I don't own One Piece or Inuyasha… and I know I've been focusing on certain characters more than others… not naming names…. (kuso-swordsman) but don't worry, there's still plenty left and every character will have their spotlight!

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Scroll Seven: A truce formed in blood

Naraku reentered his cave, purple miasma trailing behind him. "Damn them, they've outlived their usefulness." He turned his attention to the stones at the side of the cave, the anchoring stones for the Axe-Head crew.

"Time to put you back where you belong." He muttered, raising a spiked hand to pierce Axe's stone, only to have it bounce of harmlessly. "What!? … a barrier…" He looked over to Yubba's bones, which had already begun to dissolve because of the miasma.

You still need me…The Ogress voice repeated in the recesses of his memories. "Wench… how dare you trick me like this!" He slammed the spike into the cave wall, leaving a fairly large sized hole.

"I suppose if I can't send them back to their own world, I'll just have to send them to the netherworld instead…"

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Sesshomaru jumped gracefully through the trees of the forest. He closed his eyes as he landed in the very center. Nothing appeared to be here except a dead human body and a very large tree with a heart-shaped scar in it's bark. That tree…The dog demon thought to himself briefly before turning to the lifeless blonde body.

He stared at it for a moment before turning around. "It appears that Naraku isn't here anymore…" He began to walk away when he felt something pulsate at his waist. One of his two swords, the older looking and smaller one, pulsated again.

"Tenseiga… do you wish to be drawn?" He turned back around to the human male. Black impish demons came into view, crawling over the swordsman. I can see the emissaries of the afterlife… Sesshomaru scoffed. "Why do you wish to be used… to save this mere human?" He raised the small, dull sword high and slashed, destroying the emissary demons and reforming the hole in Devon's neck.

The demon swordsman stirred, waking up and rubbing his head as he looked around for what had happened. By the time he was able to notice anyone, Sesshomaru had faded back into the mist.

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Kagome, who was riding on Inuyasha's back, winced as she looked ahead. Inuyasha and the others skidded to a stop. "What's wrong Kagome?" The half-demon questioned.

"I don't sense the sacred jewel shard anymore… it's just… gone."

"How is that possible?" Niri asked, "It can't just dissapear…"

"Naraku must be behind this." Miroku's eyes narrowed as he mentioned the demon responsible for all of their problems thus far.

"Naraku?" DJ and Herman questioned, having been the only two uninformed about their enemy.

"Bad guy… BIG bad guy…" Kirsty nodded to the two.

"I knew that wily snake was up to something." Koga growled and clenched his fist.

"He's the one who brought us here… but why?" Axe pondered.

"Who cares? We kick his ass and send you guys back where you belong." Inuyasha crossed his arms.

"True enough, though I doubt it'll be that simple." Chizuru chimed in.

"Whatcha thinking Chizzy?" The captain asked while looking to his navigator.

"This Naraku guy is strong, strong enough to control Axe and Devon at the same time, we're not going to be able to defeat him and his incarnations unless we all work together."

"Sounds good to me, so we're a team?" Sango asked curiously.

"Here…" DJ walked over to Inuyasha and put his palm on the blood-stained gash in the robe of the Fire Rat.

"OW! What the hell!?"

"Nothing says new nakama like demon blood." DJ chuckled and stuck out his hand to Inuyasha. "Shake boy."

"I AM NOT A DOG!" The half-demon growled as he glared at the swordsman.

"I mean shake my hand, then shake everyone else's', this makes our pledge to help you guys defeat Naraku a contract written in blood, nothing could be more binding."

Inuyasha did so until everyone's palms had an impression of blood on them. "There, now we're all in this together." Kagome smiled as everyone raised their fists.

"Kagome, do you think you can lead us to where the jewel shard used to be? Maybe we can find some clues as to where Naraku's headed?" Niri asked.

"I can try…" The girl squinted again. "I think it was that way." She pointed off in a direction as the new allies began to chase after the trail again.

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Devon stood up, very confused and looking briefly at the large tree. "What the hell is going on? And why does that tree give me a strange feeling?" The blonde swordsman rubbed his head.

"So… you survived after all… I had a feeling." Came a dangerously familiar voice from the woods.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" He pulled out both of his swords as the man in a baboon skin revealed himself from the dark trees, followed by a boy in a skintight black suit with green and tan armor pads covering a few spots on his body.

The thing that shocked Devon the most about these two was what the boy was holding… Austin. "Naraku! How dare you take my brother!" he growled, pointing his swords at the man.

"Ah, so you do remember some things about who I am…" The baboon skin man chuckled. "I hoped you would, this will make things so much easier." The boy standing next to Naraku tightened a kusarigama's blade to Austin's throat as the boy didn't struggle, his eyes clouded as if some kind of spell.

"What do you want?" He snarled, looking at the two with disgust and gazing at their hostage.

"Do exactly as I say and you'll get your brother back alive." Naraku said sternly.

"And if I refuse?"

