Disclaimer: I've already told you...a lot...I shouldn't have to repeat myself...

A/N: Well, this story has sure taken a turn. It won't be the first, either, just to let everyone know. Once again, my reviewers haven't failed me...Can't forget to mention that there's a new reviewer...You guys are awesome...

I apologize if any of the chapters are late. These past few days, I've managed to come down with the flu...but I'm writing anyway. I know I've probably said this a lot...but I have homework every single night, plus tennis practice. On Wednesdays, I'm out of the house until around quarter after seven. I'll try as hard as I can to get the chapters up as quickly as possible.

Special Thanks To...

MeNaRiE, black anime fan (new reviewer!), pinky101, and Beautiful.Black.Joy


Chapter 12 - Down to Business

Sango clutched her backpack tightly to her chest. Kagome said she was leaving...but Sango was smart enough to know that there was more to it than being sick. She sure as hell wasn't stupid, and now she was wondering why Kagome didn't tell her why she left.

She tramped down the cement steps, her dark brown ponytail brushing lightly across the shoulders of the sweatshirt she was wearing. Tiny, white snowflakes landed on her arms or hands, and then melted. A thin white sheet was beginning to cover the ground. Her footsteps made imprints in the grass, making a short crunching sound underneath her feet.

Winter was her favorite season, yet she couldn't bring herself to enjoy it.

Sango vaguely registered her name being called, followed by running footfalls. She stopped and waited - a second later, Inuyasha and Miroku were standing at her sides. 'Why are they following?' That was the first thought that came to mind, but she quickly pushed it away.

"Why do you two even care? It's not even any of your business, so why do you try so hard to find out what's going on?" Her voice had been lowered to a perilous level. Sango used this time to stand up and make her way to the kitchen, trying to find Kea and ask what was for dinner. Whereas, Inuyasha and Miroku stayed seated, knowing very well that they had gone perhaps a bit too far.

Sango sighed almost inaudibly, ignoring their greetings for the moment, and used one hand to circularly rub her temples. They did try hard to figure out what was going on, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Yet Kagome continued on, now pacing with her hands balled into fists at her hips. "I don't see why you two even bother. Ever since you found out about out secret you've done everything in your power to annoy the hell out of me and Sango."Kagome suddenly stopped and buried her head in her hands. If she had a car, she would have gotten in it and drove off a cliff. But since that wasn't available, she decided to take a different route.

"Hey, Sango? You alright?" Miroku stared at the girl's distant face, waving one hand in front of her face. He looked towards Inuyasha and shrugged.

"You guys...I'm sorry." Once Sango heard this, both her, Kea, and Souta (no one has any idea how he heard that from his bedroom upstairs) came running into the dining room, bug-eyed and mouths agape. Inuyasha and Miroku decided that something even more terrible was around the corner, and if it was possible, they sunk even lower in their chairs. "I shouldn't be going off like this...you were just worried, right? My nerves are shot, and I think if there's one more incident, I'll go completely insane."

Sango's brown eyes snapped back into focus - she whipped her head around to glare at Miroku. "Would you stop that?" she snapped, slightly frazzled, and used a hand to brush her bangs away from her eyes. "What's up?" The eternity long school day had finally gotten to her. By now, she was worn out and irritated. It didn't help that she was still trying to find out why Kagome had left so abruptly...she would stop by her house later. She made to start walking again, until one of Miroku's arms wrapped around her shoulder.

Miroku sighed way too cheerfully..."Ah, my dear Sango, we have a few questions to ask you," he responded jovially in his conniving tone. From Sango's other side, you didn't need to actually see Inuyasha to know that he had one, wide smirk on his face.

Sango made a noise that much resembled a growl and slapped Miroku's hand, which he drew back instantly. "Keep your hands off me, lech!" Her tone, which she had tried so hard to keep light and at least somewhat friendly, had lowered to a parlous level. "For one, if you're going to ask about Kagome, I have no idea why she left. She didn't tell me."

