Inside the swamp Shika was purifying the jewel shard that was still embedded into the giant demon crow when the other monk came out from the shadows.

"Seems you got what you need to know about them." he said as he watched the other.

"Yes but at what cost?" he said as he finished purifying the jewel and removed it from the demon crows back. "At least the jewel had healed the critical wounds that half breed left." Watching as the demon crow returned to normal size.

"What are you thoughts about him? Are you going to convince him to become full demon?"

"What do you think father? Of course…clearly now he knows he had messed up by lying to his friends, so now the next time I am alone with him he'll give into the pressure and his desire of becoming full demon." Shika said.

"And what about the others?" his father asked.

Shika looked at his arm, the wound had stopped bleeding and was starting to close up already. "Him and the girl are the ones Naraku is concerned right?" he asked as his father nodded. "I'll take care of them easily. It won't be much for them to break, obviously there is some connection between the two as Naraku stated."

"Connection?"

"Obviously he's protective of her, that's the half breeds beloved from what I've heard and witnessed." Shika explained.

"You think so? Aw and here I thought she was single." his father whined as he leaned on the nearby tree.

"Well she might be after I deal with the half breed."

"I'm looking forward to it my boy." his father grinned under the hood.

Shika looks back down and picks up the crow who was soon waking up. "No more jewel shards for you." he said.

Soon the two pick up a strong demonic aura as Naraku appears before them.

"Seems he's here." said Shika's father as he looks out at the other. "Tired of waiting?" he asked the other demon.

"I just wanted to check up on how things are going. I could sense Inuyasha's wind scar miles away." Naraku explained.

"We've only begun phase one of our plan Naraku." Shika's father explained.

Naraku looked at him.

"What we simply did was test out they're strength. We want to know what we are messing with first…"

"You honestly think I came here for you to get demolished by Inuyasha and his group?" Naraku questioned. "You should have some faith in me."

Under the hood Shika's father glared at Naraku. "Its not that." he said. "We want to know our opponents strength, though it shouldn't be a problem for us."

"We are planning on separating the group, I will handle the half breed while my father can handle the others." Shika explained.

"Hmm…hopefully it isn't too much for you." Naraku said to Shika's father. "You could use the shard or I can offer you another one to deal with them if you want?"

"I have battled groups of ten before. I'll be fine." he replied.

"One shard should be enough to lure them in here." Shika said to the other.

"Alright. See too it that they are dispose of." Naraku said as he takes his leave.

"Great guy." Shika's father said.

Shika sighed and started to head back to the tree and his father quickly follows him. "What is it my boy?"

"I rather not talk about it now father." Shika said.

—

Back at the village the group was back inside the elders hut as she was taking care of Kagome's wounded hand.

She hissed when the lady was wrapping up her hand as Inuyasha sat next to her watching in concern with his ears pinned down. When she was done Kagome carefully held her wounded hand with a solemn expression on her face.

"I wouldn't use that bow and arrow of yours for a while dear." the elder instructed. "Using it a lot will open up those wounds. Be glad he didn't bite any deeper, the monk is smart if he had seen you use them. He obviously did it to prevent you from using it on him."

"It was more like revenge really…" Kagome said. "But I get the short end of the stick while he is able to heal himself and use his arm still."

"Kagome I…" Inuyasha spoke up before she stopped him.

"You and I need to talk….now." she said in a stern voice as she stood up in front of him.

"He's so dead." Shippo said as he rolled the ball to one of the kids.

Kagome turns to the elder. "Thank you for fixing up my hand." she said.

The elder smiles at her. "Its nothing my dear. Use the other hand if you are going to smack him upside the head." she advised as she watched the two walk away and outside the hut.

The two walk behind the hut where there was no one paying attention to them or to interrupt for now. Kagome sighed rubbing her temple with her uninjured hand as she then opened her eyes and glared at Inuyasha which caused the half demons ears to go flat. "Can you please explain too me why you LIED to my face about not going to see that demon monk! Do you realized that stunt you just pulled could have gotten us killed?!" she snapped at him.

