During a blood red sunset, a group of bandits found their hands full with a certain demon. This demon being Sesshomaru, who easily slaughtered them all with an arm he acquired from another demon.
"Excellent work as always, Lord Sesshomaru." Jaken praised "And I must say that slaying that blue demon and plundering his arm was a splendid idea!"
"Open your eyes, fool." Sesshomaru stated coldly, then ripped off the arm and tossed it to the ground "This arm has already been rendered useless."
The arm then twitched and grabbed Jaken by the waste.
"Go find me a more suitable demon and bring me back his arm." Sesshomaru started to walk away "Know that if you don't, I will have to kill you."
Terrified by this, Jaken forcefully freed himself from its grip and watched it deteriorate into nothing 'Mother was right. I should've been a ferryman.'
"Even if I am provided with another arm, it too shall become useless after a short while." Sesshomaru mused
"A vexing problem, isn't it?" said an ominous voice.
Sesshomaru turned to see a figure wearing a white baboon pelt standing behind him.
Jaken panicked and hid behind Sesshomaru.
"If I'm not mistaken, you are Inuyasha's older brother. Lord Sesshomaru, are you not?" the figure asked
"What do you want? Should I know you?" Sesshomaru questioned coldly
"I am someone who, like yourself, despises Inuyasha. Forgive me, but I happened to overhear your conversation just now. Perhaps I can be of assistance. Might I suggest you employ this arm?" The figure held out a human arm.
"Have you lost your senses?!" Jaken squawked "Clearly, that is the arm of a human!"
"Precisely. This arm originally belonged to a mortal, but imbedded in it is a fragment of the Shikon jewel. If you use this arm, the jewel shard will enable you to wield the Tessaiga, Inuyasha's fabled sword. The sword is known to work for the benefit of humans. At present, even you cannot wield its power."
"You mentioned something about despising Inuyasha. Do you intend to use me to exact your revenge?" Sesshomaru questioned
"Yes."
That set Jaken off like a firecracker, until Sesshomaru kicked him into a nearby field "Your offer is interesting. I shall accept the arm from you."
The figure nodded and held out a small ball in his hand "One more thing. Take this hive. You should be able to make good use of it."
Sesshomaru took the hive and stared at it "I should know the name of the one I make a pact with."
"My apologies. Call me Naraku."
"Very well, Naraku. You have yourself a deal."
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Gohan, Kagome, Inuyasha, Shippo and Miroku, who had agreed to join them after a run-in with an army of ink demons, we're spending the night in an inn.
Inuyasha was fuming about how Miroku had got them the room by swindling the innkeeper.
Gohan and Shippo were eating while Gohan was telling Shippo about some of the Ryuuga's abilities.
Kagome, meanwhile, was lost in her thoughts 'Gohan… is in love with me? I can't believe I never noticed. Why hasn't he said anything to me after all this time?'
That was when the room shook slightly. Then it stopped. Then it happened again, only more violent this time.
That was when Miroku suggested they run, much to Inuyasha's ire.
Kagome's eyes widened suddenly "I sense a sacred Jewel shard nearby. And it's approaching us fast!"
Gohan nodded as he gripped the Ryuuga "Yeah. I'm sensing a powerful demonic energy source as well. I recognize that demonic energy. Oh, this is gonna be fun.'
Inuyasha smirked at this "Well that's a nice change. We've never had them bring use shards before."
Miroku also smirked "I suppose that if a jewel shard is involved, I could put in a little effort." And he ran out, much to Inuyasha's fury as he ran after him, with Gohan and the others following soon.
In the town, a massive ogre demon appeared, crushing several buildings in the process.
Inuyasha's eyes widened as he noticed who was on top of the ogre "Sesshomaru!"
Said- dog demon leapt down and stuck his poison claw into the ground, forcing everyone but Gohan and Inuyasha to flee to a safe distance. "As usual, you're slow to take action… Little brother." he then looked at Gohan "I sense that you've grown much stronger since the since the last time we met, Son Gohan."
Gohan bowed slightly out of respect "Indeed I have, Lord Sesshomaru. I take you're here to steal the Tessaiga?"
Sesshomaru nodded "Of course."
In response, Inuyasha drew the Tessaiga lunged at Sesshomaru, who dodged the massive blade with ease, and then grabbed Inuyasha by the wrist and used his poison claws, but Gohan intervened and slashed at Sesshomaru, who backed away and slashed at Inuyasha using his poison whip, forcing the Tessaiga out of his grip.
Using his new arm, Sesshomaru gripped the sword, much to everyone's shock and horror.
Gohan's eyes narrowed at this 'What exactly did he do? He shouldn't be able to touch the thing, let alone wield it.'
In a blinding light, Sesshomaru swung the sword, producing a demonic energy blast that landed a direct hit on Inuyasha, who was sent flying into a mountain, unconscious.
Seeing this, Gohan drew the Ryuuga and took a battle stance "Impressive. I can tell I've got a tough fight on my hands."
Sesshomaru nodded "As do I. Would you like to see a demonstration of its power?"
Gohan nodded eagerly.
Seeing this, Sesshomaru turned "Jaken. Do it."
The little demon, using the massive ogre it was riding on, destroyed a mountain, releasing 100 demons from inside.
