Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are not mine; they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The following story is for entertainment and not profit.
Chapter 3: Morning
Naosu found herself the first to wake in the morning, even the mistrusting hanyou lay fast asleep, his attempt at pretending to sleep foiled by the actual thing. She couldn't help but laugh to herself. He had only remained in the house all night to keep an eye on her.
Careful not to wake those that still slumbered, she moved to the other side of the room and slipped out around the heavy flap that served as the door. Stepping into the morning sun she inhaled deeply. The air was clean and light, not heavy with the smell of exhaust or any of the other unpleasant odours of the city. The lack of bustling city noise was also a welcomed blessing. She suddenly didn't care why Naraku had abducted her. To be able to see first hand the simple beauty of the small village that would one day grow into modern Tokyo was all the seemed to matter. As she stood absorbing the natural beauty that lay before her, Naosu felt the approach of the old miko, Kaede. Turning she spotted the empty water jug the woman was carrying and quickly reached out for it.
"Allow me to fetch the water for you this morning." Smiling warmly, Kaede instructed her as to where to fill it and returned to the warmth of the small hut. The air inside was staler than outside, but lacked the cold chill that came with the autumn and that too often started her joints aching.
When Naosu returned the older woman had already began preparing what she could of the morning meal. All but Inu Yasha, had awoke while she was out and Kagome was seemed to be concerned about her sleeping companion. "He was awake most of the night," Naosu offered, noticing her worried expression. "I think that he was attempting to keep his eye on me…I don't think that he trust me with any of you yet, not that I can blame him. I don't know if I'd trust me either."
Kagome smiled. "We'll let him rest then. The last thing we need is for him to be grumpy…er."
Inu Yasha woke to find himself alone in Kaede's hut.
"When did I fall asleep?" he asked, his voice small in the emptiness. The light that leaked in around the door was bright and caused him to wonder just how late in the day it was. Hurriedly, he rose and rushed out of the small hut to see the sun almost at its peak. Why had Kagome not woken him? The village bustled with its usual daily activities, but his friends were nowhere in sight. Standing with his nose to the breeze, Inu Yasha stretched his senses to find one of his companions. It was Kagome's scent that reached him first, she was upwind in the direction of the Bone Eater's Well. With a bound he was off to chide her about not waking him, though as he reached the clearing he noticed that she wasn't alone.
"Are you sure that you don't want to return with me? What about your family; won't they be worried about you?"
Inu Yasha caught a change in her scent at the mention of her family. "No." Naosu's voice was tight and guarded. "I was living on my own."
Kagome heard the request under the words, to not question her farther about the matter, and with a quick promise to return within the day Kagome swung her legs over the wooden edge and disappeared down the well.
Seeing his chance to get some answers Inu Yasha crept closer, carefully eyeing his prey for any sign that she was aware of his presence. With Kagome gone, he thought to himself, I can use force. Even if I 'sat' later, it will be worth it. Crouching low he made his final lunge at the unsuspecting victim. But instead of grasping cloth or flesh with his extended claws, he found himself face down in the grass gasping for breath as the air exploded from his lungs by an unexpected blow.
"You will have to do better than that, Lord Inu Yasha," Naosu smiled down at the back of his prone form.
His anger nearly blinding him, Inu Yasha quickly regained his feet and took chase of the laughing female heading for the village.
From just inside the forest shadows a pair of golden eyes sparkled with silent laughter. They had seen the strange woman move with inhuman speed and had caught the mischievous spark in her burgundy eyes when the half-breed had first begun his attack.
"You are certainly a most intriguing wench."