Chapter 5

Inuyasha left Kagome with yet another backward glance. But finally reassuring himself, that she was near enough that she will be fine. If anything was out of the ordinary he or the others would surly notice and be quick to react. But then again, he couldn't be sure.

No, she'll be fine, he said to himself again after he thought that something might break her again. And with that he took off towards the well were he, Kagome, and Kikyo were earlier today. Inuyasha didn't want to leave Kikyo with nothing but the image of himself and Kagome's embrace, and a possible misunderstanding of their relationship.

Yes, Kagome was extremely important to him, but on a different level then Kikyo was…is. Kagome brought on a sense of protectiveness within him, but not that of a lover, like Kikyo. Kikyo was a being that his very soul went out of its way to reunite with. His bond with Kagome was that of a brother and sister, but even stronger, similar to the bond between twins demons. At the very beginning he thought of Kagome as courting possibilty. But whenever Inuyasha tried to lead the relationship in that direction, he couldn't. He never had that problem with Kikyo, but he and the late priestess never could have the conversations that Kagome and Inuyasha could. But he had to face it, Kagome and he will never become more then they were now.

Nerveless he had to find Kikyo and explain. He picked up the sent of graveyard dirt and fallowed in deep into the woods. While he was running he thought he saw a glimpse of the moonlight glinting of a weapon, but when he looked back it was gone. He shook his head and focused on finding his late lover.

A few moments after her long time friend left her and as soon as she was certain he was going to be gone for some time, Kagome got up from her sport and began walking towards the forest directly in front of her. Once she got deeper into the forest Kagome let her thoughts that have been troubling her play themselves out while she kept her feet moving.

Kagome looked up at the night sky and the constellations above slightly marred by the trees of the forest. As she gazed into the heavens she tried to analyze what exactly was wrong. Of course it was suspicious that Naraku didn't attack while she was gone, or put to work one of his many creations and what not. Everyone else might have accepted it, but there was no way in hell that she was going to underestimate Naraku. Not ever again.

I'd rather overestimate that slimy bastared then get caught off guard. Kagome mused as she looked back at the forest she was walking through. She walked through the forest and her mind ran through everything that had happened in the past with Naraku. As she thought, she began linking his actions with their solutions. A lot of which came from advice from her gran… No she wouldn't think of those last few hours! But try as she may, it did no good. The memories flooded her conscience to the point to where she no longer saw the forest.

She found herself back in the hospital room. They had relocated her grandfather as soon as his condition changed for the worst.

The smell of sick was everywhere in the hospital. The sickly green walls were suffocating with their ominous fell. But none of it mattered now.

Kagome sat by her grandfather's bedside stroking his hand and whispering stories in his ear about Inuyasha and the others. Those stories seemed like they were the only things keeping him here by her side. But even her stories couldn't keep him there for very long. And before she finished his favorite, he was gone…

Kagome came back to the present with a gut wrenching feeling. The pain moved from her abdomen to her heart. No, not now! She thought as the bleak misery unleashed itself for the "box" and took her again but this time with vengeance. But there was nothing Kagome could have done to stop the grief of her grandfather's death, the pain she saw in her brother's eyes, and the horrible things she put Inuyasha through. It felt as if something tore her heart out and then when she thought it couldn't get any worse then this, a wave of depression and hysterics washed through her taking all her hope, happiness, anything positive. May it be thoughts or feelings with it. The effect was so horrible it left her shaking and unable to hold herself up, as she fell to the forest floor.

It was all Kagome could do to craw to the base of a tree and sob. She sobbed until she could no longer produce tears, but then she shook with the tears she could no longer shed. Tremors so strong that they racked her tiny frame with such force, Kagome had to close her eyes to prevent from getting sick. Slowly…painfully slowly, the shaking reseeded and left Kagome exhausted. She was so tired she couldn't fall asleep. So she cowered there under the great oak sniffling in the middle of no where, hoping someone would find her. But she had no idea that by someone, she was going to have him find her. Causing only the start of her troubles.

Bankotsu continued to watch the young priestess well into the night. Partially because he was intrigued by her kindness that she tried so hard to achieve when she was so close hysterics, and of course it was his duty; she was now his assignment.

As he watched her silently from the hill top, he noticed how she looked in the fading sun. She had a golden tint from the sun on her raven black tresses that seem to make her look other worldly. No wonder the half demon watched her so protectively; if he had her in his grasp, on his terms he would be doing everything in his power to make her more then a companion. But the priestess and the half demon seem perfectly content with being no closer then they are now. Bankotsu mentally shrugged, it wasn't his problem but it was such a shameful loss.

Dusk turned to twilight and Bankotsu continued to watch her and her allies. He plotted out his retrieval and ran through every possible thing that could happen and how he would still get out with the girl. When her half demon friend left, he chuckled quietly. As if this opportunity couldn't have been more suddle if it was presented on a platter with a flask of Saki. And with that thought Bankotsu was off.

…

Bankotsu ran swiftly through the forest will skill unmatched by any man and only by demons, following the girl's trail. As he searched the midnight trail his adrenalin kicked in, just like any other hunt he has ever set to. Bankotsu only ran for a short distance be his standers when he came upon where her trail stopped.

"Damn," Bankotsu muttered to himself. I swear if another demon got to her I will…hu? Just as he was imagining the cruel things to a demon that would have taken his prey moments before he could get her, there was a sniff to his left at the base of a giant oak tree.

Slowly as not to startle the creature that made the surprising sound, Bankotsu creped across the fallen leafs and twig covered ground without making a sound. As he got closer to the being, its form began to take the slender shape of a woman curled into a ball. Upon closer observation it was the priestess and she was…shaking? No she was sobbing. So, that's how close to breaking she really was…wonder what made her this way?

But Bankotsu wasn't going to waste this opportunity thinking. He had to get the girl and himself back to Naraku.

With strong but gentle hands he began soothingly rub circles on her back to calm her. It seemed to work because the girl's sobs became just whimpers. Bankotsu noticed that she did not open her eyes but hid her head and face in her knees and arms as if trying to hide from the world.

The sight of the girl's weakness was pathetic and irked Bankotsu. But none the less he continued. "You don't have to look at me just let me see your face," he tried to disguises his voice as a worried wanderer, and she apparently trusted his fake voice. She lifted her head with her eyes closed but the tears managed to free themselves still and they ran shamelessly down her pale cheeks.

Bankotsu took his red sash from his waist and tied it over her eyes. "There does that make you more comfortable?" she nodded in response. "Good," Bankotsu didn't give her another chance to think with a few knots and clever loops he bound the girls arms and legs with the long sasg and picked her up, threw her over his shoulder. Before the girl could register what had happened he ran off with her in tow.

Honestly I thought this was a really crappy chapter. I tried to make it better but then it didn't make much sence so here you go, sorry.