A/N: Hey guys I'm back with another new chapter…finally. It turns out I had another program on my laptop besides Microsoft Word, so…they won't be getting a bill fifty from me anytime soon. Thanks for the tip, Princess Aya ! I've been busy with trying to find a new job and pay off my loans, but I wanted to take out time to finish up this story. Here's chapter 10!XD R&R

It was still very early in the morning and it seemed that he was the only one awake, not that he had gotten much sleep anyway. He sat away from others and gazed at the horizon as the sun rose, filling the sky with beautiful hues of orange and yellow. His equally beautiful azure eyes took in the sight to calm his raging soul, considering that he even had a soul. He closed his eyes and sighed as the gentle breeze swept over him.

A gentle breeze blew her raven tresses into her face. She winced slightly and opened her eyes slowly as she quietly woke up. She sat up slowly and glanced around. The fire they had going last night had long gone out and was nothing more than an ash pile on rocks.

Jakotsu was sleeping on his back with his Jakotsutou clutched to his chest. It was too bad because she would definitely love to tickle his nose with a grass blade to get on his nerves, but he'd cut her in half in a second. Suikotsu was propped against a tree and looked as if he were meditating, but she could tell that he was just sleeping.

She then frantically looked around for Bankotsu until her eyes landed upon the figure not too far from the rest of them. She smiled and silently gazed at him, entranced by his braid gently whipping in the breeze. Why was he so distant lately? At first she thought that she was over-pondering the thought, but now she was certain that something was wrong.

She got up slowly and padded over to him in the same fashion. Once she was close enough to him she knelt down behind him and gently embraced him. She remained silent.

Bankotsu felt warm again when Kagome held him. All of his worries were gently washed away and he no longer felt burdened. He slowly rested his hand on her forearm as she continued to embrace him. 'Kagome...'

"Bankotsu...if there's something wrong, just tell me." she said softly in his ear.

He laughed slightly. "There's nothing wrong...guess I'm just thinking too much, huh?" he said.

"Thinking about what? There's nothing for you to worry about...you're the strongest guy in the world." she praised him.

Bankotsu chuckled lightly. "You think so?"

"Of course. You should never let that go to your head though, you have inner strength too, that's what you should rely on." Kagome told him.

Bankotsu thought about that. "Inner strength? I guess that's all that matters in the end. There was a time that all I ever wanted was to be the strongest, but I never knew why, not until I had something worth protecting." he told, remembering certain events from his past. In a quick move, Bankotsu pulled Kagome into his lap and embraced her firmly.

Taken by surprise again, Kagome immediately began to blush. "B-Bankotsu..." she was cut off.

"Kagome, I always want you to be near me." he breathed into her ear. He heard Kagome whisper back into his ear.

"Where else would I be?" she responded. Bankotsu smiled and gazed into her chocolate orbs. Kagome blushed as she slowly closed her eyes, inviting him to a kiss, which he gladly accepted. He lowered his lips upon her soft, petal pink lips. He kissed her passionately as if it were the last time he'd ever have the chance to.

Kagome slowly parted her lips and allowed him to explore her with his tongue. She wanted to savor the flavor of his sweet lips as he did hers. His kisses were so tender and gentle at times, yet they craved her and he couldn't prevent himself from ravaging her, and she had no problem with that for she felt the same way. Time just seemed to stop again. However, it resumed when someone loudly cleared their throat.

Bankotsu parted from her reluctantly and glared back at the one who dared to disturb them. Before them stood a lithe man with a frown marring his features. "Every time we leave you two alone you're always sucking away at each other's faces." Jakotsu sneered.

Bankotsu grunted angrily. "Damn it, Jakotsu! Don't sneak up on us like that." he barked.

Jakotsu disregarded his attitude. "Whatever, it's time to get some breakfast." he said firmly.

Kagome pursed her lips. She wondered if she was in the way? Jakotsu really didn't seem to like her being around. Maybe if she proved her worth he would respect her more. "Um...I'll go with you!" she chirped as she sprung up.

"What?!" both Bankotsu and Jakotsu said in unison.