Inuyasha couldn't even speak. All he could muster was "I" and "Uh" after each question. He looked at her hand which she was trying not to curl into a fist out of anger, it pained him to see what his stupid act of greed did to her as she out of the rest had taken damage from his stupidity. "Kagome…..I…" he manage to say before she continued.

"We are lucky that the monk had stopped chasing us otherwise who knows what could have happened!" Kagome shouted at him. This time her newly bandage hand close into a fist and imminently caused Kagome to recoil with a gasp and hold her wounded hand which made Inuyasha's ears pop up and let out a small but quiet gasp.

Inuyasha would reach for her wounded hand and held it in both of his. "Kagome…" he spoke as he got her attention. "I was an idiot alright? I lied to everyone…I lied to you most of all. I shouldn't have done that just because I thought there was a chance for me to become a full demon without the sacred jewel…what I did got you hurt and you won't be able to use your arrow for a while….I'm sorry."

Kagome was surprised. 'Wait is he really apologizing for being an idiot?' she thought to herself as she listened to him. 'I wish I had a camera to record this apology this is so rare…'

"Be mad at me all you want okay? Because I'm the reason your in pain." He admitted as he brought her hand up closer to his face as he looks down at her. "I know that saying sorry over and over won't do much but I really want you to know that I really am sorry." His remembered what had went down at the swamp and how that the monk was trying to get his payback. "I'll protect you from him…he'll never hurt you again."

Kagome was blushing as she looked down to avoid looking at his eyes, how sincere they were as he gently held her injured hand in his. "I promise…"

She gently gripped his hands. "You are such an idiot….I don't know how I put up with you really." she said as she gives him a small smile.

"Well the whole jewel thing isn't the reason anymore is it?" he asked her in which her response was her face turning beet red.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha called out looking confused with the just hint of blush on his cheeks when he saw how red her face was. "W-Was it something I said?" he asked.

"Uh…maybe a little?" she answered back. "Its alright…I know you mean it. But you pull another stunt like that again…" she warned.

"I won't…I'll be more open about that okay?" He said. "But can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?" she asked.

"How do you feel about me trying to become a full demon?" he asked. "I know we all bicker about it but I just want to know from you."

"How I feel? Well…if that is what you really want then…I'll support you all the way." she answered. "But between you and me Inuyasha…" she said as she gently retreated her hand and placed it on his shoulder to lean up to his dog ears. "I love you just the way you are." she then started to slowly move away from him.

Inyasha was taken back a bit. He was surprised she was forgiving him even though his act had gotten her hurt and not able to fight. 'She is something else…' he thought to himself, he then realized what she said last and his froze. 'Wait love?' He felt her hand slide off his shoulder and soon he gently reached over to grasp it to stop her from moving as he turns slowly to look at her. His golden eyes were wide as he looked at her in disbelief and his face red as his clothes.

"We are defiantly up against one tough opponent…and you two are here gawking at each other…" Shippo said as the Sara and Kai laugh followed by Sango and Miroku smirking. "And what happened to giving him an ear full? Geez Inuyasha you sure know how to talk your way out of that."

The two quickly separated from each other with they're faces red in embarrassment. "Shippo!" Inuyasha growled. "Get out of here!"

"He does have a point." Kagome said. She needed to calm herself and actually focus on the situation at hand. "The demon monk is strong even without the jewel shard on him. To be honest I don't even think he wants to use its power."

"Something doesn't seem right about that then. Any demon we come across with a shard uses its power but here this guy thinks he's is just as strong as the shard to not use it. Keh." Inuyasha scoffed.

"Its possible that Naraku has given him the shard to use to to lure us here. He must have got word on how strong this monk is." Sango stated.

"Hmm that could be it." Miroku said.

"You lot are new here…" said a voice nearby.

The group stopped talking and looked around until they spotted what looked like a middled aged monk with a salt and peppered like beard, white hair tied in a ponytail, and a bamboo hat on. "You seem to be having some issues perhaps? Pardon me more meddling I just overheard you talking about who I believe is Shika." the monk said.

