There was a mishap on my part regarding chapter "lxii — goodnight," as I had replaced its prior content with the one of "lxiii — goodnight II." That error has now been fixed, so you guys can feel free to check it out if you haven't already. And this chapter features my favorite male Naruto character, Sasori!

Disclaimer: I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lxiv — jupiter

Sasori smiled, the slightness of his lips being the sole indicator of his amusement. His eyes were still cold, still haunted. Ghastly. They made Kagome anxious and she wished he would retreat back into his carapace. Even that wretched monster of a shell he used for his protection was not as terrifying as this. This menace in the form of a teenage boy with hollow eyes that spoke of blood-drenched years far beyond her childish imagination. Kagome's desire to flee amplified when the frigid hand on the lower half of her face tightened its grasp to a painful degree.

A distressed squeak spilled through her parted mouth. "S-stop! It hurts, it hurts…!" Kagome's eyes were shut tight as her smaller hands clawed at Sasori's one. No use. His skin wasn't that of a normal human's. Finally when his hold loosened just enough to alleviate her of the crushing sensation, her wary eyes cracked open.

Brilliant, unsullied grey-blue met death dealing blood-red.

Is he going to kill me? Kagome wondered as she gazed into the eyes of a true murderer. Desperate tears were beginning to gather.

"They truly are exquisite," he spoke at last, his smile widening in a way that would've had her cringing were she not already petrified. "Your eyes, girl."

Kagome's breath hitched in her throat.

"And they now belong to me."

The tears fell.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

—Steve Jobs

Author's Note: Jupiter is the Roman God of Gates and Doors.