Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Inuyasha, all rights belong to the creator, Rumiko Takahasi. I also lay no claim on the creation of Robin Hood.

Chapter Ten: A Royal Tirade

Prince Naraku seethed as he sat on the throne that belonged to his much worthier elder brother. The news of another theft was brought to him by the sheriff and his mood had darkened exponentially. The prince tried to keep his cool, but the rage burst forth like a torrential downpour. "Damn that Robin Hood. His interference has become much more than a hindrance." The golden goblet of wine he held in his hand, was thrown with some force, and slammed against the far wall. The contents splattered to the floor and stained the tapestries that hung from the ceiling. "You have failed me one too many times. You assured me that you were capable of capturing him." The man stood and from his station he towered over the sheriff. His gaze was filled with contempt, the silence lingered but for a moment, then was broken by the crack of a hand meeting a cheek. "I want Robin Hood in the gallows before the end of the week or you shall face my wrath yourself. I will have you thrown in jail and replace you with someone more suitable for the task."

The sheriff's face was etched deeply with a scowl, even with his high regard for the prince, he abhorred when the man displayed such audacity. "Robin is more than just crafty. He has the whole of Nakimoto on his side. Not one of them will tell me what he looks like and the few I've gotten to talk to tell me lies. I have never gotten the same description twice." The sheriff hid his anger well, he remained still while the prince paced about the room. Questions flooded the prince's thoughts. How could one man outwit every last one of his palace guards? What was it that made it so easy for him to hold the entire village in his filthy hands? The man was a common crook, a lowlife; and yet he was able to seize all admiration away from a member of the Royal Family.

In his fit of anger, he declared in haste, "Arrest them all. Arrest any villager that is an accomplice to the robbing hood. If they shall not aid in his capture, I shall then use them as pawns to draw out that insolent thief myself. He has been a thorn in my side for long enough." The sheriff forced away the frown that had formed on his face, Prince Naraku had completely abandoned all sense of reason.

With some hesitation Bankostu spoke, "But your Majesty, if you begin to throw all the villagers in the palace cells, who will be left to tax?" Although the question was fairly asked, it did nothing to lighten Naraku's mood.

With the little calm he still possessed he replied firmly, "If I must lose some gold to regain power, then so be it. Fear shall be what turns my people away from Robin Hood. Their betrayal against he who stands in my way shall be payment enough for my losses." With a grim expression, the sheriff parted from the seething prince. He made his way down the wide corridor and into the lavish foyer, once outside he trekked back to the village with a newfound sense of determination.

Nakimoto was alive with the sounds of life, villagers greeted each other from the streets, cart wheels rattled beneath their carts, and the hooves of horse's clopped against the dirt road. They went about their daily lives, unaware of the dark cloud that had descended upon them. The sheriff made his way down the path that ran down the center of the village, many suspicious gazes followed his trail. He kept his face stern as he approached a group of farmers tending their fields. "Morning gentlemen. I demand a moment of your time today. I have a few questions to ask you and it is at his majesty's command." The men exchanged wary glances, their disgust clear on their faces.

"What could that man want to know? Does he want to know what gold remains after he nearly bleeds us dry?" Bankotsu did his very best to keep his face neutral, he could not act as though his job was on the line. After all, these people disliked him as much as they did Prince Naraku. To them; it was they who were the villains and their beloved hero was none other than the pesky Robin Hood.

He forced a smile and assured them, "No, no. He asks not for more gold, he merely desires any information you can give on the robbing hood." A silence slipped over them and he knew that none of them wanted to give him any answers. He prodded a bit deeper, "If you have any ideas as to what his face looks like, we could really use a description."

With some hesitation one man offered little to nothing, "All I know is he ain't from around here and ain't a one of us that can agree on what he looks like." The sheriff huffed, frustrated at how little was said.

"So you don't think Robin is one single man but many?" They answered the query with a shrug of their shoulders before returning to the task of tending the crops. The sheriff of Nakimoto spent the next several hours in the village, he questioned anyone that could spare a minute, and yet he still had very little information. As before, the sheriff ran into the same problem, not one single description matched. He was starting to believe that the robbing hood was, in fact, the robbing hoods. He paced now, near the edge of the woods, his thoughts raced and his heart pounded in his chest. He tried to surround himself with the calming effect of quiet, but in the distance was a random thud of something striking wood. It only had him that much more on edge, he had to find the source of the noise and put an end to it. With little regard to what he approached, Bankotsu plowed his way through the trees, and grew closer to the sound that evaded his nerves.

In an angry frenzy the sheriff pushed through the branches, at that moment an arrow struck a target that was painted onto the tree to his right. A shocked surprise replaced his frustrated annoyance, with wide eyes he took in his surroundings. Targets had been painted on several trees, they formed a circle, but the distance from the center seemed to vary. In the center of it all, stood a man with a surprised look of his own. In his hands he held a bow and a quiver full of arrows was slung over his shoulder. Bankotsu scanned the area again and when he examined the targets; a nagging suspicion took shape. In a strained calm the sheriff inquired, "What brings you out here, stranger?" On the outside Miroku smiled in a warm manner, but mentally he berated himself for not erecting his barrier.