"Kohaku here will make sure that you know what happens to those who cross me…" The boy named Kohaku stared blankly outwards as he grazed Austin's cheek, releasing a small superficial blood flow as a warning.

In a rage, Devon charged Naraku, cutting off his head with his katanas. The disembodied head continued talking. "You cannot kill me, no matter how you harm this demon puppet."

"Urrg… I suppose I have no choice…" What do you want from me?" The Demon growled in submission.

"Infiltrate Inuyasha's group, convince them that you have returned to your former self, and steal Kagome's and Koga's sacred jewel shards for me." The demon puppet's remains, Kohaku and Austin slowly faded away after giving this last order.

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"There it is again! The sacred jewel, its Kohaku's shard!" Kagome shouted, somehow able to tell the difference.

"Kohaku?" Sango looked to Kagome and the others with a worried look.

As the group entered the heart of the forest, they saw Devon standing alone, swords out and looking down at his feet. "The jewel shard disappeared again…" Kagome sighed in defeat.

"Damn! I'm tired of playing musical jewel shards, let's just get this over with!" Axe pointed his weapon at his first mate.

"Wait! I don't have it anymore!" Devon looked up in shock and waved his arms in defense.

"I think he's right guys… I mean look at him, he's still butt ugly but he doesn't look… demonic anymore." DJ smirked at the joke.

"Thanks… ya speedy asshole." Devon muttered under his breath.

"So… you're back to normal Dev?" Niri raised an eyebrow.

"I… think so…" The demon sheathed his swords and looked down at his hands.

"Good to hear." Axe smirked, lowering his weapon.

Chizuru looked skeptical, "Devon… where's Austin?" she asked curiously, looking around.

"I… don't know… I haven't found him since I've been here, maybe Naraku didn't send him here with the rest of us." The demon looked at his feet again.

"So you remember Naraku too?" Niri looked curiously at her crewmate.

"I remember some things, others are a blur, I think he wiped parts of my memory so that I couldn't give away his location." Devon sighed. "I'm sorry for what I did to you all while I was under his control."

"It's alright, I'm…"

"We're"

"… We're glad to have you back." Kirsty chuckled as Chizuru corrected her. "At least now you're back and have your free will again."

"Yeah… free will…" Devon looked away.

"Oh, you missed it Dev! We did this cool hand-blood smearing thing, and now we're all gonna go kick Naraku's ass together!" Dusty said excitedly.

He almost chuckled. "I see you haven't changed a bit Kit. Is your shoulder alright? I didn't hurt you too bad did I?"

"Don't worry about it, Kirsty fixed me up nice." The fox girl grinned.

"I'm alright too baka, no thanks to you…" DJ stared smugly at Devon.

"Darn, gotta try harder next time." The demon chuckled as he eyed the speedy swordsman.

"I heard that!"

"You were supposed to, you speedy bastard!" The rest of the group stared as the two glared at each other. All except Miroku, who was inspecting the large tree with the heart shaped mark.

"Devon… you should do the blood smearing too, you want to get back at Naraku for controlling you, right?" Kirsty suggested.

"I can't… I just can't…" Devon looked up to many questioning and concerned looks from his companions. "I mean… it would cramp my style, can't mix demons and other demon's blood, bad combination." Devon chuckled and rubbed the back of his head as he made a quick recovery.

"Arrogant baka." DJ muttered as the two continued glaring at each other.

"Hey Miroku, whatcha doing?" Inuyasha questioned as he looked over to the monk examining the tree.

"Yeah Miroku, you have been awfully quiet." Sango looked at him curiously before also scanning the tree.

The Axe-heads gave a questioning look to the two as a blush came across the faces of both the demon slayer and the monk. They stared at each other, moved closer and kissed each other deeply.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Everyone on the opposite side of the tree exclaimed as Inuyasha began walking over to them. "What the hell is wrong with you two? This ain't no time to be making out!"

"Master Inuyasha! Do not step any closer to the tree!" Myoga shouted from Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Huh? Why not Myoga?" The half-demon questioned.

"That tree is the Yokai Ki no Ai, the Demon tree of love!"

"Demon Tree of love!?" the group questioned together.

"Quickly master, get those two away from the tree, hold your breath!"

Inuyasha put the sleeve of the robe of the Fire Rat over his mouth, quickly ran over to Miroku and Sango, grabbed them and ran back to the group. "Okay Myoga, what the hell is going on?"

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Miroku: Ai forest, home of a powerful demonic tree that can make people fall in love with each other…

Sango: -blushes- yeah… it was the tree…

Axe: Someone's corrupting it with miasma… Could it be Naraku?

Devon: Damn you Naraku…. What ARE you up to?

Kagome: Next Time! The mystery of Ai forest!

Miroku: Hmmmm… -eyes Dusty, Niri, Chizuru and Kirsty- damn this wretched, cursed tree…

Niri: -whacks- Don't even think about it, monk!

(Bear with me, this IS part of the story and will make sense in the end, please review!)