"Uh…yeah." Kagome said. "We kind uh…ran into him in the forest and he was well…not happy."

"Thats not like Shika…" He said as he stokes his beard. "He is a peaceful creature…not once has this village told me anything wrong."

"Before we continue…may I ask who are you?" Miroku asked.

"Oh why yes where are my manners I'm a monk and I'm just barging into other peoples business and not introducing myself. The name is Lector." he greeted as he lifted his hat up to reveal more of his face. "Nice to meet all of you."

"Nice to meet you as well Lector. My name is Kagome." she greeted kindly. This got Lectors attention as he saw the girl, he would grasp her bandaged hand and take off his bamboo hat as he bows and kisses her hand softly which causes everyone to freeze. Inuyasha's ears went flat as he wanted to pull the man away from Kagome.

"It is nice to meet you young lady." he said as he releases her hand and notices Sango and quickly repeats what he did to Kagome with her. "And what is your name young lady?" he asked Sango.

"S-Sango…" she answered. She was debating on wether to smack him but the look on the boys they were about to smack him for kissing they're girls.

When he retreats he looks at Inuyasha and Miroku and could sense they were protective of the girls. "I'm sorry gentleman my intentions are harmless." he said as he puts a hand up in defense. "May I learn your names as well?"

"Miroku."

"Inuyasha."

"And what about you child?" Lector asked as he bends down they're height.

"I'm Shippo and these are…" The kids would run to Lector and hug him.

"Lector~!" Sara called out.

"We're so happy to see you again!" Kai said.

Lector laughed. "Hello children it is nice to see you again!"

"They know him?" Inuyasha asked.

"I thought I heard you Lector." said the elder as she walked over.

"Ah Carla its a pleasure to see you again." Lector greeted. "I was trying to talk to this lot about something I it true that Shika is not himself?"

"Aye. He had his eyes set on this group here and attacked him." Carla explained.

Lector then looks at the group. "Care to explain more too me? I have some more knowledge about Shika as I visit him everytime I return from my travels."

The group gave him curious looks before accepting his request and they all walked into Carla's hut.

When the group sat around in a circle Carla had made some tea for them while Lector quietly listened to the group about they're experience with Shika inside the swamp. Inuyasha was about to explain his side of the story but he really wanted to ask the Monk if Shika could really turn people or half demons into full fledge demons.

"Keh, what else do I have to say? You told him what all happened in the swamp."

"Yes but he seems to have some interest in you before Kagome got his attention." Miroku said.

"Like what? He is obviously being tricked by Naraku so he won't get his hands dirty. The bastard thinks he doesn't need the power of the jewel and is using it to lure us in to destroy us." Inuyasha growled. "The monk got some nerve to do what he just did i'll tell you that."

Lector raised an eyebrow in curiosity, while Kagome was surprised that Inuyasha didn't tell Lector about how Shika was going to turn him into a full fledged demon.

The monk stroke his beard as he would then talk. "Not using the sacred jewel eh? That is so him."

"Really? How come?" Shippo asked.

"Well I've known Shika long enough to know that the sacred jewel is nothing too him…which is why he won't use it on himself. He also could be worried that if he uses it would become corrupted and won't be able to stop what he would do to anyone besides all of you. And between all of us here…I think Shika is smarter than this Naraku fellow."

"You think so?" Kagome asked.

Lector nodded. "But his actions against you all is what worries me…which is why I think either Naraku has corrupted him or simply sprouted lies to get him to fight against you. Shika is known to be one of the most powerful monks out there, at least who I've come across with. He is able to control some nature in the swamp and control skeletons of the dead."

"What?!" Shippo panicked.

The group looked at the monk in shock.

"Skeletons of the dead…?" Sango asked.

Lector nodded.

"But how can someone do that?" Miroku asked.

"I haven't gotten a clue as to how someone could be able to do a thing but I do remember him telling me that he can steal the powers of other demons. Only when he is about to purify them. He also said that he could turn anyone into a demon…"

Thats when everyones gaze was at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha starts to feel nervous. "What?" he growled.

