(A/N) Sorry I havent uploaded in a while, (and hopefully you havent lost interest) been having problems getting chapters to upload lately. Please enjoy as this is probably my second favorite chapter in the whole story. Hope you like it too. Please R/R!

NVP

Chapter 11

"Sango, could we start training now? I don't want to hold us up any longer than I already have," Kagome asked.

"Sure, if you think you're up for it."

"Sure thing. I need to use up some energy anyway."

That was for sure. Kagome felt like she could run the length of Japan and still have energy to spare. She had more than any one person should be allowed to have. Sango took her hand and moved towards the edge of the village.

"Oh don't worry, we'll correct that," She said.

Kagome spent the next several hours of the day mimicking Sango's movements. Learning and copying stances and strikes as Sango had when she was younger. Kagome's moves were clumsy in comparison at first but she caught on quickly. Well into the lesson, Inuyasha joined Miroku, Shippo and Tor'mac as they watched. Inuyasha took a quick look and snorted.

"How's she supposed to learn anything like that? She's not even hitting anything!"

"Sit boy," Kagome said calmly, not stopping or even looking at him.

"Now she is," Shippo said with a chuckle.

As Inuyasha dug himself out of the ground, Tor'mac got Shippo's attention and pointed at Inuyasha. Shippo understood and gestured to Inuyasha's enchanted beads. "Sit boy," he mimicked and pointed at Kagome. Tor'mac understood as well but couldn't make sense of it. He pressed the animal loop on his gauntlet and Kagome's voice spilled out.

"Sit boy."

Inuyasha hit the ground again. Miroku and Shippo jumped at the discovery.

"Whoa! He can do it too, Kagome!" Shippo yelled.

Inuyasha jumped out of his hole.

"What the hell!"

Kagome and Sango ran over. "He copied my voice!" Kagome said excitedly. "Just like the movie."

"Great, just what I need," Inuyasha growled.

"You better be careful, Inuyasha," Shippo said, smirking.

"I ain't the only one!" Inuyasha yelled, moving to grab the fox child.

"Sit boy."

'THUD!'

"Damnit, who did that!"

"Does it matter?" Shippo smiled.

Inuyasha sat back. 'Great, it's bad enough that kagome protects him like that, but now he controls two 'sit' machines.'

Inuyasha folded his arms and leaned against a nearby tree. "Wake me when you're ready for a real lesson." Inuyasha closed his eyes and ignored their snickers and jokes at his expense. 'Just wait 'till it's my turn.'

Sango and Kagome resumed the training for another hour until Kaede called them for lunch. Afterwards, Kagome followed Inuyasha into the woods for 'his turn' at teaching her, which actually did turn out to be more interesting. He started out with her nose, tracking. Eventually the training began to feel more like a game of hide and seek. Inuyasha would run into the woods with a head start and a few minutes later Kagome would try to hunt him down. This too, she caught onto quite quickly. On her third try though, Inuyasha led her to a clearing. He was just standing in the center.

"Not bad. Now let's try something a little harder."

"Like what?"

"Like me. Only this time it won't end when you find me, I'll be trying to get the drop on you as well. You'll have to out-track me."

Kagome looked at him incredulously, "That's hardly fair."

"Too bad," Inuyasha folded his arms with a smirk, "Ready?"

Kagome nodded.

Inuyasha looked around for a moment, deciding where to go. Then he bolted for the treeline opposite Kagome. Using her newfound speed, she quickly followed. Shortly after re-entering the woods, Inuyasha just seemed to disappear. Kagome slowed, then stopped completely and listened. Hearing nothing but the sounds of the forest and her own breathing, she smelled the air. Inuyasha's scent still hung heavily in the air, meaning he was still close by.

Inuyasha was close by. In fact, he could see every move Kagome made as she tried to get a fix on him. She started moving in his direction. 'She's good, but not as good as me.'

Kagome moved through the dense brush in the direction she thought his scent was coming from. She heard the crack of a twig somewhere up ahead and hastened her pace. A few moments later she stopped in her tracks. There, at the base of a large tree, she could just barely see a piece of bright red cloth sticking out from behind it blowing in the breeze. Kagome rushed around the tree and grabbed it.

