How long are you going to keep brooding, Inuyasha?" Reiko asked, sitting aside while Kuri bathe in the stream.

"What the heck are you talkin about?" Inuyasha demanded, laying back and resting his head on a tree branch.

"About that girl, Kuri," Reiko said. "You're upset that she is rebuffing your advances. And your drooling."

"Eh?!" Inuyasha said, looking down and catching a glimpse of the naked Kuri and turning bright red.

"KOIBITO!" came Kuri's voice.

Inuyasha faceplanted on the ground. "How'd you know I was looking?!"

She laughed. "You were giving off perverted waves."

XXX

Kuri finished her bath and headed for her clothes. But they were gone.

"INUYASHA!" Kuri yelled.

He was in front of her in a second. He quickly covered his eyes. "Put some clothes on!"

Kuri picked up her sword. "I can't! They've been stolen!"

"So you're going to fight the thief naked?" he yelled.

"If I have to!" Kuri hissed.

"Excuse me," A young man said.

Kuri whirled, her hair whirling with her. Kuri had long black hair, and it was only loose for the bath. Somehow Kuri managed to keep an angered expression even with nothing on.

"Give me my clothes!" Kuri said angrily.

He graciously handed them back and Kuri changed quickly.

"Now," Kuri said, tying up my hair. "Have a bento."

Kuri handed him a box filled with food that her sister had made.

He opened it. "How did you know I was hungry?! You truly are a wonderful maiden!"

I blushed. "My name is Kuri. This is Inuyasha and Reiko. I sense we are going to the same place. The castle where the maidens have vanished."

"Who said we were going there?!" Inuyasha protested.

"I sense a Jewel Shard! And even if I didn't I'll go where I want!" Kuri snapped.

"I am Nobunaga," said the young man.

Kuri smiled. "Shall we?"

Xxx

They entered the castle only to find everyone asleep. Kuri's hand went to the hilt of my sword.

"Don't!" Nobunaga said insistently."You may accidentally harm Princess Mana!"

Inuyasha snorted. "Now puppet-girl is a princess?"

"Apparently." Kuri said, laughing. "This is about love."

"No!" He contradicted angrily, but the blush on his cheeks and his waves told a different story.

"Can we hurry this up?" Inuyasha said irritably. "Where's the jewel shard?"

"Shh!" Kuri hissed, watching Nobunaga converse with the princess.

"So you're a princess," Kuri said snidely.

"Yes I am." Mana puffed up proudly. "I am Mana of the Ningyo. I was sold as a bride to this monster of a lord by this boy's clan."

She gestured irritably at Nobunaga who was dejected by her accusation.

Suddenly, Kuri's instincts sharpened and her hand went to the hilt of her sword. "Inuyasha! In the hall!"

Inuyasha exited and Kuri followed him.

"Ah, the maiden who embodies the Shikon no Tama..." said the lord. "Your power shall be mine!"

He grabbed Kuri's wrist and dragged her away.

Xxx

"KURI!" Inuyasha dashed after her. When he reached the room, it was filled with what appeared to be toad spawn.

The lord himself had his bandages cut off and was a toad.

Kuri had made several cuts on him with her sword.

But he was still getting the better of her. Something was holding her back.

"Kuri! Kill him already!" Inuyasha yelled.

"I-I won't..." Kuri panted. "The human is still alive. I refuse to kill an innocent, human or demon."

"Foolish girl!" the toad said, grabbing her waist and pulling her forward.

"I was waiting for you to do that," Kuri hissed, placing her hand on his forehead and drawing out the shard.

The demon dropped her and left the lord. Inuyasha drew the Tetsusaiga and slashed the demon to bits.

"Kuri!" he said, turning to her.

"Hm?" she said, as if this happened every day.

"What were you thinking?!" he yelled. "You could've been eaten!"

She laughed. "I wasn't thinking at all. But I figured if I let the toad get close enough it was a hit or miss."

"Don't you dare gamble your life like that!" He yelled angrily. "What am I supposed to do if-"

He stopped. "When you said you wouldn't strike the innocent, human or demon, were you talking about..."

"The day we first met," she replied, smiling.

It seemed that every day he spent with her, Kuri puzzled him more.

"Well it seems that at last I am free!" Mana said. "Nobunaga will accompany me on my journey to the Northern Mountain. I will soon find my destiny with the legendary Yoro Tribe."

Nobunaga grinned like an idiot in happiness to be joining her.