Inuyasha's smirk turned to a deep frown. Before, Sango had told them Kagome's absence had been because she was sick...but apparently that was a lie. "Then where the hell did she go?" Clearly, he hadn't been listening too hard.

Sango resisted the very intense urge to smack Inuyasha...much the way that she would hit Miroku. "Were you listening at all, Inuyasha? I said I have no idea. She told me that she was sick, but I know she was lying. I was about to go check on her."

"Perhaps everything has been too much for Kagome...She might have just gone home to relax for a while and calm down. I wouldn't worry too much about it." Though he said this, trying to muster as much confidence as he could, he wasn't so sure. Not one of them was.


Kagome ran in the cold...despite the heat that she was beginning to feel under her coat, her hands were numb. She continued running until her chest burned, her breathing was labored, and her legs felt as if they would fall off any second. But she kept running, even though she was against the wind. Her ebony hair flew behind her head, thrashing about wildly. Various people on the sidewalk gave her curious glances, but offered no more than that. All the while, she pumped her arms and skidded around corners, careful not to slip on the slightly slippery pavement.

She had stopped at a random store, the first one she had seen. In between pants, she had asked the way too perky girl in her mid-twenties at the counter if she knew a guy named Naraku Yokoshima. The girl had smiled widely and started making wild gestures with her hands.

"Yokoshima Records?! Oh my gosh, are you trying to get a record deal?!" After the girl got no response whatsoever from Kagome, she continued: "The building is about six blocks from the Sengoku Jidai High School. Are you a student there?" Still no answer. "Anyway, take a right at the far end of the school's parking lot. If you take a left on the second turn, and keep going straight, you'll find it. It's a pretty tall building; you can't miss it."

Kagome had grabbed a navy baseball cap from a standing rack and paid for it quickly. After ridding the girl's shrill and cheery voice from her mind, (which was a difficult task, mind you), Kagome had memorized the directions. By now, she was about a block from the school. She couldn't remember a time when she'd run so fast for so long. Truthfully, it didn't take much effort to ignore the burning in her chest or the strain in her legs. She was set on finding Naraku...and berating him with a hell of a lot of questions.

As soon as the school came into sight, Kagome attempted to stay on the far side of the rode. The last thing she wanted was to be seen by Sango, Inuyasha, or Miroku. She couldn't be entirely sure if Inuyasha would be able to catch her scent or not, which was why she tried to stay as far away as possible.

Kagome stopped running and slowed her pace to a walk, at once trying to return her breathing to normal. There was a stabbing stitch in her side, making it that much harder to walk. She stuffed her hands inside her cargo pockets and frowned, scanning the school yard out of the corner of her eye. Students milled about - it seemed school had ended only a short time ago. Which gave her all the more reason to get herself away from there.

She piled her hair near the top of her hair and pulled it into a ponytail, using a band she had wrapped around her wrist. The navy blue baseball hat was put on her head, the top slanted down as if to help hide her eyes. As she did this, she could have sworn she saw a flash of red and silver. 'Ah...dammit.' Her footsteps quickened, but she knew that if Inuyasha had truly seen her, he would be able to catch her easily.

Kagome stopped momentarily at the next corner and turned right. If the girl had given her the right directions, Yokoshima Records should be visible after the next left. 'Yokoshima Records...Naraku's a record dealer?' Even as she replayed this in her mind, she didn't think that was possible. 'No...that doesn't make any sense. I know there's something strange about him...'


The group of three hardly made it onto the sidewalk before Inuyasha stopped and raised his nose in the air. Sango slowed her footsteps and cast a glance over her shoulder, peering at him carefully. "Something wrong, Inuyasha?"

'No, she went home. Didn't she?' "Kagome...she's close by," Inuyasha answered simply, his amber orbs flickering around the grassy lawns. "I thought you said she went home." As he said this, he narrowed his eyes and attempted to trace the scent...