Lector was confused. "What seems to be the issue? Why is everyone looking at you?" he asked Inuyasha.

Inuyasha growled again. "Its because i'm a half demon."

"Are you? That means Shika knows and will try to turn you into a full demon if that is what you wish. He is nice to let those make the choice instead of using force…was he asking you?"

"He talked…and then he tried to make his attempt." Inuyasha answered.

"He doesn't do that….so obviously you showed interest." Lector said.

"So what if I did?!" Inuyasha barked. "Even if he can grant my wish it was obviously a trap for him to capture all of us for Naraku!"

"Inuyasha…" Kagome called out quietly.

"No need to get fired up my friend." Lector said. "You choose wether you want too or not.

Inuyasha huffed and looked down avoiding everyones gaze.

"Lector is there any way that we could defeat Shika?" Sango asked.

Lector hummed as he stroked his beard. "Now thats a hard question." he answered as he laid back against the wall and grabbed his tea. "It has been a long time since I last spared with him."

"Lector you haven't fought anyone in a very long time so quit trying to act like you know everything about fighting" Carla said as she pours more tea to the others.

"Lector is a lazy monk. When he comes home all he does is lay around somewhere he deems comfortable and tries to hit on the ladies here. Fortunately you all showed up so the ladies in this village won't be bothered."

"He reminds us of another certain monk." Sango scoffed as she looks at Miroku while sipping her tea.

"Sango please you hurt me." Miroku said.

"Carla my dear you hurt me." Lector said.

"Those two are alike." Kagome said as her and Shippo give them looks.

"As lazy as he is though he could think of a solution….probably." Carla said.

"Oh thank you my dear Carla though I think its too late since they girls are giving me looks." Lector said as he then looks at Miroku and leans in. "Do they always give you looks like that?" he asked the other monk.

"Sadly yes." Miroku answered.

Lector sighed. "Alright. So you all want to defeat Shika?" He then starts to think. "….I honestly wouldn't try and defeat him."

"Unless as always." Carla said as she walks away.

"Carla please!" Lector shouted. "W-What I meant was Shika is powerful, he could be close to being as strong as this Naraku character. What the only option to be is to take the shard and run."

"Sounds pretty dumb if you ask me." Inuyasha snorted. "He'll obviously chase after us no matter how far we go."

"Are you sure about that?" Lector asked which got everyone to look at him with questionable looks. "Shika is the guardian of the sacred tree inside the swamp, he can't go too far without giving in to protect the tree. The tree is the swamps lifeline, without it the place would wither until a new tree could possibly take its place."

"How do you know that?" Miroku asked him.

"When you visit that deer head he'll start to open up when he realizes he can trust you." Lector said with a smile. "But he also knows when to keep his mouth shut." He paused as he started to think.

"I think…if I join you lot he might calm down a bit. Of course he'll get mad at me but…I mean its worth a shot." he told the group. "I have a nice trick up my sleeve that I made myself that could help from any of the crows or those nasty thorns he throws at anyone."

"A…trick?" Sango raised an eyebrow at the other followed by the rest giving Lector some rather confused looks.

"Why do i get the feeling his little "trick" is something that will just help himself?" Inuyasha huffed.

"Its not really." Lector said. "We'll start tomorrow so all of you rest up okay? And you miss Kagome don't worry about your hand…just stick near him alright?" he instructed Kagome as he points at Inuyasha to tell her who she should stay near. The two look at each other before looking back at him.

"There is a hut in the swamp that Shika's father lived in. He sometimes uses it when treated the wounded, thats usually where I would meet him thanks to his crows."

"B-But what if he's in there?" Shippo asked.

"Then we have a rather…long conversation." Lector sighed. "But lets not worry about that right now, you all need to rest up you had a rather….long morning I should say."

With that the monk had got into a comfy position and stayed there drinking some tea while watching everyone go about they're day. But Inuyasha was still grumpy as he was and pulled the others over once the monk had fallen asleep on the floor.