"Gotcha!" Kagome yelled, then gasped.

The Kimono was empty. It and the shirt he wore under it were hanging on a low branch of the tree. Kagome looked around franticly but couldn't distinguish any trace of where he'd gone. A second later she heard a twig snap again, this time from above her in the tree. Kagome looked up just in time to see a shirtless Inuyasha wave with one hand and drop the broken stick he had in the other, then take off through the trees. Kagome gave chase again but was nowhere near as fast as he was in the trees and he pulled ahead and disappeared once again. This time though, his trail was much clearer. She followed the scent for another five minutes before it finally led her back to the ground-and died in a creek.

"Darn it, Inuyasha! That's not fair!"

Kagome sighed, 'Guess I lost this one.'

She bent down to get a drink from the creek but noticed something moving under the surface and stopped. Kagome frowned and bent lower to see what it was-as Inuyasha exploded from the water and pinned her to the ground

"I win."

Kagome mentally berated herself for falling for his trick, then began to blush as she realized the position they were in. Inuyasha lost himself in her eyes for a moment but realized their situation as well and turned the color of his kimono (which he was still lacking) and jumped off of her. He turned away and kept himself busy wringing the water out of his pants. Kagome stared at his back and smiled. Despite having admitted how they felt about each other, not much had changed. Kagome crawled over and leaned against his back with her hands on his shoulders. Inuyasha froze.

"You know, we really shouldn't be embarrassed anymore," She said.

Inuyasha relaxed a bit and placed a hand over Kagome's.

"I know. It's just going to be something to get used to."

They stayed like that for quite a while. Each became so comfortable that neither heard the footsteps approaching until someone cleared their throat behind them. They jumped apart and began stammering in an attempt to make an excuse as was their natural reaction at this point.

"Are we interrupting?" Miroku asked

"Umm…no…we were just…" Kagome stuttered.

"It's alright Kagome." Sango said, waving her hand dismissively. "We all heard you two the other night. We know."

Inuyasha growled, "Feh, never a moment of privacy."

"Oh? If you wish to continue we could leave-OW!

Sango released Miroku's arm she'd been twisting.

"We only came to see if you were finished for today."

"It would seem that they were just starting-OW!

Over the next several weeks the group fell into a routine. Sango would teach Kagome in the morning while Inuyasha returned to where they had fought Naraku to look for clues as to where he had gone. Each day proved fruitless though. Naraku's scent had completely disappeared so all he had to go on was the direction he had fled and who was to say he'd kept going the same way? Later in the evening when Inuyasha would return from his failed hunt it would be his turn with Kagome's schooling. Each day Kagome grew stronger and more at home with her skills, and each day she and Inuyasha became closer than ever. By the end of the third week she could mimic Sango exactly and no longer fell for Inuyasha's tricks. She had no intention of giving up on her abilities as an archer, but it was nice to know she could fight if she needed to.

Tor'mac was another story completely. He seemed to grow more restless each passing minute that he wasn't hunting for his brother's dishonorable assailant. By the end of the first week he'd taken to hunting and patrolling around the village, always hopeful he'd stumble across some clue of his brother's whereabouts. He was gone the entire second week leaving the others wondering if he was even coming back. When he did return he sported several large demon skulls on his waist and a very large one slung on his back that resembled a huge lizard's.

"Guess he got bored." Inuyasha said as wide eyed as the others.

At the beginning of the fourth week, Sango and Inuyasha agreed that they had taught Kagome as best they could. The rest she would have to learn on her own in time. As a final test of sorts, they decided they would all have a sparring match. No weapons were to be used of course, so they would rely on only their own skills and cunning to win.

Kagome started out with Miroku. They squared off in the same clearing Sango had been training her in. Kagome was nervous at first-that is, until she caught Miroku's scent. Fear, and more than just a little. His body language made it even more apparent as he looked to the others desperately and seemed to have trouble standing still.