Jakotsu crossed his arms. "I'd rather go alone." he protested.

Kagome marched towards him and grabbed him by the sleeve of his kimono. "Let's go!"

"Wait! No! Don't touch me! Bankotsu, do something!" he whined as she dragged him along.

Bankotsu laughed at the sight. In all the years he had known Jakotsu, he had never seen a woman get the best of him.

Kagome walked in silence as they searched for food, Jakotsu, however, couldn't keep his mouth shut. 'Man, this guy goes on and on.' she thought in frustration.

"Honestly, I would have rather went with Suikotsu...or alone! You'll just get in my way...you don't even know how to hunt!" Jakotsu complained, walking beside the priestess.

"Suikotsu was still asleep, and we don't even need to hunt for breakfast." she pointed out. "I wonder what types of berries we can find in this region?" she said to herself.

"Berries?!" he exasperated. "Look idiot I don't think us men won't fill up on berries! You see, I told you, you're useless!" he insulted. He stopped as Kagome stopped. He eyed her strangely.

Kagome lowered her eyes and he fists were clenched by her sides. She remained silent.

"What's the matter with you, wench. Let's get a move on!" he said in annoyance. She didn't move. "What's your problem, girl!?" he probed, leaning down closer to her.

"You!!! You're my problem!!!" she burst out. When she looked up her eyes were glassy with tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "I've only tried to be nice to you and still you treat me like dirt! I...I hate you, Jakotsu!" she yelled as she ran away from him.

Jakotsu watched her run away with wide eyes. "What? Are you serious?! I was only playing, you stupid girl!" he called after her but to no avail because she never turned back.. Jakotsu let out an audible grunt. "I hate women!!!" he declared. Though this was true, he couldn't let her go off alone. He took off after the stupid girl.

***

Renkotsu stood proud and tall as he and Ginkotsu roamed the forest in search of the last remaining members of the band of seven. Before he received the extra jewel shards from Kohaku, he was in a state of despair and he had felt beaten, but now it was the opposite. He would finally get to see Bankotsu squirm in fear before he ripped the shards out of his neck.

He scouted the area carefully and quickly ordered Ginkotsu to come to a halt when he saw something interesting. He had seen it again, that green and white blur pass the corner of his eye. "Well, well, as I've said before that girl brings nothing but trouble to Bankotsu." he observed.

"Gersh!" Ginkotsu commented with a mechanical laugh.

Renkotsu continued to follow her with his eyes until he saw Jakotsu chasing after her. "Hmm, what this?" he said. 'Why is he chasing her or better yet why is she running from him? The more important aspect of this is that somewhere near, Bankotsu and Suikotsu are alone. Should I go after the girl and Jakotsu, or should I go straight to Bankotsu?' he contemplated deeply. "Even with the extra shards, I should still rely on my power of strategic planning before taking action." he said aloud. "However, they did come to us, so we shouldn't be rude. Let's say hello, Ginkotsu." he said with a dark grin.

***

Kagome finally stopped running and found a tree to lean against. Her breathing was ragged and she was worn out. She knew that running away wouldn't solve anything, but it was a bad habit from since she was a little girl. She was terribly sensitive sometimes so instead of standing in one place to let someone see her breakdown, she would flee until she could sob in private. She sunk down onto the grass and brought her knees to her chest and wiped the tears from her eyes with her sleeve. 'Stupid Jakotsu. He just hates me for who I am, not because I'm a woman...even after I did so much to gain his trust.' she thought.

Jakotsu ran until he saw the girl curled underneath a tree. He scowled and approached her angrily. He was slightly out of breath, but he was going to give her a mouthful. "Oi, wench! Why are you such a pain in my ass? Ever since you tagged along I've done nothing but babysit you!" he complained.

Kagome never lifted her head to meet his angry gaze. "If you hate me...just say it and I won't even try to be your friend." she said blatantly.

Jakotsu was mildly shocked by her words. What could he say to that? Of course in general he despised all woman, but he didn't necessarily 'hate' Kagome. Of course she irked his nerves every now and then as he did the same to her, but he didn't mean for her to feel as if she were completely disliked. Perhaps his incessant scolding and insulting is what finally did it.