"Witness this, Son Gohan. For I shall slay 100 demons with one stroke." Sesshomaru swung the sword, the demonic power vaporizing every last one of them.
Gohan was visibly trembling.
Jaken cackled when he saw this "Witness this, you foolish mortal! You wished for your death the moment you defied Lord Sesshomaru!"
"Jaken!" Sesshomaru growled sharply "Are you ready, Son Gohan?"
Gohan nodded and smirked "I was born ready. I can't stop trembling with excitement!"
Then the duel began.
Both clashed several times with their blades, evenly matched, neither one getting the upper hand.
During this, Miroku charged in and prepared to use his hand on the ogre demon.
"Naraku spoke of a certain monk. Could this be the same young man before us?" Jaken mused.
"Everyone stand back!" Miroku opened his hand "Wind Tunnel!" the demonic power of the wind tunnel sucked in a large part of the ogre.
Gohan and Sesshomaru had to stick their swords into the ground just to keep from being pulled in.
Seeing this, Sesshomaru pulled out the hive of the Saimyosho, given to him by Naraku, and tossed it into the air.
Out sprouted several poison insects, which then flew into Miroku's Wind Tunnel, poisoning him.
Gohan then easily slaughtered the remaining Saimyosho, and returned to Sesshomaru.
The two then continued their duel, clashing with demonic energy blasts, destroying what remained of the giant ogre in the process.
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Miroku and Shippo were in the middle of torturing Jaken. Well, they were trying to.
Okay, basically, Miroku was just beating Jaken senseless, and he was still refusing to talk. You'd think he'd learn when he has to talk. But then again, he's Jaken.
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Gohan and Sesshomaru were still going at it until Sesshomaru caught him off guard whip a poison-enhanced fist to the face, sending him crashing to the ground.
Sesshomaru slowly walked over to Son Gohan and raised the sword "You have fought well, Son Gohan. But now, we shall end this."
Suddenly, the Tessaiga was struck by a sacred arrow, courtesy of Kagome, which returned the sword to its original form.
"Drop the sword Sesshomaru." Kagome prepared another arrow "Or the next one goes in your heart."
Gohan smiled at this 'That's why I love her.'
Seeing Kagome's power as a threat, Sesshomaru easily dodged as she shot another arrow at him, and fired a blast of demonic energy (A:N To be named later for reasons of plot developments) at Kagome.
Seeing her in danger, Gohan got there just in time to shield her from the blast, which sent them both flying backward and crashing to the ground.
Thanks to Ryu's kimono, Gohan was alive, but seriously injured.
Kagome, however, was out cold.
Angered, Gohan turned to Sesshomaru "That was a dirty move, Sesshomaru. She wasn't involved in this."
Sesshomaru merely smirked slightly at this "She posed a threat, and had to be eliminated."
That just enraged Gohan even more.
In a blind rage, Gohan charged, but Sesshomaru used his poison claws to thrust his hand right through Gohan's chest.
Fortunately, he missed the vital organs.
Badly injured but still determined, Gohan stood once more, determined to protect the woman he loved, even at the cost of his own life.
With every last ounce of strength he had, Gohan charged at Sesshomaru, demonic fire surrounding the Ryuuga "This ends now! Dragon Inferno!" a demonic fire dragon appeared, engulfing Sesshomaru, burning him severely and sending him flying backwards.
Gohan slowly walked up to him, Ryuuga in hand and glared down at him "You were a strong opponent, Lord Sesshomaru. But this ends now." and with that, he lopped off Sesshomaru's human arm, taking the jewel shard with it, and grabbed the Tessaiga. Then, he offered a hand to Sesshomaru, who somewhat hesitantly accepted "You fought well, Lord Sesshomaru."
Sesshomaru nodded in response "As did you, Son Gohan. I expected as much, when I saw you carry the Ryuuga. But you have exceeded my expectations. In the future though, I shall desire a rematch."
"You can bet on it. By the way, where did you get the human arm, the poison insects, and the jewel shard anyway?"
"From a demon who wore a baboon pelt. He went by the name Naraku."
"Oh dear god."
"You know of him?"
"You can expect a lot of grief from him in the future."
"I will remember that. The better man won today, Son Gohan. But next time will be different." and with that, he disappeared in a white light, Jaken following soon after.
Not long after, however, Gohan fell to his knees, his injuries and exhaustion catching up to him.
Soon, a newly conscious Inuyasha rejoined the group "What'd I miss?"
"A lot." Miroku and Shippo said simultaneously
"Gohan!" a newly conscious Kagome ran over to him.
"Kagome… Thank goodness… She's safe…" Gohan got out, before collapsing in a pool of his own blood.
"Gohan!" Kagome screamed in horror and fear, tears brimming in her eyes.
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Sesshomaru confronted Naraku for attempting to use him to destroy Inuyasha and Gohan for him, and then have the arm incinerate itself, along with Sesshomaru.
In response, Sesshomaru decapitated Naraku, but it turned out to be nothing more than one of his demon puppets.
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The group wasn't faring so well after the encounter with Sesshomaru.
Miroku was still recovering from the poison of the Saimyosho.
Inuyasha was still recovering, but he would be fine within a few days.
Gohan, however, fared the worst. He had taken a demonic energy blast head on, several poison-enhanced fists to the face, not to mention having a poisonous claw driven through his chest.
