Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha.

Chapter 26: The She-Wolf Returns

InuYasha huffed to himself as he stepped up to the door of Miroku and Sango's hut. Stepping in, he found the two sitting around the fire sipping warm tea. He growled and they merely pointed to a corner of the hut where their bags were awaiting the journey.

"Keh."

"InuYasha, my friend, we have known you long enough to know exactly how you would react to a situation such as this. Sango and I have been ready since early this morning." Miroku commented.

"The sooner we get over their and I kill Haru, the sooner we can leave that baka's land. I don't want to stay there any longer then I have to."

"As usual."

"I don't trust any of them around my pups and Kagome!" he growled out, his eyes flashing red for a few brief moments. Miroku set down his tea and looked at Sango. She nodded and stood, going outside the door.

"I don't blame you on this either, InuYasha. If it were my lovely Sango and girls being threatened in such a way, I would be rather skeptical about staying there also. But, it's better for them to go with you where you can look after them, correct?" InuYasha nodded. "Sesshomaru and you may have had tussles in the past, but that's what it is, in the past. Though you two may still fight like cats and…well, like dogs, you know he would not allow any harm to come to you or your family, just as you wouldn't allow anything happen to your sister-in-law or nephew."

"Fine. But if ANYthing happens in that castle to ANY of my family so help me they're all going to pay for it with their lives." At that time, InuYasha's ears perked up and he turned his head.

"You feel it also?"

"Yea. It's strange, though. I feel something, but it keeps fading out on me."

Miroku nodded. "Some type of barrier, most likely to keep us from knowing something."

"Kagome…!" InuYasha rushed out of the hut, Miroku on his heels. Sango had already grabbed Hiraikotsu and jumped on Kirara's back. Miroku started to jump on the fire-cat's back, but found himself face to face with the dirt before he knew what was happening.

"It's an ambush!" Sango yelled as she took off on Kirara, scooping up Miroku on the way. Youkai were surrounding their small hut, lurkers coming out of the shadows.

"Okaasan!"

"Yumi!"

"I've got her, Sango!" InuYasha swooped down and picked the girl up before one of the youkai had a chance to use her as a scratching post. He set her down by her other sisters a good distance away. "Get out of here, find Mai and stay with her!"

"No, I want to help! I CAN help!" Cho yelled. She had already proven that she could fight youkai, hadn't she? She deserved a chance like this.

"Cho, you have to take Yumi and Hana with you. I'm counting on you to get them to Mai safely, can you do that?" Miroku asked.

Cho thought it over, and nodded. "I'll look after them, Otou."

"Good girl, now go!"

Youkai after youkai came and was slain. After dozens were dead the onslaught finally came to an end long enough for InuYasha to catch the scent of Kagome again. "Come on Miroku!"

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As the bug-youkai started to puff out again, Kita forced herself back to her feet in front of Kagome. There is no way this is going to end well, Kita thought to herself as she braced for the worst. The high-pitched whistling stopped and was replaced by the sound of air being released. She waited for the spikes to come shooting out, but it never came.

"Hiraikotsu!" a huge boomerang fell in front of her, implanting itself in the ground and blocking the oncoming spikes. Kita glanced to the sky to see Sango and Miroku riding on Kirara's back a few yards above her.

"Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer!" A red blur jumped in front of the Hiraikotsu, claws flashing, slicing through the bug-youkai and sending green goop flying. Kagome was on her feet and running into InuYasha's open arms. "You okay, wench?"

"Yea, thanks to Kita."

InuYasha took Gina from Kagome and looked toward the wolf-hanyou girl. She had taken quite a beating from the youkai, but wasn't showing any of the wear. "Where's Makoto?" he asked.

"He's still back at the hut. The youkai came from the forest, dozens of them, he was holding them back…" Kita had to swallow the lump that formed in her throat. He was still out there…with all the youkai…on his own… "I'm going after him."

"Keh. Not like that you're not." He put Gina in her arms. "You're staying with Kagome and the pups. Do NOT leave this village." Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and even InuYasha were all stunned when Kita started to growl deep in her throat.

"I've got to help Makoto." She said in a commanding voice.

InuYasha growled louder and with more force, making Kita take a couple of steps back and lower her ears. "You will do as I say and stay here."

"InuYasha…" Kagome put a hand on his shoulder.

"No, Kagome. She may have been though a lot in her life, but she's still just an impulsive pup that needs to learn to listen and she's going to learn it now." He turned back to Kita. "I didn't want you to stay here in the first place, but Makoto talked me into it. I don't exactly have a great record with wolves, but so far you have proven me wrong. You can stay for as long as you wish and I have no problems with it, but as long as you are here you WILL listen to me. You can't fight to your best ability right now, and you know it, so I'm TELLING you to STAY here. Is that clear!"

Kita lowered her ears and nodded.

