Author's note: Chapter two is up! I'm going pretty fast. Woot.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha characters. .>;
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"Kagome-chan?" Sango asked, a slight grim, pursed look on her face as she set the towels neatly beside the hot stream of water.

"Yes?" Kagome blinked, straightening up just as she had set down her own yellow bag beside the stream. Kagome had noticed, a few days ago that the couple had been acting quite strangely. They held hands quite often, they smiled towards each other and talked rather generously. What inspired Kagome to insist a bath from Sango was that she needed to know the reason behind it. Surely they had gotten together! And the fact that Miroku's wandering hands had stopped, ceased to continue that treacherous routines that ruined every perfect moment he had with Sango, was more than enough for Kagome. She just had to know.

"I hear something," Sango pressed a hand upon her sword, still in her magenta and black exterminating suit that was yet to be taken off for a nice long bath. It wasn't the sound, it was the amount of evil surging through the forest that had inquired Sango to speak. Sango was sure, undeniably sure that they had killed the Queen demon. The link to all the hording demons that raided the village every night. She was sure they killed it off the previous night. However, it wasn't that she was scared that it was yet revived once again, it was the demonic aura that frightened her.

"Well, well," someone drawled from their right. Kagome immediately plucked out an arrow and steadily set it along her bow and Sango instinctively drew her sword. Using her Hiraikotsu would be too dangerous for the time being. Back to back, the two women snapped their heads left to right, trying to find where from exactly the man had spoken.

"I come here to play with the dog and I find myself stuck with the pair of you?" Bankotsu questioned to no one in particular, slipping from the darkness and into their view. Kagome gasped and Sango tightened her fingers on the hilt of her sword.

"You talk as if we are no challenge," Sango hissed, eyes narrowing. He was like a fly ready and asking to be killed. He laughed, guffawing in front of them at Sango's comment. They held their breath as Bankotsu lifted Banryu, his sword into the air. And with swift movement, where Bankotsu flicked his arm and Sango instantly pushed Kagome to the right, his sword slicing through the thick of a tree trunk.

"Watch out!"

Sango skidded to her left and and swerved below into the ground, flattening herself as much as she could as the tree (which was sliced in half and peaked over, threatening to fall on top of Sango) dangerously gave an involuntary crack and crashed thunderingly beside Sango. Exhaling noisily, Sango pulled out her sword, panting in an unmistakably painful way. Surely, the tree had narrowly missed Sango's flattened body but it had not failed to injure her arm. The tree branch had slickly swapped against her shoulder, cutting deep into her flesh.

"Are you alright, Sango?" Kagome asked, off to the side, unable to move from her spot for she was being watched.

"Hai," Sango replied, giving her wound one last fleeting look before snapping her head back towards the lone man, standing there as if he were the king of the world, as if he owned the pair of girls that had been getting ready to take a bath only a few moments ago. Bankotsu smirked, sword swung over his shoulder and a look of triumph flashed in his eyes. Pathetic. Simply pathetic. He assumed the half-breed and the Monk were off somewhere in the village, unable to tell if their ladies were in danger. Incapable, in fact. They had no idea Bankotsu had decided to party poop.

"What do you want!" Kagome asked, a look of determination on her face.

Really. The girl had a good point. Bankotsu had no want in this. He was merely bored. Naraku himself had betrayed him, killed off his brothers and just for the fun of it, left Bankotsu alive to see how it would play out. He was looking for a prey. After all, he was a mercenary, ready to pounce on every life form that crossed his path. Especially if they were related to Inuyasha. He stood there through silence, letting Kagome's words sink in.

Sango had a maudlin feeling that Bankotsu was planning something terrifying for both the girls. Gulping down the last of her shredded fear, Sango hissed to Kagome, who was still standing across her glaring at Bankotsu through her bangs, "Kagome-chan! Leave now. Tell Inuyasha and Houshi-sama of this. I will take care of him." Kagome shook her head, unable to speak at the horrid thought of leaving her best friend. There was no way in hell---

"Now!" Sango bellowed, pointing a hand toward the village. It was, in fact, rather far. Kagome gave a look of terror towards the direction of the village, "I will be fine!" Quivering with fear and guilt, Kagome silently stumbled through the forest. Bankotsu blinked, eyebrow cocked upward a confused look on his face.

"You act as if I did not hear that," he said slickly, running a hand through his raven black hair. Sango stayed silent, eyes swerving left the right, studying the place. And with a glance to the towels that lay thrown on the side of the lake, Sango charged, sword raised slightly. It was amusing to watch her as she took off at a run towards him, apparently the thought of defeating him were against her. With a thrust of his arm, his fingers enclosed around the blade of her sword and pulled forward. He was expecting her to lose balance, to let go with amazement. However, Sango held onto the sword as he pulled it against him and with a blatant look on her face, Sango plunged downward and swung a punch into his gut; which was without doubt blocked effortlessly. He gave her a push as she tumbled backward and slapped her across the face. Surely, she would have realized by now that it was remotely stupid. She looked a wreck, as she gave a touch to her bruised face and then to her bleeding lip.

With hardihood and obvious stubbornness, Sango released a dagger from the side of her arm and once again charged toward his silhouette. Bankotsu stared at her cold-bloodedly before letting out a low hiss like venom issuing from his mouth and blew a punch into her gut, digging into her. With a gasp of pain, Sango doubled over, knees bucked and fell onto the ground, helplessly. As she had tried to stop his punch, her dagger had been upturned and it had too dug into her flesh. In reckless attempts to even so get a scratch on him, she continued to drive at him. Over and over again. This time, Bankotsu, who had had enough of this worthless woman, fed-up actually, grasped a hand onto her neck, lifting her frail and dainty body into the air, he swung her over his shoulder and stalked off with a run.

"Let me go!" her voice swapped through the air, squirming underneath the power of his robust arm. The wounds and cuts that had marvelled across her brittle body was more than enough for her to slip into a dead faint. And so she did, arms failing and hanging limpy against his back.

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Author: How was it? Good? Bad? Ok? Review, please! ;