoumaru had been showing his abhorrence for humans, yet Rin was undoubtedly travelling with him. She wondered what made the child so special.

"O! You have a really deep cut! Are you fine?"

Yuutsuki grinned. It did hurt, but generally it was healing well. Luckily, there was no infection, and she was happy about that.

"Don't worry Rin, I am fine, thank you. Did you eat already?"

"No, Rin was hoping to eat with Yuutsuki. That's why Rin brought so many fruits" the girl was really adorable.

"Rin, don't get too used to that woman, probably she will leave soon." Jaken said through his teeth, apparently the sourness still didn't leave his tongue.

The child totally ignored him.

"Yuutsuki-sama, your hair is so beautiful and long! Rin wants hair like this too. How long will it take?"

"You are kind, thank you. I didn't cut it for seven years already. It's a long way to go, Rin. You must be patient."

"Seven years…? And after that, Rin will have hair like yours?"

"Maybe even longer." The child smiled widely and started to spin around, as if dancing to unheard music, still keeping the fruits in her hands.

Yuutsuki had left the other two after eating, just to stroll a bit. The surrounding nature was really beautiful, still untouched by industry. Enjoying the environment she kept looking around.

Suddenly, the girl felt a fear tremble her body, she looked away, and saw it.

A human shaped, male demon was rapidly approaching her location. Before she even thought about running away, the intruder was already facing her.

The demon smiled wickedly, straitening his pose. His appearance seemed just like one of an ordinary human's, if not for an aura of wildness, nobody could notice any abnormalities in looks.

"Hey, little human woman, I need that sword of yours!" Yuutsuki grabbed her sword, as if she wanted to defend it. The demon was powerful, she stood no chance in a fight. The issue was, she couldn't run away either, the demon was too fast. The girl's mouth became dry out of fear, yet she kept her head high.

"What? You do not want to? Well, you have no choice. Am I being unfair? So what about a fight? If you win, I let you go, but if I do, let's see…" Yuutsuki tried to use a moment of distraction to withdraw herself, but he shouted:

"HEY! What do you think you are doing?" The demon grabbed her chin and made her look at him.

"Oi! Quite a woman, you are. I decided. If I win I get the sword and you as a dessert."

Yuutsuki's thoughts froze. There was no chance of winning. Her life was again in jeopardy.

"To make it easier, I fight with my bare hands, you can fight with that fancy sword of soon-not-to-be yours." He chuckled at his own joke and pushed the girl away.

Because of the fall, her outfit became even dirtier, and it worsened the battered knee.

"So, prepare!" He screamed as his eyes changed colour from foggy blue to bloody red.

Yuutsuki took out her sword and hoped that her death wouldn't be too painful. Her hands were shaking, she was about to be toyed with, and probably killed. She wasn't a born pessimist, but the situation wasn't the brightest ever. All she could depend was luck and her evading skills.

His first attacks weren't too strong and since Yuutsuki was small and agile, she was able to evade some of the blows, but others hit, and each carried more strength.

Not long after, the demon became bored and with a strong, straight punch, he felled the girl to the ground. She covered her head expecting a final blow, but nothing happened, instead, only the raw sound of a falling body could be heard. Yuutsuki uncovered her head, to witness what had occurred. A whip-like, glowing beam was entangled around the demon's body, and as she followed its source with her eyes, she saw they had been originated from Sesshoumaru's fingers. He had returned in the most opportune moment, although, Yuutsuki would have appreciated more if it had happened sooner.

"Sesshoumaru-sama…" the demon whimpered out with difficulty.

"You are not allowed to play on my grounds. I thought I made it clear, Tarou!" Sesshoumaru sounded rather irritated, he certainly disliked repeating himself and having his words defied.

The two were undoubtedly familiar with each other, but the exact ties were unknown to Yuutsuki. As the whip slowly retracted to its source, the demon's body became free, although he was still refraining himself from too much movement and just stood up enough to get on his knee, holding his fist on the ground and keeping his head down. Yuutsuki saw nothing less than a servant greeting its master.

"I am terribly sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama, I never expected the human to be of importance to you." Tarou kept his head low as his master came closer.

"Do not misunderstand. Slaughtering women doesn't benefit the opinion of my lands. Why aren't you with the rest of the soldiers? Aren't you a general?" Sesshoumaru's voice was growing angrier. It resembled a growl. Could it be that his servant had upset him that much?

Yuutsuki frowned. Obviously he hadn't intended to save her, just in the morning he had been about to kill her himself. A murdered woman in his grounds would taint his lands' honour, but it was fine, if he would have been the murderer. The silver haired demon thought really high of himself.

Her derisive thoughts were interrupted by Tarou, who was clearly more relaxed.

"I humbly report I am on my free time, Sesshoumaru-sama, you know my weakness for such a pretty prey."

Sesshoumaru approached her and demanded:

"Woman, introduce yourself to the general for him to acknowledge his mistake."

Yuutsuki couldn't understand the purpose. Sesshoumaru's face was unreadable like a stone. She didn't want to approach Tarou, she just mumbled from where she had been standing:

"Yuutsuki. Ren Yuutsuki."

"Ren?" Tarou got up and his blue eyes widened. "A Ren with Sesshoumaru-sama? Does this mean that the promise will be fulfilled?"

"Silence!" Sesshoumaru growled again. In fear, the general returned to his previous position. "Your free time is over. I have an order for you."

"Gladly, my lord."

"Find Jaken and a human girl accompanying him. They are nearby. Take them both to the house of the West. As for the human girl, if anything happens to her, your life will be lost."

"As you command." Tarou got up and bowed in front of Sesshoumaru and Yuutsuki.

Within a second he was gone. The golden eyes met hers.

"Are you injured?"

A sudden, small display of concern surprised her. Could it be that he had been bothered about his inferior attacking her?

"He pushed me around a bit." She touched her dirty clothing, which seemed one of a beggar. "I believe my previous injuries worsened."

Sesshoumaru kept quiet, observing her clumsy movements. The girl tried to take out dirt from her outfit.

"Exchange swords with me." He spoke quietly, still looking at her.

"Excuse me?" The unexpected request confused Yuutsuki. Why would he want that? If he had desired to possess her sword, he wouldn't have returned it to her.

"Give me your sword and I will give you mine."

The girl handed away her blade and faced the ground, saying:

"I do not need your sword." Probably she wouldn't be able to handle it anyway.

"Consider it an honour and do not oppose." He answered roughly, and pushed his sword against her.

She timidly embraced it with her hands. It was shorter than hers and significantly lighter. His reasons were unclear, but somehow it didn't bother her.

"Follow me." He left first, taking the direction he had arrived previously.

Yuutsuki observed his figure receding into the forest. She rushed, making sure she wouldn't lose him.