Gohan had told them to take him back to Kaede's village, while riding Miroku's badger demon servant, Hachiemon.
"Kagome." Gohan said weakly, while Miroku paid Hachi for his work "Come with me."
"You shouldn't be up!" Kagome protested "I know you're strong, and you're a fighter, but that's a serious injury. It's still way too early to be moving around."
Gohan slowly led Kagome over to the Bone-eater's well "Kagome, are you sure you're alright?" he sat down, leaning on the well.
Kagome's cheeks turned a light pink at this, but too light to notice, and nodded "It's just a lump on the head."
"We have to get Naraku. According to Sesshomaru, he's the one behind all this. I've been doing thinking. This time, we got lucky, but who knows what will happen next time."
"I'm not afraid of him!" Kagome retorted "Naraku's a terrible demon! We've got to do what we can to destroy him-" she was cut off when Gohan pulled her into a hug, her face turning red in the process.
"I was afraid." Gohan whispered "I was terrified. I thought I was going to lose you." He then let go, revealing that he now held the jewel "I'll hold on to the jewel for now. Kagome, listen to me. I want you to go back to the present." and with that, he pushed her into the well.
Inuyasha, Miroku and Shippo, who had been watching this, were shocked by his actions, but Inuyasha understood.
If you love someone, you'd do anything for them.
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Kagome was about to go back and tell Gohan off, but found that she couldn't get back because Gohan took the jewel shards. She looked in her backpack and found a note:
Kagome,
If you're reading this, then that means that the inevitable has happened, and I've made my decision.
I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I just can't risk you getting hurt again.
I've failed to protect you too many times as it is. The centipede demon, Sesshomaru, the Thunder Brothers, Urasue, and now the second time with Sesshomaru. I just couldn't risk it anymore.
Tell my mom and Goten I'm sorry, tell Bulma, Krillin, Piccolo, Kai and everyone else that I said thanks for always being there for me.
I'm truly sorry Kagome, I hope that one day you'll understand.
Gohan
As Kagome read this, tears swelled up in her eyes 'Gohan…'
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Gohan and Inuyasha were still recovering from their injuries from the battle with Sesshomaru. Gohan, Miroku and Inuyasha were taken to an empty cave by Kaede, not far from the village. Kaede explained to them that 50 years ago, Kikyo cared for an injured bandit by the name of Onigumo. But when Kaede went to care for him after Kikyo perished, he had disappeared, and the cave had been burnt all over.
Unfortunately, that was when a large wolf demon by the name of Royakan decided to attack. Royakan was being controlled by a jewel shard implanted in his forehead by Naraku.
After barely fending him off, Kaede and Miroku sealed the wounded Gohan and Inuyasha in an sold hut, hidden by sacred seals.
"LET ME OUT OF HERE!"
Needless to say, Inuyasha wasn't happy.
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Kai sat on the roof during lunch and sensed who was watching from above "It's alright Piccolo, I'm all alone."
"Yeah, I sensed that." Piccolo appeared in front of him "The girl is coming though. I sense her."
"And you're still here. I guess it's only right she find out about the guy who trained her best friend since she was 6. Which reminds me, I wanna talk to you about something later."
"Kai?" that was when Kagome showed up on the roof "Who are you talking to-" she paused when she saw Piccolo "Um…"
"Oh that's Piccolo, Gohan's first mentor. The green guy he told you about."
"Oh yeah. Hi." she received a nod.
"Anyway, where's Gohan?"
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." she handed him the note.
Kai read it over with Piccolo, and when finished, he looked sad yet understanding "I see."
Piccolo was about the same "So he really did it."
"I figured, that's always how he's been. Going above and beyond to protect someone close to him."
"So he's really in love with me?" she then explained what she heard Gohan tell Inuyasha before.
"He always has been, me and the Jolly Green Giant here were the first ones to find out about it."
"But what do I do?"
"Just act like nothing happened." Piccolo told her sternly "Pretend like you never heard that and act as if everything's the same."
"But why?"
"Because you never meant to hear it." Kai told her "Look, if he finds out you know and don't feel the same way then it'll completely destroy him."
"But what if I do feel the same way?"
Kai shared a look with Piccolo, then looked back at Kagome "Do you?"
"Well… I-I don't know. Gohan's a great guy, but I don't think I'm ready for a relationship."
"Just give it time. Gohan's a great guy like you said, you just figure out your feelings."
"Right…"
"It goes deeper than that." Piccolo finally cut in "I'm going to assume that Gohan told you about what happened with Cell." he received a nod "Gohan's been constantly ridden with guilt over Cell killing Goku, so now he's taking on the entire burden of protecting everyone on this planet."
"He told you that?"
"He didn't have to. I can read Gohan better than anyone. He's holding it all inside until it just builds up and explodes all at once. Just remember that if anything should happen to Gohan, I'll know who to blame." his voice grew rather menacing at the end.
"R-Right." then Kagome left, rather shaken.
"Anyway Kai, what were you saying?"
"Oh right." Kai turned and looked Piccolo dead in the eye "I want you to train me."
Piccolo's non-existent eyebrows shot up 'Okay, didn't see that coming. Alright then, tell me why exactly you want me to train you so badly."