"This isn't fair, you know. I'm afraid I'll hurt her," Miroku whined.

Inuyasha snorted from a nearby tree he'd been reclining in.

"Yeah right, she's half demon. You're just afraid she'll kick your ass, monk."

"Go get him, Kagome!" Shippo yelled from his own perch next to Inuyasha.

Miroku slumped, "Thanks for the support."

Kagome took comfort in his uncertainty and gave him a smirk much like Inuyasha's.

"Remember all those times you grabbed me? Now it's payback time!" She lunged at Miroku but stopped a few feet away and feigned an expression of deep thought. "I'm sorry Miroku, you can go first."

Miroku stammered for a moment, stunned at her speed. Then he smiled.

"Confident aren't we?" Miroku lunged back, no longer worried about hurting her.

Tor'mac was on his daily patrol when he heard it. A sound he had longed for for weeks. A longing that only intensified when he thought of the disgrace that Naraku had brought down upon his brother. The sounds of a battle joined were nearby.

He pulled his spear from its place on his back activated his shiftsuit. His mandibles flared behind his mask in anticipation. Naraku would pay for what he had done, but in the meantime Tor'mac, the Swift Blade, needed something to vent his rage upon. Determined as only one of his kind could be, Tor'mac began making his way through the trees in the direction the sounds originated from, silent as death itself.

Kagome flipped as she landed softly from the dropkick she'd just delivered to Miroku's chest. She was still barely warmed up, but the monk was dirty, bruised, and in desperate need of something soft to occupy his hands. He staggered back to his feet and glared defiantly at Kagome for a moment, eyes half closed and breathing heavily. Then his resolve seemed to give way and he fell to his hands and knees.

"I yield. You're too much, Lady Kagome." He gasped.

Miroku limped his way back to the others as Kagome cheered at her first victory. Inuyasha still sat in his tree, looking down with a smug grin and thinking about the best way to poke fun at the lecher. Before he got the chance to though, something landed on his branch hard enough to nearly shake him off of it. He snapped his head to the side and up, looking for the source. He nearly fell again when Tor'mac suddenly appeared in a flurry of blue sparks, crouched and ready to spring. Tor'mac quickly realized with some disappointment that that wouldn't be necessary when he recognized the occupants of the clearing.

Tor'mac dropped down next to Sango and tried to figure out where the fight was, ignoring Shippo's predictable overly excited greeting. It dawned on him a moment later. They had been sparring. Gor'lan and himself had done the same when en route to a hunt a great distance away to keep boredom to a minimum. He watched Kagome as she rejoined them. She had obviously been the victor, her stride was far from the look of personal disappointment, shame, and defeat which he noted Miroku carried in abundance. Quite the opposite, she walked with the pride and newfound confidence he had seen on many a Young Blood in his days as a teacher of the foolish youth of his kind.

"Who wants to go next?" Kagome asked, placing her hands on her hips.

Sango shook her head and laughed, "I think I'll sit this one out if you don't mind, you're too fast for me Kagome."

"I'll go, unless you want a turn Shippo." Inuyasha said leaping down from his tree. Shippo ducked behind it. "Thought so."

Kagome smiled, "This should be interesting."

The two walked parallel to each other back to the middle of the clearing. Kagome sized him up as Sango had instructed during their long training. Trying to decide how he would attack, what direction he'd move in on her from, how fast she'd have to react. Inuyasha cracked his knuckles and grinned.

"Just remember to watch the claws, Inuyasha. This isn't to the death." Kagome said.

"You just worry about your own, Kagome."

A few weeks ago Kagome wouldn't even have seen him when he moved. Now though, with her senses on par with his, she was ready for him. He seemed to almost disappear for an instant. All she caught was a red blur, but that was enough. He came in straight at her as she'd expected with a blow that would have knocked her off her feet if it had hit. At the last moment, Kagome rolled to one side and kicked at the back of his knees. He saw it coming though and jumped high into the air. Kagome followed and the two exchanged blows as they came down together. They leapt off of each other just before hitting the ground and Kagome rushed at him, hoping to catch him while he was off balance. Inuyasha looked up with wide eyes just as Kagome barreled into him shoulder first.