He had no prior experience with dealing with the feelings of women so he didn't know her limit. He sighed and glanced to the side briefly. "Look...Kagome, I'm just not used to being with women and I guess I hurt your feelings," he was going to apologize until he remembered some of the insults he had to endure. "But you insult me too!" he snapped.

Kagome looked up in surprise. "What are you talking about?" she felt as if the heat had been turned up on her.

"That time we were in that village and passed that brothel you said that I could be a geisha!" he whined.

"They're beautiful!" Kagome added, not understanding why that upset him.

"They're filthy whores who cover up their cheapness with expensive kimonos and bad make up!" he insisted.

"What's your point!?" she grunted.

"You're not the only victim so don't play little miss innocence!"

"Just say you hate me then!" she snapped.

"I don't hate you! I just don't like you!" he said boldly.

"It's the same thing!" she cried.

"Argh! Okay, I don't hate you or dislike you, in fact you're the only female...friend I have. I guess I'm slowly beginning to trust you, but I push you away sometimes because you are a woman. I'm sorry okay!" he blurted out, feeling defeated.

Kagome's eyes softened and her spirits felt lifted again. "Wow, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me." she cooed.

Jakotsu rolled his eyes. "Well, relish in the moment, because I won't say it again." he muttered. He was caught off-guard when the girl charged at him and hugged him. He tensed up at first, but then decided to let her get it out of her system. 'What a clingy girl!' he thought.

Kagome peeled away from him slowly and glanced around apprehensively. 'Oh no...that feeling...'

"What's wrong now? Jakotsu asked.

"Shards! I sensed shards...about five of them!" she declared nervously.

"Calm down!" Jakotsu shouted. He then proceeded to do the arithmetic on his fingers. "Big brother has three in his neck...three in Banryuu so that makes...six! Well it must be him." he concluded.

Kagomed shook her head rapidly. "No...these shards have a tainted aura...it can't be Bankotsu!" she declared.

They heard laughter from behind them. "Right you are! It useless to explain things to him...he's as daft as a rock." A frighteningly familiar voice said.

"Renkotsu!!!" Kagome and Jakotsu exclaimed in unison.

Renkotsu smirked and hoisted his cannon onto his shoulder. "Well it was nice seeing you again but it's time for you to die." he laughed as he fired at them.

Jakotsu quickly grabbed Kagome and dove to the side. Though they evaded the blast, they were both knocked to the ground roughly. Quickly trying to recover, Jakotsu stood up once more and grabbed Kagome's hand. "Let's go!" he yelled to her. While the smoke was still clearing they had a chance to get away. He couldn't fight to his full capacity knowing that Kagome could be injured. Bankotsu would never let him hear the end of it.

Renkotsu waited until the smoke cleared and spotted them running in the opposite direction. He laughed. "I knew you were still good for something, Jakotsu. That's right…lead me straight to him." he said. He had told Ginkotsu to follow them in whatever direction they fled in, so he was already on his way to the others. 'My brilliant mind never fails me.' he boasted.

***

Bankotsu stood up with his Banryuu in hand. A strange feeling washed over him. He could feel something in the wind change and it worried him that Jakotsu and Kagome had not yet returned. "Hey Suikotsu! I know you have good instincts, is there something bad in the air or what?"

Suikostu glared and he scouted the forest with his eyes. "Indeed, big brother. I can feel it too! What of Jakotsu and Kagome?" he asked.

As if speaking them up, they both emerged out of the forest huffing and puffing, both covered in dirt. Jakotsu hunched over to catch his breath. "Big Brother...we saw...we saw.." he breathed heavily.

"Renkotsu!" Kagome yelled out after she had enough air.

Bankotsu rushed over to them. "I figured that bastard would show up sooner or later, but more importantly are you guys okay?" he asked. His comrades well-being always came first.

Jakotsu nodded. "Yeah, he caught me off guard is all." he explained.

"Jakotsu saved us from the blast." she informed. "Thank you, Jakotsu." she said with a sincere smile.