"I'm telling you, for the last time, that I don't know where the hell she went. But why would she be around here?" Sango, too, was scanning the area in front of the building. She wasn't able to see Kagome anywhere. Miroku, being abnormally quiet moments before, finally decided to say something.

"Maybe she went to find Naraku. She said that he called in the middle of the night, right?" Miroku was, probably by far, the most logical one in the group. He could be somewhat intelligent, when he wanted to. At Sango's questioning glance, he continued slowly: "I wouldn't put it past her to do something like that, Sango. What do you think?"

Sango nodded, her brows furrowed in silent concentration. 'Why would she do something stupid like that? Kagome, what are you thinking?!' "It's a possibility...I guess." And at that second, Inuyasha took off running. "WAIT, INUYASHA!! WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?!"

Miroku set a hand on Sango's shoulder, maybe to hold her back, or maybe in an attempt to comfort her...he was well aware of the stares from some of the other students. "I'm sure Inuyasha knows what he's doing. For now, we can got to Kagome's house and wait, if you think that her mother won't mind."

Sango didn't respond. The last thing she wanted to do was waiting around...but instead of complaining, she complied, and grabbed Inuyasha's backpack that had been so carelessly tossed to the ground. "Let's just go then."

SLAP

"I told you to KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF!"


Inuyasha's golden eyes searched the busy street. He stopped, and after a moment's pause, he saw her. 'I knew it.' On the far sidewalk, she was walking. Her steps were quick, but judging by the way she was walking, she had been running for a long time. Even from this distance, he could see her chest heaving, either from being nervous (which he doubted) or the aforementioned physical exertion.

Her shoulders were hunched over, hands shoved carelessly in her pocket. Inuyasha watched as she pulled her hair into a high ponytail, and then pulled a navy cap over her eyes. He began running again, though staying off to his side. She turned the corner, so he was staring at his back. Even so, he continued to follow.

'Dammit, Kagome, what were you thinking?' Inuyasha thought angrily to himself, a deep scowl etched on his features. He didn't know whether or not Kagome would call him a friend, but even so, he felt the need to go after her. Kagome, to put it simply, was strange. She wasn't like anyone else that he knew, nor was Sango. But Kagome was different than even her best friend. The two of them weren't like the other idiotic girls he knew, always trying to impress others and cackling about things he couldn't care less about.

Of course, that included Kikyou.

At the thought of Kikyou's name, his footsteps quickened noticeably. Kagome was still ahead of him, but she didn't look back.

He had gone out with Kikyou for a short time, but had soon become rather bored. So he broke it off...but she would never leave him alone afterwards. Even now, she was as annoying as ever and continuously claimed him as 'her Inuyasha.' Eventually, he had given up on trying to straighten her out, and merely ignored her.

Now Kagome was his only priority, and making sure she was safe. Why he cared so much was beyond his comprehension.


Kagome resisted the strong urge to look behind her...she had that strange feeling that she was being followed. She tried to push the thought out of her head, but she eventually gave up. Everyone around her seemed to disappear, all the noise was drowned out. She was in her own little world.

The next corner came up slowly as Kagome pushed herself through the seemingly nonexistent crowds. "If you take a left on the second turn, and keep going straight, you'll find it." Her Vans made tracks in the thin layer of snow as she made a sharp left and started across the crosswalk. Sure enough, a few blocks ahead, she could make out a several-storied building. From here, she could only see the outline - the falling snow was making it harder to regard. She began to wonder why she'd never seen it before...either that, or she just didn't care about it.

The fact that she didn't ever notice the building before was beside the point. Her first priority was to find Naraku...and then whale on Inuyasha for following her. Sure, she could have spun around and started yelling at him now, in the middle of the street, but she wasn't in the mood. If it had been any other time but the present, she would have. She was just wondering why Sango hadn't found her already and started yelling at her for lying and going to find Naraku by herself.