"Good. Miroku, Sango, we're going after Makoto. Kita, take Kagome and the pups to Mai, the other girls should be there. And if Shippou gets back, send him to the hut as fast as possible."

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Cho, Hana, and Yumi were running through the village franticly. Most of the villagers were running amuck as well, having already heard about the attacks around their small home. Many of the men where gathering weapons and such preparing for battle. The women ushered the children into huts, and those who had them sealed the doors and windows with sutras and other holy items meant to keep youkai from entering. The entire village was in an uproar by the time the girls spotted Shippou and Tani walking up one of the paths.

"Come on you two! We've got to tell Shippou to help!" Hana and Yumi ran behind Cho trying to keep up.

"Shippou!" Cho, followed close behind by her two younger sisters, ran up the path from the village. The three young girls threw themselves at Shippou and clung to his haori. "Shippou, Oji needs you! A bunch of youkai attacked Oba and the babies!"

Shippou pried the girls loose. "Where's Makoto and the others?"

"They're helping Oji, but there's so many!" Hana replied with watery eyes.

Shippou sighed and bent down on his knees, grabbing the girls' hands in his own. "I've got to go help them now, okay? Sango, Miroku and the others will be fine, but I've got to see what's happening. We'll all be back as soon as we can, I promise." Cho, Hana, and Yumi nodded, still shaking. Shippou turned and gave Tani his goodbyes before taking a package covered in brown cloth and heading out to his Oyaji and Okaa's hut.

Tani had her hand held against her stomach as she watched him leave. Kami, let him come back to me… She silently prayed to herself. She grabbed Yumi's hand. "Let's get to Mai's. They'll be alright."

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"A-Akina?" Makoto felt like he was in a dream that just went very sour, but never the less, there was Akina, standing with her hands on her hips and a genuine smirk on her face. As she walked closer the youkai behind her fell back into line. "Akina, what are you doing here!" Akina merely nodded and grinned. Suddenly Makoto found himself on his knees, his back suffering almost a crippling blow. Before he could stand and fight, two massive youkai each grabbed his arms in a way that held him in place.

"What am I doing here? Where else would I be, Makoto?" the smile suddenly faded from her face, replaced by an angry glare. "I suppose you were hoping that baka brother of mine and that…that… revolting creature I use to call Otou would have had me mated off by now! You hoped that some big thug was sent to make me obey their every command! You really thought I would allow myself to fall into something like that!" She huffed. "You thought wrong, Makoto. I don't care for you, I don't care for Kiga or the pack."

She reared her hand back and slapped him, leaving claws marks across his face. "All any of you ever wanted to do was control me. You all wanted me to be some kind of obedient pet that came every time you called."

"We weren't trying to control you, Akina, we were all trying to get you in control. Now I see that it was pointless. You're nothing but a self-righteous being with no remorse for others! You're a parasite, Akina, who cares nothing for anyone but yourself."

"I may be selfish, Makoto, but I'm the one with you on your knees. Now I'm the one with all the control. And nothing you, or Kiga, or anyone else says or does can change that." She took a couple of steps back with her arms open to the sides. "I control a whole army of youkai now. They do anything I say, at anytime."

"At what price, Akina! What did you lose to gain for yourself!"

"Nothing really." She smirked. "Just my word that I will kill you and your family. You see, my little friends over there, "She gestured to the inu-youkai, "have a bit of a qualm with all of you, and quite a bit of power to back it up. All I did is swear to get rid of you and the others, and in return I control their army."

"This isn't just some game, Akina! This is a war, people will die! Innocent people have already been hurt. Is that what you want? You want your own wickedness to take control of you?"

Akina knelt before him, gently rubbing the back of her hand across the claw stripes on his cheek and whispered low: "It wouldn't take much, Makoto. One word to either of these youkai and your head would be brought to me on a silver platter. That's control. That's all I will ever need. As for innocent people getter hurt? There are no innocent people, we all have a bit of wickedness waiting to be released. With one word I can bring you down. Another word would bring to an end the lives of your family, your friends, and that little half-breed replacement of mine." She kissed his uninjured cheek before standing back to her feet and stared to walk away.

Makoto could feel the fumes of his anger surrounding him. The kiss Akina gave him felt like acid burning into his skin. He wasn't thinking straight, only certain words popping in his head: Akina kill Kita…. Akina…kill Kita… Akina…kill… KILL AKINA! It was as if something broke inside of him, some hidden barrier melted away inside and set free the creature deep within. Makoto was seeing everything in red, his breath became heavy and demanding. The youkai beside him never stood a chance. With his extending claws and fangs, heads were literally rolling as soon as he freed himself. He pried a bodiless arm from his wrist and stood to his feet slowly. "Akkkkinnnnaaaaa…" he called out in a sing-song voice.