Bankotsu gave a look of commendation to Jakotsu before bringing his thoughts back to that bastard Renkotsu. "All right men, we have a score to settle!" he addressed them. "As always, no mercy no one left alive! We kill them both today!" he commanded.

"Right!" Jakotsu and Suikotsu yelled in unison.

Kagome glanced around apprehensively as she began to feel uneasy about the whole situation. There was definitely something afoot here. 'Renkotsu has more shards...but the only way he could have gotten them is if Naraku gave them to him. What is he planning? Wait...of course! He's using Renkotsu to kill the others and in the end he'll kill him...that has to be it!' she thought. She snapped out of her thoughts when the ground noticeably began shaking.

The three members of the Shichinintai glanced around as the Earth began to rumble. It was none other than Ginkotsu arriving. Ginkotsu busted through many trees, leaving anything in his trail in utter devastation. He laughed his mechanical laugh as he rolled up to the group. Another laugh was heard as Renkotsu emerged from the forest in the opposite direction.

"Long time no see, Big Brother." Renkotsu said menacingly.

Bankotsu sneered as he glared at his former comrade. It appeared as though through Renkotsu's timed planning, they had been flanked by the enemy. However, there was no way in hell that Renkotsu was going to escape alive. "It's about time you reared your ugly head! I know you didn't come here to catch up on old times so let's get to it!" he urged.

"It'll be my pleasure. Ginkotsu!" he yelled out.

On cue, Ginkotsu shot a blast, forcing everyone to scatter about. Suikotsu rolled to the side and immediately charged after Ginkotsu. Jakotsu held his Jakotsutou tightly as he charged after his former comrade as well. 'We should be able to handle Ginkotsu and get his shard, but if Renkotsu has more shards...that may pose a problem for Big Brother.' he thought. He struck Ginkotsu with his sword repeatedly, but it only served as a distraction until Suikotsu was able to find his shard. But of course, that is where Kagome came in. "Kagome! It's still at the base of his neck right?" he called out.

Kagone jumped at the sound of her name. She quickly glared at Ginkotsu and nodded. "Yes!!! It's still there!" she notified.

Renkotsu fired his cannon at Bankotsu repeatedly and in the same moment he quickly entwined his strings around him. He laughed before he unhooked his jug from his belt and took a swig, then spewed it to create his fire.

Bankotsu was not impressed by this at all. He was using the same tricks over and over again that it shamed him to predict what his former comrade would pull next. "Okay, so this is the part where you think you've worn me down by firing blasts at me, get me trapped in your wire, and then try to set me ablaze?" he said cocksurely.

Renkotsu sneered for a moment. "Don't get too cocky you bastard! You're still at a disadvantage!" he yelled.

Bankotsu broke free from the wires like a giant breaking through yarn. He pointed Banryuu his way and said, "Fight me like a man, I have a feeling you're confident because you've acquired some shards, so lets duke it out! I'm bored and when I'm bored I get pissed!" he warned sternly.

Accepting his challenge, Renkotsu through his gun down and charged towards the shorter man. He balled up his strong fists and began firing punches away at his opponent. Bankotsu smirked when he saw that Renkotsu's speed had increased, giving him somewhat of a challenge. He quickly sidestepped to avoid a punch that came close to his face, but quickly delivered a swift punch to the man's face in return.

Renkotsu stumbled back a bit and grabbed his nose, which he was sure that would be bleeding in a second. "Damn!"he cursed. In retaliation, he quickly threw a punch that surprisingly caught Bankotsu in the jaw. He smirked.

Bankotsu was surprised that he actually hit him, yet he was still disappointed in him. "Come on now, you can't expect to beat me when you throw punches like a little bitch!" he gravely insulted. While Renkotsu was in a state of stupor, he grabbed him by the neck and delivered one hard single punch to his face and then let him go. He smirked as the older man began staggering about mindlessly. He flexed his hand and said, "Now, that is how a real man punches." With no further words he threw another array of punches to his face until he was no longer able to stand.

Renkotsu collapsed to the ground and stared up into the sky with blurred vision. Blood trickled from his mouth and nose and his eyes were becoming swollen. He constantly thrust his tongue forward in an attempt to prevent himself from swallowing his own teeth. 'Damn it all, even now, I still can't bring him down.' he thought in despondency.