"Because I want to become stronger. It isn't for anything as noble or delusional as saving the Earth, I'm not an idiot. Gohan was there for me during the most difficult time of my life, when my mom died before the whole androids thing. It's only right that I be there for him too. Besides, I hate losing in just about anything and everything, especially martial arts. I know I've only been into it since I was about 8, but I can't stay behind Gohan forever. I know sticking with the same training regimen he had won't get me up to his level, but I know I can learn a lot from you. I already grasped the basics of Ki control a long time ago, so I know where to begin. Please."
Piccolo studied Kai for a moment, then nodded in approval "Good, that's exactly the kind of motivation I want to hear. You'll become a fierce rival for him, and I think that's just what he needs. But don't expect me to go easy on you."
"I want you to push me until I'm half-dead."
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The morning after, Kaede and Miroku combined their spiritual power to form a sacred barrier around the hut, preventing anyone from seeing it.
That was when Royakan showed up.
Unfortunately, Miroku had to release his position to save Kaede from being attacked by Royakan, releasing the barrier and revealing the hut.
His target now in plain sight, Royakan jumped into the air and crashed down on the hut.
Fortunately, Gohan, Inuyasha and Shippo were able to escape.
But even so, the injured Gohan and Inuyasha stood little chance against the might of the empowered Royakan.
The large mutated wolf demon slashed his claw at Gohan, sending him crashing to the ground, causing the jewel shard to fly out of his possession.
To prevent Royakan from obtaining it, Shippo snatched the jewel shard and ran for it, being chased by Royakan's wolves.
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Kagome, faintly sensing a sacred jewel shard, decided to check it out, which led her straight into the well.
She still couldn't get through though.
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Shippo had fled into the Bone- Eater's well, in order to escape from Royakan's wolves and keep possession.
With the jewel shard in the well, this allowed Kagome to travel through the well once again, much to Shippo's relief.
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Back at the fight, Inuyasha looked in the direction of the well "It's Kagome scent, I'd know her scent anywhere!" he slashed at Royakan, sending him stumbling back.
Gohan took this time to head to where Kagome and Shippo were. When he arrived, he found Kagome and Shippo being cornered in the well by Royakan's wolves. He quickly finished them off by launching them into the air and using the Dragon Cyclone.
The remaining wolves disappeared when Inuyasha had subdued Royakan… By shoving a tree in his mouth.
As Gohan descended towards the ground, he made dramatic eye contact with Kagome as she climbed out of the well.
"Gohan…" She whispered
Gohan froze for a moment, then grew angry "I told you to stay back in the present-"
He was cut off by Kagome running up to him and hugging him "I was so sure you died of your injuries, because you didn't come for me."
Gohan's anger softened considerably "I told you to stay away from here, for your own safety."
Kagome released him from her embrace "I know, but I had to come. I needed to see you."
Gohan's eyes widened at this 'She… She needed to see me?'
Unknown to them, an evil presence *cough* Naraku *cough* was watching them in secret.
"That woman." Naraku spotted Kagome "She is Kikyo? No. Kikyo perished 50 years ago."
Kagome's eyes widened suddenly "Someone's near. They have jewel shards. And lots of them."
Gohan nodded "I sense it too. From the feel of the demonic energy, this guy is no joke. He could give Sesshomaru a run for his money."
In response, Inuyasha quickly found him "You… You're Naraku, aren't you?"
Naraku merely smirked as Gohan and the others arrived.
"Answer one thing before I avenge Kikyo's death." Inuyasha growled "Why do you bear such a grudge against me?"
"Good question." Naraku replied evenly "Kaede, age has not been kind to you."
Kaede's eye widened "You… Onigumo!"
"Onigumo? That name brings such fond memories. No, I am merely Naraku. Yet I was born of Onigumo 50 years ago. Onigumo was such a fool. He began to foster desires for the kind hearted young priestess who nursed him. Eventually, he succumbed to his weakness and called forth the demons. And the demons merged with Onigumo to become one. Naraku. Myself. It requires countless demons to create my body. Because the priestess Kikyo was so powerless, the region teemed with demons. Her power had diminished because she had fallen in love with a worthless half-demon. She submitted to her desires, and attempted to use the Shikon Jewel for herself. And for that, she was punished. Inuyasha, you were punished as well."
"You bastard!" Inuyasha snarled "It was all you. Deceiving me and Kikyo, tricking us into trying to kill each other. It was all you!"
"Then tell me. How was it that your trust in one another was so easily destroyed?" Naraku questioned rhetorically "It was anger. Bitter anger that turned you against each other. That, Inuyasha, is the true legacy of the trust you held for each other. Even Kikyo was unable to comprehend it. She should've chosen to live, and used the power of the jewel to save herself. Yet she instead chose death. Had she begged for her life, her wish would've been easily granted. Then she would've understood the ultimate truth of darkness. Foolish women. It is claimed that the Shikon jewel is more beautiful when defiled."
"Kagome, how many shards does he have?" asked Inuyasha
"Too many to count." replied Kagome
Inuyasha charged at Naraku, shredding his baboon pelt.
Naraku merely smirked and unleashed something he called a cloud of destruction upon the forest. Everybody except Inuyasha and Gohan fled.
