Chapter 1

Kohaku blinked at the rising suns light that bleed through the tree limbs. They had been walking all night since Naraku had sent them. Kanna walked silently & without a change of pace. The only sounds were that of any usual daybreak sound, birds singing their morning songs, dew dripping off of the higher branches leaves to hit the grass with a tiny splash.

He rubbed his eyes & sighed. He opened them to see something stirring in the bushes. He stood completely still, moving his hand slowly to the chain sickle tucked in the sash around his waist.

"Kohaku what is it?" Kanna asked quietly, looking back but not turning around. The thing moved again, he silently got into fighting stance. With a thrash of leaves a small snakelike demon shot out of the brush aiming for Kanna. A gasp barely escaping from her lips as it speed directly at her face. Kohaku was lightning fast, slicing the demon in two, just before it hit her. It was dead before it landed.

Kanna looked at kohaku & spoke with the slightest astonishment. "Why did you do that?" Kanna seemed surprised but her face hardly broke it's usual emotionless expression.

"We have a mission to finish. If you are injured it will only slow us down?" He lied. He was used to lying now that his memory was back. The truth was that he had grown closer to Kanna & he really did not want to see her hurt, it was in his nature to protect. They continued to look at each other. "Oh," was her only response. She then turned & started walking ahead, as if nothing happened.

Kohaku did not enjoy his time with anyone associated with Naraku, but if he had to choose he would pick Kanna. For obvious reasons he hated Naraku, as for Kagura he always felt she would be the person who would kill him if she had the chance. Kanna was quiet, She was more comfortable to be around. She was almost calming. He was now seventeen & he had grown accustomed to being with her. He was always careful not to reveal that he had his memory back when he was around her, for she still remained faithful to naraku, but he was still able to be more of his old self, just a little bit.

Kohaku looked ahead at Kanna, she had changed to. She was no longer a child, as she used to be. Naraku had made her flawlessly. Her pure white hair ended at her waist. It was thick & seemed to be made of the finest silks. Her body was slim & well figured, with a white obi accenting her petite waist, & a white Kimono which gave her that angelic look. Her face was carved to perfection, with a sweet nose & mouth, large dark eyes topped with lengthy lashes. She seemed to have a glow to her, opposite of Naraku. Had she not been a demon, the men in Kohaku's village would have fought to the death for her hand.

Kanna's head began to turn to look back to him. He quickly looked down not wanting to be caught eyeing her.
"Are you all right Kohaku?" She stopped & looked at him. "You are not keeping up."

"No, I'm fine." He jogged a few steps & caught up with her so they were next to each other. She looked at him blankly & gave what almost looked like a smile.

It had been two & a half days, by night fall they would reach their destination. From Naraku's instructions that would leave them one day to retrieve the scrolls. It wouldn't be hard. With Kohaku, there was not much that could not be done. He was an extremely skilled fighter who has only gotten better over time. He was kind & more gentle than the angry Naraku & the foolhardy Kagura.

Kanna disagreed with Naraku's ways, she only obeyed because she had to. She was more peaceful, she saw no point in killing people & having enemies. So these long simple missions, compared to constant battling were more to her liking.

"We are almost there." Kanna said now looking in her mirror. Kohaku looked as well. In the silver pool that was her precious mirror. An average looking temple appeared where her reflection was moments ago. It showed different rooms. One praying area, a kitchen, a teaching room, & various other rooms. The room they needed to get to was the storage room. Kanna now looked away from the mirror & at Kohaku who was still studying her mirror. He was thinking.

"Hmmm. How about we rest now & go in when it's later. I'll sneak in & take the scrolls, we should try to avoid confrontation. If something comes up we'll have no choice but to fight." Kohaku said looking into her eyes.
"Yes." She said looking back at him.

Kohaku immediately turned & began gathering wood for a fire. Kanna sat on a fairly large & smooth rock, placing her mirror on her lap. Kanna watched Kohaku disappear into the brush. The once fearful boy she knew was no more. He had grown to be a young man. He stood inches taller than her now. He was lean & very fit. Just about everything about him changed except his face, it still held the almost permanent expression of sorrow, only sometimes did a small smile peak through. Most importantly about his face though was his undeniable freckles. She had grown so accustomed to seeing them that she could not imagine him without them.

Naraku's incarnations would never have something like freckles. That would be considered an imperfection. However Kanna liked freckles. One of Naraku's few male incarnations still alive was Hakudoushi. How she hated Hakudoushi, the way he looked at her, it was just spine tingling. Luckily Naraku preferred her to work with Kagura or Kohaku.

She thought of the what Kohaku had said a few days ago.
"We have a mission to finish. If you are injured it will only slow us down"
She had this feeling that had been bugging her since he said it, almost like a longing that he would have said something else, she didn't know what, but it made her feel different somehow. She couldn't explain it.

The last Monk finally exited the temple & headed off to the sleeping quarters. Kohaku was hiding in the nearby woods watching the monks as they left one by one. Yoichi the head monk saw them all out of the temple. So it was a waiting game.

As Kohaku & Kanna ate & rested earlier that night, they decided to wait for the monks to head off for bed, then try & get the scrolls. It was also decided that Kanna stay a distance away so that the monks would not key into her demonic aura & become alarmed.

