I am so sorry for the delay! My teachers gave us all 200-point projects, and then I managed to break my laptop charger. Then the dumb server wouldn't let me post on here for two weeks. I hope this chapter makes up for it, and expect normal updates from now on.

Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

_Poison?_

It had taken a good hour of bargaining, but Bankotsu had managed to get the doctor to come out. He had to settle for him merging personalities, but it was better than nothing.

"Ah, yes…" Suikotsu murmured to himself. The others gathered around to try to follow his thoughts. Bankotsu had filled them in on his plan, and they all wanted to fight soon.

"Yes, yes, yes, that makes sense-"

"What makes sense?" Bankotsu interrupted, getting more impatient by the minute. He wasn't sure if he'd have to dispose of the miko or not. That idea didn't fly well with him, but he summed it up to wanting a real fight, and the desire to be paid.

"It appears that the girl managed to poison herself with the thorns of a very rare bush. Strangely enough, it doesn't grow around here. It's native to the mountains."

"What are you saying?"

"That for some reason, someone must have intended her harm."

Bankotsu appear taken back. "Why? She can't even survive without tripping, what reason would they have?"

"I don't know, unless it was intended for someone else…" Suikotsu frowned at the girl. Nothing made any sense. Even his idea of someone poisoning her was farfetched at best.

"Well, can we kill her now?" Jakotsu asked lazily, not bothering to look up from the log he was lounging on.

"Is there a cure?" There was no way Bankotsu was losing the girl. He had gone to enough trouble with her before. Besides, he really did intend to use her as bait, and she wouldn't do well dead.

"Yes, but I only have the minimal amount. It'll take at least a couple days to recover after that." Suikotsu rubbed his head, still puzzled by the thorns.

"Are you serious? Can't we just let her die?" It was bad enough Bankotsu was willing to keep her to begin with, even if met a fight, but to help her.

"I think we should keep her around for a while." Mukotsu leered over the girl, speaking up for the first time since she had arrived.

"Of course you'd say that." Renkotsu, muttered while rolling his eyes.

"No, Jakotsu. We need her alive. I promise that when the time comes you can kill her."

A rustle in the trees caused them to pause. A slithering centipede demon came out, its eyes staring at Kagome.

"What did you do to the jewel?" It screeched inhumanly. In a flash, the demon was charging at Kagome.

Bankotsu stepped into action. Bankotsu quickly cut the demon's head off, and it twitched on the ground. He tore into its body, breaking it into pieces. In less than a minute, the demon was dead.

"Ban! You get to have all the fun…" Jakotsu grumbled, annoyed by his brother's problem with sharing.

"What did she mean by jewel?" Renkotsu disrupted, being the practical one. "Perhaps those shards around her neck?"

"Gesh," Ginkotsu agreed.

"Jewel shards?" Bankotsu looked at the pink shards around her neck.