Kagome knew that the consequences could range anywhere from minor repercussions to a night in the hospital. It all depended on what mood Sango was in. Either way, Kagome firmly decided she was going to find this Naraku person and deliver a piece of her mind.

As she neared the building, Kagome cast her glance over her shoulder. But to her surprise, no one was there. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, but she merely turned forward again and raised her eyes to the building. 'If Inuyasha's following me, he's good at hiding, I'll give him that. But why would he follow me in the first place?' she mused, and shook her head thoughtfully. She could ask him that later.

It hadn't taken her that long to stand before the building, now staring up at the many rows of windows. The entrance doors were glass. You could see into the lobby, with brown tiled floors and deep wall colors. Lights adorned the ceiling, casting bright fluorescent glows throughout the room. Kagome thought she was going to be sick, but she made her way towards the doors anyway.

Kagome wrapped her arms around her shoulders and once again glanced behind her...but still no one was found. 'It's now or never...and if Inuyasha doesn't want to show himself, fine.' With that thought in mind, she stepped up to the doors, carefully pushing it open. Bright lights immediately flooded her surroundings. 'Alright...If I can get through this, then I only need to find Naraku.'


Inuyasha had jumped just in time to go unnoticed by Kagome - currently, he was crouched on top the roof of a small grocery store across the street, watching with narrowed eyes as she walked into a more adorned building. Five seconds after she stepped inside and he already had a sense of uneasiness.

He had never paid much heed to Yokoshima Records, considering it was a 'record company,' and therefore he had nothing to do with it. Until now.

Inuyasha leaped, and in a matter of seconds, landing on the ground with much practiced skill. Adults and children alike stared towards him, but quickly turned away. 'Keh. Everybody's the same.' He shoved his hands inside his pockets and walked up to the glass doors Kagome had gone through a minute before - from here, he could see her standing in the middle of the room, and then turning to the front desk. A girl with dark brown hair pulled into a neat chignon instantly drove her attention towards Kagome. The words spoken were muffled by the glass, but he could make out Naraku's name and something about the tenth floor...and then Kagome started walking away.

When she disappeared down a hall towards the left, he stepped inside. He tried to appear nonchalant - not like some high school boy who was following a girl around that wanted nothing to do with him. No, that wouldn't work.

The lady at the desk gave him an offhanded glance before actually considering if he was worth her attention or not. "May I help you, sir?" she asked curtly. Her almost black eyes alone were screaming boredom. She tapped her fingernails on the desk top, a noise that annoyed Inuyasha to no end. If he was not in a hurry with trying to find Kagome, he would have ripped off every single one of her fingernails, and then her actual fingers.

Instead, Inuyasha glared daggers with his piercing golden eyes and, other than that, ignored her. He waited a few seconds before continuing towards the hallway Kagome had walked down. There was a sigh as the receptionist turned back to her work; clearly, she didn't want to busy herself with a hanyou like him. He let a growl rise in his throat, but offered her no more of his time.

His eyes scanned the tiled floors of the hallway, the doors on each end, but none of them particularly caught his eye. The clang of an elevator could be heard distinctly. Inuyasha began to wonder why he was going through all this trouble in the first place - he could have been at home, or hanging around with Miroku, or anything else, but no. He had decided to follow Kagome for whatever reasons...he hadn't figured them out yet.

A small smirk crept to his face as he soon stood before an elevator. 'Sesshomaru wouldn't bother with humans like Kagome...' He pushed the up arrow and waited impatiently. His brother always prided himself on being a full demon, unlike Inuyasha. His respect for their father lowered after the great Inutaisho fell in love with a human. Inuyasha's smirk turned to a deep, contemplating frown.

As the elevator door opened, revealing a man and a woman garnished in business suits. After seeing Inuyasha, they quickly walked away. Inuyasha shook his head and entered the elevator. Kagome's scent was in there - he closed his eyes and leaned up against the wall.

Already, he could tell it was going to be a long afternoon.