"Just came out here for a little practice. I'm sure you understand that one must not grow lazy and allow their skill to rust." Bankotsu narrowed his gaze, something about the man before him grated on his nerves in a strange way.

"And why do you desire the skill of archery?"

Without missing a beat the question was answered, "To hunt, of course. I do enjoy eating. Have I done something unlawful here?"

In his proud way the sheriff spoke, "Here? No. Elsewhere? Well I cannot be sure. Your skills are rather impressive with that bow, like that current outlaw. Have you been up to some illegal shenanigans?" His dark blue eyes honed in a search for any outward reaction to his accusation, but found none.

Frustratingly, the man replied coolly, "I know not who you are comparing me to, I have been traveling for some time now, and only came to the village less then a week thence."

Suspicion gnawed at his gut and the feeling altered his voice, "And where is it you came from?"

With anger inducing calm the archer replied, "Here and there. I must admit that I have yet to put down any roots. Trees planted are not free to wander."

Yes, he was now certain, this man could not be trusted. Of course Bankotsu could not know for sure whether or not this traveller was in cahoots with Robin Hood, but still the idea wormed its way into his thoughts. "I don't think I caught your name, stranger."

A cunning smile etched Miroku's handsome features, "You think correctly, for I did not give it to you." The sheriff waited for him to continue and offer up his name, but when the moment never came, he pressed.

"As the one man who prevents crime here, I would be set at ease if you gave me that information." When the wanderer chuckled, it oddly had his hair standing on end, his reply only infuriated.

"As a man with nothing to prevent, I confess I am not obliged to set you at ease, sheriff." Miroku could easily read the rage as it colored Bankotsu's face a deep shade of red. With a friendly facade he added, "But do not upset yourself too much on my account, for I have planned to depart today. I care not for remaining in one place for too long and I fear I have just worn out my welcome here in Nakimoto." He departed then, leaving the sheriff behind to stew in his anger. He may not have feared the welcome running out, but he did fear the suspicion that colored the sheriff's eyes.

Inuyasha walked about the village square, in his human disguise, he blended in easily, but his main objective was to keep an eye out for Naraku and his blind followers. He had bared witness to the sheriff as he interrogated the villagers and he laughed to himself as the idiot had come to the conclusion that Robin was more than a single man. Fools, all of them were fools. Any smart man would know never to underestimate their adversary, but they stood against a man far too proud to display any form of acknowledgement. As pathetic as it was, it did benefit them and worked in their favor. The hanyou was too tangled up in his own thoughts to be fully aware of his surroundings and he was only pulled back to reality when he plowed into a much daintier person.

Her thudding against his chest and the sharp squeak of surprise that passed her lips brought him back to the present. His deep brown eyes were cast down and fell upon the cute lady in waiting and embarrassment colored his cheeks. In a rushed concern he asked her, "Are you all right?" He offered his hand to help her up and the moment she placed her delicate hand in his; he could feel tingles race up his skin.

She assured him quickly, "I am quite all right, I have a bad habit of always being in the wrong place at the wrong time." She looked up and smiled. This sensation. What was it? Inuyasha had never been so affected by the fairer sex before, but she had done it. Yes, his heart; it raced. With the little calm he had left, he tried to channel his inner charm...his inner Miroku.

"You were definitely in the right place today. I'm Inuyasha." A tiny thrill raced up his spine when her cheeks turned a sweet shade of rose pink. To be honest that was the exact response he was hoping for. He helped her back to her feet and once she had finished brushing the dirt from her skirt, she offered him a sweet smile.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Inuyasha." This was a good start to a conversation, now he just had to keep it going. So being charming wasn't exactly his thing, but he had witnessed a few lessons first hand. It couldn't be that difficult of a thing to fake.

"And how would you like me to address you?" There it was, another blush, so far so good. She stammered a bit, but gave him an answer.

"I'm, well I'm Kagome." His smile grew wide, she freely gave her name to him when asked, and for reasons unknown to him: he was delighted. He wanted to keep her talking, but his mind blanked. The panic had begun to settle in when she began to look back at the castle fretfully. "I must apologise, Inuyasha, but I sadly must take my leave. I must get back to Maid Sango, she awaits my return." Inuyasha frowned then, he had been unable to hold her attention for long.

Yet he still implored, "Will I see you again?" She had already turned to leave when he had spoken out to her, she glanced over her shoulder and dazzled him with a stunning smile.

In haste she replied, "Well I certainly hope so."

(A/N) Yes, yes, I know this was another long awaited update. I apologise for being the worst at updating on a regular basis. I have started taking my laptop to work with me so that I may write while on my break. I appreciate any and all of you that continue to follow my stories. Thank you to anyone that has left a review, I love hearing from you, and it means the world to me to have someone share their thoughts on my work. As requested I put a little Inuyasha/Kagome moment in this chapter. I hope it is to your liking. Please feel free to leave a review, follow, or favorite this story. I would also love for anyone reading this to check out my other stories.)