"Don't you think this man is strange?" he asked the group. "He knows so much about the demon that tried to kill us and here he wants to take us to a hut in the swamp to possibly meet him? The way I feel…its like this was planned. If anything we should keep our eyes and ears open for anything strange with him wherever we go, I just don't trust him."

Inuyasha would get some looks but the others quietly nodded to what the other had too say before separating. If something was up with this monk then they need to be on the lookout in case it was one of Naraku's trap.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome called out.

The half demon would look down at her. "What is it?"

"Do you think we'll be able to defeat that demon monk? We saw what he is capable of without a jewel shard…and even if we get the shard off of him somehow…" she looks down at her bandaged hand. "How sure are we that we will be able to escape him?"

Inuyasha's ears went down as he looked at how concerned she was over this. Obviously her first encounter with the demon monk had given her second thoughts and too much to worry over. Reaching over to gently grab her hand again he hoped he could think of the right words to help ease her mind a bit. "We always find a way right? Don't start failing on me now Kagome, you are strong remember that." That seemed to get her smiling again with made Inuyasha's ear perk back up. "We'll get that shard, maybe kick that deer headed bastard's ass and get out of that hell of a swamp." He usually wasn't the one for pep talks but in this situation he will for her.

"Thanks Inuyasha." she smiled.

—

As nightfall arrived everyone was getting comfortable to go to sleep as tomorrow was going to be more eventful than last time. As the group was getting settled, they didn't know that they had something watching them from a distance. One of Shika's demon crows was watching the group till every last one inside the hut had fallen asleep, when that happened the bird took off and flew back into the woods but not before Kagome opened her eyes and looked out the small hut window and saw nothing was there.

Inuyasha's ear twitched and he opened his eyes as he looked at Kagome. "Something wrong?" he whispered to her.

"I don't know…I just had a feeling…we were being watched?" she said.

"Try and sleep okay? I am a light sleeper so if I hear anything I'll keep you safe alright?"

Kagome smiled. "Right…thanks Inuyasha." she would then settle back down while Inuyasha keep an eye out just a bit longer before he decided to get some rest as well.

As the crow flew back into the swamp it had located Shika near the sacred tree and landed above him letting out a caw.

"Sound asleep?" Shika asked the crow. The crow nodded its head as it watched Shika move from under a giant root. "Lead the way please." With that the demon crow led the monk towards the village and at the hut the group was in.

Sending the crow back over near the hut it hopped down and looked at the monk who kept his distance as he brought up his staff and start moving it in circles, soon the crow started to become covered in a black smog and soon before him was the crow that looked exactly like himself. Holding the staff close to him he let the doppelganger look through the window as he released some smog toward Kagome to wake her up.

Groaning slightly she opened her eyes slightly, rubbing them as she would then spot the demon monk in the room right above her, before she could let out a noise the monk grabbed her by her mouth and her to keep her quiet. Thorns would start to come out of its robe as it opened its mouth to speak to her, but before he could she let out a muffled scream and grabbed Inuyasha by his leg which imminently woke him up and spotted the monk attacking Kagome. The monk tried to drag her away from him but had to separate when Inuyasha tried to slash him with his claws. Then everyone else woke up.

Shippo was terrified as he ran and hide from the demon monk as Kirara transformed and stood in front of Sango and Miroku to protect them while Carla hid her family from the danger inside their hut. Lector got up in a freight and got ready to attack the monk.

As Inuyasha brought out his Tessagia and attempted to slash the monk. "Stand back everyone!" he shouted as he quickly attempted to slash the monk, the Tessagia had made contact with the monk but after slicing the monk in half the body turned into a thick black smog causing everyone to cough and attempt to get rid of the smog.

"Wind tunnel!" Miroku shouted as he absorbed all the smog into his hand and quickly covered it up.

A caw come from in the center of the room as where the demon monk once stood was no other then one of the demon crows. "It was an illusion…" Miroku said. The crow would quickly leave through the hut window causing the group to focus on a figure with glowing red eyes staring at them in the distance. Shippo screamed and hid behind Miroku, "Its the demon monk!"