Bankotsu held his Banryuu up and loomed over the fallen, pathetic man. He looked over to Jakotsu and the others and saw that they were still busying themselves with Ginkotsu. He continued to stare down at his former comrade, who only stared hopelessly up at him.

Suikotsu bounded up on Ginkotsu and slashed away at the places Kagome had directed him to while avoiding Ginkotsu's cannons, yet he still had no luck in retrieving the shard.

Kagome continued to direct him. "To the right! It's right there imbedded in his neck, Continue to hit him there!" she instructed. She felt like they were getting nowhere, but all she could do was tell him where the shard was. If only she had her bow and arrows she could get the shard quickly.

Jakotsu was breathing heavily and realized they were at a standstill. It was probably because that stupid girl didn't have a clue about what she was doing. 'No, I have to stop feeling that way about her. Maybe Suikotsu can't reach the shards but I can.' he thought. "Kagome! Tell me where the shard is!" he ordered.

Kagome looked over to him in surprise. "O-Okay! It's in the center of his neck, but most of it is covered by metal parts. Just strike where I tell you to!"

Renkotsu moved his head to the side and saw that the others were determined to rip the shard from Ginkotsu. Luckily he only had one shard so it didn't matter whether or not they took it or not. 'Ginkotsu...I'm sorry...but if I don't make it, you won't stand a chance alone.' His thoughts were interrupted.

"Renkotsu. Before I kill you, tell me what Naraku is planning." he demanded.

Renkotsu chuckled a bit. "Heh! How should I know...he said that if I kill you and the others I can keep the shards. Wouldn't you do the same, Bankotsu?"

Bankotsu recalled when Kohaku had confronted him the other night. 'Kill Kagome... and you can keep the shards.' His voice stung his thoughts. 'I would never harm her...or my friends, not even for my own life….' "Renkotsu, everything you say further disgusts me." With no further words, he drove Banryuu into his neck. He knelt down and picked up the four shards from Renkotsu's neck. Moments later, the man dissolved into ash and bones.

He inhaled and exhaled with a sigh. "Now, it's your turn Naraku."

Jakotsu listened to Kagome's direction and he eventually struck the area where his shard was imbedded. Ginkotsu let out a loud, rumbling groan. Suikotsu, now clearly aware where the shard was, dove up onto Ginkotsu and slashed it out of his neck. Ginkotsu reverted back into ash as well, leaving only mechanical scraps.

Kagome clasped her hands together. "We did it!" she cheered.

"We?! Please you were barely any help!" Jakotsu commented.

Kagome glared at him, silently fuming. "Why you knucklehead!"

Bankotsu approached the rest of his group with a blank expression on his features. "Is everyone okay?" he asked. With the nods he received he saw that no one was hardly injured. They had finally gotten rid of Renkotsu and Ginkotsu and no one was even hurt, now if that wasn't luck, what was? 'My gut tells me that Naraku planned this all along. Or did he? Maybe he was really banking on Renkotsu killing me and the others, but...damn it! What the hell are you up to Naraku!?' he thought angrily, feeling overwhelmed.

Kagome noticed the stressed expression on Bankotsu's face and grew worried again. "Bankotsu...it's Naraku isn't it? You're worried that he'll take your shards...no...he can't! I won't let him!" Kagome ran towards Bankotsu and embraced him tightly. 'I can't lose you?' she thought with tears stinging her eyes.

Bankotsu looked down at Kagome, knowing exactly how she felt. "Kagome, come on now, it's alright." he tried to calm her. 'So you finally figured out what I've been worrying about. Don't worry...for you sake...I won't die. I promise...' The thought of her being sad over his death made him strive all the more to prevent it from happening.

A/N: A bit of silliness in this story, but whenever I feel things are getting too depressing or serious I try to lighten the mood. I have to brainstorm the future events of this story, but trust me I've been thinking about it a lot and hopefully I'll be able to convey my ideas into the story, this is going to be longer than I originally anticipated.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the story and…Happy Holidays!XD