A week into their travels Toga had successfully assimilated himself into the group. During the day they would travel and stop once or twice to eat. They would all eat whatever Kagome had packed in her backpack, but when they stopped for the night Inuyasha and Toga would hunt for dinner. Separately of course. Toga had learned that his father's competitive streak was even worse when he was younger. Inuyasha would either try to catch more then Toga or catch a bigger animal. Toga had to admit that he found it humorous that his father was competing with him for alpha even if Inuyasha didn't know Toga was his son. This night Inuyasha had showed up with a rather large bore while Toga had caught a few rabbits.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed when Inuyasha presented his catch. "You've been either catching too much food or the food is too big! It's wasteful! We'll never be able to finish that bore tonight along with the proper amount of rabbits Toga caught!"
"We can just carry whatever wasn't eaten," Toga suggested. "I'll carry it in my backpack so you don't have to."
"You don't have to carry all that meat just because, once again, Inuyasha hunted for too much food."
"You're the only other one with a backpack and I would never allow a lady to carry so much in my presence." Kagome's face instantly turned from one of annoyance to one of affection.
"You're so sweet Toga. Thank you." Toga glanced at his father to see him watching their exchange obviously frustrated and annoyed. Toga didn't understand why his father hadn't claimed his mother yet. In fact at times Inuyasha acted as if he couldn't care less about Kagome, but yet he was possessive of her. It was clear to him that Kagome had deep feelings for Inuyasha though. The way she was constantly trying to placate him. Even when they encountered some hostile yokai it was his form that her eyes locked on during battle. The bitch miko was dead so what was stopping Inuyasha from claiming Kagome?
"Fucking whatever," Inuyasha cursed before tossing the bore to Sango and Miroku and returning back to the forest.
"And he's off to pout again," Shippo commented off handedly.
"Why does he treat you like that?" Toga questioned her. "And why do you allow it? You're so much better then that."
"Toga," Kagome sighed his name sadly before turning her attention to the direction Inuyasha had left. "How would you feel if you got word that the woman you loved might still be alive?"
"What?" Toga gasped in shock.
"Before you joined us we had come across Kikyo's shikigamis," Kagome's began explaining. "Inuyasha is both sad and confused. He doesn't understand that since it seems Kikyo is still alive, why hasn't she contacted him?" Realization hit Toga like an avalanche. This was the reason why his three eldest sisters disappeared. Kikyo was suppose to have been killed by Naraku during the battle at Mt. Hakurei, but somehow that got changed. It was during this time that his father had claimed his mother and impregnated her with his three sisters. Because Kikyo somehow lived that pushed back the timeline of when his parents had gotten together thus terminating the existence of Izayoi, Minako and Emako. Toga knew he had to do something to get his parents back on track and bring back his sisters.
"What an idiot," Toga exclaimed before handing his freshly skinned rabbits to Kagome. "I'll be right back."
"Wait Toga!" Kagome yelled after him, but Toga was already gone. His father's scent was still strong so Toga knew he hadn't gone far. Toga eventually found Inuyasha sitting by a calm river.
"What the fuck do you want?" Inuyasha called over his shoulder.
"I came to find out just what your problem is," Toga responded as he crossed his arm over his chest. "You're acting like a complete idiot and I can't seem to figure out why."
"Why would you care?" Inuyasha shot back as he turned to face Toga.
"I care about Kagome and your attitude towards her upsets her."
"Why the fuck do you care about Kagome so much? You've only been with us a week and yet you're constantly trying to kiss up to her!"
"Why wouldn't I be kind to a wonderful woman like her?" Toga countered. "What I don't get is why you're chasing a woman who's not even your damn mate."
"What are you fucking talking about, my mate? Of course she's not my mate! I never marked her!" Toga finally understood what was really going on between his parents. His father didn't know that Kikyo was not his destined mate. He had not yet been privy to the information of how yokai find their mates and since Kagome was a human from the future there was no way she would know either. Toga knew he had to get Inuyasha to realize that Kagome was his destined mate, but how?
"Since you care more about this Kikyo then you won't mind me going after Kagome." A dark expression suddenly came over Inuyasha face. If Inuyasha didn't know how yokai found their mate then he wouldn't find it odd if another yokai went after Kagome. He knew in this time Koga was trying to lay claim onto Kagome so having another rival might push Inuyasha into realizing that Kagome was actually his mate.
"Stay away from Kagome." Toga laughed at the obvious possessiveness in Inuyasha's voice. "What's to damn funny?"
"You are!" Toga answered still laughing. "Why in the world would you care that I want Kagome as my mate if you're pursuing that lump of clay?" Inuyasha's eyes went wide at Toga's statement. Inuyasha knew that if what Toga said was true, then why did he care so much? "Well while you're standing there contemplating your precious Kikyo I'll be spending time with Kagome. The miko that's actually alive. A female as desirable as her I'm sure attracts many male suitors." Toga then raced back to camp leaving a slightly confused Inuyasha.
Inuyasha stared at the spot Toga had been. A hundred thoughts were swimming in his mind. Why did he get so worked up every time a male paid attention to Kagome? Whenever the flea bag Koga came around proclaiming Kagome to be his woman, Inuyasha always became protective and possessive. Lately Koga hadn't been around so Inuyasha didn't have to bother about him, but with Toga around Inuyasha felt as if he had to prove himself to Kagome that he was the better of the two. Toga was a lot smoother then Koga though. He was managing to gain Kagome's affections without her even knowing it. She never got nervous or anxious around Toga like she did whenever Koga came by.
After thinking everything over for a bit and deciding that it was Kagome's choice and that he needed to focus on finding Naraku, Inuyasha made his way back to camp. When he arrived he was greeted with the sight of Toga singing with Kagome in his arms. Instantly Inuyasha's blood began to boil.