Having survived somehow, both charged as Naraku, and succeeding in slashing his shirt, revealing a spider-shaped birthmark on his back, before Naraku escaped by unleashing a powerful miasma, much to Inuyasha's dismay.
Kaede recognized the spider mark. That alone was irrefutable proof that Naraku and Onigumo were one and the same.
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As noticed by Gohan, Inuyasha had been even more like… well, him, than usual since the encounter with Naraku 'Then again, I can't really blame him. If it were me and Kagome in that position, I'd probably feel the same way.'
Things had been like they usually were since then. Miroku had found yet another mansion for them to spend the night.
Inuyasha scoffed at this "He's probably gonna tell them that there's an ominous cloud over the mansion again."
"You're mistaken." Miroku replied seriously "I have a legitimate reason for coming here."
Gohan and Inuyasha just shared an unbelieving glance.
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But it turned out the Miroku actually wasn't lying. For once.
"So these demons carry off the souls of dead girls?" Gohan summarized
The lord nodded "As if losing our princess wasn't upsetting enough. I cannot have her soul taken before it reaches its final resting place."
"Rest assured. We shall protect the princess's soul from these demons." Miroku promised, earning looks from his companions.
They didn't believe him for a minute.
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Night came. Everyone was watching for the soul collecting demons.
Miroku, as expected, was keeping an eye on the princess. You know, the living one.
Shippo was "learning" from Miroku.
"All clear outside." said Gohan "Anything strange in here, Kagome?"
Kagome shook her head "So far, everything is normal. Miroku went to check on the other princess a little while ago."
Gohan snorted "I'm starting to get what Inuyasha's talking about." He blushed when he noticed Kagome leaning against him "You ok?"
"What do you think? She's creeping me out. It's almost like she could spring to life at any minute now!"
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"I must take my leave. Your sister's soul requires my unwavering protection." Miroku told the other princess, who *ahem* didn't meet the standards set by her younger sister.
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Suddenly, the body of the princess started floating in the air. The two reacted, differently to say the least:
Gohan: 'The ****?!'
Kagome: Terrified & clinging onto Gohan for dear life.
Gohan: Enjoying every minute of it
Anyway, a long, dragon like demon burst through the wall, flying towards the princess as the soul flew out of her body.
Gohan quickly drew the Ryuuga and slashed the body to pieces, causing the soul to return to the body, which returned to the ground.
But that wasn't the end of it.
There were several more flying past, all carrying human souls.
As they rendezvoused with Inuyasha, they saw Miroku and Shippo running from the other princess.
"Miroku having woman troubles again?" asked Inuyasha
Gohan shrugged "Probably."
Needless to say, they weren't able to spend the night there.
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The next morning, the group had stopped for a break and we're discussing what to do about the soul collectors.
Inuyasha was brooding about how they weren't gonna find a jewel shard from this whole thing, which turned to an argument with Kagome when she jokingly called him a saint.
Shippo was teasing Miroku about what happened in the mansion.
That was when they saw a young monk floating in the river.
Inuyasha was forced to go get it when he was pushed into the river by Kagome while she was muttering something about how he should "look to the Saint inside him."
When the monk regained consciousness, he was immediately terrified by the sight of Kagome. Apparently his mentor was killed by a demon, who took on the form a human priestess, and looked exactly like Kagome.
The last straw for Inuyasha was when the monk said her name: Kikyo.
After questioning the monk some more, Inuyasha took off, promising to save Kikyo.
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After Miroku made a thoughtless comment about how if he were Inuyasha then he'd get back together with her, Kagome left to cool off.
That was when they saw several soul collectors flying past them.
Seeing this, the four of them attempted to follow, but a barrier prevented anyone but Kagome and Gohan from getting through, leaving Miroku and Shippo trapped on the outside.
After falling down a cliff, they found a sight they never expected: Kikyo, still in the land of the living.
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Inuyasha was searching, and ended up finding Kikyo's hair band.
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Kikyo opened her eyes and looked at Kagome "I see that my barrier was not strong enough to prevent you from finding me." She then looked at Gohan "But how did you get past my barrier?"
Gohan ignored her question when he saw the soul collectors approach "So you're the one controlling these thing and stealing the souls of dead women."
"Is he not here with you?"
"Inuyasha took off looking for you a while ago. But that's not important right now. There's something you should know, Lady Kikyo. About what happened that day. Neither you nor Inuyasha are to blame."
Kikyo then looked in a certainty direction "He's here."
At that moment, Inuyasha arrived "Kikyo…"
Kikyo then turned to Gohan "Tell me."
Gohan nodded "Based on what Kaede told us, you once cared for an injured thief in a cave by the name of Onigumo."
"I did. But what does that have to do with it?"
"Apparently his desire for both you and the Shikon Jewel had caused all of this. He ended up selling his body and soul to demons, becoming Naraku, a shapeshifter who pitted you against each other. He's been causing havoc since then. He cursed Miroku's bloodline with a Wind tunnel, murdered people and absorbed countless demons. He could easily take both me and Inuyasha in a fight."
Kikyo looked at him, her expression unreadable "I see." without a word, her soul collectors picked her up and flew away, into the distance.
Kagome and Inuyasha had both been extremely quiet.
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Kikyo had gone to Kaede to determine if Gohan's information was accurate.
Kaede all but confirmed it.