At last the coast was clear. Kohaku emerged in full stealth mode, he wore his slayer uniform & slayer mask. He was silent & fast. He roamed the grounds. He learned its format from Kanna's mirror. He just had to pass the sleeping quarters, then the kitchen. As he prepared to go past he sleeping quarters he tightly grasped the chain attached to his scythe & held his breath as to make no sound. He dashed. It seemed like every move he made was ten times louder than in any normal circumstance. Creaking & jingling every step of the way.

"Humph" the monk on the other side of the wall where kohaku stood rustled in his sleep. Kohaku froze. The rustling stopped he continued...finally. He had passed the sleeping quarters. He exhaled & gently released the chains from his clutches, still careful not to make a sound. The empty Kitchen was easy enough to pass & he reached the door to the storage room.

He slid it open with the utmost gentleness, stepped in & shut it. He lifted the small lantern off a hook on the wall lit it with two small striking rocks he kept under his left shoulder pad, then set the lantern on the ground so the light was not noticeable from outside. As he put the small rocks back under his shoulder pad he looked around the room. It had many shelves full of scrolls, some were in boxes. He had his work cut out for him. He began searching.

Kanna sat on the branch of a tree a large way away from the temple. She watched Kohaku execute the plan perfectly, at this moment precisely he was searching through the scrolls. Then the mirror showed her a view of the entire grounds. All seemed quiet, until she saw some movement. The mirror moved in closer to the movement, & Kanna's worst fear was recognized as a half asleep monk stumbled out of the sleeping room. He was looking around, not seeming to know where he was going.

Maybe he was just getting air?

Then the monk headed for the kitchen.

Oh no, if he sees or hears anything Kohaku is in trouble.

Kanna dropped from the tree limb & began running. She would have to draw the monks attention away or warn Kohaku, either way she had to do something.

"Kohaku." Kanna whispered as she ran.

As she got close to the grounds she raised her demonic aura as best as she could, hoping to draw the monks attention. She stood in plain sight at the edge of the forest bordering the temple. If he would just chase after her or something. She waited, focused on her demonic aura. Finally the monk reappeared & as he was not in a hurry or fighting with Kohaku, she concluded that the monk was unaware of the demon slayers presence at the temple. She immediately lowered her aura back down, & started to back into the forest, just as she turned her back the monk called

"Halt demon!"

She made a dash for it.

At least Kohaku had some more time.

She may have been a demon but her speed was not one of her best attributes. She tried to run quickly but kept stumbling on overgrown roots. She could hear him catching up with her, she decided it would be best if she just fought him. She stopped short & turned around to face her pursuer.

He also stopped, they faced each other. He was a young monk, hardly worth the title of monk by the looks of it. She had this fight. She began to extract the soul from him. The little spiritual strength he possessed posed little threat against Kanna.

In a quick flash, everything changed, someone was behind her, but she wasn't quick enough. They had hit her hard on the back & then pulled a staff over her head & held her tight, between the staff & the their body. Her arms were pinned so tightly against her side she could barley stand it. Eventually her hands grew weak. Her precious mirror seemed to drop in slow motion. It hit the ground & rolled away from her & the soul she was steeling removed itself & flew back to its body. She was now powerless & in pain.

"N-no...K-k-koha...ooh." She couldn't breath. The person threw her over their shoulder & began carrying her back to the temple.

Kohaku...

Kohaku had read through almost all of the scrolls & was growing tired. He reached for the last box, opened it & read. "the Dragon master Asuke last scrolls." At last!" He stood putting the box back in its place & tucking the scrolls into his sash. Last but not least he picked up the Lantern, blew out the tiny flame & hung it back in its place. It was then that he could hear the commotion forming outside.

I must have been discovered

Preparing for battle he pulled his mask up onto his face & grabbed his chainsickle. Taking a deep breath he opened the door, this time without slow caution. He ran out. Looking for his nearest opponent. Instead of an opponent he was shocked to see a seemingly unconscious Kanna lying on the ground in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by all the monk from the temple. His heart sank.

What happened?

Unnoticed by the preoccupied monk he leaned up next to the closest wall & began trying to form a plan. The monk were standing all around her. They were talking cheerfully, patting Yoichi on the back. He then heard one of the monk talking to Yoichi.

"She almost had me there, I though I was a goner, but she didn't stand a chance against you maste Yoichi. Thank you."

"There will be time for thanks later, now we must purify & dispose of this evil demon." Yoichi held his hands together & started reciting a chant, the other monk followed. Kanna's body began to rise from the ground, she was levitating. Then lights started to shoot out of her body.

"Aaaah!" The small scream barley escaped from her pained lips. They were purifying her.

That was it. No more plan formulating. Kohaku leapt into the crowd of monk. He swung his sickle with direct precision. Careful not to kill, only to injure. The monks fell quickly. They made attempts at throwing sutras at him but, this was futile. Kohaku was faster. All the monks were down now except for one, Yoichi. He & Kohaku stood at opposite ends of the courtyard, the shock & anger clearly visible on Yoichi's face. Kohaku was ready he had no problem taking on this monk.

A light out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. It was Kanna, the light that surrounded her was disappearing. Her body wavered in the air for a moment & began to fall. Yoichi was forgotten for the moment, Kohaku ran faster than he ever thought he could, catching the delicate Kanna's limp body. She looked up at him for a moment before falling completely unconscious.

End of Chapter