"Really Kagura, I've never seen you so nervous. I hope you don't think that pathetic, awkward meeting counts as an attempt at seduction."
"Shut up, Naraku. It's your fault. How do you expect me to manage anything, knowing you're watching everything I do through Kanna's mirror? Get rid of the mirror, and maybe I'll be able to get into it. Spying on someone is not a good way to encourage romantic mood."
"Who said anything about romantic mood or you 'getting into it'? I said for you to seduce him, not fall in love with him. I want him in love with you, not the other way around."
"Yeah, yeah. But I'm not an actor…the more I can pretend it's just a normal situation, the better I can do this. I've always flirted with him, it's always come naturally…and you're stifling the flow with your spying!"
"Alright. I will not watch through the mirror. But do not think you will be able to betray me through this lack of surveillance. My insects will follow you."
"Whatever. Just make sure they stay far back, or Sesshoumaru'll get mad about them."
………
What on earth was that baffling woman up to? For three days now she'd been hovering around nearby, following them, but never showing herself. It was irritating, not in the least because she was constantly giving off that strange, nervous and yet almost aroused scent that was strangely exciting. It called to something feral in Sesshoumaru, something that wanted to hunt, to track Kagura down and snatch her and…He pulled his thoughts from that path and sighed quietly, listening to Jaken rambling to Rin.
"…and then Sesshoumaru-sama, naturally, killed them all singlehandedly and within a moment…"
Sesshoumaru privately winced at the term "singlehandedly". Must he be so literal? Jaken was such an annoyance. He found his thoughts drifting away from the obnoxious droning and back to Kagura. She was some half a mile away, on her feather, probably, since her scent was falling from above. What was her purpose? It suddenly occurred to him that perhaps she meant to lead him to Naraku, but could not say so aloud for fear of Naraku's insects following her and listening. He could sense them about a mile away, probably following Kagura, at such a distance so as to attempt to keep her unaware of their presence. Deciding to follow up on this idea, he stopped and turned around.
"Jaken, I'm leaving. Tend to Rin. I will attempt to return shortly, but if I do not come back within a few days, make camp somewhere safe and await me."
"B-but my lord! Might I not serve you better by accompanying…" Jaken trailed off at the look Sesshoumaru gave him. "Yes my lord, I will tend to Rin."
"Good. Rin, behave yourself."
She beamed brightly.
"Yes Sesshoumaru-sama!"
He leapt into the air and flew towards where he could scent Kagura. He hadn't expected that the moment he could see her, a dot in the distance, she would move. Suddenly, her feather moved quickly into the nearby forest, as if she were a spooked rabbit. Did she think he was going to attack her? Puzzled, he landed and moved into the forest. He could see her standing in the branch of a tree, leaning against the trunk, arms crossed…smiling?
He walked towards her, but when he got close again, she suddenly vanished in a swirl of wind and reappeared again quite a lot farther into the woods, a speck of pale color against the greenery. He growled, annoyed. What was she up to? Was she attempting to lead him to Naraku this way? Surely she could think of a less annoying way to manage it?
He wasn't going to keep following her like this. Instead, he moved towards her in a blur of superhuman speed, intending to stop her and speak with her before she could move again. Much to Sesshoumaru's surprise, Kagura seemed to anticipate the move, and was gone again. He could feel his Inu instincts rising, thrilling at the prospect of a chase, a hunt. His claws lengthened and his fangs elongated. Irritably, he reminded his more feral side that, chase or not, he had no intention of killing the woman and hardly needed these extra weapons. The voice is his head was clear enough to be an entire other person; something which very rarely happened, only when he and his feral spirit were at odds.
Oh? If not the claws and fangs then, perhaps this is a different sort of chase?
He was suddenly all too aware of her scent, of the hints of arousal mixed in with tension and nervousness. Why did she smell that way? Granted, he was used to her reacting to him with desire; he'd been well aware of her interest in him from their first meeting. But Kagura rarely smelled of nervousness, unless discussing Naraku. If Naraku was not in the picture, Kagura was generally very confident. So why this discomfort and strange excitement on her part now? He cursed himself for his own reaction to the scent, for the arousal that he could not deny no matter how he wished to.
Stop thinking so much and feel. She is a willing female, begging to be chased. Stop fighting your nature.
No thank you. Thinking is more in my nature than mindless rutting.
Feel free to delude yourself for the moment.
He hated yelling, it was beneath him to shout for someone's attention…but in this case, it was the lesser of two evils.
"Kagura, what is the purpose behind this nonsense?"
She was only ten or so trees away, standing high up among the branches, tapping her closed fan against her smirking lips. He considered leaping for her again, but decided against it, not liking the indignity of repeatedly trying to catch up with her and failing.
There was a sudden rush of wind, and before he could contemplate what she was up to now, she suddenly appeared on the branch he was standing on, and shocked him by pressing herself flush up against his body. He reacted without thinking, jerking back quickly, and nearly fell off the branch, amazed by his own sudden lack of composure. That reaction was more like something InuYasha would do than Sesshoumaru. Kagura laughed; a warm, melodious sound that made his heart pound. Dammit, what was she doing to him? He hadn't felt this confused since his youth, long ago…aroused and clumsy and somehow thrilled by her very presence. It was like his first experience with a woman all over again.
All of a sudden she was gone completely in a whoosh of wind, entirely gone from the area; he could not sense her anywhere nearby. Aggravated, he leapt down from the tree and returned to Jaken, who seemed very puzzled by his returning so soon, but had the sense not to mention it.