I just realized something. If the train of thought for this fic stays on the track it's currently on, and doesn't switch on over to another, this may be one of the best plots I've ever come up with. Hooray for help from my awesome idea giver!

Otulia: ….zzzzZzZzZzZZZZZ

Connected

Kouga trudged back the way he had come, staring blankly at the ground, trying his hardest not to think about his recent rejection. Though he'd known it was coming, it still hurt.

He hardly noticed when Hakkaku and Ginta, along with a few wolves, came running up to him, panting heavily.

"Hey, Kouga, why the long face?" Hakkaku asked when he had caught his breath. "Didn't you find Kagome?"

"I found her," he replied tonelessly, not looking at them.

"Then why are you here? Normally you hang around with her until we catch up," Ginta inquired. Both wolf demons were worried about their leader; he was usually energetic and burning with emotion, but now, he seemed so lifeless.

"Yeah," Hakkaku added. "You usually end up in a fight with InuYasha because he gets angry when you say she's your woman."

"She's not my woman," Kouga said quietly as the truth of the matter finally hit home.

Hakkaku and Ginta stopped in their tracks.

"What?" they asked in unison, staring at him in disbelief.

"I said, she's not my woman," he repeated agitatedly. "Damn that mutt…" Without another word, he dashed off in a whirlwind of dust, leaving his confused companions behind.

Kikyo paused in her journey as the unmistakable sounds of grumbling reached her ears. She would have kept going, however, she could sense a demonic presence that felt vaguely familiar, and her instinct told her to investigate.

She approached cautiously, and soon she could clearly make out the voice. "Stupid mutt…doesn't deserve her…"

Peering silently around the broad trunk of a tree, her eyes fell upon a lone wolf demon standing on the bank of a calm river, staring bitterly into its depths. As she watched, he sighed heavily, shoulders slumping in defeat. Slowly, he turned from the water and sat against a nearby tree.

"Kagome…" he murmured sadly. "You never did love me, did you? I was a fool…a lovesick fool…" After a moment of silence, he spoke again. "I'll kill Naraku for what he did to her."

As silently as she had come, Kikyo slipped away. "So," she pondered aloud. "It seems that Kagome has finally made her feelings known."

Shaking her head slowly, she continued on her journey. "InuYasha," she said softly to the wind, "I truly have lost you, haven't I?"

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, turning over what he had discovered in him mind. He had successfully evaded any contact with his brother's group for some time, and judging by what he had overheard from the undead priestess, he had missed something rather momentous.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that whatever occurred within InuYasha's group often could be traced back to Naraku in one way or another. He needed to find out more information.

His mind made up, he streaked away in search of his younger brother.

Totosai looked up from his work just in time to have a fist collide with his head. Rubbing the lump tenderly, he set the sword aside and turned to greet his visitors. "InuYasha, what brings you here?" he asked good-naturedly, adding under his breath, "And how did you find me?"

"Ah, Totosai," Myoga piped up from InuYasha's shoulder. "I thought you had informed Master InuYasha of your new whereabouts."

Sweat-dropping in his panic, he replied clumsily, "It must have slipped my mind."

"Whatever," InuYasha grumbled, seating himself in front of the old smith, Kagome settling down next to him. "I came here to ask you about Tetsusaiga."

"Eh? What about Tetsusaiga? You haven't broken it again, have you?"

InuYasha glared at the accusation, but bit back his hasty retort. He was there on serious business, and didn't really feel like arguing. "No, but it's felt different since I killed another of Naraku's incarnations," he said, handing the blade to Totosai.

The old yokai examined the blade closely. "You've also worn it down quite a bit. It'll have to be sharpened again."

"Feh, fine. Can you tell me what's different?"

Totosai was silent for a moment. "I'll see what I can do," he replied, suddenly serious. "It seems to me that Tetsusaiga's gained a new ability, but I don't like the feel of it. Tell me, this incarnation you slew…what was its strongest ability?"

Okay, I'm ending it here to get an update. Apologies for the foreverness…I got stuck on this chapter…and I'll probably be stuck for quite a few more…