With her questions answered, Kikyo departed, wanting to be alone to ponder the information she has been given.
If it was true and Inuyasha had been framed, then she had much to think about.
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Kagome and Gohan were about to head home for a few days.
After Kagome entered through the well, Miroku stopped Gohan "Tell me Gohan, do you honestly love Kagome?"
Gohan nodded "With all my heart and soul."
Kagome had then reinterred the well, having forgotten her backpack beforehand, when she had heard Gohan speak to Miroku and the others.
"But I know I can't be with her, no matter how much I want to. At least not yet. I've never stopped loving her. Not even for a minute. Though with Naraku on the loose, there's no way a real relationship would work. But I'll promise you this, Miroku, Inuyasha, Shippo. I promise on my life, that by the time we destroy Naraku once and for all, I will have confessed my love for Kagome. If not, I'll take my own life."
Kagome was now definitely considering what Kai and Piccolo had said to her.
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Little did they know, another plot was afoot.
In a village plagued by a massive centipede demon, the beast was defeated by a hired demon slayer; a talented young woman by the name of Sango, who easily slaughtered the demon using her trusty weapon, the Hiraikotsu, a large boomerang made from the bones of several slain demons.
Sango quickly dispatched the beast and took the jewel shard in its possession as payment 'It only makes sense, seeing as it originated in my home village.'
A new development was about to show itself.
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The group had set up camp for the night.
"Sometimes I wonder which there are more of, stars in the sky or shards of the Shikon jewel. Our search isn't anywhere near over." Shippo muttered.
"Not necessarily Shippo." said Inuyasha, not realizing the stupidity of what was about to come out of his mouth "Naraku is gathering jewel shards, just like us. In the long run, he'll save us a lot of time and trouble. He gets the jewel shards, and we take him out. How does that sound?"
"Like you have the worst superiority complex I've ever seen." Gohan snorted "The more shards he gathers, the more powerful he becomes. Our only chance is to find all the shards before him, and make sure he doesn't steal them, and we can take him out."
Shippo just sighed "I'm just a kid, and even I figure it out."
"Inuyasha." said Miroku before the half-demon leapt at Shippo "What do you plan on doing when you gather all the jewel shards?"
"What else? I'm gonna become a full-fledged demon." replied Inuyasha "No one wants to be a weakling, right? You've got to stand up for yourself."
Miroku just looked at him blankly "Tell me something. When you get your wish granted, do you honestly think you'll remain as you are now? Have you ever seen anyone using the power of the jewel shards for good? I believe that those who gain the powers of the jewel end up losing themselves in the process."
Unknown to them, Kagome had awoken and was listening to their conversation from the other side of a bush.
Inuyasha scoffed "When did I say I wanted to be a good demon?"
"You didn't." Miroku answered "But you do wish to protect Kagome, should anything happen to Gohan, which is why you desire more power. Inuyasha, once you use the jewel's power to have your wish granted, you may attempt to devour Kagome and the others. Should that happen, Gohan would be forced to slay you."
Gohan nodded in agreement, before his head snapped towards Miroku "Wait! What about you?!"
"I would have long since fled."
"You're a dick, you know that?"
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Next morning, the group came across another village, but after hearing that a girl had taken the jewel shard, Inuyasha started going around interrogating random villagers, until Gohan subdued him "Sit boy." with Inuyasha under control, Gohan actually got some decent information out of them "Demon slayers, huh? Now that I think about it, I remember hearing about them a few times."
The villager nodded "She said that this sacred jewel or whatever originated in her village."
Everyone was surprised by this.
"Inuyasha, have you heard of the jewel's origins?" asked Miroku
Inuyasha shook his head "Never gave it any thought."
"There's a surprise." Gohan snorted, earning a laugh from Shippo, and a cute giggle from Kagome.
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Sango returned to her village after completing her job.
She brought back some body parts of the centipede, which could be used for armor. After reuniting with her pet demon kitten Kilala and her younger brother Kohaku, she met with her father before handing over the jewel shard. The poor girl couldn't have possibly known what was about to transpire.
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Sango, Kohaku and several other slayers had been called away to a castle by a feudal lord, requesting they slay a large spider demon.
Before long, the spider had been slain.
That's when things got bad.
Out of nowhere, several of the slayers were slaughtered, including Sango's father.
The one responsible turned out to be none other than Kohaku, who had been bewitched by the demon, and the one controlling him turned out to be the lord.
Realizing this, Sango attempted to slay him, but was struck down by a chain-sickle to the back by Kohaku, who managed to regain his senses at the last second, before he was struck down by several arrows from the castle men.
The lord was then cut down by his "son", who then revealed that he too had been possessed by the demon.
He then ordered that the slayers be buried in the corner of the garden.
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The group was making their way to the village of the demon slayers.
Gohan, in the pit of his stomach, had a bad feeling, which was proven right when they saw a massive horde of demons fly overhead. There were hundreds of them.
Seeing this, Gohan turned "You guys catch up. I'm going on ahead." and he took off at incredible speeds, with Inuyasha and the others following soon after.
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At the castle, it turned out that Sango was still alive, as noticed by the young lord.
She could do nothing as the tragedy unfolded.
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The demon slayer village was being slaughtered.
Villagers and slayers were being torn apart left and right.
