CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Sakura

"Do you really think it's a good idea to be traveling today?" Kagome questioned. She, Ayame and Sango sat with me in the hut provided by Dr. Gensu as I reapplied bandages to my torso and hands. Kagome helped secure the wrap around my body and I bandaged up my bruised hands.

Ayame and I insisted that only she and I take a small detour so we could take care of business back home at our castle. I was nervous about what we'd find but that wouldn't stop me from going.

"I'm fine, Kagome. This is just something we have to do."

"I understand." Sango said from behind me. "After we defeat Naraku I vowed to return to my village and bury all of the demon slayers that remained left and fix the place up."

"All?" Ayame asked. "What happened to them?"

"Naraku slaughtered them and tricked me into thinking Inuyasha did it. Tha is part of why I detest him."

I saw the pain in her eyes and found it all too familiar. "I'm sorry about that."

Sango nodded and pat Kilala on her head as she jumped onto her lap from Ayame's.

"Well, would you like for us to go with you?" Kagome offered.

"Go with them where?" Inuyasha walked into the hut with Miroku trailing behind.

My eyes grew wide and I quickly close the opening to my shirt without fixing it the way I wanted like I was trying to do before they walked in. Kagome jumped in front of me in an attempt to cover my body.

"Sit boy!" We both yelled at him. "Don't you two knock?" We shared the same expression again as Inuyasha groaned from the floor.

"You wouldn't need any help with that, would you, Sakura?" The monk asked.

"She's got it, Miroku!" Sango said, slapping him.

"You guys, get out!" Ayame did us all a favor and threw both of them out of the hut.

I hurried and fixed my peach shirt and layered it with my red kimono then tied up my sandals as I listened to Koga and Shippo laugh hysterically at what just happened. Thank God I had on my sports bra because my boobs would have been exposed for Inuyasha and Miroku to see. I blushed from the thought of sheer embarrassment.

"Geez, warn us next time you decide to enter a hut full of women!" Kagome yelled, exiting the hut with Ayame, Sango and I following behind.

Inuyasha huffed and brushed himself off. "Whatever, Kagome! I've got a bone to pick with you anyway!"

"About what?"

"First, you almost kill me with one of your arrows and then you 'sit' me in the middle of the battle!" He got in her face.

"I already apologized! It was an accident!" She got in his face, not backing down. They were definitely attracting a crowd.

"You apologized about the arrow, not the 'sit' part!"

"That's because you were being a jerk!"

"Are they seriously doing this?" Ayame asked, a little embarrassed about the attention they were drawing.

Sango sighed. "Unfortunately."

"Stop talking to my Kagome like that!" Koga jumped in between them.

"You don't have anything to do with this!" Inuyasha yelled at him.

"Uh, guys..." Miroku motioned around them and the arguing stopped. Kagone, Koga and Inuyasha huffed, turning away from each other.

"Anyways, where are you two going?" Inuyasha turned towards me.

"To visit our home to see what it looks like...and to see if our parents have been buried or not."

"Well, we're coming with you."

I jerked my neck back. "Uhm..."

"Don't protest! You haven't even finished healing. If something happens no one will be there to protect you, so we're going." He finished, crossing his arms.

I blinked wide at him not even able to argue back. This was a personal matter for Ayame and I to handle alone. Though, I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a larger support system there and more help if the place had been a complete wreck.

My ears flattened against my head and I felt myself shrink under his golden gaze, his posture strong and tall.

"Well then..." Ayame broke the silence. She nudged me and leaned in close, turning away from Inuyasha and touching her right shoulder with my left. "That's your man." She mumbled with an evil smile.

"What?!" I blushed hard, shocked at her comment. She laughed and walked away from me. Sure, I liked Inuyasha but I was still getting to know him for the most part. I must say though, him expressing his dominance to me this way was pretty sexy. I liked someone who knew how to put their foot down. Wait...what the hell am I saying? I need to stay focused! I wasn't going to let Inuyasha distract me or let Ayame get away with her comment. This was the start if her beginning to try and play match maker and I wasn't falling for it.