Sango wiped the snowflakes away from her eyes. From here, she could see the Higurashi house. Since Kagome had left, she was guessing Souta was over at her house. Perhaps he would know where she had gone...

Her pace quickened, and in result, so did Miroku's. He had learned when and where to keep his distance from her, and now wasn't the time. He was just as worried about Kagome as Sango was. It wasn't hard to sense Sango's distress, which is why he was staying so close to her. He wasn't like Inuyasha - he didn't try to hide his feelings. Though Miroku couldn't exactly say whether or not Inuyasha actually liked Kagome, he could say that the two had a certain understanding for each other, in some weird, distorted way. And that counted for something.

In a matter of minutes, they were standing before the front door to Kagome's house, both panting slightly. Sango didn't waste time knocking - she turned the knob and deftly pushed open the front door. Music greeted them both. Kagome's backpack was strewn on the carpeted living room floor.

Sango understood instantly that Kagome had turned on the music - she had always done so when she was alone or was just bored, to put it plainly. She sighed and examined the rest of the living room - everything was how it should have been, nothing was out of place.

But just then, the phone rang. The two of them eyed it wearily, Sango ultimately decided whether to answer it or not. The shrill ringing repeated over and over. Ten times. Fifteen. She scowled and ran across the carpet. The receiver, sitting on top of one of the kitchen counters, was picked up. Sango pressed the 'talk' button and held the phone up to her ear. "Who is this?" she asked heatedly, one hand braced on the counter.

"Ah, Sango, I was hoping to talk to you."

Sango narrowed her eyes and swivelled them towards Miroku, now standing on the other side of the bar-like counter. She could only make one guess as to who it was. "Naraku?" she whispered, now suddenly hoarse. Had the counter not been there, she would have been on the ground. "What the hell do you want?"

Miroku's eyebrows rose. He leaned in closer, and Sango angled the receiver so both of them were able to hear. There was a deep chuckle on the other side. "You guessed correctly, Sango. But we have more important matters to discuss."

Sango considered hanging up on him. But, knowing that Kagome could be standing before him at any minute, she decided against it. "What are you talking about?" She scanned the kitchen sullenly. 'It's as if he knows where we are, all the time. I don't like this.'

"Well, if you don't want Kagome to get hurt by any means, I suggest you get over here quickly."

Miroku watched Sango's reaction carefully - first anger, then confusion. There was more laughter, making Miroku wince at the noise. Sango's hand that was holding the receiver began shaking noticeably, her skin having suddenly gone a ghostly white. "Kagome? Where is she?! Naraku, what the hell are you getting at?"

Instead of an answer, all they heard was a click. The phone receiver fell to the ground with a thud. Miroku grasped on to Sango's shoulder, attempting valiantly to steady her, violet eyes wide in concern. "Sango?" he questioned quietly, his grip holding tighter.

The words barely made their way through Sango's mouth before she was running briskly towards the front door. "Miroku, we need to find Kagome. Now."

Miroku only nodded and followed after her. Not a word was spoken as Sango wrenched open the front door. She mentally cursed Kagome's rash decisions. 'But there had to be a reason...Kagome wouldn't just run off like that without any motive. Naraku's in for one hell of a beating when I find him.'


Kagome: ::trying to sneak inside::

Stephenie: Where were you?!?! Why'd you leave me behind?!

::Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango following behind Kagome::

Miroku: We...uh...went grocery shopping?

Inuyasha: ::smacks Miroku upside the head:: Idiot...

Sango: Uh...well, we're back, right?

A/N: I'm SORRY! It's shorter, and a tad late...but I apologize! I seem to have a knack for getting sick; right now I have a sort of flu, and I feel like I could just go run off a cliff. I'll try and update quicker next time. There's another cliffie for you guys to think about...but don't go completely insane over it. You have to read the next chapter...


I'm back, aren't I? Please don't kill me...I'll update soon! I swear!!