Gohan arrived and was able to save some, though not all, of the villagers. Possible between 40 and 50 out of more than one hundred.
During the carnage, Naraku slipped in, stole the jewel shards, and absorbed the demons trying to claim them.
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By morning, Inuyasha and others found the demon slayer's village in ruins.
When they saw the sight of the village, Kagome immediately assumed the worst and ran off, trying to find him. She found Gohan slaying the last of the demons, alongside a ferocious two tailed cat demon, before falling to his knees in exhaustion. "Gohan! Are you ok?" she threw her arms around him.
Gohan blushed, or he would've if he had the stamina too "I've been battling demons nonstop for the past 12 hours. Would you be?" He was then licked in the face by the large demon cat "Thanks, Kilala. Kagome, did you sense any jewels?"
Kagome shook her head "There are none."
"None anymore." Miroku corrected "They were stolen in the attack."
"Maybe we can catch them if we hurry." Shippo suggested
Inuyasha shook his head "We should lay these people to rest."
Gohan nodded in agreement "They're right. Fortunately, not everybody died."
At that moment, some of the villagers emerged from hiding "Thank you for saving us, young man."
"I just wish I could've saved the others."
"There was nothing you could've done for them, Gohan." a certain flea started sucking on Inuyasha.
Kilala then transformed back into her small kitten form.
Some of them had different reactions to that:
Inuyasha: 'The ****?'
Kagome: "It's so cute."
Before long, Gohan, Kagome, the rest of the group, and the survivors proceeded with burying the fallen and marking their graves.
"It's strange though, that they would use this time to attack." Myoga mused.
"What do you mean?" asked Gohan.
"A number of their slayers were summoned to a castle, leaving very few to protect it. I must wonder if they are truly safe."
Gohan shook his head "I have my doubts about that. I saw something when I showed up. Some sort of white baboon slipping in and out of the village."
Inuyasha's eyes widened in anger at this "Naraku."
Their target was clear.
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At the castle, the young lord was watching over Sango while she was being tended to "You have my deepest apologies, young lady. You lost both your family and fellow villagers."
"Young lord." a voice said from outside as Naraku appeared "I rushed to the village to inform them of what has happened like you said, but the village had already been almost completely annihilated. Very few survived."
Sango overheard this and gasped.
"What did you see?" asked the lord
"The slain bodies of countless demons and villagers, and the half demon by the name of Inuyasha, the one responsible for the carnage. He seeks the power of the jewel to become a full fledged demon. He most likely believed that he would find the jewel at the village. When he found nothing, he slaughtered them all. Only a few dozen survived, because Inuyasha was driven off by a young swordsman by the name of Son Gohan, who has mastered the powers of the Ryuuga." Naraku lied
Having heard enough, Sango approached them "Get me my weapons and armor. I shall avenge my village, and destroy this Inuyasha who's slaughtered my kin!"
Naraku smirked under his mask.
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At the lord's insistence, Naraku accompanied Sango.
"We cannot travel any further by horse." Naraku mused after several hours of traveling. He then looked at Sango, who was leaning against a tree, eyes shut "Is Sango dead?"
Sango's eyes immediately shot open "I will not die. Not until I kill Inuyasha!"
"Good. But are you in any condition to fight?"
It went without saying that she didn't.
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Gohan and the others were headed to a cave.
But not just any cave: the birthplace of the Shikon jewel.
But, as discovered in a very painful way by Inuyasha, they were sealed off from entering the cave by a barrier.
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Back with Sango and Naraku, the former collapsed and fell to her knees, her injuries finally catching up to her.
"Are you in pain?" asked Naraku "Poor thing. You couldn't die if you wanted to." He then took out a jewel shard "Perhaps this will help."
Sango's eyes widened when she saw the jewel shard "Where did you get that?"
"I've had it for awhile. I'll lend it to you."
Sango reluctantly agreed.
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Inuyasha's idea of using brute force to break through was not working, not that it's surprising. At a suggestion by Miroku, they began heading towards the castle where the other slayers had been. One small problem, though…
"Anybody know where this castle is supposed to be?" asked Kagome
No one got a chance to reply, when they were attacked by Hiraikotsu, as it slashed through the trees, before returning to a vengeful looking Sango "Are you Inuyasha?" I've come for my revenge." She then noticed Gohan holding the Ryuuga "Are you the one called Son Gohan?"
Gohan nodded "I am. Are you from the demon slayer village?"
Sango bowed slightly "I am. I was away during the attack. I must thank you for saving so many of my people."
"I only save a few dozen. I feel like I could've done more."
"I'm grateful you did that much, as well as driving off Inuyasha when he attacked my village."
"What are you talking about? Inuyasha never attacked the village. Who told you that?"
"The advisor to the lord of the castle that hired us. He called himself Naraku."
Gohan's eyes narrowed "Sango, was it? You were lied to. Naraku was the one responsible for attacking. I saw him slip in and out of the village and he stole the jewel shards."
Sango's eyes widened at this, then they narrowed "I see." she suddenly collapsed and fell to her knees.
Kagome's eyes widened at this "She has a jewel shard in her back!"
Images of Kohaku flashed through Sango's mind before she lost consciousness.
Inuyasha scoffed "No wonder. I could tell from the start that she was badly injured from the smell of her blood. Naraku probably used the jewel shard to manipulate her into trying to fight me to the death."
