I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. This chapter may bore you all some, but hopefully not too much. It is all I could manage to write, but I plan to start the next chapter tomorrow. I thought I'd go ahead and post this as I know it has been awhile. Please do me the honor in reviewing as it really helps...especially now. Thanks again...I hope it was worth the wait. More fluffiness next chapter...I promise!

Birth Rite

Righteous Resentment ch4

Naraku stood silently, his outline highlighted by various beams of moonlight. He was unsure as to what had brought him back to this place.

He had never -before her- remembered the faces of those he killed, could've cared less of the suffering he had brought to them or their families. They were a meal, sustenance needed to survive. He was the hunter, they were the prey, never more to him than that

Yet he avoided this place, because of her.

. He had initially thought that it was this place that had ignited his remembrance of her, so he stayed away; he'd been wrong. Her face haunted him- drifting in and out of his mind nearly every night since he had taken her life. Twenty-one years had passed and she was still a vivid dream he couldn't seem to rid himself of.

He'd watched her for months before he'd fed on her. She had drawn his attention the very first night she had come to this park. She cried; endlessly it seemed, screamed her pain throughout the the dusk of night until her voice became scratchy, and her eyes were red and swollen. Yet he never moved to take her. He delighted in her pain; her anguish. Night after night he returned to this place, and night after night he found her here, lost in her sorrow.

Weeks turned into months and still she came, as did he. He reveled in her beauty, yet hated her for it. She was life; he was death. She was the heart beat he hadn't heard in centuries; the one being who reminded him of what life should have held for him. And he despised her even more for making him hate the thing he was; the thing he had never had the choice in becoming. As her pain lessened, his anger grew. And then he'd picked up on the heartbeat of another. He watched her grow; her body nourishing the being growing within her.

It infuriated him that she should find any happiness while he remained locked within his own existence. His need to hear her suffering built once more as night after night she returned, each time slightly happier - that much closer to the normality that was humanity.

He could still remember the night he'd taken her life; the way she smelled, their conversation, and how she had foolishly thought that she could out- run him. He smiled slightly, reliving her last moments. The way she smelled when fear lit through her blood. Oh, and the way she tasted upon his tongue; hot, and utterly indefinable as he had never found another whose blood had excited him so.

Something brought him back to the present, his moment shattered the instant her blood past his lips in memory.

It felt as if someone else was reliving his vision with him; he wasn't alone.

Shaking his head to rid himself of the odd sensation he turned and made his way out of the park. He had yet to find suitable sustenance for the night, and judging by the moon's location in the sky, he had only a few hours remaining before he'd have to heed the upcoming sunrise and return to his home.

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The ringing of her phone brought Kagome from her sleep. With a growl she reached for the plastic abomination that had so rudely interrupted her slumber and grouched her annoyance into the receiving end.

" You have a race this afternoon, I suggest getting up and making an appearance. " Sesshomaru replied.

" I'm up, geez, I'll be there, don't worry about it. " she said while swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and replacing the phone, none to gently , into its base.

" So, wishing you a Happy Birthday is out of the question?" Sango giggled.

" Wait till after my morning shower and we'll talk about it then, alright?"

" Ahh, did we wake up on the wrong side of the bed?"

Kagome reached for a pillow, and once its soft corner was firmly in her grasp she turned and launched it at her ' oh so happy ' roomy who squealed loudly while trying to dodge her arsenal of fluffed up bed accessories.

" Okay! I get it...not till after the morning shower." Sango teased before turning and making her way to the kitchen. "But I'm leaving this mess for you to clean up - after your shower, my Lady."

Glancing down at her hand she wasn't surprised to find two silver strands of hair wrapped tightly within her fingers. She smiled softly, glad that she hadn't lost them during her ' pillow fit '.

Inuyasha.

He comforted her last night, the same way he had for so many years before she had gone off to school. It had been terrible these last few years without him there to chase her dreams away. She'd forgotten what it was like to sleep without the dreams haunting her. She'd have to thank him later, but for now she needed to get showered and dressed. Making her way into the bathroom she laughed half-heartedly at the thought of Sesshomaru's face when she'd hung up on him. She'd be more concerned with it, but as it was definitely not the first time- she was sure that he'd come to expect it.

Hours later found them standing outside their hometown racetrack. The smell of exhaust and burnt fuel heightened her excitement. Inuyasha stood beside her, Sango and Miroku beside him.

Sesshomaru made his way to them, his long hair tied at the nape of his neck. He wore a deep blue, silk shirt tucked into light gray slacks.

" Inuyasha, you and Miroku are needed in the pits. Kagome, you and Sango are to accompany me."

They watched as Inuyasha and Miroku made their way through the lineup of people whose jobs were helping the racers in getting their bikes prepared; those who fueled the bikes, and those who kept the cycles in mechanical running condition.

" You should be excited about the race today, Kagome. " Sesshomaru said while turning to make his way to the area in which her new racing cycle was being kept.

" I'm always excited to race Sesshomaru. Why should today be any different?" Kagome asked as she and Sango turned to follow his tall frame.