"What the fuck is wrong with me?" he mumbled as he approached the group.
"That song is beautiful," Sango gushed once Toga was done singing. "You're such a good singer Toga."
"Thanks, I get it from my mom," Toga said blushing slightly. "She has a good singing voice too."
"I didn't know you were a good singer too Kagome," Shippo complimented happily.
"Yes, how are we just finding this out?" Miroku questioned with a smile.
"You were singing too Kagome?" Inuyasha asked effectively making his presence known.
"Her and Toga were singing a love song together," Shippo informed.
"Toga was humming a song I knew from back home and I asked if he knew the words," Kagome explained. "He said he did and we began quietly singing together. Then Sango heard us and asked if we could sing the song for them."
"He had to hold you in order to sing the song?" Inuyasha questioned with a deadpan expression.
"We got kind of wrapped up in the moment," Toga said smiling down at Kagome.
"Yeah we did a little," Kagome agreed as she turned her head away blushing a little. Inuyasha eyes quickly zeroed in on that blush.
"My father always loves hearing my mom and or my sisters sing," Toga informed as he sat back down.
"You really care for your parents don't you," Sango acknowledged.
"What my parents have is what I want someday," Toga admitted. "My father is very strong, respected, and his world pretty much revolves around my mother. My mother is just as strong as my father but in other ways. She is also very loving to her children. She is so wonderful that my father literally can't keep his hands off of her."
"Can't keep his hands off of her?" Shippo asked not getting the meaning.
"He's always finding some reason to touch her. Always hugging her, kissing her, or holding her hand." Toga paused to reflect what he had just said, but then a wicked smile crept across his face. "And whenever she went into heat he pretty much kept her in their bed."
"What?" Kagome shrieked in embarrassment. "You know when your parents are having sex?"
"Of course. I can smell whenever a female is fertile," Toga answered very matter of fact. "All yokai can."
"He's right," Shippo confirmed. "I always knew when my mom was in heat. During that time dad would send me to go play more often."
"I suppose the idea of sex isn't as taboo for yokai as it is for humans," Miroku stated as he thought more on the subject. "Inuyasha you've been able to tell when Sango and Kagome are in heat huh?" Songa and Kagome faces instantly turned red at the thought that Inuyasha might have always known that little intimate detail of themselves.
"Of course I've always known when they go into heat," Inuyasha informed rather bluntly. "I may be half yokai, but I'm still yokai after all."
"When a female goes into heat her scent becomes stronger and more enticing. So much so that it can cause their mate to have a one track mind," Toga continued explaining. "Thankfully whenever my mother was in heat she was able to arrange for her and my father to be apart so that he couldn't pup her every other year. When birth control was finally invented she no longer had to stay away from him once a month. When a male yokai is mated though he can not help but try to impregnate his mate every time she goes into heat. This is why I said back at the village that me having twelve sisters really isn't all that many siblings considering the mating habits of yokai."
"Wow there's so much I don't know about yokai," Kagome said as she processed everything she just learned. "Well lets all get some sleep. If I remember correctly Inuyasha said that he could smell a village near by."
"Maybe they need a house exorcised," Miroku offered in a hopeful manner.
"What, so you can con them?" Inuyasha spat before jumping up into a near by tree. Miroku gave Inuyasha a hurt look before making himself comfortable to sleep. Soon everyone in the camp was asleep aside from Toga. From inside his sleeping bag Toga stared up at the stars in contemplation. He had to figure out a way to get Inuyasha to realize that Kagome was his rightful mate, but how? He thought about waiting to see if Koga to come around and try to entice Inuyasha's possessive jealousy, but it had been a week and the wolf still hadn't made an appearance. With Kagome due to come into heat any day now Toga knew he was running out of time to save his sisters.
He knew this would all be solved if Inuyasha's yokai could be summoned during the next time Kagome went into heat. His yokai would instantly recognize that it's mate was not yet bonded to him and would make quick work to remedy the situation. Granted it would be forcing his parents together, but already being destined mates would allow them to reconcile that quickly. If push came to shove Toga knew he would be the one to force his father's yokai blood to come alive, but he really didn't want his mother to have the memory of her son and mate fighting to the death. There was a very good chance that he would have to tell them all who he really was.
The next day the group was making their way to a near by village that was rumored to have some major yokai problems. On the way Toga suddenly got a whiff of a very familiar sent. To confirm what he thought Toga looked to Inuyasha and saw him scowling in the direction the scent was coming from. That was all the confirmation he needed. His uncle was near by and during this time he knew his father and uncle hated each other with a passion. All Toga would need to do is convince his uncle to attack Inuyasha, which he had a feeling wouldn't be all too hard. He had finally got the break he needed to secure his sisters' existence.
"Hey guys," Toga began, "there is something that has caught my attention that I need to address. You all can go ahead and I'll catch up later."
"You sure it isn't something you may need our help with?" Songa asked. Toga couldn't help but feel warm inside with the concerned look she was giving him. Her descendent really did look a lot like her.
"He'll be fine," Inuyasha's irritated voice suddenly rang out. "Besides it'll be nice not to have him around for a while. Damn pup gets in my way whenever we have to battle a yokai."
"Sit boy!" Kagome shouted and once again Inuyasha was kissing dirt. Toga was actually starting to feel sorry for his dad with all the times his mother had sat him the past week. He was also starting to understand why Inuyasha spoke to Kagome the way he did.
"It's just something that has to do with my mission that I kind of have to do alone," Toga tried to explain.
"Well if you're sure," Miroku said as they all began heading back the direction they were walking.
"I should be back no later then tonight!" Toga shouted before taking off in the direction his uncle's scent was coming from.