Humming softly to herself as she readied herself for a training session, Kurome touched the earrings bouncing lightly off her neck and smiled. They sang to her with the aura of Sesshomaru's youki, but then she began to think of why he wanted to protect her so much to where he would purchase items with engraved protection runes. She was so deep in thought, trying to find the meaning of his words, his actions, how he acted around her when they were together, that she did not even hear someone approaching. When a gentle hand was placed on her shoulder, she sprang away with her teeth bared and her claws ready. Then upon seeing who it was, she relaxed and stood, bowing with a profuse blush upon her cheeks.

"Good day to you, Lord Inu no Taisho." she said, then offered him a smile. "I must thank you for allowing me use of your dojo."

Yukinobu smiled. "Good day to you, Kurome. And it is my pleasure. We all need ways of passing our time by. If I may ask, you do not usually come to train whilst you are here. Is everything alright?"

Kurome felt her blush flare up again and she nodded. "Yes, milord. I was just thinking about something."

"If it is something you wish to discuss, I am willing to listen." Yukinobu said, then rubbed his neck and chuckled. "I do not wish to pry, though, if you wish not to speak of it."

Kurome smiled. "It's alright, I was just thinking of last night."

"Did you enjoy the festival with Sesshomaru last night?"

Kurome blushed and nodded. "Yes, milord. But, there are times when I do not understand your son at all."

Yukinobu chuckled. "I would agree with that. Sesshomaru can appear to be complicated, but there are things that he treasures and will protect to no ends if he could." He noticed the earrings she wore and felt the singing of his son's youki gingerly radiating off them. He took a few steps forward and brushed aside her hair, cupping one of the earrings in his hand. "And it would seem that you have caught his eye well enough for him to give you such a powerful and precious gift."

Kurome's face was on fire and she looked away to hide it, but Yukinobu chuckled and lifted her chin to where he could meet her icy blue gaze with his own golden one.

"Kurome, what does my son mean to you?"

Kurome's eyes widened at the question, but she remained still and did not move to slip out of his grasp. She took a deep breath then thought as she answered carefully, "Sesshomaru is someone I greatly admire. Though is your son and your reputation tends to be expected of him, he has proven through his training and interactions with your people that his own reputation, his own power are worthy of the same respect demanded by you. He may be a bit hard sometimes, but when I spend time with him I get to see that rare smile grace his lips, the subtle twinkle in his eyes when he is enjoying himself. For as long as I have known him, your son has come to mean a great deal to me and I would not want to see it end. He- for all intensive purposes- is my best friend and though I only see him every three years, that will never change for me. I would follow him to the ends of time if I could, just so that I could remain by his side and protect him as he would me. "

Yukinobu looked down at her, listening with surprise at what she was telling him. 'She is only fortifying my choice in her...' He smiled and leaned forward, kissing her forehead. "Thank you, Kurome my dear girl. That is all I needed to know." He took a step back and smiled. "I will leave you to your training as I have business to attend to with your father. Do you know where he might be?"

Kurome nodded. "Yes, milord. He is with the elders of my tribe at our camp. They are going over the plans for the festival's final night."

"Ah yes, the night where the Rain Dancers of Shikotsu perform for the festival before the Komatsu tribe returns to their village. Will you and Kimiko be performing again this year?"

Kurome smiled and nodded. "We will indeed."

Yukinobu smiled and bowed his head. "Good, I look forward to it then. I will seek out your father, so please, have a good training session?"

Kurome bowed and smiled as the Inu no Taisho left the dojo. She set her things off to the side and slid into the stance marking the beginning of the Komatsu familial martial arts style. She moved through each stance, exercising her weary muscles, then moved into the style she had developed by combining her dance moves with the familial martial arts. She stopped mid stance when she noticed Sesshomaru had come into the room and was leaning against the wall just inside of the door.

"Good day to you, Lord Sesshomaru." she said, greeting him with a bow.

"I did not mean to interrupt, Kurome. Please, continue."

Kurome smiled. "It's alright, I need to take a break anyways." She went to her things and took her small water jug from her pack, taking a swig of the cool water inside. She sighed contently, stretched a bit, then moved to the center of the dojo. "Would you like to join me?" She asked, looking at him. "We haven't sparred in awhile."

Sesshomaru had been told that his studies and scheduled training sessions were postponed until the festival's end, but he needed to maintain his training. "Very well." He moved to where her things were and removed his armor, setting it next to hers, then moved to take his own familial stance as Kurome slid into hers. "Shall we make a wager?"

Kurome's ears perked up. "What kind of wager?"

"A penalty of sorts, if you will. Victor of the match claims a penalty from the loser."

"Interesting." Kurome smiled. "Very well, young lord. If you are ready, then let us begin."

Sesshomaru gave her a curt nod, then lunged at her. Kurome met him with equal speed and strength, their punches echoing in the otherwise empty dojo. They moved so quickly around each other, dodging and punching, that they became a blur to the untrained eye. Their youki spiked as their match continued, but they were able to maintain it so as not to damage the dojo or the grounds.

Kurome leaped back, landing in a low crouch, a low growl coming from her throat as she licked the blood coming from her lip. "You've improved."