Shika started to slowly walk towards the hut in which Inuyasha was ready to charge at him when Lector got out of the hut and slammed his staff down into the ground and suddenly created a spiritual force shield to prevent any demons from coming in. When it stopped in front of Shika he brought a hand out to touch it and it imminently shocked him. "AAARG!" he shouted in pain. His hand was smoking as he backed away from the shield and stared at Lector. "Lector…? When did you get here?" he asked the monk.

"Yesterday….now tell me why in the hell are you here attacking these people?!" Lector shouted.

When the other came out to see what was happening Shika glared at Lector. "I have my reasons…" he said.

"That is not a good answer Shika!" Lector growled. "Give me a better answer instead of keeping your damn mouth shut!"

Shika laid eyes on the group as a crow swooped down and landed on Shika's shoulder with the jewel shard in its mouth.

"He's trying to lure us with the jewel shard." Miroku warned.

Shika chuckled as the crow flew away. "I'll see all of you at dawn if you want this stupid shard…" he said as he starts to head back.

"Oh no you don't!" Inuyasha said as he tried to break the barrier with his Tessagia.

"Inuyasha don't!" Kagome called out.

"You idiot don't hit the barrier with that thing!" Lector warned as he tried to stop the barrier but it was too late. Shika had turned around just to see Inuyasha use a wind scar at the barrier which caused a explosion that had hit Shika sending him crashing a few feet away. The force was enough to send everyone a few feet away as well. Everyone was coughing due to the debris and dirt in the air, when they all got up and looked around Shika was no where else to be seen.

"He's gone? Could he gotten hit by the blast as well?" Sango asked.

"There is a possibility." Lector said as he got up and dusted himself off. "Pull that stunt again and I'll do an exorcism on your ass!" He yelled at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha huffed as Kagome got to his side. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine. What about you? Hows your hand?"

"Throbbing but i'll live." she answered.

Among the dust a rather large demon crow came out and flew with Shika on its back as he watches the group as they fly away. Lector stares at them before turning around to face the group. "You heard him…we meet at dawn. Rest up." he said as he places the staff back into he ground and creates a barrier big enough to cover the whole village and places a tag on it. "That should keep it running till dawn…we have a big day ahead of us." Lector would then walk into the hut and try to sleep.

"Damn deer." Inuyasha growled as he and the others walked back into the hut and try to sleep.

Kagome had a hard time trying to sleep without being paranoid, it wasn't even the middle of the night and the demon had come out to try and take her away and into the swamp. Inuyasha could tell she was having a hard time sleeping since he was bothered by what happened as well. Hell everyone did besides Lector who slept peacefully, Shippo was sleeping with Sara and Kai, and Sango was with Miroku as everyone else had someone to stay close too incase of anything besides them. Inuyasha looked down at Kagome before grabbing her attention as he whispered her name, when he got her attention he leaned in and gently pulled her over towards him, wrapping her in his arms around her while the sword was tucked in his arm just in case.

Kagome started to relax in his arms, the wave of anxiety drifting away as she started to fall asleep in his arms. Inuyasha would do the same as he felt how warm she was in his arms, his worries would drift away letting slumber take over his being. The group was fortunate Lectors barrier had held its portion till the monk would wake up at dawn.

Lector would be first to wake up and quietly waited for the group to wake up one by one. Once everyone was fully awake Carla would make them a quick breakfast to fuel up before they face-off with Shika in the dreaded swamp.

The monk would take his staff and look at the group. "I need to go to the old hut in the swamp and grab some supplies to hold him off…that is if he hasn't gotten in there and dumped it into the swamp." Lector explained. "We must ever separate from each other, stay close to one another, and if he grabs someone we quickly follow. Do you understand?" Everyone nodded. Lector would then thank Carla for her hospitality as they would soon leave to face off with the dreaded demon monk.

Shika was waiting near the tree with his crows all around him as he noticed the suns rays peeking through the trees in the swamp.

"So it begins."