Gohan snarled quietly "Naraku, that scum. Too many lives have been lost already."
The others, minus Sango, nodded in agreement.
At the same time Naraku slipped away, furious that his plan had been foiled.
Gohan would pay, he wouldn't stop until he saw it happen.
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The group then returned to the demon slayer village. People were starting to rebuild, but it was slow going.
10 days passed, and Sango was still recovering, much to Inuyasha's annoyance.
Sango and Kilala were looking over the graves of the fallen villagers and slayers, when Gohan came up to her and sat down beside her "You feeling any better, Sango?"
"The graves." She said quietly "You buried all the fallen and marked their graves."
Gohan nodded "It was the least I could do after I failed to save them."
"It wasn't your fault, I'm just glad anybody survived."
Gohan then decided to change the subject "Hey, how about this: Why you don't join our group after you're all healed up? We'd love to have you and I promise to make sure Miroku doesn't grope you."
"That girl, Kagome, has a sacred jewel shard around her neck, doesn't she?"
"No doubt Naraku will come after it."
"That's why I'll take you up on your offer. Call your friends. You helped bury the dead. So I will tell you how the Sacred jewel came to be."
Gohan gave a grateful nod.
Finally, they would get some answers.
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Before long, they arrived at the cave.
When they entered, they found that the barrier was ineffective against them. Well, most of them…
"We did it!" Myoga squealed "Now we can meet the person who gave birth to the sacred jewel! Enter Myoga!" at least, that's what he tried to do, before he slammed face-first into the barrier.
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What they found in the cave was truly a sight to behold. Carcasses of demons scattered around the area. But what everyone was truly in awe over was the stone likeness of a beautiful woman in the middle of it.
"There was a time when ogres, dragons, and other demons merged their bodies together to wage a battle. They fought against one powerful human. A priestess who lived centuries ago. The court nobles controlled the country at that time. Wars and famine dragged on and on, and countless lives were lost. Demons devoured the dead, and the near dead. They were able to grow in great numbers. Many priests and warriors set out to slay them. But only one priestess, by the name of Lady Midoriko, was able to purify demon's souls, rendering them harmless. She was thought of as the most powerful human of her time. In her world, everyone and everything were created through the four souls." explained Sango
Miroku nodded in understanding "I've come across such a philosophy before. The four souls are known as Aramitama, Nigimitama, Kushimitama, and Sakimitama. When combined, they become the soul of one person, housed inside the heart. I believe that we all symbolize one of the four souls. Inuyasha is Aramitama, or courage. Sango and Shippo are Nigimitama, or friendship. I am Kushimitama, or wisdom. Gohan and Kagome are Sakimitama, or love." Gohan and Kagome blushed at this "When the four souls work together in harmony, it is known as Naobi, and the heart is filled with good. Anybody actually following here?"
Inuyasha and Shippo got pretty much nothing.
Sango continued for him "When someone does a bad deed, the four souls energize evil."
"In other words, a soul can turn good or bad, and this transformation can happen in both humans and demons." Miroku finished
"Now you know why Midoriko was so formidable. She was able to purify the demons and render them powerless."
Inuyasha scoffed "So what? She fought off an army of demons by turning them into a bunch of weaklings. Well, her power didn't last very long, did it? I'd say she's a pretty useless priestess now."
"She hasn't lost the battle yet." Sango replied vaguely "After battling the demons for 7 days and nights, a demon caught Midoriko in its fangs. With the last of her power, she reached deep within her own body for strength, and seized the demon's soul. But in doing so, she forced out her own soul."
"Is that hole in her chest where she forced out her own soul?" asked Gohan
"What flew out of her was in fact the Shikon jewel. She wasn't able to purify the demon's soul. All she should do was seize and imprison it, along with herself. Although the flesh is gone, a battle still wages between Midoriko and the demons. That is why the fight isn't over yet."
"So a war between souls is still raging inside the jewel." Kagome mused.
Inuyasha just scoffed "So what? It's not like this story complicates things. We just have to worry about Naraku hunting after the jewel shards. I'm gonna take possession of the sacred jewel and use it to become a full-fledged demon, and then Midoriko can rest in peace."
Suddenly, Inuyasha started glowing. Then, against his will, he was flown out of the cave, landing in the forest nearby with a loud thud. (A:N Or as I like to call it, Midoriko's version of "sit")
"Looks like people who talk of using the jewel for selfish gain get thrown from the cave." Miroku mused
"That must be Midoriko's version of sit." added Shippo. (A:N See? ;) Told you)
Gohan just looked at the statue "I know what I would wish for. For all of this to be undone. To revive everyone who's died because of Naraku's actions. None of them deserved to die the way they did. I plan to correct that." He then looked at Sango and smiled "And that includes the people who were killed in your village, Sango."
Sango just stared at him, eyes wide, unshed tears swelling up, and smiled at him "Thank you, Gohan."
Kagome just stared at him, a light pink staining her cheeks 'Wow. He's such a good person, always putting others before himself.' Her eyes widened as these thoughts crossed her mind 'Are Kai and Piccolo right? Do I have feelings for Gohan?'
With this new development, the group prepared to head off in search of more jewel shards, before Naraku does…