Inuyasha flew. He flew all the way to the tree line and almost slammed into one but he managed to flip and hit it with his feet rather than his head. He pushed off immediately and shot himself back at Kagome. Kagome, not expecting him back so soon, shrieked but managed to dodge more by reflex than choice. He landed a few feet away facing away from her. She kicked at his turned back but was thrown off balance herself when she didn't hit anything. Inuyasha had ducked and now he kicked at her lone ankle still on the ground holding her up.

Kagome landed hard on her back, stunned for a brief instant. When she tried to get up again she found her way blocked by Inuyasha's foot planted firmly on her stomach.

"Better luck next time," He flashed one of his rare seen, warm, honest smiles he reserved just for her, "You ok?"

Kagome stood and brushed herself off, "Yeah. A little disappointed, but I'm fine."

"You'll get better with time."

As they made their way back to the others, Inuyasha couldn't help bet notice that Tor'mac seemed to be watching him with great interest. He had watched their battle and had grown more drawn in with each second of it. Unknown to them, Inuyasha had been Tor'mac's goal for a main trophy for this hunt. Now might be his chance to find out how that battle would have fared. The question had gnawed at him since he had met Inuyasha up close. Living alongside him these past weeks had only made it worse. Now that question demanded an answer. He wouldn't have his trophy but it would satisfy his curiosity at least.

Inuyasha stopped under Tor'mac's continued stare, "What!"

Tor'mac stepped up to him and leaned down, poking his mask into Inuyasha's face. Inuyasha stared back and growled, "Got a problem, big guy?"

Tor'mac growled back and shoved Inuyasha's shoulder.

"What the…"

"Ooo. Looks like a challenge, Inuyasha." Kagome geered.

"Feh, fine by me."

While Inuyasha took his place back in the "arena", Tor'mac crouched and began removing various items he'd been carrying. The others watched in a stupor. By the time he was done and walking to his own starting point, his shoulder cannon, mask, wristblades, smart disc, net gun, dagger, and both spears were neatly arranged on the ground.

"Where does he put it all?" Sango said, still awestruck.

"Beats me," Shipp answered, leaning over the weapons carefully, afraid of touching any of the wicked looking objects.

Out on the battleground, Inuyasha looked at his opponent-only to see Tor'mac's back instead.

"This shouldn't take long," Inuyasha readied himself and waited a few seconds for Tor'mac to finish whatever he was doing. When he didn't face him Inuyasha grew impatient, "Hey! I'm over here!"

Still Tor'mac refused to face him.

"Fine, if you're not going to take me seriously this fight is already over."

Inuyasha rushed his turned back and swung an iron fist at his head. Tor'mac sidestepped at the last instant and lashed out with a swift backhand, catching cheek and sending him in a long slide on his back through the tall grass of the clearing. When he stopped, Inuyasha rose slowly and rubbed his sore cheek.

"Feh, lucky hit. Well, you won't get another one."

He charged in again but this time moved to the side at the same time that Tor'mac did. His fist connected solidly with Tor'mac's chin. His head snapped skyward and he staggered back a few steps. Inuyasha wasn't about to let him recover though, he rushed forward again. Tor'mac anticipated the move and locked Inuyasha's hand inside his own. Inuyasha tried again with his other hand only to achieve the same result.

Both squeezed as hard as they could in an attempt to break the others' grip. Although Tor'mac looked stronger, Inuyasha's demon blood granted him an equal strength despite his much smaller size. As the two struggled to gain ground on each other their spectators watched in awe.

"Can you guys tell who's winning?" Shippo asked.

"Tor'mac seemed to have the advantage at first but it looks like a draw at this point," Miroku answered.

"Not really," Sango said.

"Oh? Do you see something we can't?"

"Inuyasha is being too aggressive as usual, while Tor'mac uses his brute strength as well as a great amount of skill. I'd bet he'd give Sesshomaru a run for his money as well," Sango said, not taking her eyes from the two combatants.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"You'll see."