Akina turned at the sound of her name being called in such a way. A head from one of the youkai hit her foot with a thud, and every ounce of confidence she had went out the window when she saw the transformed Makoto free, red eyes glaring at her with nothing but hatred and blood on the mind. She gasped and glanced to where the inu use to be standing. The three were gone, leaving her behind. She looked to the forest. The last line of youkai were still there. "What are you waiting for! Kill the half-breed!"

As the youkai started attacking Makoto all at once, Akina found it time for her to disappear. She ran straight into the forest without so much as a glance back. Makoto fought with all the rage he had in his body. He didn't even feel any of the scratches or bites he received from the fight, and as the last of the youkai fell to his bloody claws, he still wanted more. He didn't care about that blood, that blood meant nothing to him, just a distraction. He wanted the blood of the she-wolf. That's all that mattered. The ONLY thing that mattered. Makoto had to have her blood.

Her scent was easy to pick up on, it reeked with fear. It wasn't all that hard catching up with her either. In no time he had found her, still running from him. He smirked. She didn't really think he'd let her go, did she? Makoto caught up with her, bringing his hands together in a fist and slamming them down on the back of the girl's neck. Akina fell hard to the ground and scrambled around. Makoto jumped down in front of her, his eyes shadowed over by his hair.

Akina was on her knees in front of Makoto, scooting herself backward until she bumped into a tree. She held her hands out above her, panting, whining, crying. "Please, Makoto, I didn't mean any of it! It-it wasn't my fault! The inu… they made me do it! I swear, I would never lie to you Makoto! Please! Show me mercy… morn my pathetic existence, just please let me live!"

Makoto continued to approach her, a predatory gleam in his eyes. When he stood before her he growled. "Don't you know anything Akina? No one morns the wicked." What happened next is too gruesome to recollect on. Akina's body was slashed to ribbons, bits and pieces covered the grass and trees. Makoto himself was covered with blood from head to toe, his claws and fangs dripping with the deep-crimson liquid. His youkai form licked his lips, savoring the metallic taste of her blood with a smirk.

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InuYasha, Miroku, and Sango arrived at the hut in record time. InuYasha covered his nose with his sleeve as he chased off the birds-of-paradise that were eating the dead. The smell was nearly unbearable, blood everywhere! There was still no sign of Makoto. He even had Miroku, Sango, and Kirara on the ground searching through the bodies. He could smell a bit of Makoto's blood every once in awhile, but never a distinct scent. Kirara looked up at him and mewed. "I know, it stinks here. Keep searching."

"Oyaji!" Shippou skidded to a stop beside InuYasha, covering his own nose from the smell. "Where's Makoto?"

"We haven't found him yet. With all this blood I can't pick up on his scent."

"Oyaji…look at these youkai. They're…they're…"

InuYasha nodded. "They're ripped to bits. Either the birds-of-paradise had a frenzy, or Makoto transformed and went into a blood-rage. You got the sword?"

"Right here." He took off the brown cloth and handed the sword to InuYasha. In and instant the Tetsusaiga started to pulse. Shippou and InuYasha stared down at his sword and looked at each other. "Tetsusaiga's reacting."

"Yea…" InuYasha drew his sword, pointing the blade out in front of him. The sword pulsed again, sending out a small shockwave toward the forest.

"Not to sound condescending, but I think Makoto ran off into the forest."

InuYasha nodded as he looked down at Makoto's sword. "Yea…" When InuYasha and Shippou got to the edge of the forest, they both stopped and looked at each other. Miroku and Sango stopped behind them.

"Is there a problem?" Miroku asked.

"You could say that." Shippou answered.

"Great, just great!" InuYasha yelled. "Makoto's in a blood-rage and that stupid she-wolf has been here!"

"Akina?"

"Yea. It's her alright. No doubt."

"At least now we know what set off Makoto, but it still doesn't explain what Akina was doing here in the first place."

"There's no time to worry about that now. Makoto is out there, with her, in a full out blood-rage. We've got to get this sword to him before he does something we'll all regret."

"Right."

"Sango, Miroku, you two go on back to the village and make sure everything is alright there. Shippou and I will find Makoto and meet you later."

As InuYasha trudged through the forest he got the worst feeling in his gut. Somehow, he knew it was most likely too late for the she-wolf. She was as good as dead. In fact, he could smell her death now that there wasn't so much youkai blood everywhere. Not that he cared for Akina, she was nothing but trouble in the first place. How would Makoto react when he transformed back and found Akina dead by his own claws? That would send him in a downward spiral. InuYasha could only hope to land on a better situation, other than what was right in front of his eyes…

A/N:

…ehe…what in the world have I done now?

Anyways… you know the routine…

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Still to come: Makoto deals with his actions, Kita faces Sesshomaru, InuYasha and Haru face-off, the battle of the Western lands

Quiz:

"No one morns the wicked." Where did this quote come from? LoL.