"Hey!" I looked down and a short old woman stood in front of Dr. Gensu's hut with her arms crossed. "It seems you have healed quite well over night. You'll be leaving now, I suppose?"

I balled my fists up. "What's your problem, old bat?" I heard Inuyasha chuckle but I ignored it, annoyed at the grumpy old lady.

"I want all of you demons out of my village! You've received your help, now go!"

Dr. Gensu appeared beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Please, forgive her. She is just upset over the mysterious demons that have been haunting the village." He apologized on her behalf.

"Haunting?" Miroku took a step towards him.

"Yes. It's been going on for quite some time now. To be honest, we were quite nervous to ask for your help. We thought it would be too much trouble." He slightly bowed to us.

"Why, it's no trouble at all. I shall do a quick exorcism and we'll be on our way."

I excused myself from the group and jumped into a tree away from where Miroku was placing sutras on a few huts. I dug into my bag, pulling out my art notebook and a marker.

"Hey, what ya got there?" Inuyasha's voice asked from above me. I hadn't even noticed he was there, or followed me for that matter.

"I'm writing someone a letter." Toka had been on my mind ever since I woke up last night and I wanted to see how he and the villagers were holding up.

"Oh," he hummed, seeming interested. "Who is it?" He was now in front of me, sitting like a puppy, flicking his ears.

"Someone I helped before I went to visit Kaede the day I met you guys." I smirked, continuing to write.

"Is it the same person you went to see when we left yesterday?"

"It is...why all the questions?" If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was hinting at me writing a love letter or something.

"Just wondering."

"You sure it isn't anything else?"

He sat on his butt and crossed his legs and arms. The branch wiggled a little under both of our weight and I floated just a couple of centimeters into the air to take my pressure off.

"No!" He said loudly which caused me to giggle. "What's so funny?"

I shook my head. "Nothing, Inuyasha." He was always getting mad at something. "His name is Toka." I said after a few minutes of silence.

"What are you telling me for? Not like I care." He wasn't agressive when he replied. He all of a sudden seemed sort of distant. He pulled his legs out of the pretzel they were in and prepared to hop out of the tree. I heard a slight crack underneath me but thought nothing of it.

"He's a sweet kid." I said, freezing Inuyasha in place. He slowly went back to his previous position. "He almost reminds me of myself when I was little."

"How so?"

I signed my name on the letter and folded it up, resting it on top of the small notebook I ripped it out of and put it in my lap. " I transferred some of my nature powers to him so he could water their crops instead of going to fetch water for the task. He was so excited. When he hugged me, he said he was special like Ayame and I. I used to think I was special like my parents had always told me and that I belonged until I was old enough to realize other people didn't think so. Toka was the first person to call us special after our parents. It made me think that maybe he doesn't accepted by the other kids in the village or something."

Inuyasha shifted his weight in an attempt to get more comfortable. "Hm... He must be a pretty special kid if you're thinking about him enough to write."

I nodded and looked to the sky, smiling at an image of Toka in my head. "He really is."

"And...if it means anything, so far, I think you're pretty special!"

The branch under us gave way and Inuyasha went falling to the ground while I stayed afloat. I looked down at him with a happy smile on my face.

"You really mean that, Inuyasha? You think I'm special?"

"I'd think you were even more special if you would've told me about the weak branch I didn't happen to notice." He lied in place with his foot twitching.

I flew down and grabbed his hand to help him up. "Heheh, sorry about that. Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He brushed himself off.

"You guys ready to go?" Shippo came up to us.

I nodded. "Sure, is Miroku finished?"

"Almost. He had one more house to do." Shippo hopped onto Inuyasha's shoulder and I put my notebook and marker back in my bag and we headed over to where everyone else was. Dr. Gensu was thanking Miroku for his help and bowing to him.

Miroku bowed back politely. "My pleasure, doctor."

"Safe travels to you all."

"Dr. Gensu, could you please have your messenger deliever this letter for me two villages to the south?" I asked, handing him the tri-folded letter with Toka's name on it and a smilie face in the bottom right corner. He took the letter with a smile. "And thank you so much for all of your help." I bowed. He returned the gesture with sincerity.