Inuyasha continued to try to overpower Tor'mac in their grapple but Tor'mac had had enough. He pulled his arms together rather than push against Inuyasha and swung them high over his head. The abrupt change in force caught Inuyasha off guard and he was sent upside down over Tor'mac, flailing wildly when Tor'mac released him at the highest point of the arc. Inuyasha landed a few yards away in a cloud of dirt and dust.

Tor'mac moved in to finish him off but Inuyasha recovered quickly and leapt back into him, knocking Tor'mac to the ground. He caught himself in a roll and came back to his feet. Both rushed at each other and caught the others' shoulders in another grapple. Tor'mac's pale yellow eyes locked on to Inuyasha's own golden ones in an intense glare. Tor'mac spread his mandibles wide and roared into Inuyasha's face. Inuyasha's ears folded back against the sound.

"Whatever."

Both brought their heads back and snapped them forward at the same instant. To those nearby, the resulting 'CRACK' as the two connected sounded like a gunshot. They both fell to the ground opposite one another, Inuyasha held his throbbing head with one hand while Tor'mac simply laid there breathing heavily. When they both rose, it was very slowly and off balance. They stared at each other for a moment, then straightened proudly. Tor'mac offered Inuyasha a slight nod, understanding that neither of them was getting anywhere. Inuyasha returned the gesture and Tor'mac extended his arm. Inuyasha stared at it a moment before clasping wrists with him and nodded again. Tor'mac 'smiled' by keeping his lower tusks together and spreading the upper ones before leaving him to collect his gear once again. The others raced over to Inuyasha. Inuyasha accepted a bottle of water from a worried Kagome and downed most of it. Kagome waited until he finished, then stared expectantly at him.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"You know what, Inuyasha. Who won?"

"Feh, you couldn't tell? It was a draw."

Kagome fought back the impulse to faint at the admission. Inuyasha caught her odd expression and smiled, "Haven't had a fight like that in a while."

Inuyasha sprayed some of the water from the bottle over his head and handed it back to Kagome and walked away.

"What's got into him?" Kagome asked when she thought he was out of earshot.

Sango put a hand on her shoulder and smiled, "Maybe you're having a good effect on him Kagome."

"What do you mean? I haven't done anything."

"That's where you're wrong, lady Kagome," Miroku spoke up, "You've done more than any one of us could have hoped to- you've made him whole again. When do you think the last time he was truly happy was?"

Kagome looked at the ground, "Probably when he was with Kikyo fifty years ago." She said sadly.

"Yes but that life is behind him now. He's been haunted by her shadow and wrestling with his feelings for you for a long time and now at least part of that burden has been lifted with his admission to you. When you didn't turn him away, you made him very happy."

"But not much has changed between us since then," Kagome sighed.

Miroku suddenly looked surprised and Kagome felt a presence behind her.

"Are you sure?"

Kagome spun around to face Inuyasha and he swept her up into his arms. She instantly melted into him and the others left with quiet smiles to give them privacy. Kagome smiled to herself. 'I guess more has changed than I thought.'

"Never leave me Kagome," Inuyasha whispered.

"I won't, at least not for very long."

Inuyasha looked at her, confused, "What do you mean?"

"I haven't seen my family in over a month and I think I have a few things to tell them, don't you?"

Inuyasha relaxed. She was right of course. They had all kept so busy lately he hadn't even thought about how her family would react to her sudden change. That made him worry even more. What if she were treated like he had been all his life? Not from her family, he knew that. Her brother never had a problem with him and her mother was too nice. Her grandfather was a little crazy but he'd get over it. If he didn't, Inuyasha could handle him. No, Kagome wouldn't have the life he'd had to put up with. He'd be there to help and protect her as usual and the others would stand by her as well.

Inuyasha looked deep into her eyes, "I'd better go too then. They're gonna have a lot of questions."

Kagome hugged him again and kissed his cheek, "Oh, thank you Inuyasha! I don't think I could face them on my own. Grandpa will probably try to exorcize me!" She said with a laugh.

Inuyasha made a fist, "Just let him try!"

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