"As have you." Sesshomaru replied, switching stances as he narrowed his eyes at the growl.

"Let's see what else you've got." Kurome said, then lunged.

Again the two daiyoukai clashed, their punches and kicks blurring with their speed. Sesshomaru struck high and fast to test her defenses, but Kurome blocked using her youki to form a shield. Sesshomaru continued with a chain of kicks, choosing to attack from above, smirking when the last broke her defense and grazed her side. Kurome grunted, knowing there would be a bruise later, but she shook through the shock and grabbed his outstretched arm and using his momentum against him. Slamming him into the ground, she pinned his arm against his back and leaned down next to his ear.

"You have greatly improved, Sesshomaru, though I do not see how you can win this one." She huffed.

Sesshomaru felt a strange sensation run through his body as he felt the warmth of her breath on his ear and neck. "I would not be so hasty, Kurome."

Being well practiced in grappling and wrestling, Sesshomaru was quick to overpower her and slipped out from underneath her with ease. Flipping her onto her back, his moko-moko coiled around her leg and kept her trapped as he pinned her to the floor. She struggled to free herself, but she just wasn't practiced in this type of fighting style and couldn't get free.

"Yield, Kurome, this match is mine." Sesshomaru said, his soft puffs of breath warm against her neck and ear as he leaned closer.

A soft and low growl escaped her throat as Kurome looked at him. "Like hell."

Sesshomaru shifted his weight and flexed his muscles in accordance to her struggling, a sense of renewed energy seeming to pop out of nowhere. He smirked when she gasped as his hips rocked into her and her cheeks burned when his grazed hers. "Submit. You will not win this."

Kurome gasped again as his moko-moko slid further up her leg, the soft fur grazing her thigh. It tickled and he tightened his grip even further as she continued to struggle. Her cheeks burned as the feeling of his grip around her sent a strange sensation through her body. She huffed, trying to break free, but was only able to free her hands and she tried to push him away.

Sesshomaru chuckled, a low and dark rumble in his chest, and thought he had her beat. "Come now, little wolf. Give up nicely and I'll be kind about your penalty."

Kurome was beginning to get irritated with his taunting and the moment he let go of her wrists to change his grip on her again, she forced herself from his grip and flipped backwards, landing softly across the room only to have him immediately on her again. She felt his moko-moko smack the back of her legs and she fell forward onto her stomach, dazed for a moment from the impact, but in that moment Sesshomaru was able to pin her arms behind her and trap her beneath him.

"You are stubborn, Kurome. You have lost this match, just concede." He huffed, nipping at her ear.

Kurome's body was hot, and not just from the sparring. She felt strange, a burning sensation rapidly overtaking her body. She managed to get her head turned to the side and gasped as Sesshomaru put more weight down on her. "You are persistent, Sesshomaru, but I do not give up."

Sesshomaru chuckled again as she continued to struggle. Somehow she broke free, but he was able to recapture her and pin her on her back, his moko-moko entrapping her ankle as he landed between her legs, his forearms bearing down on hers and pinning them to the floor above her head.

Kurome growled, fangs glistening in the light, her eyes narrowed. His breathing was as heavy as her own, his pupils dilating and constricting, and the heat from her body radiated against his own.

Sesshomaru looked down at her, seeing the rare wildness he knew every wolf had in the heat of battle, but it was clouded by something else. Her pupils were constricting and dilating, her breathing heavy, and her body radiating heat. He leaned in and pressed his forehead to hers. "Kurome, give in."

Kurome looked at him, seeing something in his eyes, a look she had never seen before. "Why?"

"Because this match is mine and it is pointless to continue struggling."

Kurome laughed a bit at that, then relaxed in his grip. "And that should automatically make me concede?"

Sesshomaru pushed back from her, relaxing his grip only slightly on her wrists and reached down with his free hand to touch her cheek. "In this case, yes. Will you concede?"

Kurome blushed. "Only if you admit that we are friends."

Taken a bit aback, Sesshomaru looked at her. "We are 'friends', Kurome. We have been for many years. Why would you doubt that?"

Kurome blushed and looked away. "I worry sometimes that you don't see us like that."

Sesshomaru turned her cheek back to where she could look at him and he touched it gingerly, moving a strand of loose hair from her face. "You are more than just a friend, Kurome. That is why I wish to protect you."

Kurome felt another flash of heat radiate through her body and she sighed. "Then I will concede this match to you."

Smirking, Sesshomaru pushed himself away from the floor and helped her up. "Good. Now come, meditate with me."

Kurome took his hand and felt herself blushing even more than before when he led her to the tree where he meditated, never once releasing her hand. She let him pull her down in front of him and she waited for him to begin meditating before she joined him. As they meditated, they each went over the sparring match and each wondered if certain things meant something other than what they would in a sparring match, or if they meant something on a more intimate level.

Little did either of them know, each of their fathers had concealed their youki from their children and had watched with great interest at the two young daiyoukai sparring. Giving each other a knowing smile, Yukinobu and Norimoto left their children to meditate in peace and made their way to the main hall to discuss things further.