Kagome finished redressing her wound and she felt the jewel very strongly. She gasped and took off running, ignoring how much pain she was in. She snuck into the hut and grabbed her bow and quiver against the doorway. Kagome ran through the woods and she came face to face with Naraku.
Inuyasha shot up. "Inuyasha, what is it?" asked Miroku. "It's Naraku's scent! And it's mixed with Kagome's!" He yelled shooting up. "Go after her! We will catch up!" said Sango.
Inuyasha took off running through the woods. He stopped when he saw Naraku and Kagome talking. He was confused.
"Kagome, how have you been feeling? The effects of me yet? Have you had time to reconsider?"
Kagome scoffed. "My answer is the same as it was a few days ago. I won't turn my back on Inuyasha. And I won't betray him to save myself." Naraku laughed. "He doesn't know does he?"
Kagome glared at him. "You never told him. Or the others. You're keeping this all a secret from them." Naraku chuckled. Sango and Miroku caught up. "What's going on?" asked Sango.
"They're talking." said Inuyasha. "My offer will still stand as long as you're alive. But you don't have much longer. I can tell that you're struggling with breathing." he chuckled. "Tick tock. Your days are numbered."
Kagome rolled her eyes. "I don't care if they are numbered. I knew they were once I realized what happened." Kagome mounted her bow. She winced as she drew back. Naraku laughed. "You even lack the strength to draw your bow."
Kagome drew her bow again. "Like I said, I'm not afraid that my days are limited. But my death will have meant nothing if I don't take you down and destroy you." She said, venom filling her voice.
"Your death will be in vain anyway. You will never destroy me, foolish girl. You will fail your friends. And best of all you will fail your precious Inuyasha. And that will be what you regret the most."
"I refuse to give up until you're dead. If I have to I will take you to hell with me. I will make sure that when I die, you die with me." Naraku laughed. "You really are the reincarnation of Kikyo. You even sound like her now."
"And what's most delicious is that like her you will fail. There is no way you are going to outlive this Kagome. You are just a normal girl. You have no sacred powers as long as Magetsuhi is alive."
Inuyasha and the others continued to listen to them. Kagome continued to have her bow drawn tight. She could feel her wound slowly open. Inuyasha could smell fresh blood coming from Kagome.
"Give up, Kagome. Your only two choices are to either take my offer and find the remaining shards for me or you can accept that you are going to die soon. Your choice. But what can a mere human do to me?"
"You are just normal. You are no miko Kagome. If you were, then you could easily overcome the miasma that is slowly eating away at your body. Maybe you have more in common with Kikyo than you care to admit. Other than your feelings with that hanyou. Perhaps you are destined to be killed by the very person that killed her.
Naraku grabbed Kagome by the throat. She choked and she clawed at his hand. "Die." he said darkly. "NARAKU!" yelled Inuyasha. "Adamant barrage!" he yelled. The spears pierced Naraku over and over again.
His body breaks up into different parts. He wraps his body around Kagome and tries to bring her to him again. "No you don't!" yelled Inuyasha. "Blades of blood." Kagome is cut free and she is caught by Inuyasha. Naraku laughed as he started to disappear. "Looks like your friends are here to save you again."
He disappears completely. Kagome looked up at Inuyasha. His bangs are covering his eyes and she can sense the anger radiating off him. He put her down, allowing her to stand.
Kagome looked at Inuyasha and he walked away from her without a word. Kagome reached for him and she sighed, looking at the ground. She looked over at Sango and Miroku. They turned as well and left without a word.
Kagome sighed and looked at the ground. She dropped to her knees and she looked at her knees. She ignored the pain that she felt from her wound reopening. She put slight pressure on her wound.
Tears filled her eyes as she continued to look at her knees. They must have heard. They heard that she was lying to them and keeping secrets from them. Kagome sighed and she closed her eyes.
She heard footsteps a few moments later. She looked up at Sango. She walked over and she held her hand out. Kagome took it and she stood up without a word. They walked back to the hut they were staying in. Silence.
They walked into the hut and Kagome looked over at the corner. Inuyasha was sitting there, his back toward them. She went to walk to him. "Miroku, you and me need to leave. Sango needs to dress Kagome's wound." said Inuyasha.
Inuyasha stood up and walked past her, not even looking at her. Kagome sighed and she walked over and sat. She watched as Inuyasha and Miroku left the hut. Kagome looked at Sango.
"I'm guessing that no one wants to talk to me." Sango sighed and she took the bandages from her side. Sango looked at the miasma leaked from her wound. Sango redressed it without a word.
Kagome sighed and she set her sleeping bag up and she laid down, not facing anyone. Inuyasha and Miroku were sitting outside the hut. Inuyasha picked his head up when he smelled salt water.
Kagome was crying. Inuyasha scoffed to himself. He stood up and they decided to call it a night. Kagome went to sleep without a word to anyone. She laid away from her friends, keeping her tears to herself.
Inuyasha ignored the want to go over and comfort Kagome. She had lied to him. She had kept secrets from him. And he was very hurt by that. And he was replaying what he and the others heard from Naraku.
'What the hell had happened to Kagome? What happened to her that made her think that she had to keep to herself?'
Inuyasha stayed up all night trying to find the answers to his questions. The next morning Kagome was the first one awake. She sat up and she looked over and her heart skipped a beat.
Inuyasha's eyes were piercing through her. They were filled with a wave of a different anger that Kagome had seen from him. Tears filled her eyes. "Inuyasha….."
REWRITTEN FEBRUARY 2024