" Because dear girl; today you race against Inuyasha."

" Really? You're kidding, right? I thought that I'd have to make my way up the ranks to get my chance to race against him."

" Normally, yes. But you are not a beginner. Though you are new to this particular circuit, you have already established your rank. You don't start at the bottom; you start as your rank places you, and that is in the same field as Inuyasha."

" But how will that work? He has no idea who I am. I thought we were keeping this from him for a while longer. " Kagome replied, surprise and hesitation evident in her voice.

" I have arranged to have your cycle and pit crew a fair distance from Inuyasha's team. This race will determine what will happen with your career. " Sesshomaru replied over his shoulder while turning and heading into a tent set a fair distance from the other racers.

" What do you mean ' with my career' ?"

He stopped and turned to face her. Sango stopped beside her, the look upon her face equally as stunned as Kagome's.

" What I mean is that team selections are to be made today. If you place well enough you have the opportunity to be placed within a high ranking team. Your points in todays race will determine where you are placed. Team management will choose the racers they are interested in, and will then invite them to join their respective teams. You will have the opportunity to acquire sponsorship."Sesshomaru replied, his emotionless mask resting solidly in place. If one didn't know him as she did, they might find that look to be one mirroring sheer boredom. But she had long ago learned his various expressions, and this one was one of tightly held patience; he seriously disliked having to explain himself - regardless of whom he was speaking with.

" But I don't need sponsorship, Sesshomaru. I have you for my sponsor, don't I?" she questioned.

" Yes. And that will not change if you do not wish it to. But this will provide you the chance of changing sponsorship if you so choose. "

" Well, that's a no-brainer. You gave me the chance to race, and I will not abandon you because someone else wishes for me to join their team. "

" I am glad to hear it. But you must realize that I also sponsor Inuyasha. If you wish to keep him in the dark about your racing career, you must choose another sponsor. By staying with me, you give up that chance. You will be brought in as Inuyasha's team mate, and he would be entitled to know who his partner is. "

" Partner? I seriously doubt that that will go over very well with him. I mean, he has always been against me racing. He is bound to reject a partnership with me, regardless of my ability."

" It will not matter, Kagome. The choice in his partner remains mine and mine alone. He knows that and will abide by my choice. I will leave this decision for you to make. I will take no offense should you decide to part ways in order to keep my brother in the dark awhile longer. I must go. I will find you after your race and we will discuss your decision then. " He moved to walk away then, but stopped beside her for only a moment, his voice soft, his statement bringing a small smile to her face.

" Happy Birthday, Kagome."

" Thank you, Sesshomaru."

" Oh, one more thing. Inuyasha and I have made arrangements for your celebration. Mushin shall be around later this evening to bring you to the club. He mentioned you both had the desire to go ' clubbing'. "

" YES! Sango giggled. But we also have to go shopping. We can't have a party without something new to wear. "

" Indeed. But you will be sure to take either Inuyasha or Miroku with you. "

" Of course. We wouldn't dream of leaving without them. " Kagome grumbled.

" You know the seriousness of your taking a bodyguard, Kagome. We have had this discussion already. You are special. " he murmured, his golden gaze resting softly upon the cheek her mark rested upon. Though her makeup hid it well, he could almost make out its splash of color beneath the smooth foundation she had used.

" I know. I mean no disrespect, Sesshomaru. We will most certainly take one of them with us."

" Good. " he replied, his gaze meeting her own. " I shall speak to you after the races are finished. Good luck, Kagome."

And with that he walked away leaving the two girls staring after him.

" What will you do, Kagome. Will you choose a new sponsor, and keep your secret from Inuyasha awhile longer, or will you stay with Sessomaru and race as Inuyasha's partner?" Sango asked.

Kagome turned to make her way through the tent Sesshomaru had provided. " I don't know, Sango. I just don't know."

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I hope this wasn't to boring. I am sorry for the wait, but you all know the story. I thank each of you for your understanding and support as without it I would not have continued making the effort to write a new chapter. I would've waited till I felt better, which could potentially be awhile as I have yet to find anything that really helps. But I am beginning to feel slightly better so I shall begin work on the next chapter immediately. I look forward to the race and the clubbing as I have so many ideas for their chapters. I hope I was able to give you a chapter worth waiting for, and please don't hesitate to let me know what you think. It helps to get me back on my laptop when I know there are many of you out there awaiting more.

I am NOT an expert on the racing circuit...I seriously doubt that this is the way that things happen, but it IS a part of the story..though it will not be as big a part as I had originally thought it might be..My mind conjures up its own idea of where this story will go, and I for the most part have learned to just go with it. It doesn't feel as forced that way. Please forgive the lack of knowledge on the racing side of things...but I plan to focus more on the thrill they each get out of it so the technical parts aren't as important to me...I do hope you all can forgive my on this...if anyone knows how it DOES work...feel free to let me know and I shall re-edit this chapter so that it is more accurate.

THANK YOU ALL again for reading and encouraging me to continue as I do this more for you guys than anything...Until next time...Neisha